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'Shooting yourself in the foot': Why Canada has no good options on car tariffs
Could retaliation cost us more than the tariffs themselves?
Major car manufacturing countries — Canada included — faced a grim reality as officials met in Geneva this week:
U.S. President Donald Trump's car tariffs (should he follow through and impose them) may be worse than anything they've dealt with so far, no matter what they do in response or retaliation.
No one's sure if the ceasefire brokered by the European Union — no further tariffs while new bilateral trade talks get underway — can hold, or if it even applies to countries outside the EU.
"The stakes are immense," said Debra Steger, a former Canadian trade negotiator who helped build the World Trade Organization before joining the University of Ottawa's law faculty.
The economic impact of car tariffs "absolutely dwarfs" the steel and aluminum tariffs already affecting Canada's economy. "Let's not fool ourselves," she said.
The U.S. Department of Commerce started its "national security" investigation into the alleged risk posed by imported vehicles and car parts last May. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said it could report back in August and recommend new tariffs to Trump within months — if the Americans aren't happy with how other countries are treating them at the bargaining table.
Canada needs to 'dig really deep'
Canada exports more cars, trucks and car parts to the United States than it imports. So if it wants to retaliate with equivalent dollar value tariffs the way it did steel and aluminum, it has to put other goods on its list of targeted imports from the U.S.
It was hard enough for Canada to settle on its first list, adding and dropping products after small and medium-sized companies warned they'd wind up as collateral damage if their costs jumped overnight.
A second list would need to be much longer. Putting it together would be far more difficult.
"Canada would need to dig really deep in its tariff schedule," Steger said.
Retaliation against a huge player like the U.S. isn't an effective strategy for smaller countries lacking the bargaining power of, say, the 500 million consumers in Europe's common market.
"It's like shooting yourself in the foot," Steger said.
Canada might need to look at taking retaliation to a new level by placing barriers on trade in services — like banking and insurance — restricting foreign investments or energy exports, or even denying the U.S. patent protection for intellectual property.
"Talk about a trade war — that would be a very provocative move," Steger said.
The automotive industry is too big and too economically important for Canada, Mexico, the EU, Japan and South Korea to simply accept its disruption on Trump's whim. Collective action speaks loudest — if everyone stays together in the tent.
"This is exactly why the meeting in Geneva is taking place this week," Steger said.
'No one is for it'
South Korea accepted import-restricting quotas from the Trump administration to dodge steel tariffs. Recent modifications to its bilateral trade deal with the U.S. placed quotas on Korean cars, too.
The EU's now in bilateral talks with the U.S. to avoid car tariffs. The Trump administration may use car tariffs as leverage in Mexico's NAFTA-related talks with the U.S. this week.
"They all have different levels of skin in the game," said Kristen Dziczek, vice-president for industry, labour and economics at the Center for Automotive Research.
The localization of production inside NAFTA's tariff-free zone — prompting, for example, German companies to assemble cars in Mexico, or Japanese companies to invest in Ontario facilities — means Mexico and Canada have the most to lose if they aren't exempted from the threatened tariffs.
But if things really are turning sour, Mexico has more options than Canada does, thanks to some aggressive trade deal-making around the world. Its foreign investment is growing and its non-NAFTA exports are expanding.
"They can start turning even more aggressively outward. Canada has a shrinking base," Dziczek said.
That doesn't mean American carmakers want Trump's tariffs, either.
"No one is for it," Dziczek said. The United Auto Workers, which stood alone offering positive feedback during the Department of Commerce's hearings earlier this month, sees potential employment gains but is not wholly on board.
Recent analysis from Dziczek's shop suggests even the best-case scenarios for American assembly plants result in a net loss of thousands of jobs across the industry — because parts manufacturing and supply chains generally are heavily integrated north-south.
Dealerships also take a hit when cars become more expensive and consumers think twice about buying new.
Even Trump's advisers don't agree on how to proceed. In dollar values, the U.S. imports six times as many automobiles and parts as it does steel and aluminum. This decision is "way bigger," Dziczek said.
What's a good deal?
Washington's paying attention to how other countries are preparing to hedge their bets, and to how the markets are reacting, said Rachel Ziemba, an adjunct fellow who focuses on trade and coercive policies for the Center for New American Security in Washington.
There's a "political calculus" at work as U.S. midterm elections approach, she said. "If anything, co-ordination of major U.S. trading partners has only upped the ante of senators to look to frame and re-shape and challenge some of the administration's authority."
But it's also "increased the incentive" for those advocating get-tough trade policies in American politics. Trump supporters remain skeptical of the merits of trade, after all.
"The president never likes it when he thinks that people are ganging up on him," Ziemba said.
"It remains to be seen," she said, "what the Trump administration and President Trump himself would see as a good deal on the auto side," particularly after the apparent de-escalation of his threat following his meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker last week.
Think globally or save yourself?
Import tariffs affect entire supply chains, not just the specific goods taxed. Many countries, including those in the developing world, fear the dumping of cheap, displaced goods once import tariffs alter purchasing decisions.
It's all complicated by Trump's preference for one-on-one negotiations over collective action. The U.S. administration has panned a broader negotiation on auto tariffs, for example, to focus on a better automotive deal in NAFTA.
"For every country there's a balancing act between trying to change and support the global rules and just focusing on their national interest," Ziemba said.
The common good may conflict with a country's desire to avoid crippling costs, particularly on the short-term horizons politicians worry about.
The U.S. is using "national security" investigations to act unilaterally and dodge how the World Trade Organization restricts its trade policy.
"It's very tempting for Europe and Canada and China to say, 'We can go unilateral too,' but then that destroys the system," said Joel Trachtman, an international trade law professor at the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
As Juncker was reported to have told Trump last week, "We can also do stupid."
Trachtman examined how the European Union, Canada and Mexico retaliated after steel tariffs were implemented and their legal justifications. He said he isn't sure their arguments will hold up.
"It's not politically or maybe even systemically satisfying, but the proper legal response is to bring an action" to the WTO for arbitration, he said. After winning that case, those countries could then retaliate legally.
WTO processes are slow, and getting slower, thanks in part to a lack of co-operation from the U.S. What about the economic damage in the meantime?
For years, there was an "informal trust" among WTO members that led them to avoid using bogus national security arguments to protect struggling industries, Trachtman said.
Now this "informal glue has rotted away," ramping up pressure to reform the WTO, he said.
Believe it or not, the U.S.'s national security tariffs may be WTO-compliant — while Canada's retaliatory tariffs may not be. The WTO gives wide latitude to countries when it comes to how they define their national security requirements — while it tends to frown on nations deploying retaliatory tariffs without bringing an action before the WTO first.
Instead of more retaliatory tariffs, Trachtman advises "strategic patience" until America sees reason.
"If the other guy drops rocks in their harbour so you can't export to them, it still doesn't make sense for you to drop rocks in your harbour," he said. The economic pain caused by retaliation might be worse than the pain from tariffs alone, he said.
"It would probably make sense to just not retaliate at this moment, as bitter as it may then feel, but it would be a high-road thing to do."
Despite the pressure from domestic political to stand strong against a bully, "you need somebody to say, 'We're doing adult trade' or, 'We're doing rational trade.'"
All well and good, said Steger, who helped build the WTO's appeal system and admits to feeling some emotional investment in it. But "tough cases are tough cases."
"Lawyers can stand on principle, but Rome is burning," she said. "Governments have to act out of the economic and political realities."


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Filed under: Wearables
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
We've seen tactile displays of all shapes and sizes, but none quite like this latest creation from a group of researchers at Korea's Sungkyunkwan University and the University of Nevada, which promises to be at your disposal whenever you need it. That's possible thanks to the electroactive polymer material the display is based on, which consists of eight layers of tiny actuator films that have been sprayed with electrodes in a specific pattern, allowing the skin to be stimulated without any additional electromechanical transmission. In addition to making it possible to wrap the display around your finger like a band-aid, that also makes the system extremely power efficient and, apparently, cost effective and easy to manufacture. As with other tactile displays, the researchers say this one could be especially useful as a braille display for the blind, although they don't see any shortage of other potential applications, with them foreseeing it being used in everything from virtual keyboards to tele-surgical gloves.

domain: news


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By the way, the Government of India has banned 118 mobile apps. This includes apps from gaming apps to dating, business and more.
By the way, the Government of India has banned 118 mobile apps. This includes apps from gaming apps to dating, business, and more.
This decision of the Government of India may offend some children, but the parents of the children playing the game are most happy with it. He was most troubled by the addiction of children playing public.
The problem of parents’ problem was that in 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was’ discussing the exam ‘, a parent asked him, “My son studies in 9th class, at first he was very good at reading, the last few Over time, his inclination towards online games has increased. Due to which his studies are being disturbed. What should I do? “
Soon after the completion of the question, Prime Minister Modi said, “What is Pabji wala?”
The entire auditorium resonated with laughter as soon as he said this. It is obvious that this laughter is enough to express the popularity of PUBG in India. What parent, what child, and what Prime Minister – no one who has not heard the name of PUBG.
Prime Minister Modi had said in the same discussion – this is a problem as well as a solution. But after a year and a half, their government banned it as a problem.
After it was banned, the poster boy Naman Mathur, who played this game, did a Live on YouTube. 80,000 people were watching this Live at one time. Naman tweeted about this ban and said, ‘the storm has come’. About 60 lakh people have seen his video after the ban.
This new step of the Indian government is also being seen as Digital Strike Part-3 on China.
In the last ten years, the online gaming market has spread its network in such a way that it is now considered to be one of the fastest emerging markets in the world.
To understand this gaming market in easy words, you should understand that when you buy goods by paying money, you think five times before spending.
But when playing online mobile games, it does not cost in the initial stages. That’s why people feel that money is not spent and they also enjoy it. Similarly, the online mobile game market increases. However, it also costs money to play in a professional manner and to go to a new level.
Gaming companies first make your habit of playing it and then later make money. This business can be understood in easy language.
How much do you know about pubg?
How big is the gaming market :
Talking about the world, the gaming market in 2019 is worth $ 16.9 billion. China leads with a $ 4.2 billion stake in it. America comes at number two, Japan at number three, and then Britain and South Korea.
These figures are from statista.com. This industry is expanding rapidly in India too, but even now it is less than one billion dollars. India is not in the top five countries of gaming in terms of revenue. But there is definitely an emerging market for the rest of the countries.
According to Piyush Kumar, CEO of Rooters, a gaming streaming site in India, “Talking about PUBG in India, the game has 175 million downloads, of which active users are around 75 million. More people from China play PUBG in India. But when it comes to earning, it is much less than India. This is because the number of people who spend money playing games is less in India. “
Does this mean that the impact of this so-called ‘digital strike’ of the Indian government will be equal to ‘no’ on China?
According to Piyush, it would be wrong to say so. The number of game players in India is more than that of other big countries of the world, so India is being seen as a ‘gaming hub’ in the future. If a company has to exit the Indian market, then it will definitely have an impact on its user base.
Talking about the user base, children, and youth from 14 years to 24 years in India play online games the most. But when it comes to spending money, 25 to 35 years old spend more on online gaming.
How is earning from gaming?
Actually, online gaming earns many ways. To know this, we spoke to senior business journalist Ashu Sinha.
According to him, one model to earn money from gaming is to say freemium – that is, first of all, free and spend premium (in installments). The second model is – by making merchandise associated with it. Children, especially their associated characters, T-shirts, cup plates, clothing craze increases greatly. Being affected by the game often increases the purchase of those things, from which companies also earn.
And the third way of earning is by making advertisements and movies based on it. Many times games based on films come. The popularity of the film helps in the promotion of games and sometimes the popularity of games helps in the promotion of films.
Those who play this game in a professional manner can be hurt by this step of the government. Many people who play many games are also very popular on YouTube. Those who organize such games will also suffer a lot of damage. But after the ban on Tiktok, the discussion of Pabji Ban had started. In such a situation, many people had already started shifting to other games.
What are the other options?
According to Piyush, there is not a big trend of making online games in India right now. Indian developers are far behind in this. They hope that after the ban, many companies will try it now because till now they were more at risk than the popularity of PUBG.
At present, if you talk about routers, they have more number of those who play ‘Free Fire’ and ‘Call of Duty’. ‘Free Fire’ is made by the Singapore company and the number of players playing it in India is still around five crores and the users of ‘Call of Duty’ are around 1.5 crores.
The number of people playing and watching all kinds of mobile and online games in India is around 30 crores, which is increasing in lockdown. There are some Indian games that are popular among the people here like Bubble Shooter, Minijoy Light, Garden Scape, Candy Crush.
Since people and especially children are not going out of their homes for the last four-five months, the gaming market is increasing in itself.
Vikas Jaiswal is the founder of Ganimation Technologies. In a conversation with the BBC, he said that before the lockdown, there were about 13 to 15 million active users per day, which increased to 50 million in the lockdown. His earnings have also increased five times. But they believe that the gaming industry’s peak is yet to come.


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CUNA Mutual's venture capital arm, CMFG Ventures, has invested in Rippleshot, a startup providing fraud detection technology for the financial industry
“Payment fraud detection and prevention are extremely important to credit unions,” says Brian Kaas, president and managing director, CMFG Ventures, in a statement. “Leveraging new technology, like Rippleshot has developed, will make it easier to detect and prevent payment fraud in a way that will protect members and strengthen credit unions for the long term.”
Rippleshot says that its software uses machine learning and big data to identify potential payment card breaches. It highlights payment cards that are most likely to see fraudulent activity and has a real-time rules engine that enables users to choose which transactions to decline.
Other CMFG Ventures investments include ForeverCar, SpringboardAuto.com, Align Income Fund Sharing, CUneXus, and SmartAsset. The unit targets startups focusing on data and analytics, consumer lending and asset protection technology, and mobile.
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What an incredible time with the amazing kids from Waterspring Ranch in Texarkana, TX! This…
The Panama Canal expansion is impacting supply chains from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, and it’s poised to impact even companies not directly involved in the ports. Here’s everything you need to know.
Background: What expansion?
After more than a decade of work, an expansion of the Panama Canal finally opened on June 26, 2016. The expansion has doubled the canal’s capacity by adding two new sets of locks and widening and deepening existing channels. In addition to enabling a larger number of ships to pass simultaneously, the canal can now accommodate a larger ship size as well – up to 14,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from a previous maximum of about 5,000 TEUs (referred to as New Panamax and Panamax sizes, respectively).
Even before the expansion, the Panama Canal served a significant amount of shipments: some 340 million tons of goods, or 6% of global trade, passed through the canal in 2015. Yet it had been losing business – 10% to 15% of annual revenue – to the Suez Canal over the past three years, according to The Wall Street Journal. With the expansion, the Canal becomes more competitive.
Its impact on North American supply chain will be equally substantial, with ripple effects even for shippers who don’t deal directly with overseas shipping at all.
To start, the canal’s expansion will increase shipments to the gulf ports.
The most obvious and immediate impact of the canal’s expansion is an increase in traffic, with the additional shipments moving away from the West Coast to Gulf and East Coast ports.
According to Jones Lang LaSalle, as much as 25% of imports currently coming through the West Coast could shift. (More conservative research puts it at closer to 10%). In effect, the canal’s expansion turns an enormous area stretching from the New Orleans Gulfport up to the Great Lakes Region into a competitive “battleground region” representing 15% of GDP. In this newly competitive area, shippers will have to choose between West Coast ports and Gulf/East Coast ports-via-Panama.
Due to overcrowding and capacity issues at West Coast ports, it’s inevitable that many shippers will opt to take advantage of the new expansion. The Panama Canal’s executive vice president of planning and business development, Oscar Bazán, expects a 16% to 17% revenue increase in 2017.
In turn, truck capacity will decrease as carriers struggle to pick up the influx of new inbound and outbound cargo.
Importers who do business throughout the United States, and especially those who are specifically in the Midwest and Southeast United States, will have the most to gain from rerouting freight. The canal will continue (as it does currently) to best serve products that are lower value, high volume and do not require fast delivery.
Unfortunately, traffic moving through the canal could run into downstream capacity constraints in the U.S. For example, East Coast ports still require significant infrastructural work to expand their own channels in order to accommodate the larger ships that will be able to pass through the Panama Canal. The Ports of Savannah, Charleston, Jacksonville, Miami, Baltimore and Philadelphia have all announced such projects. But many of these projects are years out: work in Savannah, for instance, is already underway but isn’t expected to be complete until 2018. According to the American Association of Port Authorities, nearly $155 billion will be invested by 2020 to expand U.S. ports to handle bigger ships.
Similarly, OTR transportation will strain to meet demand. The 24th Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends from Logistics Management noted in 2015 that “demand for transportation has exceeded the available capacity in several surface transportation modes.”
The increased shipments coming through the Panama Canal are likely to tighten available capacity from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes Region. In such a capacity-constrained environment, carriers will be forced to be selective about the loads they carry. That selectiveness is likely to translate into carriers prioritizing existing service agreements.
Shippers are advised to lock in truck capacity now to ensure they aren’t left high-and-dry.
The market has not yet fully responded to the expansion; no one knows how trade flows, shipping network configurations, and future competition (like the possible but increasingly unlikely Atlantic-to-Pacific Nicaraguan Canal project) will affect the supply chain marketplace.
What we do know is that shipments through the Panama Canal will increase cargo moving to and from Gulf and East Coast ports, with even conservative estimates putting the increase at 10%. We also know that those shipments will run into downstream capacity constraints in the U.S. supply chain. Shippers who wish “to capitalize on efficiency gains and infrastructure improvements already taking hold,” as Inbound Logistics writes, need to move quickly to ensure they have motor carrier relationships in place before capacity tightens.


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The brand of Alibaba Group is seen throughout Alibaba Group's 11.11 Singles' Day international purchasing competition on the firm's headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, November 10, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Music
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Chinese language e-commerce big Alibaba Group Holding Inc stated on Monday that gross sales for its annual Singles’ Day purchasing blitz hit 91.2 billion yuan ($13 billion) throughout the first hour, up 32% from final 12 months’s early haul of 69 billion yuan.
Akin to Black Friday and Cyber Monday in america, Singles’ Day has been promoted as a purchasing fest by Alibaba Chairman and Chief Government Daniel Zhang since 2009, rising quickly to turn into the world’s largest on-line gross sales occasion.
Also referred to as “Double Eleven”, the competition’s title originates from the calendar date 11/11, with the 4 ones referencing being single. Alibaba noticed gross sales value $30 billion on its platforms on Singles’ Day final 12 months, dwarfing $7.9 billion U.S. on-line gross sales for Cyber Monday. But the 27% gross sales development was the bottom within the occasion’s 10-year historical past, spurring a seek for contemporary concepts.
The $486 billion Chinese language retail juggernaut kicked off this 12 months’s 24-hour purchasing fest with performances by American pop star Taylor Swift and native celebrities like Jackson Yee.
That is the primary time Alibaba’s Singles’ Day doesn’t have flamboyant co-founder Jack Ma at its helm, after he resigned in September as chairman.
It additionally comes at a vital time for the corporate, which is seeking to elevate as much as $15 billion through a share sale in Hong Kong this month.
Alibaba continues to dominate the net purchasing trade, however not with out competitors.
Along with longtime rival JD.com, it now faces competitors from upstart Pinduoduo, which surged in recognition in 2017 by concentrating on customers in China’s lower-tier cities.
Reporting by Josh Horwitz; Modifying by Himani Sarkar and Jan Harvey


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- Viziv concept could preview next WRX, due around 2020
This week’s snippets of automotive news includes Jaguar"s XJ, Subaru"s commitment to the UK, Chinese car makers and brand identity struggles.
Subaru"s UK commitment:
Subaru"s Japanese bosses have confirmed their commitment to Britain despite a downturn in sales. Subaru’s UK market share was just 0.10% last year, but product manager Lucy Holloway said the new version of the XV crossover is expected to help it achieve 3500 overall sales this year.
A 50th anniversary version of the Jaguar XJ will appear this year, ahead of the new model arriving next year. Design director Ian Callum said the special edition would have “detail work”, adding that the XJ is close to his heart. “1968 was when I decided this is the company I want to work for,” he said. “I will make sure the XJ holds true to its values as we work on the next one.”
Chinese car makers:


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STUDY: A big takeaway is that a massive 57.3 percent of Americans said they were not even familiar with clean meat. And over a third of Americans — 36.4 percent — said they weren’t familiar with plant-based meat.
MIKE POMRANZ: ‘Although cultured meat hasn’t reached the commercial market quite yet, its launch seems inevitable and imminent. What is less certain, however, is whether people will actually consume plant-based meats and/or cultured meats. Are these just novelty products or can they really change the way humans have eaten since, well, forever?..
A recent paper published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems took a straightforward approach to determine the answer to this question: They asked people. A team of researchers from the United States, China, and the United Kingdom surveyed over 3,000 participants from the United States, China, and India (the world’s three most populous countries) to see how they felt about meat alternatives.
The authors’ biggest takeaway was that Americans lagged behind both the Chinese and Indians when it came to their willingness to say they would purchase clean meat (the paper’s preferred term) and plant-based meat. In the U.S., 23.6 percent of respondents said they were “not at all likely” to purchase clean meat compared to 29.8 percent saying they were “very or extremely likely”… The results were similar for plant-based meat. In the U.S., 25.3 percent were “not at all likely” to grab something like an Impossible Burger, whereas 32.9 percent were “very or extremely likely”…
Another interesting note about U.S. respondents: A massive 57.3 percent said they were not even familiar with clean meat. And over a third of Americans — 36.4 percent — said they weren’t familiar with plant-based meat… the study concluded that, though much of the groundbreaking work with meat alternatives is taking place in the U.S., in actuality, China and India “may represent especially good opportunities to displace demand for conventional meat”.’ SOURCE..


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Petal Introduces New Cash Back Rewards for On-Time Bill Payments
Today, the Petal Visa® Credit Card unveiled a new rewards program for its no-fee credit card. Starting this month, cardholders will be able to earn 1% cash back for all eligible purchases.
The Petal Card launched in October 2018. The card was designed to help people with limited or no credit history. The approval process is based on a person’s bank accounts and bill payments, not credit scores. Cardholders may qualify for a credit limit of up to $10,000.
To further this credit-building goal, Petal is now rewarding cardholders for making on-time payments. After six months of on-time payments, the cash back amount on the card increases from 1% to 1.25%. After another six months, it jumps to 1.5%. The cash back is automatically activated; no opt-in is required.
Another change coming to Petal Visa® Credit Card is the addition of spending limit settings. Petal now allows customers set a spending limit that is below their credit limit to help cardholders better control their budgets. For instance, someone with a credit limit of $1,000 could set a spending limit of $300. This helps achieve a low credit utilization rate, which should lead to a higher credit score.
Petal Visa® Credit Card still carries no annual fees, late payment fees or foreign transaction fees. Cardholders can freeze their card if it is lost or stolen, and have access to 24-hour customer care.


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Not too long ago, Buicks were strictly targeted at retirees. Not this one. The Regal GS provides surprising performance and is available with a six-speed manual transmission. It's been a while since Buick's offered cars with clutch pedals.
Some are the only ones of their kind, others are one of a few, but all are expected to sell for a lot of money.
|The medical marijuana ad that never aired, despite contrary media headlines|
|2 million students missing out on college aid|
|GM raising Corvette prices|
|China to fight pollution with drones|
|Boeing reports wing cracks on Dreamliners|


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The Streaming Guys have teamed up with Canon Australia to live stream the launch of the Canon Experience Centre in South Melbourne. Hosted by Matt Vandeputte, the production showcased the new 320 sqm store which houses this unique Canon environment.
It was seen on Facebook by fifteen thousand (and counting) aesthetic pleasure seekers.
Our kit included:


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New Technologies as well as the Pharmacy Industry
Advancements in technology contain shifted the landscape of your pharmaceutical sector. Today, pharmaceutic manufacturers are just beginning to see possibly new solutions to develop impressive products. Impressive techniques will be opening up fresh opportunities to produce pharmaceutical products for lower costs. A new medication can cost up to $985 , 000, 000 USD to bring to market, as well as the price from the medication is reflected in the costs paid by simply insurance companies and end-users. To push costs straight down, pharmaceutical corporations must speed up innovation and technology.
Technology is also changing the landscaping of pharmacy operations. Inside the forseeable future, hospitals may be able to print their own pills, https://kcwellnessdimensions.com/2020/03/30/a-wide-range-of-treatments-for-naturopathic-medicine/ which will keep costs down and improve accessibility to premium quality care. Applying barcodes in order to patients‘ prescription medications, for example , will improve accuracy in medical organization and enhance the medical history of patients. Inevitably, barcodes is going to reduce dubious medical transactions and allow for further accurate medication administration. And if the FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION approves mail-order pharmacies, it might lead to fresh revenue opportunities for pharmaceutical B2B businesses.
Blockchain technology is a spot of growing importance for the pharmaceutical market. Typically, pharmaceutical drugs stakeholders happen to be secretive regarding sensitive info. However , blockchain technology has been explored to fight the void of substandard and counterfeit drugs. These issues bring about thousands of patient fatalities every year. Blockchain has many potential applications inside the pharmaceutical market. It can keep track of labor costs and carbon dioxide emissions. The is tremendous. The next step for the purpose of pharmaceutical businesses is to take hold of this new technology.


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MercadoLibre Inc. advances in its formal adoption of bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies as a means of payment. This Monday, MercadoPago, the tool with which the platform’s negotiations are managed, announced the launch of a digital wallet, through which users can buy, sell and trade their digital assets.
According to Tulio Oliveira, vice president of MercadoPago, it is about the expansion of a pilot test carried out in the Brazilian country with a “small group of clients”, at the beginning of November. Now, “it will be implemented more widely in the coming weeks.”
“We take the time to study and learn before deciding to take a step towards cryptocurrencies. This has a transformative potential ahead and opens a new path for us, “said Oliveira, according to appointment the Bloomberg media.
Oliveira adds that customers, at first, will not be able to use bitcoin and their other cryptocurrencies to directly pay for goods purchased in MercadoLibre.
News in development …


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A customisable soft prosthetic developed by two young London entrepreneurs has attained its CE Mark, clearing it for medical use.
Mitt Wearables’ prosthetic arm is soft and adaptable, making it a user-friendly and affordable option for children, who rapidly outgrow standard prosthetics and are often not offered them as a result. In comparison to traditional prosthetic limbs that can cost several thousand pounds, each ‘Mitt’ will cost less than £500. The design is based on sportswear that is lightweight, comfortable and easy to put on.
“Listening to users, there is a clear need for affordable, comfortable and functional prostheses that can help people continue to do whatever it is they are passionate about – whether that’s cooking, painting, using an iPad, drumming, or any number of specific tasks,” said company co-founder Ben Lakey.
“Traditional prosthetic arms are not only expensive but tend to be heavy and uncomfortable to wear. We’ve taken a very different route with Mitt. Instead of trying to mimic a hand, we’ve created an arm and a range of simple tools that can be attached and swapped as required. And the feedback we’re receiving has been just amazing.
Lakey (27) and co-founder Nate Macabuag (24) received support from the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub after Nate won the People’s Choice Award at the Hub’s 2018 Launchpad Competition for young entrepreneurs and Ben was awarded an Enterprise Fellowship.
“The support from the Enterprise Hub has been invaluable, providing us with counsel from not only Britain’s top engineers, but also the practical business skills we needed to launch our company,” said Ben.
The two young entrepreneurs are supported by the Enterprise Hub to help try and turn their innovation into a sustainable, successful business. With more than 70 million people affected by limb loss around the world, and with 90 per cent of those currently unable to afford any kind of prosthesis, Mitt Wearables’ ambition is to rapidly scale the business.
“Nate and Ben are inspiring engineers, and Mitt was a deserving winner of the People’s Choice Award at Launchpad,” said Elspeth Finch, head judge for the competition.
“We’re excited to see their business launch across Europe and expect it to grow rapidly. They have addressed a clear gap in the market for lower cost, easily customisable prosthetic limbs, and we expect there to be global demand for their design. Mitt is a fantastic example of the best of British engineering innovation.”
Mitt Wearables has been trialling its product with users for the past two years and is planning an official launch for next spring. The prosthetic will be available from Mitt’s website and anyone interested in being among the first to get one can join the beta launch waiting list at www.wearmitt.com.


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DR PANG YIU-KAI, GBS,JP
CHAIRMAN, HONG KONG TOURISM BOARD
Hong Kong’s tourism industry has been turned upside down in the past year. First, visitor arrivals fell by nearly 40% in the second half of 2019 because of the social incidents. Then, from early 2020, the world was progressively and rapidly impacted by the emergence of COVID-19. The pandemic has not only affected tourism in Hong Kong but has brought the global tourism industry to a standstill, grounding travellers worldwide and sending shockwaves throughout the retail, catering, hotel, as well as convention and exhibition industries.
With strict quarantine conditions in place, visitor numbers to Hong Kong have faded to practically zero in recent months, plunging us into a situation far bleaker than during the 2003 SARS crisis. As I write this message, the global pandemic continues to spread and recovery for the tourism industry still seems to be a long journey in the context of the uncertain situation in some parts of the world.
However, I am confident visitors will return to Hong Kong when the pandemic eases and international travel resumes. Despite the difficulties we faced, Hong Kong was rated the world’s most popular city for visitors for the ninth consecutive year in 2019 by the UK-based Euromonitor International, a world-leading independent provider of strategic market research. The past nine years have not always been smooth for our tourism industry. Yet the achievement reflects the appeal of Hong Kong as a destination with diverse experiences, an unmatched air traffic network and top-class infrastructure.
Above all, it reflects the irrepressible spirit of the Hong Kong people and our incredible ability to stand up to any challenge. Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, Hong Kong citizens have worked together to fight the virus, united in their determination to use innovation and experience to find solutions to carry us through the darkest of days. This spirit also infuses our tourism industry. And there is every reason to believe that Hong Kong people will actively lead the way when we emerge into a new normal for world travel when the global epidemic is under control.
Our airport, our public transport network, and our exhibition venues, for instance, have strengthened their disinfection routines. Hotels, restaurants and tourism related businesses, with the support of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), have introduced new protocols and procedures to ensure the health of all customers. Tourism attractions meanwhile have put in place new booking arrangements. All of these important steps have been taken with one goal in mind: To ensure that the Hong Kong public and visitors feel safe in our city.
Although there are greater immediate challenges for us all, tourism matters to Hong Kong. The industry brings in hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue every year and is a key pillar of our economy. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Hong Kong SAR Government for its support for our tourism industry and the HKTB, providing to us the resources to face up to fiercer regional competition and to win back visitors in the post-pandemic era.
The livelihoods of around 800,000 citizens depend upon our tourism industry directly or indirectly, with many serving in front line positions. Their wellbeing has an impact on countless families throughout our city, and thus I would like to seek your continued steadfast support in striving for the recovery of the tourism industry.
Hong Kong has weathered many storms in the past, and we have always emerged stronger. With determination, resilience and our can-do spirit, I am certain we will ride out this very massive storm. We look forward to Hong Kong emerging into a new era of growth and prosperity for our tourism industry, and to the future success of the economy of our extraordinary city.


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The traditional PC market grew 14.6% in the third quarter on the heels of work- and learn- from-home trends due to COVID-19, according to analyst firm IDC.
The increase to 81 million shipments of desktops, notebooks and workstations came after a 13.4% increase in the second quarter, compared to a year earlier, IDC said.
IDC expects the fourth quarter will also be strong, said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager at IDC, via email.
Even with the uptick, the third quarter might have been stronger still but there were shortages on the components like processors and panels, IDC said. The industry segment entered the third quarter with a sizeable backlog of unfulfilled orders and will likely end the quarter in the same position. The backlog is even expected to last into 2021.
Bad planning on the part of component suppliers was to blame, rather than any technical glitch. IDC Research Vice President called it a “shortfall of business planning.”
Ubrani said the laptop market would have soared higher in the third quarter if the market wasn’t hampered by component shortages. “Market appetite was yet unsatiated,” he said. “PC makers have certainly put in large orders though they haven’t been fulfilled by the
Lenovo finished the third quarter with the largest global market share at 24.4%, compared to HP at 23.7%, then Dell at 17%, Apple at 7% and Acer at 6.6%.
RELATED: PC shipments rise; Lenovo ranks #1


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The latest news coming from the rumor hut reveals that Apple’s upcoming iPhone might not be incorporated with Qualcomm’s LTE modems. According to the latest research report coming in from Northland Capital Markets, Gus Richard has stated that the firm believes that Intel might have won part of the modem business in Apple's next generation iPhones due that are scheduled to be launched during the month of September. As if Qualcomm was not plagued with enough troubles already.
Intel Rumored To Have Secured A $1 billion USD Deal With Apple, Kicking Qualcomm Out Of The Equation - New LTE Modem In iPhone Inbound?
The latest report from EETimes states the following:
“We now believe that Intel will capture roughly 50% of Apple’s modem business in the upcoming iPhones due to launch September 9th. This is a marquee win for Intel and would go a long way to reducing [its] mobile business losses.”
Intel might not be well known in the mobile market, but if the rumor holds true, then the largest desktop, laptop and server processor maker will finally be able to take a breather on account of penetrating this particular market. However, before we get excited, there are some who are not even remotely convinced that the deal with be taking place.
Kevin Krewell, the principal analyst stationed at Tirias Research, stated that:
“Qualcomm has the best modem technology in the market and the iPhone 6s is a premium phone. I can't see Apple settling for second best technology.” The only role I can see for Intel's modem would be a second tier phone like an iPhone 5c replacement, which could be reasonable volume, but at a much lower average selling price.”
The iPhone 5c replacement would undoubtedly be iPhone 6c, which is said to feature the same FinFET chips as iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, so it does not seem fitting that Apple will change the hardware concerning the cellular modem for its lesser performing iPhone. Just in case you were wondering which Intel LTE modem was going to be present inside the upcoming iPhones, it has been named XMM 7360.
Previously, it was reported that Apple’s upcoming iPhone duo would be sporting a Qualcomm’s 20 nm Cat 6 modem, but all that could change in the blink of an eye, which will eventually spell disaster for the largest mobile chipset maker in the world.


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This story first appeared in the January 21, 2005 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
JOHANNESBURG — With a buoyant retail sector reporting impressive sales last year — backed up by a strong currency, low interest rates and unabated consumer spending — it comes as no surprise that more and more international brands are rushing to establish a presence in South Africa.
D&G, the secondary line of Dolce & Gabbana, opened its Johannesburg store in the posh Sandton City mall late last year, a few months after opening a freestanding boutique in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront.
The D&G shops are owned and operated by the Diesel Group, which in South Africa represents such hip, upmarket brands as Diesel Jeans, DSquared and New York Industrie (Diesel backs the DSquared line and used to own New York Industrie). “Diesel has been in South Africa for the past 12 years,” said Nadine Le Roux, the company’s group marketing manager.
Having successfully grown the Diesel brand in Johannesburg, the group hopes to do the same with D&G. “We have been selling D&G for some time now,” Le Roux explained, “not in a separate store, but in our Diesel Style Lab store. We felt that the time was right for D&G to stand on its own.”
Le Roux would not disclose sales figures, instead saying that “it would take a few seasons to grow the D&G brand, but it is doing well. Our customers range from teenagers to people in their 60s, but our core market is more accurately the 18 to 45 age group.”
Comprising about 1,000 square feet, the narrow, almost all white space — the sleek sobriety is broken by bright red shelving and one wall dotted with black — carries both the women’s and men’s lines. As South Africa is located in the Southern Hemisphere, however, the seasons are reversed, and D&G currently stocks the spring-summer 2004 collection. This means the fashions the store carries are a season behind.
The irony may be lost on South African shoppers, who are considered to be more brand-obsessed than fashion-conscious, but it is not lost on Le Roux. D&G positions itself as an up-to-the-minute, edgy designer label; Le Roux acknowledges that selling last season’s fashions at this year’s prices is something of a problem. She said she had every intention of synchronizing the collections to address this situation. “We are definitely planning to get on line with Europe,” she stated. Prices, she claimed, are more or less on a par with Europe. A pair of distressed jeans, for instance, are priced at 1,800 rand, or $360 at current exchange.
The D&G boutique also carries the John Richmond line; starting next season, D&G will be combined with DSquared in the same space. “We find that the two brands work well together,” said Le Roux. “They complement each other well.”


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China's electric vehicle development index ranks first in the world
Roland Berger and the famous German automotive research institute Aachen Automobile Co., Ltd. therefore, the thermal insulation material used in the project should be low water absorption Automotive Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. recently jointly released the "2017 second quarter global electric vehicle development index". The report shows that China ranks first in the overall ranking of the electric vehicle development index for the first time in the world. In the future, China will lead the world in the best cleaning of electric vehicles; Screw should stay in the forward position of the automotive industry and market. Despite the tightening of the government's new energy policy and the weakening of subsidies, China's electric vehicle and battery manufacturing market share will continue to maintain strong growth and further expand its leading edge
the report compares the development status of electric vehicles in China, Germany, France, Italy, the United States, Japan and South Korea. On the whole, China ranked first in the index for the first time, while the United States and Germany ranked second and third respectively. Japan, which ranked first in the index in the previous quarter, lost its leading position. The report predicts that China will dominate the electric vehicle industry and market in the foreseeable future
in terms of technology, France surpassed Germany and ranked first. This is mainly due to the fact that more German vehicle manufacturers produce plug-in hybrid vehicles with low endurance and maximum electric speed in large quantities, resulting in a slight decline in their electric vehicle technical capacity. Japan ranks third in terms of mining industry. The electric vehicle technology level of its vehicle manufacturers is higher and the price is more affordable. Chinese automobile manufacturers are still mainly positioned in areas with low technology content
in terms of total industry volume, China is gradually expanding its leading edge, which is mainly due to three factors: the rapid growth of the market, the expansion of local automotive demand driven by the continuous significant differentiation of regional markets, and the continuous improvement of the output of Chinese vehicle manufacturers with the increase of demand. In the field of battery manufacturing, China has more obvious advantages. Compared with China, Japan is at a disadvantage in both electric vehicle production and global battery production, ranking third. The performance of the U.S. industry has improved, ranking second
in terms of market size, China's demand has further increased sharply, but the market share of electric vehicles is still slightly lower than that of France, ranking second and the United States third
according to the data, in 2016, China produced more than 350000 plug-in hybrid and pure electric passenger vehicles, with sales maintaining double-digit growth and market share rising from 0.8% to 1.3%. In the same year, the number of electric vehicle registrations in Germany, France and the United States all achieved double-digit growth. But overall, in 2016, only France and China had Markey simple formula: the market share of pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the two countries exceeded 1%
the report believes that the rapid growth of electric vehicle sales in China is mainly due to the substantial subsidies of the government and the license restriction policy of gasoline vehicles in major cities, but the government's policy towards automobile manufacturers is being tightened. At the end of last year, government subsidies for electric vehicles were reduced by 20%, and the conditions for new energy vehicles to be included in the recommended list became more stringent
Zheng Yun, partner of Roland Berger, said: "although the government's incentive policy has played an important role in promoting the development of the industry in the initial stage, it is difficult to maintain it for a long time. The government needs to control costs and intends to let local manufacturers cultivate their own capabilities. The development of the electric vehicle industry will be promoted by the government to the market. The latest version of the new energy vehicle double integral management opinion solicitation draft clearly conveys this signal."
according to Roland Berger's calculation, in order to achieve the goal of 12% of new energy vehicles in 2020, the total sales of electric vehicles in that year need to reach about 1.6 million
Zheng Yun pointed out that automobile design, parts integration and supplier management capabilities will become major challenges faced by local manufacturers. Cost control is the key to achieve growth and achieve the goal of points in the case of government refunds and subsidies. Only the improvement of cost control ability and price competitiveness can help local manufacturers maintain long-term competitive advantages in the international electric vehicle market and achieve "overtaking"
Copyright © 2011 JIN SHI


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A new study has found that organic chickens have significantly fewer cases salmonella than their conventional counterparts.
New, stricter standards placed on the chicken and turkey industries are predicted to prevent 25,000 cases of foodborne illness a year.
Five second rule may not be as sanitary as you might think.
Check the labels: hazelnuts and Skippy reduced fat peanut butter spread have been recalled due to contamination from E. coli and salmonella.
With all the recent sprout recalls, people are hesitant about getting them at the store. Not to worry!—they're easy to make at home.
Taco Bell's meat is under fire as an Alabama law firm claims Taco Bell's "beef" isn't really beef.
Contaminated alfalfa sprouts leads to multi-state salmonella outbreak.
Yet another egg recall hit the news this week, this one from Ohio. In Israel, activists are ramping up efforts to expose inhumane conditions in large egg farms.
Another food recall hits the headlines. A San Antonio plant is shut down after five die from contaminated celery.
Conventional vs. organic eggs: what's the difference?
Everything from the weather to a contamination in an ingredient in their chicken feed was blamed for the nationwide salmonella outbreak at the Iowa egg farm.
The FDA filed some gruesome sanitation reports this week of the farms found to be sources of the recent spike in salmonella-related illnesses.
An Iowa egg producer announced its voluntary recall of 288 million eggs from eight states due to a spike in reported Salmonella outbreaks.
Alfalfa sprouts have been linked to salmonella in ten states, causing 22 people to become infected and 6 to be hospitalized.
Daniele International of Rhode Island has recalled over 1 million pounds of their salami products in the last month due to possible salmonella contamination.
This week on Earth Eats, we've got two delicious dishes: Brazilian Style Collard Greens and Chicken Liver Crostini with Rosemary and Garlic.
Faithful consumers of raw milk swear by its flavor and digestibility. But in Wisconsin, like many states, raw milk cannot legally be bought and sold openly.
The CDC recently released a study showing that eating bear meat can be risky business, but if you think eating chicken is safer, you might want to think again.


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Virginia’s law includes hemp-derived CBD products in the state’s legal definition of marijuana. The state’s forensic labs don’t have the necessary equipment to measure the levels of THC in CBD products to ensure that they’re compliant. This leaves those possessing CBD in jeopardy of facing criminal charges.
Right now, the labs can only detect if a product has THC but not how much, NBC 4 News Washington says. Not roping hemp products and marijuana products into the same category would have been a better approach. CBD products that contain 0.3% THC or less are not considered to be marijuana, but the state needs new equipment to test products.
The Department of Forensic Science Director Linda Jackson said, “We will have to do an additional test, which we have never done before. The new law has definitely complicated all of this.”
A store owner, who said the products in his store were CBD, was arrested in Fredericksburg within a week of the new law taking effect. Hemp production is now legal in the state, but people are still getting caught up in the legal limbo of improper clarification of the law.
Delegate Mark Keam said, “We want to do the right thing in Virginia. One thing that we never wanted to do was put innocent people in legal jeopardy.”
The state hopes to have new testing capabilities up and running in the next couple of months so that innocent persons aren’t getting caught up in the criminal justice system. Law enforcement officials also need new field tests since they detect cannabinoids (CBD and THC). The tests don’t distinguish a difference between cannabinoids.
Keam said, “Until we fix the law itself, the only thing we can do as legislators is to urge our executive branch partners to ensure that this is not a place that they should be prosecuting.”
The labs also need equipment that can determine the difference between Hemp CBD flower and marijuana flower.


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The Chinese language smartphone maker launched the Moto Razr 40 Extremely smartphone at Rs 89,999.The foldable smartphone has acquired a value reduce of Rs 20,000 and prospects can now buy the smartphone at Rs 69,999. The Moto Razr Extremely 40 is available in Infinite Black, Glacier Blue and Peach Fuzz color choices. The smartphone not too long ago launched the Viva Magenta color possibility of the foldable smartphone which additionally retails on the identical price ticket.
Moto Razr 40 Extremely specs
Moto Razr 40 Extremely sports activities a 6.9-inch FlexView FHD+ show with 1080×2640 pixel decision. The show provides variable refresh price of as much as 165Hz and as much as 1400 nots of peak brightness. The smartphone additionally encompasses a 3.6-inch QuickView secondary show with 144Hz refresh price. The exterior show of the foldable smartphone is protected with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on prime.
The Moto Razr 40 Extremely is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM. The smartphone packs 256GB inner storage. The twin SIM foldable smartphone runs Android 13 and the corporate has additionally promised to roll out Android 14 replace for the smartphone.
The Moto Razr 40 Extremely sports activities a twin rear digital camera with 12MP essential sensor with f/1.5 aperture and a 13MP extremely broad angle lens with f/2.2 aperture. Entrance is residence to a 32MP selfie digital camera. The flip telephone comes with IP54 ranking which makes it mud and splash-resistant.
The smartphone comes geared up with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and is backed by a 3,800 mAh battery with 33W quick charging and 5W wi-fi charging assist.


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The future of taxis is in flux, and the emergence of Uber, SAVs, and e-hail are reshaping consumer expectations. While there have been several studies looking at the future of cabs, few have looked at the impact of autonomous driving and HCI. In addition to studying general passenger expectations, studies should include special needs customers.
Uber is changing the way consumers expect to be transported by taxi. The company’s software provides better service, more transparency, and enhanced trust for consumers. Consumers can see the driver’s picture and license plate and be assured that they are getting the right car. Uber also provides a personal touch that increases trust. Many consumers feel uncomfortable about fares of traditional taxis, especially if they are unfamiliar with the area. Uber helps address this concern with its map-based navigation and use of Google Maps to ensure that customers are given a reliable ride.
Although Uber has had its share of controversies, it is clear that it has changed consumer expectations. The company has attracted a large number of drivers with the promise of extra income. Uber drivers can make up to $19 an hour and have the freedom to schedule their own schedules.
Using self-driving vehicles (SAVs) is becoming more popular. But will human drivers still be needed? Most taxi drivers believe that the future of taxi service will be determined by technology. Nevertheless, they acknowledge that human drivers are needed for certain consumer segments.
Currently, SAVs can be hailed with an app. They can drive you anywhere you need to go and don’t require any driver’s license. These vehicles are also known as driverless taxis.
E-hail is changing the way taxis work. It connects consumers directly with taxi drivers who receive orders through an app. Previously, passengers had to hail a cab from a central stopping place, and the driver was responsible for coordinating the trip. Today, customers can call a taxi directly from their cars during working hours.
In addition to enabling consumers to call a taxi in a matter of seconds, e-hail apps enable drivers to manage their business. They can plan their trips and respond to customer requests using voice commands. They can also provide additional services, such as helping customers get to their destination.
Uber has become an important factor in the world of taxis. While traditional taxi companies charge high weekly rental fees, Uber drivers do not have to pay these fees. They can adapt their service to meet consumer expectations. They can also offer extra services. Many drivers see the potential in incorporating Uber into their business model.
The introduction of Uber into United Kingdom has changed the landscape of the taxi industry. Historically, taxi drivers have held a structural advantage over their competitors. In countries like United Kingdom, where the taxi industry is protected by the state, hired cars are not as competitive. However, with the emergence of Uber and other e-hailing apps, this advantage has diminished. Because of these factors, taxi drivers must be available on several e-hailing apps in order to remain competitive.
Regulatory policies have a variety of implications for consumer expectations, from pricing to quantity. For instance, price regulation may encourage low safety levels. However, service-level regulations can improve consumer satisfaction by raising service levels in low demand periods. This is because regulation mandates taxi drivers to operate a certain number of hours per day and keep wait times short throughout the city.
Taxi regulation has a long history. The first wave of taxi regulation began in the 1920s and was centered on entry controls, fixed rates, financial responsibility, and assurance of service. In a report published in 1984, the Federal Trade Commission outlined four possible motivations for taxi regulation. These motivations included self-interest, quality assurance, and safety.
The customer experience in taxis is a crucial component of any business, and it should be a focus. The taxi industry has struggled to evolve, and has not invested heavily in customer experience improvements. In contrast, Uber has spent a great deal of money to create a better customer experience. These innovations have helped Uber eliminate problems like standing on the pavement or dealing with grumpy drivers. Customers today expect simple, efficient processes, and the Bracknell Taxi Transfers should be no different.
The customer experience in taxis depends on several factors, including physical appearance, the cleanliness of the vehicle, and the behavior of the driver. Drivers should also be courteous and well-mannered, as this creates a better environment for communication and understanding.


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Ravenwood Packaging’s world conference debates the future of ‘skinny’ labelling
New formats of linerless labels and minimalist labelling technology were discussed at Ravenwood Packaging’s World Conference 2015 in Suffolk
The UK labelling and sleeving specialist hosted a conference for 40 experts from around the world – including Australia, Europe and the USA – who are promoting the use of linerless adhesive backed labelling systems. The stripped-down, highy-flexible labels produce less waste than conventional labelling in that they have no liner or backing paper. This innovation is keeping them at the top of the packaging sector’s green agenda.
The findings from the conference confirm that minimalist labelling is becoming adopted as standard by the food packaging sector, particularly for chilled foods, across the world and that other industries are looking to adapt the technology to become more process and waste efficient.
The conference was staged at The Abbeygate Picturehouse in Bury St Edmunds, the authentically-preserved cinema venue which first opened in the 1920s. The event started with a pre-conference dinner at the motorcycle and classic car destination venue Krazy Horse and followed on from the exhibition Pro2Pac 2015 at Excel in London which showcased the company’s linerless labelling techniques.
Labels and sleeves are continuing to win ground over other more-elaborate packaging formats and linerless labels are surging forward as a result of their green credentials. Savings can be made in the production process as the new-style labels allow for more than a 50% reduction in the need for label change over and the costs associated with transporting the labels are lower as they are lighter and less bulky. Recent linerless labelling introductions have included ‘slidable’, ‘skin-pack’ and ‘super-protruding labels for bulky products such as whole joints of meat.
Ravenwood’s MD Paul Beamish says: ‘Backingless or skinny labels are winning new followers across the globe as companies worldwide accept the idea that less is more.’
‘We are looking at new ideas and concepts for the future. What started as a simple concept is now a major force in packaging and we are looking at ways of adapting the technology to answer other packaging challenges.’
‘The fact that over 40 world delegates are here with us talking these issues through in the UK is a sign of how pivotal we are in this field. We are leading this changing technology with the help of other experts from around the world.’
‘Manufacturers and retailers are now doing everything they can to take practical steps towards sustainability and this is what is feeding this growth in linerless labelling.’
The company provides an all-inclusive, top quality service through a network of partners and worldwide agents. It supplies a range of specialist labels and packaging machines including those being picked up by a growing number of manufacturers in Europe and the USA including neighbouring Latin America where new legislation is driving the move towards backingless labels.


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AOL expanded its ONE open automation platform with this week's launch of ONE by AOL: Creative, a new platform that combines human creative design with machine learning for brands, advertisers and creatives looking to use real-time behavioral and engagement data.
AOL is looking into a data breach that exposed encrypted passwords, encrypted answers to security questions, email addresses, postal addresses and address book information of a "significant number of user accounts," AOL revealed in a blog on Monday.
Two recent studies have shown that young mothers spend more time on mobile devices than any other segment of the population.
Google lost marketshare this month, but it wasn't Microsoft that made the gains.
Google continues to control consumer search, even while Microsoft makes slow progress, but for now, not much changes when it comes to search engine marketshare numbers.
Verizon Wireless inked an exclusive content distribution agreement to preload the AOL.com mobile Web portal across its Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone smartphones and selected tablets.
about.me, which offers a simple way to create a one page biography about yourself, was sold to AOL just months after launching in 2010. This week, it announced it was once again an independent company.
While Google lost a modest.3 points in the latest, comScore numbers, Bing, Yahoo and AOL split the loss equally with a gain of.1 each.
The Wall Street Journal's John Bussey moderated a task-force comprised of Tim Armstrong, chairman and CEO of AOL Inc.. Dominic Barton, global managing director at McKinsey & Co., and R. Marcelo Claure, chairman, president and CEO of Brightstar Corp.
AOL is re-launching its Games.com site with support for cross-device functionality, leveraging Web technologies like HTML5 to promise users consistent gameplay experiences across smartphones, tablets...


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Ever wondered why that delicious Meat Free Monday dinner you’ve bought yourself is so much more expensive than the meaty equivalent? Us too. Effectively a tax on ambitions to eat greener, it adds pounds to the monthly shop and risks making prospective veggies or vegans think again about changing their diets.
Thank goodness, then, that one supermarket is leading the charge to change the industry.
The Co-op has become the first British chain to bring down the cost of its plant-based food so that meat free eaters and meat reducers don’t have to pay through the nose for saving the planet. As part of its drive to reduce its emissions to net zero by 2040, the company will plough more than £1.7 million into price-matching its Gro meat free and vegan range to its meat equivalents.
The 29 products in the Gro range include vegan sausages (£1.45, down from £3), meat-free burgers (£1.35, down from £3), meat-free mince (£1.75, down from £3) and vegan meatballs (£2.30, down from £3).
The high cost of meat alternatives in our supermarkets are likely to be putting many people off making the switch away from animal products and towards plant-based food. In some instances, the healthier and more planet-friendly option is sometimes twice or three times as expensive. A pack of Asda bacon (10 rashers, 300g) costs £1.49 on its website, for example, while a pack of its own-brand plant-based bacon (10 rashers, 180g) costs £2.50.
“It’s an industry-wide standard that plant-based alternatives are usually priced higher than their meat and dairy counterparts,” said Jo Whitfield, the chief executive of Co-op Food. “We believe it shouldn’t cost you more money to eat plant-based food and that this disparity is unfair to those following vegetarian, vegan and flexitarian diets.”
Less than a year after a report that revealed the Co-op’s veggie and vegan food to be among the priciest of the major food retailers, Whitfield issued a challenge to the other big supermarkets: “This move is a step in the right direction and we encourage other retailers and brands to consider making the change too.”
Other key planks of its 10-point climate change plan include offsetting the carbon cost of producing own-brand food and drink by 2025; switching its 200 delivery vans to electric; and ploughing the money from its carrier bag levy into restoring UK wildlife habitats. It plans to report every year on how well it is doing in meeting its goals, with Whitfield’s pay directly linked to its success.


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New Toyota 86 in 2021
A leak from the US suggests that the next Toyota 86 will make its debut mid-2021, in America at least. The second-gen sportster will be called the GR 86 in line with the GR Supra and GR Yaris.
And it will come with more grunt, thanks to the use of a turbocharged 2.4-litre engine making around 185kW, giving it a welcome boost in the power stakes. This flat four is sourced from Subaru’s US-only Ascent large SUV.
In that application it works with a CVT but there are no transmission deets for the new sportster just yet. A manual will be a certainty but whether a CVT will cut it for the automatic model is another thing. Such a move would get the keyboard critics into a lather.
While the first-generation car sat on a Subaru platform, this next one will use a major redevelopment of Toyota’s TNGA architecture.
Whether there will be a Subaru version is not yet clear, as the BRZ has not exactly been a raging success. Although much the same could be said of the 86, Toyota is keen to press on with a second-generation version as the firm adopts a ‘we are no longer boring’ image.


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Just wondering...how many of you own a SpiritHood and rock it regularly? They've been a huge trend lately (both Demi Lovato and Kim Kardashian have been spotted wearing the animal-inspired headwear) and Seventeen fashion editors Jasmine and Marissa even did a fashion haul video on their faves. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from every hood sale benefits wildlife charities, so endangered Polar Bears, Snow Leopards, and Giant Pandas are being protected when you purchase the furry hat. Take this poll below and see where you stand!
Girl Calls Out Store Over Shockingly Skinny Mannequin
Why Twitter is outraged over the store's response.
Kendall And Kylie Jenner's Haunting New PacSun Video Will Give You Serious Chills
You have to see Kendall and Kylie Jenner's creepy-cool new PacSun video!
Zendaya Slams Fashion Police Host Who Criticized Her Dreadlocks
Fashion Police host Giuliana Rancic crossed the line.


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The Libyan crisis, which sent oil prices through the roof, actually proved to be a blessing in disguise for automakers. Rising oil prices prompted consumers to look for more fuel-efficient alternatives, which then resulted in a surprising surge in automobile sales.
With an increase in demand for fuel efficient alternatives, cars such as Toyota's (NYSE: TM ) Prius were in great demand at the start of the year. But the Japanese crisis disrupted production and threatens to do so through at least the middle of the year. The shortage of auto parts made in Japan is making automakers fret across the globe, as their outlook gets threatened. What's the current game plan?
To start off
Since Toyota's and Honda's (NYSE: HMC ) hybrids are produced only in Japan, the demand for Japanese hybrids essentially went unsupplied. U.S. carmakers profited significantly, as they saw a surge in the sales of their hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles.
Last year, the global automobile industry sold 72 million units. Analysts estimate that number to grow by almost 33% by 2015. While much of the recent growth was supported by a domestic resurgence in demand, much of this forward growth is expected to come from the emerging markets. With the top automakers looking to expand further as the year rolls on, they would look to fully capitalize on this expected increase.
Future growth should bring good news to all players across the industry, including those that act as feeders to big assembly and design firms. Tire maker Goodyear (NYSE: GT ) got close to 44% of its revenues from its North American tire segment and almost 11% from the Asia Pacific tire segment last year. With car sales expected to go up in both these segments in the coming year, good times may be ahead for the Ohio-based manufacturer.
The emerging market
Automakers across the globe have pinned their hopes on the emerging nations to drive their growth through the decade. Their hopes aren't without basis. China's automobile industry has been expanding at a very fast pace. From just 6 million cars sold in 2005, the number of automobiles sold in China surged to 18 million units last year. That number is expected to go up further. An interesting fact to note here is that the driving age population, which is currently at 700 million, is expected to go beyond 1.1 billion within the next decade -- and so should demand for autos.
With a market share of 12.8% in China, GM is already well-poised to capitalize on this. Japan's top carmakers also have their plans in place for China. Last fiscal year, Honda got close to 18% of its revenues from China. It plans to produce electric vehicles in the country next year. Also, Toyota expects to double its sales in Asia in the next five years to almost 1.8 billion. Ford has a market share of around 2.5% and hopes to increase it further by doubling its dealerships.
Situation post-Japanese crisis
With key auto parts shortages still hampering production schedules, ripples are being felt by global automakers as well. For Japanese carmakers, production is expected to run under capacity at least till the middle of the year, with U.S. carmakers expected to face difficulties through the rest of the year as well. Car dealers such as AutoNation (NYSE: AN ) that expected growth in sales this year, have had to revise forecasts as they faced severe supply constraints. But these hold-ups are likely to be temporary in nature.
The Foolish bottom line
Despite a strong start to the year, part shortages threaten to hamper sales. Although the recovery is on track, it will still be some time before Japanese factories start operating at their full capacity. This will affect U.S. carmakers as some major auto parts come from Japan. Even though the signs looked good at the start of the year, the earthquake and tsunami have severely dampened spirits. I expect the middle of the year to come with certain setbacks, but ultimately I see automakers surging over the medium and long term. Keep an eye out.


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Angel Seafood Holdings Ltd (ASX:AS1), revealed that it registered record gains in the six months ended 31 December 2020, thanks to the raised demand for oysters.
Here are some of the key statistics and highlights from the ASX announcement:
- Revenue was registered 52% higher at $3.8 million while the price of the oysters remained steady.
- As many as 5.1 million oysters were sold, 55% more than the last corresponding period. This was driven by sustained success of Angel’s multi-bay strategy and robust momentum in retail sales triggered the sales.
- 20% reduction in operating cost was achieved via benefits of scale and productivity gains.
- The Company seeks to double up the production capability and reach up to 20 million oysters per year.
- The Company had stock position of 20 million oysters.
- FlipFarming and ‘summer oysters’ trials commenced to enhance productivity and viability.
- Placement worth $4 million accomplished to aid the coming period of growth.
Angel’s CEO and Founder Zac Halman said that the previous year was a challenging one and despite the challenges, the Company delivered record sales. He said that the outcome highlights the underlying strength of the business and hints on the further continuation of oyster demand.
Meanwhile, the share price ended the day’s session at $0.150 per share, up 3.448% with market capitalisation at $22.55 million.


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Mahindra will be adding Bolero Neo to Bolero’s line-up soon. The new SUV has been spied on the Indian roads. From the pictures, we know that the Bolero Neo is based on TUV300. However, there will be a lot of updates to the SUV. Now, Mahindra has teased the launch of Bolero Neo officially by sharing a post on Twitter.
— Mahindra Bolero (@MahindraBolero) July 5, 2021
The post shows a green coloured Bolero Neo appearing out of a sandstorm. Mahindra will not be discontinuing the regular Bolero instead the new Bolero Neo will be sold alongside the regular Bolero. Mahindra TUV300 on which Bolero Neo is based on has been discontinued for quite some time. Mahindra never updated the TUV300 to meet BS6 emission norms.
The manufacturer has not officially revealed any details about the engine. However, according to media reports, Bolero Neo will come with a 1.5-litre diesel engine that produces 100 bhp. The torque rating of the engine is still not confirmed yet but it is expected to be around 240 Nm. It will be offered only with a 5-speed manual gearbox. We still do not know if there will be a petrol engine on offer or not.
Variants and launch
There will only be three variants of Bolero Neo on offer. They will be N4, N8 and N10. As the names suggest N4 will be the base variant, N8 will be the mid-spec one while N10 will be the top-end one.
The launch of the Bolero Neo is expected to happen around August-September. It will sit above the regular Bolero. The pricing should be around Rs. 9 lakhs ex-showroom to Rs 12 lakhs ex-showroom. Bolero Neo is aimed towards people who want the reliability and ruggedness of the Bolero but want a bit more comfortable and modern-looking vehicle. The manufacturer is expecting that the “Bolero” nameplate will be able to increase some sales of their compact-SUV segment which the TUV300 could never do. They even launched a TUV300 Plus but that was also not successful.
At a first glance, the Bolero Neo could be recognized as a TUV300 but the manufacturer has made a lot of subtle changes to differentiate it. For instance, they have added Bolero’s design elements such as squared-off wheel arches, boxy design and a clamshell bonnet. There is also a black plastic strip that runs at the side throughout the length of the SUV.
Other changes include new headlamps that now comes with LED Daytime Running Lamps, new 5-spoke alloy wheels, a revised bumper and a new spare wheel cover. The front grille has also been redesigned and now comes with 6 vertical slats just like we will see on the upcoming XUV 700 SUV.
The interior will also be redone so that it looks more modern. There is a new instrument cluster that is similar to the one found in the Thar. The top-spec variant should come with a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and automatic climate control. The upholstery and dashboard design will also be slightly different.


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Lotus and Britishvolt have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the research and development of new EV technology.
The partnership will focus on the co-development of an innovative new battery cell package to power the next generation of electric sports cars from Lotus. The package is set to feature in a new sports car, powered by Britishvolt cells and utilising advanced electric propulsion technologies developed by Lotus. An official design sketch provides the first clues to a new Lotus EV sports car.
Matt Windle, managing director of Lotus Cars, said: “Lotus is delighted to be collaborating with Britishvolt to develop new battery cell technology to showcase the thrilling performance that a Lotus EV sports car can deliver. These are the first exciting steps on the journey towards an all-new electric sports car from Lotus, and yet another step towards the transformation towards sustainable, renewable electricity stored in batteries.”
He added: “Last year we committed Lotus to a pure electric future, and in the first month of this year we announce another significant step on that journey. In the coming months we will be unveiling the Type 132, an all-new and all-electric Lotus SUV and we’ve confirmed three more EVs are on the way.”
The collaboration with Britishvolt is another development in the transformation of Lotus, following the £100m investment by Lotus in its UK facilities, which includes manufacturing centres at Hethel for the Evija pure electric hypercar and Emira sports car.
All future Lotus cars will be pure electric and inspired by the Evija, deliveries of which commence this year as the world’s first British electric hypercar.
Britishvolt is also on target to responsibly manufacture some of the world’s most sustainable, low carbon battery cells on the site of the former Blyth Power Station coal stocking yard located in Cambois, Northumberland.


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Enzi’s Internet Sales Tax Bill Passes Senate
The Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act by a 69-27 vote Monday. The bill, sponsored by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), would give state and local governments the ability to collect sales tax on out-of-state, catalog and online sales. No state would be forced to collect the sales tax, but would have the authority to make this decision if they so choose. Enzi said it’s a conversation state residents and their state legislators should be able to have.


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“The Vivo NEX S is expected to be the high-end variant with Snapdragon 845 SoC and retractable selfie camera”
Vivo’s upcoming flagship series of smartphones – NEX, has been subjected to a ton of leaks and rumours in the recent past. There have been rumours that the brand is working on three NEX smartphones – NEX, NEX S, and NEX A. However, recent leaks have suggested that there are only two variants in offing viz. NEX S and NEX A, and the alleged NEX was apparently the series moniker. Now, both variants were briefly spotted on the official website in China before the listings were eventually taken down.
The Vivo NEX S was spotted in a bright red hue, with a 6.59-inch FHD+ display adorning the fascia. The listing corroborated with the past rumours and revealed that the S variant will have the Snapdragon 845 SoC, accompanied by 8GB RAM and 128GB storage at its core. As for the optics, the handset has been tipped to come with a 12-megapixel primary camera, accompanied by a 5-megapixel secondary shooter on the rear and a retractable 8-megapixel front camera. The handset will likely boot Android 8.1 Oreo with FunTouch OS on top and will be powered by a 4,000mAh battery. The listing also revealed the connectivity options, which include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB 2.0, and USB OTG. There will be an under-display fingerprint scanner for security, as per the listing.
Coming to the NEX A, which can be seen listed as Vivo NEX, the smartphone ships with the same display as the high-end model. This variant also retains the cameras, storage, and battery, from the NEX S. However, on the performance front, the Vivo NEX has been shown powered by the latest Snapdragon 710 processor, accompanied by 6GB RAM. Moreover, the handset is seen flaunting a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, which means there is no under-display biometrics on this variant.
The official listing had the price for both variants listed as RMB 9,999 (~Rs 1,05,450), which is highly unlikely. We will bring you more updates on June 12th, when these smartphones go official.
|Octa core (2.8 GHz, Quad Core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)|
|8 GB RAM|
|6.59 inches (16.74 cm)|
|1080x2316 px, 388 PPI|
|12 MP + 5 MP Dual Primary Cameras|
|Dual-color LED Flash|
|8 MP Front Camera|
|USB Type-C port|


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Rebecca Shaver, state executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said she supports the current state system and is particularly concerned about an increase in the number of liquor stores."If there is a larger number of licenses being issued, which leads to more availability, which leads to more consumption, we prefer that the system that we have in place remains in place," she said.
But is it true that more liquor stores leads to more drinking and drunk driving? Yet 17.6% of our population admits to binge drinking (7th in the nation). In sheer numbers, Pennsylvania ranked 4th in the nation for number of alcohol related fatalities (which is partly reflected by our #6 population rank). When it comes to underage drinking, we fall in the list to #22 with 30% of our minors drinking. Though 20% of them binge drink (which puts us at #18). There's only one other state in the nation (New Hampshire) which has a state run liquor store. Shouldn't we be tied for last with them in all these statistics if state run liquor stores can prevent drinking and drunk driving?
The farce of the matter is that our politicians hide behind our well-meaning alarmists in order to keep the profits from the state liquor stores headed into the general fund. We do not maintain state liquor stores for safety or to prevent underage drinking. We maintain these stores because they bring in record profits every year. The state has no business in running liquor stores. It's a bloated business that sends out glossy advertisements in the newspaper every week, and severely limits entrepreneurship in the state. The 621 state-run liquor stores could be small businesses that pay taxes and contribute to our society. Instead, we have a monopoly which does not adapt to the individual needs of each region. Instead of attempting to limit alcohol consumption and educate consumers about the dangers of alcohol, the PLCB (Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board) is planning self-serve kiosks and wants to re-brand itself with a new name, such as "Table Leaf."
Customers spend an average of three minutes in a liquor store, PLCB Chairman Patrick J. Stapleton told a state House-Senate committee recently. He called that “unacceptable.”Rebecca Shaver, do you really want the PLCB chairman plotting on how to get customers to spend more time in the liquor store?
Officials said the renovations and new focus could generate more money for the state. The PLCB provided the state with more than $518 million for the 2008-09 fiscal year.


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Feting its 40th anniversary next year, Sportmax is accelerating its growth in the U.S.
The label, founded in 1969 as a more practical, informal offshoot of MaxMara that was inspired by Swinging London, opened a pop-up store on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles over the weekend. It also secured sites on Melrose Place in West Hollywood and Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, which will feature a new store concept.
And to round out its growth strategy, MaxMara Group executives plan to open up the Sportmax business for wholesale with the next spring season.
In its early days, Sportmax was viewed as an addition to the MaxMara mix, sold inside MaxMara stores. Over the years, however, the brand found its own clientele. Today, Sportmax is sold in the U.S. in 27 MaxMara boutiques. There are also seven freestanding Sportmax stores worldwide: New York, Milan, Paris, Tokyo and three in Hong Kong.
The growth of the label has prompted MaxMara to convert its unit on West Broadway in Manhattan, which sold MaxMara and Sportmax, into a freestanding Sportmax store.
"We started playing with the store and slowly exited the other collections," explained Luigi Caroggio, chief executive officer of MaxMara U.S.A. "By the end of 2006, the product mix was mostly Sportmax, and by the end of 2007, we changed the sign. In the past few seasons, we have seen such growth of the Sportmax collection through MaxMara stores that we decided to start looking for locations."
The company recently secured two units: a 2,200-square-foot space at 8473 Melrose Place in West Hollywood, which is slated to open this December, and a 2,000-square-foot one at 1111 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, within a new complex being built by architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron. It is scheduled to open in November 2009.
To give Los Angeles a flavor for the brand, the company decided to open a pop-up Sportmax store on Rodeo Drive adjacent to Miu Miu. It is expected to be open through the summer and close on Sept. 30.
"We had the opportunity to utilize that space, and decided to take it as an anticipation to the opening on Melrose for the West Coast market," Caroggio said.The permanent stores will unveil a new concept created by architect Vincenzo de Cotiis, who is also the designer behind fashion label Haute, which is sold at Bergdorf Goodman. The move to hire an architect and fashion designer was deliberate. "We felt that it would bring something special," Caroggio said. The look of the new stores is loosely inspired by the Fifties, with textured surfaces, ribbed wood and printed glass. De Cotiis is combining rough materials with shiny surfaced ones to bring an antique feeling to a modern setting. The concept will first be unveiled in Moscow, where Sportmax plans a soft opening this September.
With the retail push, the company for the first time also decided to open its distribution to high-end department and specialty stores here, beginning with the spring 2009 season. "Until a year ago, the collection structure was not ready for the U.S. wholesale market," Caroggio explained. "Now, we have a strategy in place to give a strong presentation and to have a bigger impact."
Coats wholesale from $495 to $695, dresses from $290 to $640 and knits and sweaters from $125 to $260.
MaxMara Group does not break down numbers for Sportmax. In 2006, the company's overall sales volume was 1.2 billion euros, or $1.8 billion at current exchange rates, of which 45 percent was in exports. The company operates 2,254 stores worldwide in 90 countries, including Marina Rinaldi and Max & Co.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles crowd will get a different view of MaxMara this week. The company is the title sponsor of Women in Film's MaxMara Face of the Future award, which will be given to Ginnifer Goodwin at the 2008 Crystal + Lucy Awards at the Beverly Hilton today.
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews


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Hangzhou, China - The Ant Group-led Alipay+ program has now integrated seven more Asian e-wallets.
Users from ten e-wallets in Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong SAR, and Macau SAR can now make transactions in China using their domestic e-wallets.
Ant Group is targeting a potential user base of 175 million with this initiative, signaling its increased integration into China's vast commerce domain.
Why it matters:
The move brings digital wallet users from Asia closer to China's robust commerce network, marking a significant step in the evolution of digital payments.
The Key Points
- The A+China program combines mPay, Hipay, Changi Pay, OCBC, Naver Pay, Toss Pay, and TrueMoney with Alipay.
- AlipayHK, Touch 'n Go eWallet, and Kakao Pay were the first participants in the 2022 launch.
- This system ensures a secure, fluid, cashless payment mechanism and competitive currency conversion rates.
- Payment throughput via A+China wallets such as Kakao Pay, Touch 'n Go eWallet, and AlipayHK increased 47 times in the first half of 2023. Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen are leading the way in these transactions.
The Big Picture
Ant Group's International Business Group designed and executed the program, which connects global merchants to a broad digital customer segment.
Excluding China, this infrastructure includes 5 million merchants in 56 markets.
Research from PricewaterhouseCoopers suggests that cashless transactions could double or triple by 2030.
While China remains at the forefront of digital wallet adoption, Southeast Asia is quickly becoming the fastest-growing mobile payment arena.
Statements were made by key personnel from the Ant Group. Douglas Feagin, Senior Vice President, emphasized the importance of a diverse digital commerce ecosystem in the upcoming strategy of Alipay+. Eric Jing, CEO, appreciated the cooperation that promotes choice and innovation in cross-border commerce.
In a supportive gesture, NetsUnion Clearing Corporation expressed its commitment to supporting major cross-border mobile payment events, such as the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games.