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With the rapid increase in business adoption of Android and Apple devices, enterprises are having to replace computing devices more frequently. Mobile device management (MDM) has become essential for efficiency and security. Currently, Android provides limited management and security application program interface (APIs) for MDM vendors to leverage.
Companies that manufacture phones need to create their own APIs in order for MDM vendors to build tools to manage their devices. This creates disparity as each phone OEM adds functionality in varying degrees and forms.
Soti Inc, a provider of enterprise mobility device management (MDM), announced new technology that enables corporations to consistently manage security policies across Android devices from all manufacturers. The company says its approach is different from other MDM vendors because its technology provides consistent management for all Android devices regardless of the manufacturer.
SOTI says its management software, MobiControl MDM, provides:
– Full suite of help desk tools, including real-time remote control
– Secure Content Locker
– Silent installation of applications and updates
– Policies for controlling access to corporate email
– Device Lockdown/Kiosk functionality
– Location based automatic management (i.e. Geofencing)
– Remote wipe of corporate data or full device wipe
– Enterprise App Store
– Self Service Management Portal
“There is a lot of talk by the analysts these days about the need for management tools for Bring-Your-Own Device (BYOD) policies. Most MDM vendors cannot provide consistent management across all Android devices, making BYOD implementation impossible,”said Carl Rodrigues, President and CEO of Soti. “MobiControl’s unique deep management functionality across all Android devices allows IT departments to set consistent BYOD security and management policies on Android, iOS and other platforms.”


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Fancy playing a young school teacher taking your class on a month-long camping trip?
Typical price: $49.95
Technically Incorrect: Ahmed Mohamed, the 14-year-old who was arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school and then became a hero at Google and Facebook, is now demanding compensation and an apology.
The legendary amp manufacturer's first smartphone is ready to rock. Hit play to find out more.
Eight new and updated programs are available for teachers and students to use in the coming school year.
We're not sure how massive cereal manufacturer Kellogg's got wind of eccentric creator Dominic Wilcox's talents, but we're glad it did, because his imaginative, whimsical contraptions are feeding our childlike imaginations.
Ashley and Khail discuss their favorite PAX Prime 2015 moments and a brilliant breakfast partnership between an eccentric inventor and cereal maker Kellogg's. #TDBreakfast
For working parents, getting kids from school to practice and then back home has gotten easier thanks to new ride services that drive around kids. But what safeguards are in place, when a stranger is picking up and dropping off your child? CNET's Lexy Savvides looks at several services that could make the start of a new school year easier.
Technically Incorrect: A new safety feature installed in some GPS navigation setups tries to use an inventive way to get drivers to be extra careful where there are kids.
Technically Incorrect: Americans reveal themselves to be neurotic about back-to-school online shopping, according to a new survey. But many will be buying laptops, phones or tablets for their little ones.
Freestyle's new multiplayer model has recurring content and a classic feel.

domain: news


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- Users of CoinGecko’s website and mobile app will have access to the on-chain NFT data.
- CoinGecko is optimistic about the NFT sector despite the current market downturn.
CoinGecko, a leading crypto tracking platform, has acquired Zash, a NFT data infrastructure platform, in order to expand its data offering. Moreover, CoinGecko stated that it will include Zash’s NFT data into its API by the second quarter of 2024; however, financial details of the arrangement were not shared.
CoinGecko co-founder and chief operating officer Bobby Ong stated:
“API users will be able to enjoy a unified crypto data offering, where they can access fungible and nonfungible token data seamlessly and enjoy enriched crypto market insights.”
Banking on NFTs
Moreover, the Executive said that by the beginning of 2024, users of CoinGecko’s website and mobile app will have access to the on-chain NFT data via the NFT floor price tracker.
“We hold the vision where any asset that can be tokenized will be tokenized. We believe that NFTs will continue to innovate beyond PFPs and GameFi, and unlock new opportunities and use cases worldwide. For that reason, we’re optimistic about the NFT market’s resurgence.”
Zash, which launched in 2021, is an enterprise-grade NFT indexer and API that allows customers to monitor NFT data on 87 distinct markets (a grand total of 102 marketplaces), including the largest NFT exchange OpenSea.
Although the NFT market as a whole has been declining, CoinGecko’s entry into the space comes at a time when some see the trend as indicative of the NFT technology’s maturation rather than an indication of crisis. CoinGecko is optimistic about the NFT sector despite the current market downturn.
CoinGecko’s main rival, CoinMarketCap, in 2020 was bought by crypto exchange Binance. CoinGecko was established in 2014 by TM Lee (CEO) and Bobby Ong (COO) with the goal of making crypto data more widely available and providing consumers with more meaningful insights.
Highlighted Crypto News Today:


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Any holiday that comes along is just another opportunity for scammers to take advantage of innocent victims – and Halloween is no exception.
Common Halloween scams are similar to other holiday scams in that criminals are attempting to obtain your private information, such as credit card details, which scammers ultimately use to make fraudulent charges.
Some of the scams to watch out for this Halloween involve buying tickets to Halloween bashes that don’t actually exist and clicking on malicious web links that promise huge discounts on costumes and other goods.
Fortunately, there are ways to detect and avoid these Halloween scams, which we cover in this article. We’ve obtained valuable information from a fraud detective in Southern California, as well as the Better Business Bureau, to provide you with as many details as possible so you can avoid falling victim to Halloween scams.
Be Mindful of Pop-Ups Promising Huge Discounts
Scams arise every time a major event occurs, whether it’s a natural disaster like a hurricane or a big holiday like Halloween, said Detective Tim Lohman, who solves forgery, fraud and financial crimes in Southern California.
“With any major event that comes along, it’s just another opportunity for people to get scammed where their personal information could be compromised or their card could be charged fraudulently,” Detective Lohman said.
One thing to watch out for this Halloween is the massive number of websites that promise huge discounts or cheap Halloween costumes.
“People may be going online looking for cheap or discounted costumes because Halloween costumes can be pricey,” Detective Lohman noted. “People want to save money, and the keywords are ‘cheap’ and ‘discount’. Now, think about how much internet traffic can be drawn to cheap or discount.”
Many of these websites “pop-up” on social media platforms like Facebook, which the Facebook user might click on without thinking twice about the possibility that the link is malicious.
“Some people will enter their personal information and the next thing they know, their personal information is compromised,” Detective Lohman warned. “So you have to be really careful when clicking on links or pop-up websites because they could be taking you to a scammer’s website.”
Research Pop-Ups Before Clicking
Before you click on any kind of pop-up ad, research the company on your own first.
“I personally avoid clicking on pop-ups altogether,” Detective Lohman said. “By all means, I do not click on the pop-up itself.”
However, if you’re tempted to click – do an independent search of the company name ahead of time through a search engine like Google.
For example, let’s say you receive a pop-up ad for a company called Spooky Stores, Detective Lohman hypothesized.
“Go into a search bar like Google and type in Spooky Stores,” he explained. “If somebody has been scammed, if they’re diligent, what they’ll do is post that they’ve been scammed from this site, which alerts a lot of people.”
Make Sure the Website Is Secure
To determine if a website is secure, check the website address, which should begin with https in the address bar. The most important thing to look for is the “s” itself, which stands for “secure.”
“So if you’re entering any personal information, that’s just another layer of security that you’re going to look for when entering your personal information, like a credit card,” Detective Lohman said.
However, even if a website is secure with https, only pay with a card that is not tied to your everyday banking account, with a credit card versus a debit card, Detective Lohman advised. That’s because, with a credit card, you can dispute the charges if you feel you’ve been scammed, and request what is called a “chargeback.”
The danger of using a debit card attached to your everyday account is that you might not get your money back in a timely manner, which could affect your ability to pay bills and other expenses on time.
“If your debit card gets compromised, you will have to deal with getting that money released,” Detective Lohman said.
Research Halloween Parties Before Buying Pre-Tickets
The Halloween party scam is typically committed online, where criminals sell pre-tickets to supposed elaborate bashes that don’t actually exist.
“Let’s say there’s a Halloween party in Los Angeles advertised and you buy tickets online ahead of time – all of sudden you don’t hear anything else and the event never surfaces,” Detective Lohman hypothesized. “In the end, you’ve lost money.”
Consumers can protect themselves by researching the event before making a purchase to ensure the party is legit. For instance, with big events at venues like the Los Angeles Coliseum, permits must be drawn from the city – meaning there are many moving parts to the event that prove it’s real.
“You can call the city and ask if they’ve heard about this event,” Detective Lohman recommended. “You could even call the Coliseum directly to confirm. So a lot of it has to do with you doing your own research on this event.”
Avoid Halloween Events With Vague Information
The Better Business Bureau warns to be cautious of events that only advertise online or through social media platforms, or events that fail to provide details about how to connect with the event organizers.
When in doubt, the Bureau advises contacting the venue itself to determine a booking for the date and time of the event listed. In a press release issued by the BBB on October 20, they noted that one company that came to its attention stated a “no refund” policy, which applies even when the event organizers are the ones to cancel the event.
Be Cautious of Seasonal Halloween Stores
The BBB also noted that seasonal Halloween stores can be a way for scammers to rob consumers. If you’re shopping at one of these stores, the BBB advises to know the return policy, use a credit card and save your receipts – and make sure the store has a website with contact information in case you need to reach them later.
Additionally, you can search for the store on BBB.org to view any potential past complaints, as well as ratings information.
Final Thoughts on Halloween Scams
Halloween is another holiday that scammers use to rob consumers.
However there are many ways for people to protect themselves – and the number one way is to do your own research before spending any money, especially online.
While it might be tempting to click on a pop-up ad that promises to give you a great discount on your favorite costume, do not click on any ad before doing your research on the company, first. The same goes for Halloween parties that are advertised online.
And if you do determine the website associated with the company is legit, only use a credit card, rather than a debit card, to make purchases. This can help ensure you will get your money back if something goes wrong.
The bottom line is that “it falls back on us just doing our own research, and being diligent with verifying information that’s out there,” Detective Lohman said.
Was this article helpful? Read more about scams and ways to avoid them:
- Amazon Seller Scams: How Scammers Use Amazon Marketplace to Rob Shoppers
- Gift Card Scam Robs Money from the Buyer and Receiver: Don’t be a Victim
- How to Get Your Money Back If You Were Scammed Online


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LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY (Aug. 4, 12:15 p.m. ET) — BASF SE and CSM NV's Purac subsidiary are discussing forming a joint venture that will produce bio-based succinic acid.
Succinic acid is used to make adipic-based polyurethanes, phthalate-based plasticizers and acetate-based deicing solutions. Ludwigshafen-based BASF and Diemen, the Netherlands-based Purac have been researching bio-based succinic acid since 2009.
According to an Aug. 1 news release from the companies, demand for succinic acid will grow strongly in the next years, driven by bioplastics, chemical intermediates, solvents, polyurethanes and plasticizers.
“Until now our partnership has been very successful, and moving towards a joint venture will strengthen our goal to become the leading supplier in the succinic acid market,” said Andreas Kreimeyer, research executive director at BASF.
CSM plans to be the first commercial producer of bio-based succinic acid, with the planned 2013 startup of a 25,000-metric-ton-per-year plant near Barcelona, Spain.


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ARUNDEL-based Ruby&Bo design and make plantable cards and eco-friendly stationery from its studio in the Sussex countryside. Ruby&Bo has now succeeded in gaining membership to the Made in Britain organisation.
Ruby&Bo told Made in Britain that 2 billion single greeting cards are purchased every year in the UK, many of which end up in landfill. Ruby&Bo says it seeks to minimise this waste by providing an alternative that not only looks good but IS good. The company is a 100% carbon positive business that uses local and sustainable materials to produce eco-friendly greeting cards and plantable stationery.
All the plantable products produced by Ruby&Bo turn into real flowers and the seeds used are native with varieties having been exclusively mixed to support bees and other pollinators. The company is proud to say that this means it can carry the Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘Plants for Pollinators’ badge on all of its plantable products.
Victoria Standing, founder at Ruby&Bo, told Made in Britain, “We made a conscious decision when we launched our brand in 2019 to use locally sourced materials and craftspeople. It's not the most economical option, but we knew we wanted to support local, that quality was absolutely key, and that we could be much more reactive with a local supply chain. 'British made' is at the very heart of our brand and accreditation by the Made in Britain organisation endorses that.”


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The risks of reigniting coronavirus outbreaks are complicating efforts to fend off further misery for the many millions who have lost jobs, with a top health expert warning that the world is still in the midst of a “first wave” of the pandemic
Playstation 5 Will Offer an 'Evolution' in Sound Sony has confirmed that the highly-anticipated console will include a 3D audio processing unit. It's possible the unit will represent a landmark moment for the PlayStation console series as a whole. Sony, via corporate strategy meeting Sony, via corporate strategy meeting Sony also explained that PlayStation 5 will offer gaming enthusiasts "experiences that were not possible before." The console is set for release later this year.
South American carrier Latam Airlines says it is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it grapples with the sharp downturn in air travel sparked by the coronavirus pandemic
Gucci and Saint Laurent are two of the highest profile luxury fashion houses to announce they will leave the fashion calendar behind, with its relentless four-times-a-year rhythm
The World Health Organization says it will temporarily drop hydroxychloroquine from its global study into experimental COVID-19 treatments because its experts need to review all available evidence


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Atlas confident, despite questionmarks
09 / 12 / 2010
THE third quarter of 2010 saw a 28 per cent year-on-year revenue rise for Atlas Air, making for a 32 per cent increase in the first nine months of the year. Other good news included the start of a new contract with TNT for one 747-400F at the start of the fourth quarter, and Panalpina adding a second -400F to the one it already wet-leases at the same time.
Atlas has also placed its first three 747-8Fs – on a five-year contract with British Airways – and saw a 26 per cent fall in military charters in the third quarter almost exactly compensated for by a 50 per cent rise in commercial charters.
So far so good, but there are some question marks hanging over the bellwether of the cargo ACMI business – in particular where new growth in that business will come from. Though Atlas now has 19 of its 22 747-400s on wet-lease, that is still slightly down on 2008, when the total was 21, and its customer list looks remarkably static.
For the full story read the latest free digital edition of Air Cargo News, no. 692 dated 13 December, here.


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WASHINGTON, May 28, 2014 – A coalition of U.S. agricultural groups representing pork, rice, wheat and dairy producers is urging the Obama administration to reach a deal on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) without Japan unless Tokyo agrees to provide significant market access for their products.
The U.S., Japan and ten other Pacific rim nations are currently in TPP talks aimed at creating one of the world’s biggest free trade zones. The 12 nations together account for almost 40 percent of the world’s gross national product. Negotiations have been slowed by Japan’s reluctance to remove tariffs on its so-called “sacred” commodities: rice, wheat, barley, dairy, sugar and pork and beef.
Joining in the call for a treaty without Japan are the National Pork Producers Council, the International Dairy Foods Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the USA Rice Federation and the U.S. Wheat Association.
“The U.S. pork industry is very disappointed that Japan continues to refuse to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade,” NPPC President Howard Hill said in a news release. Hill noted that the U.S. meat sector strongly supported Japan’s entry into the TPP talks, as did most of American agriculture. “A country can’t shield its primary agricultural products from competition and still claim to be committed to a high-standard agreement that liberalizes essentially all goods.”
USA Rice Federation said other countries might try to follow Japan’s example if it succeeds in protecting certain products.
“The result would fall far short of a truly comprehensive agreement that would set a new standard for future trade agreements,” the group said in its newsletter, the Rice Daily. “In fact the TPP envisioned by Japan, if it stands, would be the least comprehensive agreement the U.S. has negotiated since the 21st century began.”
The U.S. has never agreed to let a trading partner exempt as many tariff lines as Japan is requesting, NPCC said, putting the number at 586. In fact, in the 17 free trade agreements the U.S. has concluded since 2000, only 233 tariff lines combined have been exempted from having tariff elimination, the group said.
The other nations involved in the TPP talks are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com


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You Thought A Lobster Roll Would Make You Go Broke Last Year…
Just last year we were complaining about paying too much.
It's funny, sometimes you look at something and think to yourself, "how could this get much worse?" You feel like your back is already against the wall financially, and just kind of hope the powers that be will somehow wrangle some control over the situation. Remember when we though $3.00 gas was outrageous?
Well this time last year, we were all bent our of shape about the fact that the summer season was poised to make us pay over $30 for a lobster roll. The world, well Maine, was up in arms at the thought of such things. But as has happened every year since the pandemic began, we're about to have another "hold my beer" moment.
This year will make last year's prices seem cheap.
As it stands right now, some lobster rolls at popular tourist spots could easily go 20% - 25% higher than last year, according to CentralMaine.com. While not every place is going to be charging top-shelf prices, some of the places tourists read about on the internet or see on TV, will undoubtedly benefit as much possible.
But what seemed outrageous last year, will likely be the norm. While some places may choose to charge more, the average price still looks to land in the neighborhood of $30. One may also want to consider why a roll at another place might be substantially cheaper than another.
Often, places will use frozen lobster from other countries, to offset the expense. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, we Mainers may find a roll made with frozen lobster leaves us feeling a little flat. Whatever the case, your beloved summer lobster roll, like everything else, is gonna set you back a few more bucks.


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FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Tesla boss Elon Musk has addressed 200 Volkswagen executives via a video call after an invitation from the German carmaker’s CEO Herbert Diess, who wants to galvanise VW’s top brass for a faster pivot to electric vehicles.
The comments on Thursday by Musk to a VW managers gathering in Alpbach, Austria, confirmed by Diess via Twitter here on Saturday after a report in Handelsblatt daily, included praise of VW for being an "icon" and Tesla's greatest challenger, Handelsblatt said.
The paper said that when asked by Diess why Tesla was more nimble than its rivals, Musk said it came down to his management style and that he is an engineer, first of all, and has an eye for supply chains, logistics and production.
In a post on Linkedin, Diess added that he had brought in Musk as a “surprise guest” to drive home the point that VW needs faster decisions and less bureaucracy for what he called the biggest transformation in VW’s history.
Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 October 2021 - 01:18 PM.


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You've seen the countless ads all over the Internet: Pure Acai Berry, Lose weight fast.
And you think, it must be true because the acai (pronounced a-sigh-ee) ad includes endorsements by Oprah and Rachael Ray.
And, hey, why not give it a try since the seller is offering these weight-loss pills for free. All you have to pay is as little as 99 cents for shipping.
It's all a scam.
The warning came Monday from the Federal Trade Commission after hundreds of thousands of victims found their bank and credit card accounts bilked of tens and even hundreds of dollars for what turned out to be a laxative.
Oh, and neither Oprah nor Rachael Ray endorsed any specific product. That, too, was a lie.
The FTC is filing a lawsuit against Phoenix-based Central Coast Nutraceuticals, maker of AcaiPure and colon supplement Colopure. The agency said there are other companies making similar offers, and consumers should be cautious.
"We estimate that the consumer losses may be as high as $100 million to this scam," said David C. Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
"Consumers need to understand that the next time they're browsing on the Internet they need to be aware of risk-free trials," Vladeck said. "Beware if the product comes from a company you've never heard of."
Vladeck added that the pills did not always contain acai berry. And even if they did, he said, the berry might have some antioxidant benefits, but there is no scientific evidence of it helping with rapid weight loss.
"I wouldn't use any of this stuff," Vladeck said. "The products don't work."
It perhaps cannot be said enough that in these troubled economic times and the rapidly changing world of technology, consumers increasingly find themselves vulnerable to fraud.
The Internet has fostered a new level of con artistry with slick, rapid-fire ads that can appeal to millions in minutes. With a click of a button, consumers can lose $5 or $10 and make a crook a multimillionaire before law enforcement receives a single complaint.
Once the con artist has your information, you and your money become vulnerable.
With the acai berry scam, consumers who gave their credit or debit card information found their accounts charged for more than shipping. Sometimes it was for a subscription they never intended to sign up for or for the pills themselves, despite the claims of a "free trial."
Because online buying and selling aren't going away, there are steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim.
It's recommended that consumers use credit cards rather than debit cards when making online purchases. The credit card company can charge back the merchant if you dispute an item, said Martin Elliott, senior business leader for Payment System Risk at Visa Inc.
When Visa sees hundreds of charge backs popping up on the company's screens, it signals that a merchant might be engaged in fraud. So it is important for consumers to report incidents, not only to get their own money back but also to help protect other consumers.
Rhonda Wooten, 48, of Paxton in east-central Illinois told investigators that she learned "a hard life lesson" after falling for the acai berry weight-loss scam. She lost up to $500 trying to stop the shipments and the charges to her checking account.
"I'm a preschool teacher and they don't make good money, so $200 to $500 is a lot," Wooten said. "It could buy a lot of food for my kids and my family."
In addition to the acai weight-loss pills, Central Coast Nutraceuticals has sold a colon cleansing product that it claims will help prevent colon cancer. As many as a million consumers bought it. (The colon prevention claim also is false). And a teeth whitening product Central Coast Nutraceuticals sold also did not work.
In protecting yourself from online scams, it is most critical to fully understand the offer and the company you are dealing with.
So here's the Edge, suggestions from Visa:
• Read all terms and conditions. Sometimes even fraudulent companies disclose the terms of the deal in fine print.
• Pay particular attention to prechecked boxes. Prechecked boxes could hide charges that will cost you.
• Try to resolve the problem with the merchant. If the merchant does not respond to you, contact your card company and report the incident. Consider having your card company order a charge back to reclaim your money.
• Report questionable activity to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov or 1-877-382-4357 and the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org.
Ivan Penn can be reached at email@example.com or (727) 892-2332. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/Consumers_Edge and find the Consumer's Edge on Facebook.


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Partner of Stellar Lumens, SatoshiPay takes ‘giant leap’ to go public on London Stock Exchange
The partner of Stellar, SatoshiPay announced that it is gearing up to go public on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM, a market for growth companies. Once SatoshiPay starts its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on AIM, SatoshiPay will gain access to an extremely flourishing liquid market and institutional investors.
? SatoshiPay getting ready for IPO in London ? https://t.co/p2hjgY8o2B
— SatoshiPay (@SatoshiPay) July 26, 2018
With SatoshiPay getting listed, which might be in the later part of the year, it will be a game-changer among the blockchain businesses in London. The Stellar partnership will aid the company to detangle digital micro payments for online content.
The SatoshiPay and Stellar Lumens partnership
SatoshiPay and Stellar Lumens have muscled up and started giving away lumens (XLM) that can be used as credits in the former’s ecosystem. It is not directed to all the users, but only a few of them can access it to be used as credit on SatoshiPay’s nanopayments platform.
SatoshiPay believes that the initiative is a major “marketing boost” that will help the privileged customers to “buy your stuff immediately. And, as a customer, it means that you get to get access to a lot of free stuff. A win-win.”
Meinhard Benn, the CEO of SatoshiPay, said: “We see blockchain technology and Stellar in particular as a significant enabler of this evolution. With micropayments, publishers can cater for their readers’ demand for reduced advertising, whilst charging a small fee for viewing content.”
Excited about the partnership, Jed McCaleb, co-founder of the Stellar Development Foundation, said: “This is an exciting moment for Stellar and the cryptocurrency community as a whole, as it represents one of the first mainstream uses of blockchain payments in reaching millions of consumers.”
The IPO funding
SatoshiPay has also announced that Daniel Masters, who is the Director- Global Advisors (Holdings) Limited and Coinshares (Holdings) Limited will be supporting them with €566k in their pre-IPO funding.
“This is a giant leap for SatoshiPay, and I am extremely proud that the startup I co-founded in 2014 has grown into a company that, with the support of an amazing team and fantastic investors, is now approaching a stock market float, the CEO of SatoshiPay, Meinhard Benn stated.
Other Related Articles
- Stellar Lumens (XLM) price reaches a two-month high, here’s why!
- Stellar Lumens [XLM] now on China’s biggest crypto exchange Huobi
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Western Pa. manufacturers say offshoring trend is reversing
Made, again, in the USA
(Page 2 of 4)
So far, evidence of local onshoring is still anecdotal, but some research is starting to surface that indicates the trend is emerging. The Boston Consulting Group in May said the U.S. should experience a “manufacturing renaissance” over the next five years as production for products consumed in North America returns to North America in response to rising costs in China.
By 2015, BCG expects the labor cost in China and those in the U.S. will converge, based on wages in China climbing 15 percent to 20 percent a year. As wages in China go up and productivity in the U.S. increases, the difference between producing in China versus some U.S. states may only be 10 percent to 15 percent, and once inventory, shipping and other logistics are factored in, the savings could be nil.
Work in industries such as transportation goods, electrical equipment/appliances, furniture, plastics and rubber products, machinery, fabricated metal products and computer/electronics are expected to return in the next five years, according to BCG. These sectors make up $2 trillion in U.S. consumption annually and about 70 percent of U.S. imports from China, according to the study.
Dave Tilstone, president of the National Tooling Machining Association, said he is hearing members talk about highly engineered and high-value products production coming back. The reason? The significant cost behind the logistics and complications of a distant supply chain.
“The higher-value products typically have tighter tolerances and are more difficult to make, so the complications of dealing with a 13-hour time difference and language (barriers) just makes it more complicated,” he said.
Malia Spencer covers energy and technology. Contact her at email@example.com or 412-208-3829. You can also follow her on Twitter.
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Modernising the Nation’s Supermarket
As one of the UK’s largest supermarkets, Asda are always on the hunt for techniques to improve the store experience for their customers. With the grand opening of one of their new flagship stores in Patchway, they sought the opportunity to reveal the new store in a whole new innovative way; and that was where we came in….
360 Video Tour
They wanted to create a 360 video tour of the store, that would reveal the new sushi counter, takeaway pizza counters, revamped George department, equipped with digital modelling screens, and a modernised cafe area that operates like a restaurant, inclusive of a whole new menu! The immersive tour would be revealed to the media prior to the grand opening, giving viewers a sneak peek of the stores modernised look and feel.


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The Friday Report July 6, 2018Quick wrap up of a few hot topic newsworthy stories in the supply chain logistics industry
Big Data Provides Big Insight for Transportation and Logistics
Using electronic logging devices makes it possible for trucking companies to capture huge volumes of data. Transportation fleets record a wide range of data from vehicle performance, driving time, driving behavior, gas mileage, hours worked, deliveries, environmental information and more. Unwrapping the puzzle of the massive volume of data takes a bit more help from technology. The huge volume of Big Data is too massive for traditional data processors to handle. An ELog system is used to make sense of the data that is recorded, managing duplicates and presenting the information in an easily digestible format for the non-technical audience.
How is this data being used in the transportation and logistics industry? Using vehicle and driver performance data, companies can implement driver coaching programs that can aid in improving driver performance, reduce collisions and legal fees and decrease insurance costs. Automated gas mileage reporting can help save thousands of dollars of taxes annually and remove the burden of compiling and filing reports.
E-Commerce Delivers Increases in Warehouse Rents
As predicted, the increase in e-commerce online shopping has resulted in decreased warehouse availability and higher warehouse rents. Although significant bottlenecks exist in cargo facilities at U.S. airports, the lack of momentum to renovate or add new facilities to the infrastructure is noticeable.
Uber Freight Dispatches Driver Incentives
Determined to build on the success of the Uber brand and attract drivers, Uber Freight drove home the value of the new enterprise with the launch of a new perks program and company mobile app. Uber Freight Plus provides truck drivers with discounts and opportunities which vary based on the amount they drive for Uber Freight.
Truck drivers that haul a minimum of one load per month with Uber Freight are eligible for an Uber Freight Plus “fuel card” . The program provides a 20 cent per gallon discount off the retail price of gas at TA/Petro truck stops or 15 cents per gallon at specific Roady’s locations in California, Texas and Illinois.
Uber Freight is especially interested in attracting truck drivers with smaller fleets. Uber Freight program advantages were designed to help “level the playing field” in the trucking industry by providing new tools, resources and help to run transportation operations. Uber Freight maintains that their new plan will match or beat the types of discounts available to drivers who work with larger transportation fleets while enabling drivers to remain independent and in control themselves.
About the Author:Laura Olson
Supply Chain Cyber Attacks on the Rise According to Accenture’s report “Cyber Threatscape Report 2018”, new cyber threats have emerged that can disrupt the supply chain industry. Cyber criminals have altered their tactics. Accenture Security iDefense has been able to...
Companies across the supply chain industry continue to focus on cost savings. Keeping supply chain logistics and warehouse operating costs under control is essential to ensure that third party logistics providers, warehouse and DC operators can remain competitive in...
Drug Manufacturers Try to Broker a Compromise on Costly Medicare “Donut Hole” Spending Bill Earlier this year, Congress voted to shift billions of dollars in Medicare drug costs away from senior citizens and back to pharmaceutical companies. In February 2018, a...


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Meat processing giant Tulip is to invest £8m at its plant in Ruskington, Lincolnshire, to increase capacity by 20%.
The expansion at the plant – which is the UK’s largest manufacturer of cocktail sausages and scotch eggs – will increase the size of the site’s production floor by around 25% and create up to 40 full-time jobs.
Work is expected to be completed by April, and will also include installation of new equipment to ensure Tulip can continue to meet the growing customer demand for fried savoury products, said site director Phil Wheatcroft.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for all involved in the Ruskington business,” he said, adding it would also give Tulip the opportunity to grow its existing foodservice customer base.
Tulip’s owners Danish Crown Group announced a £16m investment in its Cornish operation in August. This followed a £15m investment on upgrading and expanding its Westerleigh site in Gloucestershire in February as part of a drive to increase pork exports to China and Hong Kong by 25% this year.


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For over 40 years, Ann Arbor wine retailer Village Corner was a fixture on South University, near the University of Michigan’s Central Campus, until it closed last November to make way for a student high-rise at 601 S. Forest.
Dick Scheer, an iconic figure in Michigan wine circles, owned the store that entire time. When it closed, Scheer stashed his inventory in temporary quarters, took his Terminator turn – “I’ll be back!” – and pledged to reopen shortly in a venue with better parking, as he told Sandra Silfven of the Detroit News.
Then, nothing. Scheer went to ground, keeping his own counsel as he sought a new location, to the not-infrequent exasperation of long-time customers and members of the media alike.
Until last week, when the website of Michigan’s Liquor Control Commission (LCC) spilled the beans: on March 17, Village Corner applied to relocate its beverage licenses to another campus-adjacent address.
North Campus, that is.


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Fintech giant Ant Group, led by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, announced today that it will launch an incorporated digital wholesale bank in Singapore. The move marks the Hangzhou-based company’s continued overseas expansion.
Its China-based businesses are still under heavy regulatory pressure after the company’s $34 billion initial public offering was abruptly halted at the end of 2020. Ant Group is currently revamping its board after agreeing in 2021 to transform into a financial holding company overseen by the country’s Central Bank of the People’s Bank of China.
Now, the fintech giant adds that its wholly owned, Singapore-based subsidiary ANEXT Bank will provide financial services to small and medium-sized businesses in the region, focusing in particular on those with cross-border operations.
His businesses are under regulatory pressure after the initial public offering was abruptly canceled at the end of 2020. However, the tycoon manages to reinvent himself.
“This marks another milestone in Singapore’s digital banking development journey, a strategic effort to ensure the banking sector remains progressive, globally competitive and vibrant,” said Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) chief financial technology officer.), SopnenduMohanty.
Ant Group is not the only fintech firm looking to provide digital banking services in Singapore. Last week, Green Link Digital Bank, owned by a consortium including Chinese developer Greenland Holdings and Linklogis Hong Kong, went live in the country. Billionaire Forrest Li’s tech firm Sea Ltd. and Anthony Tan’s Grab Holdings also received digital banking licenses in 2020, with launches expected later this year.
Ant recently bolstered its expansion into Southeast Asia when it reported in April that it had acquired a majority stake in Singapore-based fintech company 2C2P. The deal will see existing 2C2P merchants connect to Ant Group’s Alipay+ cross-border e-wallet.
On the other hand, under the regulatory pressure of the businesses that the tycoon has had and their abrupt closure, it has led to new ways and ideas to get out of the financial crisis that has been the cause of millionaire economic losses, looking for tools to progress as the creation of a financial bank, which could be safely implemented through IRAIC and supported by its affiliated international banking entities such as; Iraic Bank, Burj Altharwa, Banco Bursátil, Manama Bank, Esierra Bank, Hebrew Bank, Bank of Borwa, Bank of Arabian, Tareqat Almaal, Usa International Corp; allowing to a large extent the expansion, recognition and industrial development in all economic sectors, forming prosperous companies with high potential and global visibility.
The present destruction of Alibaba
In the past 18 months, Alibaba shares have lost about 75% of their value, with more than $600 billion in enterprise value lost. Yes, Chinese stocks have suffered overall, but Alibaba’s decline has been much worse than that of the Chinese index overall, almost twice as severe as the losses experienced by other big Chinese platform companies like Tencent, Meituan and JD.
Part of the problem is Beijing’s targeted hostility toward the company, which has been ruthless and coordinated on multiple fronts. In October 2020, financial regulators abruptly halted even more massive plans for an IPO for Alibaba spin-off Ant Group.
At the time, Ant was arguably the world’s largest and most innovative fintech company, owner of Alipay, China’s largest digital payment platform (handling more payment transactions than Mastercard and Visa combined), and Tianhong Yu’e Bao., the largest money market fund in the world (at the time), among other assets. Alibaba is Ant’s largest shareholder, and the closing of Ant’s offering effectively killed the company’s growth and innovation strategy.
Shortly thereafter, China’s antitrust police fined Alibaba a whopping $2.8 billion, equal to 20% of the company’s operating income (2021). However, that sum was perhaps even modest compared to the $18.6bn “contribution” – nearly double Alibaba’s operating income last year – that Beijing subsequently extorted from the company to support the “prosperity” campaign. common” of Xi Jinping.
Xi’s enforcers also did it personally, chasing Jack Ma – the company’s founder and driving spirit – into near-exile. Jack hasn’t been seen in public in 8 months.
The outlook at the macroeconomic level is not promising: slowdown in the Chinese economy.
The company’s latest financial results seem to foreshadow this gloomy outlook. It reported a $2.5 billion loss in the recent quarter, three times larger than the same quarter a year earlier. Revenue growth (9% year over year) was the “slowest in history”.
Revenue from Alibaba’s core e-commerce business on its Taobao and Tmall platforms was flat last quarter as the total value of goods sold on the platforms fell by single digits from a year earlier. Gross merchandise sales in March fell.
The company is said to be considering – or perhaps has already carried out (such things are always shady in China) – deep staff cuts. Morale is said to be low. Management has refused to provide investors with “guidance” on its expected future results (although they always have until now). The company’s archrival, under some of the same pressures, has hit the panic button:
“Tencent Holdings is laying off large numbers of people from its gaming and fintech departments amid massive layoffs that began in March, as the tech titan reports weak performance amid a regulatory crackdown and the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19”.
And so, for specific (for the company) and general (for China) reasons, the consensus leans against investing in Alibaba.
“Alibaba shares are cheap, but not a bargain: China’s e-commerce champion continues to take hits from multiple sides, but growing consumer unrest is now adding to the regulatory headwinds.”
“Alibaba shares are irresistibly cheap. Investors might want to hold on.”
This not at all encouraging scenario that Alibaba is experiencing with financial results in decline, leading much more to the sum of the economic slowdown in China, and with it the innumerable mass layoffs of its employees in the midst of the conflict of regulatory repression and the pandemic, where its shares have lost value, however in this catastrophic scenario there is only one solution that changes this scheme through a safe backup such as IRAIC, opening new paths of economic transformation and recovery of capital and investments that were previously hit by hard economic blows, greatly favoring balancing internal and external business processes with the global support of banked entities that provide support, credibility and functionality to the economic expansion system. reported The Usa Herald, a news and communication agency.


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July 29, 2015
Over the years, society has grown more environmentally sensitive and consumers are becoming more and more interested in using their purchasing power for good. Industries from grocery stores and fast food chains to beauty products and household goods have jumped on the bandwagon, labeling their products “all natural” and “eco-friendly,” regardless of whether or not they truly deserve the title. Lacking an overarching regulatory body, industries enjoy plenty of flexibility when it comes to making environmentally friendly claims for their products with little accountability. In fact, a recent study by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing found that 99 percent of all products labeled as “green” do not live up to their claims.
The practice is known as “greenwashing,” and in recent years, as the term ecotourism gains momentum, the travel industry has become one of the worst offenders. According to a US News article by Maura Judkis, “The problem lies in the definition of ecotourism and in the different interpretations of what it means to be green. Self-appointed ‘eco-resorts’ run the gamut from accommodations that leave absolutely no carbon footprint to those that merely use energy-efficient light bulbs.”
Ayako Ezaki, director of communications for The International Ecotourism Society defines true ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”
From the Untamed Path article, “Greenwashing Travel: Different Shades of Green,” the ultimate goal of ecotourism is “to infuse the entire travel industry with the principles and practices of ecotourism and thereby transform tourism into an environmentally and culturally sensitive activity that contributes to sustainable growth in developing nations.”
With so many competing terminologies, it can be difficult for consumers to differentiate between genuine, sustainable ecotourism and mere marketing ploys. Even companies that are “certified green” can be misleading, as evidenced by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)’s Green Globe logo program. Under the program’s scheme, for as little as $200, travel companies can purchase the right to use the green globe logo as long as they are “committed to environmental improvement.” Companies do not have to demonstrate their efforts or prove their effectiveness, they just have to pledge to “work toward more environmentally sound practices.” The vague and unbinding requirements add up to a weak certification program that is little more than a marketing tactic.
According to an Al Jazeera article by Melissa Leach, Director of ESRC STEPS Center and a professorial fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, “Green grabbing is the appropriation of land and resources for environmental ends. Environmental agendas are the core drivers and goals of these grabs – whether linked to biodiversity conservation, biocarbon sequestration, biofuels, ecosystem services, ecotourism or ‘offsets’ related to these.”
Much like traditional corporate land grabs, deals for green grabs are usually made without the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous communities, violating their rights, forcing them off their land and dispossessing them of vital resource management.
This kind of green grabbing was highlighted by 2010 Goldman Prize winner Thuli Makama from Swaziland, where – in the name of conservation – local people have been increasingly forced off of their traditional lands and persecuted for continuing the hunting and gathering practices necessary for their survival.
Rural, poverty-stricken communities in Swaziland depend heavily on the environment for their most basic needs, including building materials, medicinal plants, food and firewood. Indigenous knowledge and practices are centered on ensuring the conservation of these resources for future generations. However, communities are increasingly forced to compete with commercial interests, like “eco-friendly” safari parks and tourist lodges, for access to these environmental resources. Makama, Swaziland’s only public interest environmental attorney, represented the rights of local community members when no one else would.
For consumers evaluating what makes a venture truly eco-friendly, one must not only be aware of greenwashing, but also green grabbing. How does the company/resort go above and beyond industry standards to demonstrate its environmental commitments? Is the local community benefitting from the activity? Ecotourism should be mutually beneficial to the tourist and the host community.
“If market based mechanisms [like tourism] are to contribute to sustainable development and the building of economies that are not only green, but fair, then fostering an agenda focused on distribution, equity and justice… is vital. This must include meaningful local engagement and consultation based on transparency, accountability and free, prior and informed consent,” said Leach.
The Untamed Path article concludes by saying, “The travel industry’s efforts to water down ecotourism and sell ‘ecotourism lite’ in exchange for short-term profits has led some travel experts to drop the word ecotourism altogether and dismiss the concept as simply a fad… This however, is a classic case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater… In determining where genuine ecotourism is being practiced today, we need also to discover ways in which authentic ecotourism can move from being simply a niche market… to becoming a broad set of principles and practices that transform the way we travel and the way the entire tourism industry functions.”
Be sure to join us next week as we highlight examples of Goldman Prize winners who are engaged in authentic, sustainable ecotourism activities around the world.


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Video: AWS demonstrates Amazon Rekognition Video in real time.
It seems every tech giant with powerful AI is facing a clash with employees concerned by how government customers are using their technology.
A group of Amazon employees have written a letter to CEO Jeff Bezos asking him to cancel sales of Amazon's Rekognition facial-recognition software to police, and more broadly to take an ethical stand on how its technology is used.
The employees also want Amazon to stop providing AWS cloud services to analytics firm, Palantir, which helps Immigration and Customers Enforcement's (ICE) controversial detention and deportation programs.
In the letter, published by The Hill, the employees object to building technology that government and law enforcement can use to create a surveillance state. They urge Bezos not to repeat IBM's mistake of failing to take responsibility for how Nazi Germany used its systems.
The letter by Amazon employees draws attention to the separation of children from their families under the Trump administration's zero-tolerance border policy.
SEE: Sensor'd enterprise: IoT, ML, and big data (ZDNet special report) | Download the report as a PDF (TechRepublic)
"Along with much of the world we watched in horror recently as US authorities tore children away from their parents," they wrote.
"In the face of this immoral US policy, and the US's increasingly inhumane treatment of refugees and immigrants beyond this specific policy, we are deeply concerned that Amazon is implicated, providing infrastructure and services that enable ICE and DHS.
"We refuse to build the platform that powers ICE, and we refused to contribute to tools that violate human rights," the employees continued.
Shock over the detention and separation of children sparked a similar protest at Microsoft this week, with staff calling on CEO Satya Nadella to end a contract with ICE to provide Azure services, which it previously claimed would help ICE accelerate facial recognition and detection.
It marks another instance of technology employees taking a stand against ethically dubious applications of technology they helped develop. Google employees similarly protested the use of its AI for the Pentagon's drone video-analysis system.
Non-profit the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which last month revealed Amazon was heavily promoting Rekognition to US law enforcement, on Monday delivered a petition signed by 150,000 people against Amazon selling surveillance tech to the government.
The ACLU also delivered a letter from 70 organizations demanding Amazon end its involvement in the surveillance business. Amazon shareholders have also called for the company to end to facial-recognition sales to police.
Previous and related coverage
Microsoft employees protest: 'Stop work with ICE over cruel border policies'
Concern over harmful applications of AI once again sparks an employee protest -- this time at Microsoft.
Google, Microsoft, Amazon: Are they responsible for government use?
Welcome to the world of politicized capitalism doused with hashtag activism.
Microsoft takes a stand against ICE separating parents from children (CNET)
The company had previously said it was "proud" to supply technology to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement -- and sparked anger online.
Google employee protest: Now Google backs off Pentagon drone AI project
Google won't bid to renew its Project Maven contract with the Pentagon after it expires in 2019.
Google's AI pact with Pentagon sparks resignations, highlighting leadership disconnect (TechRepublic)
Nearly a dozen employees have quit to protest the tech giant's work for the Defense Department's 'Project Maven,' where AI is used to analyze drone footage.
Google says it won't build AI for weapons
In a set of principles laid out to guide its development of artificial intelligence, Google also said it won't build AI for surveillance that violates "internationally accepted norms."


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Barely over 3 month supply of homes for sale in St Louis
Home sales in the U.S. fell slightly in February from the month before, according to the National Association of REALTORS’ pending home sales index. The index slid to 104.8* in February from 105.2 in January however was still 8.4 percent higher than a year ago and at the second highest level in nearly three-year. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for NAR, said “limited inventory is holding back the market in many areas” and that “only new home construction can genuinely help relieve the inventory shortage…”
As the chart below shows, the number of homes for sale in St Louis has declined almost 9 percent (8.9) in the past year, from 14,596 homes for sale in St Louis (St Louis MSA) in February 2012 to 13,260 homes for sale in St Louis in February 2013. During the same period the absorption rate in St Louis (homes sold or taken off the market) has increased slightly from 4,322 homes in February 2012 to 4,370 homes in February 2013. At the current absorption rate there is just over a three-month supply of homes for sale in St Louis. So, if you have thought about selling, now may be the time! For current home prices and market conditions in your area, Click Here.
*An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined. By coincidence, the volume of existing-home sales in 2001 fell within the range of 5.0 to 5.5 million, which is considered normal for the current U.S. population.


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WASHINGTON — A coalition of textile, labor, business and agriculture organizations launched a drive Thursday to seek major reform of U.S. trade policy.
The initiative is aimed at the presidential candidates and members of Congress facing reelection next month.
The Coalition to Fix America’s Economy, which includes the two primary textile trade organizations, the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition and the National Council of Textile Organizations, along with 33 other organizations and 75 individual companies, unveiled a policy platform at a news conference on Capitol Hill that it hopes will influence the trade policies of the next president and Congress.
The coalition is pressing elected officials to endorse and support several trade-related principles, including aggressive enforcement of U.S. trade laws, stopping goods from being dumped on the U.S. market below the cost of manufacture, halting subsidized imports that put American firms at a disadvantage and curbing intellectual property theft.
The platform also calls for strong action against currency manipulation, primarily by China, and the passage of legislation that would make currency manipulation actionable under U.S. trade laws. It also advocates the elimination of tax disadvantages that discourage investment in the U.S. and support for trade policies that require “full reciprocity, fairness and transparency,” including labor and environmental standards.
“America’s fascination and now disappointment with our financial bubble has diverted attention from the true sources of prosperity, such as manufacturing,” said George Shuster, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Cranston Print Works Co., and co-chairman of the coalition.
Shuster said the platform seeks to “reverse the tragic mistakes” of trade policy.
The coalition’s platform did not include the textile industry’ top lobbying objective of securing an extension and expansion of the Commerce Department’s monitoring program of Vietnamese apparel and textile imports to include Chinese goods from those sectors. The Vietnam monitoring program expires at the end of President Bush’s term.
Textile groups and companies are lobbying for monitoring of Chinese imports because quotas on 34 categories of imported apparel and textile import categories from China expire at the end of the year. The industry fears it will be further devastated by subsidized and dumped imports from China.
Shuster said the coalition did not include industry-specific issues in the platform and sought to keep it general because several industries are represented. In addition, the textile industry has launched its own lobbying effort on China.
@fearofgod and @maxfieldla have teamed up on a pop-up installation. The store, located in the gallery space across from Maxfield’s Melrose Ave location, is the site of the brand’s House of God pop-up in which Fear of God founder @jerrylorenzo has created a church-inspired installation. A dozen vintage church pews sit in front of an LED screen playing 90s gospel singers in an effort to re-create an environment akin to a Southern Baptist Church, Lorenzo explained. Read more about the pop-up on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: Jennifer Johnson)
Known for his sleek, sophisticated American glamour, Norman Norell is the subject of an upcoming exhibition at @fitnyc. “Norell: Dean of American Fashion,” which runs from February 9 through April 14, will feature approximately 100 ensembles and accessories. His best work is exemplified by the designer’s glittering “mermaid” gowns frosted with thousands of hand-sewn sequins – like the one pictured. (📷: William Helburn) #wwdfashion
For pre-fall 2018, @balmain didn’t let go of the glitz. A crystal embroidered baseball jacket priced at around $40,000 hangs in the “couture” section of the brand’s first men’s pre-collection. Sporting the words “Balmain Army” across the back, the item took around two months to make. “When it was completed, it was like Christmas, it was like, ‘It’s done, it’s exactly what I wanted,’” said Balmain’s creative director @olivier_rousteing during a tour of the collection in a Paris showroom on Monday. #wwdfashion
Eighty degree temperatures and outdoor installations at the annual Art Basel Miami Beach called for bright, elevated beachwear. See more street style pictures on WWD.com. #theyarewearing #ABMB (📷: @lifeinreverie)
Following September’s emotional tribute to her brother Gianni, Donatella Versace wanted to bring the spring show’s deep sense of intimacy to her @versace_official pre-fall collection. Donatella found inspiration in Versace Palazzo in Milan and from Gianni’s opulent apartment. Archival patterns and new motifs were splashed on silk shirtdresses and fitted jersey frocks. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com. #wwdfashion
Demna Gvasalia continues to shake up the Paris fashion calendar — and experiment with new runway timetables for his @vetements_official brand. WWD has learned that Vetements plans to stage its next coed show for the fall 2018 season on January 19 during Men’s Fashion Week in the French capital. Details about the timing and venue have not been confirmed — stay tuned on WWD.com to catch the latest. #wwdnews (📷: @giovanni_giannoni_photo)
@zacposen's go-to holiday gift? Cookies! "I'll usually bake cookies and send them as a gift," said the designer, who recently released his cookbook "Cooking With Zac: Recipes from Rustic to Refined." Get the recipe for his Brown Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies via link in bio 🍪🍪🍪 #wwdeye #cookingwithzac
For @monsemaison’s pre-fall 2018 collection, Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim honed in on the brand’s many signatures — men’s wear, which was tweaked and feminized through deconstruction, proportion play and lots of bare shoulders. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: George Chinese)
On Friday night, @yohjiyamamotoofficial received the Design for Asia Lifetime Achievement Award in Hong Kong. The 75-year-old designer has been celebrated for many years and is best known for his dark and avant-garde tailoring. “In my long career, in design, architecture, [I’ve been to] so many parties, this is the very first time that I have such a warm feeling, I really appreciate this,” Yamamoto said. #wwdfashion (📷: @dominiquemaitre)


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PSI Services has signed an agreement with Amazon.com Inc. to administer certification tests for technical expertise using Amazon Web Services.
PSI in Glendale provides testing services for corporations, government agencies, professional associations and academic institutions. The company has 1,200 testing centers in 120 countries.
Amazon Web Services is a subsidiary of Amazon.com that provides cloud computing platforms for cost management, web development, data storage and other functions. PSI will administer tests for various levels of technical expertise on the system. Candidates can take the tests at PSI centers or using PSI Testing Kiosks, a remote proctoring technology that extends testing to other locations.
“Our global network of testing centers and multiple testing delivery methods brings AWS Certification exam testing closer to candidates, enabling more individuals to pursue AWS Certification,” Steve Tapp, chief executive of PSI said in a statement. “PSI is known for our technological innovation and customer service, and we look forward to providing AWS and their candidates these services.”


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Workspace: wikiCalc Wikified approach to the spreadsheetJul 01, 2008
wikiCalc is a unique tool that offers a combination of spreadsheet functionality and wiki features. This may sound like a strange pairing, but wikiCalc provides a refreshingly new approach to the spreadsheet concept.more »
IEs4Linux Internet Explorer in Linux with IEs4LinuxJul 01, 2008
IEs4Linux lets web developers who work in Linux install Internet Explorer in just a couple of minutes to test their websites without booting Windows.more »
WS-Addressing Asynchronous delivery with WS-AddressingJun 30, 2008
WS-Addressing is a standard that enables flexible communication between web services.more »
Microformats Organizing the web with microformatsJun 20, 2008
Microformats are simple HTML tags that reveal information about web data. We'll show you how to take advantage of this handy technology.more »
Perlbal Scaling your website with the Perlbal web serverJun 17, 2008
Let the nimble Perlbal web server keep your traffic in balance.more »
A world record attempt has been launched today: starting at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, the new Firefox 3 browser became available for downloading. And that's not all: the makers of Firefox are seeking to make their way into the Guinness Book of Records.more »
The Facebook social network has released part of its source code under the "Facebook Open Platform" label, including the F8 developer platform which was released one year ago.more »
Klaus Knopper announces the latest version of his iconic Live Linux system.
According to a report, many potential victims of the Heartbleed attack have patched their systems, but few have cleaned up the crime scene to protect themselves from the effects of a previous intrusion.
DARPA and NICTA release the code for the ultra-secure microkernel system used in aerial drones.
Should you trust an online service to store your online passwords?
New B+ board lets you build cool things without the complication of a powered USB hub.
Redmond rushes in to root out alleged malware haven.
New initiative will bring futuristic virtual reality effects to the web surfing experience.
Dyreza malware launches a man-in-the-middle attack that compromises SSL.
New cloud combines worldwide access with local attention to data security.


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J.D. Power and Associates said Thursday that wireless customer service has improved overall as hold times and problem resolution has improved from six months ago. Verizon, T-Mobile and Alltel, which was acquired by Verizon, led the research firm’s customer service rankings.
Overall, customer care performance has improved to 735 on a 1,000 point scale. That’s up 12 points from February. Seventy-six percent of calls to customer service was resolved on a first contact, up from 66 percent in February. Hold times also averaged 5.55 minutes; down from 6.58 minutes in February, according to J.D. Power.


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This week Samsung became the launch partner on London Heathrow’s most recent exclusive large format digital opportunity, namely The Golden Gateway.
The Golden Gateway is situated at the entrance to First Wing and the striking six meter high totem dominates the beginning of the route through to the British Airways First Class lounge – it’s therefore pretty unmissable to 100% of this hugely influential audience.
Alan Sullivan, Managing Director at JCDecaux Airport told us “We are delighted to launch the First Wing Golden Gateway digital site with Samsung. It’s a truly iconic new airport advertising opportunity and delivers a perfect synergy of technology, luxury and an international tech-savvy audience.”
The prestigious site offers premium brands a truly unique platform to immerse, engage and influence the world’s elite thanks to its exclusive location. Up to 2,000 influential passengers pass through the exclusive security route every day, including British Airways First Class ticket holders, Gold Card members and their guests.
The campaign booked by Cheil through JCDecaux Airport enhances Samsung’s presence in Terminal 5 where there is also complementary copy running on the T5 runway banners.


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Home Tags Warranty services
Tag: warranty services
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- After, Inc., a global leader in Warranty Services since 2005, developed a "Warranty Claims Scoring 101" guide, leveraging the expertise of its world-class Warranty Analytics team and over 17 years of claim scoring experience. Warranty Claims Scoring is a discipline not widely understood. Few in the industry know how these models are built and implemented, and the significant cost savings they can deliver.
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- Armadillo, a modern tech-enabled home warranty platform, and TurboTenant, a digital one-stop-shop for landlords looking to simplify then scale their rental business, have launched a partnership to provide landlords with an affordable and comprehensive protection plan for their rental properties.
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- Pioneering homeowner-centric tech startups Armadillo, a modern tech-enabled home warranty platform, and beycome, a leading tech-enabled digital real estate platform, have launched a partnership to provide homeowners and soon-to-be homeowners with an additional tool to facilitate the home selling experience.
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- After, Inc. announced today that ENVE (enve.com) will utilize QuickReg® to provide a seamless post-sale registration experience to its dealers and customers. ENVE Composites designs, manufactures, and markets handmade carbon fiber bicycle rims and components, and custom bikes (through its premium dealer network) and is highly respected amongst professional riders and biking enthusiasts for its engineering, innovation and customer service and support.
After, Inc., a global leader in warranty solutions and post-sale customer experience tech, exhihbits at 2023 National Hardware Show
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- After, Inc., a global leader in warranty solutions and post-sale customer experience technology, will be joining an awesome list of exhibitors at the 2023 National Hardware Show, January 30 - February 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. Come meet our team during the show at Booth SL4279!
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- After, Inc. announced today its ongoing commitment to a sustainable future, detailing its multi-year strategy and initiatives on its website. Given its history as a post-sale technology and solutions partner to the world's top manufacturers and retailers - and its recent purchase of Accentf(x) Marketing with its Lettershop facility - After is now one of the largest multi-channel Warranty Marketing and Database Management providers in the country.
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- After, Inc., a global leader in post-sale technology and services, just announced the launch of its QuickInsight® customer data enrichment platform. QuickInsight is one of five post-sale customer experience platforms that After, Inc. calls its QuickSuite®, which just won The SAMMY Award from Business Intelligence Group for "Product of the Year."
After, Inc. QuickSuite Named ‘Product of the Year’ in the 2022 Sales and Marketing Technology Awards
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- After, Inc. announced today that it received "Product of the Year" in the 2022 Sales and Marketing Technology Awards program (The Sammys) for its QuickSuite® post-sale customer experience technology. The Sammys honors organizations and products helping to solve the challenges businesses have connecting and collaborating with prospects and customers.
After, Inc.’s QuickCover Extension Now Available on Top eMarketplace App Stores: Shopify, Adobe Commerce, Woo Commerce, and BIG Commerce
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- After, Inc., a pioneer in the Warranty Services industry, just announced that its QuickCover® product protection technology is officially available on Shopify, Adobe Commerce, Woo Commerce, and BIG Commerce. QuickCover® is one of five post-sale customer experience platforms that After, Inc. calls its QuickSuite.
After, Inc. and Atlas Copco’s Power Technique Division Partner to Deliver Seamless Post-Sale Experience
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- After, Inc. announced that Atlas Copco's Power Technique North American Division will utilize QuickReg® to provide a seamless post-sale experience to its customers. The Power Technique Division designs, manufactures and markets mobile air compressors, handheld pneumatic tools, as well as mobile generators, light towers, and portable pumps.
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Chancellor Philip Hammond has highlighted the tax challenge posed by the evolving digital economy.
Although admiting that it will not solve the problem, he said that the government will apply income tax to royalties relating to UK sales when those royalties are paid to low tax jurisdictions, starting from April 2019.
This is expected to raise £200 million a year.
'Multinational digital businesses pay billions of pounds in royalties to jurisdictions where they are not taxed and some of those relate to UK sales,' he said.
He added: 'It does not solve the problem but it sends a signal of our determination.'
Kate Ison, a senior associate at law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner, warned that companies could face an HMRC challenge even if their tax affairs are complicated rather than aggressively planned to reduce tax.
'Tackling offshore tax avoidance remains high on the political agenda. The government has confirmed its intention to introduce new rules to tax royalties on UK sales where those royalties are paid to a low tax jurisdiction,' she said.
'In the short term, we can expect investigations by HMRC into digital businesses to increase.'
In addition, he said that all online market places will be jointly liable with sellers for VAT in order to address online VAT fraud.


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Adobe has been one of the major companies that was involved in creative processes related to everything we find on the web, thanks to brilliant releases like the Flash Player. But, Adobe must do its best to keep up with the times in order not to be left behind by the competition. The launch of HTML 5 has posed novel problems to other players in the industry, so Adobe had to take a step back and rethink their future Flash strategy. And it did not take long before it came up with a roadmap which paved the future for its technology.
The Future of Flash to Focus on Games and Video
Adobe’s new strategy consists of focusing on whatever Flash does best – meaning at creating games and at showcasing real video quality. But Adobe will not neglect the other areas Flash can be used in, and will focus a lot of its efforts in perfecting those fields. They go on to say that games today are evolving extremely fast, but they think that Flash will do extremely well in catching up with these new sets of demands, even ahead of its competitors. That’s because Adobe holds almost an universal reach on the desktop because of the Flash Player browser plug-in.
Adobe Isn’t Quitting the Mobile Environment
On mobile devices, Flash infiltrates itself via Adobe AIR. The service also relies on very fast 2D and 3D rendering support which enables top notch graphics. Adobe seems to think that Flash is enough to reach 99% of computers and hoped it would end up on at least 500 million portable device owners.
Adobe is also well aware of the fact that Flash is famous for its video content delivery, thus the company will do anything to expand its dominion over responding to all video requests. And, of course, Adobe has laid out a pretty decent plan for Flash video. It plans to support premium content owners the best it can, to establish warmer collaborations with its hardware providers and provide support for content protection which leads to premium video content getting a license in order to be available for online distribution.
The new version of Flash player 11.2 will be rolling out during the first quarter of 2012, so, we’re almost there. With it, Adobe plans to add some new functionality like:
- Mouse-lock support
- Right and middle-click support
- Context menu disabling
- Hardware accelerated graphics
- Stage 3D support for iOS and Android


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Forza Horizon 5 is the latest game in the popular racing series, and it’s just as big as its predecessors. The game will feature more than 450 cars, with every car being drivable.
The forza horizon 4 ultimate edition car list is a massive list of cars that are available in the game.
The first look at the massive vehicle list for Forza Horizon 5 has been released by Playground Games.
Following a recent Let’s Go! Livestream, Playground Games published a blog post outlining what gamers can look forward to when they get behind the wheel later this autumn. According to what has been revealed, Forza Horizon 5 will have nearly 400 cars.
However, the studio has said that the list is not yet complete. In the weeks leading up to November 9, when Forza Horizon 5 launches on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, players can expect Playground Games to “extend it with even more vehicles and manufacturers.” The game will also be available on Xbox Game Pass on the same day.
The 2020 Ford Super Duty F-450 DRW, the 1991 Jaguar Sport XJR-15, and the all-electric 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S are just a few of the noteworthy cars on the list. In addition, the Mercedes-AMG ONE and the 2021 Ford Bronco Badlands are included in the game and act as the cover vehicles for the newest Forza Horizon installment.
Aston Martin, Honda, Lamborghini, Nissan, and Mercedes-Benz are among the brands included in Forza Horizon 5, each offering a variety of vehicles to the game.
Playground Games is the source of this information.
Playground Games has announced that Forza Horizon 5 will include Forzavista, a vehicle exploration option, for automobile lovers. Players may get a detailed look at their favorite vehicle models with Forzavista. The game will use raytracing to generate reflections and in-depth details on the car’s materials when played on Xbox Series X/S and PC. Forzavista claims to accurately depict each car in a manner that gamers have yet to see in the franchise.
Forza Horizon 5 will include the Car Collection interface, which will have a large number of cars. This will allow gamers to keep track of the cars they’ve acquired by manufacturer.
Players in Forza Horizon 5 will race through a fictitious version of Mexico. In the open-world area, players will encounter both familiar and new obstacles. Tropical storms, dust storms, and other types of dynamic weather will be included in the game.
The ar12 fh5 car list is a huge announcement for Forza Horizon 5. The game will feature over 350 cars, and it’s release date is October 2nd 2018.
- forza motorsport 5 car list
- forza horizon 4 rare car list
- forza horizon 5 leaked cars
- forza horizon 5 campaign
- forza horizon 5 bronco


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The Guyana Used Tyres Association (GUTA) on Tuesday questioned the reason for the Government to ban specific categories of used tyres in Guyana, while describing the situation as “unfair.”
According to Jerome Khan, Attorney-at-Law representing GUTA, “only certain classes of tyres are being restricted…If your concern is about used tyres why only choose mini-buses, SUVs, small pickups and cars? So it seems to me an unfair situation…If Government wants to do this then it should be across the board.”
Moreover, Khan opined that it will prove to be very difficult for Government to justify their ban of used tyres since there is no definitive standard set.
“In the absence of any definitive type of standard such as thread wear or thread depth, it would be difficult for government to justify that used tyres coming in this country ought not to come. Because used tyres are based on shelf life, years of use, miles, kilometers of use, etcetera,” he said while Vice President of the GUTA, Mohamed Mustaak supported him.
“Some kind of solution can be reached where the members can be given specific guidelines coming out of the Guyana Bureau of Standards on what they can and cannot import in the country. These guidelines will then be used to contact their suppliers overseas to say that you have to confer with these guidelines, if not we cannot import the used tyres.”
The Association during a press briefing on Tuesday continued their call for the Government to revisit their decision and engage with them in order to arrive at a solution that will be beneficial to all parties involved.
The ban on the use of used tyres on mini-buses, SUVs, small pickups, jeeps and cars came into effect on April 1 2017, after being introduced in the 2016 Budget Presentations last year.
Since then, the GUTA as well as stakeholders have staged numerous protests calling for the ban to be lifted.
The Association had posited that the revenues generated by ‘good used tyres’ are in excess of GYD$100M annually, but with the ban in effect that figure would be halved.
GUTA, which is comprised of approximately 36 used tyre businesses, says that they employ in excess of 5,000 employees. As such, business owners have in the past noted that “ we already have a struggling economy and if we have to put 5000 more people on the bread line, I don’t think that it is going to be good for social cohesion.”


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HP is hiring 50 developers for the WebOS platform, marking a new turn for the company’s troubled mobile market play.
The news comes as HP continues its effort to make WebOS a secure, open platform.
First spotted by The Powerbase, the job openings are in Shanghai and Sunnyvale. All are high-paying engineering positions.
Here’s a sample of the job openings:
It’s a good sign that HP is committing to make WebOS secure and open-source. It shows the company sees something that can come of an effort that has had its fair share of failures and lost opportunities.
But what will HP do with it in the end? As The Powerbase points out, let’s just hope that HP is not foolish enough to put WebOS back into the consumer market.
The future of WebOS is in the enterprise. The market is not sewn up. Apple has taken a good lead but the company is not committed to making an enterprise play. The Android platform is fractured, RIM is all but dead and Android is too fractured.
HP is committing to WebOS. We’ll just have to wait to see what that commitment means.


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NEW YORK — Cult accessories brand Sigerson Morrison is reaching out to fashionistas with smaller pocketbooks.
The New York-based company is launching a yet-to-be named diffusion line for spring that will carry lower prices than its core offerings. For now, the diffusion line is focused on footwear, although handbags may be added at a later date, said a company spokeswoman.
Hermès is launching a Laundromat pop-up shop in NYC - dubbed Hermèsmatic - where customers can bring their old scarves to be dip-dyed by an expert. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews (📷: @donstahl)


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Much of that slowdown would stem from Trump’s ongoing trade war with Beijing. Last month, after negotiations broke down, Trump slapped a 25 percent levy on $250 billion in Chinese goods and began the process of taxing all products from China, which quickly retaliated with tariffs of its own.
Weeks later and angry over migration, Trump threatened tariffs on $350 billion in Mexican goods. That levy is set to kick in Monday at 5 percent and rise incrementally to as much as 25 percent, unless, Trump says, Mexico cracks down on Central American migrants crossing into the United States along their shared border.
Trump routinely misstates how tariffs work, insisting they are absorbed by U.S. trading partners. Tariffs in fact are taxes paid by U.S. companies that bring in products, so those costs are borne by manufacturers, chemical producers and others. U.S. companies typically pass along some of those costs to consumers.
The Mexican tariffs alone could erase more than $41 billion in gross domestic product for the United States, along with $24.6 billion in income each year, according to the Perryman Group. Overall job losses could hit 406,000.
“To impose a tariff on all goods from our largest trading partner will cause significant cost increases and other harms to the economy,” said M. Ray Perryman, the firm’s president and chief executive.
Texas would bear the brunt of those job losses, given its extensive trade network with Mexico. The state’s economy could lose almost $12 billion in GDP, more than $7 billion in annual income and more than 117,330 jobs, the firm said.
Mexico has long been one of the United States’ top trading partners, and it recently passed China to become the largest — in part because of the U.S.-China trade war. But Trump has seized on immigration as an intractable issue between the two countries. Data released this week by U.S. Customs and Border Protection showed a surge in the number of immigrants entering the United States across the Mexican border. Last month, the agency apprehended 144,278 people — mostly families and children — trying to enter the United States. That is nearly triple the 51,862 reported in May of last year.
“Much is at stake for both nations,” Perryman said. “If Mexico retaliates and imposes tariffs on the U.S., or the tariffs go higher than 5 percent, the negative effects on the economy would be even greater.”


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Most Recent Articles In Fashion Scoops
Latest Fashion Scoops Articles
BURTON WAY: Sarah Burton has been quite low-key since taking over the reins at Alexander McQueen but she’ll have a coming out in New York next week.
Burton, in town for the Costume Institute benefit, will make her first-ever personal appearance at Saks Fifth Avenue next Tuesday, meeting a group of invited Saks clients and giving them styling advice. Saks will also offer a trunk show of the fall collection on May 10 in New York and May 12 in Beverly Hills. Saks Inc. president and chief merchandising officer Ron Frasch said that Burton’s men’s and women’s shows for fall were “simply extraordinary.”


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In this week’s top stories: Google Pixel phones (with one key exception) got the latest “Feature Drop” with additions like Android 12L and a new Battery widget, Pixel 6 and Galaxy S22 devices are affected by the “Dirty Pipe” exploit, and more.
The March 2022 update arrived for most Pixel phones this week — the Pixel 6 series will be getting updated at a later date — and it simultaneously served as the launching point for Android 12L. For some, upon booting into the new update, a splash screen was shown introducing the core additions of the feature drop.
Featuring Material You stylings, there are two cards highlighting the new Custom text stickers and Battery widget. Buttons at the bottom of the page let you “Skip” and “Go to Tips.”
This is Google taking a more forceful approach in highlighting what’s new. Normally, Google just sends out a notification that users might miss.
Besides the various behind the scenes enhancements of Android 12L — primarily targeted at tablets and foldables — the core new feature of this latest Pixel Feature Drop is the new battery widget. This widget shows your phone’s battery level, along with the levels of Bluetooth devices like headphones.
The glaring omission here right now is, of course, Wear OS smartwatches. As it stands today, Wear OS smartwatches don’t report battery levels directly to Android, but rather to the Wear OS app. This is something Google and its partners can surely address in the future. As a result of that, the TicWatch Pro 3 paired to my Pixel 4a doesn’t show up in the widget.
While Pixel phones are reaping the benefits of Android 12L today, the real impact of the update is for tablets and foldables, two device categories in which Google does not currently offer products. According to Google, the leading Android foldable and tablet companies Samsung, Lenovo, and Microsoft will be bringing Android 12L updates to their devices “starting later this year.”
In security news, a major Linux exploit was disclosed this week, one that affects newer Android devices like the Galaxy S22 series and the Pixel 6 & 6 Pro. Dubbed “Dirty Pipe,” it has the potential to allow malware to gain full access to your device without needing special permissions. We’ve prepared a full explainer of what you need to know, including which devices are affected and how to stay safe.
[…] given how new both the exploit and the fix are, the issue does not appear to have been included in the March 2022 Android Security Bulletin. It’s not clear at this point whether a special patch will be created for affected devices like the Pixel 6 series or if the exploit will be available until next month’s security patch.
One of the hottest gadgets of 2022 for Android fans is the Motorola MA1, a Google-licensed dongle that makes your car’s Android Auto connection wireless. However, it’s been near impossible to get your hands on the gadget for over a month now, between limited restocks and scalpers reselling them for twice the price.
In previous statements from Motorola Sound/MGW Global, we were told that restocking at Amazon has the primary holdup and that manufacturing, i.e., available inventory, was not holding back sales. We reached out to SGW Global again last week to see if that was still the case, but the company never got back to us.
The rest of this week’s top stories follow:
Google Pixel |
- Android 12.1 March security patch rolling out to Google Pixel, factory images & OTAs live
- March Feature Drop: Battery widget, richer At a Glance, Night Sight in Snapchat, Pixel 6 rollout delayed
- ‘Pixel 6a’ benchmark confirms Tensor performance and points to 6GB of RAM
- Comment: Pixel 6 delayed updates chip away at Google’s ‘flagship’ experience
- Some Google Pixel phones can’t make contactless payments after March update
- Here are the 81 issues that Android 12L fixes on Google Pixel phones
- Android 12L’s final release removes the ‘show touches’ option for screen recorder on Pixel
- Review: TCL 6-Series delivers Google TV and mini-LED without breaking the bank
- Google releases Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1 to start previewing June’s Pixel Feature Drop
- Google shares grand vision of tablets surpassing laptop sales, ‘tablet-first’ Android apps, more
- Alleged image of Carl Pei holding the Nothing phone shows little more than nothing
- OSOM offers a first look at the front of its Essential Phone sequel, bezels and all
Apps & Updates |
- Google Assistant can now pay for parking on your phone
- Google Play Store getting an additional touch of Material You [Gallery]
- Messages will send videos as Google Photos links for the benefit of RCS-less iPhones, rolling out iMessage reactions
- ‘Star Trek: Picard’ warps a Galaxy Z Fold into the 25th century [Gallery]
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 to launch in August, may add a skin thermometer to the Wear OS watch
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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In 2011, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra introduced the Rice-buying scheme which was aimed to lift prices and rural incomes to strengthen support of her ruling party. Rice Hoarding Policy Backfired Thai Government. Under the scheme the government buys rice harvests from farmers at twice the price from the existing global markets. Bangkok judged that by storing the grain bought and withholding it from the global market, rice prices would increase.
Hence with only 7% of world’s rice output traded cross border, problem in any one location can heavily affect International prices. One such event has already happened in 2008, when countries like India and Vietnam temporarily restricted rice exports, soaring global prices from US$300 a ton to a value of US$900 a ton, initiating food riots and protests.
But however, Thailand attempt to influence global rice price has all gone wrong as they started with holding rice, India resumed exports after long gap and also other countries like Philippines, hence this caused global price to fall from US$1000 a tonne in 2008 to around US$390 a tonne.
All this has caused huge loss to Thailand, causing large stock piles of around 15-17 tons and a severe paper loss in first two harvests in 2011 and 2012, reached US$4 Billion hence Thailand losing its top rice exporter tag to Vietnam in 2012.
It has been estimated that stock pile will increase to more than 20 million tons this year and Thailand Development Research Institute would ask government to dump rice on the world market to pay more than a million farmers. This situation may also foster political risks.


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Lucid Motors, the sleek luxury electric-vehicle manufacturer based in Casa Grande, is Pinal County’s top employer with 2,500 on staff, a company spokesman said Friday.
Walmart, the megastore chain that brings joy to customers through deep discounts on tall shelves of merchandise, has recently moved up to the second highest number of employees in Pinal County.
The superstore chain’s spokesman said the company’s stores and distribution centers in Pinal County now employ 2,400 staffers, or associates as the Arkansas-based retailer famously calls them.
The Maricopa Walmart staffs 400, said Matt Joyner, U.S. People Communications director with Walmart Corporate Affairs. That makes it the second biggest of four stores in the county.
The “Save more, live better” store has moved up a notch ahead of CoreCivic, the private prison operations management company, with 2,375 employees in Pinal County.
Casa Grande, with its supercenter and twin distribution facilities, has the highest number of Walmart associates in the county. There are 950 distribution center employees between the two warehouses, and 450 superstore associates.
The Coolidge store has 250 associates and there are 350 Walmart associates working at the Apache Junction store.
“We don’t just do business in communities around the country; we’re a part of them,” said Joyner. “We believe that to be a great place to shop, we need to be a great place to work, and that philosophy informs all that we do in Pinal County and beyond.”
Joyner said while there are no plans to remodel any Walmart stores in Maricopa or the rest of county, the Coolidge store was recently remodeled and given a “Re-Grand Opened.”
Coolidge’s store was one of 117 remodeled and re-opened stores in October, part of a half-billion-dollar company investment.
“While we don’t have specific plans for further remodels in Pinal County at this time, we do have hundreds of remodels planned for this year,” Joyner said. “Our realty teams conduct frequent reviews to ensure our facilities provide a great customer and associate experience.”
Phoenix commercial developer Thompson Thrift told InMaricopa this week it is actively engaging Walmart in conversations regarding future development in Maricopa.
Laura Loiacono, Pinal County Economic Development Department’s data analyst, was taken aback when a reporter informed her of Walmart’s claim to have 2,400 Pinal employees.
“I would say they are among the top employers,” she said, adding that her data didn’t indicate Walmart had that many associates.
Pulling from her source, Maricopa Association of Governments, Loiacono said her numbers from 2022 showed Walmart rated third-highest employer in the county at 2,200 employees.


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Mylan Inc. said Monday that it may appeal a U.S. District Court ruling that said it and other generic drug manufacturers' proposed products would infringe on a patent held on the multiple sclerosis medication Copaxone.
"Although Mylan is disappointed in the Court's decision, and while we have not yet had the opportunity to review the Court's opinion, we fully intend to evaluate our options for an appeal once the Court's full opinion becomes available," said Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq: MYL) President Heather Bresch in a prepared statement.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Inc. (NYSE: TEVA) received a ruling in the U.S. District Court for Southern New York that backed Teva's patent for Copaxone. Teva said its patents don't expire until 2014 and 2015. Teva had filed lawsuits against Mylan, Momenta Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: MNTA), Sandoz Inc. and Natco Pharmaceuticals to keep them from generic versions of the medication, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Bresch said that even without being able to introduce a generic version of Copaxone, there wouldn't be an impact on Mylan in 2012.
"Importantly and as previously stated, Mylan's earnings guidance for 2012 and earnings targets for 2013 are not reliant on the launch of a generic Copaxone, and therefore our expectations for these periods are unchanged," she said.
Mylan was down 2 percent to $20.80 in trading Monday on Nasdaq. Teva was up 4.5 percent to $39.72.


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Toyota may turn to Subaru for its newest addition to the Scion range, possibly rebadging a Subaru Tribeca to create a new SUV model to be sold alongside the Scion xB. Spy photos of a camouflaged prototype resembling a Tribeca SUV with a Scion grille has been published by Japan's New Model Magazine X
, accompanied by a story that claims the new car will in fact be sold by Scion.
Toyota currently owns an 8.6% stake in Subaru's parent, Fuji Heavy Industries, and this is expected to grow because of a recent change to Japan’s antitrust laws that have paved the way for a full on takeover.
Also in the rumor mill is talk of a new Lexus dedicated hybrid model. Lexus’ Chief in the UK Steve Settle recently told Automotive News Europe
that there is a hybrid-only Lexus in the pipeline for sale in Europe and Japan. Positioned above the IS, the new hybrid would be roomier than the entry-level sedan and also be the most affordable Lexus hybrid.