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As T-Mobile this morning started accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 5, its ‘Uncarrier’ initiative is about to be put to the real test. Will consumer prefer paying $20 in monthly installments for their iPhone 5 (with $99 downpayment) in exchange for a more affordable and simpler wireless service plan?
Or, would they rather continue dropping a hundred bucks or more each month for their overpriced wireless service, with no easy way to cancel their long-term commitment without incurring hefty penalties and hidden fees?
We should know in the coming days and weeks as the Deutsche Telekom-owned telco starts selling the popular smartphone beginning next Friday, April 12.
When T-Mobile announced earlier this year it would kill subsidies and offer Apple’s handset on monthly installments, cowardly AT&T and Verizon employed waiting tactics, opting to instead sit on the sidelines and monitor how the situation unfolds rather than improve their own dealings with customers.
When asked to comment on T-Mobile’s new Uncarrier business strategy, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam Wednesday rather ambiguously responded that his company isn’t really ready to kill subsidies right off the bat…
Needles to say, Verizon is so customer-oriented that it’d at least be willing to reconsider its stance – but not unless its customers first demand such a U-turn.
CNET has the full quote:
McAdam said it was “pretty easy” to change up the model to eliminate contracts, and added that he would watch the consumer response that T-Mobile gets from its recent decision to drop contracts and phone subsidies altogether.
He indicated a willingness to follow suit if consumers start asking for it.
So go ahead and start “asking for it” in the hope that Verizon would abandon its exorbitant pricing schemes.
He, of course, is very “happy when I see something different tried.”
And yes, Verizon can react “quickly to consumers’ shifting needs.”
He gave a similar lame comment back in January, telling Reuters that T-Mobile USA’s new strategy was “very intriguing,” but wondered if consumers are ready to pay full price.
Our little non-scientific poll reveals that about half the respondents are willing to drop their carrier and go with T-Mobile’s Uncarrier.
Verizon Wireless has the best 4G coverage and ranks highest in terms of voice and data service quality, according to both Consumer Reports and Rootmetrics.
What’s your stance on Verizon ignoring what looks to be a new and modern wireless industry business model in the making?


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Following the collapse of the Doha talks to freeze oil production, many analysts had expected oil prices to fall. In the end, prices remained fairly stable – although still a long way short of their 2014 peak. One reason why this might have happened is that the oil glut has moved along the supply chain.
According to Henning Gloystein and Florence Tan at MSN Money, a key reason for market buoyancy has been a rise in demand for crude oil at the refineries:
“Crude oil (LCOc1) has rallied more two-thirds from its mid-January nadir on robust demand from refineries worldwide, stoking cautious optimism among producers and exporters that the epic rout that slashed global prices by 75 percent between mid-2014 and early 2016 is finally over.”
However, rather than seeing an end to the oil industry’s woes, this may be little more than storing up new problems for later. This is because much of the demand at the refineries has been created by petrol-hungry Asian economies that have recently slumped:
“Rampant production of oil products, especially in Asia, is threatening to derail that recovery. Several major gasoline importing countries have started to export, as excess supplies of fuels overflow storage facilities and erode refinery profits.”
For this reason, Gloystein and Tan believe that all that has happened is that a global glut of crude oil has been transformed into a global glut in petrol. The fundamental question remains the same:
“If all the major consumers sell off their gasoline, it begs the question who will buy it? The answer is that much will remain unsold and in storage, and once that happens prices will crash.”
Unless there is a major shift in the growth rates in the developed Western states – and particularly an increase in the wages/spending power of ordinary consumers – Gloystein and Tan’s fears may be realised sooner rather than later.

domain: news


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Many analysts point to the lack of charging ports as perhaps the most important impediment to the growth of electric vehicle (EV) adoption, notes Carl Delfeld, an international investing specialist and editor of Cabot Explorer.
An indirect but powerful way to play the EV revolution is through companies providing battery-charging ports and stations. Many analysts point to the lack of charging ports as perhaps the most important impediment to the growth of EV adoption.
With more than 112,000 charging points in North America and Europe, ChargePoint Holdings (CHPT) is one of the biggest EV charging companies in the world. The company claims to control 70% of the public charging market share in North America.
This lead is a huge advantage because of network effects as the company already has partnerships with more than roughly 60% of the Fortune 50 companies.
ChargePoint also has teamed up with automakers like BMW so that their charging locations are seamlessly integrated into in-car navigation systems, plus the company has a widely downloaded app which allows EV drivers to easily locate ChargePoint charging stations.
The electric-vehicle charging station market is expected to be worth $103 billion by 2028, translating to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.4%.
ChargePoint’s cloud subscription platform and software-based charging hardware include options for home and multifamily to workplace, parking, retail and transport fleets.
One ChargePoint account provides access to hundreds of thousands of places to charge in North America and Europe. So far, more than 92 million charging sessions have been delivered, with drivers plugging into the ChargePoint network every two seconds.
ChargePoint went public through a SPAC and the stock traded as high as $49 last December, but has fallen all the way to $21. The stock got way ahead of itself in terms of valuation as EV mania in the market overtook common sense. The stock does appear to have some support around $20.
In its most recent quarter, ChargePoint generated revenue of $40.5 million compared to the $2.2 million generated by its main competitor, Blink Charging (BLNK).
Revenue grew 24% year over year in the first quarter and the company expects revenue between $195 million and $205 million for its fiscal year ending January 31, 2022. Looking ahead, ChargePoint projects that it will reach 425,060 charging ports and $2.1 billion in revenue by 2026.
I believe the market may be undervaluing ChargePoint’s strong growth outlook. Consequently, I believe that the stock can be accumulated at its current levels.
The stock traded at a 52-week high of $49 and I would not be surprised if the shares regain that level in the next 12-18 months. The company is expected to release financial results for the second quarter after market close on Wednesday, September 1.


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- Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison said that the home improvement retailer has long "underestimated" e-commerce.
- On the company's quarterly earnings call on Wednesday, Ellison said that e-commerce sales grew around 3% for the company this past quarter, a "neutral" outcome.
- Ellison said that most other national retailers are reporting e-commerce growth figures around 20%.
- The CEO said that Lowe's is committed to building a solid online business "the right way."
- "We're not there yet but we know how to get there," Ellison said.
- Sign up for Business Insider's retail newsletter, The Drive-Thru.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison told analysts that the home-improvement giant is lagging when it comes to e-commerce sales growth, but that he's confident that the company has the tools to build a successful online business in the future.
In a quarterly earnings call on Wednesday, Ellison explained that in the past quarter, e-commerce growth had an "neutral impact" on the overall business. The CEO said that "dotcom" sales grew by 3% for the quarter, while overall US sales also grew by 3%.
"I would argue that there's not a brick-and-mortar retailer in the US that is our size that has such limited growth in the dotcom business," Ellison said during the call. "Most US retailers that announce their comp growth for the quarter typically will have a dotcom number that starts with 20% growth, which is typical in this day and age. We're not there yet but we know how to get there."
Ellison acknowledged that the company has, in the past, "underestimated the level of complexity" that goes into a successful e-commerce business. The CEO said that it became clear that the "e-commerce business was still a little bit of a mystery for us" during the holiday season last year. The retailer's website crashed last Black Friday, prompting criticism from frustrated customers on social media.
Ellison said that the company has been "digging" into overhauling its e-commerce capabilities since then and added that he believes the company is "right on track."
"We've been very clear that this is a transformation," he said. "We didn't make any bones about the fact that this was a company that had great potential but that had underinvested in supply chain, IT, and also leadership development."
That being said, Ellison noted that his team isn't looking to rush into the online business. The CEO said that Lowe's was hoping to install several e-commerce "fundamentals" by the second half of next year.
"It's not difficult to grow dotcom sales; it's difficult to do it correctly and make money," Ellison said. "Rather than having a bunch of unproductive promotions and couponing events, we shut that down and we basically asked, 'How do we structure this business in the right way?'"


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DBZ Saiyan Saga - Chiaotzu Poster
K&K productions have released a brand new character poster today to showcase their DragonBall Z movie, Chiaotzu! Check it out here!
We have also included this photo of Vegeta which reveals the OLD Saiyan armor. The crew has designed a brand new look for the armor which will be revealed at the end of the month when they do the reshoots!
: This article was submitted by a volunteer contributor who has agreed to our code of conduct
. ComicBookMovie.com is protected from liability under "safe harbor" provisions and will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. For expeditious removal, contact us HERE


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Marty’s Market and Caffe d’Amore continue to be a crowd favorite for coffee! Here’s what the Sun Times had to say:
In addition to their standout coffee, breakfast, and lunch menus, Marty’s Market offers fresh and organic produce that is locally grown. They value transparency, fair business practices, and above all else, great coffee.
Edible Allegheny stopped by Wholey’s Fish Market, Girasole, and Marty’s Market to talk about the rich history of the Italian tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes. While visiting Marty’s, Butcher Steve spoke about Marty’s commitment to offering sustainable seafood options and his “go-to” ways to prepare his favorites.
Read Andrea Bosco’s feature here or pick up the latest issue!
Yelp’s Rachel Carlson breaks down her favorite Pittsburgh brunches on KDKA, including Marty’s Market. Her favorites? Our Portuguese Baked Eggs and Breakfast “Sammich.” Find your Marty’s brunch favorite next Saturday or Sunday!
Hal B. Klein of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stops by Marty’s Market to learn about our new sustainable seafood offerings in the Butcher Shop, and talk about why sustainability and communication matters!
Marty’s Market was recently mentioned in a Post Gazette article by Virginia Phillips all about… lettuce. Salanova lettuce to be exact. And if you think that lettuce is nothing to get excited about, you obviously haven’t tried this new breed. Find it in our produce section and on the Cafe menu!
Unpredictable weather patterns means unpredictable growing seasons. Marty’s Market, along with other local food retailers like Lawrenceville’s Wild Purveyors, spoke about this connectedness in a recent Pittsburgh Business Times article on how drought affects food prices. Committed to working directly with local and regional farmers, attending to price changes due to weather or pest pressure is an important way to support our farmers and the work they do.
Marty’s Market was thrilled to recently be profiled on the Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local website, a great resource for anyone looking to connect with local food growers, retailers, and restaurants. Marty’s Market’s Strategist, Johanna Klotz, highlighted how Marty’s aims to make a difference in our region through the different avenues of our business.


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Israeli startup PCENTRA has developed a system enabling loading smart cards with cedit and operates the Rav-Kav (transport card) online service
Israeli startup PCENTRA has developed a system enabling loading smart cards with cedit and operates the Rav-Kav (transport card) online service. PCENTRA is one of the eight companies to have made it to the finals in Visa’s recent Everywhere Initiative programme. It reached the finals out of almost 200 European companies. The contestants had to introduce the payment solutions they were offering in three categories, using the Visa API interfaces, where the winning groups were even given the opportunity to make use of them. PCENTRA competed in the Regional Intercity Challenge category.
”Public transport is a field in which many transactions are still made with cash”, explains Moti Maimon, CEO of PCENTRA. But today people want to load their Rav-Kav card online, the same way they pay for many other services. To address this need we are developing a mobile payment solution for transport.
For this we need knowledge both in the field of payments and in the field of transport and, of course – we need knowledge in securing digital data. When we talk about transport, we are talking about a lot of money changing hands, a large proportion of which is public money. Any solution in this field has got to be secured. In Israel we operate the RavKav Online service, which in the last year and a half has brought about a silent revolution in everything related to public transport payments in Israel. For the first time it is actually possible to pay for public transport through the smartphone.
We are working under the currently existing regulation. We have taken the regulation and developed a solution enabling performing mobile payments without adding onto the existing equipment. Besides this solution we have got other solutions like QR cards for special journeys”.
Maimon: “The reason we participated in the Visa contest is the potential for rapid expansion: our solution is suitable for over 80% of the cities in the world and it can be implemented immediately. For this reason we are looking for a global player who shares our interests and has good geographic coverage. Visa’s goal is to switch from cash to credit cards and our goal is to enable users more convenient and modern payment types”.
Oded Salomy, General Manager of Visa in Israel, said: “PCENTRA was among 8 Israeli companies that reached the finals and competed for the prizes against another 7 young companies from Europe. The competition was tough but the contestants stood out with their innovative ideas, their advanced technologies and their solutions, which will be altering the way people buy and use money”.
Bill Gajda, Visa’s Executive VP for Innovation and Strategic partners in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said: “We looked for, and are continuing to look for a broad range of Fintech solutions. In places like Tel Aviv, Berlin and London there are lots of companies working in these fields.
Israel is strong in many technologies, nor just in what traditionally is related to security. Israel is emerging as a world leader in biometrics and now a vibrant bitcoin community is also forming there. And even generally speaking there are lots of good Israeli Fintech companies we would like to work with and accelerate their development”.
To contact Visa’s Innovation division in Israel, please click here.


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Storm Lake St. Mary's Selected to Benefit from Hy-Vee Bag Sale Program
January 24, 2022 4:51pm
Storm Lake St. Mary's has been selected by the local Hy-Vee as the benefiting non-profit in the store's “Reusable Bag Program” for the month of February.
The Hy-Vee “Reusable Bag Program” is an easy way for shoppers to give back to the community and environment as part of the regular shopping routine. A different non-profit is selected to benefit from the sale of the bags each month in every Hy-Vee location. St. Mary's will receive a one-dollar donation for every $2.50 reusable red “my heart” bag purchased at the Storm Lake Hy-Vee in February.
“It’s more important than ever to help reduce single-use plastic in the environment,” said Ryan Berg, 6-12 Principal at Storm Lake St. Mary’s. “Non-profits at the local level, like us, are in need of community support. This program offers the perfect solution to multiple issues of the world today. We hope you’ll support us in February by purchasing one – or two! - Red “My Heart” Bags at our local Hy-Vee!”
For more information about the Hy-Vee “Reusable Bag Program” visit www.hy-vee.bags4mycause.com.
Governor's Volunteer Awards Ceremony Will be Held in Storm Lake
The 2022 Governor's Volunteer Awards will be announced during five special recognition ceremonies
Storm Lake Police Warn Residents About Jewelry Scam
The Storm Lake Police Department is warning citizens about a scam that's been circulating in the
Streets Will Be Temporarily Closed Monday for Parade of Flags Event
The City of Storm Lake will be temporarily closing streets to accommodate the Memorial Day Parade
Lake View Included in Mobile Consumer Protection Office Tour
The Iowa Attorney General's office has launched a series of consumer protection presentations that
Iowa Farmland Cash Rental Rates Up Ten-Percent
The latest Iowa State University Extension survey of farmland cash rental rates shows an increase


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Kathy Harkrader, at the Theatrical Shop in West Des Moines, says a cloaked crusader is this Halloween’s super-seller.
“You know who takes the top slot and he’s done it for several years now,” Harkrader says, “is Batman himself.” Harkrader says Superman, Spiderman and Wonder Woman costumes are also moving quickly this season, as are several of the Star Wars characters.
She says, “There’s been so many superhero movies out and that normally sets the trends for costumes for what’s popular for adults and kids both.” For trick-or-treaters who want to make a political statement, the store is selling plenty of rubber masks that resemble the two main party presidential candidates, but one of them is edging ahead, at least in terms of sales.
“We have lots of customers coming in looking for the masks or the wigs or Donald Trump’s hat, the red-billed hat,” she says. “By our standards here, just by looking at the merchandise, Hillary is ahead.” Harkrader says other Halloween favorites this year are more traditional, including: Dracula, Frankenstein and witches.
(Reporting by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)


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Xbox Music, a service we reported on earlier this morning (July 12) courtesy of a story on Business Insider, does not actually exist. Don't worry though, it's not some vast conspiracy by Microsoft. In fact, Big M itself told site VG247 that the reports were "inaccurate," and that future plans for the Xbox 360 console most certainly include the Zune service.
So yeah, we can see how that might get confused. However, this clarification and continuation of Zune on Xbox does nothing for the reputation of me and my Zune HD. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go cry in the corner while searching for someone to trade music with.
Business Insider has acknowledged and its mistake and issued a correction.


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As research on longevity has become a fixation of biotech startup investors, newly launched skin-care startup OneSkin is bringing it to the world of beauty.
Launching today via DTC e-commerce, the company is bridging the worlds of biotech and beauty after four years in development by a team of scientists. Coming out of the Bay Area-based biotech startup incubator MBC BioLabs, the brand has secured $7.5 million in VC and angel funding from sources including science accelerator IndieBio, SOSV and 2FutureHolding. The company’s board includes prominent investor Peter Diamandis.
The brand is launching with one moisturizer it calls a topical supplement, which is available online for $100 for a 50-milliliter bottle via a subscription or $120 with one-time purchase. Some of the promised results are typical of beauty products: firmness, smoothness, hydration and collagen production, based on the results of a clinical trial. Its main differentiation point, however, is that it can reduce the “biological age” of the skin through a patented peptide it created called OS-01. The brand states it does this by preventing the accumulation of senescent cells that cause aging. The brand ran a 3-month clinical trial ending in March 2020 that was found to improve aesthetic features such as elasticity and wrinkles. To address the biological age question, the next planned trial will run for between six months and a year, testing skin biopsied from behind study participants’ ears.
In a tweet promoting the brand, Diamandis called it a “longevity company,” referencing a popular biotech concept that is attracting massive startup investment from billionaires.
“We are seeing that the longevity space is growing; people will listen and learn more about what longevity is and expanding your health span and the importance of being healthier,” said OneSkin co-founder and chief scientific officer Alessandra Zonari. She referenced the popularity of David Sinclair, the longevity-focused biologist focused on the concept of “biological age.” Gwyneth Paltrow is also interested in the concept, having her “biological age” calculated on the Netflix show “Goop Lab.”
OneSkin, meanwhile, has its own biological age calculator for skin called the “MolClock” (meaning “molecular clock”), which it developed in 2016. The concept was developed after three of the brand’s four co-founders worked together in a Brazil-based lab on 3D skin-tissue models, meant to serve as an accurate alternative to animal testing. That eventually developed into the creation of their first skin-care product.
“We decided to focus on the anti-aging market that we saw was growing a lot, and it’s only going to grow. People are only getting older, but no one really knows which products work,” said co-founder and CEO Carolina Reis Oliveira. Oliveira holds a PhD in immunology and worked in Brazil with fellow co-founders Mariana Boroni and Juliana Carvalho, who also each have PhDs.
The three co-founders relocated to the Bay Area in 2016 to create their startup through IndieBio. Zonari, who holds a PhD in skin regeneration and tissue engineering, joined the company in 2017 as the fourth co-founder. In 2018, they began the process of screening over 1,000 peptides in search of anti-aging properties and discovered OS-01.
The brand is betting that this biotech concept will catch on in the age-obsessed beauty world. “We get overwhelmed about how many products that are out there, and you really don’t know because there are all the claims saying that they rejuvenate, or that you will look younger,” said Zonari.
The key for marketing to U.S. consumers is explaining the science in an accessible way. The brand will be focusing on content and education via social media promotions, especially through Instagram, as well as videos, webinars and Reddit groups dedicated to topics like longevity and age reversal. Reddit’s longevity group features an active and enthusiastic audience of over 64,000 members, who head to the message board to discuss topics related to biomedical rejuvenation, such as “stem cell therapies, anti-cancer viruses, gene therapy, senolytics and whatever is coming next,” according to the group’s description.
“We want to simplify this science in a way that people can connect with and can be easier to understand,” said Oliveira. “Basically, the way that we want to explain it is, ‘OK, this peptide, it’s able to act in the molecular level of your skin — in the deeper layers of your skin.’ How we differentiate is that most products only treat superficially.”
IndieBio, SOSV Ventures, and 2Future Holding were the brand’s first investors for its seed round, when it raised just over $2 million in 2017. The brand’s most recent funding round occurred in July 2020, with an angel investment of $1.5 million, following a $3.5 million post-seed round in July 2019 from several angel investors.


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Australians over the age of 50 have the highest levels of wealth and disposable income, outspend millennial’s in entertainment, auto, health, travel and almost every other category – but are largely ignored by brands, according to new research.
The WPP AUNZ report called Secrets & Lies – Ageless and Booming – also reveals that a whopping 94% of the over 50s dislike the way organisations and marketers communicate with them.
Rose Herceg, chief strategy officer and Futurist with WPP AUNZ said the new study shows Australians aged 50+ are clearly booming in number, and lifestyle, and embracing life with ambition, purpose, and money in their pockets.
But this ‘ageless’ outlook by the over 50s is poorly understood by marketers who often misfire with the demographic.
Herceg said: “More than a quarter of all Australians are over 50, they have 46 per cent of our disposable income, and 50 per cent of our private wealth and yet it’s almost impossible to find organisations and brands that understand this high value audience.
“This is all the more startling when you consider the unrivalled opportunity that lies in their enormous purchasing power.
“It appears that marketing has an ageing blind spot – and as a result, many may be missing out on a significant new target.”
She added: “As an industry, we need to deconstruct every outdated idea about people over 50.
“We need to realise that they’re connected, they’re calling their own shots and they don’t like being labelled.”
She concluded: “To ignore them is folly – and misrepresenting them with bland imagery or assuming they are winding their lives down risks rejection.
“That could be a very expensive communications mistake to make in what is a highly challenging, and ever-changing marketplace.”
Herceg said that contrary to popular belief, the over 50s are not slowing down, disconnecting or opting out. Instead the new Ageless & Booming report shows:
- The over 50s spend about $40 billion more than millennials and Generation X each year on consumer goods purchased online
- They spend an average of 27 hours online each week; two hours longer than Millennials and Generation X
- 77 per cent regularly research and buy products online
- They also purchase a huge 64 per cent of all cars, 55 per cent of all travel, 50 per cent of all alcohol and more than half of new clothing, household items and furnishings
Herceg said that despite this incredible purchasing power, as an industry, less than 5 per cent of the briefs received from marketers specifically target the over 50s.
Herceg continued: “It appears that most brands and marketers fail to understand that the over 50s audience is a new kind of mass consumer, just as interested in ‘new’ as everyone else.
“So instead of continuing to ignore them, we need to get smarter and start targeting them with the vibrant and optimistic messaging that reflects their outlook on life.
“We need to engage them with the rigour and vigour they deserve.”
The new research also shows that despite what many may assume, the over 50s are not blindly loyal, with 89 per cent of the over 50s open to trying new brands, while a further 79 per cent having moved on from brands that are no longer fulfilling or meaningful.
Herceg explained: “Change is in the generational DNA of the over 50s.
“We know they’ll happily move on from products or services that no longer meet their needs, and they are happy to forge new relationships with brands and people.”
To help brands forge these relationships and better connect with the over 50s, WPP AUNZ has identified a six-point action plan for marketers which includes the following recommendations for marketers:
- Get forensic and make sure you understand the data around this powerful demographic; their consumer behaviour, purchasing habits and intentions. There’s a significant new market to explore
- Invent new ways, new models, new products and new brand positions to connect with this audience
- Ensure you are reflecting the vibrancy and optimism of the over 50s; they’re gearing up, not down
- Recognise the change, and evaluate what role your brand or organisation can play for an audience that’s changing their lives
- Differentiate between 50 and 80. The over 50s are not a homogenous group. Investigate their various sub-segments and target them accordingly.
- Model diversity. Ensure your organisation values the skills, expertise and voices of the over 50s
As a result of the research and the recommended action plan, WPP AUNZ itself is currently evaluating how it can better market to the demographic, and is also investigating ways it can represent age diversity better within the organisation.
Herceg concluded: “Those of us in the marketing industry have so far failed to fully appreciate and embrace this audience.
“But there’s still plenty of time. We are urging a rethink across the industry.
“After all, those organisations and brands that accurately relate to, and connect with, this audience will win their attention and gain a bigger share of wallet in an otherwise shrinking Australian market.”
Ageless & Booming is the third and latest research report in a series called Secrets & Lies, which analyses the difference between what Australians say and what they think or do.
Freedom Foods and 72andSunny Sydney have launched the first advertising campaign for Australia’s Own range of plant-based beverages. The campaign introduces a new visual world and identity for the brand and captures the healthy, positive feeling you get when spending time in nature and when consuming Australia’s Own certified-organic, plant-based beverages. As well as featuring […]
Nine creatives from APAC are among the 94 finalists from 27 countries in The One Club for Creativity’s prestigious Young Guns 19 competition, celebrating international creative professionals age 30 or younger. The finalists from APAC are: Hiu Ching Kung, graphic designer, Hong Kong Lam Ieong Kun, graphic designer, illustrator, indego design, Macau Raxenne Maniquiz, graphic designer, illustrator, Santa Maria (Philippines) Kiyotaka […]
OOH transit company Adflow has announced the success of the first phase of its regional expansion program. Adflow’s regional footprint has increased by 60 per cent to now include 65 regional locations. With 9.1 million people living regionally in Australia (growth of 1.1 per cent experienced in the 19/20 Financial year) and most regional centres […]
Freshworks, a leading software company, has started trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, marking an important milestone for the company. The company priced its IPO at US$36 per share (AU$49.76), raising about US$1 billion (AU$1.4B), resulting in a total market capitalisation of AU$13.7 billion (US$10B). Freshworks, which was founded in India, has strong roots […]
Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is the biggest player in the holiday shopping game and Google’s most recent research suggests consumer interest for the peak sales season starts much earlier than retailers may realise. The pandemic has fundamentally changed buyer behaviour over peak sales season, with Google suggesting that global consumer interest in Black Friday […]


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The American fashion industry will take a serious hit if the U.S., Chinese trade war results in the implementation of tariffs on garments and accessories. On the heels of a July announcement from the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) that handbags have been added to the long list of potentially taxable imports from China, Donald Trump threatened a third round of tariffs on an additional $267 billion in goods last week, which, he says, could be “ready to go on short notice if I want.”
To date, the fashion industry has remained relatively unscathed by the growing trade war, but that may no longer be the case if the USTR implements the President’s proposed plan to tax essentially all Chinese-made imports. Given that about 40 percent of American textiles and apparel imports come from China, according to statistics from United States Fashion Industry Association (“USFIA”), a trade organization for American fashion brands, retailers, importers and wholesalers, the tariffs would impact the fashion industry in a significant way.
One of the key concerns for brands – and consumers – in connection with the proposed tariffs on Chinese-made imports, which have been characterized as “taxes on American consumers,” centers on the rise in prices that will almost certainly follow.
However, more than just standing to hurt consumers’ wallets, the tariffs are expected to result in “serious damage” to multinational firms that have boosted the value of their activities by relying on supply chains in East Asian. Many U.S.-based companies have opted to “focus on marketing, design, and innovation, while outsourcing stages of the physical production process,” according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics. As such, these companies – fashion ones, such as Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, Calvin Klein, Coach, and Rag & Bone, among others, included – depend on imports to stay globally competitive.
As the Peterson Institute for International Economics’ Theodore H. Moran and Lindsay Oldenski set out in a 2016 policy brief, “Domestic production would not be as strong as it is without access to global supply chains, which reduce costs, raise productivity, expand the global market share of U.S. firms, and allow the United States to focus on what it does best: innovating, researching, and designing the cutting edge goods and services of the future.”
With that in mind, if American businesses “lose access to foreign parts, they will lose market share to companies operating abroad that can access them and therefore sustain lower prices and higher quality,” according to the Council on Foreign Relations. This is especially true when compared to New York fashion brands’ intentional counterparts, namely those in London, Milan, and Paris, which will have access to cheaper materials and manufacturing, and therefore, can offer domestic and foreign customers better prices in comparison, thereby, giving rise to an immediate competitive disadvantage for American brands.
While the Trump-imposed tariffs have been primarily aimed at products that can be manufactured outside of China, “the ability of fashion brands and retailers to respond to the tariffs is complicated since apparel and textile supply chains are complex, involving inputs from multiple countries, according to industrial analysts,” says Julie Hughes, president of the USFIA.
“It takes at least two to five years to identify and approve a new vendor, because we are a long way from the days when apparel could be made any place where there are workers and a sewing machine.” Moreover, even if brands can find non-Chinese manufacturers, many brands are locked into manufacturing contracts with their existing Chinese contractors, making any potential moves expensive from a legal perspective.
Hughes, for one, says she hopes that for the sake of American brands and retailers “that these tariffs never go into effect,” but in the meantime, the USFIA believes “that the best action is to work with our trading partners, and the Chinese government to negotiate solutions,” which is exactly what it is doing.


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Automotive finance technology provider Solifi has joined the BlackBerry IVY Advisory Council and will integrate BlackBerry IVY with the company’s open finance platform to drive innovative, high-impact finance use cases for OEMs and automotive finance providers.
Solifi becomes the first automotive finance technology provider to join the BlackBerry IVY Advisory Council to accelerate their development community’s focus on creating high-impact technology use cases and solutions that leverage in-vehicle data.
BlackBerry IVY will complement Solifi’s open finance platform by providing a reliable and secure way to access a broad catalog of vehicle sensor data to enhance existing value-added services, optimize business operations, and power a new wave of innovative products and services. Access to rich, real-time data will accelerate the predicted once-in-a-generation shift to new financing models that are fundamentally changing the way consumers and businesses use and manage vehicle resources. This shift will drive increasing numbers to forego traditional ownership of vehicle assets in favor of pay-for-use or shared-ownership financing models.
As the newest member of the BlackBerry IVY Advisory Council, Solifi is uniquely positioned to promote and advocate for the global automotive finance industry, which includes OEMs, banks, and independent automotive financing firms.
With many parts of the broader automotive industry eager for granular real-time and near real-time data sets to determine residual value assessments, maintenance and repair costs, for example, integration with BlackBerry IVY will enable Solifi to provide its customers with better fleet management services and more intelligent cost-forecasting.
“We are thrilled and honoured to partner with BlackBerry and the broader IVY Advisory Council members,” says David Hamilton, CEO of Solifi.
“By 2030, forecasts indicate 95% of all new vehicles sold globally will be connected. Experts anticipate this exponential increase in connectivity and data availability will represent $250bn – $400bn of incremental revenue opportunity for the automotive industry.”
He adds that now is a timely opportunity to bring forward the voice of the automotive finance industry and help deliver solutions that provide real value to OEMs, lenders, fleet managers, and consumers.
“We look forward to collaborating with BlackBerry and introducing intelligent, data-driven solutions for the next generation of retail, fleet, and wholesale automotive financing.”
Solifi delivers a global portfolio of end-to-end, integrated solutions to the automotive finance market, which are used by many of the world’s leading OEMs and financial services firms.
Solifi’s open finance platform easily integrates with third-party partners, like BlackBerry and helps secured finance lenders automate their workflows, reduce risk, launch innovative product and service offerings, and make more informed decisions about their businesses.
“It’s a great pleasure to welcome Solifi as the newest member of the BlackBerry IVY Advisory Council, a select group of companies across the transportation and mobility industries who are quite literally driving and shaping the future of what it means to get from A to B,” said Peter Virk, Vice President of IVY Product and Ecosystem, BlackBerry.
“Solifi are trusted by leading players across both the automotive and financial services value chains, and with BlackBerry IVY, together, we have the potential to turbocharge innovation and unlock new streams of revenue in an industry on the cusp of profound transformation in terms of how vehicles are valued, paid for, managed, repaired and optimized.”
BlackBerry Ivy Council
Launched in June 2021, the previously invitation-only BlackBerry IVY Advisory Council, comprised of leading companies across the transportation and mobility industries, is now continuously expanding.
The BlackBerry IVY Advisory Council’s purpose is to accelerate the BlackBerry IVY development community by focusing on the creation of high-impact technology use cases and solutions that leverage in-vehicle data.
Council members help drive the BlackBerry IVY roadmap, focusing on co-value development with a view to addressing key pain points that OEMs are looking to solve for.
Announced in December 2020 as part of a multi-year, global agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS), BlackBerry IVY is a scalable, cloud-connected software platform that will allow automakers to provide a consistent and secure way to read vehicle sensor data, normalize it, and create actionable insights from that data both locally in the vehicle and in the cloud. Automakers can use this information to create responsive in-vehicle services that enhance driver and passenger experiences.
BlackBerry IVY addresses a critical data access, collection, and management problem in the automotive industry. Modern cars and trucks are built with thousands of parts from many different suppliers, with each vehicle model comprising a unique set of proprietary hardware and software components.
These components, which include an increasing variety of vehicle sensors, produce data in unique and specialized formats. The highly specific skills required to interact with this data, as well as the challenges of accessing it from within contained vehicle subsystems, limit developers’ abilities to innovate quickly and bring new solutions to market.
BlackBerry IVY will solve for these challenges by applying machine learning to that data to generate predictive insights and inferences, making it possible for automakers to offer in-vehicle experiences that are highly personalized and able to take action based on those insights.
BlackBerry IVY will support multiple vehicle operating systems and multi-cloud deployments in order to ensure compatibility across vehicle models and brands. It will build upon BlackBerry QNX’s capabilities for surfacing and normalizing data from automobiles and AWS’s broad portfolio of services, including capabilities for IoT and machine learning.
BlackBerry IVY will run inside a vehicle’s embedded systems, but will be managed and configured remotely from the cloud. As a result, automakers will gain greater visibility into vehicle data, control over who can access it, and edge computing capabilities to optimize how quickly and efficiently the data is processed.
With BlackBerry IVY’s integrated capabilities, automakers will be able to deliver new features, functionality, and performance to customers over the lifetime of their cloud-connected vehicles, as well as unlock new revenue streams and business models built on vehicle data.
For instance, BlackBerry IVY could leverage vehicle data to recognize driver behavior and hazardous conditions such as icy roads or heavy traffic and then recommend that a driver enable relevant vehicle safety features such as traction control, lane-keeping assist, or adaptive cruise control.
IVY could then provide automakers with feedback on how and when those safety features are used, allowing them to make targeted investments to improve vehicle performance.
Additionally, drivers of electric vehicles could choose to share their car’s battery information with third-party charging networks to proactively reserve a charging connector and tailor charging time according to the driver’s current location and travel plans.
BlackBerry IVY could also provide insights to parents of teenage drivers who may choose to receive customized notifications based on insights from vehicle sensors when the number of passengers in the vehicle changes, when the driver appears to be texting, distracted, or not observing speed limits, or when the vehicle occupancy level rises above the parents’ desired safety threshold.
Similarly, parents of infants could receive a reminder to engage the child safety lock when the vehicle detects a child in the rear seat.
BlackBerry IVY will enable automakers to compress the timeline to build, deploy, and monetize new in-vehicle applications and connected services across multiple vehicle brands and models.
Instead of investing in one-off solutions that conform to the unique engineering of different vehicle models (as they do today), automakers using BlackBerry IVY will be able to leverage different types of data as common building blocks for new services that could work across a range of models.
Automakers will be able to use the platform’s application programming interfaces (APIs) to share data and outputs with their software development teams, giving them the ability to innovate, while also protecting customer privacy and security by controlling whom can access vehicle and app data and at what level of detail.
In addition, BlackBerry IVY will make it easier for automakers to collaborate with a wider pool of developers to accelerate creation of new offerings that deliver improved vehicle performance, reduced costs for maintenance and repairs, and added convenience.
For instance, by analyzing real-time performance data, automakers could recognize the first signs of potentially faulty parts, deploy code to identify affected vehicles, notify impacted drivers, and perform targeted recalls.
Automakers will be able to remotely deploy and update the software from the platform’s Cloud Console (a web interface for managing BlackBerry IVY) to continuously improve the functionality of the system.


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Display Ads in Facebook Messenger Rolled Out Globally
Facebook recently announced that they’re expanding their beta of Messenger display ads on a global scale following successful tests in Australia and Thailand. According to Facebook, 1.2 billion people use their Messenger app each month, which means this new update gives brands an additional opportunity to utilize Facebook’s vast audience size and targeting capabilities.
The new ads in Messenger won’t appear in actual conversations users have with friends; instead they’ll appear in the main inbox tab. According to Facebook, where ads appear in the inbox depends on how many “threads a user has, the size of their phone’s physical screen and the pixel density of the display.” The original test for Messenger ads began this past January and featured carousel ads, which have since been updated to the single-image horizontal display ad.
As advertising on Facebook is becoming more and more popular, available inventory on the News Feed is starting to run out. The expansion to Messenger is an attempt to offer more space for advertisements and to avoid a possible slowdown in advertising revenue. The new placement will be a part of the automatic Facebook placements, in addition to the current placements in the News Feed, Instagram, and the Audience Network. Users are not able to turn off Messenger ads, but users can hide or report ads, just like they would in the News Feed.
When users click on an ad in their Messenger app, they will be taken to a webpage that’s rendered in Messenger’s internal browser, meaning users do not leave the app. The Messenger ads can also be bought in a Click To Message format, which lets users easily start conversations with brands. This gives brands a great advantage for reaching those fans in the future with Sponsored Messages because a chat has already been initiated.
What Facebook Messenger Ads Means for Marketers
This placement is excellent for brands promoting ads with the CTA of “message us now.” Because users will already be in their Messenger app when they see the ads, they may be more inclined to click and start a conversation with a brand about a product or service.
A potential downside of this update is that even though placing ads in the messenger app sounds like the perfect way to leverage Facebook’s audience size and sophisticated targeting, the placements may cause unwanted disruptions. The Messenger app is more personal than the parent Facebook app. People use Messenger deliberately for personal conversations, not to just peruse their feed. Some might find the ads even more intrusive into their personal lives, or they might not appreciate some of the content they see. Marketers need to take this into consideration when determining which type of ads they are placing in users Messenger inbox.
It’s important to remember that Messenger inbox will be one of the automatic placements, along with the News Feed, Audience Network, and Instagram, so if you do not want ads to appear in Messenger, it must be deselected from placement options.
Keep in mind this placement isn’t necessarily going to reach everyone on Facebook as not all users have downloaded the separate Messenger app. It will, however, serve as an alternative touchpoint for the audience identified in ad sets. As always, testing is important to see if Messenger ads are resonating with fans and worth the dollars being spent.
The new placement is slowly rolling out to users over the next month. Keep an eye on placement options when purchasing ads as it will be available to users soon, if not already. Although ads are only appearing in the Facebook Messenger inbox, this could be an indicator that Messenger ads could roll out to Instagram in the future.
IMAGE SOURCE: Facebook


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I recently sat down with Steve Weisz, the CEO of InTicketing, for a Bohemian article on the laudable measures the Bay Area ticket company has taken towards environmental responsibility and low service charges. Both of us are huge fans of music, so we rambled amiably about the industry for almost an hour together.
This quote stands out. After a question about anti-scalping safeguards, Weisz said:
“We’ve incorporated some new practices for that. We haven’t really had the demand as much in the U.S., kind of because a lot of times the promoters, they know the secondary ticket market is going on. Sometimes they’re secretly involved in it as well. So there’s not as much pressure to do that. It mostly comes from an artist, like Tom Waits. I applaud him for going to those lengths. We certainly have a whole host of measures to prevent scalping.”
You read that right: the CEO of one of the Bay Area’s biggest ticket companies confirms that promoters scalp their own tickets. And that promoters aren’t interested in the anti-scalping measures that InTicketing offers because they scalp their own tickets. And that promoters won’t do anything about scalping unless an artist demands it because they scalp their own tickets.


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July 8, 2014 - Industry News
Lawyers for trucking companies have filed lawsuits in three states against the parent company of International Trucks, claiming Navistar failed to disclose known defects and problems with its EPA 2010 MaxxForce engines.
Tags: Navistar, SCR, EGR, International Trucks, Engines, Litigation, EPA 2010
November 11, 2013 - Industry News
On Friday, Nov. 8, 2013, Judge Sam Glasscock III, vice chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, ruled that Apollo was not in breach of its merger agreement with Cooper, which had filed a complaint to the contrary.
Tags: Tires, Litigation, Apollo Tyre, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
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Spare Yourself the Guilt Trip This Earth Day—It’s Companies That Need to Clean Up Their Acts
More and more states are looking to pass a new kind of recycling law that asks manufacturers to foot the bill for the waste created by their products.
Coined in the 1970s, the classic Earth Day mantra “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” has encouraged consumers to take stock of the materials they buy, use, and often quickly pitch—all in the name of curbing pollution and saving the earth’s resources. Most of us listened, or lord knows we tried. We’ve carried totes and refused straws and dutifully rinsed yogurt cartons before placing them in the appropriately marked bins. And yet, nearly half a century later, the United States still produces more than 35 million tons of plastic annually, and sends more and more of it into our oceans, lakes, soils, and bodies.
Clearly, something isn’t working, but as a consumer, I’m sick of the weight of those millions of tons of trash falling squarely on consumers’ shoulders. While I’ll continue to do my part, it’s high time that the companies profiting from all this waste also step up and help us deal with their ever-growing footprint on our planet.
An investigation last year by NPR and PBS confirmed that polluting industries have long relied on recycling as a greenwashing scapegoat. If the public came to view recycling as a panacea for sky-high plastic consumption, manufacturers—as well as the oil and gas companies that sell the raw materials that make up plastics—bet they could continue deluging the market with their products.
There are currently no laws that require manufacturers to help pay for expensive recycling programs or make the process easier, but a promising trend is emerging. Earlier this year, New York legislators Todd Kaminsky and Steven Englebright proposed a bill—the “Extended Producer Responsibility Act”—that would make manufacturers in the state responsible for the disposal of their products.
Other laws exist in some states for hazardous wastes, such as electronics, car batteries, paint, and pesticide containers. Paint manufacturers in nearly a dozen states, for example, must manage easy-access recycling drop-off sites for leftover paint. Those laws have so far kept more than 16 million gallons of paint from contaminating the environment. But for the first time, manufacturers could soon be on the hook for much broader categories of trash—including everyday paper, metal, glass, and plastic packaging—by paying fees to the municipalities that run waste management systems. In addition to New York, the states of California, Washington, and Colorado also currently have such bills in the works.
“The New York bill would be a foundation on which a modern, more sustainable waste management system could be built,” says NRDC waste expert Eric Goldstein.
In New York City alone, the proposed legislation would cover an estimated 50 percent of the municipal waste stream. Importantly, it would funnel millions of dollars into the state’s beleaguered recycling programs. This would free up funds to hire more workers and modernize sorting equipment while also allowing cities to re-allocate their previous recycling budgets toward other important services, such as education, public parks, and mass transit.
The bills aren’t about playing the blame game—they are necessary. Unsurprisingly, Americans still produce far more trash than anyone else in the world, clocking in at an average of nearly 5 pounds per person, every day—clogging landfills and waterways, harming wildlife, contributing to the climate crisis, and blighting communities. As of now, a mere 8 percent of the plastic we buy gets recycled, and at least six times more of our plastic waste ends up in an incinerator than gets reused.
It’s easy to see why. Current recycling rules vary widely depending on where you live—and they’re notoriously confusing. Contrary to what many of us have been told, proper recycling requires more than simply looking for that green-arrowed triangle, a label that may tell you what a product is made out of and that it is recyclable in theory, but not whether that material can be recycled in your town—or anywhere at all. About 90 percent of all plastic can’t be recycled, often because it’s either logistically difficult to sort or there’s no market for it to be sold.
That recycling marketplace is also ever changing. When China, which was importing about a third of our country’s recyclable plastic, started refusing our (usually contaminated) waste streams in 2018, demand for recyclables tanked. This led to cities as big as Philadelphia and towns as small as Hancock, Maine, to send even their well-sorted recyclables to landfills. Municipalities now had to either foot big bills to pick up recyclables they once sold for a profit or shutter recycling services altogether.
According to Goldstein, New York’s bill has a good shot of passing this spring—and it already has the support of some companies that see the writing on the wall, or as the New York Times puts it, “the glimmer of a cultural reset, a shift in how Americans view corporate and individual responsibility.” If the bill does go through, New Yorkers could start to see changes to both local recycling programs and product packaging within a few years.
What makes these bills so groundbreaking isn’t that they force manufacturers to pay for the messes they make, but that they could incentivize companies to make smarter, less wasteful choices in the first place.
New York’s bill, for instance, could help reward more sustainable product design. A company might pay less of a fee if it reduces the total amount of waste of a product, sources a higher percentage of recycled material, or makes the end product more easily recyclable by, say, using only one type of plastic instead of three.
“Producers are in the best position to be responsible because they control the types and amounts of packaging, plastics, and paper products that are put into the marketplace,” Goldstein says.
Bills like these embody the principles of a circular economy—that elusive North Star toward which all waste management policies should point. By encouraging companies to use more recycled materials, demand for recyclables goes up and the recycling industry itself is revitalized. What gets produced gets put back into the stream for reuse.
If widely adopted, we could significantly reduce our overall consumption and burden on the planet. With less paper used, more forests would stay intact—to continue to store carbon, filter air and water, and provide habitat for wildlife and sustenance for communities. With less plastic produced, less trash would clog oceans and contaminate ecosystems and food supplies. In turn, we’d give fossil fuels even more reasons to stay in the ground, where they belong.
That would be my Earth Day dream come true—with little hand-wringing of fellow guilt-stricken individuals required.
This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.


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Heading to Munich for Oktoberfest? Don’t Forget Your Wallet! by Donna John
Beginning in September, Oktoberfest will see around seven million visitors from far and wide flocking to die Wiesn in Munich. Known for its fun and frivolity, those who visit may also find some high associated costs. With a beer costing around $11.70 and increased accommodation and flight prices, ABCD Agency and Kiwi.com decided to produce an infographic showing just how much travel and tourism income the city of Munich looks to make during this period. Check it out here!
Here are some highlights of their findings:
- hotel prices increased by 85 percent
- flights increased by 220 percent
- calculations showed a city income of over $1.5 billion
Higher costs, however, will not deter the four million Oktoberfest lovers who fly in annually to celebrate with three million locals, often for days at a time.


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Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health, a major Midwest health system with significant operations in western Minnesota, on Tuesday announced that it is “parting ways” with longtime president and CEO Kelby
A week after rolling out another round of Covid-19 restrictions, Gov. Tim Walz made the case for a state-level economic relief package for hospitality businesses. Wearing a Goldy Gopher cap
Richfield-based electronics retailer Best Buy Co. Inc. has announced plans to exit its operations in Mexico and close 41 stores there. The news, which had not previously been disclosed by
Quantitative research has always been a fascination of mine, but also a point of disgust. The idea that we can use personal opinion research to predict human behavior is a
Ahead of the holiday season, Minnesota’s major hospital systems and health insurers on Monday unveiled a new ad campaign urgently asking residents to remain vigilant in the fight against Covid-19.
In the wake of the pandemic’s effects on air travel, Maplewood-based 3M Co. has teamed up with California-based Safran Cabin to design and create safer and cleaner aircraft interiors. Safran
Target Corp.-owned Shipt Inc. announced Monday that it’s adding 50,000 more shoppers to its national same-day delivery network. That’s in addition to the 100,000 additional shoppers that Shipt announced plans
As Minnesota’s unemployment rate continues to drop, so does the number of people dropping out of the workforce. In October, the state’s unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent, down from


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Classic Car Buffs Taken for a Ride by International Con Artists
(Bloomberg) -- Automotive buffs looking to buy classic cars online were sideswiped by a group of international con artists who posed as dealers and collectors to scam them, U.S. federal prosecutors said.
Ten people were arrested in the U.S., Finland, Latvia and Lithuania, prosecutors said in announcing the charges Wednesday. The group allegedly created fake personas on well-known online auction and trading sites and claimed to be selling classic vehicles, as well as boats and machinery.
“The defendants’ once-lucrative joyride is over,” U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, Geoffrey Berman, said in a statement.
The conspirators pretended to negotiate sales, coming to agreements with buyers on prices, down payments and shipping costs, and then directed the victims to send money to supposed transportation companies that would accept payment and ship the cars, prosecutors said. The collectors thought they were agreeing to buy cars such as Mercedes-Benzes, Porsches, Teslas and 1960s Dodges and Chevrolets.
The companies were allegedly shell corporations set up to receive the payments and the money was immediately withdrawn and sent to countries in Eastern Europe. The victims never received cars and many were unable to recover their money or had to repay loans they took out to buy the vehicles, prosecutors said.
Four of the defendants were arrested in the New York borough of Queens in December, while another two were taken into custody in Kuldiga, Latvia, the same month and extradited to the U.S. Two others were arrested in Riga, Latvia, and Vilnius, Lithuania, and extradited to the U.S. Two others apprehended in Helsinki and Vilnius are awaiting extradition.
The defendants face as long as 30 years in prison if convicted.
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.


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How the supply chain is making it hard to find some of your regular products.
Jo Wood lives in an “off-grid house” where she generates her own electricity, and she has encouraged others to live more sustainably by buying organic produce.
When thrift shopping it's easy to think everything looks a bit like someone else’s junk, but there are some pretty good gems one can find if y…
The bill says local governments may not adopt or enforce any ordinances or resolution that prohibit the sale of vaping products.
Jameela Jamil has defended Demi Lovato after she slammed a frozen yoghurt chain for seemingly promoting diet foods.
The Senate voted 28-22 Wednesday to reconsider its actions in killing the Senate Bill 398 the day prior.
The 2019 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that 58.3% of students had vaped, and nearly 19% had vaped on school property, in the 30 days prior to the survey.
TikTok channel @toponlinefinds curates the best lifestyle and décor products you can buy online. Her video on kitchen gadgets is full of time saving tools including a corn stripper, vegetable chopper, easy ice cube tray, and sandwich cutter and sealer.
An increase in U.S. housing starts, combined with a surge in home remodel projects during the pandemic, has boosted lumber prices and helped western Montana lumber mills.
Four leading baby food manufacturers sold baby food that contained high levels of toxic heavy metals, a congressional investigation found.
Winner: Van’s Thriftway
Winner: Helena Farmer’s Market
Research illustrates that negative side effects are a common outcome of eating poorly and skipping meals. A study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that over the course of a 13-day monitoring period, food choices of study participants dramatically influenced their daily experiences. The more fruits and vegetables participants consumed during the day, the happier, more engaged and more creative they were while working.
A host of products on the market claim to protect you from germs — “self-cleaning” surfaces, ultraviolet (UV) lights, and even substances you’re supposed to ingest, says Starnbach. Many of these items have some scientific basis, but it’s often a big leap from that basic science to the final product, he says. For example, one type of “self-cleaning” surface claims to use crystals to kill germs. While those crystals might indeed kill germs in a laboratory, it’s not at all clear that they work the same way to kill germs in a real-life setting, says Starnbach. So, there is much room for skepticism.


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Covid-19 is rewriting the rules of Christmas shopping. With each passing day the usual reminder of “only X shopping days until Christmas” is more relevant than ever. Let’s face it: there are some new realities of Christmas shopping we need to deal with.
Nothing with COVID-19 has been predictable. In early June the common thinking was that most areas of the country were emerging from their quarantine. Restaurants and stores were starting to open with limited capacities only to have to close again when the virus surged. What would happen to Christmas shopping if another surge happens on, say, December 1st?
So rule #1 of Christmas shopping is this: don’t try to predict what is going on.
Do this instead: Have a plan and get busy with it right now (July). Here is what you need to know:
Shop and Buy Now
Retailers of all types are just as confused and anxious about the Christmas shopping season as anyone else – maybe more so. We have already seen massive closures and bankruptcies due to COVID-19. This fact alone alters the shopping landscape tremendously.
The simple fact is that there will be fewer places to shop from offering less selection this year.
Why? There are several factors. First, it’s been a terrible year already. Money has not been coming in and neither have goods. Think about it. China was effectively shut down for the first four months of the year. How much Christmas merchandise just sat on their docks and could not move in early 2020?
Second, more than 30 million Americans are out of work. They will not recover financially before Christmas to spend at previous levels – even if they do find jobs between now and Christmas.
Conditions are ripe for a retail meltdown at every level. The longer you delay your own shopping and buying the fewer your choices will be. If you have the means, buy now.
Sales will be entirely different
Because of the above mentioned challenges retailers are scrambling now to adjust their holiday selling plans.
What will happen?
Look at your grocery stores right now and how different they are from a year ago. From a distance, it still looks like a grocery store. But once inside you notice not just the physical changes – plexiglas barriers, arrows on the floors, etc. – but you cannot help but see altered selections, fewer choices in some categories, higher prices on some items and other items that just never go on sale.
Smaller retailers are especially challenged. In a smaller square foot environment, such as a mall store, managers have to set up lines outside the store to keep a limited number of people inside the shop at one time.
Internally retailers of all types have had to change the way they do everything. Managing their employees has meant making masks mandatory. Processing an incoming shipment has changed. How and when and where they merchandize it has changed.
Depending on the store there are things you cannot do anymore. You cannot, in most cases, return product. You cannot try on clothes. You cannot sample foods or things like lotions. Retailers, and restaurants, have cut back on offering certain services and products – all because of COVID-19.
All of this, and more, is going to limit retailers in their abilities to offer deals. They have to have crowd control; they have to think of their employees, they have to conform to local conditions. The last thing on their mind will be “deals” (and in many cases it sales could be beyond their abilities).
Online Retailers Have Many of the Same Issues
The natural assumption many are making is that buying online is the way to remedy what is listed above. And that is true.
Most retailers have shifted to an online only-strategy, using even regular store staff to support ecommerce sales. That is smart.
But all the physical obstacles of a regular store are now there for ecommerce sellers. They too have new rules when dealing with employees, products and customers.
But where it is different for them comes from the fact they are shouldering most of the sales volume. It has been a sudden shift too. They are still trying to figure out how to deal with it all. And they have not face the crush of peak selling season yet.
This is why you haven’t seen Prime Day come from Amazon this year. It’s not that they don’t have the product or can’t use the revenue. It is that they cannot yet handle it. They, and others, are scrambling like mad.
For shippers such as FedEx, UPS and the postal service the last four months have been non-stop Christmas. They too are wondering how they are going to handle the increased volume of the “busy season”.
And don’t forget – they have had to adjust all their methods due to COVID-19 as well. In many cases, such as shipping of frozen products, costs have nearly doubled over last year’s rates. Delivery times have taken a hit too. In short, everything regarding shipping is more difficult to do, costs more and takes longer.
Expect Little from Black Friday
Walmart just announced they are closing all stores nationwide on Thanksgiving Day, reversing a 10-year trend. Expect other retailers to rapidly follow suit.
Do not think for one minute this is about their employees. That is how they will spin it. But this is more about cost saving and readjusting operational strategies.
Consider what you see in most big box retailers already. They went “back to the future” when COVID-19 hit. Stocking stores overnight? Gone. Giving out rainchecks? No more. Staying open 24 hours? Over.
They have had to change everything. Black Friday has long been ripe for a change.
Does that mean no more late night or early morning sales? No more fights? No more deals?
We will not make that prediction. It is hard to say what they will do – or what they can do?
Imagine it: if there is a COVID-19 surge that requires mandatory masks and heavy crowd control tactics do you think any retailer will want to do that at 4 am?
Christmas is on a Friday. That’s a problem.
Christmas lands on a Friday this year. In a normal year that is a huge blessing to both shoppers and sellers.
But not this year.
It means your effective date for Christmas delivery for anything bought online will be Thursday, December 17th.
Well, there’s the usual stuff: weather, holiday volume, etc.
But really the 25th falling on a Friday means that Monday December 20th is going to be the day that most will try to rush out their shipments. The shippers normally would guarantee 1 or 2 day shipments.
But not this year.
This reason alone is justification for buying now and taking advantage of whatever free shipping options that you can. The shippers are not going to cover, let alone offer, fast shipping options the week of December 20th.
They cannot and they have no good reason to even try. They are overwhelmed already.
For some, all of this paints a gloomy picture of what we have known Christmas shopping to be.
But it does not need to be gloomy. If you start now, plan well, and execute your Christmas shopping and gifting can live up to any of the same expectations of the past.
It like everything else with COVID-19: you just have to adjust.


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Australian women are banding together to launch a class action against International pharmaceutical giant Bayer over the Essure contraceptive device.
The case will be brought by Slater and Gordon and will mirror similar class actions brought in other countries, including the United States, Canada and Scotland.
It is believed between 3000 and 5000 women across the country have had the contraceptive device inserted. However, Bayer recalled the product from the Australian market last year after the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) issued a hazard alert of the potential risks, which included bleeding, unintended pregnancy, chronic pain and "perforation and migration" of the device.
Slater and Gordon investigating solicitor Ebony Birchall told the ABCdozens of women had come forward with their experiences, the most common being problems caused by the device corroding, causing things like abdominal pain, stabbing pain and irregular bleeding.
Some women also cited issues like autoimmune diseases and chronic fatigue, she added.
Many of these women claim they were assured the device was safe and effective and were not warned about the risks of the "foreseeable" corrosion of the metal coils, which are inserted into a woman's fallopian tubes.
As a result, some women had gone on to have hysterectomy to try and overcome these symptoms, Ms Birchall said.
She said medical experts indicated the risk of eventual corrosion of the device "should have been foreseeable" and she hoped the case would force Bayer to front up to questions about the device, particularly why women weren't informed of these risks.
A Bayer spokeswoman told the broadcaster Essure was placed on the market following TGA approval processes and that the label at all times reflected up-to-date safety information, but the device was discontinued last year "due to a low and declining trend in patient preference".
She said that women currently using Essure could continue to use it, and encouraged those with questions to contact their heathcare provider.


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Novartis has posted its second quarter (Q2) result. The group’s net sales reached $14.3 billion in Q2, with growth from recently launched products more than offsetting the loss associated with the Diovan patent expiration. Currency had a negative impact of five percentage points as a result of the strengthening of the dollar against most major currencies.
Products launched since 2007, which include Lucentis, Gilenya, Afinitor, Tasigna and Galvus, continued to perform strongly. These recently launched products grew eight per cent to $4.1 billion and now comprise 29 per cent of Group net sales, up from 25 per cent a year ago.
Pharmaceuticals had another quarter of good underlying growth despite the Diovan patent expiration in Europe, with net sales of $8.3 billion. Excluding Diovan, net sales grew eight per cent, demonstrating the strong underlying performance of the division. Recently launched products, the key growth driver for pharmaceuticals, generated $2.8 billion of net sales, growing 28 per cent over the same period last year. These products now represent 34 per cent of division sales, compared to 28 per cent in the year-ago period.
Alcon’s net sales grew one per cent to $2.6 billion in the quarter. This robust performance was led by strong surgical sales growth of three per cent, benefitting from strong cataract product sales in the US and emerging growth markets, as well as contact lens sales growth of two per cent, underpinned by the solid uptake of new products such as the LenSx femtosecond refractive cataract laser and silicone hydrogel lens Dailies Total.
Sandoz net sales declined 13 per cent to $2.1 billion driven by seven percentage points of price erosion. Vaccines and diagnostics net sales were up 17 per cent to $349 million. Sales growth was driven by Menveo, which continued to see double-digit growth in the US, as well as the timing of bulk pediatric shipments in 2011, which produced a weak comparative quarter. Consumer Health, which includes OTC and animal health, declined 24 per cent to $904 million in the quarter, impacted by the suspension of production at the Lincoln, Nebraska manufacturing site.
EP News Bureau


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Australasian agricultural company Nufarm has recorded a 28% drop in sales, but is forecasting a $100 million profit for the full year due to a literally sunny outlook.
It made a net loss of $40 million for the six months ending January, with $35.8 million of it attributable to one-off losses, mainly associated with its glyphosate business.
Ebit was down 85% to $19.1 million, while group sales fell from $1.24 million in the same period last year to $890 million.
The company – which was based in New Zealand until 2000 – blamed the revenue drop on the price reduction in glyphosate globally, and adverse climatic conditions in the Northern Hemisphere, but said it had maintained its market share.
The company’s gearing has fallen from 106% at the end of January last year to 69% this year and a previously announced capital raising - which will see Sumitomo Chemical Company become a new cornerstone shareholder - should see it reduced to between 20% and 25% at the end of July.
It will not pay an interim dividend, but was confident that the full year will show a strong recovery in profitability in the second six months.
Nufarm said that after a long, cold winter, temperatures were increasing in the USA and Europe, with the arrival of spring conditions seeing grower purchasing activity increase.
Meanwhile, Australia has experienced “excellent” rainfalls in many important cropping regions, and the outlook for crop plantings in Australia was “extremely positive”.
Because of this, the company has forecast a full year profit – including the impact of material items – of between $80 million and $100 million and an operating result of between $110 million and $130 million.
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The Michigan-based company, which last year secured an $84-million funding round, is showing off the production version of its electric-drive propulsion system this week at the 2013 Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit. The motor's most-recent iteration boosts torque from earlier iterations by 25 percent, up to a whopping 735 pound-feet of torque, not to mention delivering 100 horsepower. Each motor weighs just 68 pounds and, paired with a gas engine, can boost fuel economy by as much as 30 percent.
Protean Electric said last July that it would use its newfound funding to open a factory in Liyang, China. And last December, Car and Driver named the Protean Electric system one of the 10 Most Promising Technologies for 2013. Check out Protean Electric's press release below.
DETROIT -- Protean Electric, the global leader of advanced in-wheel electric drive, today announces the debut of its production in-wheel motor at the 2013 Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress.
Protean Electric Chairman and CEO Bob Purcell will unveil the production Protean motor and discuss the significant role in-wheel electric drive will play in the global automotive industry over the next several years during a press conference at 11:30 a.m. today in booth 1001.
Protean's in-wheel electric drive system is an award-winning technology that is an integral part of a hybrid powertrain system when paired with a traditional internal combustion engine. It is also powerful enough to be the only source of traction drive in electric vehicles.
The motors reside in the space behind the wheel, producing torque and power exactly where and when drivers need it. Protean's new production motor provides a 25 percent increase in peak torque compared with the previous generation's design and can deliver 1,000 Nm (735 lb.-ft.) and 75 kW (100 hp).
"Protean Electric is ready to enable the global automobile industry as it moves to high volume, low cost hybrid and electric drive powertrains," said Bob Purcell, chairman and CEO of Protean Electric. "Our system can be applied to current vehicle platforms, retrofit existing vehicles or create all new architectures for the future."
Features of Protean's in-wheel motors include:
- Highest torque density of any of today's leading electric drive systems
- 75 kW (100 hp) peak power and 1,000 Nm (735 lb.-ft.) peak torque in each motor
- Mass of only 31 kg (68 lbs.) per motor
- Fuel economy improvements up to 30 percent in hybrid configurations, as compared to the existing vehicle, depending on battery size
- Superior regenerative braking capabilities, which allow up to 85 percent of the available kinetic energy to be recovered during braking
In addition, Protean has developed multiple demonstration vehicles, including a Vauxhall Vivaro cargo van, Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group (GAC) Trumpchi sedan, a Ford F150 pick-up truck, and BRABUS full electric and hybrid vehicles, based on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Protean Electric will present "Using Vehicle Simulation to Investigate Controllability" at 9:20 a.m. on Apr. 17, in room D0-07A.
For more information on Protean Electric, visit www.proteanelectric.com. For further details on SAE, visit www.sae.org.
Protean Electric is a leading clean technology company that designs, develops and manufactures the Protean Drive™, a fully integrated, in-wheel motor, direct-drive solution. Protean Electric is strategically positioned to play a major role in the hybrid and electric vehicle market by offering a combination of packaging advantages, new vehicle design opportunities, performance benefits and cost savings. Protean is funded by Oak Investment Partners, GSR Ventures and Jiangsu New Times Holding Group Co., Ltd. Protean Electric has operations in the United States, United Kingdom, China and Hong Kong. For more information, visit www.proteanelectric.com.


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Just when you thought you've had enough of Pixel 3 XL and Pixel 3 leaks that don't reveal anything new, here's a fresh set.
The new OnePlus 6T may be presented soon, and according to a leaked invitation we could also have a confirmation for the date of the event
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro shows its face, and backplate, in a freshly leaked set of renders that leave nothing to the imagination.
We're all expecting the Galaxy S10 to be the first Galaxy featuring an in-display fingerprint scanner. The Galaxy P30 might be the one though.
One source claims that the updated smartphones will get Qualcomm's latest top of the mid-range chipset. Others bring more into the picture.
The way that Google informs its app users on the latest news and personal information will be the way that it will inform all of its mobile web users.
A phone with two displays has been tried before, but it hasn't been a big seller. Perhaps this Chinese manufacturer will blow the concept up?
As it announced the closing of the acquisition, Apple also told users it would no longer run ads in the music-identifying app.
New unlimited data plans also come with Google's cloud storage and, if you really want to stretch your dollar, an Amazon Prime subscription.
We may see new Bluetooth earphones with Bixby digital assistant in the new Samsung Buds that could also be a new name for a known Samsung product
Certain images have appeared on Weibo that could be featuring the new OnePlus 6T ahead of its launch next month, but is it the 6T?
This is a great chance to get your new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 with 128GB of storage in an unlocked version from a trusted seller on eBay
Huawei said that in the Kirin 980 vs A12 Bionic battle, it is confident its own Kirin chip will end up on top. Should we believe it?
OnePlus got itself a lawsuit both in the United States and the European Union over Dash Charge, specifically the name of the feature.
A lot of people are already doing it, but it's kind of difficult to do it right now. What if it were just easier? Instagram fears the worst.
We also learn that Sprint and T-Mobile are not willing to reliquinsh any of their spectrum or their prepaid carriers to move forward with the merger.
Also on our show, OnePlus pushes Android Pie to its newest phone, LG plans a great camera for the V40 and Nokia crams another flagship into the schedule.
With October 16 approaching fast, complementing the previous leaks we've seen are today's Mate 20 Pro renders than confirm everything.
The Pixel 3 XL leaks we're being treated with today confirm everything we've seen so far, and debunk previous conspiracy theories.
After years of vocal complaints from what Twitter may consider a minority, it seems that it has relented in giving users control of their timeline.
We unbox our iPhone XS devices on the air and also tackle news on the Galaxy Note 9, OnePlus, 5G, Withings, Xiaomi and Amazon.
During the company's monthly Reddit AMA sesh, Essential also confirmed Android Q would be coming and that scrolling can be fixed-ish.
Improvements have been made to the user interface, the navigation, Do Not Disturb mode and the Gaming mode. It will spread via OTA from today.


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Ralph & Russo will the first British brand in more than a century to exhibit on schedule at Paris Haute Couture week next season.
The show, which is scheduled to take place on January 23 at an undisclosed location, will see the brand showing its haute couture collection alongside labels including Chanel, Dior and Valentino.
Speaking about the show’s strict guidelines and criteria, Didier Grumbach, president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, said: “We expect savoir faire, which is being lost, and they [Ralph & Russo] have it”.
Tamara Ralph, creative director at Ralph & Russo, said she was “humbled” by the acceptance, calling it the “ultimate distinction” in fashion.
Michael Russo, chief executive of Sloane Street-based Ralph & Russo, added: “The stage is set, the collection designed and the atelier is buzzing. The show we have planned promises to be nothing short of spectacular whilst still remaining true to our values of exclusivity.”


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James Avery announces two new Texas store openings
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Jewelry retailer James Avery is planning to open two new Texas stores early next year.
The company is planning to open a store in Burleson, a suburb south of Fort Worth, along I-35 West in early March. Another store will be opening in Laredo by mid-April.
Howell Ridout, VP of Branding and Development, comments on the new store openings, “While searching for our next store locations in Texas, we made it a priority to focus on strong and growing areas of the state,” says Howell Ridout, vice president of branding and development for James Avery. “The Burleson and Laredo communities caught our eye as we found both are their own strong, vibrant markets.”
The new stores will be the company’s 54th and 55th in the Lone Star State. Nationwide, James Avery currently operates a total of 67 stores across 10 states. James Avery is based in Kerrville, Texas, which is northwest of San Antonio.
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This spring, Saben top up our dopamine with punchy, primary hues for spring.
The new collections at SLOW focus on coveted quality and conscious design
Città Designs‘ latest tableware collection is inspired by the natural world, with a palette that draws on earthy tones and organic textures.
With a focus on wanting more time to deliver lasting products to ensure they will be cherished for life, Città is taking a step back from the traditional seasonal approach.
Cult design store SLOW has launched a sparkly new showroom at 10 Ponsonby Road, Auckland.


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TAI Hosting Conference On Sustainability & Circularity
The Textile Association (India), Mumbai Unit is organising an international conference titled ‘Sustainability and Circularity – The New Challenges for The Textile Value Chain’ on January 31, 2024, at The Lalit hotel, Mumbai.
TAI (Mumbai) has planned this international conference in order to appraise the Indian textile fraternity including designers and fashion schools about new circular sustainable models.
The association has put efforts to cover most of the topics and a galaxy of speakers who would make the topic very simple and illustrative on a very challenging subject.
“We are sure that the participating delegates will benefit immensely from this conference and help them in conveying that sustainability and circularity is not a choice but a necessity,” TAI said in a press release.
Topics to be covered include Circularity Challenges & Solutions; UN Sustainable Development Goals; Recycle Materials; Fibres and Processing; Biobased Materials; and Process Innovations.
Other topics to be addressed include Chemical Molecular Recycling; New Natural Colourants; Traceability and Transparency; and Sustainability through Digitisation.
This conference will be addressed by policy makers, reputed textile professionals and renowned experts from different parts of the world and India who are experts in the technologies.
This high profile conference will be attended by 400 participants who will get the opportunity to listen to high quality experts.


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In the following video, Fool contributor Matt Thalman discusses why investors should avoid getting caught up in the hype about Google's (NASDAQ:GOOGL) new glasses, or what could be a new trend in wristwatches. While these gadgets will surely intrigue many consumers, the question of how many people will actually purchase the devices causes Matt to hit the pause button.
But, that's not to say that this technology couldn't evolve in the coming years and perhaps start a new revolution in a similar way that Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone changed the way we use cell phones.
Fool contributor Matt Thalman owns shares of Apple and Google. Check back Monday through Friday as Matt explains what caused the Dow's winners and losers of the day, and every Saturday for a weekly recap. Follow Matt on Twitter @mthalman5513.
The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple, Google, and Nike. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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American Superconductor Corp. is taking legal action against its biggest customer, Sinovel Wind Group Co. of China, after accusing Sinovel of stealing its intellectual property.
Devens-based American Superconductor said Sinovel executives paid a former American Superconductor employee to obtain the intellectual property.
The former employee was arrested in Austria and is in jail awaiting trial on charges of economic espionage and fraudulent manipulation of data.
In a conference call yesterday, American Superconductor’s president and CEO, Daniel McGahn, said the company has extensive evidence showing Sinovel has already used stolen intellectual property to upgrade 1.5-megawatt wind turbines to meet proposed Chinese grid codes.
American Superconductor’s relationship with Sinovel soured earlier this year after Sinovel refused to pay for a large shipment of wind turbine components. The move prompted American Superconductor to announce it would restate its financial results.
“As of today, Sinovel is not a customer.” Mr. McGahn said in announcing the legal action. “Customers pay their bills, and customers respect intellectual property.”
American Superconductor is filing criminal and civil complaints against Sinovel in China.
It wants Sinovel to stop using allegedly stolen intellectual property. It is also seeking compensation for “economic losses resulting from the infringement” on its property, according to a news release.
Additionally, the Devens company is demanding Sinovel pay for past shipments, and accept the shipments, as required by contract.
Mr. McGahn sought to reassure shareholders yesterday, and voiced optimism about the company’s future. He said American Superconductor would continue to do business with other firms in China.
“Have no doubt, we are determined to protect our intellectual property and the interest of our shareholders,” he said.
American Superconductor has taken steps to prevent future breaches, the CEO added. The company has limited the number of employees who have access to codes that protect information; it has also added layers of protection to its IT system.
Last month American Superconductor announced it was cutting 150 jobs and slashing spending to align its costs with revenue expectations.
After it announced the legal action against Sinovel, shares fell 15 percent to $6.01 at last trade yesterday.
The company is out of compliance with Nasdaq Stock Market rules; to regain compliance, it must submit financial reports by Sept. 30 for the year ended March 31 and the quarter ended June 30.