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The 6.6-liter turbodiesel provides the best towing capacity for the big truck.
Fully redesigned for the 2020 model year, the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD is a capable workhorse with a maximum towing capacity of up to 18,500 pounds. Despite the divisive styling, the truck has been a big seller for Chevy.
However, to access that maximum towing capacity, you have to opt for the mighty 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V8. This engine has been an option on every trim level besides the Custom, which was limited to the 6.6-liter V8 gas engine until now. But a new report by GM Authority claims that the Duramax V8 can now be paired with the Custom trim as well.
It's not hard to see the appeal of the Custom trim. At one notch above the entry-level Work Truck (WT), the Custom offers upgrades like larger wheels and carpeted flooring that make it look and feel a lot less spartan than the WT, while still offering an attractive price compared to more expensive trims. For buyers who wanted this trim with the turbodiesel engine, they can now have it.
That said, it appears Chevrolet hasn't yet availed this option on its website configurator, as the Custom can currently only be specified with the V8 gas engine. The Duramax V8 develops 445 horsepower and a colossal 910 lb-ft of torque, relative to the standard gas V8's 401 hp and 464 lb-ft.
Unlike the gas engine, the Duramax turbodiesel also gets access to a better ten-speed automatic transmission, as opposed to the standard V8's six-speed auto. Pricing hasn't yet been released for the Custom trim paired with the Duramax engine, but the WT gives us an idea of what to expect. For the WT in 2WD Crew Cab guise with the standard bed, upgrading from the default gas V8 to the turbodiesel V8 will cost an extra $10,165. We can anticipate a similar premium for the Custom model with the turbodiesel.
Elsewhere in the lineup, the 2021 Silverado 2500HD has been enhanced with several small upgrades, including the new Carhartt Special Edition that is available on the LTZ Crew Cab. However, the price has increased marginally over the 2020 model.


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We're not saying that every policy that's sold at the border is inferior," adds Gray. "We just like to highlight the fact that it's difficult to know just what you're getting, and the majority of policies sold at the border are not rated.
Perris, CA (PRWEB) May 17, 2011
Recently, Mexican Insurance Store streamlined the process of buying Mexican auto insurance online. The insurance provider, who is based in Perris, California, has also intensified its campaign for educating travelers about the ease of buying such coverage online. "For years, most people purchased their Mexican insurance at the border," notes Linden Gray, who is the director of Mexican Insurance Store. "By streamlining the process of buying coverage online, we're hoping to prove once and for all that it's always better than buying coverage at the border."
A Streamlined Online Ordering Process
Mexican Insurance Store does the majority of its business through its website, which is at mexicaninsurancestore.com. Those who are uncomfortable with ordering online, however, also have the option of picking up the phone and calling the company. "As time goes by, we're noticing that more and more people are willing to just order online," says Gray. "There are still a few folks who simply prefer to talk to an actual human being, which is completely understandable. We are more than happy to accommodate them." Everyone else can log on to the site and go through a few brief steps in order to buy Mexican car Insurance. The steps are as follows: select a policy, pay for it and print it out. Information is automatically transmitted, so depending on the start day that is chosen, coverage can begin immediately or anytime up to one year in advance.
An Alternative to Border Insurance
With the streamlining of its online ordering process, Mexican Insurance Store hopes to secure more of the business from those who are driving down to Mexico. "It's easier to spread the word about our service these days," says Gray. "Even a few years ago, most people automatically assumed that border insurance was their only option." The insurance that is sold at the border is often more expensive and less reliable than the insurance that can be bought online through Mexican Insurance Store. "We're not saying that every policy that's sold at the border is inferior," adds Gray. "We just like to highlight the fact that it's difficult to know just what you're getting, and the majority of policies sold at the border are not rated. "
Insurance that is Bought Ahead of Time
By purchasing Mexican insurance online, drivers can be prepared for their journeys before they even leave their homes. "Waiting until you're at the border to buy coverage has many drawbacks," says Gray. "You have to wait longer, for one thing. You're usually going to pay a lot more, too." Stories of people ending up with completely worthless policies abound, as well, which is often enough to convince people to buy their coverage online. "Buying quality car insurance for Mexico online is easier than ever now that we've streamlined the process," says Gray. "We are excited to show travelers just how easy it is." Insurance for Mexico can be purchased through Mexican Insurance Store's website at any time, day or night.

domain: news


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2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R Receives CARB Approval
Will we see the four-cylinder ZX400 on Feb. 1?
The California Air Resources Board has issued an executive order for Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R, clearing the way for the long-rumored sportbike to be sold in the state.
The executive order was issued on Dec. 21, 2022, certifying a Kawasaki model going by the code “ZX400SP”. As we were the first to report last August, Kawasaki had submitted Vehicle Identification Number data for a ZX400SP and a ZX400PP with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, identifying it as being powered by a 399cc four-cylinder engine.
Kawasaki uses the ZX designation for all its Ninja ZX sportbikes, such as the ZX-6R (ZX636), ZX-10R (ZX1002) and ZX-14R (ZX1400), so it’s easy to conclude “ZX400” would represent a Ninja ZX-4R. The ZX-4R is expected to be based on the Ninja ZX-25R (pictured at top) offered in Asian markets, and it goes by the code ZX250.
The ZX400 is also distinct from the existing Ninja 400 and Z400 models as they have different model codes (EX400 and ER400, respectively), and were already separately certified by CARB.
Interestingly, the CARB executive orders show the ZX-4R actually releases lower emissions than the twin-cylinder models, despite offering what is expected to be superior performance. The Z400 and Ninja 400 are certified to produce 0.3 g/km of hydrocarbons and 4 g/km of carbon monoxide, while the ZX-4R is certified at 0.1 g/km of hydrocarbons and 0.4 g/km of carbon monoxide.
While the CARB order lists the ZX400SP, there’s no mention of the ZX400PP version. It’s important to note the “SP” doesn’t necessarily denote a higher end model. In Kawasaki’s nomenclature, the “P” at the end stands for the 2023 model year and the letter before that simply marks a different model variant.
In Indonesia, the ZX-25R is joined by a ZX-25RR that adds more premium Showa suspension and a Kawasaki Racing Team livery, but we don’t believe a ZX-4RR will be offered in the U.S. It’s more likely Kawasaki will only offer the ZX-4R with or without ABS, just as it does for it’s other ZX models. [UPDATE Jan. 24, 2023: We have since found evidence that our initial guess was wrong, and that there will, in fact, be a Ninja ZX-4RR model. Stay tuned for a more detailed update.]
Finding the right price for the ZX-4R will be vital. In Japan, the ZX-25R is priced at 847,000 yen (US$6,600), with special edition colors pushing it to 935,000 yen (US$7,300). The Ninja 650, by comparison, is priced at 913,000 yen (US$7,100). A ZX-4R should be even pricier.
The timing of the CARB executive order makes the ZX-4R a candidate to be one of the two models Kawasaki is teasing for a reveal on Feb. 1, likely alongside an updated
Ninja H2 SX SE which has also been certified by CARB but has yet to be announced for 2023. [UPDATE Jan. 24, 2023: As commenter Nick Dasko points out, Kawasaki Canada has already announced the 2023 Ninja H2 SX SE while still teasing two models on its homepage. That leads to conclude the second model isn’t the supercharged H2 SX SE but might in fact be a Ninja ZX-4RR.]
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Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
More by Dennis Chung


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EA has released a new video for Battlefield 1, focused on the weapons that players will be able to use in-game when Battlefield 1 officially launches worldwide on October 21st for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
In the video, DICE staff discusses the depth of research that has gone into designing and replicating weapons and artillery used throughout the great war, we even get to see some of the games actual weapons in action as developers get to grips with mounted heavy machine guns and clubs.
DICE are not looking to recreate the past but rather use it as an “inspiration“, creating an authentic feel and look with the development of Battlefield 1 and its weapons. “World War 1 was the birth of a lot of the things that we take for granted in modern warfare, all of these tools were created for a special purpose,” said Design Director at DICE, Lars Gustavsson.
Fans will reportedly be able to get their hands on Battlefield 1’s demo across all platforms shortly after Gamescom finishes, with Rush mode confirmed to feature.


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Rabat - This week, the Association of Producers of the Canaries (Asprocan) began exporting bananas to Morocco.
Rabat – This week, the Association of Producers of the Canaries (Asprocan) began exporting bananas to Morocco.
Spanish media have reported that this is the first phase of their plan to begin selling bananas in Morocco, initiated during a business trip to Casablanca in March.
During the trip, members of Asprocan’s Commission of External Business met with various executives from Moroccan banana distribution and horticulture corporations, who expressed interest in importing the plantains.
As of last year, Morocco imported roughly 20 million kilos of bananas of various origins.
Currently, Morocco is viewed as a potentially viable market to complement the association’s exports from the Canary Islands to other parts of Spain.
Domingo Martin, company president, stated that “right now, we are looking at the first steps of the viability of the collectivist system between all the producers that this project demands. We should be patient, and aware of the necessities that are required to keep open a market such as Morocco.”
— ICEX Casablanca (@ICEXCasablanca) 19 mai 2017


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Technically Incorrect: The March issue of Vogue features 12 pages of ads for Apple's new and possibly revolutionary gadget, says Advertising Age.
The SousVant is the best self-contained water bath we've tested. Anova and Nomiku still make better places to start with sous vide, but the SousVant is a fine option if you're ready to dive in.
The 2015 GLA250, a new compact SUV from Mercedes-Benz, delivers on style and self-driving tech, while offering cabin appointments worthy of the brand.
Gore Verbinski is to steer a new film about autonomous vehicles racing each other -- with hilarious consequences.
A single self-driving car could take care of multiple people's daily driving needs, so households might not need as many cars, University of Michigan researchers say.
Reports say Google is working on its own version of Uber while Uber is mimicking Google with its own self-driving cars. Meanwhile, we wait for the Samsung Galaxy S6 to be revealed next month.
The ride-hailing service partners with Carnegie Mellon University to build a high-tech lab that focuses on mapping, vehicle safety and autonomy technology.
Choose between $300,000 for a self-destructing physical copy of "Private Vegas," or try your luck at getting a self-destructing digital version with a 24-hour countdown timer.
The search giant joins several other Silicon Valley companies with audacious new digs in the works.
Automaker says it'd be open to talking to Google about teaming up on driverless-car tech.


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Young and Slim: Ana Pavlin has got an eviable body. Just look at her, this is how the young Victoria Secret model dressed just to go to a restaurant in Beverly Hills.
The hungarian model has become more popular thanks to the scandal created by Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.
It all started when Selena’s boyfriend (Justin) was seen with the super model and then Selena retweeted the image. Barbara and Justin Bieber met at the Victoria’s Secret glittering fashion show last November, since then the young and beautiful was engulfed in controversy.
Poor Ana has received vicious online abuse from fans of Selena and Justin but Ana has again insisted nothing went on between them. The Victoria’s Secret Model Barbara Palvin has again spoke out to deny having an affair with Justin
‘You know how the drama started — Selena retweeted the picture.
‘I’m okay to talk about it because I know there’s nothing. It’s ridiculous how this got to the news.
Palvin told Celebuzz she was just ‘hanging out’ with the Baby favourite during the fashion show last fall.
‘That was it . . . that’s why it was so weird. They thought I caused a big drama, their break-up.’
The rumours say that Justin and Selena had definitely broken up. All this scandal has just made Ana more famous. I understand why the actress of the Wizards of Waverly Place was so jealous, just look how gorgeous Ana is.


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Adweek’s 2022 Outlook for Media, Marketing and Tech
Our editors boldly predict where an industry facing another year of uncertainty is headed.
Adweek Partners With Sustainable Brands and ANA to Create Sustainability Tools for Marketers
The coalition will bring CMOs together to share best practices and accelerate innovation.
Adweek’s 2021 Young Influentials Are All About Creating Change in Their Industries
From the founders of Asian food brand Omsom to the CEO of Bumble, these young visionaries are bringing people together like never before.
Adweek’s 2021 Most Powerful Women in Sports: 34 Leaders Moving Athletics Forward for Everyone
These all-star execs—and one undisputed GOAT of an athlete—are elevating their teams, leagues, brands and clients.
Adweek 50: Shining a Well-Deserved Spotlight on the Behind-the-Scenes Stars in Media, Marketing and Tech
Our 2021 honorees helped drive success for themselves and their organizations.
The 2021 Publishing Hot List: Media Brands That Thrived via Innovation and Focus
Publishers including The Atlantic, Bloomberg Media and The Washington Post strived for change while driving continual growth.
The 2021 TV Hot List: The Year’s Most Talked About Shows, Networks and People
Honorees include Bridgerton, The Crown and Ted Lasso.
The 75 Fastest Growing Agencies in the US and Around the World
Adweek's third annual rankings underscore the ingenuity and resilience it took to withstand the pandemic and thrive.
From Athleta and Petco to Vrbo and JLo, Watch the 2021 Brand Genius Awards Show
Brandweek's top honorees take center stage.


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Blue Buffalo Company has recalled a known brand of animal treats. The FDA has found out that the enticing dog treats were contaminated with salmonella.
The company, known for its premium products had decided to voluntarily recall a batch of dog treats called Cub Size chew bones, after the Food and Drug administration discovered that the whole batch might be infected with salmonella.
During a routine check at their manufacturing plant, one of the worker discovered that one batch might be contaminated. The company called in the FDA and then decided to recall all products originating from that batch.
Fortunately, no one reported any illness, but the authorities are doing everything they can in order to withdraw all allegedly contaminated dog food from the market. According to the FDA, the dog treats could pose a serious threat to both animal and human. Dog owners who failed to wash their hands properly are at risk to become infected with the notorious disease.
The same representatives from the Food and Drug Administration, backed up by the Blue Buffalo Company, urges customers who have brought the product to return it as soon as possible. Moreover, the FDA also asks the public to wash their hands properly after handling said packages of dog food.
Those of you who went ahead and bought dog treats for you furry companion be on the lookout for the packages originating from that lot. The products can be easily recognized from their labels. Blue Buffalo said that the allegedly infected products bear an UPC label on the front of the package. If you see the inscription UPC 840243110087 printed on the sticker, the best thing to do is to either dispose of the package or return it from the supermarket or pet store you bought it from.
Routine checks at the manufacturing plant discovered that dog treats were contaminated with salmonella, prompting the company to withdraw all products from the market. According to the representatives from the Blue Buffalo, the allegedly contaminated product was shipped and commercialized starting from the 19th of December. The batch was shipped to PetSmart stores from Michigan, California, Kansas, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Minnesota and several other counties.
Blue Buffalo said that the batch is easier to identify if we look at the UPC code and the expiration date. Beneath the UPC code there is also a label with the expiration date. The label should read out as exp 110417.
For more inquiries, you can directly contact the Blue Buffalo Company, by phone or by email.


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I don’t think I’ve ever done this before, but here goes, my predictions for 2010. Some are educated guesses, some are wistful thinking, some are a combo of the two:
A major concert club in the area will close down; two more will open. And that’s not including the new Club Helsinki in Hudson, which is gonna rock your plimsoul, whatever the hell a plimsoul is.
The US trade envoy will announce the signing of a sweeping international intellectual trade agreement that is horrendously biased towards Big Media, and puts the screws to both developing nations and personal privacy. A major populist movement will result in Congress nuking the whole thing, despite a strong push for passage by the Obama administration.
At least two and as many as five local musical acts will break out and have stunning international success; major music blogs and magazines will take notice of the Albany scene, with major articles about just how freakin’ cool things are in Albany and Troy; this will result in even more local musicians being positioned to break in 2011. 2010 will be seen as the golden age of local music.
With pushes from federal, state and local governments, broadband internet will become near-universal and free municipal wifi will spread like wildfire in every city in the region.
CD sales will go from plummeting to crashing; several major chain stores will stop selling CDs entirely. Sales of digital downloads will stay flat.
Facebook will not start charging users $4.99 a month for crying out loud. That’s just silly.
There will be a new generation of eBook readers that are markedly better than the good ones that came out last year. The price point for them will drop to around $100, and you’ll be able to get one free if you commit to buying two books a month. And you will.
MySpace will unveil a new look, will a new backbone, better interfaces, the whole shebang. In the transition, lots of people’s stuff will get dumped and lost, and everyone will be all P.O.’d for a couple of weeks. Then people will come back and MySpace will be bigger and better than ever.
If the above MySpace thingee doesn’t happen, a new music / social networking player will emerge that will blow MySpace out of the water.
Talent competitions will become a permanent staple of the local entertainment scene. And they’ll be really good. In a related development, karaoke will see a huge resurgence in the local club scene, driven by hipster parties at bowling alleys. Really. Open mic nights will continue to grow.
iPhone users will be offered unlimited streaming of the entire iTunes library; every other cellular provider will scramble to catch up. Spotify will launch into an alliance with a major cellular carrier or ISP, and will immediately grab major market share, even for iPhone users. All of this will contribute to the Apple / AT&T marriage going south.
Vinyl record and turntable sales will continue to grow, and at an increasing rate.
Online bootlegging of music will grow as a result of major bands signing exclusive distribution deals with various retailers and subscription services. People will revolt, get the music any way they can, and the whole exclusive deal thing will fade as a result.
A major new outdoor music festival player will emerge in the area, with a couple of weekend-long summer shows that will amaze you.
Aided by new legislation and cheap technology, low-power community radio will explode, and you’ll have a couple of new local radio stations that will offer you the opportunity to go on the air. You’ll dig it.
There will be a major court ruling that all but negates the fair use doctrine of copyright law; artists will revolt and great new appropriation art will be produced in protest that will be some of the most compelling and popular works we’ve seen in decades. Congress will hold hearings that won’t be dominated by industry players.
Shepard Fairey will fade into obscurity.
Newspapers will continue to shrink and fail, their attempts to charge people for online access and to block aggregators (like Google) will go down in flames but fast. Scrappy new independent local online news companies that post photos, text and videos continuously will become the dominant new force in local news reporting, and will drain the remaining ad revenue from traditional outlets.
More major music artists will break from major labels and decide go it alone. Several huge classic rock bands will successfully reclaim the copyrights to their late 70’s recordings, and the labels’ attempts to block this in the courts will fail. As a result, the majors will stop looking so major.
More music will be created, recorded, released, and enjoyed in 2010 than in any year in human history.
Happy New Year.


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I am proud to receive the endorsement of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Business Federation (BizFed).
Helping businesses is important to me, and I want to make sure that they have all the resources available to navigate through these uncertain times. I will advocate for the most economically flexible and robust policies so that people can safely get back to work. This will take courage to lead through this economic recovery, and I have shown that I have the experience to help businesses thrive, which is why Supervisor Janice Hahn recently reappointed me to the Los Angeles County Small Business Commission.
Jeremy Harris, President & CEO of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce released the following statement on the endorsement:
"Cindy Allen is the ideal candidate who is uniquely positioned to work with both business and labor. As a former small business owner and Chamber board member, Cindy is uniquely positioned to support and improve the business climate throughout Long Beach. Cindy's experience and collaborative spirit are what our City and businesses need during this challenging time."
LA BizFed President De'Andre Valencia also commented:
“We are proud to endorse Cindy Allen as we know that she will be a catalyst for a stronger economy in LA County and for Long Beach. We also know here at BizFed PAC that we can engage Cindy in substantive dialogue in developing and implementing solutions that encourage local investment and job growth. Cindy has started several small businesses in downtown Long Beach and we know she has the work experience and life experience to help the residents and businesses in the District 2."


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Technician shortage: Fleets, dealers, shops face growing gap for qualified mechanics
Just like the driver shortage plaguing trucking fleets and projected to worsen in the next decade, so too does the industry face a growing need for truck mechanics.
The trucking industry could face a technician shortage as large as 200,000, say sources in the piece, and the Department of Labor predicts the current 1 million jobs in auto, diesel and collision repair industries to grow 17 percent by 2020.
However, only about 3,500 diesel and truck techs enter the labor market through schools each year — not nearly enough to keep up with growth and demand.
Read more here.


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A pair of critical vulnerabilities in Sun Microsystems's Java technology for mobile devices could be used by hackers to surreptitiously make calls, record conversations and access information on Nokia Series 40 cell phones, a Polish researcher said M...
A tech vendor-backed company that buys up patents in an effort to protect the Linux community from intellectual property litigation will soon launch a Web site to help inventors file defensive publications -- documents that make details of an inventi...
Here's a lesson for reporters covering the Black Hat security conference: Trust noone.
A network service that traps more malicious software than a single antivirus program catches by itself could be the next weapon used to fight Internet threats.
The 12th Black Hat conference convened at Caesar's Palace last week, where the 4,500 attendees (a 12.5 per cent increase over last year) heard about the security problems that will plague virtualized environments, why Cisco routers are more of a hack...
Yahoo said it will start letting users opt out of receiving customized advertising later this month, in an announcement the company made along with its response to a congressional inquiry about online privacy practices.
Consumer laptops and desktops could get faster and more power-efficient when Intel releases chips built around its new Nehalem microarchitecture in the second half of 2009.
Facebook has blocked links between its social networking site and malware-infested Web sites to where malicious hackers have been trying to lure Facebook members.
The computing industry is familiar with the low-cost lab known as the garage, a historic hot-bed for innovation, and this week LinuxWorld had its own "garage" to showcase embedded Linux..
The Electronic Frontier Foundation plans to appeal a U.S. District Court order imposing a temporary injunction on a Defcon presentation that would have detailed flaws in the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority electronic ticketing system.
IBM is introducing a new services offering to help customers deploy mobile technologies, and releasing software that makes it easier to monitor business activities and access mainframe applications on a smartphone.
Mozilla is experimenting with several ideas to push the browser envelope, including one that could turn the browser into a messaging hub.
Anyone with a sharp eye for flawed business logic and a dim view of business ethics can exploit e-commerce Web sites for millions of dollars, security experts told Black Hat attendees.
The sparsely populated floor at Linuxworld was a disappointment, but netbooks made an impact at this year's show, a sign that these lightweight machines may bring the Linux OS to a larger audience.
A Russian researcher who plans to demonstrate this fall how he could take advantage of flaws in Intel's chips, said the chipmaker has told him it has fixed two critical bugs.
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Leading figures in the ad-tech industry predict some shifts for traditional advertising in 2024, following a challenging year.
Connected TV as an advertising channel, the demand for reliable data, and the ongoing automation trend are all becoming more and more significant.
Here are a few forecasts for the year 2024.
According to Mark McKee, general manager of Comcast’s ad tech business FreeWheel, “we’ll see a renewed focus on premium video—what it is and what factors buyers and sellers should consider when engaging in video transactions in 2024.” “This issue is pertinent given the growth of premium video and the proliferation of content across screens and devices. Buyers want (and ought to know) that the ad inventory they’re acquiring is high-quality and brand-safe in today’s complicated and rapidly evolving media market. The industry will benefit from holding premium video to a higher standard since it will result in a better viewing experience.
Larry Allen, VP and GM of data and addressable enablement at Comcast Advertising, stated that the introduction of AMC Networks’ programmatic addressable capability was one of the most innovative events of 2023. We anticipate a significant rise in addressable ad inventory becoming programmatically available in 2024 as a result of this discovery. Along with a greater focus on verified identity, this will open the door for innovations in TV ad ecosystem measurement and audience targeting that are even more precise.
Three decades prior, “What is TV?”asked a simple question that had a simple response: “TV” was any content that showed up on your TV screen, regardless of how you watched it or whether it was a TV show or advertisement. Easy. However, in the last fifteen years, the answer has grown much more nuanced, and the distinctions between “TV” and “digital video” have gotten increasingly hazy, according to Krim.
According to him, “2023 saw a major shift in how EDO’s clients planned and budgeted for ‘TV,’ with YouTube almost always being included in TV budgets after years of being included in social video budgets.”
“This trend will only pick up speed in 2024 as networks, agencies, advertisers, and streaming platforms begin to define ‘TV’ as ‘high-quality video content,’ regardless of how, when, or where we access it,” according to Krim.
READ MROE: CTV/OTT Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic TV advertising has advanced dramatically as TV moves more and more towards digital media. According to Krim, that will put pressure on consumers and advertisers to start making direct inquiries about the data they are utilizing.
According to him, “programmatic will continue its convergent TV invasion in 2024 as advertisers chase the allure of combining the precise targeting they use to buy programmatic banner ads with the highly engaging, premium environment of TV.”
The correctness of the data is a critical component of the audience-targeting ecology, and this programmatic trend will ultimately force us to face it. Nearly half of the data utilized in digital audience targeting is blatantly inaccurate, per a recent Truthset study. Furthermore, a lot of purportedly “premium” programmatic TV ad purchases end up being trafficked on subpar websites rather than providing customers with the high-end TV app experience they were hoping for. “These quality issues will come under intense scrutiny as media costs rise during an election and Olympic year,” stated Krim.
The final result? According to Krim, 2024 will be the year when marketers truly begin examining the data they have invested in to make their programmatic TV buying strategy shine.
“Therefore, this will force the demand side platforms (DSPs) and sell side platforms (SSPs) to address another significant disparity – the majority of platforms solely focus on audience targets and cost reduction, whereas industry leaders like Google optimize for results,” Krim stated. “A more holistic approach to performance, as opposed to just evaluating their capacity to’reach’ progressively smaller and lower-quality audiences, is how modern marketers will triumph.”
Similarly, Matt McLeggon, senior VP of advanced solutions at Magnite, stated that while programmatic has begun to demonstrate promise as a model for a television ecosystem that is fully converged, “a significant headwind to efficient monetization has proven to be a scarcity of audience and contextual signals in legacy environments.”
According to McLeggon, “a near-term solution is provided by supply-side audience activation, which is already a growing trend in programmatic.” Programmatic addressable will advance in 2024 thanks to the efforts of media owners and MVPDs (multichannel video programming distributors), who will leverage their supply platforms to activate against rich subscriber and consumer data. This method circumvents the technical and financial complexities associated with inserting the custom identifiers into the bid stream that is sent to DSPs, while still providing programmatic buyers with the targeting precision they are used to in CTV.
Digital Remedy’s CEO and creator, Mike Seiman, predicted that digital media would dominate TV advertising, with linear TV playing a supporting role.
According to Seiman, “ads will still invest in linear TV, but there will be a significant shift in the expectations of the medium and its place in the larger ad ecosystem.” This is due to the fact that digital TV is becoming essential for both consumers and brands. The medium will have a significantly greater influence on expenditure allocations in 2024 since it naturally gives advertisers more ways to hold spend accountable to ROI than linear can.
Seiman predicts that at the same time, streaming TV will be closely examined.
“The quality of streaming ad inventory will come under the microscope as streaming competition rises and CTV budgets surge,” he stated.
When it comes to audience, attention, engagement, and material quality, Seiman stated, “it is evident that not all CTV inventory is created equal.” As a result, brands will begin to strive for more transparent inventory management and price that accurately reflects quality. Consequently, compared to top-tier CTV, long-tail inventory and web video will be perceived as “less premium,” even though they still have a significant function for brands.
According to DoubleVerify’s chief marketing officer, Dan Slivjanovski, improved measurement is on the way to controlling the uncharted territory of connected television.
“The distinct nature of the environment has presented limitations for CTV advertising since its inception,” he stated. Viewability is a crucial CTV parameter since, for instance, DV research indicates that one-third of CTV impressions serve in contexts that broadcast advertisements and fire impressions long after the TV is turned off.
Slivjanovski predicted that in 2024, the open measurement system will be used more extensively, which will help to resolve the issue.
The capacity to transact on viewable impressions in CTV, which is already a common billable metric on desktop and mobile, is made possible by open measurement, which also provides audio and AVOC measurement, full cross-screen viewability measurement using the same underlying expectations and specifications across CTV, mobile, and desktop environments, and measurement and reporting based on customized viewability standards, according to Slivjanovski.
Attention metrics will also become more significant in CTV at the same time.
Advertisers must assess an ad campaign’s success across all platforms in order to demonstrate that it generated a profit, according to Slivjanovski. However, this has proven difficult on CTV because there aren’t enough KPIs (key performance indicators) accessible to track progress and improve results. Currently, the majority of CTV marketers use cost as a proxy to optimize their campaigns. This is a problem, though, since the majority of advertisers currently buy content directly from publishers or through private marketplaces (PMPs), where the prices are the lowest. Because of this, advertisers have been waiting a long time for a way to measure impact on this channel more accurately.
According to DV study, a mere 30% of CTV advertisements manage to capture two or more seconds of viewers’ attention.
“The development of granular attention measurement for CTV continues to be an industry priority, given the increased demand and overall advancement of CTV viewability measurement technology,” Slivjanovski stated. “DV anticipates that CTV attention measurement will see a rise in adoption and become more widely available in 2024.”
Less convinced about attention is Dan Mouradian, vice president of Innovid’s global client solutions.
Even while discussions about attention metrics are still going strong, whether or not a customer has “paid attention” to a commercial does not determine the efficacy of a campaign. Moreover, in a setting where a lot of money has been spent, these measures shouldn’t be the primary consideration for evaluating CTV performance. According to Mouradian, “we can anticipate that in the coming year, advertisers will realize that there are better ways to measure campaigns, such as interactive advertising that genuinely provide insight to outcomes without question.
Ad servers are changing, according to his colleague Laura Foster, VP of product marketing at Innovid.
According to her, “modern ad servers are similar to iPhones in that users rely on them in the same way that advertisers rely on their data-driven ad servers.” However, to thrive in the current competitive market, an ad server needs to maintain its independence, choosing the best course of action for the client while upholding openness and confidence as an impartial third party.
Given that Amazon intends to shut down its ad server at the end of the following year, we have already seen the value of independence. By 2024, ad servers will be recognized for more than just tracking clicks and impressions—they will be acknowledged as a vital link in the process of converting standard advertising into meaningful content.
According to Tony Marlow, chief marketing officer of LG Ads Solutions, marketers are shifting their spending from cable to CTV.
“We expect a major and sustained shift in advertising dollars from linear TV to connected TV in 2024,” he stated. This alteration is a result of consumers spending more time watching CTV content, which has been the “big shift” over the past few years. Notably, the popularity of free, ad-supported streaming services has grown, providing advertisers with a great opportunity to interact with consumers in their increasingly preferred medium. Additionally, the amount of content that was accessible was increased with the launch of ad-supported streaming choices on well-known websites like Netflix and Disney Plus. In 2024, this transformation is anticipated to pick up speed.
In 2024, Marlow said, CTV will emerge as a revolutionary arena for political advertising.
Marlow stated, “Political campaigns will take advantage of CTV’s addressability to tailor their messages more precisely than ever before.” CTV can target particular demographics, places, and interests. This calculated action not only takes into account how media consumption is evolving, but it also recognizes that younger, tech-savvy voters are more likely to be swayed by content from digital streaming platforms. As a result, CTV advertising will be crucial in forming political narratives since it provides an unparalleled degree of interaction and message personalization in the context of election politics.
According to Michael Scott, vice president of sales and ad operations at Samsung Ads, in 2024 FAST channels will be competitive with AVOD.
According to Scott, the initial goal of the development of numerous free ad-supported TV (FAST) platforms was to provide users with additional options in an increasingly costly streaming ecosystem that relied on subscriptions. “Now, in 2024, we can see that legacy subscription players are reconsidering their approach around premium offerings, indicating that this is a clear preference.”
Fast content is currently available on all major news networks, and live sports is also trending toward fast.
“These platforms are now posing a serious threat to AVOD’s dominance when it comes to content debuts and exclusives,” according to Scott.
Scott went on to say that Samsung Ads anticipates a rise in interest in shoppable ads. According to a recent Samsung study, 50% of viewers who could recall watching one reacted with a shoppable advertisement. Shoppable advertisements also have excellent brand recall.
According to Scott, “when consumers see a product on TV, they want to be able to purchase that product or learn more about it quickly and increase the ease of access along their path to purchase.”
According to Hunter Terry, head of CTV at Lotame, independent streamers will benefit from the expected growth of FAST channels.
With the increasing popularity of ad-supported video offerings from major players like Netflix and Disney, smaller video programmers like Tastemade will seek to increase their market share by using partnerships and scale. Indeed, CTV is beginning to lean toward a small number of winners who control most of the expenditure. In light of those conditions, Terry predicted that a large number of independent content providers will give up on their independent CTV applications and think about shifting their sales to Roku, Amazon, or other FAST networks.
Terry stated, “As a result, it is likely that more advertising funds will go to the platforms rather than the independent publishers.” “Selling tools might be a more profitable endeavor than going gold mining, much like in the gold rush.”
Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, chief revenue officer at Yahoo, forecast a sharp increase in the significance of creativity in advertising.
“Creative will be more important to programmatic success in 2024,” Herbst-Brady said. This is particularly true when the sector struggles with issues related to identity resolution. While we still need to strengthen the foundations pertaining to quality inventory and identity, creativity will be the primary driver of engagement, performance, and brand awareness.
“With the convergence of generative AI, the necessity of managing the cost of creative development, and the addressability of CTV, creative will be top of mind for all advertisers, but particularly so for CTV advertisers,” the spokesperson stated.
Herbst-Brady said, “Advertisers will be empowered by AI to create a multitude of creative variations for their campaigns and to deliver personalisation like never before.” This enables them to interact with viewers in a variety of geographic locations, languages, and viewing settings without having to pay exorbitant production expenses. However, by changing the creative that viewers see in their own homes, it also lessens ad fatigue.
In a similar vein, Field Garthwaite, CEO and co-founder of Iris TV, stated that he thinks improved campaign performance is the result of having the correct creativity and the proper mindset.
“Brands can more effectively target consumers, place ads in the context of content they’re engaging with, and better identify consumers with the help of video-level data,” according to Garthwaite. Customers pay four times greater attention to advertisements that are relevant to the material they are watching, according to research.
He went on, “AI and machine learning offer promising avenues for targeted messaging and ad creative development.” But making sure advertisements reflect the attitudes of the target demographic is a difficulty. As the advertising industry changes, creating high-quality content is no longer as important as reaching customers in the correct mentality. Misalignments can have a detrimental effect on political campaigns by creating a bad perception of a brand.
According to Garthwaite, “more than half of consumers were less interested in the brand and products found in contextually misaligned ads,” according to the AVCA [Alliance for Video-Level Contextual Advertising]. “It’s critical to use not only video-level data but also emotional and AI-driven data to deliver the right ad, in the right context, and right mindset of the consumer for brands looking to better increase campaign performance in 2024.”
Radiant and America Nu, offering to elevate your entertainment game! Movies, TV series, exclusive interviews, music, and more—download now on various devices, including iPhones, Androids, smart TVs, Apple TV, Fire Stick, and more.


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STOCKHOLM (AP) - Wireless equipment maker LM Ericsson says it plans to open a global network operations center in China due to higher demand for managed services.
The company said Wednesday that the center will open before the end of this year. It will start with around 300 staff, but is expected to grow to some 500 within six months.
Ericsson, based in Stockholm, manages networks serving about 800 million subscribers.
It already has similar service center operations in Romania , Mexico and India.
The Indian center employs around 5,000 staff.


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In our series of articles on palm oil so far, we’ve looked at why it’s such an important issue and highlighted some of the good guys. Many small independent producers have committed to removing palm oil from their products or using certified sustainable palm oil. But now it’s time to name and shame the bad guys and tell you which palm oil using brands to boycott.
Unsurprisingly it’s the huge multi-national corporations that have been slow to act on dirty palm oil. Although boycotting palm oil isn’t always the answer, these companies are so bad that you should really do your best to avoid their products. A recent Greenpeace report estimated that a total of 25 palm oil suppliers had cleared more than 320,000 acres (130,000 hectares) of rainforest since the end of 2015.
The absolute worst is a company called Mondelez who supplies palm oil for Cadbury chocolate bars, Ritz crackers, and Oreos. So if you’re partial to a dairy milk or a milkshake topped with Oreos, you might want to explore some alternatives. Mondelez gets its palm oil from a variety of companies including Wilmar International, the world’s largest palm oil trader.
‘Palm oil can be made without destroying forests, yet our investigation discovered that Mondelez suppliers are still trashing forests and wrecking orangutan habitat, pushing these beautiful and intelligent creatures to the brink of extinction’, says the Greenpeace report.
Other companies that have to be named and shamed for their part in destroying rainforest and the habitat of the critically endangered orangutans include Colgate-Palmolive; Hershey; Kellogg’s; Kraft Heinz; L’Oreal; Mars; Nestlé; PepsiCo; Reckitt Benckiser; and Unilever.
You can help by boycotting these companies and sign Greenpeace’s petition against Mondelez. Or you can call Oreo’s HQ and email Oreo’s CEO to help them get the message.
If you like Oreo cookies, Cadbury chocolate bars, Toblerone, Roses, Ritz Crackers, and Philadelphia Cheese then it’s time to find one of the plentiful alternatives. If you’re buying Mondelez products you’re directly supporting dirty palm oil production.
Nestle is repeatedly failing to live up to its own promises to transition to using sustainable palm oil and continues to fund the destruction of the planet by doing so. So Nestle products such as Kit Kats, Nespresso, and a whole host of other brands should be off your shopping list.
Who actually drinks Pepsi anyway? Well it should be off the shopping list along with PepsiCo’s other brands which include Walkers Crisps, Doritos, Tropicana, Naked Juices, and Gatorade.


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NXP Semiconductors has developed a touch sensor that can be built into contactless payment cards and passports to prevent their details from being read or payments taken without the user’s active permission, according to Engineering and Technology Magazine.
Using a capacitive touch sensor, similar to those found in mobile smart phones, NXP engineers created the prototype plastic card using the company’s contactless chips. This new card requires users to swipe using specific gestures – a code to unlock the card – at which point a contactless reader can perform a transaction.
This new technology could also protect conventional payment cards that rely on PINs. If you have to type your PIN on an insecure device then the system is broken, Patrick Niessen, system architect at NXP. With the new NXP card the user’s PIN is store within the card itself – it never leaves the card.
The current version works with a standard contactless scanner that can provide enough power for both the sensor and the embedded security chip. And NXP is continuing development to allow use with an NFC-enabled smart phone so users can authorize payments from their phone.
Read the full story here.


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The drinks business rounds up the top 10 US states for craft beer in 2016 based their economic output, with data supplied by the industry group Brewers Association.
The data was compiled by the Brewers Association via via its annual ‘Beer Industry Production Survey’ (BIPS) and the bi-annual ‘Brewery Operations Benchmarking Survey’ (BOBS) as well as additional government and market data and relates to ‘small and independent American craft brewers.’
The Brewers Association define ‘small’ as ‘annual production of six million barrels of beer or less’ and ‘independent’ as a brewery that is ‘less than 25% owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.’
Economic output is defined as the ‘total impact of beer brewed by craft brewers as it moves through the three-tier system’ – meaning from breweries, to wholesalers and finally to retailers – as well as ‘non-beer products like food and merchandise’ that is sold directly from brewpub eateries, taprooms and shops.
As part of its report, the Brewers Association found that US craft beer contributed $67.8 billion to the economy as well as providing 456,373 full-time equivalent jobs, a 7.5% increase from the figure recorded in 2014 which was the last time such a report was published by the organisation.
Source: Brewers Association
2016 State economic contribution per capita rankings
District of Columbia: $454.05
The Brewers Association broke down the economic impact by state as well as the state economic contribution per capita for adults over 21. Unsurprisingly, given the differing population sizes, the states that topped the economic impact charts did not necessarily feature in the per capita list. Indeed, the only states to feature in both were Colorado and Pennsylvania.
On a per capita basis, Colorado came out on top, generating $764 for every legal drinking age consumer. It was followed by Vermont and Oregon, generating $666 and $659 per consumer, respectively.
The top five states with the greatest individual economic impact generated more than 35% of the total output in 2016, while contributing an overall $24.2 billion.
In 2012, the top five states for craft beer were California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania and Colorado, which generated a total of $12.8 billion. The order changed in 2016.


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Submitted by Melissa Howsam — Correspondent
Opening an art gallery in the middle of an economic downturn risky? Try brilliant. At least if you're John Pelphrey and Kelly Dew, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo behind the Bull City's burgeoning LabourLove Gallery in Golden Belt, set to celebrate its three-year anniversary in May.
A labor of love, indeed, the art-smart art house is housed in the storied 155,000-square-foot former home to Golden Belt Manufacturing Company on a 7-acre LEED-registered campus, listed on the National Register of Historic Places amongst a cast of creative neighbors.
Now a power-player in the city's long revitalizing art scene, the arguable-gamble still begs the question: Why would a young couple with a 2-year-old (Porter) risk their economic future on an art gallery in downtown Durham's still-deep-in-renaissance East side? Well, literally, it's a labor of love: "Why?" says Pelphrey. "Because we wanted to do something we believed in, something we could do together and something that could contribute to our community."
And they have. After a lifelong dream by Dew and a dozen years of discussion with Pelphrey (who, too, adopted the dream), that vision finally came to fruition with a lease at Golden Belt in 2009. Then, after 15 'laborious' months and some tinkering with the original business model, they made a transition from a more traditional art gallery to a collaborative-concept art collective (where the gallery's income is garnered from artist rent, and artists reap reward in revenue).
"We like selling things that are handmade and local. Jewelers are artists, and so are clothing designers. It's just a different medium, and we think there should be a place for them in galleries like ours," says Pelphrey. Smart move. By renting wall, shelf and clothing-rack space to local crafters, LabourLove's turn to an off-the-rack concept took them to off-the-hook status.
"A city without art is boring," says Pelphrey. "We wanted to be part of changing that [in Durham]." And they have. In essence, the pioneers have taken their brushstroke and cast a permanent, yet ever-evolving, new color on the city's cultural scene. "Nearly three years ago we staked our claim on the East side of downtown, which was a significant risk, he says. But Golden Belt is becoming an amazing place with all kinds of creative businesses.
"Back then, we were the only retail store in the complex, and we remained the only retail for quite a while. We hope that people remember us in the future, that they'll think of us as the people who proved that East Durham could be a great place for the creative community to thrive and grow. We believe that LabourLove has been an asset to the rebirth of downtown Durham, and we hope others agree."
But their "one-stop-shop" view of the local art scene is by no means complete, and doesn't stop with still life. Innovative in its own right, LabourLove is becoming an all-encompassing house of creation. With the August addition of after-hours Third Friday jazz shows, a partnership with the Art of Cool Project, the go-to gallery is still breaking ground and pushing the scene, adding performances to its happening art-house offerings.
The gallery may be small in scale, but its communal presence is no-doubt "Goliath." And with the ground they've gained, it's impossible to even fathom what ground they may break in the future. But their vision is sure. "[We want] more music, more art and [more] change," says Pelphrey. "We're always changing things. You can't stay the same in this day and age. We have to evolve constantly. I have no idea what we'll be doing in a year, and I kinda like it like that. Six months ago I had no idea we'd be doing jazz in here."
So what might their MO be going forward? Maybe we can credit them with making the Pottery Barn-era passé:
"I really just want people to realize that we have a vibrant art scene in the Triangle, one that should be supported with dollars more than pats on the back," Pelphrey says. "When people are thinking of decorating their homes, I hope they will buy local instead of buying some mass-produced piece of junk from a big-box store. We've seen a real revolution when it comes to buying local food in the Triangle over the last few years. I hope that change starts to take place in art and design, too. The talent pool is there; we just need people to change their buying habits."
Considering that the 'loco-for-loca' movement doesn't appear to be a fad that is fading anytime soon, Pelphrey and Dew just might see that vision realized, too.


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What you need to know
- OneDrive's new dark mode is available on Android for some people.
- The feature appears to be in A/B testing for people running Android 10.
- Microsoft plans to add dark mode to several more apps soon.
A new update for OneDrive is rolling out to some people that allows them to test the app's new dark mode. Microsoft plans to roll dark mode out to Microsoft 365, and has already shipped the feature to several apps. Now, select testers can try out OneDrive's dark mode on Android.
According to Windows Latest, dark mode for OneDrive on Android appears in build 5.41.2. The site points out that the feature seems to be in A/B testing for people running Android 10. It appears to be rolling out to people on the stable and beta builds of OneDrive.
OneDrive for iOS already received a dark mode. OneDrive on Windows 10 still lacks an option for dark mode.
Microsoft's OneDrive recently hit 1 billion installs on Android, so quite a few users will likely be able to test out the app's new dark mode.
OneDrive is Microsoft's cross-platform cloud storage service available on PC, Mac, Android, and iOS.
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In the morning of December 25th, Handan doors and windowsAssociation’s Annual Meeting of 2011 was grandly held in Lear, memberunit gave a high prize to the development direction and speed of Learin recent years. Chairman Yang Yongmin, President Yang Yongbin and other
leaders gave a guided tour.
More than 40 new and old customers fromthe windows and doors industry show their satisfaction with ourtechnology, production, quality, sales, service sectors, and are willing
to establish a long-term and permanent cooperative relations with Lear.
Chairman Yang Yongmin said that Lear will step into the globaldevelopment strategy with a brand-new attitude in the new year.


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Update: Since publishing this piece, we’ve learned that applicants will need a Mexican Tax ID (RFC) to join and earn commissions from the Amazon.com.mx affiliate program. We’re still working to find a solution for this. Please stay tuned!
The Amazon Mexico affiliate program is now a prime target for international affiliate publishers who are looking to earn additional commissions from their global audience. This significant change is due to a recent rollout by Payoneer that includes the option for an MXN (Mexican Pesos) “receiving account.” This addition means that it’s now possible to get your hard-earned commissions out of Mexico and into your Payoneer wallet, and thus into your local bank account, in a nearly seamless fashion.


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Huntsville talking with developer that wants to convert old downtown Holiday Inn site into shopping, restaurants, new lodging
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Louisville office-equipment dealer buys independents in Chicago and Indianapolis
- Kevin Eigelbach
- Staff Writer
Toshiba Business Solutions – Kentucky, the Louisville-based, regional subsidiary of Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc., plans to hire more local employees as a result of recent purchases of office-equipment dealers in Chicago and Indianapolis.
John Applegate, president of Toshiba Business Solutions – Kentucky, said he expects to add eight to 10 back-office employees to the Louisville office by the end of May.
Applegate’s company is one of 19 regional Toshiba Business Solutions companies across the United States. Each has revenue and other goals it must meet for the parent company, but they otherwise are autonomous, Applegate said.
In April 2008, his company bought Chicago-based Advanced Business Tech, which Toshiba renamed Toshiba Business Solutions – Illinois.
And in October, the company bought Indianapolis-based HPS Office Systems Inc.
The purchase prices were not disclosed.
Those purchases more than doubled the size of Toshiba Business Solutions – Kentucky’s revenue, Applegate said.
He declined to disclose the company’s revenue figures, but in a news release about the purchase, the parent company reported that HPS was one of Central Indiana’s largest office equipment dealers, with $15 million in annual revenue and about 90 employees.
More acquisitions possible
Officials with Toshiba Business Solutions – Kentucky, as well as its parent, still are looking for new markets, he said, which would mean more acquisitions.
Likely cities for new business would be Nashville and Cincinnati, he said.
In acquiring independent office-equipment dealers, Toshiba is following a trend among the machine manufacturers such as Canon Inc. and Xerox Corp., said Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association in Kansas City, Mo., which represents the nation’s 3,000 independent dealers.
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According to a hot news business article, this year Papa John’s hires a new CEO named Steve Ritchie. Steve Ritchie is thus proving to be a kind, compassionate, and a good leader. Steve Ritchie gave a heartfelt apology making it clear Papa John’s was a company of high morals and integrity. Any comments made in the past by past employees or any former CEO do not reflect Papa John’s as a whole.
Steve Ritchie is kind in the respect that he truly cares about the public’s feelings and his employees. Steve made the point that Papa John’s employees were everyday working people and were good community citizens. Steve Ritchie stated the employees were from different backgrounds and worked hard to bring people great pizza and excellent customer service.
As per Insider Louisville, Steve Ritchie wants his company to always strive to do better. Steve Ritchie decided in his compassion to bring specialists to help his business to better relate to different backgrounds and to bring them into the Papa John’s atmosphere. In doing this Steve Ritchie believes it will pinpoint what is strong about the company and what the company needs to work on. Another brilliant move that Steve Ritchie has decided to implement is to allow the senior management team to travel and meet with their workers and franchises, so they can get their opinions about what they can do to improve the business in the future. According to the article, Steve Ritchie’s goal is to be open publicly and that he wants the public to hold them responsible for their actions.
Steve Ritchie Papa Johns has shown strong leadership by paving a new path for Papa John’s to follow. Steve Ritchie wants the public to feel comfortable with Papa John’s and making big leaps in earning the public’s trust. Steve Ritchie has proven to be very emotionally smart and able to relate to the public.
Steve Ritchie noted that the company was more than just one voice. So to conclude Steve Ritchie has successfully made Papa John’s image more favorable to the public and has Papa John’s company headed on a new exciting path.
Info on Steve Ritchie’s salary: http://people.equilar.com/bio/steve-ritchie-papa-john-s/salary/711829


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The Shanghai Auto Show is the largest auto show in the world with 350.000 square meters (3.7 million square feet) of floor space, over 1.300 cars on display and close to 1 million visitors. And while you may think the cars from international brands are the most relevant for the worldwide automotive industry, the domestic Chinese automakers are eager to show off the impressive progress they’re making in terms of quality and design. Some of their launches and concept cars are destined to be exported to the European and US markets as well.
There’s simply too much news in Shanghai to discuss all the news, but we’ll take a closer look at the most relevant, most notworthy and most impressive production cars and concept cars.
Baojun 310 Wagon
Wagons are not a popular bodystyle in China, where sedans have traditionally ruled, MPVs were the alternative if more seats were required and SUVs are now the hottest thing around. Hatchbacks never really caught on in the People’s Republic either, which makes it that much more surprising that Baojun has a sudden hit this year with its ultra-cheap 310 hatchback, selling over 50.000 units in the first three months of 2017. Will the 310 Wagon be able to crack the cheap station wagon market in China too? [Read more…]


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Eight-year-old Ruby Higgs was eating pizza at Pizza Hut with her grandparents when she started crying, with blood running from her mouth.
Inside her ham and mushroom pizza was an earring, and Higgs had bitten into it, the Portmouth News reports.
This is 8-year-old Ruby, who bit down on her meal at Pizza Hut to get someone’s tongue/nose ring in her mouth.1/2 pic.twitter.com/9jXx4rFvjX
— Stuart C. Anderson (@Stu700) February 24, 2016
Girl tucks into meal at Pizza Hut, ends up cutting her mouth on someone’s lost earring https://t.co/DmiM9EnqKX
— Metro (@MetroUK) February 27, 2016
The Pizza Hut was located in Portmouth, southern England.
”It’s disgusting. She was shocked to have something like that in her food, as you don’t expect anything like that,” said Ruby’s mother, Stacey, who has called for the restaurant chain to launch an investigation, and also ban their employees from wearing jewelry.
“‘They shouldn’t have had it on, all I want is answers and I don’t want it [to] happen again,” Stacey told Portmouth news. “It could have easily been swallowed and it could have stuck in her throat. It could have killed a younger child, which is what frightens me.”
The manager of the store has offered the girl’s family a free meal, and the spokesperson said that it was an “isolated incident,” although stories about sharp objects found in Pizza Hut meals aren’t hard to find.
In March, a British teenager found a chunk of a knife in a pizza he had ordered from the chain, the Metro reports, and in June, Pizza Hut launched an investigation of complaints that a London location was making pizzas that had “nuts and bolts” on it, the Standard reports.


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Japan’s Copper Cable Shipments Extend Drop After Earthquake
Japan’s copper wire and cable shipments fell 1.4 percent in April from a year earlier, dropping for a second month as automakers reduced output after an earthquake and tsunami, an industry group said.
Shipments, including exports and domestic business, decreased to 55,400 metric tons last month from 56,200 tons a year earlier, the Japanese Electric Wire and Cable Makers’ Association said today in an e-mailed statement. Shipments in March dropped to 56,207 tons, 6.5 less than a year ago.
Japan’s economy was pitched into recession by the disaster, contracting by an annualized 3.7 percent in the three months through March after a 3 percent drop the previous quarter, according to data today. Companies including automakers were forced to scale back industrial production by the record quake, and consumers also cut back spending.
Shipments to the auto sector slumped 51 percent to 3,000 tons in April from a year earlier, the lowest level since January 1984, while shipments to the construction rose 22 percent to 26,900 tons, the association said.
Copper prices in London have gained 39 percent in the past year, reaching a record $10,190 per ton on Feb. 15 as global demand grew. The three-month contract traded at $9,034.75 per ton at 6:29 p.m. in Tokyo.
Copper wire and cable shipments were estimated at 682,763 tons in the year to March 31, according to the association. That’s up 3.1 percent from 662,472 tons the previous year, the lowest level in 35 years, its data shows.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Poole at email@example.com


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A team of physicists led by Professor Patrick Windpassinger at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has successfully transported light stored in a quantum memory over a distance of 1.2 millimeters. They have demonstrated that the controlled transport process and its dynamics has only little impact on the properties of the stored light. The researchers used ultra-cold rubidium-87 atoms as a storage medium for the light as to achieve a high level of storage efficiency and a long lifetime.
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“We stored the light by putting it in a suitcase so to speak, only that in our case the suitcase was made of a cloud of cold atoms. We moved this suitcase over a short distance and then took the light out again. This is very interesting not only for physics in general, but also for quantum communication, because light is not very easy to ‘capture’, and if you want to transport
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Roku (ROKU) – Get Report soared Monday after the streaming platform announced a deal to carry NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service on its devices.
NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast (CMCSA) – Get Report.
Analysts reacted positively to the news for both Roku and Comcast. Roku will receive “top-end premium inventory and subsequent pricing leverage on its [connected TV] premium ad bundles,” in addition to negotiating power with other major networks, said Rosenblatt Securities.
The firm has a buy rating and $195 price target on shares of Roku.
Analysts at Benchmark said the deal could help Peacock. Benchmark has a buy rating and $54 price target on Comcast.
Roku recently traded at $183.98, up 14.65%, and has climbed 37% this year. Comcast recently traded at $43.69, down 3.47%, and has slid 3% year to date.
Peacock provides access to more than 20,000 hours of on-demand movies and
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- Over the weekend, “Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition” was revealed to include a remaster of 2018’s “Marvel’s Spider-Man” starring Peter Parker
- Unfortunately, Insomniac Games revealed that saves from that PlayStation 4 title will not be carried over to the next-gen PlayStation 5
- Securing the standard edition PlayStation 5 with a disc drive means you will not be able to get a physical version of “Spider-Man Remastered” on its own
For those who have been eagerly anticipating diving back into Manhattan on the PS5 after the news broke on the remastered edition of “Marvel’s Spider-Man” over the weekend, you might want to take a few steps back.
That PlayStation 4 title from Insomniac Games proved to be a massive hit and helped the developer push the boundaries even further with its coming “Spider-Man: Miles Morales” for the PlayStation 5. The 2018 title will, in fact, be available for the
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Insomniac Games’ hugely-successful 2018 hit Spider-Man is being remastered for PlayStation 5 with ray-tracing, faster loading, and support for the DualSense controller’s new haptic feedback. And better yet, it’ll be available on the PS5’s launch day as a pack-in with Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition.
© Image: Sony
But if you’ve been waiting for the PS5’s new hardware as an excuse to dive back into Spider-Man’s virtual Manhattan, you unfortunately won’t be able to transfer your saves from the original game to the remastered version, Insomniac Games confirmed on Twitter. And because Sony hasn’t spelled out how PS4 saves will work on PS5 for any other game, we’re not sure if the Spider-Man situation is the exception or the rule.
Save game transfers are now a big question
There are still some questions about the PS5’s backward compatibility with PS4 games. We do know that PS5 will be “99


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Trucknet was selected to represent its innovative solution at the Cop21 convention in Paris 2015 where it was endorsed by the French Ministries of Economics and Environmental Protection as a leading solution for freight exchange that maximizes CO2 reductions while fully complying with the EU transport regulations.
Paris 2015, UN climate change comference - 22.05.2015
During June 2017 Trucknet participated at the Technology week" Viva Tech", the innovation salon in France. Mr. Hanan Friedman, the CEO, and founder of Trucknet company launched his activity in France during this event. This is the first step before transforming Trucknet into an international company.
In the months before entering at the french market, 5000 transport companies registered to Trucknet with about half a million trucks in France. The French ambassador of Israel, Mrs.Helen Le Gal and the Israeli ambassador of Paris, Mrs.Aliza Ben-Nun, took part in the event. The embassy staff and Business France expressed their willingness to assist Trucknet in the process of entering into the French market.
Viva technology, Paris 2015 - 22.05.2015
FRANCE-Israel: cross-glances on technological innovation in the Senate. Mr. FRIEDMAN Hanan, CEO of Trucknet with Mr. Yuli EDELSTEIN, president of the Knesset, on official visit on the occasion of the 70 years of the creation of the State of Israel under the high patronage of Mr. Larcher.
Senat - 22.05.2015
Some people are convinced that trying to find an interesting startup outside Tel Aviv is a waste of precious time. But someone hinted that a promising start-up is located far away in the southern city of Eilat. Future Mobility flew all the way to Eilat to meet Hanan Friedman, Trucknet’s CEO and founder, at the company’s home base to hear, first hand, about the economic as well as environmental revolution that he brought to the old and traditional world of freight transportation.
The Jerusalem post - June 2019


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Last week, sports journalists Andrew Marchand and John Ourand discussed the impact of sports betting on sports media (~9:30 in) on their new NY Post podcast Marchand & Ourand.
They argued Disney and ESPN notably do not want to build a sports betting ecosystem around ESPN+. Disney is actively avoiding content and outcomes that are too "edgy" for both the ESPN and Disney brands, and sports betting requires "edgy" content and outcomes.
On Monday, Disney CEO Bob Chapek sent out a memo that went out to all Disney staff outlining three pillars for the future of Disney, the third of which was "relentless focus on our audience":
We are a big company with many constituents and stakeholders, all of whom have a place in our decision-making. But at the end of the day, our most important guide—our North Star—is the consumer. Right now, their behavior tells us and our industry that the way they want to experience entertainment is changing—and changing fast thanks to technology and the pandemic. We must evolve with our audience, not work against them. And so we will put them at the center of every decision we make.
On its face, the statement seems obvious: technology is disrupting Disney's model and it needs to adapt. That is in keeping with the story Disney has told since it launched Disney+, and a key theme of former CEO Robert Iger's autobiography, The Ride of a Lifetime.
I wrote about this in Robert Iger, Mark Zuckerberg & Vision, where I included Iger's story of holding the video iPod for the first time:
You can't tell anyone about this," [Steve Jobs] said. "But what you're talking about with television shows--that's exactly what we’ve been imagining." He slowly withdrew a device from his pocket. At first glance it looked just like the iPod I'd been using."This is our new video iPod," he said. It had a screen the size of a couple of postage stamps, but he was talking about it like it was an IMAX theater. '"This is going to allow people to watch video on our iPods, not just listen to music," he said. "If we bring this product to market, will you put your television shows on it?"
I said yes right away.
Any product demo by Steve was powerful, but this was a personal demonstration. I could feel his enthusiasm as I stared at the device, and I had a profound sense of holding the future in my hand. There could be complications if we put our shows on his platform, but in the moment I knew instinctively that it was the right decision.
It was an "aha!" moment, one where Iger realized that Disney's future faced "complications" from a new technology but was also a distribution channel that Disney content needed to be on.
Sports betting also is a new technology that creates "complications" for Disney's future. But, it is also a growing trend amongst younger demographics:
More than 60% of current sports gamblers are ages 40 or younger — 46% are millennials, while 15% are Gen Z adults, according to preliminary findings of an online consumer survey by Kagan, a media research group within S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The open question is whether Disney's brand and ESPN's brand need to be invested in sports betting given the different, if not higher risks, for those complications.
Chapek's statements to investors and the public reflect an ongoing openness to navigating those complications, and the language and logic of this third pillar suggest that if sports betting is what younger audiences want, then Disney and the ESPN brand must evolve with that demand.
The PARQOR Hypothesis sheds a different light on the "complications" posed by sports betting. Whoever Disney ends up partnering with on sports betting will have an ecosystem whose strengths and weaknesses also will be reflected in the PARQOR Hypothesis.
In other words, in order to capture sports betting consumers, Disney must figure out if and how its ecosystem will map to a sports betting ecosystem.
That outcome will require Disney and the sports betting company to share the sports betting consumer, and at risk to both their evolving DTC and broader business models.
Moreover, that outcome will dilute Disney's attempts at a "relentless focus" on this next generation of consumer, and will position Disney's PARQOR Hypothesis advantages over the rest of the media marketplace at risk.
As longtime readers may recall,IAC's August 2020 letter to shareholdersabout its investment in MGM Resorts inspired the PARQOR Hypothesis. It lays outa checklist of five attributes for why Disney has advantages over pure-play streaming companies in the ...


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Now that the company has finally met its production target for the Model 3, its first mass-market electric sedan, it’s finally dropping the reservation system for customers in the United States and Canada. There is a catch, though, as the system isn’t going to be taking orders for the $35,000 model.
Customers in North America no longer need a reservation if they want to order a Model 3. They can head over to Tesla’s website right now and place an order for the car. The catch here is that the long-promised $35,000 base model can not be ordered right now.
Tesla says that it’s going to be available in “6 to 9 months.” Customers who want to place an order for one right now will have to shell out extra for the long-range battery model that starts at $49,000. They will have to pay a $2,500 deposit to confirm their order.
As far as delivery times are concerned, customers who hold reservations will remain first in line to receive their cars before customers who will just now be placing orders get their Model 3s.
Tesla may look to further improve the Model 3 production down the line in order to fill all of the orders that it already has for the car and all of the new orders that will now be coming in from customers who didn’t reserve one initially.


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Pnina Rosenblum will turn Gold Internet into a cannabis cosmetics company
Proposed consideration for skeletal control - NIS 4 million last month, Rosenblum announced a plan to issue the activity, with shareholders such as ZIM, Haim Horowitz and Rami Levy announcing their intention to participate in the offering
Pnina Rosenblum (Photo: Reuven Castro)
Pnina Rosenblum (Photo: Reuven Castro, Nir Peking)
Businesswoman Pnina Rosenblum, who announced last month her intention to launch a cannabis-based cosmetics-based activity on the stock exchange, is working to acquire the gold skeleton of Internet Gold, with the aim of promoting a deal to merge the activity into the skeleton. Rosenblum, as mentioned, intended to issue the activity, which is conducted under PRC ("Pnina Rosenblum Cannabis") and not to merge it into a bursai skeleton, as has so far been customary in the local cannabis sector.
In a presentation last month to investors in the capital market, Rosenblum announced that PRC intends to raise NIS 25 million, at a company value of NIS 100 million (before the money), with shareholders of ZIM, Haim Horwitz and Rami Levy announcing their intention to participate in the offering. Rosenblum said today that "I have received an application to examine the activity of the Bursai skeleton, and it is my duty to look into it. Currently, PRC is continuing the initial IPO process."
Internet company Gold Gold, a former member of the Eurocom group of Shaul Alovich, reached bankruptcy earlier this year. Following the completion of its debt settlement and its subsidiary in the universe (which held a controlling stake in Bezeq), Internet Gold has issued an invitation to bid on its stock exchange skeleton. Two official bids were accepted for the skeleton acquisition, the highest of Liat Bids, which, as it is known, initiated the appeal to Rosenblum (which today met with bond holders of Gold Internet).
Bid's offer is for the purchase of 75% of the TASE skeleton for NIS 4.1 million, with the balance being transferred to the bond holders of Internet Gold. Another bid by Apex Underwriting Company is to purchase 90% of the TASE skeleton for NIS 1.8 million.More in Walla! NEWS More in Walla! NEWS
Eyal Lapidot's plan for "shaking" housing and constructionTo the full article
Expect $ 36 million in cannabis revenue
The activity that Rosenblum wants to bring to the stock exchange includes 26 cosmetics, which are already marketed under the Pnina Rosenblum brand, and cannabis products that already have been developed by the company, and may reach the market by 2020. The company projected revenue of $ 36 million from cannabis products in five years, in addition to a steady $ 3.5 million revenue from traditional cosmetics business.
In many countries of the world, especially in Europe, cosmetics and dermatology containing CBD are sold, without the restrictions on cannabis sales. This market is quite competitive today, and also fashion-dependent: there is no definitive evidence that the products do indeed have significant dermatological activity, and it is unclear how much this component will be an attraction in the sale of cosmetics in the future. In Israel, the sale of these products is still prohibited.
PRC, as it emerged from the presentation to the capital market, estimates that by 2020 it will be able to market CBD products abroad. In England, a subsidiary has been established, which has signed a manufacturing agreement with an English plant, and intends to leave England to market these products throughout Europe. The company also has a license to market its products in Canada, and it estimates that as of the end of the year, it will already have a marketing authorization in the US. By 2021, the company also hopes to sell CBD-containing foods.
An agreement with a Larry King company
As for the US market, the company has an agreement with a company called SHI, controlled by American television presenter Larry King, through which the company's products will be distributed to the third age. SHI will set up an American site to distribute these products in the US for a percentage of revenues for Pnina Rosenblum Cannabis, as well as set up an Israeli site, the profits of which will be Israeli company 30%.
Globes learned that a restraining order had been removed over the weekend against the issue of Rosenblum's cannabis activity. The application was filed by two entrepreneurs, Lior Wayne and Oren Mimoney, who demand a stake from Rosenblum's cannabis company claiming to be co-founders. The Tel Aviv court recommended that prosecutors withdraw the restraining order because their chances of admittance are low, and so they did. Attorney Benjamin Berenz and Pnina Rosenblum were represented by Pnina Rosenblum from Perl Cohen's Justice Simzer Tzeret Barz.


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2013-11-04Organised criminals and terrorist organisations are profiting from the heroin trade route in the region.
2013-10-02Experts and businesspeople suggest that Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and Macedonia merge markets.
2013-09-14Analysts agree that damages can be huge for both countries due to the trade embargo.
2013-05-17Recent trucker protests at the Turkish-Bulgarian border briefly halted trade and created long delays, drawing attention to restrictive customs and transportation policies by both sides.
2013-02-14Greece has expanded exports to Turkey as Turkish firms look to invest in its neighbour.
2012-10-29The lack of reliable infrastructure, as well as the lure of other regional options, is decreasing trade traffic between Kosovo and Macedonia.
2012-04-24Despite excellent political and diplomatic relations with countries in the Balkans, Turkey can contribute to regional stability by intensifying economic ties and investments in individual countries.
2012-03-19With almost 50% of its exports going to EU member countries, Moldova launched talks with the Union on a Free Trade Agreement.
2012-03-12China will be drinking Greek wines thanks to a multimillion-euro, ten-year trade deal signed earlier this year.
2011-12-27Tensions in northern Kosovo netted Albania a hefty slice of trade for a time this year, but Serbia has since returned to secure its place in the market.
2011-12-22Preferential trade measures and a free trade agreement with EU would give Kosovo exporters a much needed boost to compete in the European market.
2011-12-19Kosovo Minister of Trade and Industry Mimoza Kusari-Lila told SETimes that Pristina expects to start negotiations with the EU on a free trade agreement next year.
2011-12-07Bosnia and Herzegovina could lose its main export market when Croatia officially joins the EU.
2011-08-17Kosovo's reciprocity trade measures against Serbia and BiH create opportunities for other suppliers in the region.
2011-07-14Plans are in the works for a second crossing point in the southeast.
2011-02-13SKOPJE, Macedonia -- Kosovo and Macedonia signed a customs agreement on Friday (February 11th) in an effort to facilitate trade between the two count...
2011-02-08Lower prices are expected, following a government decision to abolish tariffs.
2010-08-08ANKARA, Turkey -- Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Friday (August 6th) that trade relations with Iran will continue despite recent UN sanctions....
2009-10-28LUXEMBOURG -- The Netherlands has not changed its stance on Serbia and will continue to block implementation of the EU's Stabilisation and Associatio...
2009-08-21Thursday's agreement turns Beijing into "the fourth pillar of Serbia's foreign policy", according to President Boris Tadic.
The British Embassy in Macedonia held training for 30 high-ranking officials in the security sector.


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Anti-drone death rays, net-firing bazookas to reach $1.85 billionStaff Writer | January 3, 2017
The global anti-drone market size is anticipated to reach $1.85 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research.
Against technology The increase in the adoption of UAVs
The steep rise in the adoption of drones for commercial as well as recreational purposes has increased concerns regarding aerials attack and threats.
Detection and identification of these unmanned aircraft systems have become a vital factor for the maintenance of the security. Various institutions across the world are increasingly deploying counter drone measures to address the ever-growing need for safety and security.
As UAVs become deadlier, stealthier, faster, agile, smaller, sleeker, and cheaper, the nuisance and threats posed by them are expected to grow at numerous levels, ranging from personal/domestic privacy to national security.
With that in mind, there is significant effort both in terms of money and technology being invested in the development of anti-drone technologies.
Various national security agencies across the world have started to precisely understand the potential threats from drones and increasingly considering commercial as well as consumer drones as the new major threat to the world.
It is only a matter of time before redundant and reliable methods of countering drones become mainstream and widely available. ■


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KARACHI: The rupee was almost unmoved against the dollar on the money market on Wednesday, dealers said.
INTER-BANK MARKET RATES: The rupee was unchanged in relation to the dollar for buying and selling at Rs 124.00 and Rs 124.50, while it lost 70 paisas versus the euro for buying and selling at Rs 144.00 and Rs 146.00 respectively, they said.
OPEN MARKET RATES: The national currency managed to hold overnight levels in relation to the dollar for buying and selling at Rs 121.54 and Rs 121.55 respectively, they added.
In the fourth Asian trade, major currencies were on tenterhooks on Thursday on the eve of Washington's deadline to impose tariffs on Chinese imports while the yuan held steady after the central bank this week sought to stem its recent tumble.
The euro stood little changed at $1.1661, having found firm support near $1.15 over the past few weeks despite worries about an economic slowdown and political instability in Europe. The dollar traded at 110.48 yen, off a six-week high of 111.14 set on Tuesday.
The dollar was trading against the Indian rupee at Rs 68.855, the greenback was at 4.044 in terms of the Malaysian ringgit and the US currency was at 6.641 in relation to the Chinese yuan.
Open Bid Rs.124.00
Open Offer Rs.124.50
Interbank Closing Rates: Interbank Closing Rates For Dollar on Thursday.
Bid Rate Rs.121.54
Offer Rate Rs.121.55
RUPEE IN LAHORE: The Pak rupee depreciated on buying side while it stayed unchanged on selling side in relation to the greenback in the local currency market on Thursday.
The greenback resumed trading on its overnight closing of Rs 124.00 and Rs 124.70 as its buying and selling rates, respectively. At the close, it gained 10 paisas for buying at Rs 124.10 whereas it remained firmed for selling at Rs 124.70, local currency dealers said.
Besides, the national currency failed to hold its strength versus the pound sterling. The pound's buying and selling rates rose from Wednesday's closing of Rs 162.20 and Rs 163.30 to Rs 162.50 and Rs 163.50 respectively, they added.
RUPEE IN ISLAMABAD AND RAWALPINDI: The rupee remained firm against the dollar at the open currency markets of Islamabad and Rawalpindi here on Thursday.
The dollar opened at Rs 124.30 (buying) and Rs 124.40 (selling) against same last rate. It closed at Rs 124.30 (buying) and Rs 124.40 (selling).


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ORLANDO, Fla. - Just two days before Christmas and thousands across central Florida are still shopping.
At the Premium Outlets on International Drive, shoppers made their way through the packed parking lots. Some folks were looking for nearly 30 minutes before settling for a spot across the street.
"We had to follow somebody to their car. The parking lot is pretty crazy," said shopper Sharonda Foster.
Whether folks were shopping for good sales or simply because they were procrastinating, everyone was talking about Monday's summer-like temperatures.
"It's very hot for me to be shopping on Christmas. I usually go to New York or the Jersey area for Christmas, so this is quite different," said Foster.
Last-minute shopper Nate Snell said, "It doesn't even feel like Christmas. It's 80-something degrees and I'm afraid I'm going to break a sweat."
Shoppers say sales ranged from 30 percent to 50 percent off at some stores -- savings they say was worth dealing with traffic, parking and long lines.
Snell says he waited until Monday to shop for his wife -- a strategy he says he's trying out for the first time.
"Two days before Christmas and it's crunch time. Hopefully I can find some good deals," Snell said.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Uncertainty grips international potash markets after the arrest of Uralkali's CEO
ICIS, the world’s largest market information provider in the petrochemical, energy and fertilizer space has observed continued uncertainty.
ICIS published a market insight article in early September, reviewing the recent developments leading to the arrest of the CEO of Uralkali on charges of abuse of power. ICIS views this as negative news for the potash market, which has been under pressure because of the general lack of demand since Uralkali decided to discontinue its offshore potash sales via Belarusian Potash Co (BPC).
Potash prices have tumbled by 15-20% in some markets such as South East Asia and Latin America since the breakup of the cartel. Producers are seen preparing themselves for a few tough years ahead, with high-cost producers likely to see a significant hit to their bottomlines due to prices softening. Germany’s K+S is believed to be planning a cost-cutting programme because of uncertainty in the market.
The silver lining on the production front is the commitment shown by large companies such as BHP Billiton which has announced plans of investing $2.6bn into the Jansen potash project. The mine would be the world’s largest having a capacity of around 10m tonnes/year once fully operational, with an estimated lifecycle of more than 50 years.
With news rife of Belaruskali agreeing to lower prices for shipments post September, the suspension of operations at two of its four potash mines has sent mixed signals to market participants who see it as a move aimed at lowering supply and aiding prices. Buyers across the Americas, Europe and other parts of Asia are thus waiting on the sidelines for clarity to emerge on the current and future contract prices.
ICIS has noted the impact of the depreciation of local currencies against the US dollar on demand for potash from countries in South East Asia.
Commenting on the Indian market, Deepika Thapliyal, Analyst, ICIS said, “The Indian rupee having depreciated by nearly 20% has adversely affected demand from Indian importers on account of erosion seen in purchasing power. There have been no new shipments heard over the past month. Though India has already signed contracts for the current fiscal year ending March 2014, buyers have begun renegotiating contracts and are asking for a $67-77/tonne discount to $350-360/tonne CFR on the current price of $427/tonne CFR.
What’s interesting is that in some markets in South East Asia, such as Indonesia, local prices of standard grade muriate of potash (MOP) are$25-30/tonne lower than the imported prices, partly helped by the foreign exchange differential. But even at these levels, there is little or no demand.”
China, one of the largest importers of MOP, has yet to sign import contracts for the second half of this year. The arrest of Uralkali’s CEO has led to Chinese importers delaying the signing of fresh contracts and adopting a wait-–and-see approach until the situation stabilises.
With Uralkali pursuing a volume-over-price strategy and ramping up its production to 100% capacity from 70% previously, a further decrease in potash prices is imminent. This is good news for farmers and may even spur a pick-up in demand over time, but the likelihood of this would be gradual.
What market participants are sure of, however, is that the dynamics of the sector has changed and is characterised by a slow transition towards becoming a free market, the report concluded.