text:
National Organic Standards Board proposal addresses GMO threat to organic seed
By Ken Roseboro
Published: January 28, 2019
Category: The Organic & Non-GMO Report Newsletter
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is developing a proposal to provide greater transparency to organic farmers about the corn seed they buy and to measure levels of GMO contamination in organic corn seed. The proposal “Genetic Integrity Transparency of Seed Grown on Organic Land” was first submitted by the NOSB’s Material Subcommittee last August and is in the process of being revised based on public comments.
The use of genetically engineered seeds and crops is prohibited in the National Organic Program rules. But with more than 90 percent of major field crops such as corn, soybeans, and cotton now genetically engineered, contamination of organic seeds and grain from GMO varieties, particularly corn, has been a major threat to organic farmers. Organic corn crops are contaminated by cross pollination from neighboring GMO corn fields or by commingling in grain handling. Such contamination causes organic farmers to have their crops rejected by grain buyers and suffer economic losses.
A 2014 Food & Water Watch survey of organic farmers found that five out of six responding farmers were concerned about GMO contamination impacting their farm, with 60 percent saying that they were extremely concerned. One out of every three responding farmers has dealt with GMO contamination on their farm. Of those contaminated farmers, over half had their crops rejected by their buyers for that reason.
According to Gwendolyn Wyard, vice president, regulatory and technical affairs at the Organic Trade Association, the issue of GMO contamination of organic seed has been a major topic of discussion at the NOSB since 2013.
“There has been this ongoing conversation, and it’s been really tough because we know GMO contamination is out there, and everyone agrees we want to keep GMOs out of organic. Everyone agrees that we need to do everything we can to put contamination prevention measures in place.”
The focus has been on seed contamination because “seed is the most impactful and appropriate point in the supply chain to set limits for controlling GMO contamination,” Wyard says.
Disclose purity levels, measure GMO contamination of corn seed
The genetic integrity proposal would require that organic corn seed suppliers disclose the purity level or level of GM material in their seed, choosing one of five thresholds: 0.1 percent or less GM material, 0.25 percent or less, 0.9 percent or less, 5 percent or less, and over 5 percent. Determining the different GMO levels would be based on the most current GMO testing and sampling methods.
The goal is to provide more transparency to farmers about GMO levels in seed, says Harriet Behar, NOSB Material Subcommittee chair and an organic farmer and inspector.
“We’re asking that seed meets certain levels of purity. Farmers need to know the levels of GMOs in seed before they plant it, so they can make informed decisions about who they are contracting with or what market they are going to try to sell their harvested crop to.”
Behar believes that knowing the GMO level in corn seed before farmers plant it will also help organic processors.
“There could be less rejection of harvested corn because farmers will know the GMO level in their seed, which will help them more accurately meet their buyers’ purity requirements,” she says.
She says greater transparency could lead farmers to use more organic seed. The majority of corn seed purchased by organic farmers is non-organic, and suppliers of such seed aren’t as transparent about purity levels.
The genetic integrity proposal would also require a pilot study to evaluate the levels of GMO contamination in organic corn seed nationwide.
“The pilot project would give us an idea of the level of GMO contamination in seed corn in different regions where it’s grown,” Behar says.
The NOSB proposal focuses on corn seed because it is the most at-risk to contamination from GMO varieties. Finding corn seed that is 100 percent GMO-free in the United States is difficult if not impossible.
“Corn is the main crop where organic farmers are losing their markets,” Behar says.
The proposal calls for both organic and non-organic corn seed grown on organic land to be tracked using existing organic certification documentation. Information to be collected would include whether the seed is organic or not, the state where it was grown, and the seeds’ level of purity. This information would then be compiled into a database that would be shared within the organic community.
Need more industry feedback, solved by marketplace
Reactions to the genetic integrity proposal have been mixed. Several organic industry members say they appreciate the NOSB addressing such a challenging issue, while recommending improvements.
Wyard said the proposal was the most detailed NOSB proposal on addressing GMO contamination of seed that she has seen and called it “a good starting place.”
But she says that the proposal needed to be better organized and that more feedback was needed by those most affected by it.
“We recommended that they reach out to organic and non-organic seed suppliers and other stakeholders in the supply chain.”
Kiki Hubbard, advocacy and communications director at the Organic Seed Alliance, also recommended getting more industry input to ensure that the proposal is “farmer friendly, practical and informed by meaningful dialog with all stakeholders impacted by the proposal including seed companies, farmers, and organic certifiers.”
Tom Stearns, president of High Mowing Seeds, says he is glad the NOSB is addressing the GMO threat to organic. “I’m all for transparency and testing. I think it’s necessary but it has to be practical; field corn farmers are dealing with contamination.”
Mac Ehrhardt, president of Albert Lea Seeds, is concerned that the emphasis on testing and GMO thresholds runs counter to the National Organic Program (NOP) rules.
“The NOP has always been process based certification, so now we’re going to make this one small part threshold based? Where do you draw the line?” he says.
Ehrhardt also believes the issue of seed transparency is being solved by the marketplace. His company sells “PURE” organic seed corn that is 99 percent GMO-free and “ULTRA PURE” organic seed corn that is 99.9 percent GMO-free.
“The genetic integrity proposal is sort of what we and other seed companies are doing now. But this NOSB proposal made that really complicated and put a burden on the farmer so if a farmer bought seed that wasn’t labeled, the farmer would have to bear the cost of testing. I don’t think that’s fair to organic farmers,” he says.
Behar acknowledges that many organic seed companies already test their seed for GMOs but says the proposal would require them to provide that information “up front.”
She also says that farmers face an unfair situation with GMO contamination, and that something must be done to address it.
“It’s really unfair especially considering how hard it is to grow an organic crop of corn.We need to let farmers have information so they can make informed choices. It’s not a good situation where we are right now.”
The NOSB materials subcommittee took public comments on the genetic integrity proposal until January 2nd. Behar says she will incorporate the comments before finalizing it in late February. She emphasized that she wants to receive suggestions for improvement. Her subcommittee will finalize a revised version of the proposal in February, which will be presented at the next NOSB meeting in April.


text:
Spotify is said to be in “advanced talks” to buy SoundCloud, a rival music streaming service that’s mostly known for independent musicians. SoundCloud was last valued at $700 million, but it remains uncertain how much the service will be bought for.
Spotify is undoubtedly one of the most successful music streaming services worldwide with 40 million paying subscribers as of this month. However, the Stockholm-based company is facing a lot of competition as giants like Apple and Amazon have also entered the music streaming market. If Spotify is truly planning on buying SoundCloud, this could be part of the company’s strategy to better compete with its biggest rivals, according to the Financial Times.
SoundCloud has always been a place for new artists to get better exposure. It currently boasts of a community made up of 200 million artists with about 125 million tracks. SoundCloud has the largest catalog out of any other music streaming service because it allows users to upload tracks themselves.
The problem with the service is that it has never made huge profit. In 2014, the company lost $44.19 million on revenues of $19.37 million, as pointed out by Business Insider. The Berlin-based company launched its own subscription service called SoundCloud Go earlier this year charging users $9.99 a month. Instead of offering a cheaper service meant for independent music, it tried to compete with the likes of Apple Music and Spotify by charging the same amount for a monthly subscription.
SoundCloud Go is believed to only have a few hundred thousand subscribers. The reason why the subscription service is failed is because the SoundCloud has always been known to offer millions of tracks available to stream for free.
The Financial Times’ sources said that Spotify first entered negotiations to buy SoundCloud last spring, but SoundCloud balked its asking price. Spotify considered to buy the service again sometime after investing in Twitter, but negotiations fell through.
If Spotify does end up buying SoundCloud, it would put itself above its rivals by having a much larger catalog while also providing up and coming musicians a platform to get their music distribution, according to Variety. Although Spotify has 40 million paying users, it also has 100 million free users as of June 2016. By having a large catalog of independent music, the company can finally justify its ad-supported free service and it would no longer be pressured to become a paid-only service like Apple Music.
The Financial Times’ report indicates that negotiations between Spotify and SoundCloud is nearing its end, but neither have commented on the matter. At this point, there’s still a huge possibility that the deal might not even push through.

domain: news


text:
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Now that the New Year is upon us, many people want to get in shape and some folks think their pets ought to be getting in shape, too.
So they change their dog’s food to help make that happen.
But, you need be careful what you feed your dog because some experts warn not every dog food might be good for your animal.
For most of us, dog food all looks pretty much the same so, we go by ingredient labels to tell us what’s in the food.
Veterinarians say any dog food needs certain crucial things to keep our four footed friends happy.
“You’ll have to have a protein source, most commonly beef or chicken,” says Dr. Charles Livaudais of North Hills Animal Hospital.
But dog’s aren’t solely carnivores – they need carbohydrates as well.
“It might be grains, it might be tapioca, it might be potato but it has to be something and they need fats as well,” said Livaudais.
Dog owner Charles Dean worries about certain foods like those that are grain free.
“It’s not been tested enough,” he said. “There’s results coming out now that say it could lead to heart disease and what not.”
And Livaudais says dog owners need to be cautious.
“The most common fad is grain free foods,” he said. “We have to be careful, especially in dog foods, to distinguish fads from science and there’s a lot of both out there.”
The Food and Drug Administration is warning pet owners about a potential link between grain free dog foods and a fatal form of K-9 heart disease.
It warns dog owners to be wary of any grain free pet food that lists potatoes, peas, lentils and other legumes as the only ingredients.
The FDA thinks those foods are connected to a deficiency in Taurine, an amino acid critical to the health of a dog’s heart, but no one knows for sure.
The pet food industry says it believes the FDA warning is too hasty and focuses too much on ingredients.
“More research needs to be done on that,” says Livaudais. “We don’t want to scare people unnecessarily but at the same time…it might be better to make sure your dog is getting a food with grains in it until we know more.”
The Morris Animal Foundation has been looking at the issue for years and has an online lecture about the problem and says it appears researchers getting closer to understanding how dietary taurine affects heart disease in dogs.
Veterinarians also say to make sure your pet food comes coming from a reputable source.
This link will help you begin looking at ways you can source the ingredients in your dog’s food.


text:
John Capriotti, director of athletics at Nike, is stepping down after guiding the brand’s track and field sports marketing group since 1992. He will continue to work with Nike as a consultant, according to The Oregonian.
Capriotti “will consult and continue to play an important role in our relationship with athletes,” Nike said in a statement to the newspaper.
The report also noted Craig Masback, VP, sports marketing/Greater China, Japan & Global Business Affairs, had retired; and Tim Phelan, director, sports marketing, North America, had departed.
The changes come as Nike earlier this year warned of layoffs, including about 500 jobs at its Oregon headquarters, as resources shift toward high-potential growth opportunities, including digital.
Photo courtesy Nike


text:
Game developer and publisher Square Enix just revealed the 10-month window in which Final Fantasy XV will launch.
Final Fantasy XV will launch worldwide in 2016, but Square won't release the game before March, the company announced during its Active Time Panel at Pax in Seattle on Saturday. That's because Square is planning a major Final Fantasy XV event in March, during which the company will share more about what the game will entail.
Director Hajime Tabata told IGN that Square plans to hold another Active Time Panel during the Tokyo Game Show, which runs from Sept. 17 through 20. Square will offer new details about characters Luna and Regis during the panel, but the Japanese studio won't commit to a release date until the event in March.
Around the beginning of August, Tabata said that Square would offer more details about Final Fantasy XV's launch during Pax. He told fans not to expect the game before 2016 but assured them that Square will release Final Fantasy XV before 2017.
Tabata also revealed that the next Final Fantasy game will launch at the same time across all regions, something the studio hasn't done with the in the past with "major" entries into the franchise.
"This may be something that we are a little bit embarrassed to talk about, but really, this is the first time that we've done a packaged, standalone Final Fantasy game with a simultaneous global launch," Tabata said. "So we didn't have the setup to deal with that, really."
Final Fantasy XV follows Noctis, heir to the throne of the kingdom of Lucis, as he travels to meet his betrothed. Their marriage will secure peace between two warring states, or so the Lucian people think.
However, the peace offer is just a plot to get the Lucian kingdom to lower its guard, and it works. After the imperial army overtakes Lucis, Notics, his betrothed and his father, the king, are believed to have died in the coup.
"Overnight, the dream of peace has faded into a distant memory," Square says. "His world crumbling around him, Noctis has naught but his resolve and his loyal companions to see him through the trials to come."


text:
Hyderabad and other cities in Telangana have not been able to meet minimum food safety standards. How safe is the food served by street food vendors in Hyderabad? Does the State’s capital have a proper ecosystem in terms of infrastructure, trained personnel and food testing laboratories to ensure safe food is accessible to public?
According to the first State Food Safety Index (SFSI) released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) about a month ago, Hyderabad and other cities in the State have not been able to meet the minimum food safety standards and need to do a lot more in the aspect of food safety. <<< Read More >>>


text:
‘The Bed Bugs Were the Last Straw for Us’: Starbucks Workers at the NYC Roastery Strike against Unsafe Work Conditions
Workers at the Starbucks Roastery Reserve in New York City have been striking against unsafe work conditions, including a bed bug infestation in their break rooms and mold in their ice machines.
Sou MiOctober 30, 2022
Starbucks Workers: Invest in Solidarity, Not Profits!
At the heart of the Starbucks corporation in Seattle, workers for the company protested work conditions and the retaliation which has become standard practice at stores with union campaigns.
Steve LeighSeptember 14, 2022
Starbucks Fires Joselyn Chuquillanqui in Retaliation for Union Organizing
Joselyn Chuquillanqui was fired after working at Starbucks for almost 7 years. She is just one of over 70 workers fired for organizing around the country as the company ramps up its union busting.
Luigi MorrisAugust 12, 2022
Over 150 People at a Rally to Demand Starbucks on Reinstate Austin
On Friday, July 22, a rally was organized against Starbucks union busting in front of the Starbucks at Ditmars Blvd and 31st Street in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. People rallied to reinstate Austin, who was unjustly fired and against all firings of unionizing workers.
Luigi MorrisJuly 26, 2022
Starbucks Illegally Fires Worker in Queens, New York
Starbucks has fired a union organizer at the 31st Street/Ditmars Blvd store in Queens, New York. As the company continues to union bust, the workers are continuing the fight and requesting help supporting fired workers.
Mike PappasJuly 9, 2022
‘We are the First Starbucks Union in Latin America’: Chilean Starbucks Workers Speak
Antonio Paez and Deborath Jofre, President and Secretary of the Starbucks Union in Chile, attended the Labor Notes Conference in Chicago. Here is their speech at the “Workers of the world, unite! Unions abroad take on Amazon, Starbucks, GM, and Google” panel.
Antonio PaezJune 28, 2022
Labor Notes 2022: Which Way Forward for the Movement?
Thousands of labor activists and unionists from across the country, including several members of Left Voice, are gathering this weekend in Chicago to discuss the future of the labor movement. How can we make the most of the current wave of unionization in order to build a multi-racial working class fightback?
Left VoiceJune 17, 2022
NYC Event: A Labor Movement Brews Internationally
Join us for a conversation with Antonio Páez, president of the Starbucks Union in Chile, and other unionists on why we need fighting unions.
Left VoiceJune 16, 2022
Starbucks Managers Threaten Trans Workers During Pride Month
In Starbucks’ latest union-busting attempt, managers at multiple locations have threatened trans workers with loss of trans-inclusive health benefits. Workers’ benefits will never be safe if they are kept in the hands of bosses.
Molly RosenzweigJune 14, 2022
The Kids Are Alright: Meet the 17 Year Olds That Want to Unionize Starbucks
They haven't finished high school yet, but they are already fighting to organize the first union at Starbucks in the San Francisco Bay Area. Driven by the unionization wave sweeping the country, two 17-year-olds are organizing with their coworkers through a chat called "Union Babes" and fighting the company's union-busting campaigns.
La Izquierda Diario ArgentinaMay 23, 2022


text:
Backyard Pool Sharing Trend Grows in Las Vegas Thanks to ‘Swimply’ Website
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Are you looking to earn some extra cash? Why not rent out your backyard pool when you’re not using it.
Dozens of homeowners are now participating in and benefiting from a pool-sharing trend in our area during the pandemic. All thanks to a website called “Swimply”.
If you don’t have your own pool to beat the scorching summer heat of Las Vegas, look no further.
The Swimply website allows you to dive straight into a stranger’s pool for an hourly rate with one click.
The concept is like renting an Airbnb, but it’s only for the pool.
“We have the waterfall. He has solar lights. the weather is nice and warm, ”said Jennifer Gonzalez. “Our friends and family are benefiting from it. We just make great memories with our kids.
That’s why Jennifer Gonzalez signed up on Swimply to let other people create new memories in a pool you don’t come across too often.
Gonzalez calls it his desert oasis. She says she was skeptical at first before listing her pool on the website, but now she has booked the next two weekends.
“I think it’s a really cool concept. If you work during the day you can rent your garden, you’re not there anyway, why not get some extra income, ”Gonzalez said.
For $ 100 an hour, you could enjoy Gonzalez’s uniquely constructed swimming pool and backyard, but this is just one of dozens of backyard pools available for hire in Las Vegas.
The website offers rates starting at $ 10 an hour.
Gonzalez says many of his tenants skip the day clubs that many Las Vegas hotels have to offer.
“It’s expensive, and you have a crowd of a whole bunch of people, it’s mostly your family events,” Gonzalez said. “We have couples, only the two want to use our backyard.”
The website started in 2019, but took off quickly during the pandemic, with 3,000 ads across the country in the past six months. In Las Vegas, there are currently 69 listings.
The website takes 15% of each booking for insurance. If you would like to rent your rear pool, CLICK HERE.


text:
By: Nicole Capo
You can “hack” your apartment, your cell phone, and even your life, so what’s the next big hacking frontier? According to Swedish Fortune 500 business consultant Stefan Engeseth, it’ll be the fashion industry.
Imagine minimalist, flatpack outfits that you can assemble at home. That, says Engeseth, is the fashion of the future.
“We’re already seeing some shoppers go to outdoor and living stores to buy longer-lasting clothing,” he recently explained to Style.com. “Ikea already sells reusable Kr 4 bags that are good and cheap; their clothes could be equally practical, as strong as work clothes.”
People are already buying cheap designs from places like H&M, Forever 21 and Target. Ikea-style, self-constructed clothing could make it easier to hack into the original designs to invent new styles and construct different looks out of one item. “Emotionally, this connects people to how life was in the beginning,” said Engseth.
It’s true -- in the days before commercially-produced clothing, women would select sewing patterns to design their own dresses when they needed nice outfits. Anyone who’s ever read “Little House on the Prairie” can recall the joy felt by all when Pa brought home new calico fabric for dressmaking. And clothing hacks aren’t a new concept, either. The rise of Pinterest has brought with it a seemingly endless source of ideas of how to turn that ratty old t-shirt into a pretty racerback, or make some old rags into an infinity scarf. Small boutique brands like clothkits have already caught onto the idea, so it’s only a matter of time before other major retailers pick up on it as well.
Minimalist styles are having their heyday, too. The “normcore” trend, based on the current obsession over simplistic clothing from stores like Uniqlo, has found its home among the young hipsters saddened by the oversaturation of ever-changing fashion trends. Just look at the Gap’s new “Dress Normal” campaign and you’ll know what we’re talking about.
Will Ikea-style clothing completely replace society’s love of fashion and weird design? Given the basic sewing skills we’d all have to learn to pull that off, the likelihood is pretty low. That doesn’t mean that some people won’t embrace the idea, though, and we can’t wait for all of their Etsy shops to open up so we can purchase some truly unique non-unique designs.
[Pic via Flickr - Ethan Hein]


text:
Convey Services has invited over 30,000 sales partners to Cloud Conventions 2020 which goes live from May 11-14, 2020. There will be hosting industry and business speakers, roundtable discussions, content, education and event-only financial incentives at Cloud Conventions 2020 events.
To avoid the risk and expense of travel
Qualified agents, VARs, MSPs, master agents along with vendors and IT services providers can join this event for free. Registration for Cloud Conventions is available on Monday, March 16.
“Cloud Conventions 2020 has been in the works for months, but in light of the disruption and cancellation of live shows caused by the Coronavirus, a virtual event provides an opportunity for telecom/cloud vendors to connect one-on-one with sales partners from across the country, without the risk and expense of travel.”
said Carolyn Bradfield, founder of Convey.
Additionally, vendors and sponsors will offer registered attendees special promotions like a virtual swag bag of Spiffs, gifts, and prizes. Live discussions of technology and industry trends along with new and emerging services will be held by industry speakers and session leaders.
“Cloud Conventions goes beyond what you would expect in a typical live event because we add experts in sales and marketing, growth hacking, cyber insurance, and a host of other business-related topics exclusively for channel sales partners.”
In peer discussion forums, sales partners will have a chance to interact and exchange ideas. After the live event closes, the Cloud Conventions portal will remain active. So, attendees can revisit virtual booths, watch recorded speakers, keep in touch with content and connect with sponsors and vendors.


text:
Fuji Heavy Industries is almost ready to launch new Subaru model, which is bringing some great new changes. We will represent you the new 2016 Subaru WRX.
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR CHANGES
2016 Subaru WRX is coming as refreshment, because the 2015 year model has suffered just significant redesign. Even the new model is not completely new, you should not be disappointed. New WRX will bring some great changes, especially inside the cabin. With these minor changes engineers will bring this model to perfection. The changes that the new model will suffer are related to the bumpers, lights and certain parts of interior. The new 2016 Subaru WRX will retain its current line, but like we just said, the changes will apply to the bumpers. Bumpers will be more aggressive and those will give more sporty look. There are also redesigned air intakes on the front side and slightly redesigned headlights. Headlights will look more aggressive and those will be powered with latest LED technology. There are some rumors about new side mirrors, new alloy wheels and some new exterior colors. When it comes to interior of new 2016 Subaru WRX, it will follow the main changes. Interior will be equipped with high quality materials, such as aluminum, soft plastics and chrome. It will look aggressive, sporty and luxurious. New WRX’s interior will be equipped with high comfortable seats, which will be upholstered with top quality covers that will increase the aesthetic moment and make the ride maximal comfortable. New model will feature a new Harman Kardon audio system, LCD multifunctional display, climate control, navigation system, CVT with manual option and many other functions.
2016 SUBARU WRX POWERTRAIN
When it comes to the performances of 2016 Subaru WRX, under the hood will be some changes. New model will be powered with a new turbocharged inter cooled more powerful engine. It will be 2.5 liter four cylinder engine. This engine is capable to produce 265 horsepower. There are also speculations about 2.0 liter with direct injection and output power of 304 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The model will poses six speed transmission that will be available as manual and automatic mode.
RELEASE DATE AND PRICE
Release date of 2016 Subaru WRX is expected for the end of 2015. As for the price, it is expected that it will be around $27,000.


text:
Steve Ricker spends a lot of time outdoors as director of a nature conservatory, so he's no stranger to insects.
"I've been bit by many, many, many, many bugs over the years," he said. "So it's part of the job."
Besides wearing a hat, long sleeves, and long pants, he always makes sure to use insect repellent. Consumer Reports just tested 10 repellents to see how well they protect against mosquitoes and deer ticks.
"Several of the repellents we tested contain the active ingredient DEET, but no more than 30 percent," said Kim Kleman with Consumer Reports. "And others use newer chemicals like Picaridin."
Repel spray uses lemon eucalyptus oil, another chemical. And two other products tested claim to be "all natural" -- Burt's Bees All Natural Herbal Insect Repellent and Organic Bite Blocker Xtreme.
Several brave panelists at an outside lab bared their arms to test repellents. First, the mosquitoes. The Repellent is working. Mosquitoes are avoiding the treated skin.
Next, deer ticks. Here, the tick is placed on an untreated arm and it moves right up the arm. But the arm that's been treated with repellent, as the tick approaches the treated area above the blue line, it makes a "U" turn to get away. But not all the products worked this well.
"The Burt's Bees Repellent performed the worst, offering only a fraction of the protection that the others did," said Kleman.
In the end, six products kept mosquitoes and ticks away for at least seven hours.
"The repellents we tested generally had a strong smell and left a slight residue on the skin, but testers found the Cutter Backwoods Unscented, while it had a slight smell, left barely a hint of residue," said Kleman.
And finally, another tip from Steve.
"If you wear a hat, spray your hat," he said. "It's very effective."
If you want a DEET-free repellent, Consumer Reports recommends the Natrapel 8-hour with Picaridin or, for those older than three, Repel with lemon eucalyptus.


text:
'Actual Mileage May Vary' Could Travel Far For Troubled Automakers
A court ruled Nov. 12 that a lawsuit may continue against Ford for misstating its mileage estimates of its C-MAX and Fusion hyrbid cars.
Ford attempted to dismiss the lawsuit based on its claim that the mileage estimates provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, were in part, an estimate and that “actual results may vary.” Car owners suing the automaker pointed to Ford’s media blitz that included Ryan Seacrest in Times Square with a bunch of billboards and T-shirts with the number 47 on them and “47 Challenges, 47 Days” marketing push and Facebook posts that the cars would achieve a “EPA-certified 47 mpg city and 47 mpg highway ratings for a 47-mpg combined rating” — among many other 47-branded things — when the cars didn’t come anywhere close.*
*Actual mileage did vary.
“Ford implicitly recognized that its advertising campaign was misleading,” U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas wrote in the ruling.
In their claims, car buyers who bought Ford Fusion and C-MAX hybrids wrote that the automaker’s aggressive marketing claim that the cars could achieve 47 mpg combined was intentionally misleading. The fact that they were selling their cars based exclusively on their mileage estimates didn’t help much.
“Ford’s advertisements intentionally used these false and misleading statements to demonstrate that the fuel economy of the Vehicles was superior to other hybrid vehicles in the market, such as the Prius and Camry,” lawyers wrote for the vehicle owners.
In its motion to dismiss, Ford argued that the EPA estimates were presented as estimates (OK, maybe the Facebook post is a little incriminating) and that actual results may vary, so what’s the big deal guys?
“’Your actual mileage will vary’ … is why the fuel economy figures transmitted to consumers are estimates, not guarantees, promises, legally binding offers, or warranties,” lawyers for Ford wrote in their argument.
Judges mostly rejected that claim.
The lawsuit could have reach well beyond the C-MAX and Fusion hybrids that most certainly did not achieve their mileage claims. (In 2014, Ford revised its mileage claims for those cars and mailed checks to owners to account for fuel economy discrepancies. Hyundai did the same thing for their cars.)
Despite the lawsuit, what automakers can and can’t say to sell cars is fairly opaque. According to court documents, automakers aren’t explicitly required to tell car shoppers that their “actual mileage may vary” in certain circumstances.
The EPA requires that automakers present the agency’s fuel economy estimates on window stickers, with a mandated disclosure that actual results could vary depending on how the car is driven.
But the Federal Trade Commission, which has jurisdiction over many advertising practices in the U.S., does not require a disclaimer in advertising (but, of course, outright lying isn’t a good idea), which is what Ford claimed in its motion. By including the disclaimer, the automaker should be absolved of any allegations of lying, lawyers for Ford wrote.
The ruling could reach well into Volkswagen’s pockets in their upcoming barrage of civil lawsuits regarding what constitutes “clean diesel.”
Civil lawsuits against Volkswagen claim, among other things, that Volkswagen’s claim that it was “clean” could massively backfire if courts decide that selling those cars based on their environmental impact could constitute a promise by the automaker.
In Ford’s case — at least initially — despite including a disclaimer in its advertising, the automaker may be liable for a fuel economy promise it never delivered.
More by Aaron Cole
Latest Car ReviewsRead more
Latest Product ReviewsRead more
- 28-Cars-Later "But Assemblyman Phil Ting, the San Franciscan Democrat who wrote the electric school bus legislation, says this is all about the health and wellbeing of Golden State residents. In addition to the normal air pollution stemming from exhaust gasses, he believes children are being exposed to additional carcinogens by just being on a diesel bus."Phil is into real estate, he doesn't know jack sh!t about science or medicine and if media were real it would politely remind him his opinions are not qualified... if it were real. Another question if media were real is why is a very experienced real estate advisor and former tax assessor writing legislation on school busses? If you read the rest of his bio after 2014, his expertise seems to be applied but he gets into more and more things he's not qualified to speak to or legislate on - this isn't to say he isn't capable of doing more but just two years ago Communism™ kept reminding me Dr. Fauxi knew more about medicine than I did and I should die or something. So Uncle Phil just gets a pass with his unqualified opinions?Ting began his career as a real estate financial adviser at Arthur Andersen and CBRE. He also previously served as the executive director of the Asian Law Caucus, as the president of the Bay Area Assessors Association, and on the board of Equality California. [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Ting#cite_note-auto-1][/url][h3][/h3]In 2005, Ting was appointed San Francisco Assessor-Recorder in 2005 by Mayor Gavin Newsom, becoming San Francisco’s highest-ranking Chinese-American official at the time. He was then elected to the post in November 2005, garnering 58 percent of the vote.Ting was re-elected Assessor-Recorder in 2006 and 2010During his first term in the Assembly, Ting authored a law that helped set into motion the transformation of Piers 30-32 into what would become Chase Center the home of the Golden State Warriorshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Ting
- RHD This looks like a lead balloon. You could buy a fantastic classic car for a hundred grand, or a Mercedes depreciationmobile. There isn't much reason to consider this over many other excellent vehicles that cost less. It's probably fast, but nothing else about it is in the least bit outstanding, except for the balance owed on the financing.
- Jeff A bread van worthy of praise by Tassos.
- Jeff The car itself is in really good shape and it is worth the money. It has lots of life left in it and can easily go over 200k.
- IBx1 Awww my first comment got deletedTake your “millennial anti theft device” trope and wake up to the fact that we’re the only ones keeping manuals around.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sign Up for the Dallas Business Journal Afternoon Edition Newsletter
Send this story to a friend
Dallas Stars hire Jim Lites as president and CEO
(Page 2 of 2)
The franchise will benefit from Gaglardi's experience in the hospitality business as CEO and president of Northland Properties Corp., the largest family-owned hospitality company in Canada, Lites said.
"He is used to dealing with customers," Lites said. "He comes from the right industry to understand all that needs to go into making a business successful."
Candace covers commercial and residential real estate and sports business.
- Most popular
- Omnitracs moving headquarters, 450 jobs, to downtown Dallas
- Here's the giant prize Texas could lose to California
- Dell layoffs will hit Plano office
- FedEx Office kicks off new HQ, first piece of massive $2B development
- Frito-Lay's four new flavor finalists hit shelves next month
- Southwest: Planning KCI's future already is underway
- Cowboys, other NFL teams to get extra $27 million
- End of construction along LBJ expected to jumpstart retail leasing
- Amazon unveils $10 monthly Kindle Unlimited
- Raytheon gets underway on new Richardson corporate campus


text:
Apparently there are some people who will not be happy unless all American Olympians have the American flag branded on their foreheads. Last week on America Live, Alisyn Camerota decided to discuss how “some folks” were noticing that the “famous flag-styled outfits” of the past were now replaced by “yellow shirts, grey track suits and pink leotards” in this Olympics.
Camerota and David Webb were especially upset with Gabby Douglas’ outfit. Camerota stated that “You know, Gabby had that great moment, and everyone was so excited, and she’s in hot pink — and that’s her prerogative.” Webb then stated “What’s wrong with showing some pride?” He then called the uniform choice a “kind of soft anti-American feeling that Americans can’t show their exceptionalism.” He went on to point out that other nations like China are wearing nationalistic colors and say “We’re a very nationalistic nation. But we’ve also lost over time that jingoistic feeling.”
Other than being busy singing “You’ve lost that jingoistic feeling”, one has to wonder just what Olympics Camerota and Webb are watching. For instance, Lolo Jones is wearing Red, White and Blue:
So are the Williams sisters:
The US Women’s Soccer team:
What’s next, complaining that the fencers don’t wear patriotic clothing during the match? That Michael Phelps doesn’t have Old Glory tattooed across his backside? It seems that the only ones who aren’t wearing Red, White And Blue are the Gymnasts.


text:
This Amazing 3D Printed Star Wars: The Force Awakens Stormtrooper Was the Hit of CES 2016
While it was never in doubt that the latest Star Wars movie would be a massive global success, while last week’s 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was going on the movie officially became the highest grossing film of all time. Naturally since the film opened in late December Star Wars fever has been everywhere, from toys to clothing to consumer electronics and even Star Wars labels on bags of fruit, it’s pretty much impossible to avoid just about anywhere that you go. Not that most people are complaining, it seems that Star Wars is here to stay and everyone is pretty much okay with it.
Given the hype surrounding the movie, it was a given that even CES would join in the fun and have plenty of Star Wars products and exhibits on display. But there was nothing that could beat the amazing full-scale First Order Stormtrooper that stood menacingly at the center of the exhibition floor. The polished white suit of armor was actually entirely 3D printed by science fiction costume and movie prop retailer Anovos using their in-house 3D Systems industrial 3D printers. While Anovos usually sells costumes, the Stormtrooper on display was actually a life-sized statue that was made from more than forty individual parts. The Stormtrooper looks exactly as it was in the film, from the black details down to the blaster rifle that they all carry into battle.
3D Systems is no stranger to their technology being used to 3D print movie props, costumes and small-scale models. While 3D printing has been a regularly used tool for most movie prop houses for years, because Star Wars: The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams insisted on as many practical effects as possible the movie is packed full of 3D printing. Anovos uses their 3D printers to manufacture officially licensed reproductions of the costumes and props seen in the movie, not to mention several other science fiction films.
Started back in 2009, Anovos got their start by winning a coveted license to produce Star Trek uniforms and props from the original TV series, the Next Generation TV series and all of the films. They went on to acquire more licenses for science fiction properties like Battlestar Galactica and Ghostbusters. But it wasn’t until they won the right to produce Star Wars costumes and props that the company exploded. The licensing agreement gives them access to pre-production components as well as a wide variety of reference material, which allows them to produce nearly exact reproductions of the props used in the movies.
Anovos also created a full-size statue of one of the movie’s villains, Captain Phasma, however there was a shipping error and she wasn’t able to make the event. The Stormtrooper statue was produced as a proof of concept for their new line of complete costumes that they hope will be seen at movie theaters and other promotional all over the country. There is no word if the statue on display was intended to be Finn as FN-2199 or his former ally TR-8R, but the internet meme factory would have had a field day if they had only thought to produce his crazy anti-lightsaber baton.
You May Also Like
Weta Workshop Acquires Massivit 3D Printer for Creation of Giant 3D Printed Movie Props
Massivit 3D, as its name suggests, is known for its massive 3D printers, and they’ve traveled around the world and participated in some truly fascinating projects, such as the restoration...
3D Printing News Briefs: December 2, 2018
We’re covering everything in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, from software and metal 3D printing to education and cosplay. MatterHackers is introducing MatterControl 2.0, while Digital Alloys is defining application...
3D Printing News Briefs: August 10, 2018
We’ve got some business news to start things off with in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, followed by a little research and a really cool 3D printed costume. The Department...
3D Printing News Briefs: July 24, 2018
For today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re starting with business as usual, and then moving on to some pretty interesting 3D printing projects from around the world. First up, Ultimaker...
View our broad assortment of in house and third party products.


text:
By John Saulnier, FFB Editorial Director
The Boulogne-Billancourt, France-headquartered Carrefour Group is the latest Western company to cash in chips in East Asia’s biggest and perhaps most highly competitive retail food market. Others waving goodbye or dramatically scaling back in China include Tesco and Marks & Spencer of the United Kingdom, with Germany’s Metro AG reportedly keen on selling off a majority chunk of its PRC assets. Meanwhile, Walmart remains solidly in place with about 400 supermarkets open for business, and Aldi recently inaugurated two pilot outlets in Shanghai.
Failure to respond quickly enough to China’s e-commerce boom and ever increasing demand for rapid home delivery services from mega-millions of online shoppers are among the reasons cited by market watchers for sales declines in recent years. It was not until last May, through a limited number of newly opened Carrefour Le Marche stores in Shanghai, that digital innovations applied with the support of tech giant Tencent’s WeChat smart retail payment app were implemented in earnest.
Nanjing-based Suning.com Co., which is paying cash to buy an 80% stake in Carrefour’s China enterprise announced on June 23 for RMB 4.8 billion (approximately €620 million or $698 million), figures it has what it takes to reinvigorate Carrefour sales in the PRC. The French company’s receipts slipped 10% in the PRC last year to approximately €3.6 billion, with earnings of €66 million posted before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization.
Running the nation’s third largest B2C e-commerce platform and operating a network of 8,881 stores in more than 700 cities, electronics retail giant Suning.com is allied with online commerce titan Alibaba. The arch rival of Tencent bought a 20% stake its business via a $4.2 billion investment four years ago. In 2017 Alibaba purchased a 36% stake in China’s No. 1 supermarket chain, the Sun Art Retail Group.
With a presence in the PRC dating back to 1995, Carrefour China operates 210 hypermarkets and 24 convenience stores in the country, which equates to approximately 2% of the 12,300 retail shops flying its iconic red, blue and white banner in more than 30 countries around the world. Globally, it serves 105 million customers and employs over 360,000 people.
The Carrefour Group will retain a 20% stake in the enterprise and hold two seats out of seven on Carrefour China’s Supervisory Board. At any time during a 90-day period following the second anniversary of the initial transaction, Carrefour will have the right to sell the remaining 20% to Suning.com at a price equal to 20% of the equity value determined at closing of sale of the 80% stake.
According to analysis from Lydia Ling of Citigroup Inc., Suning’s valuation of Carrefour China at 0.2 times sales posted in 2018, in comparison with the industry average of 0.8 times, is a “significant discount to peers likely due to poor financial results.”
Bloomberg News quoted Hong Kong-based Pascal Martin of OC&C Strategy Consultants sizing up the recent trend in downsizing of positions and exposure among certain European and American players in the PRC market as follows:
“The big problem for Carrefour and other Western grocery chains is that they have major challenges in their home countries and can’t afford to grow in China. In China, if you want to grow in the groceries space, you have to continue to invest capital in less developed cities.”
Aldi Tests the Water
Meanwhile, German discount chain specialist Aldi patiently waited two years before opening two outlets on June 7 in Shanghai’s Jing’an and Minhang districts. The pilot stores, which offer 1,300 products across 15 categories including frozen, can be customized and adapted specifically for the China market.
According to company’s website, this allows Aldi to “trial and test innovative retail strategies that bring better grocery shopping experiences to the local community, then nimbly adjust them according to data and feedback from customers.”
Takashimaya Calling it Quits
Elsewhere in the China’s largest city and financial hub, Japanese department store chain Takashimaya has announced that it will close its flagship outlet in Shanghai on August 25 discontinue all operations in the PRC.
According to a June 23 report published in the Nikkei Asian Review, the upscale, 40,000-square-meter store “has been losing money, and the Osaka-based company deemed a turnaround difficult as private consumption has slowed in China amid the trade war with the US. The focus of overseas operations will now shift to Southeast Asia, a region Takashimaya sees as more promising.”


text:
TAGUIG CITY –The best of Philippines’ culinary destinations were showcased in the successful 9th edition of the Philippine Harvest.
A joint collaboration of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Stores Specialists Inc (SSI), the four-day food trade fair expo at the Central Square Mall on Bonifacio High Street, Global City focused on different food destinations and local flavors across the country.
Local produce from the 40 local food exhibitors bannered in the food show included Balangay’s Best dried pusit, dilis, and dangit from Bantayan Island, Cebu, C.O.P. pili nuts from Albay province, El Union draft coffee from La Union, Oro Verde mangoes from Guimaras, Fresh Start Organics piaya from Negros Occidental, Auro Chocolates from Davao, Casa del Formaggio cheese from Negros Island, Kajuayan Coco water from Quezon, and Sweets for Ferann silvanas from Dumaguete.
“The way to promote a country is through its food, culinary tourism. You can, through Philippine Harvest, go around and taste the food from all over the country in just one place,” DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.
Farmers, fisherfolk, and farm practitioners were also invited for an interactive dialogue and local food exhibition.
“Farms now are tourist spots. More and more people want to visit farms, plant, harvest, and to experience farming. We already have accredited farms that tourists can go to and experience agriculture,” added Secretary Romulo-Puyat, formerly DA Undersecretary for Agribusiness and Marketing Regional Engagement.
Among the growing list of 52 DOT accredited agri-tourism farm camps participating in the food and farm fair are Milea Bee Farms in Batangas, and Costales Nature Farm and Forest Wood Garden in Laguna.
“We’re just really grateful to be given this opportunity to showcase what we’re doing at the farm Forest Wood Garden as well as in the resto Forest City Restaurant together to promote the food, our signature dish Pansit Kalabuko, and at the same time nakikilala ‘yung city namin, San Pablo City,” Food Wood Garden owner Myrna Katigbak-Frago shared.
SSI president Anton Huang along with diplomats from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Spain, Venezuela, France, and Nigeria graced the opening ceremonies in support of farm tourism and indigenous Philippine products.
“We have given local farmers and Pinoy ‘agripreneurs’ a channel to showcase the Philippines’ finest flavors and ingredients,” said SSI president Anton Huang.
Secretary Puyat also shared that a good number of the diplomatic corps have not been able to go around the country to taste our food and they’re so happy that they are able to finally taste the best of Filipino food which they can find in different culinary destinations.


text:
British Airways has its sights set on summer and has doubled flights between London City Airport and the Loire Valley.
It will add the extra routes to the twice weekly route from the East End to Angers, in the French resort.
The schedule launched in May 2012 and will be updated to three a week in May 2016, then four a week in June, July and August.
British Airways’ general manager commercial, London City, Luke Hayhoe, said: “With quick and convenient flights from London City Airport , France is one of the most popular countries that our customers want to visit. “So we are delighted to add new destinations, extra flights and improved schedules for next summer.”
The airline will also launch a flight route to French wine region Bergerac next May as well as adding extra services to Nice and Quimper.
Also Online: British Airways to launch flights to wine region


text: According to the FAO, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, India became the world’s biggest rice exporter in 2012. This title transcends pure statistics, and does not appear to be simply the result of the size of the country’s population. Rice is the basic element of nutrition for three billion people, concentrated primarily in Southeast Asia. Economic prosperity, survival, the stability of governments, even the continuation of entire dynasties depends on the cultivation of rice. Its cultural significance supplements its commercial and nutritional value. This combination of qualities means that India’s new supremacy is a reason for national pride. It confirms that the country has been making great strides in the long struggle against malnutrition, and in fact India has also had a surplus of wheat and corn. New Delhi lifted export restrictions in 2011, introduced three years earlier when the value of rice on the international market was so high that it drove producers to sell it abroad, depriving the domestic market. Now that the situation has improved, India can afford to start exporting again. Flooding in Thailand, the worst in 50 years, dramatically reduced the output of the world’s traditional top producer of rice. Vietnam has made progress exporting to international markets, while Myanmar has long since lost the honor of being Britain’s main supplier. International market contingencies aside, the statistics show that India seems to have solved its problem of nutritional self-sufficiency. At the very least, in its complexity – and with the admission that there are still large areas of poverty and malnutrition – the images of hunger and international assistance are starting to fade. Agricultural output has grown faster than the population in the last 50 years, despite the fact that 1.2 billion people now live in India. After the tempestuous years following India’s independence from Britain in 1947, the government dedicated substantial resources to the development of agriculture. The “Green Revolution” introduced new cultivation techniques, rationalized the use of land, improved irrigation, and therefore mitigated the erratic monsoon rains. The problems that remain are related to the slenderness of subsistence farming, the limited capacity for processing crops (only a small fraction of unconsumed fresh food gets processed), and the lack of a distribution network. Good results have been achieved, even though not without great tragedy. The availability of rice – confirmed by its exportation – should have relegated these memories to the history books.


text:
Lands, Forestry and Natural Resources Minister, Inusah Fuseini, has hinted that the law that allows foreigners export gold from Ghana would soon be amended.
"I will work to ensure that the attention of the PMMC [Precious Minerals Marketing Company] in managing the small scale [mining] sector and ensure that we sanitise that sector", he pledged.
PMMC is a government agency tasked with trading in gold, diamonds, precious and semi-precious stones locally and internationally.
He said even if government gives licenses to companies to buy gold and other precious minerals, they must not be allowed to export them.
Ghana is said to be losing millions of dollars through activities of licensed gold exporters who are alleged to be smuggling the commodity without the necessary approvals.
Chairman of Parliament's select committee on Mines and Energy, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, is alleging the exporters mostly Indians, Chinese and Nigerians buy the product from the mining sites and smuggle it out of the country resulting in huge revenue loss to the state.
Until 2004 the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) was the sole exporter of gold from Ghana but that was reviewed in 2004 allowing individuals and other private entities into the sector.
Currently there are 17 licenses issued to foreign nationals from Nigeria, China, India and other countries.
Dr. Donkor told Joy News that the policy must be reversed since PMMC has complained of dwindling revenues.


text:
Although only in its beginning stages, the global healthcare gamification market is anticipated to reach nearly $50 million in revenue by 2026, according to a Research Dive article from Yahoo Finance. Gamification represents a key opportunity for healthcare providers to diversify their revenue streams in this nascent market segment.
Gamification takes typical elements of game playing—like point scoring, competition, and the following of rules—to accomplish goals and applies them to other areas of activity to encourage engagement. In 2020, the FDA approved the first prescription video game, EndeavorRx®, for children with ADHD. A variety of other medical games are being explored, such as the use of virtual reality to manage pain and smartphone-based games to identify patients at risk of Alzheimer’s disease, with many others under development.
Subsequently, it is not surprising that a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.9% is expected for the healthcare gamification market during the forecast period of 2019-2026, going from approximately $19 million to $47 million. CAGR describes the rate at which an investment will grow if the growth rate remains the same and the profits are reinvested at the end of each year. While this type of consistent growth is generally considered unlikely, the CAGR percentage is still considered a good indicator of an investment’s potential.
According to the analysts at Research Dive, people around the world are getting more health conscious as their health is affected by the faster adoption of modern lifestyles, which includes the increased use of wellness apps to track their health data. While these factors are estimated to fuel the growth of global healthcare gamification, the analysts warn that improper use of games and high associated costs may restrict growth in the coming years.
In the same Research Dive article, it’s said that by game type, the casual games sub-segment accounted for $8 million in revenue in 2018. Casual games, which include arcade games and puzzle games with broad appeal that help monitor a user’s behavior, are expected to continue to dominate the market share during the forecast period.
By application, the Research Dive analysts predict that the prevention subsegment will prove the most popular, with revenue expected to surpass $11.5 million during the forecast period. This number is attributed to the increasing number of fitness lovers coupled with the growing usage of various health and fitness apps to compare performance, one of the key motivators behind good gamification.


text:
Cointelegraph spoke about the nonfungible token, or NFT, market with Halsey Minor, CEO of the NFT pu..
United States banking giant JPMorgan Chase has unveiled research on a quantum key distribution (QKD)..
Hot off the news that the FarmVille and Words With Friends developer Zynga will release the first no..
Upon the announcement that Francis Suarez, mayor of the city of Miami, took a $5.25 million disburse..
From video game enthusiasts monetizing their passions as shout casters to fashion influencers superc..
If you’re not keen on joining Mark Zuckerberg in the Metaverse, I have bad news for you: You’re alre..
On Friday, blockchain platform Harmony — whose mainnet runs on the Ethereum network, claiming to hav..
Skill sets gained from working on trading strategies, technology, data science and a personal passio..
In 2021, Latin America saw a soaring rise in crypto adoption among the 20 countries and 14 dependenc..


text:
Corporates and startups will form closer working partnerships in the future, as such alliances become a “strategic imperative” in the quest for innovation, a new white paper has argued.
The State of Innovation, a global study and white paper from Unilever Foundry, the partner platform the FMCG giant launched, reported that 80% of corporates believe startups can have a positive impact on a large company’s approach to innovation.
At the same time, 89% of startups believe they are able to deliver business solutions which can scale. And 46% of startups who have not worked with corporates are likely to do so in the future.
“Collaboration can no longer be viewed as an optional extra, it’s a strategic imperative,” said Aline Santos, Unilever EVP Global Marketing.
“Startups are now widely recognised as invaluable sources of innovation, fuelling growth and providing pioneering business solutions.”
The white paper predicts that physical shared working spaces will become commonplace to facilitate growth and break down barriers to collaboration.
And it highlights three important reasons for working together: learning something new (startups 88%/corporates 85%); improving efficiency (startups 81%/corporates 81%); and solving business problems in new ways that can scale (startups 89%/corporates 80%).
The future will be less about short-term “tech tourism”, involving PR-driven trips by big businesses to tech HQs and informal partnerships, than longer-term models that will see them investing in structured programmes.
Unilever Foundry predicts that startup collaboration will become a necessity for corporates over the next five years, with around four out of five corporates (79%) and startups (78%) anticipating more collaborative work in the future.
And startups believe they are up to the task, with almost nine in ten (89%) claiming they’re able to deliver business solutions which can scale.
The notion of partnership was emphasised by Kristy Vance, Unilever’s Global Director/Media Insights, who told the ARF Annual Conference that the key to short- and long-term success rests with “the team behind the tool”. So, at Unilever, a new piece of technology or a new kind of product is only a starting point. “What’s really important,” Vance explained, “is that team or that person behind an idea.
“We really do see ourselves as partners: If we believe in you and you believe in us, then we’ll help you. And you’ll help us along the way.”
If you want to learn more about how we can help, you can reach out to us for a conversation and assessment of your unique digital context. firstname.lastname@example.org
Data sourced from Unilever Foundry; the Advertising Research Foundry (ARF), WARC and additional content by WQA staff.


text:
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (April 30)—Unique Fabricating Inc. has completed its purchase of R/O Manufacturing Corp., a competitor in the custom design, die-cutting and fabrication of non-metallic parts for the automotive market. Terms of the agreement were not released. The acquisition expands Unique's line of sealing, NVH and insulation products for air, water and sound applications. Unique will consolidate R/O's nearby Auburn Hills, Mich., operations into those at its five plants, said President Doug Stahl.
Unique Fabricating acquires competitor R/O Manufacturing
Rubber & Plastics News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].


text:
“Leaf & Petal is just a miracle,” proprietor Jamie Pursell said. “I don’t even know how it works. It has grown into something so much bigger than me.”
Jamie made those remarks in 2019 after being named the Gold Alabama Retailer of the Year for his sales category.
He and his 52-person staff operate three Leaf & Petal garden centers in Mountain Brook Village, Cahaba Heights and at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham, plus a Deal Depot discount store on Summit Boulevard. The centers sell indoor/outdoor plants, containers, birdbaths, windchimes, statuary and garden décor, as well as local arts and wares, gourmet foods, furniture, home décor and more.
“We are so blessed to have wonderful employees working for us,” said Jamie. “We are so blessed to have loyal, wonderful customers who come to see us season after season.”
“Leaf & Petal is actually older than I am,” said Jamie, who is 42. The business began in 1974. “It was part of a larger regional franchise that went from North Carolina down to Alabama. My family bought the business in 2005,” he said, adding at that time the only location was at 2817 Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook Village. The Pursell family added a Summit location and the gift shop at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in 2007.
Jamie learned much about business from his dad, Taylor Pursell. “I once asked him how to respond if a customer returns a dead plant, and it is the customer’s fault it died. He asked me how many dollars’ worth of dead plants I thought customers tried to seek refunds or replacements for each year. I gave him my answer, he laughed, and said the number is ‘immaterial.’ He emphasized the lifetime value of a loyal customer and how unwise it is to ever risk losing one over a trivial matter, such as a dead plant.”
In 2013, while Jamie was traveling with his wife in London, he was inspired to create a new garden center development in Alabama with a restaurant component like those common in the United Kingdom and Europe.
“We toured several garden centers over there,” he said. “We really enjoyed the experience of having food, coffee, tea amongst the flowers at these garden centers.
“While I wanted to have a food component, I didn’t want to have to learn a whole new business,” Jamie said. “Networking through friends and some relationships I already had, I partnered with a couple of other businesses in town that were looking to expand as well, and now we have a restaurant neighbor on either side of our newest garden center,” which opened in 2018. The businesses share a lot with 101 parking spaces. “Just having the additional space and additional parking has really allowed our business to grow.”
Ralph and Jennifer Yarbrough’s Crestline Bagel and Becky Satterfield’s El ZunZún are the book-end restaurants on the Leaf & Petal campus in the Cahaba Heights neighborhood of Vestavia Hills.
We “wanted to create a situation where his customers and our customers had an increased experience,” said Ralph. “We wanted the Crestline Bagel customers to have a beautiful place to sit in our outdoor dining or in Leaf & Petal’s greenhouse. Jamie wanted his customers, when they’re shopping, to be able to come over and get a cup of coffee or get something to eat. While you shop for plants and flowers, your kids or your spouse can have lunch or breakfast.”
Jamie said, “The integration with the restaurants really makes the location in Cahaba Heights special.” The shared space has worked well for all three businesses. “It’s working better than we could have hoped for,” he said.
While the Mountain Brook and Birmingham stores have small footprints, the Cahaba Heights location is massive and includes a 3,500-square-foot gift shop and 4,000-square-foot greenhouse that was designed to double as an event space.
Besides meetings, the space also lends itself to social gatherings. There’s even been a few proposals and four or five intimate weddings amid the flowers and plants in the greenhouse. Going forward though, Jamie says he’s out of the wedding business.
“Our greenhouse has been a popular venue during the pandemic, because it is so large and open with excellent airflow–much like being outdoors,” he said. “The event venue has been booked pretty much normally since the fall of 2020.”
Other than the Botanical Gardens location, which was required to close for 90 days, from mid-March to June 2020, Leaf & Petal’s business increased during the pandemic.
By the first of April 2020, customers, who wanted to get outside and garden, swarmed to the other stores. “We couldn’t source enough edible plants to fill the demand,” said Jamie. “It seemed like everyone, my wife included, decided that they wanted to try growing more herbs, vegetables, and/or fruit while at home.
“Unfortunately, the supply is still having a hard time catching up with demand in the edibles category,” he added.
Being able to spread the Botanical Gardens employees among the open stores in those early months, helped fill in gaps left by employees who separated because of age, health concerns and other reasons, said Jamie. The dedicated Botanical Gardens team members “ended up being essential in having enough employees to make the stores run during the increased demand for plants and garden goods we saw in the spring of 2020,” he said.
“Challenges provide opportunities to serve one another and make connections stronger.”
Besides his employees and customers, Jamie credits the Birmingham Chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization for much of the growth and success of Leaf & Petal. “They know my business, inside and out,” he said of the small group of local entrepreneurs who bounce ideas and challenges off each other. “They’ve helped me go through challenging times.”
In early 2020, Jamie followed a fellow EO member in bringing on a corporate pastor as an additional resource to be there for any of his 52 employees who may be dealing with one of life’s many challenges, whether it be in the area of finances, relationships, grief, substance abuse, children or anything else. Coincidentally, the pastor’s first day to address the Leaf & Petal team was Tuesday, March 17th, 2020 – the day after Leaf & Petal’s store at the Botanical Gardens was closed due to COVID along with most schools throughout the state and nation. “The 52 people who work at Leaf & Petal are more than just employees,” Jamie said, adding he wanted to support them with more than just a paycheck. “During our weekly team meetings, the pastor is there for our employees to talk to, if they want to talk,” he said.
The other six business owners in Jamie’s EO “Forum,” “learn as a team,” he said. “I can’t imagine doing business without them.”
Number of Employees
My dad, Taylor Pursell. He has always had such great advice to share from all his business experience, especially when it comes to dealing with people.
Taking the risk and spending the money to build the big new store in Cahaba Heights.
Our close partner, The Friends of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, had to cancel their largest annual fundraiser, The Birmingham Botanical Gardens Spring Plant Sale, because of the pandemic. Because many of the plants had already been grown, they generously offered to just give them to us. Instead, we decided to sell their plants at our Deal Depot location and give 100% of the proceeds back to the Gardens. We were able to generate about $25,000, salvaging a portion of the sale. Strong relationships became especially important during the pandemic, and I learned that challenges provide opportunities to serve one another and make connections stronger.
Do everything within reason to retain the wonderful people that make your company run. The main reason Leaf & Petal has been able to continue to grow after so many years in business is that it has an amazing core team of veteran employees at each location. Having lots of veteran employees lends itself to maintaining a strong culture and the ability to improve and execute the company’s systems well.
MEMBER SINCE 2005: Leaf & Petal has garden centers in Mountain Brook Village, Cahaba Heights (pictured) and at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham, plus a Deal Depot discount store on Summit Boulevard. Visit leafnpetal.com to learn more.
This article is the cover story of the July 2021 Alabama Retailer
MORE ON THIS RETAILER


text:
Before releasing a cryptocurrency startup, you need to establish a strategy. A business strategy outlines each and every one aspects of a international, from its mission statement to its desired goals and admin. It also incorporates marketing strategies. With no business plan, a cryptocurrency startup is likely to be an unsuccessful investment. To make the procedure easier, coming from outlined several steps to observe in the creation of a strategy. Here are a few of the very www.technoprobiz.com/industry-transformation-process-step-by-step-check-list/ crucial steps to consider.
Blockchain-based startup companies are thriving in the U. S., powered by increasing demand for digital money and excitement over the future of blockchain technology. Venture capital investment in crypto startup companies has gone coming from a few million dollars in 2015 to over US$6 billion by simply 2021. A recent report by CB Information shows that New York is home to the largest and many well-funded cryptocurrency startups in the U. S., including Coinbase Ventures.
Additional successful startups include Bitsika, a blockchain-based payment app that offers immediate money transactions, and Bitsika, a decentralized exchange that lets users invest in intelligent contracts. Bitsika plans to close a Series A funding rounded by the end of 2021. Other cryptocurrencies can also be making big splashes inside the fintech world. But what draught beer all about? How should these startup companies compare to Coinbase? Here are some ensuring ideas.
Bitcoin is close to an perfect high, and a growing number of crypto start-ups happen to be proving that they may turn tiny resources in highly successful enterprises. The crypto sector is encountering a period of volatility, and a growing number of start-up companies are producing headlines with bumper funds injections. FTX, a leading crypto exchange, raised even more than $800 , 000, 000 in January. The company has become valued for over $32 billion.


text:
Identity thieves have hit Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in a massive data breach that includes credit card numbers, names, and addresses, according to reports
The company says it found malware on its systems which was used to pinch the data from its retail and service locations. The gang did not make off with PINs, the company said in a statement.
Hard Rock said it uncovered the attack on April 3rd and the affected card transactions were between September 3rd 2014 and April 4th of this year. Skimmed transactions were at its restaurant, bar and retail shops. The casino and hotels were unaffected.
Point of Sales malware is becoming more sophisticated and successful at stealing vulnerable magnetic stripe data from US credit cards.
The fresh attack, similar to those at Target and Home Depot highlight two issues.
The first is that the U.S. still used insecure magnetic stripes to process transactions. The rest of the world has moved to highly secure chip and pin technology. The delayed move to the new technology is because fraud losses have tended to be small relative to the massive investment to migrate to the new technology. Yet individual cardholders are now feeling the pain of this decision as cyber-criminals perpetrate large scale card skimming that takes advantage of this known vulnerability.
The second issue this highlights is why it took a full month for Hard Rock to notify the public. The size of the data breach is massive and the earlier those affected know about it the better they can protect themselves. Some states have enacted mandatory data breach disclosure laws and it seems in this case they would have helped victims. Hard Rock has very little excuse for not promptly notifying customers affected, who now will have suffered greater loss as a result of the delay.


text:
There needs to be a real analysis about the results of global trade agreements, but for some the sanctity of trade relationships have become tantamount to a religion, Sen. Jeff Sessions says.
Speaking on the Senate floor Monday, the Alabama Republican highlighted the decline in American’s real hourly wages, median incomes, and shrinking middle class — arguing that while big government policies have had a big impact, so too have trade deals.
“It is time to begin a vigorous analysis of our conduct of trade,” Sessions said. “Do our policies and TPP concede too much to our mercantilist competitor allies?”
According to the Alabama lawmaker, there has not been enough consideration of the impact of trade agreements on the American worker and American incomes — so long as consumer prices decline with the deals.
“At bottom, we must ask whether or not our aggressive trading partners, using a mercantilist philosophy, may be gaining unfair advantage. These countries—good nations, good allies—are not religious about free trade,” Sessions said. “In general, while they assert their desire is for expanded free trade, their actual policies seek fewer U.S. exports to them using non-tariff as well as tariff barriers. Our trade competitors use currency manipulation, subsidies, and other actions to expand their exports to us. Their goal is, naturally, to seek full employment in their countries while exporting their unemployment to the United States.”
The lack of questioning and concessions from trade agreement advocates, Sessions said, acts almost as a religion.
“This refusal by many to acknowledge the mercantilist policies of our trading competitors has gone, it seems to me, from promoting healthy trading relationships to an ideology, even to the nature of a religion,” he said.
Sessions pointed out that while he too is in favor of less expensive products and has voted for trade agreements in the past, the trade deal before Congress is unsettling to him.
“Conservatism is not an ideology. It is a cast of mind. It lives in the real world. And certainly the real world is not working so well for Middle America today. Their financial status continues to decline. The conservative thing to do is to avoid dramatic and sudden changes that destabilize families and communities further—not to accelerate problems that exist,” the Alabama lawmaker argued.
He continued, pointing out the practical nature of capital versus workers — namely that workers are less mobile.
“So when a company closes its plant in the United States, and shifts production to a lower-wage country, the company may make more money but the workers, and their communities—who cannot move overseas—suddenly don’t have jobs. They are hurt.” he said. “Of course we cannot stop the effects of globalization. But we can work for trade agreements that create a more level playing field against our good but mercantilist trading partners.”
Overall, Sessions concluded trade agreements should benefit the American people.
Any trade agreement we enter into should have a mutually beneficial economic impact on all parties to the agreement. It must not have the effect of continuing or furthering the decline of manufacturing in the United States. It should seek to end trade unfairness and to increase, not reduce, wages in the United States. We can no longer afford to lose a single job to an unfair trade deal. Not one.
The problem, he stressed, however, is the fast-track proposal before Congress would essentially result in a rubber stamp for any end trade treaty over the next six years.
But the fast-track procedure ensures that any trade deal yet-unseen can pass through Congress with a minimum of actual scrutiny. After years of soaring trade deficits, shouldn’t we apply more scrutiny to trade agreements—not less? Are we afraid to ask tough questions? Take the issue of currency manipulation: this president has refused to confront this practice that provides a clear advantage for certain foreign countries. His negotiators have refused to put any provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.


text:
The Latest: Trump warns of costs for outsourcing jobs
3:35 p.m. President-elect Donald Trump is warning that companies are not going to leave the United States anymore "without consequences. It's not going to happen.
Scientists building the next generation of technology for the logistics industry
Rustogi, a former senior lecturer of statistics and operatio...
Nestle touts new technology to reduce sugar in chocolate
Nestle, the world's largest packaged food group, said it had made a scientific break...
Novel wound-healing technology developed
Researchers at WSU in the US used an antibiotic in combination with the electric current to kill all of the highly persistent Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 bacteria in their samples.
Demonetisation: How technology came to the rescue of Bengaluru
The day demonetisation hit, Bengaluru saw a surge in signage for digital payments and a large percentage of the businesses moving to digital payments.
Ignitho Technologies to expand activities in frugal innovation space
Frugal innovation from India is starting to make a difference to western enterprises and Ignitho is already one of the early movers in this space.
IRCTC to upgrade technology to promote more cashless transactions
IRCTC is involved in digitising financial transactions on various fronts like booking of train and flight tickets and monthly season tickets.
Pizza Hut to outsource delivery riders
Restaurant chain, with a 7 per cent YoY decline in its same-store sales for the quarter ended June, will no longer deliver pizzas through its own employees.
Buy Lumax Auto Technologies Ltd. target Rs 650 : Vikas Sethi
The company has a pretty healthy balance sheet with low or negligible debt, pretty high return ratios, high margins and is expected to grow at a very good pace
Pizza Hut outsources delivery riders
For the April-June '16 quarter, Yum reported a decline of 7 per cent year-on-year same store sales, indicating that consumption slowdown continues.
New technology to make construction vehicles greener
London, Nov 26 (IANS A technology that may make future construction vehicles -- which waste a lot of fuel by remaining on full power while idle -- more fuel efficient with electrical systems is being developed, new research suggests.
Post-demonetisation, payment and financial technology scramble for talent
Paytm, MobiKwik, PayU, Freecharge, ItzCash and other digital wallet cos have been hiring people in key leadership positions, top company officials and search firms said.
Buy NIIT Technologies, target Rs 422 : Sharekhan
Buy NIIT Technologies Ltd. at a price target of Rs 422 and a stop loss at Rs 396 from entry point
Buy Hexaware Technologies, target Rs 212 : Sharekhan
Buy Hexaware Technologies Ltd. at a price target of Rs 212 and a stop loss at Rs 186 from entry point
It is a buy zone right now: Anugrah Srivastava, Founder, Smallcase Technologies
ET Now-Smallcase Market Mood Index exactly tells you when others are greedy or fearful. So it is a sentiment index which is used to predict market tops and bottoms and it is based on various components.


text:
But to others, he is an unlikely celeb figure – who is now the sexy face of booming underwear trend.
An ever-growing line of products is paying tribute to the tubby tyrant with a penchant for food, rockets – and lots and lots of ladies thongs.
The North Korean communist dictator is barely a day out of the headlines around the world as he bids to nuke the United States and Japan.
At times Kim seems to be vying for media attention with the other Kim of "Keeping up with the Kardashians" fame.
Not surprisingly, back in North Korea he has a cult-like following – though mostly through brainwashing and a fear of being dispatched to a forced labour camp.
His fan base go weak at the knees at the sight of his fulsome figure, signature hipster hairdo and designer specs.
They go wild over images of his signature pose of pointing at things or viewing his latest Bond villain project through binoculars.
And it seems Kim-mania is spreading like wildfire with the Internet awash with Jong-un tribute products.
Saucy thongs from a number of online outlets sporting the Supreme Leader himself on the crotch.
Some are designed for women while others are designed for male "Kimbelievers" so they can have the sex-mad leader's face grinning over their smuggled budgie when it's rumpy-pumpy time.
Socks and sweaters bear alarming all over prints of the despot's podgy visage.
There is even a "Kim Jong-un belovesie", an "all over" print hooded jumpsuit is yours for a bargain £89 from designer clothes brand Beloved.
So much so that he is believed to have ballooned to more than 21 stone in the past few years – as his sanction-hit people's food supplies dwindle.
As reported, a restaurant in Britain, serving dog meat soup, pine-nut gruel and other North Korean grub, is to open under his brand.
For Kim hungry fans there are a range of Jong-un aprons, transfers for cakes, special plates and cutlery.
For the more active, there are skateboards while action figures and statues can take pride of place in any Kimbeliever's home.
Computer games paying tribute to the man can also be bought.
Kim-mania merchandise almost matches the line of Putin themed products.
The Russian strongman has been immortalised in a series of action figures while calendars of him in romantic and masculine poses sell out.
There's even a cologne bearing his brand.


text:
NADA Urges Dealers to Ask Senators to Sign Shaheen Auto Credit Letter
WASHINGTON, D.C. — While a lot of attention has been focused on the restructuring of domestic auto manufacturing, the National Automobile Dealers Association is urging the Obama administration to focus on the severe impact of the credit crisis on dealers and the urgent need for floor plan credit.
To help draw attention to the situation, NADA said it is working with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a member of the Senate Small Business Committee, to have senators sign a letter asking President Barack Obama to expand availability for auto credit and provide specific policy recommendations.
"Call your senators and urge them to sign the ‘Shaheen Auto Credit' letter," urged David Regan, NADA vice president of legislative affairs.
"Tell your story so senators understand the problems with accessing retail credit and credit to purchase inventory from automakers," Regan continued. "Explain the impact on jobs and the community. Explain how dire the situation is and that unless action is taken soon, many more dealers will have to close their doors."
John McEleney, NADA chairman, added, "Without retail credit and floor-plan loans, even well-capitalized dealers can be out of business in a matter of days. In particular, preserving floor plan lending is essential to keeping dealers in business and purchasing new vehicles. The auto industry cannot recover until the retail credit and floor plan problem is fixed."
New Mexico dealer Bob Cockerham testified March 19 before the Senate committee on how credit problems are crippling dealers throughout the country. He represented more than 400 dealers.
"We don't have months, we have days before more stores close," noted Cockerham.
Senators can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. The deadline for senators to sign the letter is 12 p.m. EST, Friday, April 3.


text:
Goods (few) and Services (many) Eligible for Importation to the United States from Cuba's Nascent Private Enterprise Sector
The "Cuentapropista Importation List" itself (technically known as the U.S. Department of State Section 515.582 List), is currently more a "list of exceptions" to the list of importable goods than a list of permissions (see below). On the bright side, the list of "importable" services is much more open-ended. A helpful Fact Sheet is also available at the DOS site.
Here is my favorite Q&A from the FAQs sheet:
Q: Will the Cuban government allow independent entrepreneurs to export to the United States?
A: We cannot predict what the Cuban government will or will not allow, but we sincerely hope that it makes this and other new opportunities available to Cuba's nascent private sector. This is another measure intended to support the ability of the Cuban people to gain greater control over their own lives and determine their country's future.
Indeed, the ball is now in Raúl's court and we will see if he can take this preliminary "yes" for an answer.
Mimi Whitefield has a good write up on the new list at the Miami Herald: "New import rules for Cuba represent historic change." Despite the hopeful title of the article, Whitefield does not ignore the unfortunate, "underwhelming" caveat that this opening is riddled with exceptions:
"But forget the artisanal cigars, home brew or even refurbished vintage cars. Tobacco, spirits and machinery are among the exceptions not eligible for import under the new rules.
"Prepared food and beverages, textile and textile articles and animal products also aren’t eligible for import, cutting out important potential sales opportunities for Cuba’s cuentapropistas, the self-employed. For the record, imports of live animals, vegetables, chemical and mineral products, electrical equipment, telecom parts, articles made from nickel, zinc, copper and other non-precious metals and mechanical appliances aren’t permitted either.
"Items that aren’t on the list of exceptions may be imported."For me, the three big takeaways are:
1. The list is purposely a "negative" one meaning that instead of listing what is permitted in exhaustive detail (as the GOC does with its list of licensable self-employed occupations), the DOS only lists what the exceptions are - hoping that this approach sends a message to Cuban entrepreneurs that they should use their imaginations, be encouraged to be creative, and think outside the box.
2. However, a big problem is that all imports into the U.S. are subject to tariffs and those from Communist countries like Cuba even more so, plus there are tons of things that remain off limits as indicated in the quote from Whitefield's article above. This part is quite disheartening. Along with the fact that agriculture is more or less off the table (for now). American companies may advocate for the ability to sell their wares and foodstuffs to Cuba, but few are demanding the right of Cuban entrepreneurs to compete as sellers in the U.S. market.
3. There is much more space in this opening for "importable" Cuban services and even products produced by Cuba's new non-agricultural co-operatives (note the "entities" language in the list). Also, those returning from Cuba to the U.S. with goods can go beyond the previously established $400 limit as long a the other goods were acquired from the private sector (and under a $800 total since that's when steep tariffs would kick in).
So while important in making a historic crack in the wall of the U.S. embargo, challenging the Cuban government to respond by broadening and deepening its initial micro-enterprise reforms between 2010-2014, and facilitating some trade with Cuba's emergent private sector, this is still quite a small, symbolic step that will have little impact on the ground in Cuba in the short term.
This is due to (1) the Cuban government's continued monopoly over imports and exports and (2) the limited authority the Obama administration has vis-a-vis trade since much of the economic embargo (and tariff restrictions for imports) remain in place preventing full engagement with Cuba's emerging private sector.
One silver lining is that the DOS sees this as a "living document" that they expect to expand over time as they get feedback from Cuba's private sector.


text:
Christie Dedman/News Staff
Trussville will have a free Coffee with a Cop event from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. this Wednesday.
The police chief Don C. Sivley will be there as will other Trussville police officers to discuss concerns, community issues etc.
The event will be at the Burger King on Chalkville Mountain Road across from Kmart.
Again the coffee is free.


text:
Pure Foods Low Carb Markets Says Show Us Your Lab Reports Or Your Product Will Be Taken Off Our Shelves
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Pure Foods, LLC announced today that following recent news reports by KCBS and KNBC in Los Angeles revealing that some low carb manufacturers nutritional values were inaccurate on their labels, Pure Foods is requesting lab reports from all manufactures to confirm the nutritional information on their labels.
"After the recent news reports that Low Carb Emporium bagels and Fabes muffins listed incorrect carbs on their labels, our business has decreased over 40%. Our customers tell us they are worried and wondering what other labels are incorrect. We see no choice but to demand this information from each manufacturer or pull their products from our stores. I would think the lab reports should be readily available to send to us. We are giving manufactures 30 days from today to comply with this request" said Pure Foods, LLC Co-Founder Stephen A. Bikoff.
"When a customer shops at Pure Foods they will know we are looking out for them and can produce lab reports at their request. It's a disgrace that a few companies have misinformed customers and retailers and now our loyal customers are questioning the rest of the low carb products in our stores," said Bikoff.
Pure Foods, LLC owns low carb markets in Beverly Hills & Santa Monica, CA with 1 new location opening each month in California. The company projects 20 stores by the end of next year.
For further information, please contact Shawn Weiss, Director of Communications of Pure Foods, LLC, +1-310-285-3651, [email protected].


text:
Orange mulls flagship stores
French mobile operator Orange is looking at staking a claim on local soil, via branded flagship stores, as it looks to expand its presence and brand in SA - a market it has tagged as its most important in Africa.
"Orange is looking into the possibility of opening its own Orange branded flagship stores, as well as the possibility of partnering with existing retailers to establish a presence in their stores," says Orange Horizons Orange MD S'ebastien Crozier.
This comes after about a year and a half of the French company evaluating and interacting with the local consumer market through its online presence and mobile offerings - primarily for travellers - which it has sold through a limited brick-and-mortar presence at Nashua Mobile stores since June last year.
In April, however, when Nashua Mobile announced it would be closing its doors, it was clear the retail partnership would not be sustainable. For now, Orange has what it calls "Orange Corners" in Nashua Mobile stores in Sandton (Johannesburg), Brooklyn (Pretoria) and Canal Walk (Cape Town).
Crozier says the company is now looking to other potential partners in SA's main cities. "We plan to open the first Orange store in the Western Cape in the 4th quarter of 2014, or the first quarter of 2015."
He says, while Orange does not plan to open many branded stores, "they are of interest to us, especially as the range of products we offer is constantly expanding". The stores will provide a point of presence for hands-on customer service, to supplement what he says has been a successful online platform.
While Orange has said the local environment is not currently suited to facilitate Orange's ultimate ambition - that of becoming a fully-fledged mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) - the telco has been slowly edging in on the market and trying to increase brand awareness.
In November last year Orange started a WiFi initiative with travel agency African Eagle, one of the major inbound tour operators in Southern and Eastern Africa.
While the company has not officially marketed its new WiFi foray, Tom Wright, corporate press officer at Orange, has alluded to a pilot WiFi project. At the time, Wright said WiFi was the operator's next big challenge in SA, and that work was ongoing.
In April Orange opened a local warehouse, in Johannesburg's Sunninghill suburb, to support the sales of products from its online store.
Crozier said previously that Orange, which has operations in 16 other African countries already, would focus on WiFi services and on eventually becoming an Internet service provider in SA.


text:
A forthcoming WhatsApp delayed business message reply fee will likely increase the chances of encouraging good customer service…
That’s right. WhatsApp, long-planning to open new revenue streams, is looking at one particular and peculiar place to earn some money. For some time, the company has been working on ways to monetize its platform. To that end, it’s introducing a programming kit for businesses which makes it easier to use the app for customer messaging and support.
It’s a great way for people to learn more about certain products and service on-the-fly. And, since WhatsApp claims over 1.5 billion active users, its makes sense to create various forms of revenue through different services.
WhatsApp Delayed Business Message Reply Fee Planned
But, that business-related programming kit isn’t free. The company will charge a “fixed rate” to notifications passing through it and more. However, it doesn’t stop there. More interestingly, it’s also going to charge businesses if they don’t respond within 24 hours. This certainly is an inventive way to earn extra revenue while promoting good customer experience.
Of course, this means businesses are incentivized to responding to queries in a timely manner. If they don’t a fee is charged. Since WhatsApp hasn’t proved a cash cow for parent company Facebook, this is a clever way to bring in a little cash while not imposing on everyday users. (The company dropped its $1 annual fee two years ago, in 2016.)
WhatsApp is currently testing the system with 90 large companies, including Uber, Singapore Airlines, and Wish. Read more about its business tools here.


text:
Nothing says "zombie killing" like "boobs".
By Tim Colwill on January 16, 2013 at 11:51 am
Overnight, Deep Silver announced a limited edition of Dead Island: Riptide and revealed that it would come with, among other things, a “grotesque take on an iconic Roman bust”. Or, in other words, a statue of… some boobs. In a bikini. With a bunch of skin flayed off.
This naturally drew the ire of basically everybody who saw it, and Deep Silver have now issued an apology for the statue, saying “For the limited run of the Zombie Bait Edition for Europe and Australia, a decision was made to include a gruesome statue of a zombie torso, which was cut up like many of our fans had done to the undead enemies in the original Dead Island.”
“We sincerely regret this choice. We are collecting feedback continuously from the Dead Island community, as well as the international gaming community at large, for ongoing internal meetings with Deep Silver’s entire international team today. For now, we want to reiterate to the community, fans and industry how deeply sorry we are, and that we are committed to making sure this will never happen again.”
Genuinely poor judgement, or calculated marketing stunt? We may never know.