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Weekly Investment News and Analysis
Please see what we’ve been reading in technology and ESG related investing this week. Please feel free to send us what you’ve found interesting.
Latest Invesment News
Invesment News in the Past Weeks
Last week, the stock market performed better in the latter half, as S&P 500 and Nasdaq rebounded from key tests Thursday morning, and went on to top resistance on Friday. Dow Jones ened the week up 1.75%, S&P 500 was up 1.9%, and Nasdaq was up 2.6%, 10-year US Treasury yield rose to 3.96%, after falling by 11 basis points Friday. Chip designer Arm intends to list in New York. Instacart’s revenue and profit climbed ahead of a potential public listing. Twitter’s revenue, adjusted earnings fell about 40% in month of December. Tesla wants to grow car sales from 1.3 million in 2022 to 20 million. Fisker shares rocketed up 30% as the EV maker sees potential for profit and strikes a ‘game changer’ deal for charging stations. Salesforce shares jumped 15% despite a weak revenue forecast. Meta unveiled a new large language model that can run on a single GPU, the Company also plans four new AR/VR devices in next four years. Elon Musk’s bid to implant brain chip into humans was reportedly rejected by the feds over safety risks. U.S. House panel approved a bill giving Biden power to ban TikTok. Amazon is letting employees use their stock to finance home purchases and even second homes. Visa and Mastercard are reportedly pressing pause on new crypto partnerships in the wake of stunning industry collapses. In Canada, CGI announced its intent to repurchase 3.34 million of its shares held by CDPQ. Northleaf Capital Partners has held the final close of its latest private equity fund, pulling in US$675 million. Shopify built Indigo’s new website in three days following ransomware attack. Canada is removing TikTok from government-issued devices. Sophic Client UGE achieves notice to proceed milestone for rooftop community solar project in Queens, New York. Sophic Client LuckBox’s CEO, Thomas Rosander did a short interview on innovation in esports betting.
Last week, Dow Jones Industrial dropped 3% in its fourth straight weekly loss, S&P 500 lost 2.7%, and Nasdaq fell 3.3%. The US 10-year Treasury yield was up 12 basis points to 3.95%, its highest level since Nov. 10, and up 62 basis points from the recent stock market peak on Feb. 2. Venture capital firms raised US$20.6 billion for new funds in the fourth quarter, a 65% drop from the same period the year prior and the lowest fourth quarter capital raise since 2013, The Wall Street Journal reported. KKR-backed BMC plans IPO valuing it at up to US$15 billion. Shared micromobility giant Lime reports first profitable year, tests the waters for IPO. DOJ preps antitrust suit to block Adobe’s US$20 billion Figma deal. Nvidia shares rose nearly 9% despite precipitous declines in revenue and earnings per share compared to last year, as investors seemed relieved that the results weren’t worse. Block’s Cash app grows to 51 million users. Coinbase revenue falls 75% as trading slumps. Tesla rival Lucid’s stock slides 10% after it says it’ll make fewer electric cars than expected this year. After cutting 11,000 jobs last fall, Meta is reportedly set to execute what could be another major round of layoffs as it tries to trim expenses. Tencent is in talks with Meta to sell its Quest 2 virtual-reality headset in China. Microsoft limits Bing chat to five replies to stop the AI from getting real weird. Netflix cuts subscription prices in over 30 countries. In Canada, NowVertical announced the terms of its $5 million marketed public offering of units. Lighthouse Labs, TechNL each secure over $20 million in federal funding for tech upskilling programs. Vancouver-based Web3 company Dapper Labs is facing a lawsuit claiming that its NBA Top Shot Moments NFTs constitute unregistered securities. TELUS investigating leak of stolen source code, employee data.
Last week, major indices ended mixed as the Dow Jones fell 0.1%, S&P 500 was down 0.3% and Nasdaq rose 0.6%. After a record Super Bowl, FanDuel parent Flutter Entertainment said it is considering listing on a U.S. stock exchange. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway buys even more AAPL stock, ditches most of its TSMC. Airbnb posts a record Q4 as travel recovers post-pandemic. Roblox shares soar 27% as gains in users and virtual currency purchases lift quarterly results. Robinhood sees pop in crypto trading in January. Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest snatches up US$9.2 million of Coinbase stock after the crypto exchange’s massive January rally. George Soros’ fund reveals it’s betting against Silvergate as the crypto-friendly bank is probed over its ties to FTX. Bakkt to shutter consumer-facing app, focus on B2B crypto services. Meta Platforms may do more layoffs. Twilio cuts 17% of its workforce just months after previous round of layoffs. Tesla recalls 363,000 cars over full self-driving software. Ford’s EVs are getting faster charging and more affordable batteries thanks to new chemistry. Apple delays AR/VR headset launch again, now expects to unveil the device at WWDC. TikTok’s parent takes on Meta in battle for virtual-reality market with its two year old Pico acquisition. In Canada, Descartes acquired GroundCloud for US$138 million, as despite recent market volatility, its stock price has remained consistent in its growth trajectory. BBTV secured a $21.6 million loan to pay off an overdraft facility. Sophic Capital client Jasper Commerce, closed a first tranche of convertible debenture unit financing of $636,500 (full offering size of $500,000 plus a partial exercise of the over-allotment option). The Company may close further tranches of the over-allotment up to $113,500.
Last week, the Dow Jones ended down 0.2%,S&P 500 fell 1.1%, and Nasdaq composite was 2.4%. At the same time, the 10-year Treasury yield was up 21 basis points to 3.74%. SoftBank Group reported a net loss of nearly US$6 billion for the three months through December, largely because of the Japanese company’s Vision Fund investments, which tumbled for a fourth straight quarter. Retail investors are piling into small-cap firms that employ artificial intelligence amid intensifying competition between tech titans. Alphabet slides 9% after a report the tech titan’s ad for its new Google AI chatbot Bard had inaccurate information. C3.ai extends its year-to-date rally to 176% after buzz around ChatGPT drives investor interest in artificial intelligence. Microsoft Activision acquisition provisionally blocked; might be forced to sell Call of Duty. Sumo Logic to be taken private by Francisco Partners in US$1.7 billion deal. Ford sells majority stake in Rivian after reporting US$7.3 billion write-down. Robinhood took a US$57 million hit after a glitch allowed its customers to short a surging meme stock. Amazon is adding a round-the-clock sports gambling channel to its ad-supported streaming service, FreeVee. Newly returned Disney CEO Bob Iger is cutting 7,000 jobs and reorganizing the company. In Canada, Edmonton-based Jobber, which provides operations management software for home service businesses, has secured US$100 million in Series D funding led by New York growth equity investor General Atlantic. A fight brews over Magnet Forensics’ proposed $1.8 billion acquisition by Thoma Bravo. Hut 8 Mining Corp will merge with rival US Bitcoin Corp. Converge increased its global revolving credit facility by $100 million to $600 million. Sophic Client Real Luck Group announces continued growth in 2023 as its registered player base now exceeds 250,000.
Last week, the Dow Jones dipped 0.2%, S&P 500 rose 1.6%, and Nasdaq composite was up 3.3%. The small-cap Russell 2000 sprinted 3.9% higher. According to the WSJ, The Nasdaq has been a star performer, gaining 15% over the past five weeks in its best such stretch since May 2020. Sophic Client Clear Blue Technologies hosted a Corporate Update Webinar. Shopify made an investment into United States-based Triple Whale’s Series B round as the e-commerce giant continues to fund companies that support the Shopify merchant system. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg makes a U-turn on metaverse spending as Reality Labs is hit with a new ‘efficiency’ mantra, sending the stock up 23% for the week. Google invests US$300 million in OpenAI rival Anthropic. ChatGPT may be the fastest-growing consumer app in internet history, reaching 100 million users in just over 2 months, UBS report says. China’s Baidu to launch ChatGPT-style bot in March. Berkshire Hathaway has cashed in at least US$300 million in Tesla rival BYD stock in the past month. Crypto-linked stocks are on a tear, with Coinbase, MicroStrategy, Marathon Digital and Riot Platforms up more than 100% in a month as risk appetite returns. Amazon sees AWS slowdown lasting for several quarters. Apple and Google face mounting pressure to remove TikTok from app stores. The European Union is weighing a proposal to make technology companies that use the most bandwidth, like Netflix Inc. and Alphabet Inc., to help pay for the next generation of internet infrastructure, according to a draft document seen by Bloomberg. A plan by China to restrict exports of key solar manufacturing technology could delay attempts to build up a domestic solar supply chain in the U.S., industry experts say. China currently accounts for nearly all of solar ingot and wafer production globally, as well as much of the equipment used in the manufacturing process—especially for the large-scale solar panels that increasingly dominate the market.
Markets and investors are feeling a bit optimistic, with the Dow Jones up 1.8% last week, S&P 500 up 2.5%, and Nasdaq composite up 4.3%, while indices may be due for some consolidation here, deal-flow is likely not far behind after a very muted 2022. Sophic Clients, Clear Blue Technologies closed the final tranche of an oversubscribed $2.5 million private placement and Jasper Commerce announced a $500K unit financing. Sophic Clients Legend Power Systems, OneSoft Solutions and Real Luck Group announced a positive end to 2022, which bodes well for 2023. Shopify shares surged more than 12% on Wednesday after the e-commerce software provider raised prices for its subscription plans. Victoria-based holding company WeCommerce is set to consolidate with its parent company, Tiny Capital. Stripe reportedly approached investors about raising more capital — at least US$2 billion — at a valuation of US$55 billion to US$60 billion. According to The Wall Street Journal, Stripe would not use the money toward operating expenses but rather to cover a large annual tax bill associated with employee stock units. It is not clear if any discussions are ongoing. Activist investor Elliott Management has reportedly snapped up a multibillion-dollar stake in Salesforce. Buzzfeed soars 200% on plans to use OpenAI to help write stories. Shares of Intel dropped nearly 10% in after-hours trading after the chip giant reported weak earnings, sales forecast. Amazon launches RxPass, a US$5/month Prime add-on for all-you-need generic drugs covering 80 conditions. Japan and the Netherlands are poised to join the US in limiting China’s access to advanced semiconductor machinery. The Netherlands will expand restrictions on ASML Holding NV. After years of bumbling along, investment in the energy transition appears to be taking off. Businesses, financial institutions, governments and end users around the world sunk US$1.11 trillion into low-carbon technologies, according to a new report from BloombergNEF.
Last week, major indexes closed near session highs: Dow Jones was up 2%, S&P 500 rose 2.7%, and Nasdaq composite gained 4.8%. Canadian tech M&A will likely remain a theme, as we pointed out last week, as Nuvei entered a $1.7 billion deal to acquire US payments tech firm Paya. TMX Group has taken a 21% stake in data analytics company VettaFi for US$175 million as it looks to expand its information services unit. BMO Global Asset Management has teamed up with Georgian to launch a fund that allows Canadian accredited investors to invest in a US$1 billion fund Georgian is in the process of raising. Sophic Client Kraken Robotics expects to report $40 million in 2022 revenue, up 56% year-over-year. Sophic Client UGE International announced Q4 2022 project backlog (stages 3.1-5) increased over 13% quarter-over-quarter and now totals 260MW, surpassing the Company’s 2022 backlog goal of 250MW. Sophic Client LuckBox CEO Thomas Rosander provides corporate update, as the company went from a virtual ‘standing start’ in Q3 2022 to over $3 million in Global Betting Handle by the end of Q4, as over two million bets were accepted and placed on the platform. In the USA, Microsoft is reportedly in talks to pump in US$10 billion into OpenAI — the owner of ChatGPT — valuing the company at US$29 billion. Stripe’s internal valuation gets cut to US$63 billion, down 40% from its peak. Vista Equity Partners to acquire insurance software company Duck Creek for US$2.6 billion. Coinbase lays off a fifth of staff as crypto downturn continues. Tesla drops prices as much as 20% in US and Europe. China’s government takes stake in Alibaba’s domestic unit. China to allow Didi apps back online, in latest sign of regulatory thaw. the US needs to quadruple its charging infrastructure by 2025, and grow it more than eight times by 2030, given the influx of electric cars.
After a tumultuous 2022 in the markets, we hope you had a refreshing break with family and friends. While the first trading week of 2023 started off somewhat shakily, major indices closed up for the week after a strong Friday — Dow Jones closed the week up 1.5% around the same as the S&P 500, Nasdaq closed up 1%. Some market participants expect M&A to pick up in 2023, and Sophic Client Smart Employee Benefits (SEB-TSXV, SEBFF-OTCQB) is being at a 75%+ cash premium. Unsurprisingly, Canadian VC investments in 2022 are projected to lag behind 2021 figures, but will still likely top 2020 funding. Similarly, annual global venture funding fell 35% in 2022. Startups raised US$445 billion in 2022, down 35% from a record US$681 billion in 2021, according to new data from Crunchbase. OpenAI, the research lab behind the viral ChatGPT chatbot, is in talks to sell existing shares in a tender offer that would value the company at around US$29 billion, making it one of the most valuable U.S. startups on paper despite generating little revenue. In related news, Microsoft, OpenAI prep ChatGPT-powered Bing to challenge Google. SpaceX raising US$750 million at US$137 billion valuation, investors include Andreessen-Horowitz. Amazon to cut 18,000 jobs as tech layoffs continue. Data from layoff-tracking website Layoffs.fyi suggests that tech companies cut more than 150,000 positions in 2022. Apple’s AR/VR headset development is reportedly behind schedule, expect late fall release. Meta fined more than US$400 million in EU for serving ads based on online activity. Coinbase to pay US$100 million settlement for violating anti-money-laundering laws. Silvergate raced to cover US$8.1 billion in withdrawals during crypto meltdown. Mercedes-Benz and ChargePoint are going to install thousands of EV fast chargers in the US.
As 2022 fast draws to a close, and we write our final column for the year, the Dow Jones fell 2.8% last week, S&P 500 fell 3.4%, Nasdaq fell 4%. Market indices continue their now familiar trend of fading back bear market rallies. In light of this market volatility, it’s no surprise last week saw a few more terminated public listings – Stablecoin issuer Circle terminated a US$9 billion SPAC deal, India’s Snapdeal shelved a US$152 million IPO. “There is no appetite for tech stocks right now,” said a source close to the plans. That said many companies continue to execute, which we expect will be rewarded by the market. For example, Sophic Client Kraken Robotics (PNG-TSXV, KRKNF-OTC) was just awarded a $50+ million Navy contract by the Royal Canadian Navy. Kraken’s revenue for 2019, 2020, and 2021 was $15.1 million, $12.3 million, and $25.6 million respectively. Kraken’s current market cap is ~$108 million; these recent orders cumulatively represent nearly 2.5x Kraken’s high watermark 2021 revenue and over 60% of its market capitalization. Kraken also plays into the recent trend of defence tech, as Anduril raised a massive US$1.5 billion round at US$8.5 billion valuation (almost 2x its 2021 valuation). Anduril works with the U.S. and its allies to create drones, underwater vehicles and different operating and control systems. Sophic Clients Legend Power, UGE and OneSoft presented at the Planet MicroCap Showcase conference, replays can be found on our website. The FTC is suing to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision. Coinbase revenue will plunge at least 50% in 2022, CEO Armstrong says. Apple accelerates plans to move production out of China amid protests. Apple’s long-awaited AR/VR headset might be facing another round of software delays, as is its speculated self driving car launch. ChatGPT should worry Google and Alphabet, according to industry experts. Meta cannot run ads based on personal data, EU privacy watchdog rules. Amazon announces TikTok-like social feed of shoppable videos, photos.
The recent stock market rally could be at a turning point, following a strong week. While indexes’ gains were modest, they did find support, and broke key resistance. The Dow Jones was up 0.2%, S&P 500 gained 1.1%, and the Nasdaq was 2.1%. NYSE president says IPO proceeds fall more than 90%. “Our pipeline is tremendous — the reason companies aren’t coming to market is because all the volatility in the market,” said President Lynn Martin. Tech selloff catches up with private startups. People involved in the trades say they are seeing discounts from around 30% to 40% to as much as 80% off valuations from earlier fundraisings. Marvell stock falls after disappointing earnings and outlook, as CEO cites ‘inventory reductions’ by some customers. Shares of DraftKings Inc. jumped 2.3% in premarket trading Tuesday, after the online sports betting and fantasy sports company and Churchill Downs Inc. announced a multi-year agreement that will bring betting on horse racing to DraftKings. iPhone City lockdown ended; reportedly cost Apple US$1 billion/week. TSMC plans to make more advanced chips in US at urging of Apple. Airbnb wants to help renters list their apartments for short stays. Palantir Technologies Inc.’s raison d’etre is identifying patterns hidden within mountains of data. Yet somehow it didn’t spot the risks in its own investment strategy or the danger that startups might not be able to pay their bills. Google hit with multibillion-dollar class-action lawsuit over online ad dominance in the U.K. Cyber Monday online sales hit a record US$11.3 billion, driven by demand, not just inflation, says Adobe. Sophic Client UGE International announces closing of $7.379 million private placement of Green Bonds. Sophic Client LuckBox (LUCK-TSXV, LUKEF-OTC) signs LOI to acquire leading Asian-focused iGaming platform.
In the US holiday shortened week, the Dow Jones Industrial was up 1.7%, S&P 500 index climbed 1.5%, and the Nasdaq was up 0.8%. In the third quarter, Canada saw $896 million invested across 144 VC deals, according to the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association’s latest report. On both fronts, these numbers represent a steep year-over-year decline compared to what was an especially hot Q3 2021 and Q3 2019 for Canadian VC funding. WorkJam closed a US$50 million round. Shopify saw bigger Black Friday orders, and more in-store sales versus last year. Converge Technology announces commencement of strategic review process to maximize shareholder value. Coupa Software shares surged on a report of interest from Vista. Activision stock falls after report says watchdog will block Microsoft deal. Berkshire has cut it BYD stake by 22%, made US$1.2 billion profit. DraftKings stock falls after report cites cases of unauthorized account withdrawals. More than 20,000 employees at Apple Inc supplier Foxconn’s huge Chinese plant, mostly new hires not yet working on production lines, have left, a Foxconn source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. Google has a secret new project that is teaching artificial intelligence to write and fix code. Amazon plans to invest US$1 billion a year in movies for theaters. Bob Iger is returning to head Disney as Bob Chapek steps down. Thanksgiving 2022 online sales pip past forecasts at US$5.3 billion, up 2.8% on last year, mobile accounted for 55% of all purchases. Domino’s is rolling out over 800 Chevy Bolt pizza delivery EVs.
After the previous week’s gain, the Dow Jones was up very modestly last week, S&P fell 0.7%, and the Nasdaq was down 0.7%. Global venture funding plateaued in October, with valuations likely to blame. Masayoshi Son owes US$4.7 billion to SoftBank following tech rout. Ant’s consumer-lending unit to raise US$1.5 billion in scaled-down capital plan. BYD Co Ltd said on Tuesday it had scrapped plans to list its semiconductor unit in China, saying a move to increase investments in wafer production would significantly affect the unit’s asset structure. Shares of Alibaba inched about 1% higher in premarket action Thursday after the company topped adjusted earnings expectations for the latest quarter and said it was upsizing its buyback program. Taiwan Semi stock surges toward best day since 2008 after Buffett’s Berkshire reveals stake. Micron stock falls as chip maker cuts supply forecast, citing market conditions. Shares of Coinbase slipped 6% Thursday as the fallout from FTX’s collapse continues to hit the broader cryptocurrency market. Microsoft and Nvidia announced plans to work together to build a cloud-based supercomputer capable of training large-scale language models like OpenAI’s DALL-E 2, which translates text to images, and GPT-3, which can generate realistic-sounding news articles. Apple plans a 3D world and video service for its mixed-reality headset. Nike Inc. is opening an online store and trading platform for virtual sneakers as management pumps investment into the metaverse. Twitter may be in big trouble when it comes to generating advertising revenue: GroupM, part of WPP, the world’s biggest ad company — and Twitter’s biggest spender — is reportedly telling its clients that buying ads on the platform is “high-risk”. Epic says more than half of all announced next-gen games are made on Unreal Engine. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Wray told lawmakers during a hearing that the FBI has national security concerns about TikTok, the popular video app owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance. Democratic senators urge FTC to investigate Twitter.


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Report: 2021 Cadillac Escalade to Offer Extra MPGs for No Extra Dollars
While it remains to be seen whether the revamped 2021 Cadillac Escalade enters production on schedule this summer, other details about General Motors’s loftiest SUV have begun leaking out.
One item concerns the vehicle’s price, while the other tidbit might interest those who have a difficult time separating their eco-consciousness from their economic reality.
2021 Cadillac Escalade: Still a Barge, No Longer Baroque
The last model of the General Motors body-on-frame SUV trifecta to drop just hit the ground in Hollywood. After a greater than normal amount of press leakage, the 2021 Cadillac Escalade showed off its upmarket flanks and decidedly less flashy face Tuesday night, marking an end to the trend of overly ornate Caddy range-toppers.
Like the Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban and GMC Yukon that debuted before it, the revamped Escalade adds interior volume and suspends that capacious cabin with fully independent legs. Gone is the solid rear axle.
Gone, too, is the model’s gasoline-only powertrain.
2021 Cadillac Escalade Exterior Leaked Hours Before Debut
While the next-generation Cadillac Escalade debuts on Tuesday, the cover was pulled off early by automotive photographer Wilco Blok. The model has seen leaks before, helping to validate Blok’s image as authentic. That said, this is probably the best-quality photo we’re likely to see of the model before its official premiere just hours from now.
Visually, the 2021 Escalade maintains its familial resemblance to SUVs from GMC and Chevrolet sharing the same GMT1XX platform and has dramatically scaled back its reliance on bling. However, the de-chromed grille arguably makes it more difficult to tell apart from the Tahoe/Suburban and Yukon, which hardly seems like a wise marketing decision.
Close-up: 2021 Cadillac Escalade Teased, Short Film to Come
This may come as less than exciting news, given that we’ve already seen properly leaked 2021 Cadillac Escalade images already. “Properly” meaning someone sneaked their phone out and fired off a couple of bad pics in a secure area.
That said, the next-generation Escalade has shown its face in an official image ahead of next week’s big reveal. By all accounts, it will be a star-studded affair. The amount of cosmetic surgery bestowed upon the range-topping SUV will surely put attendees at ease.
Cadillac Teases Giant Escalade Screen Ahead of February Reveal, Predicts Future Sales Supremacy
Cadillac’s upcoming next-generation Escalade is garnering plenty of headlines ahead of its reveal, and not just because of leaked shots showing a very Escala-like take on the Chevrolet Suburban/Tahoe.
Redesigned from the ground up for the 2021 model year, General Motors’ full-size, body-on-frame SUVs aim to top the current crop in both refinement and interior room, and the pinnacle of that lineup will be no different. Cargo volume aside, we now know for sure it’ll top challengers in at least one measurement: screen size.
Yikes! 2021 Cadillac Escalade Leaks
No, it doesn’t take on water, though we won’t really know for sure until a thorough on- and off-road evaluation puts that assertion to the test. Rather, the headline refers to images of the upcoming Cadillac range-topper that appeared on Instagram Wednesday.
Borrowing a colossal grille inspired by the Escala concept (now firmly in place as the brand’s corporate face), the revamped full-size SUV’s unplanned reveal comes on the heels of the public debut of its Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban platform mates.

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Infiniti is planning to unveil a new electric crossover concept at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and has sent out this teaser image to stir some excitement.
The crossover concept will provide the “clearest vision yet” of the company’s new generation of electric vehicle design. It’s set to incorporate and evolve elements seen on the Q Inspiration concept as well as the Prototype 10 concept from earlier this year.
As previously announced, Infiniti is planning to introduce electrification technology to all of its models from 2021. This means all models from around 2021 will at least be offered with a hybrid or fully electric powertrain option. In Australia, only two models are available with a hybrid; the Q50 and Q70 sedans. Karim Habib, executive design director at Infiniti, said:
“The concept car we will show in Detroit is the beginning of a new era for Infiniti, and an illustration of where we want to go with the brand. Electrification and other new technologies have given us the opportunity to evolve our design philosophy.”
Infiniti says the new vehicles to roll out will showcase new exterior proportions, while interiors will be able to offer a more spacious, lounge-like environment thanks to electric powertrains optimising space. This new crossover concept is expected to preview such progressions.
All will be revealed on or before the opening of the big event on January 14. Stay tuned.


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The Cute Ad Banned On British TV For Being "Too Political"
Making people fat: fine. Saving forests: not so much.
An ad which highlights a UK supermarket chain's initiatives to rid its shelves of palm oil has been banned from television for being "too political".
Iceland (not to be confused with the country) has about 800 stores in the UK and has roughly two percent of the country's food market.
The chain prides itself on its sustainability initiatives, and by airing the ad which features a little girl with a baby orangutan in her bedroom, it aimed to raise awareness of rainforest destruction caused by palm oil production.
But the ad was a version of a video previously made by Greenpeace as part of the environmental group's campaign against palm oil production -- and that's what led to the ban.
Political ads are not allowed on British television, and because of the Greenpeace connection, the ad was ruled to be political in nature according to the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising, which you can find here. (The relevant part is section 7.2.1.)
Meanwhile, people took to social media to voice their disappointment.
Others pointed out the hypocrisy of banning an ad which promotes sound environmental practices while allowing ads for all sorts of sugary, fattening and generally unhealthy products.
The palm oil issue is not as simple as palm oil bad, other oil good.
Groups like The Orangutan Project release emotive statements that say "every hour 300 football fields of precious remaining forest is being ploughed to the ground across South East Asia to make way for palm oil plantations".
But palm oil producers like Malaysian Palm Oil point out that the oil palm is the most efficient oil-bearing crop in the world. This means you need less land to produce it than other oil-bearing crops.
On balance, the best solution for consumers is to source palm oil from sustainable plantations which weren't illegally logged in rainforests - if they can. Sadly it's not so easy to know.
Meanwhile, Iceland has committed to no palm oil in its own brand food by the end of 2018.


text: Affected RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid models were made between May 27, 2019, and July 27, 2019. Rappels des Toyota Rav4 (2019) Rappels recensés. Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. SAFETY RECALL 20TA02 (Interim Notice 20TB02) - Remedy Notice Multiple Models and Model Years Vehicle May Stall During Driving at Higher Speed NHTSA Recall No. View recall reports to see if the 2019 RAV4 was recalled for safety-related defects or non-compliance with U.S. safety standards. Other Toyota RAV4 Safety Issues. 1998-2000 Toyota RAV4; 1997-1999 Toyota Celica; Recall details. 20V-012 & 20V-682 Frequently Asked Questions Original Publication Date: June 18, 2020 IMPORTANT UPDATE DATE TOPIC December 18, 2020 • Toyota has added approximately 8,000 vehicles to this Recall December 11, 2020 … Feb 06, 2020 Toyota is conducting a safety recall involving certain Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Discussion Starter • #1 • 2 mo ago (Edited) my bad, did not see the other post by @hopes2 From Lexus forum this seems to have started with the GX460, now it's being expanded to many Toyota vehicles, including Rav4. As a result, when placed in reverse, the backup camera may not come on. Le rappel de février 2020 concerne les RAV4 assemblés entre mai 2015 et février 2018. Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally. The automaker traced the backup camera issue to a damaged electrical connector. ES. 2019, 2020 Toyota RAV4; Recall details. The 2019 model year has been noted for multiple issues, including electrical ones. Airbag January 22, 2020. Most Recent 2019 Toyota RAV4 Recall. Toyota recalls 2019 Prius, RAV4 Hybrid for faulty brake assist. On August 6, 2019, Toyota filed a Noncompliance Information Report (NCIR) with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration informing the agency of our intent to conduct a voluntary Safety (Noncompliance) Recall on certain 2019 model year RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. For Sale Near Me. 20V373000: Report Receipt Date: Jun 24, 2020: Component(s): STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM: SUMMARY. Toyota recall code: 19SMD063 Source: Rapex Alert 32/2019 A12/1199/19 Photo courtesy of Toyota. Bought in August 2019. 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid sport utility vehicles; 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime sedans; 2020 Toyota Prius sedans; 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid sedans; 2019 Lexus UX 250h crossovers; 2019 Lexus ES 300h sedans ; 2019 Lexus LC 500 and LC 500h coupes; The Japanese automaker has yet to speculate just how many of the recalled vehicles could actually contain the defective components. the 2019 rav4 hv gas tank dry fill capacity is 14.5 gal us. Triangle : Lors d'un rappel de mai 2020, les RAV4 produits entre septembre et octobre 2019 doivent voir leur bras de suspension être changés. In August 2019, Toyota issued a recall for a failing electrical connection with the backup camera. 78 Posts . My 2019 rav4 hybrid Limited has been in the shop 5 times in the past 4 months for battery issues. PLANO, Texas (May 20, 2020) – Toyota is conducting a safety recall involving certain 2019 – 2020 Model Year RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles in the United States.Approximately 9,500 vehicles are involved in this recall. Jan 2020 - Battery dies (bad cell according to the dealer) March 2020 - Battery dies again (bad battery according to dealer) April 2020 - battery dies (AC amplifier bad due to driver seat heater). Urgent recall on more than 1,000 Toyota cars over a potentially DEADLY defect - as drivers are warned not to get behind the wheel. the gas gauge is accurate. Toyota made a point to note that the RAV4 recalls do not apply to other Toyota or Lexus vehicles sold in the United States. Toyota Australia has issued a recall of 1552 examples of its RAV4 SUV produced between 25 September 2019 and 17 October 2019 due to a crucial suspension component that may fail. Court-circuit : Un souci d'étanchéité peut mener à un court-circuit, qui lui même peut induire un incendie. 4.43 Owner Reviews. On April 03, 2020, Toyota recalled 44,191 Toyota RAV4s. PL. In 2019, the 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid sport utility vehicles were included in a recall for potentially defective brakes. A handful of Lexus hybrids are also part of the recall. If you are the owner of a 2019 or 2020 RAV4 Hybrid and would like to try this option, you should visit your local dealer or call Toyota’s customer experience center at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota is recalling its 2019 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid due to a defect involving the backup camera. See 2019 Toyota RAV4 Warranty & Recalls. Due to the use of defective materials during production for one month last year, Toyota is being forced to recall around 10,000 2019 and 2020 RAV4 SUVs. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Recall Date: 02/05/2020. The Defect. Most Recent 2019 Toyota RAV4 Recall. The front lower suspension arms, which connect to the front wheels, on the subject vehicles may have been manufactured with improperly produced material. 2019 RAV4 drivers have turned to the internet, where they are posting videos of themselves trying to fill up their tank all the way without success. Rappels des Toyota Rav4 (2013-2019) Rappels recensés. 105 Photos. PLANO, Texas (August 6, 2019) –Toyota is conducting a safety recall involving certain 2019 RAV4/RAV4 Hybrid vehicles in North America.Approximately 18,000 vehicles are involved in this recall. Bulletin Date: Oct. 29, 2020 : Component: Gasoline fuel system. TORONTO, ON – February 6, 2019 – Toyota is conducting a safety recall involving certain 2020 Model Year Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid, and certain 2020 Lexus ES 300h vehicles in … Recall No. Toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain 2020 toyota avalon hybrid, camry, camry hybrid and lexus es300h and 2019-2020 rav4 and rav4 hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5l 4-cylinder engines. this is my 4th toyota and I've never seen this many issues before. The involved vehicles are equipped with a back-up camera system which activates to show the area behind … This may result in loss of control over the vehicle, increasing the risk of an accident. Toyota RAV4 Recall For Camera Failures . Accessories August 23, 2019. EN. … Car at dealership 4 days. refueling always automatically stops prematurely at fuel gauge 3/4 full, which corresponds to several gallons dispensed less than a properly full tank. 2019-2020 Toyota RAV4; According to the recall, fuel pumps on affected vehicles could suddenly fail. IT. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling an estimated 14,215 2019 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid compact SUVs because the backup camera may not function when the vehicle is in reverse due to a damaged electrical connector. The involved vehicles are equipped with a back-up camera system which activates to show the area behind the vehicle when the vehicle is shifted into reverse. On April 03, 2020, Toyota recalled 44,191 Toyota RAV4s. FR. Toyota RAV4 (2019) Published on 9 June 2020. The recall covers models with Toyota's 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and include the 2020 Camry, Camry hybrid, Avalon hybrid, 2019 and 2020 RAV4 and RAV4 hybrid, and the 2020 Lexus ES300H. Bulletin Summary: Dp: Toyota has received customer reports of certain 2019-2020 model year rav4 hv vehicle fuel gauges displaying less than full and/or total fuel dispensed is less than expected, when the fuel nozzle automatically clicks off. 9 Models & Specs. The Toyota RAV4 (AXAH52, AXAH54) models affected by this recall were manufactured between 26 April 2019 and 6 June 2019. During a … Il y a en effet des risques de fissure ... Appel d'urgence : Ce dernier peut être mal intégré et ne pas fonctionner. And in addition to the previously-mentioned recalls, there’s also been a recall on the 2019 and 2020 Toyota RAV4… Search Cars, VIN, Body Style… Search Cars, VIN, Body Style… 2019 Toyota RAV4 Warranty & Recalls Change Year 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 Overview. Based on these reports, it appears the issues are limited to 2019 and 2020 Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrids. 457 4.9 Expert Review. Toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain 2020 toyota avalon hybrid, camry, camry hybrid and lexus es300h and 2019-2020 rav4 and rav4 hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5l 4-cylinder engines. I had the airbag recall on my old Rav4, and then I think there was one for my tercel back in the 80s. While you’re here, it may be worth checking out other recent Toyota RAV4 recalls that may have affected your vehicle. Condition. May 21, 2020 - Approximately 9,500 model-year 2019-20 Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid SUVs are being recalled for their front lower suspension arms. Toyota is recalling about 18,000 model year 2019 RAV4s and RAV4 hybrids.There is a possibility that a damaged connector in the back-up camera system's Problem description: The front lower arms may have cracks on some portions of their surface, which may cause them to break and separate from the front wheel assembly. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and 2020 RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS). All my previous ones were built in Japan. this has occurred with every refueling since the first fueling when the car was new.


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by Automotive Rhythms
Courtesy of: Automotive Rhythms www.automotiverhythms.com
Aston Martin is ripping up the record books at the 41st ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of NÃ¼rburgring in Germany next month as the famous British sports car brand is to race a pioneering hybrid hydrogen car.
â€¨The record-breaking Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S â€“ based on Aston Martinâ€™s new four-door, four-seat sports car â€“ will become the first hydrogen-powered car to compete in an international event as well as the first zero CO2 emissions sports car to complete a race pace lap at the NÃ¼rburgring 24-hour race.
Working in partnership with hydrogen experts Alset Global, Aston Martinâ€™s engineers have developed a prototype twin turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 engine that will power the NÃ¼rburgring car. â€¨Capable of running on pure gasoline, pure gaseous hydrogen, or a blend of both, the Hybrid Hydrogen race car showcases Aston Martinâ€™s commitment to engineering innovation. In pure hydrogen mode, Aston Martin and Alset Global aim to show that a zero emissions lap of the Nordschleife is possible while emitting virtually only water from the exhaust. â€¨Showcasing the technology at the NÃ¼rburgring â€“ acknowledged as one of the toughest and most demanding circuits in the world and, of course, nicknamed â€˜the Green Hellâ€™ â€“ Aston Martin will underline the reliability and safety of todayâ€™s hydrogen technology.
Welcoming the debut of the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S, Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer Dr Ulrich Bez said: â€œAs we celebrate our centenary in 2013 and look back on a century of excitement, innovation and style itâ€™s also the perfect time to look to the future with this astonishing race car.


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Sri Lanka’s tour operators are slashing hotel rates and pushing promotions in key markets like Russia to woo visitors back to its deserted beaches after deadly Easter bombings battered the island country’s tourism industry, Business Standard reports.
Tourism, an important driver of Sri Lanka’s GDP, tanked after Islamist bombers on April 21 attacked luxury hotels and churches, killing 250 people, including 40 foreigners.
A flood of cancellations and a drop in bookings followed travel advisories for Sri Lanka issued by England, India and the U.S., just as the monsoon-dominated low season was beginning.
To lure tourists back, Sri Lanka is hosting international sporting events and has mothballed a rule on minimum rates for hotel stays. State-owned Sri Lankan Airlines is offering special fares and pushing joint promotions with the government’s tourism board. Some hotels are also waiving corkage fees on day trips.
Lavanga Resort & Spa in the southern beach resort of Hikkaduwa, for example, is offering rooms for $35 instead of the usual $75 — with free breakfast. Travel agents are promoting the offer in Russia, with some success. “We have offered rock-bottom rates for foreigners. We are getting bookings for the winter season,” said Lavanga’s managing director, Anusha Frydman.
Reservations for the next few months remain tepid, however, with occupancy around 10 percent versus 30 percent last year. But some tourists are lapping up a dream vacation on the cheap.
“I secured a six-night stay in a plush southern hotel for $200 which included complimentary ayurvedic treatment,” said 52-year-old Leif Ohlson from Sweden. Data suggests more and more foreigners are emulating him.
A daily average of 1,400 to 1,500 foreign visitors are currently in Sri Lanka, up from 1,000 recorded immediately after the attacks, said Kishu Gomes, the head of the Tourism Bureau.
That is still down from around 4,500 last year, but with countries including India and China lifting their travel advisories, officials are optimistic.
“We are expecting the recovery to commence. It is too early to say how fast and to what level it will be,” Gomes said.


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We're about ready to start a new year, which means that the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is only days away. It's long been a launching pad for new digital camera models, and in past years we've seen a flurry of announcements from all of the major imaging players.
But the digital camera industry is struggling as a whole; sales are down across the board. The convenience offered by smartphones has made the device that's always in your pocket the go-to camera for casual photographers.
But even the best smartphone cameras require you to make compromises, whether it be absolute image quality, focus and shooting speed, optical zoom, or some combination. There's still some room for cameras that don't make phone calls. Professionals need the big sensors and lenses that come with a D-SLR; although some have warmed up to mirrorless cameras, and street shooters like Zack Arias have embraced big sensor compacts like the Fujifilm X100S.
There's still room for most families to keep a real digital camera in the house, so expect to see some cameras at CES; but don't expect the onslaught of compact models that have come in years past. And, expect to benefit from some more impressive features that are built upon ideas that were first successful in smartphones to appear in pure imaging devices.
Connectivity All Around
At this time last year, Wi-Fi in a camera was a nice extra feature. What a difference 365 days makes. Now, if a camera doesn't have the capability to transfer images to a smartphone, or better yet upload directly to Facebook and Twitter, it's surprising. Expect most new models to have Wi-Fi (and NFC) built in, and expect the Wi-Fi to do more things than in previous years. It will be especially interesting to see how Eye-Fi, a company that has long specialized in adding Wi-Fi to cameras via memory cards, handles this; it will need to add some value to its products in order to survive in a world where nearly every new camera can already copy images to a smartphone.
More Niche, Less Low-End
The last year saw the release of a lot of high-end cameras that filled vey specific niches. There was the aforementioned Fufjilm X100S with a 35mm f/2 lens and a unique hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder, the pocketable 28mm f/2.8 Ricoh GR($628.00 at Amazon), and the large-sensor 24-200mm f/2.8 Sony RX10 to name just a few. Expect this trend to continue in 2014, and there's no place like CES to kick things off. There are more gaps to be filled; there have been plenty of 35mm prime lens cameras, but where's the love for devotees of the 50mm focal length? An APS-C (or full-frame) compact with a 50mm f/2 (or better yet, f/1.4) lens would excite a lot of serious shutterbugs.
On the other end of the spectrum, expect to see fewer low-end compacts. The days of the $100 compact, like the Canon PowerShot A1400($348.00 at Amazon), are numbered. Expect to see compact models and low-light friendly CMOS image sensors (and, of course, Wi-Fi) to come down in price.
Don't Expect Anything Big From Fujifilm
Fujifilm threw a big press conference at CES 2012 to announce its X-Pro1 and in 2013 to debut the X100S. There's no Fujifilm press conference this year, so if the X-Pro2 or another flagship camera is coming in 2014, it's not coming at CES. A company spokesperson recently stated in an interview that no full-frame X-mount camera is in the works. But even if one was, there's little chance the the company would hint at that before it was ready to launch.
Like it or not, 4K is coming. But there's a dearth of content. If you buy a new 4K HDTV, you won't have a lot to watch. Sony has already released a pro-level 4K camcorder, but it won't be long before that technology trickles down to more affordable image capture devices. I don't think we'll see an SLR or mirrorless camera with 4K video recording at CES in 2014, but a few camcorders should appear. But even if you buy a 4K video capture device this year, you'll need to invest a few million dollars in production values to match what Peter Jackson has done in Middle Earth.
PCMag will be at CES next week, so check back for all the news.
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A look at IT news...
Big Switch releases SDN switching fabric for datacenters
- The company says its Big Cloud Fabric will accelerate the adoption of hyperscale networking technologies.
Goodwill Industries investigates suspected payment card breach
- Federal authorities and payment card industry fraud units notified Goodwill on Friday.
Hackers inside Chinese Military Steal U.S. Corporate Trade Secrets
- In the wake of the attacks, security leaders now work to determine future defenses.
EFF releases Firefox, Chrome plugin to stop online tracking
Help Net Security
- The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has released a beta version of Privacy Badger, a browser extension for Firefox and Chrome that detects and blocks online advertising and other embedded content that tracks you without your permission.
Hackers Find Way to Outwit Tough Security at Banking Sites
New York Times
- A new cyberattack allows criminals to bypass the security mechanisms at banks in Austria, Japan, Switzerland and Sweden.
Italy gives Google 18 months to comply with European privacy regulations
- The country's data watchdog requires Google to ask permission before creating a profile on users.
Evaluate Aspiring Cyberwarriors Using Gaming, Not Grades
- Many experts say the government must rejigger its cyber hiring process.
Leaked 'Windows 9' screenshots reveal more detail about reborn Start menu
- It's not here yet, but recent leaks have given us another look at the refreshed Start menu for Windows due in 2015.
UK Security Firm Builds Network Immune Systems to Prevent Data Loss
- A UK security company has developed a new approach to enterprise security modeled on the immune system that promises faster, more effective responses to network threats.
Yahoo scoops up analytics firm Flurry
- Yahoo announced it will scoop up analytics firm Flurry, the 40th startup acquired since Mayer took over the company's top job in July 2012.
Microsoft reveals bankruptcy of devices strategy by dumping Nokia feature phones
- Microsoft was right to ax the feature phone business it inherited when it bought Nokia's handset business for $7.2 billion, analysts said today.
Apple scores patent for 'wrist-worn electronic device'
- The new patent highlights a device referred to as "iTime" that comes with built-in sensors and can connect with mobile phones.
Facebook Users Warned About Scammers Abusing MH17 Crash
- Facebook Inc. users in Australia have been warned that scammers are exploiting the crash of a Malaysian Air jet in eastern Ukraine last week.
Netflix passes 50 million subscribers
- The streaming video service said Monday that it now boasts over 50 million members in 40 countries, including 36 million in the United States.


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Lucario, the first of several 2024 Funko Pop figures from Pokemon, will be shown during this month’s Pokemon Center event.
In 2024, Funko will release a new line of Pokémon Pops, much to the delight of Pokémon enthusiasts everywhere. It is time to reel in all six of these thrilling figures! In 2024, Funko’s partnership with Pokémon will continue unabated, thanks to its popular collectible figurines. The Pokémon-themed Funko Pop figurines released in 2023 were a huge hit, so the firm is planning to sell even more models this year.
The first of these six Funko Pop figurines is set to be released exclusively at the Pokémon Center later this month, so excitement is already growing. A “Who’s That Pokémon?” challenge might be in store for those who are anxious to solve the mystery of this unknown Pokémon.
Little is left to the imagination in the silhouette of the first figure revealed—it is none other than the beloved Pokémon, Lucario. Fans are wondering whether this Lucario isn’t different from the one that’s currently out there. Shimmering sparkles around the outline suggest a unique quality.
As far as anybody can tell, the new Lucario Funko Pop could be a pearlescent variant. Pop! Vinyl from Funko has been pearlized before; Eevee and Mewtwo are only two of the most recent contributions to this trend. In addition, you may find this pearlescent quality on all six Pops that are presently available only in the Pokémon Center.
Pokémon fans are already guessing who else may be part of this intriguing Funko Pop roster, with five more figurines yet to be revealed. Lucario, of course, is a popular candidate. In 2023, Umbreon released its first Pokémon Pop, and it was so popular that they immediately made a flocked version.
Another beginning Pokémon or two will most likely end up in this set as well. Fans are keeping a lookout for Oshawott and the sparkling Scorbunny as possible contenders.
Despite the silence over the upcoming Pokémon game, 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for enthusiasts. Nintendo may be keeping quiet about upcoming game announcements because it is looking forward to the next phase of the Switch. Until then, fans may save money on Scarlet & Violet packages that include all downloadable content.


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Finnish social news aggregator Scoopinion is looking to capitalize on Twitter’s acquisition of competitor Summify. According to co-founder Johannes Koponen, Summify’s unanticipated exit and subsequent shut down has enabled Scoopinion to grow its user base significantly during the last few days.
Has Scoopinion caught a lucky break? Well, not really. It all comes down to hard work. The guys at Scoopinion were quick enough to react and engage in some aggressive marketing tactics, recommending the startup’s newsletter service as an alternative to Summify on all major news sites and blogs that covered the acquisition.
The team’s efforts appear to be paying off, but whether Scoopinion can truly capitalize on the Summify acquisition remains to be seen. The company faces some stiff competition from News.me, a New York Times spinoff that has also started a campaign of their own to lure in Summify users.
Scoopinion’s concept is pretty unique, however, and it’s something that could set the service apart from the competition. The company’s browser app works in the background and automatically tracks, rates and shares the news items you read. What you receive in return is a customized list of articles filtered by your friends and fellow readers. It will be interesting to see if the startup can turn the concept into a true competitive advantage.
The Scoopinion social news service was originally launched in June 2011 by Johannes Koponen, Mikael Koponen, Mikko Koskinen, Juha Leppänen and Ville Sundberg. The startup is based in Helsinki, Finland. You can check out our previous coverage of the company here.


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Tenon Group, the regional accountancy chain that specialises in working for entrepreneurs, said fees from turnaround and corporate recovery advice leapt from £19million to £31million in the year to the end of June.
Chief executive Andy Raynor said a continuing surge of appointments over the past couple of months means its insolvency experts have gone from bringing in less than a fifth of group revenues to around a quarter.
"We are working for financiers who are increasingly asking us to look at their business customers for review purposes, to monitor the situation and if needs be go and collect their debt," said Raynor.
"The types of business that we are seeing being challenged are typically the classic case of the asset-thin business — companies around the peripheries of the property and housing market like estate agents or small provincial financial services business. Small regional retailers are challenged too."
But he added that Tenon's recovery experts are currently more likely to be working on turnarounds than insolvencies.
Group profits for the year rose 34% to £17million on revenues up 17% at £160million.
- More about:
- Financial Difficulties
- Intel Corporation
- Management Accounting
- Stock And Equity Market And Stock Exchange


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Covid-19 has hit industries across the spectrum, including the automobile industry. At Continental has recently initiated the ‘Transformation 2019–2029’ structural program, which aims to increase efficiency and productivity through adjustments to the organization and portfolio and focus on key growth areas of the future. Besides, there are adjustments to cost structures due to the persistently low global vehicle production as well as the deepening economic crisis as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“As we are undergoing this change, we have managed our investments wisely for ongoing and future projects. At the same time, Continental is continually innovating and developing technologies for future mobility and will continue to do so. We are working continuously on our automotive and rubber technologies. We are focused on leveraging AI to achieve great success with our Autonomous Mobility and Safety and Vehicle Networking and Information domains,” Alexander Klotz, Head of Technical Center India, Continental Automotive India told ETCIO.
The automotive manufacturer has focused on the Vehicle Networking and Information (VNI) area, which is developing some next-generation solutions and services for networking vehicles with drivers and passengers, other vehicles, the infrastructure, and the cloud. Across various units of Continental such as Human-Machine Interaction, Connected Car Networking, and Commercial Vehicle Services segments are working towards the vision "connect, inform, integrate" that sees the vehicle of the future as a partner that supports its passengers with intelligent and secure solutions. For the coming future the company is looking at the next generation of vehicles that are seamlessly networked, user-friendly, comfortable, and intelligent.
“The Autonomous Mobility and Safety business area develops, produces, and integrates active and passive safety technologies and controls vehicle dynamics. The focus lies on a high level of systems expertise and the interconnectivity of individual components. In this way, products and system functions are created along the SensePlanAct chain of effects. These make driving safer and easier and pave the way for autonomous mobility,” Klotz added.
Maintaining operational efficiency Being a technology company, Continental has always believed that new technologies are a necessity. For instance, at their plant in Bangalore, the automotive manufacturer has implemented robotic arms to undertake repetitive mechanical tasks, Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) for material movement on the shop floors, and Cobots. “Technology plays a vital role in transforming manufacturing, and we encourage and embrace concepts that spur innovation. We believe that smarter machines and artificial intelligence are not just options; it is a need. As part of this, globally, and in India, we have taken significant steps to industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 has reinvented our industrial processes to boost efficiency, productivity, optimize costs, and provide value to customers, among others, by using advanced technologies,” Klotz highlighted.
The evolution of industry 4.0 has inspired the industry to be more competitive and innovative, thus contributing to the manufacturing value chain. Globally the automobile manufacturer has implemented AI/ML and robotics at various plant and operational unit levels.
“While robotics helps take care of repetitive tasks, insights from AI and ML help in smart maintenance, quality improvement, market adoption, and better product development. Connectivity, AI/ ML have also helped us in making our supply chain smarter. Automatic replenishment, big data analytics, TOMS (Transport Order Management Systems), GPS enabled vehicles (outbound logistics) across all plants, Continental Cloud services, etc., have helped in making SCM processes more efficient,” Klotz emphasised.
According to Klotz, investing in new technologies will increase the scope and quality of work and turn the manufacturing practices more sustainable, flexible, and cost-efficient, and require smart leaders to manage them. It will change the industry overall in terms of better customer satisfaction and enhanced Ecosystem.
Leveraging AI and Industry 4.0 at R&D Units On the R&D side, AI is being used in various scenarios at Continental such as to develop simulations and test cases for safety and automated driving functions.
“For certain functions, we need to analyze post-crash behavior, where we need hundreds and thousands of test-runs of the system to ensure 100 percent accuracy. AI/ML helps in virtually creating such simulations and, thus, plays a crucial role in developing better safety systems. We have also collaborated with various research institutes like the IIT-Madras, NVIDIA, German Research Centre for AI, etc., for product and process development in artificial intelligence,” Klotz added.
Globally, Continental has implemented Industry 4.0 processes across all major plants, which includes Artificial Intelligence (AI) in product development and process automation. In India, at its Bangalore plant, they are using AI to optimize processes and productivity. AI is also being used for facial detection of quality inspectors.
As Klotz is leading India's Continental Technology division, he is continuously evaluating the Indian market and is strategically investing in technology.
“India is a value-driven market for the business and our aim is to provide new technologies and innovate to make these automotive technologies at lower costs. Post Covid-19, we are now cautiously evaluating our requirements, and based on the same, and we will move forward in terms of any form of spending. We will continue to invest in R&D and our growth areas in the coming years, including automated driving, connected and smart vehicles, developing advanced automotive software,” Klotz concluded.
According to a complaint filed by Vivek Gupta, the Chief Financial Officer of JBM Group, Sector 44, it was on Friday that he received messages on WhatsApp requesting to transfer certain sums to bank accounts indicated in the messages.


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SHOPPERS in Prescot turned out in force to check out two new stores in the town.
A brand-new TK Maxx and a relaunched B&M opened at the Cables Retail park.
TK Maxx were greeted with balloons and sweets as they set off to buy everything from fashion clothing and accessories for women, men and children to items for the home.
Clair Baldwin bought clothes to update her Autumn wardrobe alongside gifts for her 10-week-old baby boy and Patrick Ferguson purchased a coat to keep himself warm and two snow globes to bring Christmas joy to his grandchildren.
TK Maxx manager James had to call his delivery company to order new stock after everything they had held back was on the shelves by 10.30am.
A spokesman said: “What a great opening morning we’ve had, with loads of excited customers coming in to see the new store.
“The rapidly changing assortments of TK Maxx creates the treasure hunt shopping experience that our customers love, but it also means once it’s gone, it’s gone, so we hope they stop by often to see our latest designer finds and unique gems.”
B&M’s ribbon was cut by family members of former worker, James Nicholas, 21, who died suddenly in October 2012 from a suspected heart problem.
Members of his family were inside the shop with buckets and information about the work their charity is doing and many shoppers donated their loose change.
After James’ death his family - dad Kevin, mum Lesley and sisters Courtney and Caitlin - set up the The James Nicholas Foundation to work in collaboration with Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).
Kevin said: “The charity was set up with CRY in memory of James and to help raise money for young people aged 14-35 so they can be tested for an unknown heart condition.
“Last year we screened over 300 youngsters in the area and of that number around 12 were found to have heart problems.
“With the help of our foundation and CRY, these young people can go on to receive treatment or advice on how to change their lifestyles to help them live a normal, healthy life.
“James was just a normal 21 year old before he died, he was fit and healthy and you wouldn’t have suspected anything was wrong with him, this why it is so important for other youngsters to get tested.”
The store openings are the latest in Prescot’s revival with Home Bargains also set to open their doors in the retail park in Spring 2017.


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NORTHAMPTON -- The Board of Health on Thursday unanimously adopted three related measures to limit and regulate tobacco sales in the city.
The board increased the minimum legal sales age of tobacco and nicotine delivery products from 18 to 21; restricted the sale of flavored tobacco products to permitted tobacconists, and decreased the number of tobacco sales permits from 36 to 28. Current permit holders would be grandfathered.
Under city regulations, a tobacconist is distinct from a convenience store that sells tobacco and nicotine delivery products. A tobacconist has as its primary purpose the sale of tobacco and related paraphernalia. At a tobacconist, the entry of people under the age of 21 is prohibited at all times.
The new rules will go into effect in January of 2017.
A half-dozen convenience store owners spoke during a public comment session to raise objections, saying the measures unfairly target small businesses and their adult customers.
"Completely banning flavored products is unfair to us," said Gaurang Patel, owner of Bird's Store in Florence. He noted that Big Y supermarket sells alcohol, a substance harmful to youth, and that nobody seems to mind.
A number of public health advocates vouched for the measures, saying such products should not be conveniently available to those under 21.
"We've seen a decrease in cigarette smoking among youth, but an increase in vaping" and flavored tobacco products, said Heather Warner, coordinator of the SPIFFY Coalition, a Hampshire County group that fights substance abuse among youth.
Melinda Calianos of the Hampshire and Franklin County Tobacco-Free Community Partnership said around 90 percent of adult smokers started young. "We have to protect them against a lifelong, horrible addiction to tobacco," she said.
Riley DiPillo, a Northampton resident and student at Smith Academy at Hatfield, said it's easy for young teens to "pass as 18" and that "big tobacco targets youth." He said he's part of "the 84 movement," a statewide student effort to fight tobacco in Massachusetts.
Convenience store owners who spoke included Mohamed Rilshad, owner of Z-Mart at 15 Locust St.; Dipan Patel, owner of Northampton Market at 48 Old South St., Sunny Patel and his daughter Priya Patel of Mock's Convenience at 100 Damon Rd.; Mehmood Ahmed of King Street Convenience; and Atif Tasneem, owner of Racing Mart at 54 Northampton Road.
Adam Hazel, owner of The Vault at 135 Main Street, said restrictions on "e-juice" would hurt his downtown novelty shop. "It will hurt a lot of businesses providing a service to adults," he said.
Patel, the owner of Bird's, pleaded with the board to allow a "creative approach" where flavored tobacco products would not be visibly displayed, but available upon request to those who show I.D. Those over 21 would be able to look through a notebook to choose products.
However, the board balked after D.J. Wilson, a representative from the Massachusetts Municipal Association, advised them that such an approach may not survive a court challenge.
Board member Joanne Levin, a physician, told Patel she was "intrigued with your idea, but unfortunately, it's not legal."
Wilson said a 2013 federal appeals court ruling concerning Providence, Rhode Island, set a legal framework for municipal tobacco regulation. He said Providence was sued by the tobacco industry after banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. The court ruling recognized that cheap, flavored tobacco products are attractive to youth, he said.
In response to another question from Levin, Wilson said efforts to restrict the advertising of tobacco products would likely run into a First Amendment challenge.
Wilson advised the board to "stick to the Providence language" to effectively fight youth tobacco use while staying on the right side of the law.
Wilson said 134 Massachusetts cities and towns have raised the legal tobacco sales age to 21, that 75 have restricted the sales of flavored tobacco products. Others have established minimum pricing for cigars.
After the vote, the group of store owners quickly left the room, and most declined to comment. However, Gaurang Patel said he felt the group had not gotten a fair hearing. "They had already made up their minds," he said. "They could have worked with us."
Under the rules, a first violation will net a shop owner a $100 fine; a second violation a $200 fine and a seven-day tobacco license suspension; a third violation a $300 fine and a 30 day suspension; and a fourth violation a permanent tobacco sales permit revocation.
Mary Serreze can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Google Drops Plans to Launch Credit Card
WASHINGTON: Google has cancelled its decision to launch a physical credit card as part of the Wallet project. The company will upgrade its existing Wallet products but will not be launching the credit card as proposed earlier.
The physical credit card as part of the Wallet project was aimed at offering credit or debit card services. Instead of carrying multiple credit cards, the user could simply sync her other credit cards through the Wallet app and use a single card to do any transaction.
In case of loss, one would have to only cancel the Google wallet card and not the other cards from the wallet.
According to a report by Foxnews the card was to be launched as part of Google's larger strategic goal to know the consuming potential of the users as a result of its huge online advertising business.
The NFC technology, which requires particular type of mobile phones and special readers to make transactions, has been eased out through Google's cloud wallet with which the users can sync their cards and make payments.


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A Smarter Purchasing Toolset for Commissary Buyers
For many years, the United States has been facing significant challenges. First, COVID-19 caused major disruptions in the way Americans lived their lives. That put the country on a precarious economic footing, given the uncertainty of when the pandemic would end. Then, as the pandemic began to wane, pent up demand for goods and services precipitated supply chain disruptions as suppliers and transporters tried their best to respond to the sudden and massive surge in demands for goods. The container ships stacked up at major US maritime ports – Long Beach, Los Angeles, etc. – visually depicted the problem for the world to see. Rapidly rising prices for gas and basic food items led the way to inflation that remains a challenge to consumers and businesses.
Government Recognizes the Need – Through all of the turmoil referenced above, there has been a growing awareness in government policy circles that food prices have risen, impacting negatively household budgets; supply chains are challenged and competition from oversees farmers and producers, especially in the specialty crop area is an issue that must be addressed at all levels as they impact farm profitability. USDA recognizes the need for increased government support for the food challenges associated with climate change, market disruptions, inflation, and food supply issues. To that end, USDA recently announced a $3 Billion Agriculture Investment Program. Among its many initiatives, this program provides $500 million for relief in agricultural markets for transportation disruptions, and the increasing costs of marketing and distribution of food and agriculture commodities. The Department of Defense is also taking on a leadership role on the issue of food insecurity through its Roadmap for Food Insecurity Initiative (Strengthening Food Security in the Force: Strategy and Roadmap – July 2022). This is based on a gradual recognition by top military officials that rising costs for food and the ability of service members to afford enough food to feed their families adversely affects the country’s military readiness.
DeCA Commissaries – The Defense Commissary Agency (DECA) operates the 236 military commissaries that sell some 12,000 different items of groceries and household goods. The aggregate sales of all commissaries combined is approximately $5 billion annually. DeCA’s principal mission is to provide discounted fresh fruits and vegetables, groceries and household items, to active-duty military, retired military, members of the Guard and the Reserve, and their families.
In September 2022, DeCA announced that military families will soon see a 3%-to-5% decrease in their commissary bills as part of a DOD initiative to bolster economic security and stability for military families. In announcing the new Initiative, DeCA’s Director, Bill Moore, said that “DOD’s added investment allows DeCA to reduce commissary prices by 3%-to-5% on most items, particularly on food staples such as bread, eggs, milk,” and hundreds of other items. “With this boost,” Moore added, “we can achieve at least 25% in overall annual savings” for our military families as they shop at DeCA’s commissaries. However, challenges remain to ensure DECA reaches these savings.
Supply Chain Disruptions – According to the Federal Trade Commission, “Supply chain disruptions are upending the provision and delivery of a wide array of goods, ranging from computer chips and medicines to meat and lumber.” The supply chain disruptions that have led to shortages of goods across the American economy are caused by multiple factors, including: the Covid-19 pandemic causing pent-up demand for goods; shortages of workers in key industries (such as warehousing); shortages of truck drivers to get goods from ports to supermarket distributions centers; and even something as mundane as a shortage of pallets which slowed down the palletizing and transportation of goods to market. The global supply chain, which formerly ran like clockwork, is now significantly more unpredictable and exposed to various risks. The major issue is that key managers throughout the supply chain have limited information and related insights, hindering their ability to better predict when or where bottlenecks will occur. The prevention of such blockages in the future will require better data for improved logistics’ forecasting. All players in the supply chain must be able to react quickly to prospective supply chain disruptions. Supply chain managers who are effectively able to navigate this labyrinth of challenges are using data to assist them in more accurate demand planning in order to stay ahead of the curve.
The best tool for managing supply chains is insight-ready data. Access to data is critical for effective decision-making. If managers know how much produce is being shipped from a particular country, on a particular date, then they can track it effectively, and can optimize their planning.
76 Key Variables – Experts with decades of experience in agriculture have identified 76 variables that underpin the global supply chain for perishable crops. These include such variables as: how much of a particular crop (e.g., strawberries, tomatoes, etc.) is grown in specific growing regions of the world; the time of year when those products are harvested; and what means of transportation are used to get the products to the shipping ports. Also included among these 76 variables are: historical weather patterns, prices of fuel, transportation disruptions, labor shortages, labor unrest, and border closures. Any one of these 76 variables can impact supply chains at anytime, anywhere in the world, and can lead to unforeseen supply disruptions.
International Competition – DeCA must also take into consideration the increasing role that other major countries play in international food markets. For example, the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service reports that China has become the world’s largest agricultural importer, surpassing both the European Union and the Unites States with imports of over $133 billion in 2019. According to The Diplomat (November 25, 2021), China has closely linked food security to its underlying national security. To that end, by the close of 2021, China has signed over 100 agriculture agreements with countries around the world in its quest to lock up reliable sources of food supply.
India is also reaching out across the world in its efforts to feed its growing population. According to the International Trade Administration (U.S. Department of Commerce - Sept 2022), India is becoming an increasingly important player in international markets. Consumer-oriented food imports, fresh fruit in particular, are among the fastest growing segments of imported agricultural products, exceeding $6 billion in 2021. So, competition from China, India, and other major international players is increasing for dependable food sources.
Climate Change Impacts – The Salinas-Watsonville area in California is a renown iceberg lettuce producing region. A report developed by Agtools shows that temperatures are slowly rising in that region as a result of climate change. Agtools’ analysis confirms that, as temperatures rise, lettuce production diminishes. As production and therefore supply decreases, prices increase. Two contrasting years illustrate the phenomenon. In the year 2018, temperatures were optimal in the Salinas-Watsonville growing area. Lettuce production grew by 17% and prices were stable. The following year, 2019, temperatures rose several degrees above normal. Lettuce production went down by 19% and prices rose.
The data for the Salina-Watsonville area in recent years clearly shows the correlation between climate-driven, rising temperatures and lower lettuce production. This is illustrative of the trends that data can reveal to buyers who know how to access and understand the data. The example above shows how data can help buyers understand crop trends in one region of the U.S. On a broader scale, data can help buyers understand and anticipate how climate change affects entire regions, such as Central America. In 2018, BioMed Central issued a report (Agriculture & Food Security - August 14) which found that climate change poses a significant threat to farmers throughout Central America, especially smallholder farmers.
There are over 2 million farmers in Central America (many of them smallholder farmers). BioMed surveyed 860 farmers across Central America, focusing on how climate change affects their cultivation of corn, beans, coffee, and other such crops. In its Report, BioMed indicates that almost 95% of the surveyed farmers said that they “are already experiencing impacts of rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and extreme weather events on crop yield.”
Understanding how these extreme changes affect plant phenology can also help reveal trends in crop productivity around the world. Phenology is the study of the stages in the biological life cycle of plants. It’s typical, for example, for plants to have over 150 phenological phases in their growth to maturity. Changes in climate, especially increasing temperatures and diminished rainfall or long-term drought, greatly affect plant phenology. By studying the phenological phases of plant growth, it is possible to foresee the effects of drought, or higher than normal temperatures, and other extreme climate events well before reduced crop yields, or crop defects, become evident at harvest time
Smarter Tools Needed – In today’s world of supply chain shortages, bottlenecks, and uncertainties, DECA buyers and sellers need and can have access to a smarter toolset to navigate increasingly competitive waters in their quest to find the best suppliers and buyers they need to maximize margins. The toolset must have a broader perspective on world food and agriculture markets given their connectivity. DeCA commissary merchants and buyers need access to these commercially available Big Data sources to see the big picture with respect to the many variables that affect agricultural production and markets worldwide. In recent years, various companies in the agriculture sector have developed extensive databases on almost every crop grown, including row crops (primarily grains), and specialty crops (primarily fruits and vegetables). These databases cover a wide range of variables such as: production volumes, crop prices, transportation costs, border closures and labor disputes affecting deliveries, weather patterns in the areas where the crops are grown, and so forth. This data covers a span of many years, ranging from 25 years for most crops, and up to 50 years for weather data.
This data is public and available for commercial use; normalizing the data and preparing it for insight development is a complex process requiring a unique combination of the nuances of the products analyzed and the technology available for its processing. Ongoing training is normally provided to enable users (particularly corporate and government buyers) to fully understand how to access and use the information they need to improve their buying activities, but easier access could change the effectiveness of merchants and buyers in the system.
Access to such data bases, contextualized at the commodity level, is the key to giving DECA buyers a smarter toolset for understanding domestic and international food markets and achieving the reductions in food prices for the commissaries supporting today’s active-duty military, retired military, members of the Guard and the Reserve, and their families.
For questions, please contact:
Martha Montoya, CEO
Conduit Government Relations
Agtools, Inc. is a data science and analytics company headquartered in Orange, California.
Its Founder and CEO, Martha Montoya, has sourced virtually every type of fresh produce for
international markets from growing areas all over the world for over 25 years. Agtools utilizes public data along with their 76 variables to provide information to farmers, producers, shippers, buyers and retailers to make better decisions on their day-to-day businesses.
Brief video: https://vimeo.com/531092227


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June 15-19, 2020
What happened last week
Markets made gains despite fear of a COVID-19 resurgence
Stock markets charged upward on Monday and Tuesday, spurred by news that the Trump administration may roll out an additional US$1 trillion in economic stimulus, and that the U.S. Federal Reserve will begin buying individual corporate bonds under one of its previously announced emergency lending programs. A better-than-expected report on U.S. retail sales that showed an 18% increase over April – the largest monthly gain since 1992 – also contributed to the market gains.
Momentum slowed through Wednesday and Thursday as concern over rising COVID-19 cases in parts of the U.S. and China weighed on markets, along with the weekly U.S. jobless claims report that indicated 1.5 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits during the previous week – a week-over-week decline, but higher than economists had forecast.
Equities jumped again early Friday on news that China was accelerating its purchase of U.S. farm goods in compliance with the first-phase trade agreement between the economic superpowers. The TSX, Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 were within 10% of reaching positive territory on a year-to-date basis, and the red hot, tech-heavy Nasdaq was up over 10% on the year.
Investors contemplated the shape of market recovery
With stock markets up over 40% from the March lows, and in sight of all-time-record highs, investors have begun debating what shape the economic recovery will take – will it look like a U, a V, a W, or will it be more like a swoosh? “To date, the V shape has been most evident in equities, with the devastating decline followed by the huge rally to current levels,” said Bill Onslow, Vice-President, US Equities at Addenda Capital Inc. “With corporate earnings falling, market valuation levels are stretched, and a period of consolidation (or pause) appears warranted. Bonds have been stellar performers through the period, as interest rates have plunged and are likely to remain low for an extended period. Both equities and bonds have benefitted from the unprecedented monetary- and fiscal-policy stimulus triggered to combat the virus.”
Taking a broader outlook, Onslow believes an economic recovery should emerge in the second half of the year as policy measures start to work. He notes, however, that: “The severe and uneven impact of the shutdown across the economy will be evident in second-quarter Gross Domestic Product and job losses, which, barring a catastrophic second wave, should represent the low point of this recession. The economy is unlikely to return to pre-virus levels until well into 2021.”
Statistics Canada reported negative inflation for the second month in row
According to Statistics Canada, the annual rate of inflation as measured by the total Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell by 0.4% in May – further than economists had forecast – as COVID-19 lockdowns continued to stifle the economy. It was the second straight month with negative inflation, following a 0.2% drop in April. Lower gas prices contributed the most to the decline, offsetting food prices, which posted the largest increase among the major economic components. Excluding gas, the CPI rose 0.7%, the smallest increase since January 2013. Inflation is a key economic indicator that the Bank of Canada seeks to keep within a target range of 1% to 3% through its monetary policy. While total CPI was negative in May, the bank’s preferred measure (known as “CPI common”), which filters out price movements that might be caused by factors specific to certain components, came in at 1.4%.
The stock and bond market*
|Dow Jones Industrial Avg.
|S&P 500 Index
| 10-yr GoC Yield
|10-yr U.S. Treasury Yield
|WTI Crude Oil (US$/bbl)
|Bank of Canada Prime Rate 2.45%
*Weekly performance ending June 19, 2020. Sources: www.bloomberg.com, www.msci.com, www.bankofcanada.ca and www.treasury.gov.
Economic reports: Expect markets to react to various reports covering U.S. housing, manufacturing, oil production, employment, trade and consumer spending, which will be released throughout this week.
Circle these dates
- July 6: Bank of Canada Business Outlook Survey results
- July 8: Federal economic update (Canada)
- July 15: Bank of Canada Interest-Rate Announcement and Monetary Policy Report
- July 28-29: U.S. Federal Reserve meetings and statement
- Nov. 3: U.S. presidential election
This article is provided as a general source of information for a specific point in time and should not be considered solicitation to buy or sell any investment. Nothing contained in this article constitutes investment, legal, tax or other advice.
The Co-operators® is a registered trademark of The Co-operators Group Limited and is used with permission.


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L.A. Kitchen, a pioneering non-profit, is again rallying Angelenos to take a stand and participate in a city-wide party (October 5 to 7) to raise awareness and fight food waste, hunger and unemployment. Shared Plates is L.A Kitchen’s anti-gala, a weekend of dinner parties for good that invites thousands of Angelenos to sit around the table in their backyards, restaurants, businesses and schools across Los Angeles.
100% of the ticket sales help in feeding LA’s homeless and senior population, offering culinary job training to the formerly incarcerated or formerly homeless and towards diverting thousands of pounds of food that would have otherwise gone to waste.
Look for L.A. Kitchen branded packaged fresh food products at the food outlets at LAX. Sandwiches and salads…
Robert Egger, L.A. Kitchen Founder & CEO sets the table for us.


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Damage Inc. Pacific Squadron WWII arrives late summer on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
- By: CM Boots-Faubert
- Posted 3rd May 2012
Created to be a historically accurate painstaking recreation of World War II aerial manoeuvres, the game developers say that they came to their senses recently and decided to give gamers more of what they want -- blowing stuff up of course!
Damage Inc. should satisfy history buffs and arcade fans alike, taking place exclusively over the Pacific Theatre of WWII. It begins on the attack of Pear Harbor and features a campaign that delivers over 20 hours of arcade style aerial combat, extensive multi-player and co-op modes and over 30 legendary aircraft to fly.
And it gets better, along with the game Mad Catz will also be releasing a Collector's Edition which includes a host of extras as well as its very own flight stick! The Pacific AV8R is inspired by WWII combat aircraft and has been designed to take the game to a whole new level...
Damage Inc. will form a huge part of Mad Catz E3 show this year and will be fully playable to all visitors, and that means Gaming Update will be right on top of that for you as we have agents dispatched to cover E3 again this year!
If you cannot wait 5 weeks to learn more about the game, hit the official website: www.damageincthegame.com for some more infos and yes, you can has fighter dogfights action!


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Tamesis, The Glanty Egham
TW20 9 Surrey
+49 (89) 998370-15
Gartner Says Worldwide Social Media Revenue Forecast to Reach $16.9 Billion in 2012
Analysts to Discuss Disruptive Technologies, including Social Media, at the Gartner Portals, Content & Collaboration Summit 2012, on 19-20 September in London
Advertising is, and will continue to be, the largest contributor to overall social media revenue and is projected to total $8.8 billion in 2012. Social gaming revenue more than doubled between 2010 and 2011 and is expected to reach $6.2 billion in 2012, while revenue from subscriptions is expected to total $278 million this year.
"Usage of online social media has matured, and more than one billion people worldwide will use social networks this year," said Neha Gupta, senior research analyst at Gartner. "Although the number of social media users is large, and in some cases increasingly mature in their usage patterns, the market is still in its early stages from a revenue perspective."
Gartner expects the number of social media users will continue to increase at a moderate pace. New forms of media and entertainment will keep users engaged on social media sites and attract new ones. Rising competition among social media players, each vying for consumers' leisure time and attention, will lead to the rise of new forms of social media (web based and mobile).
Marketers are allocating a higher percentage of their advertising budget to social networking sites. This is mainly driven by the fact that these sites offer a large pool of engaged users who spend considerable time on these sites - this increases the potential click-through rates (CTRs). Social media sites enable marketers to target ads to discrete consumer segments by unlocking the interconnected data structures of users that include lists of friends, their comments and messages, photos and all their social connections, contact information and associated media.
"Social media sites are becoming more innovative in their ad products to attract marketers," Ms Gupta said. "Social networking sites should deploy data analytic technologies that interrogate social networks to give marketers a more accurate picture of trends in accordance with consumers' needs and preferences."
Gartner analysts said that social media sites will continue to incorporate gaming techniques on their networks, driven by the monetisation opportunities that it presents. The sale of virtual goods will remain the primary source of revenue. Major console gaming publishers have recently entered the social gaming arena and are adding momentum to the social gaming industry by utilizing their intellectual properties. Gartner expects this trend to have a favorable impact on social gaming revenue as consumers are likely to be attracted to familiar gaming titles. Some of the big social developers such as Zynga, GREE and DeNA have moved to an open-platform strategy, enhancing user convenience and choice.
The growth in users paying for professional networking accounts will continue to grow. However, social sites are moving toward lower subscription fees and shifting focus to other sources of revenue, such as advertisement-based sales. This is corroborated by the fact that many of the professional sites (including LinkedIn and Xing) that charge for premium services observed a decline in the subscriptions revenue ratio. Apart from a few exceptions, Gartner continues to see limited success with the premium subscription models.
The sale of virtual goods outside of social gaming is the largest revenue earner in the "other" category. The trend to sell high-value advisory services - such as public relations and reputation management) to brands so that they can better manage their presence on social networks is on the rise and is expected to continue. Payments on social media sites will increase, providing increased revenue opportunities to social media sites to serve as a payment platform for transactions of digital content (to pay for applications, such as part of Facebook), as part of social gaming (for example, FarmVille), or to make a person-to-person (P2P) payment to another user of the network site. New revenue opportunities for social media will also arise as both mobile and TV platforms integrate with social networking as a core service.
"New revenue opportunities will exist in social media, but no new services will be able to bring significant fresh revenue to social media by 2016," said Ms Gupta. "The biggest impact of growth in social media is on the advertisers. In the short and medium terms, social media sites should deploy data analytic techniques that interrogate social networks to give marketers a more accurate picture of trends about consumers' needs and preferences on a customised basis. In the meantime, however, they should also continue to exploit other channels of revenue like mobile advertising and social commerce."
Additional information is available in the Gartner report "Forecast: Social Media Revenue, Worldwide, 2011-2016." The report is available on Gartner's web site at http://www.gartner.com/....
About the Gartner Portals, Content & Collaboration Summit 2012
At the Gartner Portals, Content & Collaboration Summit 2012 Gartner analysts will help IT and business leaders harness the benefits and the challenges of a mobile, always-on workplace, exploit social engagement to drive innovation, and plan for the future workplace and the next generation social intranets.
Die Nutzung von hier veröffentlichten Informationen zur Eigeninformation und redaktionellen Weiterverarbeitung ist in der Regel kostenfrei. Bitte klären Sie vor einer Weiterverwendung urheberrechtliche Fragen mit dem angegebenen Herausgeber. Bei Veröffentlichung senden Sie bitte ein Belegexemplar an email@example.com.


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E-retailers intensified their e-mail marketing efforts during the first 12 days of December, with the highest-volume senders blasting more than three messages a day to consumers in their databases, twice the rate at which they e-mailed in November, according to an analysis of data Internet Retailer collected on the top 1,000 North American e-retailers by 2012 sales.
The top 1,000 e-retailers sent 3,559 promotional e-mails from Dec. 1 to Dec. 12. To collect the data, Internet Retailer in late October signed up with the 843 of the top 1,000 merchants, as ranked in the Top 500 and Second 500 Guides, that offer e-mail registration on their e-commerce sites. Internet Retailer then recorded how many e-mails each e-retailer sent. Internet Retailer did not connect any shopping or purchasing activity with the e-mail address.
More than half of top 1,000 e-retailers, 532, sent at least one e-mail during the period, and the average was 6.68 messages.
The top five e-mailers by volume were:
- Women’s apparel e-retailer AshleyStewart.com, No. 686 in the Second 500 Guide, sent 46 messages from Dec. 1 to Dec. 12. The largest discount it promoted in a subject line was 50% off.
- Toy and hobbyist e-retailer HobbyTron.com, No. 578, sent 41 messages, with at least one message promoting 66% off in its subject line.
- Discount e-retailer NoMoreRack.com and No. 202 in the Top 500 Guide, sent 37 messages and promoted free shipping in its subject lines. NoMoreRack said in early December that it had pulled in $78 million in sales from Nov. 1 to Dec. 2, 168% more than the same period last year.
- Cookware e-retailer Cooking.com (No. 220) sent 35 messages and offered 50% off.
- Cookware e-retailer ChefsCatalog.com (No. 317) sent 32 messages with a high offer of 70% off.
Melina Ash, co-founder and chief merchandising officer of NoMoreRack.com, says e-mail marketing is performing well for the retailer so far this holiday season, and open rates are up. “Open rates have increased by about 20% from the norm,” she says. “We’ve seen a particular increase in traction when we release door busters.”
Cooking.com and ChefsCatalog.com were both purchased by Target Corp. (No. 18) in 2013. Target said at the time that it would operate the two sites as one subsidiary company. Target.com, interestingly, sent zero e-mails to the e-mail address Internet Retailer used in its test.
These top five senders by volume sent an average of 3.2 messages per day, double the 1.6 daily average they sent during all of November. The top 20 senders by volume sent an average of 2.3 messages per day, up from an average of 1.4 in November. Fourteen of the top 20 senders come from the Top 500 Guide, which ranks the largest online retailers by sales, and six come from the Second 500 Guide, which includes retailers with $18.8 million in annual sales or less.
The top 100 e-retailers as ranked in the Top 500 Guide sent an average of 4.26 e-mails from Dec. 1-Dec. 12 to the e-mail used by Internet Retailer in this survey; that compares to 7.78 e-mail average for all 30 days of November.
Internet Retailer also recorded e-retailers’ largest percent-off offers. Among the top 20 e-retailers by December volume, BeyondTheRack , a Canadian flash-sale e-retailer and No. 155 in the Top 500 and thirteenth in the top 20 by volume, promoted the greatest discount in an e-mail subject line, 85% off. ValuePetSupplies, No. 674 in the Second 500 and fifteenth by December e-mail volume, offered the lowest percent-off offer, 21%. The most popular high offer among the top 20 retailers by e-mail volume was 50% off, which four e-retailers offered during the Dec. 1-Dec. 12 monitoring period, which included Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving.