Prosecutors in Germany and France have broadened their investigations into the emissions scandal at Volkswagen.
Authorities in Paris have opened a formal probe into “aggravated fraud” over the use of diesel engine devices that gave misleading emissions results.
And German prosecutors said the number of VW employees now under investigation has increased from six to 17.
VW, which said it is cooperating with all inquiries, had about 11 million cars fitted with the emissions devices.
Too many businesses make the mistake of ignoring Twitter. There are some people who look at it, but don’t understand it, and there are massive numbers of dormant accounts.
The point isn’t that everyone is on Twitter; the key is understanding what you can do with it and why you need to be there.
Twitter is still the most efficient network for reaching out to busy people who have gatekeepers on their phones and email, but you need to be careful on Twitter to make sure you are getting the most out of it and don’t end up “ghost banned,” also known as “shadow banned.” (More on that near the end of this post.)
“We need your help,” Tesla wrote in a Feb. 19 e-mail to its customers in Indiana. The state legislature was about to move forward with a bill that would have forced the electric-car maker to find a franchisee to operate its one showroom in the state, setting a precedent that would make it harder for Tesla to open others elsewhere. The company claimed the legislation reflected the interests and influence of one rival: General Motors. “Don’t let GM tell you that your only option is to buy a car from a traditional franchised dealer by shutting out Tesla,” the e-mail continued. Tesla asked recipients to contact their lawmakers.
v.20 n.10 – Released March 7, 2016
Bert was one of the most successful people I’ve ever known. He was the co-owner of a construction company I worked for in my twenties. His whole life would change when he had a chance meeting with the creator of TV Guide, Walter Annenberg, on a bike ride in Rancho Mirage. From that fateful meeting, he went on to become fast friends with Ronald Reagan and a behind the scenes power broker in the California Republican party.
But before that time he was a roughneck that made good. He was always helping people regardless of their color, religion or political beliefs. He used to take me along to deal negotiations. On these long trips we would discuss and sometimes debate politics, unions or the general state of the nation. He was older, rich and on his way to becoming wealthy and conservative. I was young, broke and very liberal. There were things we didn’t see eye to eye about, but I never felt judged by him. He always treated me with respect even if he thought my opinion was less than smart.
You might notice something missing if you buy the new 2017 Volvo S90. The car key.
Starting with the launch of the new sedan later this year, the Swedish automaker plans to abandon the car key, except as a special option.
And Volvo isn’t alone. Traditional metal car keys have almost vanished entirely. Ford, for example, offers standard keys on only two new truck models. And they could vanish entirely in the next few years. But Volvo and others may also abandon the smart, wireless keyfobs that have come to take the place of standard keys, as well.
“Mobility needs are evolving, and so are our customers’ expectation to access cars in an uncomplicated way,” said Henrik Green, vice president at Volvo.
Hydroponic technology has come a long way in a short time, so it’s no surprise to see architects integrating growing systems into new projects. D+DS architecture is taking this idea to the green extreme with their new residential concept called URBAN PLANT. Designed to be a fully sustainable housing complex, the project envisions a living solution where tenants would be able to grow their own food year-round in a flourishing winter garden.
Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram is flexing its platform muscle by shutting down ‘add me’ deeplinking for some other social media services within its apps.
Previously Instagram users were able to include ‘add me’/’follow me’ links in a website section on their profile page, directly linking out to any other profiles they had on third party social services’ apps. Now attempting to type one of these links to a Snapchat or Telegram profile, within the Instagram app’s website field on a user’s profile, results in the following message…
We are learning more and more about leadership all the time. One of the biggest “Ahas!” new and experienced managers (and the people who work for them) have experienced over the past few years is the realization that being a strong manager doesn’t mean being forceful or domineering.
It’s just the opposite — strong managers are strong enough to lead through trust, whereas weak managers have to use the force of their job titles to make people listen to them.
When we talk about fear-based management, it’s the weak managers we are referring to! You can spot a weak manager at a hundred paces or more, because weak managers are the ones who raise their voices, make threats and generally keep their teammates off-balance and worried about pleasing the manager when our customers need them to be happily focused on their work.
NEW YORK — Sports Authority is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to try to fix its business as it pays off $1.1 billion in debt.
The retailer said Wednesday that it plans to close or sell about 140 stores and two distribution centers, in Denver and Chicago.
Sports Authority stores will remain open and run on normal schedules during the Chapter 11 process.
The company is also laying off 3,400 employees, or about one-third of its staff, all of whom were notified on February 10, according to the Denver Post.
“We wanted to give them plenty of time to find their next opportunity, whether it’s in the company, or wherever else it is,” Foss said. “It is hard to close a store or a distribution center, or right-size a corporate headquarters. We try to mitigate the impact on people as much as possible.”
Dispatches From The Front 