“EGO, PR SPIN AND A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN” is how the Daily Mail headlined the feelings of many over the fourth person to be killed in Sir Richard Branson’s race, looking increasingly insane and pointless, for Virgin Galactic to be the first to offer very expensive space tourism to the rich.

Following the deaths of three engineers in 2007 when a rocket engine exploded, Branson’s test pilot, Michael Alsbury, was killed and his co-pilot badly injured when SpaceShipTwo broke up and crashed on a test flight on October 31. The cause of the crash may not be known for 12 months, but what is emerging are claims that Virgin Galactic have had, and ignored multiple warnings about the dangers. Continue reading →

British consumers are at risk of having to fund huge compensation payments to large US firms suing governments for damaging their profits with legislation that protects consumers.

Examples are governments freezing energy prices, nationalising industries such as our health service and requiring prominent health warnings to be printed on packets of cigarettes, something the giant tobacco firm Philip Morris is currently suing the government of Uruguay for, claiming more than £15 million in compensation. This is something it has tried twice before, once in Australia where it lost and once in Thailand where it won. Continue reading →

Nine West-country women aged 34-69 who ran an illegal pyramid scheme scooping more than £20 million from 10,000 duped “investors” have pleaded guilty to fraud, with most receiving prison sentences, some suspended.

The victims mostly targeted were other women, who were enticed to attend champagne parties held at the 22-room Battleborough Grange Country House Hotel, Brent Knoll, Somerset, a hotel run by 69 year-old fraudster and charity fundraiser Carol Chalmers. At the parties women were persuaded to start a 15 person pyramid by investing £3,000 and persuading two others to do the same, and then recruiting two others each and so on. Continue reading →

Energy drink company Red Bull GmbH has settled two class action lawsuits in the USA with an agreement to pay consumers $13 million for misleadingly claiming that their product gave drinkers increased mental and physical performance – “Red Bull gives you wings”.

The agreement only applies in the USA where it is thought that many more vulnerable consumers would have believed that the advertising really was a statement of fact.

Pay-outs per person cruelly misled are likely to be less than $10 (£6.30), or $15 worth (£9.45) of Red Bull, that doesn’t give you wings.

Another example of careless shopping costing consumers their cash was recently given by Asda on its sale of Cathedral City cheddar cheese and reported on the Watchdog TV programme.

A 350 gm piece was offered at a promotional price of £2, whereas an “economy” multipack of two 350 gm pieces was priced at £7.29, or £3.29 more than buying two single packs. So the unwary, those who trustingly believe bigger packs always offer better value, those bad or slow at maths or those in a hurry to do the shopping and get home were giving Asda more than 80% more than they needed to.

Poor Tesco seem to be missing their former chief executive Sir Terry Leahy rather badly since he left in 2011, judging by current woes that include departures of very senior directors, a twelve month, 60% plummet in share prices from £3.70 to £1.70 and a gaping £250 million black hole in the accounts, due, some say to an aggressive stance by Tesco that goes back to at least 2004.

Sir Terry, by contrast is doing rather well and is sharing his management expertise with others at some evening business seminars run by the London Evening Standard.

The November offering is entitled “How to innovate and take your business to the next level” and will doubtless have Tesco executives, those still there, queueing for tickets. Rumours, however that Sir Terry’s future subjects will be “How to retain top staff”, “Keeping your share price climbing” and “Getting out of a black hole” should be treated as mischievous.

A system of electromagnets that can make an object float in clear air could be the next attention-grabber for shop windows, showrooms and exhibition stands.

Objects weighing up to 560gm can hover and move around an area 27.3cm x 24.2cm and above a Z-shaped column 155cm tall.

The Gravity Lifter Movez has been developed by Dusseldorf company Usables GmbH and will be available from the end of this month.

usables.de/eng/fly