'Wheeler dealers'

With insistent heavy rains, many private car owners who are scrupulous when it comes to maintenance prefer authorized service centers or dealers thinking they would get the best kind of parts and service support. Unfortunately, a number of these dealers or “casas” that are supposed to be reputable are taking advantage, if not conniving, with their unscrupulous mechanics by telling owners (especially of high-end American cars) that they need to change some parts to keep the vehicle in perfect running condition, etc. Those who don’t know any better end up shelling several thousands – sometimes as much as a hundred grand or more – for unnecessary repairs and parts replacements. The more resourceful (and discerning) owners go to smaller, non-dealer service shops to get a second opinion and more often than not – it turns out the problem is not as serious or expensive as the “casa” makes it out to be.

One very reliable and reputable service center is Auto Sports in Pasong Tamo, whose professional mechanics do not invent or manufacture defects just to make vehicle owners cough up exorbitant expenses for repair and replacement. It’s time for the DTI to look into the complaints of so many people who have become victims of such unscrupulous practices by so-called authorized dealers who continue to give the auto industry a bad rep. Better yet, the BIR should look into their books and see if these “wheeler dealers” are paying the right taxes.

AOL’s sci-fi ‘Editions’

Those who still doubt the computer tablet’s popularity should have a rethink now with Internet company AOL’s launch of its own version of a daily e-magazine called “Editions,” which is a customized version of a news gathering mobile apps that focuses on bringing tailored content to users. An AOL official described the e-magazine as a morning newspaper that is more “sci-fi,” with default sections such as headline news, sports, business, entertainment etc. that users can “edit” according to their preferences so that they can directly go to the sections they like or prefer. “Editions” though doesn’t have a license with content publishers (except for the Huffington Post which it bought earlier) so the iPad app will just redirect users to a website to read the full story, AOL officials clarified.  

 No doubt the move is intended to get a bigger share of the growing computer-tablet audience. More and more publishers (also for books and magazines) are expanding readership through tablet versions not only because they cut down on printing expenses but due to the fact that they are able to release issues on time. Even Vanity Fair recently released its second e-book titled Rupert Murdoch: The Master Mogul of Fleet Street which gives a behind-the-scenes account of the travails of the embattled publishing mogul.

Japan’s road to recovery

Five months after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, recovery efforts continue with the Japanese displaying their indomitable spirit in trying to rebuild their lives, with pieces of good news trickling in such as the unexpected win of their team in the women’s World Cup finals, beating the favorite United States. Another clear sign to many that life – or more like business – is returning to normal is the recent announcement by Toyota, still considered the world’s largest automaker, that it is raising its full-profit forecast by 40 percent or ¥390 billion, much higher than an earlier prediction of ¥280 billion. Other Japanese automakers are showing remarkable recovery efforts despite difficulties due to electricity shortages brought about by crippled or out-of-commission power plants.  

Another indication is the expansion of services by Hawaiian Airlines which recently launched flights to Osaka as bookings start to recover after experiencing a sharp decline in the wake of the March earthquake and tsunami disaster. According to Hawaiian president and CEO Mark Dunkerley, “bookings are back to pre-tsunami levels.” Hawaii of course is a favorite holiday destination for the Japanese, and daily service between Kansai International Airport and Honolulu has also been started. Hawaiian saw Kansai “as a very distinct market,” and Dunkerley admits that the airline couldn’t properly claim to be serving Japan by serving just one destination.

Spy tidbit

– The rainy season is triggering a lot of diseases with diarrhea getting prevalent due to contaminated water, ill-prepared food compounded by the spread of bacteria like shigella and salmonella. In the US however, it’s not the rains that are causing a spike in cases of diarrhea and food poisoning due to a salmonella outbreak – but ground turkey meat from a still unknown source. Officials of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating samples of ground turkey, with several meat-packing companies already contacted by the US Agriculture Department as part of their investigation. However, Americans are angry because authorities have kept silent about the problem for several months, with the illnesses spreading over 26 states in the past few months since March, spiking in May and June. According to the CDC, 50 million Americans get sick every year from food poisoning, while some 3,000 die.

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