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LOS ANGELES — A new coffee diet claiming to help lose weight and improve IQ is gaining a major following in the United States — and raising eyebrows among doctors sceptical of its benefits. 

Dave Asprey, the founder and CEO of the “Bulletproof Diet”, pulls no punches when making claims for his radical health recipe, cup of coffee in hand.

“You become a better employee, better parent, better friend, better person,” said the former Silicon Valley entrepreneur now living in Canada. “My energy changes, my brain changes. I can pay attention, I can follow through.” 

The cornerstone of Asprey’s diet is a drink called Bulletproof Coffee, a modified version of the caffeinated beverage which uses beans stripped of mycotoxins — essentially mould that forms during the fermentation process. 

Add to that butter from grass-fed cows and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil. 

The ingredients are blended together to produce a creamy, naturally sweet beverage a bit like a milkshake, taken at breakfast in lieu of a meal. 

“So you drink a couple of these and all of a sudden you don’t care about food for a very long time,” said Asprey. “Your brain has energy that doesn’t come from sugar, you didn’t want sugar in your coffee and you lose the craving and you sort of have freedom.” 

Asprey used to weigh 300 pounds, and spent much of his life battling to lose weight.

The coffee diet idea came to him during a trip to Tibet in 2004. He was weak with altitude sickness while travelling in the mountainous region — until he drank yak butter tea. 

Asprey was so impressed by the energetic effect of the drink that he tried to reproduce it at home.

After years of trying all kinds of ingredients and combinations, he unveiled a patented formula in 2009 through his blog and on social media, claiming the coffee and an associated health regimen helped him attain a “bodybuilder” physique. 

‘Better our body’

Asprey’s diet is now one of the most popular in the United States, where a third of the population of some 320 million is obese. 

And his modified coffee has become the first link in an empire that includes the New York Times best-selling book “The Bulletproof Diet”.

In addition to people looking to lose weight, it attracts athletes and supporters of “biohacking”, a movement that combines biology and food technology to improve physical and mental capacity. 

“Me and my wife are in the fitness industry, so we are trying to do things that better our body,” said Justin Lovato, a burly personal trainer. 

Past the hit of morning coffee, the method advocates a diet free of gluten and sugar that draws around half of its calories from “healthy fats” such as MCT oil, 20 per cent from protein — preferably grass-fed meat and dairy or wild caught seafood — and the rest from organic fruit and vegetables.

Other foods are classified as “bulletproof”, “suspect” or “kryptonite” according to how they fit into the diet’s categories and meals are taken on a set schedule.

A young athlete who gave his name as Ray said drinking the coffee every morning “increases your energy levels for sure”.

“You don’t feel sleepy anymore, you don’t have the crash I would say after 20 minutes. Its effects are longer” than any of the products he has tested before, Ray added.

Asprey also advocates brief bursts of high-intensity exercise, with a focus on allowing the body to recuperate with food and sleep. 

Where are the nutrients?

Several celebrities have publicly lauded the benefits of the “miracle drink”, like actress Shailene Woodley — protagonist of “The Divergent Series” saga — and comedian Jimmy Fallon. 

But experts have raised the alarm over the diet’s nutritional value.

The British Dietetic Association listed the “Bulletproof” method among its top 10 celebrity diets to avoid for 2016 — along with such questionable fads as the “all kale and chewing gum diet”.

“Un-bull-ieveable!” was its verdict. “Whilst the idea of minimising alcohol and processed food is positive, the classification of foods is at odds with health recommendations and lacks evidence.”

UCLA Medical Centre nutritionist Amy Schnabel told AFP the diet could work short term. 

“Initially, any diet that has you restrict large food groups does result in some weight loss,” she said.

She also said the diet’s popularity was understandable — whether or not it is rooted in actual health benefits.

“Coffee is a good source of antioxidants and it has caffeine. That would make any of us feel good,” said Schnabel, “whether it is black or loaded with cream”.

“If you expect to drink one cup of this and feel good, and have mental clarity, you probably will — just because of the placebo effect.” 

But Schnabel also warned “the dangers of following this diet long term are possible nutrient deficiency”. 

Doctors widely caution that the first meal of the day is the most important one and should contain cereal or bread (carbohydrates), eggs or yogurt (protein), fruit (fibre) and coffee or tea (stimulant).

Asprey’s emphasis on the removal of mycotoxins is also potentially misleading, since coffee producers now regularly use wet-processing, during which the beans are washed and the toxins eliminated.

He insists the benefits of his formula are proven. 

And beyond the science, the commercial success of Bulletproof Coffee is undeniable. 

The “Bulletproof” website does a brisk business in coffee and related health products — from engineered “healthy fats” to coffee “performance kits”, sleep-inducing mattresses, nightlights and “Zen” iPhone protectors that filter out blue light.

The future looks bright, too, after Asprey’s company received an injection of $9 million from investors to expand its network of stores, the first of which opened in affluent Santa Monica, near Los Angeles, last year.

I had never heard of a frozen shoulder till I got one. Now, if you asked me about frozen Margarita, I knew everything there was to know about it: from the recipe to the flavours to the blackout-inducing hangover one suffered the next morning if one had too many helpings of it. But how a human limb froze, while it was still attached to the rest of the body, was a completely alien concept to me.

What had started as a niggling pain in my upper clavicle, in the next few weeks developed into a dull ache that spread all over my collarbone. A random survey of the “household remedies to fix everything” website on the Internet had me drinking gallons of warm milk, in which heaped spoonsful of turmeric powder was added. Other than staining my teeth deep yellow, the entire routine did nothing to alleviate my misery. It was time to visit the doctor.

The specialist sat me down and explained what my problem was. The bones, ligaments and tendons that made up my shoulder joint were encased in a capsule of connective tissue. This capsule had thickened and tightened around the shoulder joint, restricting its movement, which gave me a frozen shoulder. He was not sure why this had happened to me because it was more likely to occur in people who had diabetes or those who recently had to immobilise their shoulder for a long period, for instance, after surgery or an arm fracture.

The predicament developed slowly, and in three phases with each stage lasting for a number of months. The first was the freezing stage; any movement of the shoulder caused pain and the shoulder’s range of motion started to become limited. Second was the frozen state where the pain began to diminish during this time, but the shoulder became stiffer and using it was more difficult. Final was the thawing period where a range of motion in the shoulder began to improve. However, in the entire duration, the agony worsened at night and disrupted sleep.

The good doctor rattled off the entire account like he was reading out a news bulletin. In fact, he related the last line, which highlighted my nocturnal grief, with twinkling eyes and a short laugh, as if he had just delivered the punch line of a joke. When I looked at him in horror, he swiftly composed himself and told me to raise my arm. He had figured the easiest and best way to thaw my frozen shoulder, he muttered. And then he asked me, how many parties or social gatherings I attended every week? 

Three or four on an average, I told him. My raised limb was beginning to hurt but he did not allow me to lower it. Standing behind my chair, he moved my arm from left to right and then back, in a semi-circle sort of exaggerated wave. That is the way I must greet each person I met socially for the next few days, he instructed. In this manner, without taking any painful steroid injections or physiotherapy sessions I would get cured in a week’s time, he concluded.

“Flagging down a taxi?” my friend asked as soon as I greeted her. 

“Hello”, I waved my arm from side to side. 

“You okay?” she questioned. 

“Good evening,” I replied, moving my arm overhead again. 

“Shoulder froze?” she guessed. 

“Thawing the freeze,” I admitted. 

“With a new regal wave,” she smiled waving back at me.

By 3D-printing a fake gel brain and watching it “grow”, scientists at Harvard University have discovered how the human cortex develops its creepy, classic folds.

The discovery, published in the journal Nature Physics, may solve a long-standing mystery about the structure of our grey matter and could even help shed light on certain disorders that may be linked to underfolding or overfolding of the brain.

The researchers “have provided the first experimental evidence of the theory of differential growth and demonstrated that physical forces — not just biochemical processes alone — play a critical role in neurodevelopment”, Ellen Kuhl of Stanford University, who was not involved in the study, wrote in a commentary. “Their findings could have far-reaching clinical consequences for diagnosing, treating and preventing a wide variety of neurological disorders.”

Think of the brain, and you might conjure up a pink, wrinkly object roughly the shape of a partly deflated basketball. But not every species’ brain has these telltale wrinkles — smaller animals such as rats have smooth, pink thinkers. Human foetuses don’t start developing these folds until about 23 weeks of gestation and don’t put the final touches on the branch-like network of creases until after they’re born.

Scientists have long known that the brain’s folded structure actually has some major benefits: It allows for far more connectivity across the cortex (the surface layer of our brain that consists of “grey matter”) than a smooth surface would.

“Each cortical neuron is connected to 7,000 other neurons, resulting in 0.15 quadrillion connections and more than 150,000km of nerve fibres,” Kuhl wrote.

But what causes these folds to develop has had scientists a little stumped. Many researchers have tried to identify the cellular or biochemical processes at work, but Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan, a physicist and applied mathematician at Harvard University, decided to study the physics of the structure itself, and develop a mathematical model of its behaviour.

“I have a long-standing interest in trying to understand how the body or bodies of animals organise themselves,” Mahadevan said. “I approach these problems from a mathematical perspective.”

Researchers have tried to get at this question for decades, Kuhl wrote. Roughly 40 years ago, another group of Harvard researchers suggested a physical model where the differences in growth within the brain’s tissues could explain fold formation.

“The model challenged the conventional wisdom that surface morphogenesis, pattern selection and evolution of shape are purely biological phenomena,” Kuhl wrote. “To no surprise, this rather hypothetical approach was perceived as highly controversial.”

Part of the problem was that there seemed to be no good way to answer this question, she added. Experiments with human brains can be “ethically questionable”, and experiments with rats or other small animals wouldn’t work because their brains are smooth. And usually, an experiment in non-living material wouldn’t show you how the brain develops these folds because non-living tissue doesn’t grow.

But for this paper, the scientists built a physical model that solved that last problem with some clever use of materials. They used magnetic resonance imagery from a smooth foetal brain at 22 weeks’ gestation and 3D-printed a cast to make a fake brain out of gel. This was the “white matter” of the brain, which they covered with a thin coat of rubbery gel to mimic the layer of “grey matter”, or cortical tissue.

The researchers then submerged the brain in a liquid solvent that caused that stretchy cortex-like layer to start growing. Sure enough, unnervingly brain-like folds began to emerge in the once-smooth surface.

Here’s what seems to be happening: The cortical tissue wants to keep growing but it’s anchored to the limited real estate of the white matter below it. As the cortex expands, that strain eventually causes the tissue to collapse, leading to the gyri (round features) and sulci (deep grooves) that cover the surface.

The next step, Mahadevan says, is to link these large-scale structural predictions to the process that may be contributing on a molecular level.

“In the end, all of them are related,” he said. “If I think about the shape of the folds in a foetal brain then yes, there are molecular processes: There are biochemical processes which cause cells to move, cause cells to divide, cause cells to change shape and cause cells to change in number.”

Ultimately, the research could help researchers better understand a variety of different neurological disorders, scientists said.

“Making these connections can help us identify topological markers for the early diagnosis of autism, schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s disease, and, ultimately, design more effective treatment strategies,” Kuhl said.

Much awaited and launched last, the 13th generation of America’s most iconic and best-selling pickup truck is the most advanced in its segment. Built with use of extensive high strength steel in its frame and a lightweight body from tough military-grade aluminium, the new F150 weights up to 317kg less than its predecessor. 

Raising the bar in the large pickup segment, the 2015 utilitarian Ford F150’s massive weight saving translates into improved performance, fuel efficiency, braking, ride and handling, and hauling and towing. Driven in range-topping and most luxurious 5.0 Platinum guise, the F150 is also available in various engine, body, cargo and drive-line versions and choices for professional, recreational and private use.

Rugged yet lightweight

First among peers, the F150’s aluminium body is extensively tested for durability. Meanwhile, its masterful design both captures a rugged and bold aesthetic evolution and is functional. Assertive yet subtly honed for better aerodynamics and airflow than ever, even the F150 cab bed design is also designed to reduces turbulence, while a low waistline allows good visibility.

Brimming with tough Tonka-truck appeal and slightly wider than it is tall, the F150 Platinum features a huge, upright and dominant chrome grill with angled back edges, semi-split LED headlights, and massive 275/55R20 footwear. Jutting, assertive and eager in demeanour, the F150’s ridged and stepped bonnet reduces the distance to the wheel-arch apex for a cleaner, better flowing aesthetic

A luxurious large truck designed for mixed professional and private use, the F150’s much improved cabin features quality padded textures and surfaces with considerably reduced use of hard plastics. Layouts and designs are user-friendly, ergonomic and accessible, including multi-function steering and instrument display. Meanwhile, big wide-swinging front and rear doors and an automatically lowering running board provide easy accessibility.

Coyote charisma

The f150 is available with several engine choices including entry-level naturally aspirated 3.5-litre “Cyclone” and muscularly efficient turbocharged 2.7- and twin-turbo 3.5-litre “Ecoboost” V6 variants. The range-topping Platinum edition driven, however, features Ford’s gurglingly mighty and progressive naturally-aspirated 5-litre DOHC V8 “Coyote” engine, mated to a smooth and concise shifting 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Essentially the same engine powering the Mustang GT muscle car, the Coyote is tuned for less heady characteristics for F150 service, producing 385BHP at 5750rpm rather than 435BHP at 6500rpm. Muscular at low- and mid-range speeds to suit a heavier 2,209kg truck application, the Coyote-powered F150 Platinum produces effortlessly accessible and exploitable torque throughout its rev range, peaking at 387lb/ft by 3850rpm.

Launching responsively off the line and flexible in mid range, the F150 5.0 is seamless, smooth and rewardingly and progressively in delivery. Eager through revs and refined and subdued when cruising, the F150’s engine note builds from a low-end burbling laced with evocative induction noises to an insistent growling and pounding staccato as it hunts towards its redline.

Comfort and composure

Quickest and with least drive-line power loss when in rear-drive mode, the F150 5.0 sprints from standstill to 97km/h in under 6 seconds and slips and pushes indefatigably through wind resistance to its easily attainable and electronically governed 170km/h top speed. Meanwhile, an automatic four-wheel drive mode can divert power to the front axle when enhanced traction and grip is needed.

A more refined, composed and agile vehicle than expected in the large pickup segment, the new F150 may be hugely spacious, but seemingly feels smaller, nimbler, and more manoeuvrable and than the competition. Riding on double wishbone front and heavy-duty live axle and leaf spring rear suspension, the F150’s outboard rear dampers and suspension make it perhaps the smoothest, most refined, controlled and nuanced among peers. 

Controlled and balanced through corners and with tidy turn-in for its enormity, the F150 also features light but comparatively well communicative steering feel. Reassuringly grippy through corners, the F150 virtually eliminates the hard cornering side axle hop and acceleration squat and brake dive associated similar vehicles. The F150 is also more composed and buttoned down on rebound than is expected in its segment.

Comfort and capability

Settled, stable and smooth at speed, the F150 is feels supple, forgiving and fluent over rough surfaces, bumps and cracks, despite massive 20-inch alloy wheels. Meanwhile, it is extensively well equipped with adaptive cruise control and advanced blindspot, lane keeping, rear cross-path and towing semi-autonomous driver-assistance systems, and a 360° around view monitor. Safety systems include three inflatable 3-point rear seatbelts and childseat latches. 

Engineered for tough towing, hauling and off-road work — especially with the FX4 package as driven, the F150 is equipped with high and low gear permanent four-wheel drive modes.

Capable of carrying 943kg in a 1,495-litre volume cargo bed, the F150 can also tow up to 4,944kg, depending on three available axle ratio options. The F150 FX4 also features generous 238mm ground clearance, 25.5° approach, 21° break-over and 26° departure angles.

Vastly spacious for five large passengers and with a highly adjustable driving position, the thoroughly well equipped F150’s instrument panel even features a display to show steering angle, gradient, side slope and active four-wheel drive power distribution.

A luxurious workhorse, the F150 features Ford’s intuitive Sync infotainment system with Bluetooth streaming and voice command, and massaging front seats. Stiffer side seat bolsters would, however, be welcome to matches the F150’s good cornering ability.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 5-litre, all-aluminium, in-line V8 cylinders

Bore x stroke: 92.2 x 92.7mm

Compression ratio: 10.5:1

Valve-train: 24-valve, DOHC, variable valve timing

Gearbox: 6-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive, low ratio transfer case

Gear ratios: 1st 4.17:1; 2nd 2.34:1; 3rd 1.52:1; 4th 1.14:1; 5th 0.86:1; 6th 0.69:1; R 3.4:1

Axle ratio options: 3.31:1, 3.55:1, 3.73:1

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 385 (390) [287] @5750rpm

Specific power: 77.7BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 174.2BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 387 (524) @3850rpm

Specific torque: 105.8Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 237.2Nm/tonne

0-97km/h: 5.5 seconds (estimate)

Top speed: 170km/h (electronically governed)

Minimum fuel requirement: 91RON

Wheelbase: 3,683mm

Track: 1717mm 

Overhang, F/R; 959 /1247mm

Ground clearance: 238mm

Approach /break-over /departure angles: 25.5° /21° /26°

Seating: 5

Hip room, F/R: 1587 /1643mm

Cargo bed height, length, width: 543, 1705, 1285-1656mm 

Load floor height: 907mm

Cargo volume: 1,495 litres

Fuel capacity: 125 litres (optional)

Kerb weight: 2,209kg

Payload: 943kg

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: 3,175kg

Towing maximum: 4,082-4,944kg (depending on axle ratio)

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Turning circle: 15.57 metres

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbones, coil springs /live axle, leaf springs

Brakes, F/R: Disc, 34 x 350mm /drum, 22 x 335mm

Brake callipers, F/R: Twin /single

Tyres: 275/55R20

Toyota’s Scion brand is going the way of Oldsmobile, Mercury and Tucker.

Toyota will scrap the youth-oriented nameplate. Certain Scions will be rebadged as Toyotas. Some Scion employees will continue to work for the parent company.

The Japanese car giant characterised the news as the end of a triumphant period in which the perky, inexpensive Scions brought new customers to the brand and introduced a generation of buyers to Toyota.

But those customers have grown up, Toyota said, and now prefer Toyota cars and can pay Toyota prices.

“We could not have achieved the success we have had without the incredible support of Scion’s customers, dealers and team members, so supporting them throughout this transition process will be one of our top priorities,” said Jim Lentz, the executive who began Scion and later rose to CEO of Toyota’s North American operations. “This isn’t a step backward for Scion; it’s a leap forward for Toyota.”

Toyota said it had sold a little over 1 million Scions during the brand’s 2003-15 lifespan. The best sellers, accounting for about three quarters of all sales, were the xB and tC models.

Some 2017 Scions will become Toyotas, including the FR-S sports car, iA sedan and iM hatchback. The new C-HR will continue as a Toyota. But the popular tC sports coupe will end production and not return.

Kelley Blue Book analyst Karl Brauer called the event historic.

“We’re used to seeing domestic brands like Mercury, Oldsmobile and Plymouth die… but this is the first time a US-specific brand, launched by a successful Japanese automaker, has been killed,” he said.

BEIJING — Government subsidies are fuelling a boom in electric vehicles in China, driving hopes for the industry’s global future as the world’s biggest car market offers economies of scale that could make the technology mainstream.

Sales of electric cars, though still modest, have rocketed fourfold in a year — thanks in part to lavish government handouts — as Beijing looks to cut down on dangerous air pollution that shrouds urban areas.

The sector has been a contrast with the rest of the market for cars in China, where growth has slowed markedly alongside the wider economy.

And observers say if carmakers can crack China, with its vast population and burgeoning middle class, the rest of the planet could follow.

“If China gets moving on electric cars then that would automatically lower prices and have a favourable ripple effect across the whole world,” said Ernst and Young auto expert Jean-Francois Belorgey.

“Pollution levels mean the government has no other choice” than to encourage the development of new energy vehicles, he added.

Chinese cities are regularly smothered in a haze of particulates, often far exceeding global health guidelines.

While much of the pollution comes from coal burning for industry, vehicle exhausts exacerbate the problem.

Only 331,000 of the 24 million new cars sold in China last year were electric or plug-in hybrids.

Growing public anger has propelled Beijing to act, with central government subsidies of up to 55,000 yuan ($8,400) for buyers of zero- or low-emission vehicles, which are often matched by local authorities.

The government says it wants 5 million “green” vehicles on the road by 2020 in the country of more than 1 billion people. 

Drivers of such cars can also avoid restrictions imposed on heavy smog days, when some cities limit vehicles according to their licence plate.

They are also exempt from lotteries for plates several cities have set up in an attempt to cap on the total number of cars.

Domestic firms have benefited, with Warren Buffett-backed Chinese firm BYD claiming to be the biggest electric vehicle maker in the world.

China’s Geely, which owns Volvo, is another major player, and says it wants to shift 90 per cent of its sales to hybrid and electric vehicles by 2020 with the government’s blessing.

Electric dreams

The subsidy incentives only apply to domestic brands, not foreign manufactured cars, and the government says it will gradually phase them out by 2020 to ensure the sector does not become dependent on handouts.

Despite the handicap, foreign firms have also tried to cash in on the potential gold rush.

France’s Renault is one of a growing number of foreign manufacturers that see China as an ideal test ground for low-cost electric vehicles that can attract buyers in other markets. 

The company opened its first Chinese factory last Monday in the central industrial hub of Wuhan and will start to produce electric cars there as early as next year, in cooperation with local company Dongfeng.

“If we can succeed in China we can succeed elsewhere,” says Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, whose firm has already produced several models in Europe.

US giant General Motors is making and selling its hybrid Cadillac CT6 in China, and exporting it to the United States, according to reports. 

Its American rival Ford has announced it will invest $4.5 billion in electric cars between now and 2020, adding 13 models to its range, with a particular focus on China.

Mercedes-Benz also sells several hybrid models in China, and Nissan has a version of its electric Leaf on the Chinese market, and has found favour with domestic consumers.

On the margins

But as with other parts of the world, the market still remains on the margins because relatively high costs and a lack of charging stations has dampened public enthusiasm.

“A large part of sales of vehicles with purely electric motors are transportation buses,” said Jia Xinguang, an expert from China Automotive Industry Consulting.

Another problem is that China generates most of the electric power which would be used to charge the cars from coal burning — the biggest source of the country’s smog.

Analysts say that if they are charged from a mostly coal-powered electricity grid, pollutant emissions from electric cars could be higher than their petrol equivalents.

Plug-in hybrids may have the most growth potential, Jia believes, since they use a combination of combustion and a rechargeable electric battery, allaying drivers’ worries about short-lived batteries.

Nevertheless, Hu Xindong, executive vice president of Dongfeng-Renault in China, is confident that “the demand is here”.

“The market is definitely going forward,” he said. 

“In five or 10 years time, electric vehicle technologies and the production volume can only grow enormously.”

Social Commerce fuses two already existing and massive parts of our digital lifestyles. Put simply, it means the utilisation of social media platforms to buy and sell products and services.

It’s not a new trend, but two key drivers have propelled it in the past year to gain a significant share of total e-commerce sales: extensive mobile use of social media channels that has finally exceeded desktop use, and secure mobile payment technologies.

According to marketers, we are now connected customers. This means we’re connected to brands that their owners want to sell or up-sell to us. What better way to do this, then, than to use the channels where we chat about our brand experiences and recommend brands to one another?

This explains the Shop Now and Buy buttons popping up in recent months on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks — especially during the end-of-year shopping season. So much so that some are referring to it as the battle of the buy buttons.

Commerce sites and retailers are using every trick they’ve got to generate sales from social networks, ranging from online videos which demonstrate the product or attract consumers with smart advertising, to competitions, to special one-day and refer-a-friend discounts.

A resource on online shopping information, Internet Retailer, said revenues achieved by social networks in 2015 by obtaining a share of commerce revenue from advertisers has risen 26 per cent compared to the year before. The estimated total figure of $3.3 billion for all social commerce sales is quite stunning and can no longer be underestimated.

In fact, social networks want to take it one step further to complete the transaction, including payment, on their own platforms. All social networks, especially mobile only networks like Instagram and Snapchat have been experimenting with just such technologies to enable consumers to buy items directly from them. This is the next frontier of growth beyond advertising revenue, which has its limitations.

To clarify why this is different, the current buy buttons on social networks route the customer to the retailer’s site. In such a case, Facebook, for example, would receive a fee per completed sale that it sends to an online retailer’s site. However, the value of the sale itself does not count as revenue for Facebook. So, Facebook isn’t really selling the product or collecting its sales price, rather it is obtaining a conversion-based advertising fee per sale.

That’s why, as part of its efforts to keep the financial transaction on its network and tally the value charged to the customer’s credit card as its own revenue, Facebook is now testing a different type of buy button with certain partner retailers using the Shopify e-commerce platform. On this platform users can pay and complete a purchase without ever leaving Facebook. The key to succeeding here is to provide a secure payment platform on the social network itself, which is trusted by the retailer, resulting in a completed transaction. Then Facebook can collect the full amount and later deduct its commission and send the remaining sales revenue to the online retailer. It also requires integration with the retailer’s product database.

When this becomes common practice, the leap that social networks will witness in revenues will put them on par with, or maybe even ahead of, top e-commerce sites as they aggregate sales from all of them.

That’s why even networks like Pinterest, a social network that can be described as an online scrapbook, is getting in on the act by also launching a buy button in partnership with retailers also using Shopify. Currently, in the United States, buyable pins on Pinterest feature product images that include price information and the ability to make secure payments.

Again, it must be emphasised that the mobile applications of these social networks are witnessing more than half of this shopping action. In fact, PwC estimates that 60 per cent of US shoppers researched products on their smartphone during the holiday season. Then up to 45 per cent of those shoppers used their phones to share this information with friends and family through social media. So, the next step is that a percentage of those shoppers will pay for these products and services through mobile devices on social networks.

This brings an idea suggested five years ago to its full conclusion. Analysts, studying the combined effect of mobile and localised social media content in 2011, created the trendy abbreviation “SoLoMo” (social, local, mobile). These were considered the crucial factors for marketers to succeed and have indeed proven to be important. But now, in 2016, they’ll be adding a Pa for “payment” to create the mouthful of an abbreviation, SoLoMoPa.

A Beirut Anthology: Travel Writing through the Centuries

Edited by T. J. Gorton

Cairo/New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2015

Pp. 158

Mostly, one thinks of Beirut as ultra-modern, but writer, translator and photographer T. J. Gorton adopts a historical perspective by selecting passages from travel writing about the city that stretch back 2,000 years. Short texts by 30 different observers reflect the constants as well as the changes that have characterised Beirut from Roman, Crusader and Ottoman times, and the first half of the 20th century.

Most of the selections are written by Europeans — scholars, priests, poets, novelists and diplomats; a few by Americans, and one each by a Persian and an Egyptian. They include famous names — T. E. Lawrence, Gertrude Bell, Mark Twain, Gustave Flaubert and Lamartine, but their accounts are not necessarily the most interesting. 

While ancient texts refer to Beirut as a centre for legal scholarship and learning, later ones highlight its devotion to commerce. Then again, in the late 19th century, there are references to intellectual pursuits. By that time, Beirut had 13 printing houses, as well as twelve Arabic newspapers, while importance was placed on education for girls as well as boys; and the Syrian Protestant College (now AUB) had opened. 

A constant in virtually all the selections is praise for the city’s natural setting. As described by Karl Baedeker in 1876, “The entrance to the bay of Beirut is magnificent… The town, beautifully situated on a slight eminence, occupies a considerable part of the S. side of this bay. Beyond the narrow plain of the coast the mountains rise rapidly, and beyond them rises the broad, snow-clad Jebel Sannin. They are furrowed by several deep ravines, but are cultivated to a considerable height. The rose tint of the mountains contrasting with the deep blue of the sea presents a most picturesque scene by evening light.” (p. 40) 

There are many more elegant, even flowery tributes.

Many of the writers also admire the beautiful pine grove purportedly planted by Druze Emir Fakhr Al Din in the 17th century, but which several claim is much older. Others exclaim over the luxuriant vegetation on the hills — olive, fig, palm, orange, pomegranate and carob trees, not to mention the mulberries so integral to the silk industry of that time. 

However, opinions of the city itself vary widely. In 1697, Henry Maundrell wrote rather harshly, “But besides these advantages of its situation, it has at present nothing else to boast of.” (p. 21)

While admiring the monuments, castles on the rocks, and gracious villas, many travellers complain about the city, especially that the streets are narrow, dirty or non-existent — a situation that seems to have prevailed up through the late 1800s. On the other hand, women’s extravagant, silk costumes elicited compliments from many of the visitors, as did children. Gerard de Nerval wrote in 1851, “I have never seen such handsome children as those who were running about and playing in the most beautiful avenue in the bazaar.” (p. 105) 

The bathhouses were also highly recommended.

Of course, times change. As Gorton observes, “fifty years of untrammelled development, chaotic construction and a brutal civil war have largely blighted a location of what was uniquely stunning natural beauty. And which, despite it all, stubbornly retains its charm and somehow both captivates and repels the new arrival”. (p. 2)

Even to the early travellers, the paradoxes and proclivities contributing to conflict were apparent as when Gabriel Charmes wrote in 1878, “Despite its modern disguise, Beirut has remained a city of the Middle Ages,” referring to the fact that so much of life, from schools to politics, was organised according to religious sects, each having an external backer who in turn defined their identity. “Even children among themselves speak of being French, English, Russian, or Turkish, depending on whether they are Catholic [Maronite], Druze or Muslim.” (pp. 54-5)

The only exceptions were the less numerous Greek Catholics and disenfranchised Shia. This impression is interesting to compare to that of Laurent d’Arvieux, writing two centuries earlier, that “all the citizens of Beirut, no matter what their religion, live harmoniously together”. (p. 85)

It must also be said that some visitors were no better in terms of tolerance. Frenchman Maurice Barres, writing in 1914, concluded his review of Catholic institutions as follows: “That is to say, everywhere one is safe from the enemy, the American Protestants…” (p. 128)

The enjoyment of reading this book is enhanced by its exquisite, rather classical format, befitting its subject matter.

NEW YORK — The second round of men’s fashion week in New York has wrapped up on a high note after four days of shows reflecting thirst for innovation, openness and confidence in what’s to come.

The nascent showcase for the latest in American menswear drew trend spotters, bloggers, buyers and other style gurus — all in a distinctly laid back atmosphere.

There was “a cool vibe”, stylist Stevie Gatez said on Thursday, the final day of some 60 fall/winter 2016 shows concentrated in Manhattan’s West Soho.

“It has a lot to do with menswear, it’s more chill,” added the young blogger, wearing a three-quarter wool leopard print jacket paired with a gray hoodie, jeans rolled up at the ankles and Adidas sneakers. 

New York Fashion Week: Men’s is indeed more relaxed than its much larger and higher-profile women’s counterpart, whose fall/winter shows kick off next week.

The men’s showcase made its debut in July with spring/summer 2016 collections, but this time around, more labels were on the schedule. 

But New York is still behind London, Milan and Paris when it comes to putting men’s fashion on the map.

Casual ease and comfort

On the catwalks, the tone was also one of casual ease and comfort — as demonstrated by the collections of Public School, Stampd, Cwst, Todd Snyder, Michael Kors and even Tommy Hilfiger — with often disproportionately baggy cuts of coats, trousers or scarves.

Also spotted were sleeveless padded vests, oversized blazers and pyjama-type suits, as well as visions of next winter’s man wrapped in soft fabrics — cashmere or silk for hooded zip-up jackets, as well as fine wool, thicker wool and even nylon.

At Theory, innovative synthetic materials were part of the mix.

“Our DNA? Minimalism, technology within fabric, clean silhouettes,” designer Ben Stubbington told AFP. “It’s all about the fabric and technology and luxury.”

The key this week was to find the right balance between structure, comfort and originality.

“I wanted to present something that nobody else was doing,” said Mike Rubin of Krammer & Stoudt, a small label that was virtually unknown prior to its presentation this week. 

“I’m trying to do a balance — the struggle is to be progressive and classic” at the same time, he added.

Tommy Hilfiger went for a similar look, telling AFP: “We are celebrating heritage pieces and style staples, updated for a modern age. Those are the building blocks for a modern world.”

“We looked at each garment from every angle, giving a sense of newness without ever losing sight of what made them special in the first place.”

David Hart also came back on classics harking to the golden days of jazz, with cross-button blazers, Scottish prints, high-water trousers and coloured socks, to add a modern twist.

There were “so many designers playing with textures”, Gatez said.

Punk club to boxing ring

Non-traditional venues were de rigueur for showcasing next winter’s couture, with John Varvatos presenting his collection inside the former punk club CBGB.

Streetwear label Public School, meanwhile, returned to its roots — the street — parading its models down the road in front of fans and bloggers who were tipped off on social media about the event.

And artist-designer Greg Lauren, nephew of Ralph Lauren, plunged his guests into an urban jungle where two models in torn threads fought each other in a boxing ring as 19th century dandies watched on. 

Gatez, meanwhile, was pleased with what he called “tonnes of diversity” on the catwalk.

“I’ve seen more black models this time around than before,” he said, referring in particular to Hart’s “all male, black” show. 

Overall David McLeod, blogger for Thedapperdaily.com, summed the men’s fashion showcase up succinctly: “I thought this was a successful show season.”

“I look forward to the spring/summer shows in July,” he added.

PARIS — Bedbugs, the notorious bloodthirsty critters which tormented the residents of New York City some years ago, have become genetically wired to resist pesticides, experts said Tuesday.

In a pair of studies published in the science journal Nature Communications, researchers described how bedbug genes have evolved to fight off the most common chemicals used against them. 

The teams trawled the DNA of the common bedbug, Cimex lectularius, found in temperate climates in the United States and parts of Europe.

In the first study, scientists at the American Museum of Natural History and Cornell University in New York assembled the first complete genome of the bedbug in all six stages of its life from infancy to adulthood.

The genome is the genetic blueprint of every organism.

They took DNA samples from male and female bedbugs, from preserved and living specimens from as far back as 1973.

They tested the genes before and after each blood feeding.

And what they found will strike fear into the heart of the toughest pest controller.

“Today, a very high percentage of bedbugs have genetic mutations that make them resistant to the insecticides that were commonly used to battle these urban pests,” said Louis Sorkin of the American Museum, one of the study authors. 

The troublesome critters have a multitude of genes that render pesticides increasingly ineffective.

Tough to beat

One group of genes, known to be shared by other pests like the house fly, cockroach and mosquito, are designed to inhibit synthetic organic compounds found in the most common pesticides.

Another helps the bug to detoxify, and toughens its skin.

This “makes the control of bedbugs extremely labour intensive”, Sorkin said.

The researchers did discover one bright spot: some genes linked to pesticide resistance are “expressed only after the bedbug first drinks blood”. 

“This suggests that bedbugs are likely most vulnerable during the first nymph stage, potentially making it a good target for future insecticides,” the museum said in a statement.

In the second study, researchers at the American universities of Cincinnati and at Virginia Tech found that bedbugs have “cuticles” which can stop poison entering their body and detoxifying enzymes.

Scientists also found that bedbugs use a series of salivary proteins to suck blood repeatedly on the same person without inflicting pain. 

Another Virginia Tech study last month said overuse of certain insecticides had led to increased resistance, making them virtually useless.

Bedbugs have proved especially hard to eradicate after potent pesticides like DDT were banned in the United States after World War II.

An air travel boom helped them spread while home heating systems created cosy bedbug homes, and by the late 1990s, they were thriving in New York.

In 2010, an outbreak in New York City saw the bugs invade high-end apartment buildings, hotels, even clothing stores like lingerie outlet Victoria’s Secret.