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The Agriculture IoT Market is expected to grow from USD 12.7 billion in 2019 to USD 20.9 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 10.4% from 2019 to 2024.
Key factors driving the growth of this market are increasing adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology by farmers and growers, focus on livestock monitoring and disease detection to improve farming efficiency, and rising demand for agricultural production owing to increasing population, according to the report by MarketsandMarkets.
Hardware is expected to account for the largest share of the agriculture IoT market during the forecast period. The increasing adoption of new technologies and advanced devices for smart agriculture (global positioning system (GPS) receivers, guidance and steering devices, and variable rate technology (VRT) tools) is expected to drive the growth of the agriculture IoT market for hardware during the forecast period.
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The agriculture IoT precision farming market for automation and control systems is expected to grow at a higher CAGR from 2019 to 2024. The increasing demand for drones/unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is a major reason behind the high growth of the market for automation and control systems.
Also, the increasing adoption of automation and control devices such as GPS/GNSS, irrigation controllers, and guidance and steering has created a new approach to farming practices and is expected to drive the market for automation and control systems.
According to the MarketsandMarkets researchers, India, China, and Japan hold a major share of the agriculture IoT market.


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Sands released its Q3 earnings report on Thursday, reporting revenue rising 2.6% to $2.97b, while operating income fell 2.6% to $719.6m and net income dipped 2.1% to $605.5m. The shortfalls were blamed on pre-launch costs of its newest Macau resort, the Parisian Macao, which opened in mid-September.
Sands China revenue rose 3.6% to $1.72b while net income fell 5.5% to $324.3m. Sands reported its overall mass market revenue rising 6% in Q3, while the premium mass segment grew 15%.
VIP gaming turnover continued to post double-digit declines at nearly all of Sands properties, except the Venetian Macao, which was down only 0.1%. What’s more, the Venetian’s VIP win jumped 0.67 points to 3.75%. Coupled with a relatively flat mass table performance, the Venetian’s gaming revenue rose 13.5% to $670m.
Sands president Rob Goldstein told analysts he doesn’t see Macau’s VIP market returning to its former glories anytime soon, if ever, especially given China’s recent anti-gambling moves. While Sands “won’t turn away” VIP business, Goldstein said the company remains focused on the mass and premium mass markets.
In Singapore, Marina Bay Sands’ revenue rose 1.6% to $762.6m primarily on the strength of its non-gaming gains. VIP turnover fell more than one-third but VIP win rose 0.64 points to 3.25% and slots handle rose 1.4% to $3.45b.
In Las Vegas, overall revenue at the Venetian and Palazzo was flat at $383m as an 8.3% rise in room revenue offset a 4.6% decline in gaming revenue. In Pennsylvania, Sands Bethlehem revenue nudged up 1.6% to $146m thanks to a 5% rise in slots play.
THE PARISIAN AND THE BEHEMOTH
The Parisian generated revenue of $68.6m and earnings of $19.2m in its first 18 days with an occupancy rate of 87.5%. Goldstein said the new property was generating foot traffic like he’d never seen, with queues of people forming to take selfies in front of its replica of the Eiffel Tower.
Sands boss Sheldon Adelson said the “amazing thing” about the Parisian’s launch is that the company has seen no cannibalization at its other properties. Indeed, the company says its overall hotel occupancy rose following the launch.
Adelson said that a covered pedestrian bridge connecting the Parisian to Sands’ other Cotai properties would be completed this month. Once that’s done, customers will be able to visit all of Sands’ Cotai properties without ever having to leave air-conditioned comfort.
Adelson called this indoor model “one-stop shopping for everything” that is “unprecedented in the world.” The four interconnected resorts offer 840 stores across four shopping malls, nearly 13k hotel rooms, four performance venues and 2m-square-feet of meeting and exhibition space.
OSAKA “THINKS WE’RE THE BEST”
Adelson also addressed recent reports of a revival of Japan’s casino legislation. Adelson said there was “99% to 100% certainty” that the casino study bill would come up for a vote in the current Diet session although he professed ignorance as to whether this year’s bill had been altered from previous versions.
Adelson emphasized that Sands “have people there” in Japan lobbying furiously to keep its name at the top of the list of potential casino licensees. Adelson claimed the government in Osaka “thinks we’re the best company” to build a casino but he expressed some worries about whether that would leave Sands out of the running for a Tokyo casino license.
Adelson also said that little birdies have told him that if/when Japan officially authorizes its citizens to enter casinos, the government in South Korea will “rapidly do the same,” after which Sands will resume its push to build a major integrated resort in either Seoul or Busan.

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Hertz is banking a batch of yellow cars will prove to be gold for its balance sheet.
The yellow coupes have black racing stripes and were offered for rent at several airport locations for approximately $199 daily with a 75-mile limit, plus a $.75 per mile fee above that. The Z06 is powered by a 650 hp supercharged V8 and had a base price of $82,990 when new, but the Hertz cars were equipped with several option packages.
Hertz ordered 100 of the cars and last year told Jalopnik that it was going to start selling some with less than 10,000 miles on them for $90,000 to $100,000 — but the 22 currently listed all have more than that and range from $57,394 for a 34,269-mile example to $63,999 for one with 13,379 miles on it.
According to Kelly Blue Book, the typical price paid for a used Z06 is around $68,000.
A lot has changed in the two years since the cars were unveiled. Hertz has been cutting staff and cancelling thousands of new car orders due to the travel disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, while Chevrolet has introduced an all-new mid-engine Corvette that has had its production hampered by the same issue.
Hertz has not said how many of the Corvettes it still has in its posession.


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KATHMANDU, Oct 22: The word ‘organic’ has become really popular among farmers, sellers and consumers in recent days. It has become a selling point for many sellers as it continues to charm people wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle. However, the production of organic food is costlier than commercially-produced food, limiting access to a larger portion of the population. And the ever looming problem of fair price remains stagnant in the market. This is where Safe Food Alliance Nepal (SFAN), a not for profit organization, comes in. It facilitates the production of safe food and also ensures the authenticity of any agricultural product.
Suhrid Chapagain, president at SFAN, said that the organization mentors farmers for the production of safe food. The organization currently has eight technical staffers who work closely with farmers for the production of safe food.
Not only does the company help farmers in safe food production,but also it boosts farmers’ pricing confidence by arranging fair prices for their products. “We have partnered with Asmita’s Creation which is a farmers and marketing entrepreneurs partnership to get the agricultural products out in the market,” he shared. His team consists of Asmita Rai and Prakash Rai who are active farmers with an understanding of what farmers need and he compliments as a marketing entrepreneur.
At a time when middlemen play a vital role in the price determination in the market, the organization assists farmers to evaluate the quality and price of their products. Chapagain as a graduate of mechanical engineering who also holds a Master's degree in Business Administration wanted to create an ecosystem that is fair to both farmers and consumers. “Farmers want fair prices for their products and consumers want authentic products,” he shared with Republica. “Most of the time agricultural products that are said to have been brought from a certain location are not actually from there.”
He said that consumers invest money thinking that the products are from the mentioned place but they are being cheated. “We as a team wanted to do justice to the consumers and also to farmers who are not getting the price they deserve,” he added.
It has been only a year and a half but SFAN already has 50 members comprising farmers, retailers and wholesalers, of which 70 percent are farmers. The organization ensures that the farmers engage in the safe food production as per the good agricultural practices (GAP) guidelines issued by the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control. The products eventually have to go through Rapid Bioassay of Pesticide Residue (RBPR) test before they are brought to the market. “Food after passing the test as per the GAP guideline are then provided with a logo which indicates that they are appropriate for consuming,” he told Republica. “It is being honest to the consumers and making farmers maintain their standards.”
The organization has been working with farmers from Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Jumla, Mustang and Sindhuli.
Safe food is free of chemical risk, physical hazard and biological hazard and according to Chapagain, SFAN urges farmers to use organic practices while on the farm. SFAN continuously keeps tabs on the production of such food. Farmers fill in the log book and report the activities done on the farm weekly. “We are developing our own log book to get accurate information from the farmers,” Chapagain added. “Authenticity of any agricultural product sold in the market is our priority and we build credibility through our work.”
Along with the provincial and local authorities, many youths have liked the idea of fair pricing. Approximately 20,000 consumers around major cities of Nepal are linked with the safe food supply through SFAN’s five wholesale points. “40,000 kilograms of fruits and vegetables are traded on a daily basis,” he said.
According to Chapagain, the situation could improve if the organization could get involved with the farmers right from the production planning process and the government makes the campaign market oriented. He mentioned the need to add infrastructure and set up wholesale agencies for smooth supply of the products. “Rural municipalities and municipalities need to further focus on safe food production,” he added.


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General Motors plans to reduce its powertrain warranty on Chevrolet and GMC vehicles for the 2016 model year, concluding that its offer of 100,000-mile coverage – in place for 8 years – wasn’t a strong enough selling point.
Um okay. Of all the world’s automakers, GM has really suffered from the old adage “perception is reality.” No matter what strides the company makes in quality, it just can’t seem to make the public’s perception of its new products square up with their excellence. For example, Cadillac makes two of the best sedans in North America and folks still think of Vogue tires and carriage roofs when they hear the name.
Here’s the reasoning behind the announcement: “Through research, we have determined that when purchasing a new vehicle, included maintenance and warranty rank low on the list of reasons why consumers consider a particular brand over another,” reads a dealer memo, sent by Chevrolet vice president Brian Sweeney and GMC vice president Duncan Aldred. Unfortunately, while there might not be a big up-side to a 100k warranty in buyers’ minds, taking it away has a significant downside.
On the bright side, people forget things quickly these days in lightning-quick news cycles. Hopefully the incremental savings of not covering repairs over that extra 40,000 miles will outweigh the cost of potential customers lost to competitors who still offer 100k mile mega-warranties.


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Microsoft has been accused of being misleading regarding the way it has advertised the internal storage in its Surface tablets. The 64GB Surface Pro model ships with only 23GB of useable space, while the 128GB model has just 83GB of available storage. Microsoft’s bloated operating system contains a number of preloaded applications and programs that take up more than 40GB of space, and consumers are filling up their devices quicker than anticipated. It would appear the company is ready to address its critics, however. More →
Microsoft on Tuesday announced that the Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets will be heading to additional markets in the coming weeks. The Surface RT will arrive in Malaysia on April 25th, Mexico by the end of May, and in South Korea and Thailand in June. The Surface Pro will launch “before the end of May” in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It will also launch in South Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore and Thailand “before the end of June.” The expanded availability will bring Microsoft’s Windows RT tablet to a total of 29 markets in time for the summer months, and its Windows 8 slate to 27 markets. The company has also vowed to increase production of the 128GB Surface Pro model to ensure the high-capacity slate remains in stock.
Cumulative sales of Microsoft’s (MSFT) first two tablet models have failed to meet expectations, according to a new report. Citing multiple unnamed sources, Bloomberg on Thursday evening reported that sales of Microsoft’s Windows RT-powered Surface tablet have reached just above 1 million units to date. According to the same sources, Microsoft ordered about 3 million Surface slates from its manufacturing partners. Sales of the newer Surface Pro model have totalled about 400,000 thus far, the report claimed. The numbers seem fairly in line with earlier estimates that suggested Microsoft would sell fewer than 1 million tablets in the fourth quarter last year.
iFixit on Thursday published a list of the best and worst tablets based on their respective repairability scores. While no slate scored a perfect 10, the company found that the Dell (DELL) XPS 10 was the easiest tablet to repair thanks to its accessible case, color-coded screws and labeled cables. At the bottom of the list was Microsoft’s (MSFT) Surface Pro and Apple’s (AAPL) iPad and iPad mini. The Surface Pro scored a 1 out of 10 and was said to be difficult to open without shearing the display cables, while the iPad scored a 2 out of 10 for its excessive amounts of adhesive. The Surface RT didn’t fare much better and scored a mere 4 out of 10, compared to Android tablets such as the Nexus 7, which scored a 7 out of 10, and the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, which garnered at score of 8 out of 10.
Microsoft (MSFT) on Thursday announced that it will be expanding the availability of its Surface RT tablet to six new markets in the coming weeks. The company’s Windows RT-powered slate will be shipping to Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan beginning in late March. Microsoft also promised to bring the Windows 8-powered Surface Pro to Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the United Kingdom “in the coming months.”
Questions surrounding the success or failure of Microsoft’s (MSFT) debut tablet lineup continue to swirl, but the company has made it very clear at this point that it has no plans to release any numbers. Microsoft executives have repeatedly avoided sharing any hard data surrounding the Surface tablet’s performance, and no indication was given on the company’s recent earnings call despite recurring rumors that the first Surface slate flopped. Now, MIT’s Technology Review blog interviewed CEO Steve Ballmer and still couldn’t manage to get anything out of the outspoken executive with regard to Surface sales. More →
After reviewing Microsoft’s Surface tablet last October, I came back a month later and revisited the slate after spending a more substantial amount of time with it. My conclusion was very much the same — I love the Surface hardware but some of the tablet’s software issues are hard to overlook — but I added an important note: the Surface was a good tablet, but it felt like an appetizer. What I really wanted was the main course. More →
iFixit tags Surface Pro as a total nightmare to repair: ‘You risk killing your tablet by trying to open it’
If you accidentally drop your Surface Pro while breakdancing with it, you probably shouldn’t try to open it up to repair it yourself. The repair gurus at iFixit have found that the Surface Pro is one of the least repairable devices they’ve ever encountered, with a whopping 90 screws to untangle and a case construction that makes it nearly impossible to open your tablet without irreparably harming it. In fact, iFixit says that “unless you perform the opening procedure 100% correctly, chances are you’ll shear one of the four cables surrounding the display perimeter,” which means that “you risk killing your tablet by trying to open it.” More →
Microsoft’s (MSFT) new Surface Pro tablet sold out quickly online and across the country following its launch last week, but extremely limited supply was the likely culprit; reports suggested some stores received only one or two 128GB models for their inventories. Consumers and enterprise users interested in the sleek slate were left wondering when it might become available again and Microsoft recently cleared the air in a blog post. The software giant turned hardware hopeful said it has already begun shipping additional 64GB models to Best Buy (BBY), Staples (SPLS) and Microsoft Store locations around the country, and 128GB Surface Pros will ship later this week. BGR reviewed the Surface Pro last week and said that while the device does have some drawbacks, those who look past them and purchase the tablet will not be disappointed.
Microsoft (MSFT) is in the early stages of a major shift as the world’s largest software company begins to compete with its vendor partners by releasing its own Windows hardware. While some believe the strategy is sound since Microsoft’s partners are too reliant on Windows to put up much of a fight, one former Microsoft executive thinks the company is “basically malfunctioning” by encroaching on its partners’ businesses. Instead, he thinks Microsoft should be dominating the social networking space. More →
BGR reviewed Microsoft’s Surface Pro last week and while it’s hardly a perfect PC for the tablet age, we said those who do purchase the second Surface will not be disappointed. Microsoft (MSFT) subsequently launched the Surface Pro this past Saturday and according to several reports, the 128GB version sold out quickly in several stores and online. More →
Microsoft (MSFT) is refusing to give up on its dance fetish for Surface ads. In the first ad for its Surface Pro tablet, Microsoft shows how the Surface Pro can transform a mundane office into an ’80s-style block party complete with breakdancing and a human beatbox. Microsoft’s decision to demonstrate how easy it is to pop and lock with the Surface Pro seems somewhat puzzling since the tablet is being targeted at corporate users who probably don’t want a device that will help them catch up with fads that went out of style 25 years ago. Additionally, the first Surface RT ad’s elaborate choreography hasn’t exactly helped the tablet sell millions of units, so it’s strange to see Microsoft again employ this strategy with a more business-oriented version of the Surface. The full video of the ad is posted below. More →
One of the reported downsides to the 128GB Microsoft (MSFT) Surface Pro is that only around 70% of its advertised storage can actually be used for user data — in BGR’s review of the Surface Pro, for instance, we found that the 128GB version of the device had only around 85.3GB of actual free space. But new analysis from ZDNet’s Ed Bott shows that this is only slightly less storage than the 128GB MacBook Air, which has roughly 92.2GB of usable storage. And what’s more, Bott found a way to easily free up more storage on the Surface Pro that wasn’t available on the MacBook Air: By “using the built-in Recovery Media Creator” to “copy the contents of that large Windows 8 Recovery partition to a USB flash drive,” Bott freed up around 8GB of extra data. The bottom line, says Bott, is that “if you’re going to complain about operating systems using too much of the available storage, you’d better make sure your letter to Redmond is cc’ed to Cupertino.”


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Production for Tesla’s second-generation Roadster has been pushed back, with Cybertruck taking priority
Tesla’s second-generation Roadster likely won’t arrive for at least a couple of years, after CEO Elon Musk said the Covid-19 outbreak had affected the company’s development schedule. Tesla first revealed images of its second-gen Roadster in late 2017, alongside its long-proposed semi-truck commercial vehicle. The model had been expected for quite some time, with Tesla founder Elon Musk having suggested that once the brand had begun to produce more conventional cars in volume, the firm would replace the sports model that first built Tesla’s reputation.
Though a lack of updates led us to believe that its initial 2020 production date was unlikely, a recent interview with the CEO confirmed this to be true. Coming to light through Musk’s second appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast last week, he confirmed that the ongoing situation had impacted Tesla’s development schedule, including that of the highly anticipated Roadster.
While no new production date was provided, Musk did confirm that we’d only see the all-electric supercar hit the road once Tesla had achieved a number of milestones, most notably the construction of its Berlin ‘Gigafactory’, establishing production of the Model Y and launching the ambitious Cybertruck. The production date for the last currently sits at late 2021, meaning the Roadster is likely at least two years away.
While the original Roadster was heavily based on the Lotus Elise platform, the new model looks rather more ambitious – and as we’ve come to expect from Tesla, boasts some spectacular on-paper performance figures. This said, no power figure is quoted, and you can ignore Tesla’s torque figure of over 7300lb ft, as it’s a ‘wheel torque’, multiplied by gearing and therefore not directly comparable to the crank torque (or motor torque) quoted by other manufacturers.
More significant is that the Tesla delivers its power and torque figures through all four wheels, and will do so effectively from rest. Tesla hasn’t mentioned a weight figure either, but it’s safe to assume the Roadster is lighter than models S, X and 3, given a claimed 0-100kph figure of 1.9sec, and 0-160kph in 4.2sec. The quarter-mile would be shrugged off in 8.8sec. This performance comes thanks to a new ‘Plaid’ powertrain, consisting of three motors as opposed to the usual two, and a new uprated battery pack.
Unlike many electric cars, acceleration doesn’t come at the expense of a range-limiting top speed either, with Tesla suggesting ‘over 402kph’ at the top end. It’s fair to assume that top speed would somewhat limit range, though driven at a more sedate pace, Tesla also claims a 1000-kilometre range from its 200kWh battery pack.
Styling is more distinctive than the firm’s other models, though still slightly generic, in the manner of a car designed for an insurance advert or a video game with no official manufacturer licences. If the coupe styling is confusing you given Tesla’s choice of the Roadster moniker, then things become a little clearer when the central targa-style panel is removed.
The interior is said to seat four, and is typically Tesla-minimalist. Though the dashboard layout is more conventional than that of other Teslas, an aircraft yoke-like wheel reintroduces an element of sci-fi. In 2018, Musk revealed more information on the model, claiming that the car revealed in 2017 was entry-level, and that more capable variants would be launched in due course. Musk, also CEO of aerospace company SpaceX, even claimed a ‘SpaceX option package’ would be on offer, adding 10 cold gas thrusters similar to those found on his rockets, for added performance…
Tesla began taking deposits of $50,000 on the $200,000 Roadster from the moment it was unveiled – or full-price deposits of $250,000 on what it’s calling a Founder Series model. No production date has been announced. However, don’t expect to see one on the road before 2022.
This article originally appeared at evo.co.uk
Copyright © evo UK, Dennis Publishing


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VANCOUVER — Nineteen games into this shortened National Hockey League season, the Vancouver Canucks are squarely where they don’t want to be — without Ryan Kesler, their star second-line centre who is out indefinitely with a fractured right foot.
What, if any, moves should the Canucks make to address his absence? Cast your vote below.
The biggest sale of the year, on now! Find almost $4 million worth of items such as cars, trips, furniture, gift cards and more at discounts of up to 50% off. Don't miss out as savvy shoppers will move fast to take advantage of these deep discounts. Sale ends Wednesday, April 1, at 9 p.m. Like it? Buy it before its gone. Brought to you by The Vancouver Sun and The Province.


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|PsiGate and Navaho Networks, both e-commerce facilitators, have joined forces in an attempt to foster the utopia of e-commerce that we have been promised since the dawn of the internet. PsiGate provides interface solutions for online businesses while Navaho offers a full payment suite for online commerce including popular online gaming transaction methods like 900Pay, TeleBuy and credit card payments. The duo will allow online casinos to more easily integrate a full suite of payment options into their sites, ultimately empowering the user with a wider selection of payment options.|
Whether we have reached the pinnacle of online payments is yet to be determined, but one thing is certain. If you are looking to do business on the internet, online casinos are the businesses that can show you how.


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Tablet / Laptop / PC
Kindle Fire HD 2013 GFX Benchmark entry shows 2750x1699 resolution Snapdragon 800, Adreno 330 GPU
Aug 16, 2013 09:36 AM EDT
A new Amazon tablet has popped up in a GFX Benchmark showing high-end specs such as Snapdragon 800, a high-resolution 2750 x 1600 display, Adreno 330 grahics and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
Acer announces three ultra high-resolution monitors for the U.S. market
Aug 16, 2013 09:36 AM EDT
Acer has announced three new ultra-high monitors for the U.S. market, one of which is a 27-inch touchscreen compatible with Windows 8.
New Nexus 7 screen issues: Google is aware and looking into it
Aug 14, 2013 05:31 AM EDT
Google has responded to complaints about the new Nexus 7's screen issues and said it is looking into the matter.
New Nexus 7 experiencing touch screen issues in addition to GPS bug
Aug 13, 2013 08:06 AM EDT
Google has still not solved the touch screen issues with its new Nexus 7 and users continue to report problems even with replacement tablets.
Samsung details Ativ Book 9 Plus Ultrabook, announces Windows 8-powered Ativ Tab 3
Aug 11, 2013 10:27 AM EDT
Samsung has offered more details on its Ativ Book 9 Ultrabook unveiled back in June and has also announced a new Ativ Tab 3 Windows 8 tablet.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7-inch now $159, lowest price so far
Aug 11, 2013 10:06 AM EDT
Amazon has slashed the price of its Kindle Fire HD 7-inch, now offering the slate for just $159.
New Nexus 7 UK launch date is Aug. 28, ASUS confirms
Aug 09, 2013 11:36 AM EDT
ASUS has confirmed that the new Nexus 7 will officially launch in the UK on Aug. 28.
Refreshed Google Nexus 10 to come from ASUS instead of Samsung?
Aug 09, 2013 11:30 AM EDT
Samsung is widely expected to make the new Nexus 10, but a new report has claimed that ASUS will in fact make the 10-incher as well.
New Nexus 7 ‘guaranteed’ to launch in UK on Aug. 24
Aug 08, 2013 08:36 AM EDT
The new Nexus 7 has been 'guaranteed' to launch in the UK on Aug. 24, according to a reputable retailer that already has the tablet up for pre-order.
New Nexus 7 vs. iPad Mini vs. original Nexus 7 in drop, slide & dunk tests (VIDEO)
Aug 07, 2013 07:45 AM EDT
The new Nexus 7 has trumped the iPad Mini and original Nexus 7 in drop, slide and dunk tests.
Acer Iconia W3 Windows 8 tablet 32GB drops price to $299.99
Aug 06, 2013 05:46 AM EDT
Acer has dropped the price of the Iconia W3, now offering the tablet for $299.99.
Microsoft Surface Pro drops $100 off original price tag for 64GB/128GB models
Aug 06, 2013 05:33 AM EDT
Microsoft has slashed $100 off the price of the 64GB and 128GB Surface Pro, offering the slates for $799 and $899 respectively, until Aug. 29.
ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7 quad-core Jelly Bean tablet up for pre-order for $149
Aug 03, 2013 04:03 AM EDT
ASUS has launched its new MeMO Pad HD 7 tablet and it's now available for pre-order with a $149 price tag.
Apple currently testing new iPad Mini with faster processor but no Retina display
Aug 01, 2013 04:53 AM EDT
Apple has reportedly started testing a new iPad Mini with a faster A6 processor, but the device doesn't have the rumored Retina display.
HP SlateBook x2 launches with Tegra 4, Full HD screen, Android 4.2 & keyboard dock
Aug 01, 2013 04:49 AM EDT
HP has launched its new SlateBook x2 tablet, a high-end Tegra 4-powered slate with a Full HD display, keyboard dock, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and more.
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HTC Desire 820, Desire EYE now available unlocked, SIM-free in the U.S.
Sprint Nexus 6 now $50 cheaper outright, on-contract, or with Easy Pay
T-Mobile 32GB Nexus 9 LTE ‘coming soon,’ listed on carrier’s Underground website
Google’s Android One gets the boot from top retailers in India
Walmart Pre-Black Friday Event slashes iPhone 6, iPad Air 2 prices on Nov. 21
Apple to push Beats Music to iPhones and iPads in an update next year?
Sony Xperia Z4 LCD Touch Digitizer leaks online ahead of official debut next year
Dirt-cheap Chromebooks reportedly en route from Lenovo and ASUS, priced at $149
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 2 now available for purchase with $979 starting price
Apple iOS 8.1.1 update rolls out, aims to improve iPhone 4S, iPad 2 performance
Jolla Tablet with Linux-based open-source Sailfish OS hits crowdsourcing goal in just two hours
Flipboard for Windows Phone finally available, but requires 1GB of RAM (VIDEO)
Vine gets major update, lets you upload previously-shot videos & more (VIDEO)
BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) finally hits Windows Phone – Available as a free download now
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Walmart, Citing Tax Cuts, Will Raise Starting Wages and Expand Benefits
Posted January 11, 2018 10:11 a.m. EST
Updated January 11, 2018 11:09 a.m. EST
Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, said Thursday that it would raise its starting wages, give bonuses to some employees and vastly expand maternity and parental leave benefits for its army of more than 1 million hourly workers.
The retailer said that it would use some of the money it expects to save under the recently passed tax bill to pay for the raises and enhanced benefits.
“Tax reform gives us the opportunity to be more competitive globally and to accelerate plans for the U.S.,” the company said in a statement.
Walmart said it would increase its starting hourly wage to $11 from $9, and provide one-time cash bonuses of up to $1,000 to hourly workers, depending on how long they have been with the company.
The wage increase brings Walmart in line with some of its other retail-industry rivals amid a tightening labor market. Target raised its base pay to $11 last fall.
Walmart also said it would expand its maternity and parental leave policies to give full-time hourly employees 10 weeks of maternity leave and six weeks of paid parental leave. Full-time hourly workers had received up to eight weeks of maternity leave at half-pay, and the company did not offer paid parental leave. The change will give full-time hourly workers at Walmart stores the same maternity and parental leave benefits as the company’s salaried employees.
Criticized for years for its low wages and unfair scheduling practices, Walmart said it had been focusing on making investments in its hourly workforce.
“It’s our people who make the difference and we appreciate how they work hard to make every day easier for busy families,” Walmart’s chief executive, Doug McMillon, said in a statement.


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Apple has added three major features to its messaging app, Messages. If the message is an iMessage, not an SMS text, then users will be able to edit messages, recall messages sent by mistake, and snooze texts so users can handle them later
Apple just announced its buy now, pay later product, Apple Pay Later, which will allow you to buy things wherever Apple Pay is accepted and then pay for it in four payments over six weeks. Apple says there are no fees.
Apple just announced watchOS 9, its latest software for the Apple Watch. The update will include new long-awaited sleep-tracking features so users can see how long they’re in each sleep stage.
Apple just announced its latest chip, the M2. It’s the successor to Apple’s M1 chip, which is used in Macs and iPads. The M2 will make its debut in the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro, also announced on Monday.
Apple just announced a new MacBook Air that runs on its new M2 processor. The MacBook Air comes in four colors: space gray, starlight, midnight and silver. It will cost $1,199 and Apple will still sell the earlier MacBook Air with its M1 chip.


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Xbox 720 And PlayStation 4 Rumors- Is Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Patriots Coming To The Next Generation Of Consoles?
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Patriots, the upcoming first-person shooter video game published by Ubisoft, could release for the next generation of video game consoles, according to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.
In an interview with Polygon, Guillemot said that the game was still in development and could be a title for the next generation of video game consoles.
"The only thing I can say is that we have a good team working on it, and it's really looking good," Guillemot told Polygon. "So when it will come, it will surprise the industry."
When asked if Rainbow 6: Patriots will be a next generation title, Guillemot said that he couldn't confirm that but "there's a good chance it can be."
In a separate interview Ubisoft senior vice president of sales and marketing Tony Key told IGN, "Let's just say that Rainbow 6 is still in active development but what we decided was that the best thing for the brand was to not bring it to the show right now."
When IGN asked Key about the possibility of the game being released on the next generation of consoles, he gave a very ambiguous answer. He said, "This is the only generation that I know about, so I would assume yes."
In March of this year it was announced that the game had lost creative director David Sears, narrative director Richard Rouse III, lead designer Philippe Therien, and animation director Brent George.
"David Sears is no longer on the Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 Patriots team and the new Creative Director is Jean-Sebastien Decant," Ubisoft told Game Informer in a written statement. "The development team is still hard at work to deliver the next installment of the revered Tom Clancy series and more details on the game will be revealed at a later date."
Not much is known about the game except that it is set in New York City and will deal with a new terrorist group called the "True Patriots." The game also uses the Anvil engine.
See Now: 'The Walking Dead' Season 8 Gets Preview Special on AMC


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What’s Good for General Motors
During the roaring years of the post-World War II boom, when the American economy was running at super-speed to meet the needs of a crippled Europe and Japan as well as those of the folks at home, the president of General Motors Corporation, the nation’s largest, declared that what was “good for General Motors” was “good for the country.”
The word “general” had a certain magical appeal in those days. Several celebrated generals recently had won America’s heart by winning the war. One of them, George C. Marshall, became Harry Truman’s secretary of state and devised the Marshall Plan, spending American taxpayer money to get Europe back on its feet so it could start to buy things again.
Even more beloved was Dwight D. Eisenhower, the commander of the war in Europe. He came home and became president of Columbia University. A group of liberal Democrats, unhappy with Truman, organized something called the Draft Eisenhower movement.
Ike decided instead to run as a Republican in 1952, and he was elected president. He promptly named General Motors Corporation’s CEO, Charles Erwin Wilson, as his secretary of defense. It was during Wilson’s Senate confirmation hearings that he uttered his famous words about what was good for the country.
In fact, he was right. General Motors was driving the economy and offering good pay, the equivalent of about $50,000 a year in wages and benefits to ordinary factory workers.
It’s no secret that things don’t work that way anymore. GM, battered by competition from Japan, Europe and elsewhere, can’t sell cars the way it used to. With less money coming in, it can’t keep paying workers to make cars. It is now aiming to reduce its work force by offering “buyouts,” cash incentives to go away.
This strategy is accompanied by another move called “banks.” Workers report to work as usual; they are paid as usual. But they don’t make cars. They may do anything they wish during work hours, except turn out GM cars.
Obviously, GM has been hit by overproduction, which is the flip side of the coin called “underconsumption.” Too many cars, not enough buyers. Over time, the declining market share of GM and of other American automakers leads to a decline in the auto work force. That means fewer working Americans able to buy cars, cutting sales further.
If what is good for GM is good for the country, then what’s bad for GM must be bad for the country — and, indeed, for the world economy. The increasingly top-heavy misdistribution of income means fewer people able to buy products. But you can’t have a market economy without a mass market.


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Held every two years, Beijing International Automobile Exhibition (Auto China) is one of the most influential international auto shows for display, release and trade of major auto brands. In 2020, many top-tier international auto shows have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Auto China 2020 was one of the few that could be successfully launched and thus this show was too important for China’s and foreign auto industries to miss.
Themed as ‘Intelligence leads to the future’, the 2020 edition returned to the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing from 26 September to 5 October. The show, spanning an area of 200,000 square meters, brought together the latest models and innovations of established industry players and electric vehicle start-ups. The number of visitors reached 530,000.
Pico created powerful presence for well-known domestic and foreign auto brands, including ARCFOX, BAOJUN, Cadillac, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Dongfeng Peugeot, Dongfeng VOYAH, Great Wall Motors, INFINITI, Jeep, LEXUS and Lynk & Co.
About Auto China 2020: en.autochinashow.org


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Google Wallet has seen its user base double and weekly transactions jump by 50% in the past two months, as interest in mobile payments surge thanks to the launch of Apple Pay.
A source revealed the numbers to Ars Technica anonymously. It seems that Apple’s solution has sparked Google’s product back into life, after it struggled to gain traction due to concerns over security.
Apple Pay launched in the US on October 29th and has met with a largely positive response. However, two pharmacies, CVS and Rite Aid, quickly banned the use of Apple Pay and other NFC payments, causing outrage among users.
The companies are part of a group called Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), which is developing its own system called CurrentC.
The jump in Google users may see retailers reconsider any bans. MCX has already backtracked on plans to make CurrentC exclusive to its retailers, saying such restrictions will be over ‘months not years’.
These new figures will doubtless lead to some thinking mobile payments are finally going mainstream, meaning a ban in certain stores would almost certainly be counter-productive.


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Chinese tourists visiting hotels belonging to InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will be able to settle their bill using Alipay in locations across the globe from 2017. “The new partnership, which has been agreed by Alipay’s parent company Ant Financial, will initially apply to IHG’s existing estate of more than 270 hotels in Greater China, as well as a number of hotels around the world that participate in IHG’s China Ready Programme,” Ant Financial says.
- Microsoft rebrands wallet as Microsoft Pay
- ICICI Bank partners with Paytm to offer instant loans during checkout
- Apple GymKit with NFC goes live in Australia
- Video shows that children could use Face ID to unlock their parents’ iPhone X
- UK supermarkets to test face recognition for proof-of-age at self-checkout tills


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U.S. shoppers spent $131.2 billion online in Q4 2017, a 20.0% increase from $109.3 billion in Q4 2016, according to market research firm comScore Inc.
Of this $131.2 billion, sales from mobile devices (smartphones plus tablets) totaled $31.8 billion, a 40.1% increase from $22.7 billion in Q4 2016, while desktop sales reached $99.4 billion during the 2017 holiday season, up 14.8% from $86.6 billion a year earlier. This means that mobile devices accounted for 24% of e-commerce sales in Q4 2017, up from 21% in Q4 2016 and 17% in Q4 2015.
“Mobile is the key driver of digital retail growth,” Ryan Williams, head of client insights, retail, travel and CPG at comScore, said today on a webinar recapping the quarter.
Both desktop’s 15% growth and mobile’s 40% year-over-year growth rate surpass bricks-and-mortar’s Q4 growth of 7% year over year, according to comScore.
Still, mobile sales lag behind their share of time spent on site, as mobile devices account for 64% of minutes on a retail site but only 24% of dollars. While the gap will eventually get smaller, shoppers are still concerned about security on mobile devices, mobile shopping is often a sub-par experience compared with desktop shopping, and consumers are not comfortable buying big ticket items on small screens, Williams says.
Mobile apps also contributed to mobile sales. In fact, when looking at top e-commerce sites, such as those of Amazon.com Inc. or Walmart Inc., more shoppers spend time in the retailer’s app than on the retailer’s mobile site. For example, apps account for 78% of mobile minutes spent with Amazon compared with 22% on the retailer’s mobile websites, and 74% of Walmart’s mobile minutes are spent in app compared with 26% on mobile web.
ComScore estimates that 95.4 million unique shoppers used the Amazon app in December 2017, dwarfing its competitors. By comparison, the Walmart app attracted 37.7 million unique shoppers, eBay Inc.’s app 30.2 million and Target Corp.’s app 18.7 million.
Still, those numbers represent strong app penetration, Williams says. “Having an app on your phone is a good indicator of loyalty,” he says. “Once the app is on the device, the likelihood of its saying there is strong.”
The big shopping holidays around Thanksgiving, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, were large drivers of spending growth for the 2017 holiday season. Desktop sales increased 21% on Thanksgiving, 20% on Black Friday and 26% on Cyber Monday, compared with the comparable days in 2016.
Overall, shoppers were not afraid to buy big-ticket items online. 23% of consumers said they bought a product that was more than $500 online in Q4, according to a January 2018 comScore survey of 2,247 consumers. Big-ticket product categories include electronics, appliances/furniture and jewelry.
Web giant Amazon.com Inc. flexed its might and accounted for at least 60% of Q4 2017 transactions in 11 key retail categories. What’s more, in six of those categories, Amazon increased its share by at least 5 percentage points. For example, Amazon accounted for 65% of the apparel and accessories transactions in Q4 2017, up from 51% last year; 81% of the consumer packaged goods transactions, up from 76%; and 75% of the furniture, appliances and equipment transactions, up from 70%. Amazon is No. 1 in the Internet Retailer 2017 Top 500.
Even if Amazon did not end up with the sale, shoppers often checked Amazon before buying elsewhere, comScore found by tracking the clicks of web shoppers. For example, 68% of consumers who made an online retail purchase not at Amazon visited Amazon in the seven days leading up to their transaction. 41% of the time, Amazon was the first retail site the shopper visited in the seven days leading up to the non-Amazon purchase, and 28% of consumers visited Amazon during the same session in which they made a purchase on another retail website.
Apparel was one of the fastest-growing categories, with Q4 sales increasing 27% year over year, according to comScore data.
“Apparel is killing it these days,” Williams says.
Online shoppers also bought a lot more home furnishings during the last three months of 2017, generating year-over-year growth of 21%, according to comScore data. In fact, in eight of the past nine quarters, online sales of home furnishings have increased more than 20% year over year.
ComScore also found that 65% of transactions shipped for free in Q4, up from 60% of transactions last year.Favorite


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Fraud trends for 2023 reveal where fraudsters are focusing their efforts as well as what tools are on the rise to fight against attackers.
Non-regulated entities are becoming more susceptible to fraud attacks as companies in regulated industries work to meet certain security requirements in order to comply with regulatory frameworks, according to Sumsub‘s 2023 Identity Fraud Report.
Top fraud trends from Sumsub’s 2022 report persisted throughout 2023. The top fraud trends were and still are deepfake usage, complex fraud patterns, and advanced forgeries. These observations align with Onfido’s recently-released fraud report.
Spain was the country that saw the most deepfake attacks, and every country in Latin America saw a rise in fraud attacks, according to Sumsub.
Deepfake audio and video attacks are an emerging threat, with deepfake attacks increasing by 10x from 2022 to 2023. However, instances also varied widely between continental regions.
North America saw a 1,740 percent surge in deepfakes, compared to 1,530 percent in the APAC region, 780 percent in Europe, 450 percent in the MEA region and 410 percent in Latin America.
Account takeover attacks and first-party fraud were also prominent in 2023. Sumsub’s report says account takeovers have risen 155 percent this year, while a Forbes article notes that 22 percent of adults in the U.S. have been a victim of this type of fraud. According to data from Visa, first-party fraud now accounts for 75 percent of all chargebacks.
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The crypto industry makes up 88 percent of all deepfake frauds and is associated with money muling. At the same time, Web3 shows promise in combating fraud by enhancing security.
Another tool with the potential to effectively combat fraud is behavior authentication, writes programmer Leon Adelstein in a Medium article. This type of biometric authentication algorithm learns typing rhythm, device interactions, and other idiosyncratic behaviors that can identify fraud. This authentication method has use cases in highly regulated industries like finance and healthcare, Adelstein argues.
Source: Biometric Update
Bianca Gonzalez is a freelance journalist. She has written for Next City, Bold Culture, Insider, and Infosec Institute.
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BRANDT Joins The Fertilizer Institute
Tampa, Florida (May 15, 2023) – BRANDT, a leading retailer of professional agronomic services and manufacturer of specialty Ag input products, has joined The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) as a member. TFI is the leading voice of the fertilizer industry, representing companies involved in the production, distribution and sale of fertilizer products.
As a member of TFI, BRANDT will have access to research, policy analysis and advocacy efforts focused on advancing the interests of the fertilizer industry. TFI promotes the safe and sustainable use of fertilizer products, fostering economic growth in the agriculture sector.
"We are thrilled to welcome BRANDT as a new member of TFI," said Corey Rosenbusch, President and CEO of TFI. "Their dedication to innovation and sustainability aligns with our mission to promote the responsible use of fertilizer products and support the growth of the agriculture industry. We look forward to working together to advance our shared goals."
BRANDT has a long history of providing high-quality crop inputs and services to growers around the world. Their focus on research and development has resulted in a wide range of innovative products and practices that help growers maximize yield and quality while minimizing environmental impact.
“TFI is the leading advocacy organization for the fertilizer industry; TFI plays a vital role in shaping policy, defining standards and ensuring our freedom to operate every day,” said Rick Brandt, President and CEO of BRANDT. “As we celebrate our platinum anniversary this year, we’re proud to join Corey and the TFI team as we all work together to ensure there’s a positive Ag environment for our next 70 years.”
As part of its mission to represent, promote and protect the fertilizer industry, TFI recently announced the formation of the FERT Foundation, focused on helping educate students on the value of plant nutrition, train the next generation of industry employees and conduct primary industry research.
BRANDT joins TradeMark Nitrogen, a Tampa-based sister company owned by Rick Brandt, as a member of TFI.
A leading agricultural company, BRANDT serves growers around the globe. Founded in 1953 by Glen Brandt and his sister Evelyn Brandt Thomas to help Illinois farmers adopt new and profitable technologies, the company has experienced aggressive growth under the leadership of President and CEO Rick Brandt. BRANDT’s focus is providing the products and services that give growers the best opportunity for return while building a stronger, healthier and more abundant food supply.


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Unilever marks Lotus F1 partnership with new SureMen range
Unilever is seeking to capitalise on hype surrounding the new Formula 1 season with a SureMen anti-perspirant range showcasing its sponsorship of the Lotus F1 team.
The launch of the products coincides with the first year anniversary of Unilever’s three-year global sponsorship of Lotus, which was celebrating yesterday, after its driver Kimi Raikkonen won the first Grand Prix of the new season in Australia.
Unilever has designed new packaging for the products that feature the official Lotus F1 logo and is positioning the anti-perspirant as a product that works even in "high-adrenaline situations".
Launch activity includes an on-pack promotion running this week, giving consumers the opportunity to win a trip with three friends to drive the Lotus F1 car in the south of France.
Additional marketing in the £4m push will include TV, digital, outdoor and experiential activity that will launch in May.
Unilever is hoping the high-profile partnership will help the SureMen brand achieve double-digit sales growth.
SureMen's fellow Unilever-owned brand Dove Men+Care recently placed rugby at the heart of its marketing strategy.Follow @mattchapmanuk
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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- VCCP's Thornton credits Bailes with O2's Campaign of the Year success
- Google reveals most searched-for events in 2013 Zeitgeist campaign


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LOS 3184 Admin
posted on March 12, 2017 06:00
As a trial, 200 residences were letter-boxed to turn out for an hour on Clean Up Australia Day. Well, it was a lonely affair.
However, the residents now have the results of what was removed from their patch: 3.75 kg litter - 364 cigarette butts, lots of small plastic fragments (hard and soft), 9 bottles, 5 cans and a syringe, to say nothing of small items of hardware (nuts, screws, washers).
Undeterred, we press on!
[Read the rest of this article...]


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If you are a frequent McDonald’s customer and enjoy their burgers, then you’ll be delighted with their most recent innovation. Namely, the fast food giant decided to use fresh beef for their burgers. This decision affected the company’s sales — they immediately went up providing a greater market share.
In 2018, Burger King replaced frozen with fresh meat in their quarter pound burgers in the majority of their restaurants across the USA. According to McDonald’s announcement from 24th of June, this increased the sale of quarter pounders for even 30% on average throughout 2018. Also, it enabled the company to achieve market share in so-called “informal eating out” group for the very first time throughout 5 years.
The Reason for the Shift
The company decided to replace frozen with fresh meat due to the public’s increasing curiosity about ingredients and their transparency. As the company’s chief supply chain officer Marion Gross explained to CNN, customers desire to know the origin of their food. She also added that buyers are changing quite rapidly, making the company change as well.
The company also promised to limit the employment of antibiotics in its meat and to use eggs from free-range chickens.
According to McDonald’s, the sale of quarter pounders made of fresh meat was at its climax in May 2018. It was presented for the first time then, and the increase in sales is the result of the company’s marketing endeavors. Besides, the fast food giant has recently incorporated fresh beef in its 2 for $5 offer. The promotion did quite well, as CFO Kevin Ozan observed when discussing the profit for the first quarter of the year.
From Frozen to Fresh
Changing frozen beef with fresh was quite challenging. As Marion Gross said, an enormous transformation was necessary for the change to happen. Suppliers required different equipment for packaging, as well as additional refrigerators to ensure that fresh meat would be handled accordingly. Furthermore, delivery trucks required proper systems for monitoring the temperature in order to carry the meat properly. Last but not least, kitchen employees needed to use different safety procedures for food preparation.
Nevertheless, the change was definitely among the bravest steps the company has ever done. What’s more, it is the greatest change in the supply that the fast food giant carried out ever since all-day breakfast introduced in 2015.
This shift might have increased McDonald’s sales, but it caused additional expenses for McDonald’s franchisees. Namely, they were forced to purchase new storage and cooling systems. It is interesting, though, that in 2018, McDonald’s had a dispute with the franchisees. In October 2018, a self-financing support group of the company’s franchisees called the National Owners Association and organized their first meeting to debate on the methods of cooperation with the giant to advance their income. McDonald’s assertive redesigning plan that incorporated renovating restaurants with a brand-new digital menu as well as self-order stalls, imposed a strain on the franchisees. They experience hard times even when McDonald’s adds something new to the menu, let alone when it carries out some greater adjustments.
Gross explained that the change was difficult, but the franchisees eventually agreed to cooperate since the burgers are much better.
The fast-food giant released the news about the fresh meat burger upon being asked whether it would incorporate a plant-based burger in the menu. Namely, other fast food giants in the US, such as Burger King have included meatless meat items according to the customers’ demands. McDonald’s, on the other hand, offers a vegan burger only in Europe.


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WORLD RECOVERY, HIGHER OIL AND CROP PRICES, WEAKER BAHT CITED
THAI EXPORTS are likely to expand by an estimated 2.8 per cent this year – the best performance since 2013 – due to a recovering global economy, higher oil and crop prices and the baht’s depreciation, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
The UTCC forecasts that overseas shipments will grow by between 1.3 per cent and 4.2 per cent to a full-year total of US$218.4 billion-$224.63 billion (Bt7.76 trillion-Bt7.98 trillion), with the most likely outcome being in the middle of the range, at 2.8-per-cent growth to $221.58 billion.
“With stronger economic expansion, and especially strong cross-border trade, Thai shipments will witness stronger positive growth this year, from about 0.5-per-cent expansion worth $215.5 billion last year,” Aat Pisanwanich, director of the UTCC’s Centre for International Trade Studies, said yesterday.
For shipments to hit the higher end of the forecast range, at 4.2 per cent, global gross-domestic-product growth would have to be 3.6 per cent and the baht would have to weaken to 37-38 against the US dollar, while the economies of the European Union and China would need to expand by 1.7 per cent and 6.5 per cent, respectively, he said.
The most likely scenario of 2.8-per-cent export growth assumes global GDP growth of 3.4 per cent, EU economic expansion of 1.5 per cent, China growing by 6.2 per cent and an average exchange rate of Bt36-Bt37 per US dollar, he explained.
In the worst-case scenario of exports growing by just 1.3 per cent, the global economy would expand 3.2 per cent, the EU economy by 1.3 per cent, and China’s GDP by 6 per cent this year, while the average exchange rate would be Bt35.5 to Bt36 against the greenback.
Among the main positive factors expected to drive Thai exports this year are the weakening of the baht, crude oil averaging $50 per barrel, higher crop prices, and stronger cross-border exports, which are forecast to grow by 7.4 per cent to $20.3 billion, Aat said.
However, negative factors to be aware of are a continued slowdown of economic growth in China, the stringent international-trade policy promised by US president-elect Donald Trump, uncertainty over economic growth in the EU and political change following upcoming elections in the Netherlands, France and Germany, as well as higher minimum wages leading to rising production costs in the Kingdom, he warned.
The study found that while Thai shipments to the American market should not be seriously impacted by Trump’s trade policy, and could even grow, Thai exports to China could fall as US imports from China would face higher tariffs if he introduced the trade measures he has touted in recent months.
Thailand could see a slowdown in shipments to China of machinery, hard-disk drives and electronic circuits, as well as electronic and electrical appliances, Aat said.
Moreover, the UTCC study warned that with lower Chinese exports to the US market, more Chinese goods would flood into Thailand and elsewhere in Asean.
Meanwhile, there is still an opportunity for Thai exports to the US to grow as products such as electrical appliances, machinery and rubber are of high quality and made to international standards, Aat said.
To drive more export growth, he suggested that Thai business should focus on innovation, value-added products and high-technology production.
As to generating more exports to the US market, he said enterprises should also be more concerned about organic products, gluten-free and non-GMO foods, and environment-friendly products.


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Rise in Tea Production
EghtesadOnline: A total of 137,000 tons of fresh tea leaves worth 7.6 trillion rials ($26.76 million) have been harvested in Iran during the current fiscal year that started on March 21, showing a 3% and 48% rise in weight and value respectively compared with last year, according to the head of Iran Tea Organization.
"A total of 31,000 tons of dried tea were produced from this year’s yields, which shows a 4% increase compared with last year’s production,” Habibollah Jahansaz was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
The government bought some 135,000 tons of this year’s harvest worth over 7.4 trillion rials ($26.21 million) as part of its guaranteed purchase plan and the remaining 2,000 tons were sold in the market, he added.
According to the official, last year’s harvest stood at 133,000 tons worth 5.13 trillion rials ($18.06 million).
Jahansaz noted that growth in production was mainly due to good weather conditions during the critical growth phases of tea shrubs, government support in granting cheap loans and rising guaranteed purchase prices.
Every year, the government buys strategic crops, including tea, wheat, sugarbeet, barley, cotton boll and oilseeds, from local farmers at guaranteed prices to control prices in the domestic market and fill its strategic reserves.
“A total of 5 million tons of tea are produced globally every year and Iran is currently the world’s 12th biggest cultivator. Iranian tea is among the finest across the globe and is cultivated pesticide-free. Therefore, no pollutants or chemical residue affecting its quality, health and taste,” he said.
Currently, Iran has 28,000 hectares of tea plantations, 22,000 hectares of which bear yields, according to Iran Tea Organization. More than 55,000 farmers earn their living through tea cultivation in Iran’s northern provinces and of Gilan and Mazandaran where the product is considered an economic strategic commodity.
Some 90% of Iran’s tea plantations are located in Gilan Province. Lahijan County in eastern Gilan is known as Iran’s tea production hub.
The crop undergoes three harvests a year: the spring harvest that starts in late April, the second in summer begins early June and the last one is in autumn and starts late September.
Iran's Tea Association puts the domestic demand for tea at 120,000 tons per year.
Yet, Jahansaz says the figure currently stands at 100,000 tons, around 30,000 tons of which are currently produced locally every year.
Iran mainly imports tea from India and Sir Lanka. Turkey, Germany, China, Japan, Vietnam, Kenya and Poland are other exporters of the product to the country.
Iran also exports tea and its main destinations are India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Canada, Australia, Spain, the Czech Republic and Georgia.


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Apple had kept the market in mystery by not revealing the details of ‘the upcoming cloud service offering’,since the announcement of unveiling Lion, iOS 5, iCloud in the press release.
iCloud was almost a throwaway line in the press release, said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst for technology research company Gartner. But that's getting the most scrutiny because we don't know anything about it.
Apple’s iCloud has been anticipated to have a network that can take some processing and traffic burdens from wireless carriers' networks.
Unlike its usual practice, Apple this time has revealed in advance about the launches and will provide further details at an event in San Fransisco on Monday .
Apple’s Chief Executive Steve Jobs has taken a medical leave to preside over the opening of the company's annual conference for software developers.
According to multiple reports, iCloud would allow for streaming of music hosted on Apple servers in the Internet cloud to various devices -- from computers to smartphones to touchscreen tablets.
Apple’s web-hosted music which is coming weeks after Amazon and Google came up with their cloud music offering, is predicted to give tough competition to RIM, Google, Amazon and Microsoft, all of which have struggled to compete with iTunes in its current form.


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How Jeffrey Godsick has redefined the culture, approach and global reach of 20th Century Fox Consumer Products and its popular brands.
Meredith Corp.'s publishing and lifestyle brand Better Homes and Gardens has partnered with Lakeside Development Company to build the Innovation Home.
As a new Episode VII: The Force Awakens trailer swept the Internet Thursday, Twitter launched a collection of Star Wars emojis.
New branding executives at Universal, Hello Kitty's latest sports venture, Gwen Stefani's new girls' TV series … these are the stories that shaped the week of April 13.
Walls Outdoor Goods will include DuPont Kevlar materials in its new line of outdoor workwear designed for durability in demanding conditions.
The National Geographic Society and First Bankcard, a division of First National Bank of Omaha, have launched the National Geographic Visa card.
Overstock.com is collaborating with recording artist and reality TV star Bret Michaels for a curated e-store and branded products.
SEGA of America and SEGA Europe have added three more titles to the classic games that will be re-released exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS system this year.
Hatfield & McCoy Family brand whiskey has launched in new markets after receiving a silver metal from the Beverage Testing Institute.
CJ Products is creating an exclusive line of plush products featuring characters from Hasbro's TV series "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic."
Moleskine has teamed with The British Library to launch a new line of notebooks featuring Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
The Polaroid Fotobar is expanding its experiential retail concept with the opening of seven micro-retail locations in select Westfield Malls throughout California.
Manchester United has entered a multi-year partnership with IVC to create a line of branded wellness products in China.
Iconix Brand Group and it board of directors has appointed Sue Gove as an independent director of the company.
Kip & Sew, the new premium sub-brand of licensee Character World, is planning luxury bedding ranges featuring Disney and Marvel characters in the U.K.
The Copyrights Group has teamed with game developer Daredevil Development and Boiled Frog Gaming to launch the first-ever Paddington Bear game app.
Studio 100 Film and Maya the Bee will buzz into the North American market.
Bulldog Licensing has brought three new licensees on board for cartoon cat Garfield, with The Classic, Fright Rags and Open Roads all signing deals.
Cherokee Global Brands, in partnership with Alessandra Ambrosio and Silver Sunrise, has added three new accessories and footwear licensees for the Ále by Alessandra brand.
DC Comics characters are taking over GungHo Online Entertainment’s mobile game “Puzzle & Dragons” this week.
Netflix announced that episodes of the upcoming kids' series "All Hail King Julien," a spin-off of DreamWorks Animations' Madagascar, will be released in installments.
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Melbourne is taking over all the esports. Why is it the one place that sees it's big business and not just 'kid stuff'? That kicks off this week's Byteside with Seamus and Nic, plus so much more.
This week's Byteside also dips into the Oscars and why we didn't even watch some of the big movies that have been on Netflix for months.
Plus more serious topics like the growing PTSD issues for content moderators at the likes of Facebook and YouTube, and why these internet giants need to do much better at looking after these staff.
Plus a dash of Safer Internet Day advice!
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MIDDLETOWN, DE–(Marketwired – Nov 29, 2017) – Trusted full-service digital marketing firm eZanga (https://www.ezanga.com/) has joined the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) as a general member and been approved by the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) as a participant in TAG Registry.
According to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), bot fraud will cost advertisers $6.5 billion globally in 2017. eZanga’s fraud detection division, Anura (https://www.anura.io/), is the only ad fraud software solution built by a company that has bought and sold traffic. Having experience being held by clients to performance-based metrics and traffic quality helped eZanga benchmark the Anura rulesets with a unique point-of-view.
IAB membership enables eZanga to actively contribute this point-of-view to the discussions that are impacting the greater digital marketing landscape.
“We built Anura to validate whether or not a user is real or fake because viewability can be beaten,” said Rich Kahn, CEO and co-founder of eZanga. “We firmly stand behind measuring performance through real, human users with the resolve to interact without malicious intent as a stronger metric for combating fraud. We look forward to bringing insights from the discussions we’re having with our brand and agency clients to IAB’s ongoing initiatives to improve the transparency within online advertising.”
The company’s senior executives also plan to participate across several IAB Committees:
- Ad Ops Council
- Advertising Technology Council
- Buying Automation Committee
- Data Benchmarks & Activation Committee
- Identity & Audience Data Committee
- Measurement & Attribution Committee
- Social Media | Native | Content Committee
- Public Policy
- Research Council
TAG Registered companies have been verified as legitimate participants in the digital advertising industry through a proprietary background check and review process powered by Dun & Bradstreet and approved by TAG.
“It is important for the advertising ecosystem to work together to strengthen our defenses against ad fraud,” said Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG. “By registering with TAG, eZanga has taken an important step in building a common industry standard to ensure that only legitimate companies participate in the digital advertising ecosystem.”
Boutique digital marketing agency, eZanga, offers a full suite of solutions for advertisers and publishers seeking business growth — from pay per click (PPC) and cost per call solutions (CPC) to real-time ad fraud detection and elimination — through accurate conversions. In the past decade, eZanga has received industry recognition in many forms for its efforts — inclusion on the Inc. 500|5000 list for five consecutive years and recognition by Deloitte and SmartCEO Magazine as well as Philly100, as one of the Philadelphia area’s fastest-growing companies. For more information, please visit www.ezanga.com and http://anura.io.
Anura, a division of the full-service digital marketing firm eZanga, is the next generation technology to combat fraudulent users. Built and optimized based on more than a decade of client input, campaign data and analyzed clicks, Anura delves into campaigns from the advertiser’s perspective. The technology identifies real human visitors as opposed to simulated activity, and, in return, increases accuracy and performance. For more information, please visit https://www.anura.io.
Blast PR for eZanga


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Consumers need a solution that becomes the go-to model for those who don’t want to get bogged down in purchase return delays and overloaded customer service departments.
Tampa Bay, FL (PRWEB) November 10, 2015
According to Gary Cardone, CEO of dispute mitigation company eConsumerServices, while online shopping continues to grow in leaps and bounds—currently topping $90 billion per quarter in the U.S.—the parallel rise in fraudulent returns will add complications and could significantly slow the merchandise return process this holiday season. (1)
Due to customer service issues in past holiday periods, retailers have more recently been lax with the procedures and rules for holiday returns; some merchants have been asking only for ID and not making a receipt mandatory, thereby inadvertently making it even easier to get away with fraudulent returns.
Monitoring fraud returns is already a complex operation. The National Retail Federation says that November and December sales (excluding autos, gas and restaurants) are expected to hit the $630.7 billion mark, and online sales are forecast to top $105 billion. (2) Considering an average sale to be under $100, that’s an enormous number of individual sales, and this is further compounded by the fact that a 2014 UPS survey reveals online returns are as high as 62%. (3)
One of the emerging technologies developed to curb credit card fraud is the new EMV card (Europay, MasterCard and Visa). This new card is designed with a chip, as well as a PIN, to track sensitive information and detect patterns of fraud. However, it will likely be of little advantage for this holiday season. Although the adoption of this card in the U.S. took place earlier this month, a recent ACI Worldwide survey found that six out of 10 consumers have either not yet received the card, or are unaware of its purpose and use. (4) But even as the EMV card takes hold, it does nothing for online card-not-present (CNP) sales and, in fact, may drive more thieves to the burgeoning online markets.
“Retailers have had to walk a tight line between protecting their revenue from fraud and encouraging sales by providing fast and friendly customer service,” said Cardone, “but due to the rise in return fraud, the traditional hassle-free returns policies are giving way to heavier scrutiny, stiffer policies, slower lines and overloaded customer service departments.” Last year, the industry lost $3.8 billion over the holidays and $10.9 billion over the year. (5)
The previous lack of good policies and practices on the part of retailers has inadvertently encouraged a sharp rise in fraud, causing the pendulum to now swing the other way to a slower and more complex return process.
As retailers struggle to stem the tide of illicit returns, legitimate online customers need an easier and more stress-free way of returning items—including during the massive holiday volume already underway this year.
“Consumers need a solution that becomes the go-to model for those who don’t want to get bogged down in purchase return delays and overloaded customer service departments,” said Cardone.
Cardone urges consumers to seek the assistance of a third-party mediator with a system in place to deal with issuing banks and the ability to minimize and mitigate the amount of loss associated with eCommerce, thereby simplifying the return process. Additionally, Cardone encourages consumers to remain vigilant in guarding their credit card information, in order to lessen their chances of needing to initiate a chargeback in the first place.
To learn more about eConsumerServices and its transaction mediation services, or to submit a claim for any purchase made online or over the phone, visit http://www.econsumerservices.com.
About Global Risk Technologies and eConsumerServices:
Global Risk Technologies is most known for its role in payment processing solutions that cater to each side of the value chain: Chargebacks911.com and eConsumerServices.com. The firm is headquartered in Tampa Bay, Florida, with offices in Ireland and Atlanta. They have approximately 350 employees worldwide, and currently manage over 150MM in transactions each month, with clients located in the U.S. and Europe.
eConsumerServices focuses on the cardholder or consumer in order to encourage transactional resolution before it progresses to a chargeback. The company caters to the B2C (business-to-consumer) sector of Global’s initiative, in working to realize greater standardization and increased efficiency within the payments industry. eConsumerServices is an online mediation service that works to effectively and efficiently resolve transaction issues between merchants, consumers and banks. For more information, visit http://www.eConsumerServices.com.
1. Census.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/pdf/ec_current.pdf.
2. National Retail Federation (n.d.): n. pag. Web. nrf.com/resources/holiday-headquarters#sthash.eF1hcbe9.rICoyLzn.dpuf.
3. Kell, John. “UPS Expects to Handle 4 Million Returns This Holiday Season.” N.p., n.d. Web. fortune.com/2014/12/26/ups-4-million-returns/.
4. “60% of Consumers lack EMV Cards”; Pymnts; September 22, 2015. pymnts.com/news/2015/60-percent-of-consumers-lack-emv-cards/.
5. Wahba, Phil. “Holiday Returns Scammers to Cost Retailers Billions.” N.p., n.d. Web. fortune.com/2014/12/19/return-fraud-retail/.


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A new coreboot patch reveals the integrated graphics configurations for mobile Alder Lake processors.
Backblaze has proof from its own servers that SSD failure rates are almost as bad as hard drives, from nearly 5 years of drive analysis.
This ‘Goblet of Fire’ from Harry Potter is Pico-powered and functions as a chip dip bowl for parties.
Right now, the Intel Core i7-11700K is down to $379.99 after a big price cut, plus it comes with a free Holiday Game Bundle featuring Crysis Remastered Trilogy and Humankind.
Maker befinitiv created a Raspberry Pi Zero package to fit inside a Super 8 movie camera, and it shoots charming retro images.
Valve has updated its Proton software to support even more games and allowed experimental support for the Nvidia DLSS feature in DirectX 12 games.
Microsoft releases official PC requirements for Forza Horizon 5, including a minimum spec, recommended spec and ideal spec.
New reports have come in that Nvidia's GeForce RTX 30-series graphics cards are still dying after playing New World.
Maker RandomBrasilian has created a Raspberry Pi-powered set of Christmas lights that change color when you play notes on a digital Piano.
Lenovo has teased new Legion gaming desktops packing Intel's future 12th Gen Alder Lake Core processors.
The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council released its first joint statement reaffirming the core issues it wants to address.


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Customers, suppliers and other guests joined Calderdale Mayor Councillor Angie Gallagher in congratulating Hepworth Framework on the opening of the fabricator’s £1million expansion of its Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
Representatives of Brighouse Central Foodbank were also there to receive a cheque and a box of food supplies in support of the work they do for the local community.
Managing Director Richard Steckles told guests: “The foundation of Hepworth’s business is in the manufacture and supply of quality aluminium doors and windows. We have been a customer of Senior Architectural Systems for 30 years and recently added Cortizo to our product range.
“With aluminium being a harder medium to work with than PVC-U, our team is highly skilled, and our Open Day gave visitors an opportunity to see this for themselves through personal tours of the factory.”
He concluded: “We want to be the supply partner that people working in aluminium turns to. We have the knowledge, the skills, the team and the capacity, and our business is in building relationships that are mutually beneficial. We’ve been here for years, and we plan to be here for years to come.
“Our plans are not over yet, though, and a trade counter is scheduled to open later in the year due to customer demand.”


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Grad’13 alumni Thanisorn (Phet) Boonsoong and Cabin Yim, also known for their restaurant Sul in Bangkok, expanded into the gaming world with their venture FairPlay Studios. The most recent game, Himmapan Marshmello has gone viral in Thailand, available for Android and Apple devices.
Phet talks about his interest in gaming, how that led to the creation of FairPlay Studios, winning the Rising Star award, the studio’s partnership with Apple and its latest achievements.
“Creating a game has always been a childhood dream – to build my own MMORPG (massively multiplier online role-playing game) in order to craft a fantasy world of my own imagination without limitations. I loved games as a kid (and I still do) and wanted to play games for a living; however, at that time, the stigma surrounding gaming wasn’t as positive as it is today and the industry hadn’t been formalised. As you can imagine, my parents were absolutely against it. Nonetheless, at the back of my mind, I held onto the hope that one day the gaming industry wouldn’t elude me and I would find my way in somehow.”
“Fast forward a few years and the gaming industry is now a formal industry and it is booming! There are cases of massive success from games such as PUBG to Arena of Valor. As a serial entrepreneur and investor, I was able to accumulate experience and expose myself to the industry through multiple international investments spread across actual development studios, to peripherals such as big data and funds specialised to the industry. That led the way to allow me the opportunity to open my own studio. The business opportunity in the industry was evident and I managed to source an incredible technical team by luring them with some sweat equity – something that Business Studies at Bangkok Patana taught me to do!”
“FairPlay Studios started a little over two years ago in September 2018, initially aiming to tackle the mobile market and expand into the quality-driven console market to bring Thailand onto the gaming global stage. Thailand has an abundant labour pool that is extremely skilled in art and animation. However, our gaming industry has never grown past our local borders, I wanted to change that. When other countries in the world are launching sensational titles and global hit IPs, Thailand’s gaming studios are still stuck in development and a belief of self-publishing. In business, alliances are key and we recognised the importance of working with publishers and stores; this allowed our studio to enter the global stage from year one.”
“Our first game, Fallen Knight, was conceptualised to be a disruptive project – to do something that’s hard to achieve and stands out. That was why we designed an action-packed mobile platformer with controller compatibility (a rare mobile genre due to control lag and FPS requirements). The risk we took propelled our studio to an unthinkable level. Apple was launching their new arcade platform and redesigning their gaming service to have controller compatible capabilities across all devices at the same time we planned to launch Fallen Knight onto mobile platforms. As they saw our game, they appreciated the innovation behind our product, this led to them invite us to be the first, and only, Thai company to be a part of their initiative. Being able to partner with one of the world’s largest companies was a massive opportunity and we took it immediately, allowing us to be the first Thai game studio in history to be a part of Apple’s global product launch event!” (See min. 3:34)
“Partnering with Apple was a major milestone for us and we capitalised on this achievement to push the studio to greater heights. With international press coverage and having been voted one of the top 30 games on Apple Arcade, we leveraged this success and managed to sign with PQube, one of the UK’s largest publishers, to obtain rights to console development kits that make us one of the few studios in Thailand to possess development kits to Sony’s Playstation and Microsoft’s XBox.”
“After a year of polishing our game, we submitted Fallen Knight to a competition at one of the major game conferences of the world, LevelUp KL, where we won the Rising Star award, beating all the other Southeast Asian game studios in that category.”
“In 2020 we felt that it was time to move on and diversify our revenue streams, so we launched our production house services and in-house development sub-unit, Holy Basil Studios. Holy Basil Studios capitalised on the recent social media viral trend, Himmapan Marshmello. We developed this trend into a CSR game to generate social value by driving awareness to traditional Thai literature and culture, including the temples which house the Himmapan sculptures. This went viral, earning recognition by Bangkok Post and was featured in Guru Magazine which focuses on only one key individual per week.”
“Looking forward, our team has great experience working with next-gen technologies. Prior to our formation, we had already been working with Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. We are discussing picking those technologies up again for our own titles if they become more technologically accessible. Apart from that, we’ve been conceptualising games for functional Android systems such as the Tesla monitors in the car as well as novelties for wearable tech.”


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Anita Francois, She leveraged her passion for travel and her background in archaeology to generate a vision that supports and empowers the demographics of the cultural black traveler.
“Travel is not something new for black people, both globally and historically, it is just something we are rethinking in the age of technology, which has helped accelerate this through channels such as social media and communications,” BTS CEO Francois told Black Enterprise. “This is something we have to remember. We are not new to the game or catching up with it, we are just rediscovering it.”
Black travelers represent a $160 billion business annually. At Black Travel Summit, we are from the community and for the community, and I really believe we are stronger together,” said François.
“There is a small amount of talent in the industry that often gets recognized.”
Learn more about Anita Francois and her upcoming Voyage In Color event below.
What prompted you to create the Black Travel Summit?
Being an archaeologist made one thing clear to me; That people from the African diaspora are hardly recognized for our contributions to society. The Black Travel Summit has been my way of connecting this shared passion for travel in a space that highlights entrepreneurs, companies, and innovators who are like me, and facilitates connections that can help us grow in this community.
What resources do you offer that are unique to the industry?
Connections to well-established brands in the travel and tourism industry, and a platform for well-known and lesser known pacemakers whose voices you won’t often hear. The Black Travel Summit isn’t just a celebration of us, it’s a device that forces others to see us.
What do you think about the reason for the high rates of international travel among blacks?
I believe that the sharp rise in international travel among African Americans is not only an increase in disposable income and an awakening of awareness of the world outside the United States, but a new sense of freedom. Hundreds of years ago, I had stopped, if not regressed, black people’s sense of movement and free thought. Also, new generations with greater access to the world around us have created opportunities for both past and future people.
Describe how you became a good traveler.
As a black person who grew up in the UK to parents from East Africa and the Caribbean, immersion in these cultures and travel to these places has been the norm since the age of seven. I think that is what set the tone for my future. Also, I strongly believe that growing up in London is like being everywhere in the world at once, given its sheer diversity, and it sparked my desire to learn more through travel.
What can attendees expect from Voyage in Color?
The ability to see ourselves represented; Connect with our allies, influencers and the entrepreneurship ecosystem; Opportunities to travel more with holiday gifts and tips; And celebrate our creativity in travel. Simply put, a celebration of black culture in travel. I see it as just the beginning of a journey towards public awareness of our achievements and the enhancement of growth opportunities in tourism.
Are there any notable travel influencers participating in the conference?
We have many influencers joining us this year. Innovators like Martinique Lewis, President of the Black Travel Alliance, Phil Calvert aka Phil Culture, the first black male travel program host on the Matador Network, and Orion Brown, founder of the Beyoncé-Certified Black Travel Fund. This is just a small portion of the wonderful individuals who will be participating.
Who are the sponsors of your events?
Our most notable sponsors are Hyatt and American Airlines, but we also have the support of several international tourism authorities, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Miami DDA. Our full list can be seen on the website.


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Jin Doo Lee from Avix commented: "Just a year doing business with Tannoy has resulted in a large increase in our business. A growing number of people in the industry now recognize Tannoy's quality and we are doing best to further this reputation here in Korea."
Founded in 1992, Avix began by importing and installing premium quality professional audio equipment in the public broadcasting, video & audio engineering markets. By 1993, the company also began to design sound systems for major concert halls, art galleries, museums and churches in Korea. Although a relatively young company, Avix has become one of the top sound system brand names in Korea and continues to contribute to the progress of high quality sound system through ongoing training for system designers and after-sales service personnel.


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DoubleVerify Receives Global Accreditation for Ad Viewability
Product accredited in US since 2013 and now awarded ABC certification for UK
LONDON – 24 November 2014 – (“DV”), is one of the first companies to achieve global accreditation for its ad viewability solution, which has been accredited in the US since 2013, and was recently awarded certification by the ABC in the UK.
“This ABC certification further solidifies the strength and value of the DV ad viewability solution, especially as the industry moves towards viewable currency,” said Wayne Gattinella, CEO of DoubleVerify. “Certification further solidifies our commitment to delivering market-leading solutions for the world’s largest advertisers, providing them and their media partners with greater transparency and control over their digital promotion.”
The DV ad viewability solution measures the opportunity to be seen, and advanced metrics such as the duration of an ad in view, benchmarks and weekly trends. In addition, the product removes any known fraudulent impressions from the view rates, providing the highest level of data integrity and authenticity of campaign performance.
“Congratulations to DoubleVerify for completing their viewability product testing. Their ABC certificate clearly shows how their product performs against the industry-agreed JICWEBS principles for viewability. This will provide the transparency and reassurance advertisers need to invest further in online media,” said Jerry Wright, ABC, Chief Executive.
DV received its ABC certification for content verification for the second year in a row in May 2014. In addition to viewability, the DV Impression Quality suite provides the highest level of brand safety, fraud protection, and ad impressions delivery solutions in market with an intricate set of content avoidance categories and fraud detection capabilities to protect advertisers from serving ads in environments which don’t meet their desired criteria.
DoubleVerify is a leading software platform for digital media measurement, data and analytics. DV’s mission is to be the definitive source of transparency and data-driven insights into the quality and effectiveness of digital advertising for the world’s largest brands, publishers and digital ad platforms. DV’s technology platform provides advertisers with consistent and unbiased data and analytics that can be used to optimize the quality and return on their digital ad investments. Since 2008, DV has helped hundreds of Fortune 500 companies gain the most from their media spend by delivering best in class solutions across the digital advertising ecosystem, helping to build a better industry. Learn more at www.doubleverify.com
ABC inspires confidence in the market across the media world by delivering a valued ‘stamp of trust’. ABC underpins the way billions of pounds worth of advertising budgets are traded across the converging media landscape in the UK and beyond. It has two roles:
- To bring the industry together to agree standards that define media measurement and determine best practice.
- To offer independent audit and compliance services, delivering certification which verifies that data and processes meet the industry-agreed Reporting Standards.
ABC is governed by the industry, for the industry. ABC’s board consists of advertisers, media agencies, media owners and trade bodies. They represent the differing interests of the media industry and meet regularly to agree new standards and make strategic decisions as to how ABC is run. With Board consensus, ABC has the ability to provide certification for any platform. As advertising platforms develop, ABC continually innovates and evolves to ensure its portfolio of products and services delivers to the media industry’s needs.
ABC UK was established in 1931 and is a founder member of the International Federation of ABC (IFABC), of which ABC UK CEO, Jerry Wright, is president. Richard Foan, Group Executive Director of Communication & Innovation, ABC UK, also chairs the IFABC Web Standards Group, which works to deliver global standards and establish digital good practice across the world. For further information please visit www.abc.org.uk.


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Usual phone hours from 30 March
30 Mar 2022
As of 9.30am on Wednesday 30 March, we re-established usual hours for our public access phone line. Calls to 3005 7000 will be answered between 9.30am-4.00pm on business days, and between 10.30-11.30am, and 2.00-4.00pm on the last Thursday of each month.
Office phone services are fully transitioned back after the temporary closure due to flooding and CBD power outage.
Throughout the closure people could still make a complaint using the online form; or put their complaint in writing and mail it to: Queensland Ombudsman, GPO Box 3314, Brisbane, QLD 4001.


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The Indian manufacturer, Lava has launched a new smartphone dubbed as Lava A82. The entry-level smartphone is priced at Rs. 5,299, however, it is now available at discounted price of Rs. 4,549 exclusively on Tata CLiQ.
The Lava A82 comes with a 5-inch (854 x 480 pixels) FWVGA display and is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, paired with 1 GB RAM. It bears 8 GB of internal memory, expandable up to 32GB with [...]


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Mazda Turns to the Premium Market in Pursuit of Quality Over Quantity
What's wrong with 2 percent market share? Nothing apparently
Mazda has some of the best cars right now, and instead of trying to go big and sell cars to as many people as possible, the company has decided to focus on quality products and quality service. At a recent gathering in Chicago, Masahiro Moro, CEO, Mazda North American Operations gave a talk about the company's history and humble beginnings, and then steered the conversation towards Mazda's future.