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Google News Initiative announced to fight fake news and support journalism
When is Fortnite mobile coming out on Android?
Audi e-tron GT Confirmed As New Electric Flagship
Apple Announces WWDC 2018 Scheduled for June 4-8 in San Jose
Let's-a go! Zip around as Mario using Google Maps
Meet the Google Home Mini, a $49 Amazon Echo Dot Alternative
05 October 2017, 12:47 | Yvette Williams
Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL Launches: Price and Specs
Google kicked off its hardware event today with a couple of new additions to its line of connected speaker products for the home.
On Wednesday, at its Made By Google event, Google revealed its second smart speaker device: Google Home Mini, a tiny version of Google Home. It sounds impressive in theory and doesn't disappoint in practice, though it remains to be seen how the speaker's automatic reconfiguration systems will perform in environments that are less controlled than Google's convention venues.
Following that, this year, Google could be giving out another bundle in the form of 2 gen headset and not Google Home Mini. Google says over 1,000 smart home products now work with Assistant. It comes in two colors: chalk and charcoal. If you're interested, here's hoping you're in the U.S. - the Google Home Max is a U.S. exclusive until "early next year" when it starts shipping elsewhere. It's hard to tell exactly how loud without more thorough testing, though the internet giant claims that the device is 20 times more powerful than the 2016 Google Home. The speaker has dual 4.5-inch woofers for better bass performance. Max also uses Smart Sound, an audio experience powered by AI that adapts to your preferences, providing spatial sounding based on where you place the speaker in the room, just like Apple's HomePod, which is also due out later this year. It has Cast functionality, as well as input via stereo 3.5 mm jack. You can change the orientation of the speaker to suit. "If I will say 'Play my favorites", Home will be able to recognize my voice and it will play my favorite songs rather than my sister's songs. The Google Home Mini is priced at the same $49 as Amazon's Echo Dot, though the company didn't mention package discounts like Amazon regularly offers when purchasing three Dots. That big ticket does include a 12-month subscription for Youtube Red, which would otherwise cost $120.
Trump accuses San Juan mayor of 'poor leadership'
According to Puerto Rico's governor, more than 50 percent of gas operators are now up and running, as well as most hospitals. She also said she would meet with Trump if he asked her to when he visits the island on Tuesday.
Five civilians wounded in attack on Kabul airport
The Taliban are now said to claim more territory now than at any time since a US -led invasion overthrew their regime in 2001. According to CNN , Mattis had not been fully briefed on the attack before speaking at Wednesday's press conference.
Chargers Prepare to Face Eagles
Given Rivers' history, if he throws an interception early he has a tendency to pile them up as the game goes on. The Eagles were really lucky to survive last week with that win, and the Chargers backs are against the wall.
Vijayan responsible for violence in Kerala: Amit Shah
"The bloodstains of more than 120 BJP and RSS workers killed in political violence in Kerala are on your (Vijayan's) clothes". The attack took place around 9:30pm when the BJP workers were decorating a part of the National Highway 66 for the march.
Mercedes suffers one of its worst Fridays
Qualifying fourth on the grid was Daniel Ricciardo , completing the second row lockout for the Milton-Keynes squad. The Englishman revealed his crew had worked until 2am on Saturday morning in a bid to rectify the issue.
Bills vs Falcons Live NFL at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday
Tyrod Taylor connected with Charles Clay for 44 yards and then with Jordan Matthews from 9 yards out to get their first lead. Limited all week in practice with a back injury, Jones suited up and caught the first pass of the game from Matt Ryan .


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Amazon launched a “Global Selling” program in our country back in 2015. Sellers who are part of it can export their products through Amazon and currently, there are over 60,000 Indian sellers exporting products to 15 Amazon websites worldwide. All in total, they exported products of more than $2 billion, roughly 15,000 crores INR.
The figure is a fraction of the company’s annual export which was of around $530 billion, nearly 40 lakh crores INR, in the financial year 2019-2020.
Gopal Pillai, the Vice President for seller services, Amazon India, in a telephonic interview with Reuters, said, “It took us three years plus to hit the first billion dollars. Today we are able to hit the next billion dollars, 100 percent growth in the last 18 months”. He also believes the things in India are going in the right direction for the company.
The main foreign market for our Indian sellers is the US and apparel, jewelry, home items are in lead. To boost the sale there, Amazon annually organizes various shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Similarly, through Prime Day, Amazon brings foreign businesses in our country.
The company is expecting the exportation growth from the Indian sellers’ side will be maintained further.
Do Check Out 👇🏼

domain: news


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Cubist gets option to acquire Illumigen
Seattle Times business reporter
In what could become a lucrative deal for some local biotech investors, Cubist Pharmaceuticals bought an exclusive option to acquire Illumigen Biosciences, a Seattle firm working on a product to treat hepatitis C infections.
Cubist will pay $4.7 million for the option and $1 million to help further the therapy's development. If the pharmaceutical, based in Lexington, Mass., decides to buy closely held Illumigen, it will pay shareholders $9 million and up to $75.5 million in milestone payments related to the progress of the hepatitis treatment.
Illumigen's product could also fight a broad spectrum of viruses other than hepatitis C, Chairman Donald Elmer said. If Cubist pursues that path, it would pay Illumigen shareholders up to $117 million. If Illumigen's product hits the market, Cubist also agreed to pay up to $140 million in additional sales milestones and royalties.
The potential payouts are "quite significant," said Elmer, who manages Seattle-based Pacific Horizon Ventures, Illumigen's lead investor. The company, founded in 2000, has raised about $12 million, mostly from Pacific Horizon.
Illumigen's product aims to have the same virus-fighting abilities of interferon, a protein produced by the immune system, but with fewer side effects. The product, known as IB657, is still in pre-clinical stages; Cubist's infusion of cash will help finish that work before heading into clinical trials. Elmer declined to provide a specific time frame for the pre-clinical studies, but said it would be "relatively short-term."
"The company is at a point right now where it has to take IB657 into a (clinical development) program, and that means the organization has either to step up and acquire that ability internally or it can turn around and do a transaction with someone who already has that capability," Elmer said.
Ángel González: 206-515-5644 or firstname.lastname@example.org
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company


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conflux native tokenit has increased up to 60% in the last 24 hours, after the successful integration of the protocol with the Chinese app called Little Red Book.
It is a Layer 1 blockchain protocol designed to connect creators, communities, and marketplaces across protocols and borders.
Little Red Book announced on Jan. 24 that it has integrated with Conflux to allow its users to mint their non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
NFTs minted on the Conflux network can be displayed on yourin the digital collection section called R-Space.
The NFT integration will enable over 200 million Little Red Book users to mint their profile pictures on the Conflux blockchain.
“…having a large-scale company integrate permissionless blockchain further solidifies China’s pro-NFT position,” the press release read.
Overall, the NFT integration helped boost Conflux’s native token (CFX) by 60%, to trade at $0.05 in the last 24 hours.
Additionally, CryptoSlate data shows that CFX has risen almost 100% in the last seven days.
The chargefirst appeared in .


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African Media Agency and Africa Fintech Summit Announce Partnership to Promote Fintech Innovation in Africa
ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire, March 14, 2023, /African Media Agency/ – The African Media Agency (AMA) and the Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) are pleased to announce a strategic partnership aimed at raising awareness of the fintech industry’s innovation in Africa and promoting the upcoming summit across the continent. The partnership combines AMA’s expertise in strategic, content-rich communication campaigns to increase the reach of the impact that the Africa Fintech Summit is creating for the fintech ecosystem in Africa.
Twice a year, The Africa Fintech Summit brings together the issues, entrepreneurs from various financial and technology verticals, and the opportunities that are revolutionizing finance in Africa to the world stage to engage in thoughtfully designed community-oriented experiences, and the African Media Agency has been there to increase its reach to the top.
More than a conference, the summit is an ecosystem-building initiative with bilateral meetings, collaborative partnerships, workshops, demos, pitch competitions, ecosystem tours, whitepapers, awards and many opportunities to collaborate with investors and entrepreneurs shaping the future of Africa. fintech, and we are proud to be a partner for a summit that has brought together participants from over 57 countries, facilitated 12 deals to date, over $100m in capital raised for African startups, and $5b+ in capital represented.
The partnership between the AMA and AFTS will provide an excellent opportunity to amplify the summit’s impact and drive greater engagement with a wider audience. Held in Washington, DC during the World Bank/International Finance Corporation’s annual meeting week, the event is held in a different African city each November with the most recent summits in Cape Town, South Africa; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Lagos, Nigeria; and Cairo, Egypt. This year’s summit will be held in a hybrid format, on April 12, 2023, in person at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center with live global virtual delegates.
Eloine Barry, Founder and CEO of AMA stated: “We are delighted to partner with the Africa Fintech Summit to drive fintech innovation in Africa. Our strategic partnership will leverage our expertise in communications and AFTS’ deep understanding of the fintech industry to to showcase Africa’s best and most innovative fintech solutions. This marks the second year of our partnership and it is a pleasure to work with organizations that share our vision for innovation across the continent.”
Zekarias Amsalu, co-founder of AFTS, said: “We are delighted to partner with the African Media Agency’s PR expertise to bring together investors, decision makers and fintech startups to explore future financial technology innovation, trends, perspectives and the growth of fintech Africa. The Summit will provide an excellent platform to drive meaningful impact and investment opportunities in the African fintech ecosystem.”
Registration for the summit is now open. Get a 10% discount on tickets with the discount code AFTSDCPartner. Limited number of places available!
Distributed by African Media Agency in collaboration with the Africa Fintech Summit
About African Media Agency
African Media Agency (AMA) is an integrated communications agency that brings together PR, creative services and digital marketing to create strategic, content-rich communications campaigns that inspire action and create value. With a footprint across Africa, we understand the dynamics of African newsrooms, the challenges journalists go through, what makes a story interesting and the different styles and editorial cultures on the continent.
About the Africa Fintech Summit
AFTS ( is the premier global initiative dedicated to the African fintech ecosystem. AFTS is traditionally held in Washington, DC, every April during the World Bank/IFC Annual Meeting week and in a different African city every November (most recently Cape Town, Lagos, Addis Ababa and Cairo).The Summit will be held in a hybrid format, in-person at the chosen location in accordance with the COVID-19 protocol and global virtual delegates.
Supported by an advisory board of thought leaders and fintech pioneers, AFTS is a unique space where innovative ideas are discussed, investments are mobilized, partnership agreements are made and collaborations are formed across sectors and geographies. AFTS is organized in partnership between Washington, DC-based firm Strategic Advisory Group, Dedalus Global, and pan-African consulting firm Ibex Frontier.
African Media Agency
Africa Fintech Summit
Head of Marketing and Communications
Africa Fintech Summit
The post African Media Agency and Africa Fintech Summit Announce Partnership to Promote Fintech Innovation in Africa appeared first on African Media Agency.


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Jun. 9, 2014, 4:54 AM
- Amazon (AMZN) will expand further into the online payments market today by launching its new role of managing subscription payments - starting with start-ups and other companies.
- The service will allow more than 240M users to use credit card details stored on Amazon.com to pay for services such as a monthly phone bill or a digital music subscription. Fees will be charged for each transaction.
- PayPal (EBAY) is set to feel incoming pressure, as Amazon encroaches on the sector it has long dominated.
Jun. 6, 2014, 12:12 PM
- eBay's (EBAY -2.1%) traffic growth declined meaningfully in late May following the rollout of Google search algorithm changes, writes Baird's Colin Sebastian.
- Sebastian also thinks eBay's security breach and pre-Memorial Day softness may have taken a toll.
- An initial analysis from SearchEngine Journal estimated eBay saw a 33% drop in Google search traffic following algorithm changes, and SEO firm Wordstream estimated eBay had "lost around 75%" of its keyword terms from Page 1 of Google's results.
- Like others, Sebastian expects eBay to adapt to Google's changes. He also sees the company buying more of Google's product listing ads (PLAs).
- Previous: Wells Fargo cuts eBay PT on security/search worries
May. 28, 2014, 5:01 PM
- "After closely following the Target security breach, we believe that eBay faces some near-term risk of customer churn," writes Wells Fargo, cutting its eBay (EBAY -2.7%) valuation range by $2 to $61-$63.
- The firm also notes the impact of Google's recent search algorithm changes; ChannelAdvisor estimates eBay's average search rank has dropped 3.88 spots. Its 2014 and 2015 EPS estimates have respectively been cut by $0.08 and $0.09 to $2.87 and $3.30.
- Cantor, on the other hand, is defending eBay: The firm thinks the Google issues will be addressed in time, and notes eBay only gets a small portion of its traffic from Google search.
May. 25, 2014, 6:42 AM
- eBay (EBAY) didn't believe for a "very long period of time" that customer data had been compromised following a major cyberattack, exec Devin Wenig has said.
- Wenig's comments follow criticism about the delay in informing users - the assault was discovered in early May but was only made public last week.
- eBay doesn't intend to compensate customers or provide free-credit monitoring, as the company hasn't detected any fraud, Wenig said. That's despite New York AG Eric Schneiderman calling for eBay to offer such services.
- Previous coverage
May. 23, 2014, 3:16 AM
- Attorneys general in Connecticut, Illinois and Florida are investigating eBay (EBAY) after the auction Web site disclosed this week that a database with encrypted passwords and personal information was breached in February and March.
- New York AG Eric Schneiderman hasn't announced a formal probe into eBay, although he wants the company to provide its customers with free credit-monitoring services, just as Target has done for NY victims of the major cyberattack that the retailer suffered late last year.
May. 22, 2014, 2:35 PM
- An analysis done by SearchEngine Journal estimates eBay.com (EBAY -1.1%) has seen a 33% drop in search traffic thanks to Google's (GOOG +1.3%) new Panda 4.0 algorithm update, and InterActiveCorp's (IACI -1.1%) Ask.com a 50% drop.
- Moreover, David Kim, the CEO of SEO firm Wordstream, has done an analysis that suggests eBay has "lost around 75%" of its keyword terms from Page 1 of Google's results, and 80% of its more specific (i.e. long-tail) keyword results.
- Kim blames the falloff on the fact eBay's search traffic tends to involve doorway pages with "very little content," rather than actual product pages. "I’m surprised that Google has allowed these shenanigans to go on for so long."
- He thinks Google's move has the effect of forcing eBay to buy Google's increasingly popular product listing ads (PLAs) to reach search users. eBay is already a PLA client, but (like Amazon) is less dependent on Google ads (and Google traffic in general) than many smaller e-commerce firms.
- The algorithm tweak follows changes to the display of Google's AdWords text search ads that lead them to blend in more with organic results, and thus potentially make them more likely to be clicked.
- eBay and IAC are underperforming amid Panda-related worries, but they're faring much better than RetailMeNot.
May. 21, 2014, 9:19 AM| 11 Comments
May. 15, 2014, 12:59 PM
- eBay (EBAY -1.2%) launches new localized Spanish and Portuguese versions of its website across South America and Central America in a bid to draw in more traffic.
- The company already has a thriving business on its English-language sites in the region, but sees the new sites as a way to engage consumers in the region on a more personalized manner.
May. 15, 2014, 4:53 AM
- Perry Capital has increased its holding in Herbalife (HLF) to 4.8M shares at the end of March from 3M in December, giving the New York hedge fund a 4.9% stake.
- The move comes despite Herbalife being under investigation in the U.S. over whether it's a pyramid scheme.
- Perry also raised its stake in eBay (EBAY) to almost 2M shares from 500,00, and it upped the amount of call options it holds in the auctions Web site.
Apr. 30, 2014, 2:32 PM
- MercadoLibre (MELI +4.2%) trades higher after being lined up as a potential eBay (EBAY -4.9%) acquisition.
- Yesterday, eBay tipped off its bringing a cool $9B back into the U.S. After paying some taxes, the company could make buy a company the size of MercadoLibre.
- eBay already has a 19.5% stake in MercadoLibre.
Apr. 29, 2014, 5:51 PM
- To obtain greater "financial flexibility," EBAY is repatriating $9B in foreign profits. The company will have $6B in available funds after accounting for taxes.
- Some of that "flexibility" could be used to pay for additional buybacks: eBay spent $1.8B to repurchase shares in Q1 after announcing a new $5B authorization at the time of its Q4 report.
- Separately, eBay disclosed on its CC it plans to lower StubHub's fees this year to keep rivals at bay. Though StubHub still has a dominant position in the secondary ticket sale market, a long list of rivals have been undercutting it on price.
- EBAY -4.1% AH. Q1 results, guidance/details.
Apr. 29, 2014, 4:36 PM
- Though EBAY beat Q1 estimates, it's guiding for Q2 revenue of $4.325B-$4.425B and EPS of $0.67-$0.69, largely below a consensus of $4.40B and $0.70. Full-year guidance (revenue of $18B-$18.5B and EPS of $2.95-$3.00) has been reiterated.
- PayPal division revenue rose 19% Y/Y (even with Q4) to $1.85B, payments volume grew 27% (better than Q4's 25%) to $52B. PayPal accounts rose by 5.8M Q/Q (up from Q4's 5.2M) to 148M.
- Marketplaces revenue grew 10% (down from Q4's 12%) $2.16B. GMV rose 12% (down from Q4's 13%) to $20.5B; U.S. GMV +11% (down from recent quarters), international +13%. Active buyers grew by 4.7M Q/Q to 147M. Marketplaces has been underperforming relative to Amazon and its 3rd-party sellers for some time.
- Three months after a $5B buyback was authorized, eBay says it spent $1.8B on buybacks in Q1 (Carl Icahn sends his regards). That led the company's cash balance to fall by $900M to $11.9B.
- eBay's mobile "enabled commerce volume" (ECV) rose 70% Y/Y to $11B, and made up 19% of total ECV. The company claims mobile downloads were responsible for attracting 6.5M new customers in the quarter. Cross-border trade made up 22% of ECV.
- Q1 results, PR
Apr. 29, 2014, 4:16 PM
Apr. 28, 2014, 5:35 PM
- ACE, ACHC, ACMP, AEC, AEGN, AFL, ANIK, ARI, AUY, AXS, AZPN, BGFV, BOOM, BXP, CALX, CAP, CEB, CEMP, CHE, CHRW, CLD, CMRE, CNQR, COLM, CRAY, DLB, DNB, DWA, EBAY, EEFT, EIX, EPR, ESRX, EZPW, FARO, FEIC, FISV, GMED, GNW, GPRE, HURN, IPHI, LOGM, MAC, MAR, MEOH, MWA, NANO, NATI, NCR, NDLS, NFX, NUVA, OHI, OI, PNRA, PRXL, REXX, RFMD, RNG, RNR, RPXC, RVBD, SIMG, SKT, SLCA, SM, STR, STX, SWI, TE, THG, TMH, TRLA, TRN, TTS, TWTR, ULTI, USNA, VNR, VPRT, VRSK, WSH, X, XCO.
Apr. 21, 2014, 4:03 PM
- Re/code reports Apple (AAPL +1.2%) "has been interviewing senior payments industry executives to push ahead on a plan to build an electronic payments business." E-commerce chief Jennifer Bailey is said to be leading the initiative. "Their ambitions are very, very serious," says one source.
- The WSJ reported in January Apple is "laying the groundwork" for a mobile payments push, albeit while leaving many questions unanswered regarding the kinds of transactions that will be covered, and which payments technologies will be used. Tim Cook later stated Apple is "intrigued" by the mobile payments space.
- Apple has ~600M iTunes accounts (most of which are linked to credit cards) to leverage for a payments initiative, as well as complementary technologies such as fingerprint sensors and the iBeacon positioning platform. Android support (something Apple is reportedly considering for iTunes) would do a lot to extend the service's reach in markets where Google's OS dominates.
- Re/code previously reported PayPal (EBAY -0.1%), whose services Apple could end up competing with, is pitching Apple on offering white-label solutions for its payments effort. But sources noted it's unlikely Apple would have any need for them.
Apr. 21, 2014, 10:28 AM
- Citi analysts post their list of 50 top Buy-rated stocks with a market cap of at least $3B, at least a top-three market share in a third of their businesses, and a global reach as measured by significant revenue outside of their home market; Business Insider highlights 20 according to estimated total return.
- Gilead Sciences (GILD) tops the list with a 45.4% ETR, and Citi believes GILD will generate a significant amount of cash and will buy back stock, engage in product and company acquisitions to grow its pipeline, and potentially start providing a dividend in 2-3 years.
- Rounding out the top 20: FB, BX, V, CERN, FLT, BA, MA, LVS, SBUX, MJN, GOOG, EBAY, BIIB, AXP, HOG, VFC, PII, VMC, FTI.
EBAY vs. ETF Alternatives
Other News & PR


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R2SÂ® Turbocharger Technology and DualTronicÂ® Dual-Clutch Transmission
Technology Make the All-Time Best List for PACE Awards
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 7 -- Two BorgWarner innovations - regulated two-stage (R2S) turbocharging technology and DualTronic dual clutch transmission technology - have been named to the Automotive News Top 25 PACE Awards list. The distinguished list acknowledges the top 25 innovations from over 400 prior PACE award finalists and honorable mentions that have changed the nature of the auto industry over the past 15 years. BorgWarner received a 2008 PACE Award for its R2SÂ® turbocharger technology and a 2005 PACE Award for its DualTronicÂ® dual-clutch transmission technology.
"BorgWarner's innovative technology drives our reputation for product leadership in the auto industry," said Tim Manganello, BorgWarner Chairman and CEO. "From reducing emissions for a cleaner environment, to improving fuel economy for more miles to the gallon, to boosting performance for an
exhilarating driving experience -- our technology helps drivers feel good
about driving. We're proud of this prestigious recognition by Automotive
For 15 years, the annual Automotive News PACE Awards have honored superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance among automotive suppliers. PACE stands for Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to Excellence.
In the past five years, three BorgWarner innovations have received PACE awards and six have reached finalist status. BorgWarner received a 2008 PACE Award for its R2SÂ® regulated two-stage turbocharger technology, 2007 PACE Award for its variable turbine geometry (VTG) gasoline turbocharger, and 2005 PACE Award for its DualTronicÂ® wet-clutch and control-system technology for a new-concept automated transmission. In addition, BorgWarner and Porsche were presented with two special PACE recognitions in 2007 for their successful collaboration on the Porsche 911 Turbo for the VTG turbocharger and all-wheel drive technology.
Additionally, BorgWarner has received one honorable mention, and two of its innovations have been named finalists in the 2009 PACE Award competition. Winners will be announced in Detroit on April 20.
Auburn Hills, Michigan-based BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA) is a product leader in highly engineered components and systems for vehicle powertrain applications worldwide. The FORTUNE 500 company operates manufacturing and technical facilities in 60 locations in 18 countries. Customers include VW/Audi, Ford, Toyota, Renault/Nissan, General Motors, Hyundai/Kia, Daimler, Chrysler, Fiat, BMW, Honda, John Deere, PSA, and MAN. The Internet address for BorgWarner is: www.borgwarner.com.
SOURCE BorgWarner Inc.
Web Site: www.borgwarner.com /
CO: BorgWarner Inc.; Automotive News


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Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory
This notice must remain on this article until the media has released and the information has been checked by the Database staff.
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory is an upcoming rhythm-based video game, and the fifteenth title in the Kingdom Hearts.
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory was announced on June 16, 2020. It's set to release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch later in 2020, making it the first title in the series to release across three platforms, and the first on the Nintendo Switch.


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From microprocessor-controlled knees to computer-controlled socks, Aaron Holm, Manager for Consumer Engagement, Ottobock Healthcare, discussed how technology is changing bionics and orthotics at SXSW.
SXSW 2018 was packed with innovation and ideas. TechRepublic's Teena Maddox spoke with Ottobock's Manager for Consumer Engagement, Aaron Holm about the future of bionics and orthotics. The following is a transcript of the interview.
"Ottobock is a hundred-year-old company, that is a world leader in orthotic and prosthetic medical devices, creating mobility for individuals who may have lost a limb or have lost use of a body part.
"Basically the future...human intelligence and integration of products and computers and technology into body parts, basically, prosthetics and orthotic devices. The industry has seen just an influx in incorporation of technology into our products. So we fell right at home here at SXSW.
"The knees that I'm wearing right now are microprocessor-controlled knees. We have very sophisticated upper-extremity prosthetics as well. And on the orthotic side, we have a product called a C-Brace, that's based off of the prosthetic technology that I'm wearing, that allows somebody that has lost the ability to ambulate own their own, the ability to ambulate with the use of a C-Brace.
"Making it safer and making people more mobile and allowing them to get out of the house and get back to work and function as they did prior to the loss or the injury."
- 3D bioprinter to reproduce human organs, change the face of healthcare: The inside story (TechRepublic)
- 5 ways technology will change the future of healthcare (TechRepublic)
- Healthcare groups can be "perfect storm" of vulnerability to hackers (TechRepublic)
- How human microchip implants could lead to the 'democratization of healthcare' via IoT (TechRepublic)
- Microsoft rolls out more AI-infused healthcare services, software (ZDNet)
- HP launches sanitizable healthcare notebook, all-in-one PC, and display (ZDNet)


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Business Opportunities in India for Foreign Investors
In the year 1991, India was faced with an economic crisis which led the government to initiate economic liberalization. Subsequently, FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) gradually escalated in India.
The UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), with its World Investment Report, 2020 states that India stood as the world’s 9th largest recipient of FDI in 2019 with an inflow of 51 billion USD.
As per the global investment trends monitor, No.38 by UNCTAD, the global FDI experienced a collapse in the year 2020. It dropped by 42% from 1.5 trillion USD (in 2019) to about 859 billion USD, by the effects of the pandemic. However, India defied this global FDI flow trend. In 2020, its FDI inflow grew by 13%, to 57 billion USD as compared to 2019. India was one of the only two countries in the entire world, that experienced an FDI rise in 2020.
So why is India becoming one of the top destinations of foreign investment?
The number 1 reason India is attractive to foreign investors is its promising market size. India is a rapidly growing economy & ranks as the 5th largest economy as well as the 3rd largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). It also has the 2nd largest population in the world, about 1.3 billion. The medical journal ‘The Lancet’ published an analysis that forecasted that in 2048 the population of India may peak to 1.6 billion. India is anticipated to have the largest working-age population by the year 2100, which would be about 578 million.
By 2025, the country’s consumer market is expected to grow four times. More and more foreign investors are realizing the consumer market size of India, the potential of rapidly growing Indian private companies as well as the benefits of its cheap human resource.
India’s economic growth chiefly depends on the FDI investments hence it has liberal foreign direct investment policies. Several sectors in India have foreign direct investment raised to 100% which confirms that the government is keen on welcoming foreign investors to invest in most of the sectors.
India has a robust & diversified industrial base to produce a broad range of goods and components vital for several sectors like automobile, textiles, chemicals, consumer durables, FMCG, healthcare, etc.
The government offers easy access to credit as well as has simplified the approval procedure for forming and upgrading logistics for smooth transportation & exports.
The World Bank’s annual report of 2020 on The Ease of Doing Business (EOBD) mentions that India escalated by 14 points and positioned itself at 63rd rank amidst 190 countries of the world. The Indian Government’s focus on ease of doing business has significantly attracted global investors.
India ranks as the 4th largest foreign exchange reserves holder country in the world with 584,554 million USD (as of 26th February 2021). This country’s sturdy, escalating foreign exchange reserve ensures secured on-time payment for profit & portfolio outflows repatriation.
A Digital Revolution was instigated by the Indian government’s policy decision taken to boost electronic transactions. It also plays a vital role in attracting foreign investors.
Business Opportunities in India in Diverse Sectors
In 2019, India globally ranked as the 4th largest automobile market. India positions itself as the leading heavy vehicle manufacturer in the world. It is the largest tractor manufacturer in the world. It globally ranks as the 2nd largest bus manufacturer & 3rd largest heavy trucks manufacturer. By 2026, this Industry of India is anticipated to reach up to USD 282.8 billion. It has a 7% share in India’s GDP.
India stands as the 2nd largest mobile market in the world and has nearly 1.1518 billion mobile phone users. It also positions as the 2nd largest telecommunications market in the world, and it has a subscriber base of about 1.2 billion. It has a 7% share in India’s GDP.
The Indian government’s ‘Digital India programme’ lead to a surge in the number of Internet connections in India which is nearly 760 million, as of August 2020. This ultimately led to a boost in the E-commerce industry in India.
The value of the Indian e-commerce market is 84 billion USD in the current year. India’s E-Commerce may grow up to USD 99 billion by 2024 at a CAGR of 27% from 2019 to 2024. Online Retail and e-commerce together offer a 10% contribution to India’s GDP.
India ranks worldwide as the 6th Largest Chemicals Producer. The Market value of India’s Chemicals & Petrochemicals sector is about 178 billion USD and is expected to grow up to 300 billion USD by 2025. India is one of the leading dyes suppliers of the world and satisfies 16% of the global demand for dyes and dye intermediates
GEMS AND JEWELLERY
India is identified as the world’s largest diamond processing center, also accounts for around 95% of processed diamonds of the world. It plays as the largest cutting & polishing center for diamonds in the world and is fortified by the policies of its government. The gems and jewellery sector of India is one of the largest sectors of the world & has more than 300,000 gems and jewellery businesses that fulfill 29% of global jewellery demand.
India is considered the hub of the international jewellery market due to its low costs as well as a highly skilled labour force. This sector contributes nearly 7% of India’s GDP, also around 15% of the total merchandise exports of the nation.
TEXTILES & GARMENTS
Raw materials essential for the production of textiles and garments like jute, cotton, silk, wool, artificial fibers, are abundantly obtained in India. Hence, India is one of the largest producers of textiles & garments across the world. India’s Garment Industry is worth one trillion INR. Due to the favourable FDI policy of textiles in India, this industry is highly chosen by foreign investors. This year, India’s textile exports may reach up to 82 billion USD and are anticipated to grow up to 300 billion USD by 2024.
The domestic textile & garment industry has a 2% share in India’s GDP.
India has around 800 biotechnology companies that play a vital role in the country’s economy.
By 2025, India’s Biotechnology industry is projected to grow up to 100 billion USD at a CAGR of 30.46%. India positions 12th in the global biotech destination & 3rd in the Asia-pacific region biotech destination.
India is the leader of the global generic drug market. This country is the source of nearly 60,000 generic brands within 60 therapeutic groups & it solely meets 40% and 25% of generic drug demand of the US & the UK respectively. It is also the world’s largest producer of vaccines & fulfills more than 50% of the vaccine demand of the world. It produces over 500 diverse Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). India’s pharmaceutical exports were worth 25 billion USD in the year 2020.
In 2020, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), based on per capita income positions India at 142nd rank by GDP (nominal) also 124th rank by GDP (PPP). Almost 60% of the GDP of India is made by domestic private consumption, in addition to that, it is the 6th largest consumer market in the world


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Maximum retail prices imposed on rice varieties
The government has announced Maximum Retail Prices (MRP) on certain rice varieties.
- Keeri Samba Rs. 125 per kg
- Samba red/white Rs. 90 per kg
- Nadu Rs. 90 per kg
- White/Red raw rice Rs. 85 per kg
The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) said the MRPs will come into effect from today (10).
The government earlier today declared rice mills as “essential services” in order to ensure continuous supply of rice across the country.


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The "Afterbirth" DLC expansion for The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
was first announced back in September
last year. A trailer
was released a couple of months after but since then we haven't heard much else on the upcoming DLC.
In this newly released stream, we get to see that the "Afterbirth" is still plum and juicy as one of the team members from Nicalis gets hands on with the game for just under an hour:
A concrete release date for this expansion is still yet to be confirmed but at the end of the stream before being told he "love(s) all of (us)", the streamer confirmed that the DLC would be releasing in less than 31 days. We'll let you know when the specific date is revealed.


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Some 3,000 workers protested in front of a garment factory in Prey Veng province Monday, calling for larger bonuses and better working conditions, according to unionists and factory representatives.
Employees of the Chinese-owned Komchay Mear Trading factory, which produces clothing for U.S. brand Gap, have been on strike since Thursday afternoon over a list of 25 demands including an extra 2,000 riel, about $0.50, for working on Sundays.
Negotiations held between workers and factory officials Saturday—the day after workers burned tires in front of the plant in Komchay Mear district—failed to produce a solution acceptable to both sides.
Buth Bunchhean, a representative of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (CCAWDU), which organized the strike, said Monday that the factory had yet to respond to the workers’ demands, which were formally submitted on August 25.
“The workers will not go back to work if the factory does not respond to their requests,” he said.
Chan Chhorvon, Komchay Mear’s administrative director, disputed CCAWDU’s claim that the company had been notified about the strike ahead of time, but said the company was considering the workers’ extensive list of demands.
“During the workers’ strike, not only does the factory waste profits, but the workers lose their benefits as well,” Ms. Chhorvon said.
In a separate case, representatives of about 5,000 workers at the Taiwanese-owned Juhui Footwear factory in Kompong Cham province’s Choeung Prey district Monday said they would push on with a two-weeklong strike over pay and benefits.
The Juhui workers returned to the shoe factory briefly on Friday—after the provincial court issued an injunction ordering them to do so —but walked out on the same day after negotiations with managers again broke down.
On Saturday, the company responded by locking the workers out of the factory.
Mom Sarem, a representative of CCAWDU, said Monday that the factory’s administrative director, Teng Sambath, had threatened to fire the workers.
“[Monday] morning, Mr. Teng Sambath held up a microphone and threatened the workers by saying, ‘If all of you do not return to work, you will face being fired,’” she said.
Khai Chanthorn, a worker at the factory and union member, said Mr. Sambath also intimated that the factory would shut down.
“He also said, ‘After the factory closes its doors, the factory can either give the workers their severance pay or the workers can get it from the provincial labor department,’” he said.
Mr. Sambath could not be reached Monday.


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Update 4:35 p.m.: Reddit appears to be slowly coming back up; Betabeat can access the front page but still gets a “Reddit is Down” alert when we click over to specific subreddits.
Update 4:15 p.m.: Sites using Amazon Web Service’s EC2 are experiencing major network issues. After an issue with Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud cropped up around 2 p.m. this afternoon, other services such as Amazon’s Relational Database Service and ElastiCache began reporting problems. Amazon claims it is working on a fix, but major sites such as Reddit, Foursquare and Imgur are still being affected by these issues.
Office drones and journalists hungering for a web-friendly scoop are out of luck right now: Reddit, the massive link-aggregator site responsible for the vast majority of content on sites like BuzzFeed, is down. @RedditStatus tweeted the following: “The site is down right now. It appears to be a network-related issue. We are investigating.” It was inaccessible when Betabeat tried to log on, serving us only that coyly smiling alien and the note “Reddit is down.”
Upon further investigation, it appears that Amazon’s cloud hosting service, EC2, is experiencing issues. A slew of startups began tweeting that they were experiencing network issues, including GitHub, Heroku, GameFAQs, Imgur, Turntable, Coursera, Airbnb, Flipboard, Branch, Foursquare, NakedApartments and MongoLab. Minecraft is also down, so people on the Internet officially have no idea what to do with themselves.
Maybe we should all like, go outside or something?


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U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has been without doubt the most pro consumer advocate and leader of the Department in its history, says Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition(BTC), urging DOT action on ancillary fee disclosure to protect consumers. “ Consumers today are foreclosed on true comparison-shopping, a situation the airlines could reverse immediately with minimum cost,” Mitchell says, noting the importance of the travel agency sales channel to consumers and the need agents have for access to fee data.
Mitchell cited Secretary LaHood’s 2009 3-hour tarmac delay rule as an historic example of the DOT’s pro-consumer policies. “ His senior staff intensely shares his passion for fair treatment of airline consumers and goes about their complex regulatory work with pronounced thoughtfulness as evidenced by the recently publicized second consumer protection rule. As the U.S. airline industry consolidates and immunized global alliances gather strength, such advocacy is of paramount and growing importance. However, there is a consumer protection opportunity at DOT that requires the Secretary’s attention.”
“In conjunction with the April 2011 consumer-protection rule unveiling, a third rulemaking was announced that will address the expanding problem of hidden airline ancillary fees, e.g., checked baggage, seat assignments, etc. At issue is that this rule - according to DOT’s current schedule – will not be finalized and implemented until the first quarter of 2013. This will mean that consumers will not have had the ability to comparison shop for the “all-in” price of air travel (airfare plus fees) across relevant airline offerings for 4-1/2 years (airlines began aggressively implementing fees in 2008). That’s right, a hallmark-benefit of airline deregulation will have been stripped from consumers for nearly half a decade, and that assumes the rulemaking does not get bogged down. Airline consumers have never been at greater risk,” Mitchell said in his analysis.
“Some 40 percent of consumers purchase their air travel at airline.com because either they are brand-loyal, or they have shopped at an online travel agency before jumping to an airline website to make a purchase. However, a majority of consumers (60 percent), and virtually all corporate managed travel programs, depend upon the travel agency sales channel where they shop for and purchase air travel and where airlines participate but refuse to share ancillary services fees.”
“Consequently, without fee information consumers can pay substantially more for air travel. Prices are inflated as all-in fares are unable to be compared across competing airlines, and thus, are not disciplined by the marketplace. And travel agencies must charge higher transaction fees due to added search and booking complexity and time. What’s more, consumers are not driving the rapidly evolving marketplace structure as they are being blocked from making the millions of informed purchasing decisions, based on comparison shopping, that would help shape pro consumer airline policies.”
“Some individual airlines gratuitously claim they are for transparency and comparison-shopping. Of course, that does not reconcile with the facts. Consumers today are foreclosed on true comparison-shopping, a situation the airlines could reverse immediately with minimum cost. The airlines have built and successfully tested a very low-cost transmission system for the dissemination of fees through the airline-owned Airline Tariff Publishing Company.”
“As it stands now though, some airlines find profit in consumer confusion and are refusing to fully disclose in an electronic and transactable format, ancillary fee information to the sales channels in which they participate. Consumers cannot evaluate the full cost of travel across multiple airlines. This intolerable situation creates the most harmful purchasing environment air travel consumers have ever faced,” Mitchell says.
“Short of Congress directing DOT to complete a rulemaking within 180 days of FAA reauthorization legislation, there is only one viable public-policy option for fixing this problem for consumers. Secretary LaHood needs recognize that consumers are being financially harmed each and every day ancillary fee information is withheld by airlines and expedite the new DOT rulemaking process as much as practicable,” Mitchell said.
Founded in 1994, Business Travel Coalition empowers the managed travel community to influence issues of strategic importance to their organizations.


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https://www.carscoops.com - Cadillac could introduce a CT5-V and Escalade-V in the future.
https://www.carscoops.com - We just got our hands on another set of spy shots of the 2020 Cadillac CT5, and it looks like things are progressing nicely for the automaker’s upcoming midsize sedan. Last summer, Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen confirmed that the automaker would be killing some of its sedans and replacing them with the new CT5. Models like the ATS, CTS and XTS would come to an end, paving the way forward for a new midsize offering.
https://www.carscoops.com - If you think the Escala Concept looks very unconventional for a Cadillac, that’s just because the automaker has yet to implement any of its design elements into a production car. This will definitely change in the next couple of years with the arrival of the revamped CT6 as well as the CT5 midsize saloon. Until then, Chicago Auto Show visitors can admire the impressive concept, while also browsing for some spy images of the CT5 and CT6 to gain more perspective.
https://www.motorauthority.com - Behold the first spy shots of Cadillac's CT5, the closest embodiment of the brand's stunning Escala concept we're likely to see.
https://blog.caranddriver.com - What It Is: A refocused Cadillac sports sedan that will once again set its sights on BMW’s 3-series. It’s best not to think of the CT5 as a direct replacement for either the ATS or the CTS, but rather the new anchor of Cadillac’s soon-to-be-realigned three-sports-sedan lineup.
http://www.carscoops.com - The first spy shot of the 2020 Cadillac CT5 have landed, giving us a first taste of the upcoming executive sedan. The upcoming Cadillac CT5 will replace both the ATS, CTS and XTS when it arrives in the market sometime in late 2019.
https://www.autoblog.com - It will take the place of three sedans.
http://www.carscoops.com - Ever since Cadillac boss Johan de Nysschen confirmed the arrival of a new sedan called the CT5, models such as the ATS, XTS and even the CTS have had their days numbers.
https://www.youtube.com - The Cadillac CT5 is a new entry into the compact utility space, replacing the old SRX with a lighter and larger vehicle, plus more efficient and loaded with all kinds of technology.
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com - General Motor Co.'s Lansing Grand River Assembly plant could stop making the Cadillac ATS and CTS in 2019. Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen told Reuters last month that the ATS, CTS and Detroit-made XTS would be replaced by a new sedan called the CT5, which could be priced between $35,000 and $45,000. The CT5 would be built in Lansing along with another luxury sedan that would compete with the Audi A3, de Nysschen said in the article.


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Production costs sugar cane
The sugar market will be liberalized more and more. As a result of the EBA agreement, the least developed countries (LDC) had been able to export unlimited amounts of tax free sugar to the EU since 2009. Additionally, the EU aims a free trade agreement with the Mercosur States. If sugar will not be classified as a sensitive product, this could lead to additional sugar imports into the EU. As a result, the increasing sugar imports could substitute European beet sugar.


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The Dogecoin price forecast is pessimistic, as the cryptocurrency trades in the red a day after Elon Musk endorsement for DOGE on Tuesday.
The meme coins price has plummeted in the last 24 hours, shedding around 6.7 percent on the day. If the current trend continues, Dogecoins price may plummet to roughly $0.1574, its Monday close.
Tesla Should Accept Doge as a Form of Payment
With the potential to be utilized as a payment method, Dogecoin might move beyond being merely a meme coin. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has announced that Dogecoin would be accepted as payment for certain of Tesla’s items. This was revealed by the “Father of Dogecoin” via a tweet, as indicated below:
Elon Musk has already expressed his support for Dogecoin, stating that he intends to open a university in Texas where tuition costs would be paid in DOGE.
Musk has also been quoted as claiming that Dogecoin might be a superior payment mechanism to Bitcoin.
It’s worth noting that every time the Tesla billionaire CEO mentions Dogecoin in one of his tweets, the joke coin’s price nearly doubles.
For example, DOGE price jumped as much as 40% from $0.1774 to an intraday high of $0.22 on Tuesday, only seconds following the aforementioned tweet.
Price Prediction for Dogecoin: Doge Might Drop by 12%
However, following yesterday’s rise, a reversal has occurred, threatening to push the Dogecoin price further lower.
On the four-hour chart, the current DOGE/USD price action has formed a falling flag, with the flag post being yesterday’s green candlestick to an intraday high. The current correction will continue if the resistance at $0.1847 is not overcome, where the 100-period Simple Moving Average (SMA) and the flag’s resistance line intersect.
If this happens, Dogecoin is projected to plummet to its initial price of $0.1774, a 12 percent decline from where it is now.
DOGE/USD Four-Hour Chart
The declining daily trading volume and down-sloping RSI support our bearish Dogecoin price forecast.
Dogecoin pricing is sitting at $0.1791 at the time of writing, and a break above the 100-Sma might derail the aforementioned bearish narrative, with Tuesday’s intraday high over $0.22 being the upward objective.


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Saturday, 6 November 2010
CASE 151 - Corporate consolidation of genetically modified foods
Genetically modified food controversies are disputes over the use of foods and other goods derived from genetically modified crops instead of conventional crops, and other uses of genetic engineering in food production. The dispute involves consumers, farmers, biotechnology companies, governmental regulators, non-governmental organizations, and scientists. The key areas of controversy related to genetically modified food (GM food or GMO food) are whether such food should be labeled, the role of government regulators, the objectivity of scientific research and publication, the effect of genetically modified crops on health and the environment, the effect on pesticide resistance, the impact of such crops for farmers, and the role of the crops in feeding the world population. In addition, products derived from GMO organisms play a role in the production of ethanol fuels and pharmaceuticals.
Specific concerns include mixing of genetically modified and non-genetically modified products in the food supply, effects of GMOs on the environment, the rigor of the regulatory process, and consolidation of control of the food supply in companies that make and sell GMOs. Advocacy groups such as the Center for Food Safety, Organic Consumers Association, Union of Concerned Scientists, and Greenpeace, say risks have not been adequately identified and managed, and they have questioned the objectivity of regulatory authorities.
The safety assessment of genetically engineered food products by regulatory bodies starts with an evaluation of whether or not the food is substantially equivalent to non-genetically engineered counterparts that are already deemed fit for human consumption. No reports of ill effects have been documented in the human population from genetically modified food. There is a scientific consensus that currently available food derived from GM crops poses no greater risk to human health than conventional food, but that each GM food needs to be tested on a case-by-case basis before introduction.Nonetheless, members of the public are much less likely than scientists to perceive GM foods as safe. The legal and regulatory status of GM foods varies by country, with some nations banning or restricting them, and others permitting them with widely differing degrees of regulation.
There are various conspiracy theories related to the production and sale of genetically modified crops and genetically modified food that have been identified by some commentators such as Michael Shermer.Generally, these conspiracy theories posit that GMOs are being knowingly and maliciously introduced into the food supply either as a means to unduly enrich agribusinesses or as a means to poison or pacify the population. A work seeking to explore risk perception over GMOs in Turkey identified a belief among the conservative political and religious figures who were opposed to GMOs that GMOs were "a conspiracy by Jewish Multinational Companies and Israel for world domination." Additionally, a Latvian study showed that a segment of the population believed that GMOs were part of a greater conspiracy theory to poison the population of the country.


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Poland Payment Survey 2023: Slightly shorter payment delays but not for all sectors
The eighth edition of Coface’s survey on payment experience in Poland was carried out in October 2023 with 341 companies participating in the study. At that time, the economic situation was relatively gloomy with negative growth rates recorded consecutively in the first and second quarter of 2023. There has been economic improvement in the last months of this year, however, it has been slow and gradual as the regional environment remains adverse. Coface estimates GDP growth in Poland to reach only 0.6% in 2023, and then accelerate to 2.8% in 2024, which would still be below the potential growth rate of the Polish economy.
Despite economic challenges and fading resilience to various headwinds, the general picture on payment liquidity in Poland remains favourable. Our study shows that Polish companies experienced average payment delays of 48.7 days, i.e. 3 days less than in our previous survey. Average
payment delays dropped close to the level recorded in 2020 (48.0 days), but this time companies have not benefited from the wide scale of support measures that had been introduced during the pandemic. Although the average shows a shortening of payment delays, it was not the case in all sectors, as energy-intensive ones recorded longer overdue. Those include paper-wood, metals and energy, while textile-clothing and ICT also reported longer payment delays as they face eroded consumer disposable income, with households focusing mostly on spending on daily necessities and not durable goods. On the other hand, the largest improvement in the shortening of payment delays was recorded in the agri-food sector, while the shortest payment delays were reported by pharmaceuticals.
According to our survey, all sectors anticipate that the amount of outstanding receivables will increase in the coming months. This reflects the fact that the macroeconomic improvement is transferred to microeconomics with a delay.
Although the Polish economy already started improving in late 2023, companies still reported various crucial challenges that they experienced, including limited demand and fiscal burden, while high costs still reduce their profits. Furthermore, even if the domestic economy recovers in 2024, the slowdown (if not recession) in Western Europe in the first half of the year could have adverse effects on the baseline scenario related to economic and business activity.


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Welcome to Fraud Street
Thirteen company directors who live in the same London street all had their personal details stolen by identity fraudsters.
The neighbours had false bank accounts set up in their names, credit cards ordered and bogus store cards arranged by a gang who stood to make tens of thousands of pounds.
The residents, who all have houses worth up to £2m in Priory Gardens, Highgate, today said they were shocked at how easy it is to fall prey to fraudsters.
It is suspected the gang obtained details of each victim using the Companies House website, which lists managing directors' names, addresses and dates of birth.
Mandy Merttens and husband Robin, 46, were alerted to the problem when their bank called to say someone had tried to activate a credit card opened in his name.
Mrs Merttens said: 'It seems to be that every company director in Priory Gardens has been targeted... It's obviously a very well-organised scam.'
John Shepperd, who runs a City finance firm, said he was disturbed that it only took such a small amount of information to steal an identity.
'I shred everything before it leaves my house in a rubbish sack,' he said. 'But to discover it just takes a man's date of birth and his middle name to set up an account is very disturbing.'
Mr Shepperd realised he was involved in the scam when he received letters from several banks congratulating him on opening a new account.
'When I discovered the same thing had happened to 12 other people on my street I was mystified,' he said. 'When we realised we were all company directors it was mentioned that the Companies House website may have been a source.'
Several banks were used in the fraud, including the Alliance and Leicester. A spokesman for the bank said it would bear the cost for any fraudulent transactions on customers' accounts.
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Today’s cashless society, in which customers use credit and debit cards to pay for even low-cost items such as a bottle of cold drink or a newspaper, has made further inroads into the railway as Birmingham Snow Hill station has installed new cashless vending machines.
These allow users to pay for their purchases with credit or debit cards rather than scrambling for change – and a unique QR Code scanner will enable any promotional discounts to be applied.
They also include screens displaying real-time train information for passengers as well as informative maps of the local area and rail routes.
Developed by JRE Water Business, a subsidiary of the East Japan Railway Company, which is a shareholder in West Midlands Trains, the machines are customisable for wheelchair users, allowing the user to switch the display to a lower level.
West Midlands Railway head of customer experience strategy David Whitley said: “We are always looking for ways to improve the experience for our passengers across our network. These machines will give our customers at Snow Hill the chance to access the very latest technology when using the station.
“By offering real-time train information these new machines will assist passengers in keeping their journey plans up-to-date as well as offering a convenient, cash-free selection of food and drink.”
The director of lifestyle business at East Japan Railway Company’s London office is Susumu Nagawa. He added: “These innovative vending machines will provide a new station experience to West Midlands Railway passengers by offering a unique mix of drinks and snacks including some Japanese favourites such as Aomori apple juice.”
The new machines are already in use at a number of railway stations in Japan and are being introduced at Snow Hill as part of a 12-month trial.


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It isn't every day Florida builders urge raising taxes and imposing impact fees, but that is what happened at the recent Florida Association of Home Builders Spring Legislative Conference in Tallahassee.
The association's board of directors voted to send letters to state legislators, urging them to raise the sales tax by 1 cent to finance revitalization of the state's roads, bridges, sewer and water systems and other elements of the infrastructure.
A 1 cent sales tax boost would raise $1 billion a year, the association said. The state should return the money to the cities and counties where it was collected so it can be utilized there, the trade group said.
If it takes other taxes in addition to a sales tax boost to get the job done, they should be increased, too, the builders said.
The directors also said impact fees -- when necessary -- should be assessed to pay for the cost of using capital facilities directly related to new growth.


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New stores represent large investments, and food retailers are understandably anxious to open them to shoppers as soon as possible. But retailers who force their refrigeration contractors to rush the installation of complex refrigeration systems may be making a costly mistake.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s acting administrator, Bob Perciasepe, signed off on the final rule governing the allocation of R-22 through 2014, allowing more of the refrigerant than was previously expected.
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Price Chopper Supermarkets here announced in its 132 stores and on its Facebook page that it will no longer accept coupons from drug stores, club stores and dollar stores, though it will continue to take coupons “with some limitations” from other supermarkets and Target.
ADDISON, Ill. — Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets, a six-store operator here, plans to open a combined warehouse/commissary/retail store this year that will include one of the first environmentally friendly transcritical refrigeration systems to be deployed in a U.S. food facility.
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – The Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI), a nonprofit group raising awareness and providing help for vulnerable children worldwide, has set up an NCAA basketball tournament pool – dubbed March Gladness -- as a fundraiser to build a school in Haiti for 90 children.
AUSTIN, Texas — At the 2013 SXSW Interactive Festival here, Catalina, St. Petersburg, Fla., unveiled a mobile ad system for CPG brands — called BuyerVision Mobile — with the ability to deliver personalized offers based on a shopper’s in-store purchase history, and then measure the impact on store sales.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The inventor of Caroline’s Cart — a grocery shopping cart designed to carry children and adults with special needs — will meet with federal policymakers and other elected officials March 12-14 in Washington to raise awareness of the cart as a new addition for retailers seeking to make their stores more accessible.
AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods Market here plans to open a store in Brooklyn, N.Y., in November that will be one of the first in the U.S. to deploy an environmentally friendly transcritical refrigeration system that uses only carbon dioxide as its refrigerant.
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Green Building Initiative here, which oversees the Green Globes building certification process in the U.S., will release revised building certification tools this year that will incorporate refrigeration standards developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill partnership.


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“No question, video has become a core element of social expression,” says Kealan Lennon, CEO of Cleverbug, the company behind Clever Cards that has just added video and audio messaging services.
Cleverbug, the social giving company that earlier this year raised €4.4m in a funding round led by Delta Partners, has moved to capitalise on a trend consistent with what Vine, Instagram, WhatsApp and others have done.
The company has updated its service to make it possible for consumers to be able to send digital greeting cards with video and audio via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
The new service is now available on the CleverCards iPhone and iPad app. Users can now record personal video and audio greetings from within the CleverCards app, as well as upload video content from their camera roll.
It’s all part of Cleverbug’s new premium service, which is available via an in-app subscription purchase and offers unlimited usage of both video and audio for €0.89 per month or €8.99 per year.
More than 100m people have interacted with CleverCards
Lennon told Siliconrepublic.com that more than 100m people have interacted via the CleverCards service and said the service has been highlighted in a Facebook case study as ‘best in class’ in the use of social and mobile.
This year, Dublin-headquartered Cleverbug will add 25 positions to its company to expand operations, broaden the breadth of the product and its functionalities, and seek strategic partnerships.
“The ability to personalise greeting cards with photos has driven stellar growth over the last number of years but I can tell you the future is going to be video messaging. That’s the next big thing.
“Ironically, you only have to look at the whole ice bucket challenge – there are guys from school I haven’t seen in years videoing themselves, it’s just amazing.”
The revelatory point, Lennon said, is how comfortable people are with recording themselves today.
“There are now 1.5bn smartphones out of 5bn mobile devices in the world today. We all have cameras in our hands. At what point are we going to stop calling it a smartphone with a camera app and start calling it a camera with a phone app?”
The next wave of social expression
One group of industry that is watching this trend with interest, Lennon said, is the mobile operator community. “They are not making as much money on voice or SMS. Instead, 84pc of growth last year for mobile operators was driven by data.
“Four years ago, the number of photos uploaded to social networks was 350m and that was mainly to Facebook. Today that has grown to 1.2bn and every day some 1.8m photos and videos are uploaded to social networks. Of the 1.2bn photos uploaded last year, some 700m are now on WhatsApp, which has overtaken Facebook as the biggest photo library in the world.”
Moving beyond personalising photos for greetings cards to now including video and audio, Lennon said, is on-trend with what is happening.
Another key trend Cleverbug is targeting is photo retrieval. Lennon said that while cloud networks are great for storing photography, retrieval and discovery is not their strong point.
“We have developed algorithms that allow us to retrieve socially contextualised and appropriate images from thousands on your phone or stored online.”
He said that just by typing in a friends’ name on the CleverCards Facebook app, photos will be retrieved appropriate to the occasion, such as birthdays, engagements or weddings.
Working closely with players such as Facebook, Lennon said the hosting of the photos takes place on the social network.
“We have already crossed the 100m threshold in terms of the number of people who have received a CleverCard in their news feed and we expect to cross 200m this year,” Lennon said.
“So far it has all been on the photo side but by introducing video and audio we believe we’ll capture the next wave of social expression.”


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A €1m startup fund has been announced for overseas entrepreneurs and experienced business professionals.
This will come in the form of two Competitive Star Funds, with up to 10 applicants in each set to receive €50,000.
The fund is aimed at start-ups based overseas but willing to 'relocate' to Ireland and the successful applicants will also be given a place in a three-month business development programme from DCU Ryan Academy.
Enterprise Ireland says the second fund is has been designed for professionals who have 25 years or more of relevant business experience in Ireland or abroad.
Business, Enterprise and Innovation Minister Heather Humphreys said: "By attracting talented entrepreneurs to Ireland from overseas and encouraging the development of business ideas by mature, highly-skilled professionals, the CSF is crucial for the development of Ireland’s start-up ecosystem.”
Sarita Johnston, HPSU Start Manager at Enterprise Ireland, added: "The start-up ecosystem in Ireland is talent-rich community - however we understand that there is a significant number of entrepreneurs that are keen to relocate to Ireland.
"The CSF for overseas entrepreneurs is specifically for these entrepreneurs and successful applicants from outside the EU will be eligible for Startup Entrepreneur Visa."


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Inspiring the convenience community
PepsiCo and Britvic have joined forces for their first-ever UK cross-category…
Doritos has revealed its latest on-pack promotion that gives consumers the opportunity to win one of 1,000 prizes including console games, Virgin Experience Day adventures and trips to Universal Resort in Orlando. The 'Dip Desperado' promotion will...
Doritos has released two new flavours as part of its late-night promotion
Mondelēz has launched a new range of healthier snack bars.
PG tips is investing in a £3.8m campaign to support the range and increase awareness around its switch to biodegradable tea bags across its entire range.
Spiced Rum brand, Dead Man’s Fingers, has launched a limited edition line-up of new flavours.
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CIBC has cut its rating on Hudson’s Bay Co. after the department store retailer’s annual sales and earnings outlook fell at the lower end of its earlier estimates.
“Despite the good quarterly performance, the second quarter is a seasonally small contributor, and all eyes are on Q3 and Q4,” said Mark Petrie, CIBC analyst, in a note to clients Thursday. He downgraded its shares to sector performer from sector outperformer after the release of the company’s second-quarter results this week, but maintained his target price of $20.
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Petrie noted that factors beyond HBC management’s control are affecting the entire department store industry.
“A strong U.S. dollar has kept some tourists away and weather adds volatility, but the evolution to online and a structural shift in spending among consumers mean this industry faces a difficult path ahead,” he said. “The additional layer at HBC is the complicated structure established to highlight and access the tremendous real estate value buried within the company. The value is undoubtedly there, but the heavy rent burden also narrows the margin for error. Combine this with heavy capital expenditures plans, and de-leveraging is virtually impossible in the near term.”


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According to a report Amazon India is experimenting with its new Hindi interface on its mobile website on the pilot basis and is hankering to fetch its neglected user base. According to a combined research by Google, Bain & Company and Omidyar Network around 54 million online shoppers didn’t purchase anything in the last 12 months, which cost e-commerce over $50 billion loss. The reasons behind loosing such a shocking number of customers are multifarious, such as the language barrier, and the complex interface of e-commerce platforms as all the content available is in English.
The study by Google, Bain & Company and Omidyar Network also suggests that a huge chunk of the probable customers on the internet are not comfortable with the English language. And so, the study has given e-commerce platforms like Amazon to experiment into adopting regional languages to get an inclusive growth.
It has been in public domain now that the number of Hindi users has grown to 42 Million to 234 Million from 2012 to 2016 surpassing the 175 million of English users. This has led to a spree on the internet to support vernacular content, thanks to the burgeoning smartphone penetration. And hence Amazon India has also joined this bandwagon to gain its lost customers once again.
Amazon India has begun experimenting with the adoption of regional languages and on August 14, Amazon launched a new category of Alexa skills that would enable customers to help Alexa learn Hindi and other Indian languages. It is said Alexa will use the new voice-based skill called “Cleo” to learn more about Indian Language and culture. Further, Amazon has launched a Hindi interface for its mobile website on the pilot basis that features Hindi.
Amazon’s head for the country, Amit Agarwal previously also confirmed that the company has been working to remove the language barrier for its customers and trying to provide customer support in the consumer-friendly vernacular language. Since till now, the arch-rivals Amazon and Flipkart have kept their interface in English, but this scenario is fading with the losses acquired and need for new users. Now, the behemoths are targeting the non-English users most of them living in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. According to an interview by Amazon India head Amit Agarwal to the Economic Times, the company has a vision for the next five years is to target the next 100 million e-commerce customers to their platform.
Economic Times also highlighted a report by IAMAI and Kantar IMRB, This report reveals that among a total of 48` million internet users in the country, 70 percent of users consume Indic content. Further, the report also says that 76 percent of users of the internet in rural India prefers vernacular content, however, this figure is not that steeping in urban India where this proportion is 66 percent. Amazon India is not the first e-commerce company that has come up with this amazing idea to support local language and hence enhances user base but earlier in 2015, another e-commerce player Snapdeal had introduced a multi-language support.
Another study by KPMG and Google in 2017 also revealed that the number of users of Indian regional languages is expected to reach 536 million by 2021, where English users will be just around 199 million. This report also highlighted that nine out of ten new internet users between 2016 and 2021 would use local languages. And if Amazon succeeds into attracting more users with the regional languages, this will let Amazon bring back its lost customers once again to its platform.


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Facebook Phone in the Works, Again
After Facebook recently went public and CEO Mark Zuckerberg married his long-time girlfriend in a backyard affair that surprised his 100 guests and the rest of the world, another Facebook-related bit of news has cropped up: the social network of all social networks is planning to build a smart phone. The New York Times reports that Facebook has tapped into the skills of software and hardware engineers who once worked for Apple. A Facebook employee has disclosed Zuckerberg’s plans on making a mobile phone for Facebook, as well as the CEO’s anxieties about Facebook possibly ending up as another app in the future, if the company does not devise its very own smartphone.
This isn’t the first time, however, that Facebook has tried its hand at producing a smartphone. The New York Times reports that this is actually the third attempt by Facebook at devising its own mobile phone. It was in 2010 that initial rumors about a possible Facebook phone began circulating, published over at a TechCrunch blog. The project was shelved soon afterwards, after the shift proved too challenging for the company at the time. Last year the AllThingsD website published report about a partnership by Facebook and HTC, the focus of which was to devise a smartphone. This very recent effort by Facebook points to Facebook’s renewed commitment to the project, as Zuckerberg is seen hiring former Apple professionals who have helped devise the iPhone and the iPad.
Facebook has remained mum about the revived mobile-phone-building rumors, neither confirming nor denying anything. The company is playing it safe, saying simply that it is “currently working with OS providers, application developers and operators within the mobile industry”. This statement, first shared with AllThingsD the previous year, was re-echoed by the company presently.
CEO Zuckerberg, however, has conversed extensively with one of the former engineers of Apple, says the New York Times over at their blog. And Facebook has already done the recruiting too, mostly for engineers with substantial iPhone experience.
source : NYT


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The US PPI will come out on Thursday, May 12, at 15:30 MT time.
Japan’s exports flourish in November
In November, Japanese exports accelerated abruptly, pointing to ascending momentum in the world's number three economy. However, inflation was still low, off the BOJ’s 2% objective.
The combination of firm surge as well as benign consumer prices mean that Japan’s major financial institution will lag other key banks in ceasing crisis-era monetary stimulus. Many market experts hope BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda would keep the liquidity tap open enough at a gathering later this week.
Monday’s BOJ poll disclosed that companies' inflation hopes grew merely in December versus three months ago notwithstanding a tight labor market and also business confidence at over a decade maximum.
According to separate data from the Ministry of Finance, in the year to November the country’s exports ascended 16.2%, surpassing a 14.6% revenue anticipated by experts in a Reuters survey and speeding up from the previous month's 14% soar, led by growing sales to China as well as other Asian countries.
The US CPI will come out on Wednesday, May 11, at 15:30 MT time (GMT+3).
Representatives from 15 oil-rich nations attend OPEC meetings. They discuss a range of issues regarding energy markets and, most importantly, agree on how much oil they will produce.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics will announce the updated Unemployment Rate and Employment Change data on Thursday, May 19, at 04:30 MT.
The UK Office for National Statistics will publish Consumer Price Index (CPI) data on Wednesday, May 18, at 09:00 MT.
The US Census Bureau will announce Core Retail Sales and Retail Sales on Tuesday, May 17 at 15:30 MT.


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THE managers of a company which sold a car that was later repossessed because it had outstanding finance on it, have been prosecuted by a council in south Wales.
Trading standards officers launched an investigation after being contacted by a woman who bought a 55-reg Citroen C3 from One Direction Cars in Canal Road, Cwmbach, near Merthyr Tydfil, in May 2014.
She said at no time during the sale was she informed the vehicle still had outstanding finance on it. But she was contacted by a company called Mobile Money, some months after she had bought the car, demanding a £900 outstanding payment.
Initially, Mobile Money gave the buyer the chance to sort the matter out with One Direction cars, but nothing was resolved and the car was repossessed.
Trading standards officers were initially told Tahir Karim, who effectively ran One Direction Cars, was in the process of sorting the matter out. Officers carried out an HPI check which revealed the car had money owed to Mobile Money from 2013.
Letters were sent to One Direction Cars’ offices in Cwmbach, Zaher Tarim, 35, the director and Tahir Karim, 45, by trading standards officers, inviting them to attend an interview.
An unsigned response came back from Tahir Karim, stating he had left employment with the business in November 2014, but claiming he could still speak on behalf of the business.
He went on to explain that the garage carried out HPI checks, but not on older vehicles. He said there was no HPI check on this car as they had bought it in a state of disrepair.
They were unaware of the outstanding finance. He also confirmed the garage now undertook an HPI check on all vehicles.
One Direction Cars Ltd, Zaher Karim and Tahir Karim admitted one offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 at Pontypridd Magistrates Court.
The company was fined £400 and ordered to pay costs of £200 and £40 victim surcharge. Tahir Karim was fined £300 and ordered to pay costs of £200 and £40 victim surcharge. Zaher Karim was also fined £300 and ordered to pay costs of £200 and £40 victim surcharge.
Paul Mee, director of public health and protection at Rhondda Cynon Taf council, said: ‘I hope this case reassures consumers that we do take offences seriously and will investigate and prosecute where appropriate.’
On SuperUnleaded.com: Cop Stops Speeding Biker, Takes Way Too Much Action


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His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has pledged to support the country’s fishing sector become a thriving industry that supports national development. He engaged the Sierra Leone Fishing Companies Association at State House on Thursday.
The President emphasised the importance of the sector to his government, noting that it was a major source of revenue, continued to generate a huge economic activity as well as could provide a powerful avenue for sustainable food security drive.
“My government will try to make our fish value fit for export, so that we can make more money. We will assess its potentials to know where we can help the industry to grow and lessen the burden on local investment,” he said, adding that his government was determined to raise revenue for development.
President of the Association, Bassem Mohamed, said according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation, in 2012 fish and fisheries products were among the most traded food commodities in the world, representing about 10 per cent of agricultural exports. He said Sierra Leone was leading among countries with cheaper fish prices to customers in the sub-region of West Africa.
“We have been able to sell our fish at a cheaper price in the local markets because of better management and strategic partnership with Chinese fish suppliers who sell their catch at lower cost to the industry players. The fishing industry contributes between 12 to 15 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product,” he said.
He stated that the association’s contribution to national growth was enormous as it had supported numerous small-scale artisanal and subsistence fishermen who often provide crucial food supplies in the form of protein and support the socio-cultural values of their communities.


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As of April 10, Prime Now members in greater Los Angeles and Orange County can shop online for products from Whole Foods, including perishable items such as meat, poultry and produce, and have them home delivered at no charge within two hours. The service was launched in February and is now available in seven cities with plans for continued expansion across the US during the year. One-hour delivery is also available on minimum orders of $35 for an extra charge of $7.99.
“We’ve been delighted with the customer response to free two-hour delivery through Prime Now, and we’re excited to bring the service to our Los Angeles area customers,” said Christina Minardi, Whole Foods’ executive vice president of operations. “Today’s announcement is another way that we are continuing to expand access to our high-quality products and locally sourced favorites.”


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The Digital Economy is THE Next Big Thing
STAMFORD – Are you reading this on your smartphone? Your new iPad, iPod, Galaxy phone or new Blackberry? You are not alone. There is a huge shift ongoing in the media from desktop to handheld devices. That growth is continuing at an ever faster rate. The digital economy is growing. Desktop computers are losing out to laptops, and laptops are losing out to tablets. The growth of handheld devices is massive.
The PQ Media Global Consumer Usage of Digital Media Forecast 2013-17 states, “Consumer digital media usage worldwide is on pace to grow 11.8% in 2013, driven by double-digit gains in time spent with 14 of the 21 online, mobile and other digital media channels. Surging global demand from iGens, Millennials and GenXers for online and mobile video, social media and games, as well as over-the-top (OTT) video will boost consumer digital media usage this year to an average of 6.0 hours per week”.
The growth is being partly fuelled by better smartphone plans, with consumers gaining more data access. For growing numbers of consumers, having access at their fingertips for information is increasingly import.
The New Economy is Here Now
People are trending toward a changing digital market and embracing the change as fast as experts are expecting.
This report is the second in a three-part research series examining the global transition of consumers, media operators and brand marketers to digital media by country, medium and generation in the 2007-17 period. For this report, PQ Media segmented consumer digital media usage by three overall platforms (internet, mobile, other digital media) and 21 specific channels, such as online video, mobile social media, OTT video and digital out-of-home (DOOH) media.
Consumer internet media usage is trending up 10.7% in 2013 to a weekly average of 2.8 hours worldwide, accounting for 46.7% of all time spent with digital media. Key growth drivers are technology and network upgrades in emerging BRIC markets providing end users with faster access to dynamic content. Mobile media consumption worldwide is pacing for 17.9% growth to an average of 1.3 hours, a 21.7% share of digital media usage, according to the PQ Media Global Consumer Usage of Digital Media Forecast 2013-17. Consumers in several of the world’s 15 leading markets are accelerating the transition to smartphones, while US demand for computer tablets is growing. Consumer time spent with other digital media, including OTT video, DOOH media and console videogames, is on track for a 9.4% increase to 1.8 hours this year.
Live Television Trending Flat
While global digital media usage continues to rise at double-digit rates, traditional media consumption is pacing for decelerated 1.3% growth in 2013, due to live TV trending flat. Accordingly, consumer media usage trends are mirroring those of global media operator revenue.
Television in the traditional sense isn’t dead.
In Thunder Bay between smart devices, the Digital Television from Tbaytel that includes a free DVR, and the new Shaw Gateway that allows up to six programs to be recorded, consumers are increasingly able to choose their media, and then blast past the commercials.
Choosing when to watch, and being able to enjoy video on demand is changing how people watch television.
Digital media revenues are on track for 13.6% growth worldwide this year compared with only a 2.2% increase in traditional media revenues, according to the first report in PQ Media’s series, the Global Digital & Alternative Media Revenue Forecast 2013-17.
World Wide Trends Are Important
In this report, PQ Media found that global digital media revenues surpassed TV revenues for the first time in 2010, snaring $3 billion more in revenues. By year-end 2012, digital media revenues exceeded TV by $33 billion, and PQ Media expects digital media revenues to grow at double-digit rates through 2017.
Traditional media garnered the vast majority of overall time spent on media in 2012, averaging 37.9 hours per week, or 87.6% of total media consumption. Nevertheless, the consumer transition to digital media, particularly among younger generations, is gaining momentum. Consumer digital media usage accounted for 12.4% of global time spent with media in 2012, nearly double its share in 2007, while digital media’s share of total media revenues almost doubled to 22.9%, PQ Media found.
“The ability of digital media to effectively target and engage on-the-go consumers is the key driver behind the gains in share of total media usage and revenues,” said Patrick Quinn, CEO, PQ Media. “While traditional media still accounts for the lion’s share of media consumption, the amount of time post-Boomer generations spend on digital media is increasing at double-digit rates, hastening the shift of advertising and marketing dollars.”
PQ Media found that GenX led all other age groups with a global average of 6.6 hours of digital media consumption in 2012, followed by Baby Boomers at 5.9 hours. However, the ranking is skewed by BRIC countries, where older, wealthier consumers are more able to afford expensive digital devices. Even so, digital media accounts for the largest share of overall time spent with media among all three post-Boomer generations in developed markets. GenX or Millennials rank first or second in digital media consumption in the US, the UK, Australia and South Korea. iGen, the youngest group, leads the world with the highest digital media share of total media usage at 19.1%.
Consumers in four of the world’s 15 largest media economies averaged more than 15 hours per week using digital media in 2012, led by Australia at 15.8 hours, South Korea (15.7 hours), the UK (15.2 hours) and Japan (15.0 hours), according to PQ Media Global Consumer Usage of Digital Media Forecast 2013-17. US digital media usage increased 6.6% to an average of 13.8 hours weekly, placing it fifth globally. Several commonalities exist among these markets, including high broadband and smartphone penetration; growing demand for tablets; young men who are avid videogamers; and various choices of OTT video services.
Emerging Markets Require Investment in Technology
But low penetration rates in emerging markets have resulted in their governments and telecommunications operators investing to improve technology and systems, driving the world’s highest growth rates for digital media usage, led by Russia at 19.4% in 2012, India (16.4%), Brazil (16.3%) and China (15.5%). South Korea leads the world in digital media share of total media usage at 28.0%, followed by Australia (25.5%), the UK (22.8%) and the US (21.7%), according to PQ Media.
Northwestern Ontario Poised For Success
In Northwestern Ontario, the NAN Broadband project started under the leadership of Chief Stan Beardy will bring fiber optic Internet access to Northern Ontario’s most remote communities. In November 2011, Chief Beardy stated, ““This Initiative is a prime example that when mutually beneficial partnerships are developed between First Nations and the private and public sectors, great success can be achieved,” said NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy. “As part of the plan to improve broadband services, First Nation communities have the opportunity to capture the economic spinoffs in terms of employment and training, preparing them for any future endeavours in NAN territory. We are very pleased with the work being done so far, and look forward to capitalizing on the benefits that will derive from having greater access to the World Wide Web.”
The solutions require partnerships with wireless companies, consumers, governments and business. Building to the future means adopting new ideas faster than ever before.
The marketplace will demand it.


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Expecting electric truck manufacturer Lordstown Motors said Thursday it will not have any firm orders for its own vehicles, only days after its president said the company had enough to maintain production through 2022.
Questions have been mounting about if Lordstown Motors has enough money to remain in business and about its own previous claims that it already had presold 100,000 of its Endurance pickup trucks.
Lordstown CEO Steve Burns and Chief Financial Officer Julio Rodriguez resigned on Mondaythe same day the firm acknowledged one potential buyer that committed to a high number of preorders doesn’t appear to have the resources to complete that transaction, and other preorders seem overly vague or weak to be relied upon for buys.
A day later, company President Rich Schmidt said during a meeting of the Automotive Press Association of Detroit that Lordstown was on track to start making the Endurance from the fall and had enough binding orders to continue through 2022.
But the firm on Thursday said the statements about the orders weren’t accurate.
“Although these automobile purchase agreements provide us with a significant indicator of demand for the Endurance, these arrangements do not represent binding purchase orders or other firm purchase commitments,” the company said in the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The price for shares of the company, which have been cut in half this year, slipped in the opening bell Thursday before recovering.
In a quarterly regulatory filing, the company said the $587 million it had available as of March 31 was not enough to start full commercial production.
Angela Strand, the company’s new chairwoman, said on Tuesday that the upheaval from the past week will not disrupt the company’s daily operations or its plans to begin producing the Endurance.


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Congratulations to The Beer Junction (blog sponsor)! The beloved West Seattle beer stop is about to celebrate its 3rd anniversary.The Beer Junction opened in a diminutive space around the corner back on 42nd Avenue back in 2010, but the business has really picked up steam since moving into a bigger location on California Avenue in the heart of downtown West Seattle. The weekend-long anniversary celebration begins on Thursday, June 27 with the release and tapping of a very special anniversary brew. All of the details about the entire weekend can be found below.
To help commemorate the occasion, Schooner Exact Brewing (another West Seattle beer success story) came up with a special beer – Hop Sails 3rd Anniversary Double IPA. The beer weighs in at 8.3 percent alcohol and 88 IBUs. According to Morgan Herzog, owner of The Beer Junction, healthy late additions of Simcoe and Mosaic hops help this beer stand out from the crowd. To me, that sounds like a hop-lovers dream come true. Here is the official announcement from Morgan Herzog at The Beer Junction.
Celebrate Three Years At The Beer Junction!
July 3rd, 2010. That’s when we opened up our doors at 11AM at our original location (4707 42nd Ave S.W.), just around the corner from our current expanded space (4511 California Ave. S.W.). Three years is a big milestone for a small business. It’s the point you’ve on average broken even and are hopefully headed in the right long-term direction. We are excited to have (almost) passed this mark and are so thankful for all of our customers, employees, and friends who have helped us make it this far!
Starting this Thursday, June 27th, we’ll begin our weekend long anniversary celebration with a special bottle release and keg tapping of our 3rd Anniversary Beer brewed by our friends at Seattle’s Schooner Exact Brewing Company!
We don’t need to say it, but Schooner Exact knows how to make great beers. Their flagship 3-Grid IPA has been one of our top 10 selling beers each of the past three years. We approached Brewmaster and Founder Matt McClung on brewing an anniversary beer this past winter. Several ideas were discussed, but we kept coming back to brewing a great double IPA, especially in light of our anniversary being in the summer season.
Hop Sails 3rd Anniversary Double IPA: “Huge late additions of Simcoe and Mosaic hops top a base of specialty malts, making this double IPA anniversary beer special. At 8.3% and 88 IBUs, we have set the stage for you to let the celebration begin. Happy Birthday Beer Junction!”
The Label: Nick Bers, one of our long-time bartenders and on-the-side graphic artists created the initial sketch. Schooner Exact Co-owner, Heather McClung, took the sketch and turned it into the final product, including a small (but if you look for it noticeable) rendition of our store pet- The Oscar fish!
Thursday June 27th Bottle Release and Keg Tapping!
Starting at 11AM, bottles of Hop Sails will go on sale for $6.99 per 22oz bottle. Purchase a whole case of 12 bottles and receive 10% off ($75.49), plus a limited 3rd Anniversary T-shirt! At 5PM we’ll be tapping the very first keg of Hop Sails. That leads into our brewer’s night with Schooner Exact. In addition to Hop Sails, Schooner Exact will also be pouring the first keg of the most recent batch of Hopvine IPA, along with their current seasonal Seamstress Union Raspberry Wheat, 3-Grid IPA, and King Street Brown. Sample all five of these beers from 5-8PM for just $4!
Additional Anniversary Celebrations!
For all purchases over $40 (made Thursday June 27th through Wednesday July 3rd) receive a free Beer Junction pint glass! For all purchases over $100 receive a free Beer Junction t-shirt of your choosing!
To continue the celebration, we’ll also be putting on some special kegs from the cellar throughout the weekend, including Deschutes Black Butte 24th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, Great Divide 19th Anniversary Wood Aged Strong Ale, and Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Special Reserve!
Cheers and thanks for all your support!