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Xconomy Essay Details InfoGear’s Creation of the Desktop Internet Device That Was the First to Bear the Name iPhone
Almost everybody knows about the iPhone, but few people know that the first iPhone was made not by Apple Inc. but by a company named InfoGear Technology Corporation. Xconomy, the authoritative voice on the high-tech economy, today published an essay that details the story of the pioneering iPhone for the first time.
The guest op-ed article is written by Robert Ackerman Jr., the founder and a managing director of Allegis Capital, a Palo Alto, California-based venture capital firm. Ackerman played an instrumental role in creating InfoGear, which licensed the underpinning concepts from National Semiconductor, the result of internal R & D program. Ackerman was an innovation consultant to National in the mid-1990s and a venture capitalist when he was shown a rudimentary prototype that would become the iPhone at InfoGear.
The device went on sale in 1998, preceding the introduction of Apple’s much better-known iPhone by nine years.
Original iPhone Was Different
The original InfoGear iPhone was not the highly compact handheld wonder most people know today—in 1998, the Xconomy article points out, it was impossible to pack that much computing power into such a small space. Instead, it was a desktop machine that looked like an ordinary telephone, coupled with a gray and white screen and a keyboard. But InfoGear’s engineers had much in common with the designers of today’s iPhone, sharing a belief in the paramount importance of the Internet and in good, consumer-friendly design and features.
The story of the first iPhone also demonstrates one of the most important lessons of the business world, the article notes. Product timing is everything, and being too early with a product can be as problematic as being too late. “The makers of the first iPhone saw the future exactly as it would come to pass,” Ackerman writes. “That future just took a little longer to arrive than they had anticipated.”
The phone was initially developed as a research project at National Semiconductor. When it was shown to Ackerman, however, he persuaded the chip maker to license its technology to a new, venture-backed company that would focus solely on the iPhone, rescuing it from a semiconductor manufacturer with no experience marketing products directly to consumers.
Birth – And Later Death — Of InfoGear Technology
After considerable negotiations, InfoGear Technology was born, the article reports. Shortly afterward, InfoGear brought on board CIDCO, a public company making caller ID systems, as a strategic corporate partner. Robert Marshall, who had recently stepped down as COO of Tandem Computers, became InfoGear’s CEO.
The company overcame many obstacles and revealed the first iPhone at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 1998. Reviews were positive and the iPhone won technical awards, but sales were lackluster, the article notes. Things got even worse when CIDCO fell on hard times. That forced the company to jettison several businesses, including the iPhone project.
Eventually, in March 2000, Cisco acquired InfoGear for $300 million in Cisco stock, believing it would help the networking backbone giant break into new consumer markets. In the end, however, Cisco didn’t aggressively push the phone, the article notes, and the iPhone faded from the scene.
Years later, Apple and Cisco would come to an agreement allowing Apple to use the word “iPhone” in its marketing material. The agreement “was a final acknowledgment for the history books that while today’s iPhone is the most famous, it definitely is not the first,” Ackerman writes.
Find the full article posted at 10:00 am PDT on Monday March 26, 2012 at: http://www.xconomy.com/san-francisco/2012/03/26/the-first-iphone/
About Bob Ackerman and Allegis Capital
Bob Ackerman is the Managing Director and Founder of Allegis Capital. Prior to forming Allegis Capital in 1995, Mr. Ackerman had more than fifteen years of general management, venture capital, and strategic mergers and acquisition advisory experience working with information technology start-up companies and multinational corporations. His operating experience includes, CEO of UniSoft Systems, a world leading UNIX systems house operating in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and as the founder and Chairman of InfoGear Technology Corporation which was acquired by CISCO in 2000. For more information: www.allegiscapital.com
Xconomy is an innovative news and events organization with outposts in Boston, Detroit, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle. It is dedicated to providing business and technology leaders with timely, insightful, close-to-the-scene information about the local personalities, companies, and technological trends that best exemplify today’s high-tech economy. Xconomy is staffed by world-class journalists and media professionals, and supported by the “Xconomists,” who include some of the world’s leading innovators. Get to know them and the Xconomy team at www.xconomy.com/about.
For more information contact: Jennifer Jones 650-465-5831 (cell) or [email protected]
Contact via Email
Click here to read the full story: Allegis Capital Bob Ackerman: the iPhone Before the Real iPhone


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Scion FRS was released the official specs for their brand new sport coupe concept in New York 2011 Auto Show. This new Scion FRS was adapted the stunning two-door is the latest iteration from the oldest models. Scion FRS name is taken from its dutation, Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, and Sport. Like 2012 Mazda3 Little Compact Car Showed at New York 2011 which showed up too, this sport car was aspirated 2.0-liter ‘boxer’ engine mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic and flagship turbocharged model may also be launched.
From trio of Transportation Design students at the Politecnico di Milano in italy, Jaime Cervantes, Andrea Coccia, and Chetan Rajput has bring their maserati concept to the internet which fit to wear the maserati crown. Based on GranTurismo, they designed a future vehicle which would look like in 2020 with a throwback to the Maserati Ghibli produced in the late sixties/early seventies. Maserati GT Garbin they named this 2020 maserati concept. Maserati GT Garbin look like is anything but retro with some unique and modern interpretations. There all the Maserati GT Garbin introducing car concept.
2012 Subaru Impreza was release the first debut at New York 2011 Auto Show with despite initial fears the design of the new small car. 2012 Subaru Impreza is also 30 percent more fuel efficient than the model it replaces, making the new 2012 range the most fuel efficient all-wheel drive car on the market. 2012 Subaru Impreza is the roomiest Impreza ever, as well as being lighter and quicker than its predecessor. Like 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Show Off at New York Auto Show, subaru impreza give their full concept in this auto show.
Awesome design show of a mans car, truly gentleman car its a landrover range range rover RS300 with limited edition type was tuned by British based tuner, Project Kahn. The landrover range company was released the new range rover with the limited edition RS300 Afzal Kahn. The landrover range tune based on the landrover range rover SUV. Come with Cosworth technology, a 10 piece body kit, and a pretty impressive interior update are equipped on this latest 2011 landrover. Completed by dark blue exterior color which strengthen the mans passions.
Whatever Murcielago is not the future of Lamborghini anymore, but it certainly doesn’t mean that we’ve seen the last of this highly popular supercar. Lamborghini Murcielago can be sure tuned by tuning companies like Wheelsandmore which are still around. This 2011 Lamborghini Murcielago LP720-4 Final Edition is pretty sick projects in the past have outdone themselves yet again with their new program for the Murcielago LP670-4 SV. Lamborghini Murcielago Final Edition is a project is called the Murcielago Final Edition, a nice homage to the recently discontinued Lamborghini supercar.
Related Auto Show & Car Showoff for scion frs 4 door at AutoCarShowOff.com
After tuning up various models of sports cars, today Hennessey showed up its tune to a 2011 Nissan GTR800 which touch the power till 800 HP. Hennessey did not have much time to make over the exterior of this 2011 Nissan GTR800, they went straight to work pumping up the standard 3.8L V6 producing up [...]
Based on Disney Tron the Movie, Timur Bozca a young and enthusiastic designer has developed the Tron Car. For those people who fans of this awesome movies, this Tron Car will be the choosen one to give applause which has vehicle that seems suitable for any ride on both Earth or Grid. Aired last year [...]
Most people searching the official pricing of 2012 Audi TT RS in U.S. And now it finally come with official price from Audi which finally released U.S. pricing on the company’s 2012 TT RS. This 2012 Audi TT RS which powered by 360-horsepower coupe engine has planning on handing over $56,850*(*plus any applicable destination charges). [...]
Lamborghini was introducing their brand new supercar limited edition named 2012 Lamborghini Sesto Elemento which bring cool side of sportcar in mens color. 2012 Lamborghini Sesto Elemento reported will be arrive in October 2011, they will produce this supercar only 20 units and each carrying a price tag of 1.9 million euro, or about $2.8 [...]
Fiat was made 2011 fiat 500 cabrio to re-enter the united states market with the adorable little hatchback. This 2011 fiat 500 cabrio was officially debuting its Cabrio version at the 2011 New York Auto Show in about a week’s time by the Italian automaker. There is no show is completed without this 2011 fiat [...]
Behind Audi completely new ideology behind this electric R8 and the normal gasoline version, they serious about bringing this Audi R8 E-Tron to the market. And after the E-tron Detroit Show car, Audi has brought us the e-tron technology platform based on the 2013 Audi R8 E-Tron. The supercar form of R8 was made an [...]
The new 2012 Subaru FT86 will be revealed on Tokyo Auto Show according to topspeed informations. This new 2012 Subaru FT86 will be unveiled its new details actually in this later year and will be expected a longer than average life cycle for the car and is looking at variant packages. 2012 Subaru FT86 is [...]
After unveiled the first 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, Maserati unveiled their new GranTurismo MC for American type at the 2011 New York Auto Show. This 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC is not exactly the street legal machine found with the Stradale nameplate, though. The 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC American [...]
Todays europe supercars is commonly dominated by Germany, Italy, and the UK. But today you must mix the World First Polish Supercar which showed up by Arrinera Automotive. The growing of high technology cars is make producers of this World First Polish Supercar joined in the supercar arms race by Sweden, Denmark, and Spain, among [...]
Aston Martin introducing their new super cars concept in this 2011 Aston Martin V12 Zagato. Without digesting the full breadth of the Aston Martin V12 Zagato, we presents the Race Specs of this brand new super cars concept. Aston Martin V12 Zagato was got its first debut in Nurburgring later of this week. Aston Martin [...]

domain: news


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Top News App Developers
Are you finding a news app development company? Incubasys rank top among news app development companies. The news apps developed by Incubasys has generated 100,000 downloads. If you are looking to hire a news app development company Request an estimate.
Back in days people used to read newspaper daily that paper man used to deliver at doorsteps. The trend has changed now people read news on mobile apps. Readers expect news updates to be immediately available through app feed.
The news apps top features include news alerts, news feed personalization, videos, stories, live broadcast.
News app development companies mainly focus on the app to be user friendly and has affectionate features to pull the user around the app.
In this modern era, people are used to have every stuff on mobile phones via using apps even news. Mobile app development companies design and develop fully featured news apps.
Let’s read about top news app development companies that has developed iPhone and android news apps for their clients and get them million of downloads.
#1 – Incubasys News App Development Company
Incubasys is the top news app development company and their chief aim is to become #1 company that develop news and magazine apps. They develop custom news applications according to clients given requirements. Get in touch for news app development estimation – Newzician a news app developed by Incubasys for one of it’s client permits users to share news, watch it all live and bring out inner journalist. Users share and read news from anywhere, anytime. In addition, it is an easy platform to watch and share the information within a minute or two. Within the two months of launch of this app on Google play store it hit 100,000 downloads, not only that right after it launched on iPhone the downloads got doubled in numbers which witnessed the incredible experience of users and showed massive success.
#2 – Tvisha News App Development Company
Tvisha – the Indian app development company that can give life to your news app ideas. They have developed portable news app, users may search to read news of different regions all in one, The user will be able to save the images relevant to the news. This news app is one of the great revolutions and permits the users to read international, national and local news. Their solutions make users wonderstruck by their instinctive user friendly designs.
#3 – Appinventive News App Development Company
Indian based app development company that develop news and magazine applications. They got 25M downloads on app store and Google play store. They have 1000+ employees. They have the team of news application developers’ that are known to create app that astonish readers and publishers in a blink of an eye.
#4 – AppSquadz News App Development Company
AppSquadz design, develop and launch news application for different niches. The company has its co-branches in USA, UK, KSA, and in many more other countries to assist the readers worldwide. In this age the audience has surely become impatient and demands fast reading experience. AppSquadz chiefly works on providing news app development with features such as videos, audios, slideshows to enhance the reader’s experience. Privileged reading along with easy searching options -Comments, participation in contests, polling and surveys enhances the reader’s engagement, Escalates the monetizing potential of publisher’s content, Affectionate designs to attract readers.
#5 – Solution Analysts News App Development Company
The Chief focus of news app development companies is to ease users approach to their desires on the very time and to assist them by making such apps with incredibly amazing features. E-News becoming popular, nothing compares to growing market of online news, If you are in the business of news, then you cannot be ignorant of the power of mobile applications in disseminating news to the largest number of people and the impact it has in garnering reactions in the real time. If you are looking for a custom news application development company Solution Analysts team can help you with development.


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Fierce competition brings down fingerprint sensor prices
Monica Chen, Taipei; Jessie Shen, DIGITIMES
Fierce competition among fingerprint sensor suppliers has already brought down prices to less than US$2, with many players even quoting their products to as low as less than US$1.5, according to industry sources.
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text: The 21st century has seen an evolution of technology that has both left small businesses in its wake and allowed small businesses and startups to thrive. It can be a crutch in some instances, and a curse, it seems. There seems to be an array of opinions when it comes to small businesses and entrepreneurship - and how digital capabilities can be woven into every day operations to elevate operations. Despite the growing digital world - some small businesses may be reluctant to jump into the deep pool of digital opportunities. There are some that say they might need to reconsider.


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Many people who utilized the « has an affair » web site Ashley Madison has encountered which have the cheating suggests launched once a violation by hackers trying to sealed it down.
Hackers said getting personal statistics in excess of 37 mil cheating spouses and you will threatened to discharge nude images and you will sexual aspirations of the web site’s members.
Ashley Madison’s Canadian father or mother, Serious Lifestyle Mass media, confirmed the new infraction toward its possibilities and you will told you they had once the safeguarded its webpages and are handling the authorities companies so you’re able to make an effort to trace those trailing the brand new assault.
The fresh new hackers, just who telephone call themselves The latest Feeling Group, leaked snippets of your own compromised analysis on the internet and warned they will launch customers’ real labels, profiles, nude photos, mastercard details and you may « wonders intimate fantasies » except if their requirements was satisfied, KrebsOnSecurity advertised.
However they demanded the closure of another Enthusiastic Existence Mass media website – sugar-daddy webpages Dependent People – however, did not target the company’s Cougar Life web site, hence caters for female players seeking « an early stud ».
Ashley Madison – hence uses the fresh new motto, « Every day life is brief. Provides an affair. » – might have been likely to bring up to $200 mil by way of a first societal giving on London Stock Change.
The dating site company features hired British cybersecurity firm Sycura in order to investigate this new violation, basic said because of the Krebs web log, which is coping with police to trace people trailing this new assault, spokesman Paul Keable told you.
« All of us has now efficiently eliminated this new listings related to so it incident . on the our profiles had written on the web, » Serious Lifetime Mass media said.
The new Effect Cluster – in a display need for the Krebs website – told you it had taken over Passionate Media solutions, also customers database, origin code, financial ideas and you may emails.
« Closing off Are [Ashley Madison] and you can EM [Depending People] will cost you, however, low-conformity costs a whole lot more, » the newest hackers told you.
They said users who had reduced a charge so you can Avid Existence getting the personal data permanently deleted is lied so you’re able to therefore the organization had hired suggestions, along with charge card advice.
The infraction happens a couple months immediately after dating internet site Adult FriendFinder, that has an estimated 64 billion members, are jeopardized.
Commonly remove setting dump most of the analysis?
« There is certainly a very strong story that crime, vigilantism, isn’t the way pass, while the which gets to be the courtroom and you will jury? » Mr Keable told you.
Passionate Lifetime told you it actually was today offering professionals a « complete delete » of their profiles free of charge when you look at the light of the assault. Before, members had to shell out to eliminate their profile studies.
Avid Lives rejected which claim, with Mr Keable stating it had been too early so you’re able to guess the latest damage to their business structure otherwise IPO arrangements on breach.
But one Canadian financing banker, just who expected not to ever be named, said new violation you certainly will put people plans at stake.
« There are a great number of risque websites that are looking for in order to wade personal, the difficulty let me reveal that ways Ashley Madison really works is it places buyers privacy because the tantamount, the fact that you really have a beneficial hacking scandal no less than briefly throws new kibosh with the people IPO plans in their mind, » the brand new banker told you.
Breach typical regarding blackmail cheats
« It takes us off a slippery slope: What sort of team usually foes deem ‘objectionable’, next and demand their closing – and holding its customers hostage employing taken, information that is personal? » the guy told you.
Toronto-based Serious Lifetime told you recently it had been considering a stock flotation to assist expand the company, which also is sold with the new Cougar Lifestyle site.
Enthusiastic Life leader Noel Biderman advised cover journalist Brian Krebs the business was close to identifying the main cause of the breach.
« It had been without a doubt a guy here which had been maybe not a member of staff but indeed got moved the technical attributes, » the guy said.


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China Mobile is the world’s largest mobile carrier with more than 700 million subscribers, however it has never officially carried the iPhone. This we’ve heard countless rumors that the new iPhones might finally be launched on China Mobile, but so far no announcement has been made. China Mobile is going to unveil a new brand partner on December 18th, and while it hasn’t said who that partner is, rumors have started circulating once again that perhaps that day might finally bring the iPhones on China Mobile.
A China Mobile executive tells The Wall Street Journal that the carrier is ready to start its 4G service, however China has not issued 4G licenses as yet. Apple has already received the required regulatory approval for the iPhones to run on China Mobile’s network, so its now up to the carrier to finally launch these smartphones. It hasn’t been revealed when 4G licenses are going to be issued, however rumor has it that they might be issued by next week, but China hasn’t officially commented on this rumored time frame. Marvin Lo, an analyst at Mizuho Securities in Hong Kong, predicts that as many as 10 percent of China Mobile’s 700 million subscribers might switch over to the iPhones when they’re launched. This would result into 70 million new customers in China for Apple, which would without a doubt benefit from it.
- 2014-04-16: Alleged iPhone Case "Confirms" Repositioned Buttons
- 2014-04-15: Apple Participates In Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Program
- 2014-04-15: Alleged iPhone 6 Batteries Spotted On Production Tray
- 2014-04-15: Alleged iPhone 6 Front Panel Photo Surfaces
- 2014-04-14: More Alleged iPhone 6 Molds Surface, Hints At 4.7-inch Display
- 2014-01-20: Apple Might Have Sold At Least 50 Million iPhones Last Quarter
- 2014-01-17: China Mobile Begins To Sell New iPhones Today
- 2014-01-15: Tim Cook 'Incredibly Optimistic' About Apple's Partnership With China Mobile
- 2013-12-31: China Mobile Sees 100,000 iPhone Pre-orders In 2 Days
- 2013-12-16: China Mobile Deal Could Allow Apple To Sell An Additional 12 Million iPhones In 2014


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CyBOK in the media
The one where I was interviewed by @bittner about Regency Period gardens. Just kidding. We spoke about the law and regulation of cyber security Knowledge Area from @cy_bok. #CyberSecurity #CyberLaw #CyberEthics #NotRegencyGardens https://t.co/odjy5SIN4I— Robert Carolina (@Rob2yall) September 2, 2020
A look at how CyBOK was developed as a freely and publicly available resource. This article explores some of the potential uses of CyBOK by training providers and employers, in addressing the global shortage of qualified personnel in the Cyber Security workforce (February 2020 issue).
A look at the importance of CyBOK to address the growing need to train future generations in Cyber Security, in particular for manufacturers to protect factories and process plants as the sector moves towards the smart factory era (Autumn 2020 issue).


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Shares of GT Interactive slipped 12 percent Tuesday after the company said its fiscal second quarter results lagged those of the year earlier. The entertainment software maker (GTIS) gtis blamed the sluggish results on the delayed release of Duke Nukem: Time to Kill. GT Interactive said it earned 2 cents per share on sales of $116.2 million, compared last year's results of 12 cents per share on sales of $120.9 million. The stock dropped 13/16 to 6 3/16.
Gates: Don't know much
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates denied knowing much about his company's dealings with Netscape Communications or Apple Computer in videotaped testimony played in federal court. Gates showed little knowledge of the key events in the antitrust trial that entered its third week in U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's court. Lead government counsel David Boies played short excerpts from the Gates tape and then showed the court contemporaneous e-mails from Microsoft (MSFT) MSFT, +0.94% executives that the government believes contradict Gates' testimony. See related story.
Sybase's Kertzman steps to Oracle
Former Sybase chairman Mitch Kertzman has left the struggling maker of database software to head a division of rival Oracle. The move had been telegraphed earlier this year when John Chen took over as Sybase (SYBS) sybs chief executive. Kertzman will head Network Computer Inc., an Internet division spun-off from Oracle (ORCL) ORCL, +0.20% . The executive reshuffle at Sybase comes two weeks after the Emeryville, Calif.-based company reported sluggish sales; Sybase sales have declined quarter-over-quarter for six of the past seven quarters. (See full story.) Sybase shares added 3/4 to 6 3/4.
Network Associates says Symantec recalling product
Network Associates said its rival Symantec is recalling a product that Network Associates claims infringes on its patents. Symantec (SYMC) SYMC, +0.38% is pulling its Norton Uninstall Deluxe product, which a federal court determined has source code "virtually identical" to a product from Network Associates, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company (NETA) neta said in a release. Network Associates shares slipped 7/16 to 43 15/16 while Symantec stock dipped 7/16 to 15 13/16.


text: State-owned Indian Oil Corp. (IOC) will double its refining capacity to 2.5 million barrels a day in 10 years, according to IOC's Director for Refineries A.S. Basu. Indian Oil directly or indirectly runs half of the country's refineries. From 2012 to 2017, Indian refineries plan to spend about US$13.3 billion on capacity expansion. Behind this expansion lies a booming economy and soaring car sales, which jumped 30 percent year-on-year for the period ending in March 2011. Those refinery expansion plans may be dialed back somewhat, however, as forecasts by the Indian Automobile Manufacturers Association are for growth to slow in the coming year to 2 to 4 percent. Also, refiners may have to invest heavily to meet the BS IV emission standard that is expected to expand by 2015 to cover 50 cities, from the handful it covers now.


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During the course of the year, the FNAC/Darty group should become a repairer approved by Apple, the group’s brands equipped with a “Wefix” space will thus be able to support Apple products in the same way as an Apple Store. or an iConcept.
Today, there are nearly 140 WeFix points of sale in France, a store network acquired by the group three years ago and which will therefore take a new step. Now that the certification has been given by Apple, people traveling with a faulty or broken device will therefore be able to benefit from a repair with official Apple parts.
WeFix repairers will therefore be able to offer services of the same quality as in an Apple Store. We do not know at the moment whether the rates offered by WeFix will be more attractive to consumers or not.
Apple evokes a privileged partner
For its part, Apple explains that the FNAC / Darty group is a historical partner of Apple, the latter selling Apple products for more than three decades. With its massive presence in France, the group is the leading reseller of Apple products in France.
This place of choice for Apple explains why the request for certification was accepted without much discussion, although Enrique Martinez, general manager of the FNAC/Darty group, explained that it took more than two years to acquire this precious sesame.
Changing consumer habits
It will be interesting to see the evolution of the attendance of WeFix brands. The arrival of this certification from Apple could be a first step, but the group will have to communicate on this subject, Apple customers having become accustomed for years to go to the Apple Store in case of problem with one of the products of the Cupertino company.
For the moment no clear date has been given concerning the arrival of the certification, but it should be done in the next few months, certainly the time that the WeFix teams are trained and that they receive the official repair parts from Apple.


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Fruit and vegetable juices are excellently placed to take
functional innovation forward, but producers must first get to
grips with the intense scrutiny their products will attract from
regulators and consumers, says Cargill nutritionist.
Leading kefir company Lifeway Foods has announced that its entire
range of low fat kefir flavors will be sweetened with organic cane
juice as a healthier alternative to high fructose corn syrup
Consumers are rapidly falling in love with bona fide, 100 per cent
juice across developed markets, yet it is private labels that are
reaping the benefits in Western Europe, says new research,
writes Chris Mercer.
Juice maker Witmark-Ukraine has announced it expects to increase
sales by 50 per cent in 2005 as consumer demand for juice in the
CIS continues to soar, yet rivals are looming, reports Angela
Women who eat cauliflower regularly could provide the body with
powerful tools to help fight breast cancer, as a new Italian study
reveals the chemopreventive compounds of this popular vegetable,
reports Lindsey Partos.


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Windfall to be short-lived as anti-dumping duty may be imposed on India too
The ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China has come as a blessing in disguise for exporters of processed granite slabs from the Building Products Special Economic Zone at Gullapalli in Prakasam district.
The 100% export-oriented units, which process the world-famous black galaxy and other granite rough blocks and export them mostly to the U.S., are reaping a windfall in the wake of the U.S. Department of Commerce imposing triple-digit duties on imports of Chinese quartz used in manufacturing countertops and other household surfacing.
“We see a good demand for our natural-coloured material from overseas players, especially from the U.S., following imposition of 360% anti-dumping duty on Chinese quartz,” said a group of granite barons in the Growth Centre promoted by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) to add value to the rough granite blocks mined from the famous Chimakurthy mines.
Export of coloured natural stone material including Black Pearl, Steel Grey, Viscount White, Moon White and River White varieties from the SEZ are expected to pick up during this fiscal, they feel.
On an average, 500 containers of processed granite slab material were exported from the SEZ, including the U.S. and West Asian countries, every month, earning precious foreign exchange to the tune of over ₹6,000 crore per annum in the last fiscal.
“The present market condition is conducive for granite exports to go up by 20% to 30% this year from 60,000 cubic metres done by the processing units in the SEZ last year,” said Jyothi Granite Exports Chief Operating Officer M. Shivaram.
However, the nascent quartz units fear a slump in business as the U.S. Department of Commerce has set in motion the process for imposing anti-dumping duty on Indian quartz after a complaint was lodged by a domestic quartz manufacturer seeking imposition of 345% anti-dumping duty on exports from India.
“The proposal has created a lot of unrest among manufacturers of artificial quartz stone manufacturers,” said Mr. Pothula Rama Rao of Southern Rocks and Minerals Private Limited which exports both natural stone material and artificial stone material to the U.S. and Europe.
Authorities there have now sought data from exporters of Indian quartz. The Director General of Trade should intervene on their behalf during the proceedings initiated by the Department of Commerce and give a factual account of the subsidy provided to them, said N. Sudhakar of Satya Exports at the SEZ.
In view of the prevailing uncertainty, new players have decided to put their plans of setting up quartz processing units in the region on hold.
Source: www.thehindu.com Murali ONGOLE, MAY 23, 2019 00:40 IST


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Council is considering selling its share of the combined commuter/shopper carpark at Deepwater Plaza to the proposed new owners of the plaza.
Council won’t reveal how much it would sell its parking spaces but says the most recent valuation of the entire area by the Valuer General is $3,300,000 inclusive of GST.
Council is the owner of a multistorey commuter car park located at 93 Blackwall Road, Woy Woy.
This car park accommodates about 700 cars and is leased to Transport for NSW (TfNSW) until 2065 at a peppercorn rental of $1 a year.
Right beside it, is the shopper parking for Deepwater Plaza.
The shopping parking is owned by the shopping centre but Council has an Option Deed to buy half; – about 220 car spaces over two levels – which would be exercisable at a peppercorn fee in December 2032.
The Option Deed arises out of an arrangement between Council and the original developer of the shopping centre in about 1982.
The current owner of Deepwater Plaza shopping centre is the Dexus Property Group but it announced in December last year that it was selling to Raptis Investments.
Council’s report to the February 28 Council-under-administration meeting says Raptis, an established owner and operator of regional shopping centres, has a conditional and time-limited contract to buy the property.
“Raptis has identified exercise of the Option Deed as a major risk to the future value of the shopping centre,” the report states.
“Raptis has indicated in a series of contacts with Council that it is agreeable either to extinguishing the Option Deed or, in combination, extinguishing the Option Deed and at the same time purchasing the commuter car park,” the report states.
“The offer from Raptis represents a unique opportunity to rationalise car parking arrangements in Woy Woy CBD on a basis that is significantly cash positive to Council.
“Due to the confidentiality of commercial negotiations, the exact value of the combined transactions (the Option Deed extinguishment and the commuter car park sale) cannot be publicly disclosed as yet.
“In any case, the value will be in excess of the land value for the commuter car park, as determined by the Valuer General,” the report concludes.
The Administrator Rik Hart will make a decision on Tuesday, February 28.


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Every week since the COVID-19 crisis ramped up in the U.S., Anne-Marie Roerink and IRI have provided analysis of retail sales dollars to track consumer buying patterns.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve requested volume numbers to see if we can gauge how much fresh produce volumes are changing, because I can imagine that retail sales dollars don’t tell the whole story.
With so much volume available, there has to be some deflation in price.
And there is.
Throughout produce in the week ending April 5, 2020, there was a 4.8% difference in volume versus dollar percentage increase in produce. The number is much higher in vegetables — 10.3% — than in fruit, which was only 1.1%.
That makes sense to me because foodservice uses a whole lot more vegetables than fruit. Just think of things like asparagus and brussels sprouts. Sure, you can cook them at home, but think about all of the steakhouses missing their favorite side dish, and trendy hipster brew pubs without their roasted brussels sprouts side dishes.
Of course, some of these disparities can be explained by seasonal crop issues. Celery, for example, had a huge gap in dollars and volume percentage change, but think about what the celery market was doing last spring, with weather affecting supply and the juicing trend affecting demand.
Anne-Marie and I took some time to examine this week’s numbers, and predict what’s coming in the next few weeks. Easter will definitely be a factor, and we’ll have to account for that as we get later in the month.


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Nokia Siemens Network(NSN) is planning to fire almost 17000 employees worldwide, that becomes nearly 23 percent of its total workforce, in order to cut its costs by € 1 Billion (one billion Euros).
The finnish based – Nokia – and German Multinational company – Siemens – have been working together as a Joint Venture since 2006. The Nokia Siemens Network is the world’s second-largest maker of mobile phone network equipment. But for quite sometime now, the joint venture has been facing low profits. Therefore, some bold measures are now being taken, as a part of restructuring the company to compete against its new Asian rivals.
As far as we know, Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE have become a tough rivals of Nokia Siemens. The said chinese companies have won the Asian business significantly, by providing cheap hardware and competent technology in the market.
NSN now sees its future in mobile broadband and services and aims to become an undisputed leader in these areas. Rajeev Suri, C.E.O NSN, described the lay off plan as regrettable but quipped, “As we look towards the prospect of an independent future, we need to take action now to improve our profitability and cash generation,”.
Confirming this news even more, a German Magazine reported today that Chief Executive of NSN has sent a letter to its 9000 employees in Germany. The employees were informed by the CEO not to expect money from NSN’s parent companies Nokia and Siemens. The letter also read:
“Our profitability is still too low, we’re burning cash reserves, have too many business areas that have never produced adequate returns and regions that have always been loss-making,”
After learning about these developments, it seems the layoff plan is on its way and we can also hear about major re-shuffle in the top hierarchy. The news, although, is bad for the NSN employees but it was welcomed by the share holders, as Nokia shares jumped more than 2% on the news.


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Pentagon Orders Millions of Fresh Meals for Troops in Desert
Instead of slicing open 5-year-old plastic ration pouches, American troops on patrol at the front lines in Saudi Arabia soon will be able to eat meals as fresh as packaged, preservative-laced food can be.
The Pentagon has placed a $260-million order for nearly 190 million entree side-dish packs for its basic battlefield ration in a move to preserve and build up dwindling supplies of the food soldiers carry into battle.
That’s about a six-month supply of food for a force of 400,000 eating three meals a day.
The contracts were let this week to seven food suppliers throughout the country and include dishes such as spaghetti with meat sauce, ham slices, chicken a la king, omelets with ham, chicken stew and beef stew.
The troops at the front have been using up meals at the rate of about 1 million a month, and Lorraine Netzko, a spokeswoman for the Defense Personnel Support Center in Philadelphia, which issued the contracts, said officials decided that although they had stockpiles for the event of war and had no supply concerns for a year, they should start building up the stockpiles again.
Until now, the Defense Logistics Agency has been shipping out meals packaged in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Some troops took with them meals put together in 1984 and 1985.


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You now have an easier online way to manage your Home Delivery subscription for The Oklahoman. Go to our secure server to update account information, make a payment, set up vacation no-delivery times, change your delivery address, or report delivery concerns.
An abandoned vehicle is covered in snow along an empty Interstate 91 southbound after a winter storm in East Windsor, Conn. on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has ordered all roads in Connecticut closed until further notice except for emergency response and recovery vehicles with the capacity to maneuver in heavy snow. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) ORG XMIT: CTJH104


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Recently, I expressed my support for Netflix’s decision to crack down on password-sharing, and now I find myself advocating for YouTube’s move to block playback for users who rely on ad blockers. Before I dive into my reasoning, I want to acknowledge that I won’t rehash the Netflix debate. However, it’s important to note my stance on password-sharing to provide context for my perspective on YouTube’s ad-blocking measures.
Let’s discuss what exactly the YouTube playback block entails. According to a report by BleepingComputer, Google is currently conducting a limited global experiment. The company is testing a feature that prompts users with ad-block software to disable their ad blockers in order to continue watching videos on YouTube. After three video playbacks, YouTube will halt the playback for these users.
A screenshot shared by a Reddit user reveals the message displayed by YouTube:
“It looks like you may be using an ad blocker. Video playback will be blocked unless YouTube is allowed listed or the ad blocker is disabled.”
The message continues: “Ads allow YouTube to stay free for billions of users worldwide. You can go ad-free with YouTube Premium, and creators can still get paid from your subscription.”
YouTube has confirmed this experiment, stating the following to BleepingComputer:
“We’re running a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium.”
“In extreme cases, where viewers continue their use of ad blockers, playback will be temporarily disabled. We take disabling playback very seriously and will only disable playback if viewers ignore repeated requests to allow ads on YouTube.”
Now, let me explain why I believe YouTube’s decision to block playback for users relying on ad blockers is justified, despite the potential annoyance of ads during the YouTube experience.
First and foremost, ads play a crucial role in keeping YouTube accessible to billions of users worldwide. They serve as a primary source of revenue for the platform, enabling it to remain free for the vast majority of its users. By allowing ads, viewers contribute to the ecosystem that supports the creation and distribution of content on YouTube.
It’s worth noting that YouTube provides an alternative for those who wish to enjoy an ad-free experience through its subscription service, YouTube Premium. By subscribing to this service, users can support creators directly while enjoying uninterrupted playback without ads.
While I understand that ads can be disruptive and detract from the viewing experience, it’s important to recognize the symbiotic relationship between creators, viewers, and the platform. Ads help compensate creators for their work and incentivize them to continue producing high-quality content. By disabling ad blockers, viewers actively contribute to the sustainability of the YouTube ecosystem.
However, YouTube acknowledges the importance of user preferences and allows individuals to opt for an ad-free experience through YouTube Premium. This alternative strikes a balance between accommodating viewers’ desires and ensuring fair compensation for creators.
In extreme cases where users persistently ignore requests to disable their ad blockers, YouTube temporarily disables playback. This step demonstrates the platform’s commitment to maintaining a sustainable environment where all stakeholders are fairly supported.
In conclusion, while ads on YouTube may be bothersome, I believe that YouTube’s decision to block playback for users relying on ad blockers is justified. By enabling ads or opting for YouTube Premium, viewers contribute to the platform’s viability and support the creators they enjoy. YouTube’s approach strikes a balance between user preferences and the need for sustainable revenue generation within its ecosystem.
I agree with your perspective on Google’s decision regarding YouTube and ad blocking. YouTube is undoubtedly one of Google’s most successful products, offering free access to a vast range of content. However, as you rightly pointed out, nothing is truly free, even if it may initially appear that way.
Google has relied on advertisements to monetize the platform, allowing creators to earn income while ensuring the company receives its share. This revenue model enables users to access free entertainment in exchange for dealing with ads. It’s a trade-off that has supported the growth and sustainability of YouTube.
Given the increasing prevalence of ad-blocking tools, it’s understandable that Google is concerned about its revenue stream. The experiment they are conducting is a response to the challenges posed by ad-blocking, ensuring that viewers are aware of the impact of using such tools and encouraging them to support the platform by disabling ad blockers or considering YouTube Premium.
Moreover, blocking YouTube ads has the potential to impact the quality of content from creators. While it may not happen immediately, a decline in ad revenue could limit creators’ ability to invest in production value, equipment, and overall content quality. By urging users to allow ads, Google aims to maintain a healthy ecosystem that supports creators and fosters the creation of high-quality content.
However, it’s worth mentioning that Google does share some responsibility for the rise of ad blockers. The proliferation of intrusive and disruptive ads over time has led to user frustration and the desire to block them altogether. Advertisers and platforms should continuously strive to strike a balance between delivering ads and respecting users’ experience, avoiding excessive intrusiveness that fuels the adoption of ad blockers.
In summary, I agree that Google’s experiment with blocking playback for users relying on ad blockers is a warranted response to protect the revenue stream that supports YouTube and its creators. By raising awareness about the importance of ads, Google aims to maintain the quality of content while allowing users to access free entertainment. Nonetheless, the rise of ad blockers also highlights the need for advertisers and platforms to take responsibility for delivering ads that respect user experience.
You raise valid concerns regarding Google’s personalized ads and user tracking practices. Companies like Google and Facebook have indeed been collecting user data for years to fuel their personalized advertising strategies, sometimes at the expense of user privacy.
The prevalence of ad-blocking tools across the internet can be attributed, in part, to users’ desire to regain control over their online experience in response to pervasive tracking and personalized ads. The invasive nature of these practices has driven users to seek ways to protect their privacy.
While Apple’s stance on user privacy has pushed Google to reevaluate its approach and make efforts toward privacy, the company continues to track users in various ways. For example, Google’s plans for tracking users via Chrome without relying on cookies are still part of their strategy, raising concerns about the extent of user tracking.
Eliminating personalized ads entirely may indeed take time and require significant changes to the online advertising landscape. However, it’s crucial to strike a balance between privacy and targeted advertising. Personalized ads can provide relevant content and support the free access to online services. The key lies in establishing transparent and user-centric practices that prioritize privacy while still delivering valuable advertising experiences.
Regarding annoying ads that impact browser performance and user experience, Google has taken steps to address these issues. They have made efforts to improve ad quality and reduce intrusive and disruptive ad formats, which is a positive move.
However, ad-blocking tools have allowed users to take control over their browsing experience by blocking ads that they find bothersome. The current YouTube “experiment” can be seen as Google’s attempt to find ways to address this issue. By urging users to disable adblockers or consider alternatives like YouTube Premium, they seek to strike a balance between providing free access to content and ensuring fair compensation for creators.
Ultimately, it falls on Google to address the concerns surrounding its advertising practices and find effective solutions that resonate with internet users. By focusing on transparency, privacy, and delivering valuable ad experiences, they can work towards gaining users’ trust and encouraging them to move away from ad blockers.


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A massive medical device recall reported last week by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the largest-ever single-day event on record, according to data recently made available by FDA.
Background: Recall Trends
The devices, which were manufactured by Puerto Rico-based device manufacturer Customed, Inc, were given a Class I recall classification—FDA's most serious recall classification, given to those devices in cases where "there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death."
According to FDA data, the agency typically recalls between 13 and 75 devices each day, though the overwhelming majority of those recalls are either Class II or Class III recalls, which reflect lesser (and non-deadly) safety risks than Class I. Since 2004, 86% of all recalls have been Class II recalls, while 7% have been Class III and 6% have been Class I.
But with the exception of a few outliers, such as the November 2012 recall of 146 devices (of which all but six were Class II) and the April 2014 recall of 119 devices (of which all but one were Class II), FDA has seen relatively few major device recall events, even as the overall number of device recall events has dramatically surged since June 2012.
But on 29 August 2014, FDA posted to its website 233 Class I recalls, all for devices manufactured by Customed.
From the voluntary recall notices posted to FDA's website, all of the devices were recalled for a single reason: Packaging flaws.
"Customed has determined that there is the possibility that packaging integrity may be compromised on different catalog numbers (multiple lots)," FDA explained in the notice. "This could result in an injury to the patient due to product contamination or loss of sterility condition."
In a warning to healthcare providers on 26 August 2014, FDA said that at least one of the devices was being recalled due to "adhesion" in the sterile packaging. "The defect could result in loss of product sterility and lead to infection."
Customed confirmed in a statement that all recalled devices were being recalled due to sterility concerns. No serious injuries or deaths have yet been reported to FDA, the agency said. The recall of the devices was reportedly initiated in June 2014 via an email and letter to all affected customers.
Several hundred thousand units are likely affected by the recall, according to data provided on FDA's website.
In addition to being the largest FDA recall on record, it is also most than 9 times larger than the previous largest Class I recall of devices—the 5 March 2014 recall of 28 devices—according to FDA data.
ResearchAE.com Device Recalls Page
Customed Inc Release


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Shares of online music distributor K-Tel (Nasdaq: KTEL) soared more than 43 percent, gaining 2-9/16 to 8-1/2, on Thursday, after the company announced distribution deals for Looksmart.com, BrandsForLess.com and Prodigy Internet. Despite the gain, K-Tel is still trading at about 1/5 of its all-time highs.
K-Tel stock was last year’s poster child for a fast-rising, fast-fading Internet stock. The company was best known for its box sets of classic music until it announced that it was launching an e-commerce Web site last April. Then its stock ran up furiously and peaked at nearly $40. Later in the year, there were concerns that the company was perilously close to being delisted from the Nasdaq because it didn’t have enough assets.
So does K-Tel have any real value? Well, it’s still bleeding, but it keeps adding major partners. It might not be any better or worse than many Internet stocks, but it’s hard to imagine it coming close to its past heights. Then again, that wouldn’t be much more unlikely than what this stock’s already gone through.


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WhatsApp is set to launch a ‘stealth mode’ that hides your online status so you can use the app without being seen
- WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will let users go into stealth mode
- This will let users hide their online status while using the app
- Stealth mode will live in the privacy section in settings, directly under the feature that lets you hide ‘Last Seen’ from other users
WhatsApp is working on a new ‘stealth mode’ that hides your online status.
This feature will let users scroll through the app without their friends or contacts knowing.
‘There may be different reasons why people want to use WhatsApp in stealth mode: for example, some users want to use WhatsApp without being disturbed by other people, or they feel stalked by someone,’ according to WABetaInfo, which first spotted the feature.
Stealth mode will live in the privacy section of settings, directly under the feature that lets you hide ‘Last Seen’ from other users.
WABetaInfo spotted the feature in the beta version for iOS but claims it will also be available for Android and Desktop.
‘Unfortunately, this feature is under development so we do not know the details about when it will be released to the public,’ WABetaInfo wrote in a blog post.
WhatsApp rolled out another feature last month that lets users take their message history with them when they switch from an Android to an iPhone.
Previously it has only been possible to transfer WhatsApp data when moving to Google’s Android platform from an Apple device.
WABetaInfo spotted the feature in the beta version for iOS, but claims it will also be available for Android and Desktop
This feature was introduced last year on the WhatsApp chat app, allowing the user to take voice notes, photos and conversations with them if they switch to the Android operating system.
Now, WhatsApp users can securely transfer the app’s data to an iPhone using the ‘Move To iOS’ app, available on the App Store.
Move To iOS is already used to switch over other phone data including contact details, photos and videos, but has been updated to include WhatsApp data.
WhatsApp said the transfer will take place while remaining fully encrypted, and that it will begin to roll out today but will take about a week to reach all users.
WhatsApp rolled out another feature last month that lets users take their message history with them when they switch from an Android to an iPhone Move to iOS (pictured) is a free app built into Apple’s iOS software that securely transfers data from an Android phone to the iPhone
Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of WhatsApp’s parent company Meta, said: ‘We’re adding to WhatsApp the ability to securely switch between phones and transfer your chat history, photos, videos, and voice messages between Android and iPhone while maintaining end-to-end encryption.
‘This is a top requested feature.
‘We launched the ability to switch from iPhone to Android last year, and now adding Android to iPhone as well.’
The iPhone must be factory new or reset to factory settings to pair with the Move to iOS app and move data from an Android phone.
Both of the devices must also be connected to a power source and to the same Wi-Fi network, or the Android device could be connected to the iPhone’s hotspot.
The new iPhone must also be using the same phone number as the Android device.
The user will have to then download the Move to iOS app onto their Android phone, and follow the steps until a code pops up on their iPhone screen.
After they enter the code into the app, the user can then request to transfer the WhatsApp data stored on the Android device.
Other new group features coming to WhatsApp
Reactions – Emoji reactions are coming to WhatsApp so people can quickly share their opinion without flooding chats with new messages.
Admin Delete – Group admins will be able to remove errant or problematic messages from everyone’s chats.
File Sharing – WhatsApp is increasing file sharing to support files up to 2 gigabytes so people can easily collaborate on projects.
Larger Voice Calls – WhatsApp will introduce one-tap voice calling for up to 32 people with all new design for those times when talking live is better than chatting.
Once the transfer is complete, they can download WhatsApp onto the new iPhone and, when opened and logged in, they will be prompted to download their data.


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^ Jump up to: a b c "FDA warns company marketing unapproved cannabidiol products with unsubstantiated claims to treat cancer, Alzheimer's disease, opioid withdrawal, pain and pet anxiety". US Food and Drug Administration. July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019. Unlike drugs approved by the FDA, the manufacturing process of these products has not been subject to FDA review as part of the drug approval process, and there has been no FDA evaluation of whether these products are effective for their intended use, what the proper dosage is, how they could interact with FDA-approved drugs, or whether they have dangerous side effects or other safety concerns. cannabidiol oil
It is because hemp only recently became legal to grow in the U.S. that many of the finished hemp goods that you see for sale in America, from food products to clothing to building materials, are part of an imported hemp industry that has surpassed $688 million annually. The size of this import industry was one of the major catalysts for hemp legalization in the U.S. As a renewable source of a range of products, hemp provides an exciting new step in American agriculture.
Perhaps the most enjoyable way to take CBD is through CBD edibles. CBD edibles are food products that have been infused with hemp-derived CBD. Generally, CBD edibles contain a lower serving, usually 5 to 10 mg of CBD each, allowing you to easily increase or decrease your intake based on your individual wellness needs. CBD edibles come in the form of delicious CBD gummies and bite-sized CBD energy chews. cannabidiol oil
In 2019, the European Commission announced that CBD and other cannabinoids would be classified as "novel foods", meaning that CBD products would require authorization under the EU Novel Food Regulation stating: because "this product was not used as a food or food ingredient before 15 May 1997, before it may be placed on the market in the EU as a food or food ingredient, a safety assessment under the Novel Food Regulation is required." The recommendation – applying to CBD extracts, synthesized CBD, and all CBD products, including CBD oil – was scheduled for a final ruling by the European Commission in March 2019. If approved, manufacturers of CBD products would be required to conduct safety tests and prove safe consumption, indicating that CBD products would not be eligible for legal commerce until at least 2021.
Since industrial hemp is naturally rich in CBD and has been bred to have only trace amounts of THC, many people today are turning to industrial hemp products as an alternative to medical marijuana. Medical marijuana is not legal in all states in the US and many countries worldwide, while products made from industrial hemp can be a safe and legal alternative. You can get many of the same beneficial effects of medical marijuana from industrial hemp products without getting “high.”
Some manufacturers ship CBD products nationally, an illegal action which the FDA did not enforce in 2018, with CBD remaining the subject of an FDA investigational new drug evaluation, and is not considered legal as a dietary supplement or food ingredient as of December 2018. Federal illegality has made it difficult historically to conduct research on CBD. CBD is openly sold in head shops and health food stores in some states where such sales have not been explicitly legalized.
Cannabidiol has low affinity for the cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors, although it can act as an antagonist of CB1/CB2 agonists despite this low affinity. Cannabidiol may be an antagonist of GPR55, a G protein-coupled receptor and putative cannabinoid receptor that is expressed in the caudate nucleus and putamen in the brain. It also may act as an inverse agonist of GPR3, GPR6, and GPR12. CBD has been shown to act as a serotonin 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist. It is an allosteric modulator of the μ- and δ-opioid receptors as well. The pharmacological effects of CBD may involve PPARγ agonism and intracellular calcium release.
In the United States, the cannabidiol drug Epidiolex was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2018 for treatment of two epilepsy disorders. Since cannabis is a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States, other CBD formulations remain illegal to prescribe for medical use or to use as an ingredient in foods or dietary supplements. cannabidiol oil


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A lobbying group backed by tech companies including Apple, Google, Meta (Facebook), and Amazon has reportedly backed weaker privacy legislation in the U.S.
According to Axios (via 9to5Mac), tech lobbying group State Privacy and Security Coalition (SPSC) promoted an upcoming state privacy law in Utah as the model that other U.S. states should adopt. However, critics have called Utah’s legislation too weak.
Specifically, Axios reported that consumer groups said the Utah bill wasn’t clear about how much control consumers would have over whether their information was used for targeted advertising. Moreover, the groups said the bill’s enforcement mechanism is weak.
Utah lawmakers considered and passed a state privacy bill in under two weeks. The bill is currently awaiting the governor’s signature. Utah is set to become the fourth state with a privacy law, joining Colorado, Virginia, and California. 9to5 notes that California’s law is more along the lines of Europe’s GDPR.
States have begun stepping up to introduce privacy laws and regulations while the federal government’s attempts to do the same languish in Congress. However, there’s an incentive for a single, federal law over multiple state laws since it’s easier for tech companies to comply with one law instead of 50 individual laws. Moreover, one effective law is easier for people to understand.
Axios says that Iowa is considering a similar bill to Utah, and other states are also weighing their own privacy bills. Although the SPSC told Axios it’s trying to help align state privacy laws in the absence of federal law, it’s concerning that the lobbying group has chosen to promote alignment around weaker regulations.
Also concerning is Apple’s involvement, given the company’s strong messaging about its privacy commitments — commitments that may not actually help consumers that much.
Although U.S. state and federal regulation won’t apply to Canadians, it’s important to follow how the U.S. approaches privacy legislation as it could become a blueprint for other countries. On that note, Canada is in the process of updating some of its own tech legislation, including Bill C-10 and C-11. However, critics say C-11 doesn’t go far enough in curtailing tech companies’ ability to gather data on Canadians.


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196+ forum Milan
Please save the date for next year – 16 – 17 April 2023
It’s a wrap! Milan once more proofed to be the center for architecture, design and furniture and we were happy to welcome more than 250 participants at our 196+ forum Milan from around Europe who came together to exchange and discuss insights of the hospitality industry.
Investors, developers, real estate companies, hotel operators, consultants, architects and designers all actively joined our conference. We are grateful for everyone’s contribution!
With more than 30 speakers on stage, 196+ forum Milan once again became an international platform where people working in the same sectors gather and exchange ideas. We had the opportunity to get Giovanni de Niederhäuserns, Senior Vice President Architecture at Pininfarina, vision on the market. Francesca Muzio, Founder of FM Architettura, told us lessons to learn from the yacht industry. We even learned how Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Programme fosters its economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Curious what to expect at 196+ forum Milan? Please follow us on LinkedIn, to get all the latest updates:
Never miss any update!
Hotel Design Award:
The introduction of the Hotel Design Award proofed to be the highlight during our gala dinner, where we had the opportunity to celebrate a worthy winner! With 15 hotel applications from nine European countries, the interdisciplinary ten-member jury had tough selections to make. Casa Cook Samos, the winner of this year’s award, convinced the jury in particular by the clear, yet restrained design line of the resort and by using predominantly local construction and furnishing materials.
More information on the Hotel Design Award
What industry leaders said about the last 196+ forum Milan
Italy is now one of the hottest hospitality destinations in Europe and the event showed a keen interest in this market.
Michael Widmann, Managing Director, PKF hospitality group
Thanks for the opportunity to be with your audience. This is the time to invest by offering better services and taking into account the key issues of the future, which will be those related to the environment, people and governance.
Marco Malacrida, Director of Italy, STR
I would like to thank 196+ events for making the forum Milan a huge success. Excited about the vibrant future of Milan, of our industry, its recovery and about all the work we are doing to improve the Italian Real Estate Hotels Value report.
Monica Badin, Senior Real Estate Hospitality Department, World Capital
Interested in becoming a partner of the next 196+ forum Milan? Contact Sebastian Dachtler –email@example.com


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Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) has reported KRW9.42bn (US$7.96m) in casino sales for August, up 7 per cent when compared to the previous month.
South Korea.- Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) has shared its financial results for the month of September, reporting that casino sales were up 7 per cent when compared to the previous month, from KRW8.80bn (US$7.6m) to KRW9.42bn (US$7.96m). Sales were up 0.1 per cent year-on-year.
Table games revenue reached KRW7.92bn, up 9.9 per cent from August and up 1.4 per cent year-on-year. Machine game sales were down 6.3 per cent month-on-month to KRW1.50bn (down 6.4 per cent year-on-year).
The operator of foreigner-only casinos registered KRW66.08bn in casino sales for the first nine months of the year, down 61.0 per cent year-on-year. Table games aggregate sales reached KRW55.43bn between January and September, down 62.7 per cent. Machine game sales were KRW10.65bn, down 48.7 per cent.
Kim Young-San named new CEO of Grand Korea Leisure
GKL has announced the appointment of Kim Young-San as CEO and chairman of the board. Kim Young-San, who has served as vice-chairman of the Korea Casino Association since 2019, will replace Yoo Tae-Yeol for a three-year term.
The new CEO was director of the Culture and Arts Policy Office and of the Planning and Coordination Office from 2016 to 2019. He was appointed after recommendations from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.


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Walt Disney World (WDW) announced it will begin to reduce its physical distancing measures, but only in certain areas.
On Wednesday, May 12, WDW updated its physical distancing policy posted on the official website.
This is definitely quite the change since the theme parks reopened in July 2020 following a temporary closure at the beginning of the pandemic.
Here’s what you need to know.
Physical Distance Updates at Disney World
The physical distancing change reads:
“Temporary adjustments are still in place to promote physical distancing. While we will reduce physical distancing measures for Guests across many areas with a gradual, phased approach, six-feet distancing measures will continue in all dining locations, merchandise stores and in areas where Guests can temporarily remove their masks.”
So, let’s break this down.
First of all, this does not mean physical distancing is being eliminated. Rather, it means guests will soon see a reduction regarding physical space between themselves and other guests in specific areas.
More than likely, physical distancing in attraction queues will be reduced.
That said, the 6-feet physical distancing efforts we’ve all become accustomed to will remain in effect at all dining locations, merchandise stores, and in other areas where guests can temporarily remove their masks, until Disney states otherwise.
On April 28, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings shared updated reopening phases. Phase 1 includes the reduction of physical distancing from 6 feet to 3 feet “in all settings.”
Universal Orlando has since reduced their physical distancing efforts to 3 feet. Disney did not state an exact reduction number.
Thanks to readers like you, we’re able to bring you the news without bombarding you with annoying ads. Please consider supporting us directly by subscribing to our print edition, and make sure to sign up for our FREE newsletter so you never miss out on the latest at Disney World!
In other health and safety updates, temperature screenings are also ending at WDW.
Disney announced on May 5, “Following the advice of the CDC and our local health officials, we will phase out onsite temperature screenings at Walt Disney World Resort for Cast Members beginning May 8 and Guests on May 16.”
Disney also made it clear at the time, “We will continue to follow the guidance of health and safety leaders going forward and most importantly encourage people to get vaccinated.”
And in more progress, Disney World will resume special events beginning in August with the new Disney After Hours BOO BASH in place of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
What do you think about the latest health and safety updates regarding temperature screenings and physical distancing at Walt Disney World? Tell us in the comments on our Facebook page!


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A video has gone viral on social media showing a kitten playing Fruit-Ninja, a popular game, on a tablet. The video will surely take away all your worries.
The music video, shared on Twitter by user @Yoda4ever on April 19, is captioned: “Ninja kitty got a little carried away”
Ninja Kitty got a little carried away..???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/vZDwPNwoYF
— ????o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) Apr 19, 2022
Fruit Ninja is a popular mobile fruit slicing game enjoyed by billions of players around the world.
The video has gotten over 16 lakh views and is still counting. In the video, the kitten appears to appear with a woman and the tablet on the couch. The gamer kitten tries to slice all the fruit that appears on the screen, because it doesn’t want to miss any of it.
Other Instagram users also commented on the post with funny smiling emoji and hearts.
“Now there’s no escape for you,” one user commented.
Cats playing games on tablets have become so popular that companies have started making apps just for our furry companions.
One company has created three different applications for cats, one of which has an animated mouse that the cat can hunt for.
In another game, cats can use a tablet to “paint” digitally. The app description says, “Watch your cat create vibrant, abstract expressionist paintings while chasing a rainbow mouse”.
The domestication of cats is said to have started in ancient Egypt. It is estimated that by 2021 there were 220 million domestic cats and 480 million stray cats in the world.


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In recent years, Vietnam's retail market has seen a significant presence of prominent international retailers, demonstrating the country's growing attractiveness to foreign investors and escalating rivalry between domestic and foreign companies.
The presence of foreign giants
|Local consumers shop at Hanoi's Big C Thang Long supermarket, owned by Central Retail Corporation. Photo: Hoai Nam/ The Hanoi Times
Thailand's largest retail group, Central Retail Corporation (CRC), announced in February its plan to invest US$1.45 billion in Vietnam between 2023 and 2027.
Explaining why CRC is pouring money into the Vietnamese market, Olivier Langlet, CEO of Central Retail Vietnam, said: "Vietnam's economy continues to grow despite uncertainties. We expect Vietnam's GDP growth to be 6.7% this year, making Vietnam the fastest growing market in Southeast Asia."
As a result, the Thai giant aims to double the number of stores to 600 in 57 of Vietnam's 63 provinces in its five-year roadmap.
Another major retailer from Thailand, MM Mega Market Vietnam, planned to expand its depot and warehouses from south to north, with the recent opening of its fifth warehouse in Sapa Town in the northern province of Lao Cai. This is part of its strategy to develop the supply network system in 2020-2025, which aims to improve product quality, diversify supply sources for customers, and expand agricultural exports to regional countries.
Japan's AEON Group began constructing its seventh shopping mall in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue in February, and it is expected to open in April 2025. The retailer plans to build 16 more shopping malls in Vietnam by 2025, including three or four in Hanoi. Satoshi Nishikawa, Northern Area General Manager of AEON Vietnam, said the Japanese retailer aims to open 30 shopping malls, department stores, and supermarkets by 2030.
Meanwhile, UNIQLO, the parent company of Japan's Fast Retailing, announced to open another store at Aeon Mall Tan Phu Celadon, Ho Chi Minh City, this Summer and a plan to launch its first in the southern province of Binh Duong, bringing the total number of outlets to 18 and another online across Vietnam after nearly four years of operation.
|UNIQLO plans to launch its first store in the southern province of Binh Duong, increasing the total outlets to 18 in Vietnam. Photo: UNIQLO
MUJI, one of the largest Japanese retailers in Vietnam, is also considering expanding in Hanoi in the second quarter of 2023 as part of its goal to open a total of 8-10 stores after being present in Vietnam for three years with five stores, two in Hanoi and three in Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr. Tetsuya Nagaiwa, General Director of MUJI Vietnam, claimed that Vietnam is one of the most potential retail markets in the world. With the advantages of a stable and growing economy and a young population with a rising average income, the country has attracted the attention of many investors, including MUJI.
A recent business survey by the Japan External Trade Promotion Organization (JETRO) showed that 100% of Japanese retailers in Vietnam expect their profits to increase this year. Among them, 80% said they would expand their business in Vietnam in the next one to two years.
Another report by the Ministry of Industry and Trade found that Vietnam's retail industry currently has a market size of US$142 billion and is expected to grow to US$350 billion by 2025, contributing 59% to GDP. These figures prove the attractiveness of the Southeast Asian retail market for foreign companies.
Vietnamese retailers' advantage
|Nova Commerce plans to open 2,000 Nova Market convenience stores by 2025. Photo: NovaGroup
The market share of domestic retailers has come under some pressure as foreign retailers have invested heavily in the Vietnamese market. In addition, this encourages Vietnamese companies to look for ways to compete with foreign competitors.
Insiders have said companies should learn about local consumers' shopping habits and tastes before expanding their market share.
Le Huy Khoi, head of the Market Research and Forecasting Department at the Vietnam Institute of Industrial and Trade Policy and Strategy under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said Vietnamese retailers might not be equal to foreign companies in terms of capital and scale, but they understand the tastes and shopping habits of Vietnamese people.
"The majority of Vietnamese consumers still prefer a fast and convenient way to shop, so choosing a retail location with a dense population and developing a niche market is a smart way for local retailers," he said.
Vietnam's retail industry has changed a lot in the past five years, including the cooperation between Masan Group, a Vietnamese consumer retailer, and Vingroup, a Vietnamese conglomerate, to become a large manufacturing and retail group in Vietnam. Masan Group's WinMart retail store system (WinCommerce) is almost unparalleled in the multi-utility services segment.
WinCommerce currently has more than 3,400 WinMart/WinMart+ supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide and four million loyal customers. Instead of expanding the supermarket/hypermarket model, the Vietnamese chain will focus on developing WinMart+ convenience stores in suburban areas and WINLife - the one-stop shop ecosystem in urban areas to strengthen the retail chain's position, said Nguyen Thi Phuong, Deputy General Director of WinCommerce.
In 2023, the company plans to open more than 1,500 outlets, bringing the total number of supermarkets and convenience stores in 63 localities to 5,000.
|WinCommerce plans to open more than 1,500 outlets, increasing its total supermarkets and convenience stores in 63 localities to 5,000. Photo: Masan Group
Another Vietnamese retailer, Nova Commerce, a member of NovaGroup (the Vietnamese economic development and investment group), aims to develop 2,000 convenience stores, namely Nova Market, by 2025.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Domestic Market Department Le Viet Nga said Vietnamese enterprises are winning over foreign retailers in terms of presence and total retail sales of goods and consumer services. The total area of Vietnamese enterprises' shopping centers is twice that of foreign enterprises.
Domestic enterprises still dominate the retail market, accounting for 70-80% of outlets nationwide. These include companies such as WinMart, Co.op Mart, and Bach Hoa Xanh, which own thousands of retail outlets.
Local experts recommended that Vietnamese businesses be careful and try to improve the quality of customer service and product variety to maintain the advantage at home.


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McDonald’s has announced it will reopen its first UK restaurants for delivery on May 13 after shutting sites due to the coronavirus lockdown.
It said it will reopen 15 restaurants for delivery only, with the locations of these restaurants due to be announced next week.
The fast-food chain has spent this week testing its operations behind closed doors in preparation to reopen sites.
Paul Pomroy, McDonald’s chief executive officer for the UK and Ireland, said: "When we return it will be different as we all adjust to this new normal.
"I want to apologise in advance if our first wave of reopened restaurants does not serve your area.
"Rest assured, we are working hard to reopen more restaurants, but I am adamant this must be at the right pace with the wellbeing of our employees, suppliers and customers front of mind.
"Slowly, but safely, we will return to towns and cities across the UK and Ireland, and thank you for your continued support as we work through this crisis."
Meanwhile Burger King, KFC and Greggs have already revealed they are planning to relaunch as the coronavirus crisis continues.
Burger King closed its UK restaurants as the country went into lockdown, but it has slowly started reopening for delivery and drive-thru customers.


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While Angola’s capital, Luanda, took the top spot for 2017, Asian cities continue to dominate the rankings, with five in the top ten.
Seoul climbed to sixth place from 15th, while Mumbai was one of the biggest movers, surging 25 places to 57, due to its rapid economic growth, inflation and stable economy. India’s capital, New Delhi, stands one shy of the century mark, at 99.
Hong Kong, which ECA International also recently ranked as the most expensive city in Asia for expats, is followed by Tokyo (three), Singapore (five), Seoul and Shanghai (eight), according to the Mercer rankings, which are based on a survey conducted in March.
Mercer’s Global Mobility Leader for Asia, Middle East and Africa, Mario Ferraro, comments: “Although a number of Asian cities remain amongst the world’s most expensive cities, key financial hubs such as Hong Kong and Singapore still continue to attract talent and remain a top choice for relocation.
“Although this year’s movements were due mainly to currency fluctuations, in particular against the US dollar, we did see cities, such as Mumbai, move up the ranks due to their strengthening economy and growing opportunities.”
Most Chinese cities fell down the rankings, as the yuan weakened against the dollar, while Japanese destinations climbed on the back of the stronger yen, high cost of expat consumer goods and “dynamic housing market”, adds Mercer’s Nathalie Constantin-Metral, who is responsible for compiling the survey rankings.
New York City and Bern returned to the top ten this year, while Beijing dropped one place, to 11. Zurich and Geneva also featured in the top ten.
Mercer claims that Luanda’s rise to the top was driven by the cost of goods and security.
The annual survey uses New York as its base point of comparison, and includes over 400 cities across five continents, measuring the cost of more than 200 items, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment.
Elsewhere, Sydney gained 17 places, to 25, equal with Taipei, while Melbourne and Perth both cracked the top 50 on the strengthening of the Australian dollar.
The Russian ruble’s gains saw Moscow and St. Petersburg soar up the rankings, to 14th and 36th place respectively.
London tumbled 13 places, to 30th, as the pound weakened against the dollar following the Brexit vote.
The world’s least expensive cities for expats is Tunis, according to the survey, followed by Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, and Skopje in Macedonia.
If you have or are thinking of moving abroad, remember that we offer specialist Expat Property Insurance to protect your new home overseas. Get instant online quotes and cover here: https://www.insuremyvilla.com/quote_01.php


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“At Amazon, workers are encouraged to tear apart one another’s ideas in meetings, toil long and late (emails arrive past midnight, followed by text messages asking why they were not answered), and held to standards that the company boasts are ‘unreasonably high.’”
That was from the New York Times’s lengthy piece on Amazon’s neverending push to expand, innovate and dominate, and the “bruising” working conditions it imposes on its white-collar workers as a result.
The Times interviewed more than 100 current and former Amazon employees for the piece, including “members of the leadership team, human resources executives, marketers, retail specialists and engineers who worked on projects from the Kindle to grocery delivery to the recent mobile phone launch.”
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The Book Is Dead, Long Live the Book (BBC)
At one point it seemed as if the rise of ebooks at low prices and ereaders like the Kindle and the Nook posed an existential threat to book publishers and sellers. But contrary to expectations, the printed book is still surviving alongside the ebook, and technology is helping publishers and retailers reach new audiences and find new ways to tell stories.
Hummingbird Offering Ebook Retailing Option (PW)
According to Publisher’s Weekly, Hummingbird Digital Media (HDM) is the latest company to try to develop a system that gives booksellers the opportunity to sell ebooks and digital audio directly to consumers. A division of the wholesaler American West Books, HDM has created “a turnkey program that features both an app and customized storefront” that will allow consumers to browse the titles available for sale and then purchase them through the web-based storefront.
Kindle Unlimited Paid Authors Half a Cent Per Page Read in July (Digital Reader)
The Digital Reader has a breakdown of how much authors were paid in July from Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program. The funding pool, which “is used to pay authors and publishers who had submitted their books to [Kindle Direct Publishing] Select and agreed to give Amazon a digital exclusive for the month,” was a record $11.5 million. The pool is then divvied up and gives the publisher and the author a share for each page read from one of their books.
Amazon Invests in Who What Wear (TechCrunch)
Who What Wear, the shoppable fashion site with 3.8 million unique visitors, announced the close of an $8 million Series B round with participation from Amazon and other companies. The investment from Amazon, according to TechCrunch, “is notable but not unexpected. Amazon has been beefing up its fashion-related products, opening a massive photography studio in London last month and hiring Suki Waterhouse as Amazon Fashion brand ambassador.”
Russia Establishes National Electronic Library (Publishing Perspectives)
The CEO of LitRes, Russia’s largest ebookseller and aggregator, estimates the share of illegal ebooks in that country’s market to be 95 percent. One initiative that may help bring down that number, according to Publishing Perspectives, is “the establishment of the National Electronic Library (NEL), a state resource for ebooks. According to contracts, which were recently signed between authors (both foreign and domestic) with NEL, the Library has already received rights for 34,000 ebooks. At the same time it is expected that this figure will increase up to 1.62 million books by 2018.”


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Earlier this month, analyst Mehdi Hossein issued a research note claiming that supply issues might force Apple to stagger the release of its iPhone 12 lineup into two phases. The first phase, according to the report, would see Apple release sub-6GHz iPhone 5G models in September of this year. The second phase, meanwhile, would see Apple launch 5G iPhones with faster mmWave support in early 2021.
If you were worried that you would have to wait until 2021 to take advantage of Apple’s fastest 5G iPhone 12 models, well, you can now rest easy. A new investor note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo — who has an unrivaled track record with respect to Apple rumors — relays that Apple’s iPhone 5G rollout will be a unified affair and will encompass both sub-6GHz and mmWave models later this year.
MacRumors, which saw a copy of Kuo’s note, reports:
Kuo said iPhone models with mmWave would be available in five markets, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom, adding that Apple may disable 5G functionality in countries that do not offer 5G service or have a shallow 5G penetration rate to reduce production costs.
All in all, this encouraging news for both consumers and Apple. From a business perspective, delaying the release of faster iPhone 5G models until 2021 would certainly have an adverse impact on Apple’s holiday quarter.
All that said, it remains to be seen how useful mmWave 5G technology proves to be in real-world usage. While mmWave technology undeniably provides much faster data speeds, mmWave waves can’t travel far and are easily blocked by walls and other objects.
Touching on this issue, T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray explained as much in a widely circulated blog post he penned last year:
Some of this is physics – millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum has great potential in terms of speed and capacity, but it doesn’t travel far from the cell site and doesn’t penetrate materials at all. It will never materially scale beyond small pockets of 5G hotspots in dense urban environments.
It also remains to be seen how expansive 5G coverage is by the time Apple releases its iPhone 12 models. Current 5G coverage is anything but truly expansive, but carriers are certainly working hard to build out 5G support week in and week out. At this point, paying a premium for a 5G smartphone arguably isn’t worth it. Apple, though, is betting on the fact that that will change by the time September rolls around.
As for other iPhone 12 rumors we’ve seen, there are rumblings that all iPhone 12 models will include OLED displays. As it stands now, the entry-level iPhone 11 still employs an OLED display, which is to say that the entry-level iPhone 12 will see a nice spec upgrade.
The biggest change to the iPhone 12, aside from 5G support, is a reported new redesign. While details are still a bit hazy, some preliminary rumors have relayed that the iPhone 12 will boast a form factor reminiscent of the iPhone 4 to the extent that it will have flat metal edges.
iPhone sales have been somewhat stagnant over the past few years, but perhaps the allure of 5G support and a long-overdue redesign will help usher in the monster iPhone upgrade cycle Apple has been trying to pull off for a few years now.


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Big Apple schools are on track to roll out a slew of programs first announced by Mayor de Blasio in September,
Showing some love for their fans in the Big Apple, the stars of “Zoolander 2” took over Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center for the big premiere last night (February 9). Surrounded by his wife Christine Taylor and their two kids, BenShow More Summary
I visit New York City often, primarily for business purposes but also when I'm in need of spontaneous adventure that can only be found in the Big Apple. Once, while strolling through Central Park, I watched the cast and crew of Law and Order film a pivotal scene. Show More Summary
Bjarke Ingels Group's Two World Trade Center may be in doubt, but the Danish firm seems determined to make NYC into a veritable BIG Apple nonetheless. Following closely on the heels of its sustainable police station for the Bronx, preliminary...Show More Summary
Jenelle Evans is garnering concern amid new reports that the Teen Mom star was hospitalized in New York City for medical tests. Despite initial rumors that Jenelle was just having fun in the Big Apple with beau David Eason, in reality, Evans was going through a serious health crisis, according to what a source revealed... Show More Summary
Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner made a big debut in The Big Apple on Monday night. Just a few days prior to the opening of New York Fashion Week, the sisters made an appearance in The City That Never Sleeps to launch their clothing and...Show More Summary
On Thursday February 4 paradigmatic guitarist m: Pat Martino led his trio into The Jazz Standard for another seminal Big Apple performance. Gotham has been very lucky in recent years as Martino has rarely missed an opportunity to perform here and has headlined at most of the leading clubs... [ read more ]
A new Dodge Data & Analytics report took a look at the top U.S. metros for commercial and multifamily building starts shows the Big Apple posted the big numbers. And, the report said that an important trend in this sector has continued: for the sixth straight year, multifamily housing construction across the nation as a whole has seen double-digit increases year-over-year...
A teenage femme fatale accused of drugging wealthy men in the Big Apple to steal their Rolex watches and cash has been busted again — for allegedly ripping off a handsome JPMorgan exec, law-enforcement sources told The Post. Alexandra Martinez, 19, was arrested on charges of grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property after...
"Orange Is the New Black" star Taryn Manning is suing the Big Apple for arresting her based on accusations from a woman previously busted for stalking her. Taryn was busted in November 2014 for violating a restraining order by allegedly…
To coincide with the opening of lululemon lab’s (that’s lululemon’s fashion-forward diffusion line) New York concept store, the Canadian activewear brand unveils an exclusive range of menswear and womenswear inspired by the Big Apple itself. The focus of the range is versatility and style, addressing the needs of local New York commuters without overlooking the […]
Colin Kaepernick is still a member of the San Francisco 49ers, but in the event he heads to the Big Apple, he'll have the endorsement of a New York Jets legend. Speaking on the Michael Kay Show on Friday (via Manish Mehta of the NewShow More Summary
The super stylish activewear brand is opening its first proper brick-and-mortar in the Big Apple.
Barneys New York reunites with photographer Bruce Weber for its spring-summer 2016 campaign. Coinciding with the opening of its new Chelsea flagship on 7th Avenue, Barneys celebrates the Big Apple. Representing New York natives from various walks of life, the luxury retailer seeks to capture the diversity of the city. Show More Summary
Whether you're on the East coast or the West coast, there's a small business event near you really soon. This week, check out upcoming events in The Emerald City or the Big Apple, among others.
Big Apple parents have stepped up their involvement in their children's education, Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said.
On the heels of presenting its fall-winter 2016 collection during Milan Fashion Week, Calvin Klein Collection returned to the Big Apple to unveil its eveningwear capsule during New York Fashion Week: Men. Men’s creative director Italo Zucchelli was on-hand to walk guests through a range of sharp tuxedos and outerwear. Show More Summary
The NYC's most lovable rodent (Pizza Rat is probably a Pizza Rat Actor) had his moment today at the Staten Island Zoo: Staten Island Chuck, the Big Apple's Groundhog Of Record, predicted an early spring. [ more › ]
ListHub has entered into an agreement with the Real Estate Board of New York, REBNY, and its REBNY Listing Service (RLS) to provide over 13,000 residential participants with new options for syndicating listings through ListHub's network of national and international publisher websites.
Students, parents and educators from 95 Big Apple charter schools will rally in Albany for their publicly funded, privately run schools.


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Against the backdrop of weak global economic recovery, the world’s tech industry seems unaffected, especially in the United States and Asia.
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]F[/dropcap]orbes’ newly released 2016 list of 100 Richest In Tech shows that 75 percent of the titans on the list are from the United States and China, with 51 and 24 tech founders and investors respectively.
The combined worth of the list is estimated at 892 billion U.S. dollars, representing a 6-percent growth on a year-on-year basis.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates continues to be the richest billionaire in tech, as well as the richest person in the world, with a fortune estimated at 78 billion dollars.
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is listed as the second with 66.2 billion dollars, followed by Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who climbed from fourth to third place with 54 billion dollars.
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]J[/dropcap]ack Ma, the founder of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, retains his title as Asia’s richest tech billionaire with 25.8 billion dollars.
With Ma Huateng, the founder and CEO of the internet media company Tencent, the two Chinese tycoons are the only two non-American citizens among the top 10 on the list.
There are altogether 24 tech entrepreneurs from China, including 19 from China’s mainland, three from Hong Kong and two from Taiwan.
Notes: Xinhua-(This story has not been edited by PGurus.com and is generated from a syndicated feed we subscribe to)
- Pentagon cancels aid to Pakistan over record on militants - September 2, 2018
- The curious case of Tamil Nadu’s opposition to NEET - September 4, 2017
- If 2.6 Billion People Go To War: India vs. China - July 22, 2017


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East beating west – a tale of two (US) coasts
And no change anytime soon
Governments across Europe, as well as the EC, will need to continue subsidising more environmentally friendly inland cargo transport modes if they are to remain competitive with road freight.
Tom Vermeiran, senior manager at PwC, told delegates at last week’s TOC Container Supply Chain event in Rotterdam: “The inland solutions typically need support from government. Without subsidies they [barge and rail] can’t compete with trucks – although this might change with the widespread adoption of road tolls.”
Dr Vermeiran’s team has recently concluded a research project into the inland distribution of containers in Europe, and discovered that no matter what they might say publicly, shippers’ choice of modes and routes remained driven by cost rather than a concern for CO2 emissions.
The research principally compared the inbound container supply chains of two of North Europe’s key gateway ports, Antwerp and Rotterdam, and the respective maritime and inland costs shippers could expect.
“In terms of freight rates, there is no difference between shipping a container to Antwerp or Rotterdam, but the terminal handling charge is around 15% more expensive in Rotterdam,” he said.
In general, the PwC research found that trucking was cheaper out of Antwerp than Rotterdam; the cost of using a barge was equivalent, except for very short distances when the Dutch barge network aided Rotterdam; while rail transport was cheaper from Rotterdam than Antwerp.
“The maritime supply chain is effectively a transport product and the inland chain a distribution product, but shippers will choose their port of entry depending on the overall door-to-door costs, and make that decision based on as little as a €20 difference.
“There is a lot of emotion between Belgium and the Netherlands about their ports, but the market is looking for logistics solutions and doesn’t care about a national flag,” he added.
Of course, cost is not purely about prices paid to transport operators, but also revolves around issues such as working capital tied up in inventory.
Yesterday, The Loadstar reported how Italian operator Contship Italia has set its sights on trying to capture more Swiss cargo with the launch of a six-times-a-week intermodal service to Basel, which compared transit times from Singapore to the Swiss multimodal hub via Rotterdam in comparison to the Italian gateway of La Spezia. Today we offer readers a costs and service frequency comparison of Antwerp and Rotterdam’s on the same route. (Click on the table to expand)
Broadly, the results show that while Antwerp has the edge on trucking costs, given its more inland location, it offers less frequent rail services, which give Rotterdam a greater hinterland reach. Barge services out of the two ports are roughly equivalent.
“Intermodal barge and rail systems are not just for ‘green’, but they are the fishing rod to catch more hinterland volumes, which in turn are the bait to attract the big ocean carriers,” Dr Vermeiran said.