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Football news sites like Football Lovers are always keeping on top of the latest news, rumours, and leaks in the football world and now, these sites have gotten hold of leaked pics of the kit the England squad are going to wear in the Euro 2020’s. However, it has received lots of mixed reaction.
Excitement is starting to build with nations across Europe starting to unveil their new strips and it would seem the Three Lions are not too far off in doing so too.
Leaked images of England’s kit have emerged on Footy Headlines with the home shirt predominantly white with royal blue, navy and red.
However there is noticeable changes to the football shirt compared to their previous ones, the England and Nike logo sits in the middle of the chest and a interesting zig zag design runs down the sides. See it for yourself…
It is based on the Nike 2020 template, which is seen on the leaked China and Netherlands shirts. It has ‘normal’ sleeves instead of the raglan cut Nike had been using since 2016.
England kits are usually released in March so that is when it is expect to come out. The England 2020 away kit – which could potentially be a ‘bright royal blue with a white Swoosh, red applications’ – will be launched together with the home, just like 2016 and 2018.
Need a reminder of who England got in the Euro 2020 draw? They have been placed in Group D alongside Croatia, Czech Republic and either Norway, Serbia, Israel or Scotland.
All of the Three Lions’ Group D matches will be played at Wembley. Below are the fixtures…
ENGLAND v CROATIA (14 June 2020, 2pm)
PLAYOFF WINNER C v CZECH REPUBLIC (15 June 2020, 2pm)
CROATIA v CZECH REPUBLIC (19 June 2020, 5pm)
ENGLAND v PLAYOFF WINNER C (19 June 2020, 8pm)
CROATIA v PLAYOFF WINNER C (23 June 2020, 8pm)
CZECH REPUBLIC v ENGLAND (23 June 2020, 8pm)
After seeing England’s Euro 2020 kit has been leaked, fans had mixed reaction on the look of it with some expecting it to be costly to purchase once again – see those tweets on the next page.


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GREENFIELD, Mass. (Jan. 14, 2000) – The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is joining forces with the Sierra Sea Club to hold organic tasting and informational events aimed at winning further consumer support of organic agriculture.
Initiating the program, the Sierra Sea Club based in Galveston, Texas—a chapter of the Sierra Club’s student-run Sierra Student Coalition—is organizing the tastings to rally citizens to help combat the Gulf of Mexico dead zone. The dead zone, which currently is as large as the state of New Jersey, forms when agri-chemical wastes from conventional agriculture flow down the Mississippi into the gulf. Club members want consumers to realize that organic farming is a solution to intensive agri-chemical use and a way to keep family farms in business; by buying more organic products, consumers will increase the demand for these products and encourage more growers to choose organic over conventional farming methods that use agri-chemicals.
"We see this as a wonderful opportunity to make the link that consumer choices positively affect the environment and support organic farming," said Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Association.
The campaign will kick off Jan. 21 at the Sierra Sea Club’s first meeting of the year.
Regina Woodrom Luna, founder and group chair of the Sierra Sea Club, said the project has three primary aims: to show consumers that organic products are tasty; to educate and inform persons about the dead zone; and to educate retailers about the diverse organic products available, demonstrating through consumer demand that stores should add organic products to their offerings.
The Organic Trade Association is supporting the efforts by recruiting member companies to provide product samples, coupons and promotional materials. OTA member companies will
supply samples of organic food products which may be used at tasting demonstrations and served at Sierra Sea Club meetings and events. Also provided will be organic product samples packaged for possible sale in campus vending machines. Consumers taking part will fill out cards listing organic products they would like to see in their local supermarkets. These cards will be channeled to retailers who will be asked to add these to the products they offer.
Tasting demonstrations and informational events initially will be held throughout the Galveston community. There also will be petition drives to get organic products not only on store shelves but also on campus. Students involved in the chapter hope this will become a national effort through similar programs by other chapters throughout the country.
January 14, 2000
Back to Archived Press Releases

domain: news


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Singapore-based ST Telemedia Global Data Centers (STT GDC) entered the Indonesian data centre market, as part of a new joint venture with Jakarta-based Indonesian conglomerate Triputra Group and global investment firm Temasek.
The new joint venture will build the companies’ first data centre campus in the Greenland International Industrial Centre, located in Kota Deltamas, Cikarang, Bekasi, on the eastern fringe of Jakarta.
The new data centre campus will support the development of multiple buildings and up to 72 megawatts of critical IT capacity. Construction of the first phase is expected to commence in the coming months and is anticipated to be completed by Q1, 2023.
Bruno Lopez, President and Group CEO of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, said that the joint venture “marks our strategic entry into the Indonesia data centre market,” calling it an important step towards ST Telemedia Global Data Centres reinforcing its position as a leading APAC data centre industry player.
Arif Rachmat, Triputra Group director, said that the deal comes as Indonesia’s demand for digital and cloud services grows exponentially, representing a perfect time for the company to get into the data centre game.
“The Government of Indonesia initiated the National E-commerce Roadmap and the Roadmap for Indonesia Digital 2020 and 2024 to support an inclusive digital economy and is gearing the country for digital acceleration particularly the local enterprises,” Rachmat said.
According to a press release from the data centre service provider, Indonesia’s digital economy is projected to be worth US$124 billion by 2025, while the economy will be the world’s 4th largest by 2050. The archipelago is already home to several large, local Indonesian enterprises which form part of the rapidly growing digital ecosystem.


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TOKYO -- Harold George Meij, the Dutch-born 50-year-old chief operating officer at Japanese toy maker Tomy, has been spearheading drastic management reform at the struggling company since April this year.
With his extensive experience working for both Japanese and foreign firms, he is pressing ahead with sweeping changes in an attempt to rejuvenate the 90-year-old company.
In recent years, a number of foreign executives have been brought into Japanese firms with high expectations for management overhauls. However, most of these attempts have ended in failure. It remains to be seen whether Meij's reform drive will be a success and whether he can bring the struggling company back to financial health.
On Sept. 10, a team of Tomy's four employees in their 30s gathered at a meeting room in the company's head office in Tokyo. The group is one of management reform project teams, launched this spring, and has been tasked with reviewing and redesigning product brochures, sales promotion kits and marketing methods, among other things.
The four members were initially concerned about resistance from other divisions at the company. "We are given the green light from the vice president. So, why don't we do it in a bold manner?" said Hisato Takaoka, the group leader, referring to Meij.
Meij has created 10 project teams aimed at revamping the company at different levels, from product development to distribution channel, since he became executive vice president and COO in April this year. He has brought together young staff members mainly in their 20s and 30s and has entrusted them with the task of drawing up out-of-the-box reform plans. These project teams have a total of 100 issues to look at, including Tomy's overseas operations, and they discuss ways to cut costs to the tune of 1 billion yen ($9.05 million).
Born in the Netherlands, Meij spent his childhood in Japan and is well-versed in Japanese culture and language. He first landed a job at Heineken Japan, moved to Unilever Japan and sold tea products, followed by stints at Japanese oral care product maker Sunstar and Coca-Cola (Japan). As a senior vice president overseeing marketing at Coca-Cola (Japan), he used a Samurai-like character as a marketing tactic for promoting the signature drink, for instance, and demonstrated his marketing skills.
"I have worked at both Japanese and foreign firms," he said. What's more, he speaks six languages, including Dutch, Japanese, German and Indonesian. At an internal meeting on April 1, despite his fluent Japanese, Meij surprised the employees by addressing them in English, and cracked jokes to win the hearts of the younger employees.
"My mission is to reform this company. I can take risks in decision making, which Japanese executives are prone to shun," Meij said. As such, his sweeping structural reform will begin on Wednesday with organizational restructuring. Tomy will streamline 62 units to 50, a 20% reduction, revamp the line-up of managerial staff members and lower the average age of division heads by about 5 years, among other measures. All these steps follow the early retirement of 138 employees in March last year. A further staff reduction is undecided, but the company will study that option going forward, Meij said.
He is not especially familiar with the toy sector, but he can use that fact to his advantage. Wholesalers exert influence in the toy distribution market, but Meij is willing to take on challenges that could prompt resistance from the industry. For instance, Tomy recently started displaying its robot toys at SoftBank mobile phone shops, an unprecedented move by a toy maker.
These measures are beginning to produce some tangible results. The company introduced in August new sales promotion gimmicks using advertisements on store shelves and other innovations, which helped boost sales by nearly 10%. It has also adopted digital technology in its product development. It released Tuesday a Choro-Q mini toy racing car that can drive autonomously and avoid objects using an infrared sensor.
Tomy President and CEO Kantaro Tomiyama, 60, said that he leaves everything up to Meij. In 1986, Tomiyama himself had to devise a shakeup plan to reduce the payroll by more than half, in order to help sustain the ailing company, which was hit hard by the impact of the 1985 Plaza Accord. After clashing with his father, who was president at the time, he became the third president and managed to save the company. "Just as my father trusted me, I will do the same" with Meij, Tomiyama said.
In 2006, Tomy merged with another Japanese toy maker, Takara, but has continued to suffer earnings deterioration despite a series of capital tie-ups with Japanese and U.S. funds. Its sales for fiscal 2013 fell nearly 20% from the level in 2006.
"I would like to raise young employees' morale," Meij said, adding, "I aim to achieve a more than 10% return on equity."


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It went down with a bang and real quick, too.
And the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg has become a feature attraction just as quickly.
More importantly to Keys officials, an estimated 20,000 divers have descended on the Vandenberg, and they haven't left their wallets at home.
"We went down, charted the whole boat, the company was excited to have that business," said Brian Kinsey, manager of Diver's Cove in Davie.
Kinsey took a group of 12 to Key West to dive the Vandenberg.
"We had dinner of Duval Street, stayed in a local hotel, had breakfast and the next day went up and did a dive at Looe Key," he said.
Local boosters say the ship is so big divers can't take it all in with just one dive. That's good news to hotel and motel operators who cherish return customers.
Reports are that some dive shops have seen an 18-percent increase in business since the big ship went down. Divers have come from around the world for the new and unique diving experience.
"You can't even see the ship there are so many fish," said Joe Weatherby who headed the project. "It is spectacular."
The 523-foot long artificial reef has taken well to its new underwater home, which in it's hayday would have been a death knell. The Vandenberg was a missile tracking ship.
Now it's tracking loot for the Keys.


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Chimi Dema | Tsirang
Four days ago, Ap Dorji, a retired civil servant and dairy farmer in Gosarling gewog, Tsirang was worried about supplying excess dairy products from his farm.
He usually supplies the products to Punakha.
However, after the vehicles movement was restricted since the government announced nationwide lockdown on August 11, Ap Dorji was not able to sell the products. The dzongkhag livestock sector had to walk in to collect the products from farmers.
He said that the initiative came as a relief to many farmers who were worried about repaying loans after they couldn’t sell the products.
Ap Dorji supplied about 150 cheese balls and five kilograms of butter to the sector yesterday.
Senior Dzongkhag Livestock Officer, Gyem Tshering, said that the dzongkhag was comfortable in terms of livestock produce supply. “If everything goes well, we might be able to produce surplus,” he said.
Besides feeding residents of the dzongkhag, livestock products from Tsirang are being supplied to Thimphu and Punakha.
The sector supplied 4,500kgs of chicken and 5,000 cheese balls to Bhutan Livestock Development Corporation (BLDC) in Thimphu yesterday.
About 900 cheese balls and 35kgs of butter has been supplied to Punakha.
As of yesterday, the sector collected surplus dairy products, 1,400 cheese balls and 70kgs of butter from four gewogs of Kilkhorthang, Semjong, Gosarling, and Doonglagang.
Gyem Tshering said that the collection from other gewogs was underway. “The surplus produce would be supplied to other dzongkhags based on demand.”
The sector has also supplied around 400 cartons of eggs (210 eggs per carton) to BLDC recently. The sector is expecting to supply 800 cartons of eggs today.
Tsirang, the second-largest egg-producing dzongkhag, has about 91,400 layer birds in 115 farms.
Today, with feed agents running short of supplies due to restriction on vehicle movement, one of the main concerns of Tsirang poultry farmers is feeding the birds.
Gyem Tshering said that the agents managed to get about 300 bags of feed from Gelephu on August 17.
“But the agents have run out of supply,” he said. If the lockdown continues and we keep on facing problems with getting animal feed, our poultry farms would be affected.”
Tsirang has enough vegetables except for potato, tomato, and onion.
Dzongkhag Agriculture officer, Dorji Gyeltshen, said that the sector was getting potatoes from Wangdue. “For tomato and onion, we have submitted a requisition to the department of agriculture for help.”
In terms of chilies, the dzongkhag is managing with supplies from Wangdue to distribute in schools and institutions.
Dorji Gyeltshen said that as it is off-season for summer crops and nursery period for winter vegetables, there is hardly surplus supply this time.
In addition, the continuous rainfall over the past months has affected vegetables production.


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According to a new report from research firm IDC, Google’s net U.S. display advertising revenue share grew to 14.7% in the first quarter of this year, from 13.3% in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Yahoo!’s declined from 13.6% to 12.3%. Microsoft declined to a 6.5% market share in Q1 and Facebook rose in prominence with 8.8% of the market.
The figures are interesting as we watch Google expand the relationships it has established in search to a separate category. IDC’s Karsten Weide, who authored the report, attributes the growth to Google converting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) from search to display. The report noted that display’s share is growing (to 33%) while search’s share has declined from 53.4% two years ago to 48.7% in the first quarter of this year. Search ads commanded more overall revenue, though ($3.9 billion), as compared to display ($2.7 billion).
Mobile online advertising continued to boom in the U.S. in the first quarter, coming in at $419.4 million, as compared to just $293 million in the fourth quarter, dramatically confounding the usual Q4/Q1 Boom/Bust cycle and confirming the influence of devices like the iPad, iPhone, and Android OS handsets.


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iPhone 4S users now complaining of audio echo bug
Apple has been hard at work trying to find a fix for the battery issues that have been causing some users frustration with the new iPhone 4S, and may be closing in on a fix. But, now there are reports that there is an audio bug when using wired headsets on the iPhone 4S which is causing an echo on calls.
The reports have been documented on the Apple's support forums, and have been independently verified by a number of sites, including BGR. The basic problem is that when making a call and using the wired headsets, either from Apple or 3rd party headsets, there is an echo that occurs at random times during a phone call. Apple has not yet commented on the issue.
Of course, there are a couple pretty simple work-arounds for this issue. The easiest is to just not use a wired headset on calls. If you really want to use a wired headset, there have been reports of temporarily fixing the issue by unplugging the headset and plugging it back in when the echo occurs, or by turning on the speakerphone and turning it off.


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Esin Terzioglu, previously VP of engineering at Qualcomm, has taken a brand new gig leading Wireless in Apple's system-on-a-chip (SoC) workforce.
Terzioglu introduced the transfer on LinkedIn:
After a great ~8 years at Qualcomm, it's time for me to transport directly to my subsequent journey. It's been my honor and privilege to have labored with such a lot of gifted and devoted people at Qualcomm the place we completed nice feats as a group (10nm convey up used to be a doozy and the group did a terrific task bringing the primary product to marketplace!!!).
I think privileged for the chance to proceed my profession at Apple.
Daniel Eran Dilger, writing for Apple Insider:
Apple has employed Qualcomm Engineering VP Esin Terzioglu as a wireless "Gadget on a Chip" lead, providing further proof that the corporate would possibly plan to increase its inside chip construction into Broadband Processors running as cellular modems.
There is been so much of hypothesis about Apple and modems basically in recent years given the combination of Qualcomm and Intel chips utilized in iPhone 7 and Apple's ongoing patent dispute with Qualcomm.
Whether or not or now not Apple rolls out its personal modems, and the way quickly, we're going to have to attend and notice. Like I stay pronouncing, despite the fact that A-series, M-series, S-series, T-series, W-series — there is nonetheless has a ton of letters left in Apple's silicon alphabet.


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Broker Merrill Lynch downgraded its rating on French supermarket Carrefour CA, -0.16% to neutral from buy, telling clients Friday after Carrefour's December quarter sales and earnings update "the stock was one of the better performers in our sector last year and that is good enough for us... The Q4 data suggests that Carrefour's French hypermarkets underperformed the FCD in Q4... We continue to believe that the French food retail industry could get more competitive in the second half of the year, should the Loi Galland (the law that forbids selling below cost) be weakened or abolished, as is currently being discussed."
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A free trade agreement with the European Union set to soon be ratified by Vietnam should boost the Asian nation's economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, the World Bank said, while urging faster reforms.
Vietnam's legislature is expected to give its final approval later this month for a deal that would see tariff reductions on 99% of goods traded with the bloc, its second-largest export market after the United States.
Its trade minister has said he expects the agreement to take effect in July.
Vietnam's economy grew at its slowest pace in the first quarter of this year, 3.8%, as the coronavirus outbreak hit output. But with just 324 cases and no deaths, Vietnam is set to resume economic activity sooner than its regional peers.
The European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) could boost Vietnam's GDP and exports by 2.4% and 12% respectively over the next decade and lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty, the World Bank said in a report.
"Such benefits are particularly urgent to lock in positive economic gains as the country responds to the COVID-19 pandemic," the bank said.
It said now was the perfect time for Vietnam to initiate deeper reforms and fix legal gaps and implementation issues to reap the full benefits of the agreement.


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China International Bearing and Special Equipment Exhibition
The 18th "China International Bearing and Special Equipment Exhibition" sponsored by China Bearing Industry Association will be postponed to March 7-10, 2023 to continue to be held in the magnificent "National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai)". The exhibition is expected to cover an area of 55,000 square meters, bringing together nearly 1,000 enterprises from all over the world and more than 60,000 visitors from home and abroad. Buyers from 50 countries and regions will be active in the exhibition hall for trade negotiations; The four-day exhibition is the best platform for business exchanges and negotiations.
WLS-75CNC Intelligent high-speed circular saw machine
National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai)
March 7-10, 2023


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Samsung and Xiaomi took a hit during a tumultuous year.
Chinese phone makers might be first in line.
A 50MP main camera, 48MP ultra-wide with micro-gimbal setup, and two telephoto lenses. What’s not to like?
You’ll also see upgrade to camera and graphics performance.
Let’s take a look at which phones have already received Android 10 and when should you expect to get it on your device.
Vivo will also reveal the X60 Pro Plus flagship next month.


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CGTN aims to inform, engage, and provide alternative perspectives on issues relevant to China, the United States, Central and South America. Its global coverage focuses on under represented regions of the world with diversified perspectives.
At the G20 closing ceremony, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the summit's host, urged world leaders to find common ground, and that's what Presidents Trump and Xi found, as they agreed to restart trade talks.
A new rule prohibits the U.S. government from buying telecommunications and video surveillance products from five Chinese firms including Huawei and ZTE. The U.S. claims Huawei and other Chinese firms could share user data with the Chinese government or even launch hacking attacks on U.S. networks.


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Pegasystems Inc. (PEGA) Expected to Announce Quarterly Sales of $202.03 Million
Equities analysts predict that Pegasystems Inc. (NASDAQ:PEGA) will announce $202.03 million in sales for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Three analysts have made estimates for Pegasystems’ earnings. The highest sales estimate is $205.30 million and the lowest is $199.69 million. Pegasystems reported sales of $196.78 million in the same quarter last year, which indicates a positive year-over-year growth rate of 2.7%. The company is expected to report its next earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th.
On average, analysts expect that Pegasystems will report full-year sales of $914.98 million for the current financial year, with estimates ranging from $880.48 million to $944.55 million. For the next financial year, analysts anticipate that the company will report sales of $1.03 billion, with estimates ranging from $965.98 million to $1.07 billion. Zacks Investment Research’s sales calculations are a mean average based on a survey of research firms that that provide coverage for Pegasystems.
Pegasystems (NASDAQ:PEGA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The technology company reported ($0.31) EPS for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.07) by ($0.24). Pegasystems had a negative return on equity of 4.85% and a negative net margin of 3.49%. The company had revenue of $212.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $237.63 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.24 earnings per share. Pegasystems’s revenue was down 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year.
In related news, SVP Douglas I. Kra sold 3,498 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.02, for a total transaction of $251,925.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 39,280 shares in the company, valued at $2,828,945.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Kenneth Stillwell sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.70, for a total value of $73,700.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 6,369 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $469,395.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 51,277 shares of company stock worth $3,385,775 over the last quarter. 52.85% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PEGA. Quantamental Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Pegasystems by 542.2% in the 1st quarter. Quantamental Technologies LLC now owns 411 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Pegasystems by 46.1% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 792 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Tyers Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pegasystems in the 1st quarter worth about $53,000. Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Pegasystems by 21.9% in the 1st quarter. Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. now owns 841 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lloyds Banking Group plc purchased a new position in shares of Pegasystems in the 4th quarter worth about $65,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 46.29% of the company’s stock.
NASDAQ:PEGA traded up $0.21 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $69.89. 33,627 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 358,143. Pegasystems has a fifty-two week low of $43.21 and a fifty-two week high of $76.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.
Pegasystems Inc develops, markets, licenses, and supports enterprise software applications in the United States, India, and internationally. It provides Pega Platform, an application development product for clients; and Pega Infinity, a software platform that unifies customer engagement and digital process automation.
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Mumbai: Since late last year, many telcos around the world are offering eSIM options to their subscribers along with physical SIM. However, this new eSIM (embedded SIM) technology is currently supported by some of the high-end smartphone models. That includes Apple (iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13, and iPhone 13 mini), Samsung (Galaxy S20, S21, Fold and Z Flip), Google (latest Pixel models) and Huawei (P40 and Mate 40 Pro).
For Apple, however, the new eSIM technology has sort of becoming a contentious issue after rumoured that Apple plans for eSIM only iPhone.
As there’s growing speculation in the media that Apple will go all out for eSIM only iPhone during the upcoming launch in September this year iPhone ditching the traditional or physical SIM.
One analyst has tried to dissect Apple’s approach and truth from those rumours keeping in view the large perspective of the telcos.
According to GlobalData’s Technology Service Director, Emma Mohr-McClune, an eSIM-only iPhone was always a question of ‘when’, not ‘if’—but, so far, there has been insufficient consideration as to ‘how’.
“We don’t believe that Apple will take the ‘big bang’ approach—getting rid of existing systems and transferring all users to eSIMs,” said Emma.
“But rather launch an eSIM-only variant of its upcoming new model—retaining the dual eSIM-plus-physical SIM slot model for the mass market and its key carrier channel,” added Emma.
From the telcos perspective, Emma even pointed out the options that telecom companies will have on their table. “We believe telecom companies will be given the choice of whether to stock and sell a new eSIM-only iPhone variation alongside more cellular business-friendly dual eSIM/physical SIM support models,” opined Emma.
Interestingly, Emma shared a possible scenario that Apple is likely looking at. “We think it’s likely that the primary focus of this theoretical eSIM-only iPhone will be the Apple channel,” she observed.
“Apple will provide this model with ‘wireless data connectivity inside’ together with one or more connectivity partners—much in the same way it positions 4G and 5G connectivity for the iPad today,” explained Emma.
She also pointed out that Apple may come up with a VAS ( value-added service).”Apple may also consider a VAS digital service shakeup, aligning Apple-sourced connectivity with certain Apple-branded digital services for a more attractive overall proposition.”
However, Emma has some words of caution for telcos against such eventuality and elaborated on how they can prepare for it. “Telcos need to prepare carefully for such an eventuality,” she said.
“Boosting their own internal eSIM support tools, general marketing and support readiness, as well as improving their own eSIM onboarding and anticipating aggressor eSIM-support ‘test pilot’ promotion,” explained Emma.
Emma cited T-Mobile and Verizon’s Visible in the US as examples of how some telcos are addressing and dealing with eSIM technology.


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Exports of leather, leather products and leather footwear rose 32.97% to $1.01 billion in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, surpassing the total amount collected in the fiscal year, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau.
According to Bangladeshi media, the sector’s export earnings are expected to reach $12 billion by 2030.
The leather sector of Bangladesh is unable to fully exploit its potential and expand its footprint globally despite domestic availability of raw materials due to lack of compliance. As a result, exporters get 30-40% lower prices for their products on the world market than their competitors. A fair price cannot be guaranteed on the domestic market either.
Syed Nasim Manzur, chairman of the Bangladesh Leather Goods and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the global leather goods supply chain had nearly broken due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 19 and the Russian-Ukrainian War.
And it is possible to increase the country’s share in the global leather and footwear market, but it is currently not possible due to non-compliance, he said.
He was speaking during a webinar entitled “An Assessment of the Impact of COVID-19 on Tanneries”, jointly organized by The Asia Foundation, Research and Policy Integration for Development and Economic Reporters’ Forum.
The assessment is based on a worker survey of 120 workers and an employer survey of 20 tanneries located in the Savar Tannery Industrial Zone.
During interviews, tannery owners said they were working hard to obtain certification from the Leather Working Group, the global environmental compliance and certification body for the leather and leather goods industry.
Exporters of finished products must import raw hides from LWG-certified mills in other countries to ship their products to developed markets.
Manzur, also managing director of Apex Footwear, said that since independence raw leather exports have fallen by 79% while finished leather exports have increased by 80%.
“This indicates that local contractors are unable to utilize locally available raw hides, primarily due to non-enforcement of policies,” he added.
Industries Secretary Zakia Sultana said challenges in the sector include solid waste management.
Fibre2Fashion (DS) News Desk


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my country's exported spicy fermented bean curd contaminated by microorganisms recalled in Australia
Time of Update: 2021-03-20
html" class="zdbq" title="Sufu related food information" target="_blank"> fermented bean curd because the product iscontaminatedwithfoodmate.
html" class="zdbq" title="Food related food information" target="_blank">Food Partners News foodmate.
Australia raises forecasts for wheat exports in 2020/21
Time of Update: 2021-03-18
html" class="zdbq" title="Cereal-related food information" target="_blank"> The Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resources, Economics and Sciences (ABARES) raised the export of Australian wheat for 2020/21 (October to September of the following year) by 862,000 tons to 21.
Australia's wheat exports to China hit an all-time high in December 2020
Time of Update: 2021-02-24
Australian wheat exports reached 2.5 million tonnes in December 2020, up 173 per cent year-on-year, according to government figures. Australia's wheat production will recover from three consecutive years of drought-related production cuts
Australia will export 600,000 tonnes of wheat to China in December 2020
Time of Update: 2021-01-25
Foreign media January 18: Shipping data show that Australia exported about 600,000 tons of wheat to China in December 2020, making China the number one export destination for the month.
in October 2020 (updated to October 18) there is a foreign object China's export of old dry mother chili sauce is recalled in Australia
Time of Update: 2021-01-06
. Export violations were reported to be the presence of foreign companies China's export of dried mother chili sauce in Australia was recalled on October 16, 2020, the ANZ Food Standards Agency (FSANZ) issued a recall notice, Auxico (Perth) Pty Ltd
The presence of foreign property China's export of dry mother chili sauce in Australia has been recalled
Time of Update: 2021-01-05
On October 16, 2020, the ANZ Food Standards Agency (FSANZ) issued a recall notice, and Auxico (Perth) Pty Ltd is recalling an old dry mother chili sauce because of the presence of foreign property (bone fragments).
Risk of microbial contamination South Korea's exports of kimchi have been recalled in Australia
Time of Update: 2020-12-04
On April 28, 2020, the ANZ Food Standards Agency (FSANZ) issued a recall notice, and The Kimchi Company Pty Ltd is recalling two Korean kimchis because of the risk of microbial contamination due to insufficient salt in the product.
Australia exported 6.15 million live sheep in 2002
Time of Update: 2003-03-13
Last year, although Australia's export of live sheep to Saudi Arabia fell 11% compared with the previous year, it still reached 1.9 million.
There will be a shortage of beef exported from Australia to Japan
Time of Update: 2002-12-02
Australia is more and more seriously affected by the drought, a large number of feed shortages, resulting in livestock breeding difficulties, and the export of beef is seriously affected.
Australia's exports of chilled beef to South Korea set a record
Time of Update: 2002-11-01
In September, Australia shipped 529 tons of chilled beef to South Korea, bringing the cumulative export volume this year to 3515 tons, worth a $26.5 million.
Australia's beef exports to Japan remain sluggish
Time of Update: 2002-05-15
Australia's exports of frozen beef to Japan fell 66% as Japan's domestic supply of high discount meat increased.


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Nairobi ranked 97 in home-rental cost
Nairobi is the 97th most expensive home-rental city in the world after renowned destinations like Bangkok and Cairo, according to Bloomberg World Airbnb cost Index.
The 2018 Bloomberg home-renting site ranking states that an average cost of a house accommodating two adults is $53 (Sh5,300) in Kenya’s capital. The index however indicates that the current cost represents a three per cent drop compared to the 2017 ranking.
The index ranks more than 100 global cities based on the average daily cost of lodging in private homes. Miami was ranked the most expensive at $205 (Sh20,500), a 7.9 per cent increase.
The index ranked Cape Town as the costliest city on the continent and the 27th most expensive metropolis in the world where the average cost of accommodation is $127 (Sh12,700).
Lagos was the second most expensive on the continent at $103 (Sh10,300) cost per night and 43rd globally. Abuja $91 (Sh9,100), Harare $65 (Sh6,500) and Johannesburg $58 (Sh5,800) also came ahead of Nairobi at positions 54, 85 and 92 respectively.
Airbnb, which entered Kenya in 2012, has disrupted the travel market globally by allowing users to rent out entire homes or rooms in their houses to tourists.
Data from the US firm shows that there were 39,500 guests hosted in Kenyan properties in the year to September, a 143 per cent jump from a similar period last year. A typical Kenyan host earned Sh97,000 ($970) per year from renting out their home, the data shows.


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PTDA 2022 Industry Summit coming to Nashville
Monica FergusonIndustry Energy business engagement distributor and manufacturer companies motion control power transmission PTDA 2022
The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) 2022 Industry Summit will take place in Nashville, Tennessee on October 27 to 29.
With over 500 delegates in the power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) industry expected to attend, representing over 200 PTDA distributor and manufacturer companies, the Industry Summit, themed “Amp Up” will offer networking, learning and collaborative experiences.
“Nashville is a city radiating with energy and I’m excited for PTDA to capitalize on its momentum during the 2022 Industry Summit,” said JP Bouchard, president, PTDA. “This year’s program has been ‘amped up’ to provide even greater value to attendees, offering more opportunities for business engagement and growth. With dynamic presentations delivering key insights on our challenges like workforce recruitment and the ever-changing economy, the industry’s top PT/MC executive will walk away with not just information, but actionable takeaways.”
Various keynote speakers will take the podium, including economist Dr. Alan Beaulieu, founder and president of ITR Economics, Risha Grant, founder and CEO of Risha Grant, and former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann.


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General Motors (GM) last made a profit back in 2004, so is great to hear them talking about the possibility of making a profit in the year ahead. The automaker recently made this statement at the second day of the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.
General Motors had its worst period last year when they had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, this lasted for six weeks, but this did not go down well with the U.S. taxpayer, wondering why their money should be used to bail out a carmaker.
According to a report on Telegraph, Bob Lutz, GM vice-chairman said that making a full-year profit is dependant on the U.S. economy making a recovery, something that has looked very optimistic in recent months. Lutz also added that for General Motors to be come profitable, the U.S. Automarket would need to shift 11 to 12 million vehicles, compared to the 10.4 million sold last year.
Although, we have to remember that those sales were inflated thanks to the governments Cash for Clunkers scheme. This was put in place in the hope of enticing drivers in to getting cashback on old cars in exchange for purchasing a new fuel-efficient model.
If GM is to succeed, then they will have to try and crack the Chinese market, as Ford will do with their “One Ford” strategy. China has now become the world’s biggest automotive market, which is why it is so important and the recent news of the 2012 Ford Focus will also be destined for China.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol, or (AD). Also, prices and information correct at publish time and date.


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LONDON -Boohoo has reached a final settlement over a U.S. class action claim alleging the British online fashion retailer’s promotions in California misled shoppers, it said on Tuesday.
The group, which sells clothing, shoes, accessories and beauty products aimed at 16- to 40-year olds, had agreed terms for a preliminary settlement of the action in November.
Boohoo said the settlement is without admission of liability and within its existing legal provisions, which stood at 17.8 million pounds ($22.4 million) as of Feb. 28.
The settlement remains subject to review and approval by the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
“It must be a marginal positive to have the issue resolved and covered by existing provisions,” said analysts at Jefferies.
However, shares in Boohoo were down 4.5% at 0743 GMT, extending 2022 losses to 36%.
The sector was weak with ASOS down 2.4% and Next down 1.7%.
Earlier this month, Boohoo warned sales growth would slow this year, hit by a squeeze on consumer spending, higher product return rates and continuing supply chain and delivery problems.
($1 = 0.7943 pounds)
(Reporting by James Davey, editing by Elizabeth Piper and Jason Neely)


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LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday a consent judgment has been reached with a Michigan-based fitness company.
To resolve a four-count complaint for alleged violations of the state's Consumer Protection Act, Family Fitness has been ordered to pay up $220,000 to the AG's office over the next three years. Officials say $190,000 of that money will be allocated to the consumers affected by the company's poor business practices.
“My office will always stand up to protect Michiganders from companies that conduct business in bad faith,” Nessel said. “This consent judgment returns funds to hardworking Michiganders and makes clear that no business is above the law.”
According to a press release from the AG's office:
"The Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation into the poor business practices of the company after receiving hundreds of consumer complaints. A class-action lawsuit was subsequently filed."
"As part of the judgment Family Fitness is not allowed to charge any cancellation fees on any membership or personal training agreement resulting from a drawing or event prize. Additionally, cancellation fees on other membership or personal training agreements cannot exceed $75, regardless of when the agreements were entered. This limitation applies regardless of the number of consumers that are part of a single membership or agreement."
The complaints were filed in September.


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What does it take to become a life science business strategist for a big computing company? If Liz From — the woman who has held that title at Sun Microsystems for nearly a year — is your model, it would be a stint in computing journalism, time as a management consultant, some post-grad IT experience, and a little bit of healthcare industry software marketing experience. From, who reports to Howard Asher, director of global life sciences, is a member of Sun’s Global Life Sciences Strategy Team, which aims to drive strategic initiatives that can “have a major impact on the life sciences industry,” she says. (From’s counterpart addressing life sciences R&D, Loralyn Mears, is perhaps better known to the genomics community.)
Slipping into consultant speak, From says she gets involved in “technologies and techniques across the value chain” that could “improve pharma processes and outcomes.” Her current pet project is AutoID, a set of technologies that Sun is hawking for tracking and identifying a pharma’s products and assets without barcoding. AutoID uses radio frequency and the Internet to transmit information through a supply chain. While the most obvious and urgent use From sees for the technology is combating drug counterfeiting — a problem that she predicts will only grow worse as personalized medicines come to market — AutoID tags could also be applied to clinical trial documents, and used for tracking research compounds and monitoring lab equipment. “Most customers come from the consumer or supply chain or manufacturing point-of-view,” she says, “but the lab environment is generating interest.”
Radio frequency tagging is nothing new, of course. But From says the application to pharma is new, and that Sun is pioneering an initiative to create tagging standards that would enable all drug manufacturers to use compatible schema. She expects standards to be issued in September.
— Adrienne Burke


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Bottled water is drinking water (eg, well water, distilled water, mineral water, or spring water) packaged in pet bottle or glass water bottles bottled water may be carbonated or not sizes range from small single serving bottles to large carboys for water coolers. In 2012, the global consumption of bottled water amounted to 288 billion liters and was forecasted to reach 391 billion liters by 2017 in 2015, mexico had the highest per capita consumption of bottled water in the world amounting to about 645 gallons. The crusade against bottled water has become something of a standard feature of environmental activism among friends friends journal. The production of bottled water is monitored by the international bottled water association it is categorized into five types by the food and drug administration they are: drinking water--water placed in sterile containers used for human consumption the additives in this water should be about one.
In the case of bottled water, orb’s new study indicated contamination was partly the result of plastic packaging, and partly the fault of the bottling process. Bottled water is the only beverage that is consumed all day long, bellas says he expects consumers to be drinking more water than soda by early 2017, if not the end of this year bottled water consumption already exceeds tap water, according to beverage marketing. Interesting observations about lifestyle food and drink bottled water consumption.
For the first time ever, americans drank more bottled water than soda in 2016. 8 things you should know about bottled water in china 2 bottled water in china boom or bust 8 things you should know about bottled water in china 1.
Global bottled water market will attain a valuation of us$3072 billion by 2024, swelling up from its evaluated worth of us$1985 billion as of 2017 volume-wise, there will be an estimated demand of 5282 billion liters of bottled water by the end of 2024. A deficient drinking water distribution system, taxes on sugared drinks, strong media campaigns for healthy lifestyles and a shortage of.
Why is bottled water a concern here are just a few reasons making bottles to meet america's demand for bottled water uses more than 17 million barrels.
The international bottled water association (ibwa), alexandria, va, in conjunction with new york-based beverage marketing corporation (bmc), released 2015 bottled water statistics, which show that americans’ consumption of bottled water increased by 79 percent and bottled water sales are up 89 percent from the previous year, according to. Bottled water consumption has been increasing consistently over the last several decades in the united states, with a per capita consumption rising from 16 gallon in 1976 to 282 gallon in 2010 as a result, bottled water has become the fastest growing segment of non-alcoholic beverages, representing an overall share of 30% in 2010. Global consumption of bottled water reached nearly 189 billion liters last year alone - a 76 percent increase from 2002 - led by growing demand in china the united arab emirates, mexico, and italy lead the world in per capita consumption, according to the beverage marketing data.
11 global bottled water market consumption and annual change 1996 – 2016 pg 16 users of bottled waters in the us pg 308 overview pg 308. Global bottled water sales, number of water bottles sold annually,. The environmental cost of the massive consumption of bottled water has led some us and canadian local governments to consider a ban its sale.Download


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Sri Lanka bans rice as animal feed
The Sri Lanka government has banned the use of paddy and
rice as animal feed.
Minister Bandula Gunawardana banned the purchase, transport, storage,
processing and sale of rice and paddy as animal feed.
He said that the recent price hike of rice could be the result of using
paddy to manufacture animal feed. "The decision to ban the use of rice and paddy
is needed to prevent further rice shortage in the market," he said.
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UK core inflation (YoY%)
With headline UK inflation now back at 3%, Governor Carney has narrowly avoided writing a second letter to the Chancellor explaining why CPI is above target. The reason for December's dip is a fairly familiar tale: airfares. Whilst only making up a small proportion of the overall CPI basket, plane fares are prone to pretty wild price swings between months. Last year, plane ticket prices rose by almost 50%, while this year's seasonal increase was more modest.
This was offset to some degree by higher petrol prices, which once stripped out meant that core inflation (which excludes energy) fell more than expected. That's partly because the cost of many recreational goods, many of which are sensitive to sterling fluctuations, have begun to rise more slowly. For example, the inflation rate for audio-visual items has begun to slow now that prices have largely adjusted to the new level of sterling.
Core CPI may be in for one last hurrah when we get January's data, with a possible spike back up to 2.7/2.8%. But after that, we anticipate core inflation falling more or less back to target by the middle of this year as the FX pass-through continues to fade.
This will take some of the heat off the Bank of England to hike later this year, although of course a lot still depends on Brexit. The likely agreement-in-principle of a transition deal by the end of the first quarter means a rate hike in May is possible, although not yet guaranteed. Whatever the Bank decides, the window to squeeze in another rate hike is likely to close over the summer, as Brexit starts to heat up ahead of October's artificial deadline for a deal.


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Elle magazine says London police are investigating allegations that jewelry was stolen after an Elle fashion shoot featuring actress Lindsay Lohan.
London's Metropolitan police confirmed that a necklace and earrings worth around 250,000 pounds ($411,316) were missing from a studio in north London in early June.
A police spokesman said no arrests have been made in the case and would not comment on whether Lohan had been interviewed or was even related to the case in any way.
He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with police policy.
The fashion magazine said in a statement Tuesday it had no reason to believe that Lohan was in any way linked to the alleged theft.
Lohan's spokeswoman did not immediately return a call for comment.
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Gear & Style
Health & Fitness
Diet & Nutrition
Stress & Sleep
Relationships & Family
Money & Career
Drives & Reviews
Concepts & Rumors
Hybrids & EVs
States & Cities
Food & Drink
Articles About news feed
July 19, 2014
Your Mood Is Contagious: How Sharing on Social Media Influences Others
A study in published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science says your emotional state is influenced by the shared emotional states of others.
April 27, 2014
FB Newswire Released to Help Make News on Facebook More Accurate
Facebook announced FB Newswire, calling it the latest in its attempt to make Facebook a better tool for journalists and the media.
April 11, 2014
Facebook Goes After Spam Posts in Algorithm Changes
Facebook posts that ask users to like, share, comment, or ignore are going to become a no-no in the near future.
March 25, 2014
Facebook’s Age of Free Marketing May Be Over
Facebook is scaling back the organic reach of its Pages feature, meaning that businesses will now have to pay for ads if they want the same exposure.
March 16, 2014
Facebook’s New News Feed: 8 Things to Know
Here’s a rundown of what’s different and what’s stayed the same.
March 07, 2014
Facebook Highlights the Visual in News Feed Overhaul
With its News Feed overhaul, Facebook is showing how its bread is buttered.
January 31, 2014
Here’s Why Facebook Is Doing the Opposite of Going Paperless
Facebook introduced a new app called Paper, which is no mere overhaul of the social network’s user interface.
January 17, 2014
What Could Facebook’s New Apps Look Like?
Facebook seems to be following through on CEO Mark Zuckerberg's promise that it will focus on mobile by creating a slew of standalone apps.
January 15, 2014
Is Facebook Finally Ready to Unveil Its News Reading App?
Insider sources reported Tuesday that Facebook is preparing to launch its new "Paper" news-reading product as early as late January.
January 10, 2014
Facebook Trashes Sponsored Stories
Facebook announced that it's getting rid of Sponsored Stories, but this isn't necessarily good news for its users' online privacy.
December 17, 2013
Facebook Feeds the Marketing Monster With Sponsored Video
Promote and profit is the name of the game at Facebook.
December 04, 2013
Here’s Why Facebook Got a Facelift
Facebook is making a change to its News Feed.
October 03, 2013
Status Update: Facebook Is Getting Creepier
Facebook is now working with artificial intelligence specialists in order to further understand its users and their data better.
September 13, 2013
Facebook Sets the Stage for Video Ads With This New Trial Run
Facebook is testing a new video feature on the mobile version of its service, preparing the company for the future of video ads.
August 25, 2013
Facebook: News Feed Will Be Better After These Changes
Facebook's engineers, research teams, and testers have been hard at work updating News Feed. How will the changes affect users and advertisers?
August 02, 2013
Facebook Wants to Take Over Your Phone
Facebook launched Facebook Home back in April, but the service hasn't really caught on with users. To combat that disinterest, Facebook has been pulling pieces of the Home app apart, and putting them into the regular Facebook Android app.
June 24, 2013
Is Facebook Making the Ultimate News Channel?
When Facebook named the centerfold of its homepage the "News Feed," it had apparently been setting its aims beyond just friend-sourced content. It now seems that the social networking giant will attempt to create the premier channel for news.
June 07, 2013
Facebook is a Lean Mean Advertising Machine
The cycle of expansive experimentation at Facebook is winding down. On Thursday, the social network reported that it will be closing down more than half of its 27 ad units over the next six months as part of an effort to "simplify our offerings."
May 06, 2013
Facebook Approaching U.S. Saturation: Can it Continue Growth?
Facebook's growth in North America is approaching saturation. Can the company continue to expand?
November 05, 2010
Facebook Takes Stalking to a Whole New Level
Where the function really gets creepy is the ability to monitor other peoples’ friendships ...


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Even though we’ve all been hoping for flying cars for decades, we’ll have to settle for electric cars for right now. But the two newest additions to the electric car family are as cool as, if not cooler than, flying cars anyway.
Motor Trend magazine named the Chevrolet Volt the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year. Photo: General Motors Press Photo
The Nissan LEAF will be available for purchase in several states in December, and the Chevy Volt isn’t even on the market yet, but has already been named the “2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year.”
Both cars work a little differently.
The LEAF requires no gas and is a Zero Emissions Vehicle; it doesn’t even have a tailpipe. It has a 24 kWh lithium-ion battery, 3.3 kWh on-board charger and a 120 V portable charging cable that plugs into a Home Charging Dock.
On the other hand, the Volt uses gas to power an on-board generator that charges the battery after 25-50 miles. The battery will be fully charged in as little as four hours or as many as 10 hours, depending on climate and voltage.
With so many differences in technology and design, how can the public compare fuel economy among all these different types of vehicles?
In order for consumers to make informed comparisons among electric, gas, diesel and hybrid cars, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed the miles per gallon equivalent, or MPGe, to measure distance traveled per energy unit.
The LEAF recently received an EPA rating of 106 city and 92 highway, equaling an overall rating of 99 MPGe, taking the top spot in the midsized vehicle category for fuel efficiency and environmental benefit.
Although the Volt’s rating hasn’t been released yet, it is expected that the rating will be about the same. It can a complicated because the Volt’s energy consumption isn’t as cut and dry since it does use gas, which will decrease the miles per gallon from the high 90s to the mid or high 30s.
It is this type of complication that has spurred on the EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop new fuel economy labels, which are now more informative than ever. They estimate greenhouse gas contributions from tailpipes and annual fuel costs as well as rate models bases on combined MPGe, CO2 emissions and other air pollutants. Public comments are welcome before the labels are adopted for 2012 model year cars.
The Chevy Volt just finished up its tour of the U.S. in Chicago, but the LEAF can still be seen trucking along the interstate highways until the end of March. Its next stop is the Tempe Festival of the Arts on Dec. 3-5.


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Bizarre war on migrants and the Great British F *** Off – POLITICO
Welcome to Declassified, a weekly column on the lighter side of politics.
Priorities are so important. For example, if, say, you had a crisis at your border, with a deadly stalemate in which thousands of migrants were stranded, camped in freezing temperatures and often without access to food, you would probably think, “Quick, let’s take it. a commemorative coin struck!
This is what happened in Poland, where the National Bank announcement this would speed up the issuance of a special collector’s item “dedicated to the defense of the eastern Polish border” (it will be the one that includes Belarus). Wondering if you can spend the coins on blankets, soup and visas?
On the topic of migration-stories-that-turned-a-bizarre, congratulations if you had “the sports store becomes the first line of the migration line” on your new bingo card! Yes, branches of retailer Decathlon in northern France have stopped selling canoes to prevent migrants from using them to cross to the UK
Buying a canoe “will no longer be possible” in Decathlon stores in Calais and Grande-Synthe, near Dunkirk, “given the current context,” the retailer told AFP. A quick glance at The Decathlon France website reveals that there are currently product recalls on harnesses, swim shorts, and multivitamins, so maybe the company isn’t just stopping at canoes and getting rid of any items that might come in handy on the trip potentially fatal to Britain.
Migrants in canoes are not the only ones prevented from crossing the Channel. According to media reports, pies made in the UK will be banned from exporting to the EU if their ingredients do not come from an ‘approved’ farm or factory. According to The Independent, a former Conservative trade minister has raised concerns about exports of “chicken, ham and mushroom pies.”
Is there such an export market? Do the Marseillais, let’s say, revolt by shouting: “This dinner of feet bundles and bouillabaisse is fine, but what we really wanted was a British Chicken, Ham and Mushroom Pie!
You thought COVID was bad, so wait for the Great Pastry War of 2022!
“Wave to people and act normally and no one will be hurt. “
Can you do better? E-mail [email protected] or on Twitter @pdallisonesque
Last week we gave you this photo:
Thanks for all the input. Here is the best of our mailbag (there are no prizes except the gift of laughter, which I think we can all agree is far more valuable than money or alcohol) .
“And when I use very small private planes to travel, it’s in order to save the planet. Do you understand? ”By Albrecht Rothacher.
Paul Dallison is POLITICS‘s slot machine news editor


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There are quite a few lightweight linux distributions around
The SOS Fund is a new effort at Mozilla to support security audits and remediation for open source software projects.
Many people think that Gentoo is just another Linux distro, but it is wrong. Gentoo Linux is a special, different and powerful Linux distribution, because it isn’t like other systems that have pre-compiled software and tools for easy management, in Gentoo the user must configure everything.
tecmint: Sometimes you get into a situation where you need to delete all files in a directory or simply cleanup a directory by removing all files except files of a given type (ending with a particular extension).
It's not often a trailer leaves me begging for more, but 'Tether' [Steam Greenlight, Official Site] ticked all my boxes. The developer is using UE4 and claims the Linux builds are working as expected.
Project Zomboid [Steam, GOG, Official Site] is the rather good sandbox Zombie survival game from The Indie Stone, and it has come a long way!
It doesn't have a SteamOS icon on Steam, as Valve removed it a long time ago as it (and a bunch of other games) wouldn't launch correctly on SteamOS. It works perfectly fine on a normal Linux distribution and I assure you the Linux version is still on Steam and perfectly up to date.
Today, October 24, 2016, the GTK+ development team released the second stable maintenance update to the GTK+ 3.22 GUI (Graphical User Interface) toolkit for GNOME-based desktop environments.
GTK+ 3.22.2 comes just two weeks after the release of GNOME 3.22.1 and in time for the upcoming GNOME 3.22.2 milestone, which will also be the last one pushed for the GNOME 3.22 series. GTK+ 3.22.2 is mostly a bugfix release, but also adds various improvements to the win32 theme and deprecates APIs (Application Programming Interface) that'll be removed in the next major branch, GTK+ 4.
Remember how smartwatches were supposed to be the next big thing? About that...
The market intelligence firm IDC reported on Monday that smartwatch shipments are down 51.6 percent year-over-year for the third quarter of 2016. This is bad news for all smartwatch vendors (except maybe Garmin), but it’s especially bad for Apple, which saw shipments drop 71.6 percent, according to the IDC report
Apple is still the overall smartwatch market leader, with an estimated 41.3-percent of the market, but IDC estimates it shipped only 1.1 million Apple Watches in Q3 2016, compared with 3.9 million in 2015. To a degree, that’s to be expected, since the new Apple Watch Series 2 came out at the tail-end of the quarter. But the news is still a blow, when you consider how huge the Apple Watch hype was just 18 months ago.
We finished up last week talking about the how to find good concepts / abstractions in a software design and what good modularization looks like. Today’s paper jumps 40+ years to look at some of those issues in a modern context and a tool that many readers of this blog will be very familiar with: Git. With many thanks to Glyn Normington for the recommendation.
The results of the reworking are made available in a tool called gitless, which I’ve installed on my system to try out for a few days. (Note: if you use oh-my-zsh with the git plugin then this defines an alias for gl which you’ll need to unalias). As of this paper (2013), Gitless was only just beginning as a project, but it continues to this day and tomorrow we’ll look at the 2016 paper that brings the story up to date.
The kinds of concepts the authors are interested in are those which are essential to the design, to an understanding of the workings of the system, and hence will be apparent in the external interface of the system, as well as in the implementation.
The Krita development team announced this past weekend that a second Beta pre-release version of the upcoming Krita 3.1 point release is now available for public testing.
The current stable release of the Krita 3.x branch is version 3.0.1, and the Krita 3.0.2 maintenance update was planned for this fall, but it looks like it gained so many cool new features and improvements that the development team decided to bump the version number to 3.1.
The command line remains so incredibly popular because it’s so incredibly versatile. You can do a lot in a terminal.
The fifth maintenance update to the latest stable FFmpeg 3.1 "Laplace" open-source multimedia framework was announced the other day for GNU/Linux systems, bringing more bug fixes and improvements.
FFmpeg 3.1.5 was released on October 22, and it's now considered the latest stable and most FFmpeg release from the 3.1 release branch, dubbed "Laplace," which was officially released at the end of June 2016 and currently used in almost all GNU/Linux distributions.
As the OpenStack Summit in Barcelona kicks off, Rackspace has released a report entitled ‘The State of Open Source’. With every conference seemingly extolling the virtues of open source software, this report is timely. It manages to differentiate between enterprise open source and the wider open source software market.
As if there wasn't already ample reason for businesses to switch to open source, Forrester analysts Paul Miller and Lauren E Nelson released a report in April 2016, entitled Open Source Powers Enterprise Digital Transformation — CIOs Need To Embrace Open Source Software To Drive Change, which further drives the point.
However, despite its increasingly common use, many (54%) still perceive external security threats to be a big barrier to adoption, that’s according to a report published by Rackspace.
The State of Open Source study, which was conducted among IT decision makers in UK businesses with over 1,000 employees and revenues over £500m, and looks at the ways open source is being used, its benefits, but also what is holding back adoption and business concerns.
According to the report open source has come of age with 85% using open source technology to migrate a closed source project to open source.
Open source also isn’t just a tool for small businesses; the vast majority (90%) of large businesses are now deploying open source-based enterprise applications, with 25% being completely open source.
The reason for the growing adoption is because of the money and time savings. Rackspace found that for each project that had been migrated to open source technology, six out of ten organisations saved on average £30,146 and reduced project lifecycle by six months.
Greater innovation was reported by many (49%), and 46% were driven to open source because of the competitive opportunities. Additionally, just under half (45%) said that it enabled them to get products and services to market faster.
John Engates, Chief Technology Officer at Rackspace, said: “While open source technologies have been around for many years, it is great to see that enterprise businesses are finally dipping their toes in and seeing the tangible benefits.


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As New Jersey awaits the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on a case concerning whether it can allow sports betting within its borders, an Atlantic City casino is launching daily fantasy sports contests for money.
The Resorts Casino Hotel will offer a competition whereby customers win cash if they choose a group of players who statistically beat the lineup that is assigned to the casino. It is a new form of daily fantasy sports play that, if successful, could become widely adopted by other casinos desperately seeking new ways to draw a younger demographic.
The opportunity to participate in the daily fantasy sports contests will first be only offered online, which is a focal point for casinos in New Jersey constantly looking for creative ways to increase their revenues. The state launched regulated online gambling in November 2013, and New Jersey casinos have realized more than $500 million in new revenue ever since. The Resorts Casino Hotel executives say that 75% of their online customers are new customers for the casinos over that time and that the inclusion of online play has not caused a decrease in visitation or spend from land-based customers.
In June 2017 alone, The Resorts Casino Hotel generated $3.68 million in online gambling revenue, per PlayNJ.com. The Resorts Casino is actually behind competitors such as Borgata, Caesars and the Golden Nugget since the start of online gambling in New Jersey, but being the first of the pack to offer online daily fantasy sports gaming may help close the gap.
"I'm very excited about this new business," said Resorts President Mark Giannantonio. "We expect it to be exciting for our online customers, and soon, for those who play at our casino. The idea has always been for the brick-and-mortar casino to be integrated as much as possible with our online business."
The new business is officially operating under the name FastPick, which is powered by Sport Analytics and Data Corp. Individuals located within the State of New Jersey are able to fund their accounts through PayPal to participate in the new offering.
Darren Heitner the Founder of South Florida-based HEITNER LEGAL, P.L.L.C. and Sports Agent Blog. He authored the book, How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know.


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Preserve Robie's: Who will save this landmark?EDITORIAL
September 27. 2013 12:12AM
Robie’s Country Store, the venerable Hooksett landmark that has played host to firefigthers and Presidents, is closing on Sunday. Whether the doors lock permanently could be up to someone who is reading this editorial.
The store, which abuts a rail line overlooking the Merrimack River, has been around for 127 years. It has survived two world wars and the Great Depression. And now, in an age when children have their own cell phones and families spend more than $100 a month for cable television, it might close forever for lack of business. Grabbing a coffee or breakfast with the locals is not what busy families do these days.
The Robie family, which sold the store to a private non-profit, the Robie’s Country Store Preservation Corporation, in 1997, ran the business for five generations. Since then the store has had three operators. The latest are David and Debbie Chouinard, who have run it for the last decade. They are departing, and the preservation corporation is looking for someone to replace them.
“We intend to find another operator as soon as possible,” president Robert Schroeder said.
Pie in the sky? No. Someone will step forward.
Two years ago, the wonderful old Dodge’s Country Store in New Boston closed for similar reasons. Months later Sam and Manisha Patel bought it. They reopened it last year.
The Weare Center Store also closed in 2011. It and Dodge’s had shared an owner, who shut down both. Ali Rustam and his brother Mohammad Nowaz bought and reopened it. It survives even after a fire last year that gutted the store.
Reviving old general stores in the 21st Century can be done. With a place as storied and incomparable as Robie’s, it has to be done. The people of New Hampshire cannot let this landmark fade into history. One of you can do this. Will it be you?


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KFH-Bahrain launches Web payment channel
Manama, August 28, 2013
Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain, a leading provider of Islamic banking services, has launched a new Web-based pay channel on the e-banking website that allows its clients to pay credit card dues.
This new service allows KFH-Bahrain clients to pay their credit card bills on the Internet directly using any debit card supported by BENEFIT network.
Khalid Rafea, executive manager and head of Banking Group at KFH-Bahrain said: "We are keen on improving and developing our banking services provided to our customers.”
“Therefore, we are working on providing convenient payment channels to enable our customers to pay their credit card bills from KFH-Bahrain anywhere, either from work or home. The new webpay channel is safe and secure and it saves our clients lot of time and effort.”
"We are committed to provide the best financial services to our customers. These initiatives are very important for us in order to become a leading bank in providing the best financial products and services in the market. Also this service will be enabled for payments of other services provided by the bank and will be announced soon" Rafea added.
The new Webpay channel using BENEFIT debit cards is an added value to the payment channels within the bank, where one can pay credit card bills from KFH-Bahrain using an ATM debit card from any local bank supported by the BENEFIT network, a statement said. – TradeArabia News Service


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Retired auto technician Pete Wright had been working on rotary engines for a few years when, in 1978, Mazda Motor Corp. put one in its new RX-7 sports car. Soon Wright was fixing a lot of clutches.
“People were burning them out right and left, pushing their RX-7s,” he recalls. “One owner blew out three clutches in a year. It was a hot car.”
The RX-7 ended its North American run in 1995, and its unconventional engine took a 9-year hiatus in the U.S. It returns in an all-new vehicle, the ’04 RX-8. It proves Mazda is persistent or the rotary is resilient – or both.
|Judge Steve Finlay|
The RX-8’s engine cranks out about as much power as the previous-generation turbocharged rotary in the RX-7, but it’s 30% lighter and more compact. The RX-8 with a 6-speed manual transmission delivers 238 hp. That’s impressive for a lightweight 1.3L engine (although power peaks require high rpm levels).
You won’t find more than one rotary engine among Ward's 10 Best Engines (or any other engine list for that matter) because there’s only one: Mazda’s.
But it’s noteworthy. Not only does the new one squeeze out the juice, it does so smoothly and quietly due to the nature of its two spinning, triangular trochoids, rather than the action of pumping pistons. “It’s a pretty simple engine, and that’s the beauty of it,” says Wright.
A German, Felix Wankel, invented the rotary, a.k.a. the Wankel. NSU, a precursor to today’s Audi AG, was first to introduce a rotary-powered production vehicle in 1958. Only Mazda stuck with it.
It was a hit when Mazda first introduced it in the RX-3 compact in 1967.
“The public loved it, and it initially sold well,” says industry veteran David C. Smith, former editor-in-chief of Ward's AutoWorld and founder of the Ward's Wankel Report, a newsletter that evolved into today’s Ward's Engine and Vehicle Technology Update. “There were 30 rotary engine licensees around the world. There was talk of all sorts of applications, from helicopters to lawn mowers.”
General Motors Corp. planned to put Wankels in various vehicles. But for all its advantages, the engine got so-so fuel economy (and still does). Emissions issues and the fuel crisis of the mid-1970s scared off GM. After that, rotary engines fell short of their predicted popularity.
Several auto makers experimented with rotary engines over the years. Conspicuously absent was Ford Motor Co. Late Chairman Henry Ford II said the concept was dumb.
Today, Ford owns controlling interest in Mazda Motor Corp., keeper of the rotary. Its U.S. return wouldn’t have occurred without Ford approval.


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It is never a bad time to start prioritizing your health. That is why Beauty and Lifestyle Expert, Emily Loftiss, has teamed up with the Vitamin Shoppe to promote essential tips for boosting overall wellness and joined Inside South Florida to tell us more.
If you like jellybeans, then Solgar's multivitamins are perfect for you. “This brand just launched a line of jellybean supplements that provide nutritional support with a dash of fun,” says Loftiss. “These great tasting multivitamin jellybeans are non-GMO, gelatin free, and available for adults and children.”
According to Loftiss, one of the things people overlook when trying to get into shape is the importance of fiber.
“When it comes to nutrition, fiber is highly beneficial to digestive health. Jarrow Formulas probiotic gummies give that body the fiber boosts it needs,” says Loftiss. “This formula, as well as our probiotic plus gummies, are carefully designed to improve immunity and support digestive health.”
For those who are simply trying to feel good daily, Loftiss suggests some lower sugar options.
“New Chapter’s line of nutrient packed multivitamins are made with organic blue agave fiber, making it sweet enough to replace unnecessary sugar while containing 17 essential and fermented nutrients,” says Loftiss.
For more information visit VitaminShoppe.com
This Inside South Florida segment is paid for by The Vitamin Shoppe


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MACIEJ FORMANOWICZ-WINNER OF CONTEST EY ENTREPRENEUR OF YEAR 2015
EY Entrepreneur of the Year is an international contest the main objective of which is to award people who are outstanding entrepreneurs, visionaries and business leaders.
The Chairman of the Management Board of Fabryki Mebli „FORTE” S.A., Maciej Formanowicz, received special award during this year’s 13th edition of the contest.
The announcement of results took place on the 26th of November during an official Final Gala (live broadcast from Gala was on TVN24 Biznes i świat station).
Special award for-in the winner’s own words- „furniture maker who never got to be a poet" but instead, created a strong Polish but world-recognized brand - said the chairman of KGHM while handing over the award to Maciej Formanowicz.
Poland hosts the EY Entrepreneur of the Year since 2003. The following criteria are considered by independent EY Jury when selecting the laureates: entrepreneurship, strategy, financial results, international activities, new technologies and innovativeness as well as relations with employees and the surrounding.
RANKING OF RESPONSIBLE COMPANIES
Last week a list of companies most involved in CSR activities in Poland was announced - Ranking of Responsible Companies. We are pleased to announce that FORTE is on this list.
FORTE HOME FAIR 2019
FORTE HOME fair is an internal trade fair organized by FORTE in a company’s furniture store in Ostrów Mazowiecka every year.
RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS OF FORTE
The kindergarten "Żółty Słonik" (Yellow Elephant) and the employee volunteering program “FORMY - Fabryka Inicjatyw" (FORMS - Factory of Initiatives) were included in the national list of good practices in the field of CSR.


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More than 400 people are set to be permanently laid off from restaurants at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as early as Oct. 15 due to the decline in traffic at the airport and the COVID-19 pandemic.
HMSHost informed the state of Minnesota via a WARN letter, as required by law, that 404 employees who have been furloughed will be permanently laid off come mid-October if they are not recalled by then.
The employees affected include managers, chefs, fast food attendants, baristas, servers, bartenders, and hosts, among other positions. Some of the employees are represented by UNITE HIRE Local 17.
According to the WARN letter, HMSHost in March began furloughing workers due to the "sudden and drastic decline" in business due to the pandemic, noting COVID-19 "devastated the travel and restaurant industries"
"Never in the history of aviation and the hospitality industry, have we experienced such catastrophic customer traffic declines," the WARN letter states.
In a statement to BMTN, an HMSHost company spokesperson said:
HMSHost brings innovative dining to airports and motorways all over the U.S. With stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions, the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the travel restaurant industry in which HMSHost operates.
When travel initially collapsed, HMSHost furloughed many corporate and front-line associates. For several months, we continued providing our associates with benefits, and allowed them to use all available paid time off, including vacation, as well as sick and flex time which would not otherwise have been available if they had been laid-off. We had anticipated being able to return our associates to work as business returned. However, the recent surge in COVID-19 cases nationally has stalled passenger traffic, and there is no short-term end in sight to the economic crisis.
Due to the slow recovery and challenging business climate, HMSHost has made the difficult decision to lay off a significant portion of our associates across the country. We are deeply grateful to all of our associates for their commitment and care for our guests and one another to make HMSHost a best-in-class company.
HMSHost, based in Maryland, is not the first airport restaurant employer to layoff workers at MSP Airport. In July, Aero Service Group (ASG), based in St. Louis Park, informed the state that it would have to layoff up to 92 people due to the pandemic and a decline in air traffic.


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Press clippings about 'Simon Says' Board Game
These press clippings from Simon Townsend's scrapbooks cover the 1986 release of his board game, 'Simon Says'.
At the time of its release, Simon told the Gold Coast Bulletin, 'This is my new game, and it's silly. It's all about getting the players to do something silly, tell funny jokes and try to outdo each other for grins and groans.'
The board game was a big success, selling out the initial run of 20,000 within a week.


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In a two-part interview, Apple's CEO expounds on the company's past, present and what lies ahead.
In an interview with Charlie Rose, George Lucas opens up about the real meaning behind "Star Wars," and how mythology, religion, and storytelling helped shape his vision of the films.
The online retail giant is seeking opportunities beyond the warehouse, and the acquisition of the online comedy service underscores its goals.
The company and venerable university will work together to advance the field of machine learning.
Google is seeking permission to test a high-speed Internet service that could be in your home before Fiber.
Security firm iSight says the "Sandworm" team has targeted NATO, the European Union, Ukraine and industry through a previously unrecognized Windows zero-day exploit.
Google's shopping service is going beyond the confines of California and New York, bringing with it a new name and $95/year membership pricing.
On the heels of Apple and Samsung, Facebook is plotting its first steps into the health-care industry.
A new plan called "Connected Citizens" will give real-time anonymized crowdsourced traffic data to government departments.
President D.J. Lee says the Galaxy Note 4 smartphone/tablet hybrid, set for release in mid-October, has shown strong preorder sales.


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Ben McKay, a student at Ravensbourne University in London, has crafted a limited-time makeover for Sweden’s most famous brewery and ciderhouse flavors. With the refresh taking effect across the UK this summer, it’s the first time in Kopparberg’s history that the packaging has been changed.
Part of the brand’s “To Firsts That Last” campaign, Kopparberg hopes McKay’s limited-edition designs will have a lasting impact. The independent family business turned to students at the University of Digital Media and Design to come up with packaging designs that bring the world of Kopparberg to life.
In search of a bold, vibrant, striking design, but also the bold fruity flavor of Kopparberg, McKay’s “exciting designs” stood out. With a history of using spray paint and creating street art, the student’s designs for Kopparberg’s original Strawberry & Lime, Mixed Fruit and Pear Cider used bright and neon patterns to create a sensation modern.
McKay says, “When responding to the brief, I looked to street art and pattern styles I knew for inspiration. Using stencil art, spray can styling and riso printing, I sought to create a fluid art style with a contemporary look that reflects my worldview of Kopparberg.
He adds, “I’m incredibly excited to have been chosen for this opportunity and can’t wait to see my own designs on Kopparberg’s mainline – it’s something that will stay with me forever.”
Additionally, Kopparberg will pay for McKay’s final year of college tuition and offer him a chance to cut his teeth at Neverland, an award-winning London-based creative agency, in the form of an internship.
Rob Salvesen, Head of Marketing at Kopparberg says: “At Kopparberg, we all want to celebrate firsts that last. Giving Ben the ability to redesign bottles in our core line, a first for the brand since launch, does just that. We are very proud to be able to offer freelance talent a platform to show off their creativity and help build what we hope will be a long and successful career for Ben through our internship and scholarship.
The brand’s packaging designs will be available in supermarkets, pubs and parks across the UK from this summer.


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The computer chips made by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) aren’t just the brains inside smartphones, laptops, and video game consoles — they’re also core components of almost every kind of electronic equipment in the world, from that used in data centers to F-35 fighter jets. Apple, Huawei, Sony, Qualcomm, Broadcom, and HiSilicon are all clients, along with nearly 500 others.
“Wherever in the world it is, TSMC is a significant part of the supply chain,” Risto Puhakka, president of semiconductor analytics firm VLSI Research, told Rest of World. “There’s no avoiding it.”
TSMC fundamentally shaped the semiconductor industry — which makes tiny slivers of silicon into the computer chips inside electronic devices. Many leading companies, like Huawei and Apple, design but don’t actually manufacture their own chips. Unlike integrated device manufacturers, such as Intel and Samsung, which design and then make the chips used in their own products, TSMC’s model is that of a dedicated “pure play” foundry: it only operates on a contract basis and doesn’t sell devices of its own design.
In their business-to-business model, companies can even design the tools TSMC will use when making their chips.
Over the past three decades, TSMC has invested in 18 state-of-the-art chipmaking facilities — called “fabs,” for “fabrication facility” — in Taiwan. Today the firm accounts for more than half of the $42 billion foundry segment of the semiconductor industry.
“TSMC is an absolutely critical supplier to those companies who want to get the most advanced chips available,” Puhakka said. “There is no one else who has the capacity as a foundry to deliver the volumes and capabilities that those companies are asking for.”
|Name||Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company|
|No. of Products||10,761|
|Capital Spend, 2019||$14.9 billion|
|R&D spend, 2019||$2.9 billion|
|Total Revenue, 2019||$36.3 billion|
|Net profit, 2019||$11.1 billion|
Fabulous versus fabless
While companies like Apple and Samsung have built their businesses on instantly recognizable designs, it’s the hidden brains inside a device that ultimately determine its true capabilities. And inside all of them are microchips — bits of cobalt and copper fused onto a charged silicon wafer.
Morris Chang, who founded TSMC in 1987, has been called the godfather of computer chip manufacturing. He spent 25 years at Texas Instruments developing its semiconductor business. By the time former Premier Yu Kuo-hwa recruited Chang to move to Taiwan and lead a government-backed technology development project, the semiconductor industry was extremely competitive — and Taiwan didn’t have many advantages. In an interview with the Computer History Museum, Chang said he already knew how tough it would be to carve out a new niche. At the time, Taiwan had few strengths in research and development, intellectual property, circuit design, or marketing. “The only possible strength that Taiwan had, and even that was a potential one, not an obvious one, was semiconductor manufacturing, wafer manufacturing,” he recalled. “And so what kind of company would you create to fit that strength and avoid all the other weaknesses? The [answer] was a pure-play foundry.”
With the foundry model, Chang thought the country could lean on its manufacturing potential. Though most leading firms in the 1980s — Intel, NEC, Fujitsu — designed and made the chips used in their devices, TSMC paved the way for a future where those companies could design their chips and contract their production out, saving the enormous investment of time and capital required to keep up their own fabs.
“The foundry business model has enabled the emergence of the fabless industry by eliminating the financial burden associated with semiconductor manufacturing,” a TSMC spokesperson told Rest of World. “It allows efficient vertical specialization and democratizes the innovation process, resulting in greater product diversity and faster innovation, at lower cost.”
Basically, new companies that want chips for their ideas no longer have to invest in their own foundries, or rely on their competitors to produce them.
Opening the market for the fabless semiconductor industry put TSMC in the position of making essential components for top tech companies in Silicon Valley and Beijing alike. In a blog post about TSMC’s geopolitical relevance, analyst Ben Thompson wrote, “Today there are thousands of chip designers in all kinds of niches creating specialized chips for everything from appliances to fighter jets, and none of them have their own foundry.”
Stuck in the middle
Up until recently, TSMC mostly played a background role as the supplier of the processors inside the signature devices of top brands like Apple and Huawei — but Washington and Beijing’s attempt to disentangle their supply chains have now made this a sticking point. TSMC’s importance to major Chinese and American companies over the past 30 years has raised Taiwan’s profile as a center of high-tech manufacturing. But Taiwan’s position as an earthquake-prone island that is not recognized as a nation by most others makes it a precarious location for the nerve center of global microchip manufacturing. Last year, Chang told a crowd at a company event that TSMC was “gaining vital importance in geostrategic terms.”
After successfully becoming an essential link in hundreds of supply chains on both sides of the Pacific, TSMC remains light years ahead of other chipmakers. This year, TSMC started mass production of 5 nanometer (nm) chips, beating out competitors like Shanghai’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), which is still making 14 nm ones. But because of the trade war between the United States and China, TSMC faces the prospect of losing one of its biggest customers: Huawei. The Chinese telecom giant relies on TSMC-made chips for everything from network processors to smartphones to 5G base stations, and U.S. regulators want TSMC to cut ties. Now that TSMC has stopped taking new orders from Huawei, the company is left to source more chips from SMIC, which already makes parts for some of its gear.
Though the vast majority of their production has always taken place in their 18 fabs in Taiwan, TSMC operates two fabs in China and an older subsidiary facility in Washington state. In May, the company announced plans to build a fab in Arizona, and chairman Mark Liu said that U.S. government subsidies were a key factor in the decision. But according to Mark Li, senior research analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co in Hong Kong, by the time the new Arizona fab hits full capacity in 2024, it will account for less than 2% of the company’s output. “The scale and technology is similar to what TSMC did in China, suggesting a balance between the U.S. and China,” Li told Rest of World. “Overall, this is probably the minimal price to stay neutral.”


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Africa's leading payments technology company is providing additional payment options for merchants and customers
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutterwave, Africa's leading payments technology company, today announced Google Pay, a mobile payment service, developed by Google, as a payment method on Flutterwave. As part of this collaboration, Google Pay will serve as an additional payment option for merchants on Flutterwave for business. This collaboration will offer safe and seamless payments, as well as convenient checkout experiences for customers.
Google Pay is a safe, simple, and helpful way to make contactless payments in store, and also payments in apps and on the web. Users store their cards for Google Pay in Google Wallet, a digital wallet app that is available on supported Android smartphones, tablets or watches.
With this collaboration, Google Pay users in supported countries across the world can pay businesses on Flutterwave across Africa. With an average transaction completion time of 3 minutes, this integration is slated to reduce cart abandonment rate for businesses on Flutterwave.
How it Works
- Get on a Flutterwave-supported website
- Select what you want to pay for
- Fill the order form
- Select Pay with Google Pay as your payment method
- Complete the payment with your Google Pay details
To get paid via Google Pay, Flutterwave merchants must manually opt-in on their dashboard.
Olugbenga 'GB' Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave, said, "The continued and rapid growth of Flutterwave is due to our commitment to building a platform with simplified payments for everyone. The GooglePay payment option will attract more international customers and increase the current success rates for businesses on Flutterwave. Integrating with Google pay will allow users across the globe to participate in the booming e-commerce ecosystem in Africa. It will enable us to further fulfill our promise of creating endless possibilities for all."
For additional information on Flutterwave or interview requests, please contact Wimbart PR at [email protected].
Flutterwave is a leading African payments technology company that enables businesses across the world to expand their operations in Africa and other emerging markets through a platform that enables cross-border transactions via one API. Flutterwave has processed over 200M transactions worth over USD $16B to date and serves more than 900,000 businesses including customers like Uber, Flywire, Booking.com, etc. The Company's key advantage is international payment processing in 150 currencies and multiple payment modes including local and international cards, mobile wallets, bank transfers, Barter by Flutterwave etc. Flutterwave has an infrastructure reach in over 34 African countries, including Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. For more information on Flutterwave's journey, please visit: www.flutterwave.com.


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On 3rd June, the Distillery will pay homage to the sea surrounding Islay and the mythical sea creatures that live beneath. Participants in Ardbeg Day will be plunged deep under the sea to help celebrate the launch of Ardbeg Kelpie with a day filled with mystery, food, games… and of course, Ardbeg Single Malt.
Guests of Ardbeg Day will be invited to join in an Ardbeggian boat experience, followed by a tasting led by Ardbeg’s Paul Malone of the new Ardbeg limited edition, Kelpie, alongside seafood pairings and a pub quiz on the history of Islay and Ardbeg.
In the UK, each Ardbeg Embassy will have a team that will be challenged to decorate their own Kelpie boat, adding their own mythical figurehead from materials and props supplied. The participating teams will have to paddle across a stretch of water to reach a number of buoy targets en route. Each buoy will lead to a treasure hidden under the water
The venue for this year’s UK activities will be the Greenwich Yacht Club – a perfect location to celebrate Ardbeg Day and the launch of Kelpie. Tickets will be available to purchase from https://www.moethennessy-selection.co.uk/ardbegday2017 from 5th May 2017 for £40 per person.
Ardbeg’s general release of Kelpie at 46% ABV, launches on Ardbeg Day (3rd June), the expression will be available to purchase from https://www.moethennessy-selection.co.uk/ardbegday2017 and Ardbeg Embassies* and for a two-week exclusive period. Kelpie will then be available at Ardbeg Embassies, whisky specialists and department stores with a RRP of £98.00.
Ardbeg Day will be celebrated at the distillery on Saturday 3rd June 2017 and at participating Ardbeg Embassies around the world.
More details can be found at www.ardbeg.com where fans can also sign up to join the Ardbeg Committee.
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There seems to be a new spirit or force acting in the realm of smartphones these days that is causing them all to catch fire and blow up. It is now like we cannot go with ten news item before we come across one where another device has exploded and no, this time around, it is not the Galaxy Note 7.
The aforementioned device no doubt set the floor for all these explosions to begin and after about three dozen explosions worldwide, there as a recent report of the Galaxy S7 Edge unit exploding in the back pocket of a user and causing burns.
Well, the tables have shifted totally away from Samsung now and it is now on Xiaomi for the explosion of one of their own Mi 4c units in the back pocket of the owner, causing considerable burns and damage to their backside.
This is definitely no ruse because the whole incident was caught on a security camera that so happened to be positioned in that direction and pictures from the aftermath of the accident also showed up from the nearby hospital that the patient was rushed to.
For now, we can only hope that whatever is behind the explosions of these batteries stop because we are scared other smartphones might join the club soon.