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“The Internet of Things, sometimes referred to as the Internet of Objects, will change everything—including ourselves,” says Dave Evans, Cisco’s chief futurist. The term refers to a set of technologies that will connect the real and digital worlds by embedding sensors in everyday objects and establishing real-time communications between objects and machines. Evans maintains this represents nothing less than the next evolution of the Internet, a huge leap forward in our ability to gather, analyze and distribute information.
“With a trillion sensors embedded in the environment—all connected by computing systems, software and services—it will be possible to hear the heartbeat of the Earth, impacting human interaction with the globe as profoundly as the Internet has revolutionized communications,” says Peter Hartwell, senior researcher at HP Labs.
But first, the Internet of Things needs to be built. Sensors that understand everything from temperature, light and moisture to motion, pressure and stress, need to be connected. Software has to be written to enable meaningful communication between people and their devices and between the devices themselves. In short, the Internet of Things needs to move from being a vision to a reality.
This is happening now. Though gaps in technology remain, for example, a trillion tiny sensors will need a power source, IoT startups are making a leap of faith that current advances in sensing, computing and energy will be sufficient to unlock a new world of possibility. They are shipping early versions of their products on the belief that their products and the enabling technologies will get better quickly.


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Nikki’s Picks to Click: Google Trends Update, Virtual Kisses, Hashtag Strategy
ADOTAS EDITOR’S NOTE: Editorial Intern Nikki Frammartino routinely scours online media for big news and offbeat developments to share with our readers. Got your own “pick to click”? Send her a link.
It’s always nice to watch the rain as long as where I’m standing is dry.
- According to Business Insider, an app called Google Trends is showing viewers content in a new light … and color.
- Meanwhile, Google and Burberry have teamed up to take intimacy to a digital level (via Digiday).
- Digiday explains how brand marketing strategies are evolving. Hashtag strategy is now the new way to engage consumers and convey a message.
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text: ResortSuite, provider of integrated guest-centric hospitality solutions, has released a new Food and Beverage (F&B) ordering app for Android and Apple tablets. TabletSide POS, which is part of the ResortSuite Operations framework, allows a server to take an order quickly and efficiently, and send it to the kitchen immediately for preparation. It synchronizes real-time with the full ResortSuite F&B module for up-to-date menu and guest information. It also features an automatic offline mode for situations where the Wi-Fi might drop out in certain areas. "We are excited to announce the release of the TabletSide POS app to complement our guest-centric F&B solutions,” says Frank Pitsikalis, CEO and founder of ResortSuite. “This allows the F&B staff to have relevant guest information at their fingertips and quickly take orders, be it directly at the table, by the pool, or even in-room and away from Wi-Fi access."


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Royal Enfield updates the Himalayan and Bullet 500 with fuel injection system in order to meet BS-IV norms.
Following the ban on the sale of BS-III vehicles in the country, Royal Enfield has updated the Himalayan and Bullet 500 models with a fuel injection system. Royal Enfield hasn’t revealed the prices of the new fuel-injected models as yet, but they’re expected to cost around Rs 10,000 – Rs 12,000 more than their previously available carburetted versions.
Royal Enfield had launched the Himalayan in 2016. At the time of the launch, it featured an all-new 411 cc, air-cooled, carburetted engine that was BS-III compliant. However, after the Supreme Court’s order to ban new BS-III vehicles in the country from April 2017, the manufacturer has now ditched the carburettor and Bullet 500 for fuel-injection. The fuel injection system doesn’t have any impact on the power and torque output of the Himalayan – the engine is still rated at 24.5bhp and develops a peak torque of 32Nm. However, fuel injection being the better fueling system, it will result in making the Himalayan slightly more refined and efficient than before.
Of course, this is not the last minute change since Royal Enfield has already been exporting the fuel-injected version of the Himalayan to global markets for quite some time. Also, earlier in March, the manufacturer had announced that its entire range meets the BS-IV norms now, albeit there was no mention pf the inclusion of fuel-injection system in the Himalayan or Bullet 500 that time.
Besides the Himalayan, the Bullet 500 from the Standard range now also gets fuel injection in place of a carburettor to meet BS-IV norms. However, the smaller and less powerful 350cc engine, which comes fitted with the Bullet 350, Classic 350 and Thunderbird 350, continues to feature a carburettor and still meets the stringent BS-IV norms.
Customer deliveries of the new fuel-injected versions will begin in May 2017. Royal Enfield is also expected to announce the prices of the updated models in the coming days.
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What if bigger isn't better after all? What if better is better?
So it's tempting to take with a grain of salt the reports (usually from Google) showing hundreds of millions of active users. You may even find it a little hard to swallow that 22% of adults use G+ every month - the same number as visit Twitter each month, but that's what a recent report from Forrester Research found (Facebook clocked in at 72%).
But the study found something even more interesting: Google+ users (however many there may be) seem to be more engaged with brands than users on some other networks: "Brands' Google Plus posts generated nearly as much engagement per follower as their Facebook posts -- and almost twice as much engagement per follower as their Twitter posts," according to Forrester.
And another recent report, this one from Shareaholic, shows that Google+, along with LinkedIn, may drive fewer social referrals than other networks, but the users they send are, again, more engaged.
It's perfect timing for Google+, since it comes as brands are still smarting from Facebook's constant newsfeed algorithm fiddling. Food ordering app Eat24's Facebook break-up letter may not start a trend, but it was certainly understandable for many companies.
By the way, content marketing is dead. Didn't you hear? Check it out here.


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A security research team has discovered that millions of Android users have a chip that could allow malicious apps from the app store to eavesdrop on their chats.
The chip that contains the problem is present in about 37% of smartphones worldwide, and Android users are likely to be attacked by threat actors before the problem is patched.
Stories like these are a reminder that you must take care of your own security and strengthen the privacy provisions of your mobile device instead of relying on the company that makes your phone. Antivirus softwarefor example, on your phone is just as useful as on a traditional computer.
What is the problem with the Chip?
Mediatek’s System-on-Chip (SoC) consists of two things, one called an AI Processing Unit (APU) and another called a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). In short, they help improve media performance and reduce CPU usage in the devices that contain them.
Checkpoint, the security company that identified the problem, said in research results that they”reverse-engineered the MediaTek audio DSP firmware in defiance of unique processor registers and optical codes, and discovered several vulnerabilities accessible from the Android userspace.”
A “malformed interprocessor”, according to Checkpoint’s request, can be used to hide and then execute malicious code inside the DSP firmware and since the DSP inside the device has access to incoming audio (it processes digital signals), it can be used to listen to anyone’s conversation nearby or on the phone.
Interestingly – and quite interestingly – there are no vulnerabilities that require user interaction to be exploited. Thankfully, however, there seems to be little evidence that the vulnerability has been exploited in the wild.
Vulnerabilities under monitoring have been named CVE-2021-0661, CVE-2021-0662, CVE-2021-0663, all three were fixed in October.
The fourth vulnerability, named CVE-2021-0673 introduced in the Mediatek Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) was also fixed in the same month, but this won’t be announced until December. Researchers at Checkpoint were able to use it. this to circumvent the hardware inside the Mediatek chip they are analyzing.
Why Android users are at risk
Checkpoint estimates that these vulnerabilities are present in more than a third of the world’s smartphones.
In the second quarter of this year, about 43% of smartphones shipped containing Mediatek Chips, up from 24% year-on-year.
If a malicious app on the Android store is fully encrypted, it could theoretically access the internal AI and associated audio data. The vulnerability is certainly a complex one, and it will take some significant engineering to really get there, but it’s entirely possible.
There’s a feature on the Google Play Store called Play Protect that can scan apps on your phone for malware, but it’s still unclear if Play Protect will pick up encrypted apps. to exploit this vulnerability or not.
Security Issues – Especially on phones
Whenever we think of computer viruses, hackers, scammers, and cheaters, many people’s minds go to their desktop or laptop computers. But phones are just smaller computers and are equally susceptible to malware infections and phishing attacks.
It’s paramount these days that you invest in adequate security on the phones and computers you use to work, play games, and watch Netflix. VPNs, for example, are one of the most useful pieces of tech you can invest in your phone – even though they’re more of a security tool first.
Antivirus software also available for phones, which is a good idea if you have Android considering how many Android apps there are on the Google Play Store Detected containing malware and used to be orchestrate phishing attacks.
https://tech.co/news/smartphone-chip-eavesdropping 37% of smartphones in the world could have been used for wiretapping


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Mojang Studios has announced that the long-awaited The Wild update for Minecraft will be released on June 7. It will introduce two new biomes, including the deep dark and the mangrove swamp.
Microsoft and Mojang Studios announced last year at the Minecraft Live event that the game’s long-awaited The Wild update would arrive in 2022. Now, less than a year later, the company has fulfilled its promise. Microsoft and Mojang Studios have announced that The Wild, Minecraft’s big wilderness update, will be released on June 7.
The game’s upcoming update will add two new biomes. The first biome is known as ‘the deep dark,’ and it is located far beneath the surface.
According to Mojang Studios, in order to get there, players must first locate the base of a cave and begin digging down. “One of the many remarkable aspects of this biome is its silence.” “Until you set off a shrieker,” wrote the gaming studio behind the decade-old game in a blog post.
When a shrieker is triggered, players have until the fourth shriek to leave unless they “want to come face to face with the only mob that dwells in the deep dark.” “However, before you leave, don’t forget to use silk touch to mine some of the other forms of sculk blocks that can only be found in this very scary biome,” the company added.
Mangrove trees, the second biome, bring a new type of wood to build with alongside the new mud block. The new mud block can be made by players using dirt and water.
In addition to two new biomes, Minecraft’s upcoming update will include three new mobs. The first is the warden mob, which can be found in the deep dark. The company claims that stealth is the key to escaping the deep dark, which is a separate update that was folded into The Wild update last year. The second mob is allay, who will assist players in obtaining new items in the game. The third mob is a frog that attacks magma cubes and causes ‘froglight block.’
The frog mob is special in that it combines three mobs into one. “Before a frog becomes a frog, it is a tadpole, making it the only mob with a different baby version of itself.” Frogspawn is what it is before it becomes a tadpole. “It’s technically three mobs,” the company clarified.
The availability of the Minecraft: The Wild update
Mojang Studios stated that Minecraft’s The Wild Update will be available for download on June 7 for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and Windows – and Minecraft: Java Edition on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
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BOT governor urges govt to speed up rice sale to pay farmers
January 31, 2014 00:00 2,165 Viewed
Thai central bank's governor Friday advised the caretaker government to raise funds by speeding up its sale of rice from the state's stockpiles in stead of borrowing in a bid to pay farmers taking part in its rice-pledging scheme.
Prasarn Trairatvorakul, governor of the Bank of Thailand (BOT), said the pledging scheme created problem for farmers because they are not being paid and they suffered badly due to have no savings.
"The government should to sell rice from the stockpiles as soon as possible...even the sale of rice will make losses," said Prasarn.


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The launch of the next generation Lexus LX has been delayed due to difficulties in the delivery of parts from Southeast Asia – most likely, these are semiconductors for microchips. Information sourced from Japanese dealer sources Creative Trend.
The new LX was supposed to debut in late 2021 and then go on sale in 2022. However, information has now arrived that plans are changing. It is unclear how long a lack of parts could delay the launch of a new model.
This unexpected message may turn out to be true, as Toyota has already suspended assembly of the new Land Cruiser due to a shortage of parts from Southeast Asia. The LX and Land Cruiser are closely related vehicles, so the lack of components for one also affects the other.
Creative Trend also reports on the rumors we hear for the first time. It is speculated that the base trim level of the new LX could keep the 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 from the current model. Earlier it was reported that the base SUV will receive a 409-horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 from the new Land Cruiser.
The top version of the new LX – the LX 750h – will be powered by a hybrid powertrain based on a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 rumored to be 480 hp.
The interior of the novelty will house multimedia with a 17-inch touchscreen and a fingerprint scanner, with which you can start the engine.
Even with a delay, the new LX may still go on sale in 2022, which is slightly later than previously thought.


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Restaurant discovery app Spotluck will be donating $5 to the Arlington Food Assistance Center for every download and signup made with the promo code “AFAC” through tomorrow.
Spotluck is running the promotion in honor of AFAC’s Chiefs vs. Chefs fundraising event Wednesday night, which pits local chefs against Arlington County firefighters to see who can create the most mouth-watering dishes using only ingredients that would be found in AFAC’s pantry.
The “three-course throw-down” kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at Clarendon Ballroom (3185 Wilson Blvd). Tickets, which start at $100, are still available online. ARLnow.com’s Scott Brodbeck is a judge for the event, along with the Washington Post’s Becky Krystal and former Top Chef competitor George Pagonis, who’s executive chef at Kapnos Taverna.
Spotluck, which is a D.C. area-based startup and an ARLnow.com advertiser, says it’s proud to be “supporting a great cause with our good friends at AFAC.” In order to ensure the donation is made, users need to download the app, launch it and enter “AFAC” as the promo code on the signup screen.
Spotluck has 23 Arlington restaurants in the app and says it collectively sends those restaurants thousands of diners per month. In addition to helping users to find new restaurants, Spotluck also offers “preferred pricing” to restaurants that the user lands on via a virtual spin of a wheel in the app.
“Spotluck is a mobile app that allows you to discover local restaurants and save money in a fun new way,” says the company’s website. “With a simple spin, Spotluckers earn preferred pricing and forgo the hassle of figuring out where to eat next!”
AFAC serves some 86,000 pounds of food to more than 2,000 Arlington families in need each week.
Learn more about the certificate and graduate programs at the Schar School during the Virtual Open House June 8.
Happy Memorial Day weekend, Arlington. We hope you’re able to get some rest and reflection in after this long week. Once we push past some rain this evening, it’s looking…
The Armed Forces Cycling Classic, a series of races around Clarendon and Crystal City, is set to take place the first weekend of June. The Cycling Classic will be held…
Looking for a furry best friend to follow you everywhere? Meet Finley, the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week.


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Company’s truly clean ingredients match petrochemical-derived efficacy and outperform leading clean competitor
BRYAN, TX, -- March 13, 2023 -- BioVeritas, an innovative bio-based ingredient company pioneering a leading upcycling process for the clean-label movement, today announced the results of a recent third-party efficacy study of their non-petrochemical mold inhibitor for bread and tortillas. The small sample size study shows positive preliminary results against both traditionally produced calcium propionate derived from petrochemicals and against a leading competitor in the clean-label market.
In this recent preliminary study, BioVeritas’ clean-label mold inhibitor created through The BioVeritas Process™ -- a proprietary method for turning excess and unused food into clean-label ingredients -- went head-to-head with petrochemical-derived calcium propionate and another clean-label competitor. When compared to a leading clean-label competitor, the BioVeritas cultured extract extended shelf life an average of nearly 30% in both bread loaves and tortillas, a potentially game-changing level of efficacy for manufacturers. Compared to the petrochemical incumbent, BioVeritas’ cultured extract displayed equivalent efficacy in tortillas while providing manufacturers with the clean-label ingredients demanded by today’s consumers.
“An effective replacement for petrochemical ingredients must deliver both a true clean label experience for the consumer and high efficacy for the producer” stated David Austgen, chief executive officer of BioVeritas. "Our mold inhibitor will be a leading clean-label solution that does both, delivering on the clean-label promise for both consumers and manufacturers.”
The study was performed by Great Plains Analytical Laboratory and the report is available upon request by emailing email@example.com.
Samples of BioVeritas' full range of clean organic acids, including its clean-label mold inhibitor, are available now. For more information on BioVeritas’ solutions, visit www.bioveritas.com
BioVeritas, headquartered in Bryan, Texas, is a bio-based ingredients company that is commercializing a proprietary upcycling process. BioVeritas’ products have industry-leading efficacy and quality intended for innovative companies seeking natural solutions for food preservation, human and animal health, and industrial materials. For more information on BioVeritas, please visit www.bioveritas.com.


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there are nearly 13 million vehicles on South Africa’s roads, a third of which are goods vehicles.
IN A BID to promote and represent a good strategy to stop global warming, Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga is looking at rewarding South African motorists for buying electric cars.
Chikunga was speaking at the 41st annual Southern African Transport Conference (SATC), where she said there are nearly 13 million vehicles on South Africa’s roads, a third of which are goods vehicles.
“Collectively, road transport contributes 95.7% of the country’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Part of the Department of Transport’s mandate is the drafting of policy and legislation that tackles global transport issues like GHG emissions. One such solution to tackle increased GHG emissions is to encourage the adoption of cleaner transport options such as compressed natural gas buses, electric, and hydrogen-run vehicles,” she said.
Research has shown that electric cars are better for the environment. They emit fewer greenhouse gases and air pollutants than petrol or diesel cars.
Minister Chikunga said the government is considering introducing incentives for those who opt for cleaner, alternative fuels over traditional cars.
She said the possibility of introducing incentives could encourage citizens to look at electric options when purchasing their next car.
Over the last few years, the global motoring industry has slowly been making the shift to electric vehicles (EV), and most of the car manufactures now have an EV on their names.
While the Minister did not submit a specific policy, a call for incentives to those that adopt alternative, cleaner fuels – of which electric is the current leader – which reduce GHG emissions was clear.
“As government, we may have to improve the design of incentives to reward those whose transport production or consumption activities result in positive externalities,” she said.
Many carmakers have even made a commitment to do a complete shift to EVs as early as 2025. The real trick, however, is getting the public to make the switch.


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Microsoft's efforts to revamp a Web site that handles software licensing for businesses have resulted in hours of frustration for some of the company's most loyal customers.
Problems arose early last month when Microsoft aimed to consolidate three separate Web sites into a single, more secure site. Almost immediately, Microsoft could tell something was wrong as customers were unable to sign into the site.
While unable to log in, business customers and the partners that manage software for businesses can't do things like download software, obtain necessary license keys, and manage volume licenses.
"We certainly know the inconvenience this has caused and we apologize to partners and customers," said Microsoft spokesman Lou Gellos.
The software maker says it is not sure how many customers are affected, but said the "vast majority" are able to use the site without issue.
For more, read "Glitch strands Microsoft business customers" from CNET News.


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RALEIGH — Carvana, the Arizona-based online used car retailer known for its unique automobile vending machine towers, won’t be able to sell cars in the Triangle until next year.
Following an investigation prompted by complaints, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles revoked the company’s dealer’s license in Wake County until Jan. 29, 2022.
The revocation is part of an agreement reached with the state attorney general’s office. An investigation found that Carvana failed to deliver titles to the DMV, sold cars without a state inspection and issued out-of-state temporary tags and plates for vehicles sold to customers in North Carolina.
“We’re pleased that we were able to reach a solution with the North Carolina DMV,” said Amy O’Hara, a Carvana spokeswoman. O’Hara did not provide additional information.
Under the agreement, the company can use its Raleigh location to process vehicle paperwork provided only from vehicles sold at its three other dealerships in Charlotte, Concord and Greensboro.
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Carvana will pay a civil penalty of $500 and an administrative hearing fee of $200.
As an online retailer, it sells and buys vehicles in a contactless manner and can deliver sold cars to customers’ homes.
Carvana saw a notable increase in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic and attracted attention from investors and car buyers.


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When Sega released Sonic the Hedgehog it was one of those moments in gaming that everything had to be right. Luckily it was. Sony would go through a similar situation later with Crash Bandicoot but that is another article for another day. Sega went on an all-out push for Sonic and it paid off in spades. We saw releases not only on the Sega Genesis but the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear. Now, thanks to fans we will soon be able to count the Amstrad GX-4000 among those platforms that Sonic has graced. Even if it is not official, it is amazing it is running at all.
The Amstrad GX-4000 a forgotten platform
Released in the early 1990’s, the Amstrad GX-4000 is powered by a similar processor as that in the Sega Master System. That should make it possible for independent homebrew developers, NoRecess/Condense, to at least come close to what Sega was able to accomplish.
During the couple years on the market that the Amstrad GX-4000 enjoyed there were 27 titles released (according to Wikipedia). Interestingly, there were more than a couple licensed titles such as Batman and Dick Tracy released. Soon Sonic will join those titles in an unofficial capacity.
Back to what you paid for
What is here so far is already above what Sega did, I think anyhow. Graphically, SonicGX is already standing shoulder to shoulder with Sega’s 8-bit offerings. There are plenty of little details that need to be added but what is there is awesome already.
Check out the video above to get a taste of what we can expect here. According to Indie Retro News, SonicGX was demoed at the Alchimie XIII event in France. SonicGX features 40 colors on screen and will see release around late 2020.


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But daily deal site Groupon saw some value in the tickets, purchasing 250,000 of them at a price tag of almost $2 million.
The final price tag for the 250,000 passes was $1,882,000, working out to $7.53 for each pass. The CTA will keep all that money.
Groupon also has the option to purchase an additional 250,000 at the same price within a year.
The three days passes are designed to attract tourists and those who don’t regularly use the L to give it a try. Perhaps Groupon believes they can reach that audience better than the CTA can.
Groupon now owns the passes and plans to offer them to their customers for $9, a five-dollar discount from the usual price of $14.
CTA and City Hall officials said the deal is the first time Chicago-based Groupon and a U.S. transit agency have worked a deal to sell fare media.
Regardless the ball is now in Groupon’s court. The CTA has bought out; selling off over a third of all the three-day passes they sold last year.
“You know, we’ll find out. … The risk shifts to Groupon immediately,” said CTA President Forrest Claypool.


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In an announcement made on the company’s website, Ingate announced the release of two high-capacity products that enable secure SIP communications, the new Ingate SIParator 96 E-SBC and Ingate Firewall 2960. In an effort to meet the growing demand for Enterprise Session Border Controllers (E-SBCs) among large enterprises, these products offer SIP trunking and Unified Communications beyond the protected enterprise network.
“‘Businesses are accelerating their adoption of SIP trunking and are beginning to expand their use of SIP to Unified Communications,’ said Steven Johnson, President, Ingate Systems. ‘This is generating a demand for proven solutions like Ingate’s E-SBCs that can handle the rise in SIP usage. Ingate’s new Firewalls and SIParators meet the capacity needs of businesses of every size at an affordable price.'”


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Two millionth truck came off the assembly line today Automobile Company "KAMAZ". Anniversary model of the car was a "heavy" of the family of high payload — KAMAZ-6522. All-wheel drive vehicle is equipped with 16-speed transmission, set up under the co-production with the German manufacturer of gearboxes Zahnrad Fabrik (ZF). In addition, the truck features a modern fuel-efficient engine with Common Rail system with a capacity of 400 hp, as well as highway gable busbar. Descent anniversary cars off the assembly line was held in the presence of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the head of "Russian Technologies" Chemezov.
The Russian prime minister left for the car door of the anniversary of KAMAZ autograph, noting that the plant was not only released to the previous pre-crisis level of production, but also a whole new level of quality. "The company is the leader in its sector both in Russia and in the CIS countries. 40% of sales — it’s an absolute success, "- said Vladimir Putin. Today JSC "KAMAZ", part of the state corporation "Russian Technologies", the absolute leader in the class of heavy trucks in the markets of the CIS countries — every second car full weight from 14 to 40 tons — are the products of Russian auto giant. General Director of JSC "KAMAZ" Sergey Kogoghin in his speech thanked the many thousands of businesses for their dedicated work, which helped to overcome various trials, fell to his lot in the mid-nineties. Recall that the "KAMAZ" trucks began producing in February 1976, and the millionth car came off the assembly line 12 years later — in 1988. In 2011 it was sold more than 45,000 trucks, which is 40% higher than a year earlier. Income group of organizations of "KAMAZ" was 106.3 billion rubles.


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When I finally gasp to a stop, the monitor shows that my heart rate has averaged 174 beats per minute for the last 40 minutes. I’m a family and emergency room doctor, so I know that is well above normal. There’s a small pond of sweat beneath the exercise bike.
We answer that question and more in the latest installment of the Heat mailbag. It definitely interesting, considering that Dion Waiters has become Dwyane Wade successor. And Wade has done little to diminish Waiters public display of admiration for him.
Here’s an interesting story. George, let me come to you. It’s your part of the country. As goes the Catholic vote, so goes the nation? It sure seems that way. Catholics have voted for the winner of the popular vote in almost every presidential election since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Meanwhile, tablet sales, which were slow to catch on over the last decade, are soaring. Apple sold 11.8 million iPads, a 151% increase over last year. Now, millions of consumers are lining up to buy tablets, and with little lower priced competition other than the nice but comparatively limited Amazon Kindle Apple has smartly positioned itself at the high end of this market..
Look inside the shrubs to see how far inside the green leaves or needles are growing. How far do you have to cut to bring them below window height or sidewalk width? If you have to cut back where there are no green leaves, then consider replacing rather than pruning. Evergreen shrubs do not regrow new needles when pruned back to brown branches..
The drivers also attended Skechers’ annual shareholder meeting last month in Manhattan Beach and made the same demand directly to shareholders and company executives. On behalf of their fellow workers, two drivers, Mateo Mares and Yasser Castillo, raised their concerns directly to Greenberg, who last year made $3.5 million and whose total holdings in the company are worth about $380 million. (Greenberg’s son Michael, Skechers’ president, was paid $1.5 million last year.
MoreTHINGS TO DO, WORLDFirst time in India 6 women set out to sail across the world for 200 daysIn a historical move taken by the Indian Navy, a team of six women officers would circumnavigate the global seas for accomplishing certain objectives. Starting from the Goan capital, Panjim, the . MoreTHINGS TO DO, GOLD COASTSea WorldIf marine life is where your interest lies, then Gold Coast won’t disappoint you with Sea World.
Requirements: Supports WHDH TV Sales Reps and Sales Managers in day to day operations of our Sales Department. Must be proficient in MS Office/Excel and have experience managing a variety of databases. Must be able to operate successfully in a fast paced, demanding environment while prioritizing multiple projects and responsibilities.


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A few decades ago, a farm located in Lianhua County, situated in the eastern part of China’s Jiangxi Province, had a humble beginning with only seven pomelo trees. Pomelo is a type of citrus fruit with a thick, greenish-yellow rind and a slightly sweet and sour taste. However, the farm has come a long way since then, and today it has expanded to cover 2,000 mu (133 hectares) of land, with more than 70,000 pomelo trees.
Liu Yunwan, the founder of the farm, who is now in his late 70s, reflected on the humble beginnings of the farm, stating that the original seven pomelo trees were witnesses to the transformation of barren mountains into pomelo forests that could bring wealth to locals. This statement highlights the profound impact that the farm has had on the local community, providing a source of income and economic stability for the villagers.
In the 1980s, Shijiang village in Shengfang township, Lianhua county, was designated as a provincial-level poverty-stricken village. Liu Yunwan, the then-secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) branch of the village, recognized the potential of planting fruit trees on the barren mountains as a means of transforming the local economy.
Before the establishment of the pomelo farm, the villagers had planted various types of fruit trees. However, they struggled to adapt to local conditions, resulting in inferior fruits. Moreover, the abundance of certain fruits in the market and a lack of logistics prevented the farmers from selling their produce, which ultimately dampened their enthusiasm for planting fruit trees.
In an attempt to improve the quality of the pomelo trees, Liu Yunwan purchased 30 pomelo trees from other areas and tried to graft parts of them onto the local pomelo varieties. Unfortunately, after a sudden cold spell, only seven trees survived. Despite the setback, Liu remained undeterred and persevered with his vision of cultivating high-quality pomelo trees.
Fortunately, policies supporting agriculture and farmers implemented by various levels of government in China have enabled Liu to continue his efforts. He planted 19 different varieties of pomelo trees on a trial basis and successfully cultivated a new variety of pomelo in 2014. This development underscores the importance of government support in promoting agricultural innovation and increasing productivity, ultimately leading to economic growth and stability in rural communities.
With the success of the pomelo farm, Liu Yunwan’s vision to create a sustainable local economy through fruit tree cultivation has come to fruition. The farm has not only provided a source of income for the villagers but has also brought economic stability to the region. The farm’s success has also inspired other farmers in the area to invest in fruit tree cultivation, paving the way for further economic growth and development.
The expansion of the farm also highlights the growing demand for pomelo in China and other parts of the world. Pomelo is a popular fruit in many countries and is known for its health benefits. It is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants and is believed to aid digestion and boost immunity. As a result, the demand for pomelo has been on the rise, leading to an increase in production and an expansion of farms like the one in Lianhua county.
The expansion also highlights the rapid growth of China’s agriculture sector. The farm’s success story is a result of the government’s push towards modernizing the country’s agricultural practices and encouraging farmers to adopt new technologies and methods to increase productivity.
Liu Yunwan’s daughter, Liu Guixiang, has continued her father’s legacy by following in his footsteps, and in 2020, Liu Yunwan’s nephew joined the farm and established an e-commerce team, which Liu’s grandson joined the following year. This family’s commitment to the pomelo farm has resulted in over 100 households becoming involved in the industry, planting the new variety of pomelo on over 1,000 mu of land.
Thanks to the Liu family’s efforts, many farmers have entered the pomelo industry through the farm. Those who transferred land to the farm receive rent, while those who work for it earn salaries and sales commissions. As a result, the farm has signed long-term employment contracts with over 40 individuals. During the peak season, over 100 farmers and previously impoverished individuals work at the farm, increasing their annual income by an average of over 20,000 yuan (about $2,948.40).
The Liu family’s efforts have not only transformed the local economy but have also provided employment opportunities for many individuals. The pomelo farm has played a significant role in alleviating poverty in the region by providing a stable source of income for local farmers. Through the use of modern e-commerce practices and the establishment of long-term employment contracts, the Liu family’s farm has established itself as a sustainable and successful business model. The farm’s continued success is a testament to the importance of government support and private initiative in promoting economic growth and stability in rural communities.
In 2022, the farm achieved remarkable success by producing 1.3 million kilograms of pomelos, all of which were sold out within 45 days. According to Fan Xiangmei, a worker who earns nearly 30,000 yuan per year at the farm, many packages of their pomelos were delivered to Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. She also noted that the farm’s pomelos are in high demand due to their exceptional quality.
Liu Guixiang, the daughter of the farm’s founder, stated that it is the farm’s brand and reputation that have made their pomelos so popular in major cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. She added that the farm has received recognition as a provincial-level modern agriculture demonstration park, further cementing its reputation for producing high-quality pomelos.
For three generations, the Liu family has been committed to planting top-quality pomelo trees, which have helped many locals increase their incomes. The farm’s success has inspired officials from Shengfang township to expand the growing areas of pomelo trees and establish agricultural tourism bases to involve more villagers in the pomelo industry and promote rural vitalization.
The farm’s success in the pomelo industry serves as a model for promoting agricultural innovation, increasing productivity, and boosting rural economies. Through hard work, dedication, and a commitment to quality, the Liu family has transformed a barren mountainside into a thriving farm that has created numerous employment opportunities, contributed to poverty reduction, and helped to revitalize the local community.


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Greg Abbott (R)
AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is suing two hotels for raising their rates during Hurricane Ike last month, his office said Thursday.
The attorney general accuses Hotel Nacogdoches, just north of Houston, and the Super 8 Brookshire Motel near Katy, Texas, of illegally profiting from a declared disaster.
The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act prohibits businesses are prohibited from taking advantage of a declared disaster by selling or leasing fuel, food, lodging, medicine or other necessities at an exorbitant rate.
The attorney general said Thursday that Hotel Nacogdoches increased its normal room rate from $49.99 to $109, while the Super 8 Brookshire Motel raised its nightly rate from $99 to $125.
The hotels also allegedly charged evacuees state and local hotel and motel taxes despite Gov. Rick Perry's declaration waiving them on Sept. 8.
"Although Texas law clearly prohibits profiteering during declared disasters, these defendants are charged with increasing room rates for evacuees during Hurricane Ike," Abbott said. "The law imposes strict penalties on vendors that attempt to increase their profits after the governor issues a disaster declaration."
The attorney general's office is seeking civil penalties of up to $20,000 per violation and up to $250,000 per violation for victims over 65.
From Legal Newsline: Reach reporter Chris Rizo at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Hey. There’s a new Call of Duty coming up. I know, I know. But hey at least it’s not Modern Warfare anymore. Well, we all know that this is going to rake in lots of cash anyway and a lot of people are familiar with the franchise, so here’s my thoughts about the teaser trailer that they’ve just released.
“They think I’m a man out of control, but I’ve never had so much control.”
Those are the words of Aiden Pearce, the main protagonist of Ubisoft’s upcoming, new, open-world game Watch_Dogs. If you haven’t heard of this game yet, it’s set in Chicago, where the main character is able to hack into every electronic device in the city through his smartphone. I have never heard of a concept as crazy and as feasible as this.
Apparently, Shinji Mikami who is the genius behind great horror games like the first two Resident Evil games, is repopularizing the survival horror genre. We all know what happened to Resident Evil now, and Mikami-san doesn’t seem to be very happy about it. That’s why he plans on making his last directorial work a comeback to the presently-ignored genre in video games in the form of The Evil Within.
Sadly, I missed the event last Feb. 20, but I still managed to catch up with what Sony has revealed that time, and I must say they have learned a lot from their past mistakes and the Playstation 4 is all improvements from the PS3.


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On Sunday, the fashion designer and activist received the 2019 London Design Medal for Lifetime Achievement, awarded by London Design Festival in recognition of her significant contribution to the design industry.
Fashion models wearing dresses made from nettles harvested at Prince Charles's country estate in southwest England will feature at London Fashion Week on Tuesday, in one of this year's most unusual offerings.
Sustainable fashion brand Vin + Omi has linked up with a surprising collaborator with the label having created a range helped by the UK’s future monarch, Prince Charles, that will be seen at London Fashion Week.
The Victoria & Albert Museum has announced that the brand will be the next subject of its Fashion in Motion series. Preen by Thornton Bregazzi will showcase four free catwalk shows in the Raphael Gallery this month.
Four months ago, reviewers looking ahead to the February edition of London Fashion Week Men’s all stressed these would be the final menswear shows in London before Brexit. Until Theresa May's deal died in Westminster.


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Jim Scheinman has joined Charles River Ventures as an entrepreneur-in-residence, focused on the consumer Internet, social networking and social media sectors. He previously was co-founder of Bebo, where he also served as vice president of business development and sales. Before that, he was vice president of business development and sales for Friendster.
Charles River Ventures (CRV), one of the nation's leading early-stage venture capital firms, today announced that Jim Scheinman has joined the firm as an entrepreneur in residence (EIR). Scheinman will work with CRV to uncover new investments in the consumer Internet, social networking and social media sectors, while working with the firm's portfolio companies and evaluating opportunities for his own next start-up venture. Scheinman brings a wealth of experience as one of the early pioneers of the social networking phenomenon at both Friendster and Bebo.
“Jim's reputation precedes him as one of the Valley's most innovative and connected entrepreneurs,” said George Zachary, general partner, Charles River Ventures. “As one of the groundbreakers in digital and social media, Jim's insight will be a tremendous asset to the CRV team and our growing portfolio of Web 2.0 companies.” Charles River Venture's portfolio includes such Web 2.0 companies as Twitter, Geni, SocialMedia, Conduit Labs and Maxthon.
Scheinman comes to CRV from Bebo where he was a co-founder, and served as vice president of business development and sales. Prior to Bebo, Scheinman was one of the first employees and head of business development and sales at the first social networking site, Friendster. There he created the concept of “engagement marketing” within social networking sites, mobilizing the idea of enabling consumers to become brand advocates of engaging content and to spread the brands' messages amongst their network of friends. He is a frequent speaker at leading conferences on the subject of social networking and engagement marketing, and provides regular comment on these subjects to wide range of major publications, TV and radio.
“We're still at an early life stage of social networking and the consumer Internet space is exploding with unique opportunities to monetize social and digital media,” said Scheinman. “While it was an extremely difficult decision for me to leave Bebo after three years of taking the company from an unknown entity to the third largest social networking site behind MySpace and Facebook, I'm an early-stage entrepreneur at heart and the time was right for me to look to the next opportunity in the start-up world. After evaluating many great opportunities, I am delighted to have chosen CRV because it's one of the top firms in the Valley and nationwide, especially in the consumer Internet/social networking space, and the team here is a group of very smart, successful and great people.”
Prior to his Internet career, Scheinman practiced corporate and intellectual property law at a leading Silicon Valley law firm. He went on to serve as senior vice president of business development at NBC Internet, a $2 billion public company of NBC & GE before joining Friendster. He has a BSc in Neuropsychology from Duke University and earned a Juris Doctor at the University of California Davis School of Law.
About Charles River Ventures
Founded in 1970, Charles River Ventures is one of the nation's oldest and most successful early-stage venture capital firms with approximately $2.1 billion under management. CRV is dedicated to helping exceptional entrepreneurs turn their ideas into the next category leaders in high growth technology and media sectors. Over the past 10 years, CRV funds have been ranked among the industry's top performers. CRV has offices in Boston, MA and Menlo Park, CA. For more information visit www.crv.com.


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WESTFORD -- The Friends of the Cameron Senior Center will hold their annual Harvest Fair the last weekend of October, on Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26.
The center says the fair will feature tables with handmade items, knitted and quilted, as well as crafts, baskets and vintage and new jewelry for sale. There will be a silent auction, a white-elephant table and apparel as well.
Friends of the senior center say this is the perfect opportunity to get a head start on holiday shopping and to participate in various raffles along with the silent auction. The Cameron Senior Center's thrift shop The Cameron Closet will also be open for "additional bargains" on both days, too.
The fair will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. that Friday and Saturday. Lunch will be available Saturday.
The senior center is at 20 Pleasant St. in the Forge Village section of Westford on Route 225. Tables are available for rent. For more information, call 978-692-5523. The group is also welcoming donations for their raffles.
Follow Samantha Allen on Twitter and Tout @SAllen_89.


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Instant noodles maker Tingyi mulls over strategic acquisitions in instant food
PepsiCo Inc.'s Chinese partner, Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp, was reportedly mulling over potential acquisitions in the instant food business segment in order to revive its sales. Bloomberg said the company's annual sales showed signs of slowing down in eight years.
Chief Financial Officer Frank Lin revealed in an interview on November 29 in Taipei that the maker of Master Kong brand ready-to-drink teas and snacks was looking into acquiring companies and could form a strategic alliance in 2014. Lin also said that the company is considering to work with domestic and international brands for cooperation and acquisition deals.
Lin explained, "For the instant food business, we choose M&A instead of organic growth because it's faster to expand our presence in the China market." He also said that the company has not made a final decision regarding any of its alliance and acquisition plans, but the company will be focusing on China in the next five years.
Tingyi had already made strategic alliances with other companies including PepsiCo and Asahi Group Holdings Ltd in the last three years as it taps the rising consumption in the mainland due to a boost in customer income. Bloomberg said in its report that the Tianjin-based company could easily leverage its USD1.6 trillion cash on hand to make acquisitions in the hopes of staving off competition from foreigners like Nestle SA.
Moreover, half of Tingyi's revenues are reportedly derived from its beverages, 43% from its instant noodles segment and 2.5% from instant food that include egg rolls, muffins and sandwich snacks. Also, Bloomberg added that this year, Tingyi's supply of infant formula for China is derived from the Wakodo baby nutrition unit of Asahi Group.
In a note to investors today, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analysts led by Jean Chan wrote that Tingyi does not have a good track record with mergers and acquisitions integration despite noting that it was the right strategy to expand its business in instant food. Mizuho Securities Asia Ltd analyst Jeremy Yeo suggested that Tingyi could pursue deals in profitable segments like health foods, cookies, nuts, chocolate-based snacks and dairy products.


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According to a report released by tech advisory firm Gartner, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are still in their hype but might be due to plateau in two to five years. The report included bitcoin in its sectors marked by “over enthusiasm” and “unrealistic projections”.
This annual release is marketed for R&D firms and tracks the maturity of more than 2,000 nascent technologies on the road to mainstream adoption. It makes use of five key stages that follow expectations over time: innovation trigger, peak of inflated expectations, trough of disillusionment, slope of enlightenment, plateau of productivity.
Too Much Bitcoin Hype?
Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies were first mentioned by the Gartner report in 2014 when it indicated that the sector just reached the “peak of inflated expectations”. Since then, the price of bitcoin has been on a steady decline before stabilizing around $220-250 these days.
“Physical assets become digitalized and become equal actors in the business value chain alongside already-digital entities, such as systems and apps,” the report explains. Still, cryptocurrencies are rated highly for their potential impact and high levels of interest.
“Although we have categorized each of the technologies on the Hype Cycle into one of the digital business stages, enterprises should not limit themselves to these technology groupings,” clarified the firm’s vice president Betsy Burton. “Many early adopters have embraced quite advanced technologies, for example, autonomous vehicles or smart advisors, while they continue to improve nexus-related areas, such as mobile apps.”
Other reports also confirmed that bitcoin as a cryptocurrency is losing its appeal lately, with the underlying technology or blockchain gaining the spotlight. After all, several bitcoin exchanges have been suffering hacking attacks here and there and the cryptocurrency just can’t seem to shake off its association with illegal activity and money laundering.


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An Australian couple traveling to Bali was stunned when they found an Apple AirTag had been placed in their luggage, and now they have a warning for other Aussies heading to the island province of Indonesia, according to reports.
Sydney, Australia-based 7News reported that Emily Sinclair and her partner Jane traveled to Bali when they found the tracker.
"It gave us quite a fright," she said.
AirTags are an Apple product and allow people to track things like their keys, wallet, purse, luggage, and more.
Neither woman owns an Apple device, and they claimed to have emptied their bags before preparing for the trip.
After being in Bali for about two days, the women said they noticed a "strange noise" coming from one of their bags.
When they investigated what the noise was, they located the device in a pocket on the front of Jane’s backpack and said they took the battery out immediately.
Sinclair told 7News the device was made in Indonesia, therefore they believed it was placed in the bag when they arrived at the airport.
At the time of the discovery, the couple was in a village on the east side of the island called Amed.
The discovery made both women feel unsafe, and they said they were not sure if someone was tracking them or not.
As a result, Sinclair and Jane changed their plans.
"So even though we had eight nights’ accommodation left in Amed, we took a taxi back to Kuta (three hours away) that day to be in a more populated area and (as) far away from the tracker as we possibly could (be)," she told the news station. "We were supposed to fly home to Australia on the 1st of April, but we paid to change our flights and flew in (Monday) morning as the whole situation kind of put a dampener on the whole holiday and on Bali for us, we couldn’t relax or feel safe."
A spokesperson for Apple previously pointed Fox News Digital to a recent update and stated Apple works with law enforcement to track down errant AirTags.
"Every AirTag has a unique serial number, and paired AirTags are associated with an Apple ID," the Apple spokesperson said. "Apple can provide the paired account details in response to a subpoena or valid request from law enforcement."
When reached for comment on Monday, Apple did not immediately respond.
Apple gives users steps to follow to avoid unwanted tracking, on its support website.
Even after disabling the device, victims can still report the unwanted tracking to police, though it is not advised to destroy the AirTag.


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Your industry news - first Number 1 for Recruitment
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US Products' survey finds 2011 carpet cleaning spend 'about same' as 2010
A survey conducted for US Products, manufacturer of professional carpet cleaning tools and equipment, reports that most carpet cleaning technicians (60%) find customer spending on carpet cleaning this year is on par with 2010.
However, nearly 30% say this year's sales are behind those of 2010.
"The industry is doing better," says Mark Baxter, product manager for US Products. "However, not for everyone and certainly not like things were a few years ago."
The technicians said the bulk of their non-residential carpet cleaning business comes from offices (62%) followed by restaurants, stores, and schools in fairly even proportions.
The survey also revealed:
- 55% of the respondents believe their customers shop around and get other estimates before selecting a carpet cleaning technician
- Nearly half said their customers have about the same amount of carpeting as they do hard surface flooring
- About 40% said they always follow up with customers to check on customer satisfaction after cleaning their carpets; 48% indicated they "sometimes" do this.
"It was a bit eye-opening that more technicians do not regularly follow-up to see if customers are satisfied with their service," says Baxter. "Most carpet cleaning gurus suggest this is a very important step in building customer loyalty."
US Products has been manufacturing cleaning equipment for carpeting, floors, draperies, upholstery,and restoration for more than 30 years. The company is well known for its innovative internal heating systems, which deliver 100 degrees C (212 F) at the wand tip; its top-quality components; and its solid-state circuitry, which allow for precise operation and equipment control.
Toll Free: 1-800-426-4225
27th October 2011


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Big Change Coming to Some Illinois Walmart Stores Many Will Love
There's a new national feature that Walmart is rolling out and the word on the street is some stores in Illinois will have it. It's a big change, but many will likely love it for its convenience.
Quick backstory - My dad was a postal worker in Hannibal for more than 30 years. That's why when I hear the word "parcel", my ears immediately perk up. That's one of the words shared by the Walmart corporate site in a press release regarding a new feature they call "Parcel Stations". Here's the quick version of what they're talking about:
Parcel stations help us move goods even faster to a customer’s home by using our Private Fleet to transport more online orders...In many ways you can think of a parcel station like a mini post office that receives and delivers packages.
The Walmart press release is vague on locations, but Retail Dive confirms that Illinois is one of the states where this new feature will be implemented if it isn't already.
Retail Touch Points also confirms this new "parcel station" approach by Walmart. I'm curious how this will affect the speed of online Walmart orders in Illinois. I have to wonder if this isn't an attempt to compete with Amazon who has UPS deliver to local post offices who then complete the at-home delivery.
I haven't seen this in any Illinois Walmart yet, but it's not like I've been able to visit all of them in the state (nor do I plan to). Check out the corporate Walmart statement to see what kind of delivery goodness is coming to Illinois soon if not already.
A New Look Inside Patrick Mahomes New Extravagant Missouri Estate
Gallery Credit: Chris Degenhardt/Gridiron Heroes via YouTube


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Beck Garfinkel, 37, noticed the frog in her packaged spring mix that she purchased that day at a Target in Corona, California, according to the Los Angeles Times. Her shock quickly turned to sympathy, and now the Garfinkel family has one more member.
"I was going to stab at it and take a bite, and I see it...and I scream," Beck told the Los Angeles Times. What happened next was even more surprising. After running to the bathroom to throw up her dinner (remember, she almost ate a frog), her husband shouted, "It's still alive!"
He rushed the stiff dime-sized frog to the sink to rinse off the tahini-lemon vinaigrette, and luckily Lucky was still alive. Beck and her family decided to adopt the frog, and he now has a reptile terrarium with moss, crickets, and worms—quite an upgrade from his leafy living quarters.
Despite the happy ending, she still reached out to Target and Taylor Farms, the salad's producer. Soon after, Taylor Farms apologized and launched an investigation into the incident. In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Target said that it was aware of the issue and working directly with Garfinkel.


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expiredSmart light switches and surge protectors from $11 in today’s Gold Box
Trevor Daugherty - Oct. 30th 2018 7:06 am ET
Today only, as part of its Gold Box Deals of the Day, KT-MC (99% positive feedback) via Amazon offers its Smart Wi-Fi Wall Switch with Alexa and Google Assistant support for $10.99 Prime shipped. Regularly $20, this is the first notable price drop that we’ve tracked and the best price currently available. You can also grab a two-pack for $18.50 (Reg. $30). With Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility, these switches are perfect upgrading your smart home. Rated 4/5 stars. Hit up the rest of today’s Gold Box for more Wi-Fi switches and surge protectors.


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Fonterra, one of New Zealand's largest dairy co-ops, recently opened a new farming hub which is capable of farming up to 30,000 cows, in Ying County in Eastern China.
Once fully operational, the hub will farm up to 30,000 cows, of which 16,000 will be milking cows, New Zealand's Food Safety Minister, Jo Goodhew, said.
"Across the Hub’s three farms almost 400 local people have been employed and around 85% of the farm feed is sourced locally.
“All of this work represents a massive opportunity to boost the local economy and enable important social development outcomes,” Minister Goodhew said.
Opening of the hub complements other activity in the area, according to the New Zealand minister, that will boost local capability and the local economy.
As a result of Fonterra’s farmer training programme in collaboration with the Chinese government and farming industry, more than 1,000 local farmers have been trained in areas such as modern scale farming management, cattle breeding and disease control.
Fonterra In China
Earlier this year, at the announcement of its interim results, Fonterra said that it's goal is to be producing one billion litres every year in China by 2018.
The co-op said that it currently has two farms milking in the Hebei Province near Beijing and another three under development, which led the co-op to say that it’s on the right track.
The New Zealand dairy co-op built its first farm, Tangshan Fonterra Farm, in 2007 as a pilot, to see if the co-op could produce New Zealand standard milk, locally.
Since then, the herd has doubled in size and the average production per cow has increased by 30%, it says.
Today, the farm is producing around 28m litres of the country’s highest quality milk every year.
The plan is that when complete, these farms will milk about 15,000 cows and produce 150m litres of fresh milk every year, right on the doorstep of Beijing. Fonterra aims to have 1 billion litres of milk coming from its farms by the end of 2018.
Herds on the Fonterra farms in China are housed in barns and milked three times a day, with the average cow produces around 34L of milk a day.
Chinese consumption, Fonterra maintains will double over the next eight years and it intends to be in a position to supply that demand.


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A Lebanese man charged with conspiracy to violate US export laws by sending drone equipment to Hezbollah, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Minnesota on Monday. Issam Hamade is facing the charges ...
We bring together the very latest drone news from hundreds of sources across the web! Product releases, reviews
& videos combined with help on finding some of the very best drone deals from stores and online outlets!
Constantly updated through the day - every day -
the site has everything for the beginner right right through to the seasoned drone professional!


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- Sales of nonseasonal products like food and beverages helped Target buffer the impact of a slow start to spring.
- Target has been focused on expanding its delivery options, including acquiring same-day delivery service Shipt.
- The number of shoppers heading to Target rose 3.7 percent during the first quarter — its strongest performance in more than a decade.
The retailers have said the slow start to spring delayed purchases of items such as patio furniture, grills and gardening gear. For Target, sales of nonseasonal products like food and beverages helped buffer the impact of the weather. It also told analysts the lost sales began come back once the weather improved.
"Strong sales growth in our home, essentials and food & beverage categories offset the impact of delayed sales in temperature-sensitive categories, which accelerated rapidly in recent weeks as weather improved across the country," CEO Brian Cornell said in a statement.
Still, the performance is likely to rattle investors who have been closely watching Target's efforts to reinvent its business. Target has focused on new, smaller format stores, a push into private-label brands and boosting its delivery capabilities. The discounter's investments weighed on its earnings in the latest period.
Target shares were down about 5 percent in premarket trading.
Target also offered a wide range of expectations for second-quarter adjusted earnings per share, saying it anticipates them to range between $1.30 and $1.50.
"We applaud Target for putting long-term success ahead of short-term gains. However, it does underline that continued effort is needed to drive top-line growth — especially as the company starts to lap tougher prior year comparatives," said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail.
The Minneapolis-based retailer reported net income of $718 million, or $1.34 a share, compared with $678 million, or $1.23 a share. On an adjusted basis, it earned $1.32 a share, below expectations of $1.39 a share, according to Thomson Reuters.
Its 9.9 percent decline in operating income, largely thanks to price cuts and investments, concerned some analysts.
Revenue of $16.56 billion was 3.5 percent more than the same quarter last year, but below expectations of $16.58 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.
Target has been forging ahead with a plan to reinvest more than $7 billion back into the company through 2020.
Target's remodeled stores are beginning to feature more fresh food, produce and prepared options for shoppers in a hurry. The number of shoppers heading to Target rose 3.7 percent during the quarter — its strongest performance in more than 10 years. Target executives on an earnings call said the trend continues.
"I've talked about the importance of traffic as a true indicator of the health of our business and the guest reaction to our key strategic initiatives," Cornell told analysts Wednesday. "So they're all coming together well. I think the guest is reacting to our new remodels to the new brands to our new fulfillment options to what we're doing from a digital standpoint."
This past quarter, Target said it completed 56 remodels and opened seven new stores. It also launched its temporary partnership with boot and apparel brand Hunter.
Target has also been focusing on fulfillment and boosting its delivery service. As part of these efforts, it acquired delivery service Shipt for $550 million. Target said it rolled out same-day delivery to more than 700 stores this quarter.
Digital sales for the quarter grew 28 percent, faster than its 21 percent growth in the same quarter the year prior.
Target reaffirmed its earlier 2018 estimates, which anticipate comparable sales growing at a low-single-digit rate and adjusted earnings per share between $5.15 to $5.45.
Target said Wednesday that new accounting rules will impact how it reports its revenue, leases and pensions.


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The Sims series, across four main titles and a handful of spinoffs across nearly two decades, is officially a $5 billion franchise according to EA.
In EA's Q2 earnings call today, CEO Andrew Wilson announced the figure alongside a further expression of long-term support for the franchise.
"The Sims 4 also continues to be an incredible long-term live service with a growing audience," he said. "Monthly average players up are up more than 40% year-over-year in The Sims 4, and engagement across the franchise has led The Sims to surpass $5 billion in lifetime sales. The Sims continues to be one of the great franchises in gaming, and we have plans to bring new experiences to its amazing players for a long time to come."
Further specifics about that long-term content were not given, though it was suggested later in the call that The Sims 4 would (unsurprisingly) receive some kind of holiday content this year. These suggestions fit neatly into a broader EA strategy apparent throughout the call, in which both Wilson and COO ad CFO Blake Jorgensen stated at different points that the company would be "doubling down on live services" for its games in the coming years.
EA's support of The Sims has been expressed in other ways recently, too, with EA committing just earlier today to putting the game on Steam along with its other major franchise offerings, and with EA Maxis senior producer Michael Duke expressing in an interview with us in August that the team could easily plan and publish updates for The Sims 4 for years to come.
That said, Wilson has suggested in previous investor calls that The Sims 4 might not be the best fit for Nintendo Switch, since its audience "preferred to play it somewhere else."


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Southern California’s introductory Margarita Crawl will debut in Orange County, Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego from Sunday, March 21 through Saturday, March 27. Presented by Tequila Herradura, the weeklong event will celebrate the margarita, considered to be the most popular cocktail in America. Pam Waitt, President of the OC Restaurant Association, joins Neil to talk about the menus and what kind of margaritas to expect.
Each participating restaurant will offer special Margarita Crawl food items to accompany margaritas for dine in and takeout. Participating restaurants and menus can be found at Margarita Crawl's Website HERE


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Few would dispute that Cryptocurrency – whether Bitcoin, Ethereum, or the thousands of other smaller coins – is a speculative and risky investment. The volatility alone in these coins was showcased this past weekend, with Bitcoin suddenly plunging over 25% from nearly $57,000 to just over $42,000 per unit. This is mere weeks after Bitcoin had dropped from its all-time high of roughly $69,000 in early November. Needless to say, investing in crypto is not for the faint of heart and certainly not the type of investment you would see in the portfolio of a risk-averse retiree. Yet it is possible that retirees and conservative investors who rely on financial advisors to manage their retirement assets are receiving exposure to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies without even realizing it.
Crypto is a polarizing topic, with some insisting that it is the future, others distrusting it as a Ponzi-type pump and dump, and many more who have no understanding of what it is at all. World governments have traditionally been reluctant to adopt crypto because they see it as a threat to their central banks and control over their fiat currencies, but approaches to regulation vary. China has outright banned crypto, El Salvador has fully adopted Bitcoin to allow its citizens to shop and pay taxes with, and most other countries (including the United States) are still figuring out how to regulate it.
Financial institutions have been even slower at the notion of adoption because the nature of blockchain transactions poses a threat to the “middleman” place of these institutions in brokering everyday global transactions. Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, has been famously on record for nearly a decade, repeatedly calling Bitcoin “worthless,” “fool’s gold,” and a “fraud.” Yet now it is becoming commonplace for retailers to accept certain cryptocurrencies as payment directly from their customers, with no more hassle than it is to process a credit card or any other electronic payment.


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Honda Jazz: we have a winner
* We give away a new Jazz * Worth 12,235 * Linda Rigby is our winner...
We've just picked a winner in our Honda Jazz giveaway!
Worldwide production of the Jazz supermini has just moved to Honda's factory at Swindon. To celebrate, we teamed up with Honda to offer What Car? readers the chance to win a brand new Jazz.
And the winner is
Linda Rigby, from Rochdale, is our lucky winner.
'Winning the car felt wonderful,' said Linda, 'I was planning to change my car anyway and I'd actually looked at the Jazz before. I really like it and have chosen one in black.'
Almost 17,000 people entered the competition to win a 1.4 ES model, which comes with all the practicality, storage and reliability that the Jazz is famous for. The car is worth 12,235 and Linda will take delivery next month.
'I'm a bit of a competition queen,' said Linda, 59, 'but this is by far the biggest prize I've won. I'm really pleased!'


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TRADERS have united against a new supermarket in Wetherby this week, declaring: “It’ll be the death of the town.”
Sainsbury’s have struck a deal to buy the Ramada Jarvis Hotel site subject to winning planning approval for redevelopment – a move described by shopkeepers as “potentially disastrous”.
The move has already been roundly condemned by Wetherby’s local councillors and the town’s Business
Association - and now shopkeepers have had their own say.
Among them, Andrew Veale, boss of Andrew’s Butchers on North Street, said of any new supermarket: “It would kill Wetherby,”
“I can’t see anything good coming from it at all. I’m dead against it. It beggars belief that anybody would let it be built.
“Wetherby’s got a lot of specialist shops and they just wouldn’t be able to compete with another supermarket.
“It would be the death of the town.”
Mr Veale’s views were echoed across Wetherby as independent traders voiced their concerns about a large-scale superstore at the gateway to town.
Mike Johnson, of Johnson’s Fruit and Vegetable store in the Market Place, said: “This would be another nail in Wetherby’s coffin,”
“I hope everybody opposes it.
“It would kill off all the competition. People would have no reason to come into the town centre at all.
“Sainsbury’s would have easy access, good parking, everything under one roof – Wetherby would become a ghost town, especially in winter time.
“What would you rather do on a miserable, wet day - wander around town or get everything from a warm, convenient store? Once people get into the habit of doing that they won’t bother with the town centre at all.”
Martyn Lawler, owner of Lawler’s Fishmonger’s in Wetherby said he was also opposed to the plans, saying “I feel that this would be bad news for Wetherby and would knock out the complete character of the town,”
“A Sainsbury’s of this size would finish off this town and would ruin small shops and independent business here.
“It would suck the life out of Wetherby and so I will oppose any plans by Sainsbury’s to take over the Ramada Jarvis site.”
Another trader, Leslie Dudley, shop supervisor at Castlegate toys, added: “I really think it will have a big affect on the smaller shops here and not in a good way.”
“Sainsbury’s is a bigger store than us and would undoubtedly be able to sell toys cheaper so the news is a major disappointment for us.
“The extra traffic will not help either, as traffic in Wetherby is bad enough here. I will be opposing these plans.”
Sainsbury’s have pledged to keep local residents informed “every step of the way” as they press ahead with plans for what would be a second store in Wetherby.
YOUR views - read what shoppers think of Sainsbury’s planned store by turning to page five.
LETTERS - Wetherby News readers tell us what they think of the plans, page six.
WHAT do you think? Would Sainsbury’s be bad for Wetherby? Perhaps you think it would boost the local economy. Add a comment to the story on our website www.wetherbynews.co.uk
Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org or write to Wetherby News, 9 Westgate, Wetherby, West Yorks, LS22 6LL


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Adaptalift to showcase specialist materials handling equipment at MEGATRANS2018
A range of professional materials handling solutions will be on display on forklift specialist Adaptlift’s stand at trade event MEGATRANS2018, taking place 10–12 May 2018.
The company has revealed that its stand will feature its Combilift range of multidirectional materials-handling units, which are suited for handling long loads such as timber and piping in narrow areas.
“MEGATRANS2018 will allow us to showcase our extremely diverse product offering to many market segments and diverse customers in one large show,” said Chris Walker, General Manager of Adaptalift brand Combilift Australia.
According to Paul Hinz, Marketing Coordinator for Adaptalift, the company is looking forward to using MEGATRANS2018 as an opportunity to generate qualified industry leads.
“Trade shows are valuable to Adaptalift as they provide an opportunity to talk openly regarding the equipment and really understand the concept behind it, and how Combilift units can benefit businesses,” he said, adding that trade shows are as valuable for exhibitors as they are for visitors.
“For us, it’s also a bonus that we can wander around and catch up on industry trends and see what others in the space are doing.”
Two developing technologies Hinz will be keeping his eyes peeled for at the show are automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and fleet management software.
“Everyone’s looking to maximise their operations not only from a cost point of view, but also efficiency and safety, it’s something Adaptalift’s very involved in since we have our own fleet management system – ForkTrack,” he said.
Adaptalift, the official Australian distributor for Combilift and Hyster forklifts, is Australia’s largest privately owned forklift company. Originally founded in 1982 as a designer and manufacturer of forklift attachments, the company has since added forklift rental and purchase options in response to customer demand, and now has a national network of branches and a fleet of 10,500 units nationwide.


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Over E7 billion worth of ABS has already priced in May, and it's likely that the market will sustain this momentum up until the Barcelona ABS conference that starts the first week of June.
Counted among the new issues last week was a $257.11 million equivalent Austrian-based auto lease securitization called Edelweiss Auto Funding. It is from the second biggest leasing lender in Austria - a subsidiary of Erste Bank. The Edelweiss transaction consisted of $246.8 million equivalent triple-A rated notes that priced at 32 basis points over the three-month Euribor, as well as $10.2 million in single-A rated notes that priced at 61 basis points over. So far this year, there has been only one other auto deal, but the market looks set to absorb the $409 million equivalent Athlon Securitisation, a Netherlands-based deal, before the June conference.


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Zero Egg? How? Co-Founder Liron Nimrodi & GM Isabelle Francois of Zero Egg break it down on the Plantbased Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano. Learn about the novel technology that will let us all eat […]
EVO Foods Receives Backing from Industry Giants for Liquid Egg Replacer Set to Disrupt Indian Market
Indian startup EVO Foods, producer of a vegan egg replacer on course to launch in July 2020, has received funding from alt protein venture capital fund Big Idea Ventures and also secured its first angel […]
Clara foods has announced that the launch of its chicken-free egg whites is in sight and it expects the product to be available later this year, initially as an ingredient for protein drinks and supplements […]
Dutch start-up FUMI Ingredients aims to beat the competition in the egg replacement market with its vegan egg whites. By upcycling used beer yeast from breweries, FUMI have created a tasteless, non-GMO, allergy friendly egg white […]
Renmatix, manufacturer of the plant-based food additive Simple Cellulose, has announced that it is planning to diversify the use of its product within the food market. Simple Cellulose is currently mainly used as an egg […]
The Global Egg Replacement Ingredients Market is expected to reach USD 1,152.0 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 5.7% between 2017 and 2022, according to the latest study from Meticulous Research.


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While Verizon has had exclusive rights to carry Google Pixel phones in the US, that might change, and soon. T-Mobile may start selling the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL, per a report released today.
A source originally tipped off 9to5Google, but Android Police have independently confirmed the rumor. Per those outlets, T-Mobile will have those phones soon, though it’s unclear if they will be unlocked.
If true, this could give the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL a broader life beyond Verizon customers or those who have bought it unlocked.
- We got our hands on the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the first mass-market foldable
- How good is the Google Pixel 3 stacked against the top Android phones?
- Speaking of foldables, here's all we know about the phone-tablet hybrids coming this year
Exclusive no more..?
Neither publication’s source revealed whether the upcoming Pixel 3a might be coming to T-Mobile as well, though the other carrier is testing the 3a on its networks, per 9to5Google; in that case, users could bring unlocked versions over to work on T-Mobile.
Nor did either site indicate whether T-Mobile would be getting the Pixel 4, though that phone isn’t expected until November, the same month previous iterations came out in prior years.
Neither Verizon nor T-Mobile responded to requests for comment as of time of publishing; we’ll update the story if we hear back.
- The Google Pixel 3 ranks high on our best phones list – see how it compares here


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With 2019 breaking down fundraising barriers for SaaS, India is all set to emerge as the SaaS hub of the world, say industry trackers.
Rajan Anandan, MD of Sequoia Capital, shares his take on unicorns in India and the important things he looks out for
Most conversations about the technology industry in India are centred on the behemoth-sized tech services or the accelerating e-commerce/ fintech sectors. The product story is somewhere in between — we want to be a product nation, build IP and create the multiplier impact that products can enable. But how do we bring this story mainstage?
A slew of Indian B-to-B founders are shifting base to Silicon Valley, chasing customers and global dreams.
As the Indian SaaS industry aspires to reach $1 trillion in revenue, it foresees nearly 1,000 such SaaS and software product firms in the country
Prasad Ramakrishnan is CIO at Freshworks. With over 25 years of experience in the IT sector, Ramakrishnan manages business systems, business intelligence and global IT infrastructure of Freshworks. He holds a MBA degree in Global Management from the University of Phoenix.
Earlier, Freshworks hired David Thompson as chief marketing officer, Suresh Seshadri as chief financial officer and Suman Gopalan as chief human resources officer.
Freddy leverages Google AI technology Google Assistant to help businesses resolve customer issues more effectively and efficiently through a mix of human and machine-based voice interactions.
The new centre will be focussed on building new platforms and to dedicate more resources to its data science requirements.


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Guy Barnett,Minister for Trade
Tasmania’s economy continues to surge as the latest ABS export statistics reveal a record export figure of $4.225 for the 12-months to October 2021.
This is 18.6 per cent higher than the previous year and marks a run of three consecutive months when the annual export figures have exceeded the $4 billion mark.
This highlights that Tasmania has more of what the world wants!
These strong results follow data released yesterday showing that Tasmania has the fastest growing economy in the nation, with State Final Demand growing 4.2 per cent in the September 2021 quarter.
Mining and minerals are traditionally the strongest sectors, contributing about 60 per cent of our exports and accounting for about 5000 jobs, many in regional areas.
Exporters also received a further boost this week with the resumption of the Cathay Pacific flights from Hobart to Hong Kong to get our premium fresh produce into the Asian market.
Tasmania’s sustainable primary industries and resources sector has been a cornerstone of the Tasmanian economy during the past two years and a wet winter and spring has the agriculture sector in prime condition for a big season.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is the strongest supporter of our exporters and looks forward to increasing trade opportunities in the future.


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One of the UK’s youngest gin brands is tapping into “soaring interest” for this category in Canada after securing its first major export deal.
A Scottish whisky distillery has launched an expression made from an ancient barley strain that is thought to have been first introduced by the Vikings.
Today’s younger generation are increasingly choosing to drink less with the over 60s drinking twice as often, according to a recent poll.
Diageo has bolstered its stake in the luxury Tequila market by acquiring the Don Julio brand from Casa Cuervo in exchange for Irish whiskey Bushmills.
Calls made by health professionals to label alcohol with its calorie content “miss the point rather spectacularly”, according to a body which represents British advertisers.
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association gathered with members of the trade at Westminster yesterday to thank MPs for their support in abolishing the alcohol duty escalator.
Diageo has back-tracked on its plan to discontinue Pimm’s No.6 Vodka Cup after being “flooded” with customer requests.
The Serious Fraud Office is to carry out a criminal investigation into the finances of UK supermarket Tesco.
Featuring hip, horror-themed cocktails, pig’s blood and chicken bone, we round up a collection of drinks suited to conjuring up a night of frightful imbibing this Halloween.
Brown Forman’s Woodford Reserve is to release a whiskey finished in a Pinot Noir barrel.
© 2015 Union Press Ltd | Unit 122, 30 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0HS, UK | Registered in England and Wales No. 03606414 | Tel: +44 (0)20 7803 2420


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Raaika Tours and treks a travel company in Nepal has received the 'Best company sustainable tourism practice in Asia' Award in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments & individual excellence in the field of tourism sector and exemplary work in Asia for practicing community-oriented sustainable tourism.
Former Minister of India and Member of Rajya Sabha Mr. Vijay Goel handed over the award to Amar Bahadur Shahi, the Managing Director of Raaika tours and treks at the '15th Annual International Hospital & Travel Awards 2019 ' at Ashoka Hotel , New Delhi. The program was organized by the Tourism Development Corporation of India, Hospitality India and GTC event in New Delhi on Friday, 15th Nov 2019.
Founded two decades ago, Raaika tours is a renowned travel company based in Nepal. Along with promotion of Nepal in the international market, Mr. Shahi is also continuously engage in integrated tourism development in the Midwest and the Far West Nepal . 'The award is result of our work,' said Shahi after receiving the prestigious award. ' This is good news that came on the eve of the visit Nepal 2020 that will help in promoting our tourism on the whole.'
Raaika has been promoting integrated tourism promotion of West Nepal through 'Wild West' campaign. Likewise, the company has been planting trees in the far west as a 'Green Farewest' campaign. Shahi said one hundred and fifty thousand trees have already been planted.
Raaika tours is also continually promoting tourism in Nepal through 'Wild-West' tourism program. The company has been running 'Save the Tiger' campaign since 2013. He said, he will continue to promote Nepal through such activities in future too. He stressed that the central and provincial governments should also cooperate in the efforts being made by the private sector.


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Sizing Down Food Waste: What’s The Worst Thing To Toss?
Sometimes I feel like a broken record at home: “Let’s eat the leftovers for dinner, so they don’t go to waste,”
But inevitably, Sunday night’s pasta and meatballs get tossed out of the refrigerator to make way for Friday night’s pizza.
Now scientists at the University of Minnesota offer up another reason to put those leftover meatballs in the tummy instead of the garbage: There are hidden calories in the beef that go to waste when you toss it.
These invisible calories could help out the 1 in 6 Americans who don’t get enough to eat each day, just as easily as the meatballs themselves. And when you add them all up, these hidden calories are enough to help the world feed a rapidly rising population, ecologists report Thursday in the journal Science.
About a third of all food grown around the world never gets eaten. Americans alone waste up to about 1,200 calories per person each day.
But not all these calories are equal, when you look at how they hurt the global food supply, says ecologist Paul West, who led the study.
Discarding a pound of boneless beef effectively wastes 24 times more calories than discarding a pound of wheat, West and his team report. Why? Because the beef also contains all the calories in the corn that fed the cow.
"If you throw out some arugula at a fancy restaurant in upstate New York, it doesn’t have much impact on the world’s food system," West says. "But throwing out a small steak has a huge impact — maybe more than all the arugula in the restaurant put together."
Photo by Morgan Walker/NPR


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Whether you like it hot, mild, heavy on beans or chock full of meat, you're bound to find a chili that tastes great Sunday, Feb. 5, at the 22nd annual Super Bowl Chili Cook Off at Pearly Baker's Alehouse in center city Easton.
Plans call for 20 Lehigh Valley restaurants to whip up dishes they hope will earn your People's Choice votes and the votes of other judges. Restaurants include last year's winner, the Copperhead Grille, Braveheart Highland Pub, House and Barn, and Pearly Baker's, which will offer two choices — one for the AFC Atlanta Falcons and one for the NFC New England Patriots. Tasting tickets are $5.
The event, which benefits the Easton Ambassadors, runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be indoor and outdoor bars and an all-day raffle. Info: pearlybakers.net, 610-253-9959.


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I am disappointed with sale price however I did read NOKIA was spending in excess of $2b/year in R&D to keep HERE competitive.
What was HERE's revenues last year? Less than $1b....the excess will fall to the bottom line....
even with 6.5b out shares...after tax increase annually in eps will be more than 0.10/share..
lets wait for the details of the sale before we pass judgement.
I am totally comfortable holding NOKIA regardless where it takes us in the
IMO NOKIA is a solid investment for many years to come.
Uncertainty surrounding the ALU acquisition has hurt NOKIA stock...
however I think NOKIA bought ALU on the cheap at only 0.90 times sales.
NOKIA IMO will sell off ALU divisions they don't need... I am looking forward to
several more years owning NOKIA.
Remember we have 2 catalysts in the near term and without warning IMO
NOKIA will gap up on news.
Best to all.
Espoo, Finland - LG Electronics has agreed to take a royalty-bearing smartphone patent license from Nokia Technologies. The Korean company is the latest of more than 60 licensees for Nokia's 2G, 3G and 4G mobile communication technologies and the first major smartphone manufacturer to join the licensing program since Nokia divested its Devices & Services business to Microsoft in 2014.
'We are pleased to welcome LG Electronics to our licensing program,' said Ramzi Haidamus, President of Nokia Technologies. 'We've worked constructively with LG Electronics and agreed a mutually beneficial approach, including the use of independent arbitration to resolve any differences. This agreement sets the scene for further collaboration between our companies in future.'
The detailed royalty payment obligations will be subject to commercial arbitration, expected to conclude within a 1-2 year timeframe. Other terms of the agreement remain confidential between the two companies.


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Late last week, Apple CEO said the public’s initial response to the launch of the new Apple Card Savings Feature on the iPhone has been “incredible.”
Cook’s comments came on Thursday’s quarterly earnings call. Cook said both the new savings account and the new Apple Pay Later financing feature help customers to live a “healthier financial life,” adding that he is “very excited about the first days of both of them.”
Apple in April announced the immediate availability of its much-anticipated Apple Card Savings feature with an initial APY of 4.15%. The savings account has no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements, and it can easily be set up and managed directly from Apple Card in Wallet.
The new Apple-branded high-yield savings account saw up to $990 million in deposits during the first four days after launch, says a new report from Forbes.
Forbes came up with the $990 million figure by speaking with “two anonymous sources with knowledge of how the Apple Savings account performed.” However, that number has not been officially confirmed by either Apple or its financial partner Goldman Sachs.
Apple’s credit card and savings account are available in the U.S. only.


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Back in July, when we announced that Matador Restaurant and Tequila Bar, a Seattle-based Tex-Mex restaurant, had signed a lease on the now-shuttered Heidi's Deli space in Highland, outspoken opponents weren't particularly shy about voicing their dismay: "I think most of us in the Highlands could really care less. We would rather spend our money locally not at a chain with crappy service and food because they're not invested in their business or community," wrote one cranky commenter. Be that as it may, Zak Melang, who co-owns Matador with partner Nate Opper, was all smiles last night during a packed-to-the-rafters preview party, and to the antagonists who are kvetching, Melang says this: "There hasn't been a day that's gone by that five or six people haven't stopped in front of the door to get their picture taken. The interest is there."
See also: Matador will open in Highland
In fact, Melang, who opened the first Matador in Seattle in 2004, contends that the Seattle store has more than its share of regulars, some of whom have made the shrine to skulls a weekly habit. "We have people coming in three, four times a week," he says. "We offer great value for what you get, our plates are beautiful, we make just about everything from scratch, including our chips, and while this isn't authentic Mexican food -- that's not what we're going for -- I truly believe that this is the best Tex-Mex food out there," he adds, noting, too, that he and his staff are "experts in tequila."
To prove his point, he gestures to the expansive back bar, a hallowed enrichment of the distilled spirit that gets it potent buzz from the fermented juices of the blue agave plant. Melang estimates that the wooden shelves harbor more than 110 tequilas, plus a dozen mezcals and a a few sotols. "It's my hope," says Melang, to "have the largest tequila selection in the state, and we'll keep upping the count as more great tequilas are made."
The tequilas obviously pair well with Matador's Mexican cuisine, a homage to tacos and enchiladas, burritos and fajitas, nachos and ceviche, queso, carnitas and carne asada. And a twice-daily happy hour -- 4 to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. -- features "Texas size" nachos, pork verde flautas, ancho-chile wings, a taco plate, habanero- or garlic-prawns, and several more dishes for just $5 each.
"Our goal is to bring value and quality, both with our tequilas and our food, to the Highland neighborhood," says Melang, adding that his decision to open Matador in an area that already has its share of Mexican restaurants, including Pinche Taqueria, El Camino and Chipotle, was dictated by the space itself. "I've wanted to do this concept in Denver for the past six years, and this is just an awesome, awesome neighborhood, plus there's not a lot of turnover, and when we found out that this building was available, we knew it was the perfect spot for us," he adds.
And as anyone who has walked past Matador's facade knows, it's a space to behold. A fire pit, rimmed with ten seats, sits front-and-center in the bar area, creating a focal point for everything that surrounds it: custom-designed tables, a fascinating, patterned bar top created from five different woods amounting to well over 1,000 individual pieces and 4,000 nails, most of which were pounded by Melang, who admits that he "loves to build and design restaurants." Intricate metal work; antiqued sconces that glow dim; hardwood floors; Mexican folk art, including Gothic brides; red brick walls; and a wrought-iron horned bull that casts its gaze upon bar patrons, bedeck the quarters. In addition, hand-crafted skulls, designed by local artists, are mounted to the walls -- and they're being auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Beginning tomorrow, the skulls go on sale at a starting bid of $400. The online auction with continue through the duration of this year, and the winners of the skulls can choose to keep them secured on the wall, flanked by a plaque with the winner's name, or take them home. All of the profits from the auction will benefit the Conflict Center, a local nonprofit.
Matador will open tomorrow at 4 p.m, and on Saturday, it'll start its regular hours of 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Kids, however, are not allowed past 9 p.m. "Adults like adult places, and this is an adult place," says Melang, the father of three. "I love kids, I have three, and I'm probably going to have more, but after 9 p.m., this is for grownups."
With that disclaimer out of the way, here's a sneak peek at the space, the cocktails and the food.
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