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The Honda Dio has always been one of the best-selling scooters in the Indian market and now it looks ready to take on its competition in its 2017 avatar.HMSI has unveiled a picture of the new 2017 Honda Dio with an updates design. From the picture it is clear that Honda have stuck to the tried-and-tested look with a few subtle additions.
The first of these to catch your eye will be the light strip on the front cowl above the headlamp. Considering the fact that the new model is most likely to be BS IV-compliant and will feature AHO (Auto Headlamp On), this strip might be part of the AHO unit. In addition to a dual-tone paint job and graphics, Honda might offer the Dio in yellow/grey, white/blue and orange/matte grey colour options.
Honda will be announcing the details and pics of the 2017 Dino soon. With the right upgrades and pricing, the Dio could draw in youngsters by the hundreds.
Want to know what the Honda motorcycle division has been up to?
Story by: Joshua Varghese


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A proposed class-action lawsuit targets Apple Pay, alleging that Apple has an illegal monopoly on contactless payments on iPhone, allowing it to force card issuers to pay fees (via Bloomberg). The lawsuit is being initiated by Iowa-based Affinity Credit Union, which issues debit and credit cards compatible with Apple Pay, but the company’s lawyers hope to turn it into a class action so other card issuers can join the lawsuit.
According to the complaint, which you can read in full below, Apple makes over $1 billion annually by charging credit card companies up to 0.15 percent per transaction in Apple Pay fees, and yet those same card issuers don’t have to pay anything when their customers use “functionally identical Android wallets”. The lawsuit alleges that Apple violates antitrust laws by making Apple Pay the only service capable of making NFC payments on its iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches. It also says Apple is preventing card issuers from passing these fees on to customers, resulting in iPhone owners having no incentive to find a cheaper payment method.
As we discussed at length during the Epic vs Apple Legal proceedings, a case like this may depend on what a judge decides for the relevant market – here the plaintiffs say that Apple has a monopoly on “Tap and Pay iOS mobile wallets”. But even if a judge agrees that’s true, he could still rule that there’s no true monopoly because customers can always switch to Android where there are other mobile wallets.
Claims are not automatically granted class action status—a judge must decide whether or not to grant it. However, the law firm handling Affinity’s case, Hagens Berman, has some track record of class action lawsuits against Apple; It was involved in getting developers a $100 million settlement after allegations that App Store rules were unfair, as well as the e-book price-fixing case that ended with Apple bouncing around Returned $400 million to customers.
The goal of the lawsuit, according to a press release from the law firm, is to change Apple’s policies that force all contactless payments to go through Apple Pay and get the company to reimburse card issuers for fees the plaintiffs are illegally claiming make charged.
This isn’t the only challenge Apple faces when running Apple Pay. The EU recently objected to the fact that third-party developers cannot use the iPhone’s NFC system for payments, claiming that the restrictions result in “less innovation and consumer choice for mobile wallets on iPhones”. Now the company could also face a lawsuit in the United States over the problem.
Apple didn’t immediately respond The edge‘s request for comment on the case.

domain: news


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National Mom & Pop Business Owner Day
Help us celebrate National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day. Small businesses are a vital part of our community and we want you to get out and shop with our local businesses on Saturday, March 25. Participating businesses will be doing drawings for giveaways and having special sales on this day. The event will feature Bill Glasscock as DJ, playing all of your favorites from the past and The Tim Sinnott Memorial Car Show.


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The Retail Profitability Challenge has been saved
The Retail Profitability Challenge
A brave new world
The retail industry is going through a period of unprecedented change. You need to act quickly and decisively to remain relevant in today’s market.
Following a period of unprecedented change the retail industry is facing an environment where margins are increasingly under pressure from rising costs, lower pricing power due to increased transparency, and the need to invest in the digital transformation of their businesses. In this new environment traditional assets are potential liabilities and the value of product and service innovation has increased.
After a difficult 2016 for Belgian retailers and a tough start in 2017 there are early signs of improving conditions: confidence indicators are pointing higher and the level of unemployment is decreasing. It must be noted that in 2016, the pain was not evenly shared across the retail market, with online sales in Belgium growing to new record highs. The online channel continues to grow market share in 2017, driven by changing consumer behavior, with consumers choosing to shop more often via their smartphones. The costs of transforming a traditional bricks and mortar business into an omnichannel organisation have impacted profitability. The required investment in technology combined with the variable costs of marketing and order fulfilment are eroding margins with costs growing faster than sales.
Margins have remained under pressure as prices have fallen for most of the last five years. Deloitte analysis has shown for the UK that profitability is declining with three year average margins declining by two percentage points between 2010-11 and 2014-15. In Belgium, the profit margins during the period of 2011- 2016, dropped with 10%.
In 2017, the retail industry continues to face rising cost pressures including: higher property costs, increased staff costs, rising fuel and commodity prices and an increased cost in digitization to stay relevant in a competitive landscape. These pressures are combining to create a perfect storm for retailers that is forcing them to radically rethink what they need to do to remain profitable.
In summary, retailers need to focus on: customer engagement, greater differentiation and focus on innovation that can reduce costs and generate greater returns.


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Chesterfield County personal property taxes skyrocket as used car assessment values surge
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - If you live in Chesterfield County, you may have noticed a spike in personal property taxes, especially when it comes to your car.
Many residents called 12 On Your Side and voiced their confusion and frustration.
NBC12 spoke with some Chesterfield County residents who say their used cars, with hundreds of thousands of miles on them, are being valued at outrageous amounts. Many of the assessments are going up thousands of dollars from last year.
This doesn’t make sense to many folks. Shouldn’t your car become less valuable as it gets older?
Karl Brauer, the executive analyst with iSeeCars.com, says the opposite is happening right now.
“Used-car prices are up over 35% nationally. We’re talking $8,000-$9,000 dollars they’re up,” he said. “Right there in Richmond area, they’re up 37.4%. That’s like $8,300 compared to just one year ago and now the average used car in Richmond, Virginia costs over $30,000.”
The pandemic slammed the breaks on new vehicle production. As supply took a dip, demand went up; hence, raising the value of used cars.
“It’s just related to the supply chain issue, we just do not have enough pieces of computer equipment,” Brauer said. “It’s actually getting a little worse and it’s causing a lack of new car availability. When we don’t have new cars, you keep your current car, which causes a lack of used car availability.”
It isn’t just personal property taxes causing a headache for some folks. In Chesterfield, 2022 real estate assessments increased by an average of 12% countywide.
That’s three to four times higher than in a typical year.
Chesterfield has worked to provide more tax relief this year in light of that. However, residents say the sky-rocketing assessment values will make it more difficult to see the real impact of that relief.
Chesterfield has raised the threshold at which vehicles qualify for total exemption from personal property taxes from $1,000 to $1,500.
An additional 14,300 vehicles registered in the county are no longer subject to personal property taxes as a result of that action.
To appeal the assessment of your vehicle’s value, you can file that appeal online at the county’s website.
Copyright 2022 WWBT. All rights reserved.
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Budget 2015: Big but not bang
With the Government presenting the annual Budget, a roadmap has been set for the year. Industry insiders have called Budget 2015-16 reformist and well-intentioned. On a cautionary note, they have also said that the real takeaways will only become apparent
The Union Budget 2015-16 presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitely has identified five objectives in the logistics sector to be addressed effectively in the fiscal year: improving Public Private Partnerships (PPP), tax structure, infrastructure, making India a manufacturing hub and corporatisation of ports. The budget also had welcome reforms, successful implementation of which will bring about major growth.
The government has infused confidence with the allocation of ` 70,000 crore in infrastructure space and setting up a National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) to raise capital to ensure annual flow of ` 20,000 crore will result in promoting investments in the logistics infrastructure.
The much awaited decision to levy Goods and Services Tax (GST) from April 2016 has also brought hope to the industry.
The industry is looking forward to a uniform taxation system becoming a reality in April 2016, with the hope that the effective tax rate would translate into a collaborative gain for both corporate and consumers and create an environment for Indian logistics industry to offer value proposition. Budget 2015-16 has shown strong focus on making India a manufacturing hub of the world.
The ‘Make in India’ initiative will give momentum to the manufacturing sector, thus leading to growth in exports making the industry competitive.
On the other hand, there is not much for air cargo sector which could dampen the morale of air fraternity. However, the point to be taken here is that logistics industry will benefit from the growth of related industries like manufacturing, transport, trade, energy and consumer goods.
Sunil Kohli, Managing Director, Rahat Cargo
The Budget is well-intended, reformative, pragmatic, inclusive, growth-oriented and focused on creating an atmosphere of pro-investment and cementing a strong economic foundation for the country’s development. Unfortunately, the finance minister has not touched upon the vital issues relating to the desired growth in the air cargo segment which could largely help the country in yielding considerable revenue from abroad. The air cargo fraternity would expect minimal redtapism in accomplishing their targeted export activities apart from an enhanced incentive for those involved in the sector. Several concessions could be considered to all the stakeholders engaged in the air cargo sector such as rawmaterial suppliers, the manpower, logistics tools, transporters etc.
Rajeev Singh, Director General Indian Chamber of Commerce
Even if there are no direct announcements related to logistics sector, we are hopeful for the forward and backward linkages and growth of this crucial sector. The proposed investment plan looks promising. Connectivity of airports with railways would give a boost to the perishable goods sector and this would encourage the use of multimodal transportation. Transportation of agricultural goods by the Railways will help to cut down the related costs. Increasing the speed in nine railway corridors will help reduce logistics lead time, which will ultimately benefit the industry.
RS Subramanian, SVP & MD – India, DHL Express
Speaking from an express perspective, the biggest challenge remains access to adequate and competitively priced space at key airports that enable effective operations. Additionally, there are many procedural irritants in regulations governing international express. Express operators are restricted from carrying commercial exports using courier clearances. Indian SMEs need express solutions to participate competitively in the global e-commerce export market, and such restrictions needlessly hold them back from competing effectively. On the imports side, express operators are restricted from carrying perishables and individual packages exceeding weight limit of 70 kgs. Removing these regulatory irritants based on global best practices would be critical to increase efficiency of express logistical operations. Given that express logistics solutions are an important part of facilitating global value-chains, these reforms are urgently needed to ensure the success of Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India’ and fulfilling India’s ambition of becoming the next global manufacturing hub.
Cyrus Katgara, Partner, Jeena & Co.
The budget is neither hype nor underrated. Only after the implementation of GST and single point tax collection, the thrust of logistics sector can be satisfied with the budget 2015-16. Speedy rollout of GST will decrease compliance burden for businesses and create seamless pan-India market while bringing down the total incidence of taxes by eliminating cascading effect of taxes on goods and services. Focus on infrastructure, simplification of custom process at ground level and going paperless for all transactions are few points where support from government is required. Also, the impact of the last year’s budget reforms is yet to be seen.


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After we reported about the Wallet app roll-out to Nexus S 4G users last night via an OTA update, Google went on to officially announce the release of Google Wallet in United States.
Starting today, Sprint Nexus S 4G users will be able to pay using their Citi MasterCard credit card or Google Prepaid Card, which can be funded with any of your existing plastic credit cards. Google is also giving a free token bonus of $10 to the Google Prepaid Card users till the end of the year.
Google Wallet – A quick explanation:
It is an application on your phone, which holds PIN-protected access to your credit cards and prepaid cards, loyalty cards, and gift cards. But when will you use it – According to Google, if you are at a store with MasterCard PayPass kiosk, you can hold your NFC enabled phone up to it to make the necessary payment without using plastic cards or cash, payment information is seamlessly transferred from the phone to the kiosk via NFC (along with your loyalty card and any special offers already present in your Google Wallet app). MasterCard PayPass kiosks are already available in several hundred thousand merchants across United States.
A quick video demo for you:


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Rare Vintage Wiring Diagram Manual For Canadaair Challenger Cl601 S/n 5180 on 2040-parts.com
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
RARE Vintage Wiring Diagram Manual for CanadaAir Challenger CL601 S/N 5180
Professionally Packaged For Safe Delivery
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Aviation for Sale
Bentley SUV confirmed? MaybeFri, 15 Jul 2011
Bentley are planning an SUV There was a time, not too long ago, when there was a reasonable expectation that most car makers would, at some point, deliver up an SUV. Yes, there was even talk of a Bentley SUV. But the global meltdown and the global-warmists seemed to have put paid to the concept of an off-road luxury everything, so we all forgot about the SUV plans gathering dust in every car designer’s cupboard.
Andy Priaulx interviewFri, 14 Dec 2007
By Motor Shows 14 December 2007 09:00 His racing season might be over for this year, but 33-year-old Andy Priaulx has barely stopped since clinching his third consecutive World Touring Car crown – an incredible feat in a series packed with ex-F1 drivers and touring car winners from various championships. But in-between the award ceremonies, end-of-season parties and test sessions, CAR Online caught up with the Guernsey-based racer ahead of his star turn at this weekend’s Race of Champions. Held at Wembley Stadium on 16 December, RoC sees drivers from disciplines as diverse as Nascar and F1 race head-to-head, country-against-country on what looks like a giant Scalextric set.
British cars dominate desirability surveyMon, 23 Dec 2013
BRITISH cars are the best of the best, according to a huge new car popularity survey that has thrown up some shocks. British cars took five of the top six places in the study from Best of the Best, the in-airport and online competition operator that gives away cars as prizes. And among the amazing turn-ups that emerged from the 55,000-person study focusing on desirability, no Ferrari even made the top 20.


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The Managed Objects company specializes in business service management (BSM), a sector where Novell sees a deficit in its own portfolio. To rectify this, Novell announced its acquisition of Managed Objects.more »
Finnish company SSH Communications Security has expanded its product family SSH Tectia with a security software package for Linux running on IBM System z mainframes.more »
Linux provider Red Hat announces new versions of its JBoss Enterprise SOA Platform 4.3 and JBoss Operations Network 2.1.more »
Ekiga, formerly known as GnomeMeeting, is an open source VoIP application with video support. The Ekiga project has recently incorporated major enhancements into its version 3.0 software.more »
Open source project Panda provides Software to create your own do-it-yourself video platforms -- provided you also pay for the Amazon Web Services.more »
U.S. company Codeweavers today offers a special Google Chrome version of their CrossOver runtime environment for free download, giving Linux and Mac users the opportunity to test the search engine vendor’s new browser.more »
Several groupware developers have come together to work on Project OpenMapi, an open source API, based on Microsoft's Mapi.more »
British company Simplexo now offers an open source search engine by the same name, targeted for enterprises. It promises cross-enterprise data searches in a mouse click.more »
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has announced an even smaller version of the tiny computer that will fit into a DIMM slot.
A new class of problems lets a malicious app pre-configure an invisible privilege update.
New Hack language adds static typing and other conveniences.
New crypto policy system will offer easier configuration and more uniform security.
Ubuntu founder denounces insecurity in proprietary, close-source software blobs.
Vulnerability affects many Linux web servers
The Bavarian capital shuns Microsoft, Google, and other alternatives to implement an open source groupware solution.
Phone vendor partnerships bring Mark Shuttleworth's dream of Ubuntu on a phone a step closer to reality.
Donors will get to vote on new features for the free video editor.
Debian project puts init out to pasture and says no to Ubuntu's Upstart.


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Two of every five pieces of fruit harvested in the U.S. today end up in a landfill, often because it is deemed "too ugly" for consumers to eat. While the fight against food waste has picked up some momentum in recent years, 81% of grocery shoppers still say physical looks are important to them when shopping for fresh produce, which means perfectly edible food is still being thrown in the garbage en masse.
That's why we created UglyFruit – to transform all these ugly and unsold fruits and veggies into delicious, all-natural fruit snacks.
UglyFruit is a for-profit company dedicated to ending the
long-standing, systemic waste of post-harvest fruits and vegetables, by converting this edible produce destined for landfills, into all-natural foods.
By diverting produce from landfills, and returning their nutrients to our food supply, we hope to achieve three things:
- Continue to raise awareness of post-harvest food losses in the United States and abroad, advocating for changes to the injustices inherent in our current food system.
- Reduce the environmental impact arising from the six billion pounds of U.S. fruits and vegetables that end up in landfills each year, where rotting organic matter now accounts for 16% of U.S. methane emissions – a potent greenhouse gas.
- Help feed the nearly 1-in-6 Americans who are food insecure and don't know where their next meal is coming from.


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Promising Software Development Technologies Which Will Dominate 2019
The software development business tops the job chart in the US. As this field has immense potential and touches almost every life on the planet, more and more people are moving into this field and picking up the trending technology. With the advent of sophisticated technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and Blockchain, the demand for software developers has been witnessing a significant rise for the last two years.
The year of 2018 is an exciting and path rendering year for software development for several technologies. But, one should be cautious while betting upon a particular technology for development as it may go out of trend the next year.
It is now an established fact that any technology can fade in no time due to in the wake of frequent new and rapid advancements. Hence, it is pertinent to keep abreast of the advancements in the technology industry and trends that can benefit your business in the future.
Following is a summary of a few promising development trends in 2018 that will carry themselves and dominate in 2019.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Digital transformation is the need of the day for organizations across the globe to better compete in the market. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be considered as the key driver of digital transformation.
AI is on the way of becoming omnipresent and gradually getting into everything nowadays. The leading analyst firm Gartner estimates the revenue of the AI industry at $1.2 trillion by the end of 2018, up 70% from a year before. The AI-derived business value is expected to reach a whopping $3.9 trillion by 2022.
The data above identifies AI as development trend that will be at the fore front for at least the next few years until the technology becomes mainstream. The next will see almost 40% of organizations automating their businesses with the help of AI.
AI technology helps businesses in the execution of several tasks to provide high-quality services and enhance customer experience. Voice-activated home assistants, big data, smartphones and more are a few practical applications of AI.
If you are a serious software developer, keep an eye on the artificial intelligence development.
Blockchain has been a buzz word recently due to Bitcoin. However, this technology has its applications beyond cryptocurrencies as well.
Blockchain involves a peer-to-peer network of interconnected computers for storing data or information which can’t be modified or stolen by anyone. It works as a distributed ledger technology that nullifies the need for central entities.
This technology is quickly and rapidly gaining ground as all the industries and companies are either adopting it or planning to adopt in the future. It is quite promising as it allows authentication of large-scale transactions in no time, thereby removing the need for expensive intermediaries and eventually reducing costs.
Companies associated with all the industries including healthcare are seeking blockchain to improve their supply chain, medical data, administration and more to streamline processes.
The vast majority of leading technology companies is stepping into the blockchain game and introducing their own platforms based on this technology to drive adoption. For example, IBM launched its IBM Blockchain platform last year. Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle are also diving deep with the blockchain technology.
This simply means that organizations worldwide will start building blockchain-based applications and demand for blockchain developers will explode in the time to come.
Progressive Web Apps
The websites that mimic and act like native mobile apps or conventional apps are known as progressive web apps (PWAs). The PWAs are promising as they provide benefits of mobile experience along with the features of browser technology.
As these apps are less complex to develop and maintain in comparison to conventional mobile apps, Gartner had relied on PWAs as a software development trend in 2017 which is likely to continue as a hot trend in 2019 as well.
Even though the low-code development, which allows developers to build software without much expertise in coding, is a recent phenomenon, the technology has grown faster among the businesses. It facilitates a faster way for developing and deploying enterprise-grade applications.
Siemens recently acquired the low-code development company Mendix for $730 million, which signifies the role that low-code development will play in 2019.
A report by Alert Logic puts the following stat:
About 18% of the organizations reported at least one security incident in the last one year
Protection from data loss and leakage (67%) is the biggest concern for cybersecurity professionals
Threats to data privacy (61%) and breaches of confidentiality (53%) are other prominent concern areas
The aforesaid stat indicates cybersecurity is a major concern area for businesses of all sizes and they are looking towards the software development industry to check into this. This opens a new world of opportunities for web development companies.
It is evident that developers with right skillset will have ample opportunities in 2019. Those who are not abreast of the latest technologies may also learn and gain mastery as it’s never too late to learn new things and enhance the skills.


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Jeff Bi's Environmental Efforts Rewarded
Recognized for his contribution to responsible paper sourcing in the aseptic packaging business, Jeff Bi, CEO of Greatview has been given the 2014 Environment Award by Social Engagement Network (SEN), a virtual network of members within the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). YPO is a not-for-profit, global network of young chief executives connected around the shared mission of becoming Better Leaders Through Education and Idea ExchangeTM.
For this year’s 2014 Environmental Award, SEN acknowledged Jeff Bi’s role in steering the aseptic packaging industry towards responsible paper sourcing as CEO and co-founder of Greatview, the world's second largest supplier of roll-fed aseptic carton packaging material to the liquid food industry. Greatview currently holds the industry's best record for purchasing certified paperboard sourced from sustainably managed forests. In 2013, 75 per cent of its packaging materials worldwide and 100 per cent of its material in Europe was sourced from COC (Chain of Custody) endorsed schemes, including FSCTM, PEFCTM and SFITM.
Jeff Bi says the inspiration for Greatview's early sourcing endeavours came from his son. One day in 1997, when still an executive at Swedish-owned packaging company Tetra Pak, his 6-year-old son Hansen came home from school and asked him, “Dad, why are you still using trees to make products at work? It’s bad for the environment”.
“When I started my own business, Greatview, I needed to put my money where my mouth was,” says Bi. “Although we lost money in the beginning, we started to certify our fiber source. It was the right thing to do,” he says. “Although we lost money in the beginning, we started to certify our fiber source. It was the right thing to do,” he says.
In granting the honor, SEN Chairman Jim Kenefick said: “The SEN awards are a wonderful way to focus on and honor the forward-thinking efforts and success of today’s business leaders and companies – all with their eyes on the triple bottom-line of ‘people, planet and profits’. Jeff Bi is one such example of a business leader who is helping to improve the way the world does business.”
About SEN and YPO
The Social Engagement Network (SEN) awards honor YPO member companies for their commitment to making a difference to society at large. Every company honored is going beyond the bottom line through programs that make social responsibility an equal partner with profits. The annual award is sponsored by YPO’s Social Engagement Network, which connects business leaders with a shared commitment to philanthropic, humanitarian and social engagement endeavors. The 2014 award evaluated achievements in the categories of Inclusive Business and Community; Environment; Philanthropy and Leadership.
YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization) is a not-for-profit, global network of young chief executives connected through the shared mission of becoming Better Leaders Through Education and Idea ExchangeTM. Founded in 1950, YPO today provides 22,000 peers and their families in more than 125 countries with access to unique experiences, extraordinary educational resources, access to alliances with top learning institutions, and participation in specialized networks to support their business, community and personal leadership. Altogether, YPO member-run companies employ more than 15 million people around the world and generate US$6 trillion in annual revenues.
For more information, visit www.ypo.org.


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Since the launch of its Belt and Road Initiative a decade ago, China has sought to expand its geopolitical and commercial influence in Latin America, a region rich in natural resources, Voice of America reported on October 17. Beijing’s reach expanded in the region through predatory loans, trade agreements, and advantageous investments in infrastructure, as well as mineral extraction, which prey on the flora and fauna of this hemisphere.
Now, China has set its sight on Nicaragua’s production, contributing to more unemployment, poverty, and migration, said Arturo McFields Yescas, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States. “China sells a lot and buys little. And it always offers poor quality products, which do not meet international standards.”
On October 16, China and Nicaragua signed an agreement to rebuild Managua’s Punta Huete International Airport, EFE reported. Six weeks earlier, the two countries had signed a free trade agreement.
“Nicaragua does not have the natural resources, productive capacity, technological resources, or logistical conditions to turn China into a destination for its exports,” Nicaraguan economist and lawyer Enrique Sáenz told Diálogo. “The limited export basket, distances, transportation, and insurance costs, together with the lack of commercial and financial logistics, leave little room for competitive exports. On the other hand, Nicaragua has neither the capacity nor the resources to control or inspect the thousands of toxic or poor quality products coming from China.”
Although pro-regime media El 19 Digital reported that Nicaragua recognizes that attempting to turn China into the main buyer of its agricultural and free trade zone products will require a colossal effort, even promoting partnerships between producers to comply with the commitments, reality is quite another.
The bad experience in the region in negotiating with China says otherwise. These agreements, forged in opacity, have not built a “win-win” relationship and have not unleashed an economic spillover. Costa Rica and El Salvador for instance closed 2022 with a trade deficit of more than $3.6 and $7 billion with China respectively, according to Nicaraguan news site Artículo 66.
“The possibility that economies such as Nicaragua or El Salvador could benefit from a free trade agreement with China are very small,” Ricardo Castaneda, senior economist at the Central American Institute for Fiscal Studies, told Nicaraguan media Confidencial. “Since the reestablishment of relations, the trade balance is negative and is rather greater. So the most logical thing is that Chinese companies will be the ones to benefit most from these agreements.”
Economists agree that China’s promises in the region are far from being fulfilled, since the main trading partner has been, is, and will continue to be the United States, due to its greater commercial, technological, and economic capacity. The U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua indicated that in 2022, 61 percent of Nicaraguan exports had the United States as their destination.
“The United States buys from Nicaragua up to two-thirds of its exportable supply within the framework of CAFTA, which is the free trade agreement between the United States, Central America, and the Dominican Republic,” Marco Aurelio Peña, an academic and specialist in economic development and researcher at the Center for Transdisciplinary Studies of Central America, told Diálogo. “And from that country also comes the largest amount of remittances from abroad. Eight out of every 10 dollars that enter the country come from there. In addition, it is the major recipient of Nicaraguan exiles for political reasons.”
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Central America doubled its exports to the United States in 16 years, from more than $18 billion in 2006 to $35.6 billion in 2022.
Delusion of power
Despite the economic discourse that the Ortega-Murillo regime reiterates through official media, economists and specialists argue that the Nicaragua-China trade agreement is more of a lifeline attempt for the dictatorship.
“Ortega has always had delusions of being a world leader. It is clear that news where he appears together with the Iranian president, or with the Russian chancellor, or signing agreements with China, feed those delusions,” Sáenz said. “In the face of international isolation, even with Latin American leftist governments, he pretends to appear as a privileged partner of China, to boast of great alliances with adversary powers of the West.”
This relationship is also seen as a “counterweight” for the oppressive Nicaraguan regime, to face the sanctions that other countries impose on them, for human rights violations and crimes against humanity.
“Naturally, those who care that this relationship develops fast and does very well are the Ortega-Murillo family,” Peña added. “First, Nicaragua is one of the poorest economies on the continent. Second, it is in the regime’s interest to stay afloat for the perpetuation of its dictatorship.”


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Assembly line workers are logging 12-hour days to churn out the latest handsets for Samsung Electronics at a factory in Huizhou, China.
Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn Electronics said it could integrate more camera features into its devices after making a US$200 million investment in a U.S. company that makes cameras for action sports enthusiasts.
Computer technology accounted for more patent applications in recent years than any other industry sector tracked by the World Intellectual Property Organization, although the number of digital communication patent applications grew faster. Industria...
Foxconn, the maker of electronics equipment including Apple's iPhone, said a fire broke out on Tuesday at one of the company's facilities in China, that was quickly put out with no injuries reported.
Environmental groups in China criticized Apple on Wednesday, alleging that it is employing suppliers that are damaging the environment and threatening the lives of residents. Apple, however, maintains the company has been vigilant in ensuring all its...
Foxconn, the maker of Apple's iPhone and iPad, plans to rely more on robots for manufacturing over the coming years, allowing the company to invest more in research and development and save on labor costs.
An employee of Foxconn fell to his death in China earlier this week, just a year after a string of suicides at its facilities in the country.
A Chinese court sentenced three persons to prison for stealing information on Apple's iPad 2 design, which was used to make protective cases for the device months before the hit tablet was even launched.
Opinion is divided on whether a blast on Friday at a Foxconn factory in Chengdu, China will affect the production of Apple’s iPads
A third employee had died from injuries caused by an explosion at a factory of Foxconn in Chengdu, China, the company said Sunday. Initial findings show the blast was caused by "combustible dust in a duct."
A group based in Hong Kong this week issued a report alleging continued Foxconn worker abuse, and questioned some of the promises made by the contract manufacturer to live up to its code of conduct.
Google took a slap at Microsoft on Tuesday, saying the software giant's patent lawsuit against bookseller Barnes & Noble's Android-based e-reader stifles innovation.
Apple on Wednesday commended Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn for setting up a 24-hour care center, installing large nets on buildings and other measures that have "definitely saved lives" after a spate of suicides at manufacturing faciliti...
A faster, more secure and energy-efficient update to the WiMax wireless Internet standard will get final approval and see commercialization within a year, industry officials said on Monday.
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GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.
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Miraa Beverages: Juice, Coffee & Tea To Be Introduced Soon
The miraa traders have decided to diversify their sales by treating their customers to a new beverage as miraa juice, tea and cappuccino. The product will be sold in Nairobi clubs and even restaurants.
The beverage is set to be launched at a Miraa Night to be held on Saturday where the juice and other by-products will be showcased.
“We are targeting the middle class who have stopped chewing miraa,” said Kimani Munjuri.
He claimed that middle class miraa chewers had been doing it in their cars and other hideouts for fear of stigmatization since the habit is usually associated with falling teeth and poverty.
“We want to show the public that miraa can be chewed and used in mainstream any club. It is not necessary for one to litter around or have green colour all over the mouth as he enjoying miraa,” he said.
“We want to be classified with EABL products, tea, coffee or tourism because we also want to contribute to the country’s economy,” he said.


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Healthcare reform and the mandate for insurance coverage for all US citizens would appear to represent new growth opportunities for the pharmaceutical industry. This can be true for pharmaceutical companies that begin to adapt to the realities of this evolving new healthcare market. Nothing in the current legislation seems to be dramatically different than what has been discussed and debated now for months….no surprises. Also, keep in mind, the plan will take years to unfold and become a reality. That doesn’t mean pharmaceutical companies can or should wait. In fact, the evolving new market will mean significant changes will be necessary to the traditional pharmaceutical business model which will also take time for companies to implement and execute.
Despite the upsides of potentially more than 30 million new prescription drug customers and the closing of the doughnut hole for seniors, here are some implications the industry must prepare for:
- The market for prescription drugs will progressively change from healthcare providers and patients to payers, insurers, and managed plans
- Payers (insurance companies and government/CMS programs) will have to become increasingly cost conscious to ensure sustainable affordability of the reform
- Generic drugs will become the workhorse for prescription drug plans, including being used in place of branded products that fail to demonstrate meaningful clinical benefits over generic drug options
- There will be tremendous cost saving incentives for the market to push for and demand a clear regulatory path for generic biologics/biosimilar drugs
- To secure premium pricing, newly launched branded pharmaceuticals will have to meet an even higher standard for proving their value over other therapeutic options, including generic drugs
- Information technology, including e-prescribing, will be employed to a much greater extent to help manage compliance with drug formularies and control costs.
- Traditional sales and marketing will have less influence on product availability at the prescription drug plan level and even less influence on physician prescribing practices
Pharmaceutical companies that anticipate these new dynamics can make the necessary adjustments and determine what they need to do to remain competitive in this evolving new healthcare market. More on what to do in the next posting.


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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Porch pirates are gearing up to steal holiday gifts left on people's doorsteps, but their formidable foe, the Harris County Sheriff's Office, is ready to stop them.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday kick off the holiday shopping season, and this year, retailers are anticipating an increase in home deliveries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To combat the possible thieves that may be lurking nearby, who are ready to grab the delivered gift before a notification of successful delivery even sends, Harris Co. deputies are launching sting operations in the area.
"Beyond catching porch pirates who come into our neighborhoods to snatch our holiday packages, our goal is to also deter this activity from taking place by letting would-be package thieves know that we're out here," said Burglary and Theft Investigator Javier Ureña.
Investigators said their operation consists of placing multiple decoy packages with an attached tracking device on people's porches. If a thief takes one of the GPS-tracked packages, investigators will receive an alert and can follow it in real-time. And, when a thief opens the package, a camera will start taking photos of the suspect.
The sting operations will take place in areas in the county that have been identified as most at-risk based on theft reports and tips from shipping companies. Last week, Ureña led an operation in the Westlake community in Katy. Although no porch pirates took the bait, it allowed investigators to test their new equipment.
Despite the increased presence of authorities in some areas this holiday season, HCSO is urging residents to take steps that will help avoid packages being stolen from their doorstep, like signing up for tracking notifications, retrieving packages as soon as they arrive or requiring a signature for delivery, and considering other delivery locations like Amazon Hub Locker locations or PO Boxes.
Mail theft is a federal offense punishable with up to five years in prison and fines. Call the Sheriff's Office at 713-221-6000 to report any stolen packages or suspicious behavior.


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ITALY: Fiat chairman says 'difficult' to stay in Italy
Fiat's top executives have said they had made "difficult choices" to continue producing in Italy despite a fall in sales but would not be shutting any plants as feared earlier.
"Despite market troubles, we have made difficult choices to continue producing in Italy," Fiat chairman John Elkann said at the opening of a new Maserati plant, Agence France Press reported.
Chief executive Sergio Marchionne said: "I can confirm that we will not shut any plants in Italy."
The company had warned last year that it could be forced to shut one of its five factories in Italy.
But Marchionne cautioned about the outlook for sales in Europe.
"The European car market may not have hit bottom," he said at the same event near Turin.
"The company is doing well," Marchionne said.


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TOURISM Malaysia is targeting sales of durians in Penang to exceed more than RM200,000 this year.
Its Domestic Promotions division director Datuk Musa Yusof said sales increased from RM90,000 in 2012 to RM200,000 last year.
“Durians are an important tourism attraction as Malaysia exports more than RM150mil worth of the fruits annually,” he said in a press conference after the launch of the Penang Durian Durian 3.0 Packages 2014 at Penang Times Square yesterday.
Musa said that Malaysia registered RM65bil in international tourist receipts last year and was aiming to achieve RM76bil this year.
“Tourists from China are also slowly returning to Malaysia,” he said.
Also present was state Tourism Development Committee chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang who said that Penang durians were popular among tourists from Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
“For the past few years, durians have lured tourists to Balik Pulau,” said Law.
“We also hope to have more events on the mainland and this will promote mainland Penang as well as the second Penang bridge.”
The Durian Durian 3.0 Packages event is being held from June 1 to July 31 from 11am to 9pm, offering more than 10 varieties of the fruit.
It is organised by Penang Times Square, Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia (Penang office) and Tourism Malaysia with the support of Penang Agricultural Department and Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA).


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Because of its enormous database, AI has a significant edge over humans in “citing references” and matching legal regulations. In truth, AI has already begun to provide a variety of services to humans.
DoNotPay, a ChatGPT4-powered legal AI, helps consumers save money by disputing parking tickets, negotiating refunds on purchases, and analyzing financial transactions.
According to estimates, an AI robot has successfully overturned over 160,000 parking penalties in New York and London in less than two years. Since its founding, the company claims to have settled over 2 million linked cases.
The AI robot is being trained on consumer rules and regulations in major Western countries, thanks to GPT4. It may write compelling letters referencing specific legislation on behalf of users and submit them to firms via email, saving them money.
DoNotPay has now moved its focus to airlines, writing a letter to United Airlines asking for a refund for in-flight WiFi services. This request has yet to be answered by the airline.
Despite its success in getting parking citations overturned in New York and London, DoNotPay is facing legal challenges and criticism. In a San Francisco lawsuit, it was claimed that the corporation delivered low-quality legal documents and called into doubt the competence of a robot lawyer.
Additionally, DoNotPay charges a lawyer service fee of $36 every two months and does not offer a free trial.


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The Vietnamese airline will continue to distribute offers in Saber’s vast global travel market, further strengthening the historic and valued relationship between the two companies.
SINGAPORE and Ha Noi, Vietnam, August 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Saber Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), a leading provider of software and technology powering the global travel industry, today announced an extended distribution agreement with Vietnamese flag carrier Vietnam Airlines. The new deal means that Vietnam Airlines will continue to distribute its content to the vast network of travel agents through Saber’s extensive travel marketplace.
The agreement further strengthens Saber’s presence in the Vietnam aviation market and the relationship between Saber and Vietnam Airlines. In addition to Saber’s Global Distribution System (GDS), the HanoiThe New York-based carrier also uses a full suite of SabreSonic Passenger Service System (PSS) technologies, including reservation and ticketing, inventory and departure control solutions. Vietnam Airlines also relies on Saber Revenue Optimizer to maximize revenue using near real-time network partner and comprehensive passenger revenue performance data, as well as other Saber solutions to enable the carrier to offer travelers a high-end personalized experience.
“The aviation industry has evolved rapidly in recent years, and we highly appreciate Saber’s extensive, robust and scalable technology solutions for bringing significant value to Vietnam Airlines. Saber’s robust global market has helped Vietnam Airlines efficiently reach travelers around the world following the easing of travel restrictions in Vietnam,” said Le Hong Ha, CEO, Vietnam Airlines. “We also appreciate Saber’s commitment to supporting the recovery and growth of Vietnam Airlines as well as the Vietnam the travel industry during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, we are very pleased to reaffirm our long-standing partnership that our two companies have enjoyed for more than a decade, and look forward to further success in the future. »
The expanded distribution agreement between Saber and Vietnam Airlines was signed between Mr. Trinh Ngoc ThanhExecutive Vice President of Vietnam Airlines and Vice President, Regional General Manager of Saber, Asia PacificTravel Solutions Agency Sales, Mr. Rakesh Narayanan at the headquarters of Vietnam Airlines in Hanoi.
Operating to dozens of domestic and international destinations, Vietnam Airlines continues to scale up operations after the reopening of from vietnam borders to international travelers earlier this year. The carrier plays a key role in from vietnam aim to boost tourist arrivals to five million this year, including by attracting tourists from key markets including IndiaUnited States, Europe and the Middle East.
“The fact that we can be in Vietnam meeting our valued partners at Vietnam Airlines and signing this agreement in person is a testament to the strong recovery we are seeing across all sectors of the travel industry,” said Sean Menke, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Saber. “This agreement demonstrates our clear commitment to supporting the rapid recovery and future growth of the Vietnam the travel industry. We are delighted that Saber continues to bring significant value to Vietnam Airlines at this critical time for from vietnam aviation market and we look forward to continuing to enable the carrier to connect the world to some of the from Asia most exciting destinations.”
About Saber Corporation
Saber Corporation is a leading software and technology company powering the global travel industry, serving a wide range of travel businesses, including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The company provides retail, distribution and fulfillment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, generate revenue and deliver personalized travel experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Saber connects travel suppliers with buyers around the world. Saber’s technology platform supports more than $260 billion value of worldwide travel expenditure annually. Based at southlake, Texas, United States, Saber serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.sabre.com.
About Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines – a member of SkyTeam Alliance – is the flag carrier of Vietnam and the main carrier of South East Asia. Vietnam Airlines provides air transportation services on more than 100 routes to more than 20 domestic destinations and 30 international destinations. Operating a modern fleet of over 100 aircraft, Vietnam Airlines is the leading airline in Asia Pacific to simultaneously operate modern Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 widebody aircraft. Vietnam Airlines is very proud to offer its passengers constant punctuality, absolute safety and high quality services integrated with Vietnamese cultural identity. Vietnam Airlines has maintained Skytrax 4-star service quality for years and is gradually upgrading to 5-star standard.
SOURCE Saber Corporation


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If only Mulder and Scully could see this – a glowing leaf is out there!
In a revelation sure to impress the X-files detectives themselves, Nissan disclosed its newest exciting innovation; the glow-in-the-dark Nissan Leaf. While third party manufacturers have produced luminous paints and car wraps, Nissan is the first car company to fabricate an actual incandescent vehicle.
In an effort to symbolize the Leaf’s energy-converting EV capabilities, Nissan partnered with Hamish Scott, the inventor of glow-in-dark pavement, to create the glowing paint – fittingly – named Starpath. Comprised of a secret formula of organic materials and the biologically inert chemical Strontium Aluminate, the paint is able to absorb the ultraviolet energy from the sun during the day and convert it to light that shines 8-10 hours during the night. If commercially made, the glow-paint could last for up to 25 years.
While this illuminating paint is not –yet- available to the public, stay tuned to Bates Nissan for Starpath updates, and be sure to come visit us to see all of the newest –out there – innovations that Nissan has to offer!
One small step for mankind has turned into one giant leap for automotive technology. The leap is only broadened by the announcement of a Nissan-NASA partnership. Nissan and NASA share similar interests.
NASA wants an autonomous vehicle to roam across other planets without getting stuck or requiring human assistance. Nissan wants its first autonomous vehicles on the market by 2020. The five year research and development partnership will focus on developing self-driving technology both on Earth and other planets.
This is not the first partnership between NASA and Nissan. In 2005 the two partnered up to develop comfortable and safe car seats. Like Nissan, NASA hopes to send its next rover to Mars in 2020. By the end of 2015, the first zero-emission autonomous vehicle should be available for testing.
There’s a new Nissan pickup truck in town—well, technically only if that town is Detroit or Los Angeles, but no matter. The point is that this new version of the Titan, officially called the Nissan Titan XD, has what it takes to mark a big impact in the crowded full-size truck market. The credit for the truck’s improvement can be credited to one specific area—the car’s improved powertrain.
This new generation of the Titan is powered by a 5.0L Cummins diesel engine, a V8 beast that gives drivers the most in terms of both performance and efficiency on the new truck market. Nissan is hoping that this new Titan, complete with a diesel engine, will improve the sales efforts for the brand here in America. The Titan, which has been sporting a bright yellow exterior on display the North American International Auto Show, is fully redesigned, so it’s not just the engine that is improved.
The new truck also features LED headlights and taillights, heated and cooled front seats, and even a special new bird’s eye view camera. The camera makes it easier to park, see clearly behind you, and much more. Come see us here at Bates Nissan to learn more about the all-new Nissan Titan XD and its brand new diesel engine!
Auto show season is upon us once more, and Nissan is stretching its influence all across the world—not just in North America. For example, Nissan recently debuted a new vehicle at the Sao Paulo International Auto Show. The Nissan Kicks Concept was actually designed to specifically reflect the lives and spirit of the people of Brazil, so Sao Paulo was the perfect spot for the car to be unveiled.
“This concept is a product of global collaboration, but it was inspired by the streets of Brazil and designed for its people,” said Mamoru Aoki, Executive Design Director of Nissan’s Global Design Strategy Department. The Concept vehicle sought inspiration from the contrasting color schemes in Brazil—cool, metallic urban tones in Sao Paulo and vibrant color in Rio.
The new Concept might have been designed in Brazil, but that doesn’t mean it’s only meant for Brazil, as Taro Ueda, Vice President of Nissan Design America, noted. “It’s not only just for the Brazilian market, but we capture the idea of Brazil and then we apply it to our global design improvement, making a stronger design lineup for future Nissan designs,” said Ueda. Here at Bates Nissan, we’re looking forward to seeing how the Concept and its design principles make their way into vehicles in our showrooms—and we’re sure you are too! So come see us today.
The Nissan ZEOD RC, the ultimate in streamlined, efficient, yet lethally dangerous race cars, will show up at Le Mans this year in June with some very special and innovative improvements. Not only will the ZEOD RC record the first-ever electric power-only lap at the Circuit de la Sarthe, it will also house an incredible new engine—Nissan’s unique and exclusive DIG-T R.
What makes the DIG-T R so amazing? It all starts with its size. The new engine is less than 20 inches tall and 8 inches wide—small enough to easily fit inside a duffel bag or be carried comfortably by a single person’s two hands. Well, maybe not comfortably—the DIG-T R still weighs 88 pounds, but that’s a drop in the bucket when it comes to the typical engine size.
However, miniaturization by itself doesn’t make this new engine all that great—it’s only when you realize just how powerful this tiny ball of energy is that you truly realize how great Nissan’s newest invention is. The compact engine wrenches over 400 horsepower out of that relatively small rectangle, giving the ZEOD RC a better power-to-weight ratio than most Formula 1 cars.
According to Darren Cox, the director of Global Motorsport for Nissan, hinted that the DIG-T R is only the beginning. “We’re aiming to maintain our position as industry leaders in focusing on downsizing. Lessons learned from the development of the engine will be seen in Nissan road cars of the future,” Cox said in a statement. This focus on efficiency continues to drive Nissan. Cox continued, “Our aim is to set new standards in efficiency in regards to every aspect of the car: powertrain, aerodynamics and handling.”
The DIG-T R may be exclusive to race cars now, but here at Bates Nissan we’re excited to see how the brand eventually includes this compact engine technology in future production vehicles.
We all might joke about our cars driving themselves when we get tired or really just don’t want to drive, but is this really a possibility? With Nissan, it is. They have pledged that by the year 2020, there will be an affordable self-driving car available to the public.
Can you imagine not having to worry about controlling your car?
This push comes as an effort to help reduce the number of accidents caused by driver error. But how exactly? How is a car going to know when to stop or when to slow down to avoid the traffic jam in front of it? Nissan believes that’s simple by using vehicle-to-vehicle communication or V2V for short.
The V2V technology will allow vehicles to broadcast their speed and direction and can even send an alert to other vehicles when it is switching lanes or skidding on a certain part of the road to warn of a slippery surface.
We currently see the V2V technology in some models that have the ability to parallel park themselves or those that have lane departure alert. However, Nissan won’t be testing the fully autonomous-driving vehicles just anywhere. They plan to build a testing facility in Japan where they can test their computer cars.
V2V technology is predicted to minimize 80% of crashes involving sober drivers according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
What are your thoughts on Nissan‘s autonomous cars? We want to her what you think in the comments section below.
Nissan announced the “Your Door to More” contest, which includes the Nissan Versa, fans like you, Instagram and Vine.
2014 Nissan Versa Note
This contest allows fans to help promote the new 2014 Nissan Versa Note by going to yourdoortomore.com to download a cut-out kit and then using the 2D and 3D versions of the Versa Note to create an Instagram or Vine video using the cut-outs to do things you love.
To enter the contest, users make a six-to-15 second video about what you love and love doing and must include at least one Versa Note cutout, then you upload your video to Vine or Instagram, but be sure to use the #VersaVid hashtag so Nissan sees your video. Six winners will receive a $1,000 Amazon.com gift card and the top three will have their videos featured in a Nissan TV ad to promote the Versa Note later in the year. Submissions will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, August 5.
Nissan Motor Company drive-by-wire steering system (photo from Nissan)
Nissan Motor Company has announced development of a new steering system that some have called drive-by-wire steering that is planned to enter production in the next year.
The new system replaces the mechanical links between the steering wheel and the wheels with electronic control units. Those units are designed to “read” the driver’s steering inputs and then transmit signals to the steering rack to control the tires. According to Nissan, the response time is quicker than with mechanical steering. It also says the drive-by-wire system enhances feedback from the road surface and conditions to the driver, while minimizing the affect of those conditions on the car’s handling.
The electronic system will be equipped with backup units to take over in the case of equipment failure. In the incidence of complete power outage in the vehicle, the steering wheel and tires can be mechanically connected by a backup clutch.
While the new Nissan system would be the first of its kind in production cars, it has been present since the 1970’s in military aircraft, starting with the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. However, aircraft with the drive-by-wire system in place have no mechanical backup. Electronic throttles and transmission controls in place of mechanical ones have also been used in cars for some time, making the idea of physical disconnection of the steering components less scary than some might initially find it.
Integrated into the drive-by-wire steering system is the addition of a stability system that uses camera to help the car maintain safe direction. The camera gathers data from the road and responds to abnormal changes in direction caused by driver actions, road surfaces, wind, and other forces.
Bates Nissan will bring you news about the new drive-by-wire steering system as it becomes available, so check back often or follow us on Facebook or Twitter for updates about it and other Nissan products. For any car questions, help in choosing a new car, or scheduling trusted service for your current vehicle, visit Bates Nissan in Killeen Texas. It is our pleasure to serve drivers in the Fort Hood and Austin areas!


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Jazz Fest offers $50 tickets for 'Locals Thursday'
Jazz Fest organizers are offering a special this year for "Locals Thursday" with $50 tickets for those who present valid identification.
Organizers said this is the first time ever they have offered the deal. "Locals Thursday" is May 3 and the $50 ticket price is available for up to two admissions per resident.
Tickets will be available for purchase on Thursday only and will be sold at designated windows at the Gentilly and Sauvage ticket booths and at the Trafalgar pedestrian gate.
More information about Jazz Fest can be found online.


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McDonald's Adds Johnsonville Brats Back to Menu
For the first time in six years, McDonald's is bringing Johnsonville brats back to the menu.
The brats were last featured on Milwaukee area menus back in 2009.
And they'll be back at 125 McDonald's locations around southeast Wisconsin starting April 25.
The new addition to the menu will kick off starting with a grill out for families staying at the Ronald Mcdonald House of East Wisconsin.


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Our free reports feature exclusive insights and information that you won’t be able to find anywhere else in industry. Commercial UAV Executive Editor Jeremiah Karpowicz has created reports that are focused on each of our verticals, including civil infrastructure, construction and precision agriculture. In addition, you’ll find reports on the drone market in Europe as well as Jeremiah’s drone predictions for the current year. Enjoy!
The commercial drone market in Europe is forecast to be an especially lucrative one. Some have estimated it could employ more than 100,000 people and have an economic impact that could exceed €10 billion per year over the next 20 years. While these figures have been debated, the fact remains that drones show tremendous potential…Read More


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Mahindra Thar-rivalling Maruti Jimny Spied Testing In India For The First Time
While it is expected to arrive in 2021 in the new five-door avatar, the spied model was the three-door version
The Suzuki Jimny made its India debut at Auto Expo 2020 in February.
The new Jimny is essentially a successor to two generations of the iconic Gypsy Maruti sold in India.
Maruti is said to be working on a longer, more practical 5-door version for Indian buyers.
The global-spec Jimny gets 4WD as standard with a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed AT.
Maruti could bring the Jimny to India in 2021 via the Nexa dealer chain as a rival to the new Mahindra Thar.
Maruti had brought the fourth generation of the Suzuki Jimny (the second-gen known to us as the Gypsy) to India for the first time at Auto Expo 2020. While the carmaker has not officially announced plans to launch its popular mini off-roader in India anytime soon, auto enthusiasts have been clamouring on the internet for the new Jimny to be sold in India, for a couple of years now. It seems Maruti is looking at a way to make it happen with the Jimny now spied testing on Indian roads for the first time.
The Jimny spied was the same Sierra variant with the three-door body as showcased at the Expo. While it can seat at least four adults with barely any room for rear luggage, the three-door Jimny seemed like it wouldn’t be practical enough for the Indian buyer. Suzuki is said to be working on an extended wheelbase version with five doors and more cabin space to broaden its appeal.
In its global spec, the Jimny gets 4x4 as standard while the India-spec version is likely to offer the choice of a more affordable 4x2 drivetrain as well. The popularity of the new Mahindra Thar proves that people won’t mind a mildly utilitarian cabin design in exchange for the adventurous exterior and off-road driving capabilities. It still gets comforts such as a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, cruise control, auto AC, and up to six airbags in its best-equipped variant.
As an off-roading tool, the 4x4 Jimny gets a low-range transfer case to switch between 2WD-high, 4WD-high and 4WD low, The latter two are necessary for traversing tricky terrain while the 2WD setting makes more sense for general commute being more fuel efficient. Maruti is likely to offer the Jimny with the same 1.5-litre petrol engine, as other models like the Ertiga or the S-Cross wherein it produces 105PS of power and 138Nm of torque. This engine is usually offered with the choice of a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic.
The Maruti Suzuki Jimny could come to India by 2021 in a five-door avatar and would likely be sold via the Nexa chain of dealerships. It might be priced around Rs 10 lakh and would take on the likes of the Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha in India. The Jimny might even resurrect and adopt the Gypsy badge for the Indian market.
Read More on : Thar on road price
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NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Nearly four years after legalizing recreational marijuana, California has finally opened the path to make smokable hemp and CBD-infused foods and beverages legal. Governor Gavin Newson signed the bill earlier this month to legalize the sale of consumables derived from hemp, creating a regulatory framework for the manufacture and sale of hemp products like smokable hemp, and hemp-infused foods. This new bill is welcome for many companies in the hemp industry, which has remained unregulated since the federal legalization of hemp and CBD. While companies are still waiting for California lawmakers to establish a tax scheme for hemp and hemp derivatives, they are allowed to sell their products in other states. Meanwhile, companies like Sundial Growers Inc. (NASDAQ:SNDL), Tilray Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY), Organigram Holdings, Inc. (TSX:OGI) (NASDAQ:OGI), and HEXO Corp (NASDAQ:HEXO) are ramping up their production, distribution and marketing efforts, and Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. (OTCQB:SIXWF) (CSE:SIXW) is positioned to help them tie their efforts towards better yields.
The new legislation lays the groundwork for the manufacture of high-quality hemp products creating a significant opportunity for Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. (OTCQB:SIXWF) (CSE:SIXW), the company behind the Affinity™ system. Affinity™ is a cannabinoid purification system, which isolates specific cannabinoids from crude cannabis oil.
The company recently announced the shipment of the Affinity™ system from the contract manufacturer, Advanced Extraction Systems Inc. (AESI). AESI completed the wet testing for the system before shipping it to Sixth Wave for the final configuration. Once configured, Sixth Wave will deliver the system to Green Envy Extracts.


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“Rather, Apple is looking to create a device that will allow you to control your music, your temperature, your security, your lighting, your energy use, your entertainment, and potentially much more, says Cantor Fitzgerald’s Brian White, who talked to Taiwanese and mainland China suppliers,” Koetsier reports. “‘As an Apple supplier, our contact offered insight into the ‘iWatch’ and described this potential new device as much more than an extension of your iPhone but as a multi-purpose gateway in allowing consumers to control their home (i.e., heating/cooling, lights, audio, video, etc.),’ White said today in a research note.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]


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West African cocoa firm targets state for expansion
Edmund Poku was leading a demanding life as a Wall Street investment banker in 2007, working brutal hours, when one of his college mentors suggested he step back and take a bold new direction.
“After submitting my thesis while studying for my MBA, one supervisor found my research work good enough to start a cocoa processing company and insisted I moved back home and get to work,” Poku, a native of Ghana, said in a 2019 interview.
Poku listened; the result was Niche Cocoa, started in 2011 in Temu, Ghana.
At the time, Ghana was processing only 15% of its cocoa bean production and exporting the rest, so Poku saw opportunity. Today, Niche has grown to become the largest fully integrated cocoa processor in Ghana, manufacturing cocoa products and chocolates.
As the firm’s success grew, it began scouting for a site for its first American plant. Establishing a U.S. facility made sense for Niche because of its market size and potential, both to develop semi-finished products and to sell more products up the value chain, such as chocolates.
In 2022, Niche chose a site in Franklin, a Milwaukee suburb, and leased a 44,000-square-foot production facility in the Franklin Business Park.
A historic investment
Niche’s decision represented the largest food and beverage investment by an African-based company in U.S. history and the largest Ghanian foreign direct investment ever in Wisconsin.
“Taking into account proximity to customers, logistics, high-quality human capital, and a business-friendly environment, Wisconsin was a great choice,” Poku said.
The plant will eventually employ more than two dozen people, with hopes of further growth beyond that.
The facility will pulverize cocoa cake to make cocoa powder to be distributed nationally. It will also manufacture finished chocolate with cocoa butter and cocoa liquid imported from the West African nation.
WEDC was there to aid in bringing Niche to Wisconsin, aligning the company’s needs with the state’s strengths.
“We know how to build factories, so we could do that anywhere,” Poku said. “But the partnership between what we know how to do and what Wisconsin can offer Niche to succeed in our next chapter is what brought us to the state.”
Tapping Wisconsin’s potential
Niche’s choice of Wisconsin also revolved around the strength of the state’s food and beverage industry, which traditionally has been one of the state’s major economic drivers.
Poku said the state’s leadership in the dairy industry was another factor in Niche’s siting decision.
“With cocoa powder, as well as chocolates, the dairy industry is very important,” he said.
Niche is partnering with the Omanhene Cocoa Bean Co., a Milwaukee-based firm that pioneered production of world-class, single-origin bean-to-bar chocolate manufactured in Ghana.
“Together, Omanhene and Niche demonstrate the promise of a new globalism, where international trade creates jobs and value instead of exploiting vulnerabilities,” said Steve Wallace, Omanhene’s founder.


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An OLED display uses a new technology called OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). OLED screens are brighter, more efficient, thinner and feature better refresh rates and contrast than LCD or Plasma.
OLEDs are made by placing thin films of organic (carbon based) materials between two conductors. When an electrical current is applied, a bright light is emitted. Since the OLED materials emit light, a backlight is not required (unlike LCDs).
OLEDs in mobile phones
Mobile phones that boast OLED screens are rapidly becoming more prevalent, with over 500 million AMOLED screens produced in 2018 - mostly to satisfy demand from mobile phones. Samsung has been using AMOLEDs in its high-end phones for many years, and most phone makers are also starting to adopt OLED displays (including Apple, LG, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, Lenovo, Motorola, and others.
OnePlus launched it latest flagship smartphones, both of whom utilize high-end AMOLED displays. We'll start with the OnePlus 7 Pro - a flagship smartphone that features a large 6.67" 90Hz 1440x3120 Fluid AMOLED - which apparently is a 90Hz Super AMOLED. This is a full-screen display that has an under-the-display fingerprint sensor.
The OnePlus 7 has a smaller notch-type 6.41" 1080x2340 Optic AMOLED - which is again OnePlus' own display marketing term for an SDC's Super AMOLED. It seems as if OnePlus brands its regular 60Hz AMOLED displays as Optic Displays - and its higher-end 90Hz ones as Fluid AMOLEDs.
Samsung says that it has "reviewed" the defects caused by particles that entered the device below the screen. Samsung will strengthen the durability of the exposed area on the hinge of the phone and will minimize the gap between the protective layer and the bezel of the main display in order to prevent any external substances from penetrating the device.
Customers who pre-ordered the $1,980 Galaxy Fold were sent this message: "If we do not hear from you and we have not shipped by May 31st, your order will be canceled automatically". Samsung says that according to US regulations, it was required to send this message and cancel orders if the Fold will not ship before May 31.
According to their analysis, the Galaxy Fold design has a weakness - and dust or other particles could enter the phone through the gaps in the top, bottom and the back of the device. This could create "bumps" on the display as the foldable display is pressed against the backside of the phone when fully folded. iFixit speculates that this could be the cause of the some of the reported display failures (another possible problem could be the removal of the protective top polyimide film).
According to the Wall Street Journal, Samsung wants to "fully evaluate the feedback and run further internal tests". Samsung will announce a new release date int he coming weeks. Samsung did not fully disclose its initial findings and does not give a full explanation to what went wrong with these review units. Samsung did, however, state that "Initial findings from the inspection of reported issues on the display showed that they could be associated with impact on the top and bottom exposed areas of the hinge. There was also an instance where substances found inside the device affected the display performance."
According to Anandtech, who posted an extensive review of the P30 and P30, the supplier for the smaller 6.1" AMOLED on the P30 is indeed Samsung Display, but Huawei uses both LG Display and BOE as suppliesr for the large 6.47" AMOLED on the P30 Pro.
Only yesterday we reported that early reviews of the Galaxy Fold are very positive and that Samsung says there's overwhelming demand for the new foldable device - and today we have much less positive news.
At least 4 early Galaxy Fold reviewers report that only after one day of use, the screens on their devices broke. The Verge's Dieter Bohn says that a bump appeared on the crease of the phone, which quickly broke the screen - even though he did not perform any stress tests or anything - just normal phone use.
Samsung Electronics started to accept pre-orders for the Galaxy Fold a few days ago (April 14th) - and the company says it is already sold out due to "overwhelming demand" and it is no longer taking pre-orders
LG Display currently produces flexible OLEDs (branded as pOLEDs), for both wearable devices and smartphones, is the exclusive supplier of AMOLED displays for Apple's Watch smartwatch (although this could change soon) and it also supplies OLED displays for various smartphones, including the company's own flagship phones.
LG Display has been struggling, though - with low yields, poor display quality and securing orders. According to a new report from Business Korea, there is some skepticism regarding the viability of this business - including some inside LG Display's management itself.
Samsung Display announced today that it has started to mass produce foldable OLED displays, shipping the first such displays to Samsung Electronics.
SDC's first foldable OLEDs are the inside-folding 7.3" 1536x2152 Infinity Flex AMOLED displays that will be used in the Samsung Galaxy Fold - which will start shipping later this month (for $2,000) in Korea and Europe.


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Houston, TX, March 18, 2010 --(PR.com
)-- EliteCare 24 Hour Emergency Center today announced a new partnership with Healthagen® to promote its free-standing emergency room through the iTriage® application. Users can download the free iTriage application for their iPhone® and Android™ phones through the app stores, or log onto www.iTriageHealth.com from any Internet-enabled device to access care and healthcare information from the palm of their hand.
With the introduction of this premier level of service, EliteCare 24 Hour Emergency Center is the first Texas emergency center to utilize this interactive technology, which enables consumers to evaluate symptoms, learn about possible causes and find appropriate locations for treatment. When a family member suddenly shows signs of bronchitis or has an unexpected injury, the iTriage application can help users quickly make informed decisions about the most appropriate point of care.
“As a free-standing Emergency Room, EliteCare can provide everything a Hospital ER can, but in a fraction of the time,” said Greg Gossett, Marketing Director for EliteCare. “We saw a great opportunity to let consumers know our capabilities at EliteCare by teaming with iTriage. A lot of medical issues happen on the go these days and as an Emergency Room we felt it was essential in staying ahead of the curve to embrace this technology. iTriage makes it fast and easy for consumers to make informed medical decisions by putting a vast amount of information at their fingertips.”
Built by emergency room physicians, iTriage aggregates healthcare information in a structured and actionable way, and closes the information gap between doctors and patients. As the healthcare landscape changes, iTriage continues to provide technology to empower healthcare consumers. With this addition, the greater Houston area community now has on-the-go access to valuable EliteCare Emergency Center details like contact information, mapping, quality reports and facility capabilities.
“EliteCare Emergency Center’s decision to partner with iTriage speaks directly to their belief in providing cutting edge medical care through advanced technology. We look forward to a truly flourishing partnership with this stand-alone emergency center. As more Americans adopt smartphones as their frontline communication tool, healthcare providers like EliteCare are embracing this mobile trend for searches and content consumption.” said Peter Hudson, M.D., CEO, Healthagen, developer of iTriage.
About EliteCare 24 Hour Emergency Center
Centrally located inside Loop 610 in Bellaire, EliteCare 24 Hour Emergency Center is more than just an urgent care. As a complete emergency room staffed with board certified ER Physicians, EliteCare is opened 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing the same emergency and urgent care that one would receive in a hospital ER.
Healthagen is a developer of healthcare information software that empowers patients to make better decisions and gives healthcare treatment facilities improved access to additional patients. iTriage helps consumers evaluate symptoms, lists potential diagnoses and provides access to appropriate treatment locations. Emergency medicine physicians developed iTriage and co-founded Healthagen – a privately held company headquartered in Lakewood, CO.
Search iTriage website at www.iTriagehealth.com
See iTriage Demo at www.healthagen.com
Download iTriage at the Apple app store or Android Marketplace
Follow iTriage on Twitter - - @iTriage
EliteCare 24 Hour Emergency Center Resources:
Search EliteCare website at http://elitecareemergency.com


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- Bitcoin (BTC) buying and selling round $61,822.06 as of 20:00 UTC (4 p.m. ET). Slipping 2.62% over the earlier 24 hours.
- Bitcoin’s 24-hour vary: $60,033.53-$63,850.25 (CoinDesk 20)
- BTC trades between its 10-hour and 50-hour averages on the hourly chart, a sideways sign for market technicians.
Bitcoin’s slowly recovering from the information of Turkey’s coming cryptocurrency payment ban, which precipitated the No. 1 cryptocurrency by market capitalization to drop to close $60,000 earlier than U.S. markets opened on Friday. The ban would take impact on April 30.
“At present’s weak spot is generally attributed to accelerated revenue taking after information hit that Turkey bans crypto funds,” Edward Moya, senior market analyst at OANDA, informed CoinDesk in an e-mail. “The largest concern for a lot of crypto merchants has at all times been that massive governments may impose harsh restrictions on cryptocurrencies.”
The profit-taking habits was additionally noticed within the buying and selling exercise the place the every day buying and selling quantity on eight spot exchanges tracked by CoinDesk went up from the prior day.
“The scenario in Turkey is somewhat distinctive given the federal government is doing every little thing of their energy to stabilize their forex,” Moya stated. “Many on Wall Avenue imagine that the lira is poised to fall over 10% within the brief time period, and that’s forcing Turkey to impose capital controls and now additionally decelerate liras going into bitcoin.”
Talking on CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover” present on Friday, CoinDesk World Macro Editor Emily Parker said: “Crypto can’t actually be stopped. You may make it quite a bit tougher to entry, however no authorities has been in a position to efficiently shut down crypto solely.”
Ether and altcoins
- Ether (ETH) buying and selling round $2,433.00 as of 20:00 UTC (4 p.m. ET). Slipping 2.48% over the earlier 24 hours.
- Ether’s 24-hour vary: $2,306.59-$2,547.94 (CoinDesk 20)
- Ether trades between its 10-hour and 50-hour averages on the hourly chart, a sideways sign for market technicians.
Ether was transferring in tandem with bitcoin Friday after logging a new record-high price above $2,500 a day in the past within the wake of the Berlin onerous fork improve implementation.
In the meantime, the star of altcoins on Friday is dogecoin (DOGE), the meme token born as a joke in 2013.
At press time, dogecoin was altering palms at $0.35, up 160.67% up to now 24 hours.
DOGE’s buying and selling quantity is one other signal of bullish sentiment across the Shiba Inu-represented cryptocurrency, probably the most traded cryptocurrency on centralized exchanges up to now 24 hours, in accordance with CryptoCompare.
Based on IntoTheBlock’s publication on Friday, the variety of addresses holding dogecoin for lower than a month reached a file excessive in February and continued to go up in each March and April.
The U.S.-based crypto trade large Coinbase, which went public this week, nonetheless has not listed dogecoin, regardless of the excessive demand.
“With the WallStreetBets and GameStop saga setting a definite anti-Wall Avenue tone amongst retail buyers, DOGE, as an virtually ‘anti-crypto,’ appears to have caught many imaginations,” Richard Delaney, senior content material author at OKEx Insights, informed CoinDesk, referring to the Reddit discussion board “Set on this context, heavy promotion from the likes of Elon Musk, Mark Cuban and a military of YouTube and TikTok influencers are fueling the present dogecoin mania.”
However as Du Jun, co-founder of one other standard crypto trade, Huobi, warned, there are dangers across the beloved meme token. Regardless of the rising curiosity from new buyers, DOGE holders are nonetheless extremely concentrated throughout the prime 10 addresses, which counts about 41.35% of all circulating dogecoin.
Different digital belongings on the CoinDesk 20 are principally within the purple Friday. Notable winners as of 20:00 UTC (4:00 p.m. ET):
- Asia’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.14% greater.
- The FTSE 100 in Europe was up by 0.52%.
- The S&P 500 in the USA closed within the inexperienced 0.36%.
- Crude oil (WTI): -0.57% to $63.10/barrel.
- Gold: +0.65% to $1,774.96/ounce.
- The ten-year U.S. Treasury bond yield climbed Friday to 1.582%.


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After a long, painful string of defections, the Libra Association finally has some good news to announce. A new member, retail e-commerce site Shopify, made the $25 million commitment to join on Feb. 21.
Alt-right clown Milo Yiannopoulos got kicked off of crypto trading platform Coinbase in just three minutes—a record no doubt. He had previously been banned from funding site Patreon after just one day. Unlike a digital crypto wallet, the U.S.-based exchange follows a strict KYC (know-your-customer) protocol that involves submitting proof of ID to get your Coinbase Pro account working. So while Bitcoin is free and open, Milo’s ability to link it to a U.S. bank account is not.


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In the face of strong conservative opposition, European Parliament lawmakers on Wednesday narrowly voted to back a European Commission proposal for a total ban on new CO2-emitting vehicles by 2035.
The Commission last year unveiled plans to stop the sale of vehicles using internal combustion engines as part of an ambitious climate target to cut emissions by more than half over this decade and 90% by 2035.
The measure passed by 339 votes to 249 with 24 abstentions at a session in Strasbourg — in practice limiting future sales to emissions-free all-electric models.
Cars currently account for 12% of all CO2 emissions in the 27-member EU bloc, while transportation overall accounts for around a quarter.
- Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and More Redpills
- Things Are Starting To Get Really Crazy Out There…
- Walmart Reports A Large Number Of Store Closings As Catastrophic Retail Collapse Intensify
- These Economic Numbers Are Staggering
- Hillary Clinton leaked emails reason to get rid of Gadaffi
- ‘Unsafe and ineffective’ Pfizer is going to court!
- 29 DEMS JOIN REPUBLICANS TO BLOCK BIDEN
- The US Dollar World Reserve Status is Officially Over
- FRANCE – Now largely ignored by world media.
- The Entire World Economy Could COMPLETELY COLLAPSE At Any Moment.


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Ikea cake recall: Ikea recalls cakes in 23 countries over bacteria contamination, China destroys tons of cakesBy Angel Cuala on Mar 6, 2013 in Asia, Australia, Europe, Food, Lifestyle, World •
Ikea announced a voluntary recall of its almond cakes in 23 countries, after tests revealed that the cakes have been contaminated with coliform bacteria, a type of bacteria found in water waste and other wastes in the environment. Tons of cakes have been destroyed in China due to the same concerns.
Image Credit: Ikea.com
According to BBC News on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, Ikea has withdrawn and stopped its sales of the affected almond cakes. This is after Chinese customs authorities conducted sample tests and revealed that the food did not meet the country’s standard on hygiene.
As noted in the report, Ikea claimed that consumption of the contaminated cakes, which were imported by the company from its Swedish supplier, does not pose health risk, adding that no pathogenic bacteria, such as E coli – which is considered dangerous to humans, was found during the tests.
“Traces of coliform bacteria have been found in two isolated production batches of almond cake with chocolate and butterscotch, produced for the Restaurant, from one supplier in Sweden.” Ikea was quoted in a statement, adding that China destroyed around 1,872 kg (4,100 lbs) of chocolate almond cake last December.
As noted at Independent.co.uk, the 23 countries affected are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.
And although Ikea has 18 stores in UK, the company emphasized that UK, Sweden, and Ireland are not affected in the cake recall. These almond cakes are not being sold in Sweden. This Ikea cake recall comes a week after Czech Republic authorities said they found horsemeat on their meatballs, wherein they also issued a recall.
Spread The News!


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Not content with revolutionising the taxi industry, building self-driving cars and challenging the likes of Deliveroo in the meals-on-demand space, Uber now wants to be a one-stop shop for how you get from A to B.
On April 30, it integrated public transport data from Transport for London (TfL) into its app. This is not a partnership in the traditional sense of the word: Uber is one of 675 apps pulling in the publicly-open data, says a TfL spokesperson, but on the face of it, it’s unusual for the ridesharing app – which has been in dispute with London’s transport body over Uber’s classification.
David Reich, head of transit at Uber, says that the data integration is to help reduce car ownership, improve access to all transportation and to tackle air pollution – three worthy goals that TfL and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, have been pursuing for years. “We recognise the important responsibilities that come with being a good partner to this great global city,” says Reich. But is that really the reason behind the decision?
Not so, says Feng Li of Cass Business School. “It’s a land grab,” he explains. “By expanding into the public transport information area it is expanding their control of the user interface. This way it will understand the travel patterns of people much better. It will also get put into competition with other apps.”
Namely Citymapper, which in February introduced a paid subscription service. Citymapper tries to help Londoners traverse the city via public transport, with more accurate travel time information than the likes of Google Maps. Like Google Maps, it also tells you how long and how expensive the same journey would be in a Uber. However, Citymapper recently announced an intriguing change in its business model, providing tickets on London public transport that undercut TfL fares.
And that’s where things get messy. TfL doesn’t have a journey planner app, instead choosing to make its data available to everyone and anyone. As Citymapper has shown, harnessing what millions of people do with that data is hugely powerful – and potentially vastly profitable.
In October last year, Uber launched its experimental transport subscription service in five US cities. Known as Ride Pass, the service gives riders access to flat rates on all journeys they take in that month. For customers, it’s a way of saving money – so long as they spend all that money with Uber. For Uber, it’s a way of locking people in. Ride Pass in London? Don’t rule it out.
Citymapper may be less keen on Uber muscling in on its turf. (Azmat Yusuf, its CEO and founder, did not respond to a request for comment.) For Citymapper, the rationale behind pivoting to a subscription service was clear: it needed to make money from a small percentage of its most loyal users. In time, so the theory goes, it may be able to scale that side of its business. But Uber could beat it at its own game.
“It wants to make it that the first place and the last place you go for all transport is Uber,” explains Tom Forth of ODI Leeds, an offshoot of the Open Data Institute. “In the very distant future I can see there being problems with it, but at the minute it seems good to me.”
Forth cites the notion that commuters could save money by being dissuaded away from taking a £12 Uber ride and to a £2.40 Tube journey that would take roughly the same time. He does worry that in the long run Uber’s move – and Citymapper’s previously planned change – could weaken the best bits of the Oyster card. “If Uber are just telling you which is cheaper and faster, that’s great,” he says. At the moment, that data is not available outside of London due to the dearth of open data around transport – a situation Forth says needs to improve outside the capital.
Uber’s latest move in London is yet another attempt to try and make its app – and its service – indispensable. But to really lock in loyal customers, a subscription service might just follow. For one, Uber needs to start making money. And what better way than guaranteed income for hordes of loyal transport subscribers?
With an IPO mooted for later this year, the decision to integrate open public transport data is a smart move. “Uber is a company with a very high price tag attached to it, but it’s not making money,” says Li. “What it can do is demonstrate potential. It’s a bit like Amazon in the early days: it wasn’t making money, but people could see the company had huge potential to grow and expand into other areas. Uber might be doing something similar.”
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Ever had cows instead of users? You’ve probably never thought about building software for farmers, but Farmeron just raised a round of investment as well as support from 500 Startups, a seed fund and startup aggregator led by Dave McClure. Farmeron is buidling an analytics package inspired by the numerous website tracking apps you might have used, such as Omniture or Google Analytics, but built for farms.
Farmeron’s solution is a slick web based application in which you, as a farmer, can keep track of your animals, their feeding, deaths etc. Like we all have profiles on Twitter or Facebook, each animal in Farmeron has its own profile as well.
This lets farmers follow not only the performance of their farm as a whole, but also individual animals. While McClure has confirmed the investment, 500 Startups hasn’t yet disclosed how much they’ve invested in Farmeron, a startup quite different from the likes of BackType or Recurly.
It’s also the first startup 500 Startups has invested in Croatia as well as Southeastern Europe in general, thanks to Seedcamp. Farmeron was one of the finalists, even getting €25,000 when the winner, GrabCAD, decided they didn’t really need it due to a recent investment round from Matrix Partners and Atlas Ventures.
Farmeron is currently in private beta and their CEO says they’ll be moving to Mountain View in the next couple of weeks to continue developing the product. While the product might seem odd at first, their potential market is huge with few competitors.