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Tag - A7
Following a guilty verdict against Apple in a case that claimed the iPhone maker incorporated technology in its A7, A8, and A8X chips covered by a patent held by the University of Wisconsin's Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), a Wisconsin jury has decided that Apple owes the foundation $234 million in damages for its infringement. The award is just over half the among sought by WARF, and considerably less than the $862.4 million it could have faced, but the jury disagreed with a finding of willful infringement.
An updated version of the Sony Alpha 7 has been launched in Japan. The A7 II is a 24.3-megapixel full-frame mirrorless camera and the first of its kind to have a five-axis sensor-shift image stabilization system, one which is said to reduce shake by up to 4.5 CIPA-standard stops, and is capable of automatically combining it with the in-lens stabilization of an E-mount lens with OSS.
The University of Wisconsin's patent licensing arm -- the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation -- is suing Apple for violating a university patent through the A7 processor found in the iPhone 5s, iPad Air, and iPad mini. The patent is titled Table Based Data Speculation Circuit for Parallel Processing Computer, and credited to several computer scientists who were at UW Madison. It describes a way of improving "the efficiency and performance of contemporary computer processors."
Apple reportedly "stunned" chipmakers when it introduced the iPhone 5s' A7 system-on-chip (SoC) in September, as the first company to embrace 64-bit architecture for mobile platforms. In a HubSpot blog post from Dan Lyons, which was spotted by AppleInsider, an unnamed source within Samsung noted that Apple's announcement was widely downplayed by competitors "but it set off panic in the industry."
Sony could be releasing a new full frame mirrorless camera in its Alpha range later this week, according to a rumor. The A7, partly shown in a low-resolution image, appears to have a similar basic body as the NEX-7, though it appears to have a raised section for a more central and higher viewfinder, along with a raised hot shoe.
The Apple iPhone 5S A7 chip could offer a 31 percent performance boost over the current A6 chip powering the iPhone 5, according to Fox News reporter Clayton Morris. This aligns with a separate report from 9to5Mac that suggests that Apple has been testing an A7 processor that utilizes a 64-bit ARM-based architecture, up from the current 32-bit basis of the current A6 processor in the Apple iPhone 5 and previous A-series generations.
KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a technology analyst with an above-average track record for accuracy, has told investors in a note on Thursday that the iPhone "5S" expected next month from Apple will be a lot like the other "S" devices -- using the same basic form factor as the previous model, but with various tweaks on and under the hood. Kuo believes the new iPhone will mark the debut of the "A7" processor, use faster RAM, offer an improved camera and fingerprint sensor (but not near-field communication) and add a "gold" color option to the usual black and white colors.
A leaked photo shows an alleged motherboard for an "iPhone 5S," according to iOSDoc. The board is said to be roughly similar to the one for the iPhone 5, which may support views that the device will be just a modest upgrade, for instance keeping roughly the same dimensions as its predecessor. The photo does show an A7 processor, however, which the source claims is a quad-core 1.2GHz chip, paired with PowerVR's quad-core SGX554MP4 graphics.
Apple has over 1,000 engineers working on its mobile processors, the late Steve Jobs purportedly mentioned a few weeks ago. An unnamed but "veteran" CEO said shortly after Jobs' resignation that the iconic Apple CEO had told him there were "1,000 engineers working on chips." With 20,000 workers in Apple's non-retail staff, TechCrunch noted in getting the leak, that amounted to five percent of the entire company.
Now AAPL Stock: The symbol you provided ("AAPL") doesn't appear to be registered
Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit
Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj
Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket
The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]
Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera
Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94
Apple employees testing wheelchair features
New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa
SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards
SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If
Apple's third-quarter results due July 26
Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm
Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users
Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE


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In a continuation of the global rollout of the Nucleus 6 system, Cochlear announces CE Mark approval.
When the wireless features are enabled, they will take advantage of the Gn ReSound Unite Phone Clip + or a similar device for Bluetooth connectivity.
May 13, 2013 – (Innsbruck, Austria) – MED-EL has become the first hearing implant company to receive approval for marketing cochlear implants for the indication of Single-Sided Deafness in countries that acknowledge the CE mark.
The CE marking or formerly EC mark, is a mandatory conformity marking for products sold in the European Economic Area (EEA) since 1993.
MED-EL has announced the “RONDO, the World’s First CI Single-Unit Processor, Now CE Mark and FDA Approved Coil, control unit, and battery pack are combined into a compact, single-unit audio processor design.”

domain: news


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For fans of HBO’s Game of Thrones, perhaps the biggest thrill of Season 8 is seeing fiercely rival families and religions join forces to finally defeat the White Walkers, a zombie army that grows by killing off the living. No less collaboration will be needed to fight one of our greatest public health crises today: obesity, which is putting 93 million US adults at increased risk of premature death.
In short, we need every sector of the food and beverage industry – from packaged food and restaurant companies to beverage makers and convenience store operators – to join the fight. And we especially need the biggest companies in those sectors to engage seriously, because they can make the biggest impact.
Unfortunately, two big players – the restaurant and baked goods sectors – remain missing in action, apparently too focused on their own ambitions. Meanwhile, in a very satisfying plot twist, the convenience store industry has emerged as the obesity wars’ Jaime Lannister: the rogue character who shows more and more moments of profound nobility and emerges an unlikely hero.
Over the nearly 100 years since the first convenience store opened in Dallas, this channel has gained a reputation as purveyors of unhealthy products – for example, cigarettes, supersized sodas, beer and fatty snack foods. But to demonstrate that industry’s voluntary turnaround, earlier this month its trade group, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), was named Partner of the Year by the obesity-fighting non-profit organization Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) which hosts one of the largest public health-food industry convenings at its annual Summit. I have had the privilege of moderating panels of food industry executives “telling all” since the Summit’s inception in 2011.
NACS represents the interests of more than 154,000 convenience stores in the U.S. NACS has fast-tracked programs to help its members sell healthier foods and beverages, going so far as to enlist Sesame Street characters to promote fruit and vegetable sales. Big convenience store chains such as Sheetz, Cumberland Farms, Kwik Trip and Maverik are making their product lineups healthier, affordable and available year-round.
The impact has been substantial. The U.S. convenience store sector now sells a quarter of a billion dollars of fruit annually and water sales have topped $4 billion. This is a noteworthy development, one that a decade ago I would have said would never transpire given the importance of less healthy product sales to the convenience store industry.
The PHA Summit also honored a small but noble newcomer: the baby food company Sprout Foods, Inc., which aims to train young palates to crave vegetables and eat less sugar. Sprout committed to no added sugar in the baby food pouches it sells and make vegetables the leading ingredient in more than half of those pouches. Like Game of Thrones’ well-intentioned Jon Snow, Sprout is an example of a company built from the ground up with healthy food motives and few bad deeds to atone for; we need more companies like it to lead the way for their categories.
But we also need more companies like McDonald’s, the National Confectioners Association and (gasp!) the top soft drink companies to demonstrate that it’s possible; all have made solid commitments to make ingredients healthier, remove sugar and calories or sell smaller portions.
Why is the restaurant industry as a whole still missing in action? Restaurants and food service operators account for more than 30% of all the calories sold in the US. They are the most egregious purveyors of salt, sugar and fat. Why does the average fast-food meal have 90 more calories today than it did in 1986, with portion sizes up 24% since then? In contrast, a Hudson Institute study has shown that 63% of restaurant patrons want healthier options and that 55% would prefer smaller portions. The typical calorie-laden restaurant meal is not what most consumers want.
Nor have the nation’s largest baking companies done much to trim calories. The same Hudson Institute study showed that sweet baked goods such as packaged pastries, donuts, cookies and salty snacks are overconsumed by the consumer segment with the highest body mass indexes (BMIs). Still, no big bakers have stepped up with meaningful public pledges to make nutritional improvements to their products or cut portion sizes.
So how can the restaurant and baked goods sectors play a more heroic role in the obesity wars? A few suggestions:
Show leadership – Big companies have the power to influence others that respect their competitors’ market intelligence and fear losing their edge. For example, after McDonald’s switched to using cage-free eggs in its breakfast items in 2015, 200 other companies switched over to cage-free eggs.
Make specific commitments – The companies and industries that have partnered with PHA have agreed to specific, measurable initiatives to make their products healthier. We need similar commitments, especially from restaurant chains that have sat on the sidelines. There are no more excuses. Convenience stores face many of the same operational problems as restaurants do. And yet, the convenience store industry has chosen to sell more better-for-you items because they are growing categories and many of their customers now want them.
Practice “stealth health” – Restaurants in particular should be reducing calories gradually and imperceptibly, especially from their higher-calorie menu items, which often have enough calories for an entire day. A 10% reduction in a 1,600-calorie chicken alfredo or an 1,850-calorie burrito won’t drive customers away; in fact, it won’t even be noticed.
As both Game of Thrones and the obesity wars show, even flawed characters are capable of doing great deeds. Just as the fantasy world needed former villains and warring families to unite against the White Walkers, the non-fantasy world needs all food industry sectors to be all in for the fight against obesity. We are rooting for those sectors that already have transcended past misdeeds and made commitments to a higher cause. We’re still waiting breathlessly for the rest of them.


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Spar schemes drive shoppers in
New Spar schemes, including ‘Make it happen’, aim to drive customers instore and also reward retailers with prizes like a trip to Brazil.
Spar has launched a series of campaigns to reward shoppers and retailers alike.
James Hall & Co Ltd, the wholesaler for Spar stores in the north of England, has launched ‘Make it happen’, a competition offering retailers a chance to win thousands of pounds.
To be in to win, retailers must tweet a photo of their best display to @SPARDSAP.
Meanwhile, Spar’s Shop & Win campaign returns this summer with a grand prize of a luxury holiday to Brazil.
Spar retailers are now also able to access the company’s new broadband radio service, which is expected to reach an audience of up to 11 million shoppers per week.
The station will be used as a part of the company’s wider media campaign, which recently involved promoting bank holiday deals across commercial radio, Facebook and Instagram.


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(Reuters) – Tesla Inc crossed its long-elusive target of producing 5,000 Model 3 cars in a week after several delays, and reaffirmed its positive cash flow and profit forecast for the rest of the year.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German labor union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) said it had agreed with Ryanair’s management to continue negotiations, even as it ballots the budget carrier’s pilots in Germany for industrial action.
(Reuters) – Losses in shares of technology and industrial companies dragged Wall Street lower on the first trading day of the second half of this year, as risk of an escalating tariff war between Washington and its trading partners continued to weigh o…
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Volkswagen said its components development and manufacturing business would become an independent entity within the group from January 2019, alongside the VW Passenger Cars business and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
Traffic-fiddling malware may have met its match Clean-up efforts to respond to the VPNFilter malware have accelerated with the release of a free check-up tool.…
LONDON (Reuters) – Nestle faces greater pressure to speed up change after activist investor Third Point stepped up its criticism of the world’s largest food company.
(Reuters) – Tesla Inc produced 5,031 Model 3 electric cars in the last seven days of its second quarter, the company said on Monday, beating its long-elusive production target after several hiccups.
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian shopkeepers and traders affiliated to a local lobby group held scattered sit-in protests across the country on Monday against Walmart Inc’s proposed $16 billion acquisition of e-commerce firm Flipkart.
Alliansens interna bråk kring Sverigedemokraterna fortsätter. Vad betyder det för Alliansens sammanhållning? SVT:s politikreporter Elisabeth Marmorstein svarar.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union has warned the United States that imposing import tariffs on cars and car parts would harm its own automotive industry and likely lead to counter-measures by its trading partners on $294 billion of U.S. exports.
Microsoft has been dreaming of a pocketable dual-screen Surface device for years
The Verge revealed last week that Microsoft wants to create a “new and disruptive” dual-screen device category to influence the overall Surface roadmap and blur the lines between what’s considered PC and mobile. Codenamed Andromeda, Microsoft’s …
Don’t expect Microsoft’s Andromeda this year… or maybe everZDNet
Leaked Microsoft Email Describes Dual-Screen ‘Andromeda’ DeviceExtremeTech
What is dead may never die: Microsoft’s Surface Andromeda not coming this yearNeowin
Windows Central –Thurrott.com (blog) –TechSpot –Ubergizmo
all 62 news articles »
Nestle faces pressure to hasten change after new Third Point letter
By Martinne Geller. LONDON (Reuters) – Nestle faces greater pressure to speed up change after activist investor Third Point stepped up its criticism of the world’s largest food company. The New York-based hedge fund sent a letter to Nestle’s board and …
Hedge fund billionaire Dan Loeb slams Nestle’s ‘muddled’ strategyCNNMoney
Loeb Presses Nestle to Fix Strategy, Sell L’Oreal StakeBloomberg
Nestle Responds to Third Point Pressure, Says ‘Delivering Results’TheStreet.com
CNBC –Fortune –Yahoo Finance –New York Post
all 67 news articles »
Cruise ship rescues crew member who went overboard near CubaTampabay.comMIAMI — The Coast Guard has found a missing crewmember who went overboard from a cruise ship near Cuba. Coast Guard officials said the 33-year-old Filipino crew member was seen goi…
500 meter från Arne Berglunds hus i Värmland härjar en omfattande skogsbrand, och han har nu tvingats evakuera från sitt hem.
Hör honom berätta om känslorna, och hur han hjälper brandkåren i kampen mot lågorna, i klippet.
(Reuters) – Dell Technologies Inc said on Monday it would buy the tracking stock of VMware Inc in a cash and stock deal, taking a step closer to a return to the public market and ending a months-long review of its business.


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Vault Comics has an answer to the comics piracy problem, which has sparked discussion of potentially hundreds of thousands of people reading comics illicitly, allegedly 20 times the number of people buying them. Of course, those numbers are based on bogus hit counter stats posted on the piracy websites themselves, which we previously explained probably actually translates to something like 200 actual people when the counter says 100,000.
It’s the 12th May and here is this weeks digital comics round-up. Here is what is available this #NCBD Unless otherwise linked, all comics shown here can be found on Amazon/ComiXology. If you buy on Amazon, you […]


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Mobileye has developed unique vision-based advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) providing warnings for collision prevention and mitigation. The company’s proprietary chips have been successfully installed in millions of vehicles worldwide and the technology was selected for implementation in the serial production of
237 car models from 20 OEMs by 2016.
NYSE: MBLY- raised $1.023 billion – a record IPO for an Israeli company.
In March 2017, Intel acquired Mobileye for $15.3 billion, the largest-ever deal in the Israeli high-tech industry.
Prof. Shaashua from the Computer Sciences & Engineering Faculty of Science, is the founder and the CEO of Mobileye.


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Judge Alvin Hellerstein, of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, ruled Tuesday that each call was a violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 and awarded triple the usual penalty.
While Time Warner argued that they were unaware King ever asked to be on the company’s “do not call list,” Hellerstein determined “there is no doubt King made this revocation.” He wrote that the company “could not be bothered” to update King’s information, even after she filed suit against TWC in March of 2014.
“A responsible business in TWC’s position might have dispatched a live agent to reach out to Luiz Perez after the IVR (interactive voice response) failed to reach him the first several times,” Hellerstein wrote. “The responsible company will reduce its exposure dramatically by taking proactive steps to mitigate damages, while its competitor, who unthinkingly robo-dials the same person hundreds of times over many months without pausing to wonder why it cannot reach him, cannot complain about much higher liability.”
King’s lawyer, Sergei Lemberg, said Tuesday that King is happy her fight against robocalls paid off, adding that they “make people’s lives miserable.”
“Millions of U.S. consumers get robocalls. Only a few of them take it a step forward and get a lawyer,” Lemberg told Mercury News.


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While retailers bombard your visual and aural senses each holiday season, it turns out that what you smell may drive you to spend more of your Christmas cash.
Writing for time.com, marketing consultant Martin Lindstrom reported that a waft of cinnamon drove him to buy holiday decorations and begin writing Christmas cards, in spite of the fact it was only Nov. 5. It turned out that Lindstrom had been targeted with scents of cinnamon that had been pumped in from behind some retail displays.
Dr. Gemma Calvert, an expert in brain imaging from Oxford, England, discovered the ability of smells to reactivate childhood memories and go as far as manifest consumer behaviors to buy more holiday items.
Lindstrom, author of Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate our Minds, writes in this week's Time that this season, Trader Joe's, Publix and other supermarkets are prominently displaying heavily scented cinnamon items near checkout lines. At Bed, Bath and Beyond, Home Depot and other big box stores, Lindstrom said cinnamon-scented pine cones are purposely positioned near the doors.


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PixelMags Announces the Launch of Readr® and AnyTime®.
PixelMags is excited to announce the launch of Readr®, our new revolutionary distribution channel in November 2012. With its debut on the iPad and iPad Mini, the Readr App will give consumers a completely new way to enjoy their favorite magazines and discover new titles like never before. Readr is a newsstand that allows consumers to explore and purchase thousands of their favorite magazines.
Readr will launch with a patent pending technology called AnyTime®. With the flick of a switch, AnyTime allows consumers to discover content with a one time, seven day free reading period upon launch of the App. We have created a way for users to revisit the newsstand to discover magazines of their choice, offering consumers 20 minutes of free reading every month. During or after the free AnyTime reading period, consumers can upgrade to an AnyTime Unlimited plan for a monthly fee of $9.99. This allows consumers to read as many titles as they want. Additionally, readers can purchase the AnyTime Unlimited subscription plan, as well as buy single copies.
PixelMags is very excited to launch this revolutionary newsstand and we look forward to distributing exceptional content on Readr.


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- June 22, 2022
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Economy
The UK economy is in the grip of the highest bout of inflation in the developed world and it’s about to get worse. Consumer prices are expected to have risen by 9.1 per cent in the year to May, a fresh 40-year high, before peaking above 11 per cent this autumn on the back of rising energy bills.
Britain is top of the inflation league table but runaway prices are a scourge for policymakers across the world. Almost none of them saw it coming.
Just over a year ago, the Bank of England said inflation would average just above its 2 per cent target in the third quarter of this year. Last week, the Bank upgraded its inflation forecast yet again from a peak of


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The only sailing yacht that made news recently is Jeff Bezos’ Y721. But years before the centibillionaire’s sailing mammoth made rumor mills go abuzz, EOS ruled the charts. New York power couple Fox TV mogul Barry Diller and his fashion designer wife Diane Von Furstenberg wowed the world with their schooner EOS in 2006. The beautiful boat flaunts a length of 305 feet, earning her the title of the world’s largest luxury sailing yacht until 2017. With such glitzy owners, the three-masted Bermuda rigged schooner has witnessed and hosted a plethora of well-known faces. Jeff Bezos made a few trips onboard EOS, which makes one wonder if it inspired his $500 million megayacht as opposed to the legendary Black Pearl? Bezos wrapped up his final weekend as Amazon CEO on Barry Diller’s yacht in Greece, as per Page Six. If one of the world’s wealthiest men found refuge in a $200 million EOS sailing yacht, it is undoubtedly worth a dekko. Details below:
The eternally elegant EOS yacht:
This Lurssen superyacht is a floating eye-catcher featuring exterior design by Langan Design Associates, Inc. and interiors by Francois Catroux. The 305-footer boasts a beam of 13.5m, a draft of 6.5m, and a volume of 1,517 GT. EOS took no less than three years to build. Once completed, it knocked Athena yacht off the number one spot for the largest sailing yacht. The schooner comfortably accommodates 14 people in seven well-appointed cabins serviced by a professional crew of 21 who ensure a luxurious sailing experience. Being a privately owned yacht, there are nearly no images of its lavish interiors. However, every once in a while, Von Furstenberg posts glimpses with celebrities onboard EOS on her Instagram account.
A 2009 news story about EOS’ arrival in Fremantle, Australia, described the yacht’s interior as “a secret kept by Mr. Diller, but it is believed to boast a glass staircase and panoramic views astern.” The outgoing captain said, “I thoroughly enjoy it … I have long, unstructured hours and an ever-changing itinerary. We have no set route but travel mainly between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.” Powered by 2 MTU engines, EOS has a cruising speed of 11.0 kn and a top speed of 16.0 kn.
It’s not been all fun and frolic for the superyacht that belongs to illustrious owners; EOS had its share of scares, as, on June 30, 2012, the ship caught fire in Oslo, Norway. The fire, though controlled, caused severe damage to the top decks. Lucky, there was no damage beyond the upper deck nor any injuries or loss of life. Barry Diller and his wife were ashore at the time.
Lesser known facts of the enigma that is the EOS superyacht:
Though its owners have hosted several celebrities (Harry Style, Jeff Bezos, Andy Cohen, etc.), yet so little is known about one of the most striking sailing boats in the world. Among a few fascinating facts revealed, the one that caught our attention was the 9-foot-tall sculpture of Diane von Furstenberg sculpted by Anh Duong.
The French-American artist created the sculpture for media mogul Diller to be used as a figurehead of the $200 million yacht. Diane von Furstenberg, the fashion designer, best known for her wrap dress, played muse yet again. Duong painted an 8 x 6-foot portrait of Diane von Furstenberg, which was part of the touring exhibition Journey of a Dress. The EOS yacht also exhibits a 14ft world map mural in her interior.
The yacht attracted $2000 a day parking charge
Do you have a parking spot outside your office? Among the lucky ones who do is media mogul Barry Diller. Even the boss had to splurge a whopping $2,000 daily in parking charges. Not to park his supercar but to park his superyacht, EOS, in the Chelsea Piers across from the IAC headquarters. In 2011, after Diller and his wife sailed in from Martha’s Vineyard, the yacht remained moored in Chelsea for roughly 20 days at an astronomical cost, as per Insider.
About Barry Diller:
The owner of the EOS yacht, one of the world’s largest private sailing yachts, dropped out of the University of California and got a job in the mail room at William Morris talent agency. The American businessman with a net worth of $5 billion launched the internet and media conglomerate IAC in 1995. His exceptional negotiation skills earned him the moniker ‘Diller killer’ in the world of business.
The Chairman of Expedia was honored by the American Academy of Achievement with a Golden Plate Award in 1992, and he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame two years later. Not many know that Barry Diller has been on the board of Coca-Cola since 2002. The Simpsons fans have Diller to thank for green lighting the show while working for Paramount and Fox.


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Dell PowerVault SAN Broad Range of Server Support
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Dell recently announced that its new PowerVault(TM) storage area network (SAN) solution would support a broad range of servers.
According to Dell, support for many Microsoft(R) Windows NT(R) and Windows(R) 2000, Intel-based platforms allows it to offer customers a storage solution that leverages their existing Windows server investments, while scaling to accommodate their growing data requirements. This latest capability, Dell says, allows the PowerVault SAN to work together with Windows servers from vendors including Compaq, IBM and HP.
In a demonstration at Storage Networking World last week, Dell exhibited the new PowerVault 660F Fibre Channel array within a Dell PowerVault SAN, in addition to showcasing the PowerVault SAN's interoperability support with its own, Compaq, HP and IBM servers.


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Nokia has put pen to paper and agreed a deal that will see Lumia buyers receive free access to TV and film streaming service Netflix. The deal is available in selected phones through Vodafone and Phones 4U.
Nokia has attempted to revitalise its smartphone and mobile phone sales in recent years. While they once held an unassailable lead in the mobile phone market, they have found it difficult to keep up with the likes of the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy series. They still hold a significant share in emerging markets but they have struggled with smartphone sales.
The choice to use the Windows operating system, rather than Android or Symbian, certainly raised a few eyebrows although it could well have been the catalyst behind Microsoft’s ongoing purchase of the mobile phone giant.
The Lumia range of smartphones, which utilises the Windows based mobile operating system, has helped to generate sales and the introduction of phones like the 41mp camera wielding Lumia 1020 certainly shouldn’t be harming their efforts.
In a bid to try and muster up further interest in their range of smartphones, Nokia has penned a deal with streaming service Netflix. Under the agreement, Nokia will foot the bill for the free access that they are offering certain customers.
Buyers that purchase a Lumia 625 or Lumia 925 on Vodafone will receive six months of free Netflix access while buyers of the Lumia 1020 will get a whole year. Phones 4U customers that purchase a 1020 will receive free access to the Netflix service for six months too.
Netflix has become the biggest and most popular of all Internet TV services; so much so, that they have released a number of exclusive series including Orange is the New Black. They have also commissioned a new psychological detective drama that is due to start production in 2014. When Google released the Chromecast Internet TV dongle, they initially offered three months of free Netflix access but had to withdraw the offer after a few days because of the popularity of the offer and the device.
It has also been reported that Netflix is in discussions and contract talks with other cable and set-top box providers in order to offer their service to a greater number of people.
Netflix is a monthly subscription based streaming and download service. As well as films and TV shows, the service also has its own exclusive series for viewers to watch and they only look like getting bigger.


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The Samsung Galaxy Fold may be an incredible step forward in phone engineering, but it is unfinished. That became clear when, earlier this week, Samsung announced it was delaying the release of the phone. What was available to reviewers, analysts, influencers, and select partners was essentially a beta device—with those same people serving as beta testers. It never should have seen the light of day.
It was a nice sample size, of course. You had people with little understanding of phone design checking it out next to people who have been reviewing gadgets for a decade, so you got things like people removing a film that shouldn’t be removed, while others were busy noting Samsung had left a gap between the display and the hinge that debris could fill.
This thing wasn’t ready to be evaluated as a fully functioning device, but until Monday afternoon, Samsung barreled ahead, set on releasing an unfinished phone like it was a buggy game that could be patched later. That practice is obscenely obnoxious in the software space, and should never even be a possibility in the hardware space. Samsung likely pressed ahead because it wanted to be viewed as the first—the first big phone maker to release a big, gorgeous folding smartphone.
Being the first is a big deal. Even if you aren’t technically the first, having the world remember you as such can be huge. Apple is recognized as the first smartphone, and that cultural cachet helped propel it to becoming one of the most profitable companies in history. For a company like Samsung, which has been plagued by big PR problems like the Note 7, and its C-suite’s jaunts to Korean prison, being the first and being successful at it would be a huge win.
But being the first is also a big gamble. If you’re the first to market, but the product sucks then it can ruin not only a company’s prospects in the field, but also the product category itself. Google rushed a janky Google Glass to market and likely poisoned the general public to smartglasses for a decade. Nintendo got the Virtual Boy out there too quickly in 1995 because it wanted to rush into development on its next big console, and besides being a commercial failure, it poisoned VR in the gamer imagination for nearly 20 years.
Samsung saying it would get out a high quality and attractive folding smartphone before anyone else was a major gamble for the company. I can’t help but think it was propelled by its rivalry with Huawei which has been nipping at Samsung’s heels, both on the folding phone front, and in terms of its overall phone business. Huawei is giant China—strong enough that it’s the second largest shipper of phones behind Samsung in the world.
Samsung needed that win against Huawei, which announced its own folding phone not long after Samsung but doesn’t expect to ship until much later this year. At the same time, with the firey Galaxy Note 7 disaster being not even three years old, it couldn’t afford another high profile phone debacle.
I think Samsung lovers and haters alike can agree that the decision to move the release date and re-evaluate the phone was a good one. But honestly, I’m still worried that Samsung seemed content to ship a beta product. While Gizmodo’s review sample has held up wonderfully despite daily use, my colleague Sam Rutherford noted that the phone has some issues, and I think proper testing by Samsung should have turned them up long before the phone came into our possession. But Samsung either didn’t recognize the problems or chose to ignore them. Which really makes it seem like Samsung didn’t learn anything from the Note 7.
The Galaxy Fold is a clever device that shows a lot of design savvy and engineering ingenuity. For now, it’s unclear whether Samsung will go through with shipping the flawed device, but some of the damage might already be done. It’s wise for the company to hold out for now, and it might be worth it taking the reputational hit of not releasing this version of the product at all. You have to know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em, and it looks like this week Samsung might have learned that lesson.


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iFarmer has inaugurated their first Procurement Hub to facilitate farmers by collecting their produce and ensuring fair crop prices. The inaugural event took place today in the Birganj area of Dinajpur district.
During the post-harvest period in Bangladesh, farmers face various obstacles in selling their crops. Farmers are forced to sell their hard-earned crops at a nominal price to avoid the risk of the harvest getting rotten if the buyer refuses to purchase them later. Now, farmers can conveniently sell their crops to iFarmer’s Procurement Hub without worrying about incurring losses.
The hub has storage facilities of around 20,000 tons. It is located in the middle of the local markets where farmers can easily reach. The procurement hub will ensure farmers make more profit by eliminating the additional cost, time wastage, and other inconveniences. The hub has already started its operations by collecting paddy, rice, maize, and mustard seeds using a digital scale meter service for transparency to the sellers.
Currently, 500 farmers, 50 retailers, 50 Foriya, and 60 Suppliers are listed on the procurement hub. Among these people, Ayub Ali, a farmer who came to the procurement hub, expressed, “Earlier, we had to spend a lot of money to go to the town or village market to sell our crops. Still, we have never received the whole amount of money for the crops. But now, I can easily bring my crops to the hub, sell them, and get my money without any hassle.”
Fahad Ifaz, Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, iFarmer, commented, “This Procurement Hub has been set to encourage farmers to produce good quality of crops and to support them in ensuring their fair earnings for the crops. We are hopeful that this initiative will play an important role in the journey of Smart Agriculture.”
Fahad Ifaz, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, iFarmer, and Jamil Mohiuddin Akbar, Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer, iFarmer, were present as Chief Guests at the inauguration of the Procurement Hub. Other special guests were also present during the event, including Md. Humayun Kabir, Senior Agricultural Marketing Officer, Dinajpur Directorate of Agricultural Marketing; Md. Shariful Islam, Upazila Agriculture Officer, Birganj Directorate of Agricultural Extension; and Md. Moinul Islam, Inspector of Police (Investigation), Bangladesh Police (Birganj).
It is worth mentioning that iFarmer has plans to set up more procurement hubs in other districts besides Dinajpur.


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WBEZ Offers Members 'Pledge-Free Stream'
February 26, 2014 at 4:32 AM (PT)
CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA noncommercial News-Talk WBEZ/CHICAGO is offering an unusual premium for its MARCH pledge drive: a pledge-free stream accessible only to members.
The stream is being tested for qualifying members, including those in the "High Fidelity" ($15/month) and "Leadership Circle" ($1,000 or more per year) categories and those who make $40 donations now through MARCH 14th. The stream will be available online and through smartphones and tablets.
The station is trying the concept pout because, it says, "once a listener donates, it would be nice to offer them the ability to go back to non-pledge drive programming. While that sounds simple, it’s actually very difficult to do, but we have finally done it and are now launching it for the first time. We’re thrilled to be able to offer this benefit to our current members."


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In 2021, 77 D2C brands surfaced in India. That compares with 215 each in 2019 and 2020, according to Tracxn data. Funding in the sector more than doubled over the previous couple of years to $493 million.
Exclusive Economic Times Stories, Editorials & Expert opinion across 20+ sectors
Stock analysis. Market Research. Industry Trends on 4000+ Stocks


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The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) today announced its opposition to the USMCA trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada because the updated agreement sets dangerous precedents for future policy.
USMCA’s acronym, which scraps NAFTA’s “F” and “T” standing for “Free Trade,” is more telling than its drafters likely intended.
Regarding the “F,” USMCA preserves NAFTA’s near-zero tariffs between its members, but it raises several non-tariff barriers, from export quotas to sourcing requirements to monetary policy, which is supposed to be set by politically independent central banks. USMCA’s new non-tariff barriers make trade overall less free among Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Regarding the “T,” USMCA is filled with trade-unrelated provisions that do not belong in a trade agreement. Energy and environmental provisions will narrowly benefit politically-connected companies and activists but raise consumer prices and limit their choices. Regulatory obstacles for automobile parts will dismantle supply chains that have taken decades to build and make new cars even more expensive. USMCA contains labor provisions, aimed at buying union political support, that will reduce access to Mexican products for U.S. producers and consumers.
CEI opposed the original NAFTA in 1995 because we feared its non-tariff barriers and trade-unrelated provisions would become entrenched in future trade agreements. These fears largely came true.
The problems go beyond USMCA itself. USMCA negotiations will influence how upcoming agreements are made with China, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Trade negotiations should:
- Free trade, not manage it.
- Set economic precedents, not political ones.
- Allow countries to compete with one another on setting least-onerous regulations, not standardize a one-size-fits-all regulatory regime for all countries.
- Focus on trade, not include more than 2,000 pages of campaign bragging points and payoffs to political constituencies.
Trade is a long-term proposition with great potential to benefit all economies. Unfortunately, the USMCA drafters’ time horizon goes no further than the next election cycle.


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ARLINGTON, Va., May 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, early childhood nutrition leader Gerber announced an adorable new addition to the Gerber family with the winner of its 10th annual Photo Search. Magnolia Earl from Ross, California captured the hearts of the judging panel with her joyful expression, playful smile and warm, engaging gaze.
Baby Magnolia was chosen as the 2020 Gerber Spokesbaby from more than 327,000 entries submitted through photosearch.gerber.com where families could upload photos, videos and share stories. As the newest Gerber Spokesbaby, Magnolia represents every Gerber baby, and her family's story serves as a reminder of what unites all parents and drives everyone at Gerber: the promise to do anything for baby.
"Magnolia has brought so much joy to everyone she meets. Her personality is beyond happy and joyful," said Courtney Earl, Magnolia's mother. "On May 9th, 2019 we received a call from the Adoption Agency that there was an expectant mom that was in labor and wanted to talk to us! We pulled off the highway, got a chance to connect with her amazing birth parents, and a few hours later, this sweet baby girl was born. Adoption is incredibly special to our family's story. Winning Photo Search is an opportunity to tell Magnolia's story and shed light on all the beautiful and different ways families are made."
Magnolia Earl will celebrate her first birthday tomorrow, Saturday, May 9th. She has two older sisters, Whitney (12) and Charlotte (8), who is also adopted. The three girls adore playing together – especially splashing in the kiddie pool and dancing to the Baby Shark song.
"Our Gerber family of farmers, factory workers, employees and customers are all united in our pursuit to do everything and anything for baby. We believe every baby is a Gerber baby and standing behind our babies has never mattered more than it does now," said Bill Partyka, President and CEO, Gerber. "At a time when we are yearning for connection and unity, Magnolia and her family remind us of the many things that bring us together: our desire to love and be loved, our need to find belonging, and our recognition that family goes way beyond biology."
Launched in 2010, Photo Search was inspired by the countless photos received over the years from parents who see their little ones in Gerber's iconic baby logo, which features the original Gerber baby, Ann Turner Cook. Photo Search celebrates babies and families from all backgrounds, highlighting the belief that every baby is a Gerber Baby.
"Photo Search is a moment of celebration that so many families look forward to each year. And this year – perhaps more than ever – the Gerber family is thrilled to celebrate with Magnolia and her family, and with families across America," said Kelly Schneider, a spokeswoman for Gerber. "The COVID-19 pandemic has made all of us feel more isolated than ever before, so finding new ways to feel connected has never mattered more."
In addition to the opportunity to be featured on Gerber's social media channels and marketing campaigns throughout the year, Magnolia and her family were rewarded a $25,000 cash prize, $1,000 in Gerber Childrenswear, $1,000 from Walmart and phones with a year of free unlimited service from Verizon – all to provide the best possible start for baby.
"Congratulations to the Earl family! We're excited to provide Baby Magnolia with an adorable new wardrobe for her reign as Gerber's 2020 Spokesbaby!" said Maria Montaño, President and CEO of Gerber Childrenswear.
"Our mission is to ensure every baby has the best start to life and that is why we are so excited for Baby Magnolia and her family," said Melody Richard, Walmart US vice president for baby. "We love their story and are proud to contribute to this incredible opportunity with Gerber for Baby Magnolia and her family. We thank them for giving us this moment to connect and celebrate together as a community."
"We're living in a moment where the power of connection has never been more important," said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. "We're proud to join the Gerber family in preparing Baby Magnolia and her family for many more life milestones to come."
"Each of these organizations shares our commitment to families and our belief in the importance of connection and community," said Partyka. "We consider them a part of our Gerber family and we are grateful to them for helping us make Magnolia's big day even more special."
Gerber Products Company was founded in 1928 in Fremont, Mich. Gerber joined the Nestlé family on September 1, 2007. Gerber is a leader in early childhood nutrition. At Gerber, research informs everything we do – from the products we make, the nutrition education we deliver and the services we offer. Gerber provides resources from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) for health care professionals at Medical.Gerber.com/FITS and for parents at Gerber.com.
About Gerber Childrenswear
Gerber Childrenswear LLC is a leading socially responsible marketer of children's everyday basic / fashion / active wear apparel and related products which it offers under some of the world's trusted brands. Licensed brands include our flagship brand, Gerber®, as well as NFL®, Disney® and New Balance®. Proprietary brands include Onesies®, Just Born® and Cuddle Time®. The company sells layette, sleepwear, playwear, active wear, undergarments, accessories, hosiery, bibs/burp cloths, bath, bedding and cloth diapers to all channels of distribution.
Walmart Inc. helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 265 million customers and members visit approximately 11,500 stores under 56 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2020 revenue of $524 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity.
Verizon Communications Inc. was formed on June 30, 2000 and is celebrating its 20th year as one of the world's leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $131.9 billion in 2019. The company offers voice, data and video services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers' demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.
Gerber Products Company
1812 North Moore Street
Rosslyn, Virginia 22209


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Despite Black Friday’s sky-high sales this year, stores have experienced an inconsistent holiday shopping season. Traffic is down 1.8 percent from last December’s numbers; most customers are holding out for bigger deals. However, experts predict a post-yuletide salvation: December 26 is poised to generate $29 billion in sales.
"Black Monday is going to be huge,” Craig Johnson, president of research firm Customer Growth Partners told WWD. "We think it’s being underestimated and that retailers will experience the best post-Christmas week ever."
Part of Boxing Day’s appeal has to do with its place on the calendar this year. Since Christmas falls on a Sunday, most people have at least the following day—if not the entire week—off. Without the burden of present shopping and gift cards in their pockets, consumers will want to indulge. Plus, local returns will drive foot traffic, causing visitors to browse newly discounted items. Most markdowns, both in-stores and online, are reported to last through New Year’s Eve. (We’ve collected some of the best ones coming up. Check them out here.)
More on Luckymag.com:
- Win a Car!
- Get More Lucky!
- Gifts Galore: Hundreds of Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List
- How to Wear Your Warm-Weather Wardrobe in Winter
Keep up with the Lucky team on Twitter: Follow @LuckyMagazine


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Categories AlphaGraphs, Earnings, LATEST, Technology
Apple Q3 Earnings: Profit, revenue beat estimates as iPhone recovery continues
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) on Tuesday published its third-quarter financial results, reporting stronger-than-expected numbers. Both sales and net profit increased in double digits as iPhone sales continued to recover from the recent slowdown.
The Cupertino-based gadget giant said its third-quarter sales jumped 36% from last year to $81.4 billion. The growth was driven by a 50% surge in the sales of iPhone, the company’s flagship product. The top-line also came in above the consensus estimates.
Read management/analysts’ comments on Apple’s Q3 report
During the three-month period, net profit climbed to $21.7 billion or $1.30 per share from $11.3 billion or $0.65 per share in the third quarter of 2020, surpassing Wall Street’s expectations.
“This quarter, our teams built on a period of unmatched innovation by sharing powerful new products with our users, at a time when using technology to connect people everywhere has never been more important,” said Apple’s CEO Tim Cook.
After an upbeat start to the year, Apple’s shares made strong gains and hit an all-time high earlier this month. The stock closed Tuesday’s regular trading lower.
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International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) Stock
Infographic: Highlights of DocuSign’s (DOCU) Q1 2024 results
DocuSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: DOCU), a leading provider of electronic signature solutions, Thursday reported first-quarter earnings. It also provided guidance for the second quarter and fiscal 2024. The company's top line
Macy’s (M): A few points to consider if you have an eye on this retailer
Shares of Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE: M) stayed in red on Thursday. The stock has dropped 22% year-to-date and 32% over the past 12 months. The retailer witnessed sales and profit
Ocean Biomedical’s scientific co-founder Dr. Jonathan Kurtis gets new patent for malaria vaccine
Ocean Biomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCEA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on clinical programs in oncology, fibrosis, and infectious disease, Thursday said its scientific co-founder Dr. Jonathan Kurtis received a new patent


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FlipKart denies laying off employees
Earlier, media was abuzz with speculations that FlipKart is planning to sack all of its under-performing employees
Rejecting media reports of 700-1,000 layoffs, e-commerce giant FlipKart has said such reports were being circulated with malicious intentions and urged the public not to be fooled.
Earlier, media was abuzz with speculations that FlipKart is planning to sack all its under-performing employees.
They would be told to leave or given pink slips from the e-commerce venture, a section of media reported.
"At times, we have employees who do not meet the performance bar. In those situations, we work closely with employees to enable them improve their performance. In due course, if these employees are unable to make the desired progress, they are encouraged to seek opportunities outside the company where their skills can be better utilised," an official spokesperson said.
Ruling out the allegations, the spokesman added in the statement, "As a performance-oriented organisation, we follow a transparent evaluation process."
This week, Flipkart-owned Myntra announced acquiring e-store Jabong from its London-based owners Global Fashion Group (GFG) for $70 million (Rs 471 crore) to consolidate its position in the fashion and lifestyle segment both operate in.
Flipkart acquired Myntra in May 2014 for an estimated $300 million.
"Jabong's acquisition is a continuation of our group's journey to transform commerce in India. We will offer a variety of styles, products and assortment of global and Indian brands," said Flipkart co-founder and Chief Executive Binny Bansal in the statement.
As fashion and lifestyle is a major driver of e-commerce growth in the country, Bansal claimed Myntra's strong performance had reinforced faith in the segment.
Media reports on the lay-off have emerged in the wake of the recent announcement by IT giant Microsoft to sack over 2,000 employees globally.
Reportedly, it took the decision after suffering huge looses in its co-venture with Finnish firm Nokia.


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802.11n Moves Closer To Ratification
Infoworld reports that the IEEE 802.11n working group has approved draft version 1.10 of the high-performance wireless networking specification. The draft specification will strive to play better with legacy 2.4 GHz devices, but minimize the impact on existing draft-802.11n compliant equipment including Apple's recently updated Airport Extreme and Macs that include 802.11n capable networking cards.
Manufacturers like Atheros, Intel, and Apple and their customers will be happy to hear that version 1.10 is compatible with the pre-802.11n products they have already created.
"It will only require a minor firmware upgrade for complete compatibility," said [Bill McFarland, a member of the working group just back from the London meeting where version 1.10 was approved].
The version will be released to the full 802.11n committee by the end of the month as draft version 2.0, although at least one more draft is expected before final approval (expected in October 2008).


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WASHINGTON — House Democrats, working with President-elect Barack Obama, unveiled an $825 billion economic recovery package on Thursday to create jobs, help workers hurt by global trade and put money back in the hands of consumers.
In addition, Congress approved the release of the final $350 billion of the $700 billion financial bailout as the Senate rejected blocking the funds by a 52-42 vote.
Progress on the stimulus package, and on the infusion of government funds into Bank of America Corp., helped retail shares advance 3.9 percent, their second-strongest rise this year.
Seeking to combat the worst U.S. recession in decades, the economic proposal would provide $275 billion in tax cuts to workers and businesses and $550 billion for domestic spending programs over two years. The legislation aims to create or save 3 million to 4 million jobs by pumping funds into new programs to repair the nation’s aging roads, bridges and highways, as well as alternative energy programs and education initiatives.
“This recovery package will provide tremendous tax relief, health care and job training benefits for families struggling to make ends meet, while also giving businesses the boost they need to create new jobs,” said House Ways and Means Committee chairman Charles Rangel (D., N.Y.).
House Democrats said they are pushing for passage of the economic stimulus legislation by mid-February. The Senate has not unveiled its version.
Democrats dropped a key provision from the legislation proposed by Obama that would have given a $3,000 tax credit for each new job created by private companies. However, leaders added a provision that had not been promoted directly by Obama — an expansion and overhaul of trade adjustment assistance, a federal program that provides aid to workers who lose their jobs due to international trade.
The bill would expand that program to service workers who lose their jobs and extend coverage to manufacturing workers. Workers would also receive a total of $43 billion for increased unemployment benefits and job training over two years.
On the tax front, the package provides a $500 tax credit for individuals and $1,000 for families. Business tax breaks include an extension of net operating losses to five years to allow businesses to more easily borrow funds, extending a 50 percent bonus depreciation for two years, an extension of small business expensing and expansion of the work opportunity tax credit for unemployed and troubled youths and recently discharged veterans.
In separate action, Rangel reintroduced a trade enforcement bill with Rep. Sander Levin (D., Mich.) that would create a congressional trade enforcer to investigate barriers to U.S. exports.
Meanwhile, the Standard & Poor’s Retail Index rose 10.29 points to 274.94. The index rallied as much as 5.7 percent before losing ground in the final hour of trading.
Weighing the impact of the global slowdown on fashion, Moody’s Investors Service cut its debt ratings on Marks and Spencer Group plc and Quiksilver Inc.
Marks and Spencer’s senior unsecured and short-term debt ratings were reduced to “Baa3/P-3” from “Baa2/P-2.” The outlook is stable.
Quiksilver’s corporate family and probability of default ratings were lowered to “B3” from “B2” and the rating on the firm’s $400 million in senior unsecured notes was cut to “Caa1” from “B3.” Debt with a “Caa” grade is deemed to be “subject to very high credit risk.” The outlook is negative.
“What he has done at Vuitton is really exceptional,” said @gameofthrones’ actress Gwendoline Christie on @mrkimjones’ final show for @louisvuitton. “He has rebooted luxury in terms of making it commercial, viable and contemporary. And most importantly artistic. He has never compromised his artistic vision for the sake of commodity.” (📷: @zefashioninsider)
After seeing a demand for men’s wear from its customers, British contemporary women’s wear label @ariesarise has added a men’s wear component and will launch a unisex collection with @mrporterlive. The 20-piece collection includes jackets, denim, logo T-shirts and more with deconstructed ‘90s vibes. Set to launch on January 18, you can shop the pieces on Aries’ website and on mrporter.com. #wwdfashion
“And so spending so much time with a character who thinks like that, inevitability you try and analyze yourself and go back and think about your own demons and dark chapters that you had in your life,” says @thedanielbruhl of his role in TNT’s “The Alienist.” The show, set in the Gilded Age of New York, also stars Dakota Fanning and Luke Evans. Head to WWD.com to read about how 39-year-old Brühl prepared for the role and why he thinks the show is so relevant to today #wwdeye ( 📷: @Eriktanner)
Now that Celine Dion’s collection has topped $10 million in sales, the pop superstar, fashion icon and newly-minted industry player is eyeing growth in Asia. Read the full report by @tiffanyap, link in bio. #wwdnews #celinedion
“My personal philosophy to beauty is paying attention to oneself. I love to be outdoors, lots of fresh air, trying to take care of yourself as best you can. I always notice that comes through,” says Felicity Jones, the global face of @shiseido-owned @cledepeaubeauteus, which launches today. Head to WWD.com to read more about the actress’ love for beauty and how she prepared for her new role in “The Basis of Sex,” playing the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #wwdbeauty (📷: @dandoperalski)
Among the familiar faces at @off____white’s show was a surprise figure: Japanese artist @takashipom, pictured here on Wednesday morning. Other show-goers included @jerrylorenzo, who spoke about his upcoming project: a @nike collaboration for back to school, with designs inspired by his childhood on the West Coast. Sitting in the front row were Future, Don Crawley, @miguel and more. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: Stephane Feugere)
According to @laurentsai, former “Terrace House: Aloha State” cast member, she didn’t know she was auditioning for the Japanese version of “Real World.” “I was telling a couple of my friends and someone’s like, ‘That sounds a lot like Terrace House.’ I was like, ’No it can’t be.’” Turns out, it was. But Tsai isn’t just a reality star — she’s an illustrator who has worked with Starbucks Japan and most recently, she’s dipping her toes into the fashion world. Head to WWD.com to read about her time on the show, modeling and her art. #wwdeye (📷: @danieldorsa)
More changes are coming to New York Fashion Week: Beginning with the spring 2019 collection, @alexanderwangny will move his New York show to June from September, adopting a biannual schedule with collections shown in June and December. Additionally, the @cfda is planning for an official summer/winter fashion season taking place as soon as June and December 2018. Read more about the upcoming changes on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @slovekinpics)


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Employee-owned supermarket Waitrose & Partners is testing a concept that could save thousands of tonnes of packaging and plastic.
Among the ideas being tested are: a dedicated refillable zone, a frozen fruit ‘pick and mix’ and a borrow-a-box scheme.
Waitrose says the trial has the potential to save thousands of tonnes of unnecessary plastic.
The test has been designed to help determine how customers might be prepared to shop differently in the future.
It’s taking place in the firm’s Botley Road shop in Oxford, and means hundreds of products have been taken out of their packaging.
The store now has the largest number of loose fruit and vegetable lines of any national supermarket.
They’ve also removed plastic wrap from flowers and indoor plants and launched refillable options for everything from wine and beer to cereals and coffees as well as cleaning products.
The test, which is being branded ‘Waitrose Unpacked’ across the shop to maximise awareness, will run for a period of 11 weeks until 18th August.
The supermarket is seeking as much feedback as possible and will use this to plan future development of the scheme.
Packaged equivalents of the products will remain in their usual areas to create an effective test.
For example, given the choice between buying packaged or unpackaged fruit and vegetables, the supermarket will observe which option its customers opt for.
Head of CSR for Waitrose & Partners, Tor Harris said: “We are determined to build on the work we’ve already done to reduce packaging – and this test will take our efforts to a whole new level as we help the growing number of customers who want to shop in a more sustainable way.
“This test has huge potential to shape how people might shop with us in the future so it will be fascinating to see which concepts our customers have an appetite for.
“We know we’re not perfect and have more to do, but we believe this is an innovative way to achieve something different.”
Other green initiatives
In addition to the trial, Waitrose & Partners has committed to making all of its own-brand packaging either recyclable, reusable or home compostable by 2023.
The supermarket will remove black plastic from all its own-brand products by the end of this year.
It has also already stopped using the hard-to-recycle black plastic packaging from its fresh meat, fish, poultry, fruit and veg.
Waitrose & Partners recently launched the world’s first home compostable ready meal packaging and its single-use plastic bags for loose fruit and veg bags were replaced with a home compostable alternative in May.
In March this year it removed all 5p single-use carrier bags.
By Christmas 2020, its own label cards, wraps, crackers, tags, flowers and plants will either be glitter-free or the retailer will use an environmentally friendly alternative.
The supermarket is also trialling a new “invisible door” which prevents warm air being lost from the store during colder temperatures and cold air being lost during warmer temperatures.


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A 27-year-old man accused of identity theft involving credit card information "skimmed" from gas pumps was extradicted to Honolulu.
Akop Changryan is being held at the main police cell block on $500,000 bail. He has been charged with three counts of first-degree identity theft.
Changryan, who was arrested at 5:30 a.m. Friday, is one of three men in an identity theft case involving credit card information stolen from gas pumps in Honolulu.
Ariak Davtyan, 45, of Los Angeles, was scheduled to begin his trial earlier this month in Circuit Court.
Davtyan was extradited from California on three counts of first-degree identity theft for allegedly stealing more than $150,000 from six Hawaii financial institutions using credit card information stolen from 156 accounts. He remained in custody at OCCC on $500,000 bail.
Davtyan, Changryan, and another man — Karapet Kalantryan — were indicted March 22 by an Oahu grand jury for allegedly installing skimming devices at four Aloha Island Mini Mart gas stations on Oahu last September. The three men allegedly returned to California with the account data the devices recorded and made counterfeit credit and debit cards using the information. The trio were indicted on eight counts, including identity theft, conspiracy and fraudulent use of a credit card.
Kalantryan’s whereabouts are not currently known.
Changryan was scheduled to be sentenced June 3 in California on identity theft-related charges and extradited to Hawaii after he was sentenced, the Honolulu prosecutor’s office has said.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Changryan was accused of placing credit card skimming devices on gas pumps at a Shell Station on the Pacific Coast Highway last July. Nine people reported that information skimmed from their credit cards were used to make purchases in Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, Arizona and Mexico. He was arrested In January in Glendale, a suburb of Los Angeles, where he lives.
Davtyan is not facing charges on the mainland.
The Oahu grand jury indictment said the defendants and an accomplice installed and retrieved the devices between Sept. 9 and 24.
The defendants rented a van that had doors on both sides of the vehicle and parked the van next to the gasoline pumps.While several of the defendants served as lookouts, created distractions and blocked views to the front of the pumps, Changryan allegedly used a master key to open the front panel of the pumps and attached electronic skimming devices, the indictment said.
The defendants returned later and used the same technique to retrieve the devices.
Following the September incident, Aloha Petroleum, which owns the four minimarts, installed new locking mechanisms on the fuel dispensers at all Aloha stations.
Additionally, the company stopped accepting payment cards requiring personal identification numbers at some of its locations, including the four where skimming machines were placed, said Richard North, Aloha Petroleum information technology director.


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Snoop Lion Calls Suge Knight The Greatest West Coast Businessman Ever [Video]
Snoop links with DJ Skee for an interview to promote his “Reincarnated” project. The highlight of this interview is Snoop elaborating on his proclamation that Suge Knight the greatest West Coast businessman ever. Snoop is obviously smoking something rather strong because Dr. Dre and Ice Cube are still flourishing financially with grand new business ventures in THIS decade, not just the 90’s like Suge. The last headline I can remember with Suge had nothing to deal with money at all, it was his little fisticuffs with Katt Williams. Not profitable. The Lion will release an accompanying documentary in select cities on March 15 and his album will be in stores April 23.


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COVID-19 PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM XPRESSBUD.CA As our Country pressures more social distancing and [...]
420 Is Cancelled! Say It Ain’t So! Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, [...]
Use of roadside saliva tests for cannabis impairment remain in question. Michelle Gray says she’s [...]
Legalization pushed up price of pot by 17%, StatsCan says https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cannabis-legalization-data-1.5091788 [...]
As expected, Canada is going to pot. https://vancouversun.com/cannabis/cannabis-culture/cannabis-trends/cannabis-consumption-on-the-rise-in-canada-since-legalization-study [...]
Some customers at a Toronto cannabis store last week found their IDs being scanned, which [...]
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Wholesale vehicle depreciation continued to accelerate last week, a trend that is expected to continue for the next few weeks, as seasonal patterns take hold, according to Black Book's July 8 Market Insights report.
Overall car segment values declined 0.40% last week, compared to 0.21% the week before. Overall truck segment values declined 0.16% last week, compared to 0.17% the week before.
Compact, midsize, and prestige luxury cars experienced the heaviest depreciation within the car segment, as values for the respective vehicles declined 0.55%, 0.62%, and 0.63%. Conversely, subcompact and luxury cars realized the lowest depreciation within the car segment at 0.04% and 0.08%, respectively.
Overall truck values remained largely the same week-over-week. Two vehicle segments — subcompact and compact luxury crossovers/SUVs — realized the weakest performance of the week among trucks. Values for these two truck segment vehicles fell 0.45% and 0.44% through the week.
Meanwhile full-size luxury crossovers/SUVs, compact vans, and small pickups had the strongest showing of the week at 0.07%, 0.08%, and 0.03% respective depreciation.


text: Samsung’s second Galaxy Unpacked event of 2020 is set for August 5 at 10 a.m. ET, or 7 a.m. PT, and it will be live streamed from South Korea. The event is expected to be where Samsung launches the next device in its Note series, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20. But there will be more … much more. Samsung says it will unveil five new devices at the event, and Digital Trends will bring you complete coverage right here.


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World-dominating billionaire Elon Musk can’t seem to keep out of the headlines. His Twitter takeover has ironically caused a Twitter storm in itself – with user reactions ranging from incredulous memes about his whopping $44 billion spend, to rising concern about uncensored hate speech on the platform. Musk is known for his eccentric PR stunts, and when suggesting that we let his takeover of Twitter HQ “sink in” – accompanied by a literal sink – he was met with a decidedly mixed response.
However, are we already subconsciously adjusting to this new normal? And how, exactly, will Musk’s takeover affect the future of social media marketing?
Twitter: A Staple of Social Media Marketing
Twitter is renowned for its large user base, and is also one of the most active platforms for “content consumers”, as opposed to creators. Just 10% of Twitter users are responsible for 92% of all tweets, and this drastic ratio is evidence to the fact that the vast majority of Twitter users are spectators: their own accounts are generally dormant, as they are active predominantly through interaction with other users’ content, including their favourite brands. This explains why Twitter is such an integral part of so many companies’ marketing strategies, as they are within the minority of content creators, with a vast audience at their disposal.
Twitter is also acclaimed as a platform that encourages conversation. What better place to get feedback on a new product or campaign than Twitter: the home of customer opinion! Twitter is the perfect example of instantaneous communication, with 6,000 tweets coming through every second. It is therefore easy to gain insights into your target audience’s online behaviour, while simultaneously building brand awareness – with a specific brand voice. Take Aldi, for example. What may have begun as a tongue-in-cheek Twitter feud – on the back of a caterpillar-shaped court case! – has resulted in a series of subsequent tweets that have won over the vast majority of Twitter users. Aldi’s brand voice has very much been perceived as “for the people”, with their light-hearted, down-to-earth tweets reflecting their affordable prices.
This example of genius PR further demonstrates the power of Twitter, and why it is an integral part of numerous businesses’ digital marketing strategies. As the old saying goes: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It is therefore no surprise that many businesses and Twitter users alike are sceptical about Elon Musk’s takeover.
The Realities of Musk’s Takeover
As previously mentioned, Musk has been met with a mixed bag of opinions (as is the nature with Twitter!). In one US survey, 2 in 3 people did not want Musk to take the reins of the social platform. However, the deal appears to have been signed, sealed and delivered: it has been officially confirmed that the Tesla CEO and billionaire has acquired the company in a deal worth $44 billion, meaning that Twitter will be a privately held company from now on. But what does this mean? And what are Elon Musk’s intentions with the platform?
One particular topic which has got everyone talking, is Musk’s proposal to charge $8 per month for Twitter account verification. Yes, this means that the sought-after blue tick will essentially become a commodity, as opposed to something which is ‘earned’ through social influence. Not only this, but Elon Musk has long criticized Twitter’s strict moderation of content, claiming that this is detrimental to freedom of speech. He recently tweeted to his 113 million followers: “The bird is freed” – which came promptly after he controversially fired several top Twitter executives.
Is the Future Musky or Murky?
Musk’s pledge to promote “freedom of speech” on Twitter has triggered increasing concerns about harassment and hate speech. What’s more, many align with author and editor Sarah Frier’s statement:
“There’s no commercial viability for a network that doesn’t have some level of content moderation. Advertisers and users aren’t going to show up and post during their workday alongside abuse and extremism — and Twitter is already reportedly struggling with losing its most active users. So, in deciding how “free” Musk wants speech to be, he may have to alienate users to get there.”
At present, the future state of Twitter is still very much up in the air, however, if it does, indeed, become a more volatile place, this will greatly affect the ways – and the amount – that businesses use the platform for marketing purposes. After all, there are plenty of social channels to choose from!
Moreover, it is clear that Musk’s Twitter purchase is the first stage of his long-term plan to build an “Everything App”. Inspired by WeChat in China, this “Everything App” would combine social media with e-commerce, covering everything from social networking to shopping and bank transfers. But how would this affect the face of marketing? Would it be easier for businesses to advertise, as everything would be accessible in one place, or would this simply make markets more diluted?
Elon Musk’s professed aim is for the future of civilization to have a “common digital town square”, which would require him to dramatically grow Twitter’s revenue and user count. However, he simultaneously risks alienating large proportions of the demographic – and for a digital town square to be ‘common’, it must be representative of the global online community. At present, the future is unclear, but only time will tell if the world of social media marketing will be muskier, or murkier. Stay tuned for more updates!


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A SLENDER size eight model who was told she was too fat for the London Fashion Week catwalk has been snapped up by a top designer.
Willowy Warwickshire teenager Madeline Grant was given the unbelievable news during a casting session for the international event last month.
It led to mum Sally Jones penning a piece lambasting the industry in a national newspaper.
But unknown to her, photographer Grant Thomas had heard about 17-year-old Madeline’s plight and got in touch with hotly-tipped London designer Rachel Freire – a critic of the fashion industry’s obsession with stick-thin girls.
Days later Madeline, of Newbold Pacey, near Warwick, was strutting her stuff down the Covent Garden catwalk during a fashion week show and now Miss Freire is planning on using Madeline to show off even more of her designs later this year.
Madeline, who is 6ft tall and weighs just under 9st, is on the books of London agency Profile.
She had been eagerly anticipating her first fashion week until a booker for the catwalk shows told her she had put on weight and there was “no point” in her continuing with casting events.
Madeline said: “I felt totally gutted when I was told I was too fat.
“I love fashion and I’d been so excited at the thought of meeting all those big names – maybe even sharing a runway with some famous models.
“I eat really carefully though, I exercise a lot and if anything, on a normal criterion, I’m probably underweight.”
Her experience is not unusual despite a number of industry figures rallying against the obsession with stick-thin waifs.
Elegant Canadian model Coco Rocha famously said that after putting on 10lbs she was told that she needed to shed the weight because the year’s look was “anorexic”.
And the designer who took Madeline on is rallying against similar situations by casting four size ten models in her show.
Rachel Freire said: “I think the aim is to have supposedly bigger models but not letting it become a gimmick.
“We’ve done that and I’m really pleased that people have been saying that the designs were cool – not that I was using size ten girls.
“I don’t want to be an outspoken critic and I don’t want people talking about the fact that I’m using supposedly bigger models.
“And my approach is that my girls need to have a bum. Madeline has a great figure, and she’s got a bum as well.”
Ironically Madeline is not aiming for a career in modelling – hoping instead to land a spot at Oxford University studying English.


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Apple is testing its new Face ID sensor array keeping in mind this COVID-like scenario. According to reports, Apple has developed a prototype case that fits around iPhone 12 that they are using to test a new Face ID array. This case fits around the iPhone 12 and has a set of visible extra sensor arrays that bypasses the original Face ID of the phone and uses the new hardware instead.
This prototype has been seen by FrontPageTech and in order to keep the identity of its source safe they have created 3D renders to represent what we were shown from almost 75 prototypes.
According to FrntPageTech, the prototype array in the outer case of the iPhone 12 matches the same layout that was seen in the iPhone 13 CAD files that were made public back in June. In the renders, we can see that this time the front camera is moved to the left side, unlike the iPhone 12 series.
The Face ID array inside the prototype case is slightly narrower than the iPhone 12’s inbuilt sensor arrays. This indicates that iPhone 13 will be the one to have this new Face ID sensor.
As per the report, Apple employees are being asked to wear masks AND glasses internally to test the new hardware. This will further help to strengthen the sensor readings as sources claim that the testing is being done pretty intensely with several indoor/outdoor tests that include every style of eyeglasses and mask.
After all these testings Apple might reveal its new array of sensors that will be able to identify a person with his mask and glass on. This will bend towards a new future.


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The proposals made by health secretary Matt Hancock last week revealed that 93% of consultation respondents agreed businesses should be prohibited from selling the drinks to children.
Retailer Jason Birks, of Moscis in Durham, welcomed the decision, but said: “It’s another thing to police.”
He told betterRetailing: “As a responsible retailer, I have been imposing a voluntary ban for the past 10 years. When it’s voluntary, it doesn’t matter if you make an honest error, but now we might be punished for mistakes. Most ID systems are geared up to 18-year-olds, so this might be harder to police.”
More on this: NFRN members reject under-16s energy drinks sales ban


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– The Lupicia Fresh Tea store at the Westfield San Francisco Centre will host a tea party from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 1 at the store, 845 Market St. The gathering will feature James Norwood Pratt, author of tea books (“The Tea Dictionary,” “New Tea Lover’s Treasury”) and Jennifer Leigh Sauer, who recently published “The Way to Tea, Your Adventure Guide to San Francisco Tea Culture.”
– Asian Art Museum, 1 and 2:30 p.m., Nov. 10, 200 Larkin St., San Francisco 94102. $20, includes general entrance fee. Visit http://www.asianart.org/ to register.
– The Urasenke Foundation in San Francisco will honor the opening of the sunken hearth for winter (Robiraki) with tea tasting events on Nov. 10 ($35) and Nov. 14 ($25), 2143 Powell St., San Francisco. Reservations required. Call 415-433-6553. For more information, visit http://www.urasenke.org.
– Hakone Garden in Saratoga, 21000 Big Basin Way, holds tea ceremonies every third Sunday from March to November at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. at the Cultural Exchange Center. $5 per person plus garden admission of $5. For reservations, call John Larissou at 415-731-0622.


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Lenovo unveiled the Zuk Z2 Pro in April, and is set to launch a 'Lite' version of the smartphone on May 31. Ahead of the launch, the Lenovo Zuk Z2 appears to have passed through China's Tenaa telecommunications certification authority, revealing some key specifications alongside the design of the smartphone.
According to the listing (via MyDrivers), the Zuk Z2 will come with dual-SIM functionality, and runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. It has a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920) display with 2.5D curved glass protection. The listing claims that the smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 820 SoC, which fits a recent teaser by the company. Notably, Zuk CEO Chang Cheng had earlier hinted at the use of the Samsung Exynos 8890 SoC. This has fuelled rumours that the smartphone could launched in two processor variants.
The listing reveals that the smartphone offers 3GB RAM/ 32GB inbuilt storage and 4GB RAM/ 64GB inbuilt storage options. Optics include a 13-megapixel rear camera, and an 8-megapixel front lens. It packs a 3500mAh battery, weighs 150 grams, and the dimensions are at 140.5x69x7.9mm.
The specifications match previous leaks that the Zuk Z2 is just the smaller version of the Lenovo Zuk Z2 Pro. Just to compare, the Zuk Z2 Pro offers a 5.2-inch display, Snapdragon 820 SoC, 13-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front camera; 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage, and 6GB RAM/128GB storage options. It packs a 3100mAh battery, and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 as well.The Lenovo Zuk Z2 is expected to be offered in Black and White colour variants. MyDrivers tips the smartphone will launch at a starting price of CNY 1,799 (roughly Rs.18,400). Lenovo has sent out media invites for an event on May 31, when the Zuk Z2 is widely expected to be unveiled. Whether Lenovo launches Zuk Z2 in markets outside of China, remains to be seen.


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Restaurant Business Exclusive Content
Higher-end consumers may be slowing their spending
The Bottom Line: There is some evidence that higher-income consumers may be cutting back. Or maybe there was just some pent-up demand.
Demand for chicken takes Huey Magoo's to new heights
Longtime chicken executive Andy Howard saw something in the tiny Florida chain more than five years ago. It is now one of the fastest growing concepts in the country.


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Software giant Adobe today released emergency updates for three of its widely used products that patch dozens of newly discovered critical vulnerabilities.
The list of affected software includes Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Bridge, and Magento e-commerce platform, containing a total of 35 vulnerabilities where each one of them is affected with multiple critical arbitrary code execution flaws.
According to security advisory Adobe released, Illustrator 2020—one of the most popular designing software with millions of users around the globe—contains 5 critical code execution flaw, all existed due to memory corruption bugs in the Windows version of the software.
Digital asset management app Adobe Bridge version 10.0.1 and earlier for Windows operating systems have been found vulnerable to a total of 17 new flaws, 14 of which could lead to code execution attacks and are critical in severity—all discovered by security researcher Mat Powell.
The other 3 Adobe Bridge flaws are important information disclosure issues.
Besides these, Adobe today also released updates for commerce and open source platforms editions of Magento CMS that patches a total of 13 vulnerabilities—with 6 critical, 4 important, and 3 moderate in severity.
According to the advisory, all critical arbitrary code execution can only be exploited by a malicious authenticated user or an attacker with the compromised admin-equivalent account.
Though some of the important and moderate severity flaws don’t require admin rights, an attacker still must need to have access to a low-privileged account to exploit those issues.
If you own an online store running over Magento, it is highly recommended that you upgrade your e-commerce website to the latest version of Magento as soon as possible.


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Interview with Sebastian Builes, Co-Founder and CEO of Arcum
Click the play button below to listen to the full interview with Sebastian Builes.
Launching a startup takes a great idea, but building a company requires much more than that, including a robust network.
A leader with the skills to grow a network is essential for startups to scale, not only for presenting to customers and attracting talent but for fundraising. Founders like Sebastian Builes are leaning into relationships to fuel their firm’s success.
I met Sebastian, Latino founder of Arcum, at the Grow Georgia launch event this past summer. Arcum is an AI firm that develops machine-learning models to help payments companies reduce merchant churn. While his knowledge of the fin-tech industry and the value Arcum offers customers was apparent, his upbeat demeanor and generous spirit cemented him in my memory.
Sebastian and Founding partners Tad Zhang and Mikhail Dmitriev, have spent the past years building relationships and growing their connections inside and outside the Atlanta tech scene.
These efforts are paying off. Four months ago, the firm was accepted into Atlanta Tech Village, a community of innovators powered by the fourth-largest tech space in the United States. Most recently, Arcum was selected from over 500 applications to be one of the fifteen featured firms at Venture Atlanta Conference 2022. The annual event draws national and global attention. Since 2007, Venture Atlanta has resulted in $7.5 B in funding and over $17 B in exits, including Kabbage, Cloud Sherpas, Roadie, ParkMobile, SalesLoft, and many more.
Raising the funds to scale
Any founder will tell you that fundraising is challenging. Last year, Crunchbase reported that global early-stage funding totaled $210 billion across 8,000 firms. To put that into perspective, the First Guide reported 71,000+ startups in the U.S. alone.
While that number nearly doubled from 2021, there are still substantial disparities in investment into minority-owned firms, including Hispanic and Latine-founded firms. In 2021, Latine startup funding was at around 2 percent of the overall startup investment pie, even though the number of Latine-founded startups and their profitability increased.
Latine-founded businesses need help to secure VC funding and other types of investment as well. Even after controlling for revenue growth, industry, credit scores, and profitability, Latine business owners are about 60 percent less likely to be approved for a loan from a national bank, according to Marlene Orozco, associate director for the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative.
So how does a diverse founder increase their likelihood of securing the funds needed to scale?
Building a solid network for referrals and demo or pitch opportunities can help. Coming off the success of Venture Atlanta, Sebastian shared some insight into Acrum’s journey and advice for other startups.
Is your startup ready to grow? Browse statewide resources focused on minority-owned and small business success.


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Special Focus on Myanmar – Business and Branding in the Land of Golden Pagodas
Myanmar is set to be the new focal point in Asia as its economy experiences robust growth rates. Legislative and economic reforms in recent years coupled with infrastructural improvements have encouraged foreign direct investment. Both legal and extra-legal developments signal that the turn of the decade may be an opportune time for businesses to venture into the Myanmar market.
Myanmar’s economy: setting the stage for a new era of business opportunity in Myanmar
The World Bank estimates that Myanmar’s economy grew at 6.3 percent in 2018-2019, with sustained growth expected to reach 6.4 percent in 2019-2020. The service sector is one of the main drivers of growth and Myanmar is also seeing robust growth in wholesale and retail trade.
There is still the ongoing presence of armed conflict and violence in the border areas, such as the Rakhine conflict, which has contributed to some insecurity in Myanmar. However, we are seeing a recovery in tourism related services, growing investment in the transport and telecommunications sector, as well as government initiatives towards infrastructure development in these areas. These trends bode well for tourism and hospitality related industry sectors. On the intellectual property front, Myanmar has signalled its commitment towards IP administration and protection. In Myanmar’s 2018 statement at the 58th Session of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO, Myanmar stated its ongoing efforts to modernise its IP legislation and to develop a viable IP administration in order to cater to the increasing economic activities and investments in Myanmar. In October 2019 at the 59th Session of the WIPO General Assemblies, Myanmar reported on the successful promulgation of new IP laws spanning trade marks, patents, copyright and industrial designs. Myanmar also affirmed its mission of developing a proper IP system to promote innovation and creativity.
Foreign-ownership in local companies
- Since August 2018, foreigners have been allowed to own up to 35% shareholding in a company without it being characterised as a “foreign company”. A “foreign company” is subject to restrictions under the Myanmar Investment Law.
- The Ministry of Commerce has relaxed the 35% rule even further by allowing 100% foreign ownership for companies operating in two specific sectors – retail and wholesale, education. This signals a concerted effort by the Myanmar government to improve access to quality education and technological products in the country.
New trade mark laws – More bite for rights holders
- On 30 January 2019, Myanmar’s new trade mark laws were enacted to establish a “first-to-file” regime (subject to prior use rights) with a centrally maintained registry. This represents a paradigm shift away from the previous, more archaic system requiring lodgement of a Declaration of Ownership and publication of cautionary notices, and brings Myanmar more closely aligned with the trade mark systems implemented in many major jurisdictions around the world.
- Under the new system, trade mark owners are expected to enjoy stronger protection for their brands, with certainty of their rights and ability to enforce against infringing parties.
- The new system is expected to come into force in early 2020, although delays are expected. Existing registrants under the current system and owners of marks that have been put to use in Myanmar (regardless of whether having registered the mark) will be entitled to re-file their marks during a 6-month transitional period known as Soft Opening to ensure that prior rights are not lost. Mark owners who do not fall into either category can only file their applications during Grand Opening, i.e. after Soft Opening ends.
- Planned infrastructural upgrades are expected to greatly increase connectivity and trade in the region. The Yangon Bus Service established in 2017 has greatly improved ease of commuting across the city. A new airport project outside Yangon is also in the pipelines, pending successful negotiations.
Special Economic Zones
- Special Economic Zones (“SEZ”) have been set up in Myanmar to bring in foreign direct investment by capitalising on Myanmar’s strategic geographical location in the region and relatively low labour costs. There are currently 3 SEZs in Myanmar – (1) Kyauk Phyu in Rakhine State, (2) Dawei in the Thanintharyi Region and (3) Thilawa in the Yangon Region.
- Sub-zones exist within SEZs focusing on different industries.
- Free Zones – Mainly focused on companies engaged in export-oriented markets such as manufacturing, wholesale and transportation.
- Promotion Zones – Services targeting the domestic market, such as housing, retail, banking, insurance, education, healthcare, are welcome in the Promotion Zones.
- Companies who choose to set up businesses in the SEZ are offered attractive tax break. Companies who choose to set up businesses in the SEZ are offered attractive tax breaks of 5-7 years, and generous land lease terms of up to 75 years, amongst a host of other economic incentives.
- Notwithstanding the relaxing of laws to welcome foreign investment, businesses may still need to obtain the Myanmar Investment Commission’s (MIC) approval if they fall within certain conditions, such as businesses that involve large capital investment, will likely affect the environment and local community or involve state-owned land.
Sector-specific tax exemptions
- Companies operating outside the SEZs can also be eligible for tax exemptions under the Myanmar Investment Law, as long as they fall within certain promoted sectors listed in MIC Notification No. 13/2017. The duration of tax exemption depends on the level of development of the region that the company proposes to invest in.
- Key promoted sectors include agriculture, education, health, hotel and tourism, and science research development.
Myanmar is an exciting space to watch. The slew of legislative and economic reforms, aimed at attracting foreign direct investments and strengthening the IP regime, affirms the Myanmar government’s commitment to support growth of international businesses in their country.
This top-down push coincides precisely with an era when Myanmar boasts of a relatively young population with high digital literacy. Around 36% of Myanmar’s population are between 10-29 years, and around 27% are between 30-39 years. Amongst young persons aged 15-24 smartphone penetration stands high at 93% as of 2016. The fairly youthful population represents an ability to adapt and absorb, and an untapped potential for consumer sales and employment which international brands can and should capitalise on.
It is expected that in the years to come the rise of an educated and more affluent middle class will become the driving force behind retail and consumer industries. Recognising the short to mid-term trend, many international brands have embraced the favourable foreign-investment policies and jumped on the bandwagon to enter the Myanmar market.
This article is produced by our Singapore office, Bird & Bird ATMD LLP, and does not constitute legal advice. It is intended to provide general information only. Please contact our lawyers if you have any specific queries.