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It’s drop test time! Is the Galaxy S4 better built than its predecessor? Can it hold a candle to the aluminum iPhone 5? Darcy LaCouvee, our international man of gadget destruction, is back to Hong Kong to bring you the answers.
Arrested development: while the iPhone lagged, Android sales boomed in the last year
According to data collected by DRAMeXchange, Samsung is leading the field yet again with a 30% share of the smartphone market in the first quarter of this year. Apple and other manufacturers are failing to keep pace.
The Apple vs Samsung patent clash has been making the headlines the most in the past year or so, but that’s not the only seemingly endless legal dispute starring some of the big tech companies of today.
Samsung’s Galaxy series found to be simpler than the iPhone


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Volvo Australia does U-turn on fixed prices for electric cars
Swedish car-maker Volvo has made an abrupt U-turn on its experiment with fixed prices for electric cars in Australia as it tries to urgently clear a stockpile of unsold vehicles.
Electric-car buyers looking for a deal could be the winners of a major backflip by Volvo, which has dramatically ditched its controversial plan to sell electric cars in Australia at non-negotiable, fixed prices.
After less than two years experimenting with the new business model, the Chinese-owned Swedish car-maker this week informed its Australian dealer network that buyers will now be able to negotiate prices on its electric-vehicle range.
Although sales of Volvo electric cars have more than tripled in Australia so far this year compared to the same period last year, the company is overstocked and struggling to move metal – even as rival brands report high demand and long wait times for electric vehicles.
Confidential plans shared this week with Volvo dealers – a copy of which has been obtained by Drive – say local showrooms will initially be loaded up with a large number of unsold electric vehicles, ahead of more supply allocations in the following months.
The backflip means customers who want an electric car will be in a better position to drive a bargain if they want an electric Volvo.
For the past two years, Volvo Australia has taken a hardline stance on the prices for its electric cars – and many buyers have shopped elsewhere.
The Volvo bulletin said the dealer network will now be able to "sell from pipeline stock" with new cars "to be wholesaled ASAP" to "reduce holding costs and delivery times".
Volvo's decision to walk away from its experiment with non-negotiable, fixed prices comes as Honda sales hit record lows after making the same switch in Australia two years ago.
Meantime, Mercedes-Benz, which has also switched to non-negotiable fixed prices in Australia, has found itself in the middle of a Federal Court battle after a large group of dealers challenged the move to the new business model.
A statement from Volvo Cars Australia about the switch back to the traditional dealer sales model said: "Our retail business partners (dealers) have ... very much expressed to us that this was their preferred method.
"We are now opening up our pipeline and ordering process so that our retailers can order their own stock and sell from pipeline ... up to six months in advance."
For now, it is unclear what the U-turn on fixed pricing means for Volvo Australia's controversial decision to axe all petrol models locally by the end of 2025 – four years ahead of Volvo's global plan to go fully electric.
A number of Volvo dealers in Australia have expressed concern about the decision to axe popular petrol-powered models such as the Volvo XC60 and Volvo XC90 ahead of schedule.
They say killing these petrol-powered family cars five years before Europe is a premature move, because not all Australian buyers are ready to switch to electric power.

domain: news


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n Jeep brand to recognize and reward heroes with opportunity to receive new Jeep Grand Cherokee
There are heroes among us in Rockford
and the Jeep brand is launching an initiative to recognize them.
The Jeep Heroes Nomination Program rewards military, police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel who deliver exemplary, unique and heroic service to improve the quality of life in cities and
towns across America.
Jeff Bell, Chrysler Group vice president, Chrysler and Jeep, said: There is a natural affinity between those who serve others and the Jeep brand. Both have a long record of accomplishment in times of need. It is an honor for us to recognize them for all they do, and we are proud to applaud their efforts.
The Jeep brand is currently seeking nominations online at www.jeep.com/nominate. Each month, new Jeep Heroes will be recognized on the corporate Web site and entered for a chance to win one of four new
Jeep Grand Cherokees with go-anywhere, do-anything capability.
Twelve Jeep Heroes will be chosen, in total nationwide, three in each
category: military, police, fire and EMS. The four grand prize winners, one from
each of the Jeep Heroes categories, will be selected Nov. 10, prior to Veterans Day 2005.
The best way to recognize these everyday heroes is to give the power to the people in their communities, said Bell. They know best how important their contributions are to public safety. We hope that the Jeep Heroes Nomination Program will bring to light a few of the many stories that typify the daily sacrifice and heroism of our military, police, fire and EMS personnel.
An advisory committeemade up of military, police, fire and EMS association representatives, uniformed services advocates and former public officialswill review the nominations and select each Jeep Hero.
This is a great way for Rockford citizens to recognize these everyday heroes who serve the community each and every day, Bell said. We are proud to be a part of this effort to honor our everyday heroes.
Jeep Hero nominators must be 18 years of age or older and licensed drivers. Nominees must be legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, age 18 years or older, and must be current employees or volunteers of the police, fire or emergency medical service departments or
active members of the U.S. Military.
Nominators will need to provide an essay of 200 words or fewer on why a nominee deserves to be honored as a Jeep Hero. Those who nominated one of the four Grand Prize Winners will receive $500 toward new Jeep brandmerchandise.
Entry forms and complete rules on the Jeep Heroes Nomination Program are available at www.jeep.com/nominate.


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Target released its Black Friday ad and offered some of those prices to Target.com shoppers today.
Target Corp., No. 16 in the Internet Retailer 2015Top 500 Guide, is offering web shoppers those discounts only through the end of the day, and only on Target.com. The retail chain sent subscribers to its email newsletter an email telling shoppers about the sales. The 27 Black Friday deals offered Monday include an assortment of Beats-brand headphones at 25% off and four James Bond movie titles in Blu-ray disc format for $6.
The one-day promotion is only one part of Target’s overall Black Friday promotional strategy, which it announced Monday in a blog post on Target.com. The company says it will begin offering all of its Black Friday deals online on Thanksgiving morning. Target will then open its stores at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
“For those shopping from home, Target is once again making all of our Black Friday deals available on Target.com,” chief stores officer Tina Tyler said in the blog post. “In addition, we’re introducing ‘10 Days of Deals’ to offer a wide variety of compelling deals before, during and after Black Friday.”
Two weeks ago, Target announced it will offer free shipping on all online orders through Christmas Day. The retail chain also will have curbside pickup at 121 stores—an increase of 100 stores from where the service had previously been offered.


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Will pay more for sugar purchased from millers: Govt to HC
The government today informed the Delhi High Court that it has decided to pay more for sugar it purchases from millers, but said it was working on the details.business Updated: Sep 01, 2009 14:55 IST
The government on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court that it has decided to pay more for sugar it purchases from millers, but said it was working on the details.
During the proceedings in the court, which is hearing a petition by Uttar Pradesh millers who have challenged the average rate of Rs 1,322 a quintal fixed by the Centre in January this year, the government said the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Monday decided to revise the price.
Ten per cent of millers’ total production is sold to the government, technically called ‘levy sugar´, for distribution through ration shops.
“Re-fixation of ex-factory levy price of sugar has been approved by the CCEA. Thereafter notification will be issued,” Additional Solicitor General AS Chandiok informed a division Bench, comprising Justices BD Ahmed and Veena Birbal.
Chandiok said the details were awaited, following which the court decided to hear the matter again in ten days.
The Food Ministry had proposed to the CCEA that the average levy price be increased to Rs 2,200 per quintal. Currently, the Centre purchases sugar at a price range of Rs 1,220.90-1,430.94 a quintal from various states, which works out to an average of Rs 1,322 a quintal.


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License our industry-leading legal content to extend your thought leadership and build your brand.
The suits assert that Google and Facebook put aside their rivalry and conspired to dominate the digital advertising market in a secret agreement code named "Jedi Blue."
“I appreciated very early on that Coinbase had some of the most challenging and industry-impacting issues of any company in crypto anywhere on the planet,” said Paul Grewal, the crypto exchange's chief lawyer.
After dozens of injury reports, including one death, Peloton CEO John Foley, to the surprise of many lawyers, denied there were safety problems with the company’s treadmills then, last, week, abruptly changed course and recalled 125,000 of the Tread+ products. His actions, although unusual and delayed, may have stopped potential lawsuits in their tracks, lawyers said.
Presented by BigVoodoo


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NEWS RELEASE MARCH 2009
Market for Fabric Filter Systems to Drop 11 Percent
The world market for fabric filter systems in 2010 will be down by 11 percent and will not recover until 2012. This is the latest forecast in the continually updated McIlvaine report, World Fabric Filter and Element Market. In 2009 overall sales will remain at a high level only because of orders already booked but not yet recognized as revenue. However, in steel and cement the 2009 revenues will be down significantly. The stimulus packages in the U.S. and China will have longer term positive impact in both segments.
The outlook for the replacement bags is brighter. Sales will increase slightly in 2010 and continue to grow in 2011 and 2012.
World Fabric Filter Revenues ($ Millions)
Power, cement, steel and asphalt will remain the four largest applications. The replacement of precipitators with fabric filters is continuing in the power industry despite the world recession. The U.S. power industry is installing fabric filters to help in mercury capture. It is also installing dry flue gas desulfurization systems which use fabric filters to capture the gypsum formed in the dry scrubbers.
In 2010 Asia will spend 50 percent more for fabric filter systems than will the Americas. Asian purchases will be two and a half times those of Europe. Sales of systems in Europe in 2010 will be off by 30 percent from the 2008 level. Carbon trading and the general economy are causing this slow down.
The companies participating in the industry can be segmented into raw materials (resins), fibers, roll goods, bags and equipment. Furthermore, the equipment suppliers can be segmented into three categories. The first is small standard equipment. Donaldson, Camfil Farr, AAF and Clarcor are representative of this category. The next category is suppliers of engineered industrial equipment. Met Pro, Ceco and Hamon are in this group. The third group includes the large utility segment where Alstom, Babock & Wilcox, and Siemens are dominant.
The U.S remains the leader in fabric filter equipment but a number of Chinese companies are entering the market place. Europe has continued to be a leader in the roll goods and fiber categories.
Much of the recent innovation has been in the development of roll goods. Membranes with non-woven backing have gained market share over conventional non-wovens. Nanofibers are creating higher efficiency with lower energy consumption.For more information on World Fabric Filter and Element Market, click on http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/air.html#n021


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Google recently released their direct competitor to the Echo. They called it the generic “Google Home.”
I’ve owned the Echo for over a year and now the Google Home for over a month and I’ve discovered some interesting, but not surprising things.
Watch the video for more detail:
The post Amazon Echo vs Google Home — Advantages and Disadvantages appeared first on My Amazon Echo Review.


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The insider view: Bangkok
Bangkok – known by locals as Krung Thep (City of Angels) – is the capital of Thailand and its most populous urban area by a considerable margin. The city has nearly nine million residents and the wider Bangkok Metropolitan Region is home to 14 million people, representing more than a fifth of the nation’s population.
US think-tank the Brookings Institution and JP Morgan Chase ranked Bangkok last out of 300 cities worldwide on output in 2014, as Thailand’s “Teflon economy” – so called because of its strong performance and remarkable resilience to disruption over the preceding 20 years – expanded by a mere 0.7 per cent in the aftermath of the military coup that May. The Asian Development Bank has forecast that GDP growth this year is on course to be 3.6 per cent.
He cites the city’s healthcare sector as another key strength – its affordable and high-quality services have made Bangkok a popular destination for health tourists.
“Both of my children were born in the capital, so I can honestly say that the standard of care is grand,” says Brenner, who now works in Vietnam for Thai conglomerate Central Group as CFO of its operations in that country.
Wholesale and retail trade is even more important than tourism to Bangkok economically, representing about a quarter of the city’s output. Brenner notes that “besides the white-collar workers, many people make a living in the city by selling food, clothes and other goods on the street”.
When it comes to the cost of living, a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre can cost up to THB30,000 a month in rent. “A cup of coffee costs about the same here as it does anywhere else in the world,” Brenner says.
There is no single magic formula for achieving commercial success in Bangkok, according to Brenner. But many expat workers who “take into account the cultural differences, plan carefully and show the appropriate level of commitment make their own luck here”, he says. “Thais are hard workers, so you would need to be too. The unemployment rate here is among the lowest in the world – only about 0.6 per cent of the working-age population were jobless last year. Virtually everyone in Bangkok has a job of some form, from street retailers to senior managers at leading companies.”
Brenner says that management accounting is valued highly in Bangkok. “Financial managers are wanted in every business in the capital and indeed across the country. Strategic planning and forecasting are part of any enterprise here, regardless of its size or nature.”
He continues: “While the way business is done in Bangkok will retain key elements of Thai culture, I feel that it will become a bit more westernised over the next few years. This is because more and more Thais are studying abroad and gaining experience of working with people of a wide range of nationalities.”
The Land of Smiles is an appropriate nickname for Thailand, according to Brenner. He says that he learnt from the start of his threeyear stint in Bangkok that genial politeness goes a long way when working with the locals.
Thais like to deal with people who are courteous, unassuming and softly spoken, he says. This is all about preserving dignity in relationships. “They don’t like losing face and they pay more deference than people of many other nationalities would to their elders in the workplace. Being direct at work is OK, yet one always has to avoid making any sarcastic remarks. Sarcasm might be accepted culturally in many countries, but it isn’t in Thailand.”
Although western multinationals with operations in Bangkok tend to have a more competitive management culture than that of local firms, many Thais favour working for these corporations in order to improve their foreign language skills and learn from their expat colleagues, Brenner observes.
“At Tesco I had the chance to work with many bright young locals,” he says. “You would not be surprised to meet individuals who earned their MBAs in London or Los Angeles, for instance.”


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The campaign uses festive icons such as the Sundblom Santa Claus and the Coca-Cola Christmas Truck to convey a message of hope amidst the challenges of 2020.
In a year when the world needs Christmas cheer more than ever, Coca-Cola is celebrating the gift of presence – over presents – through a seasonal global campaign launching in 90-plus countries including the US for 2020.
The campaign’s creative centrepiece is a cinematic ad titled ‘The Letter’, which captures a loving father’s epic journey to the North Pole to make his daughter’s Christmas wish come true. Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi directed the spot in partnership with Wieden+Kennedy London.
Walter Susini, SVP of marketing for Coca-Cola Europe, hopes the campaign will promote unity and uplift during such a unique holiday season, as the world continues to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s campaign puts family, community, and appreciation front and centre, recognizing that the real magic of Christmas is connecting with one another – virtually or in person. “Physical distance doesn’t mean we can’t be present,” Susini said. “With the pandemic, we’ve seen how we are able to use technology to great effect to connect with those we love. We have opened our eyes this year to the fact that time is the most precious thing of all, no matter what form that may be in.”
Creativity During COVID-19
The film was shot over five days in August in Waititi’s home country of New Zealand. Coca-Cola and Wieden+Kennedy London staffed the project entirely with local actors and production crews, eliminating the need for international travel. Strict COVID-19 protocols were followed to ensure the safety of everyone onsite, and team members in Los Angeles, London, and Madrid tuned in to the shoot via Zoom and shared feedback in real-time.
The spot will be available in a long-form (2:30) cut, as well as 60-, 30- and 20-second edits. More than 90 markets – the most ever for a Coca-Cola holiday campaign – are supporting this year’s program, which also includes seasonal packaging, out-of-home and social media creative, and a digital calendar with ‘doors of opportunities’ bringing people together with incentives like movie tickets and meal vouchers.


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- The Federal Reserve's surprise half-point interest rate cut should help improve the all-important level of the nation's consumer confidence, the head of an electronic transaction processing firm said Thursday.
"As far as the rate cut is concerned, I think it should help consumer confidence come back a little bit," Edward Labry, the incoming chief of Concord EFS, said in an interview. Watch a video of the interview with him.
Americans' consumer confidence fell for the fifth straight month in October to its lowest level in nine years. Consumer spending underpins about two-thirds of the U.S. economy.
Labry was speaking at the NYSE, the new home of the company's stock following 18 years of trading on the Nasdaq. He said that moving to the Bog Board should help the company reduce volatility in its stock and place it better situated among peers.
He also dismissed rumors that the company has been subject to a probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission. He said that a lawsuit filed against the company was the result of a downturn in its stock price following a decision to guide earnings targets lower.
Shares of Concord EFS


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For those who believe the holding company is dead, think again.
Last year’s flood of new business wins on both a global and U.S. scale, along with remarkable gains in organic growth across the board, made the selection of Ad Age’s first-ever Holding Company of the Year a Sophie’s choice. Buoyed by the massive global account win of the year, Coca-Cola Co., WPP Group posted a stunning 12.1% growth in organic revenue. Interpublic Group of Cos., the industry’s steadiest financial performer in recent years, once again turned in a solid performance of 11.9% organic growth for 2021.
But the ultimate selection goes to Publicis Groupe, which had a breakout year, officially validating its once-derided “Power of One” platform, its $4.4 billion acquisition of Epsilon and its AI-powered talent-sourcing model Marcel. Using these tools, the French holding company snatched up $5 billion in net new business by prevailing in some of the hottest reviews of last year—the $2.4 billion global media review for automaker Stellantis, as well as U.S. pitches for McDonald’s, the $600 million Walmart media account and the $1 billion Meta account. Along the way, Publicis swept up Eli Lilly, Planet Fitness, TikTok and L’Oreal China, all contributing to a 10% rise in organic growth last year.
'It's been a journey'
“It has been a journey through the [past five] years to get us to this year,” said Carla Serrano, chief strategy officer for Publicis Groupe. “The bets we made in the past toward how we were looking forward to the future became sort of normalized in the industry—the Power of One model and integrated pitches. People thought it was crazy when we started [our transformation] back in 2015, and our bet on Marcel—well, I don’t have to remind you of how controversial that was.”
Marcel, in fact, is now playing a more humanitarian role beyond matching teams with clients. After the Ukraine war broke out, Publicis employees began using it as a facilitator to connect people within its network. Employees have used it to offer assistance to Ukrainians working at Publicis agencies and to offer their homes to refugees leaving the country. Arthur Sadoun, Publicis Groupe Chairman-CEO, has also guaranteed salaries to workers in its Ukraine agencies through the end of the year. The company—which cut salaries at the start of the pandemic—has also awarded year-end bonuses to all employees who have been with Publicis more than 24 months, and is giving an additional week’s salary to 35,000 employees without bonus plans.
“A year ago, many of us took a salary cut, and now we are giving them back the money,” said Sadoun, as a response to employees’ high level of commitment before and throughout the pandemic. “We will lose several basis points of margin, but who cares?”
Those toils resulted in some big wins for the French holding company last year, including U.S. media accounts for the likes of Inspire Brands, McDonald’s, Walmart and others. But Nigel Vaz, CEO of Publicis Sapient, said the company starts out with a data-informed business transformation solution for clients. “Media might be the gateway,” said Serrano, “but we always pitch the Power of One.”
Case in point: J.M. Smucker Co., touted as a $580 million account when Publicis scored its media, creative and data business in 2018. “What we asked Publicis to do was to help us develop a bespoke model” that grouped top talent from both the client and the holding company,” said CEO Mark Smucker. “We wanted access to the best talent across their entire network.” The result was Publicis Smucker One, or PSOne, which he describes as “almost like an in-house agency though they are not in-house. We work as one team.”
“This marketing model has really been instrumental in helping us to transform,” said Smucker, who credits the combination with giving the company license to embrace edgier creative approaches such as its “That Jif’ing Good” campaign. “A year or two ago, we were growing share for only 40% of our brands. Now we are over two-thirds,” he said.


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There's more to it than that, of course. These are highly sophisticated graphics products we're talking about here. There's a new cooler involved. Oh, and a new silicon revision, for you propellerheads who must know these things. And most formidable of all may be the new price tag. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Perhaps the most salient point is that Nvidia has found a way to squeeze even more performance out of its G80 GPU, and in keeping with a time-honored tradition, the company has introduced a new top-end graphics card just as its rival, the former ATI now owned by AMD, prepares to launch its own DirectX 10-capable GPU lineup. Wonder what the new Radeon will have to contend with when it arrives? Let's have a look.
|Aerocool's Project 7 P7-C1 Pro case reviewed||7|
|Google Project Tango is dead—long live ARCore||9|
|Thermaltake Sync box bridges RGB LED walled gardens||3|
|Intel tips off potential 960 GB and 1.5 TB Optane SSD 900Ps||8|
|Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX Vegas put a big chill on spicy-hot chips||23|
|Antec P110 Silent touts quiet looks and quiet operation||11|
|Updated LG Gram laptops put heavy-duty power into feathery bodies||19|
|Monkey Day Shortbread||14|
|Thursday deals: a nice Z370 mobo, a huge VA display, and more||6|


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Srinagar: All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Association Thursday said that the shortage of meat in the Kashmir Valley is not artificial in nature.
The Association said that there are grievances that need to be addressed amicably, however, the attitude of the administration has been forcing people associated with the trade to close down their shops.
Mehrajuddin-a senior member of the All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Association told news agency Kashmir News Trust that shortage of the meat presently in Valley has a lot to do with the callous attitude of the administration. He said the sealing of meat shops can’t be justified at a time when there is too much inflation.
“The fuel prices have gone up. Prices of domestic gas cylinders are touching the sky. When there is a hike in every product, how can you expect mutton dealers and butchers selling the meat at the constant rate,” he questioned.
“When you start sealing the meat shops without any reason, it hits the trade. Others take a cue and refrain from buying and selling the meat to the consumers at low prices,” he said.
Mehrajuddin said that the administration was supposed to take a review meeting on rate fixation but it didn’t take stakeholders on board and unilaterally issued an order to thrust rates on the butchers.
“There was no review meeting on rate fixation that was scheduled to take place on March 18 last month. Let the administration take the stakeholders on board before imposing any fixed rate. Meat dealers can’t run their business on losses,” he said adding that the supply of meat to Valley is also low due to the ongoing Navratri. (KNT)


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Cartels Milk The Nation
June 20, 2001
The Northeast Dairy Compact is not a pretty sight in the eyes of critics. Not only is it a cartel that dictates the minimum prices farmers get for their milk and, accordingly extorts higher prices from milk consumers, but it threatens to spread far beyond the confines of the Northeast.
- New England produces less than 3 percent of the nation's milk, but New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland have all formally petitioned Congress to be allowed to join the compact.
- Fourteen states have passed legislation to create a Southern Dairy Compact stretching from Virginia to Oklahoma.
- A total of 25 states with almost half the nation's milk supply are on record as wanting to join a cartel that would add as much as $2 billion a year to the price of milk.
- Studies show the Northeast Compact has overcharged New England milk consumers by $100 million a year -- and professors Ken Bailey and Jose Gamboa of the University of Missouri calculate that a combined Northeast and Southern dairy cartel would raise the price of milk by 15 cents a gallon.
Critics point out that the federal government spent $500 million last year to buy up the glut of excess milk being produced.
The House Agricultural Committee takes up the milk compact today -- after the full House earlier rejected including it in the $74 billion agriculture bill.
Source: Editorial, "The OPEC of Milk," Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2001.
For text (WSJ subscribers)
Browse more articles on Tax and Spending Issues


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Online meal planning and shopping platform Lollipop – which allows users to create weekly meal plans from thousands of recipes, and automatically generate shopping lists at major supermarkets – has raised £5m in a new seed round.
Lollipop – founded by former COO of Monzo Bank Tom Foster-Carter – allows meal plans to be created based on dietary requirements and other user preferences, with ingredients ordered directly from Sainsbury’s online. Users are given the ability to select Sainsbury’s delivery slots via the app’s interface. The orders – which users generate by picking recipes sourced from BBC Good Food and Lollipop’s own – can be topped up with users’ manually selected items, such as household essentials.
The latest fundraise, led by Octopus Ventures, follows a pre-seed round carried out in December 2020. The round includes investment from Maki VC, Anterra Capital and Plug and Play, while former investors JamJar and Speedinvest both topped up their backing.
The platform launched in ‘beta’ form earlier this year to users that signed up to a waiting list for the service. A full launch is imminent, it is understood.
“We’re seeing more and more ways to shop for groceries, from meal kits to one-hour delivery offerings, yet 80% of households spend over an hour a week meal planning and online grocery shopping,” said Matt Chandler, investor at Octopus Ventures.
“There’s a huge gap for a mass-market idea that makes it easier for households to choose and shop for delicious meals without limiting their choice. Lollipop fills that demand and, importantly as the cost of living rises, does so without charging consumers a premium. We believe it can become a one-stop grocery shopping experience,” he added.
Lollipop recently moved its growing team to ‘Lollipop Lodge’, a riverside warehouse space in London Bridge, where product teams work on the platform alongside recipe developers’ creating meals in the site’s kitchen. The startup – whose team includes former Sainsbury’s, Farmdrop, Hello Fresh and Amazon employees – is planning to double its headcount by the end of the year.
The platform is integrated with Sainsbury’s, but Lollipop says it is likely to include further partners in the future.
“We are pleased to partner with Lollipop in this new venture,” said Matthew Roberts, head of digital strategy at Sainsbury’s.
“They share our commitment to help everyone have access to great value, healthy food and we are fully behind everything they are doing to support families across the UK. Lollipop uses technology in an innovative way and we look forward to working together to bring great value, innovative food to more customers,” Roberts added.


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This is something AT&T has tried to avoid, but was required to do by the FCC in 2007.
In response, the search giant has said, "Unlike traditional carriers, Google Voice is a free, Web-based software application, and so not subject to common carrier laws." But those 20 lawmakers have challenged that notion.
We’re more excited than ever to focus on building the next generation of iconic brands and life-changing products.All of which have a single purpose: to artificially stimulate massive increases in traffic." In other words, AT&T knows this dispute isn't about getting Google Voice to provide service to rural America -- it's about porn.


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Hohm: Microsoft Gets Into the Energy Business
A few days ago, a group of enterprising bloggers discovered that Microsoft had just trademarked the name ‘Hohm.’ Today, we can finally reveal what Hohm is really about. At its core, Hohm is Microsoft’s answer to Google’s PowerMeter and similar services. Hohm is dedicated to giving consumer’s information about potential energy savings, while at the same time connecting those consumers whose energy providers already use smart meter technology with real-time information about their own energy consumption at home.
It’s also noteworthy that Hohm was developed on top of Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform.
Read more: readwriteweb.com


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Correction, the printed version of this story stated that this racial-bias training would take place on March 29. The correct date of the training is May 29 and local Starbucks to close doors on this date.
The Starbucks in San Marino, along with more than 8,000 other company-owned stores nationwide, will be closing its doors during the afternoon of May 29 to conduct racial-bias training for employees following the arrest last week of two African-American men at one of its locations in Philadelphia.
Although management at the San Marino Starbuck’s at 2266 Huntington Drive declined to comment, employees did confirm the store will be one of those closing for the training.
Meanwhile, the manager of one of three Starbucks in South Pasadena said it was “gratifying to see the company taking the issue seriously.”
“I do think it’s in line with our mission,” said Austin Van Der Veen, who recently took over managing the Starbucks at 1000 Fair Oaks Ave in South Pasadena. “It’s a remarkable commitment and is so encouraging. This is a great company.”
Starbucks also will be closing its corporate offices for the training.
The anti-discrimination training is “designed to address implicit bias, promote conscious inclusion, prevent discrimination and ensure everyone inside a Starbucks store feels safe and welcome,” according to the company announcement Tuesday.
Nearly 175,000 employees in the U.S. will receive the training.
The Seattle-based chain received criticism after staff at the Philadelphia location called police on two men when they didn’t buy anything and asked to use the restrooms.
The two men were told restrooms were for paying customers only. The two men explained they were waiting for a friend, who arrived later. Police arrested them, though Starbucks didn›t press charges.
The CEO of Starbucks has apologized for Thursday’s incident, and on Monday the coffee giant confirmed the Philadelphia employee who called the police no longer is with Starbucks.


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The Hartz Mountain Corporation is pleased to announce that it has selected Tatsuya Suto as its new president and chief executive officer, effective January 2. Suto succeeds Gumpei Futagami, who will remain at the company as executive chairman, and who continues in his role as vice chief executive officer of Unicharm Corporation, the majority owner of Hartz.
Prior to this appointment, Suto was president and CEO at Summit Pharmaceuticals International, an affiliate of Sumitomo Corporation. A seasoned chemicals and pet supply industry executive, Suto served as Hartz’s executive vice president from 2004 to 2006, as well as served on its board of directors from 2004 through 2016.
“I am very pleased to return to Hartz as president and CEO,” Suto said. “As the premier name in pet retailing, I am excited to help the company achieve new growth in this constantly expanding market for innovative pet products and care, and I look forward to Mr. Futagami’s continued guidance as Hartz grows its business.”


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Apple has been working hard to find a way to read the glucose of Apple Watch users in a non-invasive way
You only have to look at the launch of the Apple Watch Series 2, everything revolved around the activity you can do with it.
It is not new news that the Apple Watch is being used for medical research, HealthKit and ResearchKit are precisely there for that.
For almost two years, the apple company has been working hand in hand with the French fashion brand Hermès, gradually expanding its belt catalog for the Apple Watch.
Now when we access the Contacts application of our watch Android Wear 2.0 we will see how we can now send messages through WhatsApp
The big news is that MGCOOL is currently running a giveaway of MGCOOL Band 3.
Apple has released the software update WatchOS 4.0.1 to correct a bug suffered by some units of the new Apple Watch
Samsung Gear S3 Frontier features a 1.3-inch Super AMOLED display with 360 x 360-pixel resolution (278PPI), 1GHz SoC Exynos dual core,
Commenting on Bloomberg's report, John Gruber of Daring Fireball adds that Apple Watch 3 could radically change in form factor
Looking at the current jailbreak situation for iOS, the jailbreak for Apple Watch is probably not going to go any further.


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Microsoft's Larry Hryb stated in a Reddit forum that offering competitive prices for digital Xbox One games are "on the agenda" at the company but didn't go into details.
The Vimtag P1: A great home monitoring cam with a few kinks
...of Microsoft money, ARM's acquisition, and Windows 10 updates
JESBOD QY13 sports Bluetooth earphones
Expanding mobile photography with Aukey's wide-angle lenses
Time is running out to claim your free Windows 10 upgrade
windows 10 upgrade
Insider build 14393.5 for PC and Mobile released to Fast ring
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Lens Cover
An allegedly leaked survey seems to hint that Microsoft is working on a way for Xbox One console owners to both buy and sell pre-owned digital games via an online marketplace.
The UK is the first European country to get access to Amazon's digital store where customers can download and install digital versions of the games and software they have purchased.


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We may never fully comprehend just how much damage this egregious subterfuge will really do In technology—as in science—skeptics are everywhere. Google, for instance, fell on its face while wearing Google
Dan Cobley, who left Google in August last year to focus on the new start-up, said that SalaryFinance would "be talked about in some of the same sentences as unicorn businesses over the next few years."
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy may be the most interesting website on the internet. Not because of the content—which includes fascinating entries on everything from ambiguity to zombies—but because
In 2010, John and Olivia were in dire financial straits mainly because of the economy. They lost their house, John lost his business and they declared bankruptcy. "We've slowly rebuilt over the past five
Knowing who to hire when is just as important as picking the right people for each role. As a small company, when resources are tight, every new team member has to add a lot of value to drive growth. as
There are some fissures beginning to show in Facebook's remarkably strong hold on nearly every demographic. Teens, for instance, still use Facebook a great deal, but they no longer see it as the most or
TapInfluence launches a fully automated platform that could turn influencer marketing into mass media
Influencer marketing firm TapInfluence is today announcing a new platform that lets brands connect with social influencers in a kind of eBay-style marketplace. Called TapFusion, this completely automated
Three years in the making, the new app dares to rethink how people have worked with words on screens for decades. FiftyThree could have launched its new iPhone app three years ago and quickly amassed of
Today, in universities around the world, leading professors are looking for top notch PhD students and researchers to push the boundaries and explore areas that will enable tomorrow’s technology innovation.
You’re not alone. We’re obsessed too. Over the last few years, a steady stream of illustrated charts, diagrams, maps, and process drawings have fed and fostered a raging appetite for infographics. Gareth
This post originally appeared at LinkedIn. Follow the author here. I don’t know anyone who couldn’t use a little boost in their energy and self-control. Researchers at the University of Nottingham recently
After almost a decade of anticipation, research and development, rigorous test flights, and $100 million in costs, Icon Aircraft, a consumer plane manufacturer based in Vacaville, California, has sold
"There's way too much money in the system ultimately still chasing few really great companies. And the problem with that is you have a bunch of impostor companies that get funded for a lot longer than
This question originally appeared on Quora: What Is It Like To Work With Elon Musk? Answer by Dolly Singh, Former Head of Recruiting, Oculus. After working for Elon for over five years at SpaceX as the
First up, Facebook is introducing a new ad buying option that will allow advertisers to pay only if an ad is 100% "in-view" — meaning the entire ad appeared on a user's screen. Facebook has come under


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The first thing you will notice when walking into the beauty aisle of any store is that we finally have more choices when it comes to clean beauty.
The latter half of the last decade saw beauty companies across the world growing more interested in natural and socially conscious approaches, including local deodorant company brand Kinkō. And as the pandemic rages on, we’re seeing these companies, including Kinkō doing what they can to give back.
In 2019, friends-turned-Kinkō-co-founders Fanny Coste and Chelsi Oestreich developed a deodorant that works with your body’s microbiome—the community of microorganisms that live on the skin—for better skin health. They focused on responsibly sourced ingredients that are nontoxic to the skin and also prioritize utilizing the latest developments in microbiomics and biotechnology.
The fledgling brand was doing well in the all-natural beauty space when COVID-19 hit, and they knew they had to use their knowledge and resources to help. So, Kinkō switched their focus to developing a hand sanitizer that kills germs and is safe for the skin.
While the rest of us were panic-buying toilet paper, the duo was racing to find ingredients for their hand sanitizer in the dwindling marketplace. They were able to buy the last bottles their supplier had for packaging and found ethyl alcohol at a reasonable price at a time when the commodity had seen a sharp uptick in its price. After that, the rest was relatively easy. “Most of the raw materials in our formula are also in our deodorants, so we had them in stock,” Coste says. “Standard hand sanitizers contain carbomer and glycerin, so it has been harder to source those materials, but we use alternative ingredients that feel much better on the skin.”
The result is a hand sanitizer that is clean, vegan, and cruelty-free; it contains 65 percent ethyl alcohol, which is above the CDC minimum to kill germs on the skin. It also has prebiotics and postbiotics to balance the skin’s microbiome for better skin health, as well as ingredients that moisturize and soothe the skin.
Now that the hand sanitizer has been developed and packaged, it is being given to those who need it most. Kinkō is donating its hand sanitizer to hospitals, medical facilities, and homeless shelters across Texas. They will also be giving donations to small businesses across the nation on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“This pandemic is uncharted territory for our world. When the panic buying started, and masks, gloves, and sanitizers were unavailable for the people who needed it most, we knew that we could help,” Ostreich says. “We know we are a small part of providing hand sanitizers, but to be able to get it into the hands of the people who are keeping us safe and healthy means so much to us.”
If you are a small business, essential employee, or medical worker, you can fill out this form to request a hand sanitizer be sent to you at no cost.


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Rising feed grain cost means some swine producers are looking at other ways to feed their animals. Rod Bain reports:
Record high hog prices are forecasted this year but so are high feed costs that are cutting into a swine producers' bottom line. So, researchers like Rommel Sulabo of the University of Illinois are looking into ways to reduce feed costs:
"I think there are many options when it comes to diet formulations that provide opportunities for producers to reduce feed costs. So, I think in this year whit risk management is critical to achieve higher profits, it's really important for us to take a closer look at alternative feed ingredients."
He says, one way to reduce feed costs is through use of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS):
"The cost of distillers has increased for the past six month, we can still gain significant savings with the use of distillers. And we estimated that with the current prices of corn, soybean meal and distillers, diet costs can be reduced by $7 to $9 per ton for every 10% increase and inclusion of distillers in the diet."
And there are other options that can be based on regional availability:
"In certain regions, we do have products, corn hominy seed or bakery meal product, this is by-product basically rejected cookies or bread. And then we have wheat middlings that can be used as alternative ingredients for our swine producers. Now we estimated that if these ingredients can be included in diets, up to 30%, then we can significantly reduce feed costs."
And yet another possibility as an alternative to feed grain for swine is fish meal, commonly used as a protein source. But Sulabo notes the rising high prices of fish meal in recent years. He says, though, there are fish meal substitutes available:
"There has been a lot of research the past few years to look at alternatives to fish meal and some of the ingredients that were found to be proven alternatives are: enzyme-treated soybean meal, fermented soybean meal, enzyme treated pig intestines and byproduct meal, bone meal and also bloodmeal."
And finally, a tip to consider is the elimination of inorganic phospherous due to rising costs. Sulabo says this can be done by using distillers dried grains and:
"...adding an enzyme called phytase which helps with the breakdown of physates which binds with the phospherous. The combination of these two ingredients can improve the digestibility of phospherous in such a way that we can totally eliminate inorganic phospherous in our diet."


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Plastic bag ban draws closer
"I'M CONFIDENT it won't impact our business negatively.”
That is the opinion of local supermarket Drake's Chinchilla manager Simon Tanti as the state-wide plastic bag ban comes into effect in less than two weeks.
As of July 1, supermarkets, greengrocers, bakeries, chemists, restaurants, clothes stores, market stallholders and organisations will no longer be allowed to supply single-use plastic bags, new laws Mr Tanti believes aren't concerning.
"It certainly is something that will take time to get used to, particularly for the customers, but before you know it, it will just be run of the mill,” he said.
Mr Tanti said although he hadn't needed to undertake extensive preparation, Drake's Chinchilla had made sure to keep their customers informed with posters that had been up around the supermarket for close to three months.
"Our biggest thing was making sure that we kept shoppers notified,” he said.
"As a result, there have been a few questions here and there on what can and can't be used, however overall the response and feedback from the community has been extremely positive.”
Under the new laws, shoppers will be allowed to use reusable bags that are made from 80 per cent recycled material and is set to cost customers 10 cents a bag.
There will also be sturdier environmental bags available, starting at a price of 99 cents.
For those retailers that still have a limited understanding of the plastic bag ban and what it entails, the Queensland Government and the National Retail Association have partnered to deliver an education program to assist retailers in preparing for the ban and help them understand their obligations.


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The Cannabis World Congress and Business Exposition arrive in Boston this week for the first time, a month before the state’s first anniversary of recreational marijuana legalization for an exposition.
The exposition features two days of programs, over 100 speakers, a bonus day of classes, and keynote speaker Al Sharpton.
A handful of local businesses will attend, from Milford-based Proverde Labs, whose founder and Chief Scientific Officer Christopher Hudalla is one of the featured speakers, to Framingham-based MCR Labs, one of the exhibitors, to Natick-based BloomBoss, the employees of which intend to just take it in.
Other talks at the exposition are about medical uses of cannabis, the physical security of plants, state retail laws, Maine’s marijuana situation, taxes, solutions to problems posed by growing, contaminant extraction, gourmet edibles, and more.
.Though this is the first time the event will come to Massachusetts, it was started four years ago, and it heads to New York City and Los Angeles every year. Humiston said he became interested in managing a more educational exposition after trying to learn about the cannabis industry on his own. An event in Seattle, Washington, where neither he nor anyone he asked knew what the speakers were talking about, motivated him.
Boston’s program varies slightly from the CWCB’s other expositions, Humiston said. The education conference has been expanded from the typical four to five rooms to seven, and a speaker overflow room has been added, to allow questions and conversation continue after a program has ended.


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Although a tragic loss of life, the Russian escalation of the conflict in Ukraine on February 24 likely won’t directly affect the U.S. pet food industry, but businesses may feel the effects of Ukrainian commodity export disruptions.
“Ukraine is not a major market for U.S. pet food right now, with US$1.15 million in exports in 2021,” Betsy Flores, senior vice president of public policy for the Pet Food Institute (PFI). “However, the global pet food industry and broader food and agriculture sector may see impacts on some of the top commodities that Ukraine produces, particularly wheat and sunflower oil. These are both major exports from Ukraine and any disruption could have effects on the global ingredient marketplace.”
Ukraine conflict and the global supply chain
Any problems with Ukrainian commodity supplies could exacerbate existing supply chain problems. The fighting in the Black Sea region has caused uncertainty and higher prices, as Russia and Ukraine are major global producers of several grains and oilseeds, according to analysts with Rabobank, reported Feed Strategy. Ukraine and Russia export approximately 29% of the world’s wheat exports per week.
However, the conflict likely won’t change U.S. access to the Russian pet food market. The Russian market was already unavailable to U.S. pet food exporters.
“U.S. pet food makers currently don’t have market access to Russia after the country’s decision to ban animal food imports from many countries in late 2020, and it is not expected for that market to reopen in the foreseeable future,” Flores said. “PFI looks forward to re-visiting when it is appropriate, and working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to promote market access for U.S. pet food.”


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B.C. residents will be able to bring home booze from otherprovinces without penalty or taxes, as a result of changes tofederal and provincial regulations. And wineries and brewers here are celebrating the news thatthey ll be able to sell to customers in other provinces. B.C. Energy Minister Rich Coleman, responsible for rules onalcohol, said British Columbians can bring back up to one case ofwine, four bottles of spirits and a combined total of six dozenbeer, cider and coolers from other provinces tax free. Waterproof Sports Action Camera
The change follows passage of a federal bill to eliminate aprohibition-era law that makes it illegal to carry a bottle ofCanadian wine across a provincial boundary. The vote on Bill C-311,a private member s bill introduced by Okanagan-CoquihallaConservative MP Dan Albas, received unanimous support from MPs lateWednesday and now goes to the Senate. Albas says Tories in the upper chamber have pledged to doeverything possible to move the bill forward so it can receiveroyal assent before the summer break. Vancouver Island wineries are applauding the changes, saying itcould have a massive impact on small and mid-size operations. It s very positive and I wouldn t be surprised if it meant a 20to 30 per cent increase [in sales] for some wineries, said JanetDocherty, owner of Merridale Ciderworks and past president of theWine Islands Vintners Association. GSM Listening Bug Manufacturer
Docherty said the company constantly gets requests to ship beyondprovincial borders the bulk of tourists in B.C. are Canadian and customers always look puzzled when they re told shipping isillegal. They look at you as though it s crazy they don tunderstand it. Kim Pullen, owner of Church and State Winery, with locations inVictoria and the Okanagan, said his staff gets similar queriesevery day. Opening the borders has the potential to expand our marketsdramatically, he said, noting that s especially true forwineries that don t have large sales teams and rely on sales atthe winery door. China GSM Multimedia Phone Watch
Now those smaller and mid-sized wineries candirect-ship to customers in other provinces. As part of the changes to alcohol rules, Coleman is also crackingdown on adults who give liquor to minors by authorizing $575tickets for such violators, including servers at restaurants orbars who don t check customers identification. firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Save a bundle on these big screen TVs--just in time for Super Bowl 2022.
However, livestream viewership hit a new high, with about 5 million viewers tuning in via streaming.
Support small businesses, guys!
The Boss really wants Americans to meet in the middle.
Did no one offer to turn up his mic?!
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are back and ready for action.
It wouldn't be a Super Bowl without an exciting new Disney ad.
Latifah plays a new version of the role played by Edward Woodward in the original series. The show also stars Chris Noth, Liza Lapira, Adam Goldberg and Lorraine Toussaint.
Winona Ryder plays his mom in the 60-second spot for Cadillac's new LYRIQ electric vehicle.
Team Ruff and Team Fluff square off in Puppy Bowl XVII!
Kimmel said Maher's late night TV comeback from ABC to 'Real Time' on HBO is just like Brady making the Super Bowl in Tampa Bay.
Streaming the Super Bowl on Hulu: touchdown or incomplete pass?
A 70 inch 4K TV for under $500? Don't miss this big-screen deal!
Have we learned nothing from the Go Daddy commercial era?
Order your favorite Super Bowl 2021 staples straight to your door!
Amazon makes it simple to cut those cords and stream Super Bowl 2021.
Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes square off in this historic Super Bowl matchup!
The Weeknd is bringing his "Blinding Lights" to Super Bowl LV.


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Sony and Honda are planning to form a new company which will be dedicated to selling electronic vehicles. Although the new venture is yet to be finalized, the two companies have already signed a new memorandum that deals with the intent of both the companies in this regard. As per the announcement, the sales are likely to take place sometime in 2025.
Honda will be in charge of manufacturing the first model, and Sony will develop a mobility service platform. The company that will emerge out of the joint initiative will be entrusted with the electric car’s design. Honda is not completely unfamiliar with the domain of electric vehicles.
According to Honda Global, the company plans to electrify almost two-thirds of global automobile unit sales in 2030 as part of its ZEV or Zero-Emission Vehicles initiative. Sony, on the other hand, had previously expressed its desire to venture into the e-car category, and as such the company showcased its electric concept car at the CES 2020 called the Vision-S. At CES 2022, the company came out with its revamped concept car called the Vision-S 02.
Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said in a statement, “Sony’s purpose is to ‘fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology. Through this alliance with Honda, which has accumulated extensive global experience and achievements in the automobile industry over many years and continues to make revolutionary advancements in this field, we intend to build on our vision to ‘make the mobility space an emotional one,’ and contribute to the evolution of mobility centred around safety, entertainment and adaptability.”
Keeping in line with the statement released by Sony’s CEO, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe mentioned in a statement, “The New Company will aim to stand at the forefront of innovation, evolution, and expansion of mobility around the world, by taking a broad and ambitious approach to creating value that exceeds the expectations and imagination of customers. We will do so by leveraging Honda’s cutting-edge technology and know-how in relation to the environment and safety, while aligning the technological assets of both companies. Although Sony and Honda are companies that share many historical and cultural similarities, our areas of technological expertise are very different. Therefore, I believe this alliance which brings together the strengths of our two companies offers great possibilities for the future of mobility.”


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Wall Street Is Bullish Ahead Of Facebook Q4 Earnings
Facebook stock has been dragged by concerns of revenue/earnings slowdown, driven by management’s recent commentary. Facebook CFO David Wehner had stated, on the Q3 2016 earnings call, that ad load growth would slow “meaningfully”, which could impact Q4 revenue growth. The Facebook CFO also mentioned that 2017 will be a year of heightened investment activity at the social networking giant, which could lead to a contraction in Facebook’s profit margins. This will mean slower earnings growth, to go along with the slower top line growth.
Given that the FB stock trades at a PE of 51 (as of Jan 27th close price), revenue/earnings slowdown is the last thing investors would let go unpunished. As a result of the cautious commentary from the management, the Facebook stock price tanked following the last earnings call, going from $127 to $115 within 2 weeks. However, the negative concerns were overblown, as we had highlighted in earlier posts. As a result, Facebook entered 2017 on significantly lower expectations, a fact which remains unchanged going into the earnings call. Recent Wall Street commentary converges with this theory as well.
In a recent bullish note, Pacific Crest Analyst Andy Hargreaves, who has rated FB stock at “Overweight” (1) with a $150 price target, noted that “opportunities for Facebook to raise ad pricing and grow monetization” are “more than counterbalance risk of declining ad load growth.” More recently, analysts at Keybanc echoed a similar bullish outlook on the Facebook stock. As per thefly.com, KeyBanc believes that Facebook’s “growth outlook remains solid” while concerns regarding expenses have been overblown. The firm, with an “overweight” rating and $150 PT for FB stock, believes that Facebook will topple Q4 consensus estimates.
Operating Metrics Point To Facebook’s Continued Strong Performance
The latest Facebook benchmark report from Nanigans supports the thesis of “concerns being overdone” with respect to Facebook’s growth. Facebook’s core metrics, like Click Through Rates (CTR), Cost Per Click (CPC) and Cost Per Mille (CPM) are important indicators of the overall performance of Facebook as an ad-platform.
The Facebook advertising benchmark report from Nanigans, an ad technology firm offering solutions to advertisers, offers a peek into these core metrics. We have highlighted the key takeaways from the latest Nanigans report below.
– Return on Ad spend grew by 33% YoY while e-commerce mobile spend registered a 23% YoY growth.
– Global CTRs rose 42% YoY, coming in at 1.59% for the quarter.
– Global CPMs rose 10% YoY to $7.01 while CPCs declined 23% YoY to $0.44.
The slowdown in CPC growth was attributed to an increase in ad spend going to the Facebook audience network, which generated lower ad rates compared to native Facebook ads and also the continued shift to mobile versus PC. However, the declines in the CPC will be more than offset by the growth in impressions, which have been growing at 40%+ rates over the last few quarters. All in all, Facebook’s operating metrics indicate a strong performance through the holiday quarter, which should also reflect in Facebook’s Q4 earnings report.


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Mumbai : The Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) recently discussed action plan and consumption trends of COVID-19 medicines with state government appointed high powered committee to tackle COVID-19 pandemic.
The high powered committee chaired by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has Gujarat FDCA Commissioner Dr H G Koshia as its member including officials from the state home and health department constituted during lockdown period to combat the pandemic. The high powered committee meet also discussed oxygen consumption data along with remdesivir injection consumption pattern, favipiravir tablet 200 mg consumption pattern and favipiravir tablet 400 mg consumption monthwise.
While oxygen consumption has declined from 211.68 metric tons (MT) to 137. 80 MT between September and November 2020, month-wise sales data of favipiravir tablet 200 mg has also declined indicating a decline in COVID-19 cases in the state of Gujarat. While the month-wise sales data of favipiravir tablet 200 mg indicates a decrease in COVID-19 cases with consumption of 12,47,144 tablets in July to tablets 3,78, 804 in October, month-wise consumption of remdesivir injections has increased from 1,512 in June, 2020 to 83,023 in October, 2020 in retail trade and 11,788 in July, 2020 to 33,750 in October, 2020 in Gujarat Medical Services Corporation Limited (GMSCL) run hospitals signifying adequate availability of this essential COVID-19 medicine to fight the pandemic.
Month-wise sales data of favipiravir tablet 400 mg has shown increasing trend in consumption from 1,44,840 tablets in August, 2020 to 2,80,030 tablets in October, 2020 towards treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Gujarat FDCA had issued licenses to 10 more oxygen manufacturers recently taking the total count to 57 medical oxygen manufacturers to cater to COVID-19 patients.
Union health ministry had also directed all the states to ensure adequate and uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen for managing moderate and severe cases of COVID-19.States and UTs were urged to ensure free inter-state movement of oxygen supplies based on complaints of shortage, hoarding and black marketing of medical oxygen across the country.
Gujarat is today producing four times more than its requirement of 200 metric tonnes of medical oxygen on a daily basis. With the issuing of new licenses, the state is producing 800 metric tonnes daily. In the wake of limited supply of tocilizumab injections, the Gujarat government had also formed a high level committee of physicians to examine reports of critically ill COVID-19 patients who were prescribed tocilizumab injections to ensure its judicious use.
Available in dosage of 80 mg per vial, 200 mg per vial and 400 mg, tocilizumab injection is being used on COVID-19 patients who suffer from extreme immune system response towards the infection, called cytokine storm, leading to multi organ failure and eventually death.
Tocilizumab manufactured by Roche Pharma and marketed by Mumbai-based Cipla is sold under the brand name Actemra in India. Ever since Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had given guidelines for its off label use in June 13, 2020, it has also been prescribed for critically ill COVID-19 patients.


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DFN: What interesting to me, is Evergreen in the last couple of years, spent $M on building a plant in Massachusetts, demand is down, prices are down, yet their building another plant in China? Doesn’t make a lot of sense; perhaps their trying to set themselves up for lower cost of production and higher profit margin, for when the solar market comes back?
Also, the State of Massachusetts, offered to pay $23M (GRANT) to subsidize a new plant, in MA, China offered $33M (LOAN), sure the cost of labor is cheaper in China, I guess this was enough to swing the NPV on the business case proving this in to be positive? I’d be curious about how more positive it was, it be curious if there was in fact a business case.
There’s a lot of talk about leadership, and its decision like this one that speak to the quality of a company’s leadership. To me, it puts me on the fence in regards to Evergreen, and if I were looking at ‘investments’ in this industry, I’d also be evaluating other companies.
Evergreen Solar to Move Solar Panel Production from Massachusetts to China
Ryan McBride 11/5/09
[Updated and corrected—8:30 pm ET on 11/05/09]Marlboro, MA-based Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ:ESLR) said it will move its solar panel production from Massachusetts to China—dealing a blow to the clean technology economy in the commonwealth.
Evergreen plans to begin migrating the manufacturing of solar panels out of its Devens, MA, plant to a facility under construction in Wuhan, China, in mid-2010, the company announced in an earnings statement on Wednesday. A lull in demand for solar cells globally and other factors have caused the price of solar panels like the ones that Evergreen makes to plunge by more than 30 percent since mid-2008, when its Devens production facility opened, the firm said. However, the company said it does plan to continue producing its silicon wafers and cells in Devens. It will also produce the silicon wafers in China beginning next year.
An Evergreen spokesman was not immediately available for comment this afternoon, and it was unclear how relocating panel production would impact its work force in Massachusetts.
Manufacturing in China is intended to reduce overall production costs, and Evergreen said it is receiving a $33 million loan from Chinese government to help cover the expenses of moving into a new plant that the company will lease from a contract manufacturing firm called Jiawei Solar. Evergreen’s move may sting some Massachusetts politicians and taxpayers; the state committed $23 million in grants to the firm, behind considerable support from Gov. Deval Patrick and his administration, to support its manufacturing in Devens. And Ian Bowles, the state’s secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said in a statement about two years ago when construction of the Devens plant began that “we are breaking ground not only on a factory, but on the commonwealth’s clean energy future.”
Evergreen said it will manufacture its “String Ribbon” wafers at the facility it is building and will own in China, and that the wafers will then be sent to the the plant that its partner Jiawei Solar is building to convert the wafers into solar cells, which are used to make solar panels. The worldwide solar panel market has taken a beating over the past year or so due to reduced government spending or subsidies for the products in Spain and Germany, both of which are big solar panel users, as well as lower-than-projected demand in other countries such as the U.S., according to a recent report by Lux Research, which has an office in Boston. [Editor's note: the above paragraph was corrected to say that Evergreen, not its Chinese manufacturing partner, will build and own the facility where its silicon wafers will be produced in China. There are also added details from the company about the overall production process.]
Ryan McBride is Xconomy’s correspondent. You can reach him at rmcbride, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Ryan_McBride.


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Announced since last October, Apple launched its payment service in Saudi Arabia on February 19.
Saudi Visa customers can now make many purchases via their iphone in various shops such as Carrefour, Al Baik, Sephora, Lacoste, Starbucks or Homecentre.
— mada | مدى (@mada) February 19, 2019
Apple Pay, 3rd cashless payment method in Saudi Arabia
After Sadad and Mada Pay, pioneers in the country in cashless payment available, it is Apple Pay’s turn to make its mark in the kingdom.
This arrival has been greeted by Ali Bailoun, Visa’s Managing Director for Saudi Arabia. “As a country with technology-driven consumers and mobile consumers, we are delighted to work with Saudi Payments and our banking partners Apple Pay to Visa cardholders here, making their payment experience easier, faster and more secure than ever” said Ali Bailoun.


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Amazon has officially announced that its Prime Day will take place this year on Oct. 13 and Oct. 14.
Typically held in July, Amazon Prime Day is Amazon’s 48-hour sale that’s exclusively for Amazon Prime Members. The company launched the initiative in 2015 as a way to get people to sign up for its insider program and boost sales in the middle of the year.
Prime Day in October will help shoppers score deals on holiday shopping. The sale gives members access to discounts on items across several categories including fashion and footwear, though the deals on technology tend to be the main attraction. According to a press release from the e-tailer, discounted brands will include Under Armour, Simple Joys by Carter’s, Adidas, Lacoste, Marvel and many more.
Read on to find more info about this year’s Amazon Prime Day extravaganza.
When is Amazon Prime Day?
Amazon will host its highly-anticipated Prime Date on Tuesday, Oct. 13 through Wednesday, Oct. 14. The later-than-usual date will allow shoppers to get deals ahead of the usual holiday shopping season. Prime Day will kick off at midnight P.T. on Oct. 13, allowing Prime members in the U.S., as well as countries across the globe including the U.K., Mexico Japan, Italy, Germany, France, U.A.E, Spain, Singapore, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Australia, Canada and China.
For the first time this year, Prime members in Turkey and Brazil will be able to participate, too.
How do I take advantage of Prime Day deals?
In order to score perks on Amazon’s Prime Day, you will need to become an Amazon Prime member. Shoppers can sign up to become an Amazon Prime member by visit Amazon.com. Regular Amazon Prime membership plans cost $12.99 monthly and $119 annually. Discounted plans are available for students, too. (A student plan is $6.49 a month or $59 annually. Perspective prime members can also test out an account for free by signing up for a 30-day free trial on Amazon.com.
An Amazon Prime membership comes with several perks including free one-day delivery, rewards points and endless streaming on Amazon Prime TV. Plus, when Amazon Prime Day rolls around, members can instantly start shopping on the best deals of the year.
What Are the best Prime Day Deals 2020?
Prime Members will find great deals on a number of items starting Oct. 13, including on Amazon devices and home goods, as well as on footwear and fashion. This year, members can score deals and try out Amazon’s new Personal Shopper feature by Prime Wardrobe. The monthly styling service that selects curated recommendations for men and women from Amazon’s in-house team of stylists. The service will be available for Prime members starting Sept. 28.
Are there any early deals for Prime Day 2020?
Amazon will have a number of daily deals for its Prime members leading up to Oct. 13, starting now. Deals for men, women and children are available to shop on Amazon.com/PrimeDay. Here are some of the deals Amazon is offering its members now.
- Up to 40% off on clothing for men, women and children from Amazon Essentials.
- Up to 40% off on clothing and denim for men and women from Good Threads.
- Up to 30% off on select Vineyard Vines Clothing for men.
- Up to 30% off on women’s workout wear, including leggings and sports bras from Alo Yoga.
- Up to 30% off on women’s clothing from ASTR, The Label.
- Up to 30% off on select items for men and women from Calvin Kelin.
- Up to 30% off on women’s clothing from Splendid.
- Up to 15% off on fall fashion and footwear for women from Shopbop, including boots, jeans and more.
How is Prime Day different this year?
Aside from deals, Amazon will focus on its commitment to small business vendors on its site. During this year’s Prime Day event, Amazon will offer Prime members a $10 credit on items sold by a select number of small businesses starting now through Oct. 12. The giant e-tailer will also spend more than $100 million on promos to help small businesses on Amazon increase their reach to new customers. Prime members from around the world, including shoppers in the U.S., U.K., Singapore, Mexico, Japan, Spain, Canada and Australia will be able to shop the small collections leading up to and during this year’s Prime Day. Head to Amazon.com/supportsmall to check out the deals.


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Tax inspectors log numerous violations over weekend
Tax inspectors apparently put in overtime work over the weekend in Greece, with two-day closures of various businesses imposed after tax violations were reportedly ascertained. Violations were recorded mostly at restaurants and bars, beauty salons, children’s’ entertainment centers and even a wedding gown studio.
Indicatively, a pair of tax inspectors posing at customers at a private Athens hospital’s cafeteria over a period of two hours witnessed 48 transactions without the issuance of even one receipt.
Employees of a nightclub in the central city of Larissa failed to issue receipts for the pricey sale of 13 bottles of liquor, 193 individual drinks and 152 flower baskets – an ubiquitous display of extravagance at live Greek music shows — worth 5,400 euros.
The wedding gown studio, in the south-central city of Livadia, was fined for not issuing receipts worth 9,605 euros and 3,205 euros for respective orders.
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BizNext: 7 things you need to know 02.08.13
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Following Apple's publicity problems, Hewlett-Packard wants its Chinese suppliers to limit the number of students and temporary agency workers at factories.
Online shopping had a strong year in 2012, growing 15 percent from the previous year to $186.2 billion.
Amazon wants to create a marketplace for used e-books and other digital content, according to a new patent application.
Federal investigators are still sorting out how much damage was done when the a computer system managed by St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank was hacked by online activists.
A glitch in the Facebook Connect yesterday briefly made many popular websites inaccessible for anybody using a browser that was logged into the social network.
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A look at the day's business stories from media outlets around St. Louis
Business Account Executive Charter Communications | Chesterfield, MO
Marketing Communication Specialist Marshfield Clinic | Marshfield, WI
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Vietnam’s Trashageddon: The Unsuspecting Impact of Global Waste Disposal in Southeast Asia
Ben Phillips | Country Analyst
One of Vietnam’s largest and most internationally accessible ports, Hiep Phuoc port in Ho Chi Minh City, is currently experiencing a surge in import deliveries, causing serious congestion and week-long shipment delays. Cat Lai, a port located in southern Vietnam, is suffering from a similar phenomenon where they are importing 120% over their handling capacity, causing tremendous setbacks and serious delays in export operations. Over the past few months, ports throughout Vietnam have been exposed to similar difficulties by dangerously exceeding their capacity limits, leading to slower output and direct stoppages in supply chain procedures.
The cause behind this recent surge in port delays throughout Vietnam has left supply chain operators stumped and weeks behind schedule. However, through the use of groundTruth’s hyper local data collection, we have been able to track the Vietnamese port system and successfully analyze their operations on a global scale. This has allowed us to understand the influx of imports as a by-product of China’s recent national import ban on waste and recyclables.
At the beginning of 2018, China announced that it would no longer import 24 different types of waste, sending an alarming and unpredicted shock wave throughout the global waste and recycling industry. For years, China had been the largest importer of trash in the world, opening its borders to nearly 60% of the global waste produced. With China now refusing to be the world’s garbage disposal, Vietnam looks to capitalize on the opportunity by becoming a global player in the multi-billion dollar waste industry.
In the first five months of 2018, Vietnam has doubled its waste imports in comparison to the entirety of 2017. The growth in Vietnam’s waste imports have been so drastic that between 30% and 40% of China’s licensed recyclers have moved their operations to Vietnam and its surrounding regions. While Vietnam’s new waste venture may be creating a new outlet for economic development, its impact on the country’s port system is not sustainable. Vietnam currently has 44 seaports with a total handling capacity of about 450 million tons a year, about 15 times smaller than that of China.
The effects of Vietnam’s gross overestimation of its ability to process massive amounts of waste is only beginning to materialize, as ports throughout the country are scrambling to minimize congestion and keep operations on schedule. Major international ports have had to delay export shipments due to the exhausted transportation system and sheer lack of container space.
However, by coordinating with groundTruth Global, companies can see potential port delays before they materialize, allowing them to make adequate adjustments and ensure their supply chain remains undisrupted. Furthermore, our in-depth and comprehensive knowledge regarding local level disruptions allows companies to avoid unnecessary risk while better understanding the context of supply chain disruption.


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Social media users are being warned to avoid FaceApp over concerns Russian app developers are downloading pictures without permission.
The aging app which applies a filter to a user's photo to make them appear older, has taken the internet by storm in the last week.
Today's top videos
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Despite being launched in 2017, the Russian aging app has recently jumped to the top of Apple & Android's app stores.
Security experts are now warning that the app may be downloading all of a users photos from their camera roll.
This is happening despite users not giving the ageing app permission.
The app uses artificial intelligence to apply filters over a user's photos to make them appear older.
It can also change your hair colour or gender.
The app's terms and conditions state that users grant FaceApp a 'license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt' and share photos.
Tech Crunch have also discovered that the ageing app can access your iPhone camera roll even if permission is set to 'never'.
Many celebrities may be in danger of their photos being leaked if this turns out to be true.
Celebrities including Drake, the Jonas Brothers and Sam Smith have all shared pictures on Instagram showing them looking significantly older.


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Check out our Mattig BMW 3 Series E46 photo gallery
with 5 HQ pics.
Last update in BMW 3 Series E46 gallery was at Sunday, 22 Mar 2009 with 1 new photos.
Ford has unveiled for China a new generation of Explorer. Auto production will be held at the Changan Ford joint venture
Renault planned next year to engage in sales of a new compact electric cross with a range of 600 km
Until the end of this year, Hyundai will present five brand new or completely updated cars
Tesla is developing a new quick start system from a place that will teach you how to use the optimal adaptive suspension settings.
Hyundai's premium brand, Genesis, has released a teaser that hints at all of their upcoming new cars
Alfa Romeo announced about the imminent completion of the production of the Giulietta hatch.
We select only big size mattig bmw 3 series e46 photos
for our photogallery.


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Citrix announced today that its market-leading remote support product, Citrix GoToAssist, now offers an expanded feature set to address the growing IT demand to support mobile devices. As recent research has indicated, mobile workstyles and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) company initiatives are becoming accepted business practices, putting increased pressure on IT staff to deliver […]
Bring Your Own Device
AppSense Labs has taken StrataApps to the next level! This second release of AppSense StrataApps delivers greater flexibility for users managing their own personal productivity applications with the ability to import and export their applications across multiple, similar devices.
Citrix has released a major update to its ShareFile app for iPad, designed to provide a collaborative work experience on the go. In this new release there are advancements that enhance the company’s popular file sharing service with new IT control capabilities to ensure the security of company data when accessed from a mobile device and […]


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- Why is there a shortage of aluminum?
- Why is America running out of aluminum cans?
- How do I invest in aluminum?
- Is there a beer can Shortage?
- What country uses the most aluminum?
- Why is the price of aluminum cans so low?
- Where does the US get aluminum from?
- Is there a soda can Shortage?
- How do you trade aluminum futures?
- Is there currently an aluminum shortage?
- What is the future of aluminum?
- Who manufactures soda cans?
- What is the largest aluminum company?
Why is there a shortage of aluminum?
The shortage appears to be due to a rising demand for drinks in cans.
That’s fueled in large part by the coronavirus: People are drinking more in their homes than at bars and restaurants during the pandemic.
Much of what they drink at home comes in cans..
Why is America running out of aluminum cans?
One major factor is the coronavirus and changing habits related to it. Beer that would have ended up in kegs at restaurants and bars has shifted, along with other kinds of alcohol, to being sold in retail stores and through online channels and consumed at home — often in cans.
How do I invest in aluminum?
There are no direct ways to invest in aluminum, but you can invest indirectly through futures contracts, ETFs that invest in futures contracts, and the mines themselves. The latter two choices are available through the stock market.
Is there a beer can Shortage?
Supplies of aluminum beer cans are reportedly running low. One reason for that is more beer is being consumed at home than in bars, restaurants, and brewery taprooms. Evercore analysts said consumers might see their favorite beers go out of stock as companies shift production.
What country uses the most aluminum?
ChinaList of countries by primary aluminium productionRankCountry/RegionPrimary aluminium production (thousands of metric tons)—World60,0001China33,0002India3,7003Russia3,70024 more rows
Why is the price of aluminum cans so low?
According to a report in The Daily Caller, the price for aluminum cans dropped 30 percent since the summer of 2018. The report also notes that the slowdown in recycling aluminum cans comes amid a downturn in the recycling market due to China’s import regulations and tariffs.
Where does the US get aluminum from?
The US imported nearly all the bauxite (the only commercial aluminum ore) used in producing primary aluminum. For years, the US has produced less than 1% of the bauxite used to make aluminum. The US also imported 33 percent of the aluminum metal that was used in 2014. Of the imported aluminum, 63% came from Canada.
Is there a soda can Shortage?
COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on everything, including soda cans. According to the New York Post, aluminum can makers have seen a significant increase in demand over the past few months, and the struggle for them to keep up is real.
How do you trade aluminum futures?
You can trade Aluminum futures at London Metal Exchange (LME), New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM). LME Aluminum futures prices are quoted in dollars and cents per metric ton and are traded in lot sizes of 25 tonnes (55116 pounds).
Is there currently an aluminum shortage?
A shortage of aluminum cans is crimping supplies of certain drinks, industry officials said. … “Many new beverages are coming to market in cans, and other long-standing can customers are moving away from plastic bottles due to ongoing environmental concerns around plastic pollution.
What is the future of aluminum?
Increased global demand According to the International Aluminium Institute, primary aluminium production across the world is predicted to surpass 70 million tonnes annually by year 2020. Strong demand for aluminium, especially in the lightweight construction industry, has led to year-on-year increase in its production.
Who manufactures soda cans?
Aluminum Can MakersArdagh Group.Ball Corporation.CROWN Holdings, Inc.Silgan Containers LLC.
What is the largest aluminum company?
Leading aluminum producers worldwide by production output 2019. In terms of production output, Chalco was the largest aluminum company in 2019. Hongqiao, Rusal, and Xinfa are also ranked among the largest aluminum producers globally.


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A few years ago, Borders closed its doors in Austin and around the country. Now, the city might begin losing a few more booksellers. The CEO of Barnes & Noble's retail group, Mitchell Klipper, told the Wall Street Journal this week that the company plans to close 20 stores a year for a decade.
With nearly 700 stores in total currently, not including college outlets,Barnes & Noble is the largest chain in the nation. Even after reducing the number of stores to 450 or 500 by the end of this downsizing in 2023, it will still represent perhaps the last of the brick and mortar giants which used to rule the retail market for books.
The sale of print books is dropping each year as e-readers and tablets become more common, and so far Barnes & Noble's chosen platform, the Nook, has not been winning the battle against competitors like the iPad and Kindle. And for traditional print on paper, Kindle's maker, Amazon, is yet again edging away at the store's customer base. Despite this, the company still earned $317 million last year, and only a "handful" of current stores, according to Klipper, is actually losing money.
Klipper didn't give any hints as to which locations would be the ones to go, but it's possible that with more than half a dozen currently open, Austin is likely to lose at least one of the seven which are now open. Do you currently buy your books at Barnes & Noble? What will you do if the one near you closes?


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Inc. magazine has joined forced with Simply Hired, a job search engine, to create a new branded recruitment search site for entrepreneurs.
Like many publishers, The Guardian is considering the implications of the ad-blocking boom. “The biggest news for media owners in the UK last week was that a phone company, Three, is introducing adblocking across its network,’ it writes. “Essentially this means that if you have a Three mobile phone, you will no longer see ads on the articles and pages you look at on your phone.”
Amazon plans to open up to 400 bookstores around the country, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing comments from Sandeep Mathrani, chief executive of mall operator General Growth Properties. “That plan compares to the 640 stores Barnes & Noble operates and the 255 locations Books-A-Million Inc. said it had as of last summer,” WSJ notes.


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29 November 2018, Sweetcrude, Lagos — Eko Electricity Distribution Company, EKEDC, has cried out over the refusal of more than 70, 000 of its customers to recharge their prepaid meters in the last one year.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Adeoye Fadeyibi, raised the alarm in a statement on Thursday.
According to him, in spite of EKEDC’s effort in ensuring effective metering within its network to ease customer’s complaints, it noticed that over 70,000 customers had not recharged the pre-paid meter in the last one year.
“Some customers are in the habit of bypassing meter and engaging in energy theft, this has also affected the company negatively. Most of our transformers are being vandalized in some areas which cost the company a huge amount to replace.
He urged consumers to serve as a whistleblower on vandals.
“This is part of the challenges affecting the company, we need to tell ourselves the truth. Consumers should also be our watchdog in their various locations by reporting those engaging in energy theft and equipment vandalism.
“Because the money that was meant to develop other infrastructures has been diverted to repair vandalized equipment,’’ he said.
The managing director said that the Metering Assessment Programme, MAP initiative will go a long way in addressing the metering gap within the network, adding that the company had metered over 150,000 customers.
He said that efforts are being made to address the metering gap with more meters for consumers and the adoption of an interim plan of metering transformers for a more accurate estimation.


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Elon Musk’s influential free-speech platform X has come under a full-scale assault by Big Tech and media titans after a manufactured controversy about alleged ‘antisemitism.’
The following tech and media companies, as well as a governmental body, have recently suspended their advertising on X:
• Warner Bros
• NBC Universal
• European Commission
The attack on X came in the aftermath of the APEC summit in San Francisco and a reported secretive media summit at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Musk was initially put in the crosshairs by a familiar left-wing advocacy group with an extensive history of intellectual dishonesty: Media Matters for America.
As reported by the New York Times, on Thursday, “IBM pulled about $1 million in ad spending from X after Media Matters for America, a left-wing advocacy group, showed that ads were appearing ‘next to content that touts Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party.’ Other big brands, including Apple and Oracle, were also appearing next to the content. And a major Tesla shareholder said Musk’s behavior was damaging the carmaker’s brand.”
However, there are now…
Read the full article here


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How are cell phones transforming human connections and transactions in African nations? What types of innovation is wireless technology creating? Where else might this technology be used in developing nations?
Chukwuyere Izuogu, an expert in telecommunications law in Nigeria, says that in terms of innovation on the Nigeria front, opportunities created by mobile phone usage, especially the smart phones, have driven the demand for mobile apps consumption and have encouraged more mobile apps developers to be innovative and creative in service offering such as mobile commerce and mobile entertainment. “Examples are My Cash the winning personal finance managing app recently selected as one of the 90 semi finalists for the Gist Tech I competition. My Cash is available in Nokia’s Ovi store and Blackberry app store,” explains Izuogu. “Paga, a mobile money service provider, has been able to secure additional funding from various international venture capitalists because of the viability of its business model. And Rancard, a mobile content provider through short codes, continues to make inroads outside of Nigeria and recently secured additional funding from Intel Capital and Adlevo Capital Managers, LLC, a private equity fund manager focused on investments into technology-enabled businesses in sub-SaharanAfrica.”
Robert Kasher, a business development expert in digital and mobile content, says that mobile phones are truly transforming Africa. “Some years ago I saw Peter Gabriel talk on the subject at MIDEM, the international music conference, describing meeting a young girl in Kenya and asking about her future. She showed him her cell phone and described it as the great equalizer between nations,” says Kasher. “There are so many areas to explore the impact of mobile devices on financial transactions, practical concerns like farming and fishing, creating an identity for roaming nomads, delivering educational and entertainment content, and so on. Mobile phones are becoming an indispensable item needed by everyone in Africa, no matter how poor. They are creating interesting sub-businesses from roaming generator-based recharging stations to solar and crank driven solutions.”
Shafika Houcine, an expert in mobile marketing and advertising, says that in Africa, the mobile phone market is gradually maturing. “In Senegal, for example, the mobile penetration rate (measured by the number of SIM cards per capita) will soon exceed 80 percent. In Mali, it has already grown more than 70 percent. With overwhelmingly young populations (51 percent under the age of 18), social networks are becoming very popular. Local content, such as TV series in Wolof or Senegalese wrestling matches are the most popular and most likely to circulate on the mobile internet, where there is still enormous growth potential,” she says.
Houcine says that there are many possibilities for mobile services and these will undoubtedly have a major impact on the acceleration of development in African countries, such as telemedicine, remote learning, e-administration and mobile banking as just a few examples of areas in which value chain actors (operators, government, institutions, civil society) are investing massively to meet popular demand. “But the main question remains one of purchasing power for the customers and of their availability to access the Internet at reasonable cost,” says Houcine. “With the development of 3G networks and soon LTE, the arrival of smart phones in the lower end of the market and the elimination of economic impediments for the masses, there is every reason to believe that Africa, and other developing nations in the world, is destined to be resolutely digital and a key player in the market.”
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"Volumes in 2011 were up or largely unchanged in most traditional trade products, the overall value of trade finance transactions was also up and the percentage of trade credit lines that were cut for corporate and financial institution customers continued to fall", said the report.
Around half of financial institutions (51%) reported an increase in export Letters of Credit volume and 56% an increase in import Letter of Credit. Guarantees were also up (39% on the export side and 47% on the import side).
For banks, fees remain an issue. Around 65% of respondents indicated that their fees for issuance of bank undertakings had not changed in 2011, said the survey.
The volume of trade finance transactions continued to increase in 2011, suggesting a slow but steady recovery in world trade, according to the 2012 ICC Global Survey on Trade Finance. The report, which can be downloaded here, polled 229 banks in 110 countries, a greater response than in any previous year, and found that, while world events such as the Arab Spring and Japan's earthquake had impacted on trade volumes, the trend was still upwards.
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