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Yesterday The Wall Street Journal reported that both Google and AppNexus would work with Adblock Plus to sell those ads;
Google Inc. and ad tech specialist AppNexus will also have a hand in helping to sell ad space from the new platform, by offering it up to potential buyers through their own online ad exchanges.
All of the companies in the chain, including Eyeo, ComboTag, Google and AppNexus will take a cut of the revenue generated from the ads they help to sell and place on publishers’ sites through the program. The remainder will be passed to publishers, Eyeo said.
In a statement, Google said, “We review the validity and quality of inventory made available on our platform, but have no knowledge of ComboTag or Eyeo’s SSP arrangements.”
An AppNexus spokesperson confirmed that the company is helping to sell ad space from the Acceptable Ads Platform across its platform. Ad buying behemoth WPP has an ownership stake in both AppNexus and ComboTag.
The AdBlock acceptable ads platform was announced yesterday and was met with complaints from Adblock users who express feeling "betrayed" if they plugin they use to block ads, no longer blocks ads. Or worse, as pawns in a shakedown, where Adblock is the only way to get your ads seen. By the end of the day, the supposed partners in the announcement came out with their own statements, rejecting that they are involved in the Acceptable Ads exchange.
"Unfortunately, the information reported in the original article around AppNexus' involvement in any such exchange is, in fact, incorrect, and a result of an unauthorized announcement from third parties," AppNexus told Ad Age in an emailed statement.
The third party is Combotag, the WPP-backed ad tech company. AppNexus has responded by suspending all relationships with ComboTag and Adblock Plus parent EyeoGmbH. Effectively AppNexus just blocked Adblock. Irony just died.
AppNexus full statement:
AppNexus does not work with companies like Eyeo; we regard their business practices as fundamentally harmful to the ecosystem. Essentially, Eyeo, via its Adblock product, erects toll booths on a public road and siphons off advertising dollars that should be going directly to publishers. We hold that practice in low regard."
Sridhar Ramaswamy, senior VP of ads and commerce at Google said that Google were taken by surprise with Adblock's announcement yesterday. "It's an uncomfortable development for us, (that AdBock Plus is) moving from being an ad-blocking company to being a driver of ads." Sridhar Ramaswamy, said that Google will end its business relationship with ComboTag.
Ramaswamy made this statement while holding a presentation at Dmexco conference in Cologne, Germany. Ramaswamy demonstrated new YouTube formats in video ads. YouTube will let advertisers include calls-to-action that send people to a website or register them for mailing lists right in their video ads.
"We think ad-blocking usage is driven by a disconnect between what the ad industry thinks is an acceptable ad standard and what consumers find acceptable. The only way to solve this is by working together defining standards based on objective data."


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By Christian Zibreg on Jun 1, 2015
Though designed in California, the vast majority of Apple’s products are being assembled in China using parts predominantly provided by the vast network of suppliers from Taiwan.
But that may be changing now as Japanese manufacturers are reportedly making a concerted effort to secure more iPhone orders from Apple, according to DigiTimes on Monday.
Citing industry sources, the trade publication claims that Japan-based printed circuit board manufacturer Ibiden has bolstered up its manufacturing capacity as it hopes to solicit more orders from Apple. Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Apr 30, 2015
Apple on Thursday announced in a press release a move that will see the firm partner up with Japan Post Group to deliver iPads to the country’s growing population of elderly citizens over age 65.
Billed as a first-of-its-kind initiative, it’ll provide iPads to millions of senior citizens after Japan Post Group piloted iPads and apps custom developed for the elderly earlier this year.
These iPads come preloaded with IBM-developed apps and analytics to connect people with services, healthcare, community and their families. The staggered release will see between four and five million Japanese customers get their iPads by 2020. Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 25, 2015
Apple is building a futuristic looking, large-scale technology development center in Yokohama, Japan, home to nearly four million people, reports the NHK News website. The city of Yokohama held a press conference today to announce the project.
City officials have even provided renderings depicting the scope of the project and Apple’s unusual design for a massive, environment friendly R&D building. Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Feb 3, 2015
Twitter, the popular micro-blogging platform, said on Tuesday that it will be pursuing ads outside of Twitter for the first time, with plans to sell Promoted Tweets on the popular news reader app Flipboard as well as on the Yahoo Japan website.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the company will permit advertisers who are already buying ads on the service to start running Promoted Tweet ad units on other people’s apps and sites that display tweets, with undisclosed revenue sharing between Twitter and partner websites/apps. Read More
By Jake Smith on Jan 1, 2015
Apple kicked off its 2015 annual “Lucky Bag” promotion in Japan on Thursday, giving customers big discounts on Apple products and accessories. A “Lucky Bag” is a Japanese New Year tradition, also known as a Fukubukuro, that offers a bag for a set price filled with unknown random items, sold for a discount. Read More
By Jake Smith on Dec 26, 2014
The Japan arm of Apple announced on Friday that it’s once again bringing back its “Lucky Bags” promotion on January 2nd, 2015. A “Lucky Bag” is a Japanese New Year tradition, and also known as a Fukubukuro. Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Dec 9, 2014
In addition to its existing research and development centers in Israel, Taiwan and Shanghai, Apple is now looking to build another facility in Japan, Reuters reported Tuesday. The “cutting-edge” R&D center was confirmed by Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.
The facility “will be formally announced soon,” he told local media, as confirmed by the Jiji and Kyodo News. Read More
By Cody Lee on Jul 15, 2014
Apple has launched a new service in Japan called iTunes Pass. The program is actually quite interesting, as it appears to allow customers to purchase iTunes Store credit from an Apple retail store, using Passbook instead of physical gift cards.
Users have long been able to store gift cards in Passbook, but we’ve never seen a direct-to-Passbook service like this, without the need to redeem a code. It almost looks like this could be a prequel to Apple’s oft-rumored mobile payment system… Read More
By Cody Lee on Jul 9, 2014
Folks in Japan may have noticed that newer Disney movies like Frozen and Thor: The Dark World have been unavailable for purchase in iTunes over the past few days. You could rent the titles, but the option to buy them had been removed.
Good news this morning though, as it looks like Disney has resumed iTunes sales in the country. Variety is reporting that the temporary halt was due to difficulties in negotiations over the renewal of the old contract between the two firms… Read More
By Cody Lee on Jun 12, 2014
Last night, Apple posted a video to its official YouTube channel showing off its newest retail store in Japan. The store is located in Omotesando, Tokyo, and it includes a brushed aluminum staircase and other unique architectural features.
Photos of the outside of the store surfaced in May, showing what appeared to be a power-saving green curtain of foliage draped down one wall. But this new video from Apple takes you on a brief virtual tour of the entire multi-floor building… Read More
By Cody Lee on May 30, 2014
Last week, Apple’s Lisa Jackson spoke at the Fortune Brainstorm Green conference about the company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. She noted that all of its data centers run on renewable energy, and it’s working toward a similar goal with its retail stores.
And today we get a glimpse of those efforts with photos of a new Apple Store in Tokyo, Japan. The store, which is expected to open next month, features an eco-friendly design with a curtain of thick vines on at least one wall that will help control the store’s climate… Read More
By Cody Lee on May 28, 2014
Apple just issued a press release, announcing that it will begin offering NTT DoCoMo versions of its iPad Air and Retina iPad mini in Japan next month. The carrier, which is the largest in the country, began offering the iPhone for the first time last fall.
The new iPads will be available for pre-order starting June 2, and will officially launch in retail stores a week later on June 10. Those interested in picking up one of the tablets can choose from a variety of purchase plans, some of which call for $0 down… Read More
By Cody Lee on May 14, 2014
According to a new report from Bloomberg, the iPhone now accounts for more than one-third of Japan’s mobile phone market. Citing data from MM Research Institute Ltd, the outlet says shipments for Apple’s smartphone jumped to 36.6% in the year-ended March.
That’s a sizable jump from the previous year, where the iPhone held some 25% of the market, and it’s all thanks to NTT Docomo. Last September, Apple inked a deal with the company—which is the largest carrier in Japan—to finally start officially offering its handset… Read More
By Cody Lee on May 1, 2014
Apple continues its international expansion of iTunes services this afternoon, with the launch of iTunes Match in Japan. iOS users in the country can now access the service, which first launched in the United States back in 2011.
For those unfamiliar with the service, iTunes Match allows users to ‘mirror’ their music libraries to the cloud. This enables them to access their songs from any compatible device, without having to spend hours uploading them… Read More
By Cody Lee on Mar 28, 2014
Apple is currently putting the finishing touches on its next-generation iPhone. And if the flurry of rumors and so-called insider reports are to be believed, the handset is going to feature an Ultra Retina display that will come in two sizes: 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch, among other improvements.
With that in mind, you can understand why this new 5.5-inch panel from Japan Display—a long time Apple supplier—is so interesting to us. Unveiled this week, the panel measures 5.5-inches and is of the Quad HD (aka WQHD) variety, with a resolution of 1,440 x 2,560 and a ppi of 538… Read More
By Cody Lee on Mar 27, 2014
Japanese news outlet Nikkei threw its weight behind a popular rumor today, reporting that Apple’s next-gen iPhone will come in both 4.7- and 5.5-inch models. The theory that the company is working on two new larger-sized handsets has been reiterated several times over the past 6 months.
Citing sources within Apple’s supply chain, Nikkei says that manufacturers have already begun making components for the new smartphones, like fingerprint sensors and chips for liquid-crystal drivers, and Sharp, Japan Display and LG will begin mass-producing their panels as early as April… Read More
By Cody Lee on Mar 13, 2014
During a television interview with Charlie Rose that aired this week, SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son told an interesting story of how he landed the iPhone in 2008. Apparently Son met with Steve Jobs two years before Apple launched the infamous handset to discuss…smartphones.
Son told Rose that he arranged a meeting with Jobs solely to show him a crude sketch of an iPod with mobile capabilities. Obviously, since the iPhone project was already well underway, Jobs didn’t need the drawing, but the meeting still spawned a relationship between the two… Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Feb 20, 2014
Following a flurry of reports which criticized various security holes allowing hackers to break into people’s Apple ID accounts, Apple in March of 2013 finally stepped up account security by rolling out two-step verification for Apple IDs in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.
Two months later, the feature launched in nearly a dozen additional countries: Austria, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland and Russia.
And now, as part of the third wave of expansion, the firm is enabling stronger account security for Apple ID users located in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Spain… Read More
By Cody Lee on Jan 9, 2014
As promised, Apple kicked its ‘Red Friday’ sales event off today in several Asian countries to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Unlike the recent Black Friday event it held here in the US, Apple is offering cash discounts on its products—not gift cards.
Also different is the fact that the Red Friday promotion includes price cuts on all current iPhone models and the new Retina iPad mini. Apple doesn’t usually discount its handsets, as they are extremely popular and provide (by far) the largest margins… Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Jan 2, 2014
As announced a week ago, Apple today kicked off its Lucky Bags promotion in Japan. The 36,000 yen (approximately $345 USD) mystery bags filled with randomly picked Apple products and third-party accessories are being offered today only to customers in select Apple retail stores across the 128 million people country.
Also known as Fukubukuro, or Mystery Bags, Japan’s annual New Year’s Day tradition entices shopper with grab bags containing unknown contents. Although buyers can’t tell what they’re actually getting until they look inside, these mystery bags contain a selection of products worth more than the value of the Lucky Bag.
Here’s what fans in Japan are finding in their Lucky Bags from Apple… Read More

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It’s the start of a new year but the phone rumors and leaks continue to flood in – and here we’re looking at more details that have emerged surrounding the first foldable phone from Honor, the Honor Magic V.
According to well-known tipster Digital Chat Station on Chinese social network Weibo (via Phandroid), the upcoming folding smartphone is going to be powered by the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset.
That chimes in with another leak that we saw a few days ago, and it means that the Honor Magic V would probably be the first foldable phone to hit the market with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It’s likely that the chipset will appear in a lot of Android flagships in 2022.
Display, camera, software
We’ve also got some details on the displays, which will apparently feature refresh rates of 120Hz and 90Hz. It sounds as though the 120Hz screen will be the external one (when the phone is closed) and the 90Hz screen will be the larger, internal one.
A punch hole cut out sits in the top right corner of the internal display apparently. As for the main camera, it’s reportedly being led by a 50MP sensor, while there’s 66W charging available too for juicing up the foldable handset.
The last little tidbit is that Android 12 will be on board out of the box – although the tipster does add that these specs are based on a prototype design that might be changed before the foldable sees the light of day. An announcement could come as early as this month, although the phone may only be available in China.
Analysis: foldables will continue to improve in 2022
Rumors around a foldable phone from Honor have been floating around for a few months now, and it’s no surprise to see another brand getting involved in a foldable phone market that has so far been led by Samsung, Huawei and Motorola.
Last year we saw the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 launched by Samsung, showing off the two main form factors that are available to consumers: the larger book-style fold and the smaller clamshell-style fold.
The Honor Magic V will be a book-style foldable when it appears, and with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 under the hood, it’s likely to be one of the best foldable phones yet. Samsung will then return with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Further down the line the Google Pixel Fold and a foldable iPhone should be appearing before too long, giving us even more foldables to choose from – and expect the engineering quality in terms of hinges and screens to continue to improve as well.


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Bitcoin SV news & headlines
Latest breaking stories, features and analysis
- BSV bounces back after reaching support at $150
- The coin has been trying to breach this level for months, before dropping to $150.
- A strong support, fortunately, allowed it to go back up.
Features & analysis
Market roundup – Bitcoin price prints $12k, Ethereum price hits 2-year highs
The cryptocurrency market has been trading in a volatile fashion over the weekend. Bitcoin price moved above $12k for the first time in a year, while Ethereum hit the highest levels since August 2018. Overall, nearly $1.5 billion has been liquidated on major crypto exchanges after the world’s biggest digital assets crashed in just 15 minutes after printing fresh highs, before eventually pushing higher again. Bitcoin – $1 billion...
Why I Wouldn’t Invest in Bitcoin SV Right Now
After it staged a rally that resulted in the value increase of more than 170% in just a day, Bitcoin SV has already returned nearly 80% of those gains. The initial rally raised many eyebrows as it appears that it was a manipulated move. Bitcoin SV (BSV), founded by Craig Wright – who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto – railled on January 14 on the rumours that Wright has private keys to around $9 billion worth of Bitcoins. Around 50...


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Lottery relaunch meeting for Channel Island retailers
New Channel Islands' lottery tickets are to be unveiled at a special meeting for retailers.
The lottery is being relaunched in September, with new terminals and new scratch card games.
A seminar is being held for retailers on 30 August, at the Town Hall in St Helier.
Money raised by the sale of tickets is given out every year to the Associations of Jersey and Guernsey Charities.
Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean said: "We want to ensure that retailers are kept informed, and are aware of the new procedures before they are introduced next month.
"We hope that the relaunch will re-invigorate the Channel Islands' Lottery and will lead to more substantial support for local charities and good causes."
In June the States of Jersey announced Scientific Games International and Global Draw been appointed as the joint agents for the new lottery following a "robust" tendering process.
Retailers wishing to attend the meeting should contact the Economic Development Department.
Last year, the top prize in the Christmas Lottery was £750,000.


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After the former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il declared himself an expert in the field of technology and Internet, it has come the time for his son and his successor, Kim Jong Un, to prove that he is also a fan of technology. According to information provided by the official agency KCNA, quoted by NorthKorea … Continue reading North Korea to Build its Own Tablet
Although the sources and methods on renewable energy are far from being in an early stage, if everything goes well with a given project, all the research to date could be reduced to zero, in terms of efficiency. Given that solar energy is one of the most constant sources of energy and plant photosynthesis is … Continue reading Artificial Leaf: the Answer for the Future of Renewable Energy?
Two years ago Samsung was launching the TL500, called EX1 overseas. This was to be a compact digital camera with top equipment, suitable for a professional photographer who cannot use the DSLR everywhere. The F1.8 objective was one of the strengths of the device. Now Samsung has announced its successor, EX2F model. As expected, the … Continue reading Samsung EX2F – Top Compact with Bright Lens
Despite high costs and limited life, Li-Ion batteries are the preferred choice for years to power portable computers, mobile phones and almost any other portable gadgets. Currently, progress in the world of lithium batteries has paused, showing that Li-Ion battery technology begins to reach its limits. A good example of this is the growing gap … Continue reading Is there an Alternative to Li-Ion Batteries?
Kicking a bit of competition for the BlackBerry, the latest of the ruggedized Android smartphones from Motorola the Defy Pro has been launched with a physical keyboard. The Motorola Defy Pro QWERTY model has so much in common with the BlackBerry in as much as looks are concerned that at first looks you can be … Continue reading Motorola Announces Defy Pro QWERTY model


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Published in the journal Obesity Reviews, the research found that there had been little change in children’s exposure to advertising for unhealthy foods and drinks over the past five years in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. However, the study did find stronger evidence of improvement in the UK and South Korea.
The researchers also found a big discrepancy between the findings of industry-backed studies and independent assessments, with industry-sponsored reports finding very strong evidence of reduced exposure to advertising, even in countries where other scientific studies had not found this to be the case.
“The discrepancy is presumably due to what is being measured,” said the study’s lead author Tim Lobstein. “The companies don’t look at everything children watch, only what they themselves advertise. They don’t consider adverts from companies which haven’t signed up to self-regulatory pledges – i.e. several thousand smaller food and beverage companies. They don’t look at the family TV programmes watched by children, only children’s TV. And they use their own criteria for judging what is appropriate to advertise to children.”
In particular, the review highlights a UK ban on advertising during children’s television programming, which has been effective in reducing children’s exposure to adverts for high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products during such programmes.
Terry Jones, director of communications at the UK’s Food and Drink Federation, said: “Following an independent review by Ofcom, the independent regulator for the UK's communications industry, it was satisfied that existing restrictions have served to reduce significantly the amount of HFSS advertising seen by children. Existing restrictions were also considered to have reduced the influence of techniques in HFSS advertising that are considered likely to be particularly attractive to children.”
However, Lobstein urged Ofcom to widen the scope of the regulations to make them more effective, as advertising of junk food during family TV in the UK had increased since the ban on ads in children’s programming came into effect.
“Self-regulation simply does not work in a highly competitive marketplace,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jones claims that many UK food manufacturers go beyond what is required of them under regulation, making European and global voluntary commitments and developing their own responsible marketing guidelines, as well as reformulating products to reduce salt, saturated fat and energy, providing healthier options and clear nutrition labelling.
The full review is available online here (pdf).


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New Delhi: Yes that’s right, Yamaha has launched the new motorcycle, a new model of FZ which is named as FZ-X. IYM India Yamaha Motor has launched a new bike for youngsters. The Bike was launched and showed its first sight in New Delhi.
Because Two-wheeler major India Yamaha Motor (IYM) on Friday launched its first ‘Neo-Retro’ motorcycle – FZ-X – available at a starting price of Rs 116,800 (Ex-Showroom, Delhi). Prices may differ in different states.
“It is engineered to be the ultimate riding partner across various riding conditions and is powered by an air-cooled, 4-stroke, 149 cc, SOHC engine,” which is damn cool enough.
All New Yamaha FZ X : Features | Price & Detailed Review
The company also says that the new FZ-X comes with a ‘2-valve Blue Core FI Engine’ which generates 12.4PS of peak power at 7,250 rpm and 13.3Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm. Now that’s the fun in riding.
Besides, the FZ-X is ‘Bluetooth’ enabled, it also receives a ‘Communication Control Unit’ which is compatible with Yamaha’s dedicated ‘Y-Connect’ app. The technology is playing a vital role in daily life, now Yamaha is using it in a great way.
Also Know the specifications of the new launched vehicle are as follows:
“Through this, the rider can check smartphone notifications via the instrument cluster icons, look at maintenance recommendations, track the bike’s last parking location, track fuel consumption, receive malfunction notification, along with a unique feature – ‘The Revs Dashboard’, which displays data such as engine rpm, degree of throttle opening, rate of acceleration, an eco-friendly riding indicator, etc on your smartphone.”
Enjoy Riding Guys!!


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Until recently, Amazon barely involved itself in Seattle’s civic politics. Its growth was steady for more than a decade, only kicking into high gear the past few years. For a while, Amazon’s main involvement with city hall was more about small things like approvals for street vacations than major politics.
That began to change in 2015, when Amazon’s real estate head, John Schoettler, who was deeply involved in the HQ2 search, led the local Chamber of Commerce. Earlier this year, Amazon publicly fought a new tax to pay for homeless services and affordable housing. But there was never a singular moment like this when Seattle got to ask: Do we want Amazon here? If so, do we want taxpayers to pay for it?
When news of a split HQ2 broke, Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle said, “I’d call those branch offices.” It’s a good zinger, but while Seattle may want to call it a win, several experts pointed out to me that Amazon will now have three cities to pit against one another for decades to come. Talk about leverage.
And Amazon is still calling the two new locations headquarters. “We know there will be leaders and teams in all three headquarters as we map out the growth,” Jay Carney, a senior vice president at Amazon, told me. “We are already a company that spans the country, with employees in over 45 states. I’m on the leadership team but live in D.C. and am in Seattle today. It reinforces what already exists for us.”
How that division shakes out will be interesting to track. The New York office is already home to much of Amazon’s growing advertising group, which has become almost an obsession among investors because of its high margins. That’s a mix of the technical and creative work that’s already thriving in the city.
Many had suggested that a Washington-area choice could signal a growing dependence on government contracts, like a $10 billion cloud deal for the Defense Department that Amazon is favored to win.
But Amazon’s agreement with Virginia specifically states that the incentives Amazon gets will decrease if more than 10 percent of the work done at that location is for federal contracts, something that reflects the state’s goal of diversifying its economy away from government work. So what’s Amazon’s vision there?


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This article is more than 1 year old
Symbian Q3 revenues dip
As phone shipments slow
Update Smartphone operating system company Symbian today opened up its books to offer the world a glimpse of its financial performance during the three months to 30 September, the company's third quarter.
Symbian reported revenues of £9.4 million for the period, down both sequentially and year on year by 21 per cent and six per cent, respectively, from £11.9 million in Q2 2003 and £10 million in Q3 2002.
The sharp sequential decline followed a dip in the company's average royalty per handset from $6.3 per unit to $5.7. Royalty revenues fell between Q2 and Q3 from £5.8 million to £4.4 million. Consultancy revenues fell quarter on quarter from £4.9 million to £4.5 million, and other revenues dropped from £1.2 million to £500,000.
Symbian nets a royalty for its OS and receives a lesser, undisclosed dividend from the UIQ user interface, licensed by a subsidiary company. However, it doesn't receive a cent from use of the Series 60 UI, owned by Nokia. Since Nokia ships the vast majority of the world's Symbian handsets, that's a lot of royalty Symbian is missing out on.
Symbian achieved a small reduction in operating costs between Q2 and Q3, cutting costs from £18 million to £17.4 million. The company exited Q3 with £23.4 million in the bank, down from Q2's £29.7 million, but well up on the year-ago quarter's £15.6 million.
The company's figures are unaudited. As a privately-held company, Symbian doesn't have to make its financial and operational numbers public.
Despite Symbian's weaker financial performance during Q3, its licensees are working on 31 devices, up from 26 during the previous quarter, it said. The more handsets those licensees subsequently ship, the higher the OS company's royalty revenues will be in future quarters. Q3 missed key handset launches such as Nokia's N-Gage and 6600, Sendo's X, and Sony Ericsson's P900 and sales of these should start flowing through in Q4.
Some 1.23 million Symbian-based phones shipped during Q3, up from 790,000 in the year-ago quarter but down from Q2's record-breaking 1.49 million units. During the first nine months of 2003, licensees shipped 3.91 million Symbian-based handsets.
The company told The Register it was confident that Q4 revenues will be significantly up on Q3's figure, noting that some analystst are anticipating that some three million Symbian handhelds will ship in the Christmas sales period. ®


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3 Things You Should Know About Small Business: February 28
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) - What's happening in small business today?
1. Gun sellers finding new outlets to list weapons. Even with Google (GOOG), eBay (EBAY) and Amazon (AMZN) banning weapons listings on their sites, sellers are finding new online marketplaces for their guns, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
"In 2000, when the U.S. Department of Justice last did an official tally, there were about 80 online firearm auction sites and approximately 4,000 other sites offering guns for sale in the U.S. Today, as the national gun control debate intensifies in the wake of the Newtown tragedy, it's a safe bet that gun buyers have even more online options," the article says.
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Opinions are divided on the decision to give China shares in the Port of Hamburg. Anyone who opposes this primarily criticizes the Chancellor. Because he basically waved the project through single-handedly - despite massive criticism and concerns from politics and business. After all, this has led to the Chinese state-owned company Cosco taking a smaller stake in a Hamburg container terminal than originally planned.
A compromise that the federal cabinet quickly had to agree on, because if the cabinet had not made a decision this week, the sale would have been automatically approved as agreed by Cosco and the Port of Hamburg (HHLA). Cosco was originally supposed to acquire a 35 percent stake. Now it is only 24.9 percent. Acquisitions above this threshold were prohibited. This prevents the Chinese state-owned company from blocking important business and personnel decisions.
In the short term, there is nothing wrong with the cooperation: Cosco is one of the largest logistics companies in the world and could make shipping goods via the Port of Hamburg more attractive. Jobs and sales would be secured. Additional capital could also flow into Hamburg as a business location and serve to expand the local infrastructure.
However, there are a number of concerns, starting with the impact on the aforementioned digital infrastructure. At the same time, with a 35 percent stake, China would have gained leverage that it would never grant to foreign investors at home. This includes investments in critical infrastructure, telecommunications and various technology areas. If Cocso had acquired the 35 percent stake, as planned, China could have insisted that the port of Hamburg no longer allowed deliveries from certain countries. Market access could have been made more difficult for Taiwan, for example, and Hamburg could have become a pawn in Chinese politics.
Economist Rolf Langhammer from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy describes the compromise that has now been reached as "face-saving for both sides", i.e. for both Germany and China. The German Economic Institute (IW) also acknowledges the compromise with praise.
The decision was "consequent, because the modern container terminal at Tollerort is a small but relevant part of Germany's critical infrastructure." It is now more about a purely financial participation without special rights, "against which there are basically no objections. In addition, Cosco may not have access to sensitive data on port transactions," writes the IW.
But according to the Kiel-based economic researcher Langhammer, it is not at all decisive how large the participation is in the end. Cosco had agreed to make the Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT) a preferred transshipment point in Europe in exchange for the stake. "A private company could not promise this, but a state-owned company could," says Langhammer. "And therein lies a certain potential for blackmail on the part of Cosco."
He also points out that "Cosco is a key player in the maritime and digital Silk Road". Participation in various ports is referred to as the maritime Silk Road. According to research and media reports, the Chinese group has secured stakes in anchorages on almost every continent - 14 European ports are also on the list.
However, this may no longer be relevant, because the fact that China is already involved in other ports or owns them entirely, it could also have reached customer data that is stored and used on Chinese servers, says the China expert, for example Christian Rausch. There is no doubt that China has secured further influence through the port deal with Germany, even if it is limited. China is Germany's largest trading partner. "The Chinese are also partly dependent on us because we also buy their goods. This means that this dependency naturally exists on both sides, but it is nonetheless very obvious (...) that China has once again become very important here ", says Rausch.
Since the Ukraine war, the question of breaking off all relations with dictatorships and autocracies has been raised again and again. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock shaped the value-oriented foreign policy. But that would cost. According to the Ifo Institute, twelve percent of German exports go to autocracies. And 15 percent of all imports come from countries that are not governed democratically. "It is becoming clear that trade relations with autocracies play a greater role for Germany, both on the import and export side, than is the case for the EU-27 as a whole," writes the Ifo Institute for Economic Research in a study from the beginning August.
If Germany were to move its production from China back to Europe, it would be at the expense of prosperity, the Ifo experts have calculated. So-called renationalisation, i.e. relocating production to Germany, would cost us around ten percent of our economic power. With nearshoring, i.e. relocation to other (neighboring) countries, Germany would lose just over four percent of its economic output.
The researchers also examined a complete decoupling of the EU from China. The result: German gross domestic product would fall by 0.52 percent. Plus Chinese countermeasures, the losses would even be 0.8 percent. That doesn't sound like much, but it would have an effect four times as strong as Brexit.
According to the Ifo researchers, de-globalization would mean a massive loss of prosperity for Germany.
The German side therefore rules out the possibility that the port deal with China will fall through. So far it is unclear how Cosco will behave now. The deal is expected to be finalized by the end of the year. HHLA boss Angela Titzrath wants to speak to the Chinese "promptly". From business circles it was said recently that it is assumed that the Chinese will support the compromise solution. "There is no guarantee that the transaction will take place or when it can take place," says the Chinese state-owned company.
If Cosco were to withdraw its ships from Hamburg, it would hit the port hard. "For the competitiveness of the Port of Hamburg, the positive decision of the investment review process by the federal cabinet is of great importance," says the port's marketing organization.
Sources: Ifo Institute, German Economic Institute, Tagesschau, RND, "Welt", with material from DPA


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Lori Senecal’s New York agency KBS, owned by MDC & Partners, is expanding in the UK by buying a majority stake in London creative and digital agency Albion.
KBS is following in the footsteps of a number of US agencies including Crispin Porter (also owned by MDC), Droga5 and Mcgarrybowen which have all set up shop in London recently.
The new agency will be known as KBS Albion and be headed by founder Jason Goodman (left) as CEO. Goodman calls the deal “a very strategic fit.”
Senecal, who was recently promoted from CEO of KBS to president and CEO of MDC Partner Network, effectively founder Miles Nadal’s number two, says: “It’s really time to build out our global capacity. We share similar cultures and we approach business similarly. Albion is a fast-growing company that shares our passion for entrepreneurship and invention – two core aspects to our culture.”
Interestingly, executive search firm Grace Blue worked with MDC Partners on the deal. Grace Blue chairman Gay Haines says: “This acquisition is a very smart move for KBS and has some interesting implications for how M&A is carried out in the future. MDC went to great lengths to ensure the right fit – it was not just about the financial ramifications.
“We set about finding the right company, not the most obvious one. Both businesses took pains to ensure the cultural match was a good one and that they shared the same approach to business development and future strategic thinking.”


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Toshiba promoted its two technologies, Extended Detail Enhancement (XDE) and Resolution+, for turning standard definition content into high definition, at the IFA electronics show on Thursday.
Pushing new boundaries in LCD (liquid crystal display) TV size, Sony will launch later this year a set that's considerably thinner than others on the market, it said at the IFA electronics show in Berlin on Thursday.
Philips has introduced a technology called LED LUX, which promises black levels that rival the best plasma sets, at the IFA electronics show on Thursday.
Sharp has developed a new range of LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs that are thinner and have larger screens than its previous thinnest televisions.
Philips launched the CinemaOne for people who want a compact home theater, at the IFA electronics show on Thursday.
The future for consumer electronics looks bright and high oil prices will help the industry, according to Hans-Joachim Kamp, who spoke at IFA in Berlin on Wednesday.
Sony launched three new models of Walkman players on Thursday at the IFA electronics show in Berlin, including the new S-series that are the slimmest yet.
LG Electronics is on the verge of launching a new range of LCD (liquid crystal display) and plasma TV sets in Europe that feature Bluetooth wireless networking, the company said Wednesday at the IFA electronics show in Berlin.
Electronic program guide (EPG) provider IceTV has been granted special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia against the recent decision made in favour of TV broadcaster Channel 9 by the Federal Court.
Apple looks set to launch a new thinner version of its iPod Nano, says Digg founder Kevin Rose.
Sony Ericsson has relaunched its mobile content store PlayNow, renaming it PlayNow Arena and promoting music without the DRM technology some stores use to prevent copying or sharing of songs.
Nvidia's Tegra system-on-chip will allow portable devices to play high-definition video for more than 10 hours, an engineer from the company told the Hot Chips conference on Monday.
A high-profile Warner Music executive has warned the games industry that the company is expecting a larger share of profits from the wildly popular 'rhythm' games such as Guitar Hero.
It is rumoured that Sony plans to drop the price of its standalone Blu-Ray players by US$100 next month.
Chinese authorities have blocked Apple's iTunes Music Store, apparently because 'more than 40' athletes have listened to protest songs by bands such as Rush and Alanis Morissette.
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The standard setting iphone camera Is gone. The camera tests are dominated by the android phones and Samsung’s galaxy devices stand out among them. the latest report about the camera tests show that the iPhone 6s camera is far behind in the camera tests results while the galaxy s6 edge’s camera outperform almost everyone.
The photography benchmark DxOMark has outed its results for the latest phones and the results surprised everyone. The topper in the charts is the Sony’s xperia Z5 phone that has a 23 MP camera and second in line is the galaxy s6 edge.
The newly released iPhone 6s scores 82 points that is same as last year’s iPhone 6. The z5 scored an impressive 87 and the galaxy s6 edge recorded 86 points. Another surprise is that last year’s note 4 is still one of the top performing camera’s in a phone.
The iPhones were always the leaders in the photography department and set an example for other android phone to follow. But the latest iphones are truly uninspiring. It is not to say that iPhone has a bad camera. The photography done on the iPhone is still among the best in the world but the innovation is missing and android devices are starting to take away the smartphone camera king tag from the iPhone.
iPhone camera has jumped the megapixel count from 8 to 12 MP and has included 4k video recording at 60 fps. But that wasn’t enough to occupy the top spot.
The tests still haven’t included the new note 5 or the iPhone 6 plus camera results. I am guessing that the note 5 will be featured among the top 5 and the iPhone 6s plus will have a position in the top 10.
The galaxy s6 edge and the galaxy s6 have the same camera, so naturally the galaxy s6 is missing from the list. But it still has the second best camera in a smartphone that money can buy.


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Harley-Davidson has announced its new strategy for global growth with a focus on addressing volumes in large markets, debuting a series of electric motorcycles and indicating the possibility of moving into low engine capacity bikes for markets like India. The strategy also pushes back at President Donald Trump’s attempts to prioritise manufacturing in the United States by addressing real world business needs.
“The bold actions we are announcing today leverage Harley-Davidson’s vast capabilities and competitive firepower – our excellence in product development and manufacturing, the global appeal of the brand and of course, our great dealer network,” said Matt Levatich, president and chief executive officer, Harley-Davidson, Inc. “Alongside our existing loyal riders, we will lead the next revolution of two-wheeled freedom to inspire future riders who have yet to even think about the thrill of riding.”
The broad outlines of the plan labelled “More Roads to Harley-Davidson” include the development of a new platform covering the 500cc to 1200cc range including model ranges of PanAmerica 1250cc, Custom 1250cc and a new Streetfighter 975cc model. On the other hand a small model platform will cover the 250cc to 500cc range for markets like India and other Asian markets. At the moment the 750cc Street is the smallest model in India.
The other major development in terms of product will be a range of ‘twist and go’ electric bikes, with the possibility of an electric bicycle joining the line up. The first will be LiveWire to be launched in 2019.
Other than these products, Harley-Davidson will also be beefing up its dealer network and moving manufacturing closer to markets with a view to reduce tariff costs on end products.
Some ideas being floated around include tying up with global e-commerce platforms and adopting smaller storefronts closer to the customer.
“Harley-Davidson is iconic because we’ve never been static,” said Levatich. “In moving forward, we are tapping into the spirit that drove our founders back in 1903 and every one of the employees and dealers who rose to the challenges faced along the way. Our plan will redefine existing boundaries of our brand – reaching more customers in a way that reinforces all we stand for as a brand and as a company and we can’t wait to kick it into gear.”


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Future of Factories: The movement behind employee wellness in an increasingly employee-centric economy
It's no secret that manufacturers are struggling to hire and retain employees. One of the side effects of the pandemic has been upending an employer-centric economy and placing the reins in the hands of the employee.
Manufacturers are now paying more and offering incentives for employees they didn't before.
Director Of Operations Diane James of Hubbell Industrial Controls pointed out that they have 25 open jobs and are experiencing high levels of turnover. Jobs in assembly and brazing at their plant used to go for $11.50 an hour and have now gone up to $13 and $14 per hour with full medical, dental, vision, and 401K benefits after 30 to 60 days on the job.
Besides increased pay, a renewed focus on employee wellness and development has emerged from the pandemic, and two manufacturers in Asheboro and Burlington have gone through transformations in the past year. Both of them experienced a boom in business during the pandemic, and both had to deal with the ensuing growing pains of an expanding business.
One of those businesses, Haand, is a handmade porcelain pottery manufacturer who survived COVID by pivoting its business from selling to restaurants to marketing direct to consumer. As their operations expanded, Chris Pence, the co-founder of Haand, enlisted the help of the NCMEP (North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership), which provides free or low cost services to help small manufacturers in the area.
As Haand experienced a crazy year with COVID and expanded quickly, different issues would come up and be handled in haphazard ways.
"We started the company 10 years ago and never developed an organizational chart," Pence explains, "When things needed to be done, it would end up on my plate or my partner's plate, and then we'd hand it off to someone who seemed like they could handle it."
Kevin Grayson, Assistant Director of Technology Management at NC State, helped them with organizing employees and assigning them specific job areas, thus putting them in a position to grow their careers. It helped distinguish whether a person would focus on something for "the next five minutes or the next five years," as Pence put it.
Out of their conversation with the NCMEP emerged a clear sense of roles and responsibilities, including a dedicated person to focus on career development. When juggling various roles and putting out fires, topics like career growth can often fall into the back burner.
"Every employee needs to understand where they are going within a company. During COVID last year, everything was so chaotic. I had no time to sit down with all of my employees," recalls Pence. "I just had an open conversation about what's working, what's not working, and how I see their job moving. I think it's created good morale."
An exploration into ergonomics
An Asheboro manufacturer took a different approach to employee wellness. Trotters Sewing Company, headquartered in Asheboro, is a contract cut and sew company, creating products from mattresses to medical paraphernalia. Owner Lori Trotter says their business grew dramatically during the pandemic due to increased demand for PPE.
"Immediately, we started getting phone calls about helping with masks and gowns and PPE. I got phone calls from different hospitals; I got phone calls from government agencies. And we were pretty overwhelmed," recalls Trotter.
As employees at the sewing company were spending long hours in the factory, Trotter worked with engineers at A&T University to make ergonomic improvements to their workflow. The study of ergonomics involves shifting your mindset so that the work is modified to better fit the worker. With the help of A&T engineers, Trotter experimented with different chairs and different ways of moving the product along the factory floor.
Julia Abate, Executive Director for The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina, explains her work: "We look at forces that people have to generate. We look at the postures people have to work in. And we looked at how frequently...or how long they have to work."
Abate and her team of ergonomics experts also go into companies and provide recommendations to improve a worker's ergonomic situation. With a training grant from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), Abate has taught subjects like best practices for safe lifting and ways to place inventory so that people are less likely to get injured.
A rule of thumb is "keep things in easy reach," Abate explains, meaning that objects in the assembly line should be placed in such a way that doesn't strain muscles from repetition. COVID-19 also introduced new challenges to creating an ergonomic workspace.
"The biggest thing with ergonomics with respect to COVID is a lot of these different safety features were implemented in factory floors, so you had screens, you had spacing that was introduced." Abate points out, "Some of those things can introduce greater risks within ergonomics."
Many of these services offered to manufacture around ergonomics and organizational development are also low cost or virtually free. The North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership receives millions of dollars from the federal government, and bright students at A&T and NC State's Ergonomics Center often offer their services in exchange for job experience on their resume.
These resources allow smaller manufacturers to increase employee wellness and safety throughout North Carolina in the hopes of creating healthier and more fulfilled workers.
Our Future of Factories series investigates how manufacturing in North Carolina is adapting to the pandemic and innovating for the future. Subscribe and sign up for our newsletter to stay tuned.
Michelle Shen is an Economic and Data Reporter for The Courier Tribune. Feel free to reach out to her with story tips on Twitter (michelle_shen10), Instagram (pretty_photos_by_michelle OR michelle_shen10), or email (firstname.lastname@example.org).


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While the majority of Mexico’s agri-food imports from Alberta have traditionally been bulk commodities, like oilseeds and grains, new opportunities are emerging for food and beverages.
Mexican consumers are increasingly looking for high quality food products in health, wellness and specialty retail products. To connect these opportunities with Alberta suppliers, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF) led a trade mission to the Canadian Supplier Day, October 29 to 30, 2019, in Monterrey, Mexico. Focused on value-added products, this event was the first of its kind in Monterrey, modelled on the ‘Taste of Canada’ event that has taken place annually in the United States.
Three Alberta companies – Oh! Naturals, Sweetsmith Candy Co. and Token Bitters – participated in this event. They already export internationally, and they were able to gather firsthand market information, to build connections and to meet Mexican buyers as well as to profile their products and discuss sales.
A robust business-to-business meeting program, where over 30 meetings took place between Mexican importers and Alberta companies, anchored the Canadian Supplier Day. While initial sales for Alberta participants were estimated at $CAD 50,000, additional negotiations with large players in the Mexican market are currently underway for larger volumes and additional sales.
The program also included an educational component with market briefings, presentations on logistics and Mexican labelling requirements, as well as tours at Mexico’s largest grocery and convenience stores for market research and analysis.
For the Alberta participants, this mission helped build their understanding and connections in the Mexican market.
“We recognize the amount of work that goes into the planning and execution of such initiatives, especially in a country where businesses are conducted in a different way, and the nature of the market imposes extra hurdles and barriers,” notes Mario Castillo, research scientist at Token Bitters. “This initiative helps us to mitigate risks and to overcome those barriers."
In addition to this project, the International Market Development team at AF works strategically in international markets to assist Alberta companies in their export goals. Each market has specific opportunities and challenges, which staff assess to determine how to support Alberta companies increase sales in international markets.
“Business culture in Mexico is relationship-based, so it’s important that Alberta companies go to the market, to meet importers in person,” says Meghan Horosko, trade and relations officer with AF and who led Alberta’s participation in this event. “The Canadian Supplier Day was a great event for introducing companies to major buyers in the Mexican market, as well as profiling Albertan and Canadian capacities for value-added products. I’m sure we’ll hear about even more success stories as a result of this event.”
With lead coordination by the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service based in the Consulate of Canada in Monterrey, the Canadian Supplier Day was a partnered initiative with support from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Export Development Canada, Canada Beef, and the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
AF will support Alberta companies attending The Mexican Healthy Products Summit in January 2020, as well as an anticipated Taste of Canada tabletop event in Mexico City later in 2020.
Mexico is Alberta’s fourth largest export market for agri-food products. In 2018, Alberta’s agri-food exports to Mexico reached $CAD 551.8 million, accounting for approximately 46% of Alberta’s total exports to Mexico.
For more information about this trade mission, connect with Meghan Horosko:


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Zephyr says its Milano Island range hood has been upgraded for better performance. The new model has a direct-current brushless motor that’s supposed to be quieter and more powerful than the previous motor. It also has dimmable LED light bulbs and a computerized control system that the maker says reduces energy consumption by 80 percent. Retail pricing starts at $1,890.
Zephyr, 888/880-8368, zephyronline.com.
to continue reading


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Tech giant Samsung believes that the future will bring with it Star Wars-style robots that will act as ‘life companions’.
It’s getting ahead of the curve with this by unveiling a weird robot ball that follows you around the house.
The company is currently showcasing at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and says the next 10 years will see the rise of assistance robots and smarter, more connected homes.
During a presentation ahead of the opening of CES, Samsung’s consumer electronics president H.S. Kim unveiled Ballie, a small rolling robot which can control smart devices to help around the house.
Samsung also teased a pair of augmented reality smart glasses as part of a demonstration of its GEMS mobility exoskeleton first seen last year, which is used to help improve mobility in those with mobility conditions.
The presentation also included suggestions of smart homes complete with food preparation robots.
Mr Kim called the next wave of innovations the ‘age of experience’, which he said will see technology become more personalised for each user during the next decade.
‘In the age of experience, we need to re-think the space we have to accommodate our diverse and evolving lifestyles,’ he said.
‘What makes Samsung’s approach unique is the fact that we have a very clear philosophy built around human-centered innovation. We build and create to solve problems and enhance people’s lives.’
Of course, the internet’s reaction to Ballie was something to behold.
Dibs on the script for ‘Trust me, I’m Ballie’ where this thing gaslights you and locks all the doors in your home. Then right before it murders you, this cute ass dog decides it’s a tennis ball and saves humanity from our ambitious mistakes.
Thanks again, dogs. Unsung heroes. https://t.co/Z97nvd6Bn6
— Caitlyn (@caitmolden) January 7, 2020
Samsung has invented a yellow tennis ball that spies on you. Its name? Ballie. Tech people are geniuses. pic.twitter.com/4sLAFq1WH8
— Gabe Carey @ CES 2020 (@thegabecarey) January 7, 2020
And when the cat decides it's a rat and kills it? Or the two-year plays catch with Mr porcelain bowl and flushes it? Or I trip over the damned thing and boot it across the room?
Poor ballie. Too many ways to die. 😂
— Nav (@Nav2115) January 7, 2020
1) Shoutout to any underrepresented person who had a hand in what likely took 1000s of hours +immeasurable intelligence.
2) No home looks like this.
3) #Ballie will get dusty af.
4) the description👇🏾: if humans can’t do this, how will a ball?
— Arlan 👊🏾 (@ArlanWasHere) January 7, 2020
The first day of announcements at the technology convention in Las Vegas also saw Sony tease a surprise move into connected cars, with the unveiling of its Vision-C concept, which it says will combine safety and entertainment using the firm’s range of sensor and audio/visual technology.
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Monday, July 28, 2008
The survey shows that three systems lead the race: WordPress, Joomla! and Drupal. The survey concludes that these three systems have opened up a large lead on the rest of the pack to become the dominant brands in the market.
The author, Ric Shreves, states: “WordPress enjoys great brand strength courtesy of two complimentary offerings: the WordPress CMS and the WordPress hosted blogging service. Nonetheless Joomla! is positioned to challenge for the lead in brand awareness.” He added, “Though it might be surprising to some, Drupal is not far behind. The survey showed that in the crucial U.S. market, Drupal is essentially tied with Joomla!”
Marketing of Drupal


text: Tesla Inc’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) impressive third-quarter earnings and earnings despite the effect of chip shortages imply a physically powerful electric vehicle trajectory for the Elon Musk-led company in the current quarter and beyond, according to analysts. at Loup Ventures and Wedbush Securities. Tesla Analysts: Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives maintained a superior performance score and a $1,000 value target for Tesla stock. Gene Munster of Loup Ventures believes Tesla’s sales can grow from $70 billion next year to $400 billion in 2027 and that inventory can succeed at $2,500 according to participation. Tesla’s Tesla: Ives, who is a longtime Tesla bull, said the company’s strong earnings velocity speaks to a more successful business in the long run and is key to a higher revaluation of the stock. Ives said the gross margin exceeded in the quarter shows greater power than the electric vehicle maker sees with Giga Shanghai in China. Tesla posted record gross margins of 28. 8% in the quarter, beating estimates of 25. 1%. See also: Tesla listings in California 58%, Model 3 tops the list “We think the Chinese call picked up in the quarter,” Ives said. Ives estimates that China would account for more than 40% of Tesla’s global deliveries in 2022 amid faster adoption of electric vehicles. In China, Tesla competes with competitors such as Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) and Xpeng Inc (NYSE: XPEV). Analyst Loup states that “increased production power with gigawaways in Austin and Berlin, expansion in the expansion of high-margin software subscription driven by emerging FSD costs and FSD adoption, and an expected minimization of battery costs over time. “ Tesla weathered the chip crisis well in the third quarter, but warned that “parts shortages” cause factories to operate below capacity. electric cars and “we were a little surprised. “ Price Action: Tesla consistent with percentages closed up 0. 18% at $865. 80 consistent with consistent percentage on Wednesday. The stock fell 1. 36% in the extended hours. Click here for Benzinga’s EV Hub for the latest news on electric vehicles.


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The three-day 6th ‘Women of India Organic Festival’ organised by The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India began today, at Leisure Valley, Sector-10, Chandigarh, to celebrate and promote women farmers and entrepreneurs in the organic sector from the remotest parts of India.
B.L. Sharma, Secretary, Women and Child Development, UT Chandigarh and Anuradha Chagti,Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India inaugurated the 6th edition of “Women of India Organic Festival”. addressing the gathering after the inauguration Shri B.L Sharma stressed the need for adopting and strengthening the organic farming for healthy, wealthy and environment-friendly lifestyle through a well- knit suitable marketing infrastructure with the backing of government, public and private partnership promoting entrepreneurship among women.
Smt. Anuradha Chagti said that as many as 72 stalls of organic products are put up in the festival by women farmers and entrepreneurs besides 19 organic food stalls in the food court. She said that next such festival will be held at Hyderabad.


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German discount chain Aldi Süd is preparing to launch a flagship store in the coastal metropolis of Shanghai next week, according to trade reports.
A second store is expected to follow in the near future, the Lebensmittel Zeitung newspaper reported.
"This is another step in the race between Aldi and Lidl worldwide," trade expert Matthias Queck from LZ Retailytics told German news agency dpa.
With its stores in Australia and the United States, Aldi Süd is already well ahead in the race to increase business beyond Europe, he added.
Plans to open 50 to 100 outlets
The retailer began operating an online shop in China in 2017, and speculation about an expansion had been circulating for some time.
Business publication Manager Magazin reported that Aldi initially plans to open at least 10 stores in China, with 50 to 100 further outlets to follow in the coming years.
It said the Shanghai store would offer the usual Aldi products, imported from Europe, as well as a large fresh fish counter.
Read more: Soap opera erupts over Aldi packaging
The supermarket chain was founded in 1946 by German brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht. In 1960, the company split into Aldi Nord, headquartered in Essen, and Aldi Süd, based in Mülheim. The two branches have more than 10,000 stores in 20 countries.


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Don't miss the latest stories
Lego Builds A Drivable, Life-Sized Bugatti Supercar Using Over A Million Pieces
By Yoon Sann Wong, 31 Aug 2018
Lego seems to have outdone itself in this feat of engineering and design by recreating the Bugatti Chiron supercar as a life-sized, drivable model using over a million ‘Technic’ pieces.
‘Technic’ is Lego’s system of beams, axles, gear wheels and connectors that enable more complex Lego builds.
This life-sized model is one half passion project by the brand’s creative team, and one half promotion for display at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix on 30 August.
Brainstorming for the project took flight in June 2017, with construction initiating in March 2018. In total, the team spent “over 13,000 work hours of development and construction.”
The automobile doesn’t solely comprise Lego though. Certain parts including its steel frame, battery pair, 3D-printed gears, and real Bugatti wheels make up this 1,500kg beast.
While it doesn’t keep pace with the actual Bugatti Chiron that can clock up to 250mph, Lego managed to hit 13mph inside the video featured directly below, and notes that in theory, it can hit 19mph.
For those keen on their own Bugatti Chiron build, Lego is selling a 3,599-piece kit that will let you develop a 1:8 scale replica model.
[via TechCrunch, video via LEGO, images via LEGO Newsroom]
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Dwolla, Plaid collaborate to offer tokenised ACH payment integration
Dwolla has partnered with Plaid.
Payment processing firm Dwolla has partnered with Plaid, a technology platform that enables applications to connect with users’ bank accounts, to offer a fully tokenized automated clearing house (ACH) payments integration.
The agreement makes it possible to tokenize account and routing numbers and authenticate user bank accounts through Plaid and start accepting ACH payments in minutes with Dwolla’s ACH API.
Plaid will serve as the authentication gateway and data provider, while Dwolla will act as an ACH provider and facilitate the funds transfer via its Access API.
Plaid CEO and co-founder Zach Perret said: “This partnership brings Dwolla and Plaid together to simplify the developer experience, increase data availability for easier approvals, and increase security for consumers via account number tokenization.
“The strength of security in card networks is based on tokenization being table stakes, which we hope becomes more common throughout the industry, and we’re working to make a reality with partnerships like this one.”
Dwolla CEO Ben Milne said: “Dwolla has specialized in making bank transfers more accessible and secure for years. During that time, Plaid focused on innovating in the bank authentication and consumer data space. The partnership demonstrates how fintech companies can come together to introduce easier and safer ways to access the nation’s banking infrastructure.”
The ACH network moves more than $41 trillion each year.


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Trion Worlds has signed a deal with South Korea’s XL Games to bring the big-budget fantasy role-playing game ArcheAge to Western markets. It...
As part of ArcheAge Korea’s upcoming launch, developer XLGAMES has announced a co-marketing effort with graphics card maker Nvidia to promote...
According to a couple reputable sources, on December 12th during “ArcheAge Media Day” (basically a press conference) details about ArcheAge’s next...
No Client download needed as well, Cloud Technology!
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According to Fred Oladehinde, an American business expert, Nigeria holds the potential to generate 4 Million jobs annually through AGOA by investing in the development of its Micro Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) sector.
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) scheme was initiated by the U.S. government in May 2000 to assist the economies of sub-Saharan Africa and to improve economic relations between U.S and the region.
After completing its initial 15-year period of validity, the AGOA legislation was extended in 2015 by a further 10 years, to September 2025.
Oladehinde noted that Nigeria had not maximally benefited from the scheme, adding that his organization was ready to work with the government and civil society organizations to explore the scheme benefits.
In his words, “We need to mobilise MSMEs so that we can improve and enhance not only the value chain from supply side but also include their participation in the global supply chain and create the needed jobs. As you know there is need for the creation of about 20 million jobs every year in Africa. And if you look at the size of Nigeria and the population, it means almost four million of this jobs will have to be created in Nigeria every year,” he said.


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- Just Announced
Friday, 24 Aug 2012
Taiwanese custom graphics card manufacturer Powercolor today revealed its monster triple slot Devil 13 HD 7990 graphics card, the world's first dual Radeon HD 7970 GPU graphics card.
LG is the first in the world to launch an 84-inch Ultra Definition 3D TV, which is capable of supporting the new 4K display resolution. The 84LM9600 is currently only available in Korea, but LG has said that it will bring the TV to Asia sometime in September 2012.
Samsung announces the 12.4-megapizel EX2F, the newest model in their growing range of Wi-Fi-enabled Smart Cameras. The camera features a F1.4 lens and a 1/1.7-inch BSI CMOS sensor.
Catered to the busy individual looking for superior personal audio products at his own convenience, Bose @ Republic Plaza will offer personalized customer service and allow consumers to test out Bose personal audio products, chat with audio experts, and pick up their favorite Bose products.
Thursday, 23 Aug 2012
With this new version, customers will be able to navigate to addresses found on the Internet, search with foursquare, and get the latest TomTom maps. Simply copy an address and paste it into the app, and it will automatically work out the destination and direct you there.
Fractal Design has launched Window Side Panel editions for its Arc Midi and Define R4 lineup of chassis.
Powered by twin speaker drivers and wOOx technology, the Philips Shoqbox connects to any Bluetooth-enabled device to deliver clear audio. Users can also pair two Philips Shoqbox units wirelessly to enjoy stereo sound quality.
With built-in Wi-Fi capability, the compact Selphy CP900 connects wirelessly to iOS and Android devices, allowing users to print images taken with their smartphones and tablets conveniently. iPhone and iPad users can print photos via Canon's EasyPhotoPrint app while Android users can print via a wireless access point.
Zotac has refreshed Zbox nano with AMD Radeon HD 7340, boosting graphics and CPU processing capabilities while maintaining energy efficiency to create a palm-sized home theater PC capable of HD video playback and speedy system responsiveness.
Wednesday, 22 Aug 2012
Symantec is recommending customers to use Intrusion Prevention System or network threat protection to stop threats such as this from infiltrating a machine. Users are also advised to update their virus definitions.


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By Beth Waterfall
The newness and excitement over the opportunities emerging in the nascent cannabis industry can be distracting from the fact that cannabis businesses are—mostly—just like businesses in other legal industries. Whether they are medical marijuana dispensaries or a manufacturer of ancillary technology used by cannabis consumers, cannabis businesses require everyday business services such as insurance, legal, HVAC, security and accounting to ensure that they are compliant and successful.
But for some of these service providers, like Mitzi Hollenbeck, partner with leading accounting firm Citrin Cooperman, working with the business leaders pioneering the cannabis industry isn’t so new. In just a few short years, Mitzi’s local experience and industry leadership has positioned her as a go-to accounting services provider for the cannabis industry in Massachusetts and beyond.
“For me the excitement lies in the huge opportunity for CPAs and professional service providers to help legitimize the industry,” said Mitzi. “It’s thrilling to work where there’s lots of innovation—it’s always moving, always challenging and there’s always room for growth.”
Mitzi is currently working with a variety of licensed and pre-licensed medical marijuana, adult-use and industrial hemp companies in multiple states. They come in all sizes, from mom-and-pop to international companies seeking Canadian acquisition, and they each face both standard and unforeseen business issues.
“Perception is still a problem, but sometimes it just takes walking through a cultivation center or dispensary to understand that this is a real business industry,” Mitzi said. “It’s very rare to see the birth of an industry, and there simply needs to be more education to shift negative perceptions.”
In addition to serving her clients at Citrin Cooperman, Mitzi’s service as a member of the Lakeville Board of Selectmen provides her another platform to understand and address public concerns over licensed cannabis businesses.
“We’ve seen lots of public backlash, mainly because the general public doesn’t understand the industry or the regulations the industry is required to follow,” Mitzi said. “As we see more retail stores open, it’s human nature to focus on the negatives, like traffic congestion, but then, unfortunately, town leaders use that as a reason to continue moratoriums or bans.”
Mitzi shares Lakeville as an example of what happens when voters and decision makers do not understand the issues or when the timing of that understanding is mismatched. At its June 2018 town meeting, the people of Lakeville authorized and zoned all cannabis business license types within the town’s industrial zone. Then, months after the articles were passed, a citizens’ petition to ban retail sales was put forth at the subsequent November town meeting. As a result, one of the cannabis businesses that had been working with the town for over a year pulled their Lakeville retail application and moved it to another town where zoning was not being challenged in a subsequent town meeting.
The Lakeville citizens’ petition, requiring a two-thirds vote to overturn existing zoning, ultimately failed, and retail license types were secured as an option in the town’s industrial zones. However, the reality of zoning challenges and local control was enough to change the business landscape in Lakeville for at least one operator.
Moratoriums and bans are a significant barrier for growth on Cape Cod, too, and local control has more power in shaping the business landscape than many realize. In an industry where store and brand loyalty is a path to business longevity, the future of a particular business may be largely dependent upon its ability to make an early first impression in the marketplace.
“When you look at the Cape and Islands, if businesses don’t get off the ground early, the profitability factor starts to wane,” Mitzi explains. “The best operators will set up their businesses and generate tax revenue elsewhere and the towns who were late to the game will not be as attractive to businesses looking to site.”
Delays will also create congestion around the few retail establishments allowed in places like Mashpee and Nantucket. “If tourists are only able to go to one retail shop in Mashpee and one on Nantucket, traffic will definitely be a major concern, especially when tourism is high.”
For the Cape and other popular summer tourist destinations, Mitzi notes the value that cannabis jobs can have on not just the local economy, but the population of families living and working in the area.
“Having licensed dispensaries, cultivators and infused product manufacturers throughout the Cape means more full-time, year-round jobs,” Mitzi explains. She also notes that, in general, jobs at licensed cannabis businesses in Massachusetts pay well, which can help local companies retain their top local talent.
“Allowing these businesses to operate in our towns allows for jobs and steady employment year-round,” she said. “This is important for the economy of the Cape and the people who live—or hope to live—here.”
To learn more about Mitzi, visit https://www.citrincooperman.com/professionals/mitzi-hollenbeck
Cannabis Innovators: Mitzi Hollenbeck
By Beth Waterfall


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Your Supply Chain Software news feed!
The Magaya solution was created with all of these moving parts in mind, managing everything from warehouse zones to accounting.
Digitalization of freight forwarding is here, and it is the easiest step to take is one that will facilitate one of the hardest parts of the business: keeping track of all those legal documents!
We have created a small buyer’s guide to assist companies and business owners when choosing the best 3PL software for their business.
The Florida Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association, Inc. (FCBF) will be hosting the Conference of the Americas on November 12-14, 2018. Magaya is proud sponsor of this event and will be attending to present its newest technologies for the companies working in global trade.
Magaya is proud to join the effort to keep our oceans and waterways clean of plastic waste by switching to reusable cutlery and cups for all employees.
The freight management software webinar included a look at what is new and exciting in the latest release of Magaya.
Magaya is committed to Panama and is working alongside APAC to bring the newest technology into international trade. View highlights from Expo Logistica Panama.
Keep yourself, your employees and Magaya users informed of the latest news and updates.


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That company will have 80-90 employees with room for future expansion. Construction of the new facility is scheduled for completion in December 2008.
The partnership Friday also announced the sale of a large, vacant industrial building to a Canadian-based manufacturer. NETWORKS recruitment of this company will add 70-80 new jobs in Sullivan County, and that company plans to invest $38 million for the purchase of the facility and equipment.
The release said NETWORKS is currently working with the two companies to finalize plans for groundbreaking and company announcements.
NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership is a non-profit economic development organization, serving all of Sullivan County, and the cities of Bluff City, Bristol, Tenn., and Kingsport. The partnership’s overall goal is to create value added jobs, expand and diversify the economic base, and generate increased tax revenues for local government.
See Saturday's edition of the Times-News for an expanded report.


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IHOP restaurants nationwide are hosting their annual National Pancake Day on Tuesday, but what you may not know is that the organization does more than give out free pancakes on this day.
While enjoying a free stack of buttermilk pancakes, guests are asked to donate any amount to help kids facing critical diseases and disabilities.
IHOP has raised nearly $30 million dollars to date for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Shriners Hospitals and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
National Pancake Day will go from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 27.
To take this celebration a step further, IHOP is also setting up a challenge for patients who have been treated at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals to create an original pancake recipe.
Three finalists will be invited to IHOP's test kitchen in Los Angeles to make their pancake creations alongside breakfast experts.


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Jul 23, 2015 Arcade owner doesn't see business slowing any time soon.
Jul 22, 2015 Apple's earnings surged, but its performance didn't meet analysts' expectations.
Jul 14, 2015 Gamers aren't the only people with an interest in virtual reality.
Jul 8, 2015 Kai talks with Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson about watches and phones.
Jun 19, 2015 The annual conference isn't quite as dominated by men as it used to be.
Jun 15, 2015 VR is poised to meet the masses in mobile technology.
Jun 4, 2015 A PR success for FIFA in the virtual arena.
May 28, 2015 Subscribers are dropping as more "World of Warcraft" players move to mobile.
May 26, 2015 Gamers will now be getting their very own bars.
May 6, 2015 Microsoft is a possible bidder for the "customer relationship management" company.


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Here's today's AdExchanger.com news round-up... Want it by email? Sign-up here.
Google says it’s offering a helping hand to local publishers who may not have the ability to take on programmatic alone. A new private exchange has launched in a deal with the Local Media Consortium, which comprises more than 800 newspapers and 200 broadcast stations. The participating publishers will also have access to the DoubleClick platform and AdSense. “What we’ve seen over last several years was a rise in realization by quality brands that they want to be associated with other quality brands,” Richard Gingras, head of news and social products at Google, told Forbes. “The real question was how could we extend that opportunity to brands in local markets that don’t have the same wherewithal to make these kinds of sales.”


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The market for brand-new P2 cars will be flooded in 2015 as Ligier, ORECA, Dome and a few other manufacturers bring their designs into the marketplace, and they’ll have stiff competition from Honda Performance Development as the constructor looks to reassert itself with the HPD ARX-04b.
Penned by England’s Wirth Research and California’s HPD, the marque’s first coupe design bears little resemblance to its ARX predecessors or, for that matter, any of the other P2 cars it will compete against.
According to Wirth, the ARX-04b features considerable amounts of technology found within his recent (albeit stillborn) P1 coupe project, and with the lineage of the current ARX-03b P2 car dating back to the Acura ALMS effort, the new P2 coupe is meant to put the past to rest and start a new chapter with a clean-sheet prototype design.
“The bottom line is, you probably know more than most people how long they’ve been working on our P1 car, and actually, from HPD and Wirth Research’s point of view, the last time we had a car on the track which represented the limit of our group’s knowledge was in 2010 with the ARX-03c,” Wirth told RACER. “It was the car run by Strakka in the WEC in 2010 (BELOW) when they blew everyone’s doors off in Le Mans.
“So we had not started developing coupes at that point, and yes, it wasn’t a P1 car, but that [ARX-03c], with all the technologies from the  P1 program put back into the P2 car, to that set of rules, was the best car that we could build as a group. And at that moment we got stopped doing any more development. The car, our P2 car that races this year, is essentially that car from 2010. The ACO didn’t allow any development to it apart from cutting holes in the wheel arches, so it was time to concentrate our efforts on starting over with a coupe, which we’re quite proud of.”
The last clean-sheet design from Wirth and HPD came in 2009 in what proved to be Acura’s swansong as a major entrant in the ALMS. The ARX-02a P1 car (ABOVE), fielded by Highcroft Racing and de Ferran Motorsports, broke new ground by using wide front tires and a centrally-mounted rear wing attachments atop the main element— items now commonplace in P1— and allowed both camps to push the boundaries of their knowledge and engineering capabilities.
Despite the cost-capped nature of the modern P2 class, Wirth says the ARX-04b is far from a “budget” prototype, containing the best both firms have to offer in terms of aerodynamics and mechanical componentry.
“What’s so interesting about this is this 2015 car that we’re doing is the first time that you’ll see our group, Honda program, put the fastest, best car on the track, and it’s five years on from when last were able to do so,” he explained. “And I will say no more than that. It’s going to be interesting. And I’m very, very happy for ORECAs and Ligiers and for anyone who wants to come and race. Bring it on.
“And the people who know us and know HPD, know the effort they’re making on all fronts and the fact that is going to be a Honda, a fully integrated solution. Because it’s a Honda car, we work very well with the engine group, all the electronics; it is a one-stop option and we’re super excited about it. Would I love to be doing the P1 car? Of course, I would. And the origins of this car is the P1 project. Politically, we couldn’t get that to go, but what we have with the P2 car is the closest we can come to that, and we’re really excited to show what this car can do.”
Honda’s proven 2.8-liter twin-turbo V6 will power the ARX-04b, and Wirth expects the entire package to have a long and competitive lifespan.
“Because of the way the FIA and ACO regs are written, it’s got such a long lifetime, it’s very, very important for people making that huge decision to buy a P2 car to get it right,” he added. “Because they put their money down, although it’s not an expensive car, they’re not going to want to change it. So we’re hoping that they will look at the history, look at the quality of the program, look at what we’re don’t doing and realize that it’s the first time we’re allowed to do something properly in many years. And it’s very different to other cars out there in ways that we understand.”
Visually, the ARX-04b features a few of Wirth’s signature P2 (ABOVE) items, including the tall, swept front fenders, but the tub itself, from the angled nose that matches the sloped windshield to the raked cabin profile, distinguishes the coupe from its competitors. Add in the unique brake ducting across the front beam section, and Wirth has a car that looks like part Red Bull X-1 and part…well, it looks like nothing else we’ve seen so far.
Response to the project, according to Wirth, has exceeded their initial production plans.
“We’re already going ahead in building four cars, and we’ve got a limit of six,” he said. “The problem is we’ve got expressions of interest for currently seven, which is more than we can build. So it’s going to be first-come, first-served.”
With Ligier’s first JS P2 chassis having already tested last month, the Onroak-built prototype will have considerable mileage under its belt after undertaking the upcoming WEC season. Strakka’s new Dome S103 is also being prepared for testing this week ahead of a WEC campaign, leaving the HPD ARX-04b at least six months behind the opposition. ORECA’s P2 car isn’t expected to turn a wheel until after next year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, but Wirth is confident their coupe will be ready for 2015.
“We certainly have plans to get the first car on track comfortably before the end of this year,” he confirmed. “It will undergo rigorous testing beforehand in simulation and on the racetrack. We expect the car to be quite formidable.”


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With the development of cold aseptic filling technology, a new round of the PET bottle blowing machine market competition will be kicked off. Chinese domestic bottle blowing machine technology, from imitation to innovation and beyond, is in constant progress. Because of the current global economic downturn, the European Union, the United States and Japan are even stagnating. For the moment, economic strength comes from developing countries and emerging economies.
At present, there are only two roads to expand the market for the PET bottle blowing machine.
1、Consolidate the domestic PET bottle blowing machine market, the use of foreign technology, continuous improvement and expand the size of PET blow molding machine. But because of fierce competition, the benefits are not ideal.
2、Go out of the country and head to the world.The global economic downturn, but can take the road of developing countries.PET bottle blowing machines are labor-intensive industries, Southeast Asia, Africa, the United States, Latin America, the labor cost more advantages. The development of these areas of the blow molding machine market has more potential and is worth the attention of the blow molding machine manufacturer.


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San Francisco( CNN Business) At a photo shoot inside a cozy San Francisco coffee shop, models struck playful poses. Some sprawled out on shaggy pillows, limbs unfurling languidly.
Photographers captured their moves, clicking rapidly from different directions and vantage point. The photos were sultry, moody, and, occasionally, featured furry paws.
[amazon_link asins=’1629147729,0762463678,0062432028,073535555X,B01MCX66SM,1452151962,1449477844,0757000312,1849531420′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’katzhere-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’8013c4f1-9709-448b-bb5e-560a87f7f5a9′]
This wasn’t an ordinary photo shoot. The topics were cats with names like Passion, Shiloh, Buffy, and Blinx, who live at a coffeehouse called KitTea, where guests can pay to sip beverages and eat snacks while hanging out with resident and adoptable felines.


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Oxford’s Computational Project says that a significant number of the accounts tweeting about Brexit were bots.
Hayley Tsukayama hopes that rumours that Google will launch its own smartphone are true.
Young innovators at Denel are doing pioneering research that contributes to the creation of new industries in SA.
Econet’s R6.55 billion offer for Neotel - through its Liquid Telecom subsidiary - spells the end of Neotel’s role as heads on a competitor to Telkom.
Collaborative robots, which work alongside humans, are pushing the frontiers of automation.
Researchers are working hard to try and get smart devices to be able to distinguish smells.
New draft plan will re-classify robots as persons liable for payment of social security.
Cape Town-based Llew Claasen was appointed Executive Director at the foundation’s recent DevCore conference.
Researchers are experimenting with comuter sounds that automatically create sounds effects for movies.
Naspers is planning to sell its Polish online auction website Allegro, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Company confirms that some of its services experienced downtime yesterday.
Yesterday four US companies agreed to block hate speech in Europe, highlighting the growing pressure for internet censorship.
Silicon Valley company is building the connected kitchen that will recommend dishes and warn you when you’re low on ingredients.
A group of Norwegians tested how long it would take to read the terms and conditions for the apps on their phones.
Court backs Google and says its use of Java APIs in developing Android were covered by fair use.


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Why Underfloor Heating is Becoming More Popular
In the last few years we have witnessed a huge upturn in awareness and increased popularity in underfloor heating (UFH). As a result, sales have increased throughout the last five years as people have become more knowledgeable of the advantages to installing such a system in their homes and the ease with which this new heating configuration can be deployed nowadays.
UFH offers economical, comfy, very discreet home heating within millions of residences all over Europe which is why it is quickly transforming into a preferred home heating choice in the United Kingdom.
This heating system is also being embraced by designers and specifiers who are aiming to comply with brand new, more restrictive energy efficiency regulations, and as such underfloor heating is beginning to play an ever more significant role in this regard. This 'race' to become more energy efficient and to reduce our carbon footprint has become a key driver for the rise in UFH sales, particularly within the new build sectors as requirements for low carbon levels is being introduced and legislation being modernised.
Although this is great news, there is expected to be the potential to massively grow the sales of underfloor heating systems further still over the next 10 years. This is due to the fact that many countries around the world have started to take global warming much more seriously and are becoming more committed to striving for a carbon neutral state.
In an effort to do so, governments are going to continue to revise environmental legislations, within their own countries, so that all new build projects are forced to use only the most cost effective and environmentally friendly technologies available. This is great as it will encourage development of newer technologies within these areas thus making these heating systems even more efficient, reliable and affordable.Continued on the next page


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August 11, 2023
Photos by Jamiya Leach and Devin Lightner
This August, Oonee opened a new secure bicycle parking pod near the Holland Tunnel in partnership with the Hudson Square BID and the Port Authority of NY & NJ. Supporters of the project gathered together to commemorate the event and welcome a new community mural designed by the Oonee graphic design team. The free-standing pod can store up to 20 bikes, at no cost to the user, on a first-come, first-served basis. The pod will provide local residents, commuters, and delivery workers a safe spot to store bicycles as part of their last-mile commute, delivery work, or recreational use. The BID is excited about this new partnership and revitalizing a busy pedestrian plaza.


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- Realm UK regulators have approved Amazon's $1.7 billion purchase of iRobot.
- Officials said the deal would not result in any competition concerns.
- The US FTC has yet to make a decision on the deal.
iRobot (IRBT) shares soared after UK antitrust regulators approved $1.7 billion purchase by Amazon (AMZN) of vacuum maker Roomba.
Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said after a “thorough investigation” it had concluded the deal “would not cause competition concerns in the UK”.
In making its decision, the CMA cited current iRobot vacuum rivals and explained that Amazon would not profit from using its strength as an online retailer to try to limit sales of similar devices or products. #39;other “smart home” products.
Amazon was satisfied with the decision, adding that she looks forward to similar decisions by other regulators soon. The deal, which was completed last August, is still under review by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
iRobot rose 20% in early trading Friday after the news, pushing them into positive territory for the year. Amazon shares decreased by 0.7%.
Do you have any news tip for Investopedia reporters? Please email us at email@example.com


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T-Mobile USA To Offer HTC HD 7 & Dell Venue Pro Windows 7 Phones
With so much smartphone talk being about Android and iOS, it makes you wonder what happened to Windows-based smartphones.
In a press release, T-Mobile announced the HTC HD 7, which will be the first smartphone to run the Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system. The handset will have a 4.3-inch touch screen display. The handset will also have a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5.0-MP camera with dual LED flash, HD recording, GPS & 16 GB of internal memory.
Windows Phone 7 will feature what Microsoft calls “Live Tiles.” Instead of using icons like most smartphones have, it allows users to see what’s going on in an application without having to open the application.
Window Phone 7 will also feature “Windows Phone Hub” which will put applications, services and content into a single view. Windows Phone Hubs will also sync your contacts and allow you to access your games, music & contacts from wherever you are.
The HTC HD 7 will also have a lot of productivity & entertainment features. The handset will feature Netflix, which will allow users to watch streaming movies on their phone, and users will also be able to watch live and on-demand TV from ABC News Now, FOX Sports, PBS Kids, Azteca America and many more.
Users will also be able to use XboxLive with the HTC HD 7, which will allow them to connect to other Xbox Live customers and view their avatars, achievements and more, and it will come with Zune software for media management.
The HTC HD7 will have business users covered with a fully integrated Microsoft Exchange e-mail and calendar and Office Hub, which will offer users mobile version of Office apps, plus SharePoint.
In addition, T-Mobile will be carrying the Dell Venue Pro, which will also run Windows Phone 7. The Venue Pro will have a full-QWERTY keyboard, a 4.1-inch screen, a 5.0-megapiexel camera and a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor.
The HTC HD 7 will be available in mid-November. For more information go to the T-Mobile HD 7 website. The Dell Venue Pro is expected to be available around the holidays. For more information on the Dell Venue Pro go to Dell’s website.