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Abu Dhabi Ports aims to play a vital role in the global fight against Covid-19 by developing enhanced logistics capabilities for the storage and distribution of more than 70 million vaccine doses. This follows the launch of the Hope Consortium, a UAE-based public-private partnership, of which Abu Dhabi Ports is a member, that will facilitate the distribution of vaccines across the world.
As part of its commitment to this immunisation drive, Abu Dhabi Ports has dedicated a 19,000 m2 temperature-controlled warehouse facility in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), which already houses more than 1
million vials of the vaccine. The facility has the capability to store vaccines and other pharmaceutical products at a range of +2 to 8 degC, as well as the more extreme range of -80 degC required by some vaccines. The warehouse is equipped with temperature and humidity systems monitored digitally via a control dashboard.
The Hope Consortium is being led by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. As well as Abu Dhabi Ports, it includes Etihad Cargo, Rafed, and Switzerland’s SkyCell.
Robert Sutton, Head of Logistics Cluster, Abu Dhabi Ports, said: “Abu Dhabi Ports’ ability in expanding capacity to receive and store clinical, pharmaceutical and life science materials at moderate and extreme temperature ranges is a testament to our commitment to offer world-class logistics solutions. Our Department of Health-licenced facility fully integrates the movement of cargo with state-of-the-art temperature, humidity, and refrigeration-controlled technology. Abu Dhabi Ports, through our highly-advanced infrastructure and multimodal connectivity, is ready and able to meet the challenges of distributing sensitive pharmaceuticals quickly across the supply chain.”


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By Kamilia Lahrichi
Your Middle East - August 14, 2013
Despite profound geopolitical changes in the Arab world, the Sino-Arab trade has been on a fast track of growth. In fact, the revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have provided vast economic opportunities to the world's second biggest economy.
“Supply chains may be more unstable and risk management for Arab investments may be more important than ever, but I can't see how the uprisings would seriously threaten China's economic interest in the MidEast... yet,” explains Professor Sara Jordan from Hong Kong University.
Unlike many Western nations, China has a proven track of record in doing business in risky environments. Beijing does not dodge African countries deemed pariah by the international community.
“Big risks, big rewards; Small risks, small rewards,” says Edwin E. Hitti, President of the Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hong Kong, quoting a Chinese official.

domain: news


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Here’s what’s important in the financial world this morning:
Europe: France’s president Sarkozy and Germany’s Angela Merkel will try to set a grand pact to save Europe. Germany wants strict adherence to austerity plans in nations that accept money. The terms would be similar to those imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when it makes loans. France is less keen to lean on sovereigns and to sanction them severely when they miss targets. A regional recession may make budgets hard to hold. The entire matter will be deferred to eurozone members, which means a decision could drag on for months. The IMF, in the meantime, has begun to set up its own mechanism to create a bailout fund, which might involve it providing capital to weak nations. That capital in turn would be loaned to the IMF by the region’s central banks.
Return of the Galaxy: Samsung won a court victory when an American judge said Apple cannot block the shipment or sale of Samsung’s Galaxy products in the U.S. Galaxy tablets and smartphones are among the most competitive products to the iPad and iPhone. Apple said its concerns were that Samsung violated some of its patents. The use of the court system was a way for Apple to control the markets by blocking direct competition. It now faces one of its only formidable rivals in the broadband wireless product universe just as holiday sales begin to peak.
GM: General Motors’ problems with the Chevy Volt get worse by the day. Government safety inspectors found that three Volts had battery fires after crash tests. This has led to the question of whether the lithium-ion battery used in the car is safe. GM’s first action to address the concerns of Volt owners was to offer loaner cars. Now, the U.S. car company says it will buy some of the cars back. The buyback exposure is not very good. GM has only sold about 6,000 of the electric cars — a failure for the product that is GM’s alternative energy flagship. As long as the government is involved, GM has lost control over the Volt’s future.
China OK, says . . . China: Beijing-based Dagong Global Credit Rating, a locally owned company, has kept its AAA rating on China, to no one’s surprise. The firm says China’s economy is headed for a soft landing. In a nation in which censorship and media control are part of the political fabric, the agency probably has no mind of its own.
Oil: Oil prices could spike soon, a realistic threat to the economic recovery in the U.S. and Europe. Sanctions on Iran due to its nuclear program could prompt shut downs some of its oil exports. It ships 2.2 million barrels a day and is the world’s third largest producer. One Iranian official said that if its production goes offline, oil prices would go to $250. There is no evidence for that exact figure. Other nations in OPEC, particularly Saudi Arabia, could increase exports. An increase, however, may not be enough to complete offset a shortfall from Iran. Oil at $100 is considered to be a modest block to a global recovery. If the price moves to $120, the cost of gas, oil and petrochemicals could rise to a critical level. Oil was not a threat to the recovery three months ago when crude fell to under $80. That could change quickly.
(24/7 Wall St./The Blaze)


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Tipico Sportsbook, a leading sports betting operator that will be making its Ohio debut in January, today announced an exclusive sportsbook welcome offer for new Ohio users in partnership with the Columbus Crew. The offer – called The Tipico ’96 Welcome Offer – includes a $96 Crew Team Shop voucher that is exclusive to new Ohio users who open a Tipico sportsbook account between now and Tipico’s anticipated Ohio launch on January 1, 2023.
The Tipico ’96 Welcome Offer, which is named to honor of the Club’s founding as the first club in MLS in 1996, includes a 150 per cent sportsbook Deposit Match up to $150 and a $96 digital voucher to the Crew Team Shop at Lower.com Field.
New Ohio users can claim the $96 Team Shop voucher by making a verified, real-money sportsbook account with Tipico and make a qualifying $50 deposit. The offer can be claimed at the following link: https://www.tipico.com/us/oh-register-crew-96. The voucher is redeemable at the Crew Team Shop, which is located at the Southeast entrance to Lower.com Field, next to the American Electric Power gate.
“Fan devotion to US soccer is on the rise,” said Adrian Vella, CEO of Tipico North America. “The exciting Tipico ’96 Welcome Offer acts to deepen Tipico’s strong partnership with the Columbus Crew and its supporters. With the incorporation of a Tipico deposit match and Crew Team Shop voucher, Crew fans will be able to gear up for the MLS season and place a bet to further enhance their Crew experience.”
Tipico, who became the Official Sports Betting Partner of the Columbus Crew earlier this year, activated with the Crew throughout the month of November at each of the Club’s World Cup Watch Party events hosted at Lower.com Field. Fans visited the Tipico tent at each of these events to obtain special offers as well as learn more about the company’s upcoming launch in Ohio.
Tipico is officially accepting deposits in the state of Ohio as of December 1, 2023, with wagering becoming available to users on January 1, 2023.


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Intermarché has come top in a new ranking that has compared French supermarket groups to see who offers the biggest number of deals. The French supermarket chain offers the largest number of deals and discounts in-store, a new ranking has found, days after 75% of people said they feel their spending power has dropped.
The ‘Les Mousquetaires’ retail brand came out top on a new ranking by supermarket catalog company Tiendeo. The ranking compared the number of promotions offered by different brands in France across all supermarket sectors. It found that Intermarché had sold 11.9% of its products on promotion between October 2020 and October 2021, a total of 400,000 products.
This was followed by the Casino supermarket group, which had offered deals on 10.3% of its products. This puts Intermarché and Casino far ahead of its competitors, including Super U (5.6%), Leclerc (5.4%), and hypermarket (of the same group) Géant Casino (5.1%). This was followed by Brico Cash (4.6%, and the first non-food brand of the ranking), and lastly, Auchan (4.4%). The brands’ Carrefour and Lidl barely featured on the ranking. The first has used deals and promotions much less in the past year, and Lidl rarely uses extra promos on top of its usual price cuts. While popular brand Leclerc came in fourth place, it has noticeably been using fewer deals and discount offers to entice customers, Tiendeo said, preferring to improve its wider product selection.
THE NUTELLA CASE
It comes more than three years after Intermarché hit headlines for selling the Italian chocolate and hazelnut spread Nutella at 70% off, which caused mini riots in stores across the country. The brand was later fined €375,000 after an investigation found it had broken discount rules.
Since then, in 2018 France has also introduced the ‘loi Egalim’, which limits supermarkets to discounting products by a maximum of 25%, to ensure that manufacturers always receive payment. Tiendeo found that the supermarkets studied have largely been sticking to the law.
The ranking also comes just days after a nationally representative poll found that 75% of people in France feel that their spending power has gone down this year, and some manufacturers have warned of rising costs and shortages across a variety of goods.


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On February 25, Ivanka Trump criticized Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's signature policy proposal, the Green New Deal, during an interview with FOX News. The specific part of the proposal — which seeks to address the dire threat of climate change as well as fight economic inequality — that Trump had trouble with was its promise to provide “a job with a family-sustaining wage…to all people of the United States.” Trump’s response was hard to make out around the silver spoon jammed into her mouth, but she managed to spit out, “People want to work for what they get. So I think this idea of a guaranteed minimum is not something most people want. They want the ability to be able to secure a job.”
Many critics were quick to point out the hypocrisy inherent in her words, spoken as they were by a millionaire heiress who grew up rich, was handed a high-level job at her father’s company, and now serves in his administration despite her complete lack of government or political experience. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez joined the chorus, commenting on Twitter, “As a person who actually worked for tips & hourly wages in my life, instead of having to learn about it 2nd-hand, I can tell you that most people want to be paid enough to live.”
Others, like writer Ira Madison III, called attention to Trump — whom he dubbed “Sweatshop Shannon" — and her comments in the context of her experience as a businessperson. Madison skewered Trump’s relationship with the predominantly Bangladeshi and Indonesian garment-factory workers who manufactured her clothing line; the Guardian has reported that Indonesian workers “describe being paid one of the lowest minimum wages in Asia.” In 2018, Trump shut down her eponymous clothing line in order to focus on whatever it is she does in Washington, after years of flagging sales, boycotts, and backlash from consumers who turned on the brand because of its association with the president. However, her complicity in the deep-rooted and ongoing issue of sweatshop labor remains.
Trump’s was far from the only fashion brand to allegedly mistreat and exploit an overseas workforce. Nike, Wal-Mart, Gap, H&M, and even Beyoncé’s Ivy Park have faced similar accusations and criticisms over hazardous conditions and low wages in the factories that these and other U.S.-based companies contract to manufacture their products. The rise of semi-disposable “fast fashion” — a term for low-quality, cheap, trendy clothing that takes ideas from high fashion and celebrity culture and rushes them onto store shelves — and the high production quotas, fast turnarounds, and potential exposure to harmful chemicals characteristic to its production have placed immense pressure on already underpaid, overworked employees.
In addition, unions and rights groups allege that physical and sexual abuse are common in factories in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka that supply H&M and Gap, and many cases are left unreported for fear of retaliation; two reports published by the group Global Labour Justice in 2018 prompted those brands to launch their own investigations. As Elizabeth Cline, a journalist and the author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, told Racked in 2018, “While fashion chains continue to get wealthier, people at the very bottom are not getting their fair share. In some instances, real wages in the garment industry have actually gone down.”
This culture of mistreatment is an injustice that the fashion industry has yet to fully address, so unions, labor activists, and most importantly, the workers themselves have been taking action.
For nearly two weeks in January 2019, 50,000 women garment workers in and around Dhaka, Bangladesh, engaged in a series of militant work stoppages, protests, and strikes to demand higher wages, facing down police and causing over 50 factories to shut down. It was essentially a general strike, a show of force from a long-undervalued workforce.
In 2018, Bangladesh was the second-largest apparel exporter in the world, trailing China, with all those exports generating over $30 billion per year. The minimum wage for a Bangladeshi garment worker had recently been raised 50 percent but still only reached the equivalent of $95 per month, which workers say isn’t enough to cover even basic necessities. According to a recent Centre for Policy Dialogue report, a Bangladeshi garment worker’s average salary covers just 49.9% of living costs, and finding affordable housing is a struggle.
The low pay has a much bigger impact on women across the region, as they form the bulk of many garment workforces. In Bangladesh and Vietnam, 80% of garment workers are women; in Sri Lanka, it’s 71%; in Cambodia, that number stretches to 90%.
During clashes between police and strikers, one person was killed and dozens were injured by police firing rubber bullets and water cannons. Since the strike, 5,000 participants have been fired.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Supreme Court tried to stymie a renewal of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a legal agreement the IndustriALL Global Union, UNI Global Union, and eight affiliated Bangladeshi unions have with over 200 global brands and fashion retailers that seeks to regulate workplace health and safety across the nation’s garment and textile industry. (Ivanka Trump’s brand did not sign on.) The highest court in the country was seeking to replace the agreement with an existing government body that would seemingly work much more closely and on much friendlier terms with international brands and garment manufacturers. Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has deferred its decision on the matter until April.
As its website notes, the agreement “was signed in the immediate aftermath of the Rana Plaza building collapse on 24 April 2013, which killed 1,133 workers and critically injured thousands more,” the aftershocks of which are still felt by the millions of workers still employed in Bangladesh’s busy garment factories. Following the tragedy, Mark Anner, the director of the Center for Global Workers’ Rights at Penn State, released reports indicating there was a huge uptick in union activity, which also contributed to an increase in worker protections. But the increased activity was met with union-busting efforts from management soon afterward. As of 2016, out of Bangladesh’s more than 4,500 garment factories, only about 10 percent had registered unions, which makes the efforts of global industrial unions like IndustriALL (which has affiliate unions in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, and many others) all the more important.
Bangladesh isn’t the only Asian country in which garment workers are fighting back. Back in 2010, workers’ unions reported that over 60,000 women textile-factory workers walked off the job to protest low wages in Cambodia. Four years later, three Cambodian textile workers were killed by police during a protest over the minimum wage. In Sri Lanka, where labor’s power is precarious, members of IndustriALL’s Sri Lanka affiliate CIWU still staged a protest outside their place of employment, Tri Star Apparel Exports (Pvt) Ltd., over unpaid wages and benefits in 2016. In 2017, 6,000 garment workers in north Vietnam went on strike to protest company policies and low wages; a similar large-scale strike was called in southern Vietnam in 2015, and wildcat strikes are common across the country’s workforce.
Not all of Southeast Asia’s labor activists are quite so strike-ready, but they are still organizing to raise wages and improve working conditions. Stand Up Movement (SUM) Lanka, a garment workers' educational network founded by former garment worker Ashila Niroshine Mapalagama, is working to build a bottom-up workers-rights movement in a country where the average wage is just 55 cents an hour. One of SUM’s biggest goals is to get to a point where workers earn a living wage within eight hours of work, as well as combating what Mapalagama calls “the hidden cost.”
“There are many hidden costs for workers,” she told journalist Mary-Rose Abraham in 2017. “These workers are separated from their families and are absent from family matters. They cannot obtain leave to perform many social obligations and become distant from society. So these hidden costs are not covered and the workers are under a lot of stress.”
Garment-worker-led organizations like Stand Up Movement as well as local unions and labor activists will continue to lead the way forward, and those in the fashion industry with more power and privilege need to follow their lead, to amplify workers’ voices, and to use their own privilege for good — not evil. Lest we forget, in 1909, the first National Woman’s Day followed a 1908 mass protest by 15,000 women workers, who demanded shorter work hours, better pay, voting rights, and an end to child labor. That was a precursor to International Women’s Day, which was established by the Socialist Party in 1910 and followed an iconic 11-week strike by immigrant women garment workers in New York City, known as the Uprising of the 20,000, who also made demands that may sound familiar to their modern-day descendants: better wages and the right to form unions.
Today and every day, we owe it to our sisters and siblings in all industries — but especially in those fraught with dangerous conditions, low pay, and undervalued output — to continue this ancient fight, to act in good faith, to uplift and support one another in true solidarity. The century and scenes and actors may change, but the struggle remains the same: for dignity, for a living wage, for a safe workplace, for bread, and for roses, too.


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At Advanced Disposables we have produced this thought-provoking graphic to highlight how using more eco-friendly packaging can help with the environment.
We are excited to welcome you to the launch of our new website, Advanced Disposables.
Read the full post
Our plastic consumption is at an all time high. Now that the awareness of how this environmental crisis is affecting our oceans is growing, businesses are doing all they can to invest in more eco-friendly alternatives. The main replacement that everyone is
The realisation of the amount of unnecessary packaging seems to be sweeping the nation at an alarming rate. With social media displaying videos of plastic masses filling the ocean and harming sea life, the demand for alternative packaging that doesn’t harm


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Sri Lanka Expo 2012 promoted in Japan
A promotional seminar on ‘Sri Lanka Expo’ was recently held at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Tokyo with the participation of over 50 importers in Japan.
Ambassador Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda in his opening remarks stated that the ‘Sri Lanka Expo’ would be an ideal opportunity for the Japanese business community to expand their businesses with Sri Lanka not only in the trade of goods, but also in areas such as investment and service sectors such as tourism. The Ambassador further stated that Sri Lanka has the best products to offer the world, being tea, apparel, gemstones, spices and natural rubber. The Seminar included a presentation by M. Somasena, First Secretary (Commercial) of the Embassy. Many participants showed keen interest in visiting Sri Lanka with a view to sourcing products which include tea, spices, fish (tuna) and fisheries products, fruit and dried fruit, vegetables, processed food, gem and jewellery and coir products from Sri Lanka.
‘Sri Lanka Expo’ is being promoted in Japan through many other promotional events being held in the country.
Another promotional seminar is due to be held in January 2012.


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Take a look at the businesses making headlines earlier than the bell:
JP Morgan Chase (JPM) – The financial institution reported quarterly profit of $2.57 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $2.35 a share. Income additionally got here in above estimates, boosted partially by sturdy outcomes for fastened earnings.
Delta Air Lines (DAL) – The airline beat estimates by 30 cents a share, with quarterly revenue of $1.70 per share. Income topped forecasts as nicely. CEO Ed Bastian instructed CNBC that the airline had a really sturdy vacation season and that Delta has had good success in de-commoditizing its enterprise.
GameStop (GME) – GameStop stated vacation season gross sales fell greater than 25% and the videogame retailer additionally forecast a larger-than-expected drop in same-store gross sales for fiscal 2019.
McKesson (MCK) – McKesson raised its fiscal 2020 full-year outlook to $14.60 to $14.80 per share from the prior $14.00 to $14.60 a share. The drug distributor cited continued optimistic momentum in its enterprise, and can give additional particulars on its outlook on the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Convention in San Francisco as we speak.
Amazon.com (AMZN) – Amazon will ask a choose to dam Microsoft (MSFT) from engaged on a $10 billion Pentagon cloud computing contract. Amazon is disputing the awarding of the contract, accusing President Donald Trump of exerting improper stress on the Protection Division to favor Microsoft.
Visa (V) – Visa will purchase privately held monetary expertise startup Plaid for $5.3 billion. Plaid’s expertise helps hyperlink financial institution accounts to cell apps, and is behind common providers like Venmo.
Boeing (BA) – Boeing is providing very giant reductions in an effort to preserve orders for its at the moment grounded 737 Max jet, based on Britain’s Telegraph newspaper. The paper stated the reductions quantity to greater than 50%.
Zumiez (ZUMZ) – Zumiez reported vacation season comparable gross sales of 6.8%, with the specialty attire retailer additionally elevating its fourth-quarter steering.
Apple (AAPL) – Apple was downgraded to “underweight” from “impartial” at Atlantic Equities, which stated Apple’s providers and wearables companies aren’t possible to offer materials upside.
Sysco (SYY) – Sysco was downgraded to “impartial” from “obese” at Piper Sandler, following the announcement that the meals distributor’s CEO Tom Bene would step down on Jan. 31 after two years in that position.
Wesco International (WCC) – Wesco was upgraded to “outperform” from “sector carry out” at RBC Capital, after the commercial merchandise distributor gained a bidding contest to purchase networking merchandise maker Anixter International (AXE) for $100 per share in money and inventory.


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It may be assumed that lots of cash is needed to start a business nowadays, but many successful entrepreneurs are starting their ventures on a shoestring budget, a new survey indicates.
In a recent poll more than a quarter said they spent less than £1,000 in the first year of launching their business. Another 24 per cent spent less than £5,000, while just 6.7 per cent spent more than £100,000.
The research, which was conducted by start-up community Shell LiveWire, also indicated the overwhelming majority of founders finance their start-up from savings.
Almost three-quarters said they had dipped into their savings account, while 30 per cent also borrowed from friends and family. Just 10 per cent said they took out a bank loan, and less than 5 per cent raised money from either crowdfunding or through re-mortgaging their home.
Over half surveyed started their business alone, while 20 per cent of respondents said they started with friends. Only 7 per cent said that they are now working with business partners not previously known to them.
However, the majority recommended not going it alone and starting with a business partner, to increase the level of support available and to have access to a wider skill set.
A third of the first-time business owners who started a company last year had a household income of less than £25,000 a year, a report by Experian showed, up from less than a quarter in 2009.
Around 7.7 per cent of these new business owners live in social housing, more than double the 2009 figure, suggesting that the modern entrepreneur is less likely to rely on assets such as their homes to raise start-up capital.
The UK government has long championed entrepreneurs as crucial for economic growth, at a time when public sector cuts continue to bite and productivity remains low.
There are an estimated 5.2m businesses in the UK, and small businesses account for 99.3pc of all private sector firms.


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Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has revealed that the company changed the way they showcase games after the backlash they received from Watch Dogs. Fans were angry with the game due to the differences between the showcase at E3 2012 and the finished product. Guillemot stated that the priority is now to make sure that the game runs on the target hardware before showing it off at events such as E3. “With E3 2015 we said, ‘OK, let’s make sure the games are playable, that they’re running on the target machines,'” he explained.
There were claims in 2014, shortly before Watch Dogs was released, that the graphical quality was scaled back, and trailers from the games development cycle were used to support this claim. Guillemot talked about what Ubisoft were able to learn from their mistakes with Watch Dogs; “When we show something, we ask the team [to] make sure it’s playable [and] make sure gamers can immediately see exactly what it is, That’s what we learned from the Watch Dogs experience–if it can’t be played on the target machine, it can be a risk.”
Although there were very prominent mistakes made with Watch Dogs, Guillemot believes that it was a good start for the franchise. He stated that “It’s a real challenge to create those types of games, When they come out, especially the first iterations, they are not perfect on everything.” Although a sequel has not yet been announced, Guillemot refers to Watch Dogs as a franchise and Ubisoft will be looking to improve on further iterations, “We’re incredibly happy with the sales of the game and the experiences that the people are having. So it’s a franchise. It goes into the franchise barn and now we figure out what to do next. It’s something that we can build on now.”


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Clubhouse, the invite-only social audio app, announced Wednesday that it has launched a direct messaging feature called “Backchannel,” which allows users to interact one-on-one or in a group text format.
The official launch follows last month’s snafu when the company accidentally leaked the feature to a select group of users who updated the app on iOS and Android devices.
In just a year, Clubhouse has seen explosive growth and forced industry incumbents like Facebook, Twitter and Spotify to introduce similar audio products, or in some cases, make strategic acquisitions within the space.
The premise is relatively simple, since there’s no video, pictures or text-based chat rooms. Users will log into the app and be greeted with a few live, virtual rooms, where they can see a list of the people participating. If they click on the room, the audio switches on and they can hear the conversation.
Earlier this year, the number of monthly app installs worldwide had declined by millions — from a peak of over 9 million in February — and in April, installs came in at 900,000. The company reports more than 10 million weekly active users, and since launching on Android in early May, has added 8 million new users.
The new growth spurt was hinted at by Clubhouse CEO Paul Davison in an appearance on CNBC in May, when he said Clubhouse had seen one million Android users join shortly after launching for the Google mobile operating system, and added, “millions more people are on the waitlist.”
Davidson said at the time Clubhouse needed to carefully add new users to prevent a decline in app performance and user experience, which had happened during its first big wave of growth.
Clubhouse ranked No. 33 on this year’s CNBC Disruptor 50 list.


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It’s that time of year again. Every spring, thousands of youngsters break out the water pitcher and sugar jar, drag out the card table, design a sign, and start selling lemonade. It’s time for Lemonade Day Denver! A great partnership Young Americans is once again partnering with Lemonade Day Denver to encourage young people to start businesses early. Lemonade Day …
Looking for ways you can equip 70,000 youth with the tools and resources necessary to be ready for the real world? Consider getting involved with Young Americans!
- Take Action
- Special Events
- Send a School
- Subscribe to our Newsletter


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Cannabis extract CBD outlawed by DEA - DelmarvaNow.com Dec 16, 2016 · The federal Drug Enforcement Agency has officially placed cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis extract which has shown promise in medical usage for seizure treatment, as a schedule 1 substance. Is CBD illegal under the new DEA "marihuana extract" rule Dec 14, 2016 · Hi: Rod I make CBD products and the new law was to make the DEA in compliance with the Non-proliferation of psychotropic drugs treaty with the U.N. Domestic CBD has been schedule one since the marijauna was scheduled. Imported is different. The DEA has been seizing hemp shipped to - Port City Daily Jun 08, 2018 · Local News; The DEA has been seizing hemp shipped to this Wilmington CBD producer. Here’s why. State law directly contradicts federal law on the legality of CBD oil, and the situation is …
Nov 07, 2017 · In spite of the fact that Indiana recently passed a law legalizing CBD oil for specific patients, the state’s law enforcement goons have been on a wild-eyed mission for months to take down
May 01, 2018 · New DEA Rule Says CBD Oil Is Really, Truly, No-Joke Illegal. Under federal law, “hemp” is defined as Cannabis sativa plants with less than 0.3% THC. Anything with more THC is “marijuana DEA moves CBD medicines off Schedule 1, reclassifying as
As 2018 farm bill got approved in December last year, we can expect a drastic increase in the sale of hemp-based and Cannabis products in the coming years because of the increasing popularity of products that contain CBD in them.
Is CBD Oil Legal In All 50 States? Is CBD Legal? How about the DEA and CBD Oil issues? This article will bring you up to date on CBD legality both federal and state levels as of right now CBD oil in the UK is quite a sensitive topic. Know all CBD Oil UK laws before you go out and spend your hard-earned pounds. (Updated for 2019). The most popular question we get is whether CBD oil products derived from hemp are federally legal. Basically the popular thinking goes like this: the 2014 Farm By J.J. McCoy, Senior Managing Editor for New Frontier Data And just like that, the DEA now says that CBD with 0.3% THC or less is legal for purchase or sale nationwide. It may also be imported to or exported from the United States without… Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the primary cannabinoids naturally occurring in plants with the genus Cannabis sativa L. CBD is non-intoxicating and often used in products to combat pain, inflammation, and anxiety. https://blog…iceplow.com/cbd/law/2018-dea-schedule-v Mike discusses the latest 2018 CBD Laws as analyzed in the above blog post by Jay Manfre of the SuppleA sticky situation: the DEA and CBD | Buds and Oilshttps://budsandoils.com/a-sticky-situation-the-dea-and-cbdEver since December 2016, when the DEA issued a rule that maintained the illegality of CBD under federal law, CBD producers and sellers of CBD products have nonetheless continued to operate in the legal grey area.
Sep 1, 2019 DEA confirms that some CBD products are legal and that the agency health food stores, yet CBD oil is classified as a medicine by FIMEA.
May 1, 2019 Great-grandmother arrested at Disney World for having CBD oil; but Please note that I am saying “not under DEA's purview” instead of “legal. Jan 18, 2019 It is a challenging question because CBD can refer to cannabinoids from and it is often interchanged with other terminology, such as "hemp oil. of the New Drug Code (7350) for Marijuana Extract, the DEA explained, “The Jan 24, 2019 containing oil or sterilized seeds from hemp was prohibited even if items “THC,” and DEA's regulations consistent with its determination were Aug 26, 2019 Agency says it still wants to expand cannabis research and notes that CBD is now legal. Aug 28, 2019 On August 26, 2019, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (or "DEA") issued a As we have previously stated, all forms of hemp are legal and should be protected and promoted by our legislature. Cannabidiol (CBD) oil. or 'CBD oil.' At present, this material is being illegally produced and marketed in the United. States in violation of two federal laws: The Controlled Substances Sep 27, 2018 It's still not legal to make CBD in the U.S. The DEA said “the bulk cannabis material used to make the Epidiolex formulation (as opposed to the


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- November 25, 2016
- by Benard Karigo
Kenya has in 2016 recorded the largest growth in tourist bookings globally, says American-based luxury travel network Virtuoso.
The agency boasts 390 members and more than 11,400 elite travel advisors in 40 countries across North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.
Virtuoso said Kenya scored 59 per cent, followed by Iceland (56), Saint Martin (39), China (35), Ecuador (34), Japan (32), South Africa (28), Tanzania (27), Croatia (25) and Jamaica 23 per cent to close the top 10 list.
JAZA TRAIN SAFARI TO LAKE MAGADI
DATE: JAMHURI DAY 10th – 11th DEC 2016
CHARGES: Early booking before 1st Dec.
Citizens & Residents Ksh 9,500
Non residents: Ksh 12,000
Late booking after 1st Dec
Citizens & Residents Ksh 10,000
Non residents: Ksh 12,500
FOR INQUIRIES CONTACT
Office: +254 717 999 228
Mobile: +254 727 075 986
Land-line: 020 6999 204
The firm, which has affiliations with 1,700 hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and premier destinations, said Africa enjoyed a steady rise in tourist arrivals during summer, with a commanding 28 per cent.
In Nairobi, the Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) signed a partnership with British Airways that will see clients of the federation enjoy a 13-17 per cent discounted air fare for every online purchase of a ticket between now and end of May 2017.
Acting KTF chief executive Susan Ongalo described the initiative as timely, saying KTF members would now market Kenya abroad and inform their clients of the subsidised rates.
She said tourists would enjoy lower charges as many hotels, tour operators and travel agents had initiated a cost-reduction incentive for repeat clients.
Virtuoso’s findings were announced during the annual Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas last week on Tuesday evening, attended by travel agency members from the United States and Canada.
Virtuoso commands nearly half of the Sh3.55 trillion tourism revenues.
It said Kenya was among the “hottest” upscale holiday destinations in 2016, owing to its exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access.
Virtuoso added that Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa rank high as investment destinations and stand to experience a 17 per cent rise in tourist arrivals.
“Luxury travellers are seeking out more exotic locales worldwide, including a boom for Africa,” it said.
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PsyStar saga Day 3: Mac clone maker, payment processor trade charges
The company, changing address yet again, says middleman dropped the ball
Computerworld - The Miami company that claims it's selling Mac clones said today that it will take payment only via PayPal because its credit-card processor "dropped the ball." That processor, PowerPay Inc., has disputed the charge and said it cut PsyStar Corp. loose because the company violated the terms of their agreement.
In one of the first extended comments PsyStar has given this week by telephone, it said PowerPay's only stated reason for closing its account was that it had exceeded its transaction allowance.
Thursday morning, the beleaguered PsyStar tried to explain why it is now accepting payment only via PayPal for its Open Computer clone. "Midday yesterday, our store was not receiving any orders," the company said in a statement on its Web site. "This was due to the fact that our merchant gateway, PowerPay, dropped the ball on us and refused to process any more transactions from our company."
PsyStar added that it is using PayPal, which is typically offered as a payment option by small electronic retailers and online auction sellers, until it could find another card processor. "Apparently, PowerPay was not ready to handle the community's demand for Open Computing," PsyStar charged.
According to a report on News.com, however, PowerPay said it had dropped PsyStar, not the ball.
The story quoted Maria Luisa De Luca, PowerPay's director of risk management, as saying that her company pulled the plug on PsyStar because the Florida firm had violated the terms of its agreement. "There are plenty of reasons why we shut the account off. We did not know that's what he was selling, we learned that yesterday," De Luca told News.com. De Luca did not immediately return Computerworld's calls Thursday morning.
PsyStar, however, answered the phone. When asked to comment on PowerPay's denial of its "dropping the ball" charge, a woman who would only identify herself as "Maria" at first said, "We won't be commenting on that or on a lot of things."
After a short hold, however, Maria came back on the line and said that PsyStar had been told only that it had jumped the transaction allowance when PowerPay pulled the plug.
"Yes, we did violate the agreement, we exceeded the [transaction] limits of our account," Maria said. "We exceeded in one day what we were supposed to have for the entire year."
PowerPay did not offer to increase the limit, she said. "We have attorneys on this," Maria said.
Apparently, transaction volume had another part to play in the drama, however. "They said they closed our account to investigate claims of fraud," Maria continued, "but it was all about us going to exceed our limit. That's why they closed our account."
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When all of us here at TRANSLOGIC were still youngsters, riding our bikes, dreaming of the day when electric cars would make a comeback, we, just like most kids, hated wearing our helmets. We knew the safety benefits, but helmets were uncomfortable, you always pinched your chin with the strap, and, most of all, a helmet made you look totally lame.
Thanks to two Swedish designers, Terese Alstin and Anna Haupt and their creation, the Hövding device, soon those unstylish helmets may be a thing of the past.
Nicknamed the "invisible bike helmet," the Hövding is worn around the
cyclist's neck, much like a scarf. If an unusual shift in gravity or
sudden impact occurs, the collar quickly inflates to form a protective
layer around the wearer's head, much like an airbag.
The idea for the Hövding device came about in 2005 when Alstin and Haupt
were studying design at the University of Lund in Sweden. Since then,
they have raised over 10 million dollars and have expanded their team to
Like any safety device, the Hövding has been extensively tested. "We had to simulate all known accidents," Alstin told NBC News. "Everything from an icy road crash to getting hit by a car."
Unlike an airbag, which quickly deflates, this collar stays inflated,
and not only covers the head, but the neck as well, offering more
protection than an ordinary bike helmet.
One thing the conventional bike helmet has the Hövding beat at is price.
Right now the collar retails for around 400 Euros, or $536.
Source: NBC News


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(Adds details, background)
TOKYO, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co DIS.N, the No.2 U.S. entertainment company, said on Monday it plans to enter the Japanese mobile phone market early next year using local carrier Softbank Corp's 9984.T network.
Disney, which plans to halt its U.S.-based mobile phone service at the end of the year, is betting on the popularity of its Tokyo resort to help it gain share in the world’s biggest market of third-generation phones.
Disney would use Japan’s No. 3 mobile phone carrier Softbank’s for its mobile service and sell its phones at Softbank’s 2,464 stores in Japan, the two firms said in a release.
Disney, whose U.S. mobile phones allow parents to track a child's location, took a $30 million charge last year when it shut down another phone service, Mobile ESPN, which it ran on space rented on Sprint Nextel Corp's S.N network.
The tie-up with Disney would secure Softbank stable revenues from leasing unused basebands, but Disney’s entrance into Japan increases competition in an already-saturated mobile market.
Initial costs of building base stations have prevented many would-be entrants into Japan's mobile phone market, dominated by NTT DoCoMo Inc 9437.T, No. 2 KDDI Corp 9433.T and Softbank. Disney would be the first company to launch mobile phones in Japan by renting space from a carrier.
In Japan, carmakers and telecom ventures have used carriers’ networks, but the basebands have been used to enable car navigation or PC data transmission. (Reporting by Mayumi Negishi and Noriyuki Hirata; Editing by Malcolm Whittaker)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Notable Stock Analysts Ratings: Tesla Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)
Mar 01, 2017, 00:32
Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company.
TSLA has been the topic of a number of other reports. FLO holds price to earnings ratio of 24.68 that presents much better indication for a stock's value than the market price alone.
The investment bank cut shares to "sell" from 'neutral, ' citing most all the negatives already outlined and estimates Tesla has skewed risk to the downside.
Shares of Tesla (NDAQ:TSLA) traded up 1.34% during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $249.54.
"Further, the acquisition of SolarCity - which is undergoing its own business model transition - comes at a time when we believe Tesla should be singularly focused on becoming a mass automobile manufacturer", he wrote, referring to the solar energy services company of which Tesla CEO Elon Musk is chairman.
The Russell 2000 index, composed of companies with a small market capitalisation, began the day in a more positive mood, rising 0.4 per cent to 1,400, with Gogo Inc, a provider of in-flight internet services for aircraft, one of the leading performers, rising 16 per cent to $10.58.
Mexican officials riled by Trump's new deportation memos
They will discuss border security, law-enforcement cooperation, trade and other issues, the State Department said. The relations between Mexico and the United States were chilly long before disclosure of the deportation plan.
"Now, you've had a 38 percent retracement - a textbook retracement - right back to the 50-day [moving average] around $241-ish". The median one-year price target of 17 analysts covering the company is $223.00, which suggests the stock could still rise over -15 percent.
They're still way up, but since fourth-quarter and full-year 2016 earnings were reported last week, the stock has been getting clobbered. During the same quarter previous year, the company earned ($0.87) EPS. That was less than half the $320.4 million loss from the year-earlier quarter. These analysts have also projected a Low Estimate of $-1.79/share and a High Estimate of $0.83/share.
The investment banking giant downgraded shares from "Hold" to "Sell", sending shares of the electric auto giant down by almost 5% in trading Monday. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.90, for a total transaction of $532,250.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 166,846 shares of the company's stock, valued at $35,521,513.40. Also, VP John Douglas Field sold 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 10th. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 359,655 shares in the company, valued at $68,629,367.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 14,700 shares of company stock worth $3,610,196 in the last 90 days.
In related news, Director Antonio J. Gracias sold 5,600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 25th.
Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of TSLA.
Only a few weeks ago, Tesla did away with the word "Motors" in its name to go ahead with only the Tesla name. Baillie Gifford & Co. increased its stake in shares of Tesla Motors by 9.5% in the second quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in Tesla Motors by 6.9% in the fourth quarter.
The U.S. -led global coalition against the Islamic State carried out dozens of airstrikes on Monday, Iraqi officials said. In Iraq, more than a thousand civilians have fled western Mosul as Iraqi troops push deeper into ISIL held areas.
It is expected that forces from the Counter Terrorism Service will once again play a key role in the push into western Mosul. Iraqi rapid response forces are seen through a shattered glass window of a military vehicle south of Mosul on Monday.
The holiday shopping season was challenging for many retailers, underscoring the changes brick-and-mortar stores need to make. The difference between the expected and actual EPS was $0.02/share, which represents an Earnings surprise of 2.1%.
Apple says its watches now are designed for 18 hours of battery life , though performance varies based on how you use the watch. Such technology could be delivered by Hong-Kong based Biel Crystal Manufactory or Taiwanese-based General Interface Solution.
Norwegian has outlined plans to revolutionise transatlantic travel to USA airports, with fares as low as €69 promised. Norwegian Air will operate all flights with a new single-aisle airplane, the Boeing 737 Max.
The hashtags #Gustavito and #todossomosgustavito (We are all Gustavito ) spread worldwide as more people learned of the incident. Zoo director Vladlen Hernandez was devastated by Gustavito's passing, telling the BBC the hippo "generated empathy".
Gareth Bale was named on the bench after recovering from injury, while Keylor Navas , Luka Modric and Karim Benzema were rested. Real Madrid have held a training session ahead of their upcoming match in the Spanish La Liga .
Coal is North Korea's biggest export and a year ago China imported 22.5 million tonnes, up 14.5 per cent from 2015. Washington had earlier called on Beijing to cut coal imports, which earned Pyongyang US$1 billion in 2015.
The People's Court was canceled in 1993, but aired in syndication until it was revived for a second time in September 1997. Markey was not about to retire to go on TV but told Edwards that Wapner would be flawless for television.
The untitled Marvel TV project revolves around an ordinary couple who finds out that their children possess mutant powers. FOX's Bryan Singer-directed X-Men drama doesn't have a name, or even many confirmed characters, at least until now.
They only signed on in November, leaving little time for the preparation involved in putting together this mammoth production. And in an interview ahead of Kimmel's big hosting night, the host doesn't appear to have much planned in regards to Trump.
Swedes puzzle over Fox News' Swedish 'security advisor'
Mr Rasmus Eljanskog, a spokesman for the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said no one by the name of Nils Bildt worked there. Swedish media outlets have reported that Bildt, who was born Nils Tolling, left Sweden in 1994 and emigrated to the U.S.
Kings get Quick, Wild acquire Hanzal
Though Bishop makes Los Angeles deeper in goal, there are some questions on whether he was really what they needed most. The Los Angeles Kings have acquired goaltender Ben Bishop from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.
France wants Obama for president
We want people to wake up in the morning and, rather than have to see our usual candidates, rejoice in seeing Obama's face on... Now a petition is calling for an even bigger plot twist: the return of President Barack Obama.
Honor V9 official, a taste of Honor 9?
The Honor 8 Lite has been priced CNY 2,599 (which is approximately Rs 24,999) and will begin shipping this Friday- February 24. The phone boasts of a QHD display combined with a powerful battery and claims to be the best when it comes to VR, 3D support.
Verizon Gets a Fix on 5G Trials
Verizon's announcement comes shortly after AT&T described its plans for "5G evolution" testing in Austin and Indianapolis . Verizon has yet to comment on what kind of speeds the pilot cities will be experiencing.
Scientists Working On Better Flu Vaccine For Dogs
While flu season inevitably comes every year, each season is different, with flu strains and severity differing every season. Overall, the vaccine is 48 percent effective . "We are seeing a lot of flu deaths in people over 65".
Michigan Drops Back-and-Forth Affair at Wisconsin
This has been the biggest game on Maryland's schedule since UConn, and the No. 12 Buckeyes have held up their end of the deal. Even after the aforementioned positives last night, he sent his first jump shot-an open corner three-over the entire rim.
'Mary Poppins' sequel cast will include Angela Lansbury
Director Rob Marshall, who helmed the 2002 Best Picture victor "Chicago", has assembled an all-star cast for the 2018 sequel. This week the studio confirmed that long-time Disney favorite, Angela Lansbury , will also be featured in the sequel.


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By Sharon Silke Carty, USA TODAY
DETROIT In an attempt to green up the planet, and its image, General Motors will confirm today plans to make half of its 181 plants worldwide "landfill-free" by the end of 2010. That means nothing from their manufacturing processes would end up in a landfill.
Ten GM plants, including an engine plant in Flint, Mich., already are landfill-free, and GM will have about 80 more producing little or no waste within 20 months, according to a source who would not be named because the announcement has not been made. GM had no comment.
The goal is achieved by finding ways to recycle or reuse more than 90% of materials: selling scrap materials, adopting reusable parts boxes to replace cardboard, and even recycling used work gloves. The remainder may be incinerated to create energy. Besides being environmentally friendly, it saves money by cutting waste and forcing more efficient production.
A growing number of companies — including Subaru, Toyota and Xerox — have landfill-free plants or have set it as a company goal. Trash-free status can give them a green-image marketing edge. Subaru touts its Lafayette, Ind., "clean plant" in ads with images of deer and ducks on its grounds.
"Green has become a hot commodity," says Gary Liss, a zero-waste consultant. "It's something customers are asking about. Employees want to work for companies that are green, and politicians are struggling to be greener than the next politician. It's valued because everyone got the message that we have a global crisis with climate change."
Although much of the global warming debate has focused on carbon dioxide emissions, methane gas emitted from landfills actually is about 21 times more potent in causing climate change, Liss says. Efforts by manufacturers just to cut what they use — the "reduce" part of the "reduce, reuse, recycle" green slogan — can have a major impact on landfills.
"For every ton of waste in front of us, there is 71 tons produced … from mining, manufacturing, and distribution," Liss says. That includes what went into making containers and carting all the different goods to make the items.
The Environmental Protection Agency has worked for more than a decade with GM and other companies to cut waste through its WasteWise program. "The success of General Motors in creating zero-landfill facilities shows that zero-waste goals can be a powerful impetus for manufacturers to reduce their waste and carbon footprint," says Latisha Petteway, a spokesperson for the EPA.
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.


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2 December 2015 01:00
SMEs need affordable legal support, says report
New research reveals that most UK SMEs only get legal advice as a last resort; and industry bodies are calling for legal service providers to offer more affordable advice to small firms.
A new report by the Legal Services Board (LSB) has found that few small business owners think that legal services providers offer value for money. The LSB's latest research comes two years after it last studied the sector, and when it comes to the ease with which SMEs can access the support and advice they need to thrive, it says that little has changed.
The research found that the number of legal problems reported by small businesses has reduced significantly over the past two years, reflecting better trading conditions. However, total annual losses to small businesses due to legal problems is estimated at £9.79 billion, and one in five business owners who reported legal problems said these led to health problems.
Only 13% of small businesses viewed lawyers as cost effective - little improved since the LSB's last survey in 2013. And almost 50% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed with the statement that they use legal service providers as a last resort to solve business problems, compared with 12% who disagreed strongly or disagreed.
Sir Michael Pitt, LSB Chairman, said:
"These findings suggest that small business access to and use of legal services has improved little since we first looked at the issue two years ago. Access to good quality and affordable legal services helps small businesses to start up and grow." This represents an opportunity for the UK's law firms, he added.
"Many of these issues can be avoided by accessing legal help at the right time. The legal sector needs to look at what it can do to fill this advice gap. In doing so it will create the customers of the future."
Mike Cherry, Policy Director for the Federation of Small Business (FSB), said:
"We know from the FSB's own legal advice line for members that getting the right advice at the right time can save small firms money in the long run. Given so many small business could benefit from making more use of legal services, we hope today's report will encourage service providers to explore and develop their offering to small businesses - focusing on how they can deliver real value for money."


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NVIDIA is set to reveal its very first xx30-class desktop GPU to the world any time now. The long-rumored GTX 1630 has been in the works for a while, however its release has seen some troubled updates. NVIDIA is positioning the GTX 1630 as the new de-facto entry-level card from the company. It’s supposed to succeed and replace the legendary GTX 1050 Ti in the process.
The card is expected to use a cut-down TU117-150 GPU. This is the same GPU that powers the GTX 1650 and 1650 Super. As the name suggests, the GTX 1630 is part of the 16-series of budget GPUs from NVIDIA. Reports suggest that it’s very similar to the GTX 1650 and should essentially be looked at as a cut-down version of that graphics card.
Not only do they use the exact same GPU, it’s said that AIBs and manufacturers are recycling designs from their GTX 1650 models for the GTX 1630, which means the same variant of these two GPUs should look alike. It also shares an identical power requirement to the GTX 1650, at 75W. So you wouldn’t need external power connectors to juice (most versions of) the card.
There are some differences in memory, however. Despite carrying the same 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM, the memory is spread across a 64-bit wide bus interface on the GTX 1630, compared to the 128-bit bus on the GTX 1650. That should knock down the overall memory bandwidth of the card significantly. But, the actual speed of the memory modules is still the same at 12Gbps for the newcomer.
While cores aren’t cut exactly in half like the memory bus, they’re still a big step down at 512 CUDA Cores vs 896 on the 1650. In fact, the GTX 1630 has less cores, and a worse memory bus than the GTX 1050 Ti, the card it intends to replace.
Anyways, specs aside, the card has been rumored to launch on several different dates, all of whom have passed by now because the GTX 1630 has been subjected to numerous delays.
GTX 1630 launching this June
The card was originally supposed to launch last month, on May 31st. It then got delayed to mid-June to be released on June 15th. As we inched closer to that date, a new update surfaced saying that the GPU has been delayed once again, this time indefinitely. The leaked embargo schedule showed the release date as “to be determined” (TBD) which certainly wasn’t a good sign.
Now, a new leak has come forward, courtesy of ITHome, which claims a new launch date for the GTX 1630. Over on the Chinese Board Channels forum, a notice from graphics card manufacturer COLORFUL was posted, allegedly giving away the release date of the GTX 1630.
As you can see, the notice above clearly mentions that official sales will be going live starting June 28th. One important thing to keep in mind is that right after this phrase, the notice says that this date is still subject to change from NVIDIA. If nothing goes wrong then hopefully this is it and the GTX 1630 is launching on June 28th, 2022.
According to some Chinese retailers, initial shipments of the GTX 1630 are already on their way and arriving very soon. That would certainly fit in line with the leaked 28th June date, that’s 4 days from now. The price is expected to be around 1000 RMB, or $150 USD after conversion. Whether this card will be scalped on day one or not remains to be seen.


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US: Kroger appoints perishables VP
US grocery operator Kroger has appointed Jeffrey Burt as group vice president of perishables merchandising and procurement.
Burt has been vice president of deli/bakery merchandising and procurement for the company since 2004. Prior to that Burt held leadership roles at QFC, Kroger's Seattle divisions and began his career as a management trainee.
"Jeff is an excellent merchandiser, with a deep understanding of our customers' preferences in the perishable departments," said Kroger president and chief operating officer Rodney McMullen.
US grocer Kroger recorded an increase in net profit for the fourth quarter on the back of improving identical supermarket sales....
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The more beer a brewery sells, the less likely it is to brew on a coated floor, according to recent data from The Brewer’s Association.
The Brewer’s Association, a trade group representing small and independent U.S. craft brewers, recently released its 2019 list of the Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies by Sales Volume. Three of the top five companies on the list – Boston Beer Co., Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., and New Belgium Brewing Co. – have Argelith fully vitrified tile in their breweries. Four of the top five overall brewing companies – including giants Anheuser-Busch, MolsonCoors, Constellation, and Heineken USA – are also Argelith customers.
“Brewing is hard on a floor,” Argelith Ceramic Tiles Inc. president Christian Nierenkoether said. “Argelith tile solves common brewery flooring challenges and outlasts other products on the market. It’s great to see how breweries can succeed when their floors are reliable and they can focus on their business.”
Fully vitrified tile is favored by breweries for its durability under the rigors of beer production. Argelith tile is heat, chemical, and slip resistant, with an absorption rate of less than 0.1%. Easy-to-clean Argelith floors resist scratching, cracking, and breaking, even under heavy loads and rolling traffic. Vitrified tile can outlast other floor coverings by decades.
Argelith tiles are known worldwide for their durability. Already established in the U.S. as the gold standard in brewery flooring, the tiles are gaining popularity in other areas of beverage production, including wine, spirits, and energy drinks. For more information, visit argelithusa.com.


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Fewer job advertisements were listed on SEEK in April but there is a simple explanation as to why employers were less inclined to place them.
Companies have had it good for too long, time for your share
The last domino propping up the Australian economy could be poised to fall
Why our summer shopping could impact on jobs in 2019
After seeing his son struggling to find a job, one dad reached out.
How to stand out from the crowd in a competitive labour market.
New app bringing solution to stressful situation
Spears desperately wants an iPhone but her parents won’t let her
85% of Republican voters believe Trump successful in business


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Athens Hotel Occupancy Levels Pick Up in June-Oct but Problems Remain
Occupancy levels at hotels in the Greek capital are still running low impacted for a second year in a row by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data presented this week by the Athens – Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association (EXAAA) despite June-October figures indicating positive signs of recovery.
According to data by GBR Consulting, average occupancy levels in Athens reached 57.4 percent in the January-October 2021 period – up 45% compared to the year before – surpassing rival cities in Europe with most of the activity recorded in June to October.
However, the association notes that thought Athens remained competitive in the previous months, the recorded 45 percent rise in average occupancy year-on-year combined with exceeding supply in relation to demand (oversupply of beds) does not point to a bright future.
“Athens hotels are facing a new challenge as there is no positive trend in bookings and occupancy in the coming months,” the association said during its annual general assembly this week.
EXAA is calling on the government to take actions and regulate the market, which is expanding without planning or a strategy or the necessary demand.
Hoteliers said they are finding it difficult to cover losses and meet the new market demands.
In 2020, Attica hotels reported 700 million euros in lost revenues, impacted but the health crisis.
“The problems created by both the long-term economic crisis and the ensuing pandemic, hit the tourism sector hard, especially urban destinations, and especially hotels in Athens,” said EXAAA President Lambrini Karanasiou-Zoulovits, referring to the problems created by lockdown measures, hotel closures, lack of tourists, implementation of health protocols, and adaptation to a new reality.
Karanasiou-Zoulovits also added that conference business tourism, hotel events, cruises, took a hard blow. She went on to add that one of the biggest risks is the “oversupply of beds of all types in the city, disproportionate to the demand as well as serious issues of illicit operations and unfair competition”.
Looking ahead, Karanasiou-Zoulovits said it was crucial to jointly draw up a flexible management strategy, intensify efforts to promote and highlight the special interest products on offer at destinations in international markets, and to strengthen “in practice” hotel units operating year-round.
Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias highlighted the ministry’s plan which includes supporting hoteliers operating year-round facilities. Efforts are being made, said Kikilias, to reignite interest in city break destinations and to stimulate cruise travel. In this direction he announced a new promotional campaign to run at the start of the year showcasing Athens.


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The DEA has refused countless advances to reconsider making a distinction between the subspecies of cannabis plants. Known to replace reasonable debate with scare tactics, they proclaim that marijuana could be grown covertly among a hemp field, or that it carries trace amounts (<0.3%) of THC, the mind-altering compound in marijuana.
For one, no serious grower is dumb enough to place the plants together: hemp cross-pollinates with marijuana and lowers its THC content dramatically, thus reducing the street value of the drug and one’s time spent selling weed. Not to mention most of the marijuana would be choked out by hemp’s sprawling canopy.
More and more people are demanding their public officials comply with the facts: Up to now, more than 15 states have redefined industrial hemp as distinct from marijuana and removed barriers to its production. 2013 saw Colorado farmer Ryan Loflin harvest the first commercial American hemp crop in over 50 years, and 2014 holds promise after hemp research was permitted in this year's Farm Bill – state-legal plots were seeded in Colorado, Kentucky and Vermont. Approximately 30 countries in Europe, Asia, and North and South America currently permit their farmers to grow industrial hemp.
Some of these countries never outlawed production, while most of the others banned production for certain periods in the past when officials were still conflating hemp with marijuana. In 2011, global hemp production was approximately 200,000 acres.


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The Subaru Impreza was awarded 2012 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Award for Best Compact Car at the Chicago Auto Show. This comes as another positive for Subaru, who set a new sales record in 2011.
Redesigned for 2012, the Impreza comes with Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. It comes with a 2.0-liter Boxer engine that produces 148 horsepower, yet the Impreza still achieves 27 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, the highest of any all-wheel drive car.
The 2012 Subaru Impreza also has great handling, spacious seating and plenty of cargo space. The Impreza comes with the option of a five-speed manual transmission or an enhanced, second-generation Lineartronic continuously variable transmission.


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Generation Z, those aged between 18 and 25, are more concerned about the sustainability credentials of the food and beverage products they buy, new research shows.
A third of Gen Z respondents said they consider it “very important” that a product is made sustainably, compared with 18% of those aged 65 and older, according to a survey by Ingredient Communications.
The survey revealed that Gen Z consumers also find vegetarian and vegan products more appealing, with 38% saying vegetarian claims are “very appealing” and 33% saying the same about vegan claims.
In contrast, just 6% of those aged 65 and older said they find vegetarian claims “very appealing”.
And while the youngest consumers were found to be much more price sensitive, a majority of Gen Z respondents (67%) also said they would be more willing to pay extra for a product made entirely with ingredients they recognise, which could be a boon to speciality food retailers.
“For independent fine food retailers, our research highlights the importance of merchandising stock in a way that will appeal to your most important customer demographic,” explains Richard Clarke, managing director of Ingredient Communications.
“For example, if the majority of your footfall is from customers aged over 65, perhaps putting gluten-free products centre-stage isn’t the best idea,” he said.
Richard said that the survey also highlights why aligning product development and marketing with the worldview of your target consumer demographic is so important. “For SME food brands, the findings of the survey give some clues about which messages should go front-of-pack in order to appeal to a particular target audience. If you’re hoping to attract younger consumers, for example, then giving prominence to messages about sustainability and ethics is likely to resonate.”
Recent research by Veris Strategies also suggested that Gen Z consumers are “the generation engaged in searching for the truth”, meaning that transparency around supply chains and business ethics will be critical to securing sales.
In 2021, transparency is set to be a key trend for the food and drink sector due to an increasing focus on health and sustainability, and experts say that the brands that will find success will be the ones that pair new packaging technologies, such as invisible barcodes and near-field communication technology, with creative, meaningful storytelling.
While this research may prove long-held assumptions about Generation Z true, retailers must also be aware of the ways in which generational habits are changing.
For instance, Gen Z is typically referred to as “generation online”, but the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the shopping landscape. Research by IGD found that during the lockdown, younger demographics shifted towards shopping at speciality food retailers, while older age groups moved to online services.
Further research by the group revealed that of those aged 50 to 64, which it dubbed Generation Perennial, 56% were buying food online, with a third predicting they will do so more in the future.
For the food and drink industry, Richard says that pursuing a “one-size-fits-all” approach to marketing can be risky. “While there will be common ground between generations, the areas of disagreement can be quite striking,” he says. By honing in on these generational differences, fine food retailers will ensure they are doing their best to appeal to their customers.


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Hello Democrats! It’s another big week of news and action coming out of Congress, and across the country.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson – It was so exciting to see Judge – soon-to-be Justice – Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed to the Supreme Court yesterday!
I joined DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and all of the female DNC caucus chairs in issuing this joint statement on the confirmation of Judge Jackson:
“Today, history has been made. The U.S. Senate voted in a bipartisan fashion to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. In doing so, they reaffirmed what millions across the country have seen: Judge Jackson is a brilliant, graceful, experienced, fair-minded jurist who will bring much-needed perspectives to our highest court.
The court would greatly benefit from the insight of a Black woman, a public defender, a judge who has served at the district and appellate levels and clerked at the Supreme Court. It is staggering that Judge Jackson embodies all those perspectives and more.
For over 200 years, the court has heard cases that affect Black women — cases like Plessy v. Ferguson, Shelby County v. Holder, Dobbs. v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization — without the perspective of a Black woman. That changes now.
Judge Jackson has shown girls — especially girls of color — how big they can dream and just how profound an impact they can have on our nation. Her story is uniquely American. She represents the best of us and our shared values. We are grateful to President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the senators who confirmed Judge Jackson for taking another important step to build a government that looks like America.
Today proves once again that a Black woman can accomplish anything. She can be vice president. She can shape the future of our nation. And now, she will serve on the Supreme Court.”
What a historic day! This is what we fight for, why we campaign so hard, and why we are proud to be Democrats.
You can also watch Sen. Patty Murray’s floor speech in favor of confirmation by clicking here:
“Amazon, Here We Come” – I think many of us were excited to see the workers’ vote at the Amazon warehouse in Staten Island in favor of joining the Amazon Labor Union. This was an impressive and historic organizing effort, and an example of the enduring power of workers and labor unions. It’s not just Amazon and Starbucks and some of the other high-profile cases that are making the news – according to the National Labor Relations Board, union representation petitions filed at the NLRB during the first six months of fiscal year 2022 have increased 57% compared to last year — up to 1,174 from 748.
I was glad to hear President Joe Biden talk about this surge in unionization earlier this week, echoing the calls from our Senator Patty Murray to pass the PRO Act and to help expand the power of workers and labor across the country – including calling out Amazon specifically:
I’m glad the leader of the Democratic Party recognizes how important this is for Amazon’s workers and our nation as a whole! There should be workplace protections at Amazon, where workers are injured in warehouses at rates far, far higher than warehouse jobs overall. Amazon was even fined last month for how unsafe their warehouse in Kent, WA is and how the company knowingly put workers at risk! When you run your business like this, you shouldn’t be surprised that your workers step up and organize.
I’m glad to see this organizing happening, all of us here at the Washington Democrats are proud to be union members, and ALL Democrats applaud these workers and their efforts.
Our New Merchandise – We want to remind you all about the cool new (USA and union-made!) stuff we have for sale in our webstore: shirts, hats, and other apparel, along with stickers and all sorts of other gear for doorbelling and events!
Not only are all of our products 100% USA and union made, they’re also a great way to show the world that you’re a proud Democrat. Additionally, the proceeds go towards our Coordinated Campaign, the only program totally focused on getting out the Democratic vote everywhere in Washington State! Help us meet our fundraising goals so we can hire the organizers we need to win by shopping with us: https://store.wa-democrats.org
For people shopping now, we still have the code “LETSORGANIZE” active, to receive 10% off your entire order! Check it out!
Protecting USPS With New Legislation – This week, President Biden also signed the Postal Service Reform Act – a new bill to protect the USPS from the attacks launched on it by the Trump Administration in 2020. This bill is the most significant overhaul of the US Postal Service in almost 20 years. The reforms will help shore up the agency to address the delays in mail delivery across the country that came to light during the pandemic, and is especially impactful for rural communities for whom the USPS is an essential service.
Here’s a look at just some of what this means:
- protecting reliable delivery of everything from medication for seniors to household items for Washington families;
- continued mail delivery service at least six days a week;
- new transparency standards to help hold USPS accountable for delays;
- opportunities for local, state, and Indigenous governments to offer certain non-mail services, like hunting and fishing licenses;
- support for rural newspapers that may qualify for reduced mailing fees;
- and more.
This is especially big news for the backbone of the USPS – the workers who make sure the mail gets to where it needs to go. The president of the American Postal Workers Union called the bill a “turning point in the fight to protect and strengthen the people’s public postal service, a national treasure.” The president of the National Association of Letter Carriers called the passage of the bill “a monumental victory for letter carriers and all Americans who depend on the Postal Service for affordable and high-quality universal service.”
Washingtonians rely on our postal system every day to do everything from get prescription medications and paychecks, to voting, to keeping in touch with friends and family, to shipping goods and products for sale. I’m very happy to see Congress act to pass this bill into law – no thanks to Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the only member of Congress from Washington to vote against it.
With gratitude for all you do,
PS – the tweet of the week for everyone who’s both a fan of soon-to-be JUSTICE Ketanji Brown Jackson (that’s all of you) and the band Outkast:
Washington State Democrats PO Box 4027 Seattle, WA 98194 United States


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Samsung continues to prepare for the transition to QD-OLED panels. Samsung Display will ship prototype TVs and monitors with the new panel type to potential customers for testing this month. Previously, Samsung has already sent prototype panels to potential customers, but now we are talking about finished devices. Serial devices are expected in the second half of the year.
As a reminder, QD-OLED panels combine the advantages of OLED technology and quantum dots.
Samsung is currently working on three engineering prototypes of the T-con time controller that controls the display. We are talking about versions for 4K and 8K TVs, as well as for monitors. QD-OLED technology is being considered by Samsung as a replacement for both LCD and OLED panels.


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Welcome to our new Video Insider newsletter, a morning email with the top news and analysis on the digital video industry, produced by BI Intelligence.
HERE COMES A NEW APPLE TV: Rumors are flying that Apple will introduce a new version of its Apple TV set top box sometime during the first half of this year. The new Apple TV will reportedly include an updated operating system based on the latest version of iOS and the ability to play games. However, specific details are still scarce. Other rumors suggest that the new Apple TV will include a more robust development environment. Apple has recently taken steps to simplify the app development process, but the current software development kit (SDK) is essentially an XML template. The new development environment may pave the way for an Apple TV App Store. However, the company has been apprehensive towards this idea in the past. (9to5Mac)
ADOBE INVESTS BIG IN VIDEO, MOBILE: In an interview with AdExchanger, Brad Rencher, senior vice president and general manager of the digital marketing business unit at Adobe, said the company is making a significant investment in video and mobile. Rencher said, “I would say the areas we are making outsize investments are in mobile and in video.” Rencher focused his comments on Adobe Primetime, an “end-to-end” service that provides content delivery, authentication, and monetization solutions. (AdExchanger)
TIME WARNER CABLE EXPANDS ITS TV EVERYWHERE LIBRARY: Time Warner Cable announced that it will expand its TV Everywhere lineup to include programming from A&E, HISTORY, and Lifetime. The service allows customers from Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks to stream content to smartphones, tablets, and PCs. The expanded library will provide subscribers access to current and previous seasons of top-rated shows, including Duck Dynasty, Pawn Star, and Project Runway. (Reuters)
WELCOME, VIDEO INSIDERS: The Video Insider newsletter covers the day's most important topics in digital video, as well as news exclusives of interest to industry insiders. We look forward to the newsletter becoming an important part of your morning routine.
Subscribe to BI Intelligence and get it every morning in your inbox. Please email BI Intelligence research analyst firstname.lastname@example.org or BI Intelligence director email@example.com with news and tips.
TUBEMOGUL ADDS VIEWABILITY REPORTING: TubeMogul, a leading video advertising platform, announced that it will include viewability in its metrics for video ads. Viewability allows advertisers to determine whether or not their video ad was actually viewed. The metric tracks the portion and length of time a video ad is displayed, the size of the player, and if the audio is muted. (MediaPost, TubeMogul)
4K RECORDING COMING TO SONY SMARTPHONES: A yet to be announced smartphone from Sony will include 4K video recording, according to a report by the enthusiast website Xperia Blog. By analyzing screenshots from the upcoming smartphone, the blog discovered solid evidence that the device will include 4K video recording. CES showcased a number of displays with support for 4K playback. But there are still few devices that record content in the new ultra high definition format, particularly devices that are geared towards consumers. Sony’s decision to include 4K recording in its latest smartphone is just the start in what will be a slow transition to 4K. (Xperia Blog)
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Danish toy maker Lego lost a legal battle to protect its trademark on iconic toy building blocks from European competition.
The EU said nothing warrants extending protection for these blocks
The European Union's Court of First Instance turned down Lego's appeal to force the EU's trademarks and designs office to reissue its trademark for the shape of its standard red Lego brick with eight cylindrical knobs.
The EU court, however, sided with a 2004 decision made by the EU agency, which had canceled Lego's trademark after rival toy maker Canada's Mega Brands Inc. filed an appeal to Lego's application. Mega Brands produces similar plastic building blocks that compete with Lego.
Ukraine and Russian officials have denied responsibility for a deadly assault on a checkpoint in eastern Ukraine. The mayor of the city where the attack occurred has reportedly called on Moscow for help.
Ukraine has accused Moscow of interfering in restive eastern cities in a bid to restore the Soviet Union. The warning was echoed by Ukrainian religious leaders who traded accusations with their Russian counterparts.
German election monitors are at work worldwide. Since 2002, more than 3,700 have been posted on missions, particularly by the OSCE. But not all countries welcome the detailed reports by monitors.
Christians are celebrating Good Friday in honor of the crucifixion of Jesus. In the Philippines, nine men were nailed to crosses in a bloody annual spectacle before thousands of onlookers.


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One of the bigger surprises from the Nintendo Switch announcement trailer was the appearance of Skyrim, the 2011 smash-hit entry in the open-world Elder Scrolls franchise. While Nintendo and Bethesda have been coy about its actual status as a game, its director, Todd Howard, has talked about the upcoming system in an interview with Glixel.
For starters Howard reveals that Nintendo showed the system to him back at E3 and that it was “probably the best demo [he’s] ever seen” at the expo. As he has been a part of the industry since 1994 that’s not faint praise, and considering the lax nature of the interview in general it doesn’t seem like PR speak.
Howard goes on to say “it’s really smart what [Nintendo] is doing” and that Bethesda will definitely support it, going so far as to highlight the fact it’s the first time in years Bethesda has supported a Nintendo home console since the NES. He also states that Skyrim will be “the same game on the TV and on the other screen”.
We’ll have to wait and see what other support Bethesda may drum up for the Switch, but it’s definitely a promising start. It’s also exciting to hear that Nintendo was pitching the Switch to developers at E3 and that it went down well, so who can say how many other third party teams also went away with a positive impression.
Nintendo plans to reveal more Switch details on January 12th in a special event, so be sure to check back then for the full run-down of news.Leave a Comment


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Ripple’s partial victory in its legal battle with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) has significantly increased its popularity. The firm utilizes the XRP token for cross-border transactions and remittances. A US court ruled that the firm’s sale of XRP to retail customers does not constitute securities, despite the SEC’s claims. Although the court ruling did say that the sale of tokens to institutions fell under the definition of security, more and more firms are lining up to partner with the crypto firm to utilize its blockchain network.
Top banks using Ripple’s fintech platform
HSBC is the latest financial institution to announce a partnership with Ripple. However, HSBC will not work directly with the crypto firm. It is partnering with Metaco, another company owned by the fintech firm. The bank plans to launch a digital asset custody service for its institutional clients. Metaco will provide storage solutions for the new service, which will go live in 2024.
Volante is another financial platform integrating the Ripple fintech company’s real-time payment network. According to Volante, the move will allow them to take their payments platform to the next level. Some benefits include real-time/instant payments, ISO 20022 messaging, open banking, APIs, next-gen cross-border, and blockchain/DLT.
In September 2016, Standard Chartered announced that it had made a strategic investment in Ripple. The bank said the investment would accelerate its digitization plans in the distributed ledger technology space.
Apart from the banks mentioned above, Ripple has also partnered with Bank of America, PNC Bank, Santander Bank, Thailand’s Siam Commercial Bank, and Mexico’s Cuallix, among others. Bank of America is one of the firm’s longest financial partners. The partnership has significantly increased Ripple’s standards and improved its global standings.


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HTC is expected to launch a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 competitor dubbed HTC One Max. And while we’ve gotten a good look at the rumored device already, a leaked render of the HTC One Max clearly shows the company’s Galaxy Note 3 competitor, a device that looks very much like HTC’s current HTC One.
For years, the Samsung Galaxy Note series has dominated the phablet realm of smartphones, fending off challengers from the likes of LG. It looks like this year’s Galaxy Note, the Galaxy Note 3, might see fierce competition as Sony is expected to launch the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and HTC is rumored to be coming out with an HTC One Max, a massive version of its HTC One.
The HTC One Max, also known by its model number HTC T6, is thought to be a 5.9-inch superphone that shares many of the features found on the HTC One. Those include a 1080p display, Ultrapixel camera, quad-core processor, and a full metal design. It’s also rumored to be heading to Verizon’s 4G LTE network, at the very least.
While we’ve seen the device leak out on camera before, a render recently leaked by @evleaks gives consumers the best look yet at HTC’s presumed Galaxy Note 3 competitor. The leakster is quick to note that the artwork is not final which could mean that the software will look vastly different. The device has been rumored to have a stylus, just like the Galaxy Note 3, but it’s unclear just how it might be incorporated.
HTC years ago introduced HTC Scribe, a UI that was geared toward a stylus, but that software has not been seen in quite sometime and it’s not certain that it will emerge on the HTC One Max.
Unlike Samsung, HTC still hasn’t set a date for the HTC One Max launch but all signs are currently pointing to September. With IFA fast approaching, it could be that HTC, like Samsung, debuts the HTC One Max in all of its glory in early September.
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UPDATED 1:34 P.M.
“I was sick to my stomach. I can’t remember hanging up on anyone in my life,” Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren said during Monday’s testimony about a call with domestic diva Martha Stewart.
Here’s more from AP’s Anne d’Innocenzio’s coverage from today: “Lundgren said Macy’s has spent 40 percent of its overall marketing on the Martha Stewart brand even though the home category represents 17 percent of sales. He says that having Penney have access to the brand will not be good for the business and will confuse shoppers.”
UPDATED 12:27 P.M.
CNBC’s Courtney Reagan reported that cross examination of Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren will begin soon. In his morning testimony, Lundgren said Martha Stewart is Macy’s largest selling brand. Lundgren said the contractual dispute is also personal noting that his wife and Stewart were friends. Also, Lundgren said he hung up on Stewart the night she called to talk about the agreement with Penney.
UPDATED at 10:20 a.m.
CNBC’S Courtney Reagan reported that Martha Stewart may not testify on Tuesday. During Lundgren’s testimony this morning he said that 46 percent of
Macy’s sales are from exclusive merchandise like the home department items under the Martha Stewart brand. He referred to Penney as a “downstream retailer” and didn’t want to hand over the equity Macy’s built in the Martha Stewart brand over to it.
ORIGINAL BLOG POST at 9:13 a.m.
Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren will testify this morning. He arrived at the New York court house shortly before 9 a.m. ET.
This week, Martha Stewart goes on the stand on Tuesday and J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson on Friday.
Courtney Reagan of CNBC reported that Lundgren has entered the courthouse. He is expected to testify about how he was purposely kept in the dark about a pending investment by J.C. Penney in the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Lundgren received an email from Stewart the night before the public announcement in Dec. 2011 that Penney had acquired a 16.6 percent stake in Stewart’s company.
Lawyers on both sides are using emails to argue their case. Here’s an overview of the trial from Associated Press Retail Writer Anne d’Innocenzio.
Today, The Wall Street Journal published its take on Johnson’s first year.


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FDA Ban on E-Liquid Flavors!
In the ongoing battle between the vapers and the FDA, the FDA has come out swinging with a proposal to ban e-liquid flavors!
Despite whatever you think about the FDA and its intentions, there is a serious battle looming and the time is now to stand up and have your say. If you enjoy vaping and don’t want to see it altered any more than it already has been by legislation and regulation, then you need to stand up and have your say now, before e-liquid flavors are gone it’s too late. The Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) which has been published in the federal register is available now. You now have less than 90-days to register your comments to ensure that your voice is heard.
Over the next few months, vaping organizations from across North America will be offering suggestions and advice on how you can make your submissions to the FDA. Vaping advocacy groups such as VTA, the American Vaping Association, CASAA, and SFATA will all have advice and information on how you can ensure that your voice is heard. Imagine a world where you can’t vape your favorite e-liquid or e-juice flavors because a government employee somewhere took away your rights? Sounds like a pretty bland and boring vaping experience! IF you want to have, your voice heard, but you’re not sure where to start then checking out any of these websites would be a great place to start.
The Commissioner of the FDA, Scott Gottlieb M.D, released a statement earlier this week with some interesting points. “But when it comes to flavors in non-combustible products like electronic nicotine delivery systems or e-cigarettes we recognize the issue involves additional considerations. Here, it’s possible for flavors to do both harm and good. The troubling reality is that e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students, and flavors are identified as one of the top three reasons for use. Given these findings, we need to be wary of the role flavors play in attracting youth to initiate on any tobacco product that could lead to regular use – something we clearly want to avoid. No child should use any tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. At the same time, we’re aware that certain flavors may help currently addicted adult smokers switch to potentially less harmful forms of nicotine-containing tobacco products.”
It was interesting in a way because on the one hand, he acknowledged that many adults utilize vaporizers to quit smoking, while also addressing reports that children are choosing e-cigarettes because of the flavors. “I’ve talked to ex-smokers, who’ve told me that they quit cigarettes altogether and that they now vape. And they’ve also told me it was the flavors that helped them make that transition off combustible cigarettes. Now I know anecdotes aren’t the same as data. And the ANPRM specifically seeks data on this issue. But these personal stories are important to me as we shape our overall approach to smoking cessation. And it’s important to me that we uphold the FDA’s responsibility to consider all sides and take into account, among other things, the risks and benefits to the population as a whole.” While he may sound like he has everyone’s best interests at heart, the anti-vaping lobby is still a large industry and a force which shouldn’t be taken for granted. They can apply excessive amounts of pressure to the government and influence decisions which the FDA makes. That’s why it’s so important that all vapers have their say.
E-cigarettes aren’t the only product the FDA is ramping up on this week. They have also called for an ANPRM on the amount of nicotine currently in traditional cigarettes. The FDA is looking to reduce the amount of nicotine big tobacco puts into their range of traditional tobacco-related products.


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Marvel Comics made queer history with its first same-sex wedding of two gay superheros.
On the last page of “Empyre” No. 4, which was released in comic book stores last week, readers learn that Young Avengers cofounders Hulkling and Wiccan are married. The wedding ceremony, attended by other Young Avengers, is revealed in a flashback.
Marvel Comics previously has featured same-sex weddings. In 2012, “Astonishing X-Men” featured gay superhero Northstar marrying his longtime boyfriend, Kyle Jinadu. Northstar came out in 1992.
Last year, Marvel comics introduced its first drag queen superhero, Shade.
Marvel Comics introduces its first drag queen superhero, Shade
Wiccan (William “Billy” Kaplan) and Hulkling (Theodore “Teddy” Altman) were created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung and introduced in 2005.
Their marriage probably didn’t come as a complete surprise to fans. Hulkling and Wiccan’s relationship has developed in past comics, and some fans probably even suspected that they were married.
Cheung told PinkNews that he had “no inkling” that the characters would have such longevity when he and Heinberg first created them.
“Billy and Teddy really became fully fleshed people to me, thanks to Allan’s incredible writing, and it’s been wonderfully rewarding to follow their growth and evolution under the guidance of other creators over the years,” Cheung said.
“Now that they’re taking their relationship to the next level,” he said, “I can’t wait to watch where their next adventure takes them.”