text:
EVERETT — It’s a busy morning at North Sound Hose &Fittings.
Warehouseman Larry Hansford is using a heater to put aluminum fittings into the ends of ribbed hoses for a contractor.
Another worker, Clarence Frank, is blowing compressed air through a smaller hydraulic hose to get any dust or impurities out of it.
General manager Mark (Hoss) Hostutler is busy working in the corner.
It’s a close group that works at the business, which has been around for 30 years providing all sorts of hoses for industrial and commercial businesses around Snohomish County.
Just four people work at the shop — Margie Strand is the office manager — that’s a block east of Broadway near I-5 in Everett. So everyone pitches in to get the work done.
“It’s a fun crew,” said Hansford, who has worked at North Sound for eight years. “I wouldn’t work here if it wasn’t.”
The close group just underwent a major change.
Alaska Rubber Group on Oct. 28 purchased North Sound Hose and four other businesses in Washington that provide hoses and fittings.
The other businesses are in Spokane, Pasco, Tacoma and Seattle. Alaska Rubber, with headquarters in Anchorage, is an employee-owned business, which means that employees get stock in the company to be cashed out when they leave or retire.
It’s a reunion of sorts.
All of the businesses were owned by the same partnership originally founded by brothers Don and Drennon Adams.
In 2006, the employees of the Anchorage store bought the location from the partnership and added a location in Wasilla, Alaska. In 2009, the employees bought the Fairbanks business. And now, Alaska Rubber has bought the Washington locations, effectively doubling the size of the organization.
“I have known a lot of those employees a long time — I’ve been here 26 years — to give them the opportunity to be employee-owned was very special,” said Janeece Higgins, CEO and president of Alaska Rubber. She works in Anchorage.
North Sound Hose employees are excited about the opportunity to work for themselves.
“When you’re employee-owned — how do I put this — you strive to do better,” said office manager Strand, who has worked for North Sound Hose for more than 16 years. “It isn’t going into someone else’s pocket.”
North Sound Hose &Fittings provides rubber, plastic, fabric and PVC hoses with mainly aluminum or stainless steel fittings custom-made for the customer’s specifications.
Clients have included contractors, coffee businesses, truck drivers and others.
“We had our first customer come in from a pot shop,” Strand said.
The crew at North Sound Hose said they were happy about the previous owners, but they’ve been in impressed with the changeover.
Alaska Rubber is offering more training and better opportunities to transfer between stores. And the company is creating continuity between locations such as putting everyone on the same computer system.
“Employees have more of a say,” Hansford said. “In fact, that’s a must. They want to hear from us.”
He said he wishes he was a younger man to fully take advantage of the employee stock plan.
Hostutler, Everett’s general manager, said he expects the same closeness to continue under the new ownership.
“We all work together and look out for each other,” Hostutler said. “Especially now, it’s our own game.”


text:
Apple's iOS 12.1 update brought digital eSim support to the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR on Tuesday, but US carriers won't support the feature until later in the year due to reported technical problems.
eSIM is the software-based version of the traditional plastic chip that identifies you to your carrier, and Apple highlighted it and the new iPhones' dual SIM capabilities during the company's September event.
This allows iPhone users to switch between two numbers on the same device.
However, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile all won't support eSIM immediately, according to MacRumors, which highlighted technical issues the feature creates.
Apple's iPad and MacBook event from Brooklyn, in photosSee all photos
Verizon customers suffer from performance problems if they activate eSIMs from other companies, the carrier confirmed in a statement.
"If you are a Verizon customer and you activate another carrier's service on your iPhone's eSIM, your Verizon service will be degraded due to the current software configuration," said Kelly L. Crummey, the company's director of corporate communications, in an email.
"Based on our discussions with Apple, we believe these concerns will be resolved quickly and you should be able to add our great Verizon service on your secondary line before the end of the year."
Crummey noted that Verizon won't activate its "service on any eSIM" until the secondary line can deliver the full suite.
AT&T is reportedly telling customers that eSIM support is delayed until late 2018 because it causes problems linked to visual voicemail. T-Mobile told PCMag that it's working on eSIM support and that it'll be available "when its software is ready."
Sprint, the fourth major US carrier, isn't included on Apple's list of those supporting eSIM, but said it will offer the feature at some point.
Neither AT&T nor T-Mobile immediately responded to requests for comment.
First published at 6:25 a.m. PT.
Updated at 7:31 a.m. PT: Added Verizon statement.
MacBook Air, Mac Mini and iPad Pro 2018: Everything Apple just announced.
iOS 12.1 has arrived: It delivers Group FaceTime, new emoji and dual-SIM capability.

domain: news


text:
Eva Chen, Editor-in-Chief for Lucky Magazine stopped by to discuss an important Winter trend – Boots.
It can be hard to decide what’s in and what’s out, so Eva and Katie are making it easy for all the women out there looking to get on the boot boat.
“Boots are bigger than ever it seems to me,” said Katie.
Eva agreed. “They keep you warm, they’re stylish,” Eva said, “and now there’s a style for every woman.”
So what are the three boots every woman should own?
Over the Knee Boots:
“They’re towering next to me right now,” said the Lucky editor.
“Pair them with a skinny jean or a big coat.” Eva recommends OTK boots with a stacked heel because they are sportier and better for everyday activities.
The Motorcycle Boot:
The motorcycle boot is even more trendy this season. Perfect for going out or getting an edgier look a la Kate Moss.
“They’re super comfortable,” Eva said. “My daughter stole mine, so I’m in the market for a new pair,” Katie admitted.
High-heeled Ankle Boot:
The last trend for winter will give you some height – the high-heeled ankle boot. This style is comfortable and also the perfect height for your feet. Fun fact: did you know most podiatrists recommend women wear a 2 ½ inch heel? Neither did we.
“These boots are perfect,” Eva said, “We [Lucky Magazine] really think this is a style MVP.”


text:
Yum Brands reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, boosted by strong demand at its Taco Bell restaurants.
Continue Reading Below
The company's income from continuing operations rose to $280 million, or 77 cents per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, from $226 million, or 54 cents per share.
Excluding items, the company earned 65 cents per share, beating the average analyst estimate of 60 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Total revenue fell 1.8 percent to $1.42 billion.
(Reporting by Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Supriya Kurane and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)


text:
In a ruling released Wednesday, a judge for the National Labor Relations Board addressed 32 complaints against Starbucks for unfair labor practices — and said Starbucks engaged in “egregious and widespread misconduct demonstrating a general disregard for the employees’ fundamental rights.”
The judge, Michael Rosas, also said the company would need to desist from disrespecting workers’ rights and rehire some workers who were let go amid unionization drives at Starbucks stores in and near Buffalo, New York.
The 200+ page ruling covers the judge’s decision on individual employee cases of unfair labor practice charges, like Cassie Fleischer, who complained that her request to change her schedule was denied amid her participation in union activities. In her case, plus seven other employees that had been “discriminatorily discharged,” the company must rehire the employees, the judge wrote.
The ruling also said Starbucks must refrain from “promising its employees increased benefits and improved terms and conditions of employment if they refrained from union organizational activity,” taking pictures of employees wearing union pins, closing or reducing hours of stores looking at unionization, among other orders.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told the outlet in February that unions “are in many ways a manifestation of a much bigger problem.” In the same interview, he also said he does not “think a union has a place in Starbucks.”
This ruling, however, represents a win for organizers and Starbucks Workers United, (SWU) a major force in organizing Starbucks locations. Its website says it has helped over 278 stores unionize.
SWU is a labor organization affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which has been around since 1921 and says it has around 2 million members.
In a statement sent out by SWU, Gary Bonadonna, the manager of the Rochester Regional Joint Board of Workers United (a part of SEIU), called the ruling “historic,” according to CNN.
“We will not rest until every Starbucks worker wins the right to organize,” he said in the statement. SWU also Tweeted about the ruling.
Starbucks said, per the outlet, that it is weighing its legal options and that it “believe[s] the decision and the remedies ordered are inappropriate given the record in this matter.”


text:
Hot Weather Maintains UK Supermarket Spending Spree: Nielsen
Research firm Nielsen has said that the continued hot weather in the UK, combined with a series of major sporting events such as Wimbeldon and the British & Irish Lions Tour, has meant that consumers are spending more at Britain's supermarkets.
The amount shoppers spent on groceries during the four weeks ending 15 July 2017 was 5.1% higher versus the same period a year ago, Nielsen found. This is the highest year-on-year rise for at least four years.
This follows on from a 4.0% year-on-year rise in the previous four week period (ending 17 June 2017), with the week ending 24th June alone seeing sales rise 7.1%.
"Various factors typically drive extra spend in grocery shopping – more disposable income, more promotions, peak events and changes in weather, and lifestyle,” said Mike Watkins, Nielsen’s UK head of retailer and business insight.
Nielsen also found that shoppers mare around 4% more grocery trips to the supermarket, compared to the same period last year.
Watkins said that the data shows the "impact that hot weather and big sporting events [has] on people’s purse strings. This combination encourages shoppers to spend more, particularly on fresh foods and to use convenience stores more often.
"With the likelihood of eating and drinking outside also increasing people are more inclined to indulge and treat themselves.”
Categories enjoying a benefit during the four-week period included ice cream (up 45%), alcohol mixers (+44%), fresh beef burgers (+29%), lemonade (+24%), cider (+19%), sparkling wines (+17%), soft drinks (+16%) and prepared salads (+16%).
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.


text:
The upcoming â<80>~Best of Abyss DVDâ<80><99> is scheduled to be in stores on Tuesday, July 31. The DVD has already popped up in various Best Buy stores and has begun shipping from Amazon.com for those who pre-ordered it.
For those who have the TNA Lockdown 2007 DVD, to access the music video easter egg, go to the bonus menu and highlight the main menu option at the bottom. Then press down, right and select.
Have a news tip? Attended an event and want to send a live report?


text:
CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio — This week, Eddie Tancredi opened ETalian in downtown Chagrin Falls. The restaurant’s name is a portmanteau that blends the chef’s initials with the featured cuisine. Unlike his previous restaurants, which include places like Adega downtown and Distill Table in Lakewood, this one is a hyper-focused fast-casual establishment that specializes in Naples-style wood-fired pizza.
In partnership with the building’s owners, Ed and Amy Weinfurtner, the chef transformed a 1,200-square-foot brick shell into an airy farmhouse-chic pizzeria. New windows open onto the upper falls of the Chagrin River and fill the space with the sounds of rushing water, honking geese and bustling foot traffic.
The focal point of the restaurant is the wood-burning oven, a beautiful piece of equipment imported from Italy. At temperatures approaching 800 degrees, the oven bakes pies in less than two minutes. Options include a half dozen white and red-sauce pies with various toppings. The personal-size pizzas can be order unsliced, sliced or folded “wallet-style” for enjoyment from a paper pouch.
“This is actually the traditional way that you’re supposed to eat it,” says Tancredi. “Now, a lot of people in America don’t do that, but if you go to Naples, that’s how they serve it.”
The pizzas are joined on the menu by three salads, oven-baked cheesy bread and pane con gelato – essentially an Italian ice cream sandwich – for dessert. A selection of beer, wine and cocktails also is on hand.
Guests can order and pay ahead online for easy pickup, they can order from a kiosk inside the restaurant, or they can walk-up to the register to do the same if they prefer. There is seating for 24 indoors plus another 30 on the front and side patios.
Tancredi says that 2020 was a devastating year that led to the closure of his last restaurant, Distill in Lakewood. In many ways, he adds, ETalian is a response to the past year and a half, but also to many industry-wide shifts that already were afoot. By focusing on a few great products and selling them in a fast-casual setting, the chef can limit the number of employees needed, reduce the food inventory, and keep those soaring food costs in check.
“I’m always going to be in this industry, but after the past year I kind of wanted to look back and see what’s going to be feasible and make sense moving forward,” Tancredi explains.
Check out their full menu here
More from Doug Trattner:


text:
The loading on one Pixel 6 new Google Device is about to get faster in a report from 91 Mobiles. The sources have reported that Google has used 33W loading bricks at its headquarters, according to tipster Yogesh Brar. The pixel 6 duo supposes these charging bricks. At present, only 18W of max loading current is supported by the Pixel lineup.
Furthermore, the source of the report says that the Google plying device has been delayed, but Google can show a preview of this device for the next Pixel 6 event this year.
A new custom chipset called tensor, a much-needed camerooid upjustment, and new devices will not include a loader in this box, is available with the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.
The GN1 50MP sensors and 12MP ultra-wide camera are upgraded to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Only the professional will have a third, dedicated 48MP sensor and 4X optical zoom camera. More information regarding the new cameras of Pixel was not confirmed.
Google has yet to announce new Pixel devices for some months now. This week, Pixel 5a was announced by Google to see our first meeting with him. Sadly, only in the United States and Japan the 5a will be available.


text:
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s cultural and entertainment group has fully acquired Damai.cn, a Bejing-based online ticketing platform, according to a company announcement.
No financial details were announced.
After the completion of the deal, Damai.cn will cooperate with Alibaba’s music division, connecting music application with concert ticketing. The two companies will also form a new music business model connecting singers, tickets and music fans.
Alibaba created a cultural and entertainment group last November to put businesses such as online video platform Youku Tudou, browser company UCWeb, Alibaba Pictures, Alibaba Music, Alibaba Sports and Alibaba Digital Entertainment under one umbrella.
The unit wanted to raise a RMB10 billion (US$1.4 billion) fund to invest and consolidate in the cultural, media and entertainment sectors in China. Today’s deal is one of its first moves to acquire and merge assets to create a broader platform, following Alibaba Pictures’ acquisition of Heyi Pictures, a film company under Alibaba’s video content platform Youku Tudou.
Zhang Yu, vice president at Alibaba and secretary at cultural and entertainment group, will be appointed as Damai.cn’s new chief executive officer.
Founded in 2004, Damai.cn is an online ticketing platform in China, selling tickets to concerts, dramas, operas, and sports matches. The company claims to have hundreds of millions of registered users, and has sold tickets for over 1.8 million events in 330 cities around the world.
It previously raised RMB30 million (US$4 million) series A round from Legend Capital in 2005, and received RMB100 million (US$14 million) financing from SIG and Legend Capital five years later. In 2015, Alibaba led an undisclosed series C round in the company.


text:
Future High-Performance Markets For NIKE
Greater China: High-return, high-performance markets for NIKE
Greater China made up ~8.5% of NIKE Inc.’s revenues in 1Q15. The segment’s revenues grew at a CAGR (compounded average growth rate) of 10.6% over the fiscal year period between 2010 and 2014, to ~$2.6 billion in fiscal year 2014. At an operating profit margin of 31.4% in 2014, Greater China has the highest return on sales among NIKE’s segments.
Although margins are high, they’ve taken a dip recently. NIKE, Inc. (NKE) is now re-positioning itself in the Chinese market. It’s trying to create a more differentiated product portfolio.
Overhead has increased with the company’s strategic investments in direct-to-consumer and new headquarters in Shanghai. Higher discounts and closeout sales have also been factors. The company’s objective is to increase retail profitability and build a more segmented market. Key growth categories include Running, Basketball, and Women’s Training.
Interested in EEM? Don't miss the next report.
Receive e-mail alerts for new research on EEM
Macro tailwinds in China
The Chinese segment should benefit from the Chinese government’s efforts to increase consumer spending. Consumer spending makes up just ~34% of Chinese GDP (gross domestic product). This is low when you compare it to India’s ratio of 62% or South Korea’s 52% ratio. Faced with a slowing economy, the Chinese government is looking to raise the level of consumption.
Consumer spending is likely to be a crucial growth driver in China going forward. This would benefit consumer discretionary (XLY) companies like NIKE, especially considering the boom in sports and sports marketing in China. Some of NIKE’s major initiatives in China include the endorsement of athlete Li Na and the opening of its second women’s-only store in Shanghai, on November 29.
Converse: An iconic brand presenting unique opportunities
NIKE acquired Converse in 2003. The Converse brand made up ~7.2% of NIKE’s revenues in 1Q15, down from ~8.8% in 2Q12. The company expects to achieve $3 billion in revenues for the segment through fiscal year 2017. It’s in the process of converting licensees to a direct distribution model. This should provide opportunities for growing revenues. Licensees make up about 50% of the global market. NIKE also plans to leverage Converse brands such as CONS or Jack Purcell, and increase new apparel offerings to fuel growth.
These initiatives appear to be paying off for Converse. The segment’s operating income margin spiked sharply to 32.3% in 1Q15, overtaking China’s 32.1% margin.
Read about the markets that could provide cause for concern, next.


text:
Most Americans Give Themselves a “B” in Financial Literacy
One-third of Americans give themselves a “C” in financial literacy, while only 15% give themselves an “A,” according to a recent Equifax survey. Many of the respondents gave themselves a “B” (40%).
Since April is Financial Literacy Month, Equifax compared financial knowledge to other items that interest consumers. The study found one in five said they know more about national politics than their own credit histories, 13% know more about their favorite sports teams, 7% know more about the current season of their favorite TV show and 6% know more about fashion trends.
While this may sound bleak, there is some good news. Most Americans have educated themselves on financial literacy in the past year. Nearly half (45%) have read articles on financial websites and 28% have sought guidance from family and friends. Parents are the most common source of information, but students are also taking personal finance courses in high school or college. Moreover, nearly all (90%) of the survey respondents said personal finance should be a required course in high school.
The survey also found:
- Most people know what factors impact their credit scores. In fact, 87% were aware that paying bills on time impacts their credit scores.
- Nearly half (42%) know that negative information stays on a credit report for seven years, which is up from 40% in 2016.
- Consumers still have inaccurate beliefs about factors that affect their credit score. One-third believe checking their credit reports will hurt their scores, 30% think interest rates affect their score, 23% believe a change in salary could hurt them and 21% inaccurately think their motor vehicle record will hurt their score.
- Most consumers feel confident about their financial futures. 61% said they are confident or extremely confident about their short-term financial futures, and 54% said they were confident or extremely confident about their long-term financial futures. Respondents aged 60 or older were most confident, and those 45 to 59 were least confident.
“As consumers age and financial needs change, the importance of staying educated about personal finance and credit is absolutely critical,” said Dann Adams, President of Global Consumer Solutions at Equifax. “We will continue to learn from these surveys and infuse financial wellness and literacy into our consumer-facing efforts at Equifax.”


text:
This week’s news in Online Marketing features changes from Google and Bing. Learn more about these updates in our weekly roundup!
Update to Google Algorithm: Google is working on an on-going effort to reduce the amount of spam appearing in search engine results and increase the value of quality results. They are continuing a series of algorithm updates which will more aggressively target spam and protect users from low quality content. Although this algorithm may cause a change resulting in fewer search results displayed, the content will be greater quality for the intended search.
Shopping Assortment Report in Google Merchant Center: Earlier this week, Google announced a new feature for advertisers using the Google Merchant Center for their Google Shopping Campaigns. The Shopping Assortment Report shows the top 100 products in demand that the retailer does not already have in stock. This is really helpful for advertisers who are looking to expand their product offerings and stay up-to-date with consumer demand.
Google Accelerated Mobile Pages: This week, Google announced an open-source project called Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), which is a way to make web pages load faster on mobile web browsers. Faster loading pages is a great thing for users, however this may create more challenges for advertisers looking to include ads on these pages.
The Online Marketing experts at E-Power stay up to date with industry changes so you don’t have to! Be sure to stay tuned to our Blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ for our weekly Friday roundups.


text:
The population of Africa has grown rapidly over the past century, and consequently shows a large youth bulge, further reinforced by a low life expectancy of below 50 years in some African countries. The population doubled in the period 1982–2009 and quadrupled from 1955–2009, according to United Nations estimates. As of 2013, the total population of Africa is estimated at 1.1 billion, representing approximately 15% of the world's population.
Textile & apparel sector confident of doubling biz ...Nearly three-fourths of the textile and apparel firms are ... As many as 257 companies across the state participated in the survey, which was conducted to understand the growth aspirations of the textile and apparel sector.
Betty Lou was born in St ... After graduating from high school, Betty Lou went to Dixie College and then Utah State University and majored in clothing and textiles ... She continued her talent for sewing, pattern making, and textiles for her entire life and recently contributed to the third edition of her textbook on pattern alteration and design ... .
The four-day event, online and offline, has attracted nearly 900 enterprises from nearly 40 African countries and China, according to the organizers ... An exhibitor (R) promotes African handicrafts during the second China-Africa Economic and TradeExpo in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Sept.
Students and teachers in Guangming District are exhibiting their tapestry artworks at the Guangming Cultural Hall. Entry is free. Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom ... In tapestry weaving, weft yarns are typically discontinuous; the artisan interlaces each colored weft back and forth in its own small pattern area ... .
“The world has the resources to end hunger,” AfricanDevelopment BankPresident Dr ... “We are well on our way to achieving our target of reaching 40 million farmers with modern and climate-resilient technologies in the next five years,” the African Development Bank chief added.
The four-day event, held both online and offline, and themed “New Start, New Opportunities, and New Accomplishments,” has attracted nearly 900 enterprises from about 40 African countries and China, according to the organizers ... cooperation between China and African countries.
"The textile industry has been in the forefront of finding alternatives," Dr Kleimark says ... The OrganoTex line includes sprays, waxes and detergents that keep textiles water-repellent through 5-10 washes (if end consumers apply the treatment themselves), or 20 washes (in industrial products), according to Mr Helberg ... Related Topics ... .
to 1 p.m. Oct. 2. No medical or infectious waste, other than needles and sharps in puncture-proof containers, will be accepted during this collection ...Household hazardous waste includes. ... 1 and 2 plastic; textiles; clear, brown and green glass; home appliances; rechargeable batteries; waste oil; automobile tires; and household garbage ... ....
Textile Art and FashionGalleries (level 6). With 4,400 square feet of gallery space, the DAM's reimagined Avenir Foundation Textile Art and Fashion Galleries will feature temporary presentations, alternating textile presentations with exhibitions devoted to fashion.
African countries have imposed sometimes severe restrictions on populations to contain the spread of the coronavirus, including lockdowns and curfews ... With more African households embracing online shopping, the e-commerce market will continue to boom following rising smartphone ...
From the moment they were captured, brought to this country and enslaved to the present time when racism and oppression are prevalent in daily lives, AfricanAmericans have experienced trauma, or what has been referred to as soul wound ... against people of African descent.


text:
A new report reveals that Electronic Arts’ recently revealed college football game is in the very early stages of development, and is projected to release in mid-2023. This would mean the series returns ten years after it was canceled in 2013. Still, as far as we can tell the game is in the very early stages of development, and if the last year has taught us anything, it’s not to depend on estimated release dates too much.
The news comes from journalist Matt Brown, who obtained paperwork from the Collegiate Licensing Company, showing that EA intends to release a new game with a tentative release date of July 2023. That would put the potential release ten years after the last college football game EA released, which was NCAA Football 14, released in 2013. The series was discontinued following a series of lawsuits regarding collegiate athlete likenesses and their right to be compensated.
EA revealed it was working on a new game in its college football series in early February, by tweeting an image that says “College Football is coming back.” The tweet says, “For those who never stopped believing…” According to EA, development on the new game is just starting, which would fit with the projected release date discovered by Brown. It also launched an EA Sports College Twitter account for news on the new release, which tweeted, “We look forward to sharing more information as development progresses in the next couple of years.”
The records Brown obtained also revealed more information about what’s likely to be in the game. According to the documents, there will be 100+ teams in the game, and all of their uniforms, logos, stadiums, mascots, and player likenesses would be used in order to recreate them. You can read the full breakdown on Extra Points (subscription required).
Source: Matt Brown/Twitter


text:
INEOS completes purchase of BP's Innovene business for $9bn
Following clearance by the Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission, INEOS has successfully completed the purchase of Innovene, BP's olefins, derivatives and refining subsidiary. The acquisition creates a combined business with a turnover of around $33bn.
The purchase of the Innovene business for $9bn fits well with the INEOS strategy to create a petrochemical company that has the scale to compete globally, supported by a sustainable cost base. The addition of the Lavéra and Grangemouth refineries also provides significant opportunities to integrate INEOS’s existing operations with upstream raw materials.
Following the completion of the deal, announced today, INEOS will begin the process of fully integrating Innovene into its organisation. The review of Innovene’s operations, products and markets, which began in October, quickly confirmed the complementary fit of the two companies, but the detailed design of the ongoing structure continues. Shortly after the completion of the deal Innovene will assume the INEOS name and be focused into product-line business entities, along similar lines to INEOS’s existing organisational model.
The sale of BP’s ethylene oxide business at Köln will proceed as a separate part of the Innovene purchase, with its own separate regulatory approval.
For further media enquiries:
Phone: +44 1928 513064
Phone: +44 (0)7989 566560
Note to editors:
INEOS is a rapidly growing manufacturer of petrochemicals, speciality and intermediate chemicals and polymers. The company was formed by a management buy out of the former BP petrochemicals asset in Antwerp, which was led by Jim Ratcliffe, who is now its Chairman. The company has subsequently grown through a series of successful acquisitions and continues to build on businesses that have good people and assets, supported by strong market positions and a potential for further growth.
The new enlarged INEOS includes 68 manufacturing facilities in 14 countries throughout the world. It will have approximately 15,600 employees, generating more than 30 million tonnes of petrochemicals and sales of around $33 bn.
Innovene was a 100 per cent BP-owned group, created in April 2005. It has manufacturing facilities in seven countries in North America and Europe; $25 billion estimated sales for 2005; $9.9 billion of net assets; 18 million tonnes of annual petrochemicals capacity and 412,000 barrels per day of crude oil refining capacity in Europe.


text:
Foldable phones are slowly making their way to more consumers around the world and it looks like Samsung will be in the driving position in terms of market share for the next year. The Korean tech giant quickly emerged as the leading foldable smartphone maker and while the category is just now entering its second phase headlined by the Galaxy Z Fold 2 it seems Samsung will continue to dominate the foldable market for the coming year.
Data from Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) reveals Samsung’s market share in the foldable smartphone scene is projected to hit 80% in the coming 12 months and should total 4 million shipments. This comes as little surprise given the only competition comes from Motorola and Huawei. Lingering US sanctions and the inability to bring out the Mate X2 in time continue to plague Huawei while Motorola is still not enjoying the user attention it hoped when it re-launched its Razr line.
According to early estimates, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip will reign as the best-selling foldable of 2020 followed by the Z Fold 2 and Motorola Razr 5G. Judging by the warm reception of the Z Fold 2, Samsung looks to have a firm grip on the foldable smartphone landscape for the time being.


text:
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched Local Zone in Manila, Philippines.
“AWS Local Zones is now available in Manila, Philippines. You can now use AWS Local Zones in Manila to deliver applications that require single-digit millisecond latency or local data processing,” the company announced recently.
Local Zones act as Edge locations to host applications that require low latency to end-users or on-premises installations. Each zone offers services such as compute, storage, and database, close to population centers for latency-sensitive applications, usually where Amazon doesn't have an existing data center footprint.
First launched in 2019, AWS had previously concentrated its Local Zone rollout in the US, where it has now rolled out 17 zones in 16 metros.
However, at the turn of last year, the company announced plans to launch the service in 32 cities across 26 markets internationally. Some of the launched locations weren't on that original list, and the company has since said it had plans for hundreds of Edge locations in the future.
To date, AWS Local Zones are available in 17 metro areas outside of the US. AWS launched its first international Local Zones in Delhi, India, and Taipei, Taiwan in October 2022.
Since then it has launched Local Zones in Hamburg, Germany; Copenhagen, Denmark; Helsinki, Finland; Warsaw, Poland; Lagos, Nigeria; Muscat, Oman; Santiago, Chile: Lima, Peru; Querétaro, Mexico; and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Despite multiple requests from DCD, AWS hasn't detailed what facilities the Local Zones sit within or what compute infrastructure they use.


text:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will affect every part of life in the coming years. In the business world, companies are looking at BOT technology to drive change. AI will transform everything from talking with customers to handling warehouse tasks. The AI healthcare market alone may grow to reach $6.6 billion by 2021. The same research predicts key clinical AI applications could save $150 billion in US health care costs by 2026. BOTs in the pharmaceutical industry will power the change.
The pharmaceutical industry will see the tremendous impact from this technology shift. A study from Emerj surveyed healthcare industry executives already using AI. Fifty percent expect broad scale adoption by 2025. Also, specific AI applications targeting “chronic conditions.” According to the CDC, 50 percent of Americans currently suffer from a least one chronic condition. That means AI will affect pharmaceutical treatments for half the population. There’s no doubt that AI adoption will radically transform the pharmaceutical industry. How can the pharmaceutical industry use this trend to their advantage?
Why the Pharmaceutical Industry Needs to Adapt
AI, including BOT technology, is a trend that pharmaceutical companies must join or get left behind. It’s no secret that current pharma business models aren’t strong enough. In fact, one economic analysis says it’s on the “brink of terminal decline.” Here’s why. Currently, pharma relies on innovation to create value, yielding customer benefits. Innovation leads to growth and value, which in turn lead to positive ROI. That growth leads to revenue that goes back into research and development (R&D), and the cycle begins again. As healthcare continues to improve the standard of care, the harder and more expensive it becomes to continue to improve.
The result for pharma companies is that they continue to invest in innovation, but get diminishing value for patients. It’s going to get harder and harder to keep up with improvements and stay profitable. As profits decline, R&D budgets do too. Less money is available for investment into R&D, so significant innovation declines too. Pharma companies can’t sustain this cycle forever.
Four Ways BOTs Will Revolutionize Pharma
AI has the potential to create efficiencies and increase productivity. It can also provide better customer service and perform mundane activities. That means revenue-generating staff can focus on what they do best. A report from McKinsey estimates that big data and machine learning have the potential to generate up to $100 billion in the medical and pharma industries each year. How? The report listed, “better decision-making, optimized innovation, improved efficiency of research/clinical trials, and new tool creation for physicians, consumers, insurers, and regulators.” Here are four ways AI, specifically the use of BOTs, will help improve pharma’s business model.
1. Speed Up Drug Discovery
Developing a new treatment averages a $2.6 billion price tag and can take about 12 years. That includes money spent on multiple failed trials. It also includes time wasted searching for candidates, monitoring, and reporting. Implementing BOT technology that combines Machine Learning with Fundamental Meaning can speed up the timeline. BOTs also help increase the likelihood of success during the trial process. The initial screening of drug compounds to the predicted success rate of participants with certain biological factors involves a lot of information. BOTs have the ability to crunch mounds of data to come with the absolute best trial components. “We are turning the drug-discovery paradigm upside down by using patient-driven biology and data to derive more-predictive hypotheses, rather than the traditional trial-and-error approach,” said one researcher in a Nature magazine article. BOT technology can comb through mountains of data to identify candidates for trial. AI uses advanced predictive analytics to both speed up the trial process and reduce costs.
2. Improve Customer Service
One report found that poor customer service is costing businesses more than $75 billion a year. That’s a huge jump from the 2016 report, which estimated a $13 billion annual loss. Customers have changed the way they want to interact with companies. Sixty-six percent now prefer to communicate via messaging apps. Pharma companies can use chatbots or User Interfaces (UI) to transform the user experience. Bots can use data in context, leverage short and long-term memory, analyze user sentiment and mimic human conversation. Some areas where pharma could use this technology are:
- benefits verification support,
- user registration and savings card distribution,
- basic customer support, and
- medication and refill reminders.
3. Standardize Warehouse Efficiency
Customers aren’t the only ones that can benefit from BOT support. The primary method of improving productivity in any warehouse is streamlining processes. Use a virtual assistant BOT to assist and guide employees using vocal commands when picking batches. This keeps workflow consistent and reduces downtime. Using AI technology in a pharma warehouse can also:
- eliminate paperwork,
- improve communication between team members, and
- decrease approval waiting periods.
BOTs go everywhere employees go since the technology functions through the cloud on AWS. This elevates the effectiveness of tools they already use, such as SMS, mobile, web, and messaging platforms. Employees can answer questions instantly with a BOT’s access to data. They can execute complex workflows that may involve other employees or not. They can enter data without filling out a long form. BOTs enable employees to can get real-time reports and status updates right from their app.
4. Create Data-based Innovations
BOT technology can also drive faster innovation. It’s all about combing massive amounts of data and figuring out the right care for the right patients at the right time. BOTs can analyze big data to understand what diseases a medication will affect the most. BOTs can also pinpoint which specific patient populations might benefit.
Learn more about how BOTs can transform the pharmaceutical industry at a One-Day Fiori Discovery Session. Fiori offers an innovative User Experience (UX) for the SAP software. It applies modern principles of design that offer unique responsiveness.
Join a UI_UX Design Thinking Session to explore the impact of Fiori on your business. Identify areas for “Fiorization” and learn how to shorten time to deploy using prepackaged apps. Discuss viable UI_UX engagements. Share your top five use cases. Assess feasibility and viability with business stakeholders. Identify key value drivers and POC opportunities. Contact us at Crave InfoTech to learn more.


text:
This fall, design students of Berghs School of Communication in Sweden compete in creating an innovative concept to support UNICEF’s fundraising. The competition is arranged by the school and UNICEF together with BillerudKorsnäs, a company providing renewable packaging material. The collaboration and competition, Pack Challenge 15, take place during September and October.
In Pack Challenge 15 the design students are facing a challenging task: To package an emotion that inspires more people to support UNICEF in its charity work around the world. The winning solution (including concept, name, packaging solution and design) will make UNICEF’s field products an attractive gift for every occasion.
By selling field products, such as necessaries for children in war zones, UNICEF aims to show how we all easily can contribute to saving a child’s life. In recognition for their contribution, donors receive a gift card.
The winning concept will be announced on October 29 here.


text:
New at Amazon: Its Own Chips for Cloud Computing
2018-12-5 04:09 pm
Amazon follows Google in designing a chip to make cloud computing more efficient; the chip is based on designs typically seen in smartphones.
Read The Rest at
Everything You Should Know About Facebook’s UK...
Another Net Neutrality Day of Action Draws...
You May Also Like
Ice-T calls out Amazon after he ‘almost shot’...
Is that DIY tiny house for sale on Amazon a...
AMD claim its chips are immune to the MDS...
Tata Sky Binge vs Amazon Prime vs Hotstar:...
Lisa Kudrow to star in Amazon comedy pilot Good...
Amazon Prime is betting big on regional languages
Berlin / Germany
Sydney / Australia
All Rights Reserved
Powered By RSS-Script Light Version


text:
It's an offer Lisa Knight can't refuse: Free food or drinks.
When she heard about free Mars candy bars at Pioneer Court downtown earlier this month, Knight knew she had to make a pit stop -- even though it was at least 10 minutes and a few blocks out of her way.
"I love candy and I love anything free," said Knight, 31, of Lincoln Square. She walked away with seven candy bars, including Twix, M&Ms, Snickers and Milky Way. "It made my day."
The real estate marketing manager, who's been watching her budget since she bought a condo two years ago, isn't the only Chicagoan who goes out of her way to get freebies. Some invest time every day to search for free food and drink deals, plan their trips around the specials they find, and map the best routes so they can take full advantage of the deals. But free can be relative.
Jaw-dropping food specials drive traffic into restaurants and bars, especially during off-peak periods like happy hours, said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic Information Services, a food service consultant based in Chicago. Even though customers can be lured to establishments by the word "free," they might end up still spending money, he said. "Because you're spending less getting food for free, you're willing to spend more on beverages."
In the past few months, Chicago-based Web sites have popped up with secrets of food and drink deals that are too cheap to resist -- or just plain free. Specialsagent.com launched in August and brokehipster.com came online in May, joining the likes of myopenbar.com in telling Chicagoans where they can fill their stomachs without emptying their wallets.
Chicago bars and restaurants, too, have spread word of deals via Twitter, Facebook and e-mails. Restaurants' use of social media and online promotions appear to be on the rise, though there are no specific statistics available, said Erik Thoresen, director of product innovation for Technomic. Garrett Popcorn Shops is giving away a free bag of its Chicago Mix popcorn from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday while supplies last at 625 N. Michigan Ave.
"People think sometimes these open bar things are mythical, but they do exist," said Garin Pirnia, the editor in chief of the Chicago branch of myopenbar.com, which launched in 2006. The site features snarky write-ups on free or cheap food and drink specials and entertainment events.
About a year ago, more promotions offering free food started surfacing, said Tristano. Examples include last year's free Taco Bell taco for stolen bases in the World Series, Denny's free breakfast in February as promised in its Super Bowl ads and Berry Chill's free small frozen yogurt every time Bears player Devin Hester scores a touchdown this season.
Casey Brown, 27, considers his digital deal hunting a modern-day version of coupon clipping. He checks tweets from brokehipster.com, scrolls myopenbar.com, signs up for e-mail at bars and restaurants, subscribes to the Onion's weekly online newsletter and skims the Reader for free stuff.
"It's sort of like my mom's coupon clipping. In my 20s, this is my own coupon clipping. I'm not feeding a family. I'm feeding my appetite for alcohol," said Brown, a grant writer in Noble Square.
He spends about 10 to 15 minutes each day scoping out deals. "It's a very minute amount of time for what can ultimately be a free meal or $10 night out," Brown said.
After Melissa Young, 35, lost her job in February, she's been doing her research for free food and entertainment on brokehipster.com and the city's tourism site, explorechicago.org. That's how she found out about 7-Eleven's free Slurpee day in July and the free slice of Chi-Pie Pizza last month at a new location in Wrigleyville.
"I will pretty much drop my plans if it's free," said Young, of Logan Square.
She said she used to be skeptical of "free" deals, but now she's a believer.
"Disregard the idea that there's no such thing as a free lunch," said James Villalpando, 26, co-founder of brokehipster.com. "It's amazing how little you can spend in this city and have an amazing time," he said. The site, he said, doesn't make a profit and simply shares information on deals he finds.
While living on unemployment, he came across places with free drinks and food and considered himself the "walking encyclopedia of city specials." When he went out, he would create a path, hitting up three to four events in a night and spending little money, said Villalpando, now a computer engineering student.
Knight says free food or drinks are an incentive to check out a spot in the city. "Even on a night you're not planning to go out, you go out because it's free," she said. "It's thrilling or fun to find something that's free or really cheap."


text:
Tag: 500Hz monitor
Alienware 25-inch 1080P 500Hz monitor revealed, built for professional gaming
According to foreign media sources, Alienware will soon release a 1080P 500Hz monitor at CES 2023. Alienware's current 360Hz monitor The new Alienware AW2524H monitor will...
Stay in touch:
Feifan F7 EV midsize sedan is officially launched: Adopts 43-inch triple screen
SAIC Feifan F7 was officially launched with a total...
Hongqi H6 sedan starts pre-sale, RMB 194,800-241,800
Hongqi H6 opened pre-sale, the new car has 4...
Intel launches NUC 13 Pro Arena Canyon with optional Intel i7-1370P processor
Intel today officially announced a new generation of NUC...
Realme GT 3 certified by BIS India: Support 240W fast charging
The world's first Realme GT3 phone with 240W charging...
Apple iPhone 15 and Pro series eSIM version will be available in more countries
According to French website MacGeneration, Apple's iPhone 15 and...


text:
best online casino
Online Casinos are below to keep and are taking the planet by storm. The last two years have actually found the recognition of best online casino https://casinos-online-canada.com increase by a margin of over 70% and also it keeps climbing every day. Canada goes to the forefront of this particular growthand also has been positioned as being one of the best nations worldwide when it comes to online betting. Despite the unstable start this sector invited Canada, whichwas as a result of the stringent restrictions throughlegislation as well as the disfavor of casinos, the nation now generates a shocking volume of earnings coming from online betting. A report due to the Canadian Betting Affiliation kept in mind that legalizing wagering generated over $16.1 billion dollars throughout all states. This write-up will definitely give detailed knowledge into just how well-known online gambling establishments reside in Canada as well as why this is actually so.
The popularity of online gaming in Canada
Currently, there are over one hundred gambling establishments that take players from Canada. This shows that Canada has greatly embraced online pc gaming, to a point that it is just one of the 1st countries that come to mind whenever online gaming is mentioned. Casino games are quite prominent in Canada as well as consequently it comes as no surprise that they go to the leading edge of embracing online wagering. The mild restrictions troubled the market have only furthered its own recognition. A prediction throughStats Canada also ventures that over 65% of Canada’s populace that towers lawful betting grow older will position a bet at an online casino within the following year. This is a quite reasonable body when contrasted to lead-in countries suchas the UK and also Australia.
The ability of online gambling enterprises to offer a wide assortment of casino activities, keeping means greater than the neighborhood physical casino sites do, has created them a muchbetter alternative for Canadian players. They have the capacity to appreciate several variants of blackjack, video poker, slots, lotteries, sporting activities betting and also get to try their fortune at online casino activities. Lottos could be utilized to portray the recognition of online gambling in Canada as 25% of the populace takes part once a week in some form of lotto game. While sporting activities betting is actually incredibly well-known right here, it is almost lawful. This possesses nonetheless certainly not stopped all of them coming from betting over 15 billion dollars on sporting activities occasion, driving the federal government to take into consideration legalization as well as policy measures.
Online Gambling establishments are also pretty prominent amongst Canadians as they make it very easy to safely as well as lawfully appreciate a legitimate casino expertise from the boundaries of your property and also the movement of your popular units. They have actually additionally taken note the market’s potential to conserve all of them time and money that would or else be actually invested in vehicle parking and also other conveniences at a traditional casino. The ever transforming online casino setting is also coming to be extra easy to use and satisfying as well as is actually bound to expand to even greater elevations of appeal in Canada.
Legal online gambling in Canada
In Canada, eachdistrict is allowed to manage online betting legislations in its own way. Online Gambling in Canada used to become disallowed until recently. This change pair of years back has made it suchthat this industry may currently flourishas well as Canadian players get to appreciate their favorite casino activities from the comfort of their houses as well as smart phones. The gambling rules in this particular country can be found in pair of categories; the First Nations Legislation as well as the Provincial regulation. This means that online gaming is actually totally lawful in Canada. The nations government rules are actually created in a fashion to pass policy of online gambling to eachrespective rural or even territorial government. Some local area rules however are extra limiting in evaluation to government regulation. The Ontario Pc Gaming Rule and the Area Bans on Video gaming are archetypes of these regulations. Gamers coming from Ontario typically have a difficult time placing wagers in lots of best online casino. Some urban areas, like Markham, have actually also passed laws that ban web based video gaming. It is actually thereby needed for players in Canada to know the lawful limitations around gaming in their particular towns prior to partaking in this exciting and financially rewarding sector.


text:
Xiaomi To Celebrate 2nd Anniversary By Giving Away Phones At INR 1
Jul 19 2016
But to enhance the curiosity of the media, Xiaomi has also announced that mysterious little friend will also be launched alongside the Redmi Pro and which is this device, their is no speculatio to this effect so far.
The announcement came from Xiaomi's India head Manu Jain, who also informed of the price cuts for the Mi 4 and the Mi 5 on Twitter. Initial rumours reveal that the Mi Note 2 will come with a 5.5-inch FHD OLED display, Snapdragon 821 internals, and a whopping 6GB RAM.
Xiaomi, which entered the India market in 2014, is celebrating its second anniversary in the country. The Mi 4 will be available for Rs 10,999, down from its original price of Rs 14,999. The Mi fans can enjoy the sale between July 20, Wednesday and June 22, Friday.
A day ahead of the Mi 2nd Anniversary sale, Xiaomi has launched a couple of new accessories that will be available from tomorrow. Xiaomi, however, hasn't announced any price cuts for the top of the line Mi Note Pro. In the flash sale, according to Hindustan Times, devices like Xiaomi Mi 5 smartphone, Mi Power Banks (20,000 mAh), Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, Mi Bands, and Mi Bluetooth speakers will be given away, however, in limited number. Those new Ni products for which you have been waiting for will also be available every day at 10 AM such as the Mi power bank which is a new addition to the power bank family with a capacity of 10000 mAh.
The Xiaomi Mi 4i will be available with a free USB cable and a USB Fan. Originally called Mi Piston Air Headphones, these boast a capsule design made using hypoallergic silicone earbuds, and a built-in mic with volume rocker. That aside the Mi Note comes with a 3GB RAM, 13MP rear camera, 4MP UltraPixel selfie snapper and a 3000mAh battery. One of the lucky user who purchases from Mi Store app would win a Mi TV.


text:
Members Include Former Commissioner of the Chicago and Washington DC Depts of Transportation and Co-Founders of Peapod!
Boston, MA – Coaster Cycles, a builder and operator of mobility products for the last mile, announced the addition of two industry leaders to its Strategic Advisory Board today: Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale: Managing Director at Kroll Associates, Inc. and Former Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, along with John Kim, former CSR, ESG, and Social Impact Manager, for The Walt Disney Company.
“Needless to say, we are thrilled that Nicole and John signed on,” said Ben Morris, Founder & CEO at Coaster. “As a former Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Nicole brings a wealth of leadership and expertise, while John’s tenure at Disney representing one of the biggest brands in the world leaves us feeling incredibly humbled.”
Coaster builds and operates eco-friendly mobility products that provide transportation, delivery, and branding services. Built in the USA, Coaster manufactures all models at the Company’s 24,000 sq. ft. facility near Missoula, MT. Enabled by technology and supported by ads, Coaster’s rental fleet provides customers a new way to ride, drive, and connect.
“I’m so proud to be associated with a company manufacturing American made, eco-friendly transportation solutions for customers at home and abroad,” said Nicole.
Coaster’s portfolio boasts a robust mix of public and private sector clients including Aramark, Nestle, Pepsi, University of Montana, Lime and Uber. Coaster Cycles are offered in two size options. Models can be configured to serve a variety of functions such as delivering food and packages, pouring coffee or beer, and servicing scooter and bike-share operations. Coaster Cycles operate in the bike lane, can access areas cars cannot, do not require a driver’s license, and can be outfitted with a variety of integrated technology features like Coaster Performance and e-assist.
“Coaster provides exciting solutions for the growing number of companies and brands that want to reduce their carbon footprint,” said John Kim. “Coaster has been providing eco-friendly transportation for over a decade and I am very excited to help the company expand its sustainability efforts.”
Nicole and John join Gabe Klein, former Commissioner of the Chicago and Washington DC Departments of Transportation and Venture Partner at Fontinalis Partners, Andrew and Thomas Parkinson, Co-Founders of Peapod, Katherine Allen, Angel Investor, and Harlan Platt, Professor at Northeastern University. Coaster is excited to welcome our new advisors to help advance our sustainability initiatives and grow the Coaster business in the US and abroad.
Full bios for Advisory Board below:
John Kim: Former CSR, ESG, and Social Impact Manager, The Walt Disney Company
John has nearly twenty years of experience at Fortune 50 and Fortune 1000 companies, start-ups, INGO’s/NGO’s, branding agencies and government organizations working in corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability, public policy, and international development.
He is a passionate believer that business can (and must) be a force for good. His most recent role was the CSR, Insights & Integration Manager at The Walt Disney Company, where he spent the last 7 years helping the company’s efforts to measure and report on its environmental and social impact, develop enterprise-wide CSR strategy, initiatives and programs, engage and monitor the ESG investor community, and more. Previously he was the Better World (CSR) Marketing Manager at Herman Miller, an account planner at branding agency, Lipman Hearne, and a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco. John has his Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a BS in Human Development and Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University. He is also the creator of the blog Virtuous Cycle, which celebrates individuals, organizations, and brands using bikes as a force for good.
For the next few months, John will be exploring the Atlantic Coast, from Maine to the Caribbean and back, on a sailboat with his family.
Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale: Managing Director at Kroll Associates, Inc. and Former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Services, U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration
Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale is a Managing Director at Kroll, a division of Duff & Phelps and the leading global provider of risk solutions, based in the Washington, D.C. office. Nicole has more than 25 years of executive-level experience and a unique viewpoint on global commercial and compliance matters from her extensive service in both the public and private sectors. Before joining Kroll, Nicole was at Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy consultancy, where she was Senior Vice President.
A passionate advocate for business, Nicole was nominated by the President and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA). In this role, she was the Chief Executive Officer of the industry-facing unit of ITA, serving as the liaison between U.S. industry and the federal government concerning access to international markets and U.S. policies impacting the competitiveness of U.S. exports. Before serving as Assistant Secretary, Nicole served by presidential appointment as the Deputy General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Before her government service, Nicole was a partner at two international law firms where she represented global manufacturing companies in significant commercial matters. Nicole earned her A.B. with high honors from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Katherine Kennedy Allen: Marketing Advisor and Angel Investor
Katherine has served a variety of leadership roles prior to joining Coaster Cycles as an Advisory Board Member. Katherine is currently finishing her doctorate in Leadership and Organizational Learning at Vanderbilt University and is an active angel investor.
Katherine previously consulted as a marketing advisor to Pacify who recently was acquired by Advantia in 2019. Prior to her work with Pacify, Katherine served as Director of Communications for Rally Health/Audax Health which was acquired by Optum in 2015. In addition to her experience in Health Tech, Katherine also has served in leadership positions as the chairwoman of the KBPK Foundation, principal at the Availor Capital, board member for the Prevent Cancer Foundation and received leadership recognition as a Dell #Inspire100, World Economic Forum Young Global Shaper, Bisnow 30 under 30 and the United Nations Foundation.
Gabe Klein: Co-Founder at Cityfi & Venture Partner at Fontinalis Partners, LLC
Gabe Klein is a life-long entrepreneur, author of Start-Up City (Island Press, 2015) and the former Commissioner of the Chicago and Washington DC Departments of Transportation. In both cities, he revamped technology platforms and government processes while focusing on putting people first vs. automobiles on city streets. This included launching two of the first and largest bikeshare systems in the U.S. and building protected bike lanes and better pedestrian infrastructure for vulnerable citizens citywide, as well as facilitating private services like carshare and rideshare that could help each city’s mobility goals.
Gabe honed his creativity and leadership skills at companies including Zipcar, where he served as Vice President, Bikes USA as national Director of Stores and his own electric powered, organic food truck chain, On The Fly.
Post-government, and after an enriching fellowship with the Urban Land Institute in 2014, Gabe joined Fontinalis Partners as a Special Venture Partner on their $100 million 2nd fund. Gabe also co-founded Cityfi in 2016, a national boutique innovation consultancy that advises governments and companies worldwide on innovation in cities including Singapore where Gabe has been a visiting fellow for the Centre For Livable Cities, working on creating a “car-lite” city-state.
Andrew Parkinson: Co-founder of Peapod, ItemMaster, & Sifter
Andrew is a serial founder of some of the country’s most innovative startups including Peapod, ItemMaster and his current company, Sifter. Andrew is currently Managing Partner at Sifter, a company that enables shoppers to find products that fit their diet and lifestyle.
As co-founder and CEO of Peapod, an online grocery shopping and delivery service, Andrew had overall responsibility for running the Company. He and his brother Thomas founded Peapod in 1989, took the company public in 1997, and sold it to Ahold in 2001. Peapod is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Ahold. Peapod currently has revenues of approximately $1 billion and over 5,000 associates (commonly referred to as Podsters).
Thomas Parkinson: Entrepreneur in Residence, Northwestern University and Co-founder, Peapod
Thomas co-founded Peapod with his brother, Andrew, in 1989 when he was 29 with $50,000 in seed money from friends and family. Delivering groceries via the computer, Peapod is the pioneer of e-commerce, being the oldest e-commerce company in the world. It maintains its leadership as the largest e-grocer in the country serving the Midwest and the East coast.
Thomas has a passion for creating unique on-line experiences and delivering superior customer service. As Chief Technology Officer and Head of Product, Thomas was responsible for Peapod’s web and mobile product development, IT infrastructure, supply chain and transportation systems, and R&D. Thomas retired from Peapod earlier this year and is now an Entrepreneur in Residence at Northwestern University.
Harlan Platt: Professor of Finance, Northeastern University
The company’s first advisor, Harlan is currently a Professor of Finance at Northeastern University’s D’amore-Mckim School of Business.
Aside from his position as a professor, Harlan served on the Board of Directors of Prospect Street High Income Portfolio, Inc., listed on the NYSE, and VSI Enterprises, Inc. on the NASDAQ and the Chairman of the John Hancock, CI Trust.
Coaster inspires communities and brands to move, connect, and deliver with the world around them. Coaster builds and operates eco-friendly mobility products that provide transportation, delivery, and branding services for a range of clients, including Fortune 500s, governments, universities, events, and retailers. All Coaster models are proudly made in the USA at the Company’s 24,000 sq. ft. facility near Missoula, MT. The Company also operates fleets in Boston, New York, and San Francisco and activates ad campaigns nationally.
To learn more, visit www.coastercycles.com
Follow us on Social Media –


text:
Speaking at the WhatsApp Delhi event today, government think-tank NITI Aayog’s CEO Amitabh Kant said that Facebook-owned popular messaging app, WhatsApp has been very slow in fulfilling the regulatory commitments required for the launch of WhatsApp Payments in India.
He also acknowledged India’s affinity for WhatsApp’s easy and simple user interface, and said “I believe it is a very powerful medium and the launch of WhatsApp Payments can prove to be a quantum leap for the digital payments ecosystem in India.”
Stressing on the importance of Indian market for WhatsApp, the NITI Aayog CEO said that out of 1.5 Bn global users of WhatsApp, Indians make for about 400 Mn and in the next four years there will be over a billion WhatsApp users from India.
Further, Amitabh Kant said that unlike the United States where data is owned by Google, and unlike China where it is owned by Alibaba and Baidu — India has created public entities such as Goods and Services Tax (GST) for tax data, Ayushman Bharat for health data and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) which links up 142 banks at the backend and enables digital transactions through UPI mode.
“My view is that India will be first country to make debit and credit cards redundant. India has built public entities, on the back of which companies can do all innovation,” he added.
In his opening address at the event, WhatsApp global head, Will Cathcart said the company has successfully launched a pilot of WhatsApp Payments on the UPI standard, and will be launching the service for all Indian users, this year.
With regulatory approvals pending for WhatsApp Payments following concerns about data storage and the fake news epidemic on the messaging app, WhatsApp has been having a tough time in India for payments.
The Indian government had stipulated that WhatsApp must comply with Indian norms, including complying with the Reserve Bank of India’s data localisation rules, setting up an office in India and appointing a grievance officer and formulate a team in India.
Earlier this month, Inc42 has reported that WhatsApp has resumed the beta test of the WhatsApp Payments services in India, with a select group of users. In June 2018, almost 1 Mn people were testing WhatsApp payments at the beta stage in India.
WhatsApp And NITI Aayog Partnership
Even though finding it slow in complying with the regulatory norms, the government think-tank has today announced a partnership with WhatsApp to promote women entrepreneurship ecosystem in India.
Under this partnership, WhatsApp will announce an annual calendar of events aimed at capacity building of women entrepreneurs and evolve specific programs aimed at addressing challenges being faced by women entrepreneurs. Specifically, this initiative will be focused on the registered users of government-backed women entrepreneurship platform (WEP).
Also, WhatsApp has committed to provide $100K winning amount for Women Transforming India Awards 2019, which is a flagship initiative of NITI Aayog organised in partnership with the United Nations.
Commenting on the partnership, Cathcart said, “Small businesses are the backbone of a strong economy and I am proud of the role WhatsApp can play in helping to build the next generation of India’s women entrepreneurs.”


text:
Over the weekend, the New York Times detailed Apple’s(s aapl) efforts to break through in India, including special monthly plans and discount deals. But it looks like the company might be employing another sales tactic as well. According to The Economic Times, Apple is getting ready to relaunch the 8GB iPhone 4.
According to the report, Apple is hoping to gain back Indian market share lost to Samsung after pulling the iPhone 4 from its lineup last quarter. CMR data referenced in the report shows that Apple’s market share in the Indian marked peaked in October-December 2012 and January-March 2013 at more than 4 percent. But that number decreased to just 1.4 percent in October 2013, after Apple stopped selling the iPhone 4. Samsung, on the other hand, saw its market share rise from 33 to 42 percent during that period.
Bringing back the iPhone 4 would…
View original post 168 more words


text:
July 29, 2022
Participants in the ribbon cutting included (from left) Chris Bruno, Councilmembers Jon Stehle and Tom Ross, David Meyer and Michael Haft, plus Steven Pongrace (third from right).
Stories this photo appears in:
Compass Coffee is a hit in Fairfax City.
Compass Coffee hit the ground running, becoming an instant hit in Fairfax City as soon as it opened this spring in the Point 50 shopping center.


text:
Beauty brand Bobbi Brown is to open its first standalone UK store at Westfield London next month, Retail Week can reveal.
The 927 sq ft shop forms part of the beauty brand’s global expansion strategy to open stores in major cities.
Bobbi Brown is one of three new beauty openings at Westfield London. Molton Brown has signed to open a shop in the scheme in October while this week cosmetics giant Mac relocated to a larger 2,000 sq ft shop in the centre, it is understood.
Westfield London has also signed fashion retailer Weekend Max Mara, which will open a store in the centre in December. Sales at Westfield London, which opened in 2008, have surged 40% in the last five years and the scheme has signed 23 new retailers in the last 12 months alone. The centre is now 99% let.
Westfield director of operations Bill Giouroukos said: “Westfield London continues to build on an already strong year and is thrilled to welcome these new retailers who will once again widen what can be offered to customers. Despite opening in a global recession back in 2008, our sales have grown by over 40% and footfall has grown by over 20% in the past five years.”


text:
Dairy Australia Fortnightly Update25 March 2013
GLOBAL - A roundup up of the main dairy processing and trading news is provided by Dairy Australia in their fortnightly update.
Expanded drought declarations in New Zealand and reports of sluggish milk production in Europesaw GlobalDairyTrade (GDT) prices surge again this week, as the Trade Weighted Index climbed 14.8per cent.
Despite receiving some rainfall, the entire North Island is now drought declared, and this together with a reduction in WMP offer volumes to around 5,500 tonnes (from previous estimates of 8,000) saw earlier supply concerns compel buyers to bid up prices 21.2per cent to a record average price of US$5,116/t.
Prices are relatively constant across delivery periods out to August, with Contract 6 for September delivery attracting a markedly lower average of US$4,285/t – hinting that supply concerns extend out until the 2013/14 southern hemisphere season approaches its peak. SMP prices were up a solid 7.7per cent to US$4,050/t – nonetheless representing a huge discount to WMP.
There were increases for all other products as well, with fats and cheddar also firming significantly. Full results at www.globaldairytrade.info. Meanwhile, supply concerns have eased a little in the US, where the USDA has raised its milk production forecast for calendar 2013 to a shade under 94 million litres – representing growth of 0.8per cent on 2012 production.
February data confirms growth of 0.3per cent compared to February 2012 on a leap year-adjusted basis, despite the milking herd at 32,000 head or 0.3 per cent smaller.
The February Milk Production Report was the last for at least six months from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), which has suspended the report’s publication until at least the end of the US fiscal year (30 September 2013) due to ‘sequestration’-related budget cuts arising from political stalemate.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced a decision to take part in the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) negotiations, joining 11 other countries including New Zealand, the US and Australia.
Uncertainty remains as to the effect internal opposition within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will have on the timeline and outcomes of the negotiation process, given previous advocacy from within the LDP for exclusion of ‘sensitive’ agricultural commodities including dairy from the negotiations.
The Australian Front
Burra has announced its third step-up: 8c/kg butterfat and 20c/kg protein. In addition, the Korumburra-based company has brought forward the payment of its ‘Burra Supply Incentive’ of 4c/kg butterfat and 10c/kg protein.
Woolworths (WOW) are considering direct supply arrangements with farmers: the Australian Financial Review reported that WOW is looking at procuring milk directly from farmers and marketing it under a ‘Farmers’ Own’ brand. Without further details to hand, some are cautiously optimistic about the potential impact of supermarket-farmer supply arrangements on dairy farmers.
Murray Goulburn (MG) has flagged several changes to its supplier payment system, including: (1) replacing the three existing base prices with one base price; (2) flattening the price curve by increasing the base price over Sep-Dec peak months vs. off-peak months; (3) simplifying the flat milk incentive (‘Domestic Incentive’); (4) ‘amend’(ing) the protein/fat ratio to ‘better reflect the
recent increase in market value of fat products’; (5) simplifying productivity incentives/volume charges; and (6) ‘amend’[ing the] ‘pick-up’ charge to ‘better reflect true costs.’ MG also recently announced it is taking full ownership of its China-based infant formula JV MG Qingdao (MG previously had 51per cent). he says.


text:
There’s a few bits of news to go over including the another Lovecraft inspired game, the next Call of Duty Black Ops 3 DLC and Tokyo 42. Then there’s the latest releases and UK all format charts
Loads of press releases to the rounds and there’s never enough time to go through them all. This show hopes to fix that.
The Tuesday show goes through some of the missed releases and gives you what games are coming out that week.
The Friday Show is all releases and all news!
Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0
“Digital Camo Looping Background”
Beachfront, Via Videvo
Creative Commons 3.0


text:
Twitter founder Evan Williams has posted on the official blog that the company will be buying Tweetie, an iPhone app currently available in the App Store, from creator Loren Brichter. The app will be renamed Twitter for iPhone and released in the App Store for free. Williams says that Twitter users ...
Deals of the Daymore deals
Software Updatesmore updates
- Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 available, bringing new characters, physics and more
- Agile Partners releases Lick of the Day 2.0
- Google announces new Hangout app to hit iOS today
- Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Update 14.3.4
- Pixelmator 2.2 available with over 100 new features and improvements
- DabKick for iPhone lets you share photos, watch videos and now listen to music in real-time
Featured Storiesmore stories
I'm never leaving home without my pogo connect again. Love this thing.


text:
People with a fear of small holes have claimed the design of Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro is triggering their phobia… And hundreds of smartphone users now claim the new design has triggered their “trypophobia”, an aversion to the sight of clusters of small holes.
Vision scientist Dr Geoff Cole, at the University of Essex, was part of the first full scientific study of trypophobia, working with his colleague, Prof Arnold Wilkins. “We have all got it, it’s just a matter of degree,” Dr Cole told BBC News earlier this year. The response to seeing small holes can be very extreme, their study suggests. “It can be quite disabling,” Prof Wilkins added.
MacDailyNews Take: Oh, for Jobs’ sake! Imagine these poor souls having to watch this on their iPhone 11 Pros:


text:
OTTAWA, Sept. 17 /CNW Telbec/ - Overlay.TV, an Canadian startup
determined to change the face of video advertising on the web was honoured
yesterday at the first annual Red Herring Top 50 Awards in Mont Tremblant as
the Ottawa-based company walked away with the top prize. The nominees were
evaluated on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial
performance, technology innovation, quality of management, execution of
strategy and integration into their ecosystem.
"You build a company in a new space hoping that people will see the same
future that you see," said Rob Lane, President and CEO of Overlay.TV. "Awards
are nice, but knowing that people can look at your product under great
scrutiny and agree on its potential to challenge the status quo and make money
doing it - that's the real validation for me."
Overlay.TV, an interactive media platform that gives video creators and
viewers the power to add a layer of custom-designed, clickable content over
any embeddable online video through a drag-and-drop interface, launched its
public site earlier this month and has already received acclaim in the
blogosphere and technology news for its innovative approach to online video
To support the launch, Overlay.TV will be sponsoring a weekly news show
about the online video space, hosted by Canadian new media journalist Amber
MacArthur, entitled "The Overview." Set to launch the first episode next week,
the show will take viewers inside the online video space with what's new in
video news, production tips and interviews with video producers and a
spotlight on the platform's best content producers.
Though focused on creating a tool that is simple for content producers to
create and monetize interactive video, the company's ambitions are much
"The reality is that companies want to do more with online video, but
they don't know how to make it profitable," said Ben Watson, Vice President of
Marketing for Overlay.TV. "People don't want to wait through pre-roll ads, but
that's the dominant model because currently, there's nothing better. We're
confident that our tool is going to change that and allow a lot more companies
to enter the online video space with a solid business strategy."
Nettwerk Records was among the first of these companies to enter the
interactive video space with Overlay.TV, and many more corporate partners will
be announced in the coming weeks.
Overlay.TV is an interactive media company that provides a video commerce
platform that enables Internet users, content owners and e-commerce sites to
monetize and customize their video assets by Overlaying contextual information
directly onto online video content and linking to external websites.
Overlay.TV is a private company headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. For more
information, please visit www.overlay.tv.
For further information:
For further information: Ryan Anderson, Overlay.TV, (613) 266-9041,
firstname.lastname@example.org; Ben Watson, V.P. Marketing, Overlay.TV, (613)
219-6335, email@example.com; Press Room - http://www.overlay.tv/about/press;
Electronic Press Kit - http://www.overlay.tv/press_kit/EPK.pdf; Blog -
http://blog.overlay.tv/; Del.icio.us Page - http://del.icio.us/overlay.tv;
News RSS Feed - http://blog.overlay.tv/category/in-the-news/rss


text:
NEW YORK, N.Y. – T-Mobile US Inc.’s fourth-quarter profit nearly tripled, topping Wall Street expectations as the company added 2.1 million customers during the period
The Bellevue, Washington-based wireless carrier reported profit of 297 million, or 34 cents per share as revenue rose 1.1 per cent to $8.25 billion.
The average estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 12 cents per share.
During the quarter, added 2.1 million customers, bringing its total customer count to more than 63 million The wireless carrier said it was the 11th consecutive quarter that it added more than 1 million new customers.
For the year, the company reported a profit of $733 million, or 82 cents per share. Revenue was reported as $32.05 billion.
Shares of T-Mobile US Inc. rose 95 cents, or 2.6 per cent, to $37.40 in morning trading. The stock has risen almost 18 per cent in the last 12 months.
Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on TMUS at http://www.zacks.com/ap/TMUS
Keywords: T-Mobile, Earnings Report


text:
This article was written by Kagan Koc and Anatoly Medetsky for Bloomberg News. It appeared first on the Bloomberg Terminal.
Restrictions on agricultural imports risk stoking inflation that’s already running twice as hot as the government targets, according to the head of Turkey’s industry body for cereals and pulses.
The restrictions imposed two days ago apply to Russian agricultural products that include wheat, corn, crude sunflower-seed oil and rice, according to Zekeriya Mete, head of Turkey’s Cereals, Pulses, Oilseeds and Products Exporters Association. The group, which represents 500 members producing everything from spaghetti to chocolate biscuits, has contacted the Economy Ministry in an attempt to convey concerns, he said.
When contacted by Bloomberg, Turkey’s Economy Ministry declined to comment. The Agricultural and Customs Ministries had no immediate comment.
With Russia the biggest source of Turkey’s wheat imports, “eventually this may reflect on food-price inflation,” Mete said in a phone interview, referring to the difficulty of brokering contracts in new markets. “Our profits depend on low shipping costs, and if we are forced to buy wheat from markets further away, our costs will inevitably increase.”
Turkey’s food producers’ price index is running at its highest since 2015, suggesting upward pressure on prices that have already helped inflation soar to 10.1 percent — more than twice the official target of 5 percent.
Russian exporters have also asked their government to help restore shipments to Turkey, saying changes to licensing rules put restrictions on trade from early this week.
The measures will “extremely negatively affect the volumes of all Russian farm exports, primarily wheat,” the National Association of Exporters of Agriculture Products lobby said in a letter to Russia’s Agriculture Ministry, a copy of which was obtained by Bloomberg.
Dmitry Rylko, director general at the Moscow-based Institute for Agricultural Market Studies said Russia may have to find new markets for 600,000 tons of wheat was expected to go to Turkey for the remainder of the season ending in June. “This won’t be easy,” he said. “But something can be done.’’
The ban could hurt Russian wheat prices, which rose to a 10-month high last week. Russia is the world’s biggest shipper of wheat and Turkey its second-biggest customer for the grain.
Sanctions on some Turkish foods including tomatoes were imposed by Russia after one of their warplanes was downed near the Syrian border in November 2015. Although ties have much improved since then, Turkish ministers have voiced complaints at the pace at which trade links are being restored.


text:
Reeling from the negative press that began when it was revealed that VW had programmed their diesel cars to lie about their real-world emissions performance from 2009 to the present (almost 11 million cars are affected worldwide), the company is scrambling to jam a finger in the dike until it figures out what to do next. Oddly enough, VW surpassed Toyota just a few months ago to become the largest automaker in the world. But now sales have gone over a cliff because of the news.
Volkswagen is just beginning to talk to regulators about how to fix the problems with the non-conforming cars it built, but it is pedaling furiously to keep current VW owners happy. Effective October 2. the company is handing over $2,000 in customer loyalty cash to any current Volkswagen owner or lessee when they buy a new 2105 or 2016 Volkswagen.
To get the money, there’s no need to trade in a car. All a person has to do is prove he or she currently owns or leases a Volkswagen and then buy an eligible car. Ironically, the offer applies to the Touareg TDI, which is equipped with the company’s V-6 diesel engine. That powerplant meets all current emissions standards and is used in various cars manufactured by the Volkswagen Group, including the Porsche Cayenne.
Volkswagen says the offer is in addition to any other incentives currently offered on any of its cars and that includes the $4,000 rebate available on the slow selling CC “4 door coupe” sedan, EOS convertible and Touareg models. It is also available to family members. The offer ends November 2.
The cash incentive seems to be working. Even though Volkswagen sales have plummeted since the announcement about its emissions cheating scandal, several dealers have reported an uptick in business in the past few days. Michael Morais, president of the New York based Open Road Auto Group, says his two VW stores saw a “significant” increase in sales over the weekend since the programs took effect on Oct. 2. “We have felt an immediate impact,” Morais told Auto Week. “The support has been greatly appreciated.”
Meanwhile, Volkswagen of America CEO Michael Horn will give testimony on October 8 to the House Energy and Commerce committee. According to Hybrid Cars, he is expected to tell the panel that each of the three generations of the affected 2.0-liter diesel engines will require a different fix. Some of the cars will need software updates while others will need to be fully outfitted with a Urea injection system. He says VW technical teams are “working tirelessly” to find solutions to the emissions problems.
The company announced on October 7 that VW has withdrawn its request to the EPA to certify its 2106 diesel engined cars in the US. That move is the opening gambit in the company’s discussions with regulators about what action the EPA will require. How much this mess will cost the company won’t be known until the EPA decides what actions it will require the company to take in order to make the non-conforming cars comply with US emissions regulations.
Photo Credit: Volkswagen.


text:
Video Industry News Video Company News Technology Industry News Technology Company News Novelty Industry News Novelty Company News Gay Industry News Gay Company News Legal Industry News All Company News
Released: Mar 01st, 2006
Running Time: 100
Director: J Bleazy
Company: Fatt Entertainment
Distribution Companies: Antigua Pictures
Cast: Holly Wellin, Paulina (I), Tommy Gunn, Mr. Marcus, Eva (I), Cherokee (III), Rose (I), Naveah
Critical Rating: AAA
Naveah could stop traffic wearing that one-piece bathing suit - one piece of string, basically. She looks smoking hot getting banged by Mr. Marcus outside in a parking lot. The rest of this ethnically enhanced title, however, is fairly standard.
In addition to Naveah, Mr. Marcus takes care of a Latina in braces named Paulina and butt-bouncing hardbody Cherokee. Brit Holly Wellin starts off her scene sucking on a big black dildo, but ends up going white with Tommy Gunn.
Retailing: Stock with Interracial titles.


text:
If you are looking to run a Large Language Model (LLM), like ChatGPT, offline and on your local PC, then you should know how to run an LLM locally. LLMs are a type of model that is trained on massive amounts of text data. This allows them to generate human-quality text, translate languages, debug code, […]
A research about prompting tips for Large Language Models (LLMs), like the ones used in Bard or ChatGPT reveals some possible suggestions on how to talk with them in order to get exactly what we want. Some of these tips are quite trivial, or even contradictory, while others seem interesting to try out. I think […]
When talking about AI, two big names are making news lately: ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. In this article we’ll compare OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 and Google’s Bard with Gemini Pro, highlighting how they’re changing the way we interact with technology. Gemini Pro and GPT4 are both large language models (LLMs) that have been trained on massive amounts […]
Big news in the world of generative AI! Mistral AI, a startup based in the heart of Paris, has just landed a massive €450 million investment. This incredible financial boost has skyrocketed the company’s worth to an astounding $2 billion. It’s a game-changer, not just for Mistral AI, but for the entire European AI scene, […]
OpenAI’s upcoming custom GPTs marketplace is poised to be a game-changer in the field of artificial intelligence. Or at least, that’s what it seems. This emerging marketplace promises to revolutionize our interaction with AI, much like the app stores transformed our mobile experience. It’s an exciting time to be at the forefront of AI innovation, where we’re not just observers but active participants in shaping this technology.
OpenAI’s ongoing quest to improve ChatGPT continues to bear fruit with the rollout of its Vision and Speech-to-Text (STT) capabilities. While the Vision component was initially announced at launch but postponed due to privacy concerns, it is now ready to impress its users in the way ChatGPT 4 interacts with content other than text. These […]


text:
On Monday, Bonza’s inaugural flight departed from its Sunshine Coast home hub for the first time, carrying commercial passengers, including Bonza’s first customers and invited community members, to the Whitsunday coast.
Flights on Bonza, which went on sale last week, start at $49 and go up to $79, and the route is the first of 27 that will be progressively pushed out to a total of 17 destinations (one way).
The CEO of Bonza, Tim Jordan, expressed his company’s excitement at the prospect of bringing Australians together for holidays and family time.
Two of the most popular tourist spots in the country are a great place to begin. We are honoured to transport you to the Whitsunday Islands to go snorkelling or to the Sunshine Coast, known as “Australia’s Craft Beer Capital.” The demand for today’s historic trip is excellent because Australians are eager to see more of their backyard.
In order to fulfil Bonza’s goal of opening up untapped regional tourism markets, he is overjoyed to be able to help out previously underserved communities. Jordan also disclosed that since the app went on sale a few days earlier, over 10,000 tickets had been purchased by eager Australians (and counting).
He explained that the airline’s first passengers will experience “a new way of flying” in which “we maintain the bar high on quality, and we keep our expenses low.”
Fly Bonza app users may request an all-Australian meal to be served to their seats at any time during the flight. Food and drink providers from around the country were invited on today’s flight, along with local menu partners participating in future regional debuts of Bonza.
The CEO of the Sunshine Coast Airport, Andrew Brodie, called the launch of Australia’s newest low-cost airline, Bonza, “a remarkable day for the Sunshine Coast.” The inaugural flight was bound for the Whitsundays, making that and other incredible destinations much more accessible to the average Australian.
With Bonza’s new services, the airport and surrounding area may expect an influx of 772,000 passengers and an increase in tourist spending of over $86 million in the next year.
Our cooperation with Bonza is only the beginning of what we hope will be a prosperous future filled with the addition of more destinations to our airport that will boost the local economy through increased tourism and creating jobs.


text:
Looking to buy an Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2 directly from Apple? You’re in luck. Following a patent dispute over Apple’s use of the device’s blood oxygen sensor, the International Trade Commission (ITC) halted sales and imports of those two models. Now, that ruling has been suspended courtesy of a federal appeals court.
Following the lifting of the ban, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are up for sale in some physical Apple Stores with greater availability expected by Saturday, Apple spokesperson Nikki Rothberg told The Verge. Online sales at Apple’s website are due to resume Thursday by 3 p.m. ET.
“Apple’s teams have worked tirelessly over many years to develop technology that empowers users with industry-leading health, wellness and safety features and we are pleased the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has stayed the exclusion order while it considers our request to stay the order pending our full appeal,” Rothberg said in a statement sent to The Verge.
Ordered by the ITC, the ban was put into effect due to a patent scuffle between Apple and medical technology firm Masimo over the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen sensor. Masimo has accused Apple of infringing on its patents by installing the technology into certain Apple Watch models. Masimo also claims that a meeting between the two companies a decade ago — ostensibly to discuss a collaboration — was a ruse by Apple to learn more about the technology to use it in its own products.
Further, Masimo has criticized Apple for hiring several of its employees ahead of the initial Apple Watch launch. Apple naturally denied the charges and also filed a patent infringement countersuit against Masimo in 2020. Following a judge’s finding that Apple violated the patent, the ruling went to the ITC, which then imposed the ban on the two latest Watch models.
The ban itself affected only the Series 9 and Ultra 2 and only sales directly from Apple, which meant the two devices could still be sold by third-party retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon. Also, the ban impacted only watches with blood oxygen monitoring, so models like the Apple Watch SE could still be sold. However, the ban also prevented Apple from importing the affected watches, preventing the company from sending the devices to other retailers.
Filing an emergency appeal to the US Court of Appeals to suspend the ban, Apple argued that it would suffer irreparable harm if the ban were left in place, especially since the ITC said it would require at least two weeks to respond to Apple’s appeal to the commission’s ruling.
The lifting of the ban is only temporary as the battle rages on. Apple has been searching for ways to resolve any alleged patent issues, including a software update or redesign of the affected watches. However, Masimo contends that the source of the conflict is hardware-based and that a simple software tweak wouldn’t fly.
For now, the US Customs and Border Protection is set to review any changes that Apple makes to the watches on January 12 to see if they resolve the matter. The US appeals court is scheduled to hear Apple’s motion for a permanent stay on the ban as soon as January 15. At that point, the suspension of the ban could continue until the court issues a final ruling on the patent skirmish.


text:
Mon, Jun 17, 2013 | 03:18 BST
Google launch Cube Slam to showcase tech
Google has launched Cube Slam, a multiplayer pong inspired tech demo for the company’s WebRTC tech for Chrome, which allows webcam and microphone sharing without plug-ins.
Clem Wright of Google’s Creative Labs posted that the game was designed to invoke the “structured intellectual discourse about exactly how badly we were going to destroy each other” of local multiplayer, online.
While WebRTC, is currently on supported on the desktop version of Chrome, the development team at Google are confident we’ll be able to play Cube Slam on phones and tablets later in the year as the tech makes the jump.
Although playing with a mate is a simple as sharing a URL, you can also play against the adorable Bob the Bear, the mascot of Google’s Ursine Diversion Division.


text:
Comprehensive interaction between the communist parties of Nepal and China
Kathmandu, 22 September: The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and Communist Party of China (CPC) are going to hold comprehensive interaction on deferent ideological issues on 23 and 24 September.
NCP and CPC leaders will hold comprehensive interaction, informed Devendra Poudel, deputy chief of the School Department of NCP.
Chinese Foreign Department chief Song Tao led delegation...
Dasain goods dumped in Kerung
Kathmandu, 22 September: Due to lack of containers to load goods, the goods imported for Dasain and Tihar festivals have been dumped in stores in Kerung.
As the road to Rasuwagari has been disrupted due to the rains, container scarcity has been witnessed in Kerung. The Pashang Lhamu Highway is disrupted due to landslides in...