text:
Profit Flat for Family Dollar in Q1
January 3, 2013,
MATTHEWS, N.C.-First-quarter net income for Family Dollar finished essentially dead even with its first-quarter profit from last year, totaling $80.3 million.
The dollar-store retailer was unable to move the bottom-line needle in spite of a gain of 12.7 percent in net sales in the quarter, which ended on Nov. 24. Net sales were $2.4 billion and included a same-store sales gain of 6.6 percent. Howard Levine, Family Dollar's chairman and CEO, said the top line benefited from early results from its sales-driving initiatives, and from strong performances in consumables, whose sales picked up 18.5 percent in the quarter.
Looking ahead, Levine said the economic environment as a whole remains difficult to predict. About what lies ahead for Family Dollar, he said, "We are seeing tangible benefits from our margin-enhancing investments in global sourcing and private brands, and as we work to drive further benefit from the investments we are making to expand profitability, I remain confident that our efforts will deliver stronger results as we progress through fiscal 2013 and beyond."
Other Articles By Author
Patti Carpenter Talks Color and its Importance in the Home
HFN's DIGITAL EDITION
2017 State of the Industry Report
Cautious Optimism, Mixed Results
Many expected 2016 would be a banner year, but the political and economic climate softened consumer confidence. It was also a year consumers spent more lavishly on home remodeling rather than decorating.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- TJX Unveils First U.S. Homesense Store - In a time when retailers are reducing store counts, TJX continues to get physical.
- Ikea’s Fluid Spaces - The retailer’s new intros reflect multifunctional rooms.
- N.Y. Home Fashions Market Preview - Textile textures get soft and cozy, colors warmer.


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If I had to choose four words to sum up Social Media in 2010 they would be the above digital technology related terms.
Social Media and internet privacy is a fairly complex subject. If you are a business or promoting a business, privacy is a non-issue. This was the year was that Facebook blew the lid off your data and Social Media privacy. After repeatedly tweaking it’s privacy settings in the past, in early 2010 Facebook employed the ‘LIKE’ button to opened the digital transparency floodgates. The short lived movement to “kill your Facebook account” was about as successful as the Thanksgiving TSA Scanner protests. Facebook has more daily page views than Google and chances are if you are a Facebook regular just about everything you say and do is out there for data miners to use and sell.
The upside of what some think of as “the end of privacy” could be an new era of improved digital responsibility. New media transparency seems to be putting and end to the anonymous flaming and trolling on news article comment posts and other sites. More and more sites are requiring signing in with your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or blog before posting anything. Faceless rants and anonymous rages are sometimes entertaining but are mostly degrading to the internet’s collective intellect and counterproductive to the reasons you are visiting the site. The State of California has a reminder for people writing fake blogs and creating fake social networking profiles. It’s called Senate Bill 1411. Starting this month it is now illegal to "knowingly and without consent credibly impersonate another actual person through or on an Internet Web site... for purposes of harming, intimidating, threatening, or defrauding another person." Who knows where this new law goes or how it effects innocent spoofs. The bottom line is that the day reckoning for digital responsibility is around the corner.
And that digital responsibility does not stop with the end users. Marketing tracking businesses and data miners beware. The Federal Trade Commission has recommended a major framework and plan for the commercial use of internet consumer data, including a simple and universal “do not track” procedure that would give web consumers the control they gained over telemarketers with the national “do not call” registry. Microsoft, Mozilla, and Google browsers would have to employ some type of user opt-in or opt-out for what data they would be sharing with marketers and websites. This seems like a common sense option to me; though this is the polar opposite of popular Geo-location sites like Foursquare. We are a diverse population indeed, while the FTC works on “Do Not Track”, millions of Smartphone adopters are working on “Please Track Me.”
We know there is really no ‘erase’ or ‘delete’ when it comes to the net. We use the latest tools to protect our passwords and keep our laptop safe from malware and viruses. We deal only with the most credible and security forward sites to insure integrity of or information and personal data. Privacy, transparency, and tracking all become pretty insignificant issues when data is breached. If it can happen to the U.S. Department of State, it can happen to any of us. Can you say Wikileaks!

domain: news


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The council of Banff, a tourist town known for its picturesque beauty, is working on Bylaw 420 to regulate marijuana sales.
Situated in the province of Alberta’s Rockies majestic mountains, the town has been advised not to have shops clustered all in one location.
Unlike other places, Banff attracts millions of visitors every year and its commercial district is small and restricted in size, making the dispersion of pot shops a delicate business to maneuver.
So far, the town’s council has been receiving input and ideas from people working in the marijuana industry.
“If people are coming there for cannabis, they will shop around that area. As part of just retail mixed use, it’s a good benefit as long as it is spread out throughout the community,” Martin said.
He added: “There is cannabis in Banff today. I don’t think I’m going to surprise anybody by saying that.”
Banff’s Appeal for Marijuana Business
Banff’s appeal is also the main reason why “potpreneuers” are interested in opening their retails stores in the town.
Banff’s director of planning and development, Randall McKay, said it’s why the council is discussing the bylaws to have their answers and solutions ready.
“I think people are seeing the opportunity to capitalize on this new form of retail that we’re going to see in society, that it’s something that people want to be a part of,” said McKay.
Currently, the council is working to redefine its land use bylaw for cannabis businesses. McKay said the council will discuss the issue later in February as nothing has been solidified.
Banff’s marijuana bylaw will definitely look different than other municipalities.
Due to its touristic nature, Banff has allowed the free market to prevail. It has permitted liquor stores to operate as any other retail outlets and not be government-controlled, explains why the small town has 12 liquor stores.
Time is running fast though as Canada wants to legalize marijuana this summer.


text:
Notice of the clearance was issued Tuesday.
The purchase stoked “Star Wars” fans because along with the surprise announcement, Disney said it would make sequels to the six-part series with plans to release the first in the next trilogy, Episode 7, in 2015.
Lucasfilm founder George Lucas is to receive about half of the $4.05 billion purchase price in cash and half in newly issued Disney shares. He has said he’d donate much of it to charity.
More breaking news
- Sonic plans massive 10-year expansion
- Revised fraud case against ex-leader of NY Senate
- State imposes big insurance costs on small businesses
- Entrepreneur, 90, finds the spice in life
- Power REIT closes on 450-acre Calif. solar farm
- Eastern Long Island revamping operating room suites
- Michaels confirms breach of as many as 2.6M cards
- Record labels sue Pandora over older songs
- Venture investments highest since 2001
- South Fork preparing for stellar summer


text:
Beyoncé made what she considered a major announcement on "Good Morning America" this morning.
But, the announcement wasn't about a new album or upcoming tour dates like many fans expected.
It was about her diet.
In a recorded message, Beyoncé extolled the virtues of a plant-based diet and praised The 22-Day Revolution for helping her get in shape.
The 22-Day Revolution is a food and exercise regimen devised by Marco Borges, the man Bey partnered with to start a meal plan delivery service.
In the clip, Beyoncé said,
Here's the clip:
However, many fans were outraged because they were hoping for more substantial news.
Also, Bey being a vegan isn't exactly new information. She started going vegan back in 2013.
Here are some angry responses from fans:
Citations: People Arent Happy About Beyonces Major Announcement (MTV News)


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To celebrate National Sandwich Day, Nov. 3, SUBWAY®'s Operations Team, which supports over 44,000 franchises globally, will be working alongside Milford Sandwich Artists®. The Operations Team will be making sandwiches and interacting with area customers at four Milford restaurants and several more in the Greater New Haven area.
“We were looking at this as another great opportunity for members of the HQ Operations Team to go into some of the local restaurants and see first-hand what is happening in the stores,” said Frank Buffone, the brand’s Senior Manager of Restaurant Operations and a former SUBWAY Sandwich Artist™. “I always thought our Sandwich Artists are the fastest, friendliest and most helpful restaurant workers in the Quick Service Restaurant industry. We welcome the opportunity to work and learn from the best.”
Buy One/Give One
On November 3, SUBWAY® is offering a Buy One, Give One event where any customer who purchases a Footlong or six inch sub with a 30 oz drink will receive an additional sub of equal or lesser value to give to a family member, friend, colleague, or someone in need. SUBWAY® officials said in a press release that they hope to inspire workers to join the #SaveLunchBreak movement.


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Oh, you thought that Hershey's Reese’s three new holiday shapes were the only peanut butter goodness we were getting this year? Target has an exclusive offering hitting shelves that will reaffirm your love for the candy.
At Target’s Holiday Press Preview in New York City on Oct. 24, we got a first look at Reese’s Polar Friends. The candy features the same milk-chocolate-and-peanut-butter combination you know, but the shape is new, a PR rep confirmed.
Reese’s Polar Friends have a fun winter wrapping, including a polar bear with a red hat, a snowman with a green hat, and a penguin. You’ll be able to snag this Target-exclusive seasonal treat beginning on Oct. 27, the rep told BestProducts.com.
No matter how many Reese’s we eat, we’ll never get sick of snacking on a new shape — especially when it’s for Christmastime and the holidays!


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By Fredrica Syren:
Plastic straws are a common plastic pollution.
These days, you almost can’t go to a restaurant without ending up with a straw. We have gotten into the habit of ordering our food along with a “PLEASE, NO STRAWS!” whenever my family eat out. I totally understand that straws are necessary for some people, but the fact is that a whopping 500 million disposable plastic straws are thrown away every day in the U.S., which turns into pollution of our planet, especially our beaches and oceans. Disposable plastic straws are one huge part of the plastic waste plaguing our planet, and if we keep up this wastefulness, it’s estimated that by 2050, the plastics in the ocean will outweigh the fish.
For Seattle, the month of September is the “last straw,” literally, as residents and businesses in this state are joining the Lonely Whale Foundation to help reduce ocean pollution by giving up plastic straws for the month. (The project’s cute name, “Strawless in Seattle,” is a takeoff of the movie Sleepless in Seattle.) The project is part of the Foundation’s Strawless Ocean whose goal is to remove 500 million plastic straws from the U.S. waste stream in 2017. So far, most of Seattle is joining the pledge, so big businesses like the Seattle Sea Hawks, Seattle Aquarium, See Tac Airport, Tom Douglass restaurants and Seattle Mariners are skipping straws for the month of September.
As with most plastic, disposable straws are incredibly wasteful because they are used only for a very short time. Plastic straws are made of polypropylene (#5 plastic), and although some recycling programs sometimes accept this kind of plastic, they rarely are recycled and instead end up in a landfill where they will take 100 years to decompose — or worse — end up in nature as plastic pollution. The first problem with this is, of course, the carbon emission and pollution from manufacturing disposable straws. But, straws (just like other small plastic waste) also pose a huge treat to wildlife.
Check out this video of the dangers plastic straws pose.
So, yes, straws are made from plastic that contains harmful toxins such as PVC, BPA (the most controversial) or vinyl, which contains phthalates and heavy metals. Plastics also can contain other undisclosed additives that we have no way of knowing about since manufacturers are not required by law to disclose their formulas. When disposed, these chemicals leak into soil, water, wildlife and our bodies. These very harmful toxins cause damage to our hormones and nervous system, and create all kinds of problems and illnesses.
Do you wish to nix plastic straws, too? The best options in restaurants, smoothie bars and coffee shops is either to refuse straws or bring your own reusable straws made from metal or bamboo. You can also join the strawless challenge on Stopsucking.org
Learn more about plastic straws in the ocean here:


text:
High prices can cause a financial obligation trap for customers whom find it difficult to settle payments and sign up for payday advances.
One out of 10 Ohioans has brought down a alleged “payday loan,” typically where cash is lent against a check that is post-dated.
But beginning Saturday, the payday that is traditional will go away from Ohio, because of a legislation passed away last year designed to split down on sky-high rates of interest and sneaky costs.
It should be replaced with “short-term loans” which have a longer loan payment duration, a limit on interest and charges and limitations on what much may be lent. The modifications are predicted to truly save Ohioans $75 million per year.
Home Bill 123 took impact in October, but companies had 180 days to change towards the rules that are new laws.
Payday as well as other little loan loan providers stated regulations would shut their businesses down, but significantly more than 200 areas have actually registered to work beneath the brand brand new guidelines, including 15 in Cincinnati.
CheckSmart announced Thursday it could stop money that is lending continue steadily to provide check cashing as well as other solutions as well as gather re re payments on outstanding loans. (more…)


text:
Chain architect and entrepreneur Oleg Andreev has said that in spite of “FUD,” markets have accepted Bitcoin is “not going away.”
In a series of tweets outlining the short-term prospects for the BTC chain, Andreev demonstrated recent price action was to an extent due to various industry actors’ decisions.
“At this point (2016-2017) it's pretty much settled that Bitcoin is not going away and must be owned, a lot,” he wrote.
“[...] To buy more, you need to spend less. Hence all these idiotic PR attacks on Bitcoin. China bans BTC 99th time" ain't good enough anymore.”
1/ At this point (2016-2017) it's pretty much settled that Bitcoin is not going away and must be owned, a lot.— Oleg Andreev (@oleganza) August 21, 2017
Optimism from throughout the cryptocurrency industry and beyond over BTC’s long-term price has come despite concerns that two hard forks will damage its reputation.
The advent of Bitcoin Cash (BCH) did little to affect BTC’s price despite its continued volatility, but tensions are already rising over SegWit2x’s fork in November.
Considering these alternate ‘versions’ of Bitcoin, Andreev dismissed them as nothing more than “FUD” which would eventually subside, allowing BTC’s price to “go up like crazy.”
“[The] last round of FUD before it's game over is [the] 2x hardfork part of [the] SegWit2x "agreement." So we'll have some price depression till November,” he continued.
“Eventually when all big buyers have spent all their money and ran (sic) out of dramatic FUD projects, [the] price will go up like crazy.”


text:
London-based fintech Paysend, has secured $65 million in a new funding round.
- Paysend enables international money transfers for consumers and businesses and have a global reach with access to 180 countries.
- They are currently partnered with major international card networks including Mastercard, Visa and China UnionPay, as well as local ACH and payment schemes.
- Paysend’s latest funding follows on from its $125 million Series B round, which was led by One Peak and the funds were used towards accelerating the expansion of its platform.
What does this mean?
Commenting on the fundraise, Ronnie Millar, co-founder and CEO of Paysend, describes the investment as “a testament to the strength of Paysend’s vision”, which he says is to build “the best-in-class cross-borders solution for businesses and consumers” while also making money transfers “simple for everyone”.


text:
Popular tipster, Ishan Agarwal tweeted that Xiaomi and Redmi could launch new laptops in India. Xiaomi and Redmi have not made any official announcement regarding the laptops yet
It looks like Xiaomi is planning on taking a step forward in the laptop market in India. The Chinese company released the Mi Notebook 14 series in India and is looking at expanding its portfolio in the laptop segment. According to tipster Ishan Agarwal, Xiaomi is looking at launching new Mi laptops and notebooks in India. He also goes on to state that Redmi is also planning to launch a product sometime this month. No other specifications were revealed but if the leak is true, then it will be the first time Redmi launches its laptop in the country.
Even though Redmi laptops have been available in China for a while now, the trend hasn't carried forward to India. But, it looks like that could change if the rumour is true. There isn't too much info to go on. There isn't any news on which models will be launched in India or even when. In fact, earlier in January, we reported that Xiaomi had launched its Mi Notebook 14 (IC) in India. The laptop was powered by an Intel Core i5-10210U Comet Lake processor and was priced at Rs 43,999.
We’re not sure of the specs of the Xiaomi or the Redmi laptop but if the rumours are true, we should be hearing more about them in the coming months. For now, the speculation is that we could see AMD powered laptops instead of the current Intel-powered machines in India. Again, this is all speculation for now. Xiaomi and Redmi have made any announcements yet.


text: A new report by the market researcher reveals that sales of foods and beverages containing soy have slowed significantly over the past five years, and if current trends continue, the market is expected to see a small decline through 2012. Soy-based Food and Drink - US- October 2007 places current retail sales at $1.4bn, or $1.9bn with Wal-Mart and natural food store sales taken into consideration. Although this is 16 percent higher than 2002 sales in current prices, it is only a modest increase of two percent after factoring inflation. Challenges The taste of soy products also remains a major barrier to sales, with 41 percent of consumers still reporting that they do not like the way soy-based foods and drinks taste. In addition, a full 40 percent of consumers said they have never thought about buying soy products, a major sign to industry that there is room for raising consumer awareness of the ingredient and its benefits. Some 27 percent of non soy-users report liking the products that soy-based foods generally replace, such as milk, meat or cheese, suggesting that soy is considered an inadequate replacement. This, according to Mintel, emphasizes the need for soy protein that can be used in original dishes without compromising on taste. Additionally, 23 percent of respondents to Mintel's survey said they find soy foods too expensive. "The industry needs to price soy-based products competitively with products such as meat, milk, etc, in order to increase penetration," wrote Mintel. Another main threat to the soy market is competition from other categories, such as granola bars, cereal bars and other nutritionally-fortified snacks. The market also took a major hit when the American Heart Association retracted heart-health claims linked to soy, said Mintel. In addition, mixed research results on the menopausal benefits of soy have resulted in sales remaining virtually flat over the five year period. Opportunities According to the new report, a major way to promote soy would be to target men with special products designed to meet their needs. Mintel suggests a soymilk-based energy drink that could contain taurine, ginseng and guarana. It also suggests highlighting the importance of protein for building strong muscles. Mintel suggests positioning such products as 'better-for-you' afternoon snacks for active men over 25. They should be sold in a single-serving bottle in easily accessible locations of the grocery store, convenience stores and drug stores, it said. These could also be cross-merchandised with other products that could include nutrition bars or soy burgers. In addition, Mintel's research finds that 20-30 percent of consumers use soy to supplement meat in their diet or to reduce it. "New product developers may strike a chord with consumers by creating a combination meat and soy product. It would enable consumers to link the healthy attributes of soy with the taste and texture of meat. Innovative products in this area may be able to move the soy market to the next level in sales," said Mintel. Ethnic consumers are also an area of opportunity for manufacturers of soy products. According to the report, developing new meat alternative products specifically designed to meet the flavor and texture preferences of this population segment may also boost soy food sales. Hispanic households are almost twice as likely to use meat alternatives as white households. While Asian households are significantly more likely than average to use tofu - a meat alternative frequently used in oriental dishes - black households index high on using breakfast items, chicken/poultry, deli, and hot dogs, compared to average households, said Mintel. More advertising in black communities may increase market penetration since half of black consumers said they do not purchase soy goods because they just have not thought about it. In addition, fewer blacks find the taste of soy objectionable compared to other races. Mintel also suggests the potential of developing innovative upscale soy products for higher-income consumers, as respondents with incomes of $75K - $99K are eating less soy now than they were one year ago. Segment sales Soy-based energy bars make up the largest segment of the soy food market, accounting for 37 percent of total sales. However, competition from other categories, such as cereal bars, has resulted in the soy energy bars seeing a 17 percent decline during 2002-2007. Soymilk sales grew 52 percent during the period, with segment sales reaching $464m in 2007, led by Dean Foods' Silk. Soy-based meat substitutes declined 15 percent after measuring for inflation during 2002-07. The category was significantly impacted by a $23m loss from major player Gardenburger. According to Mintel, other soy-based foods hold promise, having grown 17 percent during 2005-07. Among the most active in terms of sales are cereal products with soy, which grew 20 percent by addressing the need for protein- and fiber- rich breakfast foods that are also low in calories and fat. Mintel forecasts that the total market for soy-based food and drink will rise from $1.4bn in 2007 to $1.5bn in 2012, a decrease of 0.3 percent at an inflation-adjusted annual rate.


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Stories 1 - 20 |
Now Musk Is
Aug 17, 2022 6:50 AM CDT
Now Musk Is Messing With Soccer Fans
Tesla/SpaceX CEO posted he was purchasing Manchester United, then said he was just joking
- A tweet this week from Elon Musk in which he suggested he would soon be the owner of a top UK soccer team went over about as well as it did for Ted Lasso when he first showed up to coach Apple TV's fictional team. The Tesla and SpaceX...
What He Said
Aug 10, 2022 8:37 AM CDT
Musk Does What He Said He Wouldn't
Billionaire sells $6.9B in Tesla stock in case his $44B purchase of Twitter goes through
- Elon Musk has reneged on his vow not to sell more Tesla stock. The billionaire just sold $6.9 billion in stock in the company ahead of a court battle that could force him to follow through on his earlier offer to buy Twitter. He sold 7.92 million shares...
After Twitter Sues Musk,
He Sues Them Back
Aug 5, 2022 10:58 AM CDT
After Twitter Sues Musk, He Sues Them Back
Would-be buyer says his team was misled about user numbers
- Elon Musk accuses Twitter of fraud in a countersuit over his aborted $44 billion deal for the social media company, which he says held back necessary information and misled his team about its true user base, according to reports ahead of its public release. The
reports that the...
Judge Rules on Making
Musk's Twitter Suit Public
Aug 4, 2022 9:00 AM CDT
Judge Rules on Making Musk's Twitter Suit Public
Twitter lawyers say they need time to review countersuit for sensitive information
: Elon Musk’s answer to Twitter’s lawsuit over his attempt to back out of a $44 billion deal to buy the social media company will be made public by Friday evening at the latest, a judge ruled Wednesday. Attorneys for Musk wanted to file a public version of...
Elon Musk's Dad Doesn't
Sound Impressed With Son
Aug 1, 2022 1:16 PM CDT
Elon Musk's Dad Doesn't Sound Impressed With Son
Errol Musk gives a pretty savage interview
- There's apparently no love lost between Errol Musk and his son, Elon. The
calls the 20-minute interview the elder Musk gave to an Australian radio show "strange"; news.com.au calls it "brutal." The detail getting most attention: When asked if he was proud of...
Elon Musk Has a
New Reported Scandal
Jul 25, 2022 5:35 AM CDT
Elon Musk Has a New Reported Scandal
Tesla CEO denies 'WSJ' report that he had a fling with Sergei Brin's wife
- The reason Elon Musk's friendship with Sergey Brin has apparently gone south? A fling the Tesla founder had with the Google co-founder's estranged wife, according to sources who spoke to the
Wall Street Journal
. Musk, for his part, is staunchly denying the report. Brin separated from Nicole Shanahan...
Tesla Sells 3/4
of Its Bitcoin
Jul 21, 2022 1:01 AM CDT
Tesla Sells 3/4 of Its Bitcoin Holdings
Amid ongoing production issues
- Tesla had what the
describes as a "shaky" second quarter, reporting a 32% drop in profit from the first quarter's record levels and having a difficult time meeting demand due to production issues. Amid all this, it has sold 75% of its bitcoin holdings, $936 million worth,...
In Musk-Twitter War, First
Legal Battle Goes to Twitter
Jul 19, 2022 12:43 PM CDT
In Musk-Twitter War, First Legal Battle Goes to Twitter
Judge shoots down Musk's request to delay trial until next year
- Elon Musk lost a fight to delay Twitter’s lawsuit against him as a Delaware judge on Tuesday set an October trial, citing the "cloud of uncertainty" over the social media company after the billionaire backed out of a deal to buy it, per the AP . "Delay threatens...
'Eat the Rich' With Popsicles
Shaped Like Musk, Bezos
Jul 13, 2022 9:35 AM CDT
'Eat the Rich' With Popsicles Shaped Like Musk, Bezos
MSCHF artists collective has ice cream trucks in NYC, LA with the billionaire-shaped treats
- If you're in New York City or Los Angeles on Wednesday and want to work out your angst against capitalism, there's a frozen treat waiting for you, modeled after the world's richest men. Just stop by what's being deemed a "unique art pop-up" by CBS...
Elon Musk Fires Back at Trump
Jul 13, 2022 12:00 AM CDT
Elon Musk Fires Back at Trump
Who then fires back at Elon
- It's official: Elon Musk and former President Trump are feuding. After Trump ripped Musk as a "bulls--- artist" who lied to him about voting Republican (and predicted Musk will never run Twitter), Musk on Monday night fired back on, yes, Twitter. "I don’t hate the man,...
Twitter Files Sharply Worded
Lawsuit Against Musk
Jul 12, 2022 6:52 PM CDT
Twitter Files Sharply Worded Lawsuit Against Musk
'Musk refuses to honor his obligations ... because the deal he signed no longer serves his personal interests'
- Twitter sued Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday to force him to complete the $44 billion acquisition of the social media company. Musk and Twitter have been bracing for a legal fight since the billionaire said Friday he was backing off of his April agreement to buy the company. Twitter’...
One Clause in Contract
May Be Bad News for Musk
Jul 11, 2022 11:31 AM CDT
One Clause in Contract May Be Bad News for Musk
'Specific performance' term could be used to force him into buyout deal
- As Elon Musk and Twitter head toward a high-stakes court battle over his decision to bail on the buyout deal, stories have begun assessing the odds of which side might prevail. Generally, most see Twitter with the stronger hand, and a big reason is because the deal includes a "...
Twitter Lawyers Up,
and Musk Issues a Taunt
Jul 11, 2022 6:38 AM CDT
Twitter Lawyers Up, and Musk Issues a Taunt
Company hires heavyweight firm as Tesla CEO tweets a laughing meme
- The Twitter/Elon Musk soap opera appears to be headed toward a heavyweight battle in a Delaware court. Some new developments:
Bloomberg reports that Twitter hired "merger law heavyweight" Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and is expected to file suit this week. Twitter will try to force Musk
Trump Thinks of
Jul 11, 2022 1:03 AM CDT
Here's What Trump Thinks of Elon Musk
He's a 'bulls--- artist' who won't be buying Twitter, former POTUS says
- In case you were wondering how former President Trump feels about the Elon Musk-Twitter drama , he made his opinion known Saturday. "Leon’s, I’ll tell you what,” Trump started, apparently using the incorrect name. “Elon,
, is not going to buy Twitter. … He’s got...
Is 'Worst Case'
Jul 9, 2022 2:20 PM CDT
For Twitter, Musk's Move Is 'Worst Case'
Company might win a legal fight to save deal, but analysts say there would be drawbacks
- Twitter's stock price has dropped, its public image is damaged, and employee morale is tanking. And that was all before Elon Musk told Twitter and the SEC on Friday that he wants out of the $44 billion deal to buy the company. Twitter said it will fight Musk on...
Elon Musk to Twitter:
I'm Walking Away
Jul 8, 2022 5:56 PM CDT
Elon Musk to Twitter: I'm Walking Away
But Twitter says it intends to make him honor his deal to buy the company
The drama intensifies. Elon Musk notified Twitter and the SEC late Friday afternoon that he wants out of his deal to buy the company, reports the
Wall Street Journal
. He accused Twitter of failing to provide all the information he has requested on fake accounts. Twitter, though, won't...
Elon Musk Secretly
Had Twins With One of
His Execs Last Year
Jul 7, 2022 12:00 AM CDT
Elon Musk Secretly Had Twins With One of His Execs Last Year
Shivon Zilis has been working closely with Musk for a while
- Elon Musk's child count is up to nine, that the world knows of at least. The tech CEO secretly fathered twins born in November to a top executive at Neuralink, one of the four companies that have Musk at their head, according to court documents obtained by
Musk Vanished From Twitter,
Met the Pope, Came Back
Jul 2, 2022 9:30 AM CDT
Musk Vanished From Twitter, Met the Pope, Came Back
After 9-day online hiatus, his 'longest stretch' offline yet, the Tesla CEO is once more tweeting
- If you've been wondering why Elon Musk has vanished on Twitter as of late, don't fret: He's back. In what the
Wall Street Journal
calls Musk's "longest stretch without posting on Twitter in nearly five years," the Tesla and SpaceX CEO last posted on...
Jun 22, 2022 7:55 PM CDT
Musk Says New Tesla Factories Are Burning Cash
CEO calls Austin and Berlin plants 'gigantic money furnaces' because of supply chain, battery issues
- At some point, the Tesla factories that opened in Texas and Germany earlier this year will pay off. But at the moment, CEO Elon Musk says, they're money pits. "Both Berlin and Austin factories are gigantic money furnaces right now," he said, per Forbes . "It's...
Twitter's Board Unanimously
Recommends Deal With Musk
Jun 21, 2022 10:40 AM CDT
Twitter's Board Unanimously Recommends Deal With Musk
But his purchase of the platform still has a long way to go
- The pendulum on the Elon Musk-Twitter courtship has swung from no way to it's happening to it's off to maybe it's on again . A development Tuesday keeps it squarely in the "maybe" camp. Twitter's board recommended unanimously that shareholders approve the proposed $44 billion sale...
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an option like disable, whitelist, or trust and click it.
Thanks so much.


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As independent specialty retailers work to build their social media outreach along a variety of platforms, Facebook continues to be the place to go to reach the most consumers. According to the latest surveys from the Pew Research Center, even with Facebook’s recent scandals, Americans are using the social media site in droves.
Here is a primer on some of the latest statistics:
- Around two-thirds of U.S. adults (68 percent) use Facebook, and only YouTube, the video-sharing social media platform, surpasses that with 73 percent of adults tapping into the silly cat videos available on that site.
- Among U.S. adults who use Facebook, around three-quarters say they visit the site at least once a day. About 60 percent report visiting Instagram that often.
- Facebook is popular among all demographic groups, though some adults are more likely to use it than others. Nearly 74 percent of women in the U.S. use the platform compared to 62 percent of men. Adults in urban areas are more likely to use it than those in suburban or rural areas, as are those with a college degree.
- Facebook is used by half of American teens but is slipping among the 13-to-7 year-old age group, 51 percent report using the platform down from 71 percent in 2015.
- Lower-income teens are more likely to use Facebook than those in higher-income teens.
- Four-in-10 U.S. adults get their news from Facebook, mostly women (61 percent) versus 39 percent of men.
- Many users have altered their use of the platform. According to the Pew survey, about half of adult Facebook users in the U.S. have adjusted their privacy settings in the past year.
- Many adult Facebook users in the U.S. lack a clear understanding of how the platform’s newsfeed works, which means they don’t understand why certain posts are included in their feeds.
- Most Facebook users (74 percent) are not aware that the site collects information on ad preferences and lists their traits and interests for advertisers.
- However, once consumers realize that Facebook collects information on ad preferences, 51 percent of adult users told the Pew researchers that they were uncomfortable with Facebook keeping tabs on their interests and preferences.
Source: Pew Research Center
For more info on social media, read Desperately Chasing Social Media.


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Technically Incorrect: In a series of tweets, Markus Persson says he's never felt more isolated.
Hard-hitting phones were few and far between in Las Vegas, but we expect a bumper crop in Barcelona come March.
Icelandic band Sigur Rós made an appearance on Game of Thrones as minstrels at the wedding of Joffrey Baratheon.
In one of the weirder, more curious ads for any gadget ever, Nokia paints a nostalgic picture of, well, hair and its Lumia 2520 tablet.
Visa has ducked a bullet as Wembley took the blame for a fiasco last night in which no food and drink kiosk could accept any card payment.
A Microsoft project manager joins another company, but not before posting a YouTube video in which she sings her eulogy to Redmond. It is, in its way, affecting. Depending on your current emotional state.
At Microsoft's last ever CES keynote, the company has a choir warbling tweets halfway through CEO Steve Ballmer's presentation.
Today was a special day because it was the Buzz Out Loud Bonus Makeup Monday Show. Netflix is still in the news while some major rivals show off their goods this week including Amazon, Dish Network & Blockbuster. Facebook is scaring people all around the world with the latest changes. Is logging off of Facebook enough? And we hear from our fans in an extended Feedback Loop Loop Loop. We will be back live on Thursday at 10am PST so please tune in.
The online music service says hackers may have gotten their hands on the personal details of users.


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(Bloomberg) -- Walt Disney Co. said it has taken in $125 million in online revenue from “Black Widow” and said the picture, which prompted a lawsuit from star Scarlett Johansson, has outperformed other Marvel films.
New numbers were revealed in court filings Friday in which Disney asked for Johansson’s suit to be sent to arbitration in New York rather than conducted in a civil trial in Los Angeles, as the actress is seeking.
Johansson sued Disney last month saying she had been cheated out of money due because the company released the film simultaneously in theaters and online. Johansson said her compensation was heavily dependent on bonuses based on theater ticket sales and that the online release ate into that revenue.
Disney countered, saying the actress had already been paid $20 million for her work in the film. In one of the Friday filings, the company said it offered to include online revenue in the calculations for her bonuses, although it is not obligated to do so.
“Why is Disney so afraid of litigating this case in public?,” Johansson’s attorney John Berlinski said in an e-mailed statement Saturday. “Because it knows that Marvel’s promises to give Black Widow a typical theatrical release ‘like its other films’ had everything to do with guaranteeing that Disney wouldn’t cannibalize box office receipts in order to boost Disney+ subscriptions. Yet that is exactly what happened -- and we look forward to presenting the overwhelming evidence that proves it.”
The case has been closely watched in Hollywood as movie studios are increasingly releasing films online earlier, and such films are often likely to appear on streaming services owned by the same parent companies as the studios. That puts them potentially at odds with actors and other talent that sometimes get paid based on the revenue generated from the films.
“Black Widow,” which featured Johansson reprising her role as Natasha Romanoff, a Russian assassin turned superhero, was released on July 9. It has generated $367 million in theaters worldwide. Disney offered fans the ability to watch the film at home through its Disney+ streaming service for an additional $30 fee.
Domestic opening weekend revenue, with theaters and online combined, was better for “Black Widow” than other Marvel films including “Thor: The Dark World” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the company said in one of the filings.
Digital revenue opening weekend was $67 million worldwide, with $55 million of that coming from domestic customers.
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.


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According to Apple's design plans on file with Catawba County, the new 21,030-square-foot data center, also referred to as a "tactical" data center, will store clusters of servers. Permits filed with the county list the cost of the new 11-room data center at $1,885,129.
Mechanical permits for 5977 Startown Road, Maiden, call for the installation of 22 air conditioners, five fans, 14 humidifiers, six electric unit heaters, one electric duct heat louvers and ductwork. It will have only one unisex bathroom.
The building will not be open to the public and will feature tight security measures including 'man trap' security doors that will require a person to be cleared to get through a second door before entering. The building will also be surrounded by an 8 foot high chain link security fence.
Read More [via AppleInsider]


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By Anna Smolchenko, Automotive News Europe
Moscow -- Foreign automakers are loading their executive ranks here with more seniority and corporate clout to reflect the rapidly growing importance of the Russian car market.
Russia became the sixth biggest new-car market in the world behind the US, China, Japan, Germany and Italy last year on sales of 2.4 million units. It became the third biggest market in Europe.
According to Ernst & Young, the international consulting firm, the market will more than double by 2012 to 5.2 million vehicles, 4.6 million of which will be foreign models.
"Russia is on top of the list of the companies and is being given more priority," said Oleg Lukianchikov, a Moscow-based analyst with Ernst & Young.
Assigning more senior executives to Russia can help foreign automakers deal with status-conscious government officials, he said.
General Motors, Nissan, Volkswagen and Mitsubishi have all upgraded their executive ranks here over the past year.
-- GM for the first time has named a corporate vice president, 51-year-old Chris Gubbey, to head its diverse Russian operations. Gubbey, who had been managing director of GM Holden in Australia, took over February 1 from Warren Browne, who will head GM operations in Turkey. GM sales in Russia last year increased 96 percent over 2006 to 259,898 cars. The automaker markets five brands here.
-- Nissan has created two senior posts to oversee Russia, the automaker's biggest market in Europe last year on sales of 116,500. Toru Saito, a corporate vice president and head of the Moscow office, moved to Nissan Europe headquarters in Switzerland effective April 1 to take the new post of senior vice president for eastern Europe sales operations, with responsibility for Russia. Takuji Fujji, who had been vice president of corporate planning at Nissan Europe, moved to Moscow effective April 1 as managing director of the newly established Nissan Regional Business East, which will oversee Russia, eastern Europe and Turkey.
-- Volkswagen named Martin Jahn, 38-year-old former deputy prime minister of the Czech Republic, general director of Volkswagen Group RUS effective April 1. VW is expanding its sales and production in Russia with the aim of boosting new-car sales in the country to 300,000 a year by 2010 from about 31,000 last year.
-- Mitsubishi Motors last year elevated its Russian operation to a stand-alone business unit, meaning it reports directly to headquarters in Japan and not to the European office. Mitsubishi announced in March that it intends to build an assembly plant in Russia and said it would detail its plans within three months. The company said it sold 100,609 vehicles in Russia last year.
From Automotive News Europe (A Crain publication)


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The party is over, and Indians are slowly returning to the daily grind post-Diwali. BT takes a look at how online commerce has fared this season.
How did the marketplaces fare?
Redseer Consulting did a brief study on the sale titled, ‘The Great Indian Online Festive Sales Review’. The study makes some interesting observations of the ecommerce Diwali sales. The most popular items sold this season include mobiles, tablets and their accessories (50% of total sales). Clothes and fashion came a close second with 35% of the share of sales.
Anil Kumar, Redseer’s CEO notes,
“More than the GMV growth, the crucial development for the industry was that the growth came on the back of much lower marketing spends (compared to) last year, and the category mix also showed signs of moving away from mobiles-only dependency, both of which are very positive signs for the future of the industry.”
Redseer illustrates the major Diwali sales statistics in the following image:
The following graphic sums up the performance of the three market leaders in a simple yet convincing (albeit humorous) way:
The five days of sale in early October witnessed transactions worth $ 720 million carried out.
For the sellers
Most leading marketplaces had facilities for sellers including easy access to loans, training sessions etc. Flipkart gave out checklists to its sellers to help them minimise potential chaos. Amazon floated an incentive program for the sellers who spend the most on discounts, promotions and advertising. It also launched ‘seller cafes’ or help centres where sellers will get support on signing up, cataloguing and dealing with issues.
Some noteworthy trends
This season witnessed a few interesting trends:
- Snapdeal noted that footwear, home improvement items, dry fruits and lamps (typical Diwali shopping) dominated the sale.
- Tier 2 and 3 cities participated actively in the shopping. Amazon saw 70% of its new orders from smaller cities. Shopclues saw a 50% increase in the orders from non-metro cities and towns. Snapdeal said that 60% of its orders were from tier 2 and 3 cities.
Cities from Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and Jammu Kashmir shopped significantly online, said a Redseer report.
- Mobile shopping is steadily going up. Snapdeal noted that more than 82% of its orders came from mobile.
- Exclusive partnerships were all the rage this season. Flipkart held exclusive launches of electronics and apparel brands. Amazon had exclusive tie-ups with LG, Videocon and Whirlpool. Snapdeal launched exclusive premium Nestle chocolates.
- Amazon had the edge over old pal Flipkart in the sale of smartphones. A study by Ugam, an analytics and research firm, noted that Amazon had tied up with 70% of the biggest smartphones brands in exclusive deals.
- More customers opted to pre-pay their purchases. Flipkart said that its COD orders were down to 60% from last year’s 75%. More than 50% of Snapdeal’s orders were paid in advance.
Criteo’s observations based on 2015 sales:
What do the experts say?
Mihit Kittur, CIO and co-founder of Ugam, feels that with the increased choices available to shoppers, data analysis will help in streamlining the etailers’ efforts.
“Big data analytics is a critical capability that can be leveraged to get a comprehensive view of both customers and competitors to make informed pricing, assortment and promotional decisions.”
Dushyant Sapre, commercial director at Criteo India predicts the growth of ecommerce in India,
“it is expected that online shoppers in India may reach 175 million by 2020.”
So that’s another year of ecommerce’s biggest sale just past us. Hopefully, etailers have taken some good lessons from this year and will improvise on the problem areas next year. If you need any help in spotting and fixing your problem areas, give us a shout. Browntape is India’s biggest ecommerce service provider, and you can reach us here.


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|An e-commerce training course at an university. — Photo vneconomy.vn|
HÀ NỘI — The tight supply of qualified candidates in the labour market is a glaring issue facing e-commerce firms, according to insiders.
Lê Mai Anh, Vice Chairman of the e-commerce solution provider Smart OSC, said that his firm has 1,000 employees on the payroll and it needs about 500 new ones every year.
The firm has relied on campus recruitment to fill its vacancies but to no avail. Few candidates have the adequate skill set for the jobs. It has considered finding new blood elsewhere, such as in India and Sri Lanka.
"It's a tough job to recruit qualified staff, especially those who can speak English," he said.
The Vietnam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency revealed that just 30 per cent of staff in e-commerce solution providers have been trained in e-commerce.
The rest have graduated with degrees in other majors, including business administration and information technology.
The major-job mismatch indicates that the demand for e-commerce-majored candidates is significant and will grow larger in the next few years.
Vũ Thị Minh Tú, Public Relations Manager of the e-commerce platform Lazada, shared this view, saying that the demand for highly-skilled e-commerce candidates is soaring and has surpassed the supply.
The demand-supply imbalance has left firms with no choice but to employ non-e-commerce-majored candidates, including business administration and marketing, to fill the gap.
Trần Mạnh Cường, a human resource specialist at the e-commerce solution provider Sapo, echoed Tú's view, saying that candidates cut out for e-commerce are falling short of demand and this is where non-e-commerce-majored candidates come in.
A problem that compounds the situation is that e-commerce graduates themselves normally lack hands-on experience. Firms have to run many training courses to get them ready for their jobs, adding to recruitment costs.
Some universities have begun to adapt their curriculum to the situation.
Nguyễn Đức Tài, Head of the E-Commerce and Digital Economy Faculty, Đại Nam University, said that the e-commerce curriculum at his university has been designed for practical rather than theoretical knowledge.
Under the curriculum, his undergraduates are required to work in a team and create their own products to gain firsthand experience. The experience, he believes, would keep them ready for e-commerce jobs, obviating the need for pre-employment training.
Vũ Xuân Nam, Head of the Economic Information System Faculty, Thái Nguyên University, hoped that universities and firms would cooperate more closely to add more practical knowledge to the curriculum.
In response, Smart OSC said it is willing to dispatch its specialists to universities to help undergraduates with their training courses, which are expected to equip them with firsthand experience.
Nearly 75 per cent of Internet users in Việt Nam go shopping online and nearly 5.5 million users got in on the act during the pandemic, exposing the need for more employment in the sector. — VNS


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The Captain’s Table Innovation Challenge, a Hong Kong pitch competition focused on the maritime and logistics industry, is recruiting for its third cohort.
The challenge, now in its third year, is organised by not-for profit, Young Professionals in Shipping Network (Hong Kong). The objective of the challenge is clear: to build a sustainable future for maritime by connecting innovators to the corporates with the purpose of finding solutions to current and future industry specific problems. In a tech space that is fast filling up, and potentially becoming over crowded, The Captain’s Table sets itself apart by its not-for-profit nature.
Organiser, Tabitha Logan, believes that being not-profit allows the platform to remain objective by avoiding the conflict of interest between profit and problem solving.
“We want to become the go-to platform for the industry to collaborate and innovate with industry players and innovators,” Logan said.
“Our objective since the founding of YPSN HK has consistently been to build a sustainable future for maritime and we do this by providing platforms for people to connect, and by attracting young talent to join the industry. The Captain’s Table is an extension of our strategy,” said co-organiser, Su Yin Anand.
Working with Chris O’Callaghan who leads HFW Consulting, the organisers will be providing start-ups with an immersive bootcamp experience designed to enhance the business knowledge, personal skills and overall capabilities of the start-ups as they prepare to pitch live
The finals of the Captain’s Table Innovation Challenge will take place live in Hong Kong in early December and will be streamed via Splash. Finalists will pitch to judges and the winner stands to win $25,000.
In addition to the financial prize, the winning startup will have access to 12 months of free legal support from HFW, social media support and business introductions from Lloyd’s Register, business coaching from HFW Consulting and fundraising advice from Betatron Venture Group.
Start-ups can apply by clicking here.


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Verizon prepaid smartphone plans $5 off with Auto Pay option
Verizon Wireless has improved its prepaid smartphone plans last week adding significant amount of data for the same price. Verizon prepaid $60 smartphone plan now includes 2GB of 3G data instead of just 500MB while $70 plan has 4GB of 3G data instead of 2GB in addition to unlimited talk and text messaging. Increased data allotment is available immediately for existing customers while new ones can access it beginning June 6, 2013.
Even better deal Verizon prepaid smartphone plans users can achieve if they sign up for auto pay option, according to a Prepaid Phone News reader that spotted this offer at Walmart. Those who opt for auto refill, paying for the prepaid monthly service with a credit or debit card, will receive a $5 discount every month.
However, even with a $5 discount, AT&T’s newly launched prepaid brand Aio Wireless offers better deal to smartphone users. The $55 smartphone plan has a 2 GB of high-speed data and $70 smartphone plan has a 7 GB of high-speed data per month. Comparing prepaid plans from these two major carriers, AT&T offers high speed data and significantly larger data allotment on the pricier plan while Verizon definitely has a larger and more reliable coverage. In addition, Aio Wireless is available in only three markets for now, Houston, Orlando and Tampa, but will be expanded nationally “over the next year.”
The reason for both companies considerably improving their prepaid offerings lately is that new customers were opting for prepaid over postpaid by 10 to 1 in Q1 of 2013, one third of the entire smartphone sale was prepaid, and the fastest growing carrier in the same quarter was TracFone.
Source: Prepaid Phone News


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ELECTRONIC currencies are a kind of electronic money, that are as liquid as typical fiat currencies. There are currently over 600 electronic currencies that are also called cryptocurrency, that are currently in the market. They operate the same way as routine currencies, other than that they use cryptographic methods to guarantee they can not be altered.
Currently working as a debit card which needs to be pre-funded for usage in your area or internationally. Kudzai G Changunda is a financing and audit specialist currently working as an accountant. He is additionally a business owner and has great passion in small businesses and start-ups in Africa. Get access to VISA worldwide Infinite or Gold cards for the ease … Yes the funds are readily available once transaction is total and confirmation generated.
Gold-backed Digital Currency
The bother that some have, concerning this, is that, in the event where governments may be unfair, some CBDC purses might be blocked unjustly. In some extreme instances, the CBDC currency might be programed to finish particular deals, whilst failing in others. For instance, it can be programed to block alcohol acquisitions on a week-day or during specific times.
” It suggests anybody with neighborhood money would wish to transform it to international currency. ” What we have discovered is that demand for foreign money, in addition to being driven by the need to import goods and solutions in Zimbabwe, is also viewed as a store of value,” added Dr Mangudya. The development comes as the RBZ is likewise reviewing launching even more Mosi-oa-Tunya gold coins onto the marketplace to tame the current depreciation of the Zimbabwe buck on the parallel market. One possible benefit of using a gold-backed electronic currency is that it might help to alleviate inflationary pressures. In the last few years, there has actually been a growing rate of interest in making use of electronic currencies as an alternative to typical lawful tender. People will certainly be able to get the symbols through financial institutions and make purchases utilizing “e-gold budgets or e-gold cards” held by banks, he said.
In the past week, the Reserve Financial Institution of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has actually declared plans to present a gold-backed digital currency as “component” of treatments to secure the regional device. In an inflationary setting, the financial impact of a gold-backed money as a legal tender can be substantial. Inflation happens when the value of money decreases gradually, leading to climbing prices for items and solutions. This can have a variety of unfavorable effects on the economic climate, including minimized purchasing power for customers and raised expenses for businesses.
This indicates banks are forbidden from spending or trading in cryptocurrency, supplying cryptocurrency exchanges, creating systems for cryptocurrency trading and from recommending consumers on investing or trading in cryptocurrencies. forex robot claimed cryptocurrencies were not legal tender in Zimbabwe and is stressed that they may be made use of in prohibited tasks such as cash laundering or supporting terrorism. Rather, they advised that Zimbabwe liberalize its fx market. Nevertheless, the country’s central bank started offering electronic symbols on Monday to reduce need for United States dollars, presently the favored currency for purchases. The tokens are readily available for acquisition by people for a minimum price of $10 and by firms and other entities for a minimum price of $5 000 and will become made use of for deals. This type of money would certainly be backed by physical gold reserves, offering a level of stability and security that is not present in numerous fiat currencies, in theory.
Its usage as a currency and shop of worth is not brand-new, as it has actually been in presence throughout background. The restrictions likewise disallow clearing up third-party checks through crypto accounts and will certainly restrict withdrawals to two per quarter. The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Firm (ZBC) is the national brodcaster responsible for bringing information, entertainment, education and information to the global area. ZBC runs 6 radio terminals and 3 television channels, providing a mix of news, existing affairs, academic programming and music in English, Shona and Ndebele. The seminar will to name a few areas cover the vital elements of financial technology advancements and climate adjustment. The move to present a digital dollar, however, is an intriguing approach by the RBZ.
This country has greater visions and wants to make the future of the country to be cashless. Though debit cards and bank card have currently been in usage by the residents this digital currency is something else. Individuals in China are not behind when it pertains to searching the popular cities with these applications like WeChat rather than taking your purse full of yuan notes. China has set up problems in the policymakers for the money like bitcoin. Recently China has cracked down on the use of such coins and there have actually been numerous bans for the use of these.
The Swiss National Bank said in late June it would certainly provide a wholesale CBDC on Switzerland’s digital exchange as component of a pilot, while the European Reserve Bank gets on track to start its digital euro pilot ahead of a possible launch in 2028. Pilot testing in China currently reaches 260 million individuals and two various other large arising economic climates, India and Brazil, plan to release digital money next year. Individuals in China have made use of innovations like these digital assets because life there is really quick. With the launch of the electronic yuan, bitcoin needs to face a sudden reduction from this nation. While the government devoted to the Zimbabwean dollar up until at the very least 2025, their actions have many questioning whether this is the curtain telephone call of the second resulting the regional device. ZimStat was forced by legal instruments to abandon reporting inflation in Zimbabwean and make use of a blended CPI, which has actually confused many.
The continent’s most heavily populated nation has actually seen a surge in online money adoption, partially sustained by the high decline of the country’s fiat money. ” Existing trends worldwide have revealed that there is requirement to control the tasks of digital properties company which include cryptocurrencies and cryptoassets,” it claimed. While this might be positive on the balance of profession because exports become low-cost, the pay-off is lowered demand in your area as disposable revenues stay restrained.


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Verve Group, a global brand performance ad platform, announced Monday the acquisition of Nexstar’s digital video advertising technology platform, formerly known as LKQD.
The digital video platform reaches more than 200 million unique monthly users in the U.S. across desktop, mobile, in-app, and connected TV devices.
Sameer Sondhi, chief revenue officer at Verve Group, believes the company will continue to add new technologies, top talent, and scale its business lines through organic growth.
Verve Group is part of Media and Games Invest (MGI) and has an international presence of more than 200 employees in about 25 offices, spanning the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
It was acquired by MGI in 2020, following the acquisition of PubNative in 2019. MGI also acquired Platform161 in July 2020. The company will continue to grow via acquisitions that fit in its vision and mission, building out its portfolio of services.
Nexstar’s digital video platform connects hundreds of premium publishers, such as Samsung, Newsy, and Viacom with top advertisers and demand-side platforms, including The Trade Desk, Adobe, and Amobee.
The acquisition broadens Verve Group’s portfolio of advertising services, while adding access to CTV and OTT media inventory, an area of rapid growth in the digital advertising ecosystem.
CTV ad spend in the U.S. will more than double to $18 billion by 2024, according to eMarketer..
The acquisition also include Nexstar’s digital video technology stack, as nearly a dozen employees from Nexstar will join the Verve Group team. This includes members of the SaaS sales, product, and engineering teams.
A small portion of client overlaps exists, with some premium in-app publishers who focus on OTT and CTV.


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Market Sees Red
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Poor earnings results by big names such as Amazon.com and cautious words by the Fed kept the market in the red in midday trading Thursday.
internet.com's Internet Stock Index dropped 23.97, or 4.56 percent to 501.48 at midday. The Nasdaq Composite fell 67.16 to 2694.61 and for the second straight day the Dow Jones industrial average slipped 70.29 to 10932.4896.
Remarks made by Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan to the House Banking Committee did not help the fallen stocks. While investors were anticipating good news, Greenspan offered more warnings than expected, leaving investors wary.
He warned that the economy may be growing too quickly, and the Federal Reserve may be forced to raise interest rates preemptively.
In addition to Greenspan's comments, Net stocks such as Amazon.com (AMZN) and America Online (AOL) led the decline of online companies. Amazon.com released its earnings yesterday, taking a loss of $.51 per share, in line with estimates. Along with its earnings, the company also announced a 2-for-1 stock split and plans for more spending. Its stock dropped 16-9/16 to 108-7/8 by midday.
AOL had better-than-expected profits for the second quarter of $.13 per share and revenue of $1.4 billion. Still, its stock fell 4-1/4 to 110-13/16 Thursday afternoon.
On the up side, barnesandnoble.com (BNBN) is seeing the benefits of its better than expected earnings report. The company posted a narrower-than-expected loss of $.17 per share, beating estimates of $.24. Its second-quarter sales more than doubled to $39.1 million. It was trading up 1/2 at 19-1/2.
INTRODUCING INTERNET STOCK REPORT'S HOTWATCH HotWatch is an e-mail newsletter that features the top 10 noteworthy Internet stocks as chosen by Internet Stock Report's Steve Harmon. For $99 per year, subscribers will receive 12 timely issues bringing you in-depth analysis each month on the top 10 Internet stocks. Subscribe Today here.


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By Amr Abdel Hamid
The General Authority for Reconstruction Projects and Agricultural Development (GARPAD) has concluded deals to sell 3,000 acres from among 15,000 acres that the Authority submitted for auction in the Wadi Natroun area last month. The value of the land sold is approximately EGP 90 million.
Ali Ismail, Executive Director of GARPAD, stated that there are a 100 acres split into ten plots of 10 acres each will go up for auction today. He said that the land is reserved for individual buyers and not companies. He also noted that GARPAD announced on June 18th that 15,000 acres suitable for agriculture would go up for auction.
The auctions will proceed on a daily basis until all the land is sold. Ismail explained that GARPAD has sold approximately 3,160 acres to a mix of individuals and commercial entities. He said that the price of an acre varies between EGP 21,000 and EGP 24,000 based on the location of the land and the number of bidders. Islam stressed that GARPAD will continue to administer the auctions according to established rules for selling reclaimed agricultural land until all of it has been sold.
Ismail added that the value of the land sold is roughly EGP 90 million, saying that GARPAD will soon receive the first 10% of the land value from companies and individuals that wish to pay in installments in addition to a 2% commission. He went on to say that GARPAD requested winners make the first payment within a month of the end of the auction. GARPAD will receive EGP 8,980,299 in initial payments.


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Our industry is poised for future success, says Robert Roos, president and CEO of The Pronto Network.
The Pronto Network Partnership Award is given for commitment to The Pronto Network and its membership.
The awards were presented during The Group’s national conference and expo held in National Harbor, Maryland.
For our January cover story, distribution industry leaders reflect on accomplishments from 2022 and what’s ahead for 2023.
Next year will mark 40 years for Robert Roos in the industry and he says it’s been an incredible journey.
The CEO of New Jersey-based Samuels Inc. was honored during The Group’s national conference and expo held last week.
Part 7 in this series features Robert Roos, president of The Pronto Automotive Distribution Network.
Enthusiast Auto Holdings in Wadsworth, Ohio, distributes genuine, aftermarket and performance automotive auto parts.
Ten grand prize winners won an all-expenses-paid adventure trip in July to Denver, Colorado.
The national membership conference and expo will be held April 12-16.


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BOISE, Idaho – Boise Cascade Company has announced an agreement to acquire assets of Norman Distribution, Inc., a distributor of engineered wood products (EWP), commodity lumber items, and specialty building materials located in the Medford, Oregon market.
“Norman Distribution has built an excellent reputation as a strong industry partner throughout its four decades in this business,” said Nick Stokes, EVP, BMD. “The positive relationships they have built with their customers and suppliers have been a key to their success. We are very pleased to welcome their team to Boise Cascade and strengthen our presence in the Oregon, Northern California and Nevada markets.”
“Norman Distribution is excited and proud to join Boise Cascade,” said Jeff Norman, company owner. “We were one of the first customers of their EWP mill in White City, Oregon, which began operating in 1991. This is a great strategic and cultural fit, which will allow us to grow our product line and better serve our customers.”
The acquisition is expected to be complete in the coming weeks.


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Wall Street analysts weigh in on iOS 6
the 3G/4G connectivity for FaceTime and the introduction of Maps for iOS. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty, noting that the number of App Store accounts with credit cards on file has risen 78%, calls the App Store an "unprecedented asset" for the Cupertino based firm. She says that China is the key to Apple's long term growth. To that end, she was happy to see the new integration in iOS 6 with Chinese based sites Baidu, Sina, Youku and Toudou. Looking to ride the amazing popularity of mobile handsets in the Country, Apple has announced improved Chinese text input, a new dictionary and eight new fonts. Apple also sent Siri to Berlitz where she learned both the Mandarin and Cantonese language for Apple iPhone 4S users in the country. The analyst says that it will be iOS that will continue to drive Apple's earnings higher.
RBC Capital Markets' Amit Daryanani was at the event Monday and came away impressed with Apple's new Maps for iOS app, saying that it will increase competition with Google. He also believes that the new ability to use FaceTime over cellular pipelines means that an LTE enabled iPhone will be out by the end of 2012. Not every analyst left the Moscone Center feeling positive about Apple. JMP Securities Alex Gauna kept his "Market Perform" rating on the stock which means he sees Apple neither outperforming the market, nor underperforming the broad indices. Gauna said that most everyone already knew about the new features to iOS 6, Siri and iCloud which prevented the announcements to be a catalyst driving the stock higher. According to the analyst, this is why Apple's stock declined 1.6% on Monday.


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Australian consumers are more critical of companies on Facebook than on Twitter, according to new data from customer service comparison site ServiceRage.
ServiceRage tracks customer feedback, via social media, to 66 Australian banks, general insurers, energy companies and health insurers. Last week, ServiceRage added public posts to the companies’ Facebook pages to its long-term analysis of consumer tweets.
The Twitter feedback is 25 per cent positive and 75 per cent negative. The feedback on Facebook is significantly more negative – 15 per cent positive and 85 per cent negative.
ServiceRage founder Matt Travers said the pattern may reflect the nature of the two social networks.
“The 140 character limit on Twitter works well for a quick thank-you to acknowledge good service,” he said
“Complaints are often more complicated and difficult to communicate in a Tweet.”
“Facebook posts don’t have the character limit, so consumers are able to explain their issues in detail.”
“Twitter feedback tends to be very causal and immediate. Whereas Facebook posts are often more considered and formal – sometimes like a traditional letter of complaint.”
“So it’s likely that consumers who use both Twitter and Facebook are choosing the medium to suit their message. Facebook attracts more complaints and Twitter more compliments.”
ServiceRage has monitored customer feedback via Twitter since July 2012 and the analysis includes 45,724 tweets. ServiceRage launched its Facebook coverage last week and the analysis includes 1,680 Facebook posts
ServiceRage helps Australians find companies with good customer service by comparing feedback on social media. It classifies comments as positive, negative or neutral, using a combination of computer algorithms, editorial assessment and user feedback.
Companies are ranked according to their split of positive to negative comments. Comments are considered neutral if they do not express an opinion on the company’s products and services.
Mr Travers said the inclusion of Facebook posts gave ServiceRage a more comprehensive view of how companies compare for customer happiness.
“With 11.5m Australian users, Facebook is the most popular social network, so it gives us a broader and more balanced perspective on what real customers think of their service providers,” he said.


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Is It Better to Have Bad Credit or No Credit?
Something is better than nothing, except when it comes to credit. In most credit-related situations, having no credit may be better than having bad credit.
A recent study from ScoreSense revealed that 53% of Americans have been turned down for a credit card or loan application due to poor credit.
Bad credit indicates that someone has been trusted with a line of credit in the past, and did not manage it properly. This could have been due to delinquent payment histories, defaults/repossessions, or any number of factors. Lenders look at bad credit as a high risk, no matter what the circumstances may have been.
An applicant with no credit has not yet been evaluated. Lenders may be more likely to give this person a chance because there is still a low-risk possibility. With bad credit, all the evidence points to a high-risk relationship.
Earlier this year, Discover found that 82% of Americans check their credit score at least once a year, and 56% of adults are actively working on improving their credit scores. A report from LendingTree showed that a person with fair credit could spend $5,629 more on credit card interest than someone with ‘very good’ credit. Having a good credit score could save thousands of dollars in loan and credit card interest, depending on how much you borrow.
Ultimately, the best scenario is to have good or excellent credit. If you’re trying to build credit, you may start with a secured credit card or low-limit credit card. Make your payments on time and keep a low outstanding balance each month. If you have bad credit, work on repaying old debts to increase your score with time. These steps will pave the way for better lending opportunities in the future.


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The Porsche 911 Turbo is no stranger to top speed and a quick 0 to 62 mph time. But TechArt has always believed that enough is never enough. The German tuner’s latest efforts focus on a new performance package for the current 911 Turbo (not the 2012 model year 911).
TechArt’s TA 097/T3 conversion kit for the 911 Turbo includes an installation of a sport air filter, new manifolds, the VTG turbo chargers, high performance intercoolers along with an ECU upgrade.
Click here for more news on the Porsche 911.
That allows the 500-hp Porsche 911 Turbo to pump out a heart-stopping 700-hp with a maximum torque of 649 lb-ft.
That allows the TechArt Porsche 911 Turbo to run from 0 to 62 mph in just 2.8 seconds and 0 to 124 mph in just 9 seconds. Top speed comes in at a nice 219 mph.
– By: Omar Rana


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Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. TEVA 0.47 % has agreed to acquire migraine treatment-focused biotechnology company Labrys Biologics Inc. in a deal worth up to $825 million, as the drug maker looks to broaden its pain care offerings.
The transaction centers on Labrys' chronic and episodic migraine treatment, LBR-101, which is currently in Phase IIb clinical trials and could reach potential peak sales of $2 billion to $3 billion, the companies said.
Meanwhile, the deal itself includes a $200 million upfront payment in cash, as well as up to $625 million in payments based on achievement of certain prelaunch milestones, the companies added.
The acquisition expands Israel-based Teva's portfolio of pain care offerings, which include a range of investigational, approved and marketed treatments for migraine, cancer pain and chronic pain, the companies said.
The deal announcement comes a day after Teva unveiled an organizational revamp that includes slashing the size of its executive committee and appointing a global quality-control chief.
The company plans to combine its generic operations into a global generic medicines unit, which will also be responsible for Teva's over-the-counter business.
Teva shares closed Monday at $51.95 and were inactive premarket. The stock has risen 30% since the start of the year.
Write to Anna Prior at email@example.com


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May went Google’s way, according to new statistics from Experience Hitwise. Indeed, although the numbers supplied by comScore and Nielsen earlier this month suggested almost the exact opposite, Experian Hitwise’s data indicates that Google gained market share while Yahoo and Bing lost.
So how big was the search giant’s (alleged) gain? Experian Hitwise believes Google saw its market share increase from 71.40 percent to 72.17 percent on a month-over-month basis, which works out to an increase of 1.1 percent.
Yahoo, meanwhile, is supposed to have seen its share drop from 14.96 percent to 14.43 percent for a loss equal to about 3.5 percent. Then Bing wound up in slightly better shape, experiencing a 2.1 percent drop that took it from a market share of 9.43 percent down to 9.23 percent.
Those figures represent pretty bad news for Steve Ballmer and Carol Bartz. Their companies are of course supposed to combine forces in order to make a dent in Google’s dominance, and now – assuming they can pull that off at all – they’ll be facing an even steeper uphill climb.
Anyway, if you’re interested in what contributed to those final numbers, Experian Hitwise shared a little more information in an official release, stating "Google’s percentage of upstream traffic grew for the Automotive, Shopping and Travel categories. Yahoo! Search saw gains in the Automotive and Shopping categories. Bing saw triple-digit growth in two categories – Health and Shopping . . ."
As always, we’ll be sure to see what happens next month.


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El Salvador President Nayib Bukele stepped in on Wednesday to carefully handle the fraught roll-out of a payments app that underpins the nation’s adoption of bitcoin as legal tender, and known as on people to report any complications on his Twitter feed.
Adopting language related to IT departments in places of work all over the globe, Bukele asked end users to close and restart the app if a “currently below maintenance” error monitor appeared.
The historic adoption of bitcoin as legal tender by the Central American nation has been beset by teething troubles that have contributed to a rout in the benefit of the digital currency globally.
Bitcoin continued to get rid of floor on Wednesday, trading down by a lot more than 1.7% to about $46,000 at 12 p.m. EST.
That has not stopped some bullish forecasts about its long term, with a new cryptocurrency analysis group at Common Chartered predicting bitcoin will hit $100,000 by early up coming calendar year and could be worthy of as significantly as $175,000 longer-expression.
Bukele has despatched a stream of Twitter messages more than the earlier 36 several hours instructing customers on how to download the governing administration-backed Chivo app which guarantees commission-totally free transactions and which his administration hopes will be adopted by the unbanked.
Right away the president claimed the application, a digital wallet, was remaining disconnected for the next time to “improve user experience and the difficulties it had during the working day.”
“We hope that tomorrow will be much improved,” he wrote in a tweet.
A number of consumers replied in his responses segment to report ongoing set up complications.
Notwithstanding the technical challenges, the app’s roll-out seems to have created a excitement in El Salvador, in element thanks to a government handout of $30 in bitcoin to each individual local user who indications up, and despite polls that display many individuals are wary of bitcoin’s volatility.
On the El Salvador edition of Apple’s App Keep, Chivo was the No. 1 downloaded monetary application on Wednesday.
Bukele previously said only a few mobile phone models would initially have access to the app on Google Pay out to steer clear of a hurry that could collapse the procedure.
Reuters could not promptly figure out how lots of periods the app experienced been downloaded.
International vendors working in El Salvador were accepting bitcoin at some outlets, which includes McDonald’s and Starbucks, alongside with quite a few nearby stores.
Bukele, 40, who is performing well in view polls but has been accused of eroding democracy, is a major user of social media to govern and interact with the populace.


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Largest Google Core Algorithm Update in 2018
Last updated on Tuesday, August 7, 2018
August has started with a lot of fluctuations in rankings!
Here at AccuRanker, we have clearly seen the fluctuations in rankings with our Google Grump tool. Google Grump has been showing FURIOUS (high ranking fluctuations indicating an algorithm update) globally for all devices since August 2nd. The biggest spike in ranking fluctuations was on Friday, August 3rd. Google releases several broad core algorithm updates a year, but this just might be the biggest one this year.
Both desktop and mobile ranking fluctuations
The unrest in ranking fluctuations is visible globally, both filtering by desktop and by mobile search. When looking at mobile search especially, we see high ranking fluctuations for six consecutive days (see mobile ranking fluctuations below). Google Grump showed Grumpy for desktop on August 6th, indicating that the Google Core Algorithm might be flowing down a bit, but Google Grump is showing FURIOUS again on August 7th.
SEO Experts say that this might be the biggest Google Core Algorithm update this year. It is crucial for anyone working with SEO to keep an eye on Google algorithm updates. And since Google does not tend to inform about upcoming updates, it is handy to use tracking tools to be aware of important changes in Google algorithm that could impact your SEO strategy. You can check AccuRanker’s ‘Google Grump’ Rating that shows the “mood” of Google. The Google Grump tiger indicates how big are rating fluctuations with his mood. The grumpier the mood, the bigger the fluctuations in rankings and bigger change that a Google algorithm update is taking place. AccuRanker’s Google Grump Rating is based on a unique algorithm, built to calculate the average number of rank changes, across the top 100 results per keyword.
There has been a lot of chatter on Webmaster World as well as on Twitter. Barry Schwartz confirmed this algorithm update in Search Engine Land article. This is a big Google Core Algorithm update that we are experiencing, which started rolling out on Wednesday, August 1st. He also points out that the Google Core Algorithm update rollout is starting to slow down and is expected to be fully rolled out by mid-week.
How to Track Google Algorithm Updates
Would you like to receive updates on Google ranking fluctuations at the same time as SEO Exports do? We are the leading Google ranking tool to update daily with activity from the past 24 hours so subscribe to our updates, set your preferences and make sure you’re the first to receive the news on fluctuations in rankings.


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Vivo teases the U3, a new Snapdragon 675-powered phone
Vivo has hinted at the release of a phone with the Snapdragon 675 SoC in the near future. This is indicated by a new teaser showing a triple-camera mobile device, apparently to be called the U3 on its release. The poster has given rise to speculation that this new product is the Vivo V1934A/T, which has also recently leaked via the TENAA certification database.
According to this listing, the V1934A and T variants have a 2.0GHz processor that could be the 675. Despite the fact that there are 2 lettered variants, it is hard to spot any differences between either V1934. Both of them have 4 or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. They both run Android 9.0, are kept going with 4920mAh batteries and have FHD+ 6.3-inch TFT-LCD screens.
The V1934s also closely resemble the phone shown in the new Vivo teaser, as all 3 are finished in a glossy blue-to-purple shade and have triple rear cameras. Should they all turn out to be the same phone, this set-up will consist of 16+8+2MP lenses. Vivo has yet to finalize a launch date for this upcoming "675" phone.


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By Bettina Experton, MD, MPH, CEO of Humetrix
When it comes to health data, nothing is more important to consumers than their privacy. As a result, those of us working in the health IT field must put security and privacy at the center of all we do in developing health applications and devices. The Consumer Electronics Association has released Guiding Principles on the Privacy and Security of Personal Wellness Data for the health and fitness wearable ecosystem. The Principles are an important step that will help ensure trust between consumers and the innovators offering tools that consumers can use to manage their health - and health information.
These Guiding Principles are voluntary recommendations for companies providing applications or devices that handle personal data, including blood pressure, heart rate, steps, weight, and other health and wellness information. As the market for fitness and health monitoring devices continues to experience explosive growth, the industry is committing to better informing consumers about guarding their privacy, and demonstrating our commitment to keeping their personal data safe.
According to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA, "The industry itself created and approved these Guiding Principles, recognizing that we need to evolve with common purpose to build and maintain consumers' trust. Consensus solutions are the most efficient and effective way to promote innovation, while recognizing the needs of consumers. Achieving this degree of agreement among companies in such a vast, rapidly-evolving tech category is nothing short of remarkable."
CEA’s research has shown that consumers are aware of the possible privacy risks when their wellness data is transmitted to unaffiliated third parties. These Principles address these risks and strongly advise companies to obtain consumer consent prior to transferring their wellness data or using it for advertising purposes. The Principles recommend that companies:
|•||Provide robust security measures;|
|•||Provide clear, concise and transparent information on the use of data collection, storing and sharing, especially when transferring data to unaffiliated third parties;|
|•||Allow consumers the ability to control and review their personal wellness data;|
|•||Offer users the ability to opt out of advertising; and|
|•||Disclose their protocol for law enforcement requests.|
The Principles will help to ensure that consumers can now be informed of both the value and potential risk associated with mhealth apps and devices. They also encourage companies to clearly articulate their privacy policies and obtain express consent from consumers before sharing any of their data.
Much as we control our own financial data, we must have control of our own health data and the devices and applications generating that data. This is an imperative if we want to ensure control over both access to and the sharing of our information.
Mobile doesn’t mean unsafe – to the contrary it can help guard your security because your device is in your hands, under your own control, with your data stored locally with strong encryption technology. Consumers who look for technologies that adhere to the Principles can enjoy all the benefits of health and fitness tech, while ensuring that they stay in control, keep their information safe for their own use, and share it with others as they wish.
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The UK’s advanced engineering industry has thousands of supply chain companies to deliver the precision products and specialist services needed. We also have a thriving manufacturing industry, with investment in automation and technological advances potentially adding £275bn to the national economy each year.
We have seen substantial growth in UK supply chain industries especially in areas such as composite materials, low carbon technologies, digital process engineering, additive manufacturing, and robotics and autonomous systems – all of which offer high growth opportunities.
The UK invests heavily in R&D initiatives, encouraging innovation in key Industrial areas such as sustainable manufacturing, clean energy, efficient and integrated transport, health and wellbeing, materials and resource efficiency and food security.
New technologies are set to transform productivity in the next few years, a process referred to as the 4th Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0. The World Economic Forum considers the UK a leading country for Industry 4.0 – ranked 2nd for technology and innovation, and 1st for available financing.
The UK is also a world leader in material technologies and the development of advanced materials such as graphene and other 2D materials. There is a projected global opportunity of £138bn in light-weighting for transport applications by 2021, and the UK is well placed to capitalise on this.
The British Manufacturing Exceptional Organisations and Leadership shortlist will be launched within a high-quality silver foiled publication. The Exceptional organisations shortlisted within the report can choose to have additional editorial pages, showcasing their success to the world and promoting their company to a prestigious audience of engaged influencers.
The companies featured within the final Exceptional Organisations and Leadership shortlist will then be put forward for the prestigious British Manufacturing Awards. The British Manufacturing Awards presentation will take place at a star-studded reception in Central London and it will, without doubt, catch the attention of the local, national and international media. Key influential decision makers will be in attendance to witness this exciting launch and the initiative will herald a new era for promoting Britain’s leading men & women across the world within the manufacturing sector.


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NEW YORK Publicis Groupe has reached a deal to buy Razorfish from Microsoft for approximately $530 million. Under terms of the agreement, Publicis will fund the purchase via a mix of cash and 6.5 million treasury shares. The sale will be 55 percent cash and the rest stock. The agreement also extends a cooperation pact Microsoft and Publicis signed this summer.
The deal brings to Publicis a second large digital agency to operate alongside Digitas, which Publicis bought in Dec. 2006 for $1.3 billion. Razorfish has about 2,000 employees worldwide. After the transaction, Publicis will have the most digital assets of any advertising holding company, with 25 percent of its revenue coming from digital operations, according to the Paris-based company….


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PiScrow, an ecosystem utility application of the Pi Network has introduced a chat system to prevent scammers from deleting chats when appeals have been filed against them.
Piscrow is a blockchain-based escrow solution for the safe and reliable P2P exchange of pi for cash. The new chat system will prevent users from deleting chat records.
Just in: Piscrow, a Pi ecosystem web app launches its own chat system to prevent scammers from deleting chats when an appeal is filed against them.
— π updates 📢 (@Piupdates) January 5, 2023
Similar to a traditional escrow, Piscrow is a platform where PiCoin is first held on behalf of two additional parties who are carrying out a transaction. Before the Pi amount is released to the seller, each party must confirm that the transaction has been completed.
By using Piscrow, barter fraud will be reduced to almost nothing. Payments are not made directly to the vendor until the purchased items arrive. Until the buyer certifies that the goods have been received and are in perfect condition, the vendor has no full claim to the payment.


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The news that Walgreens outlined how face-to-face pharmacy and Take Care Clinic programs have been shown to drive better health outcomes further illustrates the fact that human interaction simply does things that mail order cannot.
Kantar Media on Wednesday reported that overall retailer advertising expenditures increased 1.6% and retailer participation in Free Standing Insert coupon promotion pages increased 30.7% over calendar year 2011, versus the corresponding year-ago period.
Higher front-end sales for the month of February helped counter-balance lost revenue from Express Scripts prescriptions, Walgreeens reported Monday. Overall, the drug store chain reported a 1.5% sales increase to $5.9 billion.
Walgreens last week outlined how the company's research has demonstrated the ability of face-to-face pharmacy and Take Care Clinic programs to drive better health outcomes at the IMS Managed Markets Services/Data Niche Conference held here.
There is one key takeaway from Fast Company's naming of Walgreens as one of the industry's most innovative companies — Walgreens wasn't classified under the industry banner of "retailer," but under the industry banner of "health care."
Walgreens and AARP are expanding their relationship with a new retail drug store program that will provide AARP members with exclusive offers and rewards, and includes member and community outreach to promote health and wellness.
"I appreciate the fact that [Walgreens is] trying to do some very good things with respect to clinical offerings and other avenues to try to impact the overall healthcare spectrum. But quite frankly, that hasn't been proven to reduce cost."
Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy on Thursday released data showing that both patients and their health plans can realize savings of up to 60% on the cost of infused specialty medications by choosing alternate treatment sites.
One year after launching a national awareness campaign focused on the benefits of 90-day prescription refills at retail pharmacies, Walgreens on Friday released new data supporting the success of the 90-day refill program and its overarching benefits to patients and payers.


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TV’s reach has maintained the medium’s primacy since it became the focal point of living rooms and advertising budgets, but the rise of digital platforms have complicated this view – new research from Ebiquity sheds crucial light on what’s really going on.
The media consultancy yesterday released a follow-up to last year’s TV at the tipping point report, a study that suggested TV’s superior marketing effectiveness may not last beyond the next five years.
A year later, and the picture is more complex. “In reality,” said Martin Radford, Ebiquity business director, media, at an event in London, “we underestimated the decline of the youngest viewers, while the growth of the elder [cohort] was correct.”
Young people are getting harder to reach through TV, and older people are watching more making it worthwhile among – let’s face it – the audiences with money. There remains, however, a gap. Using a combination of online data from the Audience Project and BARB, Ebiquity sought to understand how reach works across platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and even non-video players like Spotify.
It’s important to note that the report’s dataset deals with ad impressions served, not necessarily rendered, but in digital contexts, the report also looks at ads viewed to 50% and 100% completion.
Reach depends on age
YouTube’s coverage, key among 16-24 audiences, builds reach more quickly and with a narrower range of results than Facebook. By comparison, the social network’s reach curves are extremely varied, though this is an indication of the huge variation in the kind of Facebook ads that can be bought. Over 45s, meanwhile are far better reached by TV.
In short, TV, YouTube, and Facebook all have the potential to find similar levels of reach under 45s. TV is, however, “unrivalled” among over 45s.
The value of an impression
Simply, impressions are not created equal. Though it is harder to measure TV impressions, the medium is far more likely to grab a viewer’s attention for just under half of a 30” commercial. Look elsewhere and the attention per viewed impression, according to Lumen figures, don’t clear 5 seconds, while the majority of ad media garners less than 4 seconds.
The question, says Radford, is “will anyone even notice it? Here, coverage rates by completion are quite shocking (though with BARB figures, it’s impossible to measure TV ad completion):
Brands can achieve incremental reach using digital channels, especially for younger audiences, and especially at low weights of spend. Here, it is particularly useful, as digital video can build more quickly than TV for less.
However, as the chart above shows, once you remove the overwhelming majority of Facebook and YouTube video ads that are not completed, it throws online into doubt as the medium that can close the gap in declining TV viewership.
What to do?
Ebiquity recommends the following:
- Understand what your brand’s coverage gap is and work on how best to address it.
- Take a more granular approach to measurement.
- Brands must approach online video differently by a) looking at all ways these platforms can be traded, especially in terms of cost and delivery; b) it goes without saying, but use the right creative for channels and platforms – simply recycling won’t work.
- Use structured testing to understand and ultimately optimise the channels used to fill any coverage gaps.
Sourced from Ebiquity


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The complete article can be found at AlabamaNewsCenter.com.
By Jerry Underwood
Made in Alabama
Automotive supplier Valeo North America announced that it will invest $5 million in a facility in Jefferson County, creating 70 jobs and providing another boost to the Birmingham region’s presence in the auto manufacturing industry.
The Birmingham Business Alliance announced Valeo’s plans.
“Valeo North America is pleased to announce the opening of a new facility in Bessemer,” the Valeo North America management team said in a statement. “The city of Bessemer, the Birmingham Business Alliance, and the state of Alabama demonstrated an attractive business-friendly, pro-jobs attitude.
Click HERE to see the full article on the Alabama NewsCenter website.
About the Author (Author Profile)
Alabama News Center tels the stories of the people and businesses powering the states of Alabama, striving to make Alabama a wonderful place to live and work.