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http://www.shadesdaddy.com/sunglasses-kim-kardashian-s/784.htm What sunglasses does KIM KARDASHIAN wear? Check out Aleksandra from ...
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Kim Kardashian West Wears Sunglasses—And PVC Pants—at Night Last night, Kim Kardashian West joined her sisters Kendall and Khloé and momager Kris at a charity poker tournament in Inglewood. Leading the pack was Kardashian West, fresh off her recent date night with husband Kanye and dressed directionally in a [...]
via The Guardian]
On your bike: how high fashion adopted cycling sunglasses At men's fashion week last month in Paris, Bella Hadid, Rita Ora and Kim Kardashian were spotted in high-end performance sunglasses: Hadid in Heron Preston x Nike Visions, Ora in Oakley Jawbreakers (as worn by Mark Cavendish) and Kardashian in [...]
via Daily Mail]
Kim Kardashian accentuates her bottom in skintight velvet pants with barely there crop top... after revealing she ... She also debuted her new blunt bob haircut, and hid behind Dior x Rihanna sunglasses. While the sunnies and leggings are sold out, and the top isn't something really wearable. The good news is that Kim's velour crops are an easily copy-able look. [...]
via Hollywood Life]
Khloe Kardashian Wears Tight Bodysuit, Shows Off 33 Lbs Weight Loss — Competing With Kim? Kim Kardashian, 37, gave us a totally similar vibe with an outfit she wore back in August of 2017 — almost a year ago to the day. Kim's black bodysuit was completely sheer, and her army bottoms were actually shorts. On July 29, 2018, Kim revealed she [...]
The Guise Archives
" Probably just because the use of "80's" but whatever. I'm far from a 90's baby, as the song suggests, but the tune is catchy and I like it. Plus, think I'd switch teams and make babies with her voice.
[via These are the Moments]
The Guise Archives
It is a failure of the imagination that we cannot see the feminism in the wide-eyes and exaggerated secondary sex characteristics of Michael Soi’s women. It is 2016 and Kim Kardashian is posting nude selfies alongside womanist statements on her instagram. Police officers hold their hands out for bribes, dreadheads bed white women in pursuit of “The Dutch Visa” and everyone places their hands possessively over the breasts and buttocks of the sex workers depicted. Soi has been accused of misogyny because of the voluptuous women that he loves to paint. Their lips are full, their eyes are wide or hidden behind a fashionable pair of oversized sunglasses, and their bums callipygous. As a result, the artist’s depictions of African women have been called “problematic”.
Cynthia Bailey Ran Into Kim & Kanye in L.A. (PHOTO) Kim Kardashian and Kanye West! Guess that’s what happens when you pay a visit to famed celeb hangout, Chateau Marmont. VIDEO: Cynthia Bailey’s Sunglasses ‘Mercial Is Finally Here! “When u r having dinner & u realize the cute couple sitting right ... [...]
These are Kim Kardashian's favourite sunglasses Yes, summer is only around the corner, but it doesn't have to be sunny for Kim Kardashian to whip out a pair of sunnies. Papped wearing stylish sunglasses all year round, Kim is our go-to gal for eyewear inspiration. Taking to her website to write a post ... [...]
Zayn Malik Denies 'Shading' Kim Kardashian (Radio.com) If Zayn Malik is hoping to weigh in on Kim Kardashian's nude selfie ... A smiley face wearing sunglasses and an "A-Ok" hand sign. Read more here. [...]
via Daily Mail]
What happened to her lips? Kim Kardashian's pout seems more swollen than ever as she leaves Beverly Hills gym bare faced Kim Kardashian has had puffy lips for years now ... The star had on a pair of large black sunglasses that completely hid her eyes and a black workout zip-up top. She was driving a white SUV and appeared to be alone. The facility is where her sister ... [...]
via The Inquisitr]
Khloe Kardashian & Lamar Odom Might Rekindle Romance? He’s Hoping To Score As Khloe Battles Plastic Surgery Rumors Together with sister Kim Kardashian and her brother-in-law Kanye West ... “People ask me all the time why I’m wearing sunglasses,” admitted Kardashian. “I’m like, ‘Because I don’t have f***ing makeup on! Mind your own f***ing business ... [...]
baby boomersThe reality star, 36, is expecting her third child via a surrogate in the New YearKIM Kardashian is desperate for sister Kylie Jenner to announce her pregnancy so it doesn’t deflect from the birth of her third child.The reality star, 36, is expecting her surrogate to give birth in the New Year and is worried if Kylie announces her pregnancy at the same time it will overshadow her. Getty Kim Kardashian is desperate for sister Kylie Jenner to announce her pregnancy so it...
Khloé Kardashian was spotted at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday, the first time she’s been seen publicly since confirming the news that she is pregnant with her first child earlier this week.The 33-year-old Keeping Up with the Kardashians star has spent months hiding her growing baby belly under a sea of baggy sweatshirts and Birkin bags since PEOPLE first confirmed the news in September that she and boyfriend Tristan Thompson, are expecting a baby...
By Tracy Wright For Dailymail.comPublished: 23:32 EST, 21 December 2017 | Updated: 10:16 EST, 22 December 2017 She's made a list and checked it twice.And Kourtney Kardashian played the role of Santa Claus with a quick run to the toy store in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon.The 38-year-old reality television starlet donned a garish Christmas sweater while filling a shopping cart to the brim with new toys nearly 24 hours after sister Khloe, 33, confirmed her first pregnancy with...


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Price transparency in travel industry has improved but still not enough
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has established that transparency about prices in the travel industry has improved. This is the result of the steps that ACM took earlier this year urging the travel industry to increase price transparency.
Anita Vegter, Member of the Board of ACM, explains: “By now, many businesses in the travel industry have already adjusted their prices and booking processes, making everything more transparent for consumers. This is a wonderful result. And with regard to businesses that do not comply with the rules yet, we will be taking enforcement actions against them. This may lead to fines. We will start with the biggest players in the industry.”
Not all businesses in the travel industry are convinced that consumers are better served with clear prices. ACM continues to come across providers that add the unavoidable costs to the total price very late in the booking process. Items such as mandatory cleaning costs, local taxes, and other unavoidable costs that result in a considerably higher price are displayed at a very late stage in the booking process. ACM will take firm action against such practices because, among other reasons, they reduce competition and transparency in the industry.
Background of focus on prices in the travel industryI
In early-2013, ACM issued rules to have the travel industry make prices more transparent. After all, consumers often see price as one of the most critical aspects to base their purchase decisions on. These rules are:
- It must be possible to book the trip for the advertised price;
- Checkboxes for optional products and services cannot be pre-checked;
- All unavoidable costs must be included in the base price;
- Any variable costs must be mentioned with the advertised price.
Through an awareness campaign on its consumer information portal ConsuWijzer, ACM has informed consumers, and has received more than 200 indications about businesses that did not list their prices correctly.
In recent months, ACM inspected businesses in the travel industry such as providers of accommodations, package tours, and air tickets. Next, ACM sat down with providers that did not or not entirely comply with the rules, and made arrangements about implementing the necessary adjustments. In addition, trade associations ANVR (Dutch Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators) and Recron (Dutch Association of Businesses in the Recreational Sector) actively supported ACM’s campaign.
ACM’s campaign coincided with a campaign of the Dutch Consumer Association for clear prices in holiday parks. All of these measures combined have resulted in the travel industry promising that it will no longer pre-check checkboxes for optional products or services from October 1. Furthermore, a considerable share of the providers lists the additional costs such as reservation and booking costs in the base price more clearly now. ACM will continue to keep a close watch on developments, for example, by analyzing indications submitted to ConsuWijzer.

domain: news


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The health emergency caused by the coronavirus around the world has caused non-essential businesses to close their doors to the public as a preventive measure to avoid further infections, due to the fact that these spaces are crowded.
One of the most affected sectors continues to be bars, which in Mexico are not allowed to operate until the light is green, after 4 months closed bars are far from opening and Baja California has not reached the green light.
Baja California remains under red light by state order, only essential activities are allowed, although this does not seem to matter since some bars in the city of Tijuana continue to announce their reopening as restaurant-bars.
This week, the reopening of another bar in Tijuana was announced. It is Public House, known for being everyone's home and having an exquisite variety of craft beer, as reported on its social media.
The bar will be open Monday through Saturday from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
It's important to remember that bars still do not have permission to operate in Baja California, despite this restriction the Cheers and Grill bar and BCB Tasting Room and Reyes Cantina have been some of the bars that have reopened under red light.


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Photo credit: Getty Images
We covered Toyko’s little foray into tech in an earlier blog post, but everyone knows that Vegas does it bigger and better (and they should do – they’ve held the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, since the late sixties). Responsible for launching products including the VCR, DVD, Xbox and the ill-fated, short-lived Mini Disc, 170,000 people attended this year’s event, with 3,600 companies each hoping they’d developed the next big thing. One thing was certain, however – electronics giant Apple wasn’t in attendance; they prefer to host their own shows, so it was left to other well-known brands like Samsung, LG and Toshiba, together with tech start-ups, to hold the focus.
Much of the product this year focused on wearable tech and other accessories, as well as cars and appliances (everything from LG’s dual-action washing machine to … £10,000 oven), and there was a strong focus on developing the Internet Of Things, with many products left in the control of an app, or relying on data streamed over WiFi to perform their various tasks.
Now, to cut to the chase – our top 3 picks.
1. The old-school computer makes a comeback
Okay, we’re not quite in the realm of desktops, but laptops – recently usurped by the popularity of tablets and mobiles – enjoyed a resurgence. While Dell did scoop a CES Innovation award for its new Venue 8 700 tablet – the world’s thinnest at an eye-popping 6mm – it also secured 6 others for an array of laptops and monitors, which boasted features like a curved design, and 4 and 5K ultra-HD capabilities. Brands like HP (with fanless CPUs) and Lenovo (frameless displays) also competed.
2. The fast-charging battery gets supercharged
StoreDot’s pocket-sized gadget, which debuted last April, packs a lot of juice: despite being only 900mAh, it can charge a smartphone battery in 30 seconds. The company has bigger plans than just your pocket, however – they’re intending to create a quick-charge car battery.
3. TV design goes round the bend
Flat screen TVs are nothing new, and neither are curved TVs. But one which can toggle between flat and curved? Revolutionary. Samsung created just that at CES 15 in a move that divided critics: while some dubbed it ‘an undeniable feat of engineering’ others dismissed it as a gimmick. One thing’s for sure – the TV’s impressive 105-inch width is a definite plus, while its staggering 170k price tag is an eye-watering negative.
But what about the other feats that didn’t quite make it to the list? Well, home security system, the Nemato Welcome, captured hearts – and wallets – with its elegant design and ability to keep tabs on who’s in and who’s out, while smart doorbell Chamberlain Notifi had a nice ring to it – the wireless design comes complete with an LED-powered camera. And, it wouldn’t be an expo without tapping into the world of virtual reality. Razer’s Forge TV promises to set the gaming world alight with an Android-powered, 4-inch-squared microconsole that can plug into a monitor and Razer Serval controller to play mobile games in large-scale – and all for around £75.


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2012 Digital IQ Index: Beauty and Skincare study
L2 think tank released the fourth annual Digital IQ Index: Beauty. This year’s study benchmarks the digital competence of 56 prestige Beauty brands across four dimensions: site, digital marketing, social media, and mobile. Based upon more than 900 data points, brands are classified into five categories: Genius, Gifted, Average, Challenged, or Feeble.
Estee Lauder and Lancome share the number one ranking and are the only two Geniuses in the Index. Both brands lead the industry with innovative digital influencer partnerships, savvy online marketing, and best-in-class websites featuring real time customer service. Clinique, L’Oreal Paris, and M.A.C. Cosmetics capture the remaining top five spots as Gifted brands.
Among brands’ own e-commerce pages, we also found that competition is evident across the industry. 75% of brands in the study now incorporate user reviews, 39% support auto-replenish sites, and 18% promote loyalty programs on their sites. Among the 15 brands (primarily mass) whose e-commerce strategy still relies primarily on online retail partners, 27% have invested in tighter shopping cart integration over the past year.
Top 10 Beauty and Skincare brands with the highest digital IQ index:
1. Estee Lauder; digital IQ index: Genius
1. Lancome; digital IQ index: Genius
3. Clinique digital IQ index: Gifted
3. L’Oreal Paris
8. L’Occitane en Provence
10. Bare Escentuals


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WASHINGTON—The cryptocurrency industry has significantly increased its political spending ahead of the midterm elections, betting that a friendlier Congress will help shield it from a regulatory crackdown.
Crypto firms and their employees have poured $73 million into the 2022 elections, up from $13 million in the 2020 cycle, according to research group OpenSecrets, which tracks political donations. The industry also spent $15 million on lobbying in the first nine months of this year, more than in the previous eight years combined.
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For many of us, heading to the mall for post-Thanksgiving/pre-Christmas sales are as much atradition as turkey with all the trimmings.
The day after Thanksgiving is traditionally the busiest shopping day ofthe year. Stores do everything they can to addyou to the crowd.
The News & Observer's Thanksgiving edition is its largest daily paper of the year,with 37 inserts and 144 pages.
"In terms of our space and equipment, it stretches us," said Fleet Woodley, the N&O's productionmanager.
Stores also will use TV advertising to lure shoppers to shopping bargains.But shoppers are split if it's the best time of the year to score a deal.
"I don't think so, I really don't," said shopper Lori Holleman. "I watch the ads allyear,and I shop all year; I pick it up when I see it on sale."
Even the most die-hard bargain hunters will debate the wisdom of venturingout on the busiest shopping day of the year. But some folks say they just can't stay away.
"It feels like it's time to start shopping for Christmas because it's theday after Thanksgiving," said Tony D'Amico. "It just feels like it's the thing to do."
One survival strategy: shop early in the morning or late inthe afternoon to avoid the biggest crowds.Some stores will be opening as early as 6 a.m.


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Godsmack and Halestorm have announced a Fall tour. It kicks off on September 20th in Green Bay, WI. You can get the dates here.
Alter Bridge and Skillet Have announced a Fall U.S. tour called “Victorious Sky”. Joining them will be Dirty Honey. You can get those dates here.
Guns N’ Roses continue to add to their current tour. You cna get the latest Fall dates here.
Blackberry Smoke has announced their “Till The Wheels Fall Off Tour” with special guests The Record Company. You can get those dates here.
Elvis Costello And The Imposters have added Fall dates to their “Just Trust” tour, which go from October to November. You can get those dates here.
Gwar has announced a Fall North American Tour called “Use Your Collusion”. Joining them will be Sacred Reich, Toxic Holocaust and Against The Grain. You can get those dates here.
Agnostic Front has announced a 35th anniversary tour of their debut album “Victim In Pain”. The late Summer and early Fall North American tour. Joining them will be Prong. You can get the dates from the bands Facebook page which are here.
Obituary has announced their North American for the Fall with Appath and Devil Master. You can get those dates here.
Dokken has announced Summer North American tour dates. You can get them here.
Monster Magnet cancel the rest of their tour due to Dave Wyndorf’s tonsil surgery.
Rammstein has announced their 2020 European stadium tour. You can get the dates here. You can watch the trailer for it below.
Sabaton, along with Apocalyptica and Amaranthe announce their “The Great Tour” 2020 European shows. You can get those dates here.
This is more of a PSA, If you think he will or won’t do this show, but you can look him up if you’re interested. Vinnie Vincent (Kiss), has announced his birthday bash.


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Lee Barrett walked into a nightclub looking for evidence. Earlier, someone had filed a report -anonymously, of course - that the club, Starry Night, was breaking the law. Mr. Barrett's job was to investigate and, if needed, take swift action.
Looking around the busy club, he searched for what the informer had reported: polystyrene foam, a petroleum-based product, with 25 percent or more air content, sometimes made with chlorofluorocarbons that can damage the earth's ozone layer.
Since the first of the year, all restaurants and retail food vendors in the city of Portland are prohibited from using the plastic foam.
''You're clean,'' Mr. Barrett told the manager.
So it goes on the beat for Mr. Barrett, whom Portland residents have nicknamed the ''Styro-Cop.'' The movies had it wrong. The patrolman of the future may not be a robot but an officer walking an environmental beat.
Although Mr. Barrett, an intense former New Yorker, does not like the term ''Styro-Cop,'' he has become such a presence here that Portland police officers have offered to give him a polystyrene police badge.Continue reading the main story
He is not an officer of the law. He is a contract employee for the City of Portland. But as he makes his rounds from mini-marts to McDonald's restaurants, from nightclubs to Safeways, he does so with the power to issue citations for civil penalties, and they can cost violators $250 for a first offense and $500 for a repeat violation.
''My nickname is Barracuda - the rude 'cude from New York,'' he said. ''I'm not afraid of what anybody's going to say to me.''
In fact, with a few exceptions, he has been greeted warmly. The nightclub manager said he was all for banning plastic foam. Earlier, at breakfast in a working man's cafe, the owner proudly showed Mr. Barrett how she had converted to using ceramic coffee cups, which are washed and reused rather than filling her garbage with a product that bloats landfills.
When Portland passed the ban last year, joining a handful of cities around the nation that have outlawed the use of polystyrene foam as food containers, they also came up with money to pay for an enforcement officer. Mr. Barrett says he is the nation's only ''Styro-Cop.''
City officials say polystyrene foam is not biodegradable, is a major source of litter, takes up space in landfills, is difficult to recycle and can break into small pieces that kill birds that eat them, either quickly or by slow starvation. Certain chlorofluorocarbons used in the manufacture of foam products can damage the earth's ozone layer, allowing more damaging unfiltered sunlight, scientists say. About 4,500 tons of polystyrene foam were taken to Portland landfills last year.
The law has met stiff resistance from such fast food retailers as McDonald's, which relies on the foam to keep hamburgers and drinks warm.
Arguing that it was starting to recycle plastic foam, McDonald's and 13 other plaintiffs, including plastics manufacturers, filed suit against the city seeking to block the law. The case was dismissed by a county court judge, but the plaintiffs have appealed.
''We didn't say please let us use polystyrene foam in any circumstances,'' said Barbee Lyon, a lawyer for McDonald's. ''We're saying that if a restaurant is recyling, you can't ban the product.''
The giant burger chain has become a consistent adversary of Mr. Barrett's as he roots out violators of the new law. But McDonald's welcomed him in one recent inspection, and sure enough, he found not a single offending piece. Mr. Barrett said McDonald's had shipped all its polystyrene foam products to outlets outside the city and was using paper cups and containers.
When he first came to Oregon in the 1970's, Mr. Barrett was impressed by the state's innovative environmental laws, including a bottle recyling bill. The polystyrene foam ban is part of that tradition, he said.
In the four months he has been on the job, Mr. Barrett has worn down a considerable amount of shoe leather, inspecting 140 establishments, and writing up 6 for violations. The job is not boring, Mr. Barrett said, because he is quite passionate about his dislike for polystyrene foam.
''To use plastic to drink eight ounces of coffee for two minutes and then throw it away where it will take up space forever is absurd,'' he said.Continue reading the main story


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Business Week recently ran an article about the dangers of selling a home and offering incentives. The article suggests that selling a home while maintaining high prices and offering incentives masks the true story about the current housing market.
New home builders commonly sell homes in a troubled market with huge incentives to keep the appraisals high. In the Las Vegas market a well known company got itself in trouble with recent buyers when it dropped the prices on its homes overnight. Buyers who had just closed and those in contract bought at one price and the next day new buyers were paying $20-30k less for the same home. It put a black mark on the company for months.
As agents we have seen homes sell with cars included, furniture packages, and all sorts of closing cost options. Some sellers are desperate and need to unload their home. To many potential buyers the incentives of less cash out of pocket is appealing.
The danger may lie in the fact that buyers and sellers don't have a real view on the market. Homes are really selling for less even though the prices don't reflect the margin. Other than the potential misinformation there are clients getting some great deals on some great homes. Pays to know the market and negotiate for a great position.


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Frampton fans fuming after tickets sell out in minutes
Carl Frampton fans have been left fuming after tickets for his homecoming bout in Belfast appeared to sell out within minutes.
The Jackal faces 23-year-old Andres Gutierrez at the SSE Arena (July 29) in a WBC world featherweight title eliminator.
Tickets for the ‘return of the Jackal’ went on sale from 10am - priced £40, £75, £115 (plus booking fees) from www.ssearenabelfast.com and Ticketmaster.
But when many eager fans logged on for the ticket sale, there were met with screens saying the tickets had already gone.
Many had anticipated that Frampton’s next bout would be staged at Windsor Park, but it will be held at Belfast’s SSE Arena - which has a significantly lower capacity.
Many angry fans took to social media this morning to vent their disappointment at being unable to get their hands on tickets.
One said: “I was there from the beginning after literally 2secs there were none available! I don’t get it at all not even the dear ones.”
Another said: “Tried for 40 mins on the ticketmaster site and nothing, also had over 430 mobile phone attempts and land line too, I’m gutted.”
However, some fans – either through luck or dedication – did manage to secure tickets for the big fight.
A spokesperson from the SSE Arena box office said people had started queuing up at midnight in anticipation.
“By 11am we had completely sold out,” she added.
One fan who did manage to get tickets, Cathy McQuillan from Belfast, told the News Letter: “I was at the fight in Vegas earlier this year and can’t wait to see Carl fighting on his home turf. I’m disappointed for the thousands of fans who didn’t get tickets, but hopefully next time he will be able to fight at Windsor.”


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At least one global cryptocurrency will achieve mass-market adoption. That cryptocurrency will either be Bitcoin or a derivative inspired by it. The chance that it will be the former is so strong that in 2014 I invested in Bitcoin startups Xapo and Blockstream. And yet, perhaps surprisingly, when one of the very smart people I know in Silicon Valley recently told me he’s a major “Bitcoin sceptic” who has not yet seen “many real use cases” for the technology, I considered it a good sign.
Why? Because in my experience, the most transformative ideas are not the ones that achieve broad consensus early on. Instead, they’re the ones that are so uniquely out there, so contrarian, that even informed observers have wildly differing opinions regarding their potential value.
The internet itself was like this. It started as a strange new parallel universe called “cyberspace” and then became a part of everyday life. LinkedIn, eBay, Twitter and Airbnb were all bizarre concepts at first, offering services that many observers felt would achieve fringe adoption at best. Now, they’re all part of the daily lives of millions of mainstream users.
Bitcoin is still so new it seems bizarre to most people. Yet consider how far it has come since November 1, 2008, the day that someone using the name Satoshi Nakamoto posted a white paper to a cryptography mailing list describing a “peer-to-peer version of electronic cash [that] would allow online payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution.”


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Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
SME MaXX, India’s leading SME success services company, announced collaboration with IDFC bank to enable Indian SMEs set up an effective e-commerce channel for their business. As a part of the collaboration IDFC bank will sponsor a series of e-commerce workshops in major Indian cities.
E-commerce adoption has positively impacted revenues and profitability of SMEs. Despite high potential, a majority of Indian SMEs are yet to adopt e-commerce or are sub optimally engaged. A recent KPMG study highlighted the need for training programs and support to help SMEs benefit from e-commerce.
SMEs attending these workshops will be trained to set up and manage their own e-commerce channels. They will gain insights in to global best practices and access the latest e-commerce tools to grow their business.
As per a recent Goldman Sachs report, the e-commerce sector in India is projected to cross USD80 billion by 2020 and USD300 billion by 2030. A large percentage of this growth will be at the cost of conventional business channels. SMEs that are unable to leverage e-commerce effectively, risk losing customers.
“We are already seeing the digital economy get a massive boost post the recent demonetization. As more people get comfortable with digital payments, e-commerce will boom,” said Dr. Kiran Reddy, CEO of SME MaXX. “The objective of our initiative is to help SMEs with the impending transition. The workshops will equip SMEs to compete effectively with large chains and e-commerce companies and protect their market share.”
The workshops will be conducted in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru and later expanded to Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad and other cities. SMEs can get complete information and register for the workshop at www.smemaxx.com.
About SME MaXX
SME MaXX is a one stop shop for SME Success. SME MaXX provides solutions to the most common challenges faced by small and medium sized businesses. We maximize the success potential of SMEs by enhancing employee effectiveness, providing technology and finance solutions, saving costs and time, while connecting them with an ecosystem of partners who can contribute to their success. SME MaXX is a unit of F.A.C.E Pvt Ltd, with its registered office in Mumbai, India. More details could be had from www.smemaxx.com.
About IDFC Bank
IDFC Bank (BSE: 539437, NSE: IDFCBANK) is a subsidiary of IDFC Ltd (BSE: 532659, NSE: IDFC). Headquartered in Mumbai, IDFC Bank is a universal bank, offering financial solutions through its nationwide branches, internet and mobile. Envisioned as a new age bank, IDFC Bank seeks to set a new standard in customer experience, using technology and a service-oriented approach, to make banking simple and accessible, anytime and from anywhere. In keeping with IDFC’s legacy of building the nation, IDFC Bank will focus on serving the rural underserved communities and the self-employed, while continuing to support the country’s infrastructure sector. IDFC Bank provides customized financial solutions to corporates, individuals, small and micro-enterprises, entrepreneurs, financial institutions and the government. With best-in-class corporate governance, rigorous risk management, experienced management and a diversified team, IDFC Bank is uniquely positioned to meet the aspirations of its customers and stakeholders.


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Small businesses go all out Saturday
Small Business Saturday gives merchants a chance to impress
LEESBURG — Amid all the DJs, doorbusters and overnight shopping madness at area malls and national big boxes, small-business owner Moneca Monroe aspires to make a quieter impact this weekend on Small Business Saturday, the annual national spotlight on independent entrepreneurs.
Monroe's Another Look Boutique on Main Street in downtown Leesburg is among thousands of small businesses participating nationally in the annual event launched in 2010 by credit card company American Express.
In total, the event has generated more than $85 billion at independent retailers and restaurants. In 2017, however, the event’s impact declined for the first time, compared with the previous year.
According to figures from American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business, the 2017 shopping holiday logged 108 million shoppers spending $12.9 billion at independently owned businesses. That’s a dip from the 112 million shoppers who spent more than $15 billion in 2016.
Yet the event still registers among consumers, with 43 percent of American adults reporting that they either shopped or dined at small businesses on the day, according to the same survey. Additionally, 58 percent of consumers said they shopped or dined at more than one independently owned business over the Small Business Saturday weekend.
As part of a mega-shopping weekend, Small Business Saturday dovetails with Cyber Monday, considered the prime online shopping day of the year. In 2017, Cyber Monday sales brought in a record $6.59 billion.
The name Cyber Monday was originally created by Shop.org in 2005 to encourage people to shop online when they got into work after the holiday weekend. In keeping with its origin, Cyber Monday is always celebrated on the Monday after Thanksgiving.
For small businesses, the awareness generated by the Saturday consumer event translates into momentum that can eventually yield new regular customers, Monroe said.
At Another Look Boutique, customers will be greeted by homemade baked goods, hot chocolate and a passion for customer service — elements that aren’t reserved just for Small Business Saturday, she said. The boutique also is offering a Small Business Saturday special for 20 percent off any item, she said.
“People support small town businesses if you ask them to support us,” Monroe said.
Arlene Guess, owner of Encore Home Decor in downtown Clermont, was busy Friday preparing for tomorrow by sprucing up and putting out a lot of her new Christmas merchandise.
“Small business Saturday is always a big deal down here. We get a lot of people. Thank heavens for small business Saturday," Guess said.
Starting at 10 a.m., guests at her store will be treated to mimosas, cookies, live Christmas music and more.
Guess said Small Business Saturday is always a good shopping day, probably one of the busiest of the year. She said between Small Business Saturday and Light Up Clermont — the city’s light up event that fills the downtown area with people on Nov. 30 — the next two weekends are looking good.
“We just have a fun day, so come in and see what we have,” Guess said.
Next door on either side of her, the Eclectic Market, which offers new and used jewelry, home décor, furniture and some clothing, and the Florida Angler, a new fishing supply store, are were also readying for Small Business Saturday.
Eclectic Market owner Misty Robbins said she will offer 10 percent off total purchases all day Saturday, plus 50 percent on any red dot items and 40 percent off clothing. And at The Florida Angler, All Cuda brand products and gear, plus Suncloud sunglasses will be marked 30 percent off. Knives, rods, reels and bait casters will be marked 20 percent off.
Heather Parrish of Winter Garden said she likes shopping at small mom and pop stores because the finds are more unique and the care more personal than at big box stores.
“We find really great items and unique things this way and I love supporting local people and getting to know the shop owners,” Parrish said.


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Inside, a DJ spins electronica as jump-suited waiters dispense hors d'oeuvres and Jell-O shots. Clusters of white leather couches provide posing spots for starlets like "Baywatch" babe and Playboy centerfold Traci Bingham.
Just another lavish L.A. club opening--except for the 32 game stations that line the walls, arcade style, and the swirling, laser-light images of the Nintendo GameCube projected on the floor and walls.
Welcome to Nintendo's Cube Club. It's one of a dozen clubs opening across the country, from San Francisco to New York, over the next eight weeks to build excitement for the Nov. 18 launch of Nintendo's newest video game console, the GameCube.
The clubs hit three cities at a time and are open for a week. Gamers go to www.nintendogamecube.com for tickets.
Perhaps you're wondering what Jell-O shots, Playboy centerfolds and special cross promotions with the men's magazine Maxim have to do with Nintendo--the company associated with such lovable kids' characters as Mario, Pikachu and Donkey Kong.
Nintendo is glad you asked.
Nintendo's $76 million marketing blitz isn't just about building awareness among the under-13 set, the company's core consumers. It's about cultivating a hip image among 18- to 24-year-old males.
"Maxim is sponsoring Cube Club nights--the Maxim women will be there. There's a Smirnoff Vodka tie-in," said George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing. "These are things that are unexpected for Nintendo--we're saying to people over 21, we do have games and we are going to speak to you."
The stakes are high for Nintendo, the world's No. 2 consolemaker. It faces intensified retail competition, not just from the market leader, Sony, which has had a year to build consumer appetite for the PlayStation 2; but also a new, deep-pocketed rival Microsoft, which plans to launch its Xbox Nov. 15, three days earlier.
A race for attention
Nintendo will have to raise considerable din to be heard above the $500 million Microsoft pledged to promote Xbox--and the tit-for-tat spending from Sony to tout PlayStation 2.
Other factors, like the sagging U.S. economy and military actions, create a difficult environment for selling what amounts to a pricey toy. Indeed, GameCube got off to an anemic start in Japan on Sept. 14, where it failed to sell out the 450,000 units it shipped to stores. Analysts blame that country's weak economy--and a dearth of game titles at launch--for Nintendo's disappointing domestic debut.
So far, signs are encouraging that the U.S. launch of GameCube will fare far better. Last week, Reuters reported that the online arm of leading toy and video game retailer Toys "R" Us Inc. said it sold out its first preorder of GameCube in four minutes.
Game industry analysts at New York-based Gerard Klauer Mattison expect North American sales to grow 15 percent, reaching $7.5 billion by year's end, despite the economic malaise and fear surrounding the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"People are probably going to be traveling less. Spending more time at home--and spending more on home entertainment," said Edward Williams, interactive entertainment analyst for Gerard Klauer. That plays to Nintendo's advantage, particularly with its younger core constituency.
Parents, eager to insulate their children from the more obvious evil of the world, might seek out healthy forms of home-based escapism.
"That means more DVD movies. That means more music, more board games, more cards," said John Taylor, a video game industry analyst for Arcadia Investment in Portland, Ore. "Given the demographic focus of GameCube, which is by and large kids under 13 years old, that plays right into that theme. Most people believe the stage is set for GameCube to evaporate from the shelves."
Less expensive than Xbox
The GameCube, which will sell for $199, is $100 cheaper than either the PlayStation 2 or Xbox. And unlike previous generations of Nintendo game consoles, which relied on the strength of in-house franchises like Mario or Donkey Kong to fuel sales, GameCube will boast an array of independently developed game titles aimed at the over-18 crowd, who now constitute 58 percent of the market.
The Cube will launch with sequels to best-selling games like Electronic Arts' "Madden NFL 2002" and Activision's "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3," along with "Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader," LucasArts Entertainment's hotly anticipated follow-up to its popular Nintendo 64 title.
Nintendo acknowledges it placed a premium on repairing relations with key third-party developers like EA, which all but abandoned its N64 console. The nation's biggest game developer plans to introduce 10 GameCube titles--as many as it will debut on Xbox.
"Put it together and Nintendo has a huge opportunity to make this machine relevant to the older player," Taylor said.
Whether or not the GameCube succeeds at wooing older players away from market-leader PlayStation 2--with its deeper catalog of teen and adult games, and a year's momentum building consumer buzz and hardware at retail--remains an open question.


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Tesla chief Elon Musk within an internal email called on workers to work hard to permit the electric-car manufacturer to break even in the second quarter regardless of the coronavirus pandemic.
The rallying cry has come to be a familiar subject in recent quarters in Tesla, together with Musk calling employees to rapidly construct and send vehicles in the close of the quarter to accomplish certain targets.
“Breaking even is appearing super tight. Really makes a difference for each vehicle that you construct and deliver. Please move all out to guarantee success!” Musk wrote at the Monday email seen by Reuters.
Electric-vehicle website Electrek first reported the information. Tesla stocks rose 5.2 percent to near $1,009. 35, on the Nasdaq on Monday.
The automaker is expected to report second-quarter shipping amounts this week.
Analysts on average expect the company to deliver approximately 74,000 vehicles in the months from April to June, based on Refinitiv data.
Much of the US was under some kind of lockdown orders during this time, which induced automobile sales to plummet.
Tesla in April surprised investors when it stated delivery and production of its sport utility vehicle, Model Y, has been substantially ahead of schedule regardless of the virus epidemic. The organization sent 88,400 vehicles in the first quarter.
Generation at Tesla’s sole US automobile mill in California was closed down for over six months in the end of March to early May because of neighborhood lockdown orders directed at controlling the spread of this coronavirus.
Earlier this month, it had been revealed that the organization is intending to build a brand new mill in the Southwest.


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Heightened fear among investors can be particularly bad news for smaller companies. Worried investors often favour mature and diverse businesses that are usually found in the FTSE 100, rather than the generally smaller firms quoted on Aim.
America’s “Vix” volatility index more than doubled between the start of the year and the first week of March. Although its rise reflects greater fear among US investors, the invasion of Ukraine and rising inflation are concerns shared by British savers.
As a result, the FTSE Aim All-Share index has fallen by 15pc so far this year. The FTSE 100 has lost a far more modest 1pc over the same period.
Of course, the smaller companies that largely make up our Inheritance Tax Portfolio offer strong long-term growth potential as investors’ sentiment improves. As a result, recent market movements have done little to change our opinion of current holdings.
Clearly, some have declined more than others over recent months. Among the biggest fallers is the online retailer Boohoo.
Its shares have lost 30pc so far this year as challenges including higher product return rates, rising freight costs and supply chain problems in international markets have hit its financial performance – they prompted a profits warning in December.
While those challenges may persist, to some extent at least, in the short run, the company’s long-term prospects are far more encouraging. For example, it is due to open its first US distribution centre next year.
Alongside the use of greater automation in its existing warehouses, this should help to offset rising costs. It will also improve the firm’s product availability in America should today’s supply chain problems persist.
Over the past two years Boohoo has doubled its market share in Britain and America. This positions it for long-term growth, while its “pure-play” online status will allow it to benefit from a continuing shift towards digital retail among consumers.
This is a long-standing trend that shows little sign of slowing; in fact it is likely to have been accelerated by the pandemic.
The company has also increased the size of its total addressable market through acquisitions over recent years. The purchase of brands such as Debenhams provides scope for growth in areas such as beauty and home products that could offer cross-selling opportunities to existing customers.
And, with supply chain constraints unlikely to last beyond the short term, the firm’s strong performance in Britain bodes well for its international operations as reopening-related difficulties ease.
Since we added the shares to the IHT Portfolio in June 2018 they have fallen by 59pc. While this is clearly a disappointing result, Boohoo’s long-term recovery potential appears to be sound.
The net cash it has on its balance sheet provides a solid financial foundation from which to deliver sustained investment in its distribution network and recently acquired brands. Hold.
Questor says: hold
Share price at close: 86.46p
Update: Gamma Communications
Another holding in our IHT Portfolio, Gamma Communications, has also performed poorly since the start of the year. The shares have fallen by 20pc so far this year; much of the decline took place following the release of its annual results earlier this week.
The results showed that the cloud communications firm had generated a 14pc rise in revenue. While its reported pre-tax profits declined by 10pc, this was due to a profit on the sale of an asset being included in the previous year’s figure. On an adjusted basis, pre-tax profits moved 25pc higher.
Encouragingly, the company’s recent UK and European acquisitions made a positive contribution to its financial performance. It also successfully launched a number of new products during the year that position it for long-term growth.
Since we added them to the portfolio in January 2018, shares in Gamma Communications have more than doubled. While its price-to-earnings ratio of 20.7 is hardly cheap even after its recent share price fall, growth opportunities in Britain and Europe mean it continues to merit a place in our Inheritance Tax Portfolio. Hold.
Questor says: hold
Share price at close: £13.24
Read the latest Questor column via telegraph.co.uk every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 5am.
Read Questor’s rules of investment before you follow our tips.


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As if you needed another reason to avoid PetSmart, the cruel pet store chain is proving once again that it has no empathy for animals. Michigan resident Allison Yates and her husband claim that Beauvine, their 7-year-old Great Dane, lost 28 pounds in the nine days he spent at the store’s PetsHotel in Rochester Hills.
The couple—who boarded their dog while they traveled to Utah to volunteer at an animal sanctuary—said they chose the PetsHotel because the facility offered soundproof rooms and private time, and Beauvine has a nervous temperament. According to Yates, PetSmart called four days into his stay to report that the Great Dane had diarrhea and had vomited. Had they known the severity of his condition, Yates said, she would have returned home immediately.
The couple claims that when they dropped Beauvine off at the PetsHotel, he weighed 138 pounds, but when they picked him up—nine days later—he weighed only 110 pounds. The couple also said that their veterinarian informed them that the Great Dane was dehydrated and appeared to have “been neglected for a week.”
“I don’t want this to happen to any other dog,” Yates said.
PetSmart Cruelty Strikes Again
In a statement released by the company in the wake of the incident, PetSmart provided the standard response: “The health, safety, and well-being of pets in our care is our top priority.” But we know this to be far from true.
Last year, a dachshund named Henry reportedly died after being taken to the store for a routine grooming session, and a PetSmart employee was arrested on suspicion of felony cruelty to animals.
"Henry" died allegedly while under care at PetSmart on the Peninsula. Employee arrested pic.twitter.com/6zrqGkgFrM
— Damian Trujillo (@newsdamian) May 17, 2016
According to reports, just minutes after Henry was dropped off at a California PetSmart store for a routine haircut, employee Juan Zarate emerged from the grooming office with the dog, who was bleeding from the mouth and having difficulty breathing, and took him to an on-site veterinarian. Henry was said to have died shortly after the vet began treatment, still in the store.
In 2016, eyewitnesses found that reptiles were denied basic care, left to suffer with gruesome injuries, and cruelly killed at a PetSmart supplier.
Animals were crammed into filthy, crowded plastic bins stacked on shelving units like boxes of old bank statements. Living beings were deprived of water for days or even weeks. Sick and injured animals were denied veterinary care. Emaciated, severely dehydrated animals were desperate for water. Animals were cruelly killed by being gassed or frozen to death. All of this occurred at Reptiles by Mack, a reptile mill in Xenia, Ohio, that breeds and sells frogs, lizards, turtles, and other animals to pet stores across the country, including PetSmart.
— PETA (@peta) December 28, 2016
This case was not unusual. Reptiles by Mack was the sixth animal dealer with ties to large pet store chains that PETA has exposed, and we’ve exposed more since.
PetSmart is well aware that investigation after investigation of its animal suppliers has found factory-farm conditions, filth, crowding, deprivation, neglect, cruelty, and prolonged, painful death. Yet it continues to sell animals and do business with these mills.
NEVER Support Stores That Profit From the Sale of Animals
You can make a difference by “voting with your wallet.” Please, pledge never to buy pet supplies from retailers that sell any animals. Let PetSmart officials know that you’ll buy supplies from businesses that don’t sell animals—such as Target, Walgreens, or online retailers—instead.
And if you’re planning to add an animal companion to your family, please visit a local shelter or rescue organization—never buy from a pet store or breeder.


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It’s another vote of confidence for the formerly blacklisted country, which the sustainable cotton nonprofit said has “come a long way” from its state-sanctioned use of child and forced labor to harvest the fiber.
Years of campaigning, plus a decade-plus-long freeze-out by brands and retailers, have triggered extensive government-led labor reforms in the world’s sixth-largest cotton producer. In March, the International Labor Organization declared Uzbek cotton “free” of forced and child labor. The same month, the global coalition known as the Cotton Campaign called off its boycott. The Central Asian nation, it said, has demonstrated that it is able to harvest cotton “almost entirely” without coercion.
“For the first time, independent monitors did not document systemic, government-imposed forced labor organized by the central government in any of the areas monitored,” a report by the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, a frontline partner of the Cotton Campaign, noted at the time. “Although there were some incidents of forced mobilization of state employees imposed by government officials, it was not on a scale that suggests it was coordinated by the central government.”
In September, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) struck Uzbek cotton off its annual list of goods produced by child labor or forced labor in recognition of its “significant advancement.”
Now, Better Cotton wants to “build on the success.” Commercial incentives that link Uzbekistan’s cotton farmers to international markets, it said, can help coax the newly privatized sector to maintain its trajectory while hitting international goalposts.
By implementing the Better Cotton Standard System, a “holistic” approach to cotton production that spans environmental, social and economic principles, the Geneva- and London-based organization will provide “robust and credible” decent-work monitoring systems that can demonstrate impact and measure results. Better Cotton will also introduce physical traceability, ensuring that cotton from licensed farms is fully segregated and traced through the value chain. Any licensed Better Cotton from Uzbekistan, it noted, will not be sold, at present, via the mass balance chain of custody, a controversial scheme that allows Better Cotton to be substituted or mixed with an equivalent amount of conventional cotton after ginning and spinning.
Better Cotton already has a head start. The International Finance Corporation and German developmental agency GIZ began piloting Better Cotton Principles and Criteria, its practice-based standard, in Uzbekistan in 2017. The pilots, the initiative said, provided a “strong entry point” for its program, with 12 large farms already benefiting from “significant” training. The six that have maintained participation are now engaged in the program’s 2022-23 cotton season. All of them, it added, have been assessed against the Better Cotton Principles and Criteria by trained third-party verifiers.
A growing shift to mechanization has eased the pressure on Uzbekistan’s mahalla, or district, councils to recruit residents to pick cotton in their quarters. Better Cotton said that participating farms that still rely on manual picking received additional decent work monitoring visits, documentation reviews and hundreds of worker, community and management interviews with a focus on labor risks “due to the country’s past challenges.”
The findings, which were “documented and discussed” with technical labor experts, contributed to the organization’s “enhanced assurance activities,” confirming that no systemic forced labor was present on any of the farms. As with other Better Cotton countries, not all participating farms received a license this season. Better Cotton said it will continue to support both the farms that received licenses as well as those who did not through its capacity-building efforts so they can continually improve their practices.
But potential pitfalls in the country still remain, Allison Gill, forced labor program director at Global Labor Justice-International Labor Rights, a member of the Cotton Campaign, previously told Sourcing Journal. Key risks campaigners have identified, she said, include a lack of independent and credible monitoring, and grievance and remedy for workers at various stages of cotton production, including at the field level. There are also “serious” restrictions on freedom of association, expression and assembly, and a lack of independent trade unions.
“Removing Uzbek cotton from the [DOL’s] list does not simply give a green light to buyers, it’s more like a yellow light; buyers need to assess the human rights risks that remain and ensure they are addressed,” Gill said. “That’s why we have called on the government to remove restrictions to the enabling environment for labor rights.” The Cotton Campaign is also working on its own pilot, one that will rally Uzbek producers, workers, and international brands to “ensure labor rights are respected in the whole cotton supply chain,” she added.
As Better Cotton begins its work in Uzbekistan, it’s concentrating on areas where progress still needs to be made, including ensuring worker voice and protection through the “effective implementation” of labor unions and the “appropriate use” of worker contracts, it said.
“We are energized by the progress that has been but do not expect our journey ahead to be without challenges,” Better Cotton said. “We will succeed together thanks to a solid foundation, strong partnerships and commitment from all involved stakeholders.”
Better Cotton previously suspended its program from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, another cotton forced-labor hotspot. The move led to the creation of a homegrown cotton sustainability standard that many regard as a direct repudiation of what the China Cotton Association has derided as “Swiss standards.” The initiative still operates in the Yangtze River and Yellow River Basins, supporting farmers in the Hebei, Hubei and Shandong provinces.


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Detergent prices rinsing out consumers’ walletsConsumers buying laundry detergent products for drum-type washing machines may find themselves being overcharged, the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) said yesterday.
Based on its research, the KCA came to the conclusion that some of the products have been overly priced compared to their cleaning capability.
Manufacturers responded by condemning the agency’s testing process and what they described as biased content of its latest consumer report.?
The KCA ran tests on 16 detergents, 10 liquid-based and six powder-based, to determine their washing ability, including how much color run and fade they produce on garments.
This marks the ninth in a series of consumer reports comparing the quality and prices of products to be released by the government-run Fair Trade Commission and the KCA.
The report began by comparing the cheapest detergent product by E-Mart’s own private brand Dr. Fabric with that of Henkel Homecare Korea’s Persil Power Gel, the most expensive brand in the country that holds the biggest market share.
The result showed the two products fared similarly in tests. Dr. Fabric was found to have a laundering capability of 27.2 percent, while Persil Power Gel had 27.6 percent. Both are powder-based, meaning they were both significantly below the average reading of 45.2 percent.
The term refers to what degree each product removes pollutants, with a reading of 50 percent meaning that half have been removed.
However, the latter product was found to be over four times more expensive. Dr. Fabric costs 63 won (5 cents) per wash - calculated as 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of laundry - while Persil Power Gel costs 255 won.
Other products were also deemed overpriced. Yuhan’s Areumdaun Detergent costs consumers 102 won per wash, despite its low washing capability of 19.8 percent, while the same figures for Oxy Reckitt Benckiser Korea’s Power Clean All in One were 104 won and 19.4 percent.
The most expensive product was found to be 4.6 times more expensive than the cheapest, but its performance was only 1.3 times better.
The manufacturers reacted angrily to the survey, based on the argument that its judging criteria were too limited.
It did not, for example, take into account whether the products were made of expensive, eco-friendly materials, nor the vast expenses laid out on R&D just to raise the product’s cleaning ability by 2 or 3 percent, they said. The report just focused on prices rather than how these were determined, they added.
More detailed information is available on the smart consumer Web site (www.smartconsumer.go.kr).
By Kim Jung-yoon [firstname.lastname@example.org]
More in Industry
Korea Shipbuilding signs ￦87.5 billion deal to build LPG carrier
DMI to develop drone-based marine charting system
Graft regulations eased to allow for more expensive gifts
Hanwha is first Rolls-Royce supplier permitted to handle quality control
Live commerce, perfect for the pandemic, is all the rage


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Lenovo’s net income jumped to $162 million during the three months from July ’12- Sept ’12 as compared to $143.9 million during the same period a year earlier. The figures have surpassed the estimates made by eight analysts. According to the estimates, the earnings were expected to be $158.4 million.
During the last quarter, Lenovo came out to be the largest PC maker in the world accounting for the 15.7 percent of global PC shipments. Lenovo overtook Hewlett-Packard. Hewlett-Packard accounted for 15.5 percent of the market share. Lenovo experienced an overall increase in PC demand after the release of Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 8.
Lenovo now wants to concentrate in the smartphone sector and establish their dominance over mobile devices. In addition to smartphones, Lenovo is also looking to expand its product line by introducing new tablets and Internet-ready TVs. Their target is to challenge the customer base of tech giants like Apple and Samsung.


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FNB Life, a division of First National Bank, announced on Monday that consumers can now take up funeral plans through nearly 6 700 FNB ATMs and Slimline devices across the country.
The insurance distributor and administrator’s CEO, Lee Bromfield, said in a statement that making funeral plans available via this channel is a “logical step as ATMs already enable citizens to access a number of services”.
“ATMs have become multi-purpose devices and one of the most used channels in rural communities and townships,” Bromfield said.
“This development offers consumers in those and other areas an opportunity to use this channel to get funeral plans from a provider they can trust, thus avoiding possible debt associated with paying for a funeral.”
Consumers can obtain a funeral plan via an ATM in one minute, mitigating potential queues associated with using shared resources such as ATMs, the bank said.
They can get cover from the minimum value of R10 000 to a maximum value of R60 000 for the main member. — (c) 2016 NewsCentral Media


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Australia’s gross domestic product expanded a seasonally adjusted 0.6 percent on quarter in the third quarter of 2017, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.
Read Full Story
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- Singapore CB Chief Says Cryptocurrency Regulation Must Not Stifle Innovation - March 16, 2018
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- U.S. Consumer Sentiment Unexpectedly Improves In March - March 16, 2018


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Chinese carmaker Geely on Friday started online sale of cars which will be directly delivered to buyers as the country continues to grapple with the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Car sales, like numerous our businesses, have been badly hit since the outbreak of the deadly virus three weeks ago.
Geely's decision to start online sales of its vehicles is in a bid to boost the stagnating sales of cars. A number of other carmakers too have started promoting cars online given that the health crisis has once again escalated which has prompted the authorities to warn people to stay away from public places.
Geely tries to boost sales
Geely in s statement said that customers can visit the company's website, choose cars, customize them and place orders directly online. Interestingly, the carmaker is also arranging for test drives for potential customers. The company will be arranging test drives for the prospective customers directly from their home in coordination with local dealers of Geely.
A Geely spokesperson said that promoting online sales will help the company directly reach customers through its sales and marketing team. The company is in fact trying to use this as an opportunity to reach out to potential customers and help them in building an experience which they can use in future too while buying cars.
Geely had earlier partnered with the likes of JD.com, Tmall and Suning.com to sell its vehicles. However, this is the first time that the company has taken the initiative to sell cars directly through its website.
Will sales be hit in China once again?
China is the world's largest market for cars but sales have been slowing for a while now. To add to the woes, the coronavirus outbreak has further hit the auto market with most carmakers having halted production, sales and deliveries of cars in China. According to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers nationwide sales of cars is likely to slump 10% in the first half of the year and 5% for the whole year if at all the pandemic is contained before April.
Geely is one of China's most popular car brands and is also gaining prominence globally because of its investments in Daimler and Volvo. The company said that its February production has been almost a third of its usual monthly output. Moreover, sale of passenger cars plummeted almost 92% compared with the same period in the first 16 days of February.
Geely said that 90% of its workers will be returning to work by the end of this month. A number of other carmakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz too have been promoting vehicle sales online. Tesla has always been promoting sales online. Given this situation, it seems Geely is taking the right step by going online to boost car sales.


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Hello Social Media Marketers! Spring is coming and we hope all your content crops on LinkedIn, Instagram, TiktTok and Co. are growing well. Here are some tips to make them blossom that much more!
Hello Social Media Marketers! We hope your new year started off in an amazing way, with lots of fun new projects and experiences. While it’s still a bit cold over here, we are not taking a break from supplying you with the hottest social media news. Get ready for a tasty and informative morning crunch on what’s happening in the world of LinkedIn, TikTok, Meta & Co.!
We start the new year off strong! 6 exciting social media news and a variety of best practice showcases by brands you love await you in our inaugural 2023 news.
SOCIAL MEDIA PREDICTIONS FOR 2023 Andrew Hutchinson from SocialMediaToday has compiled the Social Media Predictions for 2023 for us. We want to share some of these with you: Facebook Avatar Integration We know that avatars will play a big role in Zuckerberg`s metaverse. It could be that these figurines will also be used more often …
Once again, we have the latest social media news for you.
This month we’re talking about new monetization opportunities on TikTok, the new Instagram Creator Portfolio and recommendations for your LinkedIn content.
Want to take a short break? Stay up to date with our monthly social media newsletter.
This month, we’re talking about new BeReal features, changes on Instagram, and recommendations for Meta content, among other things.
Summer is coming to an end, but we still have the hottest Social Media News for you! 🙌
This month we’ll show you how Pinterest marketing works in times of recession, what the latest changes are on Instagram and how to get a LinkedIn campaign up and running, among other things.
Enjoy the read!
In honor of summer, we’ve rounded up the hottest Social Media News for you this month!
This month we’re talking about the new Facebook Trend Report, B2B marketing on LinkedIn and Instagram’s new Creator Marketplace.
Are you wondering if the Metaverse is worth your attention – or maybe even just what it is? Davies Meyer has all the answers for you. We help you evaluate the position of the metaverse in the technology landscape, understand what it’s all about and what the big players are trying to do right now.
It’s time again for your monthly social media news. 😍
This month we have exciting topics for you: TikTok Trend Discovery helps you find the right TikTok trend, Meta plans new monetization opportunities, Instagram offers new creation features, and more. 🙌


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Cyberpunk 2077 Won’t Get a Playable Demo At E3 2019
CD Projekt Red has confirmed some of their plans for the upcoming E3 2019 and one of them is for Cyberpunk 2077. There won’t be any playable demo for Cyberpunk 2077 at E3 2019 but they will show new gameplay demo to the press.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a hotly anticipated game by CD Projekt Red that is in development for a while now. It was revealed before the release of The Witcher 3 but proper gameplay wasn’t shown until E3 last year. The game is still in active development at CD Projekt Red and from the sound of it, there is no playable demo planned for this year.
CD Projekt Red’s Community Manager Marcin Momot has shared this new information on the game in a tweet. He confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 is not getting any demo at E3 2019 but they will do a demonstration to the press with gameplay presentations in their own personal cinema.
“To answer many questions about the demo and whether or not CyberpunkGame will be playable at E3 — we are going to be hosting gameplay presentations (game played by us) in that cinema,” said Marcin in his Tweet.
One of the rumors regarding the game is that it will get a release date announced during Microsoft’s E3 2019 press conference, but if we are being honest, this doesn’t seem as likely now considering the playable state of the game.


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NEW YORK - Fashionistas who had to cut out the trips to Bloomie’s during the recession can breathe a sigh of relief.
Macy’s Inc. said yesterday that it will open its first Bloomingdale’s bargain-priced outlet stores this summer and fall in a bid to attract the style conscious on a budget.
The department store operator said the move to open four such stores is a response to consumers’ focus on value.
This is Macy’s first foray into the outlet arena. The stores, dubbed Bloomingdale’s Outlet, will open at outlet malls in New Jersey, Florida, and Virginia.
Chief executive Terry J. Lundgren said the company had been studying the “off-the-mall outlet business for some time, and the timing now is right given the consumer’s particular focus on value.’’
Higher-end department stores such as Bloomingdale’s have been hard hit by consumers cutting back during the recession, while their off-price offshoots - such as Nordstrom’s Rack and Saks Off Fifth - have fared better.
In an effort to improve its performance, Macy’s has been shoring up its results with aggressive cost-cutting, including job cuts, lower capital spending, and reduced contributions to employees’ retirement funds.
More outlet locations are expected to open in 2011.


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Novell Inc. on Wednesday announced sweeping plans to buttress its IntranetWare network operating system, including added Internet connectivity and server enhancements.
The Provo, Utah, networking vendor announced at Internet World in New York early access and beta versions of Internet connectivity and Web Server enhancements for IntranetWare. It also debuted "Kayak" -- an IntranetWare platform for small businesses.
In addition, Novell released an early access CD-ROM for IntranetWare that previews forthcoming proxy cache, security services and virtual private networking technologies that offer improved security, performance and manageability of users' Internet connections, company officials said. The features are due next year.
Novell also announced a final beta of Web Server Version 3.0 with Secure Sockets Layer support and an application to manage digital certificates.
Novell will finalize a partnership this week with VeriSign Inc. to provide digital certificates to IntranetWare customers, officials said. Novell next year also will deliver enhancements to enable digital certificates to be stored in NDS (Novell Directory Services).
Version 3.0 of Web Server offers double the performance of the previous version and enables World Wide Web pages to be stored on file servers. Also featured are connectivity to Oracle Corp. databases; multi-homing support and the Novell Quick Finder Search Engine. Version 3.0, due in January, will be available for free.
Also in final beta is Kayak, a version of IntranetWare aimed at single-site companies with 25 users or less, said officials. Due early next year, Kayak features simple installation, a new Novell Easy Administration Tool, migration utilities and a single-site version of NDS.
In addition, Kayak sports remote access, Novell Web Server 2.5 and Netscape Communications Corp.'s Navigator 3.0 browser. It will be upgraded next year to support Version 3.0 of Web Server and to integrate Java capabilities, officials said.
Novell also delivered its new IntranetWare software development kit for Java with an implementation of the Java Virtual Machine, just-in-time compilers and Java tools.
Novell can be reached at www.novell.com.


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SINGAPORE -- Automobiles with video map screens, copy machines that "remember" thousands of pages and "smart" homes that keep track of all your appliances are some of the new uses expected for disk drives, according to industry executives.
The growth of the disk drive industry has moved very rapidly but has so far suffered from excessive dependence on a single customer -- the personal computer manufacturer.
Over the next decade, however, manufacturers see several new markets for disk-drive storage devices as the demand for data spreads to other products.
Ten years ago, less than 10 percent of personal computers sold were equipped with hard disk drives, and a two-megabyte hard drive cost around $1,500. Now an estimated 90 percent of all personal computers are sold with hard disk drives and a 40-megabyte disk costs less than $200. One megabyte is the equivalent of a million bits of data.
While this growth has been dramatic, it has tied disk drive companies too closely to personal computer manufacturers.
But several advances are expected to greatly increase the industry's markets. Among the products likely to use disk drives: those that have a use for storing large chunks of information such as fax machines, or those that have previously relied on a mainframe but which could now have their own data base, such as bank teller machines.
Other expected uses include automobile navigation systems, which will provide extensive mapping capabilities, larger telephone answering systems or voice-mail systems for corporations and copy machines.
Finally there is a use in so-called "smart home" systems where a central processor would control temperature, appliances, lighting and security.
Part of these new uses are expected to result from the industry's ability to store more and more information in a smaller space.
Companies now find they must retool their entire plant every two years or less to keep up with the advances. Over the past few years, hard drives have shrunk from 8 inches, to 5.25 inches to 3.5 inches to 2.5 inches to the latest rage in the industry -- 1.8 inch drives.
Singapore became the world's largest disk-drive producer during the 1980s, initially by attracting U.S. companies looking for skilled, lower-cost labor and proximity to subcontractors.
"There's very good manufacturing technology," said Mike Morrissette, managing director for Western Digital. "You can concentrate on Just-In-Time. You don't have to worry, your supplier is right here."
But higher labor costs in Singapore, higher business costs and local-content rules in end-markets such as Europe could begin to erode Singapore's position. Industry officials see some companies moving more production to Scotland, Germany or France to satisfy local-content rules.
At the same time, as disks have gotten smaller and more powerful, transportation costs have become much less of a factor relative to total cost.
In 1990, Singapore shipped $4.18 billion worth of drives, up 31 percent from the $3.18 billion it shipped in 1989. The United States was the largest market, taking 48.8 percent of total units exported.
Put another way, disk drives made up just over 7.5 percent of the value of all Singapore's exports, but 20 percent of all Singapore exports to the United States.
Companies see a shakeout and consolidation period ahead for Singapore and the industry as a whole. Gus Hsu, Singapore director for Asia-Pacific sales for San Jose, Calif.-based Maxtor Corp., said there are just too many players.
"All the production capacity of all the players is much bigger than world demand," he said. "So there will be tough times for the smaller players. Definitely this year is not a good year."
According to Dataquest, an industry research firm, 29.9 million hard disk drives were shipped in 1991. Of the top eight players, six were U.S.-based with a cumulative market share of almost 75 percent.


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Yes, Blizzard probably will ship patch 9.2 and everything else later now — and that’s for the better
I think I realized when Jeff Hamilton posted this to Twitter that a lot of people would misunderstand it.
I won't lie, while I like Torghast, I ended up feeling like it missed the boat in terms of delivering a satisfying single-player experience.
This post was inspired by two things: seeing that Riot Games are getting back into making tabletop games, and the recent announcement of the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, a sanctioned Wizards of the Coast product featuring the campaign setting seen every week on Critical Role.
New decade, who dis?
Activision Blizzard's latest earnings call posited good news for World of Warcraft: the third quarter of the year saw the largest quarterly subscription increase in the franchise's history.
Update: This story has been updated to include Blizzard's follow-up statement on the event, as well as analysis on how it fits in with the ongoing story.
We have talked about the topic of a Diablo series of some kind making its way to Netflix or another streaming service before.
Keeping in mind this isn't exactly an official confirmation, it's still a pretty big deal.
Blizzard, as we all know, is not averse to doing game remakes or remasters.
In 2017, Blizzard did a really big Gamescom reveal, with Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and World of Warcraft all seeing fairly large announcements, as well as Overwatch dropping the Mei short video for folks.


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An upcoming version of U.S. legislation designed to combat copyright infringement on the Web may include provisions that hold online services such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube legally responsible for infringing material posted by users, according...
The main U.S. law targeting cybercrime may need to be changed because it has allowed law enforcement agencies to target people who simply violate websites' terms of service or their employers' computer use policies, two senators said Wednesday.
A group of U.S. senators pledged Tuesday to open up the country's borders to high-skill immigrants, with lawmakers arguing that the U.S. is turning away some of the world's smartest people.
A senior U.S. senator has urged two federal agencies to reject AT&T's proposed US$39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA.
A U.S. senator has blocked a controversial bill that would enlist ISPs, search engines and other businesses in blocking access to alleged websites infringing copyright.
A U.S. senator wants Apple and Google to require some applications in their mobile app stores to have privacy policies as a way to protect users against location tracking.
A new bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would update a 25-year-old law that sets the rules for law enforcement surveillance of e-mail and other electronic communications, with more legal protections for the privacy of data stored in the cloud.
A U.S. senator resurrected year-old questions about Google Street View cars sniffing Wi-Fi networks Tuesday, when he questioned a company representative about a patent application covering a process to pinpoint location based on nearby Wi-Fi signals.
Representatives of Apple and Google denied that they are collecting the personal information of owners of smartphones running their operating systems, but a U.S. senator questioned whether those denials were accurate during a hearing Tuesday.
The U.S. Congress needs to rewrite a law governing law enforcement access to mobile-phone data, e-mail messages and other electronic communications to reflect changes in technology, including a growing reliance on cloud computing, several senators sa...
A U.S. Senate subcommittee focused on antitrust and consumer-protection issues will investigate competition in the search-engine and broadband markets over the next two years, the subcommittee chairman announced.
U.S senators will introduce legislation this year targeting websites that traffic in digital piracy or counterfeited goods, said the primary sponsor of a controversial bill proposed in 2010 that would give government agencies more authority to shut d...
The U.S. needs consistent rules for how law enforcement agencies can access the ever-growing collection of location-based data from mobile devices, a U.S. senator said Wednesday.
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With its domestic compatriot Samsung hogging all the limelight with the soon to be launched Galaxy Pad tablet, how can LG be far behind. For the second largest business conglomerate in South Korea too is increasingly being seen upping the ante with the tablet device of its own. Named the Optimus Pad, LG too is keen to see the iPad toppled from the top slot that its holding right now and is banking on a mix of superior performance along with a sleeker and thinner form to see it rise to the top of the tablet heap.
Unfortunately, very little is known of the Optimus Pad even though LG maintains the tablet will be having a lot of firsts in the segment. Which means it will be capable of a lot of things that no other tablet device have so far been able to pull off. Exactly what these ‘firsts’ are has been kept a secret and will be so until the ‘fourth quarter’ which is when LG is expected to introduce the tablet.
Another thing that has been kept under wraps is whether the tablet will run the latest Android 2.2 Froyo right out of the box or will it follow the more usual method of pre-installing the tablet with an earlier version following by providing them with the upgrade version later on.
In any case, this is another tablet that is expected to steal the show as the IFA unfolds in just a few days.
Sovan Mandal is the senior tablet and tech corespondent for goodereader.com. He brings a international approach to news that is not just applicable to the North American market, but also Asia, India, Europe and others. Sovy brings his own writing flavor to the website and is interested in Science Fiction, Technology and Writing. Any questions, send an email


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According to figure from Gartner,344.3 million Android smart phones were sold worldwide in Q2 2016 .This makes for a 4.3% expansion in deals year on year.
Samsung is still the undisputed business sector pioneer, offering no under 76.7 million handsets in Q2 with a 22.3% piece of the pie. This puts the South Korean tech goliath path in front of Apple (44.3 million, 12.9%). Samsung is trailed by three Chinese makers: Huawei (30.6 million, 8.9%), Oppo (18.4 million, 5.4%) and Xiaomi (15.5 million, 4.5%). Note that Apple is the one and only of the main five telephone producers to see a fall in deals, dropping 3.7 million and 1.7 rate purposes of piece of the pie in the space of a year.
With respect to working frameworks, Android and iOS alone record for 99.1% of cell phone deals. Google's Android is as yet raging in front of Apple's versatile OS, shipping with 86.2% of cell phones sold around the world, contrasted and 12.9% for iOS.
Offers of handsets running Windows are currently minor subsequent to being in freefall for a year, slipping from a 2.5% piece of the pie to only 0.6%, or 1.9 million cell phones sol, in Q2. Blackberry charges surprisingly more terrible, guaranteeing only 0.1% of cell phone deals around the world, down from 0.3% in Q2 of 2015.


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Roland Creative Awards Grand Prize Winner Named at Roland DG's 30th Anniversary Global EventContest Finalists From 16 Regions Attended Awards Ceremony in Hamamatsu, Japan (April 26, 2012)
HAMAMATSU, JAPAN -- (Marketwire) -- 04/26/12 -- Roland DG employees, affiliates, customers and friends from across the globe gathered last week at the company's headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan to celebrate three decades of Roland innovation and creativity.
The week-long 30th anniversary event included a day of festivities at the company's headquarters, followed by tours of Tokyo and Kyoto. Throughout the event, all eyes were on the 16 attending regional finalists in the company's recent Roland Creative Awards international contest, whose work was recognized as the world's best from 1,193 contest entries.
The highlight of the celebration came Tuesday evening when Roland DG President Masahiro Tomioka awarded the contest's grand prize to the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in North Eastern China. Accepting the award were Du Haibin and Jiao Hongwei, industrial design professors at the university. As the grand prize, Haibin and Hongwei have selected a Roland EGX-360 gift engraver for the university.
"Our entry, a scale model tunneling machine, was part of a transportation-themed project that teaches students how to transform a 2D design into a 3D prototype," Haibin said. "Winning the Roland award is important to our school as it provides visibility to our efforts and assists us in attaining funding for future projects."
The winning prototype was produced on a Roland MDX-540 milling machine and is comprised of several sections that were milled separately from a variety of materials. Along its surface are many contours, textures and details made possible by the precision of Roland subtractive rapid prototyping technology.
Open for entries from Sept. 2011 to Jan. 2012, the Roland Creative Awards invited Roland businesses from more than 120 countries worldwide to submit their best work as produced on the company's wide-format inkjet printers, vinyl cutters, engravers, 3D milling machines and other production tools. Entries spanned industries and applications, and included everything from signage, banners and vehicle wraps to personalized accessories, jewelry designs, decorated apparel and even tattoo art. In addition to being a showcase of creativity, the contest illustrated the breadth of Roland's technological achievements.
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AT&T announces "Sponsored Data" program to ease your data bill
AT&T has just announced its "Sponsored Data" program, which is aiming to ease your data bill by getting content providers to pay the bill. If this sounds familiar, it's because a similar plan has been used by ISPs for a while now. On the surface, this sounds like a good idea, but given the way ISPs have been dealing with charging for data, we are a bit suspicious of just how this will end up playing out.
The idea is that content providers would pay AT&T for the bandwidth usage on media rather than users footing the bill. Given that one of the first partners on the program is an ad agency, we would hope that advertisements would be the first step in the program; meaning you wouldn't be charged for the data used when watching a movie trailer or ad that precedes a YouTube video. The other possibility would be that content service providers like Spotify could join the program to give a service an advantage over competitors by offering zero data cap hit to customers.
The way this plan is worded makes it a bit less suspicious, but it is always good to be cautious. The big trouble here is that if more and more ad companies get in on the plan, it could mean a lot more advertisements. Getting content providers like YouTube or Netflix on board would be the best option for users, but the value to those companies is unclear, because removing their services from data caps would just add more stress to their servers. It's hard to say if Google would see it as valuable enough to get more eyeballs on ads, but Netflix likely wouldn't see any reason to join.


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Qualcomm recently demonstrated the operating speed of its latest mobile platform, the Snapdragon 845, through various benchmark tests, giving people hints as to what kind of performance to expect from the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9 series.
While there have been a lot of speculations and information leaks related to the Galaxy S9's technical specifications, Samsung has not yet officially announced anything about its next flagship. It is expected to stay that way until the company's anticipated media event later this month at the Mobile World Congress where the Galaxy S9 is expected to be unveiled.
One of the commonly rumored specs of the Galaxy S9 is the addition of the Snapdragon 845 chip, which was announced in December 2017. A few weeks later, a list of upcoming smartphones rumored to carry the Snapdragon 845 chip was leaked, and it included the Galaxy S9.
Recently, Qualcomm allowed news outlets to test its references devices powered with the Snapdragon 845. In a report by Android Authority, the in-house handset was tried in comparison with flagship smartphones Galaxy Note 8, Pixel 2, LG V30+, and HTC U11+.
Based on the results, the Snapdragon 845 device performed better than the mentioned mobile phones in terms of CPU speeds.
Using AnTuTu -- whose tests cover some of the most essential aspects in a smartphone such as the CPU, GPU, random access memory and storage speed -- the Snapdragon device showed a commanding lead and scored 256,805. On GeekBench 4, the Snapdragon 845 device scored 2,439 in the single core test, which is a few hundred points better than the Galaxy Note 8 with Exynos 8895's score which hit the 2,019 mark.
These results can be simply explained by the clock speed boost applied to the Snapdragon 845. With the exception of the Galaxy Note 8, all of the other released smartphones which the Snapdragon 845 device was compared to were running on its predecessor, the quad-core 835 chip. The 835 chip clocked up to 2.45 GHz while the 845 platform reached up to 2.8 GHz.
Another commonly used benchmark testing tool is GFXBench, and as the name suggests, it gives emphasis to a device's graphics rendering capacity. Android Authority tested the Snapdragon 845 device using three different platforms, namely the Manhattan, T-Rex, and Car Chase high-intensity off-screen tests where the said handset performed better than other smartphones released in the market.
Meanwhile, it is important to note that the processing chip's performance varies especially when it is finally out in the market and used on smartphones with different technical specs. However, these tests have given smartphone fans a hint at what the Snapdragon 845 is capable of doing. Android phone users have also been provided an idea of how the Galaxy S9 would perform compared to earlier released handsets.


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PayPal US Users Can Now Spend More on Bitcoin in Week Than They Could in Year
Online payments giant PayPal has made a major change for their US customers - it now allows them to spend five times more on bitcoin (BTC), ethereum (ETH), and other supported cryptoassets a week.
"As part of our efforts to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers, we are pleased to announce that we have recently raised the purchase limits of cryptocurrency for eligible PayPal customers in the US to [USD] 100,000 per week with no annual purchase limit," said Jose Fernandez da Ponte, the VP of Global Business Development.
This is a fivefold increase from the previous purchase limit of USD 20,000. The current weekly limit is even higher than the previous annual purchase limit of USD 50,000.
The update has been made in the company's Terms and Conditions as well, which states that they "may change the above limits for safety, security or other lawful reasons."
According to the VP, the changes are meant to give their customers "more choice and flexibility" in purchasing crypto on PayPal.
The company further said that they are regularly updating their in-app guides and educational materials on crypto, so to educate the customers on these assets, give answers to commonly asked questions, as well as offer insights into the world of crypto, and help demystify some misconceptions customers may have about crypto.
PayPal announced in October last year that it would offer US account holders the ability to buy and sell bitcoin, ethereum, bitcoin cash (BCH), and litecoin (LTC).
In March this year, it launched a service to allow customers to pay in crypto. Then in April, the PayPal-operated peer-to-peer mobile payments app Venmo begun support for crypto as well.
And in June, PayPal doubled down on their crypto investment via crypto- and blockchain-focused venture capital firm Blockchain Capital's USD 300m fundraise.
At 7:41 UTC, bitcoin is trading at USD 31,732. It's down almost 3% in a day and 4% in a week. Ethereum is changing hands at USD 1,911, having depreciated 2.5% in a day and 10% in a week.
- Strike Issues a Live-or-Die No-Fee 'Challenge' to Coinbase, CashApp, Venmo
- PayPal Touts Crypto For Its 'Super App,' But It Won’t Buy Bitcoin Just Yet
- NYDIG and NCR Team Up To Bring Bitcoin To 650 US Banks, Credit Unions
- 4,000 German Funds Can Now Start Investing In Crypto


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NEWSROOM (ADV) -The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Wilson Tarpeh says the ministry in collaboration with the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI) is to finalize all necessary requirements for the US$1 million loan for small businesses across the country.
Mr. Tarpeh made the disclosure at the Commerce Ministry in Monrovia. “We want to be able to give US$1,000, US$2,000, and up to US$3,000 to petty traders with a minimum interest rate of 8 percent, while other banks and loan institutions give the interest rate of around 12 to 14 percent to businesses,” the Minister said.
According to him, the initiative aims to empower Liberian small businesses amid some of the challenges affecting them, including access to finance.
Mr. Tarpeh said President George Weah is more concerned about empowering Liberian small businesses, an initiative that all lieutenants of the President are committed to supporting.
“This money will not be for only Monrovia-based businesses. We will ensure that businesses in the rural areas also get access to the loan. There will a complete publicity about the loan that will enable businesses across the country to apply for it as well” Mr. Tarpeh indicated.
Commenting on the recent requests made by petroleum traders for the increment of petroleum products, Mr. Tarpeh said the ministry and along with the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) were pleased with the level of the negotiation.
“We are a responsible government and deem it necessary to sit on the table to discuss this important issue affecting this sector. Now, a petroleum retail price for a gallon of gasoline has increased from US$3.55 or its Liberian dollar equivalent of LD$540 to US$3.70 or its Liberian equivalent of LD580, while the retail pump price for a gallon of diesel fuel has also increased from US$3.70 or its Liberian dollar equivalent of $560 to US$3.95 or its Liberian dollar equivalent of LD615,” he said.
© Bur-csa – A.H / Oumaima Mourtada – African Daily Voice (ADV)


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Sixt Remarketing joins Dealerslink Marketplace
an industry leader in automotive systems integration and networking technology, announced it has launched Sixt Remarketing inventory within its marketplace this week. Sixt, one of the world’s largest rental car companies, adds more than 1,000 off-rental vehicles to the national dealer-to-dealer marketplace. Sixt’s nationwide inventory will be available on the Dealerslink.com and SixtDirect.com one week earlier than OVE and other auctions.
Sixt is known for its high-class inventory featuring luxury models with higher trim levels than vehicles offered by other car rental companies. The company operates more than 2,200 locations worldwide and more than 50 premium locations in North America.
Dealerslink has been eliminating wholesale transaction fees for over 13 years, with $1 billion of used inventory available 24/7. Members use the Marketplace daily to stock their lots with clean reconditioned units, locate hard-to-find vehicles for their customers, sell inventory without incurring wholesale losses, and arrange book-for-book trades. Members pay only a monthly fee to participate, and never pay per-vehicle auction fees.
Offering our premium inventory on Dealerslink’s Marketplace complements our existing sixtdirect.com service while opening our inventory to more potential buyers,” said Mark Kach, Vice President, Remarketing North America, for Sixt.
We are absolutely thrilled to deliver Sixt Remarketing inventory to our Dealerslink members with no transaction fees,” said Dealerslink CEO Mike Goicoechea. “Sixt inventory caliber is second to none. Mark and his team really know how to properly equip their vehicles for retail buyers, and they typically sell vehicles with lower than average miles.”