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Skip to comments.The Pope and Godless Capitalism
Posted on 05/03/2013 1:09:31 PM PDT by Kaslin
"This is called slave labor," said Pope Francis.
The Holy Father was referring to the $40 a month paid to apparel workers at that eight-story garment factory in Bangladesh that collapsed on top of them, killing more than 400.
"Not paying a just wage ... focusing exclusively on the balance books, on financial statements, only looking at personal profit. That goes against God!"
The pope is describing the dark side of globalism.
Why is Bangladesh, after China, the second-largest producer of apparel in the world? Why are there 4,000 garment factories in that impoverished country which, a few decades ago, had almost none?
Because the Asian subcontinent is where Western brands -- from Disney to Gap to Benetton -- can produce cheapest. They can do so because women and children will work for $1.50 a day crammed into factories that are rickety firetraps, where health and safety regulations are nonexistent.
This is what capitalism, devoid of a conscience, will produce.
Rescuers at the factory outside Dhaka have stopped looking for survivors, but expect to find hundreds more bodies in the rubble.
The Walt Disney Co., with sales of $40 billion a year, decided -- after an apparel plant fire in November took the lives of 112 workers -- to stop producing in Bangladesh. "The Disney ban now extends to other countries, including Pakistan," says The New York Times, "where a fire last September killed 262 garment workers."
Not long ago, the shirts, skirts, suits and dresses Americans wore were "Made in the USA" -- in plants in the Carolinas, Georgia and Louisiana, where the lower wages, lighter regulations and air conditioning that came after World War II had attracted the factories from New England.
The American idea was that the 50 states and their citizens should compete with one another fairly. The feds set the health and safety standards that all factories had to meet, and imposed wage and hour laws. Some states offered lower wages, but there was a federal minimum wage.
How did we prevent companies from shutting down here and going to places like today's Bangladesh to produce as cheaply as they could -- without regard for the health and safety of their workers -- and to send their products back here and kill the American factories?
From James Madison to the mid-20th century, we had a tariff.
This provided revenue for the U.S. government to keep other taxes low and build the nation's infrastructure. Tariffs prevented exploiters of labor from getting rich here on sweatshops abroad.
Tariffs favored U.S. companies by letting them compete for free in the U.S. market, while a cover charge was placed on foreign goods entering the U.S.A. Foreign producers would pay tariffs for the privilege of competing here, while U.S. companies paid income taxes.
Foreigners had to buy a ticket to the game. Americans got in free.
After all, it's our country, isn't it?
But in the late 20th century, America abandoned as "protectionism" what Henry Clay had called The American System. We gave up on economic patriotism. We gave up on the idea that the U.S. economy should be structured for the benefit of America and Americans first.
We embraced globalism.
The ideological basis of globalism was that, just as what was best for America was a free market where U.S. companies produce and sell anywhere freely and equally in the U.S.A., this model can be applied worldwide.
We can create a global economy where companies produce where they wish and sell where they wish.
As one might expect, the big boosters of the concept were the transnational corporations. They could now shift plants and factories out of the high-wage, well-regulated U.S. economy to Mexico, China and India, then to Bangladesh, Haiti and Cambodia, produce for pennies, ship their products back to the U.S.A., sell here at the same old price, and pocket the difference.
As some who were familiar with the decline of Great Britain predicted, this would lead inexorably to the deindustrialization of America, a halt to the steady rise in U.S. workers' wages and standard of living, and the enrichment of a new class of corporatists.
Meanwhile, other nations, believing yet in economic nationalism, would invade and capture huge slices of the U.S. market for their home companies, their "national champions." The losers would be the companies that stayed in the U.S.A. and produced for the U.S.A., with American workers.
And so it came to pass. U.S. real wages have not risen in 40 years.
In the first decade of the century, America lost 5 million to 6 million manufacturing jobs, one in every three we had, as 55,000 factories closed.
Since Bush 41 touted his New Word Order, we have run trade deficits of $10 trillion -- ten thousand billion dollars! Everybody -- the EU, China, Japan, Mexico, Canada -- now runs a trade surplus at the expense of the U.S.A.
We built the global economy -- by gutting our own.
You are ridiculous *rme*
An unlimited flow of cheap crap. The new American system.
What do you know? The new Pope is a Communist.
There are 100's of thousands in this world who would risk their lives to work in this factory for half as much.
There is a kingdom, not of this world.
Does anyone know how extensive Walmart operations were in this building?
As soon as the RCC began advocating for Obamacare, I knew what side is was on.
I wouldn’t expect the Pope necessarily to understand economics but I would have thought Buchanan knew better than this.
And you are full of it. *rme*
In defense of the Pope, he was making this observation in the context of a factory building collapse that had killed hundreds of people. I suspect his comment was about the working conditions, not the wages.
In that case, it doesn't matter if they're getting paid $40/month or $40,000/month. The economic aspect of this story is secondary, isn't it?
note: the article is by Pat Buchanan, he only quotes the Pope, briefly, at the start.
What Pat seems to forget is that the elimination of tarriffs have as part of their root the combination of high prices and poor quality driven by Union Labor in the US. Americans wanted to buy Japanese cars and electronics (Pat only sticks to textiles and avoids having to point out that the issue is larger and more complex) not only because they were cheaper, but also better than their US made counterparts.
More tariffs (taxes) is his solution? Just another old fool who thinks that more money for the government is the solution to everything.
Perhaps the Pope should stick to spiritual matters rather than economic ones. The people in low wage countries are not prisoners, they are not starving. The wages they receive are livable in those locations. If they dont like the work they can try to get a different job. Furthermore, we are not responsible for building codes in haiti or India. Its not our fault some dimwit engineer inspected the building and declared it safe just before it collapsed.
What people don’t realize is that people voluntarily leave their farms and come to these factories because the jobs there are - better - than what they had at home.
Just as they did in England during the Industrial Revolution.
But living conditions in peasant villages in 1800 England or 2013 Bangladesh are “quaint,” and we can idealize it, and anyway they’re back in the boonies where we don’t have to look at them.
People said - exactly - the same thing about factories in Japan, S. Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc. Now those countries have worked their way above the entry level and are producing, or beginning to produce, good jobs and lives for their citizens.
It seems conservatives can accept that individuals may have to work their way up, but have trouble recognizing that countries do too. Liberals can’t recognize this necessity at all.
What’s the alternative? Giving people or countries stuff. Which at best has not proven itself to be a desirable alternative.
Exactly! Thanks for putting into words what I was groping for.
Capitalism extends naturally from God’s laws of private property...
do not steal and do not covet.
Christians, a fortiori the Pope — have the right and the duty to speak out on moral issues. Pope Francis is well within his competence in pointing out that a reductionist view of human life in which everything must give way to the free market is anti-human and irrational.
Free markets are a tool to produce useful information. When they become a religion or ideology they are out of control.
I had read recently that the textile industry in Bangladesh receives special government advantages and it’s power is very influential there.
I would not look only at the wage issue in a developing country. Look at the corruption, and the ways that the rich people there are putting their thumb on the scales, not practicing real free market capitalism.
Private property is a means to an end. It is not the end itself. It is not a moral absolute.
You have the intellectual development of a two-year old.
And you think that makes you holy.
It’s not crap. I got some Donald Trump shirts, and was surprised to see that they were made in Bangladesh, after all his rants about China. They were surprisingly well made, and of nice material.
“Christians, a fortiori the Pope have the right and the duty to speak out on moral issues. Pope Francis is well within his competence in pointing out that a reductionist view of human life in which everything must give way to the free market is anti-human and irrational.”
Nice straw man since no one is arguing that everything must give way to free markets. Giving people jobs and paying the prevailing wage in their country is not immoral. I do think not providing a safe work place is immoral. Considering the cost of labor and the large profit margin on the products being produced the cost of putting up a solid building that is not a fire trap should be relatively inexpensive.
Milton Friedman once said that free trade is a hard sell because it’s beneficiaries are many, and they do not know who they are, but it’s victims are few, and they know who they are.
“Private property is a means to an end. It is not the end itself. It is not a moral absolute.”
Actually, Thou shall not steal, says that it is, much the same as Thou shalt not murder,confirms the sanctity of life.
I’m going to guess that the Pope is going to get slammed here for suggesting that these workers were being exploited as slave labor. Okay, I’m sure that plenty of both democrats and republicans are perfectly fine with financing sweatshops in the third world. Now, would anyone here reading this be willing to work under the exact same conditions and for the same exact wages that these people working in these sweatshops? Of course not! That’s why we exported all of these jobs in the first place! Why do you think the feds are fighting so hard for amnesty? We need dirt cheap compliant labor! Everybody knows that Americans are too stupid and lazy to do these jobs (although they did not too long ago). At least that’s what the government and their financial interests keep telling us. I really have to say that we have finally outdid the socialists and communists in destroying our own economy, and our country in the process.
Sorry; you are mistaken. Human life always has priority over the rest of creation. Your money will not be going to heaven with you. Nor to the other place. Man is made for God, and all of creation exists only to help him achieve that end. Everything else in this world is passing away. God created private property not because it has absolute and eternal value, but to enable us to make free decisions to use it to give him glory. One of the chief ways we glorify God is in assisting the poor for his sake, and in exercising our endowments and faculties as advocate for the lowly and powerless.
Our Lord is quite clear about what becomes of people who assign an absolute value to their private property, imagining that it exists for their benefit and enjoyment in an absolute sense.
The problem is that in many countries “prevailing wages” are not set by anything resembling a free market. They are imposed by the powerful upon the weak, who are left with the choice of being cruelly exploited or else starving. It is the poor who are deprived of their property rights, because they’re being stripped of the only thing of value they have to sell, which is their labor. That is not justice, and it is likewise not just to support such structures of sin. In the world we inhabit, it’s frequently impossible to avoid buying from China or similar hell holes. But we can do our best — especially by making a moral decision to consume less.
$40 a month in many third world countries is a living wage. I don’t know about Bangladesh, but I suspect it might be one of them.
The South almost seceded in the 1830’s over high tariffs artificially raising the prices of goods. High sugar tariffs for the benefit of American sugar producers has cost us tons of jobs as candy companies move out of America to where they can get sugar at the real world market price.
Of course, I doubt Pat's a 100% Federalist. They supported a national bank, and we all "know" who runs those, don't we??? [/sarcasm]
People defending exploitive labor practices are doing no favors to capitalism.
Also, the pope has always said that “social justice” comes from just or moral individuals doing what is right. You can’t possibly argue that this guy was doing what was right, moral or just.
$40 a week there ain't the same this as $40 a week here.
Or are you a good Communist and think that everybody should be payed a "living wage" regardless of the actual value of the product they are producing?
Yeah, but $40 a year isn’t. As a matter of fact I got an email forwarded to me which was about the 1910 Ford and the statistics for that year. For example in 1910 the average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour and the average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
The Commandments say what they say, and are not subject to your interpretation.
You’re right. Buchanan is a nut ball. I haven’t read him in a while.
Calling you obtuse would be far too generous.
Thanks for posting the article.
“This is what capitalism, devoid of a conscience, will produce. “
Might I suggest is isn’t capitalism that is devoid of a conscience. Like ‘assault rifles’ and ‘reckless SUVs’ , these terms seem to apply the blame to inanimate objects.
The problem is, and always has been (as was oft lamented by God and the Angels in the Christian Bible) that man becomes devoid of conscience.
I get the idea you just read the excerpt, and not the whole article.
Do you remember why Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers ?
The Ten Commandments are ‘absolute truth’. Funny that! Centuries old advice is still relevant in today’s hip culture.
I think what LIVIUS is saying is that you shouldn't have to work in a death trap of a building because of the greed of the owner.
GREED is one of the 'sins'... remember? The Pope is against it, and that is what this article was about.
Well they don’t interpret themselves. What authority are you relying on?
Thou shalt not steal.
Furthermore, Saul (By G-D,Himself) was ordered to kill all the inhabitants of the enemy city, including the animals which are property. He killed the people, and kept (stole) the animals. This act of disobedience doomed his kingship, and short-circuited his dynasty. In addition the the Commandments, this implies that life and property are equal.
Note that he was not commanded to destroy the property and capture the people.
I think it was more to demonstrate disinterest in plunder.
Unless the people were forced to work at gunpoint, this is the sad truth.
The working conditions may seem cruel to us, but "good wages" are relative. This is the first (often ugly) step in economic development.
This kind of labor is far more effective in aiding populations than direct financial aid, which is almost always squandered.
It's very close to it, though. It's implied in the Commandment, "Do not steal."
Free trade is a reality --a law of nature. If two parties are not coerced, or engaging in misrepresentation, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with tradiing. (With a few exceptions, like prostitution, etc.)


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Amid rising regulatory warmth confronted by the world’s largest cryptocurrency trade Binance, which owns India’s distinguished crypto trade WazirX, the CEO and Founder Changpeng Zhao on Wednesday mentioned the corporate plans to double the dimensions of its compliance group by finish of 2021. Responding to international regulatory scrutiny in direction of Binance’s operations in a number of international locations, Zhao mentioned in a weblog submit, “Compliance is a journey – particularly in new sectors like crypto. The business nonetheless has a whole lot of uncertainty.” Whereas the four-year-old startup has grown in a short time, Zhao mentioned they haven’t at all times received every thing precisely proper, however they’re studying and bettering day-after-day and hope to make clear and reiterate their dedication to companion with regulators.
Final month, the UK had banned Binance. The nation’s markets regulator Monetary Conduct Authority had mentioned on its web site, “Binance Markets Restricted will not be permitted to undertake any regulated exercise within the UK.” Likewise, Japan, Thailand, Canada, Germany, and Cayman Islands have additionally warned Binance. As an illustration, Thailand’s monetary watchdog Securities and Alternate Fee had filed a prison grievance in opposition to Binance final month. It mentioned in a press release that the corporate has been working a digital asset enterprise and not using a license. Equally, Japan’s Monetary Providers Company had mentioned that Binance was working within the nation with out permission.
Additionally learn: Ready for Bitcoin stoop to finish? Right here’s when the bear section is more likely to get over
Zhao mentioned that the corporate has applied new controls and regulation expertise with companions akin to CipherTrace to instill additional protections for its customers. “We’re proud to say that we now have cleared a number of exterior anti-money laundering (AML) audits — a robust validation of our present AML controls and partnerships.” He additionally highlighted that Binance’s compliance group and advisory board has grown by 500 per cent since final yr to have appointments akin to former FATF Govt Secretary Rick McDonell and former Head of the Canadian delegation to the FATF Josée Nadeau as compliance and regulatory advisors. Max Baucus, the previous US Senator for Montana and US Ambassador to China have additionally been a part of the group.
Early final month, WazirX and its administrators Nischal Shetty and Sameer Hanuman Mhatre had acquired a discover by Enforcement Directorate for contravention of international trade legal guidelines involving crypto transactions value Rs 2,790 crore. “In the course of the course of the investigation, it was seen that the accused Chinese language nationals had laundered proceeds of crime value Rs 57 crore by changing the INR deposits into cryptocurrency Tether (USDT) after which transferring the identical to the Cayman Island-based bitcoin trade Binance on directions acquired from overseas,” a press release by ED had mentioned. Shetty, nonetheless, had mentioned that the corporate is in compliance with all relevant legal guidelines.

domain: news


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Parler, the leading viewpoint-neutral, free speech social media platform, announces it’s reinventing the non-fungible token (NFT) space with its new premium branded marketplace, DeepRedSky.
The premium marketplace delivers an engaging yet simplified user experience and connects fans and collectors with world-class individuals and brands across politics, media, sports, and the arts. DeepRedSky will feature creators who share the values of freedom of expression and protection from Big Tech, Big Media, and Big Government.
Having already broken ground in the NFT space and powering a variety of projects with well-known creators, Parler CEO George Farmer says the development of DeepRedSky is an essential next step toward the company’s mission to be a frontrunner in Web3 technologies.
“As promised, Parler is launching its inaugural NFT marketplace that will become the new standard in premium branded NFTs.”
Offering creator-to-peer NFTs with varying degrees of rarity, DeepRedSky is amping up the digital purchase experience through auctions, pack and drops, gumball machine schemas, and instant buys. Collectors can purchase NFTs via credit card and receive the assets through any wallet on the Solana blockchain.
Inaugural NFT Collection – Official CryptoTRUMP Club
DeepRedSky’s first showcase collection is the Official CryptoTRUMP Club featuring the one-of-a-kind personality of the 45th President of the United States. Each CryptoTRUMP is unique, with images of former President Donald Trump in various settings and elements. This early release on DeepRedSky comprises 250 extremely rare NFTs, part of a more extensive collection of 10,000 to be released.
The DeepRedSky Roadmap includes gamification, purchasing via cryptocurrency, groundbreaking marketplace features, and integration with the Parler platform to create a seamless social media and NFT experience.
For more such updates follow us on Google News TalkCMO News.


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Sony’s stellar WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds are under $200 at Amazon
Our top true wireless pick is at its lowest price ever on Amazon.
Samsung's Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Buds are on sale for $624
Amazon will throw in a $50 gift card.
Sony adds much-needed volume control to its WF-1000XM3 earbuds
The update also adds Alexa support.
Jabra Elite 75t review: The leap from good to great
A much-improved follow-up to last year’s Elite 65t true wireless earbuds.
Jabra's Elite 75t true wireless earbuds are available now for $180
They're smaller, longer-lasting and cost less than expected.
The best true wireless earbuds you can buy this holiday season
We expect these to be popular stocking stuffers.
Apple’s AirPods Pro are on sale just weeks after their release
You can save $14 on Amazon, but you may have to wait months for them to arrive.
AirPods Pro review: Apple’s latest earbuds can hang with the best
Refined design, better sound, more features.
Save $80 on Sony’s sporty WF-SP700N true wireless earbuds
They're on sale for $99.95 on Amazon.


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The last of only nine Alfa-bodied, Viper-powered Zagato TZ3 Stradales to be built is heading to the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.
Back in 2010, Carrozzeria Zagato revealed the TZ3 Stradale, a coachbuilt supercar that was based on a Dodge Viper, styled like an Alfa Romeo and created to celebrate Zagato's own centenary. But while many such projects never extend far beyond the show stand, Zagato put the TZ3 Stradale into production – albeit highly limited. Three years later Zagato has completed the final TZ3 for a private customer, the ninth and last one to be built, which will debut at the Amelia Island Councours d'Elegannce in a little over a week.
This final example is painted Azzurro California blue, which the owner (somewhat ironically) chose "to match the Florida sky". But his patience in waiting three years for delivery has paid off: Zagato has fitted this last example with the engine from the SRT Viper (which it quotes at 8.3 liters and 600 hp instead of the factory's 8.4 and 640), propelling the carbon-bodied TZ3 to 60 in 3.5 seconds. The Zagato Stradale TZ3 is a gorgeous car and one we feel honored to have [it] debut at the Amelia," said concours chairman Bill Warner. "The car's American underpinnings and Italian design make it a perfect fit for our field."


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Intel has reportedly told netbook makers they can use its upcoming dual-core Atom processor, the N550, in 11.6in and 12.1in machines, and not just the traditional 9in and 10in form factors.
The chip giant hasn't said as much in public - we're relying instead on the testimony of moles from within Taiwan's netbook manufacturer community, mentioned by local newssite DigiTimes.
The N550 will clock at 1.5GHz and each of its two cores will, like previous Atoms, support HyperThreading, allowing the chip to appear to the host OS as a four-core part.
It will also support DDR 3 memory - previous Atoms have been stuck with DDR 2.
The N550 is expected to be accompanied by the N475, a version of the now-shipping 1.83GHz N470 that, likewise, supports DDR 3.
Intel's move is interesting. It has always wanted to place clear blue water between netbooks and notebooks, and limiting the latter's screen sizes was one way to do this.
If the claimed change of mind has indeed been made, it will muddy matters, making it even harder for punters to judge whether they want a netbook or a compact notebook based on Intel's ultra-low voltage Celeron, Pentium and Core chips. ®


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Olivia Wilde is a big fan of breastfeeding.
The actress is a mother of two young children and has been one of Hollywood's more outspoken advocates of providing sustenance to your kids via your boobs.
She recently referred to her new daughter Daisy as a drinking buddy, which made us laugh.
So Wilde knows a lot about this important act.
And she took to Instagram this week in order to pose a few questions about a breastpump ad that continues to follow her around the Internet.
Wilde shared a screen shot of the ad (below) and wrote a lengthy caption that reads as follows:
“Real quick just wanna take a break from online (lazy-person) x mas shopping to call bullshit on this ad for a breast-pump bra cuz this lady definitely did not recently birth a child who requires breastmilk to be pumped."
But Wilde made a point to emphasize that she was NOT blaming the woman in the ad herself for said "bullshit."
If anything, Wilde has sympathy for this model.
"Want to give a quick cyber hug to this model who had to pretend to have recently birthed a milk-fed baby-child when she clearly has spent the last year lifting tiny weights and meditating," Wilde added.
HA! We love it.
Wilde’s post was Liked over 20,000 times in just 12 hours because so many women out there can relate to the points she was making.
Breastfeeding is an especially personal decision a mother makes and, obviously, an especially personal action for a parent to take.
But while many women out there gave Wilde props for speaking out in this (funny) manner, lots of men decided to sit at their computers and explain to Wilde why she was making a big issue out of nothing.
Oh, yes, there was a whole lot of mansplaining in response to Wilde's commentary. To wit:
Gee, thanks, fellas!
Wilde gave birth to Daisy in mid-October.
She and Jason Sudeikis are now parents to Daisy and her brother, Otis.
"There goes the neighborhood," wrote the actress upon announcing her second offspring. "Daisy Josephine Sudeikis. Born, like a boss, on #internationaldayofthegirl."
That would be October 11.
Click on the slideshow above to congratulate Wilde and the other stars who gave birth in 2016.
How exciting for all of them!


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Lakme Fashion Week 2017: Disha Patani, Sonal Chauhan & Various Other Celebs Walk The Ramp On The Day One!
Bollywood Disha patani Lakme Fashion Week LFW Ruti Kumar Sanya Malhotra Sonal Chauhan
Fashion industry’s one of the most renowned & loved week- Lakme Fashion Week, started yesterday and Disha Patani, Sonal Chauhan, Sanya Malhotra were the show-stoppers on Day 1.
The forever smiling Disha Patani steals spotlight as showstopper for Ritu Kumar at Lakme Fashion Week.
M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story’ actress was wearing a sheer white floral, strapless dress and was looking stunning as always.
The mega fashion event started with a big bang in Mumbai on Wednesday with designers like Masaba, Shweta Kapur, Sonal Verma and Sanjay Garg showcasing their latest collection.
Disha with ace designer Ritu Kumar.
Tagged with: Bollywood Disha patani Lakme Fashion Week LFW Ruti Kumar Sanya Malhotra Sonal Chauhan


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AT&T Says Mobile 5G Network Launch 'Weeks' Away
AT&T is nearly ready to launch its mobile 5G network, according to CEO John Donovan. Speaking during the company's earnings call today, Donovan said, "AT&T is on track to be the first wireless carrier to introduce mobile 5G services in the United States in the next few weeks. This will be standards-based 5G." The company had previously committed to launching mobile 5G before the end of the year. Rather than go to market with phones, AT&T's first 5G device will be a puck-style mobile hotspot. AT&T has yet to share details about the device. The company intends to launch with the 3GPP 5G NR standard on 28 GHz spectrum in portions of 12 markets before the close of the year, with plans to reach more markets next year. AT&T hasn't said how quickly it will expand its 5G footprint. The company has been upgrading its LTE network to what it calls 5G Evolution, a version of LTE-LAA that is able to boost throughput and speeds. AT&T expects to have LTE-LAA in 400 markets by the end of the year, with nationwide coverage expected by mid-2019. AT&T's mobile 5G launch follows Verizon's recent launch of fixed 5G. Verizon is offering non-3GPP spec 5G TF as an in-home broadband service in a handful of markets. Verizon's mobile 5G network won't get off the ground until next year. The same goes for the mobile 5G networks of Sprint and T-Mobile.
Aug 16, 2017
Essential Products today began emailing customers who preordered the PH-1 smartphone with news of the device's imminent arrival. "Great news, your phone has been built!
Apr 29, 2018
T-Mobile and Sprint today announced plans to merge in an all-stock deal that will create a "New T-Mobile" worth $146 billion. The new company's combined radio spectrum assets will allow it to accelerate deployment of 5G technology.
Jun 14, 2018
AT&T today said it has completed its purchase of Time Warner, a deal originally valued at $85.4 billion when it was announced in October 2016. Earlier this week, a U.S.
Mar 15, 2018
BlackBerry today said it has extended its contract with CEO John S. Chen, who will serve as chief executive through November 2023.
Apr 13, 2017
"T-Mobile now has the largest swath of unused low-band spectrum in the country," said T-Mobile CEO John Legere about the company's 600 MHz auction winnings. The company successfully won an average of 31 MHz (ranging between 20 MHz and 50 MHz) of the 70 MHz low-band spectrum auctioned off by TV stations and the FCC.


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Officials have adopted new legislation which will use international anti-money laundering (AML) best practices in cryptocurrency transactions, essentially legitimizing digital assets.
Under the new laws, digital assets can be legally used as a medium of exchange, Yahoo News reports.
This paves the way for a whole host of supporting services commonly accessible in other jurisdictions, such as exchanges, payment processors, and cryptocurrency funds.
Evidence of Ukraine's new welcoming stance towards cryptocurrency can be seen in the wording of the new bill, which claims it accommodates "providers of services related to the transfer, exchange, and storage of virtual assets".
According to Techannouncer, the new bill was supported by a significant majority of the Ukrainian Rada.
Interestingly, the new Ukrainian bill makes it possible for private individuals as well as organizations to offer digital asset services, but each provider must comply with strict AML practices.


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Award-Winning Developer of Mobile Games in Japan Drives Expansion of Nexon’s Mobile Business
[SEOUL, Korea & TOKYO=Whowired] June 28, 2012--NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO), a worldwide leader in free-to-play online games, today announced an agreement to acquire all outstanding common shares of inBlue.inc (“inBlue”), a developer of mobile social games for the GREE and Mobage platforms in Japan. The acquisition is scheduled to close in June 2012.
Based in Tokyo, Japan, inBlue develops mobile social games for the leading mobile gaming platforms in Japan, GREE and Mobage. Founded in 2010, inBlue specializes in the development and operation of mobile social games, one of which, Sengoku Pockets, received the Special Award at the GREE Platform Awards 2011 held on March 22, 2012, where it was selected from over 2,000 titles serviced on the platform. inBlue has several titles currently under development and scheduled for release in 2012.
Building on its leadership in the PC online games business, the transaction further drives Nexon’s penetration in the mobile games market and is the Company’s latest investment to expand its current portfolio of existing mobile titles. Nexon recently made strategic investments in MOYASOFT Co., Ltd., a Korean social game developer, and JC Entertainment Corporation, the developer of Rule the Sky, the top-grossing game in the Korean App Store. Furthermore, Nexon has a number of mobile titles in development, which will launch globally on the iOS and Android platforms, as well as on the leading GREE and Mobage platforms in Japan.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction will not have a material impact on Nexon’s consolidated financial performance for the fiscal year 2012.
(1) Company Name: inBlue.inc
(2) Name of Representative: Otomi Tomohiro
(3) Founded: January 7, 2010
(4) Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
(5) Business: Development and operation of mobile social applications
(6) Capital: JPY 10 million (as of April 2011)
NEXON Co., Ltd. http://company.nexon.co.jp/
NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO) is a worldwide leader in free-to-play online games. Founded in Korea in 1994, Nexon developed one of the world's first graphics-based massively multiplayer online games. Nexon also pioneered the concept of microtransactions in the free-to-play business model, setting a new standard in which play is free, and users have the option to purchase in-game items to enhance their experience. Nexon currently services more than 50 online games in more than 100 countries and since its founding, Nexon has generated more than 1.3 billion player registrations. The Company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and its shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
NEXON Co., Ltd.
Owen Mahoney, Director, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer
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Linux Mint 15 "KDE"
Release quote : "The team is proud to announce the release of Linux Mint 15 'Olivia' KDE. KDE is a vibrant, innovative, advanced, modern looking and full-featured desktop environment. This edition features all the improvements from the latest Linux Mint release on top of KDE 4.10. Here are a few examples of what is new in KDE 4.10: a new screen locker makes Workspaces more secure; KWin now detects some virtual machines and enables OpenGL compositing if possible; the proprietary AMD driver now has OpenGL 2 support; printer setup, maintenance and job control are improved with a new implementation of the Print Manager; Dolphin has seen many bug fixes, improvements and new features, e.g. transferring files to and from a phone or other mobile device has become easier with support for MTP devices, which show up in the Places panel..."


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Press Trust of India|Dec 8, 2021
- Risers Accelerator to support startups with INR 10-50 lakhs of funding
Risers Accelerator to support startups with INR 10-50 lakhs of funding
NEW DELHI, MARCH 13: Risers Accelerator announced its official launch in the national capital to transform the game-changing ideas of startups into feasible and profitable businesses. Risers Accelerator is a well-integrated team of 35 young and successful entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and sectors; their cumulative experience is more than 700 years, and the total worth of their businesses is more than INR 3000 Crores.
In the financial year (2019-20), Risers Accelerator will shortlist 200 startups across the nation to support and nurture them. And, in case a startup is failed to raise funds by its own, Risers Accelerator will invest upto 50 lakhs per startup. To expedite this mission, Risers Accelerator has joined hands with Indraprastha Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIIT-D) to help its students become future entrepreneurs through financial assistance and knowledge support, and in turn, get institute’s technological assistance to harness a productive and lucrative culture of startups across the world.
The launch witnessed various industry leaders, budding entrepreneurs, influencers and eminent personalities such as Arokiaswamy Velumani of Thyrocare Technologies Ltd., Ramesh Menon of Future Group among others. The event turned out to be a great platform for well-renowned influential personalities from diverse backgrounds to interact and ignite conversations with top business leaders for mutual benefits and futuristic goals.
On the official launch of Risers Accelerator, Ajay Kapur, Director – Operations and Strategy Management at Risers Accelerator said “Startups need support, and many times, money alone can’t overcome every challenge. Along with it, knowledge support, human resource, technical assistance, market research and many other factors play an equally important role. Well, Risers is a startup accelerator, which aims to provide all kinds of resources and support to growing startups or those which have great growth potential but somehow fail due to any of the said factors.”
Throwing light on the plans and strategies, Rachit Chawla, Director – Finance & Technology at Risers Accelerator said, “For many years, multiple startups have failed despite their great potential, due to factors such as lack of technical assistance, finance or knowledge about the target market. And with Risers, we are taking a unique initiative to inspire and empower entrepreneurs with their pro-society ethics and ideologies. These startups need to stay empowered, motivated and assisted in achieving newer feats. Keeping this in view, we are in discussion with IIIT-Delhi for collaboration. We hope to connect startups with immense growth opportunities and thus give them wings to reach great heights in their entrepreneurial journey.”
To get in touch, write to us at email@example.com.


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Best Buy shareholders easily pass 'say on pay' vote
Best Buy shareholders apparently believe the company's new management team is worth the money.
About 83 percent of shareholders voted to approve a non-binding, advisory vote on executive compensation, the Richfield-based retailer announced at its annual meeting on Thursday. Last year, only 38 percent supported the "say on pay" resolution.
Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) gave 10 current and former executives compensation packages worth $63.6 million during its last fiscal year, with new CEO Hubert Joly leading with the way with a deal worth $19.6 million.
The company's executive compensation has drawn mixed reviews from national proxy advisers.
Institutional Investors Services recommended that shareholders vote against the resolution this year, criticizing the large signing bonus awarded to CEO Hubert Joly and massive retention payments given to other executives who agreed to stay on board amid the transition.
Meanwhile, Glass Lewis & Co. recommended a favorable vote, noting that Best Buy probably had to pay big in order attract and keep top talent.
Last week, Target Corp.'s "say on pay" resolution narrowly passed with only 53 percent of shareholders supporting it.
Minneapolis-based Target (NYSE: TGT) says it appreciates the feedback and its board "will carefully consider next steps and will work with management to evolve strategies and practices with the best interests of shareholders in mind."
John Vomhof Jr. covers retail, hotels, sports business, advertising, public relations and media. He's also on the air on WCCO-AM 830 with Dave Lee daily at 8:45 a.m. and on Fox 9 TV Fridays at 5:30 a.m. & 6:30 a.m.
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Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Fake Ink Cartridges Ooze Into the Market
Inkjet and printer toner cartridges have joined the ranks of counterfeit Rolex wristwatches and fake Nike sneakers. Canon, Epson, Lexmark, and other leading ink makers are battling a rise in counterfeiters that are selling phony ink packaged as the real thing.
One out of 20 brand-name ink cartridges sold in the United States is counterfeit, according to the Imaging Supplies Coalition, a trade organization of leading printer and ink manufacturers. Fake cartridges--not to be confused with quality off-brand compatible inkjet and toner cartridges--are showing up on retail shelves and are sometimes sold by reputable online merchants. Often, the seller does not realize the cartridge labeled with the name of a major vendor is not, in fact, from that vendor.
Beyond U.S. borders, the counterfeit ink problem has reached epidemic proportions. In parts of Mexico and the Middle East, at least half of the ink cartridges labeled with brand names are bogus, the ISC reports. Costs of Counterfeits
The trend is taking a toll on consumers and ink makers. Makers of brand-name ink, from Canon to Xerox, lost close to $2 billion last year globally to counterfeit ink and toner cartridges, ISC reports. What's more, some of the shady operators behind these counterfeiting ventures include organized crime and groups that funnel proceeds to terrorist organizations, say those who hunt the perpetrators.
For consumers, the price of fake ink is often leaky cartridges, poor quality printouts, and potential damage to printers, say printer manufacturers.
"We find it everywhere," says William Duffy, ISC president. Counterfeit ink is showing up in retail stores, on the Internet, and in just about every other distribution channel you can imagine, he says.
In the past six months, U.S. Customs has seized 17 shipments of counterfeit inkjet and toner cartridges in the ports of Miami and Los Angeles. Most loads were destined for Latin America, according to the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. However, three seized shipments were believed to be headed for U.S. retail shelves and online storefronts.
Investigators trace some of the biggest counterfeit ink suppliers to China, Malaysia, and Latin America. Raids there have turned up ink cartridge manufacturing plants with fake labels and packages bearing the logos of big-name vendors, as well as cartridges. Raids in the United States have revealed counterfeit versions of products marketed by Brother, Hewlett-Packard, Epson, and Canon, say ink manufacturers.
Most retailers that stock counterfeit cartridges are unwitting participants in the bogus-ink sales chain. The counterfeit products make their way into the distribution chain long before retailers stock their shelves, says Tim Trainer, president of the International Anticounterfeiting Coalition.
"The biggest challenge right now is documenting the size of the counterfeit ink industry," says John Shane, a director with tech consulting firm CAP Ventures. Shane says the printer-supplies industry is a $46 billion business and growing 8 percent annually. He considers the opportunity irresistible to counterfeiters.
Terror Ties to Bogus Ink
Profiteers of fake ink include organized crime and sometimes terrorists, says Robert A. Levinson, managing director with the Latin American office of SafirRosetti. The consulting firm is one of the many hired guns that ink manufacturers employ. SafirRosetti and others help law enforcement agencies identify and crack down on counterfeit ink rings. Levinson says fake ink is a gold mine for terrorist organizations, because it can be as profitable as drugs and is more easily sold--since it's marketed inside retail stores instead of on street corners.
Those links to terrorism have also caught the attention of the Department of Homeland Security. The newest federal agency is working with ink manufacturers to quell the problem and cut off any revenues to terrorist organizations and organized crime. One of the participating divisions is the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, which is responsible for intercepting counterfeit products that cross the U.S. border.
"There are strong indicators that proceeds of counterfeit products are going to fund terrorist organizations," says Nancy Kratzer, NIPRCC director. "No matter what it is, if it's popular, then counterfeiters will copy it."
Common Sense Defense
The bad news for consumers is you can do little to avoid phony ink except use common sense.
"If the prices seem suspiciously low, then you should be suspicious," Duffy says. A layperson is unlikely to spot a fake ink cartridge, especially if it bears a brand name, unless it's too late and your printer isn't operating properly.
That's what recently happened to some Brother ink customers, who thought their multifunction fax/printer machines were faulty. Brother says a regional office supply chain unintentionally stocked fake Brother cartridges. Customers started bringing in their printers, complaining that the hardware was malfunctioning, says Matt Hahn, Brother's director of marketing, supplies, and accessories.
"We figured out the problem wasn't with the machine, it was the counterfeit ink cartridges," Hahn says. The vendor yanked the cartridges from the shelves. The company won't say how many customers were affected, or where.
Telltale signs of phony cartidges can be ink clogs and leaks, inferior prints with distorted text and dull colors, printouts with poor resistance to light and water exposure, and a reduced number of printed copies per cartridge.
Consumers, retailers, and distributors can send questionable cartridges to the ISC to verify authenticity. About half of all suspect ink submitted to ISC is verified as fake, up from 18 percent a year ago, Duffy says.
Invisible Ink Problem
Ink makers like Epson, Canon, and HP don't publicize their problems battling counterfeit ink. From their perspective, if customers are wary of brand-name ink cartridges, they're less likely to buy one. Vendors worry that consumers will turn instead to less expensive off-brand ink cartridges.
The damage to reputations can be just as serious as the impact on sales figures, says a manufacturer who didn't want to be identified. Since the cartridge bears a brand name, the customer makes an assumption about its quality. But when that counterfeit cartridge leaks and damages a customer's printer, the manufacturer's reputation takes the hit.
To reduce your odds of getting stuck with a bogus cartridge, buy only from authorized resellers, advise major printer manufacturers. As the counterfeiting problem grows, many vendors are keeping close tabs on what stock is being sold, and where. The printer manufacturers frequently list authorized resellers on their Web sites, providing contact information for online sales and storefront resellers.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
"The statute is remedial in nature and is intended to protect consumers from deceptive warranty practices. Consumer products are not required to have warranties, but if one is given, it must comply with the Magnuson-Moss Act."
Friday, April 03, 2009
Soy Toner Replacing millions of pounds of Oil Toner in Laser Printers
Price-less Inkjet Cartridge Co. (www.PICINK.com), in partnership with PRC Technologies, a division of Print Recovery Concepts, Inc., announces an environmental breakthrough in office printing for businesses, schools and colleges.
Price-less Inkjet Cartridge Co. is one of a handful of national dealer to offer laser printer cartridges using toner powder derived from soybeans. Laser cartridges will be supplied by Priceless Inkjet under the SoyPrint™ brand at prices comparable to brand name, oil-based versions currently available. While soy ink has been available for some time, this is the first time a soy-based option has been available in laser cartridges. Industry leaders report it takes about 2 liters of oil to make the one pound of toner powder required for each oil-based cartridge. Currently, U.S. businesses, institutions and governmental bodies consume more than 100 million cartridges per year. That equates to 100 million pounds or 50,000 tons of material we currently use petroleum to produce. Now every office has a choice – they can print black or they can print “green”.
PRC has completed extensive testing of the SoyPrint laser toner cartridges. Debe Overhaug, president of Print Recovery Concepts, Inc., reports the print quality matches current brand name cartridges. She further states each cartridge prints the same number of pages as the oil-based versions and does no harm to the printer itself. "Buyers can now demand a quality product AND a green product. They can have it both ways," Overhaug claims.
SoyPrint™ cartridges are manufactured in the US and are fully warranted. Cartridges will be shipped directly to customers from warehouses strategically located all over the country.
About PRICELESS INKJET CARTRIDGE COMPANY:
Price-less Inkjet Cartridge Co. (www.PICINK.com), is a privately held corporation, located in Charlotte County, Florida which, started offering quality alternative printing supplies through their various online e-commerce stores. PICINK was always about establishing a relationship with the consumer. We wanted our customers to have confidence in the products and our service after the sale. With fraud and crime becoming more of a problem online our customers are happy to have a company that they can trust and that protects their privacy. It’s all about a “Priceless Relationship”.
We are proud to partner with Print Recovery Concepts, Inc., who has have been a leading provider of compatible toner cartridges to business and education for 15 years. The firm recognized the potential for soy toner in 2006. PRC is pleased to bring this environmentally friendly product to market.
...raising their prices on many of their name brand cartridges. What they're not telling you is you no longer have to buy their brand!
Like generic medications there are many compatable cartridges to choose from. Knowledge is power and in this case its the power to choose! Choose to pay more, or choose to make the switch to compatables and pay less!
Below we have provided a list of the most recent increases.
Xerox - Effective 3/16/09 - Average Increase 7% -
Brother - Effective 4/1/09 - Average Increase 5% -
Oki - Effective 4/1/09 - Average Increase 5% -
Lexmark (Ink) - Effective 4/1/09 - Increases Range From 3 - 23% -
Canon - Effective 4/01/09 -below sku's - 3-8%
0615B009, 0615B013, 1033B005, 0628B009, 0617B016, 1509B007, 0621B016, 0620B010, 0620B015, 6881A039, 4705A037, 4705A018, 4705A026, 4479A292, 4479A271, 4479A230, 4480A263, 0954A370, 2973B004, 2945B004, 2946B004)
- ► 2016 (19)
- ► 2015 (46)
- ► 2014 (79)
- ► 2013 (81)
- ► 2012 (50)
- ► 2011 (40)
- ► 2010 (35)
- ▼ 2009 (19)
- ► 2008 (13)
About Priceless Ink & Toner Company
- Priceless Ink & Toner Company
- Since 1999 we have been a major supplier of original brand (OEM), compatible replacement and remanufactured Premium Quality inkjet cartridges, laser toner cartridges and other printer supplies. Our customers range in size and include the United States Government, small and large businesses, schools and individuals. Each of our customers is equally important to us and is treated with the same friendly professionalism. Visit us at Price Less Inkjet Cartridge Co.


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Justin Timberlake has released a new single, his first in years. “Suit & Tie,” a song about wearing suits and ties, features guest vocals from Jay-Z and comes from Timberlake’s new album, The 20/20 Experience, which the singer says is due out sometime later this year. Timberlake dropped the single alongside an open letter to fans in which he says totally excited about “that thing I love called MUSIC,” and that he’s also totally enjoying teasing fans about the new record, so get used to it.
The song is available to purchase now through iTunes and is also streaming via the "new" MySpace, of which Timberlake is part owner.
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Supermarket chain Lidl is set to submit plans for a second store in Carlisle.
The company is currently asking for public feedback on its proposals for a new store on land off Warwick Road opposite the junction with Victoria Road.
The company says if approved the new development would create up to 30 new jobs.
Consultation now being carried out with the public will be used to inform the company's official planning application it intends to submit to Carlisle City Council towards the end of June.
The plans can be viewed here http://www.rapleysdetails.co.uk/lidlcarlisle.pdf


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JSC “Ukrposhta” for the first day of sale sold about 800 thousand stamps “Russian warship … EVERYTHING!”
Igor Smelyansky, General Director of Ukrposhta JSC, announced this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.
“During the day, about 800 thousand marks were bought, not counting envelopes, T-shirts, postcards, etc. Not without mistakes, but the day was successful,” Smelyansky said.
He noted that in the capital at the Main Post Office the stamp can be purchased on May 24, starting at 9 am. Those who are on the list, which was compiled on May 23, will be able to buy it.
“Kyiv: Main Post Office. Everyone who signed up will receive stamps tomorrow, and will also be able to redeem them. Starting at 9:00. We start from number 1 167 for purchase. Redemption – we start from the list compiled by Mr. Andrey, and then from number 436. Please – no new lists. If you come at 5 in the morning and start compiling them, no, you won’t be able to buy stamps. But you can buy online or on May 27 at the offices,” Smelyansky specified.
In addition, online sales start at 11:00 am on the 4 largest Ukrainian sites.
“The next sales of stamps in branches will be on May 27. We will announce in advance and give a list of branches (1,500) where stamps will be sold,” Smelyansky added.
See also: Zelensky canceled the postage stamp “Russian warship… Everything!”
As Ukrinform reported, the brand “Russian warship… EVERYTHING!” released on May 23rd.
On April 12, Ukrposhta put into circulation the first Ukrainian postage stamp under martial law “Russian warship, go…!”


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Shares in Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. climbed to their highest level in more than four years Tuesday after an investor urged Strategic’s board to sell the company.
New York-based investment firm Orange Capital LLC said a sale likely would generate $11 to 14 per share, a 40 percent to 79 percent premium over the most recent closing price, according to a news release.
“We analyzed a variety of strategic alternatives for the company’s unique portfolio of luxury hotel properties,” Daniel Lewis, managing partner of Orange Capital, wrote in a letter to the board of Chicago-based Strategic. “In our view, the best alternative for the company to maximize shareholder value is an immediate sale of the company, with 100 percent of the net proceeds distributed to or otherwise being received by shareholders.”
Orange Capital sent the letter Feb. 1 but didn’t release it publicly until Tuesday morning after “failing to receive an adequate response” from the board of directors, a news release said. Orange Capital owns 6.25 million shares in the real estate investment trust, or about 3.1 percent of the total shares outstanding.
“The board carefully reviewed the letter in its entirety and strongly disagrees with certain assumptions and conclusions outlined in the communication,” Strategic said in a statement. “While we are disappointed Orange Capital released its letter publicly to advance its short-term trading interest, we remain focused on maximizing the longer-term interests of our shareholders.”
The letter comes a little over three months after the unexpected resignation of longtime President and CEO Laurence Geller, a move that prompted speculation of a company takeover.
“Following the recent departure of your CEO, Strategic has failed to articulate a strategy to increase shareholder value,” Mr. Lewis wrote. “Given the company’s weak balance sheet and limited access to low-cost capital, we see no viable alternative to a sale.”
Strategic shares rose 7 cents, or 0.9 percent, Tuesday morning. The shares have risen 24.7 percent this year, vs. a 10.3 percent increase for the Bloomberg REIT Hotels Index.
Strategic has ownership stakes in 18 hotels with 8,271 rooms, including the Fairmont Chicago near Millennium Park and the InterContinental Chicago on North Michigan Avenue.


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High street fashion retailer Fat Face is targeting further growth online underpinned by a cloud-based eCommerce platform from tech vendor NetSuite.
The business re-launched its website last summer in time for the busy peak period, and after an encouraging festive season the business is casting its eyes towards the US market in 2015.
To position itself for international growth, Fat Face was keen to get a flexible, cloud-based platform in place, and it said this week that it has confidence in its partnership with the California-headquartered NetSuite.
Potential expansion abroad comes after a recently-reported jump in its UK web business, with online sales for the five weeks to 3 January 2015 growing by 25% year on year, and click & collect orders peaking at 42% of total online orders during the period.
It is UK consumers' increasingly willingness to shop on the move and look for convenience that has helped fuel the growth of click & collect across the retail industry, and one further reason for Fat Face's investment in NetSuite's responsive web technology has been to give its shoppers an optimised mobile experience when they want to order items away from their desktops or laptops.
Paul Wright, head of eCommerce and marketing at Fat Face, said: "We wanted a website that created a seamless experience of Fat Face for our customers regardless of channel, be it offline or online.
"With our customers increasingly using mobile to visit the Fat Face website, we had to respond to their needs by creating an online experience that was consistent regardless of the device they were using."
Wright added that working with NetSuite and its cloud-based platform has given the company the "flexibility" it requires to grow the business, saying: "This becomes particularly important as we are planning to expand into the US, and [we are] working with NetSuite to have a new website ready later this year."
Fat Face now operates 212 stores across the UK. Its half-year covering the 26 weeks to 29 November 2014 resulted in sales of £99 million and total EBITDA of £19.2 million – down £0.4 million on the year before.
The retailer's eCommerce sales for the half-year period were up 11% on 2013, representing 16% of overall sales.
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Although Japan’s economy appears to be strengthening in some areas, the outlook for inflation remains subdued. Despite an increasingly tight labour market, Japanese companies appear reluctant to increase wages and prices, suppressing inflationary pressures.
- Japanese exports rose for a seventh consecutive month
- Japanese mid-caps outperformed larger companies during July
- Australia’s economy continued to strengthen
To view the series of market updates looking at the markets through July, click here
Export activity in Japan rose for a seventh consecutive month, boosted by overseas demand for cars and electronic goods. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) reported that exports rose at an annualised rate of 9.7% in June, compared with May’s increase of 14.9%. In comparison, imports rose by 15.5% year on year.
“Although Japan’s labour market has tightened, this has not yet fed through to wages”
During July, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Index fell by 0.5%, while the broader-based Topix Index rose by 0.4% and the TSE Second Section Index climbed by 1.7%
Japan’s Cabinet Office released a relatively positive assessment of the country’s economy during the month. According to the report, nominal GDP growth and corporate profits have reached record levels; private consumption is improving, and industrial production and exports are picking up in response to the “moderate” recovery of overseas economies. The Cabinet Office expects Japan’s economy to expand during the current fiscal year at a nominal rate of 2.5% and a real rate of around 1.5%. Looking ahead, continued and sustained strengthening in Japan’s economy is likely to fuel expectations for stronger inflation.
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) maintained its monetary stance at policymakers’ July meeting, and officials remain relatively optimistic about the economic outlook. Nevertheless, BoJ officials remain somewhat downbeat towards the outlook for inflation, commenting that recent developments in CPI have been “relatively weak”, curbed by companies’ reluctance to increase wages and prices. Although Japan’s labour market has tightened, this has not yet fed through to wages. The BoJ cut its forecasts for inflation from 1.4% to 1.1% in the current fiscal year, and from 1.7% to 1.5% next year, and does not expect inflation to reach its 2% target until the following year.
Australia’s economy is continuing to strengthen, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) which believes that quarterly economic expansion is likely to have picked up in the second quarter of 2017. Policymakers estimate the nominal neutral real interest rate – the rate at which output growth is at potential and inflation is stable – to have fallen from 5% to around 3.5%, triggering speculation that the RBA might be in a position to consider an increase in interest rates. The RBA’s key interest rate has remained at an all-time low of 1.5% since August 2016 , dampened by uncertainties surrounding the property sector and the labour market. Over July, the ASX All Ordinaries Index edged 0.2% higher.
A version of this and other market briefings are available to use in our newsletter builder feature. Click here


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A cancer survivor has booked the trip of a lifetime - across Route 66 on the back of a Harley Davidson.
After Dave Hughes was diagnosed with throat cancer, and endured a gruelling operation in 2019, he and wife Karen knew it was 'now or never' for their dream trip.
The 55-year-old is one of a growing number going for big 'bucket list' holidays post-lockdown, according to Stockton travel agent Sue Macaulay.
Read more: Go here for more what's on updates, news and reviews from around Teesside
The once-in-a-lifetime bookings are up by around 50% says Sue.
Dave, who runs HGV driver training centre DHDT at Teesside International Airport, says his life-changing illness made him pick up the phone - and book the American odyssey he'd been dreaming of for years.
"I had a massive operation in 2019, an esophagectomy, they pull your stomach into the chest," Dave told Teesside Live.
"It's one of the biggest operations the NHS does.
"I was in James Cook for three weeks. But I recovered well.
"I'm not going to get the chance to do this again.
"When you have a scare like that - well, that's why I wanted to do it."
Driving Route 66 has been a lifelong dream, he says.
"I had the opportunity 12 years ago but it would have crippled me financially.
"The time wasn't right.
"But life changes over the years, we're not doing so bad with the business.
"And I'm not getting any younger."
Dave and Karen, an NHS nurse, will ride a Harley Davison motor bike the 2,400 miles across Route 66.
They'll cross eight states and three time zones from Chicago to Santa Monica.
The flights, helmets, leathers, Harley Davison and support back-up for luggage are all booked, ready and waiting.
"People say why are you spending all that money on a two or three week trip," Dave adds.
"But it's something I've always wanted to do.
“It’s been a lifetime dream. If I don’t do it now, I never will,” said Dave, 55.
“You never know what’s round the corner.
"I’ve survived cancer and the effects of Covid on my business and family.
"There are no pockets in shrouds……bring on the Harley.
"Sue’s put all the details in place to make it the journey of a lifetime.”
The 'bucket list' boom is thanks to a covid triple whammy says Sue, who runs a notjustravel franchise from her Stockton home.
The stress of being locked down, all DIY projects done and dusted - and the fear of a winter rise in covid death rates have spurred people to spend rainy-day money before it’s too late.
“Bucket list holidays accounted for one or two percent of bookings before the pandemic," she says.
"In the last two weeks it’s rocketed."
She tailors holidays to individual needs - and has organised everything from wild bespoke adventure holidays to luxury safaris and expeditions to The Antarctic, Trans-Siberian Express journeys and The Northern Lights Experience.
“We take out all the hassle. We deal with all the little details which can make or break a trip.
"We read hotel reviews on behalf of our clients, and organise such requests as limo transfers, petals on the bed, champagne on ice in the room, the perfect view….whatever our clients ask for.
“Because of this I have time to talk to them personally about the reason for their trip.
"And more and more people are saying they want to tick a box on their bucket list.
"Because of the threats and stress of Covid they want to do things they’ve never done before or are likely to do again.”
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CUSTOMER satisfaction with the service provided by online banks has increased by nearly 10% in the past year alone.
The annual Online Banking Survey by independent research group Virtual Surveys, found 65% of people rated their online bank as either excellent or very good, compared to 58% at this time last year.
Banks with an online presence are judged on factors including the speed and usability of the site and the range of products and services available. Overall, online banks scored an average of 3.8 points out of a possible five points.
Internet banks Smile and First Direct came joint top with the highest score of 4.4. Co-operative Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Nationwide followed with 3.9 points each. HSBC, Cahoot, Egg and Intelligent Finance (IF) all scored 3.8 points.
But the performance of many of the leading High Street banks was rated less satisfactory. Both Barclays and Lloyds TSB fell
below the average score, with 3.7 points and 3.6 points respectively, while NatWest scored just 3.5.
At the bottom of the table were Bank of Scotland, Woolwich and Alliance & Leicester, all of whom scored just 3.3 points.
Quentin Ashby, director of Virtual Surveys, said the results revealed widespread imrovement among many of the banks, even those with less impressive scores.
'The more highly rated online banks, such as Smile and First Direct, have continued to improve levels of customer satisfaction,' he said. 'But some of the less highly rated online banks, such as Alliance & Leicester, NatWest and Egg are showing signs of improved performance.'
To compare a range of the best current accounts click here
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A special report from the Automotive News Research & Data Center
As the impact of the more than yearlong coronavirus pandemic began to subside, companies operating in the automotive industry had a lot to look forward to in 2021. The vaccine rollout in the U.S. combined with growing consumer optimism and forecasted pent-up demand resulted in an optimistic outlook that the industry was back in a big way. Early-year sales proved it was. U.S. new-vehicle sales in March were the strongest for the month in more than 20 years. And, despite the lower-than-expected April U.S. jobs report released May 7, 2021, analysts forecast further accelerated growth in the second and third quarters driven by a surge in consumer spending as the economy fully reopens.
Still, specters of another crisis were looming before the end of 2020. In December, automakers and suppliers began warning of a pending semiconductor shortage that was hampering their ability to keep up with consumer demand in China.
Those early warnings have exploded into a global crisis that Ford CEO Jim Farley, in an interview with Automotive News Group Publisher KC Crain, described as "perhaps the greatest supply shock" he's ever seen.
In late April, Ford announced it was suspending production of the F-150 and Explorer for two weeks in May as a result of the shortage, joining Mitsubishi, Jeep, Hyundai, Daimler, General Motors and a host of other automakers that have announced adjustments in their production schedules because they cannot find enough microchips.
Between April 13 and 16, 2021, the Automotive News Research & Data Center conducted a survey of 475 Automotive News subscribers and readers to understand their views on the crisis; explore their opinions on the implications for national security, America's manufacturing competitiveness and the Biden administration's plans for investment in U.S. infrastructure and U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing; and examine how automakers and suppliers are navigating these turbulent times. We share their perspectives in this report.


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Building on their existing alliance, Yahoo and PayPal today announced that Yahoo Sponsored Search results will feature a blue shopping cart icon linking to merchants that accept PayPal Express Checkout as a method of payment.
Participating merchants’ search listings on Yahoo will be enhanced with the shopping cart icon, pointing consumers to a bright orange button on the merchants’ checkout page, offering a simplified path to complete purchases using PayPal Express. Here’s a screenshot:
The icon looks remarkably similar to the shopping cart icon displayed when Google Checkout first launched. Google subsequently changed the look and position of its checkout badges.
I asked Rich Riley, Yahoo senior vice president, online channel & small business services, how the Yahoo/PayPal checkout differed from Google’s checkout program. While acknowledging that the functionality was similar, Riley pointed out that PayPal has more than 100 million existing customers, far more than the number of advertisers using Google checkout.
Indeed, a J.P. Morgan study last January found that PayPal dominated the online payment category, with PayPal’s 42% penetration rate in 2006 being seven times greater than Google checkout.
Yahoo! and PayPal are launching this new program with a series of special offers for merchants. More information about the new Yahoo PayPal Checkout program can be found here.
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


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Join writer Dennis Hopeless for a post-game on Murder World!
Watch a preview from the January 7 return!
The international music sensation stops by the House of Ideas!
Eric Shanower and Skottie Young look back on five years of working in the wonderful, marvelous world of Oz!
Learn what's in store for 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' when new episodes return Jan. 7!
Get the latest news on 'Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign,' now available on Steam & mobile devices!
Add this new Kotobukiya exclusive to your Avengers family!
Get ready for the holiday season with WeLoveFine.com's huge Marvel selection!


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From the folks behind Desert Bus and Unskippable, join LoadingReadyRun as they report on the week’s industry happenings.
Date: August 1, 2011
Illustrations: Kathleen De Vere
CheckPoint Graphics: Graham Stark
Music: Bradley Rains
Editing: Jeremy Petter
Keiji Inafune has a new project, but its probably not that exciting. Calm down on today's CheckPoint.
- A Majora's Mask 3DS remake is possible, but is contingent on the success of Ocarina of Time.
- Guitar Hero is only resting, not quite dead. Yet.
- The Kinect avatar "hangout" feature has been released on Xbox Live.
- Square Enix hopes to fix every flaw in FFXIII with XIII-2.
- Twisted Metal received a Mature rating due to its cut scenes, so now the rest of the game is being redone so it can rise to those standards.
- Keiji Inafune announces a social game about saving cute animals.
- Graham comes up with his own social game and Professor Pigglesworth is born.
Mega Man Legends 3 was canceled due to lack of fan involvement.
- Professor Pigglesworth has now become an official Pinny Arcade Pin. It has also been turned into a board game by a fan.
| II |
◀ ●∙∙∙ 3DSadness Blizzard of Cash ∙∙∙● ▶


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The strategy of the Chinese technology conglomerates is simple in the fledgling Indian Internet economy – invest in startups working in areas of interest and then leverage it to push own products. Alibaba has been doing it aggressively through a series of investments for its portfolio company – Paytm.
Following a similar approach, Xiaomi’s investment arm Shunwei Capital had led an $8 million investment round in KrazyBee in October last year. Seven months later, it all sets to launch CreditBee, a micro-lending platform on the lines of Mi Credit.
The yet to be launched product will offer loan in the range of Rs 1,000 to 100K for a period of three months, reports ET. The product seems to target millennials (mid salaried class and students pursuing professional courses). It is slated to charge an interest rate of 3 per cent from borrowers.
Targeting upper student segment, KrazyBee solves the pain of loan access to e-commerce purchases, two-wheeler loans, student education loans and top-ups (hostel fee, purchase books, fund projects, buying train or flight tickets etc.)
After China, India has become the next largest market for Xiaomi smartphone and other businesses. Within three years of its launch, Xiaomi turned profitable in the country in FY17.
Xiaomi registered the maximum growth during FY17 with sales surging 696 per cent to Rs 8,379.3 crore. It made a profit of Rs 163.9 crore. A year ago, it had revenues of Rs 1,046.2 crore with net loss of Rs 46.9 crore.
Buoyed by growth potential in India, it also set a target to hit $2 billion revenue mark in 2017, twice the amount from preceding calendar year.
The Chinese phone maker had toppled Samsung from top slot and accounted for 24 percent of India’s smartphone market in the third quarter ending September 2017. This is over 7 per cent rise from the last quarter when its market share was at 17 percent.
The credit marketplace segment in India has become overcrowded and it won’t be an easy ride for Xiaomi. However, the size of the gap in credit access to fresh professionals and student is large and can accommodate several players.


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Some time ago, there were rumors about the release of the world’s first Web 3.0 phone by Solana, and today the company, in collaboration with Osom, introduced the Saga phone.
The team of engineers and designers of the Essential brand that previously introduced the Osom OV1, today officially unveiled a new phone that is very similar to the Osom OV1 but with the name Saga and relatively different features.
Solana, one of the most successful blockchain platforms, introduced his first smartphone called Saga at a conference today. The phone, which has a price tag of $ 1,000, can be pre-purchased from now on, but will enter the market in the first quarter of next year.
Read more: Solana price forecast for 2022 and subsequent years
The Saga phone will be released with a special focus on Web 3.0
The Solana Saga will come with a 6.67-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and 512 GB of internal memory and 12 GB of RAM.
The complementary part of this phone, which makes it look like a flagship, is the use of Qualcomm’s 1st generation Snapdragon 8 processor, which has optimal energy consumption.
In terms of camera, this model is no less than the general flagships, it uses a dual camera consisting of 50-megapixel main and 12-megapixel ultraviolet sensors. But the main discussion about the Solana phone is related to its features in the field of Web 3.0.
Anatoly Yakovenko, CEO of Solana Project, said that the new Saga phone will be available in phones as well. This phone is for people who pay special attention to the world of cryptocurrencies, Web 3 and of course NFT, and its unique feature is the support of decentralized applications based on Solana blockchain.
Magic Eden (NFT-focused), Phantom (Walt Solana) and Orca (Ramzarz Exchange) have all agreed to support Saga and Solana’s new software projects.
Osom also said about the introduction of the new phone that this device is the same as OV1 and will not be offered as separate phones. This means that the name Saga is the core of the Osom brand in today’s competitive mobile world. Jisono Keats, CEO and founder of the brand, says about working with Solana and introducing the new phone:
New hardware companies need to support Web3, which is our future. Building an ecosystem that looks to the future is exciting.
At the launch of its new phone, Solana even unveiled a new App Store called Solana Mobile Stack, which is supposed to host decentralized apps and will be available on the Saga by default.
According to Solana , with the establishment of this App Store, digital services and centralized digital goods based on digital currencies will increase. The platform plans to make the use of its proprietary App Store available to manufacturers of other Android phones over time. Yakunko says:
Thirteen years after Bitcoin began, no cryptocurrency-focused news was announced at Apple’s developer conference. I think it’s up to us.
Solana and Osom used to be expected to make just one phone with a particular focus on privacy, but now things look different. Of course, Solana and Osom should be aware that they have taken a risky move because digital currency-focused devices are not usually welcomed. For example, the previous action of the well-known HTC brand in this field was a complete failure.
Official renderings and images of the Saga have not been revealed yet, but it likely has a similar design to the Osom OV1. The pictures in this article are all related to the OV1 phone.
What do you think about the Saga phone? Will this phone be successful in today’s competitive smartphone market? Leave your comments in the comments section Replicate Share.


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Qualcomm, one of the largest chipmakers in the world has unveiled its brand-new flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 845. The SD845 is an update to its current high-end chipset – the Snapdragon 835. The new chipset by the company is expected to be featured on all upcoming premium devices from various manufacturers. Let’s have a look at what this new piece of tech has to offer.
The Snapdragon 845 is built on top of a 10 nm FinFET process. In simple words, the less nm a chipset is built upon, the better it is. The Snapdragon 835 was also built on top of the same process.
In terms of cores, the chipset will pack in eight of them – 4 Cortex-A75 clocked up to 2.8 GHz and 4 Cortex-A55 ticking up to 1.8 GHz. The clock speeds could vary depending on how manufacturing companies wish to tweak them. Smartphone makers can compromise on battery backup for enhanced performance by clocking their chipsets higher; or vice versa. The SD845 will be paired with the Adreno 630 GPU for enhanced graphics performance.
The upcoming processor’s major highlight would be its AI (artificial intelligence) capabilities. With its counterparts like the Kirin 970 featured on the Honor View 10 packing in the Neural Processing Unit (NPU), it was expected from Qualcomm to do so as well. The Snapdragon 845 will feature its new Hexagon 685 DSP (digital signal processor). With this, the new processor by Qualcomm will open new opportunities for developers looking to integrate machine deep learning into their products. In other words, with smartphones coming with this processor, we can expect better personal assistants, improved camera features, and other software improvements.
Coming to the other major improvement with this chipset – the additional hardware it can handle. The Snapdragon 845 will now offer support for integrating up to a single 32-megapixel camera! Alternatively, smartphone makers could also fit their smartphones with two 16-megapixel sensors. The chipset will also be able to process 4K HDR clips recorded through these sensors.
On the display front, aligning with the new bezel-less displays requiring an 18:9 aspect ratio, the silicon chip by Qualcomm will support up to 2400 x 2400 pixels resolution. Interestingly, the chip can also support two 2K displays simultaneously.
The brand hasn’t left the VR (virtual reality) aspect untouched either. The chip also offers support for displays to have refresh rates of up to 120 FPS. Currently, the Razer Phone and the iPad Pro (with Pro Motion Display) are the only two mobile devices that support 120 FPS displays. Augmented reality is also something Qualcomm has covered with this SoC offering features like eye tracking, hand tracking, and multi-view rendering. In fact, the company has even called the Adreno 630 that comes bundled with the chipset as a ‘Visual Processing Subsystem’.
On the connectivity front, the SD845 will offer support for more 4G LTE bands and a maximum transfer speed of up to 1.2Gbps. It will also be backward compatible, so it has 2G and 3G support covered as well. With the upcoming chipset, the company is also aiming at charging up smartphone batteries even quicker with the Quick charge 4+ technology.
When compared with the current Snapdragon 835, the upcoming chipset will be 25% faster in terms of performance. Impressively, that wouldn’t be at the cost of power efficiency as the company claims that it will also be 30% more efficient.
As announced earlier by Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, one of the first flagships coming with the SD 845 will be the Xiaomi Mi 7. Rumours, however, also suggest that the Galaxy S9 by Samsung could be the first smartphone featuring the new processor. Watch this space as we bring you more news on this.


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New Delhi: With the release of Ra.One just round the corner, Eros International Media and Red Chillies Entertainment today said they have entered into tie-ups worth about Rs 52 crore with brands like with Sony PlayStation, Nerolac and YouTube.
Ra.One, which is set to be released on 26 October, is one of India's most expensive films to be launched in 2D and 3D formats in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, with over 3,500 screens worldwide.
The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in the lead roles. "... the marketing spends on Ra.One have been subsidised considerably through major brand tie-ups in excess of 25 brands... The brand tie-ups (are) worth Rs 52 crore," Eros said in a statement. These include Sony PlayStation, YouTube, Nerolac, McDonald's, Western Union Money Transfer, UTV Indiagames, Videocon, Nokia, Coke, ESPN Star Sports and Cinthol among others, it added.
Eros International and Red Chillies have already recovered a major portion of their investments through in-film branding, media endorsements and through pre-licensing Cable and Satellite rights, music and other rights, the statement
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Shah Rukh Khan reunites with Devdas co-star Madhuri Dixit, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali at DeepVeer reception
Shah Rukh Khan surprises newly wed couple posing in front of Mannat, responds to groom on Twitter


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Threats of Storm Francis winds have forced the cancellation of Nuneaton's Wednesday market.
As gusts of wind up to 43mph are set to hit, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has taken the decision to cancel the market today (August 26).
But traders of perishable goods are being allowed to trade directly from their vehicles.
Jonathan White, head of town centres and marketing at the Town Hall, said the predicted wind speeds are beyond the recommended tolerance for the stalls and safe operating limits.
“In the interest of public safety we have no choice but to cancel the market, all options are always considered prior to making the decision to cancel," he said.
"We understand the disappointment for both the traders and general public as a result of the cancellation, but our priority is always the safety of all those concerned."
Yesterday saw gusts of up to 80mph hit the country, with fallen trees on the railway in Warwickshire as the county was lashed with rain.
Keep up with all of the latest local news with our daily newsletter


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Vasky to open store on Na Prikope in downtown Prague
Vaclav Stanek features in an article in Forbes magazine as he is the founder of the Vasky brand of shoes, which are produced in factories owned by his father through his company Flexiko. When the crisis hit, the company was producing around 12,000 pairs of shoes per month, but Stanek at the moment is hoping to produce and sell at least 50,000 this year. He told Forbes that while the pandemic has hurt sales, the crisis has had at least one silver lining. Along with the company's four stores in the Czech Republic, it will be adding a new one on Na Prikope. "The conditions from landlords are better and more tolerable," says Stanek. "Thanks to that we'll in a prestigious address." Vasky should reach CZK 140 million in sales this year, which would represent a tripling of its results from 2019. "Nobody knows now when we'll open, it depends on the situation. But I'm an optimist, the Covid-19 numbers are improving and I believe that maybe we'll be able to open the store on Na Prikope on November 23 for our customers in some format." Vasky has added tennis shoes to its range of goods as well as clothes and accessories.


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Convenience retailer Co-op has enhanced its sustainability commitment by removing all the plastic packaging from its Easter eggs.
The move is in line with the retailer’s pledge to eliminate unnecessary plastic from its own-brand ranges.
The company plans to make 100% of its own-brand packaging easy to recycle by the end of this year.
Co-op’s announcement follows the launch of the UK scheme to collect and recycle plastic film.
As part of this, Co-op will stop using plastic inner packaging and windows for all five of its hollow Fairtrade Easter eggs.
The retailer will save more than 14t of unnecessary plastic with this initiative.
Co-op environment manager Iain Ferguson said: “Easter egg packaging is renowned for its excessive use of unnecessary plastic, whether to protect the chocolate or to display the design of the confectionery.
“Our teams have worked incredibly hard to deliver a new solution that ensures the egg is still protected whilst allowing our customers to see all the aspects of the eggs and their stunning designs. This is a really positive step within the packaging industry, especially for seasonal Easter lines.”
Furthermore, the retailer uses almost 40% recycled content in own-brand packaging to minimise dependence on reliance on virgin or ‘new’ plastic.
In November, the retailer announced plans to get rid of all plastic and glitter from its 2020 Christmas celebration range, which helps in saving 1.1 million pieces of plastic.
Ferguson added: “To date, we have replaced over 7,000t of virgin plastic with recycled plastic in our own brand packaging and we’re committed to eliminating all unrecyclable plastic. We’re pleased to confirm that we’re also on track to meet our target for all Co-op own-branded products to be easy to recycle this year.”


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Monday, December 14, 2009
Mazda MX-5 Roadster-Coupe
This has to be a first: a roadster available with soft top and retractable hardtop versions. Only a year after Mazda presented its third generation MX-5 / Miata, it decided to debut yet another version of its popular roadster with an electronically folding two piece hardtop.
The MX-5 Roadster-Coupe as it is called will be previewed at the British International Motor Show in London (18– 30 July) with sales beginning in Europe towards the end of the year. Mazda MX-5 with a power retractable hard top roof will be known by different names around the world:
Europe: Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe
Japan: Mazda Roadster Power Retractable Hard Top
North America: Mazda MX-5 (Miata) Power Retractable Hard Top
Unlike other Coupe-Cabrios, the MX-5’s two piece roof doesn’t stow away in the compartment area but instead it folds –just like its soft top sibling- behind the seats, thus allowing the boot to remain intact (150 litres). Mazda’s new MX-5 Roadster-Coupe will be available with two engines, 1.8 and 2.0 litres.


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MUMBAI, INDIA: Vodafone India will offer free data and voice benefits worth Rs 8,885 with iPhone 6S and 6S Plus from October 16.
The offer is available for the next months. The plan includes 3 GB mobile Internet, 4,000 free local and STD minutes and 1,500 local and national SMS.
The company said charges above plan limits will be 50p/MB for data usage, 50p/SMS and 50p/min for voice calls. Roaming, international calling and VAS charges will be extra as applicable, it added.
The latest iPhones will be available in India from October 16 at a starting price of Rs 62,000 and at Rs 92,000 for the top model.
The two models iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S plus come in three versions 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB. The launch price of both the phones is about Rs 10,000 higher than the iPhone 6 series that the company launched a year ago, as per details shared by the distribution firm Beetel Teletech.
“Existing or new Vodafone customers can buy a new iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus and get a fully built Vodafone RED 1,299 worry-free plan free for six months from the time of purchase,” the company said in a statement.


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The value of the units has been augmented by the impact windows and we believe will be an asset for the realtors and developers
Boca Raton, FL (PRWEB) December 11, 2014
SIW Windows and Doors was selected earlier this year as the exclusive window partner for the grand condo development, Tower 155, set to be developed in downtown Boca Raton. The Tower, which will be entirely residential, has attracted a lot of interest from both potential tenants and residential realty investors.
The developer began presenting showrooms earlier this month featuring SIW’s hurricane impact-resistant windows that all of the apartments will include. Abe Lopez, President and founder of SIW Windows and Doors commented:
“The units will truly be masterpieces. SIW is honored to have been chosen to be the window manufacturer and installer for the Tower 155 development project. The value of the units has been augmented by the impact windows and we believe will be an asset for the realtors and developers during this preliminary sales period.”
Tower 155 will be developed on the corner of Mizner Boulevard and East Boca Raton Road in the heart of downtown Boca Raton and will stand nine stories tall. The development of Tower 155 is part of a progressive residential redevelopment plan within downtown Boca Raton. The units which will range between 650 and 1,500 square feet will be listed from as low as $350,000 according to the developer.
Abe Lopez expounded on the downtown development project and the redevelopment plan: “The redevelopment plan for downtown Boca Raton has been sorely needed. This will hopefully be the first of a few new residential towers in the downtown Boca area. Residential towers however, must have hurricane impact resistant windows in South Florida. I’m extremely proud of our products and believe that our windows are aesthetically superior to our competitors and far exceed their impact windows and testing standards. We know that people purchase our product because of its unequaled protection and assume that charge with appreciation and diligence.”


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The Hyderabad-based Gland Pharma will be acquired by the Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group for $1.3 billion, in what could be India's largest acquisition by a foreign firm in 2016.
A supplier of variety of injectabes, Gland, is largely (96 percent) owned by its founders Ravi Penmetsa and family along with U.S. based private equity firm KKR. Fosun, sources told Reuters, will acquire complete stake from both.
The Chinese firm is expected to benefit from Gland's technology used in the formulation of the hard to manufacture injectables, which the firm has pioneered over the years. Gland's acquisition in turn will add more shine to India's numerous low cost pharma manufacturers, said the news agency.
It cited an ICRA report that said the opportunity in the U.S. was abound as nearly $16 billion worth patents on injectables will expire by 2019, while the market for these medicines were slated to grow 10 percent annually over five years there. The total market for injectables is estimated to be $144 billion with manufacturers benefitting the largest.
Anticipating the growing need for this medicine, the pharma giant Pfizer acquired U.S. based injectable manufacturer Hospira last year, and in 2013, Mylan NV bought India-based Strides Shasun's injectable business.
Gland Pharma owns seven manufacturing facilities in India that manufacture the medicine which are primarily administered through vials, syringes, bugs and pumps said the news agency.
The acquisition will also help Fosun to spread its manufacturing network in the country. This would also be China's biggest acquisition in the pharmaceutical space, said ET.
In June, the Indian government relaxed its foreign direct investment rule in the pharmaceutical space to allow 75 percent investment under the automatic route. The Fosun Gland deal, therefore, will need the approval of government.


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Girl Scouts will ship cookies to your home
GLEN CARBON — Getting your hands on Thin Mints, Samoas and all of your other favorite Girl Scout Cookies is now more convenient than ever.
Girl Scout Cookies can now be ordered online and shipped right to your home through Digital Cookie, the organization’s safe online sales platform. They will also accept donations to U.S. military members through a partnership between Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois and local nonprofit H.E.R.O.E.S. Care.
Girl Scout Cookie Season officially will start Jan. 9 and run through March 16. The current “pre-season” online sale will let customers get a taste of the iconic treats right away.
Girl Scouts have powered their troops’ adventures by selling cookies since in 1917. Since then, millions of women have built confidence, financial savvy and business skills through the Girl Scout Cookie Program.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Girl Scouts are facing unprecedented challenges this year, but are ready to use resilience and techie tools to keep the tradition going.
“I’m so impressed with how girls are adapting to the current reality of COVID-19,” said Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois CEO Loretta Graham. “There are troops meeting on Zoom. Girls are exploring new skills through virtual programs. We had our first two Cybersecurity teams launch this year.
“Girl Scouts are still giving back to others through socially distant service projects,” she said. “Girl Scouts are also finding new ways to fund these activities safely through the Girl Scout Cookie Program.”
Along with their digital storefronts, troops are also exploring ideas such as porch pickups, drive-through cookie booths, and Facebook live events. The council follows all Illinois and CDC guidelines.
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois serves about 9,000 girls and engages 3,500 adult volunteers in 40 counties in southern Illinois. For more details visit www.gsofsi.org.


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Nintendo shared updated sales numbers as of December 31st, 2021! The Switch reached 103.54 million units sold as of the end of the year. The number of sales is expected to have surpassed 104 million within early 2022. 10.67 million Switch units and 85.41 million Switch software were sold during the quarter of October – December 2021. Check out the updated top 10 best selling Switch games below:
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 43.35 million pcs.
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 37.62 million pcs.
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 27.40 million pcs.
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 25.80 million pcs.
- Pokémon Sword/Pokémon Shield – 23.90 million pcs.
- Super Mario Odyssey – 23.02 million pcs.
- Super Mario Party – 17.39 million pcs.
- Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!/ Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! – 14.33 million pcs.
- Pokémon Brilliant Diamond / Pokémon Shining Pearl – 13.97 million pcs.
- Ring Fit Adventure – 13.53 million pcs.
Stay tuned at Final Weapon for the latest Japanese gaming news and updates!