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As traditional car shows decline and/or evolve, a new all-EV show called Electrify Expo has seen success targeting EV-specific buyers.
The show stops in seven cities across the country, starting with Long Beach, California, May 19-21 and ending in Austin at the Circuit of the Americas Nov. 10-12.
Legacy carmakers from BMW to Volvo are said to be signed up, though when contacted, not all had signed the paperwork yet. Other electric transportation entities from scooters to motorcycles to electric bicycles will be there.
The traditional car show may be dying or already dead, and the future could be less of an industry ritual and something more purely consumer-oriented. Early adopters may already be driving around in Nissan Leafs, Chevy Bolts and various Telsa products. But the vast majority of people by definition are not early adopters. Most people still pilot internal combustion-engined vehicles.
Those consumers could benefit from a way to experience EVs in a relaxed environment with no showroom pressure from sales professionals. Traditional auto shows are fast becoming more consumer experiences, with test drives available from a number of makes. For those seeking to learn about the coming transition to electric mobility there is Electrify Expo.
It's not just a car show.
“It’s funny that you say ‘car show’ because we’ve tried to position ourselves as almost the antithesis to the car show,” said Electrify Expo’s founder BJ Birtwell. While a Super Bowl ad or a page in a magazine (remember those?) may hit a wide audience, a show like this is far more targeted.
“The way that we use our advertising revenues are really hyper-targeting people who have shown a digital footprint to be in market for something, whether it be a car, or motorcycle or whatever,” Birtwell explained. “So people are coming to the events specifically to try stuff before they buy stuff. These are not looky-loos, nothing behind the velvet rope. It’s a much different experience.”
Electrify Expo started out in 2021 with three events across the country that drew 40,000 people to learn about electric mobility. In 2022 there were five shows and 100,000 paying attendees. This year there will be seven shows with a forecasted attendance of 150,000 to 200,000.
Traditional big-time auto shows like Detroit, Frankfurt, and Tokyo have been transitioning from seminal industry events to more consumer-oriented affairs. Last November’s LA auto show, for instance, filled the spaces once held by different carmakers with lots of indoor and outdoor ride-and-drive circuits for Jeeps, Ram trucks, and myriad EVs. Subaru even had a dog-petting ranchito.
At the same time, the advance of the internet and more finely targeted campaigns to reach consumers have replaced the formerly million-visitor shows in getting customers to connect with carmakers.
Electrify Expo’s focus on EV-only exhibits is simply evidence of the increasing targeting of specific buyers, instead of the legacy advertising approach of mollycoddling the media then, on the public days, throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks.
“Electrify Expo gives us the ability to reach a highly qualified audience of people who are genuinely curious about electric vehicles and their benefits,” said a spokesman for Expo attendee Volvo, which announced earlier that all its 2023 models will be electrified. “At the same time, we’re able to learn about what these people want and expect out of electric vehicles, so that we can develop future products that deliver on our commitments to safety and sustainability.”
Electrify Expo has listed 13 major manufacturers of cars, trucks, and SUVs as participating in this year’s tour of shows, from BMW to Volkswagen, though when contacted, not all could verify they would be participating. But those are just the so-called legacy automakers—the Expo features every means of electric mobility short of an underground electric subway. Both Toyota and Lexus, perhaps a little late to the EV party, will be there.
"Electrify Expo gives us the opportunity to educate in-market consumers on our portfolio of electrified vehicle options in a family friendly and festival-like setting, and it has quickly become a vital part of the greater Lexus auto show schedule," said Vinay Shahani, VP, Lexus Marketing.
In addition to the myriad scooter and electric motorcycle makers, there will be many, many electric bicycle makers. Last year’s shows had two electric surfboard makers, one skateboard manufacturer, and even ElectraMeccanica, the on-again off-again maker of that single-seater enclosed EV that started life 25 years ago as the Corbin Sparrow. So who knows what’s going to show up?
“We’re getting this cross-pollination of audiences,” Birtwell said. “People will come to our show looking for the latest electric bike, but then they’ll get distracted by a Kia EV6. And all of a sudden they’re demoing the EV6, and they have the kids in the back and the parents in the front and having a great time and now they’re reconsidering what they came to the festival for.”
And there are other distractions, too.
“All of our events are designed to be festivals,” Birtwell said. “Everything’s open-air, outside, full of music, good food, all these experiences—I mean, we’re a million square feet.”
With seven shows across the country, chances are there will be one near you. Here’s the list for 2023, including two new additions:
Long Beach, California, at Long Beach Convention Center—May 19-21
San Francisco at Alameda Point—June 24-25 *NEW location for 2023
Washington DC at RFK Stadium—July 22–23 *NEW location for 2023
New York City at Nassau Coliseum—Aug. 12-13
Seattle at Marymoor Park—Sept. 9-10
Miami at Miami Dade Fairgrounds—Oct. 14-15
Austin, Texas, at Circuit of the Americas—Nov. 10-12
Are we at our electric future?
“We’re not at the tipping point yet, but we’re certainly getting close to it,” said Birtwell. “Everyone’s waking up to this idea that, ‘I’m going to be buying an electric vehicle, whether I like it or not, over the next five years. The car that I have right now I’m probably going to be trading in for an electric vehicle. So I need to get my hands around what it means to drive an electric vehicle, how it’s going to impact my lifestyle, and how to handle driving today.”
Are you ready to embrace your electric future? Let us know in the comments below.


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Suria KLCC Concourse area were swarmed with fans of the Running Man cast, Lee Kwangsoo last Thursday at the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge launch event. Lee Kwang Soo, dubbed as the ‘Prince of Asia’, is the new face of Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Before coming to Malaysia, Samsung released a video teaser of him ‘losing’ his phone and asking for his fans in Malaysia to help him ‘find’ it. Upon hearing that his phone was found, he came to Malaysia to retrieve his phone.
Lee Kwang Soo ‘lost’ his phone
and ‘FOUND’ his phone video
At the launch, Lee Sang Hoon, president of Samsung Malaysia Electronics introduced the new phone, followed by a presentation of the phone’s functionalities by Lee Jui Sang, Vice President of Mobile and IT Business Unit of Samsung Malaysia Electronics.
Around half an hour after the event started, fans started screaming as they saw a glimpse of the man of the hour’s arrival from behind the stage. It isn’t hard to spot him as he stands tall at 6’3″. Even fans who stood far from the stage can get a glimpse of him, lucky fans hehe.. Lee Kwang Soo, or more famously known as ‘giraffe’ due to his height, captured fans heart as he gave his best quirky poses and greeted fans who were on the ground floor and all the way up the 6th floors of Suria KLCC.
Samsung Malaysia Electronics also took the opportunity to donate RM17000 to Suriana Children’s Welfare Society – the funds will be used towards providing under-privileged children the opportunity to explore and develop their talents.
More pictures from the event here:

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Rugby fans are scoring bargains in the beer aisle right now, with many major brands cheaper today than they were during the 2011 World Cup.
Echoing the steep discounting seen during the football World Cup last summer, the average price of a litre of the five biggest lager brands has fallen 5.7% compared with the same period four years ago (28 Sept 2011 vs 28 Sept 2015).
“The Rugby World Cup being on home soil carries greater sales potential than normal, and events are simply great collateral for retailers and suppliers alike,” said one industry insider.
Looking only at SKUs on sale now and in 2011, the average price of a litre of Britain’s top-selling lager, Stella Artois, is down 9% over the period, driven by steep discounts on its larger packs of cans. Shoppers are paying £12 for a pack of 18 x 440ml cans in Sainsbury’s compared with the £18.99 they were forking out during the 2011 tournament in New Zealand, and £13 in Asda versus £15.49 four years ago.
Carling and Carlsberg - which has just lost most of its Tesco listings (see p4) have also been deeply discounted. But in contrast to activity during the football World Cup, Foster’s has fallen just 2.9% to £1.71 - last June the average litre price fell 16.5% from £1.88 four years ago to £1.57.
Foster’s owner Heineken - which also produces John Smith’s Extra Smooth, currently 6.2% cheaper than in 2011 - said more than nine out of 10 rugby fans would be watching the action at home and almost half of these would be drinking beer. Heineken is a Tier 1 sponsor.
“Keen pricing is now a feature of big sporting occasions and the Rugby World Cup is a huge opportunity to increase footfall and sales,” said Heineken off-trade director Craig Clarkson.
The drop in the price of John Smith’s pales in comparison with brands in the burgeoning premium bottled ale (PBA) category, such as Greene King’s Old Speckled Hen and Marston’s Hobgoblin. Hen four-packs are typically £1 cheaper than in 2011, while single bottles are now £1.25 versus about £1.69 four years ago.
In addition to the current boom in interest in PBAs, the increase in pricing activity was also a result of the discounters ramping up the range of PBAs they carried, suggested one senior supermarket buyer.
“Discounters are now selling a number of these brands as it’s all incremental to them and, consequently, the mainstream retailers have had to follow that pricing down,” he added.


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LG Group will go over its growth engines through the affiliates’ strategic briefing sessions presided over by Vice Chairman Koo Bon-joon, starting from the middle of June. As LG Group is expected to record its highest business showings this year, boosted by LG Electronics, LG Display and LG Chem, all eyes inside and outside the group are on the strategic briefing sessions which check its medium and long-term business plans. In particular, LG Display, which has emerged as a new cash cow, plans to present items to be produced at the P10 plant in Paju and the medium and long-term business strategy at the session.
According to LG Group on May 31, all the LG Group affiliates, including LG Electronics, LG Chem, LG Display and LG Household & Health Care, will participate in the strategic briefing sessions in consecutive order from mid-June. The group goes over affiliates’ current business projects and future plans through strategic briefing sessions in June and performance briefing sessions in November every year. The performance briefing sessions in November focus on business results, while the strategic briefing sessions in June focus on medium and long-term strategies.
Automotive parts, business-to-business (B2B), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), new renewable energy and smart home appliances are expected to be the talk of the town at the strategic briefing sessions this year. The group’s major affiliates, such as LG Electronics, LG Display, LG Innotek and LG Chem, are taking part in the automotive component business.
The greatest interest in the display sector is the OLED growth strategy. LG Display Vice Chairman Han Sang-beom plans to announce what products will be produced at the P10 plant in Paju and what display strategies will be pursued at the strategic briefing session. With an investment of 10 trillion (US$8.91 billion), LG introduced large OLED and mobile plastic OLED production lines at the P10 plant in Paju. The group is also preparing to open the OLED era in devices, including LG Electronics’ smartphones and TVs.
The fact that Vice Chairman Koo will preside the strategic briefing sessions this year is the only difference with last year’s sessions. Vice Chairman Koo Bon-joon, the younger brother of Chairman Koo Bon-moo, is in charge of improving the competitiveness and profitability of main businesses as well as new businesses, expanding the role in the group. At the previous executive seminar, Koo said, “We can either lose our base for competitive advantage or create an opportunity for new leap forward depending on how we respond to the proliferation of Fourth Industrial Innovation technologies.”


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LONDON — Streamlining anti-money laundering checks, longer central bank opening hours and linking national systems would cut cross-border payment costs, global regulators said on Monday.
Payments have come under the spotlight since Facebook proposed its Libra digital stablecoin, prompting central banks to think about launching their own digital currency.
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A report by the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures said cross border payments are set to increase from $20 trillion in 2019 to $30 trillion by 2030.
“The cost and hassle of making payments cross border discourages businesses, particularly small businesses, from entering the global market place,” CPMI Chair Jon Cunliffe said.
But it can take 10 days for a cross-border payment to be completed and cost up to 10 times as much as a domestic one.
“It’s no surprise that people turning to alternatives that may look attractive but are potentially less secure,” Cunliffe, who is also Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, added.


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It looks like another Sony Xperia smartphone will be getting the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update later this month, the Sony Xperia P, the news was posted on Facebook by Sony Mobile India, with a date of the 19th to the 25th of August
The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update will bring a range of new features to the Sony Xperia P, although it isn’t clear as yet whether this date for the update is for the global roll out or just for India.
As soon as we get some more information that the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update will be released between the 19th and 25th of August we will let you guys know.
Source Android Central
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Home-tech start-up company, ZunRoof, on Tuesday announced the launch of a range of smart home devices under the zunpulse range.
The zunpulse Smart Plug can convert a range of home appliances, including electrical appliances, geysers/ water heaters, room heaters and ovens, to smart appliances. Users can then control these appliances remotely through a mobile app. The zunpulse smart remote, a software-based remote for air-conditioners and televisions, can also help control these appliances remotely.
Its Smart Camera comes with night vision. It has a resolution of 720p and can store up to 128 GB of video. It can be used for two-way communication.
The company’s smart security system includes a motion sensor, a door sensor and an alarm siren. It also sends a phone notification to the user in case of an intrusion.
Other products include a smart video doorbell and smart LED bulbs with pre-built special scenes.
All these devices can be controlled through the zunpulse mobile app available in the Apple and Google app stores.
These smart devices require a 2.4 GHz WiFi network for internet connection.
Pranesh Chaudhary, Founder and CEO of ZunRoof, said the zunpulse range will soon be expanded to include a wider range of smart devices.
All zunpulse devices are available for purchase on the zunpulse website, as well as on online portals Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal.


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FuboTV starts at $64.99 a month, but if you want to sign up, you will need to buy a three-month prepaid package totaling $194.96.
The live streaming service this morning tells The TV Answer Man that it’s only making its packages available to new subscribers as quarterly plans.
“We have temporarily made our channel packages available to new subscribers as quarterly plans,” said FuboTV spokesperson Jennifer Press via e-mail. “We’re always experimenting with our channel package offerings to better understand what our subscribers like.”
Press said the quarterly plan change does not affect existing subscribers.
It’s unclear if the quarterly offering will be permanent. Plus, as of this morning, the quarterly plans are not available on FuboTV’s site on all platforms. For example, the mobile version of Fubo.TV says the plans are quarterly, but the desktop edition still says monthly.
When we asked FuboTV’s Twitter customer service team this morning whether the plans are only available quarterly, it responded:
“We recently updated our plans and are currently only offering quarterly subscriptions. The monthly plans may still be available to some users when signing up. You’re welcome to subscribe to these in that case. We’re sorry for the confusion.”
Press also confirmed that the monthly plans will not be available to new customers. “However, note that the offering of only quarterly plans to new customers is a temporary test,” she added.
Fubo.TV’s new web site offering:
The requirement to buy three months in advance rather than one month would seem targeted to reduce Fubo’s churn rate which has been high for all live streaming services. By requiring new subscribers to buy three months up front, it would be less likely they would cancel until the quarter is up; they would not get their money back if they did cancel early.
The downside is that fewer subscribers might sign up if they have to purchase three months in advance.
FuboTV has previously experimented with quarterly plans with small groups, but the ongoing churn rate issue could have triggered a wider implementation.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at firstname.lastname@example.org. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann


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Stock analysts expect NVIDIA Co. (NASDAQ:NVDA) to post earnings per share of $1.22 for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Nine analysts made NVIDIA earnings estimates, with the lowest EPS estimate being $1.21 and the highest estimate $1.25. NVIDIA posted earnings per share of $0.78 in the same quarter last year, suggesting a positive year-over-year growth rate of 56.4%. The company is expected to release its next quarterly results after the market closes on Wednesday, February 16.
According to Zacks, analysts expect NVIDIA to report annual earnings of $4.35 per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from $4.33 to $4.37. For the next fiscal year, analysts expect the company to post earnings of $5.16 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $4.62 to $5.60. Zacks Investment Research’s earnings per share calculations are an average average based on a survey of analysts who follow NVIDIA.
NVIDIA Inc (NASDAQ:NVDA) last released its quarterly results on Wednesday, November 17. The hardware maker reported earnings per share of $1.17 for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.06. NVIDIA had a return on equity of 41.79% and a net margin of 33.81%. The company posted revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, versus $6.83 billion expected by analysts. In the same quarter of the previous year, the company had achieved EPS of $0.60.
Several research analysts have weighed in on NVDA shares. Raymond James raised his price target on NVIDIA from $225.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “Strong Buy” rating in a Thursday, November 18 research report. They noted that the move was a review call. Susquehanna Bancshares raised its price target on NVIDIA from $250.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a Thursday, November 11 research report. KeyCorp raised its price target on NVIDIA from $260.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a Thursday, November 18 research report. Summit Insights moved NVIDIA from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a Friday, October 22 research report. Finally, Citigroup raised its target price on NVIDIA from $223.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a Monday, November 15 report. Three investment analysts gave the stock a hold rating, twenty-eight gave the stock a buy rating and one gave the stock a strong buy rating. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $325.88.
In other NVIDIA news, Director Harvey C. Jones sold 41,484 shares of the company in a trade on Thursday, December 16. The stock was sold at an average price of $311.50, for a total value of $12,922,266.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, available at this link. Also, director Jean Dabiri sold 281 shares of the company in a trade on Thursday, December 23. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.50, for a total value of $83,597.50. Disclosure of this sale can be found here. In the past ninety days, insiders have sold 990,012 shares of the company worth $312,681,810. 4.23% of the shares are held by insiders.
A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. OLD Mission Capital LLC bought a new stake in NVIDIA stock in the third quarter worth $293,000. Parisi Gray Wealth Management increased its stake in NVIDIA shares by 4.4% in the second quarter. Parisi Gray Wealth Management now owns 2,312 shares of the hardware maker valued at $1,850,000 after buying 97 additional shares during the period. Meitav Dash Investments Ltd. increased its stake in NVIDIA shares by 8.0% in the second quarter. Meitav Dash Investments Ltd. now owns 77,803 shares of the hardware maker valued at $62,257,000 after purchasing an additional 5,750 shares during the period. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp increased its stake in NVIDIA shares by 12.8% in the second quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 114,633 shares of the hardware maker valued at $91,718,000 after buying an additional 13,024 shares during the period. Finally, Ergoteles LLC bought a new stake in NVIDIA stock in the second quarter worth $480,000. 63.70% of the shares are currently held by institutional investors and hedge funds.
NVDA Stock traded at $8.96 during Friday trading hours, hitting $228.40. 54,284,902 shares were traded, against an average volume of 53,255,828. The company has a current ratio of 7.14, a quick ratio of 6.53 and a debt ratio of 0.46. The company has a market capitalization of $571 billion, a P/E ratio of 70.39, a P/E/G ratio of 3.88 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $286.52 and a two-hundred-day simple moving average of $246.88. NVIDIA has a 12-month low of $115.67 and a 12-month high of $346.47.
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 23. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 2 received a dividend of $0.04. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 1. This represents a dividend of $0.16 on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.07%. NVIDIA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.93%.
NVIDIA Company Profile
NVIDIA Corp. engages in the design and manufacture of computer graphics processors, chipsets and related multimedia software. It operates through the following segments: graphics processing unit (GPU), Tegra processor and all others. The GPU segment includes product brands, which target niche markets, including GeForce for gamers; Quadro for designers; Tesla and DGX for AI data scientists and big data researchers; and GRID for cloud-based visual computing users.
Further reading: Example of operating result, EBIT and EBITDA
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CEO Tim Cook showed off the iPhone XS Max, which has a bigger screen than the one on last year's dramatically designed model, the iPhone X. It'll cost about $1,100, topping the iPhone X, which at $1,000 seemed jaw-dropping at the time.
It will be available to order from 19 October, and will start shipping on 26 October.
But it does have the same A12 Bionic that the top-level iPhone XS has as well as iOS 12 installed, so it should be pretty nippy.
As for the battery, Apple claims a stamina of 1.5 hours more than that of the iPhone 8 Plus.
T3 will shortly be going hands on with the iPhone Xr, so make sure to check back in to T3.com soon for the complete picture.
Apple's new products aside, it's worth noting that Apple today seemingly axed a number of existing iPhones from its product lineup. All of this unlocks new experiences for games, photography, video editing and graphics-intensive apps while still offering great battery life. The Xr also has also has a single-lens rear camera instead of dual lenses, so it can't do optical zoom, though it still offers the depth control and portrait mode features of its pricier siblings.
And, Schiller said, the XS line-up features 'the most handsome iPhone we've ever made'.
The iPhone Xr is also splash and water resistant, with a rating of IP67, and will also come in six new finishes: white, black, blue, yellow, coral and the exclusive (PRODUCT) RED edition, which helps raise awareness and inspire action to fight HIV/AIDS. With the introduction of iPhones ditching the Apple-made feature of 3D Touch, it could spell the death of one of Apple's most promising features, even if no one really uses it.
Faster Processor. All three phones will feature Apple's A12 Bionic chip, which the company promises will speed up operations while also reducing power consumption. It features Smart HDR, which automatically makes improvements to photos using machine learning.
CarPlay, the iPhone integration with certain vehicle infotainment systems, will support Google Maps and Waze.
Will those people stubbornly holding on to an iPhone 6 or iPhone 7 finally be tempted by the iPhone XR? It supports Qi-standard wireless charging and fast charging as well - up to 50 per cent charge 30 minutes.
We can either go back to our old style and we'll never be a top team, or we can keep trying to do what we do and suffer at times. We are looking at a new Spain, a more direct team, just like Luis Enrique outlined when he was chosen as coach.
Franco Mulakkal to remain free, two-and-a-half months after accusations of sexual assault began surfacing against him. But the protesting nuns rejected the charge and said they will continue their agitation till justice was delivered.
Billy Horschel and Xander Schauffele were tied one shot back and Rory McIlroy finished in fifth at 18-under. Even with a gray sky and drizzle, the fourth round began Monday with hopes of getting in 72 holes.
He said a woman also was walking into the bank at the same time, but she had her headphones on and couldn't hear their warnings. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said the gunman was "actively shooting innocent victims " and that it was a "horrific" scene.
He had all but deflated. "There is a lot of significance of me being now shoulder to shoulder with Sampras", Djokovic said. Del Potro, seeded third, was appearing in the second Grand Slam final of his career nine years after reaching his first.
It came just over two weeks after two former top Trump aides were convicted of felony crimes in cases that grew out of the probe. George Papadopoulos became the first campaign aide to be sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation .
Hall said a different agency, the Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety, is investigating the case. Mr Jean's mother, Allison , said in an emotional statement that the police officer: "Has to face whatever the law says".
Conservative Eric Bolling tweeted that it is "disgraceful" to see Obama taking credit for Trump's successes. From a White House that coined the term "alternative facts", admissions are rare and apologies even rarer.
Florence was the first Category 4 hurricane of the Atlantic season, but weakened as it passed through cooler waters. Olivia should weaken through Tuesday but remain a strong tropical storm when it reaches the Hawaiian Islands.
His comments came during a speech at the University of IL at Urbana-Champaign, where he accepted an ethics in government award. Saying that Nazis are bad?" The speech was a preview of the argument that Obama is likely to make throughout the fall.
Apple Watch will call for help if you fall
The data is reliable enough to be used for medical purposes, although the feature won't be available until later this year. The Apple Watch Series 4 models sport larger screens that display over 30% more than the previous generation, Apple says.
IPhone 9 may be Apple’s most expensive iPhone yet
We're anticipating the iPhone XS to cost a cool $1,000, while the XS Max will undoubtedly be more , most likely $1,199. According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is going to unveil three new iPhones next week.
New Update On Injury To Titans QB Marcus Mariota
Lightning forced two delays of about two hours each Sunday, and it took Miami more than seven hours to complete a 27-20 victory. Lewan was hurt at the end of interception return by Reshad Jones in the third quarter. "It's a lot of fun to play with them".
Caltrans Reopens I-5 as Delta Fire Grows in Size Near Redding
The fire, which started on August 5, caused the complete shutdown of Interstate 5, with still no estimated time for reopening. The most recent wildfire, the Kerlin fire, began Tuesday and has so far burned 1,200 acres in the northern part of the state.
Novak Djokovic sweeps aside del Potro in US Open final
Djokovic was far superior to del Potro in the opening set but he dropped three consecutive games in the second to trail 4-3. While Djokovic laid on the ground in ecstasy Sunday, del Potro sat in his chair and cried.


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Diesel is launching a new sneaker, the Prototype, as an element of an “intense repositioning” of the brand. The name of the unisex sneaker reflects a new beginning. It was designed by creative director Glenn Martens for the spring of next year, Yahoo Finance reported.
An effort to attract the crypto community
The launch is part of an effort to attract young people and members of the crypto community to the brand. The new shoe features a graphically striking design with asymmetric lacing and repeated rubber straps. It features an industrial outsole tread and molded rubber overlays across its uppers apart from bias-angled textured rubber strips and the off-center lace-ups.
Diesel has had a historically strong presence in the sneaker category “given it is complementary to the brand’s core denim products,” as CEO Massimo Piombini puts it.
Prototype retails at EUR 350
In line with using higher quality materials and repositioning the brand, Diesel raised prices by 10 – 15%. The Prototype is retailing at 350 euros. Piombini believes Diesel’s sneakers are competitively priced in the range of 130 to 300 euros.
Sneaker recreated as NFT
Diesel is collaborating with startup NFT marketplace platform neuno.io to recreate the Prototype 3D design as an NFT. Digital fashion house Fabricant created the limited-edition NFT.
The NFT Prototype will be launched today. Diesel will begin selling the physical shoe at Diesel stores worldwide and online in December. Additional color options will be available in February 2022.
CEO Massimo Piombini discussed the negative impact of COVID-19, but gave hope:
The pandemic partly accelerated the restructuring. I always say we did four turnarounds at the same time, changing the organization, changing our business model; rebuilding the go-to-market process in line with the ambitions of our new projects; introducing a new managerial structure with new teams, and a design turnaround with Glenn Martens.
Glenn Martens, who is based in Paris and is behind the Y/Project brand, was tasked with overseeing interior design, style, and communications at Diesel.
Diesel is a core business for OTB
Diesel accounted for over half of OTB Group’s sales volume last year. OTB was founded by Renzo Rosso and includes Marni, Viktor & Rolf, Jil Sander, Maison Margiela, and a stake in Amiri.
Mapping a new retail course
Diesel recently opened new stores in Turin and in Kyoto, which will map the new retail course. Historically, the company has been strong in Europe and Japan.
The post Diesel launches new sneaker and NFT to ‘make brand cool again’ appeared first on Bankless Times.


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The Caribbean Tourism Organisation, the region’s tourism development agency, is seeking to strengthen its relationship with Emirates Holidays, the largest airline tour operator in the Middle East, as it seeks to broaden the Caribbean’s appeal in the Arabian Market.
One&Only has revealed it will evolve its portfolio beyond award-winning Beach Resorts with One&Only Nature Resorts, One&Only Urban Resorts and One&Only Private Homes. These new experiences will complement the existing award-winning resort collection, set in some of the most beautiful locations in the world, offering guests a distinctive style and personality borne of its local culture, a genuine hospitality and a lively energy that is unparalleled.
The latest addition to R Hotels’ growing portfolio, The Retreat Palm Dubai, MGallery by Sofitel and Wyndham Garden Ajman Corniche will mark their inaugural participation at this year’s Arabian Travel Market.
Emirates will debut its new A380 on-board lounge at the Infinite Possibilities stand in its home-base of Dubai at the 2017 edition of the Arabian Travel Market.
Rotana will showcase its key upcoming properties at Arabian Travel Market, the region’s premier travel and tourism event which starts today. Rotana is preparing to open 17 new properties before the end of 2018, adding more than 4,500 keys to the company’s existing room count.
Arabian Travel Market opens its doors for four days of business networking opportunities, insightful seminar sessions and top level ministerial discussions. Here Breaking Travel News brings you all the latest new from the key players at this year’s event in our Special Edition magazine.


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Multinational tech giant, Apple is preparing to enable the setup of iOS apps from third-party sources. The relocation has actually been thought about in response to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.
The European Union’s Digital Markets Act now needs tech business to totally abide by the constraints by 2024. As an outcome, software application engineers and service workers are apparently checking out opening the crucial elements of Apple’s platform. Under the brand-new guidelines of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, European clients would have the ability to download the alternative app markets that lie beyond Apple’s own App Store. This will allow the users to download apps that will evade Apple’s 30% commissions and app constraints.
Apple’s “walled garden” community style had actually triggered dissatisfaction to both developers and users, as the community utilized to use up to 30% commission on iOS app and service sales. To abide by the brand-new law, the rollout of assistance for external apps from third-party sources and markets is anticipated to start just in Europe. This performance, nevertheless, will be reached other areas, depending upon whether these nations embrace the exact same guidelines.
How Do NFTs and Crypto Benefit From The Change?
As the tech business has actually prepared to open its community, this may benefit the apps that are constructed around NFTs and likewise assist in broadening the scope of mobile crypto payments. The business at the minute has stringent guidelines for NFT apps that persuade users to make in-app purchases, which are once again subjected to the 30 percent commission as pointed out formerly.
Coinbase Wallet, a distinguished crypto platform, has actually pointed out that the tech giant did not allow the release of the app as Apple had actually asked Coinbase Wallet to disable all its NFT deals. The disabling occurred in order to guarantee that 30% of the gas cost is gathered through in-app purchases.
This would have led to “new policies to protect their profits at the expense of consumer investment in NFTs and developer innovation across the crypto ecosystem,” Coinbase stated in a declaration.
Now, if the modifications are carried out, then it ends up being much easier and more uncomplicated for the designers to construct the apps around NFTs, which would in turn help with crypto payments made through Apple gadgets such as iPhones and iPads.
Apple Might Include This Feature In The iOS 17 Software Update
The tech giant is still choosing if it is going to abide by a part of the Act that allows the designers to set up alternative payment systems within the apps that still do not include Apple. If this is not carried out, designers will be required to utilize Apple’s own payment setup.
However, if the designers are permitted, then the modification will make it a lot easier to invest crypto through iPhone and iPad apps. Apple is now preparing to include this function in the iOS 17 software application upgrade. This upgrade is expected to be launched this fall, however it still depends upon the normal yearly release schedule.


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Huawei has officially announced the launch date of the HarmonyOS phone launch, the event is all set for June 2, 2021. Just after the announcement, Huawei’s EMUI official Weibo just released a message saying that from now on, Huawei’s EMUI official Weibo will be officially renamed HarmonyOS.
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. announced that it will hold an online press conference at 8 pm on June 2 to officially announce the Harmony operating system that can cover mobile phones and other mobile terminals.
Recently, Huawei registered an official Weibo named @HuaweiHarmonyOS, but it has not yet released any Weibo. The launch of the HarmonyOS also means that the EMUI system that Huawei has built for many years will come to an end.
Yang Haisong, vice president of Huawei’s consumer business AI and smart full-scenario business department, said in an interview with the media recently that the Hongmeng system is completely open and open. This year, according to the established plan, a full-stack system of 128MB-4GB devices will be open and open. “Third party mobile phone manufacturers are welcome to use the Hongmeng system, and open-source and build together.”


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Newsroom- Seen Improvement In May PV Sales: SIAM
- published: 11 Jun 2014
- views: 16
SIAM released auto sales numbers for the month of May. Autos are picking up pace with local car sales coming in at 1.48 lakh units and passenger vehicles coming in at 2.07 lakh units as against 2.02 lakh units last year. Director General of SIAM, Vishnu Mathur says the improvement in sentiment comes on the back of a stable government and excise duty cuts. www.btvin.com...


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The death count in South Africa’s listeriosis outbreak - the worst documented listeriosis outbreak in global history - has topped 100.
The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) announced on Tusesday that the number of confirmed listeriosis cases is now 852‚ and 107 people have died‚ the death rate - based on the outcome data for 355 cases - now sitting at 30%. Of those confirmed cases‚ 42% were babies of less than a month old‚ pregnant women being 20 times more likely to get listeriosis than other healthy adults.
Contracted from eating food containing the pathogen listeria‚ listeriosis is the most deadly of food-borne diseases‚ the death rate in other documented outbreaks being up to one in four.
And still the source of the outbreak - thought to be a food product or range of products from one company - remains unknown.
Most cases - 59% - have been reported in Gauteng‚ with 13% of cases in the Western Cape and 7% in KZN; roughly two thirds of cases being confirmed in state hospitals and a third in private hospitals. Pretoria-based food safety expert Dr Lucia Anelich says the “culprit” is most likely a product consumed by consumers across the country and “extremely often”.
Source: Times Live


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New AHLA Research Reveals Online Hotel Booking Scams Are on the Rise, Duping Consumers, Translating to Nearly $4 Billion Each Year
June 14, 2017 1:02pm
Washington, D.C., June 14, 2017 – Every 60 seconds, Americans make 500 hotel bookings online. And new research reveals that online scams and fraudulent sites are on the rise. In 2015, just six percent of American travelers reported having booked on what they believed was a hotel’s official website, only to find they had booked on a fraudulent site – websites that use a variety of marketing tactics to mimic hotel websites but are not, in fact, affiliated with the hotel. Just two years later, the number of travelers reporting that same experience has nearly quadrupled to 22 percent. Today, that amounts to 55 million hotel bookings of this type each year, translating to $3.9 billion in “bad” bookings.
Furthermore, new evidence reveals consumers are not getting the deals they think they are from third-party booking sites. A poll commissioned by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) details the extent to which online travel agencies can mislead consumers, revealing that 74 percent of travelers have less confidence booking with these sites after learning more about the prevalence of scams and deceptive marketing tactics.
To address these issues, AHLA today announced the launch of a new “Search Smarter” awareness campaign, aimed at helping travelers avoid lost reservations, additional fees, and potentially ruined vacations. “In today’s increasingly digital marketplace, consumers rely on the comfort and ease of online hotel bookings,” said Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of AHLA. “Unfortunately, research reveals that as online bookings have surged, so have online booking scams. Too many consumers have been duped by these bait and switch websites. This kind of deceptive behavior cannot and will not be tolerated.”
A closer look at online travel agencies and their marketing tactics reveals a deceptive pattern that can lead to false choices, false discounts, and a false sense of urgency throughout the booking process.
“Our message is simple – look before you book, slow down, and search smarter,” said Lugar. “Given the tremendous financial burden booking scams place on consumers, and the confusion caused by misleading marketing practices, we recommend booking directly with hotels or with a trusted travel agent, as that’s where you’ll often get the best value and the best experience. It may take a few extra seconds, but it could save you countless hours of aggravation.”
To learn more about how to spot scams and ensure the best possible booking experience, visit: www.ahla.com/searchsmarter.
american hotel and lodging association,
online booking scams,
deceptive online marketing practices
Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest national association solely representing all segments of the 8 million jobs the U.S. lodging industry supports, including hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, bed and breakfasts, state hotel associations, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and educational resources for an industry that advances long-term career opportunities for employees, invests in local communities across the country and hosts more than one billion guests’ stays in American hotels every year. AHLA proudly represents a dynamic hotel industry of more than 54,000 properties that supports $1.1 trillion in U.S. sales and generates nearly $170 billion in taxes to local, state and federal governments. Learn more at www.AHLA.com.
AHLA Joins White House For “Investing in America’s Workforce”
Hotel Industry Commits $75,000 Grant for LA Opportunity Youth Training
AHLA Reacts to New York City Passing Strong Short-Term Rental Ordinance
New Research Shows Consumers Spend $5.2 Billion Annually in Fraudulent and Misleading Hotel Booking Transactions
AHLA Names Rosanna Maietta President of American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation
Tax Day: Hoteliers Call for More Transparency and Oversight in Taxing Airbnb
Hotel Industry Partners With Pearson to Offer Debt-Free College Degrees to Employees
AHLA Responds to Airbnb Plus & Boutique Program Announcement
AHLA Praises U.S. House of Representatives for Vote to Strengthen ADA
AHLA's President and CEO, Katherine Lugar, Releases Statement on President Donald Trump's State of the Union
ALIS Names the 2018 Award Winners for Developments, Single Asset Transactions and M&A of the Year
AHLA’s Financial Management Committee Issues Guidance for the New Revenue Recognition Standards
AHLA President Lugar Highlights Hotel Industry Economic Impact on Nation's Cities at U.S. Conference of Mayors
AHLA Announces 2018 Officers & Board of Directors Slate
AHLA Promotes Brian Crawford to Vice President and Department Head of Governmental Affairs
AHLA Applauds Final Passage of Tax Reform Legislation
AHLA Releases Statement Following Historic Tax Reform Legislation
AHLA President and CEO Katherine Lugar's Statement on Senate Passage of Tax Reform Legislation
Hotel Innovators Educate Lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Urge Support for Stop Online Booking Scams Act
AHLA and the Better Business Bureau Team Up to Fight Online Hotel Booking Scams
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Trade Update (July 16)
Section 232 Update
On Thursday (July 11), the World Trade Organization (WTO) said it has terminated disputes brought against the US Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum by Canada and Mexico. The decision came as a result of the US agreeing in May to remove the import tariffs on the two countries. In two separate complaints filed with the WTO in June 2018, Canada and Mexico claimed that the US duties of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports were inconsistent with provisions of the WTO’s General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade and with the WTO’s agreement on safeguards. China, the EU, Norway, Russia and Turkey also filed requests with the WTO challenging the US tariffs on similar grounds, which are ongoing. The US in May reached an agreement to remove the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico without imposing quotas to cap imports at a certain level. As part of the deal, the countries have agreed to implement measures to prevent imports of steel and aluminum that is unfairly subsidized or sold at dumped prices and prevent the transshipment of such steel and aluminum between countries. Following the removal of the Section 232 tariffs, steel imports from Canada were expected to rise 19 percent in June, while steel exports from Mexico to the US were expected to be up 23 percent with the country’s May import total, according to the Department of Commerce.
House Democrats Cite Progress on USMCA, Passage Still Unclear
The House Democrats working group tasked with negotiating the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA) said Thursday that “progress” has been made with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer. However, the group still has serious concerns about provisions in the trade agreement. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA.), a member of the working group, said Thursday’s talks with Lighthizer became heated due to differing views over the timeline for a formal vote. “It was contentious. I think there’s frustration on both sides on the pace of things, but I think we’re having good discussions on just the provisions that the speaker (Pelosi) laid out.” Lighthizer and the Trump administration have repeatedly pressed to get trade deal passed before Congress breaks for the August recess. They’ve also expressed their concern that the deal could get caught up in the politics of the 2020 presidential election if otherwise. That being said, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been adamant that Democrats will not consider the deal until the administration addresses a variety of prevailing concerns, including provisions on enforcement, labor, environmental standards, and drug pricing. Those concerns likely push the agreement’s passage to Fall at best. Even with its passage in the House, the Republican-controlled Senate would likely need to find Democratic votes, as some free-traders continue to have lingering concerns about certain components of the USMCA.
US-EU Trade Deal
Speaking of trade deals….German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said Wednesday the US and European Union (EU) can still reach an industrial goods agreement by year’s end, barring sufficient “political will” from both sides. Altmaier made the remarks following a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. He added that he had a “constructive” meeting with Lighthizer, noting “We may perhaps have a chance to come to solutions in the coming weeks, clearly before the end of the year.” Altmaier said his top priorities were averting US tariffs on European cars imported to the US and resolving the more-than 15-year dispute between Boeing and Airbus. Both the US and EU have threatened tariffs on one another as a result of that dispute. The WTO arbitrator is due to decide as early as next week how much of the $11.2 billion in tariffs proposed by Washington can be applied. Altmaier said the WTO was expected to rule several months later on possible EU tariffs. Currently, the U.S. imposes a 2.5 percent tariff on imported cars, while Europe collects a duty of 10 percent. Some Trump administration officials have expressed concern that removing duties on both sides could actually help European carmakers more than American ones.
Huawei Restrictions Loosening?
On Tuesday (July 9), Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the department will allow US companies to engage in transactions with blacklisted Chinese telecom giant Huawei, as long as it poses no national security threat. President Trump pledged after a G-20 meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that American companies would be able to sell chips to Huawei even though it’s on the entity list. Trump said that was one of the agreements he made with Chinese officials to restart trade talks. Huawei has been widely accused of having close links to China’s military and intelligence agencies, raising concerns about its efforts to develop and equip next-generation 5G networks around the world.
Section 301 Tariffs
US businesses largely welcomed the Trump administration’s investigation into whether France’s 3 percent digital services tax is an unfair trade barrier but cautioned against imposing unilateral tariffs as a negotiating tactic. “We support the U.S. government’s efforts to investigate these complex trade issues, but urge it to pursue the 301 investigation in a spirit of international cooperation and without using tariffs as a remedy,” Jennifer McCloskey, vice president of public policy at the tech industry group ITI, said in a statement. “We also again call on France and other countries considering unilateral actions to withdraw individual measures and recommit to the ongoing, multilateral [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development] process.” Lighthizer announced late Wednesday (July 10) that he would open an investigation into the digital tax under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act. The provision gives the administration broad authority to address unfair foreign trade and could allow it to apply unilateral tariffs on French goods. Previously, the Trump administration used Section 301 to investigate China’s intellectual property (IP) practices, which led to the imposition of tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods. Trade experts believe France is in violation of global trade rules with the digital tax but believe challenging the measure at the WTO would likely persuade France to change the tax rather unilateral pressure from the US. USTR, in a Federal Register notice to be published this week, indicated it had not yet made up its mind about the approach it should take. It asked for interested parties to comment on whether they believe France’s action violates WTO rules or any other international agreement and “what action, if any,” the United States should take in response. It set an August 12 deadline for those submissions and also scheduled an August 19 hearing for those views to be voiced publicly.
 Coyne, Justine. “Canada, Mexico drop WTO complaints on US metals tariffs.” S&P Global. 11 Jul 2019. https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/metals/071119-canada-mexico-drop-wto-complaints-on-us-metals-tariffs
 Rodriguez, Sabrina. “House Democrats cite ‘progress’ in USMCA talks with Lighthizer.” Politico Pro. 11 Jul 2019. https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2019/07/house-democrats-cite-progress-in-usmca-talks-with-lighthizer-1585901
 Shalal, Andrea. “German minister pushing to resolve trade disputes with the US.” Reuters. 11 Jul 2019.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-germany-altmaier/german-minister-pushing-to-resolve-trade-disputes-with-us-idUSKCN1U621L
 Palmer, Doug. “German ministers says US-EU trade deal still possible in 2019.” Politico Pro. 10 Jul 2019. https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2019/07/german-minister-says-us-eu-trade-deal-still-possible-in-2019-1581679
 Behsudi, Adam. “Ross: Commerce to allow Huawei transactions that don’t pose a threat.” Politico Pro. 9 Jul 2019. https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2019/07/ross-commerce-to-allow-huawei-transactions-that-dont-pose-a-threat-1574171
 Palmer, Doug. “Some business groups urge USTR not to impose unilateral tariffs on France.” Politico Pro. 11 Jul 2019. https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2019/07/some-business-groups-urge-ustr-not-to-impose-unilateral-tariffs-on-france-3567655


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New Delhi : Chinese handset maker LeTV, which recently got renamed as LeEco has said that it sold 200,000 superphones in just 30 days.
LeEco’s two superphones – Le 1s, the flagship killer and the premium Big and Bold, Le Max have been in news lately for the unprecedented response they’ve got from consumers and industry alike ever since they went on sale, February 2nd and February 16th respectively. The company has created several industry leading milestones since its inception in India and has successfully established itself as a significant player in the smartphone industry.
“The superphones are powered by our string ecosystem of multiple devices, content, cloud and platform. The incredible response from our consumers is very humbling and it re-affirms that our proposition of breakthrough technology, comprehensive ecosystem and sustainable disruptive pricing is being well received by our consumers,” said Atul Jain, COO, smart electronic devices, LeEco India.
The company recently organised LeEco Day, a biggest shopping carnival in India and received an incredible response from consumers. In its bigger-than-big shopping bonanza, the company had put up exciting offers and benefits valued at around Rs. 8 crores, making it the largest and most attractive shopping carnivals organised by a smartphone brand on e-commerce platform till date.
Buyers of the Le superphones can expect a content ecosystem to be uploaded into its android-based EUI system in the 2nd quarter of this year since the company has already signed contracts with Eros and Yupp TV. The company has inked a deal Eros Now for Video-on-demand (VOD) and with YuppTV for TV content streaming.
LeEco, formerly known as Letv, is a global pioneering internet and technology company with multiple internet ecosystems across content, devices, applications and platforms. Founded in November 2004 by Jia Yueting and Liu Hong, LeEco employs nearly 10,000 people and is the world’s first video company to go public with a market capitalization of more than USD 12 billion USD. Headquartered in Beijing, China, it has regional headquarters in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. (ANI)


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Korean pop-star Psy’s “Gangnam Style” video brought in nearly .08 cents per view for YouTube. That may not seem like much, but the video broke YouTube viewing records and actually earned about $8 million in advertising, having been watched a billion times. Perhaps a pay-per-channel style would have brought in even more for the artist, and YouTube.
Cable television took a huge step many years ago when it offered pay-per-view to its already paying cable TV subscribers. It worked though and people today buy pay-per-view shows for upwards of $49.99, for some sporting events. Charging for video content has been a growing trend from the days of free television and today on the Internet we have sites such as Netflix that have done very well in the on-demand Internet video streaming arena, bringing in even $1.5 billion in sales in 2011.
Quite ironically though, although there has been a huge demand to video content on the Internet and Netflix did exceptionally well in 2011, in Q3 2012 they fell sharply though, tumbling down 88% from the previous year. The reason according to the Motley Fool is because of the growing cost of video content for companies such as Netflix. YouTube has recently been said to now be eyeing charging for video content as well, but they probably will not face the issues that companies such as Netflix are enduring though for their premium Hollywood priced content.
Google has been well recognized for their value-pricing. The AdWords project is Google’s number one revenue generator and primarily because the value of the ads is almost always surely worth the price businesses pay to have them. Google appears to be taking on a similar low-cost pricing philosophy with the a new YouTube service they have in the works. One that will offer paid subscribers a chance at video content that will cost between $1 and $5 per month, according to AdAge and the WSJ.
This latest move by Google YouTube potentially changes the entire video industry, once again. As more and more people simply rely on computers and the the Internet for their daily video content, even cable providers are having to change their pricing attitudes towards consumers, or face extinction. With Google YouTube now charging a mere $1 to $5 per channel per month, even large mainstream cable operators may potentially now have to change their cable packaging plans, many which currently range to even $100 per month and beyond.
There aren’t too many details as of yet as to what channels YouTube may begin charging for, but AdAge writes that they believe “YouTube will lean on the media companies that have already shown the ability to develop large followings on the video platform, including networks like Machinima, Maker Studios and Fullscreen. YouTube is also looking outside its current roster of partners for candidates.”


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Direct-to-consumer (D2C) personal care brand Pilgrim announced that it has raised $20 million in its latest funding round, led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India. Existing investors Fireside Ventures and the Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office also participated in the round.
Anurag Kedia, the founder of Pilgrim, stated that around $14 million of the round’s overall funding came from a primary share sale, with the remaining funds coming from a secondary transaction. The company declined to provide details about investors selling shares in the round and its valuation after the round valuation.
In a secondary transaction, as opposed to a primary investment, an existing investor sells all or a part of their shares to another investor, and the money doesn’t come to the company.
The Mumbai-based company stated that it planned to use the funds raised to boost its offline expansion plans, brand-building initiatives, and research and development projects. By 2025, the company aims to achieve an annualized revenue run rate (ARR) of Rs 1,000 crore.
Pilgrim plans to launch five exclusive outlets by the end of this year, with a focus on major cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi. It is present in about 300 partner stores that sell beauty and personal care products at the moment.
This funding round fits into a larger trend among D2C brands looking to expand across omni-channels in order to build a physical presence. To speed up its entry into the offline market, Pilgrim appointed Vishakh Narendran as its chief business officer in May 2023. According to the company, it wants to diversify into more modern trade outlets.
Kedia said the firm achieved its highest monthly revenue of Rs 25 crore in gross sales in August, translating to an annual run rate of Rs 300 crore in gross sales. The firm had grown three times in the last 12 months, he added.
Kedia and Makker sounded optimistic about the upcoming festive season. “We are entering the festive season, and for most consumer brands, months like October, November, and December are the peak time for sales. We hope that we can build upon what we have already delivered in August, and we expect to add close to 30-40 stock keeping units (SKUs) by December this year over the around 90 SKUs we currently have in our portfolio.”
According to a statement from the company, Pilgrim previously secured funding totaling Rs 48 crore from investors, including Fireside Ventures and the Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office.
“Vertex Ventures is a Southeast Asia fund, and that network is going to be fairly useful in the future as we look at international expansion. They can bring in learnings from what is happening in other geographies and draw parallels to the Indian market where Pilgrim could play a significant role in,” Kedia said about onboarding Vertex Ventures into their captable.


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Developer Rocksteady built a name for themselves off their take on Batman with their now classic Arkham games. However after the studio releases Batman: Arkham VR this October, the studio is moving on from the caped crusader.
Speaking with Eurogamer at the EGX event, Rocksteady producer Dax Ginn explained that when Batman: Arkham VR went gold, the studio started thinking about their next project. “There’s a feeling in the office like, it’s definitely time to do something else – we all accept that,” he said. He didn’t share what’s next for the now beloved studio, but he did say whatever they do next “will feel very different”.
They could do another comic book franchise justice, like Superman, for example. If anyone can make a good Superman game it’s probably them.


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TIMB said 57 000 growers have registered to sell their crop during the current marketing season from an initial 15 000 when the season begun.
It revealed 4 000 growers had registered for the 2012/13 season. TIMB said of the total, 24 million kg’s valued at $88,9 million had been sold through the auction system while the balance came through contract farmers.
The Timb said the crop was fetching an average price of $3,78 per kg ahead of prior seasons $2,93. The country has projected earnings of $300 million from the current selling season which ends in September The industry board said of 716 046 bales laid during the current season, 678 151 had been sold.
The Timb has already warned that it might be forced to revise its tobacco targets for the 2011/12 due to an erratic and dry start to the rainy season.
The regulatory body however remained optimistic with current sales being ahead of last year’s figures.
The country has forecasted a figure of 150 million kgs for the current season up from 131 million kg prior year. China according to sales figures remains the biggest buyer of the local tobacco crop.
TIMB says a decline in tobacco production by other leading producing nations was having a positive on prices offered at the auctions.
Farmers are expected to benefit from a flood-destroyed crop in Brazil were production is expected to decline by 150 million kgs.
Brazil is one of the world’s leading tobacco producing nations at 750 million kg’s annually. Local farmers are also expected to get a boost from a 50 million kg slowdown in United States tobacco production, where yields are usually between 200 and 300m kg per year.Post published in: Agriculture


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Whenever a spiritual guide used cellphone application study in order to deduce the fresh new intimate direction from a high-positions Roman Catholic certified, they established problems one to happens far beyond a discussion over church doctrine and you will priestly celibacy.
Which have pair You.S. limits about what organizations will do into the large amount regarding investigation they collect from webpage visits, applications and you will location tracking integrated into phones, there’s not much to end equivalent prying to the politicians, famous people and simply about anybody that’s a goal of another person’s interest – or malice.
Citing allegations out of “it is possible to poor choices,” the newest You.S. Conference out-of Catholic Bishops with the Monday revealed brand new resignation of the better administrative specialized, Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill, ahead of a study by Catholic information outlet The newest Pillar that probed his personal romantic life.
The new Mainstay told you they obtained “commercially available” place investigation off a seller it did not name that it “correlated” so you can Burrill’s cellular phone to choose that he got decided to go to homosexual bars and private homes while using the Grindr, an internet dating software attractive to homosexual individuals.
“Instances like this are only going to proliferate,” said Alvaro Bedoya, manager of your Center getting Privacy and you can Technical during the Georgetown Legislation University.
Confidentiality activists have long agitated having guidelines who end such abuses, even if on You.S. they only are present in some says, and when you look at the varying variations. Bedoya told you the new firing of Burrill is push domestic the chance of problem, and may ultimately spur Congress additionally the Government Trade Commission so you can operate.
Privacy issues usually are construed in the abstract terms and conditions, the guy told you, “if it is extremely, ‘Would you mention the sexuality rather than your employer capturing you? Could you live-in comfort shortly after an enthusiastic abusive matchmaking as opposed to worry?’” Of a lot abuse sufferers grab great care so the abuser cannot find them again.
As the good congressional staffer in 2012, Bedoya worked tirelessly on guidelines who would features banned apps that allow abusers covertly track its victims’ urban centers due to smartphone research. But it are never enacted.
Confidentiality supporters were warning for decades you to definitely venue and private investigation compiled because of the business owners and you will obtained and ended up selling of the brokers can be be used to choose somebody, isn’t really covered including it ought to be that is perhaps not controlled because of the guidelines that need this new clear agree of the person becoming monitored. Each other legal and you will technical defenses are essential making sure that smartphone pages normally push back, they do say.
The internet publication’s site refers to it focused on investigative news media that “will help this new Church to better suffice their sacred purpose, the salvation from souls.”
The content leaked so you can adverts tech companies having directed adverts included GPS location, report suggestions and the undeniable fact that form of everyone was using Grindr, that’ll indicate its intimate orientation
The publishers didn’t answer requests for review Thursday exactly how it obtained the info. The newest report told you only the analysis came from one of the data brokers one to aggregate and sell application laws analysis, and therefore the publication as well as developed an independent research consulting corporation so you can authenticate they.
There are brokers that fees thousands of dollars 30 days to have grand volumes from location study, some of which is ended up selling not just to advertisers but in order to landlords, bail bondsmen and you will bounty hunters, told you John Davisson, elder the advice on Electronic Privacy Guidance Center. He said anyone seeking to “reverse engineer” a specific person’s research from one to bulk bundle might rating it away from any of the of several customers regarding the investigation strings.
“It’s surprisingly and you can disturbingly cost effective to obtain area research derived out of mobile phones,” Davisson said. “It isn’t difficult sufficient you to definitely a computed team is going to do they.”
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a keen Oregon Democrat, said the fresh new incident confirms once again new dishonesty out of market one wrongly states protect the privacy away from mobile profiles.
“Professionals keeps warned for decades you to research built-up from the advertising enterprises out of Americans’ mobile phones can be used to track them and tell you many personal statistics of its lifetime. Unfortunately, they certainly were best,” the guy told you inside the an announcement. “Studies agents and adverts people has lied towards the personal, assure her or him that guidance it gathered try anonymous. That awful occurrence shows, those says was in fact fake — anyone would be monitored and you will understood.”
Wyden or other lawmakers expected new FTC just last year to investigate a. It will require “so you’re able to step in and you may manage People in the us because of these extraordinary confidentiality violations, and Congress has to pass full government confidentiality guidelines,” the guy added.
Norway’s study privacy watchdog ended earlier this season you to Grindr common private member analysis having a great amount of third parties in the place of judge basis and you can said it could enforce a fine of $eleven.seven mil (100 mil Norwegian https://besthookupwebsites.org/soulmates-review/ krone), comparable to 10% of California company’s worldwide funds.
Brand new Mainstay alleged “serial sexual misconduct” by Burrill – homosexual interest is considered sinful under Catholic philosophy, and priests are essential to keep celibate
Sharing eg recommendations you’ll lay someone at risk of are targeted, brand new Norwegian Analysis Cover Authority said. It argued that the method Grindr expected pages to have consent so you can explore its pointers violated European union conditions to have “appropriate concur.” Profiles weren’t because of the possibility to opt away from revealing data with third parties and you will was basically compelled to accept Grindr’s privacy in its totality, it told you, incorporating you to users just weren’t safely advised towards research sharing.
The new advertising people that Grindr common studies having included Facebook, AT&T’s Xandr services, and other offer-tech people OpenX, AdColony and Smaato, brand new Norwegian watchdog said. Their data used a problem by the a great Norwegian consumer group one located similar research leakage trouble from the most other well-known matchmaking apps such since the OkCupid and you can Tinder.
Within the an announcement, Grindr called the Pillar’s report an enthusiastic “dishonest, homophobic witch hunt” and you may told you it will “maybe not trust” it absolutely was the cause of the data used. The business said it has guidelines and solutions positioned in order to manage personal data, although it failed to say whenever people was basically followed. New Pillar told you the new software studies they obtained throughout the Burrill covered parts of 2018, 2019 and you will 2020.


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I almost let one of the recent announcements go without a second look. At first, it felt like one of those compact point-and-shoot cameras which do not really have the power to attract pro and enthusiast photographers who are the main readership here. As a matter of fact, the Fuji X-Pro 1 is rather astonishing [...]
Latest news: Fuji confirmed the production of the X100 is now running again. Their intent is to limit the supply delay to only a few weeks.
We already know that Fuji has announced some delays on the shipment of its all new Finepix X100, but the buyers are not always perfectly logical. It’s enough to check the prices reached on eBay: This is people ready to place an auction at more than $1600 (some have reached more than $2000) for a [...]
A few tidbits I could collect: photo credit: camerawiki Fujifilm confirmed that the Japan earthquake and tsunami will have an impact on the actual availability of the new X-100 camera. Damages to its Taiwa-Cho factory, 20 km from Sendai, will lead to a delay in introduction of the Fuji FinePix X100. No date is given, [...]
The PMA in Las Vegas is now arriving fast. After a long time of little rumors, here comes the moment for big rumors, but not the actual revelations yet. Nikon has been telling the world that they intended to have a great year 2010. It seems that they will bring a new DSLR (it could [...]
To complement my recent (and wrong) post about Nikon and Fuji, I wanted to search for more information. This is not very positive for Fuji lovers… According to PDN Pulse in an interview of Diane Rainey, Group Manager for Fujifilm’s Corporate Communications, “Fuji is not manufacturing a pro camera for this year [...] However, we [...]
Important update: It has been brought to my attention that Fujitsu is not the mother company of Fuji photo cameras (it would rather be Fujifilm). So, this announcement probably has no influence on the future of Fuji SLR cameras which will stay very dark. After quite some time waiting for announcements from Fuji, we were [...]


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Woolworths has fallen victim to some rather poorly placed point-of-sale material after a “make it a delicious day for dad” poster was placed next to the fresh pet food section.
The Father’s Day promotion was photographed at the Woolworths Hilton store in Adelaide and soon went viral.
However, it’s certainly not B&T’s favourite ever Father’s Day stuff-up. That honour belongs to the grocery store below that carried a “spoil dad this Father’s Day” promo next to Stayfree sanitary napkins.
It’s actually been a bad week all-round for The Fresh Food People after a Sydney mother took to social media after she accidentally packed dog treats for her children after they’d been wrongly packed in the confectionary aisle.
Tania Toomey had packed Scooby Snacks dog biscuits in her kid’s lunch-boxes after picking up a pack next to the Tiny Teddies.
Woolworths has since apologised and a spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday: “Woolworths can confirm that a single packet of Scooby Snacks dog biscuits was accidentally placed in the biscuit aisle at the Woolworths North Strathfield store last week and subsequently purchased by a customer.
“We can confirm that the product is stocked as intended in the pet food aisle in the stores where it’s sold, with the product marked as ‘Pet Food Only’.
“Store teams have had further communication this week to ensure that no packets are mistakenly placed in the wrong aisle.”
Freedom Foods and 72andSunny Sydney have launched the first advertising campaign for Australia’s Own range of plant-based beverages. The campaign introduces a new visual world and identity for the brand and captures the healthy, positive feeling you get when spending time in nature and when consuming Australia’s Own certified-organic, plant-based beverages. As well as featuring […]
Nine creatives from APAC are among the 94 finalists from 27 countries in The One Club for Creativity’s prestigious Young Guns 19 competition, celebrating international creative professionals age 30 or younger. The finalists from APAC are: Hiu Ching Kung, graphic designer, Hong Kong Lam Ieong Kun, graphic designer, illustrator, indego design, Macau Raxenne Maniquiz, graphic designer, illustrator, Santa Maria (Philippines) Kiyotaka […]
OOH transit company Adflow has announced the success of the first phase of its regional expansion program. Adflow’s regional footprint has increased by 60 per cent to now include 65 regional locations. With 9.1 million people living regionally in Australia (growth of 1.1 per cent experienced in the 19/20 Financial year) and most regional centres […]
Freshworks, a leading software company, has started trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, marking an important milestone for the company. The company priced its IPO at US$36 per share (AU$49.76), raising about US$1 billion (AU$1.4B), resulting in a total market capitalisation of AU$13.7 billion (US$10B). Freshworks, which was founded in India, has strong roots […]
Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is the biggest player in the holiday shopping game and Google’s most recent research suggests consumer interest for the peak sales season starts much earlier than retailers may realise. The pandemic has fundamentally changed buyer behaviour over peak sales season, with Google suggesting that global consumer interest in Black Friday […]


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- CONTENT TYPE
Grant writing consulting firms empower organizations to achieve maximum funding success
Over $450 billion in grants will be awarded this year. Many of these will be small business grants. To successfully obtain grant ...
- Article By Kristen McClung
- – August 9, 2010
Grant writing turns words into funding
Grant writing allows businesses and non-profits to tap into private and government sources of funding. Whether you run an organization ...
- Article By A Antonow
- – November 8, 2010
Writing a sales letter is not an easy task, learn to be more effective
Writing a sales letter is not an easy task. If it was, everyone would easily score six-figure contracts in a snap.
- Article By Danny Wong
- – October 25, 2016
How to apply for business and personal government grants while avoiding scams
USA government grants are awards bestowed upon an organization, business or individual by a federal agency. The recipient does not have ...
- Article By Kathy Crawford
- – January 13, 2011
Advice for business professionals about key considerations when hiring consultants.
- Article By Sue Montgomery
- – August 1, 2016
You may qualify for free money for your company
There's good news and bad news about small business grants. Good news: Entrepreneurs can sometimes obtain grants for their ...
- Article By Anne Stuart
- – September 13, 2011
Having some reliable tools to work with can make you more productive, rescue you from the bad days and help improve your writing skills.
- Article By Naman Nepal
- – August 24, 2016
Brevity is brilliance. When writing for your business, you need to employ a different set of rules. Here's how to make your brand shine.
- Article By Marvin Dumont
- – June 7, 2016
Learn the 4 key steps you to ensure your sales emails get a response from top prospects.
- Article By Marc Wayshak
- – October 27, 2016


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The old phrase "buyer beware" apparently also applies to taking out a credit card from your favorite retailer.
That's because retail credit cards charge sky-high interest rates, with the average annual percentage rate of credit cards issued by the biggest U.S. retailers hitting 23.23 percent, according to a new survey from CreditCards.com. That's more than eight percentage points higher than the national average for all cards,
For some shoppers, an offer of a retail credit card may seem too good to pass up. After all, store clerks are primed to ask customers if they would like to save 10 percent or 15 percent on a purchase if they sign up then and there. But consumers shouldn't be hasty, notes CreditCards.com senior analyst Matt Schulz. Instead, take a brochure and study the fine print before committing to a card, he said.
"Everybody is busy, and we have all had times when we haven't read the details before we jump in," Schulz told CBS MoneyWatch. "The most important thing to know when it comes to retail credit cards is that it's a high-pressure situation. You could end up doing something you might not have if you had time to think."} }
Retailers are also charging more on average than four years ago, with the average rate jumping two percentage points since 2010.
The average rate for a retail credit card has jumped about two percentage points since 2010, the survey found. One reason might be some retailers' desire to eke out more revenue from the cards, given a challenging post-recession environment, Schulz said.
While some retailers offer perks and benefits for their card holders, the best bet for consumers is to pay off their balances each month. Otherwise, the high interest rates might quickly erase any benefit a consumer could accrue.
With the average rate on retail credit cards, by making only the minimum payments a consumer would require 73 months to pay off a $1,000 balance, amassing a whopping $840 in interest fees.
Still, some store cards are better than others, the survey found. The card offered by jewelry retailer Zales (ZLC) had the highest rate, at 28.99 percent. Office Depot's (ODP) personal credit account was 27.99 percent, tied in second place with Staples' (SPLS) personal account.
Listed below are the retail credit cards with the highest interest rates, according to CreditCards.com:
Zales - 28.99%
Office Depot Personal Credit Account -- 27.99%
Staples Personal Account -- 27.99%
My Best Buy credit card -- 25.24-27.99%
My Best Buy preferred credit card -- 25.24-27.99%
Home Depot credit card -- 17.99-26.99%
"R" Us Credit Card -- 26.99%
"R" Us MasterCard -- 26.99%
DICK's Sporting Goods Credit Card -- 26.99%
DICKS's Sporting Goods MasterCard -- 26.99%
JCPenney Credit Card -- 26.99%
Meijer Credit Card -- 26.99%
TJX Rewards Credit Card -- 26.99%
TJX Rewards Platinum MasterCard -- 26.99%


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It’s the end of an era. BlackBerry, a name once synonymous with high-end smartphones, will no longer make mobile devices. Along with a dismal financial report, the company announced today Wednesday. It plans to end all internal hardware development and will outsource that function to partners. BlackBerry’s journey to this point has been long and… Continue reading [MOBILE PHONES] #RIP: IT’S OFFICIAL, BLACKBERRY HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL NO LONGER PRODUCE PHONES.
Delivering the best its privacy and productivity to the largest App Eco-system, the Canadian phone maker, BlackBerry Limited has introduced into the Nigerian market BlackBerry PRIV secure , the first-ever BlackBerry smartphone powered by Android. While PRIV will provide a choice in operating system to new and existing customers, the phone maker said that it… Continue reading [TELECOMMS] BLACKBERRY PRIV LAUNCHED IN NIGERIA.


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Companies engaged in electronic commerce have been lulled into a false sense of security over taxation, according to accounts Coopers and Lybrand.
Corporate tax principal Susan Mainwaring said the US government is trying to work out methods of taxing Internet commerce and it was only a matter of time before the UK government tried something similar.
?The sheer volume of business now conducted over the Internet means that governments cannot afford to ignore these issues if they want to protect their share of international tax revenues,? Mainwaring said.
She said there were basic taxing concepts in most developed countries, which were applied in conjunction with a system of tax treaties. These concepts relate to the place where contracts are made and profits earned, and determine which territories can levy tax. Internet trading did not fall into the categories that had been set by these rules or by years of litigation history.
Mainwaring said that some US states were already looking at taxing Internet service providers. ?In the absence of an international convention on electronic commerce taxation it would be possible to be taxed several times for the same transaction,? Mainwaring said.
She urged UK companies interested in electronic commerce to become involved with the taxation debate to insure a fair and reasonable set of international rules was agreed.
And, yep, it'll run Android rather than RiscOS
US engineering giant's cost-cutting outsourcing plan is on the rocks, according to insiders
HP Envy X2 laptop only affordable if you've got loadsamoney
Counterfeit code-signing certificates enabling hackers to hide malware being sold by cyber criminals
Certificates can be used as part of layered obfuscation to evade detection by anti-virus software


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Innovation, hope, hard work and determination.
Those are the watchwords of Port Coquitlam businesses that became established, grew and flourished in 2021.
Whether it be new craft breweries, such as Boardwalk Brewing opening up in the Dominion Triangle, or established businesses such as Inno Foods, pivoting from making snacks to N95 masks, local entrepreneurs pushed ahead despite a global pandemic.
With the city posting more than $63 million in new commercial and industrial construction, 2021 will be heralded as a banner year for business.
Another notable businesses that got started this year was Hampton Home Living (formerly Art Knapp), owned by Rose Vander Zalm, while strong local e-bike businesses like Volt Bikes put the city on the map for electric bike enthusiasts.
There were some challenges, however, as pandemic restrictions early in 2021 made opening up a new restaurant more difficult. Still, Grelhados pushed ahead with its opening in January in Fremont Village in Port Coquitlam, while Take 5 Café opened up in the former Starbucks coffee shop next to city hall.
One of the most popular business stories on the Tri-City News’ website was the opening of Chipotle Mexican Grill on Ottawa Street, offering Canada’s first Chipotlane drive-thru service.
Meanwhile, Port Coquitlam craft breweries and distilleries were put on the BC Ale Trail, helping to put these local businesses on the radar of Metro Vancouver millennials.
Dairy giant Saputo also relocated to Port Coquitlam in 2021, bringing more than 400 jobs with it while Port Coquitlam council discussed with Metro Vancouver how it could become more of an urban centre with a SkyTrain stop.
B.C.'s unprecedented flood likely had an impact on many businesses but most weathered the challenging weather, and a run on gas and groceries.
Traffic concerns in some of the city's biggest shopping areas also drew public interest, with city council looking at ways to make driving safer in the Dominion Triangle.
While it may not have been an easy year for Port Coquitlam businesses, the year 2021 was definitely one to remember.


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Citrix announced that Safi Obeidullah has been promoted to join the Office of the CTO as Technology Strategist and Field CTO for the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region.
As of January 2020, Safi will commence his new role to lead the company in developing new customer relationships, evangelising the importance of employee experience through flexibility and collaboration and delivering flexible working solutions. Based in Sydney, he will report to Christian Reilly, Vice President and CTO, Citrix.
Safi has over 20 years of experience in IT, primarily focused on end user experience; he has been a key member of the Citrix Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) team for the past nine and a half years, and the last seven as Citrix’s Director of Sales Engineering in ANZ supporting customers to realise their own digital transformation and implement improved employee experience for some of Australia’s largest brands.
Erin Butler, Area Vice President, Australia and New Zealand, Citrix said: “The entire ANZ Citrix team can attest to the incredible impact Safi has had on our business. He is incredibly dedicated and passionate about our business – he breathes our vision and strategy and he continues to push the company and advocate for our needs from the business. In his new role, he’ll be able to advocate and evangelize our strategies more broadly across APJ and the globe. We are delighted to see Safi move into this new role and we all know that this will have a profound impact on the broader business.
“Safi’s journey through Citrix is a testament to his passion for our customers and the outstanding impact he has made on our business. We are firm believers in promoting from within and we’re fortunate we can have Safi continue to make an impact on our organizations and help to drive outcomes that matter for Citrix and our customers across the region.”
Safi Obeidullah, Technology Strategist and Field CTO, Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ), Citrix said: “I look forward to continuing to support our customers and partners, expanding my relationships to markets beyond Australian and New Zealand, helping customers with improved employee experience and flexible working solutions while tackling a new set of technological challenges that are shaping the future of work. As someone who first started working with Citrix technologies in the late 90s, it’s an honour to be able to represent Citrix in this capacity and I’m really excited about the direction that the company is taking.”


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About 94% of Americans admit to throwing food away at home, according to a new national survey by the American Dairy Association Mideast, Columbus, Ohio. In fact, the average family wastes nearly a third of the food they buy, with the average American tossing 250 pounds of food each year.
“Imagine coming home with four bags of groceries and throwing one straight into the trash. That’s really what is happening in most households,” says Karen Bakies, vice president of nutrition affairs. “Whether people are over-purchasing groceries or getting tired of their leftovers, too much food is being thrown away in America.”
The survey found the top reason for throwing away food at home is that it’s past its expiration date, while 60% toss food because they didn’t think it was safe to eat.
“A family of four could save up to $2,000 by wasting less food, but it’s not just great for your family, it’s also great for your community. Just half of that money is enough to provide over 8,000 meals to those in need.” says Bakies. “And, if you do find yourself with extra groceries, donate them to a local food pantry rather than letting them go to waste.”


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My message to anyone tempted to buy Alibaba (NASDAQ:BABA) stock after this year’s 12 percent pull-back is simple: Just Say No.
Let’s address the many red flags BABA stock presents to investors such as the company’s confusing corporate structure where it is difficult to tell the difference between corporate interests and those of BABA executives including CEO Jack Ma.
BABA’s failure to crack down on the sale of counterfeit U.S. goods also is concerning. Then there’s the issue of what investors are actually buying when they purchase BABA stock.
What Are U.S. Investors Getting for Their Money?
Though BABA’s headquarters are in Hangzhou, China, the company is a Cayman Islands-based Variable Interest Entity (VIE). Foreign investors can’t buy stock directly in either the VIE or BABA’s operating company. Instead, they invest in what is known as a Wholly Foreign Owned Entity (WFOE) that provides capital through a loan to the VIE.
A 2017 paper from Harvard Business School lays out the potential dangers to U.S. investors:
“The legality and enforceability of these contracts (between the WFOE and VIE) are questionable under Chinese law because the contracts are designed to circumvent the intent of the law and it is unclear whether arrangements explicitly designed to circumvent the spirit of the law are themselves illegal. Given the prevalence of VIE firms in important sectors of the economy and the desire of the Chinese government to attract foreign capital, it would be potentially disruptive to invalidate the structure entirely. On the other hand, given that they violate the spirit of the law, foreign investors likely have little or no explicit recourse should it become politically expedient to invalidate the structure, either for specific transactions or more generally.”
Regulatory Overhangs Abound
There are other overhangs that are casting a shadow over BABA stock. There’s an SEC investigation into BABA’s accounting practices that dates to 2016. Further, Chinese regulators also have stymied their U.S. counterparts when they investigate auditors based in the most populous country.
According to a recent joint statement from the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Board (PCAOB), there are 224 U.S. listed Chinese companies where the PACOB faces “obstacles” in inspecting the principal auditor’s work and another 207 companies where the PCAOB can inspect only a part of the auditor’s work.
Alibaba and other well-known Chinese companies such as Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) and JD.com (NASDAQ:JD) are among companies affected by the decade-long dispute, which recently resurfaced as trade tensions between the U.S. and China mount.
As the regulators noted, U.S. investors aren’t getting the necessary information they need to make informed investment decisions about BABA stock and other Chinese companies. It will be interesting to see how hard the U.S. will press the issue.
Ma’s Investing Strategy
Ma, China’s wealthiest person, started out as an English teacher before co-founding BABA in 1999. His approach in running BABA would raise eyebrows in most U.S. companies. For instance, Ma controls payments processor Ant Financial, which was spun out before Alibaba’s 2014 IPO.
Alibaba and Ant Financial have partnered on several investments including a $1.25 billion position in the Chinese food delivery company Ele.Me. Earlier this year, BABA agreed to buy a 33 percent stake in Ant Financial.The BABA affiliate has reportedly shelved plans for an IPO.
To be sure, BABA stock has plenty of fans. It currently trades at a 45 percent discount to its average 52-week price target of $203.68.
However, it has its share of naysayers as evidenced by BABA’s short interest which currently stands at 12 percent. There are so many moving parts to the BABA story that could go wrong that I can’t recommend anyone buy BABA stock. I think there are better ways to invest your money.
As of this writing, Jonathan Berr has no position in Alibaba.


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We know you’re going to be really busy on Thanksgiving today, but why pass up on your daily dose of sizzling hot tech news? Have both. Here are some top tech stories to get your grey matter rolling.
- Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 Launch on Thanksgiving Day. Buzz has already built around Microsoft’s long-awaited rebound into the smartphone market. Tomorrow’s game day folks. Engagdet has scheduled a live as-it-happens coverage at one of the launch parties. Stay tuned.
- Amazon will build an app store for Android-based phones and apps says the Wall Street Journal. Amazon flexes its muscles at Apple and Google. Apple’s iPhone app store and Google’s Android Market stare back. Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.
- New heads-up display (HUD) projects a map on your windscreen via Andoid smartphone. Yes, now you can have that sexy map on your smartphone projected with lasers (yes lasers!) onto your windscreen, making that drive all the more entertaining. GPS? That’s so passe.
- Human heart gets its own IP address. Yes, a Dutch firm revealed this week that by making the heart the centre of a new body area network (BAN), cell phones can pick up on abnormalities with the heart tissue and forward these woes to the a local doctor or physician. Electronic health on steroids.
- Ford redesigns car dashboards to look like cellphones. Ford signed on Ideo, makers of the original Apple mouse, to help design and harmonize the dashboards to resemble the interfaces of popular cell and smartphones.
- Google develops a car that drives itself (video). Google and TU Braunschweig of Germany both developed vehicles that have succesfully test driven autonomously. They can drive, merge, stop, start and react to sudden hazards. They really should make it pick up your groceries too.
- New Android OS changes your phone’s behaviour based on your environment. This app makes your phone behave as intuitively as you do. If you have an Android-based phone, this step-by-step guide will serve you well. You can terminate calls, switch off ringtones and text your wife (and more) – without having to touch the screen.