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If elected, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has outlined a plan to introduce Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle (EV) policy, signalling a plan by Labor to make EVs an election issue. This plan includes setting a national electric vehicle target of 50 per cent new car sales by 2030.
Labor’s strategy would include:
A national electric vehicle target of 50 per cent new car sales by 2030
Mr Shorten said setting a national target aims to deliver more affordable electric vehicles into the Australian market and drive the switch to electric vehicles, reducing their cost, create thousands of jobs and cutting pollution.
Setting a government electric vehicle target of 50 per cent of new purchases and leases of passenger vehicles by 2025
This government fleet target would send a strong signal to the global industry of the expectation that cost competitive vehicles to be available for the Australian market. Government electric vehicle fleets would also be important in developing a second hand market.
Labor would work towards requiring all Commonwealth‑owned-and-leased office buildings to include the provision of charging infrastructure where appropriate.
Growing private electric vehicle fleets
Labor would allow businesses an upfront tax deduction to purchase electric vehicles for business purposes, as part of Labor’s announced Australian Investment Guarantee.
This would allow businesses to immediately deduct 20 per cent depreciation for EV vehicles valued at more than $20,000 as part of private fleets.
Regulatory reforms and COAG agenda
An electric vehicle COAG agenda would be established to improve coordination of electric vehicle take-up and related infrastructure planning.
This would require all federally-funded road upgrades to incorporate electric vehicle charging infrastructure, work with states to ensure new and refurbished commercial and residential developments include electric vehicle charging capacity, promote national standards for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and ensure investment in public charging stations meet these standards.
Using standards to lower emissions
As part of a focus on cleaner and cheaper transportation, Labor would also work with industry to introduce vehicle emissions standards, to save Australian motorists hundreds of dollars each year at the bowser while driving down pollution on roads.
Australia is now one of the only developed nations without vehicle emissions standards in place. As a result, motorists will pay as much as $500 each year more at the bowser than they should be, as well as seeing on-road pollution rise.
Labor would consult on the timeline and coverage of vehicle emission standards to ensure consumers are made significantly better off, and aim to phase-in standards of 105g CO2/km for light vehicles, which is consistent with Climate Change Authority advice.
These standards would bring Australia’s cars into line with those in the US but would not be as stringent as those operating in the EU.
The standards would be applied to car retailers to meet average emissions standards, rather than imposing blanket mandatory standards on manufacturers. This would allow retailers to meet the standards by offsetting high emissions car sales with low or zero emissions car sales – such as electric vehicles.
Low Emission Transport Strategy
In addition, Labor would also develop a Low Emission Transport Strategy to inform future policy development across transport more broadly, including maritime, aviation, rail and heavy vehicles.
A Bioenergy Strategy would see more clean fuels on Australian roads and more jobs on the regions. These policies would be complemented by the already announced Hydrogen Plan.
Labor also has an electric vehicle innovation and manufacturing strategy and would work with industry to create new job opportunities with the transition.
Mr Shorten said the plan is aimed at delivering stability and certainty on climate change policy, a reduction in pollution, investment in renewable energy.
The policy – which aims to build on the local industry, generate more local jobs, and help consumers make the switch to EVs – is part of Labor’s Climate Change Action Plan.
Mr Shorten said that action on climate change must include a plan to reduce pollution in the transport sector while saving money for motorists.
Transport emissions make up almost 20 per cent of Australia’s emissions and are a fast growing source of pollution.
Mr Shorten said that cleaner cars and transport are not only good for the environment, they are cheaper to run.
Labor’s policy comes in response to Australia lagging behind its competitor countries in electric vehicle uptake and vehicle fuel efficiency.
Australia has ten times lower electric vehicle take-up than the global average, and Mr Shorten said it was at risk of being left behind.
Peak industry bodies respond
The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) said the Opposition’s commitment to work with industry must build on the enthusiasm of many in the freight logistics sector to develop cleaner transport solutions.
ALC CEO, Kirk Coningham, said the freight logistics industry has been among the most enthusiastic proponents of the potential of electric vehicles (EVs) to improve the environment while also providing operational and cost advantages for freight logistics businesses.
“The policy announced by the Federal Opposition today contains a number of measures that can help make that potential a reality, provided that governments work closely with industry in helping deliver the right reforms,” Mr Coningham said.
“ALC is particularly encouraged by Labor’s plan to boost EV charging capacity in the national road network. Overcoming ‘range anxiety’ is an essential part of delivering swifter EV uptake by freight logistics operators, and the commitment to work with COAG to promote national consistency in charging infrastructure is most welcome.”
The ALC also welcomed the aspects of the policy designed to encourage investment in EV technology, especially the commitment to cost deduction and the intention to use the Australian Investment Guarantee to incentivise the upgrade of heavy vehicles to incorporate modern emissions reduction technology.
Mr Coningham said that the commitment to develop a Low Emission Transport Strategy was a responsible one that would help ensure that all modes of transport are making a contribution to emissions reduction.
However, he warned industry must be a key partner in the development of that strategy.
“ALC further notes the Opposition’s commitment to introduce vehicle emissions standards, in line with those that currently operate in the United States. This is a significant proposal – and one that must be worked through carefully with industry if it is to succeed,” Mr Coningham said.
“Industry is willing to play its part in delivering better environmental outcomes for the community, and ALC would look to work with any future Labor government to ensure that such standards are introduced in an equitable fashion that does not impose an unsustainable financial burden on freight logistics operators,” Mr Coningham said.
Roads Australia (RA) has also welcomed the policy announcement, saying it supports increasing Australia’s uptake of low emission vehicles and looks forward to working with all key stakeholders to make it happen.
Roads Australia President, David Stuart-Watt, said that the Federal Opposition’s national electric vehicle target of 50 per cent of all new car sales by 2030 is ambitious but achievable.
However, he warned that EV uptake must happen in tandem with ‘root and branch’ reform of road funding.
“EV technology is evolving quickly, and in a supportive political environment there is no reason why we cannot reach this goal,” Mr Stuart-Watt said.
“The big upside, of course, will be a significant reduction in vehicle emissions. But on the downside, government fuel excise revenue will take a massive hit.”
Mr Stuart-Watt said excise revenues had already fallen by an estimated 23 per cent over the past 15 years as a proportion of vehicle kilometres travelled.
“There are a number of factors behind this, not the least being the improved fuel efficiency of the Australian fleet,” he said.
“However, with a future light vehicle fleet made up of even more low and zero-emissions vehicles, the funding base for maintaining our transport network will continue to shrink unless urgent action is taken.”
Quoting from Roads Australia’s recently released 2019 Policy Report, Mr Stuart-Watt said it was ‘highly likely’ that fuel excise would need to be replaced in Australia within the next ten years.
“A change so significant will require a bipartisan approach across government and involve input from industry, the community and road users,” he said.
“We need to see the Commonwealth, in particular, show leadership on road funding reform to ensure we have the infrastructure in place to support the variety of low emission vehicles now available around the world.”


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The CPAC Foundation's Center for Regulatory Freedom is keeping a watchful eye on how the Biden Administration is implementing their extremist ESG (Environmental and Social Governance) agenda through what is called the "administrative" or "regulatory" process. ESG is a leftist buzzword that covers the implementation of an anti-captialist, anti-free market, anti-liberty environmental or social justice agenda--and the Biden Administration hit the "warp speed" button in working to remake American society in the Chinese image (without the reliance on cheap and reliable energy as China has, of course).
Two things we're watching at CRF are the imposition of an electric vehicle mandate (which would require that more than half of all new vehicles sold in America be electric by 2032), as well as unrealistic fuel economy standards (that would serve to reinforce this mandate). The second is a story out of the Department of Defense, where it was discovered that the Biden Administration had worked to implement their ESG agenda by installing so-called "green" technologies on military bases.
When it comes to EVs, China is working to corner the market globally. They subsidize EV production heavily, rely on slave labor to manufacture the EVs and extract the rare minerals needed to "make them go", and then sell them at a massively reduced rate. So an EV mandate puts China well-ahead of companies that make and sell cars here in the US.
At the same time, it's become clear that the DOD was relying on Chinese technology to implement their ESG agenda--until people started demanding answers.
It's bad enough that the Biden Administration is harming American working families through policies that drive up the cost of driving (or having goods transported), but to do so in a way that benefits China (especially when it comes to our national security)? That's totally unacceptable.
Stay tuned to what we're doing at the Center for Regulatory Freedom to combat these issues, and to get involved with out efforts!

domain: news


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The possibility of an iPhone running on Verizon's LTE network has shown a spotlight on a loophole in the open access provision the U.S. Federal Communications Commission set on spectrum Verizon uses to offer the network.
Okay, sorry about the headline. That'll be my last Android version codename pun for a while, honest.
Some analysts said Tuesday the iPhone 4G on Verizon Wireless will cannibalize Google Android smartphone sales across various carriers including AT&T early on, while others disagreed.
Here are seven key facts you should know about the Verizon iPhone 4 before you decide to buy it.
The gadget teardown team at iFixit has taken apart the HTC Surround, a device based on Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system, and found that the Surround hardware recycles parts HTC used to build the Android-based Nexus One.
With its CEO gone, chip maker AMD has a chance to reinvigorate the company and start beating rival Intel on some new products.
Mobile operators were out in full force at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, promoting their improved data networks and unveiling new devices. But with their marketing efforts in overdrive, the operators may confuse ...
Verizon Wireless is expected to announce Tuesday that it will be selling Apple's iPhone, but it remains unclear whether the smartphone will be CDMA-only, or will also support Verizon's evolving LTE network in dual mode.
A faster, more secure and energy-efficient update to the WiMax wireless Internet standard will get final approval and see commercialization within a year, industry officials said on Monday.
Once again someone "familiar with the matter" is confirming what everybody suspects: Verizon will announce it's getting a version of the iPhone at a Tuesday event in New York.
Digg founder Kevin Rose blogged this week that Apple will announce the iPad 2 in the next 3 or 4 weeks -- maybe even Feb. 1.
LAS VEGAS -- Verizon Wireless is expected to get the iPhone early this year, but what about Sprint Nextel, the nation's third-largest carrier?
While Research in Motion's BlackBerry OS is still the most-used smartphone platform in the United States, it's starting to hear footsteps from Google's Android.
Samsung hinted that it may make announcements about a phone running a dual-core processor, new tablets including some running Honeycomb and new Windows Phone 7 models at Mobile World Congress in February.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer positioned Windows 7 as an operating system that can drive new and innovative products, as the company tries to fend off competition from tablet computers based on software from Google and Apple.
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UP Free mobile yojana 2021| up free smartphone yojana online registration 2021| Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has launched the UP Free Tablet Yojana 2021 and free smartphone yojana for the welfare of youth in UP state.
CM Yogi free smartphone scheme 2021 online registration process is soon going to begin. The Yogi cabinet has decided that very soon youth of the state will get the free smartphones and laptops.
In this article, we shared the detailed information on up free smartphone yojana online registration 2021 process, eligibility and other data.
UP Free Smartphone Yojana 2021 online registration
UP free smartphone scheme 2021 is the best and much awaited initiative started by the CM Yogi for the youth and needy people in Uttar Pradesh.
As we all know the UP BJP government have mentioned in their manifesto that they will provide free laptops and they are now launching the free tablets scheme also with the free smartphones yojana.
So this comes with the major surprise that free phones will be given to the needy people. During COVID-19 crisis online classes are being conducted and many poor families are not able to use costly tablets or laptops.
Now Yogi government has decided that they will give free smartphones to the youth and this will help them to study online and many more information.
As per the latest news, it is not confirmed yet that how you can apply for this but very soon it will be cleared by the department for the people.
You can find more information on upcmo.up.nic.in. Here you can find the latest updates on this event.
Do your online registration for UP free mobile yojana 2021
As we all know during COVID-19 pandemic situation we have seen normally all the activities are done by online mediums and education sector is much more dependent now on online media.
So this providing of free smartphones or mobiles to the students who are in need of it will be a golden chance for them to get a free mobile and tablet by the government scheme.
The Yogi cabinet has decided that free mobiles will be given and now everyone is looking to grab this opportunity.
The online registration process has not started yet but very soon it will be started and you can register yourself to get free smartphone.
Read Also: Fit India Quiz Registration 2021
Who are Eligible to get Free Smartphones?
As we all know under the previous government free laptops and smartphones were given to only meritorious students but now they are being given to all the youth from various departments as mentioned below.
- youth enrolled in various teaching/training programmes like graduation,
- Diploma holders,
- Taking skill development trainings,
- Paramedical and nursing students etc. in the state.
Also the youth enrolled in the higher education, technical education, health education, skill development training, ITI and ‘Seva Mitra‘ portal of the state will also get the benefit.
UP Free smartphone Yojana Online Form 2021
The free smartphone online forms 2021 will be released after the Official launch of the scheme. The notification for the scheme is yet to be launched and then only we can have the exact information on how people can apply for this scheme.
As per the latest news, online portal is the way through which people have to apply and register themselves to get the benefit of this scheme.
Online forms will be available on the Official Website so that interested youth can online register and submit the application form.
Till now there is not much information available, whenever the Official statement is released we will update all the related information here. So Keep visiting the website.


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The Apple Watch has posted regular progress for Apple in recent times, which the corporate needs to develop additional.
On Tuesday at its annual product occasion, Apple unveiled new variations of the Apple Watch — referred to as the Apple Watch Series 7 — with barely bigger screens. The new watches, which are available in two sizes, are roughly the identical measurement as final yr’s fashions, however their screens have been stretched to the sides of the glass to make the show areas 20 p.c bigger. They even have a new design to make them extra sturdy, with stronger mud resistance.
The firm left the costs of the gadgets unchanged from final yr’s fashions, with a beginning value of $400.
While Apple Watch is likely one of the firm’s smallest product segments, it might be an unlimited stand-alone enterprise for different firms. Apple’s so-called wearables enterprise, which additionally consists of its AirPods wi-fi headphones, grew 28 p.c to $37.5 billion within the yr ending June 30 over the identical interval a yr earlier.
Apple Watch is the No. 1 good watch, with 36 p.c of the worldwide market, in response to Canalys, a analysis agency. Apple has persistently emphasised the Watch’s well being advantages, together with incorporating the flexibility to measure your blood’s oxygen saturation.
This yr, Apple introduced some new options of its Fitness Plus subscription, a digital health service with exercises. The firm mentioned it was introducing five-minute exercises, winter sports activities and Pilates exercises and a gaggle possibility that permits as much as 32 individuals to train concurrently and work together.
It additionally created a “time to walk” mode that will get individuals outdoor whereas listening to Camila Cabello, Dolly Parton and others. Apple mentioned it might roll out Fitness Plus, which prices $10 per thirty days, to a further 15 nations this fall.
To compete with the Apple Watch, Google acquired the wearables firm Fitbit this yr for $2.1 billion. Last yr, Amazon launched the Halo, a health band that tracks actions and makes use of a microphone to detect individuals’s moods.
Jack Nicas and Kellen Browning contributed reporting.


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Jan 16, 2017 PM EST Google Pixel offers plenty of customizable options.
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Jan 12, 2017 PM EST Some Battlefield 1 skilled players are so good that they got ban from the game for cheating.
Jan 11, 2017 AM EST Verizon is taking back its unlimited service plan from "excessive" data users. Find out if you're one of them.
Jan 10, 2017 AM EST Google Chrome can download web page and videos for offline viewing. Find out how.
Jan 10, 2017 AM EST "Scalebound" is now cancelled by Microsoft. Find out why.
Jan 09, 2017 AM EST Final Fantasy XV has Insomnia glitch that allows players to explore its hidden beauty.
Jan 09, 2017 AM EST Project Valerie features a triple display that is powered by laptop. Here's what we know so far.
Jan 06, 2017 AM EST Samsung has presented its first gaming laptop, the Odyssey. Here are the details so far.
Jan 06, 2017 AM EST Iranian "Clash of Clans" players can still play their favorite game despite a government ban by employing a workaround method.
Jan 05, 2017 AM EST The Tesla Model 3 will faced delays, according to industry observers.
Jan 04, 2017 AM EST Apple is facing a lawsuit due to its FaceTime app.
Jan 03, 2017 AM EST "Will & Grace" fans may see a 10 episode reboot this coming July.
Jan 03, 2017 AM EST "Power Rangers" action figures includes the Putties as well.
Jun 05, 2021 AM EDTThe past year has been a big learning curve, thanks to the effects of the global pandemic.
Jun 04, 2021 PM EDTWhen you told friends and family that you were going to major in political science in college, many of them asked you “Oh, so you want to get into ...
Jun 03, 2021 PM EDTAny loving dog owner cares deeply for their pets. From treats, to bedding, to grooming, they always want the best for their furry friends.


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Booming British car market hits nine-year high in 2014Fri, 04 Jul 2014
By James Fallon
04 July 2014 11:44
British new-car sales continue to rise, new figures out today revealed. In the first six months of 2014, a total of 1,287,265 new vehicles were registered – a 10.6% increase on the same six-month period in 2013 and the highest total in almost a decade.
And the boom is showing no signs of tailing off; during June 2014, new-car registrations rose 6.2% to 228,291 and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders expects the trend to continue throughout the year as the economy continues to bounce back.
Interestingly, the demand for more fuel efficient vehicles has soared by 51.3%. A total of 23,337 hybrids and electric cars were registered during the first half of the year.
Ford’s year-to-date registration of new cars hit a high of 173,554, comfortably more than any other manufacturer thanks to the strong sales of the Fiesta which remains Britain’s best-selling car with 70,153 sold since the start of the year.
Vauxhall and Volkswagen trail Ford with year-to-date sales of 141,609 and 110,666 respectively.
Though sales are up significantly overall, some manufacturers are still struggling - despite the improved economic situation: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Honda, Land Rover, Lotus, Mini and Smart are feeling the pinch in the first half of this year, with the Americans and Mini showing particularly low sales. It’s worth pointing out that the Mini hatch was on run-out, however.
MG, Maserati and Ssanyong will be holding their heads high, posting increases of 833%, 224% and 154% respectively, though their market share remains fairly minuscule.
Elsewhere, Dacia, Jeep and Renault have seen significant increases from 2013, while Lotus has managed to slow down its decline despite parent company Proton’s sales collapsing 93% from 2013. One Proton sold really does mean that the brand no longer operates in the UK.
Check out the full sales chart below to see the winners and losers of the first-half of 2014's new-car showroom war.
By James Fallon


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The company's S-1 lays the groundwork for what is widely expected to be one of the largest initial public offerings of the year, second only to Uber's IPO in May. It's also...Technologyread more
Fraud investigator Harry Markopolos' accusations extended beyond GE's management to actuaries, auditors and analysts who he claims overlooked billions in liabilities.Marketsread more
Trump's tweet comes a day after Apple put out a press release describing the money it spends on U.S.-based suppliers and vendors.Technologyread more
CNBC combed through Wall Street research to see which stocks are still a buy after their earnings reports.Marketsread more
President Donald Trump held a call on Wednesday with the CEOs of three major U.S. banks, according to people with knowledge of the situation.Marketsread more
Despite aggressive strides, Waymo needs one thing before their self-driving cars become a seriously useful transportation system: people. We talked to the ones closest to it.Technologyread more
Scientists say the smoke plumes, filled with megatons of tiny, harmful particles, could travel to other areas of the world and cause serious respiratory problems for people.Weather & Natural Disastersread more
Some Weight Watchers loyalists applaud Kurbo by WW. But nutritionists worry Kurbo promotes an unhealthy relationship with food during an especially impressionable time.Health and Scienceread more
Benefits from what President Trump called "the biggest reform of all time" to the tax code have dwindled to a faint breeze just 20 months after its enactment, writes John...Politicsread more
Epstein, 66, was found in his cell in Manhattan federal lockup Saturday morning and transferred to a nearby hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.Politicsread more
Air travelers faced delays at U.S. airports on Friday afternoon after a computer issue snarled processing of international arrivals.Airlinesread more
The CEOs of two major railroad companies told CNBC on Wednesday they aren't necessarily worried about the U.S. economy.
Their comments come on the heels of a drop in what many view as an indicator of the country's economic health — the Dow Transports. The sector fell half a percent to post its ninth straight decline on Wednesday, its longest losing streak since 2009. It also closed in correction level, more than 11 percent below its intraday high on Sept. 14.
"We do see a lot of negativity being discussed that might scare consumers," Fritz said in an interview with "Closing Bell. " "But broadly speaking, the job market still looks pretty good to us. Unemployment looks good. Wages look good. Overall wealth for consumers looks pretty good. They seem to still be purchasing. The industrial economy still looks pretty healthy. "
Foote, in a separate "Closing Bell" interview, said, "Obviously there's a lot of confusion and noise on a political level and elsewhere that cause people some concerns, but overall we're still expecting … this year to be relatively good."
The latest U.S. jobs report comes out on Friday, but monthly nonfarm payroll gains have averaged 240,000 over the past three months. That's the fastest pace since mid-2016.
When it comes to job creation at private companies, things have cooled a bit, according to a report Wednesday from ADP and Moody's Analytics. There was an addition of 183,000 workers in February, compared with 300,000 in January. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, said the decline could indicate the jobs market has peaked.
While Fritz and Foote remain positive, they said there is still the unknown of the U.S.-China trade war.
"The place that we have the biggest question mark is in trade and making sure we navigate this dispute with China and then not pick other disputes that disrupt the marketplace," Fritz said.
President Donald Trump initially set March 1 as a deadline to resolve the dispute — and had threatened to more than double tariffs on about $200 billion in Chinese products. However, he pushed the deadline back and now the U.S. and China are in the "final stages " of trade talks that could end this month, sources told CNBC on Monday.
Among those hardest hit by the ongoing dispute are American farmers, particularly those who grow soybeans.
Fritz said this has disrupted Union Pacific's agriculture products business and will continue to do so until the trade war is resolved. Once that happens, he hopes business will return to normal — but he's "a little" concerned about whether it will come back entirely.
"Once the supply chain has been disrupted, a lot of times that supply chain doesn't recover entirely because the buyers get used to their new source or they adjust their overall supply chain logistics around it and they are little bit hesitant to go all the way back," he said.
— CNBC's Kayla Tausche, Fred Imbert and Jeff Cox contributed to this report.


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Coming to the US on October 21st? Not likely.
File this under wishful thinking and maybe true but BGR’s Geller personally posted that they’ve confirmed through sources the AT&T launch date for the Nokia Lumia 920. On Tracour, BGR.com only has a 52% average rating on rumor accuracy, so take this rumor with some skepticism.
The flagship Windows Phone from Nokia is reportedly going to launch on October 21st—a traditional Sunday launch for the company. In addition, the Samsung Galaxy Note II will launch the same day. That contradicts earlier rumors from the Verge and TechRadar who suggested November 2nd--the last day of Microsoft's Build '12.
That date, if accurate, is certainly earlier than the November time frame that many have come to expect. If AT&T and Nokia can pull it off, it will surely be a huge win for the OS and the Finnish company as uncertainty about the release has plagued them ever since the September 5th announcement.
AT&T has not even officially announced that they are getting the Lumia 920, though it has long been speculated seeing as they are the “premier” Windows Phone partner in the US. What’s more, to our knowledge, Windows Phone 8 OS has not been finalized or released-to-manufactures (RTM) which makes this early date slightly suspect. We should also mention there is no finalized, official SDK yet either. That does not bode well for the idea that this phone is coming out so early.
Then again, with all the pressure Microsoft and Nokia are under, perhaps some late night struggling and corner cutting have been implemented to get this out the door sooner than later.
Or perhaps we are seeing a pre-order day and not one for an actual launch.
No price was announced though we’re going to guess that $199 on contract seems to be a fair pricing point for the flagship phone. Will Nokia undercut that and go for $150? Too early to tell.
Edit: Due to some personal communications with others in the tech field since we first published, we've downgraded this to a 4 on the rum'o'meter from a 6.
Update 6: Microsoft wants all of TikTok, but Trump's order may interfere
The Financial Times reports that as part of negotiations, Microsoft is now inquiring whether it can buy all of TikTok, instead of just the business in the US., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This new plan would include India and Europe (and excluding China).
Apple responds to Project xCloud iOS block, Microsoft kicks back
With Microsoft's Project xCloud streaming platform locked out from iOS devices, Apple doubles down on App Store restrictions.
Here's why Halo Infinite's delay is ultimately a good thing
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10 must-have laptop accessories for students
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IT giant has introduced new Windows 10 IT Core upgrade that will bring further improvements, including higher performance of the Raspberry Pi 3 board and application-support.
Microsoft has teamed up with Blockstack Labs and ConsenSys to work on the problem of identity in the world.
Rolls Royce gets an opportunity to leverage Microsoft Azure IoT Suite and Cortana Intelligence Suite to further improve its aircraft services.
The mission of Storj on the Azure Blockchain is to make its services more accessible to enterprises.
Microsoft joins R3 consortium to help developing the blockchain technology for the financial services industry.
The support for the Bitcoin currency format is now at the developmental stage.
Samsung doesn’t share many details until the official presentation at the Samsung Developer Conference next month.
The new wave of partnerships includes financial services platform and decentralized prediction market platform in particular.
Yesterday’s information about Microsoft no longer accepting payments in bitcoin has been removed for the website and called incorrect.
Microsoft has ended its 15-month work with bitcoin but didn’t explain the reasons.
Microsoft predicts interesting days in the distributed ledger ecosystem and is looking for new partners and new open technologies.
The test is a huge step forward in adopting the blockchain for financial sector.


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Verizon Wireless has taken a beating over the years because its CDMA network is very prohibitive for international travelers. As such, the carrier has released some new resources in an effort to remind subscribers that they’re free to roam the world with their Verizon phones in hand — it might cost an arm, a leg and a few vital organs in some regions, but it can be done. According to the carrier’s new release, there are about 35 countries that use CDMA and have roaming agreements with Verizon. While that figure pales in comparison to the number of countries that support GSM phones, travelers will find that roaming charges for voice calling and even data usage in those countries can be surprisingly reasonable. Then, if you happen to have one of Verizon’s dual-mode world phones that support GSM, you can use the device while roaming in more than 200 countries around the world. You should probably make sure you take your entire Accounts Payable department out to lunch before submitting those expenses, though. Hit the break for Verizon Wireless’ full release and a quick video about international roaming.
PACK THE WIRELESS PHONE – VERIZON WIRELESS KEEPS TRAVELERS CONNECTED AND INFORMED AROUND THE GLOBE
New Verizon Wireless Video Shows How to Take the Guesswork Out Of Overseas Travel
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – With travelers planning overseas getaways, Verizon Wireless advises customers that now is a good time to begin thinking about the wireless phone they will bring with them. Want to make calls back home? Want to stay connected via text messaging, email and get information daily on the web with a smartphone? Track data usage? Verizon Wireless can help travelers do all that and more.
Verizon Wireless today posted “Tips for Traveling Overseas,” the second in a series of videos advising customers on how to manage their wireless lives. In the video, Verizon Wireless representatives describe how customers can prepare their wireless phones for international travel and how to manage their data usage outside of the U.S.
The video is available on the Verizon WirelessTV YouTube channel and in the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library.
Go Global With Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless offers a number of ways for customers to take their phones and their accounts overseas:
- Customers can make calls from any Verizon Wireless phone while visiting more than 40 countries worldwide, including popular travel destinations such as Mexico, Canada, China and India that use the same CDMA network technology as Verizon Wireless.
- Jetsetters with Verizon Wireless global phones or smartphones with a pre-installed and active global-capable SIM card can make calls, text and use data services in more than 205 countries. More than 125 countries offer 3G speeds.
- Customers arriving at most overseas destinations receive a free welcome text message from Verizon Wireless with helpful information for the country they are visiting, including dialing instructions (exit codes) from that country, and the toll free number to reach Verizon Wireless Global Technical Support.
- International travelers can manage roaming costs by being alerted via text message or e-mail when their Global Data Roaming charges exceed thresholds of $50, $200 and additional thresholds. Verizon Wireless Global Data Roaming Usage Alerts are automatically sent free of charge and do not count against customers’ messaging or data allowances.
- Travelers can call Verizon Wireless for assistance quickly and easily 24 hours a day by dialing + 1-908-559-4899 on GSM/UMTS networks. All calls are answered by Verizon Wireless representatives.
Verizon Wireless customers traveling outside of the U.S. should contact Verizon Wireless’ global customer support team at 1-800-922-0204 before embarking on their trip to ensure their phones have the right features for global usage.
Travelers who do not own a global-capable device can use the Global Travel Program, which allows customers temporary use of global-capable devices for the duration of their travels. Customers can keep their U.S. phone number and all global charges will be applied directly to their Verizon Wireless bills, without any daily rental fees. For more information about Verizon Wireless global phone and customer service, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/global.
More Information Available
Verizon Wireless offers a variety of ways for customers to manage their wireless lives. Additional video guides highlighting tools customers can use are available:
- “It’s Easy To Track Your Wireless Usage,” which highlights easy ways to check and monitor usage, can be viewed on YouTube or in the Multimedia Library.
- Customers can also visit Verizon Wireless Support to view “How To” videos with step-by-step directions on different aspects of account management.
For more information about Verizon Wireless, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com.


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Level-5’s Ni no Kuni sequel Revenant Kingdom is poised to get a little larger this week, with the long-awaited arrival of its first major paid DLC expansion on December 13th.
The Lair of the Lost Lord, as it’s known, will be available on PlayStation 4 and PC, and introduces a new zone, new quests, over 80 new weapons and armour pieces, a “returning enemy”, and an expanded battle system.
Players that purchase the new DLC will be able to explore a brand-new area, the mysterious Labyrinth, in a bid to “rid the world of an ancient evil”. It’s accessed via a strange gate in the Rubbly Ruins, and those brave enough to face its depths are promised new challenges and new enemies, including the Prince of Wraiths, who rules the realm.
Read more: eurogamer.net


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Mumbai–Textiles Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar on Thursday said the long awaited National Textile policy is nearing finalisation and is likely to be issued before the end of April.
Interacting with media persons after participating in the Make In India Week here, he said consultations with all stakeholders are in progress and he was confident that the new textile policy will be released during the budget session of parliament.
“The textile and apparel industry is one of the key sectors of India’s manufacturing segment as it contributes significantly to the economy in terms of employment generation, foreign exchange revenue and above all, its backward linkages to the rural economy that gives huge opportunities to millions of farmers, artisans, handloom and handicraft manufacturers,” the minister said.
He said India will be exporting around $185 billion of textile and apparel by 2025.
Considering the targeted growth in exports, Gangwar said India should be able to double the share of the global textile and apparel trade from the present level of 5 percent.
He said the dynamics of the market economy have thrown up both opportunities and challenges to the textile industry and different countries in the region have concentrated in areas where they have comparative advantage.
“Countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam have entered the league of big players in the global market. The Indian textile industry should gear up to attain its desired position in the global market and the government is willing to provide all possible support by creating enabling frameworks,” the minister added.


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Reports are in from the gaming world and they are indeed lackluster. Sales are the lowest they have been since 2000. But that’s good. I think it’s because people are tired of PS3/Xbox 360 and want a new generation.
It’s no surprise that the new consoles are coming out during this record low year. Normally a console cycle runs five years, this one has passed over seven years. They really milked it as much as possible and it’s good consumers declining interest has finally led to the release of the next generation to be this Christmas season.
I was already calling for a new generation to be launched in 2011, even in 2010 I had begun to lose my interest completely. And when my Xbox 360 died in 2011 of natural causes after years of servitude, I had zero interest to replace it. My PC has adequately covered my needs.
There’s something special every time a new gen begins, and I can’t wait to be a part of the new one.
The winner of the previous generation by a mile. But it looks as if I won’t be supporting the next one.


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YouTube is preparing to open the fourth production space catered to its creative community. In November, it will officially open the doors of YouTube Space New York, which will join existing facilities in Los Angeles, London, and Tokyo.
As with the other YouTube Spaces, the New York facility will offer high-quality production equipment for its guests. It will also provide classes and will host networking events for online video creators. “By removing the barriers to production, we hope to inspire you all to try out new creative concepts and show formats, as well as deliver even more of the great videos and series your fans love,” wrote Adam Relis, the head of YouTube Space NY, in a post on YouTube’s official blog.
The New York space, which is located at Chelsea Market in Manhattan, was first announced at VidCon in 2013. Since then, it has operated on a limited basis. This playlist notes a few videos produced at other YouTube Spaces, including George Takei’s Takei’s Take web series and AVByte’s “Procrastination” music video.
The new YouTube space will also include several amenities aimed at brands. New York is the advertising capital of the world, and brands that wish to develop content on YouTube will be able to receive assistance at a Google BrandLab that will open up inside the New York space.
More information about the New York facility can be found at the YouTube Spaces homepage. The new space will give creators on the East Coast a place to connect with their colleagues, without requiring them to fly across the country.


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The NBA’s Richest Shoe Deals
michael Jordan hasn’t played in an NBA game in almost two decades, but the parlor game for fans and the media about who is the “greatest of all time” is thriving, fueled largely by LeBron James’ sustained brilliance. James passed Jordan in March on the career scoring list and has nine NBA Finals trips. Kobe Bryant ranks ahead of both players for scoring and had five NBA titles before retiring. Houston GM Daryl Morey argued this month that James Harden is a better scorer than Jordan.Get more news about Best basketball sneaker,you can vist nbaboss.us!
Wholesale revenue at Nike’s Jordan Brand subsidiary hit $3.14 billion in the fiscal year ending May 2019, up 10% from 2018. MJ’s annual take is an estimated $130 million, four times more than that of James, the No. 2 earner, with $32 million. Arguably, 16 years after he last laced up his own high tops on the court, more Jordan-branded shoes and apparel are being sold than the signature lines of every other current NBA player. Combined.
“Jordan is being extended as more of a lifestyle brand,” says Cowen & Co. analyst John Kernan. “There is enormous potential. It can be much bigger than a $3 billion brand.” Kernan cites Jordan strengths in its ability to create new colorways, relaunch products and manage the supply and demand equation to keep prices high. The brand has moved beyond just basketball through partnerships with French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain and college football blue blood Michigan.
The line got another marketing chip last month when Nike signed a deal with Zion Williamson, who was the top overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. After one year at Duke, Williamson enters the league as probably its most marketable rookie since James in 2003, and he will be suiting up in Jordans. His highlight-reel dunks fit perfectly into Nike’s marketing strategy and how NBA content is consumed on social media around the globe.
If Zion lives up to the hype, he is going to be a constant source of content creation for Nike,” says Kernan. “Athletes are very monetizable right now with social media, and Nike will participate in all of that content every time he does something memorable.”
Zion didn’t come cheap for Nike after his Nike PG 2.5 shoe split open on national TV in February and left egg on the face of the $39 billion-in-revenue sports giant. His multi-year deal is worth an estimated $13 million annually, including reachable incentives, and ranks fifth among current NBA players. A line of his own is all but certain in the near future.
It’s a lucrative career path. A shoe deal is almost always the richest endorsement deal for an NBA player, typically making up more than half of their off-court income. Michael Jordan’s massive haul in Nike royalties make up 90% of his current annual income and now totals $40 million more than the $90 million combined he made during his 15 years playing for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.
Basketball and soccer are the only true global team sports, which is why brands like Nike, Adidas and Under Armour are willing to pay such massive sums to the stars in each sport. The players can be used in marketing campaigns around the world.


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Six months ago, Anthony Watson, the young hotshot CIO of Nike, abruptly left the sports apparel giant for personal reasons. In April, Fortune reported where he had landed: Bitreserve, a cloud money service that uses bitcoin. And now, not quite three months into his time there, he has a new title: CEO.
That was fast.
It’s a swift rise that is in keeping with Watson’s whirlwind career in the past year. The former global operations CIO at Barclays landed on our 40 Under 40 list last year for his impressive background, quick achievements as CIO of Nike, and his advocacy and influence in the gay community (Watson is out, and was the first non-U.S. citizen to score a seat on the board of GLAAD). When he left Nike at the end of last year, some scratched their heads; they continued scratching them when he moved to a digital currency startup.
Why go from sneakers to bitcoin? Why go from Nike, a Fortune 500 company with $28 billion in annual revenue, to Bitreserve, a fledgling startup less than one year old with less than $15 million in funding?
For starters, Watson was always a technology guy. He’s worked at three banks—Citi (as a contractor), Wells Fargo, and Barclays—but before that, he spent four years at Microsoft. At Barclays, he treated the bank’s tech department like a small startup within the larger organization, and led the launch of a slew of mobile banking apps. At Nike, he quickly helped the company ink a new partnership with Juniper Networks.
Bitreserve was the perfect combination of Watson’s passions and previous jobs: banking and tech. After leaving Nike, he had offers from big banks, but preferred to do something more entrepreneurial. “I was itching to make an impact,” Watson says. At Nike, he wasn’t doing enough to address that itch. He says he was convinced to join Bitreserve after just 10 minutes with the founder, Halsey Minor.
In addition, Bitreserve’s theme of financial inclusion—a bitcoin benefit that the cryptocurrency’s biggest flag-wavers love to talk up—fits perfectly with Watson’s ambitions of helping the unbanked and under-banked. “I’ve already worked for major companies,” he tells Fortune. “When I met with the Bitreserve team, it spoke to me on a social and equitable level. And it’s very rare you find opportunities like that.”
What Bitreserve does may be confusing to those unfamiliar with bitcoin. The company says it helps members to “transfer and convert the major currencies of the world instantly, safely, and for free.” (Low fees and no transfer delays are the selling points of many new fintech companies, not just those working in bitcoin.) Think of it as a bitcoin bank, though the company rejects that word. It allows you to convert bitcoin into different currencies (the site currently supports nine currencies and four precious metals) for use in the cloud, or simply to be stored, like a bank. Bitreserve is also big on transparency, so its web site (along with a separate visualization site) makes very clear what the company is holding: just $2.1 million USD, at the moment, 55% of it in bitcoin, 18% of it in U.S. dollars, and 10% of it in British pounds.
The company says it has more than 16,300 active members and has powered $16.5 million in cloud money transactions.
BitReserve’s founder, Minor, has an illustrious tech resume that includes investing early in Salesforce and founding CNET. “Everything I’ve done has been at dramatically low cost and has allowed a lot more people to participate,” he told Fortune in April. “We all know, from Facebook and others, how incredibly efficient cloud-based services can be in linking lots and lots of participants together. So we’re doing that right now for nine currencies and four metals.”
With Watson becoming president and CEO of BitReserve, Minor remains chairman of the board and takes on a role as the company’s “chief visionary.” BitReserve also has two new boardmembers: Adrian Steckel, who has been CEO at a number of telecom companies in Mexico (most recently IUSACELL, which sold to AT&T for $2.5 billion), and Jim Milby, who worked with Watson at Barclays and Citi.
The company also will make an announcement in July that “changes their service and offerings,” according to a spokesperson.
Watson had interest in digital currencies before, and had a small investment in bitcoin that he says “did well,” but now he’s suddenly a digital currency CEO. “The negative perception is there,” he says. “It would be foolish to say it’s not there. But I think it’s a young currency and the platform is just being developed. The value of bitcoin isn’t the currency, but the technology. I can’t see many major governments around the world saying, ‘We’re going to move to bitcoin as currency,’ but I suspect that the world will embrace the uses of the blockchain.”
Now he has to see to it that the bitcoin world embraces BitReserve, too.


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Is it safe to name 2021 “Naomi Osaka Year”? The four-time grand slam winner is in a different league when it comes to tennis and now, she is venturing into fashion, skincare, soccer, you name it. We are just a month into the second quarter and the world cannot keep up with the Haitian-Japanese and her initiatives to make the world a more inclusive one for everyone.
Here is a list of amazing things the 23-year-old has been up to since January 2021.
Louis Vuitton brand ambassador
After gracing the covers of Vogue for their January 2021 issue in Louis Vuitton, Naomi Osaka was named house brand ambassador for the French label and is set to feature in their Spring-Summer 2021 campaign. The announcement came with stunning and picturesque photos from the shoot.
There is no doubt about Osaka’s strong fashion sense which pours through the campaign photos released with the announcement. The photos were shot by artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière for his new collection. Osaka wears a colorful dress with bold prints.
Part owner of a professional soccer team
The Forbes’ highest-paid female athlete in 2020 announced on Twitter this January that she has become part-owner of a National Women’s Soccer League Team, North Carolina Courage, stating that the move to invest in a women’s soccer team is to honor all the women who have invested in her as a woman and a sportsperson.
“The women who have invested in me growing up made me who I am today, I don’t know where I would be without them. Throughout my career, I’ve always received so much love from my fellow female athletes so that’s why I am proud to share that I am now a owner of @TheNCCourage,” the tennis star wrote.
Osaka is venturing into the skincare industry with a new line, KINLÒ, purposely for melanated individuals. Osaka, like many dark-skinned individuals, struggled to find what works for her skin. That is why she decided it was about time to launch an affordable one that does the job right.
Last week, she announced that the line was specially created with Ghanaian-born dermatologist Dr. Naana Boakye. The brand was made for everyone, especially athletes as it offers sun protection.
KINLÒ’s products will consist of body spray, lip balm, eye cream, and an SPF 50 Tinted Face Lotion and sunscreen that could potentially save lives aside from protecting the skin. According to CDC research, nearly 33% of Black Americans who get diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer, die in the United States.
Summer is just around the corner and the tennis star has launched her maiden swimwear collection in collaboration with Los Angeles-based fashion brand Frankies Bikinis.
“I think it’s really important for brands to design for all women, not just certain sizes or shapes or body types. For me, it’s important to align myself with brands that make inclusivity a priority,” Osaka said in a press release.
The Frankies Bikinis x Naomi Osaka collaboration will be available online and released in two drops. The first will be on May 10 and the second on May 19.
According to GMA, the collaboration will feature a signature “Osaka one-piece”. It comes with bikini separates and one-pieces in sizes from XS to XL, with select styles available in up to 2XL.
The line’s aim is to empower women and make them feel extra confident. The pieces will be priced from $80 to $190.
Play Academy gets two new locations
The tennis superstar’s Play Academy with Nike and Laureus Sport for Good was first launched last summer in Japan. Now, it is expanding to two new locations — Los Angeles, California and Haiti. She chose Los Angeles, California, because that is where she currently resides and trains. Haiti is her father’s home country.
The motive of the Play Academy is to provide grants and capacity-building training for community organizations in order to boost girls’ access to and participation in sport, according to PEOPLE. Osaka is committed to helping aspiring athletes who may not have the same opportunities and support she had, but have a love for the sport.
“We believe that all kids — especially girls — deserve a chance to play, no matter where they come from or what they look like,” Osaka told PEOPLE. “The more we provide girls with opportunities to get active, the more opportunities we are giving them to become leaders in their communities.”
“It started with conversations and it became this incredible program working with community partners that are committed to leveling the playing field for girls.”


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This story appears in the February 11, 2013 issue of Forbes. Subscribe
Daniella Yacobovsky and Amy Jain: BaubleBar
The two Harvard Business School grads moved from finance to fashion with BaubleBar, which sources jewelry from high-end designers and sells it on the cheap via the Web. Savvy customers save big: Bling that would sell for $90 at traditional retailers like Anthropologie or J. Crew can be had for about $30 from BaubleBar. Investors like the bargain as well; Yacobovsky and Jain have raised $5.6 million in venture backing, led by Accel Partners. In 2012 the duo expanded from clicks to bricks, opening a showroom in New York's Flatiron district. Their high-profile collaborators include Erikson Beamon, Nina Garcia and Atlantic-Pacific.
Leigh Drogen: Estimize
Retail investors don't get access to "whisper numbers"--the weighty, unofficial analyst expectations that circulate Wall Street before earnings calls. So Drogen's Estimize collects estimates from 2,000 contributors (professional analysts and amateurs alike), producing a crowdsourced number that's more accurate than the Street consensus two-thirds of the time. Hedge funds pay $3,000 per seat per month to access larger data sets. Drogen, 26, started a hedge fund at 22 and launched Estimize in 2011. Investors include Contour Venture Partners and Longworth Venture Partners.
Jacqui Rosshandler: EATWHATEVER
Rosshandler, 30, graduated with a law degree from Australia National University in 2006, but she skipped the bar and instead ran an events-and-interior-design company for Antony Todd in New York. Later, on a whim, she decided to jump into the breath-freshener game. Her play: EatWhatever, a two-step system that includes a parsley-and-peppermint-oil capsule followed by a mint. Packs of ten gelcaps and mints sell for $3.29 at Duane Reade in New York and are soon to debut at Walgreens. Former Topps candy and trading-card CEO Arthur Shorin holds a 75% stake.


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Cricket Australia has launched #WATCHME, a campaign via Blood UTD promoting the Australian Women’s Cricket Team and the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League.
The campaign coincides with tickets going on sale for the 2018-19 Women’s International Cricket Season.
The #WATCHME campaign has launched with 6 second and 15-second teasers, digital activity, and promotion via player social media channels.
It is a bold celebration of the incredible feats of the Australian Women’s Cricket Team and a rallying cry for all of Australia to get behind their team and celebrate the team’s performances on the field, as well as the hard work it takes to be the best in the world.
#WATCHME is a challenge to the doubters, a uniting message for the believers, and a platform that will tell the stories of the great characters of the game and make the members of the Australian team household names.
A 60-second film for the campaign will be released in mid-August, and a 30-second TVC will begin airing from 1 September.
#WATCHME will also be rolled out across Print, Out of Home, and Digital, while a series of social videos will delve into the stories of players including captain Meg Lanning, Ash Gardner, Alyssa Healy, and Megan Schutt.
The #WATCHME campaign will also expand into the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) as the fourth season of the competition draws nearer, as well as a variation of the campaign for girls participation.
Cricket Australia executive GM of events & leagues Anthony Everard said: “As we saw with the positive public response to the Women’s Ashes last year and the ever-growing popularity of the WBBL, women’s elite cricket is going from strength to strength and we believe the #WATCHME campaign reflects this momentum and a fitting celebration of our athletes.
“It has been amazing to see the growth in support for the Australian Women’s Cricket Team over the past few years, and with #WATCHME we want to tell our players’ stories in a compelling way and in so doing mobilise all Australians to show their support for the team.”
Blood UTD ECD David Smith added: “Women’s elite cricket has been growing in prominence and popularity in Australia over the past few years and this campaign harnesses this momentum and potential to showcase these incredible athletes and their hard work to more people than ever before.
“It is a wonderful time to be involved in the sport.”
The Australian Women’s Cricket Team take on Trans-Tasman rivals, New Zealand in the Commonwealth Bank Women’s International Series this season, with the two sides to compete across three T20 Internationals (INTLs) and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs).
Click here for more information about the and season.
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Canteen’s latest campaign features the combined talents of Director Luna Laure and creative agency Crater. The campaign strives to raise awareness for young people affected by cancer. The awareness campaign centres around Harry Barentson, who at 12 years of age found out his pregnant mum had cancer. While his mother fortunately survived, he lost his […]
In partnership with storytelling agency Enthral, AFL star Kevin Sheedy has voiced a video ‘Love Letter to Victoria’ using visuals to showcase the state’s natural beauty and culture. Victoria has been hit with the worst of the coronavirus pandemic compared with any other Aussie state experiencing four lockdowns. Sheedy has partnered with Ethral to share […]
Telstra’s lower-cost telco, Belong, has awarded its strategy and creative account to Howatson + White, and has reappointed OMD to its media buying account, after a competitive pitch process. Howatson + White will handle strategy, planning, creative and CRM, while former agency Clemenger will continue to have a relationship with Belong, managing PR and retail activation. […]
Coca-Cola Australia has rolled out its new campaign ‘Turn Up Your Break’. The campaign will be led by a TVC that encourages people to truly pause with a Coke on their break so they can walk away feeling refreshed and uplifted. The TVC features two busy chefs stepping outside for a break, the bustling kitchen […]
Nova 919’s Ben & Liam breakfast show announced that they’ll be throwing their support behind and raising awareness for a cause very close to their hearts, mental health. On Monday 21 June Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton will be locked in a purpose-built glass structure, in the middle of Rundle Mall, for an entire week […]
TRENDii has announced TRENDii Ads, a new contextual advertising solution that leverages content and context to promote eCommerce products at scale around the world. TRENDii Ads is user privacy friendly and offers a new way for businesses and brands to target consumers at the moment that they are most inspired to shop. “We believe good […]
ARN and The New York Times have reached an agreement for ARN to become the advertising sales representative for The New York Times’s podcast portfolio in Australia. The deal will enable Australian brands to connect with Australian listeners to The New York Times’s most popular podcasts, such as The Daily, Serial and This American Life, […]
Verizon Media’s talent program has come to an end for the third year, closing with a hybrid pitch-off event for Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD). The Verizon Media Academy class of 2021, made up of 44 emerging leaders from across Australia and New Zealand media, advertising and marketing industry, were given just one hour to […]


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The latest figures released by HMRC show that in the past three months alone, 21,000 tonnes of fresh salmon, worth £136 million, were exported – up 29 percent in value and 25 percent in volume over the same period last year.
France overtook the USA as the largest market, with sales worth nearly £45 million. This year, Scottish salmon celebrated the 25th anniversary of being awarded the French Government’s prestigious Label Rouge for taste and quality. Although the USA was pipped to the post for top export market, it still recorded sales of just over £37 million while China was worth £14 million. East Asian markets continue to grow too, with Taiwan making it into the top five markets with sales of £6.5 million.
“The demand for Scottish salmon continues to grow in recognition of its taste, quality and provenance,” said Scott Landsburgh, Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) chief executive. “It is evident that the production standards and commitment to quality are fully recognised around the world, and no more so than in France. It is fitting that as we celebrate 25 years of holding the Label Rouge award sales in France have reached an all-time high. Arguably, France is the most discerning culinary nation in the world and it has been a marvellous tribute to everyone who works on our salmon farms that, year after year, the French inspectors have rewarded us with this accolade.
“The continuing export success of Scottish salmon is a trail-blazer for other Scottish food overseas and a major contributor to rural Scotland. Our achievement means that young people, communities and local suppliers all benefit from the economic success.”
"These phenomenal figures show the growing demand for Scotland’s high quality, premium food and drink products across the world,” added James Withers, Chief Executive of Scotland Food & Drink. "Scotland is now home to the UK’s biggest drink export in Scotch whisky and the biggest food export in Scottish salmon. They continue to lead the way.
"The growth in overseas markets is testament to the hard work of our trade specialists based across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Far East. They are opening doors with leading buyers and forging new opportunities for our Scottish food and drink companies. As a result, 2017 is shaping up to be another export record-breaker for food and drink.
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “Scottish salmon is an iconic product and these latest export figures reflect the strength of the industry and the potential it has to grow further. The EU remains the biggest single regional market for Salmon, importing salmon worth £215 million in the first nine months of 2017.
“I was delighted to be able to support the industry at the Label Rouge 25th anniversary celebrations earlier this year and it is fantastic to see the growth in exports to France.
“It is clear that continued access to the EU single market is vitally important to the future of our food and drink sector and to the Scottish economy.
“We will continue to work with industry to develop new and existing markets and in line with Scotland’s Food and Drink 2030 ambition, focus on key markets, boost innovation, focus on skills and support local producers to realise our ambitious plans.”


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Even from an early age, it was clear there was something special about Dilbert. Here’s the discovery that shocked his mother.
Hey, if you see a piece of engineering humor that hits at the core of what it means to be an engineer, send it along to: [email protected]
Rob Spiegel has covered automation and control for 19 years, 17 of them for Design News. Other topics he has covered include supply chain technology, alternative energy, and cyber security. For 10 years, he was owner and publisher of the food magazine Chile Pepper.
This summer (August 27-29), Drive World Conference & Expo launches in Silicon Valley with North America’s largest embedded systems event, Embedded Systems Conference (ESC). The inaugural three-day showcase brings together the brightest minds across the automotive electronics and embedded systems industries who are looking to shape the technology of tomorrow.
Will you be there to help engineer this shift? Register today!


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Now that we’ve discussed all the benefits of enhanced data-sharing, we can look at some of the use cases that it will help address and improve, beginning with the false decline problem. Fraud often garners a lot of the headlines and all the bad press but, in reality, false declines are actually more prevalent and damaging to many in the digital payments community.
When a company is hacked, and confidential information is stolen, we hear about it, typically through a big news publication. But false declines often go unnoticed, at least outside of our little world. They occur without any fanfare, but with all the same ramifications.
A false decline is a specific type of transaction, where a legitimate consumer is turned away by their issuing bank because they’re deemed to be a fraudster, or because their issuing bank determined that there was insufficient information or data to successfully authenticate the transaction.
The core of this problem is the issuer’s inability to recognize their own consumers. Unlike fraud, where a consumer is likely notified that a breach has occurred, one way or another, false declines can continue to affect the same consumer over and over again since there’s a decent chance that they don’t know why they’re being declined.
There is, however, a solution. EMV® 3-D Secure is empowering issuers, giving them more resources and data, which helps immensely in the fight against false declines. If these issuers are armed with more data, they won’t be placed in as many compromising positions where they’re essentially forced to decline a good consumer to preserve their own security. Instead, they will have enough good, useful data to authenticate these transactions and mitigate their own false decline problem.
This should lead to more good interactions with the consumer during their transaction, which is yet another area where more data-sharing will help. We’ll go more in-depth with this particular area next week, and how the consumer is directly impacted by this evolution.
At the end of the day, we want all legitimate consumers to have the ability to shop freely in the digital world, free from the burdens of fraud and false declines. The false decline problem is still out there, but we’re confident that EMV 3DS is giving issuers the tools to make them a thing of the past.
EMV® is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries and an unregistered trademark elsewhere. The EMV trademark is owned by EMVCo, LLC.


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INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC. (Sunnyvale CA) reported better-than-expected first-quarter profit on expanded use of its da Vinci robots in U.S. general surgeries such as hernia repair, and it raised its full-year outlook for procedure growth.
The company now expects procedures using da Vinci robots to increase 12% to 14% in 2016, helped also by a favorable outlook for prostate and gynecological surgeries, executives said. Intuitive previously forecast procedure growth of 9% to 12%.
In the first quarter, procedures using da Vinci robots rose 17% worldwide from a year ago, driven by growth in U.S. general surgery and overseas urological surgeries. Growth in hernia repair was robust, and the robot saw continued adoption in colorectal surgery, executives said.
The company is also focused on expanding use of the robot in thoracic procedures, particularly complex cancer cases. “You are seeing both clinical and economic benefits with robotic surgery use in these procedures,” said Canaccord Genuity analyst Jason Mills.
Excluding one-time items, Intuitive said it earned $4.42 a share. Analysts expected $4.33 a share.
Net profit for the quarter rose to $136 million, or $3.54 a share, from $97 million, or $2.57 a share, a year ago. The company’s net quarterly profit had been projected at $3.43 a share, according to Thomson Reuters. Revenue rose 12% to $595 million.
The company said it shipped 110 da Vinci systems in the first quarter, up from 99 units in the year-ago period. The company said it has made steady improvements in reducing product costs, including for surgical instruments, and expects to make additional progress this year and in 2017. Shares closed the week up 2% at $638.15.
Monday, April 25, 2016 / Vol. 24 / No. 16


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In a report on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal says the negotiations between Fast Retailing and J. Crew have ended.
After reports surfaced that Fast Retailing was looking to add the American retailer to its widening stable of brands, rumors circulated that the $5 billion asking price for J. Crew was too high—some 17 times J. Crew’s enterprise value. Most retail mergers/acquisitions tend to be in the 7 to 8 times valuation.
J. Crew to IPO?
Some close to the acquisition talks blamed the publicity surrounding the proposal as dampening the talks.
Although the talks could resume at a future point, it’s likely that J. Crew’s owners, private-equity firms TPG and Leonard Green & Partner will continue with their IPO plans, or even entertain other suitors, Wall Street Journal said.
“Private-equity firms often pursue a so-called dual-track process to sell an investment, preparing a company they own for an IPO while simultaneously soliciting bids for an outright purchase.”
Selling J. Crew in a merger deal, however, can be a faster way to reap profits. An IPO must be conducted with certain market restrictions and complications and take more time to cash out.
On the other hand, Fast Retailing, Asia’s largest clothing retailer, has ambitions to be the largest apparel retailer in the United States, too, and is heavily investing in building a U.S. network of Uniqlo stores.


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A 33-year-old woman told police that $117,000 in jewelry was stolen when she was away between Sept. 4 and Sept. 10, ABC New York station WABC reported. The item was a Graff diamond bracelet. She lived on the 59th floor, according to The New York Times.
Another resident, a 69-year-old woman, said about $230,000 in jewelry went missing between June 21 and Sept. 9. This included a Harry Winston diamond bracelet, another bracelet, ring and necklace -- all with diamonds and sapphires -- and a pair of diamond and emerald earrings.
The pieces were all in a drawer in her closet on the 42nd floor, according to the Times.
Both women said they noticed the jewelry was missing when they returned home from vacation. There was no sign of a break-in at either apartment.
It is unclear whether one person is responsible for the thefts or if there is more than one suspect. The NYPD Major Case Squad is investigating.


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In 2019, Winn-Dixie honored popular store associate Romay Davis with a birthday celebration.
When Anthony Hucker, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers (SEG), asked longtime employee Romay Davis her secret to living to 102, she gave an immediate and simple reply: “Love everyone – and do good.”
That mantra has carried Davis – known as “Ms. Romay” at SEG and in other circles – through a remarkable life. Before she joined Winn-Dixie as an associate at the age of 80, she enjoyed a 30-year trailblazing career in fashion and design. As a young woman during World War II, she served her country overseas as a member of the first all-Black women’s corps. She also broke through barriers at the time by graduating from New York University.
Davis has been honored for her philosophy-driven achievements in a variety of ways. SEG launched the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity grant program in 2020 to honor her legacy and foster opportunities for the next generation of outstanding leaders. Then, this past summer, Davis – the oldest living member of the World War II battalion of Black female service members – received the Congressional Gold Medal, the the highest honor then Congress gives to civilians.
In a video interview marking her 101st birthday last year, Davis shared more of her advice on a job well done. “I’ve realized that if you are efficient and do what you had to do well, that people will get along with you,” she explained.
Her role at a Winn-Dixie store in Montgomery, Ala., over the past two decades has been truly customer-facing: she works to ensure that products are placed just right on the shelf and in displays. As Davis noted: “Everything I do, I put myself in it. If there is a loaf of bread, I pick it up, smooth it out and put it on the shelf nicely so that the next person [who] comes in appreciates it. I can’t lift so much anymore, but I have always kept the shelves straight.”
Her store manager can attest to her merchandising skills. Bobby Godwin, store manager at location #448 in Montgomery, told Progressive Grocer during a recent interview, “She keeps the shelves straight, and she makes sure that the customers have the freshest product.”
Godwin, a 37-year Winn-Dixie team member who has worked with Davis for the past dozen years, also lauds her contagious work ethic. “The knowledge we’ve learned from her over the years is incredible – it’s a combination of business, life and everything else,” he asserted.
He noted that Davis has endeared herself to and inspired the store’s customers. “Someone each day will ask about her,” he said, adding that many shoppers remember her 100th birthday party, which drew a sizable crowd in 2019.
In addition to her work at Winn-Dixie, Davis remains a loyal store customer and regularly comes in to do her own shopping. Godwin pointed out that in her work and life, she is a role model to him, too. “I don’t complain about anything when I see what she does,” he said with a laugh.
Hucker is likewise effusive about Davis as an inspiration. “At 102 years old, Ms. Romay is still having fun, enjoying all that life has to offer and still loves to work. She is a kindhearted individual with a flair for life – to know Ms. Romay is an honor in itself,” he observed in an exclusive statement to Progressive Grocer.
“It is this exact outlook on life that inspired us at SEG to create the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity grant program to honor her legacy, achievements and perseverance,” Hucker continued. “While Ms. Romay has inspired millions of people like myself, we are excited to share her story and inspire millions more for years to come with the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity grant program.”
To be sure, the Romay Davis story continues, as the centenarian doles out more sage advice that spans generations, backgrounds and jobs. “Be sure you want to do what you attempt to do, and then stick with it, knowing there will be hard times and good times,” she counseled. “You have to study, you have to believe in yourself. Be on time. If I get done early, I will find something else to do. Keep going.”
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Southeastern Grocers is one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the United States, with grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies serving communities throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Its banners include Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket, and Winn-Dixie grocery stores. The company is No. 39 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the the top food and consumables retailers in North America.


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Surf’s up, waste is down at Jaguar Land Rover
Waste products from the automotive world are being put in the ocean – in the form of surfboards made of recycled polyurethane.
Jaguar Land Rover is making its first foray into the ocean, but it’s not what you might expect – it’s not making an amphibious car like fictitious spy James Bond’s Lotus Esprit. Instead, they are recycling plastic from old design concept models and using it to contribute to the making of surfboards.
At the very beginning of the car design process, polyurethane is used to make life-sized clay models of the future cars. The polymer forms the ‘skeleton’ of the model, while the clay inside is recycled and re-used on site.
Now this skeleton is being shipped up and sent to SkunkWorks Surf Co as part of the ‘Waste to Wave’ project.
Trying to make surfboards more environmentally friendly is not a new concept. There are many toxic gases emitted in the creation of polyurethane, the main surfboard ingredient, and the industry has been working towards finding sustainable ways to create boards.
There are a variety of ways that styrofoam scraps can be broken down and recreated into surfboards, as well as using more natural products like sustainable wood.
However there’s probably nothing quite like this.
According to SkunkWorks co-founder Ricky Martin: “When Jaguar Land Rover approached us with their idea of reusing polyurethane, we couldn’t wait to get started in helping reduce their waste – a subject that is very close to my heart.”
The surfboards have been tested by the best and given the thumbs-up. England’s number one surfer, Lucy Campbell, put one of the boards through its paces at Whiterocks beach in Northern Ireland.
“I didn’t know much about the car design process and it’s been fascinating to learn about how Jaguar Land Rover is giving a ‘second life’ to its materials in this way. Getting out into the water and trying the board out for the first time was awesome,” she says.
With an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic dumped in oceans every year and taking hundreds of years to decompose, every little bit makes a difference.
The surfboard debuted in London’s Jaguar Land Rover Tech Fest.
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June 23, 2022


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Vietnam’s control of the pandemic and its continued growth has further cemented its position as a safe business environment compared to others. And US businesses have noticed. Apple has planned to shift significant production of its products including its AirPods to Vietnam. … [Read more...] about How US investors’ positive sentiment towards Vietnam grows stronger?
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Last season, Everton played a Europa League match against Apollon Limassol in Cyprus which was basically meaningless. Win, lose or draw, it didn’t matter. A friend of mine, Keith, went. He was one of only a handful of diehard fans who had made the journey. In fact, Everton’s own manager, Sam Allardyce never even bothered to go. … [Read more...] about A third Euro competition? No thanks
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Say Hello to the 275 MPH Tuatara
Right now the fastest production car in the world is the hyper exclusive--and hyper expensive--Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which is capable of a top speed of 268 mph. The previous record holder was the less refined, yet still very capable, Ultimate Aero from America’s own Shelby SuperCars (SSC), which itself stole the record from the original Veyron.
Now SSC is set to reclaim the manufacturer of the world’s fastest production title from Bugatti with a brand new supercar, a supercar that will go by the name Tuatara (pronounced twu-tar-ah).
Yes, SSC has taken a page out of Pagani’s book and given its latest supercar a name almost as strange as Huayra, but there is some reasoning behind the decision.
The name Tuatara was inspired by the Maori word for a lizard found in New Zealand. The Maori are the indigenous people of the tiny island nation. The Tuatara lizard boasts the fastest evolving DNA in the world, and this fast-paced evolution is something SSC’s designers think their new supercar encapsulates.
As the founder of SSC, Jerod Shelby explains: “Most manufacturers essentially use the same basic model and body shape for up to 10 years, while only making small refinements to it each year. After only three years in production with the Ultimate Aero, SSC’s Tuatara is about to monumentally evolve in the areas of sophistication, design, aerodynamics and shear all-around performance. We felt that the fastest evolving DNA was a perfect definition of SSC’s latest project.”
Along with the new name, SSC also released more specs for its upcoming supercar. Its body will be composed entirely of carbon fiber and wrapped around a chassis made of the same stuff. The crash structures will be aluminum, however, though the wheels will also be made from carbon fiber.
The engine will be a twin-turbocharged 7.0-liter V-8 developing upwards of 1,350 horsepower, and drive will be sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed manual transmission -- yes, like the one Porsche is rumored to be working on for its new 911, or a seven-speed sequential manual with paddle-shifters.
No mention of top speed, though a 275 mph figure has been circulating for a while now. Pictured above is a concept version of the car that was shown to select clientele earlier this year. It was penned by none other than Jason Castriota, the former Bertone stylist responsible for the Mantide and now head of design at Saab.
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Hyundai Motor Company’s provisional May sales fell 39% year-on-year to 217,510 vehicles globally, as the coronavirus outbreak continued to hit demand in key markets.
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co said on Monday its provisional May sales fell 39% year-on-year to 217,510 vehicles globally, as the coronavirus outbreak continued to hit demand in key markets.
Sales were, however, up about 30% from 167,693 vehicles in April.
Its domestic sales rose 5% year-on-year, led by popular models such as the Grandeur sedan and new models such as all-new Elantra and premium brand Genesis’ G80 sedan.
However, overseas sales fell 50% on year due to weak auto demand from slowing economic activities stemming from COVID-19, the automaker said in a statement.
South Korea’s May auto exports fell 54% on year despite the sequential resumption of sales at dealerships in major countries, due to increased inventory from low sales in the previous month and decreased demand in major markets such as the U.S. and Europe, the trade ministry said in a separate statement on Monday.
Hyundai Motor’s sister company Kia Motors announced provisional May sales of 160,913 vehicles, down 33% from a year ago, while its domestic sales rose 19% on year, overseas sales fell 44%.
Together, they are the world’s fifth-largest automaker.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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Story | Aug 13, 2013 | 2:11 PM
A collection of news and information related to Auction Service published by this site and its partners.
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Story | Jul 31, 2013Ten of thousands of classic car fans are expected to descend on Burbank this week for a chance to see — and maybe buy — everything from hot rods to surf wagons in a 410-vehicle auction that will include a motorcycle owned by the late Steve McQueen, as well as vehicles from the Petersen Automotive Museum.
Story | Oct 1, 2013 | 5:42 PM
Story | Jul 5, 2013 | 9:22 AM
Story | Jan 7, 2014 | 3:39 PM
I’m holding a pancake breakfast and silent auction on Saturday, Jan. 11, from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. (silent auction closes at 11:30 a.m.) to raise funds for my Boy Scout Eagle project. My project entails repairing the cracks and potholes in the American...


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Online operator Betfair has increased its full year profit expectations by 15% following favourable financial results for the third quarter of the 2015 financial year.
Revenue for the three months to the end of January was up 20% year-on-year to £114.6m, marking a fourth consecutive quarter of growth.
Revenue from sustainable markets was up 27% to £92.9m
Betfair’s number of active customers has gone up 35% to 760,000, with 80% of its sportsbook customers now using mobile, which has caused that platform’s revenue to soar by 96%.
Forecasting for Betfair’s full year 2015 EBITDA is up to £113m-£118m from a previous forecast of £97m-£103m.
Betfair chief executive Breon Corcoran said: “This was another strong quarter. Betfair has momentum and is continuing to gain share in its key markets by acquiring and retaining customers through product differentiation, attractive odds and generous promotions.
“We are now two years into a programme of substantial product and marketing investment and this is delivering sustained growth.”
The successful quarter has been achieved despite the implementation of the point-of-consumption tax in the UK in December, which requires all UK-facing gambling operators to pay 15% tax on gross win.
Betfair was founded as a betting exchange in 2000 and launched its sportsbook in 2012.


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| Jun 2, 2014
| 12:13 PM
In the heated County Commission re-match of Ken Keechl and Chip LaMarca, there's a mountain of cash yet to be spent.
If the past is our guide, we should expect a flurry of negativity.
Four years ago, LaMarca took the seat from Keechl. The two burned...
| Apr 16, 2014
| 5:57 PM
The largest tech IPO of the year — and perhaps of all time — isn't coming from Silicon Valley.
Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce behemoth with more sales than Amazon and EBay combined, has decided to go public on Wall Street after months of...
| Apr 23, 2014
| 7:56 AM
What would you do for five bucks?
It sounds like a creepy question, but there’s thousands of micro-entrepreneurs on Fiverr.com offering their services for as little as $5.
The online marketplace has been connecting five-dollar freelancers with...
| Apr 14, 2014
| 9:11 AM
Last week millions of people rushed to change their online passwords after news of a major encryption flaw called Heartbleed began to circulate.
Heartbleed infected hundreds of thousands of sites, including popular ones like Facebook and Netflix, and...
| May 5, 2014
| 12:33 PM
The following items were taken from New Lenox police reports:
A wallet was stolen from a vehicle on the 2400 block of Bluestone Bay on April 23.
A New Lenox resident reported April 23 that unauthorized transactions had been made on a PayPal account....
| May 16, 2014
| 1:25 PM
What’s the secret to the kind of success that creates worldwide fame and brings in billions of dollars? “Work super hard!” Elon Musk told graduating seniors at USC.
What about entrepreneurial genius? An uncanny ability to ferret out...
| May 6, 2014
| 6:48 PM
Chinese Internet behemoth Alibaba has filed to sell shares in the U.S., the first step in what is expected to be one of the biggest initial public offerings ever.
The company, bigger than Amazon.com Inc. and EBay Inc. combined, said it was raising $1...
| Apr 27, 2014
| 8:00 AM
If Mom and Dad refuse to give you money for your travels, this website offers hope.
What it does: Helps travelers crowd fund their global adventures.
Cost: Varies depending on whether you have a fixed or flexible...
| May 22, 2014
| 11:15 AM
EBay Inc dijo que los piratas informáticos atacaron su red hace tres meses, accediendo a unos 145 millones records de usuarios en lo que está a punto de convertirse en una de las violaciones de datos más grandes en la historia, basada en el número de...
| May 6, 2014
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Hollywood can be a beast for anyone looking to establish a business.
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| May 27, 2014
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Apple users around Australia are reporting that their mobile devices are being held for ransom by a hacker who has remotely taken control of their gadgets.
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| May 14, 2014
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Microlending nonprofit Kiva.org hopes to do for small-business financing in Los Angeles what Lyft has done for transportation and AirBnB has done for lodging – take it to the people.
The organization is partnering with the city of Los Angeles on...


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This morning, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt sat down with AllThingsD's Ina Fried and Liz Gannes to discuss the company's Android mobile operating system, its relationship with hardware partners, its work in developing markets and what's just around the bend, technologically speaking.
Oh, and that whole Facebook Home announcement made by the social network.
The occasion? The "D: Dive Into Mobile" event, held in New York City.
The trio's conversation took various turns; here are the highlights.
1.) There are 750 million Android phones in use globally, on 320 carriers, in 160 countries, running some 700,000 Play apps. "We'll cross a billion in the next six to nine months and we'll be nearing two billion in the next year or two," Schmidt said, adding: "Android is the primary vehicle by which people will see smartphones."
2.) The big news is not what's happening to those of us who are connected, but to the people that are not, Schmidt said. "Our goal is to reach everybody," including the bottom of the market. "Those devices today, in two years they're cheaper, in four years they are phenomenally cheaper."
3.) "A relatively good smartphone with a browser is what you need to access the world's information," Schmidt said. "Nobody uses a phone by themselves anymore," but rather a browser or interface that connects to a back-end of supercomputers that do all the heavy lifting.
3.) In a brief tangent on the privacy of connected health devices: "It's the definition of opt-in" when you take a connected pill. "It's much much cheaper, much more preventive."
4.) "The rate at which our bandwidth is increasing is significantly more than the developing world. But in the developing world, to go from no bandwidth to some bandwidth is historic."
5.) "Humans are naturally optimistic and clever." Google employees are "accused of being techno-optimists…the truth about technology is that it's relatively neutral with an empowerment bias."
6.) On Google's position on personal privacy: "Google has a responsibility, which we take very seriously, to keep your data secure," and "You have a responsibility to keep your passwords secure, understand what people are doing on your computer, not install malware, et cetera." He said, forcefully: "We are careful when we use your information and we tell you that."
7.) On Facebook Home, the mobile venture built atop Android: "I think it's fantastic. This is what open source is about. Open source means open source. It's wonderful -- experimentation, new ideas, creativity." He added, in an attempt to address reports about a potential conflict down the road: "Frankly, it took some guts to do it, on our part."
8.) Later, when pressed about the possibility of Google blocking Facebook Home, Schmidt appeared somewhat indignant and defensive, his feathers ruffled. "The answer is no," he said dismissively. "We're phenomenally happy when people are extending Android in a number of ways. It's called open source. You can't have half open source." He said Facebook "read the rules and they followed them," and added that the company "made a very important point to make it completely applications compatible."
9.) On native apps versus web apps: "This browser versus apps debate is something that we've lived with for 15 years…with HTML5, it looks to me like we're there." He added: "I don't think you should prematurely merge these things, and we're going to continue with both for that reason."
10.) When asked about the combining of the Android, Chrome teams within Google: "You don't want to let organizational design describe product design. You want to build outstanding products. The two are not related." This is where it went wrong at Sun, Schmidt added.
11.) On Google Glass: "For me, the experience was not the screen. It's the fact that you can talk to it, and it will talk to you…for me it was a lightbulb moment that the voice recognition was good enough that you could talk to these things."
12.) "Our job is to put these platforms out there, to bring the technology forward," Schmidt said. "We don't know" what the implications are.
13.) Gannes asked Schmidt how soon it would be before wearing a device like Google Glass on your face will be considered normal. He responded, "At Google, it already is."
14.) On Motorola's place within the Google empire: "They have a new set of products, which I have seen, that are phenomenal," he said. "They're in a tough market…wait and see with this next generation of technology." When pressed for details, he said, "Think of it as 'phones plus.' "
15.) On Google's driverless car trials: "What is the great source of death in America today? It's car accidents…you realize how profoundly bad [it is to have] people driving cars versus computers driving cars."
16.) "The digitization of everything means the availability of knowledge at your fingertips to solve every known problem."
17.) On reports of tension between Google and Android partner Samsung: "The press reports about 'tension' are not correct…the value and the profits to them are very high." He added: "The Samsung relationship has turned out to be a defining one" because of that company's early bet on Google's mobile platform.
18.) On the Apple Maps kerfuffle, Schmidt said that Google told Apple that it would really like the company to use its Maps application, and they chose not to, and that Google would still like Apple to use it moving forward.
19.) On the connected home: "Android is now showing up everywhere: printers, televisions, things like that. The sort of core idea is think about peer-wise self-configuring. When a device comes into a local network, you want it to self-configure." For example, you walk into your room, it realizes that you want your text messages on your phone to show up on your TV -- or not. "We can do that now. Android is powerful enough. Almost everything we use now has a computer in it of some kind. We're never more than six inches from an integrated circuit."
20.) On the evolution of the smartphone as an object and the possibility of a smart watch: "We evolved to sort of this thin glass plate because the primary driver was sort of that big screen. The screens are getting to the point where the sort of visual density is eye-perfect. There's not a lot more we can do...Will the watch be powerful enough that you can replace your phone?" It would need to be powerful enough to speak to, like Glass, like a Dick Tracy watch, he said.
21.) Finally, on Health IT: Most conversation has been around cost structure, billing, automatizing, Schmidt said. "For people like myself, that looks like an IT problem." But "there's a much larger explosion that's going to be happening" around device monitoring: dongles, skin patches, et cetera. "The phone then becomes the staging area for real-time information, in both [directions]," he said.