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Bitcoin Retracts to Near $7,000 After U.S. Department of Justice Launched Probe into Price Manipulation: Week in Review May 29
In the past week, we witnessed the price of bitcoin dropping by 14 percent from $8,500 to $7,300 after the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced that is has launched a criminal probe into possible bitcoin price manipulation.
The DoJ wants to find out whether traders are manipulating the price of bitcoin and other crypto assets through tactics such as order spoofing and flooding the market with fake orders to entice others to trade on these movements in the order books.
Anyone who has ever spent time actively trading crypto assets or just spent time observing order books at large digital asset exchanges knows that the cryptocurrency market is still the “wild wild west” and price manipulation is omnipresent.
While the market reacted negatively to this news, cleaning up bitcoin changes to make digital assets safer to trade for investors may turn out to be price positive in the long-run as it could attract more investors to this new digital asset class.
Leading altcoins have followed suit and are down by ten to 20 percent week-on-week. Only TRON (TRX) managed to stay flat versus last week’s close.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has been keeping an eye on the alluring volatility of the price of bitcoin, with reports emerging of a launch of a criminal probe for price manipulation on exchanges.
Bloomberg reported May 24, 2018, the DoJ is not amused by bitcoin’s price swings, and is on the lookout for traders who dramatically influence the cryptocurrency market, which they state is “rife with misconduct.” The digital currencies under examination include bitcoin and ether.
The department has ordered for a thorough scrutinization of exchanges and traders, in a bid to find the origin of fraudulent market activities, such as “spoofing,” fake market orders, and other types of manipulation.
Federal prosecutors and representatives of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), an authority that oversees the cryptocurrency market, will lead the investigation.
According to a report, the Indian government may impose an 18 percent GST on crypto-trading. Currently, this proposal is being considered by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and is expected to be tabled before the GST Council once it is finalized.
It is also expected that cryptocurrencies could be classified under the category of “intangible goods,” such as software, and its use in illegal activities will have to be dealt with separately, under special criminal laws.
However, all is not concrete, as the decision to tax cryptocurrencies will also depend on the outcome of the panel set up to find a way to regulate them. It is expected that while the Department of Economic Affairs seeks to regulate virtual currencies, investigative agencies want a ban.
Earlier in April 2018, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had already barred lenders from dealing with enterprises dealing in cryptocurrencies and gave them an ultimatum of three months to unwind their businesses, rendering the first week of July 2018 as a death knell for Indian cryptocurrency traders. As per the dictum, banks were explicitly asked to withdraw all banking services for exchanges, thus cutting off the money supply.
According to an official report by Russia’s lower house of parliament, the first draft of the new laws defining cryptocurrencies was approved by a majority, on May 22, 2018. A total of 410 deputies approved the bill, and only one voted against it.
The draft specified treating cryptocurrencies and digital tokens as a property, alongside introducing laws for all activities on digital assets and blockchain technology, such as mining, ICOs, and wallet services. Explaining the motive, the bill stated that digital tokens and cryptocurrencies are issued by a single entity, or a variety of entities, and contain “emission goals.” The bill added: “In this document, it is directly determined that digital financial assets do not constitute a legal method of payment within the territory of the Russian Federation.”
Titled “On Digital Financial Assets,” the bill has been under consideration since 2017, and seemingly adheres with its July 1, 2018 deadline.
The Digital Currency Initiative (DCI), a cryptocurrency and blockchain-focused research community at MIT, are demonstrating an experimental use case in the backdrop of Bitcoin’s Lightning Network that would amalgamate smart contracts with the Bitcoin network to scale further.
The Lightning Network is an open protocol layer that is built on the bitcoin blockchain network, enabling faster and cheaper transactions. The new MIT pilot is not just limited to manage millions of transactions but to make it possible with added complexity.
The MIT test envisages a mechanism wherein transactions would occur automatically when certain defined conditions are met such as when the U.S dollar value meets a predefined price.
To make it possible, DCI’s Research Scientist Tadge Dryja and Head of Strategic Partnerships Alin S. Dragos developed “oracles” that would relay data to smart contracts. The demo is built as an independently operating feature of the Lightning Network software, first proposed in summer 2017.
Bitcoin Private Co-founder and cryptocurrency maverick, Rhett Creighton has leveled a series of remarkable allegations of theft, incompetence, mismanagement, and cover-ups against his former team in a blog post published on May 23, 2018.
Creighton has been engaged in a public feud with the Bitcoin Private team since he was reportedly fired in April 2018. The allegations made by him range from the relatively minor such as incompetence and infighting to severe accusations including mismanagement of Treasury funds, fraud, bribery, and several coverups to prevent information from reaching the BTCP community.
Creighton alleges that BTCP Strategy chief, Giuseppe Stuto accidentally paid 5.5 BTC to a developer Jon S. Layton when he intended to pay 0.55 BTC. In a series of screenshots posted showing the conversation between Stuto and Layton, Stuto repeatedly requested Layton to return the 5 BTC overpayment, and Layton shamelessly refused.
Furthermore, Creighton tweeted an allegation stating that he was offered a bribe of 100,000 BTCP to enable Stuto and Brutman steal BTCP coins by writing fraudulent commits in the course of a coin burn. Both Stuto and Brutman have publicly denied the allegation, endorsing a tweet stating that Creighton is looking to take revenge on the team for removing him.
Even with the reign of the bear market, it seems more and more financial institutions are seriously looking to join the bitcoin train. On May 24, 2018, Frankfurt-based Deutsche Borse AG has hinted it’s weighing the possibility of offering clients bitcoin and other crypto-related products.
According to Bloomberg, the highly-reputed stock exchange has noted a more liberal approach towards bitcoin and other blockchain-based virtual currencies. Present at an industry event in London by the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME), the company’s head of clients, products, and core markets, Jeffrey Tessler, noted that the firm is carefully studying bitcoin and the underlying technology:
“Before we move forward with anything like Bitcoin we want to make sure we understand the underlying transaction which isn’t the easiest thing to do. We are deep at work with it.”
The former Executive Vice president of the Bank of New York also hinted that the super volatile nature of the world’s flagship cryptocurrency, as well as the regulatory uncertainties surrounding the nascent digital assets industry, makes it crucial to study the ecosystem extensively before jumping in.
According to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), the Ministry of Finance has deemed it necessary to suspend the crypto tax law as it has realized that the guideline is nonsensical. Amidst this backdrop, the Polish Finance Ministry plans to formulate another regulation after conducting an “in-depth analysis“ of the virtual currency industry.
“The Ministry of Finance has accepted the irrational effect of the PCC tax on cryptocurrencies,” said Deputy Finance Minister, Pawel Gruza, adding: “So far, the Ministry hasn’t done anything about the PCC, except for recognizing cryptocurrencies as property rights which automatically means obligation to pay the civil law transaction tax.”
The Polish government’s decision to review the cryptocurrency tax regulation did not just happen ordinarily. In April 2018, the Ministry of Finance issued a notice, stating that all digital currency transactions attract an income tax of either 18 or 32 percent, plus an additional one percent levy tax since the government sees cryptocurrency trading as a transfer of property rights.


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If you get an e-mail message telling you a hotel has erroneously charged your credit card account, be careful. The odds are that it’s part of a new spam campaign that could infect your computer.
The messages started popping up in recent days and there are already hundreds of variants on the same theme: A hotel wrongly charged a credit card number and the victim is supposed to fill out an attached form to process the refund.
Please see the attached form. You need to fill it out and contact your bank for return of funds, read one such message, titled
Hotel Breakers Palm Beach made wrong transaction — via redwolf.newsvine.com

domain: news


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PokerNXT, an online poker platform, has launched its official application (app) on Android and iOS. The app’s beta phase, which was launched earlier, ran for around 120 working days and witnessed over 3000 subscriptions. After receiving successful market validation for the beta phase, the brand released its official app today.
This online poker platform was launched with a vision to offer best-in-class value to Indian poker players. A group of passionate poker players founded PokerNXT. The online poker room is a flagship product of Superlative Gaming. PokerNXT is the company’s first significant step in the real money gaming space. The platform also hopes to become the world’s largest real-money gaming ecosystem across multi-game offerings.
The online poker room offers games across three formats – No Limit Hold’em (NLH), Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) 4 and PLO5. PokerNXT is not just for poker pros; the site caters to newbies as well. You can sign-up on PokerNXT and get ₹100 free (use code GSMAG). If you are depositing money for the first time, you can avail a 50% instant bonus of up to ₹10,000 using code INSTANT50. Remember the deposit code is active until Monday, 13th September.
Talking about the future plans, the co-founders wish to consolidate, serve and retain both the B2C (players) and B2B (alliances) markets globally as a technology-based firm. The co-founding team revealed how they are looking at raising funds via Series A funding. These funds will be utilised for gaining a technological edge, expanding their product line and user base. The company aims to be part of the big leagues in the industry, and with the launch of its app on Android and iOS, the brand is on the right path. To download the PokerNXT app on Android and iOS click here.
Amarylisa Gonsalves is a Content Writer at Gutshot Magazine. Advancing from a marketing background, she found her calling in writing. She takes delight in exploring genres and is a curious learner. Patient and ambivert, she believes in letting her work speak for itself. Apart from content writing, she finds solace in writing poetry by manifesting herself through words. Additionally, she adores indulging in drawing and DIY crafts.
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We just emailed it to all our members. Check the headlines here…
Join us for the September member meeting in the Norway-India business community. The meeting is online on Zoom.
NICCI members, we are pleased to invite to you to an exciting webinar hosted by NBAI Thursday 28. May 2020 at 11.00 – 12.00 CET.
We are in the third phase of the lockdown in India. What is the situation and what is the effect on Norwegian businesses? Our speakers for this online meeting is Norwegian Ambassador to India Hans Jacob Frydenlund, Managing Director in Jotun India Kristine A. Leach and CEO in GC Rieber Compact India Morten Hansen.
Video interview: Our Chair Maja Vikan has interviewed Stakraft´s Country Head in India, Bredo Erichsen.
Register now! The online member meeting 23. April is dedicated to the immediate effects on Norway-India business caused by the Corona crises lockdown.
Today India reached 7906 positive Corona cases. The 21 days total lockdown, announced to end on 15. April, will defenately continue.
“India Covid-19 Tracker” is a crowdsourced initiative to keep you constantly updated on the spread of the Corona virus in India.
No-one to leve their homes for the next 21 days, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a television speech to the Indian people right now.
India is in lockdown mode. With effect from 22. March no international flights are allowed to land in India. Yesterday the government also announced a ban on all domestic air travel until 31. March. One billion+ people are asked to stay at home. During the Corona crises, little- but relevant information is required for everyone […]


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China’s Trade Trends July 2022
According to the latest data disclosed by the General Administration of Customs of China, the total international trade in the first seven months of 2022 increased by 10.4 percent to 23.6 trillion yuan (USD 3.64 trillion) compared to the same period the previous year. During the first seven months, the country's exports grew 14.7 percent year-on-year to reach 13.37 trillion yuan (USD 2.06 trillion), whereas imports were up 5.3 percent to hit 10.23 trillion yuan (USD 1.58 trillion).
ASEAN remained China's largest trading partner during the first seven months, accounting for 15 percent of the country's total foreign trade. China's trade with its top three trading partners - the ASEAN, the EU, and the US - grew 13.2 percent, 8.9 percent, and 11.8 percent from a year ago, respectively. China's trade with Belt and Road economies jumped 19.8 percent year-on-year, while that with the 14 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) economies was up 7.5 percent from January to July.
In July alone, Chinese exports exceed growth expectations of 18 percent year-on-year to USD 332.96 billion. July imports totaled USD 231.7 billion, a rate of growth of 2.3 percent from a year earlier and higher than June's rate of growth of 1 percent. The nation’s trade balance climbed to about USD 101 billion in July, surpassing the previous record set in June.


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In partnership with not-for-profit carbonfund.org, the US indie brand will begin offsetting carbon output from its operations
Trestique, a colour cosmetics brand that specialises in beauty skus for on-the-go, has reimagined its product packaging with refillable designs.
From highlighters to eyebrow pencils and lip balms, every product pack is now said to be endlessly reusable.
The packs boast 86% recycled materials and are 100% recyclable thanks to the brand’s partnership with Pact, a US based company that processes hard-to-recycle beauty skus.
The decision to update its packaging was supported by the brand’s new partner, Carbonfund.org Foundation, as it worked to reduce its carbon footprint.
By supporting the not-for-profit’s projects, the brand will be able to reduce its carbon footprint, including outputs from its shipping and product development.
“We wanted to approach the sustainability of our collection with a 360º view,” said Jenn Kapahi, Trestique’s co-CEO and founder.
“It was important to us not only to formulate ‘clean’ with sustainable practices and packaging but also to have carbon neutral products.
“We are so proud to partner with carbonfund.org and transform our brand into a truly sustainable and endlessly refillable line without compromising on beauty and performance.”
Speaking about the new venture, carbonfund.org’s President Eric Carlson, added: “We are thrilled to be working with Trestique on this partnership to go carbon neutral.
“Reducing the waste generated from single-use plastics by creating a refillable packaging is a great idea.
“Trestique offsetting the carbon footprint and shipping emission from their beauty products is taking an important step toward a more sustainable future for us all.”


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Porsche angry over Nissan killer ads in UK
Porsche is apparently threatening to sue Nissan in the United Kingdom over an ad campaign attacking the performance of rival German brands, also including BMW and especially Audi. It seems Nissan is also using marked rival cars to roam the streets.
Britain’s The Guardian says that Nissan’s very public outdoor ad campaign uses lines like “How to beat the Germans”, “The Germans Came Off Wurst”, “Kaisers Chiefed” and “The Winner Hans Down”, next to claims that Nissan’s sports cars, the 370Z and the GT-R, outperformed German rivals in various races at the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany.
Those door markings are done in the style of classic fighter planes, where pilots used to mark their kills on the plane’s body. Porsche is complaining over the unauthorised use of their logo, but it looks like Audi should be crying more over losing the most number of times.
Nissan is also driving around an Audi TT and a Porsche Cayman in public with messages such as “More Expensive. Slower And Less Powerful Than a Nissan 370Z” pasted on the cars.


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Mumbai, Mar 10 (PTI) Police would be issued orders to take suo motu action and file cases if they see advertisements of chain marketing companies, Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil today said.
He was replying to supplementary queries on a calling attention notice moved yesterday by the NCPs Prakash Gajbhiye in the Legislative Council.
Raising a supplementary query, Gajbhiye said that thousands of people were being cheated due to this financial fraud.
Patil further said that cases registered in connection with these chain marketing companies had risen in the state.
While in 2016, 7,049 cases were filed, 2017 saw a 12 per cent rise with 7,918 cases filed against such firms, Patil said.
He informed that banks had been instructed not to extend credit to such companies.
"29 cases have been filed against chain marketing companies across the country and 31 people have been arrested. So far government has seized Rs 144 crores from bank accounts of these companies," Patil said. PTI MM BNM


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LCQ22: Privacy concerns brought about by smart products
It has been reported that in recent years, more and more household appliances, personal electronic products and electronic toys can access the Internet and are equipped with sound-recording or video-recording functions (smart products). However, some of the smart products have poor information security features. Once hackers successfully break into such products, they can steal the personal data of the users and their family members and even carry out overhearing and peeping activities, thereby intruding on their privacy. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of requests for assistance and complaints received in the past three years by the authorities about smart products being used to steal personal data or intrude on privacy;
(2) whether it has assessed the risks of smart products being used to steal personal data or intrude on privacy, and of the measures to lower such risks;
(3) whether the authorities will (i) issue guidelines to stipulate the information security features with which smart products should be equipped, and (ii) launch a labelling scheme so that consumers can be informed of the information security features with which such products are equipped; and
(4) whether the authorities will study the enactment of legislation to require that certain categories of smart products for sale in Hong Kong must comply with specified information security standards?
On the Hon Chan's enquiry, we have consulted the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) and the Innovation and Technology Bureau. Our consolidated reply is as follows:
(1) During the period from 2015 to 2017, PCPD respectively received two requests for assistance and one case of complaint relating to the theft of personal data or intrusion of privacy arising from the use of smart electronic products connected to the Internet.
(2) and (3) The increasing popularity in the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies nowadays as well as the use of smart electronic devices becoming an integral part of the daily life of the public has given rise to the potential risk of smart electronic products being used for theft of personal data or intrusion of privacy. The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) and its Government Computer Emergency Response Team have been co-operating closely with the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (HKCERT) under the Hong Kong Productivity Council and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau to monitor the overall information security situation in Hong Kong and provide appropriate support. The OGCIO, the HKCERT, the HKPF and other professional bodies organise various activities including "Build a Secure Cyberspace" annual campaign to raise public awareness and knowledge on information security. OGCIO has also established a "Cyber Security Information Portal" to provide general users, small and medium enterprises, and organisations with practical information and guidelines. These include protective and preventive measures against cyber attacks on computers and mobile communication devices.
Following the launch of various mobile payment services and development of mobile games, as well as the recent cyber security incidents arising from IoT devices, OGCIO and related organisations have included relevant topics and contents in various seminars and on the "Cyber Security Information Portal" to introduce the security risks involved in mobile games, mobile payment services and household network devices, and provided appropriate preventive measures and responsive solutions for risk mitigation.
Besides, PCPD has put in place measures to guard against the risk of data leakage, including the publication of the infographic "Protect, Respect Personal Data – Smart Use of Internet of Things" and the information leaflet "Physical Tracking and Monitoring Through Electronic Devices" to explain the possible personal data privacy risks associated with the use of IoT-enabled electronic devices, and to put forth recommendations on the different privacy protection measures to be taken. To address the users' practice of using smart electronic devices to download mobile applications, PCPD has also produced publicity videos providing recommendations to the public on the protection of personal data during the use of such applications.
(4) OGCIO provides public and private organisations with information on internationally recognised standards on information security and practice guides through its InfoSec website, in order to facilitate them to take protective and preventive measures as appropriate according to their business needs. OGCIO also actively keeps in view the latest development of the standard of information security management system ISO/IEC 27000 series, and regularly publishes and updates the information on "An Overview of ISO/IEC 27000 family of Information Security Management System Standards" on its website for reference by the public and private organisations.
Ends/Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Issued at HKT 14:30
Issued at HKT 14:30


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I note it was reported yesterday that Amazon are opening a multi-lingual callcentre in Cork, with the support of IDA Ireland. Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, MicheÃ¡l Martin helps himself to some of the credit, naturally.
Local business development consultant, Donagh Kiernan mentioned it in his blog:
This further copper fastens Irelandâ€™s strength in securing the new economy multinationals.
Also with the recent announcement of Cork company DSIâ€™s partnership with Amazon, Ireland is really showing itâ€™s world class capabilities in the new economy in attracting such commitments.
Congratulations to the IDA, Minister Michael Martin and his team..
Bernie Goldbach has written a bit about this as well and unfortunately I suspect his views are a lot closer to the truth of the matter – specifically Bernie says:
Amazon Cork doesn’t sound as techie as Amazon Dublin, where a Systems and Networks and Operating Centre runs in the Digital Hub in Dublin. Amazon Cork sounds like a call centre and those things are the 21st century’s equivalent of a clothing factory…. I would be curious to see what Amazon thinks is the attraction of Ireland. I still think it’s the friendly tax regime. It’s certainly not a robust teleworking infrastructure, nor is it high-speed road access between Cork and Dublin nor is it low cost of operations.
Bernie has hit the nail on the head here – Amazon have come to Cork despite the poor infrastructure and because of the tax breaks. They located their call centre in Cork – something they can pick up and drop in another location at a moments notice. Call centre jobs are low paying, high churn jobs. Minister Martin, you would be better advised looking for high value jobs for Cork – ones with an R&D component, for example. The Amazon call centre will last here 5 years tops and will you be around to take the credit when they move on?


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SILVER SPRING – Brightly colored storefronts and work on one of four giant murals has begun as part of a $10 million overhaul to the Ellsworth Avenue area of Downtown Silver Spring.
While no buildings will be added or taken down, the shopping district is expected to take on a very different look as Ellsworth Avenue will be permanently closed to vehicular traffic. Artificial turf will be laid on top instead, explained Bryant Foulger, chairman of Foulger-Pratt Contracting. They are working with Peterson Companies to redo the area.
“We really want this to be a place where people come out and dwell,” he said to the 75 community members who gathered at the Silver Spring Civic Center Sept. 16.
Scattered along the turf-covered street will be benches and chairs for sitting and equipment to play games like ping pong and corn hole.
“We want this to be a fun place,” he said, labeling the area a linear urban park.
What will not be there is the popular water splash pad where young children have played during the hot weather for about 15 years.
The large staircase by the fountain also will be removed.
Several people attending the meeting were dismayed to hear the fountain will be removed.
Foulger, as well as other designers attending the meeting, attempted to reassure them by noting that instead of the splash pad, many other activities that would attract more than just toddlers were built into the plans.
Many wooden structures for seating would be scattered throughout the former fountain area. Those structures will be movable, allowing for concerts and other events of various sizes, he explained.
The wooden furniture could be used as a stage as well as seating.
The changes are expected to be made over the next year-and-a-half to two years.
“We’ve already begun. We started doing things we don’t need permits for,” like painting, he said.
“Downtown Silver Spring has been a great success,” Foulger said. The goal is to “refresh it and bring it up to date,” he said.
Parking by the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road, in front of the area by the Red Lobster, will be eliminated. Instead, seating will be added there.
Many in the audience were relieved to hear that the Saturday morning farmer’s market would continue in its same location, although they questioned whether those selling their fruits, vegetables and breads would have to remove the new furniture by themselves and walk further with their goods without a drivable road there.
The downtown area, which encompasses the Silver Spring Civic Center, AFI theater and the Fillmore Silver Spring music venue, is a 440,000-square-foot area that runs from Ellsworth Drive to Fenton Street. It currently features stores, restaurants and a movie theater.
New to the area will be The Eleanor, a 7,700-square-foot store, which will feature a bar and grill, a bowling lounge, more than a dozen arcade games and an outdoor patio. Located where Macaroni Grill was, The Eleanor will be similar to its location on Florida Avenue in Northwest Washington, D.C.
Ulta, a beauty store, will relocate to nearby Fenton Street. Foulger said it is too early to say what will go into that space, but said that it was large enough to become two or three stores.
“We don’t talk about the tenants we are talking to,” Foulger said.
While he expected most stores and restaurants to remain, not all will, Foulger predicted. When asked which stores would be moving, Foulger would not specify, but did not rule out the possibility of evicting a current tenant if need be. He also added that it is difficult to bring in any retailers who already have establishments in nearby areas such as Bethesda and Pike & Rose.
Lastly, it was announced that artists from around the world will create the four giant murals that will be displayed over some of the blank fronts of some of the stores. The artists were chosen following a review of their work, Foulger said. The first mural is already currently underway on Fenton Street near the movie theater.
Foulger said he has not seen a finished draft of what they will look like, adding that the artists were told only to create something whimsical and fun.


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Florida consumer sentiment remains high despite a decline in February
With a revised January figure of 101.3, Florida consumer sentiment levels climbed even closer to the record high of 102; however, consumer sentiment declined 1.9 points in February to 99.4.
Among the five components that make up the index, one increased and four decreased.
Opinions of ones’ personal financial situation now compared with a year ago decreased three-tenths of a point, from 90.5 to 90.2. Opinions as to whether this is a good time to buy a major household item like an appliance showed the biggest decline in this month’s reading from 106.7 to 100.6, decreasing 6.1 points. This decreased for all Floridians regardless of their age, gender, and economic condition, but the biggest drops are found in men and those aged 60 and older.
“These two components show that opinions regarding the current economic conditions have tumbled among Floridians in February,” said Hector H. Sandoval, director of the Economic Analysis Program at UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
Two out of the three components representing projections of future economic conditions also fell this month. Expectations of personal finances a year from now decreased 2.8 points from 109.7 to 106.9. Anticipation of U.S. economic conditions over the next year declined 3.5 points from 104.3 to 100.8. The only component that increased was expectations of U.S. economic conditions over the next five years, which increased 3.4 points from 95.1 to 98.5.
“Although there is overall decline in short-term expectations, opinions are split by income levels and age. Those with income levels above $50,000 have negative expectations, while those with income under $50,000 hold positive opinions. Similarly, people under the age of 60 have strong negative expectations while people aged 60 and older have more positive opinions.” Sandoval said.
Most of the pessimism seen in Florida can be attributed to both the current economic conditions and the short-term expectations of the national economy. The early February plummet of the global stock market may explain some of this consumer worry.
“Despite the volatility in the stock market, general economic conditions in the U.S. and Florida remained favorable. Economic activity expanded and unemployment was remarkably low as the labor market continued to strengthen. The economy seems to be near or at full employment. It is expected that the labor market will tighten even more in the following months which will push wages up,” Sandoval said.
Although February experienced a decline in consumer sentiment, confidence has been high since 2017. In the near future, economic activity will prosper due to positive trends and higher wages leading to increased consumption. However, predicting longer-term economic trends will depend on the following months.
Conducted Feb. 1-22, the UF study reflects the responses of 334 individuals who were reached on cellphones, representing a demographic cross section of Florida.
The index used by UF researchers is benchmarked to 1966, which means a value of 100 represents the same level of confidence for that year. The lowest index possible is a 2, the highest is 150.
Details of this month’s survey can be found at http://www.bebr.ufl.edu/csi-data.


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Google has confirmed that it will soon join Mozilla, Microsoft and Apple in adding a do-not-track setting to its browser, Chrome. With the move, Google is fulfilling a promise it made in February to start offering a browser-based do-not-track setting.
Despite the news, the browser-based approach to do-not-track seems to have lost momentum from earlier in the year, when everyone from the Federal Trade Commission to the online ad group Digital Advertising Alliance went on record as supporting the concept.
The move to develop browser-based headers gathered steam a few years ago, shortly after the FTC called on the industry to develop a simple way for consumers to opt out of all online tracking. Mozilla responded by creating a do-not-track header for Firefox; the other browser manufacturers followed suit.
In February, the initiative got a big boost from the Digital Advertising Alliance, which said it would require members to honor do-not-track settings. (Unlike browser settings that block cookies entirely, a do-not-track command only sends a signal to publishers and ad networks that users don't want to be tracked. Those companies then must decide how to respond.)
Since then, however, no one has been able to agree on what do-not-track actually means. Some advocates say that companies shouldn't collect any data from users who activate a do-not-track header. Other people say that companies should be able to gather information for purposes like analytics or frequency capping, but should stop collecting the type of data that will enable personalized ads.
The Internet standards group World Wide Web Consortium is trying to forge an agreement on that issue, but so far has had no luck.
Meanwhile, the definition of "track" isn't the only sticking point. Microsoft said in May that Internet Explorer 10 would have the do-not-track command activated by default. That move drew complaints from the ad industry, with the DAA going so far as to say that its members wouldn't be required to honor do-not-track signals that were set by default.
Last month, Microsoft retreated somewhat by stating that Windows 8 will offer users two choices at installation: "express settings" or customized. Only the express settings will include do-not-track by default.
But even that decision didn't stem criticism. Apache developer Roy Fielding was so irked that he wrote a "patch" that negates a do-not-track command from IE10. Now, publishers using Apache who want to honor do-not-track settings will have to change Apache's default.
The upshot is that do-not-track is still very much a work in progress -- and Google's decision to add the header to Chrome won't change that fact.


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Polish telecoms group Cyfrowy Polsat has launched 300Mbps LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) mobile data services for its own customers as well as those of its subsidiary cellular operator Polkomtel, which operates under the Plus brand. The speed upgrade has been carried out using carrier aggregation technology to combine spectrum in the 1800MHz and 2600MHz bands. Services are being marketed under the banner ‘Internet LTE Plus Advanced’ and are available to both private and business users. The telco says the upgrade also provides improved network stability and increased capacity.
According to Polsat, LTE Plus Advanced has been made available in ‘dozens of locations’ throughout Poland, offering coverage of around two million people. The firm says approximately 125,000 customers currently have devices which can access the new 300Mbps services, with enabled devices including 19 smartphones, three routers and two tablets.
Cyfrowy Polsat is owned by Polish billionaire mogul Zygmunt Solorz-Zak and operates via a number of subsidiary companies, including Polkomtel/Plus and Aero2/CenterNet. TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that Polkomtel is Poland’s fourth largest cellco in subscriber terms, with around 19% of all users.


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Reddit Email Print Reprint In the four days from July 31 to August 3, traffic to Walmart.com in the past two years has suddenly doubled from weeks prior as customers turn their attention from the pool back to school. Today Walmart is ... TheStreet.com, 1 day ago
Walmart Data Shows Customers Shift from Pool to School starting this Weekend - PredictWallStreet, 1 day ago
WAL MART STORES : Walmart bringing two smaller-format stores to St. Peters - 4 Traders, 3 days ago
- A new Walmart is opening Wednesday, July 29, following a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:20 a.m. The new store is conveniently located at Westpark Drive and Rice Avenue and is open 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. The store will provide ...Noodls, 2 days ago Wal Mart Stores : New Houston Walmart Opens for Shoppers 4 Traders, 2 days ago Gilbert Walmart To Offer In-Store Cell Phone Repair Services From Cellairis July 09, 2015Customers shopping in the Walmart at 2501 S Market Street in Gilbert, AZ 85295 will soon have convenient access to on-site... PRWeb, 6 days ago Walmart opens new eCommerce fulfillment center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Individual.com, 1 week ago
New State-of-the-Art Center Brings Nearly 400 New Full-Time Jobs to Bethlehem; Enhances Retailer's Ability to Deliver Online Orders Faster and at Lower Cost Walmart recently held a sneak preview event at its new fulfillment center in Bethlehem, Pa.Retail Info Systems, 1 day ago Walmart Debuts New e-Commerce Fulfillment Center Progressive Grocer, 1 week ago Walmart adds fulfillment center for online orders Mass Market Retailers, 1 week ago
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The CIPP releases its annual payroll survey findings
01 May 2014
The introduction of RTI cost some businesses around £30k. The number of businesses now considering online payslips is on the increase, however the number of complaints relating to the security of self-serve has significantly increased.
The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals has today announced the findings of its sixth annual payslip survey, which looks at the number of UK employees being paid, the frequency with which they are paid, the method of how they are paid and the information included in the payslip.
The cost of administering payroll
The survey conducted by the CIPP’s Policy Team earlier this year has yet again shown some surprising new trends within the payroll. Most noticeably are the significant costs some businesses have been faced with as a result of the introduction of RTI. These costs are largely due to the requirement to upgrade their existing payroll or Bacs software with some estimates from businesses being around £30,000.
Furthermore additional costs are also now being seen with the addition of automatic enrolment, not only in the software upgrades but also in the need for additional resource. Next year’s survey will look at the comparison between the one off and ongoing costs required for this legislation.
The increase of online payslips
In 2013, the CIPP reported that many businesses were not ready for the introduction of online payslips but this year’s findings show that they’re on the increase with over a third now using them (39 per cent compared to 27 per cent in last year’s report).
The findings also showed that the number of people considering using them has increased this year from 26 per cent to 37 per cent. This could largely be due to the cost savings they can provide with 83 per cent showing a savings with some showing savings of between £3,000 and £15,000 per annum.
The research did also show a significant increase in complaints from employees regarding the security of self-serve, one of the methods of accessing an electronic payslip, from 44 per cent in 2012/13 to 58 per cent in 2013/14.
However the number complaints relating to the confidentiality over personal information and identity fraud has dropped significantly (60 per cent in 2012/13 down to 41 per cent in 2013/14 for personal information and identity fraud 37 per cent in 2012/13 down to 29 per cent in 2013/14).
Electronic payments are still dominating as the preferred methods of payment, compared to paying employees with cash; cheque payments are showing a decline.
The number of respondents reporting that they include details of pensionable pay on the payslip continues to rise, with 38 per cent now including this information, the highest figure since records began. This is not unexpected with the introduction to automatic enrolment.
However the number of employers who include the pay period and employee’s name has dropped this year. Leaving aside the logistical problems of distributing payslips without names, it is interesting that at a time where employers are being asked to report more and more information, they are providing employees with less.
Unsurprisingly, the last working day of the month remains the most popular pay day for monthly payrolls, with Friday retaining accolade for weekly payrolls.
Karen Thomson, Associate Director of Policy, Research and Strategic Visibility commented:
“This is the sixth year that the CIPP’s Policy Team has surveyed its members to understand the long term trends affecting employee payslips and this year has really thrown up some surprises for us.
In particular it is quite concerning how much the new legislation changes are costing employers in the updating of their payroll software systems, a figure which is only set to increase with the addition of automatic enrolment. However it is good to see many making cost savings elsewhere with the introduction of online payslips.”
For more information on this year’s survey please view the full report.


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The US dollar strengthened against a basket of currencies after disappointing Bank of America earnings changed risk tolerance and sparked safe-haven buying against currencies that had touched multi-month highs against the greenback. The dollar's broad recovery, though modest, was enough to take it further away from the psychologically key $1.50 level against the euro and further above the 90.00 yen mark. Bank of America Corp posted a quarterly loss of $1 billion on consumer credit woes, disappointing markets after more upbeat bank earnings results earlier in the week. Adding to a renewed safe-haven buying was US consumer sentiment falling unexpectedly this month on persistent worries that the dismal state of personal finances would not recover quickly from the worst recession in decades.
The euro fell against the US dollar as risk tolerance dropped on data showing US consumer sentiment eased in October and prompted safe-haven buying. The single currency should continue to see resistance on the psychologically key $1.50 level.
Sterling hit a three-week high against the US dollar, extending the previous day's dramatic gains as traders who had bet on further falls in the battered pound rushed to cover their positions. The pound extended gains a day after the market took talk that Qatar's sovereign wealth fund was planning a renewed offer for British supermarket chain J Sainsbury. Adding to overall positive sentiment for the UK currency were this week's comments from a Bank of England policymaker that quantitative easing is working.
The Japanese yen gave in to broad pressure as an increasingly positive mood on the global economy has been supporting higher-yielding currencies. Since the yen is not one of these currencies, it had been firming, but now we are seeing some correction. The yen also slid against other currencies, as Japanese investors sought out higher returns from foreign fixed income markets.
The Canadian dollar fell versus the US currency after domestic inflation data did not alter expectations that the Bank of Canada can keep its pledge to leave interest rates steady through mid-2010. Canadian CPI data showed consumer prices dropped in September from a year earlier due largely to tumbling gasoline prices in a mixed report that ruled out any specter of either prolonged deflation or unruly price pressures. The CPI is expected to permit the Bank of Canada to hold the line on interest rates next Tuesday and repeat a conditional pledge that rates will stay unchanged at 0.25 percent through mid-2010.
The Australian dollar struck fresh 14-month highs and soared to a one-year peak against the yen as investors added to long positions on higher-yielding currencies. The Aussie has gained over 4 percent so far this month, helped by a 25 basis point rate hike, greater demand for carry trades and a recovery in the global economy and commodity prices. The New Zealand dollar was within sight of a 15-month high as confidence in the global economic recovery prompted investors to buy high-yielding assets.
10-Year Treasury Note Yield: 3.432%
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 9,967.27 -95.75


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What hackers know of the Nintendo Switch so far
There’s been a lot of speculation about the possibilities to hack the Nintendo Switch already. With the device in the hands of hackers for just a small week, it’s unlikely that any group has made any significant progress so far (but hey, nothing’s impossible, we did hack the PSP emulator on the PS Vita on day 1).
Nevertheless, it’s obvious that some people are already digging in the guts of the device to look for hardware and software flaws.
The Nintendo switch has a browser, it’s (not very well) hidden
Nintendo announced the Switch would not ship with a browser. In practice, it’s required for any modern device to have a browser, if only to access some Wifi endpoints that required to “sign in” on an html-based form. It turns out, this browser exists on the Nintendo Switch, and has already been hijacked to access a few sites, and even to watch videos on youtube or Plex.
As to what that browser is, it appears to be a webkit-based (not a tough guess, pretty much all browsers are webkit-based nowadays) piece of software, likely Access Netfront NX. (Which wouldn’t be a surprise. Access is a Japanese company that’s been providing the Netfront browser to a bunch of embedded devices in the past). From the hacking perspective, a webkit-based browser means that webkit vulnerabilities could be leveraged to hack the Nintendo Switch.
The Nintendo Switch OS might be a new iteration of the 3DS OS, and/or might be reusing some components of the FreeBSD Kernel
Hacker Marcan (who, for someone who says he does not intend to hack the Switch, has already looked a lot into its internals 🙂 ) has stated that the Switch OS might be based on FreeBSD, due to some of the licensing text on the Switch mentioning FreeBSD. If the Switch was based on FreeBSD, it would be the second console this generation to use FreeBSD, after the PS4. The benefits, from a hacking standpoint, would be that hacks for one of the devices would be likely to be adapted for the other one.
Conversely, it is also possible that the Switch only reuses parts of FreeBSD and is not based on it. Hacker Plutoo has mentioned that from his early investigations, the Switch OS seems to be very similar to the 3DS OS, with similar syscalls. He mentions however that it is most likely a rewrite (in other words, don’t expect 3DS hacks to work on the Nintendo Switch)
Nintendo Switch hack when?
That’s really the gist of it. Although I’m sure hackers are already looking into the console’s internals, not much is known about it at this point. Console manufacturers have been ramping up their skills on security over the past decade, and although Nintendo might not be at Sony or Microsoft levels in terms of security, it’s sure they’ve been learning from their past experience.
As always, the question is probably not “if” but “when” security vulnerabilities will be discovered for the Nintendo Switch.


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Although technology is one aspect of Boxed’s service, Huang said the company would not exist without its warehouse workers who pick, prep and ship the packages.
“These folks have dedicated themselves to our company day in and day out,” said Huang. “I’m really nothing without them, so this was just my way of making the situation right.”
When Huang made the announcement internally a few months ago, he said there were a few tears in the room, including his.
Find out more at CNN Money.
Photo courtesy of: Julie Lindsay


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According to 01Net’s Starlink halves its prices, but there’s a catch
. news, I share all my suggestions, recommendations and opinions about Starlink halves its prices, but there’s a catch
with you. Details are below…
The SpaxeX subsidiary, which offers Internet access via satellite, drastically reduces its prices in France, but introduces a data envelope limited to 250 GB per month.
For French Starlink subscribers, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that the SpaceX subsidiary, after increasing its prices in France a few months ago, has just backtracked and halved its prices.
As MacG reports, the Satellite Internet service provider is increasing its subscription from 99 dolars to around 50 dolars per month. To this, subscribers must always add the 634 dolars of essential equipment to be installed in their homes, but Starlink, as a great lord, now offers the 59 dolars for postage. A price drop that Starlink imagines may be saving in an attempt to poach new subscribers from the competition.
The bad news is that this sudden rebate hides a hare, and not the least. Elon Musk’s firm indicates on its site that from October 2022, an envelope of 250 GB of “priority data” will be allocated to its subscribers, who will however be able to continue to benefit from an unlimited amount of ” standard data.
“As of October 2022, Starlink is piloting a fair use policy in mainland France to ensure that as our customer base grows, the typical user’s quality of service is not negatively impacted by users who consume large amounts of data.
As part of the fair usage policy, all users have access to unlimited data which includes a monthly allowance of 250 GB of “priority data” and an unlimited amount of “standard data”reads the ISP’s support pages.
In other words, Starlink will provide a full-speed connection for the first 250 gigabytes of data consumed each month, and throttle throughput beyond that.
“Users who consume 250 GB/month or less of data will be prioritized. Users who exceed 250 GB/month will still have access to unlimited data, but may experience slower speeds during times of network congestion. Users can also choose to purchase additional data to regain priority at $10/100GB”concludes the ISP on his site.
The connection will therefore not be cut, but the biggest consumers should see the connection speed decrease if they exceed this “fair use”. As for those who exceed this envelope, they will have no choice but to put their hands in their pockets if they want to find an optimal connection speed. Be careful however, these new rules are currently part of a pilot experience reserved only for metropolitan France.


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ATM card delivery fraud: ICICI Bank fined
- India, Ireland share much in common, says Modi before leaving for US
- Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigns amid emissions-rigging scandal
- Hardik Patel surfaces after mysterious disappearance, says he was abducted
- 2006 Mumbai train blasts: Prosecution seeks death penalty for 8 convicts
- Backward class candidates get lion's share in Nitish Kumar's list
ICICI bank has been directed by a consumer forum to pay Rs 20,000 as compensation to one of its consumers whose ATM card was delivered to a wrong hand, who withdrew money from the account fraudulently.
The ATM card landed at a wrong address and was used for withdrawing over Rs 48,000 from the savings account of a person, who was waiting for the same to be delivered at his address.
A District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (Central) gave its ruling in the favour of account holder Datta Ram, saying that the act of the private bank caused "mental agony and harassment" to him for its failure to return the money to his account in spite of information that it was not withdrawn by him using the ATM card.
The consumer forum also held that non-delivery of ATM card and withdrawal of money from the account of the customer by somebody else amounts to "deficiency of service" by the bank.
"The demand of Rs 48,900 from the complainant and then the act of the bank to withdraw that amount from his saving account amounts to deficiency in service," B B Chaudhary, President of the Central Delhi consumer forum, said in the order.
"On account of the act of the bank, the complainant had to send legal notice and suffered harassment, pain and mental agony," the panel said while also awarding him Rs 5,000 towards litigation charges.
The complainant had said that on November 15, 2008 he received SMS alert that Rs 48,900 was withdrawn from his savings account through his ATM card and he had immediately informed the bank that he never received the card and thus he could not have done the transaction.
The bank denied that it caused any deficiency in service and contended that the ATM card and PIN were duly delivered to the complainant and that only he or someone to whom he allowed access to the ATM card withdrew the money and the bank cannot be held liable.


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When a company like Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZC) says they are willing to talk about a merger, Wall Street listens and reacts. Such was the case Tuesday when Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said he would be willing to have merger talks with just about anyone.
McAdam told Bloomberg, “If [Comcast CEO] Brian [Roberts] came knocking on the door, I’d have a discussion with him about it.” McAdam added, “But I’d also tell you there isn’t much that I wouldn’t have a discussion around if somebody came and said, ‘here’s a compelling reason why we ought to put the businesses together.'"
Anyone Means Anyone
Potential merger partners specifically mentioned included Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ:CMCSAC), The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DISC) and CBS Corp. (NYSE:CBSC). As a result of McAdams’ comments shares of all 3 mentioned companies rose Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.
That said, talk is cheap and as McAdam noted on CNBC later in the day Verizon hasn’t found or identified a specific merger partner and has no plans to announce anything anytime soon. McAdam said the company was installing a lot of fiber in support of its wireless network and no other company was matching what Verizon was doing.
Regarding A Verizon-Comcast Union
Buying a cable network like Comcast might make sense to Verizon since cable dominates the high-speed broadband market. Much of Verizon’s network is based on outdated DSL technology.
Verizon has the most mobile subscribers but Comcast is the largest cable company and home internet service provider. Merging the two would create a company with 32 million internet subscribers and put the new company more than 9 million subscribers above Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTRC), the next biggest home ISP.
Bigger And Better
Verizon has plans to invest more than $1 billion in millions of miles of fiber-optic cable over the next few years. The idea is to create faster 4G in advance of a roll out to 5G, providing even faster broadband to homes. This is important to Verizon because the company’s bread and butter has always been the fact it offers the fastest, most reliable service.
Tuesday Verizon announced a deal with Corning Inc. (NYSE:GLWC), maker of the Gorilla Glass smartphone screen cover. As part of the deal Verizon will buy up to 12.4 million miles of fiber-optic cable every year until 2020. It’s all part of Verizon’s promise to bring faster download speeds to wireless devices.
Verizon Earnings Thursday
It all culminates when Verizon reports earnings early Thursday. Currently Verizon stock is trading at about $49 per share. The combination of merger rumors and any positive earnings could boost the stock. On the other hand, should the numbers be disappointing, share prices could fall. Ahead of Thursday’s earnings report, Verizon was expected to earn $0.98/share on $30.59 billion in revenue.


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2019 Ford F 150 News - 2019 ford -150 , release price – ford specs news, 2019 ford f-150 changes, release and price – a lot of rumors is usually to get truck who go 2019 ford f-150 diesel can. it is not only tagged and so forth the subject matter of the story. the vehicle is famous in their regular version, but a few enhancements, as the diesel engine and performance-tuned lights design might make it a lot more thrilling for most people.. 2019 ram 1500 . 2018 ford -150 head--head | .. news, Full-size pickup trucks make up one of the most popular segments on the market. it seems like all across america people are buying pickup trucks at an extremely fast rate. the ford f-150 has historically been one of the best. The 2019 ford -150 power luxurious, The 2019 ford f-150 limited, the truck's most expensive version, becomes more powerful this year.. 2019 ford -150 raptor improved shocks, recaro seats, Ford performance blue—the one on the raptor concept—is now one of three new colors for 2019 and it is exclusive to raptor within the f-150 family. the other colors, which are shared with the f. 2019 ford -150 raptor adds adaptive -road suspension, Trucks 2019 ford f-150 raptor adds adaptive off-road suspension. fox live valve shocks go along with a trail control feature and new recaro seats.. 2019 ford® -150 truck | america' full-size pickup, The ford f-150 makes tough tasks look easy, whether it’s working on the job or heading out on a weekend of recreation. f-150 outperforms every other truck in its class when hauling cargo in the bed or towing a trailer.*. 2019 ford -150 raptor - pictures - roadandtrack., Ford just announced some upgrades for the 2019 model-year f-150 raptor, along with a gallery of the truck doing what it does best—driving off-road.. What' updated 2019 ford raptor , Please let us know in the comments below what other changes you want to see from the updated ford f-150 raptor. here is a 2018 ford f-150 on the ike gauntlet™ – world’s toughest towing test.. 2019 ford -150 raptor electronically adjustable fox, The 2019 ford f-150 raptor is getting a few new toys to play with, including one it’s borrowing from its little brother, the 2019 ranger. for the first time ever, the raptor will get equipped.
2019 ford f150 changes, release and price – ford specs news → 2019 ram 1500 vs. 2018 ford f150 headtohead u.s. news → The 2019 ford f150 gets more power with its luxurious → 2019 ford f150 raptor gets improved shocks, recaro seats → 2019 ford f150 raptor adds adaptive offroad suspension → 2019 ford® f150 truck america's best fullsize pickup → 2019 ford f150 raptor pictures roadandtrack → What's next for the updated 2019 ford raptor and the → 2019 ford f150 raptor gets electronically adjustable fox →


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The Pokemon Company has announced the next showcase will feature Pokemon Scarlet and Violet this August 3rd.
Pokemon Presents Showcase Includes Pokemon Scarlet & Violet; Happening August 3rd
If you’ve been waiting for more Pokemon Scarlet & Violet updates well look no further than this week. The Pokemon Company has announced a Pokemon Presents showcase will be happening this week on August 3rd, starting at 6 AM PT/9 AM ET over on the official Youtube channel.
The tweet that announced the news shares the showcase will include updates for the next major entry in the Pokemon series of games, Scarlet and Violet. This new entry will release for Switch exclusively on November 18th, coming in two versions. The game was first announced during a Nintendo Direct earlier this year in February.
Previously the developer showed off new Pokemon coming with the game, Smoliv, Pawmi and Lechonk. They have also unveiled new Professors, Sado and Turo, as well as four player co-op options coming with the title. Of course, no new Pokemon entry would be complete without new legendaries, Koraidon representing Scarlet and Miraidon representing Violet.
Hopefully we’ll be getting some more gameplay details during this showcase. Pokemon Legends Arceus introduced some interesting new mechanics adding a more interactive approach when it came to catching and battling Pokemon. Scarlet and Violet may follow suit, adding their own new additions. The studio has already shaken things up by presenting two different professors.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will be coming to Nintendo Switch on November 18th.
For more news find it here in Fantasy Survival RPG Frozen Flame Gains 65k Players For Demo and Witcher 3 Former Devs Working On Online Action Game.


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When travel technology companies also turn into marketing firms – Travelport and Avvio
Two almost simultaneous bits of news emerging today showing how traditional travel technology firms have turned to disciplines in media to establish new revenue streams.
At one end of the scale, GDS giant Travelport has announced it has created a global division to handle online display advertising for its airline, hotel and car hire customers on third party platforms in travel agencies.
The other end sees Avvio establish an affiliate marketing system of its own to run advertising campaigns on publisher sites identified as strong lead-gen contenders for small or independent hotels.
Read the full story at http://www.tnooz.com/2010/03/01/news/when-travel-technology-companies-also-turn-into-marketing-firms-travelport-and-avvio/


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GamesBeat Summit 2022 returns April 26-28 with its biggest event for gaming leaders. Reserve your place here!
That Capcom countdown timer is finally over, and with it comes the expected revelation for Street Fighter 6.
This will be the first new numbered entry in the popular fighting game series since the launch of Street Fighter V in 2016. That entry was criticized at launch for lack of content, but Capcom endorsed Street Fighter V by introducing multiple new characters, costumes. And mods after its release.
We haven’t seen much of the game, but Capcom promises more news this summer. You can watch the teaser trailer above. He is facing off against franchise giant Ryu Luke, a newcomer who was also the last DLC character for Street Fighter V.
Capcom also announced new integrations of some of its classic fighting games, including the titles of its passive Darkstocker series. Capcom Fighting Collection will be released on June 24 for Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Venturebeat’s mission Transformative Enterprise is about to become a digital town square for technology decision makers to gain knowledge about technology and transactions. Learn more


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Ross Stores (ROST) Receiving Somewhat Positive News Coverage, Analysis Finds
News coverage about Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) has been trending somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern ranks the sentiment of news coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Ross Stores earned a media sentiment score of 0.15 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media headlines about the apparel retailer an impact score of 45.7764233562548 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next few days.
Here are some of the news stories that may have effected Accern Sentiment Analysis’s rankings:
- Can Ross Stores (ROST) Keep Its Solid Growth Story Intact? – Nasdaq (nasdaq.com)
- Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Brokerages (americanbankingnews.com)
- Nice Rebound for Ross Stores (crossingwallstreet.com)
- Hurricane Harvey May Have Been A Tailwind For Ross Stores (benzinga.com)
Several brokerages have recently issued reports on ROST. BidaskClub cut Ross Stores from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Saturday, June 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $67.00 price target on Ross Stores and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 19th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Ross Stores from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $61.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 12th. BMO Capital Markets set a $65.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 6th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group raised shares of Ross Stores from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $70.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 14th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $70.17.
Ross Stores (NASDAQ ROST) opened at 64.57 on Monday. Ross Stores has a 1-year low of $52.85 and a 1-year high of $69.81. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $57.77 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.76. The stock has a market cap of $24.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.32 and a beta of 1.09.
Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 17th. The apparel retailer reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.77 by $0.05. Ross Stores had a net margin of 8.87% and a return on equity of 42.95%. The business had revenue of $3.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.71 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ross Stores will post $3.23 earnings per share for the current year.
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 7th were paid a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 6th. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.12%.
In other news, CEO Barbara Rentler sold 15,492 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.00, for a total value of $945,012.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.30% of the company’s stock.
TRADEMARK VIOLATION NOTICE: This news story was first published by Watch List News and is the property of of Watch List News. If you are viewing this news story on another publication, it was illegally stolen and republished in violation of U.S. & international copyright law. The legal version of this news story can be read at https://www.watchlistnews.com/ross-stores-rost-receiving-somewhat-positive-news-coverage-analysis-finds/1601914.html.
Ross Stores Company Profile
Ross Stores, Inc and its subsidiaries operate two brands of off-price retail apparel and home fashion stores-Ross Dress for Less (Ross) and dd’s DISCOUNTS. The Company is the off-price apparel and home fashion chain in the United States, with 1,340 locations in 36 states, the District of Columbia and Guam, as of January 28, 2017.
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Indian mobile handset company, Micromax has tied up with Nazara Technologies to embed 40 Electronic Arts (EA) game titles on select handsets available to users in a try and buy model. Nazara being the exclusive partner for officially distributing EA Inc.’s mobile games across India, will facilitate the distribution and payments.
The titles available include the usual smattering of hits like ‘Need for Speed’, ‘EA Cricket 11’, ‘Tetris’ and ‘Harry Potter’ amongst others – all aligned with genres popular in the Indian market. The caveat though, is whether consumers will buy these games priced at Rs 49 and Rs 99, beyond the five free trials offered. There’s also an interesting subscription-based micro-transaction model tied up that offers access to games for Rs 3 a day, which the company claims is enabled through all carrier channels.
This seems to be a part of a directed strategy by Micromax in providing competitive Value Added Services to consumers, in order to differentiate its offerings in the highly crowded budget handsets segment. The company had recently launched EzMail, a push mail service, bundled with its Q80 handset.
While titles from EA are available to consumers on other handsets, an exclusive partnership of this nature is directed at increasing the customers’ exposure to the games, getting them hooked and increasing their chances of buying a game. However, what needs to be seen is how well consumers lap up for an offering like this. Specially when some of the budget smart phones feature a built in app store, in addition to operators’ white labelled app stores.
Also, the game experience is often only as good as the phone itself. With the onset of great games on smart phones, regular phones might just limit one’s interest to the 5 free trials offered. Having said that, Micromax hasn’t disclosed the handsets that will be equipped with these games, so the field is open and it’s pretty much game on for now.


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Researchers from Mysupermarket.co.uk are warning holidaymakers not to get burned by suncream 'deals'. They say a number of retailers appear to have been inflating price of suncream for a short time before launching half price deals - in order to make the special offers look more attractive. They claim to have found this going on in a number of supermarkets and chemists.
This is particularly alarming given that these practices were meant to have been stamped out by the authorities.
Mysupermarket.co.uk compares prices across various retailers, and runs a tracking service, which enables you to look at historic prices for any particular product. In a new Guardian report it analysed those tracked prices for sun creams from a number of retailers over the past year.
It found a 'zig zag' of prices which meant they were raised for a period before being slashed to 'half price'. It used the example of the Boots own-brand Soltan kids STF 50+ spray, which is currently half price at £5.25. However, the spray was only £10.50 between January and March this year (at which time it was buy-one-get-one-free). Since then it has been priced at £5.25.
Zig-zagsThis isn't the first time this sort of pattern has been highlighted. Before the end of 2012 it was even more prevalent. A study by Which? in May of that year looked at 700,000 prices and cited a number of cases where the deal didn't seem entirely straightforward.
In one instance Asda had been selling single yoghurts for 30p, but when it launched a 10-for-£4 deal it doubled the price of a single pot. After the deal was over it reduced the cost of a pot to 30p again. In another case, Tesco was selling Beck's beer for 190 days on discount and 70 days at the higher price.
In November 2012 the Office of Fair Trading was supposed to have solved the problem. At that point eight supermarkets agreed to sign up to a new code, which included things like not running a half price deal for longer than it had been at full price. At the time it said "Shoppers should be able to trust that special offers and promotions really are bargains. Prices and promotions need to be fair and meaningful so shoppers can make the right decisions. Nowhere is this more important than during regular shopping for groceries." It added that the new code: "provides supermarkets with a clear benchmark for how they should be operating so that their food and drink promotions reflect the spirit as well as the letter of the law."
So it's doubly irritating that this code hasn't stamped out zig-zag pricing. In November last year, the Guardian found a similar pattern with wines, which saw their prices inflated before being sold as half price.
Interestingly these promotions don't break these rule, they just ensure they zig-zag within the confines of the code. In the case of the sun cream, they choose to charge the higher prices during the colder months of the year, and the 'half price' deals when the cream would be in higher demand.
It's hard to argue that retailers are following the spirit of this code. But what do you think?


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The 25-year-old Chinese founder of online community SoGal and fund SoGal Ventures tells us about starting up in Singapore, and offers candid advice to other women looking to start businesses.
The co-founder and CEO of co-working company Impact Hub Singapore talks with us about nurturing entrepreneurs, her new venture capital fund and why Singapore is a great place for women-led startups.
Like many young women, Tish Scolnik initially rejected engineering as “nerdy.” Now she’s running a social enterprise that designs wheelchairs for rough terrains.
Harleen Kaur is a former NASA engineer and Rolls-Royce executive. But growing her mobile social-networking company, uCiC, has been her biggest challenge yet.
The owner of three popular Boston-area eateries has set her sights on two complementary business opportunities that feed her entrepreneurial appetites and share her love for great food.
How the search for a strategic partner gave the Houston-based owner of Nicholas Earth Printing a new lease on entrepreneurial life.
Angelica Garcia-Dunn’s personal life took a terrible hit. Instead of becoming bitter or giving up, she decided to shake up the Texas freight industry.
Gender inequality has been on display over the seasons, but fashion-forward women are looking to change that.
Young women are charging into entrepreneurship. We talked to five dynamos who founded businesses in college or soon after — and learned a lot about the benefits of starting up young.
Classical ballet is dominated by women, yet few lead American companies. We talked to female artistic directors to find out why.
Kryshon Bratton of Houston runs a solid pool-building company, but she sees her real opportunity for profit and scale in another sort of construction business.
Audra Fordin of Great Bear Auto Repair and Women Auto Know wants her fellow females to get comfortable in a traditionally male space.
The feisty owner of Toronto menswear retailer Gotstyle is mixing and matching old-school service and digital technologies in a bid to survive — and thrive — in an increasingly tough industry.
Donna Peal founded the non-profit Pro Bono Network to make volunteering easy for stay-at-home moms on hiatus from legal careers.
The upstate New York flower farmer is creating a farm and flower business that gives her the life she wants.


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Blacksburg, Va., April 4, 2001 -- Virginia Tech researchers have determined that adding ionic compounds to polyesters, such as are commonly used in soft drink bottles (PET), makes it easier to process the material.
The research will be presented at the American Chemical Society's 221st national meeting in San Diego April 1-5.
Ions are atoms that carry a positive or negative charge as a result of having lost electrons. The researchers introduced the charged groups to the polymer chain and tested the resulting hybrid polymer/metallic material to see how the ionic group influences polyester performance. "Our efforts involve constructing molecules that are reversible with temperature or light," explains Virginia Tech chemistry professor Timothy Long. "Ionic groups will dissociate witih heat, for example, allowing easier processability and improved thermal stability. We often compare these reversible sites to 'molecular Velcro'."
The paper by Virginia Tech graduate student Huaiying Kang and Long, "Synthesis and characterization of telechelic sulfonate polyester ionomers (PMSE 506 )." will be presented at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 4 in the San Diego Marriott Point Loma room. The research is sponsored by Eastman Chemical Company.
Materials provided by Virginia Tech. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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Entries in 'release schedule' (8)
E3 2016 was packed with release dates revelations.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said that Microsoft might have to reassess its Xbox One release schedule for next year as it has more content than it knows what to ...
A Sony exec has responded to online criticism regarding the Vita no-show in Sony’s Gamescom 2014 press conference.
The UK games market plunged to its lowest figure all year last month as the number of new releases slowed dramatically.
Activision is to reduce the annualised focus of the Skylanders brand.
UK game stores have played down concerns over a quiet start to 2014.


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Medication that claims to act against the novel corona virus is being offered online with the label COVID-19. According to documents from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), there is currently no medication against the coronavirus. Only symptoms such as fever or cough can be treated. It can, therefore, be assumed that the drugs offered online do not do what their label and advertising promises.
Impressionen zum Leben in Zeiten der Corona-Pandemie: Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL; Wolfgang Sannwald, 25.03.2020
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The Council of the European Union (EU) adopted on Monday a new regulation that strengthens sustainability rules for batteries and waste batteries.
The regulation will cover the entire life cycle of batteries — from production to reuse and recycling — and ensure that they are safe, sustainable and competitive, the Council said in a press release.
The regulation will apply to all batteries, including all waste portable batteries, electric vehicle batteries, industrial batteries, starting, lightning and ignition (SLI) batteries (used mostly in vehicles and machinery) and batteries for light means of transport, such as electric bikes, e-mopeds and e-scooters.
“Batteries are key to the decarbonization process and the EU’s shift towards zero-emission modes of transport,” Teresa Ribera, Spain’s minister for the ecological transition, whose country currently holds the EU Council Presidency, said in the release.
“The new rules will promote the competitiveness of European industry and ensure new batteries are sustainable and contribute to the green transition,” she added.
The regulation sets targets for producers to collect waste portable batteries (63 percent by the end of 2027 and 73 percent by the end of 2030) and introduces a dedicated collection objective for waste batteries for light means of transport (51 percent by the end of 2028 and 61 percent by the end of 2031).
It also sets a target for lithium recovery from waste batteries of 50 percent by the end of 2027 and 80 percent by the end of 2031. The recycling efficiency target for nickel-cadmium batteries is set at 80 percent by the end of 2025 and 50 percent by the end of 2025 for other waste batteries.
The European Commission presented a proposal for the regulation on batteries in December 2020. The regulation will now be signed by the Council and the European Parliament, be published in the EU’s Official Journal and enter into force 20 days after.


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An Alcohol Solution
Stopping the Spread of Covid-19 at Corowra
In early 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic first appeared globally, handwashing quickly became a critical line of defence. Early advice given was to wash your hands with warm soapy water for the duration of two rounds of the song ‘Happy Birthday’. If that wasn’t possible then hospital grade hand sanitiser containing sixty to eighty percent alcohol was the next best thing. As the pandemic crisis grew, the demand for hand sanitiser did too. This placed increasing pressures on Australia’s supply and distribution networks.
Reminiscent of past war-time decisions, on 22 March 2020, the Prime Minister announced all non-essential services would be closed to help stop the spread of the virus. Many of Australia’s distilleries and breweries saw this as an opportunity to retain their staff and help keep the country safe. Distilleries produce ethanol, a chemical compound more commonly referred to as alcohol. And it is alcohol that makes hand sanitiser so effective in killing germs.
When their café and function centre closed, the Corowa Distilling Company in the Riverina made the innovative switch from producing alcoholic spirits to hospital grade sanitisers. It took two weeks to source the ingredients and one week to begin production, allowing the company to keep their staff employed and contribute community safety. Sold in the 500 ml bottle shown here, or bulk five or twenty litre amounts, the sanitiser was available to the public through partnerships with online retailers such as The Whisky Company who sold smaller travel sized pump packs.
The sanitiser exceeded expectations and the Distillery worked around the clock to meet demand. As the demand slowed, normal whisky production resumed.


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Hector Andres Zuniga, 20, was a regular at the Blockbuster in Mission, Texas, visiting at least twice a week, according to HuffPost, to rent movies featuring cartoon characters like Barney and Elmo.
But Blockbuster, the once-ubiquitous movie rental chain with more than 9,000 stores in the country, declared bankruptcy and began closing its stores.
At least 10 still operate in the United States today, according to The Washington Post.
And we knew one of those bad days were around the corner when we found out that the Blockbuster was about to close,” his father, Hector, told HuffPost.
But when he saw the room, his eyes were as big as saucers,” Zuniga told HuffPost.


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Does Snow Leopard include an anti-virus app along with all its other OS X improvements? That’s the question The Mac Security Blog are asking, having received tip-offs that disc images infected with a trojan were flagged up as dangerous by Safari.
The functionality has been confirmed by other users, apparently, though it’s still unclear how Apple might be managing such aspects as antivirus updates and the like. If this all pans out to a new security feature in Snow Leopard, it’s possible that Apple will be making regular antivirus log downloads available much in the same way that Microsoft’s Defender automatically gets new rules.
Snow Leopard is on course for a release on Friday, with pre-orders of the OS X 10.6 update already being taken. Apple have previously said that the update is more secure and stable than previous iterations, but it has failed to mention any active antivirus protection that might be preloaded.


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The drop in sales, which exceeded the decline in the wider Australian market, came largely before SAB took control of the business on December 16 in a A$10.5bn (£7bn) deal.
The fall took the shine off a solid trading update from SAB, with revenues excluding acquisitions up 7pc over the quarter. Lager sales volumes rose 4pc with Latin America and Africa driving trading.
However, the UK finished the quarter up just 1pc as poor sales of Miller Genuine Draft held back trading.
European lager volumes fell 2pc and SAB said: "Beer markets remain affected by intense competition, which continued negatively to impact mix, as well as fragile economic conditions."
Sales volumes in Poland, Romania and Russia were each down 6pc, offset by 20pc growth in Ukraine.
Growth in Peru and Ecuador fuelled sales in Latin America, which were up 8pc, while lager volumes in Africa were 11pc higher.
"The only negative point is the volume decline at Foster's," said Matthew Webb at JP Morgan, but added, " We would expect the volume performance of the business to improve materially when consumer confidence recovers and when SABMiller has had the opportunity to implement the turnaround that the business clearly requires."
SAB shares fell 3p to £22.93.