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WATCH: BMW X5 Prototypes in Sand and Snow
SUV set to receive new suspension and chassis systems
BMW will debut the X5 sometime later this year. But right now, the automaker is testing the midsize SUV in extreme climates and situations, as we can see in the video below.
The fourth-generation BMW X5 has been traveling through snow in Arjeplog, Sweden; on gravel roads in South Africa; and across dunes in the U.S. In these places, BMW is testing out the X5's new suspension and chassis systems, which the automaker says are available for the first time in an X model. The next-gen vehicle receives the Adaptive M Suspension Professional and a new rear wheel steering system that BMW calls Integral Active Steering. At one point, the video shows an X5 with blue brake calipers playing in the snow—likely an M Sport variant rather than a full M model.
Judging from past prototypes we've seen, the X5 won't look radically different from the current model. However, it will likely wear a larger grille in addition to updated headlights and taillights. In the photos, the interior has also changed with a smaller gear stalk and new arrangement of central buttons. We've also spotted a prototype for the X5 M with big blue brake calipers and quad-tip tailpipes.


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On the 24th of December, Laurence Fletcher from the Financial Times wrote an article highlighting how investors seek opportunities in wine as a haven asset dodged the 2020’s big swings. Here is a summary and the link to the article
Our CEO, Gregory Swartberg explains our tremendous success this year by quoting: “To our surprise, even considering the fact that restaurants were not taking in a lot of stock and tried to sell stock, [the wine market has] seen a tremendous amount of demand coming from private clients.”
The article explains how the wine trade has been growing despite the numerous unplanned events that happened this year. It states that inquiries for wine investment has doubled and that it is linked to one main reason: wine is looking to be a more safe, less volatile investment that can resist big crisis of all kinds.
According to Liv-ex analysis, regions like Champagne and Italy rose 8.3% and 6.7% last year. These indicators support how important it is to have a diversified wine investment portfolio.
One of our best trades of 2020 is explained as well: There had been speculation, for instance, that Château Lafite Rothschild would change its famous label for its 2018 vintage, which marks 150 years since the Rothschild family bought the Pauillac winery. Cru Wine’s Mr Swartberg bought a large amount of the wine for clients and the company’s own account this summer. When the label was released two months ago, it featured a tiny hot air balloon with the letters CL — Roman numerals for 150. Mr Swartberg made a quick profit of about 30 per cent as collectors snapped up the wine, which will not be bottled until next year.”
You will find the complete article here.

domain: news


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Light Up Lakewood 2019 to Feature Beer Garden Sponsored By Roundstone Insurance
When LakewoodAlive’s signature holiday event returns for a 13th consecutive year this December, this festive occasion will blend old favorites with new traditions in the making.
LakewoodAlive announces the return of the Light Up Lakewood Beer Garden sponsored by Roundstone Insurance as a centerpiece of Light Up Lakewood 2019 taking place Saturday, December 7, in Downtown Lakewood. Located at the intersection of Mars and Detroit Avenues, this Beer Garden will afford Light Up Lakewood attendees aged 21+ an opportunity to purchase and enjoy a selection of local craft beers within a festive atmosphere. New this year, this Beer Garden will also offer a hot mulled cider.
Now in its second year, the Light Up Lakewood Beer Garden will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. during Light Up Lakewood and will welcome guests on a first-come, first served basis as capacity permits. Children under 12 may enter the Light Up Lakewood Beer Garden provided they are accompanied by an adult aged 21+.
“The addition of the Light Up Lakewood Beer Garden has enabled us to expand the appeal of Light Up Lakewood, while maintaining the festive, family-friendly nature of this community event,” said Ian Andrews, LakewoodAlive’s Executive Director. “We are excited to continue this new tradition of Light Up Lakewood, and grateful to Roundstone Insurance for helping to make this feature possible.”
I am the Marketing & Development Manager for LakewoodAlive. I enjoy all things Lakewood, especially walking my basset hound through Madison Park.


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India Tourism Mart Current Affairs, GK & News
The Third India Tourism Mart was organised on February 18, 2021. It was addressed by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan. The event was organised by the Federation of Associations in India Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) through video conferencing. Key Facts The event was participated by over 250 delegates from ..
Category: Events Current Affairs
The first India Tourism Mart (IMT) will be held in New Delhi from 16 September 2018 to create a global tourism mart for India on lines of major international travel marts. It will be organized by Ministry of Tourism in partnership with Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH). India Convention Promotion Board ..
Month: Current Affairs - July, 2018


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Linguistics experts employed by Google are listening to recordings taken from Google Smart Home speakers, the California-based tech giant admits in a statement.
The increasing popularity of smart home system to automate home functions like locking the door or switching the lights on, among others, has raised concerns among data security experts and privacy advocates.
As Google has already been facing controversies surrounding its ability to secure its users’ data, the Silicon Valley superpower is once again in the center of another data-related issue after it admitted that its employees are listening to recordings from their smart home speakers.
According to the company, linguistics experts are listening to “snippets” of recordings made by users to improve the device’s artificial intelligence for voice recognition technology used in their smart home systems and smartphones. Nonetheless, they clarified that the tapes were randomly snipped and are unnamed.
The smart speaker from Google understands and responds to voice commands given to it, answering queries about the news and weather, as well as, being able to control other internet-connected devices around the home.
In a statement released by the search engine and smart device tycoon, Google reveals that its experts transcribed a small number of anonymous recordings, and an investigation has been launched following the controversial Dutch tape recordings that were leaked in the recent months.
“We partner with language experts around the world to improve speech technology by transcribing a small set of queries – this work is critical to developing technology that powers products like the Google Assistant,” Google said.
“Language experts only review around 0.2% of all audio snippets, and these snippets are not associated with user accounts as part of the review process.”
The statement continued: “We just learned that one of these reviewers had violated our data security policies by leaking confidential Dutch audio data.”
“Our Security and Privacy Response teams have been activated on this issue, are investigating, and we will take action. We are conducting a full review of our safeguards in this space to prevent misconduct like this from happening again,” they added.
Similarly, earlier reports have tagged a similar system released by Amazon, Alexa, to have been listening to the recordings made by their users in their smart home devices. Amazon admits the process and justified it in the same manner as Google, citing its role in the development and improvement of artificial intelligence.
Privacy campaigners claimed it was a “data protection disaster waiting to happen.”
Privacy concerns are not only limited to smart home speakers. Last week, Chinese smart home devices manufacturer Orvibo suffered a data breach that exposed the exact geolocation of their users through their device’s GPS.
Z6Mag previously reported that more than 2 million records had been compromised due to an unsecured online database that contains sensitive information, including the precise location of the devices manufactured by Orvibo.
The news follows the report published by vpnMentor, with their cybersecurity team led by Noam Rotem and Ran Locar. After posting their discovery, the researchers said that the database is still left open since the time of publication, and the number of data compromised grows by the minute.
Researchers believe that the scope of the breach includes different countries including China, Japan, Thailand, the US, the UK, Mexico, France, Australia, and Brazil as the company claims to have around a million users.
The team behind the discovery has contacted Orvibo since June 16, 2019, but failed to respond to the report, and the database is still open as of the publication of their report.
Shortly after the news broke out, the company spoke up and confirmed that the breach happened as well as said that they have already taken necessary actions to remedy the situation.
“Firstly, we sincerely apologize for this issue,” said a statement posted in the company’s official Twitter, @orvibo. “Once we received the report on July 2nd, ORVIBO’s RD team took immediate action to resolve data leak vulnerability.”


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Articles tagged with: Final Fantasy
We always thought that this was going to be an almost certainty, but it has now been confirmed that Final Fantasy XIII will be getting a Collector’s Edition next year.
We can pretty much assume that this is for North America as well as Europe, and Final Fantasy XIII fans should now be rejoicing at the news in both regions.
On Saturday, December 12th, music from Final Fantasy IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, and even XIV were performed at the Rosemont Theatre in Illinois.
It was amazing.
On Saturday, December 12th, Final Fantasy fans across the world will be able to listen to Nobuo Uematsu perform in Chicago. This is of course assuming that you have tickets to Distant Worlds. Unfortunately there will be no live stream like Symphonic Fantasies, but that doesn’t get rid of the awesome.
This concert promises new renditions of the songs we all know and love and even music from Final Fantasy XIV will be played. Excited?
Can you believe that Final Fantasy XIII is just ten days away from being released in Japan? Here’s a commercial that will make you scream like a little school girl in excitement.
With Final Fantasy XIII just around the corner in Japan, new pictures have surfaced and they look great. In these latest screens from XIII, not only do we get to meet Cid, but Vanille and her Eidolon Hecatoncheir are seen giving enemies the whoopin’ they deserve.
By now you are most likely fed up with SCE Europe releasing random PSone Classics that nobody cares about. Winnie the Pooh? Come on now, we want the real Classics!
Well, someone on the PS Blog asked Sony about Final Fantasy VIII and actually got a reply back. Fans will be quite pleased and disappointed with the response.
Final Fantasy XIII is nearing its Japanese release date but for those of us elsewhere we have to wait a few more months. Square Enix have recently revealed the final box art for both European and North American releases and guess what, they’re the same!
Not long now Japan, and you’ll finally be getting your hands on Final Fantasy XIII.
In case you needed one final push, however, check out the last trailer for the JRPG before the title actually hits Japanese shelves in twelve days time.
As if SquareEnix even needed to advertise the game. It’s going to sell like hot-cakes and everyone knows it.
Square Enix have announced today, via a special video trailer on the official website, that Final Fantasy XIII will be released in Europe (plus other PAL territories) and North America on 9th March 2010.
In addition to the launch date, the game’s theme song is to be provided by X-Factor winner Leona Lewis.
Final Fantasy is known for its beautiful music and the newest trailer for FFXIV gives just that. Oh and it shows new footage of the game, too.
A closer look at the trailer reveals an interesting tidbit of what could be included in the game. Not only that, but news of a beta test might come sooner than later.
We knew it was coming, but now it’s official: The 250GB slim PS3 is real, and will be coming to the UK and Europe.
For just £284.99 and €349, you can buy a 250GB PS3 with two platinum titles or inFamous from the 1st of October.
Final Fantasy VIII is now available to download from the Japan PlayStation Store.
Will FFVIII be released in Europe and North America soon?
The unforgettable music from Square Enix will be performed in Germany on September 11th and 12th.
Video game composer Nobuo Uematsu will be in attendance, and now you can be too! The video game music tribute will be streamed for all fans live on September 12th for free.
“Symphonic Fantasies – Music From Square Enix”, just as the name implies, will not just cover music from Final Fantasy…
Yesterday we heard the news that Japanese gamers will finally get their chance to play Final Fantasy XIII on the 17th of December this year.
Now, Square Enix has released a statement on the European release for the game…
Well we knew that Final Fantasy XIII was releasing this year in Japan, but the actual and final release date just sneaks in on time.
Thanks to some clever YouTube Japan users, the date of December …
The latest issue of Famitsu brings us details of two new characters to the Final Fantasy XIII universe; Jill Nabato and Yaag Rosch. Despite appearing in the latest trailer at E3 this year, up until now, we have had no details on these two antagonists of Lightning.
For as long as we can remember, Final Fantasy fans have been nudging Square Enix to remake their most favourite game in the franchise; FF VII.
The PSOne classic recently hit the PlayStation Stores around the world and the request for a remake has never been higher.
In the past we have seen Final Fantasy titles releasing around a year after the Japanese launch in Europe, and sometimes several months after North America.
However, speaking to VG247, the game’s producer Yoshinori Kitase, told them that this time around it could be very different, pushing a simulataneous launch with North America this Spring…
The official Final Fantasy XIV English website has been updated with reams of new information regarding SquareEnix’s upcoming MMO.
Most importantly, we finally get an introduction to the game’s story. The new fantasy world, soon to be open to players to venture in, concerns benevolent Gods and Goddesses overlooking emerging tribes as they eke out an existence in the untamed lands of Eorzea. Sounds like a standard Final Fantasy set up to us.
Thrown into turmoil with the arrival of a more industrial and aggressive faction, the opposing clans band together to ultimately repel an attack that never comes.
What follows is an Age of Calm but also a surge of banditry due to a militarised nation now no longer needed to defend its cities and peoples. The perfect set up for adventuring.


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UGANDA:Mobile money rates for paying utility bills increase
MTN Mobile Money has increased its transmission charges for payment of utility bills. The affected bills are those for National Water and Sewerage Corporation and Umeme electricity.
For bills between sh500 to sh2500, the charges increased from sh110 to sh190 while for those ranging from sh2,501 and sh2,500 the customer will be charged sh330, a sh190 increment from sh140. The charges took effect February.
Before, it cost a customer sh500 to pay bills ranging from sh5,000 to 45,000. Now they will pay sh1,000 for the first sh5001 to sh15,000 then pay sh1,600 for the next sh15,001 to sh30,000 and finally pay sh2,000 for the final sh30,001 to sh45,000.
Bills ranging from 45,001 to 60,000 will now cost sh2,650 from sh550 to pay while those ranging from 60,001 to sh125,000 will cost the customer sh3,500 up from sh660.
For bills ranging from sh125,001 to sh250,000, they will be paying sh3.950 up from sh950 while bills of 550,001 to sh500,000 will cost the customer sh5,050 up from sh1,250.
For bills from sh500,001 to sh1m, the rate was increased from shsh3,200 to sh10,700, and for those paying bills of sh1m to sh2m the charges are sh20,500 from sh5,500.
Bills of sh2m to sh4m will cost the client sh40,000 up from sh10,000. MTN Uganda’s chief marketing officer, Ernst Fonternel explained that this was done because the utility companies were reluctant to pay MTN for the transactions.
He said in the circumstances, the clients of the utility companies must shoulder the cost. “The companies no longer pay us for the collection of their monies. So we recoup our share from the customer,” he said


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However, instead of focusing on their assistant (Siri) they've opted to focus on literally every other part of the HomePod. "It will reinvent home audio", boasted Apple CEO Tim Cook. We'll have to wait until December like everywhere else, but it's reassuring to know at least that we won't be left waiting without any release date whatsoever as we have with the Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
Some industry insiders, however, note that Apple will be under more pressure to improve the computing smarts of its Siri software in the face of offerings from rivals Google and Amazon. Amazon and Google have both already not just come out with their smart speakers but also made them mainstream so Apple is being left in the dust in this arena, so to speak. The company didn't reveal many details about how the HomePod might work with third-party apps, a major selling point for the Echo and Home. It's also capable of directing elements like vocals and reverb using beam-forming technology.
Apple executive Phil Schiller then took the stage to unveil the speaker, which stands 6.8 inches tall by 5.6 inches wide, weighing 5.5 pounds. The top of the HomePod also lights up to display an LED waveform while you're talking to it, similar to the way Siri interactions animate on other Apple devices. Apple said that makes the Mac a great platform for development virtual-reality "experiences".
The moves announced Monday escalate Apple's technological battle of wits with Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook. This means that Apple has placed an emphasis on audio quality, packing the speaker with an array of seven tweeters and a woofer as well as "spatial awareness" that detects its location in a room and adapts the output automatically.
In the case of Apple's HomePod, though, you'll only have one choice: Apple Music. Beats Electronics was also working on a Wi-Fi-equipped speaker when it was acquired by Apple in 2014, but Apple chose to kill the project before it was publicly announced.
Taking direct aim at services such as those provided by PayPal Holdings, Apple also debuted peer-to-peer payments for Apple Pay in which users will be able to send money through the Messages app on iPhones.
An iPad Pro sized at 10.5-inches, four new MacBooks and three iMacs were among the announcements at the event, which traditionally focuses on annual software releases for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Cook is aiming to double services revenue, which also includes products like iCloud and Apple Music, to around $50 billion by 2020. For Limp, the first thing that stands out about the HomePod is its price. "It's actually attractive and we call it Homepod", Apple CEO Tim Cook said.


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Bill Gates Buys R16.4 Billion Stake in Heineken: “Time to Go Back to Traditional Beer Umqombothi
Billionaire Bill Gates has purchased a substantial stake in the Dutch brewery, Heineken. Despite claiming he is “not a big beer drinker”, the Microsoft co-founder bought a R16.4 billion share in the company.
He acquired a 3.76% stake in Heineken’s parent company, Heineken Holding NV, on Friday, 17 February. Gates also bought 6.65 million shares of the beer company directly. Through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, a further 4.18 million shares were purchased, BusinessLIVE reported.
The fifth-richest man previously said that he usually drinks light beer just for the “vibe of all the other beer drinkers.” Meanwhile, a study about the health risks of alcohol consumption was published and received funding from the foundation.
It found that stronger interventions are needed to deal with the health risks linked to alcohol, Business Insider South Africa. Many social media users shared different views about Gates’ decision to purchase shares.
Netizens weigh in on Bill Gates’ Heineken deal
“Time to go back to traditional beer umqombothi.”
“Impressive move! It’s exciting to see how Bill Gates’ investments help to shape the beer industry.”
“Now Heineken is NOT safe to enjoy.”
“Who cares? I like Bill Gates, but I don’t give a da*mn about whether he’s acquired a minority stake in Heineken, I don’t even drink the stuff for Heaven’s sake. So what?”
“Dear Heineken, it’s been fun we have shared the best moments that I can barely remember and that’s what made you the best beer for me but since you’re with the Gates, I’m out… Hello, Black Label.”


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Shares of Britannia Industries were on the climb on Thursday after the company’s financial results for the second quarter beat analysts’ expectations.
What Happened: The company’s consolidated net profit, including its popular Marie Gold biscuits, surged 19.6% from a year ago to reach ₹586.5 crore. This performance outperformed street estimates of ₹547.9 crore.
During the quarter, Britannia Industries reported a 1.2% growth in revenue, totaling ₹4,432.9 crore, missing an expected ₹4,555.4 crore. Operating profit also jumped 22.6% to ₹872.4 crore versus estimates of ₹803.4 crore. The company’s margin stood at 19.7%, exceeding the anticipated 17.6%.
Despite a challenging business environment amid two years of high inflation, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Varun Berry expressed satisfaction with the robust performance. In response to softened commodity prices during the quarter, Britannia Industries implemented price reductions on select key brands to remain competitive in the face of strong local competition, which somewhat affected quarterly revenue growth, he added.
The company remains watchful of the volatile global commodity prices, given the ongoing geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East and Russia. It said its strategy focuses on increasing market share while sustaining profitability.
Get all the latest Share Market trends and news to set you up for the week ahead.
Britannia Industries said it will maintain its optimism regarding the rural segment’s potential, even amidst reports of rural slowdown, continuing to expand its rural distribution during the quarter.
Price Action: Shares of Britannia were up 3.18% at ₹4,537.15 at the start of trade on Thursday.
Read Next: Why This Tata Stock Is Falling Today
© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Footballco, the world’s largest soccer-focused digital media company, has agreed to acquire Kooora, the biggest in the Middle East, in a mid-eight-figure all-cash deal, the company told Sportico. Footballco is owned by a venture fund backed by U.S.-based private equity firm TPG Capital, which bought the company from DAZN Group in 2020 for over $100 million.
With the newest buy, Footballco will bolster its strength in soccer content and complement a portfolio of leading local market football media brands, including Calciomercato (Italy), Voetbalzone (Netherlands), and Spox (Germany).
The acquisition will also complement Footballco’s current footprint in the Middle East, which is currently served by seven local editions of Goal.com. The deal more than doubles its audience in the region to 42 million fans while bringing its monthly global reach to 640 million.
“Kooora will allow us to become the number one player in digital football in that specific market,” Juan Delgado, the CEO of Footballco, said in an interview. But while the reach is important, it is not the company’s only mission.
“We’re on a journey to build consumer-driven brands. We want to be the No. 1 choice for soccer news and content worldwide and serve fans not just in the content they read, listen to, or watch, but also in products or experiences that they can ultimately buy.”
Like many media companies, Footballco aims to drive consumers to a funnel that can generate transactional revenue. “Given the breadth of content and geographies that we cover, we can turn our audience into an audience that buys branded streetwear … or betting where betting is legal,” Delgado said.
Kooora reaches an average of 25 million unique users a month. Published in English and Arabic, Kooora has a solid social media presence, especially across Gen-Z platforms TikTok and Snapchat, which generate more than 17 million monthly video views and double its Middle Eastern audience to 42 million.
To further expand Footballco’s presence in the Middle East, the company will be moving its regional headquarters to Saudi Arabia, integrating both Kooora and GOAL’s operations in the region.
TPG’s Integrated Media fund is dedicated to investing in specific digital media verticals. Footballco serves as the sports vertical. Another company called Fandom focuses on gaming and entertainment. “The reason [TPG] is investing in a vertical like ours is because of the opportunity to own the soccer fan and ultimately be this sort of global powerhouse in digital football publishing,” Delgado said.
“If I had a crystal ball, would I guess we would own a football team? In the future? No. Would I guess that we could own an esports team that competes in any football games? Take your pick. Yes.”


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A group representing the United States’ leading auto manufacturers, parts suppliers, auto dealers, parts distributors, retailers and vehicle service providers have formed the Driving American Jobs Coalition to oppose potential new Trump administration tariffs on imports of autos and auto parts. The coalition argues that imposing new auto tariffs will cause “massive job losses and significant consumer price increases for virtually all motor vehicles and parts, whether domestic or imported.” The proposed Section 232 tariffs would also lead to less investment in innovation and less competition to develop cutting-edge automotive technologies, the group says.
Comprised of the American Automotive Policy Council, the Auto Care Association, the American International Automobile Dealers Association, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the Association of Global Automakers, the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, the National Automobile Dealers Association and the Specialty Equipment Market Association, the coalition replaces one formed previously to address other trade issues.
“At a time of unprecedented growth, new tariffs on imported vehicles and parts represent a significant threat to our economy and the tremendous job growth that has occurred since the President took office,” said the group in an Aug. 20 press release.
“The advancements our companies have made in investments, sales, production, exports and employment could be severely undermined by any increase in tariffs on passenger cars, light trucks and automotive parts,” said Governor Matt Blunt, President of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents Ford, FCA and GM. “Our three companies alone—with their 250,000 U.S. workers in 226 plants, facilities, labs and distribution centers—produced 5.9 million vehicles in the U.S. last year and exported nearly 1 million of them. The impact of these proposed tariffs are especially harmful to American jobs because they would hurt U.S. employment across the supply chain.”
The coalition stressed that the auto sector does not support the proposed tariffs. “Tariffs are taxes and we believe there is no national security justification for taxing vehicle and auto parts imports.” said John Bozzella, President and CEO of the Association of Global Automakers. “The U.S. auto industry is thriving and more competitive now than ever before. The auto industry plays a critical role in growing our economy, and tariffs will hurt American workers and consumers by raising the price of every vehicle built and sold in the U.S.”
The American International Automobile Dealers Association estimates that all vehicle brands would increase in price by as much as $6,990, hitting consumers, dealerships and employees who sell and service autos.
“The proposed tariffs are an unwelcome tax on every sector of the auto industry,” said Christopher J. Kersting, President and CEO of the Specialty Equipment Market Association. “From the automakers to the many small businesses that comprise the specialty auto parts industry, tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts pose an unexpected threat to a healthy American economy.”
“I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years, and I’ve never seen this level of unity of purpose or level of concern,” said Bozzella, adding that the industry is “united in their significant concern for the impact of high auto tariffs on workers and on customers.”
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had hoped to deliver a report on the investigation to the president by the end of the month. Ross said on Monday the report may be delayed due to complications from NAFTA and European Union trade talks, as well as by the extensive material forwarded by the auto industry to Commerce for consideration.
“We just received elaborate questionnaires from the car companies, with zillions of pages, and that won’t be ready in five minutes,” said Ross. “We’re running out of August.”
Sandy WilliamsRead more from Sandy Williams
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Samsung One UI Watch Announced for Samsung Smartwatches
We all know Samsung has been in the smartwatches business for a long time. They are doing good business but still fall behind Apple Watch in the competition. Now, Samsung has started to make moves and focus on what to improve to do better in the market. The first thing the company doing is replacing its Watch OS.
Samsung One UI Watch Overview
Till now, Samsung has been using Tizen OS in its smartwatches. Now on, the company will replace Tizen OS and use a new watch os which they named One UI Watch. By the name, it’s clear that this watch OS is highly inspired by its ONE UI of smartphones.
In this OS, we will be able to download apps directly from the Google Play stores and some of the popular apps will be available within the OS like Maps, YouTube Music, Message, and few others.
We all know the ecosystem of Apple and these days, every smartphone manufacturers are trying to implement the same idea and Samsung is no exception. Samsung will be highly focusing on building a proper ecosystem with its smartphones and smartwatches with the new watch OS.


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A traffic accident led to an overturned tanker truck and chemical spill in Harris County on Sept. 3. In relation to the accident, one man from Cypress is facing charges for driving while intoxicated after being believed to have caused the wreck.
Texas residents might be interested in the following story. A woman apparently decided to have something to eat after consuming alcohol and anti-anxiety medication. This normally would not have attracted the attention of the police had the 34-year-old woman not decided to park her car at the local McDonald's drive-thru after arguing with workers who refused to give her free food. Police charged the woman with driving while intoxicated based upon a chemical test showing her blood alcohol content to be above the legal limit for intoxication.
From Texas to Maine, the average consumer can now purchase handheld breath-testing devices so they can measure their own blood-alcohol content. Portable devices can even fit on a key ring, and prices start at only $30 compared to $10,000 for their larger cousins used by law enforcement. At least two manufacturers have created a breathalyzer available as a smartphone accessory with an app in order to reduce the chances of an arrest for driving while intoxicated.


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Many will know indie developer Fireproof Games for its popular mobile puzzle-based series, The Room. Virtual reality (VR) fans, however, will know that the UK-based studio is currently working on its very own title for the Gear VR smartphone-based head-mounted display (HMD) in Omega Agent. It’s hoped that this promising title will be launching in the near future now that the platform has a commercial store option, at least in the US. Following its initial launch, Fireproof Games fully intends to bring Omega Agent to ‘all the major VR platforms’.
Studio co-founder and Director Barry Meade confirmed as much to VRFocus in an interview that will be published in full in the near future. When asked if the developer was interested in bringing Omega Agent to other platforms Meade replied: “Absolutely. We’ll bring it to any VR platform that it will make sense on, yeah. So we want to do it on all the major VR platforms.” Just to be clear, VRFocus asked Meade about specific platforms to which he replied: “Morpheus, Oculus and Vive.”
Fireproof Games is in fact already working with latter HMD; the developer appeared as one of a handful of studios to have been working on Valve and HTC’s Vive when it was announced last month. The studio had created a demo that was inspired by The Room to showcase with the device at the 2015 Game Developers Conference (GDC). It’s not clear if this project could turn into a full VR videogame for the Vive, which is planning to launch for holiday 2015.
Set on a remote island training facility for cold-war spies, Omega Agent allows players to mount a nuclear-powered jetpack and fly around a city filled with missions, taking on opponent agents and collecting power-ups as they attempt to bring down enemies.
VRFocus will continue to follow Omega Agent closely, reporting back with any further updates on its progress.


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Yesterday we heard that a HP TouchPad tablet was purchased from Best Buy and was found to be running Android 2.2 out of the box, and now it would appear that two devices have turned up with Android 2.2 installed.
Android developer Jiwanish managed to get his hands on one of the TouchPads running Android 2.2, and he has released the full system dump to RootzWiki, which will allow other developers to make some progress in porting Android to the HP TouchPad.
It would appear that the version of Android 2.2.1 that came pre-loaded on the two HP TouchPads was a test version from the Qualcomm Innovation Center, as their logo appeared on bootup.
You can find out more information about the Android 2.2.1 system dump for the HP TouchPad over at RootzWiki.
Source Android Police
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Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ:CALM) issued its earnings results on Monday. The basic materials company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.08) by $0.33, MarketWatch Earnings reports. Cal-Maine Foods had a return on equity of 4.61% and a net margin of 3.19%. The business had revenue of $347.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $333.49 million. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.21) EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis.
Shares of Cal-Maine Foods stock opened at $38.42 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $38.14 and a 200 day moving average of $40.47. Cal-Maine Foods has a 12 month low of $30.74 and a 12 month high of $46.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.04 and a beta of -0.23.
A number of analysts have issued reports on CALM shares. TheStreet downgraded Cal-Maine Foods from a “b-” rating to a “c” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. BidaskClub downgraded Cal-Maine Foods from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 30th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $47.00 price objective (down from $55.00) on shares of Cal-Maine Foods in a research report on Wednesday, December 30th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Bank of America initiated coverage on Cal-Maine Foods in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $47.00 price objective for the company. Finally, ValuEngine raised Cal-Maine Foods from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $45.67.
In other news, VP Charles Jeff Hardin bought 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $38.28 per share, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 6,221 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $238,139.88. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 27.50% of the company’s stock.
Cal-Maine Foods Company Profile
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc produces, grades, packages, markets, and distributes shell eggs. The company offers specialty shell eggs, such as nutritionally enhanced, cage free, organic, and brown eggs under the Egg-Land's Best, Land O' Lakes, Farmhouse, and 4-Grain brand names, as well as under private labels.
See Also: Hedge Funds – How They Work For Investors
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Xiaomi made its move with the Redmi Note 12 series. Now, Realme is expected to do the same and bring the Realme 10 series to compete with Xiaomi in the mid-range market. Apparently, the company is not only focusing on the Chinese market as Xiaomi did. A new leak suggests the Realme 10 4G is already being prepared for global release.
Ahead of the official launch, which happens in November, the Realme 10 4G appeared on the SIRIM database. The Malaysian Electronics Safety Regulation Agency clearly indicates the company’s goal to bring this device to Malaysia. The certification does not bring any detail regarding the phone’s specs. Anyway, it’s a clear indicator of Realme’s plan to bring this device, and possibly others, to Malaysia. However, it also means that the company is looking at the “global scene”.
Gizchina News of the week
As November enters in our radar, we expect the company to soon announce an exact launch date for the phone. While that does not happen, we will get rounds and rounds of Realme 10 series teasers. According to the brand, the Realme 10 series will focus on performance, camera, and display. The Realme 10 4G honors this with some of its specs.
Realme 10 4G alleged specifications
As per the reports, the Realme 10 4G will feature a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen. It is smaller than the 5G variant but brings OLED. Moreover, the panel also has a Full HD+ resolution with 2,400 x 1,080 pixels, a 90 Hz refresh rate, and a 180 Hz touch sampling rate. The panel has a centered punch-hole and a cover of Panda Glass. Under the hood, it boasts the MediaTek Helio G99 SoC with up to 8 GB of RAM. Moreover, we expect up to 128 GB of Internal Storage. It draws its power from a huge 5,000 mAh battery with 33W fast-charging support.
In terms of optics, the Realme 10 4G has a 50 MP main camera and a 2 MP macro helper. On the software front, we’re not optimistic enough to expect the phones to run Android 13. We’re most likely seeing the release with Android 12-based Realme UI 3.0. Anyway, when it comes to pricing, we expect something between $190 to $210.


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(NEW YORK) — The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use certain powdered infant formulas made at Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan, facility amid an investigation into four infant illnesses.
Parents should discard any affected formula, according to the agency. Specifically, the FDA is advising consumers not to use Similac, Alimentum or EleCare powdered infant formulas if: the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37, and the code on the container contains K8, SH or Z2, and the expiration date is 4-1-2022 (APR 2022) or later.
“As a result of the ongoing investigation, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local partners, the FDA is alerting consumers to avoid purchasing or using certain powdered infant formula products produced at this facility,” a press release stated.
“This is an ongoing investigation, and the firm is working with the FDA to initiate a voluntary recall of the potentially affected product,” it said, noting the FDA has “initiated an onsite inspection at the facility.”
In a press release, the FDA announced it is investigating consumer complaints of Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport infections that resulted in four infant illnesses and hospitalizations in three states — Minnesota, Texas and Ohio. Cronobacter may have contributed to a death in one case, according to the report.
According to the FDA, Cronobacter bacteria can cause life-threatening infections such as sepsis or meningitis.
“Symptoms of sepsis and meningitis may include poor feeding, irritability, temperature changes, jaundice (yellow skin and whites of the eyes), grunting breaths and abnormal movements. Cronobacter infection may also cause bowel damage and may spread through the blood to other parts of the body,” the FDA says. “Parents and caregivers of infants who have used these products, and are concerned about the health of their child, should contact their child’s health care provider.”
Products made at the Sturgis, Michigan, facility are available across the U.S.
“As this is a product used as the sole source of nutrition for many of our nation’s newborns and infants, the FDA is deeply concerned about these reports of bacterial infections,” said Frank Yiannas, the FDA deputy commissioner for food policy and response in a press release. “We want to reassure the public that we’re working diligently with our partners to investigate complaints related to these products, which we recognize include infant formula produced at this facility, while we work to resolve this safety concern as quickly as possible.”
The FDA will provide consumer safety information on the investigation as it becomes available.
ABC News’ Sony Salzman and Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


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More than half of the UK’s biggest advertisers plan to cut back on spending for traditional TV next year, as the recession drives a shift towards digital media and more ‘impulse’ promotion.
According to the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) and the media investment analysts Ebiquity, a survey of 59 UK advertisers found that 67% will make the deepest budget cuts to ads on broadcast TV.
A 40% of advertisers questioned said that their goal was to spend less money on ‘offline’ media, such as TV, radio, print and OOH platforms.
Biggest TV Ads Spenders
A study, which was only released to the Guardian, surveyed some of the biggest spenders in relation to their budget. In total, three of the top 10 and 11 of the top 50 spenders were looked at, with a combined budget amounting to £1.5bn. Even though the advertisers were not listed, the UK’s 10 biggest spenders include Unilever, Sky, BT, Tesco, Asda, Virgin Media, L’Oréal, and Procter & Gamble.
Cost Savings and TV Ads
When businesses need to make significant cost savings, marketing budgets, especially avenues where revenue-creation is not clear, are traditionally an easy target for cuts. This is because they can be cut quickly and have an immediate financial impact. Because of this, companies are justifying their marketing expenses by allocating more funds towards digital media platforms where they can target and track performance with greater precision. Although regular TV ad expenditures are predicted to drop next year, broadcasters will be able to hold on to a good portion of their cut budget by drawing money towards their digital streaming platforms. At least 50% of the companies interviewed said that they planned to spend more money on services like ITV’s new streaming service, ITVX, Channel 4’s All 4, and smart TVs from Samsung.


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Along a quiet residential street on the outer edges of Beijing, a yellow and black cube about the size of a small washing machine trundles leisurely to its destination. This "little yellow horse" is an autonomous delivery robot, ferrying daily essentials like drinks, fruit and snacks from the local store to the residents of the "Kafka" compound in the Chinese capital. Equipped with a GPS system, cameras and radar, the robots are seen by their creator as the future of logistics in China, where he says one billion packages will eventually be delivered every day. Travelling at a less than overwhelming three kilometers per hour - a slow human walk - the robot has room for improvement, said one customer as she removed a packet of nuts from its bowels.
"The weak point is that it cannot deliver directly to the door like a human," said the customer, who does not live on the ground floor. "But it's still quite practical. The robot delivers relatively quickly," she said.
The robot takes advantage of Chinese consumers' love of cashless payments and smartphone shopping. China is the world's biggest online shopping market with more than half of its population making at least one smartphone purchase per month, according to professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. This compares to 14 percent in the rest of the world. Whether buying electronics or toilet paper, avocados or clothes, the Chinese are used to simply tapping a button on their smartphone and getting a home delivery - sometimes several per day. To get a delivery via the "little yellow horse," the customer selects the desired products, taps in the address and pays via their phone. The supermarket staff place the items in the robot, and the robot bustles off.
Liu Zhiyong, founder and CEO of Zhen Robotics, which manufactures the robot, sees a bright future for his yellow creation.
"At the moment, there are 100 million packages delivered every day in China. It will be one billion in the future," Liu told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"There will not be enough humans to make the deliveries. We need more and more robots to fill this gap in manpower and to reduce costs," added the CEO. These costs are especially high in the last kilometer of a delivery, where precision is key and a customized service is required to get the product to the front door. At the moment, the yellow robots in the Kafka compound have little to trouble them, moving along a wide pavement with no obstacles - and no cars. Weighing 30 kilograms (around 65 pounds) and with a theoretical top speed of 12 kilometers per hour on their six wheels, the robots have four cameras constantly scanning the world around them and a laser tele-detection system allowing them to avoid obstacles. Liu's firm has already signed up Suning, a large electronics firm that also runs a network of small supermarkets.
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EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — As part of its commitment to greener operations, Supervalu announced plans to transition 40 Albertsons banner stores to zero-waste operations before the end of the fiscal year on Feb. 29, 2012.
Last November, two Albertsons stores achieved zero-waste classification, which was highlighted in Supervalu's corporate responsibility report that was released Wednesday.
Zero-waste classification is achieved when stores divert at least 90% of all waste from landfills, Supervalu said.
"We are aggressively seeking ways to build on our sustainability achievements from this past year," said Andy Herring, Supervalu EVP real estate, market development and legal. "While this year's [corporate social responsibility] report captures some of the excitement we shared in being the first food retailer to achieve zero waste in the United States at two of our California stores, we truly believe this is the tip of the iceberg for us."
"Our commitment to significantly increase the number of zero-waste stores is part of a long-term strategy for Supervalu to be a leader in the area of environmental sustainability," Herring added. "At the same time, we are committed to these projects because we've also seen that they make a positive financial impact on our business — a true win-win."


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Dogs of Smith Rock
As an animal lover, I decided to put together my first event on National Dog Day.
On Friday, August 26th, I will be down at Smith Rock State Park doing some FREE pet photography. That's right, I'll be there, all day long, and I will take photos of as many dogs and their owners as time allows. I'll be posting the photos on Facebook for you to view, download, tag, and share as you see fit.
In addition, I will be selling some raffle tickets for a few prizes graciously donated by Bend Pet Express and myself. All proceeds from these ticket sales will be donated to Brightside Animal Shelter.
Sisters photographer Gary Eidsmoe is using National Dog Day as an opportunity to share his passion for pictures and love of animals. To commemorate the designated day — Aug. 26 — he will be snapping free photos of dogs at Smith Rock and raffling off gift baskets filled with pet supplies.
“I am a born-and-raised animal lover,” he said. “I have pets of my own, and I always try to help animals as much as I can. I’ve been doing photography and videography, and I want to get more into animal photography. I think it’s going to be great. There are so many animal lovers out here.”


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The launch issue of CSO is out!
Welcome to the launch issue of CSO Magazine!
The world is undergoing dramatic change and sustainability is at the forefront of this global shift as it influences and defines business operations across virtually every industrial sector. As a result, the role of the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is taking on an even greater prominence, as companies strive to find greener energy solutions, more ethical business practices and increased engagement with local communities.
Packed with exclusive insights from those at the centre of this dramatically changing landscape, CSO Magazine is an innovative digital platform that keeps industry leaders and key decision makers right up-to-date with all the cutting-edge insight and trends affecting sustainability in all its forms.
This month we talk to Shannon T. Carroll Director of Global Environmental Sustainability at telco giant and multi-conglomerate AT&T regarding its wide-ranging environmental initiatives played across its enormous global operations. We also talk to representatives from Pod Point and FreeWire regarding the growth of EV infrastructure.
Elsewhere, we have exclusive insights from Aligned Energy, Nordex and Level Crossings Authority, Plus, we list the world’s top ten largest solar parks and detail the biggest events and conferences from across the globe.
We are always excited to hear from our readers and companies who would like to discuss any core events or projects with us. If you want to become part of the story, get in touch with me Editor-in-Chief Andrew Woods at [email protected]


text: Amazon on Tuesday updated its Kindle for iOS app, which works across iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, to version 3.6.1. The update was meant to fix a few bugs as well as the registration process. Instead, that update seems to be wreaking havoc on bookworm-style iThing owners who watched as their Amazon digital libraries and saved settings were erased before their eyes. Amazon has responded with the following advice: "We have identified an issue with the app update that may cause your app to become deregistered. To register, enter your Amazon account e-mail address and password and all your Amazon content will be available in the cloud. We have submitted an update fix for this issue and are working with Apple to release." Here’s just a taste of the reviews on Amazon’s iTunes page: "The update deleted all books from my iPad, and I had to register again, creating a second name for the same iPad." Read the full story at TechCrunch.


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EU solar groups lobby for China
More than half a dozen European solar-energy and pro-renewables associations have penned a letter to the EU trade commissioner demanding that no duties be imposed on Chinese PV kit, underscoring the deep and increasingly acrimonious schism between different ends of the supply chain.
The group claims that the companies pushing for the duties – spearheaded by the SolarWorld-backed lobbying group EU ProSun – represent “no more” than 8,700 jobs in Europe, or 3% of the European PV sector.
The group claims that the EU’s decision to begin registering imports of Chinese modules last month – with an eye towards potential retroactive duties – has already had “far-reaching” effects.
In some cases entire PV projects have been put on ice or canceled; in others, importers are being required by customs agents to pony up significant sums of money as guarantees, with a major impact on their business model.
The absence on the letter of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) – the bloc’s most high-profile solar lobbying group – highlights the rift between Europe’s ailing PV manufacturers and those companies operating further up- and downstream.
Last year Brussels decided to take up investigations into whether Chinese PV manufacturers have dumped product into the EU market or benefited from unfair subsidies at home. A preliminary decision is expected as soon as early June.
The groups that signed the letter say their members include makers of production equipment, suppliers of raw materials, importers, traders, system integrators, contract designers, construction and maintenance specialists, financial investors and logistics companies.
Despite the flood of Chinese modules in recent years, the average EU-content value in a PV system installed in the EU today is 70%, they claim.
“The PV market has very quickly evolved over the last five years whereby PV products became a commodity rather than a high-tech product, much like other electronic products such as mobile telephones,” the letter says.
Duties would also set back grid parity by “at least several years” in Europe, the groups claim.
The signatories include:
The UK's Solar Trade Association (part of the Renewable Energy Association)
Romania’s Association for Green Energy and Sustainable Development
Poland’s Society for Photovoltaics (PV Polska)
The Hungarian Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Association (Magyar Szolár Szövetség)
The Swedish Trade Federation (Svensk Handel)


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Andrew Pickup is the Chief Marketing Officer for Microsoft Corporation in the Asia Pacific Region. We were very excited to get the opportunity to speak with Andrew and find out about the work they are doing in Asia Pacific. Joining Guy Powell and myself for the interview also was our co-author, Jerry Dimos of LiTMUS Group in Singapore. Good to have you on the call Jerry!
We begin our interview with Andrew as he shares a few bullets from his presentation at the recent ad:tech conference in Singapore on the Windows7 Launch. The campaign focused on the aspect of the development of Windows7 that leverage consumer input and ideas and with 8 million beta users, the campaign put real users in front of consumer in a way that helped people to see themselves in the role of “I’m a PC and Windows7 was my idea’”. The campaign was a great success for Microsoft and helped support the worldwide launch very effectively.
Microsoft’s approach to social marketing comes from a perspective that they should be a leader in social media and able to engage very effectively. With 93 of out every 100 PC’s sold coming with the Microsoft operating systems and the majority of people are buying a PC today to connect to the Internet, most computer systems today present an opportunity to connect consumers with their social media presence.
For Microsoft, social marketing is an integral part of a campaign strategy that is embedded into their thinking. When planning a campaign they look to 3 digital networks to get their message out –
- Paid Media – this is the area that lets a company go out and buy media assets (content and advertisements) around the brand on sites (banner ads, SEM, etc.)
- Owned & Operated Media – Microsoft owned 3 of the top 10 site on the Internet; Microsoft.com, Windows Live, Bing. In Asia Pacific they have a reach of the 160M consumers through Microsoft, MSN, Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger.
- Earned Media – this is where social media resides in the marketing strategy; whether it is words, pictures or video, this is where consumers will pick up the content and re-purpose it and re-present their interpretation of the brand.
The three are inter-related and the earned media component Amplified and magnifying a message in ways that Microsoft might never have considered.
To get our posts as they happen, follow us on Twitter (@ROISocialMedia) or subscribe to SocialMarketingConversations.com via email or your RSS Reader.
To support the work in uncovering the ROI question in social media, we’ve set up a Fan Page at Facebook, and a LinkedIn Group. Come join us and let us know what the pressing issues are in your efforts to determine an ROI in your social media presence!


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Round Two of the Greene County Partnership Foundation’s Small Business Grant AnnouncedJanuary 8–June 30, 2021
The Greene County Partnership Foundation announces applications are now being accepted for round two of the Small Business Grant Program. The GCP Foundation announced in May of 2020 the creation of a new grant program set to help local, small businesses recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. “We see the need to continue this support,” Taylor said. “Small businesses are a BIG part of our community. It is our duty to connect local dollars with local needs.” Businesses eligible to apply for the grant include businesses physically located in Greene County that employ no more than 50 people. Foundation grant monies will complement other federal, state, and regional grants that are available and provide another option to help small, local businesses. Businesses excluded from eligibility include banking and financial services; real estate; seasonal businesses; liquor, tobacco or vaping retail stores, and franchises, aside from locally owned and operated franchises. Financial contributions for the fund are also being accepted. For more information, to apply or to contribute to the fund, contact the Partnership at 638-4111 or email@example.com.


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Natural disasters, fuel prices are inflating prices around the globe
Consumers saw groceries price increase by 2.8 percent during the last yearly period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic's most recent Consumer Price Index report.
This "food at home" component includes grocery staples such as milk, bread, vegetables and meat. World economic growth, rising crude oil prices, shrinking stockpiles, strong commodity demand and severe crop-destroying weather have created a perfect storm of sorts, resulting in rising food costs worldwide. In fact, the global food price index, compiled from price data for sugar, cereals, oils, meat and dairy products, recently reached an all-time high.
The effects of increased food costs are felt everywhere, from the school cafeteria to our favorite restaurants. Here are five staples that cost more at the grocery store:


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Jim Noonan collects frequent flier miles from Washington state to Louisiana and everywhere in between. The senior director for corporate alliances at ev3 Inc., a medical device company headquartered in Minnesota, almost lives in his black GMC truck when he is home in Granite Bay.
Noonan’s lifeline is his mobile phone. “Reliability is important to me,” he says. “I have to be able to email on the fly, and I can’t be stuck behind a desk.”
He uses AT&T because of the coverage, browser speed and the ability to talk, download data and use the wireless card in his laptop. “It is the best of all worlds,” Noonan says.
In the competitive sphere of telecommunications — mobile, wireless, broadband, cable and satellite — companies are fighting fiercely to win the hearts, minds and contracts of people like Noonan. According to the Telecommunications Industry Association, in 2008, telecom was a $3.85 trillion industry worldwide, including $1.1 trillion in the U.S. The Insight Research Corp. estimates telecommunications revenue in the U.S. could grow to $2.7 trillion by 2013, and Sacramento is one of the busiest battlefields in the ensuing branding war.
“Because this is the home of state government, almost all of the carriers have a very strong presence in the area,” says Barbara O’Connor, communications professor at Sacramento State and director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media. “They want to serve the people who regulate them.”
While access to even one cable or broadband network is not always available in rural areas, “Sacramento ended up being one of the most built-over areas,” says Margaret Felts, president of Sacramento-based California Communications Association.
AT&T, Surewest and Comcast compete on the ground under the looming shadow of a possible entry from Google Inc. into the fiber-optics market. Meanwhile, the airwaves have become a free-for-all that includes Internet-based solutions such as Vonage and mobile broadband providers Sprint, Verizon and AT&T.
Companies use a combination of marketing, advertising and pricing campaigns, constant investment in new technology and ever-changing partnerships to jockey for position in this information horse race. Telecommunications companies invested $21 billion in California last year, according to O’Connor.
“The entire industry is intensely competitive,” says Peter Shankel, AT&T director of marketing for Northern California and Reno. “But California is the most hotly contested state in the country.”
The Capital Region consumer not only has more choices than those in other parts of the country, they are more sophisticated, says Peter Drozdoff, SureWest’s vice president of marketing. “They are very technology savvy,” he says. “The industry and technology is constantly evolving to offer new alternatives.”
“The entire industry is intensely competitive, but California is the most hotly contested state in the country.”
Peter Shankel, director of marketing for Northern California and Reno, AT&T
Recent years have brought competition that has driven prices down for telecom services. “We had to introduce a $69.99 unlimited [mobile voice feature for phones] plan at the same time as Verizon to compete,” Shankel says. Unlimited texting, which is quickly becoming more popular than voice, is another $20.
At home, bundled services have become the norm since deregulation in 2002 made it possible for companies to offer local, long distance and anything else they could pack in their delivery vans. In February, Comcast rolled out its Xfinity brand — a television, on-demand content, Internet and voice service — in the Bay Area and will offer the same bundled deal in Sacramento in July. “This new product brings all our best services under one umbrella,” says Elaine Barden, Comcast vice president of marketing. While the services aren’t necessarily new, they are improved, such as more high-definition television channels and increased Internet speed.
SureWest is launching a new bundled Internet, voice and digital TV service with a whole-home DVR and video on demand. Similarly, AT&T offers U-verse, its moniker for an inclusive package of digital television, high-speed Internet and home phone service. “It’s all about connecting people to their lives,” Shankel says.
How does a company differentiate itself in a crowded field? A never-ending technology race keeps providers introducing new items almost monthly in an attempt to stay ahead of the competition.
“We have a 130-year history as a technology leader,” Shankel says. The exclusive iPhone service provider advertises its 3G network as the fastest and most reliable.
That partnership with Apple fuels a powerful marketing campaign. “We rely heavily on our partners to deliver value neither one of us could create alone,” Shankel says.
Similarly, SureWest’s new digital TV service is branded as a partnership with Microsoft. “Partnering with someone like Microsoft brings credibility to the product,” says Drozdoff.
To butcher an old marketing saying: “Investing in fiber networks and high-tech gadgets without advertising the benefits is like making a 911 call with the power button turned off.” Telecommunications companies spend millions of dollars each month on television and radio ads promoting their price and technology message in creative and often provocative ways. Remember the AT&T Olympic ads with Gretchen Bleiler snowboarding in space to a Lou Reed song? How about the Comcast “Shaq’s got your back” ads?
When rebranding or launching a new brand such as Xfinity, the investment in awareness can be immense. Drozdoff says he is familiar with that. In 2002, the local company rebranded itself from Roseville Telephone to SureWest to convey expanding geographic and technology offerings. “Because we had a limited advertising budget, it took three or four years to get the message across,” he says.
“Because this is the home of state government, almost all of the carriers have a very strong presence in the area.”
Barbara O’Connor, communications professor, Sacramento State, and director, Institute for the Study of Politics and Media
Drozdoff says small companies like SureWest have to find alternative ways to communicate their brands. “It’s one thing to shout with millions of dollars of marketing, but it is more powerful to deliver on the promise of great service one customer at a time,” Drozdoff says. “Every one of our employees is our advertisement.”
Barden says Comcast’s uniforms and vehicles will soon carry the Xfinity name and marketers will go door-to-door to educate people about the new brand. “The first and biggest investment is in the network,” she says. “We have to make sure that is in place.”
One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to telecom advertising. AT&T’s Hispanic Intensive Traffic stores in the Sacramento area target Spanish-speaking early adopters for technology. In the Bay Area, similar stores focus on the Asian (Chinese, Japanese and Hmong) demographic.
Comcast markets in 11 languages, including a growing Russian community, according to Barden. The company reaches out to niche audiences with grassroots event marketing at festivals from Yuba City to Elk Grove.
Another key audience: small businesses. “When times are tough, small businesses start up, so this is a growing customer base right now,” Shankel says. AT&T uses a dedicated small business direct-sales team, direct mail and targeted product suites to woo this demographic.
SureWest caters to the business audience with personalized services including domain name registrations, shared Web hosting and online back up in addition to traditional voice, Internet and digital television packages. “These are carrier-grade services designed for enterprise and medium,” says Drozdoff.
Corporate giving is another way companies reach current and potential customers. “Philanthropy is part of our DNA,” Shankel says. The company has long sponsored the Northern California Special Olympics, which will hold its event at UC Davis.
The company’s 54,000 employees donate 410,000 volunteer hours a year, and the company is the major sponsor of Aspire, an organization dedicated to keeping kids in school.
“Philanthropy is some of the most important work I do every year,” Shankel says.
Comcast, which considers itself a family-owned business because the founder and his son own controlling shares, holds an annual Comcast Cares Day. Last year, 60,000 volunteers (including 750 employees in the Sacramento area) worked on 600 projects around the country.
Downtown Auburn has a distinct, modern-day Mayberry feel, from the stone-paved sidewalks to the rustic brick bus stop. But five miles away,
“Small Market, Big Heart” tells the story of the Sacramento Kings and their fans’ fight to hold onto the team. But the 80-minute documentary — packed with NBA archive footage and interviews with Kings’ executives, local politicians and sports entertainment personalities — isn’t from the NBA offices or an established production company.


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The US Federal Reserve last week released the minutes of last month’s policy meeting, which clearly showed the central bank’s inflation concerns. Then came the latest US consumer price index (CPI) released earlier this month, which showed that US headline inflation surged 7.5 percent year-on-year last month, the steepest increase in more than 40 years. Meanwhile, core CPI, which excludes volatile items such as food and energy, also rose 0.6 percent last month, another record increase. The CPI data added more pressure on the Fed to get ahead of the curve on inflation, and the more pressing issue now is how far and how fast it would raise interest rates.
In Taiwan, the CPI also unexpectedly accelerated for a sixth straight month last month, highlighting a trend of rising living expenses that is set to continue this year. Annual headline CPI growth came to 2.84 percent last month, a nearly nine-year high, while the core CPI growth also quickened to a 13-year high of 2.42 percent, data from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) showed.
Given that many daily necessities have become more expensive, the public has reason for concern. Among the costs most concerning to Taiwanese, food prices rose 3.75 percent from one year earlier, with fruit prices surging 21.41 percent and egg prices rising 18.38 percent, while fishery items increased 5.28 percent, meat products 4.76 percent and bread 4.4 percent. Moreover, dining-out expenses were up 3.87 percent from a year earlier, the highest growth since January 2015, the data showed.
The DGBAS is seemingly not concerned about CPI running at its current level, saying that mild inflation is beneficial for economic growth, the theory being that people tend to buy now rather than later when they expect prices to continue rising. This could boost demand in the short term and encourage businesses to hire more workers and produce more to meet demand, thus creating a virtuous cycle that boosts economic growth.
However, the current CPI trend has hit households and is affecting consumers’ purchasing power, especially low and middle-income families. While the nation’s economy expanded 6.28 percent last year, average regular wages contracted 0.04 percent last year, the first retreat in five years, as faster increases in consumer prices wiped out wage gains, DGBAS data showed last week.
The government has so far adopted several measures to help ease the pressure on price increases, such as temporarily halting business taxes on imported corn, wheat and soybeans, halving import tariffs on butter and milk powder, reducing commodity taxes on gasoline and diesel, and investigating Consideration of price gouging and hoarding in the food and beverage sector.
However, it remains unknown whether businesses might pass the benefits of tax cuts on to consumers, and if hoarding and price gouging are being curbed effectively by the government’s efforts.
The government should adopt more thorough, comprehensive measures to curb hoarding and price gouging, as well as price fixing and business collusion. While certain items can go up or down in retail cost — such as energy, vegetables and fruit — most grocery and restaurant prices tend to go up easily, but not down.
If prices of too many goods exhibit such “sticky down” characteristics, anger and resentment toward businesses and the government could follow. Moreover, if such a price rigidity is here to stay, if costs of raw materials sourced internationally drop, and if supply and demand in the market return to normal, retail prices are unlikely to be adjusted downward. Without necessary and timely government measures in place, consumer prices would take an unreasonably long time to fall, and consumers would feel they are being exploited.
Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


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Posted by Shirley Brady on June 26, 2012 08:44 AM
Toyota tops Interbrand's 2012 Best Global Green Brands report.
News Corp. considers splitting company in two, spinning off publishing assets, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Microsoft acquires Yammer for $1.2 billion to take on Oracle and Salesforce with new cloud-based services.
Nissan rises on fast recovery from disasters and plans $1B China auto plant as CEO Ghosn remains Japan's highest paid exec and automaker turns to Facebook to launch five new models.
Facebook names first woman to board — COO Sheryl Sandberg — and pulls so-called stalker app while creating uproar by changing all users' email addresses to facebook.com.
Google I/O news on Wednesday expected to reveal Google and Sony taking on cable and satellite operators with voice-controlled YouTube TV box, as Google prepares to battle Apple with discount tablet.Continue reading...
Posted by Mark J. Miller on May 15, 2012 05:33 PM
The tobacco industry has been looking for some kind of silver lining somewhere for the past few years as cities and countries across the globe have continued to attempt to make it more difficult and more expensive for the world population to sit back and light a few up. From banning smoking in restaurants to replacing brand names on packaging with horrendous images of what could happen to you if you (gasp) inhale, governments of all shapes and sizes have used many strategies to make life more difficult for Big Tobacco.
Now the tobacco industry finally has something it can feel good about. Its product actually has something positive to share. New research from the University of Louisville has it that tobacco “may hold the key to preventing Parkinson’s disease,” according to the Indianapolis Star.
The key component, the paper reports, is something called tobacco mosaic virus, or TMV, which attacks the plants and “may be protective against Parkinson’s,” said Dr. Robert Friedland, a clinical and research neurologist at U of L, the Star reports. The hope is that this discovery will lead to a vaccine against Parkinson’s.
The study was initiated after a number of studies showed that smokers have a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s. Indeed, Friedland warned that people shouldn’t use this new research as an excuse to smoke, since tobacco use has been tied to heart disease and lung cancer, which are much bigger killers annually than Parkinson’s.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation, the largest private funder of Parkinson's Disease research in the world, also cautioned consumers not to raise their hopes about tobacco as a treatment.Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on May 14, 2012 09:02 AM
Yahoo CEO and five board members step down as Ross Levinsohn named interim CEO and Scott Thompson discloses he has cancer.
Apple drops "4G" from UK iPad ads and reportedly bringing retina display to MacBook Pro while Foxconn prepares for Apple TV production.
Facebook co-founder renounces U.S. citizenship to avoid $600M in taxes as almost-over IPO roadshow focuses on mobile and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak wants in. (Also, wish Mark Zuckerberg a happy 28th birthday today.)
ABC bids adieu to Desperate Housewives.
Ally mortgage unit files for bankruptcy.
Avon weighs sweetened offer from Coty. (Update: Coty withdrew its offer late Monday.)Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on May 8, 2012 03:45 PM
The Michael J. Fox Foundation made headlines last fall with a limited-edition collection of Nike shoes inspired by the actor's Back to the Future character. The high-profile auction raised $9.4 million for the foundation, the largest private funder of Parkinson's Disease research in the world.
Fox's foundation is now heading into its own future with a new look and feel, one prompted by its humble founder, who wants to take the focus off himself and shine a spotlight onto the community of people helping find a cure for P.D.
Founded in 2000, the Foundation has just unveiled the first logo refresh in its history. "While our mission remains exclusively to speed research progress, we are increasingly a portal to engagement for the PD community at large — not just researchers but patients, their loved ones, physicians and members of the general publich who are inspired to give back," writes Holly Barkhymer, the organization's VP of marketing and communications, in a blog post.
The logo refresh features an updated font, simplified color scheme and a few tweaks to its iconic fox, who now features a dashing tipped tail and has added an ear. "We adore our fox, and it was very clear to us that the fox would remain," Barkyhmer told brandchannel. "One of the goals of the refresh was to make sure that people saw that the fox is a fox with a second ear and more defined tail. He's still fleet, intuitive, cunning, resourceful and smart."Continue reading...
Posted by Michael Waltzer on September 12, 2011 05:29 PM
Let’s get visual! Posters are always a popular medium of visually conveying messages, whether it is an advertisement or just a statement. Case in point: the eyecatching Back for the Future campaign poster by La Boca, above, promoting the Nike MAG (aka the "Marty McFly sneaker") release and eBay auction to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation.Continue reading...


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Public News Time is one of the largest U.S. international and UK broadcaster, providing news and information in more than 27 languages to an estimated weekly audience of more than 68 million people. Planet News Post produces content for digital platforms. It is easily accessed via your mobile phone and on social media.
Public News Time of America has been committed to providing comprehensive coverage of the news and telling audiences the truth.
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Every service offered by Public News Time is personalized to meet your brand needs and driven by the audience insight our global platforms afford us. We are confident in our ability to utilize our trusted platforms to help you achieve your goals.
From content creation and campaign development to Article Publishing, guest posts, product reviews – Public News Time is your gateway to brand growth.
We will always keep you ahead with technology-filled information
With daily news articles and an online magazine, we will keep you updated with the latest trends.


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14 January, 2023 - 17 January, 2023
Riva del Garda, Italy
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A three-member delegation from the United States, which has come here to find buyers for American raw and semi-finished leather, visited three tanneries on December 10.
“The delegation of United States Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) led by its President Stephen Sothmann arrived in Kanpur to find buyers for American raw and semi- finished leathers”, Regional Director of Council for Leather Export O P Pandey said.
The delegation will visit twelve tanneries and offer their owners special packages to buy American raw and semi-finished leather, Pandey said.
Pandey said the American delegation described Kanpur as an established market for leather and said business collaborations between them will give a boost to the industrial cooperation between the two countries.
Source: Business Standard


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Netflix offers three streaming plans: Basic, Standard, and Premium, starting at $9 per month and ending at $16 per month.
Here’s what you get with each plan.
How much is a year’s subscription to Netflix?
Netflix’s most basic plan will now be $8.99 per month, up from $7.99, while its Standard plan with HD quality, the company’s most popular offering, will increase from $10.99 to $12.99, the company says. Its Premium plan will rise to $15.99 from $13.99.
Does Hulu have a yearly subscription?
Instead of paying $7.99 per month for access to Hulu’s streaming content, you’ll pay just $0.99 per month. With your subscription, you’ll have access to loads of movies, television shows, and Hulu originals with the standard limited commercials package.
What is the yearly subscription for Netflix in India?
A basic plan, that allows you to watch content on TV, laptops also is priced at ₹499 per month while a standard plan is priced at ₹649, premium one at ₹799. Netflix’s product innovation director Ajay Arora said its members in India watch more on their mobiles than members anywhere else in the world.
How Much Is Netflix a month 2019?
Netflix is flexing its pricing-power muscle to kick off 2019 — hiking fees for all streaming-video plans for customers in the U.S. Netflix’s most popular plan, the Standard tier that offers two HD streams, is increasing 18%, from $10.99 to $12.99 per month.


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Samsung Electronics' virtual assistant Bixby will be available in the company's robot cleaners and ovens "very soon", the company has announced.
The AI is currently available in smartphones, TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines. More home appliances will be linked with the virtual assistant going forward, the company said.
HS Kim, president and CEO of Samsung's Consumer Electronics business, said at a press event in Seoul that Bixby will continue to evolve into an intelligent, personalised service going forward.
The company has also updated Bixby services in its Family Hub. Consumers can use their voice to command refrigerators to make a stock list and manage expiration dates. Bixby will also recognise individual voices of family members to tell them their respective schedules.
ACs will activate through simple commands such as "it's hot" with customised settings based on use patterns. Washing machines will recommend the best washing cycle depending on clothes.
These features can also be activated simultaneously by just one voice command. For example, saying "good night" will switch off TVs and turn AC and air refreshers to sleep mode.
Samsung has vowed to apply AI to all its home appliances by 2020.
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<="" p="" rel="follow"> <="" p="" rel="follow">Apple to Samsung: Cough up $1bn for using our iPhone designs
Jurors will need to decide whether Apple's patents apply to the whole phone or just its components.
Samsung's memory business leads record Q1 profits
Samsung Electronics' semiconductor business has propelled the company to a record 15.64 trillion won operating profit for the first quarter of 2018.
Samsung commits to foldable OLED phones for 2018
Samsung Electronics has committed to launching a foldable OLED phone this year to cement its premium leadership for its revived mobile business, while it expects steady growth for its chip business.
iPhone X sales in rapid decline? Apple will sell 'fewer than 14 million in Q1'
Meanwhile, Samsung sold eight million Galaxy S9 and S9+ in its first month of sales, says Canalys.
Samsung Bixby 2.0: Cheat sheet(TechRepublic)
The digital assistant Bixby is getting a makeover with its 2.0 release, as Samsung aims to create its own ecosystem. Should developers consider investing in yet another connected IoT platform?


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TfL Inspector Neil Billany expressed concern that Uber was picking and choosing what to report to the police.
The man assured Chad Farley that he would not jump, but the Uber driver said he knew he was lying.
The suit cites a slew of complaints against Kalanick over 'gross mismanagement and other misconduct at Uber.'
"We are committed to hiring a new world class CEO", the board member said.
A fire broke out in one Uber driver's car in January just after he dropped off a passenger.
The scheme being offered to drivers in France would be in place by autumn.
Aner Manuel said the woman was "clearly on drugs". He received a $10 refund.
Softbank and car-hailing firm DiDi Chuxing will invest a combined $2bn in the Malaysian company.
Ride-sharing company's self-driving technology will be open for car makers and tech firms to use.
"This deal is a testament to our exceptional growth in the region", Uber's EMEA head Gore-Coty said.
Taylor says flexibility is key to job creation in the UK, even though millions are in insecure work.
Long-Bailey objected to the firm's employment practices, with drivers being treated as contractors.
The review by Matthew Taylor will call for a new category of worker called a 'dependent contractor'.
The study by Matthew Taylor is set to call for a new category of worker called a 'dependent contractor'.
Waymo reserves the right to reintroduce the claims against Uber later.
Cameron Espitia told police he had was "not having a good night" with his wife Jennifer.
The taxi-hailing firm says 'writing an essay' has nothing to do with getting passengers 'safely from A to B'.
"Uber must face the critical truth that they aren't a startup anymore," brand expert Eric Schiffer said.
'I've never seen a human with that kind of staying power' a Silicon Valley investor said.
Israel-based Eviation Aircraft reveals plans for 'Alice Commuter', an electric plane with 600-mile range.
Kalanick agreed to step down after investors asked for a change in leadership in a letter on Tuesday.
German company Volocopter will test its 62mph VC200 aircraft until 2020.
The online takeaway firm operates in over 40 countries and has deals with 150,000 restaurants.
Uber executives reportedly questioned whether the rape incident was part of a plan by Ola to sabotage the firm.
Everything you need to know about the man who made sexist comment at a meeting addressing sexism.
Uber board member resigns following meeting held to discuss 'toxic' working culture.
"Truth will always win," Susan Fowler, the ex-employee who triggered Uber's internal investigation, said.
'I want to make Uber 2.0 and Travis 2.0', the chief executive told staff.
As Uber troubles continue and doubt is cast over Travis Kalanick's future, is it Lyft's time to shine?
It is speculated that Kalanick may return to Uber with less authority and responsibilities.


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As slow growth in the world's largest car market continued for a second consecutive year in 2012, auto dealers in China are facing huge financial burdens, with many facing closure.
Several Honda dealers have shut down recently, and in October last year there was a high-profile case involving the owner of three Citroen dealerships in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, who fled to evade her creditors, Beijing-based China Times reported on December 29.
"There was enormous pressure on auto dealerships in 2012, and more than 50 percent of the dealers of imported brands made a loss for the whole year. That ratio is about 40 percent for dealers of domestic brands, and 35 percent for joint-venture brand dealers," Luo Lei, vice secretary-general of China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), told China Times.
CADA's comprehensive dealers' inventory index fell to 1.33 points in November, the association said in a statement on its website on December 28. But from February to October last year, the index was always above the official 1.5-point alarm line.
An index of between 0.8 and 1.2 points indicates reasonable inventory levels, while higher than 1.5 points indicates excessive stockpiles and higher operating pressure and risk, according to CADA.
Diaoyu Islands impact
Most of the slow-selling brands in November were imported Japanese luxury cars, with Nissan's Infiniti recording the highest individual inventory index of 4.9 points, CADA said.
Mainland, Taiwan airlines sign co-op contract
Great changes in Zhengzhou railway station
Wanda Group ventures onto the global stage
Sports car makers look to mainland market
Top Ten Economic Events in 2012
'Gold road' laid with gold bars


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THE rest of us may still have to wait another five days until our favourite night out of the year.
But for Cheltenham racegoers, St Patrick's Day has come early - and we couldn't BE more jealous.
Following on from Ladies Day, today's lucky racegoers have pulled out all the stops with their outfits.
In a nod to the races' heritage, tweed jackets and tartan were another big trend today as female fans were dressed to the nines in thigh-high boots and fedoras.
Channelling their inner Cher from Clueless, one glamorous racegoer rocked a pink checked suit-dress which she paired with matching black boots and a bag while her pal channeled Chanel in a white tweed dress suit.
As always, hats were a big deal for the races' fashion fans and no outfit would be complete without one.
While dark-toned fedoras reigned supreme, other style savvy guests went for more daring designs - including feathered caps and girly hair pieces.
Stopping to take photos outside the stadium, the fans let their hair down as they downed a tipple (or two) to celebrate St Patrick's Day.
The actress wore her light blonde hair in loose waves and completed her look with a muted pink hat and turquoise earrings.
ITV racing correspondent Francesca Cumani looked suitably chic in an eye-catching cherry red ensemble.
The presenter matched her bright red coat with her scarlet hat before offsetting both shades with a pair of burgundy suede knee-high boots.
Swapping high fashion for emerald green top hats, countless blokes saw St Patrick's Day at Cheltenham as the perfect opportunity to channel their inner leprechaun.
One lad gave a nod to the big day with a fake ginger beard and green silk bows.
Meanwhile, another bloke went all out by dressing in a green velvet suit decorated with four leave clovers.
Not to mention the happy couple who took the theme to new extremes by painting the Irish national colours on their faces and walking around with the flag wrapped around their shoulders.
Most read in Fabulous
For more fashion stories, Dua Lipa is launching a Pepe Jeans range and it's available at ASOS.
Plus this shopper was in hysterics after her PrettyLittleThing coat makes her look like she's wearing a sleeping bag.


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Legal sales of cigarettes and alcohol
We had enough of South African goverment making there own decisions regarding our democratic right to purchase cigarettes and alcohol legal. The government has forced smokers and drinkers to buy from the ungerground black market and everyday the prices goes up the longer it stays illegal to purchase from shops, cartons that was R150 and R330 are now being sold for R1400 to R2000 per carton, alcohol that was R120 are now R450 per bottle. This is also causing domestic violence as people have cravings and anger and frustration sets in. It is also a negative affect on the poorer community that needs to pay R1000 to R1400 for cigarettes and this is from there only grant money even and no food as the addiction is to serious that government legally sold to everyone. It is a addiction and no one can say just stop. Its mental and fiscal drain to the body and this also lets people use cheaper drugs now and the underground market is growing stronger with revenues as the goverment does not get any income or taxes from these illegal sales. We demand and it our democratic right to buy sigarettes legal. Even our own minister Zuma has a son that owns a cigarette manufacturing company thatnis freely available on the black market. We need the full investigation and bank statements of all these parties involved and associated with the business. We will have a public national march on 18 May 2020 from 6:00 to 9:00 to demand the legal sales.