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Ministers push to keep digital ID systems uniform
Canada says requirements for Huawei CFO's extradition to US met
Trump to act on Chinese software companies in coming days
Regis Healthcare loses data in Maze ransomware infection
Vodafone Australia re-platforms its customer channels
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Vocus racks up $2m core network upgrade
Multiple 10 Gigabit links in operation.
Sep 2 2009 1:54PM
Woven Systems technology lives on with Fortinet
Fortinet breathes life back into datacentre switching vendor.
Aug 20 2009 3:32PM
Alcatel Lucent steps closer to 100 Gigabit Ethernet edge
Higher speeds available.
Jul 20 2009 10:39AM
AAPT network upgrade boosts mid-band Ethernet
AAPT has completed a $30 million upgrade to its core IP network and MPLS edge that will enable more automated provisioning and guarantee performance on midband Ethernet connections.
Apr 22 2009 6:00AM
Vocus focus on core network upgrade
Wholesale network operator Vocus Communications will add capacity and hardware to its core network as part of an upgrade to be announced next week.
Apr 20 2009 3:59PM
Internode lays out SHDSL network expansion plans
Internode plans to launch symmetrical high-speed broadband services up to 40Mbps in the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane CBDs after announcing availability in Adelaide CBD from today.
Mar 6 2009 12:40PM
Ethernet a must for mobile backhaul
Mobile network providers have to move to Ethernet to cope with the growing demand for high bandwidth mobile services, according to the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF).
Feb 16 2009 2:45PM
Picocell improves in-building 3G reception
Communications firm ip.access has introduced a picocell designed to improve 3G network coverage in offices, shops and other hard-to-reach places.
Feb 10 2009 6:29AM
HP gives network boost to blade servers
HP has unveiled new products designed to improve performance in virtual server environments, including a network connection module to boost bandwidth and an accompanying server blade.
Nov 18 2008 6:20AM
Intel to buy NetEffect for US$8m
Intel has agreed to acquire networking specialist NetEffect for US$8m.
Oct 17 2008 7:10AM
Pittwater Council embraces real-time backups
Sydney’s Pittwater Council announced today that it has implemented Juniper Networks’ EX 4200 series Ethernet switches as part of a systems upgrade from tape backups to real-time off-site storage.
Oct 13 2008 3:25PM
ProCurve introduces gigabit switches for Aussie SMBs
HP’s networking business, ProCurve, has introduced two new gigabit Ethernet switch models to the Australia and New Zealand SMB market.
Aug 28 2008 4:49PM
Brocade deal signals shift in Ethernet space
Brocade's US$3bn acquisition of Foundry is indicative of forthcoming consolidation in the Ethernet switch marketplace, according to analysts.
Jul 28 2008 9:27AM
New transceivers extend optical fibre Ethernet range
Network hardware vendors HP ProCurve and Allied Telesis have launched new optical transceivers designed to extend the range of gigabit and 10 gigabit Ethernet (GbE) optical fibre connections
Jul 17 2008 7:47AM
Cisco and Comcast test 100Gb Ethernet
Optical infrastructure enables transmission of 100GE over DWDM network..
Jul 1 2008 2:41AM
HP ProCurve boasts first commercial Ethernet switch in space
The recently-docked Columbus section of the International Space Station is claimed to host the first commercial Ethernet switch in space.
Jun 13 2008 3:33PM
MEF strengthens APAC Carrier Ethernet push
Global industry alliance MEF has strengthened its Asia-Pacific operations with an aim to standardise Carrier Ethernet and accelerate adoption of related networks and services.
Jun 12 2008 11:51AM
802.11n Wi-Fi to 'surpass wired Ethernet'
Enterprise adoption of next-generation 802.11n Wi-Fi technology is "unprecedented", according to a new report, despite the standard being ratified only as a draft.
May 21 2008 7:35AM
Juniper launches its first ever Ethernet switch
Cisco rival Juniper networks ups the ante this week with the launch of itsfirst Ethernet switches.
Jan 30 2008 2:01PM
NETGEAR recalls 82,000 overheating Ethernet Adapters
NETGEAR has issued a worldwide recall for 82,000 of its XE103 Powerline Ethernet Adapters after the company discovered the devices overheated when used on a 220-240 volt power source.
Jan 8 2008 12:21PM
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MALMO, Sweden – Here it comes! Volvo’s first modern electric car has been announced, the details made available today with images of the chassis of the car as a development of the Volvo XC40 plug-in hybrid.
The automaker is also presenting the XC40 as ”the safest electric car on the road” and says it joins a growing park of battery/hybrid machines for, as the company reminds us, the first time in more than a century, cars move without a petrol or diesel engine in support.
”With the introduction of this fully electric Volvo XC40 SUV,” the automaker says, ”we’re launching not only our first fully electric car – in true Volvo tradition we are also introducing one of the safest cars despite a fresh challenges from the absence of an internal combustion engine”.
Malin Ekholm, head of safety at Volvo Cars, told The Corner in a media communication: “Regardless of what drives a car, be it an electric machine or a combustion engine, a Volvo must be safe.
“The fully electric XC40 will be one of the safest cars we have yet built.”
NO ENGINE, MORE PROTECTION
Volvo safety engineers redesigned and reinforced the engineless front of the car counter the absence of an engine and ”to meet Volvo’s high safety requirements and help keep occupants as safe as in any other Volvo’.
“The fundamentals around safety are the same for this car as for any other Volvo. People are inside and the car needs to be designed to protect them.”
What is described as ”a new and unique safety structure for passengers and battery” has been created to protect humans and the battery during a collision, The battery is protected by an extruded aluminum cage embedded in the middle of the car – in effect, a crumple zone for the battery.
An extra benefit is that the heavy battery, mounted low, will drop the vehicle’s centre of gravity: result, better cornering stability.
The electric powertrain has been integrated in the rear body to create better distribution of collision forces away from the cabin.
”Active” crash-mitigation systems will introduce new technology, among them driving assistance programs mounted on a sensor platform and using software developed by Zenuity, an international joint-venture company owned by Volvo Cars and Veoneer.
MORE DETAILS SOONEST…
”The new ADAS platform,” Volvo explained, ”is a modern, scalable, active safety system that consists of a radar array, cameras and ultrasonic sensors. Scalable means it will be easy to develop and will be the foundation for the future introduction of autonomous technology.”
Carman’s Corner will bring more details about the fully electric XC40 before its first public sighting on October 16.
…AND A WORD FROM VOLVO SA
Meanwhile, Volvo SA’s MD Greg Maruszewski told The Corner the electric XC40 would be proof that the company was at the leading edge for addressing two global challenges. “We’re facing two huge challenges,” he added. ”Global warming and road deaths – each threatening the survival and well-being of the human race.
”I’m proud that Volvo is addressing both with the electric XC40… and more good news (for the planet and road users) is that customers can expect more of the same from Volvo.”

domain: news


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Washington, DC – Results from a newly published study show that the overall contribution of hunting tourism in eight African nations is an estimated $426 million annually. More than 18,000 hunter tourists visit Africa every year. The study was featured in an article by Bloomberg Economics on June 9.
“This work demonstrates that hunting has a much more significant economic impact across southern and eastern Africa than previously thought,” stated Joseph Hosmer, President of SCI Foundation. The report was produced by Southwick Associates, a leading market research and economics firm specializing in outdoor industries.
“Our results show that a substantial number of jobs and income are created by each hunter who visits Africa, and by hunting collectively,” said Rob Southwick, President of Southwick Associates, Inc. The study investigated the extent of hunters’ annual spending and total economic contributions within an eight-country survey area between 2012 and 2014. More than 53,000 jobs, from South Africa to Ethiopia, are directly supported by the hunting industry.
“Considering that hunting occurs in regions where photographic safari operations and agriculture are often limited, the economic benefits of hunting are critical,” continued Southwick. Photographic tourism and agriculture may not be viable or provide sufficient income on large expanses of the rural African landscape. In many rural areas, hunting is a sustainable land use that offers economic opportunity and incentives for conservation.
“Hunting gives wildlife value and changes a community’s attitude towards conservation,” says Hosmer. “In areas that are supported by revenue generated by hunting, we see fewer human-wildlife conflicts, more tolerance towards problematic or dangerous species, and less poaching.”
The results from this report show that hunting tourism is a driving force in conservation and positively contributes to a sustainable future for Africa’s wildlife and local economies.
Southwick Associates is a market research and economics firm specializing in the hunting, shooting, sport fishing, and outdoor recreation markets. Celebrating 25 years in 2015, Southwick Associates has a distinguished reputation for delivering comprehensive insights and statistics assisting business and strategic decisions across the entire outdoor industry; from government agencies, industry associations and non-profit organizations, to affiliated businesses and manufacturers.
Twice a week, SCI Foundation informs readers about conservation initiatives happening worldwide and updates them on SCI Foundation’s news, projects and events. Tuesdays are dedicated to an Issue of the Week and Thursday’s Weekly Updates will provide an inside look into research and our other science-based conservation efforts. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more SCI Foundation news.


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11:27 | 07/04/2016 Trade
Exports of vegetables and fruits over the first three months of the year have brought in US$526 million, a 41% year-on-year rise, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
China remains the biggest importer of vegetables and fruits, accounting for 71% of the total volume
China remains the biggest importer of vegetables and fruits, accounting for 71% of the total volume.
Meanwhile, Vietnam spent approximately US$153 million on imported vegetables and fruits, a 39% year-on-year increase, in which Thailand was the biggest provider and earned nearly US$41 million.
In the first two months of the year, China imported fruits and vegetables from Vietnam worth over US$236 million.
According to a representative from the MARD, though Vietnam’s produce has penetrated such highly-desirable markets as Japan, the Republic of Korea and the US, it is still difficult to find export markets to replace the major market of China.
Last year, exports of vegetables and fruits brought in US$1.8 billion, a 23.7% year-on-year rise, making produce one of top five major agricultural products of Vietnam together with rice, coffee, cashew nuts and rubber.
However, the country’s exports of vegetables and fruits accounted for merely 0.75% of the world market and 3.7% of the market of the Trans-Pacific Partnership member countries./.


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A look at the number of visits to the top 100 most popular cryptocurrency exchanges reveals that most of the visitors are from the United States. Japan and South Korea come in second and third places respectively despite recording figures that are far less than that of the US.
The US Leads Cryptocurrency Exchange Visits
DataLight, a cryptocurrency analytics website published a report on April 29 which reveals that the United States recorded the highest number of visits on cryptocurrency exchanges. According to the report, the United States has 22 million monthly visits to the leading 100 cryptocurrency exchanges.
The company arrived at these figures after looking into the website traffic data of the cryptocurrency exchanges. Despite the lack of proper cryptocurrency regulation in the United States, the country remains by far the most active crypto trading region.
Japan, which has recognized cryptocurrencies as legal tender since April 2017 comes in second place, reaffirming its position as one of the leading crypto countries in the world. However, Japan only recorded 6.1 million monthly visits.
Another Asian country, South Korea occupied third place after recording 5.7 million monthly visits to the top 100 cryptocurrency exchanges. The countries displayed on the infographic have traders that are actively buying and selling digital currencies.
South Korea’s place doesn’t come as a surprise as it is one of the most popular crypto nations in the world. The UK is another country recording impressive statistics in the cryptocurrency space. The UK records roughly 4 million monthly visits to cryptocurrency exchanges.
Completing the top five is Russia, which averages 3 million monthly visits. Russia is another country where cryptocurrency regulation is still unclear, but that hasn’t hindered investors and traders from the country accessing crypto exchange platforms.
Vietnam, Brazil, and Turkey Make Top Ten
Below the top five countries, there are others on the list that are making a push into the crypto space. Turkey, Vietnam, and Brazil join Canada and Germany in making the top ten list.
Coming in sixth place is Brazil which has almost the same number of cryptocurrency traders visiting exchanges as Russia. Germany, Vietnam, Turkey, and Canada occupy the remaining spots in the top ten, with each of the countries recordings over 2 million visits to cryptocurrency exchanges monthly.
The hyperinflation that affected the Turkish Lira earlier this year led to some people in the country turning to cryptocurrencies to serve as a store of value. Ukraine and Mexico are two other countries having problems with their fiat currencies. Thus, it is not surprising to see them stay above countries like Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Regulatory Concerns Haven’t Affected Cryptocurrency Trading
The data provided by DataLight shows that despite the bear market and the regulatory matters in most countries, cryptocurrency trading remains a popular venture. It is still unclear if regulating the cryptocurrency sector in countries like the United States would boost its growth in the long run.


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By Bhagyashree Nair
New Delhi: Panasonic
is betting heavily on the festive season, expecting Rs 600 crore boost in sales from September to November 2016, 200% growth over the corresponding period last year.
The brand is vying to get customers to buy their products with new offers to boost sales this season. Panasonic India partnered with Reliance Jio for access to its complimentary preview across its 4G range in a bid to shoot up sales across the country in August 2016. Users with smartphones got special access to Jio’s premium applications apart from the free data services.
The brand is also banking on robust sales this season to clock revenues higher than previous targets, to fulfil their wish to take over complete manufacture of smartphones in India.
This season, the phone and consumer electronics maker is offering customers freebies and discount vouchers for online shopping on the purchase of select Panasonic models like the T50, T44, T44 Lite, and the T30. The T series was launched as a set of trendy phones, with futuristic features and affordability which would engage with the youth of the country.
The ‘The Great Couple Offer’ announced by the company is also focusing on strengthening customers ties. “Our focus for this offer will be working couples who will spend quality time with each other this festive season with our offers. The Panasonic T series has been loved by our customers and this offer comes as an add-on to the festive feeling for our customers,” said Pankaj Rana, Business Head (Mobility Division), Panasonic.
The offer is valid from September 10th to November 10th 2016 and is available at stores across the country.


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Assignment: Crowded Bird Markets During the Rise of Avian Flu
Explore and download these visuals via our stock platform.
Last month, We Animals Media photojournalist Resha Juhari was on assignment in Indonesia’s Bangka Belitung Province to document the increase in sales of “broiler” chickens in the lead up to the Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr. Resha’s photographs are a startling glimpse into the lives of the many thousands of birds who are sourced and sold for human consumption at Indonesia’s traditional markets.
At an Indonesian market before the Eid al-Fitr holiday, a chicken investigates the body of a slaughtered chicken soaking in a tub of hot water before being defeathered. As Eid al-Fitr nears, customer demand for chicken meat markedly increases preceding the holiday celebrations. Pagi Market, Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung, Indonesia, 2023. Resha Juhari / We Animals Media
“I have been photographing chicken sales in lead up to Eid al-Fitr for as long as I have been working as a photojournalist, which is about 10 years. The situation has not changed; it’s the same as in previous years. This sale and massive slaughtering of chickens only happens on religious holidays such as Eid al-Fitr. The conditions of the markets that sell chickens is still the same; chickens are gathered for sale and are not fed, only watered during this period.” ― Resha Juhari, animal photojournalist
Eid al-Fitr Celebrations in Indonesia
The increase in broiler chicken sales is due to a higher consumption of chicken during Eid al-Fitr celebrations at the conclusion of Ramadan, a month-long fast undertaken by the Muslim community. During the day leading up to Eid al-Fitr, chicken vendors can sell up to 200 to 300 birds who are sourced from various regions in Bangka Belitung and Palembang, and sold in traditional markets. In Pangkalpinang City, there are three traditional markets where people go to buy chicken: Pembangunan Market, Pagi Market, and Trem Market.
“All three of the markets I visited had the same smell. Dirty slaughterhouses mixed with blood, discarded body parts, feathers and dead chicken bodies scattered for days on end caused the smell. You can imagine what it was like.” ― Resha Juhari
The spread of Avian Influenza (H5N1) in Indonesia
Avian influenza (H5N1), more commonly referred to as bird flu, continues to spread at an alarming rate among wild and domesticated bird populations. Despite this, the connection between intensively farmed animals and disease transmission remains underreported. Cramped and busy market environments like the ones Resha visited on this assignment are the perfect breeding grounds for this highly pathogenic virus.
“In the last few months, bird flu cases have been spreading in several regions in Indonesia. I hope there is a special role from the relevant authorities in responding to this case, so that it does not cause serious concern to the public, especially during Eid al-Fitr when chicken consumption increases” ― Resha Juhari
To date, the spread of bird flu within farmed bird populations has been found in several regions of Indonesia. In March 2023, local media reported on cases of infected birds on farms in South Kalimantan Province, Central Cimahi District, Cimahi City and West Java Province. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Service of Cimahi City, a total of 172 birds have been exposed to the virus, of which 49 died.
The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia states that H5N1 entered Indonesia and began to spread in humans in 2005. There have been no reports of human cases so far during this current outbreak but government health officials buckle down with awareness-raising, urging the public to remain cautious.
The Emotional Lives of Chickens
Globally, birds raised for meat are treated as units of production and with disregard for their emotional and physiological needs. Whether inside the factory farm, en route to the slaughterhouse, or at the local market, they are jostled, thrown and strung towards a violent and inevitable end.
At the markets Resha visited on this assignment, birds trembled in fear while surrounded by the sights and sounds of their peers being “prepared” for sale. Others languished alone amidst the chaos, clearly suffering both physically and psychologically.
“My experience with chickens for more than twenty years has shown me that they are conscious and emotional beings with adaptable sociability and a range of intentions and personalities. If there is one trait above all that leaps to my mind in thinking about chickens when they are enjoying their lives and pursuing their own interests, it is cheerfulness. Chickens are cheerful birds, quite vocally so, and when they are dispirited and oppressed, their entire being expresses this state of affairs as well.” — Karen Davis, President of United Poultry Concerns
Images by Resha Juhari.
Explore and download visuals from this assignment via our stock platform, which offers 20,000+ images and video clips for free to anyone helping animals.
Donate today and help us continue to produce compelling global investigations into these cruel industries.


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NEW DELHI: India’s US$8bil (RM33.8bil) Amul dairy group is bracing for disruptions and better enter prices for some merchandise from July when the federal government’s ban on plastic straws kicks in.
India final week refused to waive an impending ban on straws which are packaged with small juice and milk beverage packs, stoking fears within the US$790mil (RM3.3bil) trade that features gamers like PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, India’s Dabur and Parle Agro , Reuters reported.
Amul has not labored out any sensible resolution to exchange the tiny plastic straws and the paper variant is just not possible, mentioned RS Sodhi, Amul’s managing director.
“The intention of the federal government is nice … (however) the straws are usually not even 0.1% of complete plastic consumption,” Sodhi instructed Reuters.
“All the trade can be impacted.”
Sodhi’s feedback underscore the rising tensions in India’s beverage trade at a time when demand surges within the sweltering summer time season. — Reuters


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Tap Harlem Harvest Festival Draws Thousands
More than 2,000 people packed a stretch of St. Nicholas Avenue uptown NYC earlier this month for Tap Harlem Harvest, where they were treated to free food, entertainment and shopping from local vendors.
The first annual event also included a bake-off and a paid wine, spirits and beer tasting.
Vendors included Celeste Beatty, of the Harlem Brewery, who said she wanted to celebrate the spirit and legacy of Harlem by participating.
“This is as close to craft and community as you can get,” Beatty said. “We wanted to make sure that we were present, and people know that we’re here. That there are still people in Harlem who love and care about its history.”
Hit the flip for more pics from the block party:


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Korean webtoon platform starts global event
A popular Korean webtoon portal launched an event of giving global fans the chance to vote on their favorite webtoons in three languages over the next 10 days.
Lezhin Entertainment said Dec. 6 that the Seoul-based outfit started the “2019 Best Webtoons Award,” which will continue through Dec. 15 in Korea, Japan, and the United States.
The company chose nominees of the awards based on episode purchases, views, and subscriber counts during the first 10 months of this year.
“Among 8,161 Korean titles, 288 English ones, and 726 Japanese ones available on Lezhin Comics, the list was narrowed to 30 all-age and 30 adult titles for each language,” a Lezhin official said.
“Until Dec. 15, our users will be able to vote for their favorite candidates. They are allowed to vote for one adult and one all-age webtoon everyday.”
Lezhin plans to announce the result one by one from Dec. 20 to Dec. 29.
Janis Jang, who takes charge of Lezhin’s strategy and planning, expressed big hopes on the unprecedented event.
“The Best Webtoon Awards is the first event of its kind for us, and we thought it’d be a wonderful way to shine a spotlight on titles, which audiences have shown so much love this year,” Jang said.
“In 2020, we’ll do our best to continue to offer a wide variety of fun and enjoyable content to our fans.”
Lezhin Comics is a webtoon portal, which Lezhin Entertainment opened in 2013. Its content is available through www.lezhin.com.


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Australians are happy to provide biometric identification when boarding aircraft but are far less accepting of allowing retailers to use biometrics to sell them products, the 2014 Unisys Security Index has shown.
The figures, which are released annually as a gauge into consumers' perceptions of various security issues, involved a poll of 1201 Australian adults and found that 75 per cent would be willing to provide a fingerprint or photograph to an automated boarding gate that could confirm their identities when boarding a flight.
Similarly, 71 per cent of respondents were willing to provide biometric data to prove they are low-risk frequent travellers.
By contrast, 63 per cent of respondents said they would not provide biometric information to access customised retail offers while in the airport.
The figures were lower than those from the 2012 survey, in which 95 per cent of respondents said it was OK for Customs or Immigration staff to use facial recognition to identify passengers on police watch lists.
Unisys Asia Pacific security program director John Kendall said the results confirmed that Australians are still quite protective of their personal privacy and remained cautious about giving away too much information unless they feel it is for the right reason.
“Retailers may not yet have earned that level of trust in their ability to protect data, or shopping convenience is simply not seen as a serious enough reason to give up personal biometric data,” Kendall said.
“This issue will gain scrutiny as retailers make more use of big data analytics to collect, combine, interrogate and use information about their customers. The result clearly demonstrates that Australians are discriminating when it comes to the use of personal biometric data and are wary if the use is not directly linked to a security related initiative.”
Unisys has long provided biometric solutions into government organisations, with contracts to provide facial image processing technology for Queensland Transport-issued driver licenses and another delivering biometric solutions as part of Unisys' role in the Department of Immigration and Border Protection's Enhanced Border Control Program.
Overall, the index reached its lowest level since Unisys began conducting the survey in 2006, with an overall score of 106 compared to 129 in 2013, 110 in 2012, and 111 in 2011.
The survey saw sharp declines in the percentage of respondents concerned about a serious health epidemic (down 15 per cent), war or terrorism (down 12 per cent), and the security of banking or shopping online (down 12 per cent).
Two technology-related issues topped the list, with 52 per cent of Australians extremely or very concerned about unauthorised access to their personal information and 51 percent concerned about other people using their credit card details.
These both represented a slight decline from the 2012 survey, when 54 per cent were concerned about identity theft and 56 per cent about others' use of their credit cards.
This article is brought to you by Enex TestLab, content directors for CSO Australia.


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A growing trend for mega-corps is to buy out relative mom and pop companies to expand. Specifically, in the cell phone industry, any company other than Verizon and ATT should fear a buyout. ...
Windows 10 Build 10125 leaks online
Ulefone Be Touch: Video unboxing and first impressions
LG G4 Review - the phone that tries to offer everything
"..is now a top seller and lets you put all your favorite sci-fi ships against each other" - Brad Wardell
galactic civilizations 3
Tronsmart's USB Smart Charger; an ideal solution for the household?
All the latest news for Windows 10 Mobile and Desktop previews
GINGER GROUP the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said today it is pushing the US Library of Congress, North America's copyright "watchdog" to accept that people be allowed to skip "commercials" on DVD and also watch DVDs...


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The upcoming Prey reboot is set to take the sci-fi shooter into an exciting, new horror-filled direction later this year when it releases May 5, 2017. That date isn’t very far away, which means developer Arkane Studios is starting to life the curtain off the game. They recently held a media event where outlets were able to go hands-on with the title (PlayStation LifeStyle’s preview will go up soon), and ask questions about the horror title.
One of the interesting tidbits to come out of this event was how long Prey will take players to finish. The game’s lead designer Ricardo Bare told Twinfinite that the game’s length will vary “widely depending on the style of the player,” but that playtests generally took around 16 to 22 hours, with 20 hours being the average. That’s a lot of time for Prey to spook the player, and should please those that were expecting a lengthy title.
The game will also feature multiple endings that the player will be able to influence by how they play. “Without giving you spoilers, I would describe the endings as essentially two main branches,” Bare told Twinfinite. “You’re gonna be making some pretty big decisions about the space station and the people aboard the space station. But then within those main branches, there are tons of permutations, and a lot of it has to do with what you did and how you treated survivors that you encounter.”
Prey is currently set to release May 5, 2017 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.


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For Canva, pictures are worth much more than just 1,000 words.
Australia-based Reffind listed on ASX in record time while building its work communication tool, and is now expanding to Asia.
German startup dynamo Rocket Internet already has more than 20 startup ventures operating in Asia, but the company isn’t slowing down.
Why should you use an app when you're shopping in a brick-and-mortar store? RainCheck has an answer.
Gabriel Fong is a Singapore national who had a long career at Wall Street investment banking giants. He walked away from it all to work on startups.
The Results-Only Work Environment In 2003, Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson developed the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) while working at electronics retail...
The Australian startup will use the funding to harness its rapid growth.
Successfully completed, ongoing, and upcoming Kickstarter projects form Perth.
The end of the full time job The backlash against excessive consumerism, captured by books such as Oliver James’ bestseller Affluenza, has seen workers in devel...
Divvy began life in Sydney, Australia back in 2011 as a way for people to lease their unused car parking space through the internet. Its business is essentially...
The funding round was co-led by Australian fintech venture capital firm H2 Ventures and Global Founders Capital, the investment fund of Rocket Internet.
How fast is the average internet speed in your country? We have the answers across Asia, for both broadband and mobile data.
The latest round of series B+ funding will be put toward development and expansion in the China market.
Positive demographics indicate that startups are poised to take off down under.
More money to help get stuff done.
The Australian startup makes graphic design easier for small enterprises.
“It’s a great opportunity for us. Lots of network effects,” explains Freelancer deputy CFO Christopher Koch of the deal.
Freelancer goes local: You can now hire plumbers, cleaners, and other local workers on demand.


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Visa U.S.A. said its credit card fraud rate has fallen for the fourth straight year.
Citing preliminary results, Visa said fraud losses fell to 0.08% of dollar volume-8 cents out of every $100-from 0.11% in 1996 and a high of 0.19% in 1993.
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Victoria’s Secret, in partnership with travel retailer Hudson Group, has opened a new beauty & accessories store in Los Angeles International Airport's Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).
Upward growth in large-scale, new construction projects as well as an uptick in fine dining and hospitality construction, is predicted for 2014, according to Englewood Construction’s Commercial Construction Forecast 2014.
3-D printer manufacturer MakerBot has reportedly opened its first Boston retail store, and third store overall.
Tata Starbucks Limited, the 50/50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee Company and Tata Global Beverages Limited, opens a new India flagship store in Bangalore on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Walgreens is opening a new joint store with Johns Hopkins Medicine adjacent to the medical school’s campus in Baltimore.
Walgreens opened what is believed to be the nation’s first net zero energy retail store (a net zero building produces energy equal to or greater than it consumes).
Nordstrom will open a Nordstrom Rack at Village Plaza at Bunker Hill in Houston.
H.J. Martin and Son helped J.C. Penney add two new in-store shops: Disney and GiggleBaby.
Embattled Southern celebrity chef Paula Deen is opening a headquarters and store in Clarence, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo, this February.
Macy’s Herald Square store has taken the wraps off a dramatic makeover of its beauty and fragrances department.


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Scientists used to believe that the human brain recognized faces as a whole. But a new study published last week in the Journal of Vision reports that our visual system seems to parse faces as it does words: by their component parts--eyes, nose, lips. The beauty of the brain is that it can assemble those parts into a familiar face in the blink of an eye. --By David Bjerklie
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10-Step Plan to Better Web Security
The retail industry has been rocked in recent years from security breaches that have seen consumers' personal information (e.g., credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers) stolen by online hackers. Wal-Mart, Zappos.com, TJX Companies, Michaels, Polo Ralph Lauren and Gap are just some of the companies that have been targeted.
To help brands protect against the chaos that ensues as a result of a data security breach — not to mention the potential lost revenue — Tim Toews, a web security consultant and former chief information officer at Office Depot, offered a 10-step plan to help retailers maintain control of their business space (i.e., their network) and keep hackers out. Toews presented his plan during a session he led this week at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition in Chicago.
"Security is a business leadership problem, not an IT problem," said Toews, adding that senior leadership needs to commit to spending on web security just like it does marketing, merchandising and other revenue-driving channels. Toews cited a recent Gartner study that recommended retailers allocate 5 percent of their IT budget to web security. Here's Toews' 10-step plan to better web security:
- Encrypt data. Any data that would cause your company issues if it were exposed (e.g., credit card numbers) needs to be encrypted, Toews said. Doing so ensures that if a hacker reaches the data it will be of no use to them.
- Segment your network and isolate your data. Network segmentation is a time and monetary investment, Toews said, but it's worth it.
- Monitor security events and keep logs.
- Download anti-virus software everywhere and keep current with patching.
- Create and train to a corporate security policy. This policy should include guidelines on the use of the internet, oversight of the use of thumb drives, what employees should do if they believe they're the target of a phishing attack, Toews said.
- Create a security incident response team and a plan. This team should be comprised of employees from various departments - IT, customer service, marketing, etc.
- Hack yourself. Find a trusted employee that doesn't have password clearance and see if they can access your network. Another test you can do is see how easy it is for someone to walk past your receptionist and out of your office with a laptop or other hardware. Web security is more than just digital in nature.
- Measure security key performance indicators (KPIs) just like you would for website performance. Examples of security KPIs include the number of invalid network log-ons and the rate of unauthorized access to production services.
- Include security benchmarks as a bonus goal for applicable employees.
- Don't boast about security effectiveness. There's no reason to bring unwanted attention to yourself among the hacker community, Toews said.
Retailers need to be persistent when it comes to web security, Toews said. Hackers aren't going away any time soon. Therefore, make security a corporate priority. It should be part of your brand's culture just like driving revenue is.


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Starbucks warned its employees in a memo reported by Buzzfeed News that wearing clothing or accessories highlighting the Black Lives Movement was prohibited.
A spokesperson from Starbucks argued that, whilst the company was committed to ending systemic racism, the wearing of Black Lives Matter attire could be misunderstood and incite violence and that the ban was necessary in ensuring a “safe and welcoming” environment for both employees and customers. The memo warned of “agitators who misconstrue the fundamental principles of the Black Lives Matter movement” and that they may “amplify divisiveness”.
The memo also reiterated that Starbucks had generally prohibited all accessories that advocate a religious, personal or political issue. However, several staff-members of Starbucks reportedly claimed that the company was relaxed with regards to this rule, allowing them to wear accessories promoting marriage equality and LGBTQ rights. Some even alleged that the company itself gave them accessories to wear in celebration for Pride Month.
The official Starbucks twitter, on June 1, tweeted out a statement declaring that they “stand in solidarity with our Black partners, customers and communities” and “We will not be bystanders”. In another tweet, it talked about “open and honest conversations about racial injustice” and that “It’s going to take each of us to drive necessary change”.


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New clampdown on ID fraud
The Government has strengthened laws relating to identity fraud to clamp down on the growing problem of identity theft.
The Fraud Act came into effect this week and means that the act of ID fraud will be classed as a criminal offence even if a victim does not report a crime.
Previously, police could only investigate ID fraud or prosecute a fraudster if a crime had been committed and the victim reported the crime. As victims of ID fraud often don't realise they have had a crime committed against them – usually, they are first alerted when contacted by a debt collection agency – it made it difficult for police to pursue and prosecute ID criminals.
Although fraud victims who have had money stolen from their accounts or credit cards opened in their names usually have the debt written off, it can be difficult to repair credit reports.
Under the new act it will be a crime to commit 'fraud by false representation', which means that if an ID fraudster purports to be somebody else they can be prosecuted. It also makes tampering with a machine, such as a chip and Pin machine or a cash point, with the intent of committing fraud, a criminal act.
In addition, to combat the growing menace of online fraud, the Act has created the crime of 'obtaining services dishonestly', such as credit card fraud over the internet.
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Neil Munroe, ID fraud expert at Equifax, said: 'Hopefully, with the new Fraud Act and other measures undertaken by the credit industry, it will provide peace of mind to both victims and those who worry about falling victim. And let's hope it will also work as a deterrent to other would be fraudsters.'
James Jones, a spokesman for credit reference agency Experian, said: 'Through Experian's victims of fraud service we see first hand the problems caused by fraudsters and therefore welcome any moves to tackle this problem head on.'
Apacs, the UK's payments clearing service, said the Act would help in the fight against ID fraudsters.
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1. What’s Didi?
It’s China’s biggest ride-hailing company. Didi squeezed Uber out of China five years ago, buying out the American company’s operations after an expensive price war. Its blockbuster IPO on June 30 was the second-biggest in the U.S. by a company based in China, after Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, giving Didi a market value of about $68 billion. Accounting for stock options and restricted stock units, the company’s diluted value exceeds $71 billion -- well below estimates of up to $100 billion as recently as a few months ago. The relatively modest showing reflects both investors’ increasing caution over pricey growth stocks, and China’s recent crackdown on its biggest tech players.
2. What is this investigation about?
The specifics are still very unclear. Two days after the IPO, the Cyberspace Administration of China said it’s starting a cybersecurity review of the company to prevent data security risks, safeguard national security and protect the public interest. Two days after that it said Didi had committed serious violations in the collection and usage of personal information and ordered the app pulled. There are no details on what precisely the investigation centers on, when or where the alleged violations occurred or whether there will be more penalties to come.
3. Are there any hints?
The Global Times, a Communist Party-backed newspaper, wrote in an editorial that Didi undoubtedly has the most detailed travel information on individuals among large internet firms and appears to have the ability to conduct “big data analysis” of individual behaviors and habits. To protect personal data as well as national security, China must be even stricter in its oversight of Didi’s data security, given that it’s listed in the U.S. and its two largest shareholders are foreign companies, it added.
4. Is it just Didi?
No. The Chinese internet regulator has widened its probe to two more U.S.-listed companies, targeting Full Truck Alliance Co. and Kanzhun Ltd. soon after launching the review into Didi.
5. Was this out of the blue?
No. In May, China’s antitrust regulator ordered Didi and nine other leaders in on-demand transport to overhaul practices from arbitrary price hikes to unfair treatment of drivers. More broadly, Beijing is in the process of a sweeping crackdown on the nation’s Big Tech firms designed to curb their growing influence. In November 2020 the authorities derailed the planned IPO of fintech giant Ant Group Co. and in April hit Alibaba with a record $2.8 billion fine after an antitrust probe found it had abused its market dominance. Didi, however, said on Monday it was unaware of China’s decision to halt registrations and remove the app from app stores before its listing.
6. Why does Didi matter?
You can’t really overstate just how dominant Didi is in ride hailing in China, accounting for 88% of total trips in the fourth quarter of 2020. When Didi bought Uber’s Chinese operations in 2016, Uber took a stake in the company that currently stands at 12%. Didi’s U.S. IPO was shepherded by a who’s who of Wall Street banks. Its largest shareholder is Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp. with more than 20%, and others include Chinese social networking colossus Tencent Holdings Ltd. However, due to Didi’s ownership structure, Chief Executive Officer Cheng Wei and President Jean Liu control more than 50% of the voting power.
7. How’s the company doing?
While Didi had a net loss of $1.6 billion on revenue of $21.6 billion last year, according to its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, its diversity cushioned it against the worst of the pandemic downturn. The company reported net income of $837 million in the first quarter of 2021. With growth in its core market beginning to slow, it has expanded rapidly into fields from car repairs to grocery delivery and has pumped hundreds of millions into researching autonomous driving technology. It’s also said to be planning to expand services into Western Europe.
8. What happens now?
On Didi specifically the critical question is what the review regarding user data finds. But analysts are already looking at the likely wider impact. Key issues are whether the action is likely to discourage other Chinese tech firms from embarking on an overseas listing, and whether the action marks a new direction for the regulatory crackdown. Didi itself said in a statement in would fully cooperate with the review. It warned though that the removal of the app for new users may have an adverse affect on revenue.
(Updates with comment from Didi in sixth paragraph)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.


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[Source: Ministry of Agriculture Fiji / Facebook]
The Ministry of Agriculture has handed three quad bikes to Agriculture Officers to boost service delivery to farmers in the outer rural areas.
Minister for Agriculture Vatimi Rayalu says with the growing number of farmers and unlocking of new areas for farming, mobility has been a challenge for the technical staff.
Rayalu says the quad bikes are a cheaper mode of transportation with the added advantage of handling rough terrain better.
He adds that it’s a long-term investment by the Ministry to improve service delivery to farmers.
The Minister has urged officers to look after the assets.


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New Mexico’s largest member-owned natural foods grocer has rethought its produce practices once again.
La Montañita Co-op will stop carrying the nonorganic fruits and vegetables it introduced in stores this year, a spokeswoman said, thus reversing a decision that had sparked outrage among some members and employees.
In early 2016, the six-store co-op began selling nonorganic or “conventional” versions of eggplant, avocados and other produce from the “Clean 15,” a list fruits and vegetables that the nonprofit Environmental Working Group has identified as having the lowest pesticide residue levels. Co-op leaders told the Journal in March it was one way to lower prices and remain competitive in the crowded grocery marketplace.
La Montañita marketing manager Lea Mae Quale said in a recent email to the Journal that the decision to carry the “Clean 15” generated some positive feedback from customers who appreciated the price point.
However, a vocal contingent railed against the decision.
“Do you really think that offering a lower price with lower quality is the answer? Good luck with that. You’re going in the wrong direction,” one commenter posted on the Co-op’s Facebook page.
Another posted: “La Montanita WHAT ARE YOU THINKING??? … Anyone wanting lower price can go to any other store in the Albuquerque area to get conventional produce, why would you want it here?”
A group called “Take Back the Co-op” — described on its website as “member-owners … working to preserve and strengthen the core cooperative values at our Co-op” — listed removal of those items among its platforms on its website.
Quale said the 15 new products have been discontinued as of this month.
“The voices of the community, team members and customers made it clear that stocking those items were not a viable option for La Montañita, at this time,” Quale wrote.
That does not mean La Montañita offers organic produce exclusively; Quale noted that the 40-year-old, Albuquerque-based co-op has always sold non-organic fruits and vegetables since it sources some items from local growers who are not certified organic. But the non-organic produce that is not local has been eliminated.


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Windows Phone Store integrates improvements and reaches 37 new countries
Microsoft announced today that it is expanding its worldwide store, adding 37 more countries from which you can access the app store platform.
From today users of Windows Phone in Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, New Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Paraguay, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe can download Applications from the web and store the phone without distort U.S. addresses or other countries to gain access to this store.
With this we are 112 countries that have access to the web store, and 191 who have access to the store from your mobile.
Along with that, as of today shopping from the web store can be downloaded and installed via microSD cards, which will make things even easier for users of Windows Phone 8 phones capable of handling external memory cards not have constant access to data connections or Wi-Fi. Added to that, the universal search integration in the store will also facilitate the discovery of articles and content with along with applications.
It remains for the Windows-based computers Phone 8 start arriving for that joy is complete for fans of this alternative mobile OS.
Link: Windows Phone Store Expands, adds new features (Windows Phone Blog)Tags: Applications, apps, contents, Installation, Marketplace, microSD, Microsoft, Windows, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 8, Windows Phone Marketplace, Windows Phone store


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Danish start-up Contractbook will use fresh capital to expand its global footprint and roll out new features.
Contractbook, a Danish start-up that enables individuals and companies to safely create, sign and store all of their legal documents in a digital place, announced that Google’s AI fund, Gradient Ventures, has contributed to its €3.5m investment round, alongside Nordic VC fund ByFounders and angel investors.
According to Contractbook, this is the first time that a Google-backed VC has ever invested in a Danish company.
With the fresh investment, the start-up plans to roll out new features that will enable users to manage the full contract life cycle on the company’s platform. International expansion also appears to be on the cards for the start-up, which was founded in 2016.
Contractbook CEO Niels Martin Brøchner said: “With the new capital, we are ready to expand Contractbook’s footprint globally. We believe that our continued product focus and iteration will enable our customers to manage the full contract life cycle through one platform. We don’t need to re-invent ourselves, but rather maintain our strong unit economics while scaling.”
Focusing on existing customers
In a statement, the Danish legaltech noted that it will maintain a focus on its existing customers: “We are not chasing the most customers, we are chasing the happiest. We believe in the customer-centric approach to business and have been preaching it for a while.
“So, we will stay dedicated to this credo and, in the long run, we believe happy users will result in more users. That is also something our new investors fell for.”
Darian Shirazi, general partner at Gradient Ventures, commented on the investment: “Contractbook’s focus on enabling SMEs to streamline the process of contracting has allowed them to attract thousands of customers in a multibillion-dollar market. We’re excited to partner with this strong team for years to come.”
Eric Lagier, managing partner at ByFounders, added: “Contractbook’s technologically advanced offering makes it poised to disrupt multiple industries that are still characterised by archaic document handling processes.
“Actively building bridges between the Nordics and the US, ByFounders are happy to facilitate connections between globally ambitious Nordic founders and prominent Silicon Valley VCs like Gradient. We’re excited to set them up for international success and support their further growth.”
This month, Gradient Ventures also invested in the $7.65m seed round of Boston-based insurtech business Openly.


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The image was claimed as a component speaker module for Apple’s upcoming smartphone, the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6.
French site that has a domain in nowhereelse.fr illustrates the comparison component speaker module on the iPhone 5, iPhone 5S and iPhone 6. From the pictures, it appears the iPhone 5S will use larger speaker module and strengthen rumors iPhone with a larger size – iPhone Math.
China Times reported, Apple will launch 3 iPhone at this year’s, one is a 4.8-inch screen called the “iPhone Math”. The source said the 4.8-inch iPhone will be the “phablet” Apple.
While some time ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to the report, “We have put a lot of thought into the size of the screen and we thought it was the right choice,” he said. iPhone 5S and iPhone 6


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Inspired by extensive research in emerging markets and developing countries — Tanzania, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, the Philippines, and Kenya — Celo is building a mobile-first blockchain platform alongside a suite of financial tools accessible to anyone with a basic smartphone. On this platform, value can be transferred faster and cheaper than traditional bank wires using globally accessible technology. Since cryptocurrencies are completely programmable, a wide array of financial services can be created without costly intermediaries.
The Celo network features a stability protocol capable of hosting an ecology of stable value currencies like the Celo Dollar, regional currencies, commodity based stablecoins and more. The C Labs team has created the Celo Wallet, which makes sending stable currencies as easy as sending a text message. Since Celo is completely open-source, developers can collaborate to build financial applications and services to empower people around the world.


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Markets slip on Fed nerves; Collagen deal
The Federal Open Market Committee on Thursday announces whether it will raise rates for the first time in almost a decade following a two-day policy meeting.
The FTSE 100 closed 0.5% lower at 6,084.59 points
In corporate news retailers including Morrison Supermarkets (-4% at 158.3p), Marks & Spencer (-2.28% at 493.5p) and J Sainsbury (-1.54% at 229.8p) were among the top fallers after the British Retail Consortium reported declines in August sales at high street and shopping centres.
The Royal Bank of Scotland reversed an earlier rise (-1% at 325.4p) following reports the lender hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch to prepare a spin-off of its Williams & Glyn-branded retail branches in the second half of 2016.
Trinity Mirror jumped 5.94% to 147.25p after saying it was in talks to buy out the shares it does not already own in rival Local World Holdings.
Shares in Glasgow-based Collagen Solutions slipped 1% to 12p after the drug developer acquired a product used in the treatment of cartilage and bone damage.
The deal involves the acquisition of the assets and an exclusive worldwide licence for the associated intellectual property to ChondroMimetic from Cambridge University spin-out Orthomimetics and Cambridge Enterprise.
Chief executive Stewart White said it was an important next step for the company as it was its first acquisition of a medical device.
“ChondroMimetic is an ideal first medical device acquisition as it brings us both an established product as well as access to a portfolio of additional IP we can exploit in the future,” he said.
Analyst Mike Mitchell of house broker Panmure Gordon regarded the acquisition as “a bargain”. Collagen is aiming to become a £100 million business.


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Tolsma-Grisnich 5M temperature sensor cable finalist Potato Europe Innovation Award
August 26, 2017
Tolsma-Grisnich has developed a temperature sensor cable that is 5m in length and that can measure the product temperature at various heights throughout the stack of potatoes.The product is one of the five finalists for the Potato Europe Innovation Awards.
Drones can help optimize nitrogen fertilization in potato farming
July 26, 2017
Now there is a validated method that can not only determine far more precisely how much nitrogen should be applied, but also shows us the differences in nitrogen demand within fields. This will lead to a much more efficient use of nitrogen.
PotatoEurope 2017 – Precision farming in practice
February 14, 2017
With seven months still to go, 50 percent of the exhibition space at PotatoEurope 2017 – the trade show dedicated to the entire potato chain – has already been sold. The theme of this year’s edition – ‘Potatoes feed & meet the world’ – is linked to the potato’s huge potential to feed the world’s growing population.
Boost your potato planter's efficiency with Miedema HMI GPS Planting Comfort
December 16, 2012
The HMI (Human Machine Interface) terminal is a familiar feature on many Miedema machines. For several years now the colourful control panel has formed the basis of the user-friendly control system for machines such as the MB 33 and 55 box fillers, ML ...


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New data that comes out of Feedvisor, an e-commerce platform that works with Amazon’s third-party sellers about Amazon customers. According to over 1,500 US-based Amazon shoppers this past summer, half of those surveyed who identified as Prime members, gave valuable information for their Amazon User Study 2016.
About 30 percent of Prime members said that they order something from Amazon at least once a week. Only 5 percent of non-Prime Amazon shoppers admitedd that they make weekly purchases. Over a monthly timeframe, 81 percent of Prime members place an order, compared to only 35 percent of non-Prime members.
Even when shopping on other sites, Amazon customers are lighly likely to make sure there isn’t a better deal on Amazon.com. About 70 perecent of Prime members have said that they “often” or “always” check Amazon’s prices before buying anywhere else, compare to about 56 percent of non-Prime members.
Some other Prime-related data from the Feedvisor survey:
- 75 percent of Prime members say they visit Amazon.com at least once a week; 57 percent visit at least twice a week, and 18 percent visit every day.
- 73 percent of Prime members say they trust packages shipped by Amazon more than packages shipped by a third-party seller.
- 50 percent of Prime members shop online (at any website) at least once a week.
- 78 percent of Prime members say they’ve bought from third-party sellers on Amazon.com.
- 31 percent of Prime members report an income of at least $100,000, compared to 16 percent of non-Prime members.
Amazon doesn’t reveal how many of its customers are Prime members, but Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) just estimated last month that there are 65 million in the US alone who spend an average of $1,200 per year with Amazon.This is double of what non-Prime customers spend.


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Hi Tech Headlines
Recommends / Temasek and Kuehne + Nagel to invest in early-stage logistics tech firms
Kuehne + Nagel is to invest in new technologies such as AI, automation and blockchain ...
News / Blockchain ePODs 'can help eliminate supply chain cashflow bottlenecks'
OpenPort wants to eliminate Asia’s US$1trn road freight black hole with its blockchain-enabled electronic proof ...
Comment / Analysis: DP-DHL reports there's good news; and really good news
The D-Day scenario I hinted at in my recent coverage of two of the major ...
News / Forwarders go hi-tech in-house to beat digital logistics competition
Independent freight forwarders are investing in their IT systems and diversifying services to stave off ...
Recommends / Has Walmart finally figured out China?
Another great blog from Cathy Morrow Roberson, on the Logistics Trends & Insights site, on ...
News / Keswick sells Tibbett Logistics subsidiary in Romania to Yusen
UK-based Keswick Enterprises is to sell its Tibbett Logistics subsidiary in Romania to Yusen Logistics’ European ...
News / Latam Airlines reports record profits and cargo growth in Q3 as Brazil recovers
A rebounding Brazilian economy and growing confidence in the continent has finally given Latam Airlines ...
News / A new future for logistics as e-commerce brings the era of the FCL to an end
The era of the full container load (FCL) is coming to an end, which will transform ...
Recommends / How retailers are reinventing the supply chain for an omnichannel age
The continued problems faced by retailers in marrying their brinks and mortar operations with growing ...
- 1.The end of 'business as usual' for logistics as digitisation and the disruptors arrive
- 2.Analysis: the container shipping industry and its major players in 2018
- 3.Port of Southampton to lose call by Maersk/MSC Asia-Europe service
- 4.Temasek and Kuehne + Nagel to invest in early-stage logistics tech firms
- 5.Maersk still weighs in as the world's largest container shipping line
- 1. Alex Lennane on Asia-Europe box carriers pessimistic over post-Chinese New Year demand
- 2. Andy Gillespie on Asia-Europe box carriers pessimistic over post-Chinese New Year demand
- 3. Stefan on Maersk and IBM launch blockchain joint-venture to 'reshape global supply chains'
- 4. Alex Lennane on Amazon buys more land at Cincinnati airport in $1.5bn air freight hub development
- 5. firstname.lastname@example.org on Amazon buys more land at Cincinnati airport in $1.5bn air freight hub development


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Shelter goes Urban!
15 June 2010
Shelter and building design consultancy Urban Infill are hosting an exhibition of urban photography and artwork as part of the London Festival of Architecture this July.
Urban Infill has commissioned a leading fashion photographer to capture 10 empty sites around London, to highlight the potential of the unused spaces and to encourage us to see the city from a different perspective.
Architects, designers and artists will then choose a canvas to manipulate an image of their choice onto, and their final pieces will shown in a public exhibition from 10am on Thursday 1 July at Cordy House on Curtain Road, London EC2.
The artwork will be available to buy via silent auction, with all proceeds going to Shelter. The exhibition closes and bidding ends at 6pm on Sunday 11 July.
Visitors to the exhibition can also suggest their own ideas for the spaces by creating their own pieces on a public interactive wall using printed images and artistic mediums provided, or whatever they want to bring with them!
Contributors include Chris Wilkinson of Wilkinson Eyre architects, Terry Farrell and Partners, Bill Amberg, Squire and Partners and many more.
You can view the pieces and make your bid on the Urban Infill website.
For more information about the exhibition, contact Ian Dollamore at Urban Infill on 020 7407 1407 or email email@example.com


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Reports suggest how automobile giant General Motors is not keen on people purchasing any of its new, in-demand models, like the GMC Hummer EV to just sell them off rather fast for profit. GM is reportedly coming up with various vigorous ways to dissuade this particular action. Turns out, the automaker is ready to do this despite it possibly leading to them losing a number of customers.
The President of General Motors for North America, Steve Carlisle reportedly informed the team of the dealership that GM is set to counter the ‘transferability’ of some ‘warranties.’ Specifically, this is if the car which the person is reselling , was bought within the span of the past one year. This was revealed by a letter which concerned news outlets got hold of.
Carlisle went on to inform how the company would the ban the seller from being able to reserve or place ‘future sold orders. ‘ This would be mainly for some of its models which the company considers to be in high demand. He specified how the models which would bear the impact of this regulation are the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 23MY Cadillac Escalade-V, along with GMC Hummer EVs- SUV and SUT.
GM’s current state in the market:
For a while now, General Motors has been fighting to stay in pace with the rising demand for the Hummer EVs. The company stated the reason for this was as the vehicles were made from scratch, and was built ahead of its newly launched Ultium EV platform.
As specified by reports published a few weeks ago, General Motors has only been focused on manufacturing up to a dozen models of Hummer EVs everyday. According to a spokesperson from the company, GM’s output is set to a sharp escalation later on in 2022. However, sources specified how GM has more than 70,000 reservations for the model, and many might get impatient and choose to buy it from a reseller instead.
Carlisle spoke about how vehicles are resold rather fast specifically by ‘unauthorised dealers or resellers’ which clearly does not match the standards of General Motors. This leads to harming the brands of the company, and affected the buyers’ experience.
Further, he stated how the implementations of these updates are mainly to make sure to maintain the perfection of the customer experiences. Additionally, to make sure the automaker’s brands remain strong, and aid in prioritising ownership by customers who are genuinely loyal to the company. Alongside, an announcement from General Motors stated it is giving reward points worth $5,000 to ones who would keep their 8th generation Corvette model for 12 months.


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Two years ago, AOL hosted a TV network-like upfront show for ad buyers at the Time Warner centre overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. Mario Lopez make guest appearance. Fake dollar bills rained from the ceiling.
Last night, AOL hosted a much smaller, probably more effective event, hiring out a room in the Natural History Museum. They put Platform A boss Lynda Clarizio and AOL EVP of programming Bill Wilson on stage instead of washed-up celebrities.
We didn’t manage to catch it with the Flip video camera we’re trying out, but Wilson came on stage bouncing down the middle aisle to the sounds of Kanye West’s “Stronger.” Presenting, he kept up the energy. Here’s what we took away:
- Designer Peter Rivera remade all 30 of AOL’s sites in the last 18 months.
- AOL doesn’t believe portals anymore.
- But in case you do, FYI: ad click-throughs are up 12% on AOL.com since its redesign.
- Years ago, Coca-Cola told AOL they would never work with them again because of their sketchy sales force. But times have changed and Coke is back. Thanks to AOL’s flexibility with “deep brand integration” — site takeovers — they’re happier than ever.
- Social network Bebo was conspicuously absent from Wilson’s presentation.
After the show, we caught up with AOL CEO Randy Falco. He talked a bit about Yahoo and also said that the economy is going to get much worse. Platform A’s Lynda Clarizio said consumer packaged goods advertisers need to get more into online ads. Wilson said they will, especially in a downturn, because they’re more measurable.
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Cannabis future is looking bright in Berlin with the new coalition government which is planning scientifically monitored cannabis-pilot programs by which the zero tolerance policy is coming to an end!
The cannabis possession amount varies among the different states of Germany with Berlin being the most liberal. Possessing up to 15 grams of weeds is not a crime.
The tourists and locals enjoy weeds in parks, cafes and clubs without being bothered by police. But the new progressive coalition government is taking a giant step ahead in the history of weeds!
Further liberalization of cannabis is on the way in Berlin and most probably in other parts of Germany as well. The country’s capital marijuana policy is considering issuing of licenses to cannabis coffee shops, reports Weed News.
The roots of this new policy go back to 2013 when Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain borough of Berlin voted to permit cannabis coffee shops. The approval to the vote got late!
Today, Berlin is all united in seeking the legalization of commercial sale this amazing entertainment weeds. It is apparent that taking a step ahead for Berlin is essential.
The new policy means no fears and no hidden offering of cannabis. The public will be rejoicing marijuana intake in nerve relaxed gatherings at coffee shops.
The commercial sale of cannabis is a scientifically supported model project but the sales will be limited to adults and will follow its legal framework. Wide use of marijuana seems possible in regard of treating pain in the patients.
With the cannabis coffee shop pilot program, the municipal advertising places will not allow advertisement of alcohol and tobacco. This is to revise non-smoking legislation for protecting kids and youth.
The future is bright for cannabis in Germany. The monitored coffee chop pilot program license are getting issued in near future and it is estimated that till year 2018 and 2019 there will be state-controlled cannabis coffee shops in Bremen and Berlin.
What will be the impact of this permitted commercialization of cannabis on other European countries? Germany is going to take the lead as the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in going to take place Berlin on April 10-12, 2017.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Cannabis Coffee Shops To Open In Germany, A New Trend In Legalized Commercial Weed
Author: Qudsia Ibrahim
Contact: 646 720 7126
Photo Credit: Uriel Sinai
Website: Latinos Health


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The new 2021 Honda Odyssey brings even more features that families will love. Going on sale shortly, the new 2021 Odyssey upgrades its design, and offers even more safety technology.
The minivan that brought you the world-first integrated vacuum cleaner and the first child rear-seat monitoring system CabinWatch is now offering the industry-first rear-seat reminder system which is built-in with CabinWatch.
The new 2021 Honda Odyssey also offers Honda Sensing active safety technology standard. It will also offer a new grille as well as a redesigned front bumper fascia and there’s select blackout trim which gives the Odyssey a fresh and very aggressive look while also maintaining its refinement. The second-row seats can now fold almost flat in order to provide better cargo carrying capacity.
The 2021 Honda Odyssey gets its power from a 3.5-liter V6 engine which delivers 280 hp and comes standard with a 10-speed automatic. This engine has proven its reliability time and time again and is also very efficient.
Give us a call today to learn more about the brand-new 2021 Honda Odyssey.


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Are small business owners really using mobile technology for their business?
This week, the team at Constant Contact set out to answer that question. And according to the findings of their sweeping new survey, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
Of those surveyed, 66 percent report currently using a mobile device, including smartphones and tablets, or a solution, like mobile-optimized websites and text message marketing.
While this majority adoption is promising, it’s important to note that, of the 34 percent not using any mobile device or solution for their business, a staggering 65 percent have no plans to do so in the future, mainly citing a lack of customer demand.
Among the small businesses that are using mobile technology, the top two ways are email and social media marketing, and they have a considerable lead over other uses:
- 73 percent conduct social media marketing.
- 71 percent conduct email marketing.
- 44 percent advertise through social platforms.
- 34 percent have a mobile-optimized website.
- 18 percent run a mobile tablet-based payment point-of-sale.
- 18 percent use mobile apps to manage operations, like accounting.
“It’s encouraging that a majority of small businesses recognize that their customers are relying more than ever on their mobile devices to find information, look for deals, and even to make purchases,” explains Joel Hughes, senior vice president of strategy and corporate development for Constant Contact. “That said, small business owners are still getting their sea legs, so it’s not surprising that they’re leading with two areas where they have a solid track record of success with customer engagement: social media and email.”


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It’s tough to write about something when you’re speechless. It’s April 5th, and I still suspect that Apple is playing an elaborate April Fools Day trick on us all. Today, Apple announced a public beta of software it calls Boot Camp. Though only a beta, the software allows users to easily repartition their hard drives and install Windows XP on an Intel based Macintosh. This is a shocking move for Apple but one that appears to have caused its stock value to rise 6.7% following the announcement.
Since the new lines of Macintosh computers now run on Intel processors, the technical walls that prevented Mac users from running Windows have crumbled. On March 16th, two enterprising hackers found a way to install Windows on an Intel based iMac and claimed at prize in excess of $13,000. Prior to that, Apple had stated that it would not prevent users from installing Windows. Apple simply would not support it.
Today’s news from Apple changes all of the rules. Since narf2006 and Blanka claimed their prize as the first people to develop an installation procedure for Windows, Windows drivers for the Apple hardware have been the single largest problem. Each component in the computer needs to have a drive in order for the operating system to properly utilize it. Windows contains an untold driver set, but no one has ever had the need to write Windows drivers for Apple hardware. The real beauty of Boot Camp is that it includes all of the drivers necessary to properly run Windows on Macintosh hardware. It also allows easy partitioning of the Mac’s hard drive without data loss or the need to reformat.
Boot Camp requires that you have a new Intel based Mac in order to install and run Windows. As of today, that lineup includes the iMac, MacBook Pro, and the Mac Mini. New Intel based towers are expected in June or July of this year. Users must also be sure that they are running the latest firmware for their computer. Aside from that, we just need a legal copy of Windows XP SP2, 10GB of free drive space, a blank CD, and the Boot Camp installer from Apple’s web site.
I am, admittedly, uneasy with this development. I can see both good and bad in the future. Mac users will finally have access to the vast catalogs of Windows compatible software including games. Mac users will also have new insight into the horrors of spyware, viruses, security holes, and data loss.
But either way you look at it, this is a momentous day for Apple Computer and Macintosh users everywhere. It’s also a day that computer manufacturers like Dell and Gateway have long feared. Apple has found a new way to step-up competition. Apple was instrumental in bringing about the personal computer revolution. Today, the playing field has been altered yet again. Who knows what the future will hold!


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e-Cycle, while it might sound like a vehicle in the new Tron movie, is actually a company that will help you securely recycle your iPhone (or your iPad, though what is wrong with you that you already need a new iPad?). e-Cycle, founded back in 2005, has grown 400% over the last three years, fueled in part by entering the i-cycling business. Today, the Hillard, Ohio-based company announced it will be hosting an iPhone recycling booth at the Macworld Expo at the end of this month at San Francisco.
e-Cycle CEO Chris Irion estimates that 9 million iPhones are retired for newer models each year. “Of the estimated 140 million mobile phones discarded in the U.S., only about 10% are recycled. But nearly 50% of these devices still have a resale value,” he said in today’s announcement (e-Cycle doesn’t have exact data on the rate of iPhone recycling). “Selling used iPhones is good for your bank account and great for the environment.”
I just looked into how much money I could fetch for an old iPhone 3GS, using a calculator on e-Cycle’s site. After I selected the 16GB model from a drop-down menu and confirming that the phone wasn’t damaged, e-Cycle offered me $130.00 for the device. Even had I answered “no” to its six questions (some of which seem pretty critical to me–“iPhone turns on and charges?” “Touchscreen works?”), e-Cycle still said it’d buy back the phone for $35.00. If you’re not quite ready to let go but think you might later, you can register on the site for a reminder.
“Most consumers and businesses do not know that their mobile devices still retain value even after two years of use,” e-Cycle’s Paulie Anthony tells Fast Company. But there’s considerable demand for refurbished models.
Security is a significant concern if you’re looking to recycle a smartphone. Conducting a basic factory restore doesn’t always clean out all your data. “We find that many of our business clients and individuals who think they have erased their data have still had private data left on their phones,” Anthony says. Independent forensic examiners audit e-Cycle to ensure they’re wiping what they say they’re wiping.
e-Cycle’s YouTube video gives a sense of the scope of the company (the bulk of their clientele appears to be organizations, not individuals). They’ve recycled over 5 million mobile devices to date, serving about 7,000 organizations.
It’s best, too, for your mobiles not end up in landfills, since they often contain toxic materials like lead, mercury, and arsenic, according to e-Cycle. “A single cell phone contains enough toxic substances to pollute 40,000 gallons of water,” says Anthony, adding that it could take thousands of years for iPhone components to biodegrade. It’s a serious enough problem that 24 states have, or will soon have, measures banning the presence of electronic waste in landfills, ABC reported today.
[Image: Flickr user mager]


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HONG KONG: Dynasty sets IPO target
Dynasty Fine Wines Group Ltd. is hoping to raise up to HK$675m (US$86.6m) from an initial public offering. The company said yesterday (16 January) that it is offering 300m shares in a price range of between HK$1.75 and HK$2.25 each. Dynasty will follow the IPO with a listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
Of the shares offered, 90% will be made available to institutional investors, with the rest being offered to retail investors.
Dynasty is a joint venture between Remy Cointreau and Tianjin Development, whose business covers infrastructure, cargo handling and property development.
After the listing, Tianjin Development will hold 46.5% of Dynasty, with Remy Cointreau owning 24.75%.
Shares in the wine group are scheduled to start trading on 26 January.
As Pernod Ricard, Allied Domecq and Fortune Brands close in on the biggest drinks industry deal since the sale of Seagram, opinion about how the deal will be structured and who stands to win and lose ...
Remy Cointreau is looking to restructure its Champagne business, according to local reports....
Remy Cointreau has had its investor rating raised....
Remy Cointreau has posted a drop in full year net profit in spite of increasing revenues....
Remy Cointreau has signed a five-year credit facility for around €500m....
Remy Cointreau has gone to holders of one of its bonds to gain permission to complete the sale of its stake in Bols....
Remy Cointreau has posted a slight rise in revenue growth for fiscal year 2005....
The Polish unit of Remy Cointreau has pulled out of the race for a majority stake in Polmos Bialystok....
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Nissan has an all new Leaf EV in the works and the automaker took to Twitter to tease the coming launch. The tweet gave us a glimpse at the grille of the new Leaf and says that it will premiere on September 6. That teaser show is from the NissanUK twitter page.
The design of the new Leaf is said to follow the lines of the IDS Concept that debuted at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. Sources within Nissan have said that the new Leaf will resemble that concept reports MotorTrend.
The new Leaf is expected to have more driving range per charge than the current version. The on sale date for the new Leaf is expected to be before the end of 2017. The likely place for the debut is the Frankfurt motor Show, which kicks off in September.
— NissanUK (@NissanUK) June 29, 2017
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There's a local hardware chain here on Boston's South Shore that was recently shuttered by creditors.
Joseph's Hardware had a handful of locations - one of which in Hingham, pictured above, closed sometime last year. I remember reading the sign on the door and scoffing; it said the closing was purely for *medical reasons*. Yeah, right.
But there was more going on here than the usual, cruel boom-and-bust cycles of the business world.
Apparently the guy was a bit of scam artist - stiffing banks and government tax collectors to the tune of millions.
Last week, sheriff’s deputies and moving trucks pulled up in front of Joseph’s hardware stores in Norwell, Cohasset, Marshfield and Plymouth and seized inventory after the company defaulted on a $500,000 bank loan. The Patriot Ledger later reported that Joseph had amassed nearly $6 million in taxes owed to the state, including state income taxes, which he withheld from employee paychecks but never forwarded to the Department of Revenue.
Someone in the comment section of that article pointed out that *Joseph* suns himself in a $750,000 boat, that is docked locally.
My neighbor told me a story of this crumb yesterday.
He said that a while back, he and his wife went to Joseph's Hardware and ordered a $1,500 patio set. After sleeping on the transaction, they decided to cancel the order. Joe said, "No problem. I'll take it off your card."
But two weeks went by and the charge was still there. My neighbor called several times and Joe insisted he'd *take care of it*, but nothing happened. Now it's been a month and the credit card bill was due. My neighbor went down there and Joe started whining about his *wife being sick* (the *medical* excuse from above) - but what the heck does that have to do with anything?
The moment that guy said he'd take the $1,500 charge off, AND DIDN'T, this was a case of blatant thievery.
Eventually, after two hours of huffing and puffing, and refusing to leave the store, Joe took out a checkbook and made my neighbor whole. (I'd have probably punched him in the mouth!)
Joe's wife is in fact very sick. And he's doing his best to milk that defense.
Joseph, 47, the Scituate entrepreneur who opened his first hardware store in 1982 and expanded the chain to half a dozen locations on the South Shore, said in an interview on Monday that more than 40 workers lost their jobs when the stores closed. He insisted the company belonged to his wife, Jenny Madden, who is listed as president and borrowed the money from Holbrook Cooperative Bank.
So while his wife is battling - PLS (Primary Lateral Sclerosis), a rare and progressive neuromuscular disease - this scumbag is also going to lay the fraud and tax evasion all on his wife!!!
I wonder if he's going to BLAME HER for that attempted theft of my neighbor's $1,500?
So far three people this week have drawn the analogy of Joseph to my scumbag, thievin' landlord.
I still say *my guy* is worse - while his theft total stands at $5 million to Joe's $6 million,....my guy arguably killed someone!


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A shocking new report has brought to light that over 1.4 million Great Britain residents are sourcing illegal cannabis for treating their medical conditions.
The data published recently by the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis (CMC) has highlighted that over 326,728 people use cannabis for treating chronic pain, 586,188 for anxiety, 180,000 for insomnia and 653,456 for depression.
People suffering from Huntington’s disease are more likely to use cannabis for managing their condition. A third of people suffering from Parkinson’s disorder have accepted that they use the drug illegally for alleviating their symptoms. This has compelled several organizations to urge the UK government to review their new policy on medical cannabis access.
YouGov Cannabis Survey highlights
The YouGov survey conducted was based on a pool of 10,602 adults. The report showed that Britons of all genders, age groups, and economic background self-medicate with cannabis for treating a variety of medical conditions.
The findings quantify that almost 3 percent of the adult population in the UK prefer using cannabis over traditional pharmaceutical products for treating their illnesses. The report comes amid rising criticism of the government over restrictions against the accessibility of medical cannabis.
Although the prime minister has deployed pro-cannabis legislation figures to his cabinet, there has not been any considerable progress in the ease of availability of medical cannabis for patients.
Stricter laws the culprit?
Although medical cannabis was legalized in the year 2018, the stricter laws governing the availability have made it available to only a few dozen patients. Patients who can manage to pay for a consultation and also a private prescription can procure the drug without any restrictions.
However, the exorbitant costs rule out this option for most of the people. As not all can access medical cannabis either privately or through NHS or National Health Service, they are resorting to the use of illegal cannabis being sold.
The entire scenario has further complicated as this can lead to financial strains, risk of getting involved in legal implications and coming in contact with criminal gangs. They may also have to smoke cannabis rather than use capsule, balm, spray or oil which is not preferable.
An organization representing CBD manufacturers and medical cannabis, CMC has highlighted in the report, “The monetary, ethical and social cost to individuals using cannabis to relieve their symptoms is high, and unnecessarily exposes them to significant personal risk.”
Demand for Black market Cannabis
The study also found out that Brits are almost spending over £100 per month over cannabis. Over £2.6 billion per year is being contributed to the black market cannabis.
CMC has urged the government to review the matter immediately. Steve Moore, the founder of the organization said, “These shocking figures quantify what we long suspected”. He further added that there is an urgent need to study and understand the scenario and to extend access to cannabis-based medicine.
The Department of Health released a statement after the shocking highlights from the report shook the entire nation, “We sympathize with those dealing with challenging conditions and have changed the law to allow patients access to cannabis-based products for medicinal use where clinically appropriate”.
They further added that they are looking for clear evidence that would support clinical prescribing.


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Back in February, Square Enix released the classic RPG Chrono Trigger on Steam, but the PC port is probably one of the worst ever released by the Japanese publisher. It's been confirmed last month that the team was taking a look at some of the issues, and the next update for the game will bring back the game's classic look.
On the game's Steam Community forums, Square Enix has confirmed that a new update will be released for the game in the first half of the current month and it will include, among other things, an option to switch between the current high-res graphics and the original SNES graphical style. Considering modders have been working to restore the classic graphics since release, this is great news.
We have been working on addressing the issues that you’ve raised, and will be releasing a number of patches over the coming months as we continue to support CHRONO TRIGGER on Steam.
We’re aiming to release the first of these patches in the first half of April, and the biggest change is that it will include an option to switch between the current high-resolution graphics, and the original graphical style of CHRONO TRIGGER.
We’ll post a full list of changes here when the first patch is released. For now, be assured that we’re working very hard on adjusting, updating and supporting CHRONO TRIGGER on Steam.
Chrono Trigger can now be purchased on Steam. A Limited Edition is also available until the end of April.


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The perfect formula for the perfect beer takes practice to get right – and the perfect formula for the perfect beer festival may just have hit the mark in its 16th year.
The annual Reading Beer and Cider Festival is back this weekend and with a bigger capacity to cope with the ever-increasing crowds, organiser Phil Gill believes they have just about got everything right.
Setting up yesterday in a huge marquee in King’s Meadow, he said: “Why change it when it works?”
With traders coming through the doors at 2.30pm yesterday, the volunteers hosting the CAMRA event were eagerly anticipating their first night open to the public.
Mr Gill said: “We changed things around last year and it really worked. This year we have a slightly bigger site to allow a slightly bigger capacity and we hope that will reduce the queues for the beers.
“This is the second best beer festival in the country with around 16,000 people expected over the weekend so it takes a lot of planning.
“All year we plan up to the beer festival and it takes around a week to turn the field into a beer festival, and then another couple of days to turn it back into a field again.”
The festival sees both local breweries clamouring for a place behind the bar as well as breweries from across the country and Mr Gill said he is confident there was something for everyone.
“Thursday night is always busy with the people who are very interested in their beers and want to sample everything as it is the night we have the most in,” he said.
“Lager drinkers generally like our light, hoppy beers and then we have the ones who like to tick everything off on the list and try a bit of everything to say they have.
“There is cider and wine as well so we really do welcome everyone and hope lots of people will come down and enjoy the fantastic atmosphere that is created here year on year, despite the weather!”


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Ubisoft has announced today their plans for the upcoming Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in Boston.
PAX East attendees this year will be treated to the new Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, E3’s unanimously acclaimed title Watch Dogs, and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist.
Ubisoft said that their booth at the event will give off presentations for each game, showcasing to fans demos, future plans, new art and the likes. An exclusive look at Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will introduce fans to the game’s new lead, as well as them leaving with a special edition Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag inflatable sword.
PAX East will begin in Boston on March 22 and will continue until March 24.


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An entrepreneur, Mr Dayo Ademola, has advocated more funding for women-led businesses in the country.
Ademola, according to a statement, said this during the 2022 Forbes Leading Women Summit.
The entrepreneur who is also the Managing Director at Branch Nigeria, a leading digital finance app, said the summit explored the gaps in accessing funding for female-led business and attempted to raise solutions on what needs to be done.
She said, “In recent times, there have been a lot of initiatives for financial inclusion in almost every sector of the Nigerian economy ranging from small-scale farmers to petty traders. Financial inclusion generally calls for individuals and businesses to have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs, however, not much has been done about creating access to funding for women-led businesses.
“Financial technology is a well-funded field but not much of it goes to female-founded outfits. This is evident in the abysmal 3.2 per cent funding that was awarded to female-led startups out of the whopping $3bn attracted by Nigerian fintech in the year 2021.
“A large proportion of the loan applications Branch receives are unsurprisingly from women who need working capital for their micro-businesses.”
The co-founder of Piggyvest, a digital savings platform, Odunayo Eweniyi, said the myths that women were not building should be dispelled.
Eweniyi insisted that she, as well as so many other women, are building but the problem lies with discovery as a lot of partners are skewed towards funding the male-led startups in the sector.
“Women need that belief capital, same as men, to be able to take these ideas off the ground. It is important that female-led startups are able to access funding at the early stage, as this would help these women founders catch up on their male counterparts at subsequent seed rounds,” she said.