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Adding to the already considerable list of beer festivals that will be tapping kegs in Chicago this summer, Lagunitas Brewing Company announced the return of its annual Beer Circus this morning. Previously, the event took place in the parking lot of Lagunitas' enormous brewing facility in Lawndale, but this year's edition of the one-day festival will move a few blocks west to Douglas Park—the same park that now hosts Riot Fest.
According to Lagunitas communications coordinator Betsy Gregg, the brewery decided that the Beer Circus had outgrown its parking lot but wanted to keep it in the neighborhood. The move to Douglas Park will allow the event to increase its capacity and provide more space for entertainment, while offering even more room to grow in the coming years.
The Chicago edition of the Lagunitas Beer Circus will set up in Douglas Park on Saturday, August 11 from noon to 5pm, bringing along a lineup of bands, burlesque performers, sideshow acts and aerialists. Attendees will also be able to enjoy plenty of Lagunitas beer, including some rare limited releases—each $40 ticket includes one free pour. Of course, more beer will be available for purchase, with a portion of proceeds benefitting local all-breed dog rescue One Tail at a Time.
Tickets for the Beer Circus will go on sale May 21 via the Lagunitas website. If you want to spend a summer afternoon enjoying the brewery's hop-filled concoctions in a park, you'll need to act fast.


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Yahoo-Google partnership may deliver Google ads on Yahoo-parked domains.
Before everyone in the domain industry starts freaking out about the Google (GOOG)- Yahoo (YHOO) partnership (and there are plenty of reasons to worry), there may be some good news.
I just finished listening to Yahoo’s shareholder conference call, and it’s clear that Google ads will also be shown on Yahoo’s publisher network. Whether or not that includes parked domains is unknown, but there’s a high likelihood that these ads will be syndicated on parked domains. Domain parking is a small part of the pie, and probably too small for it to be contemplated this early on.
This will benefit owners of “long tail” domain names parked on Yahoo advertising feeds. As Yahoo admits, Google is much better at monetizing long tail domains than Yahoo.
My main disappointment with this deal is that it only applies to the U.S. and Canada. Yahoo is weak in many other countries where Google excels, and a partnership overseas makes sense.
Also, the partnership implementation will be delayed up to 3 1/2 months for the U.S. Department of Justice to make sure they’re comfortable with the deal.
So be worried, but also look at the upside potential.

domain: news


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CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- This Mercury has its own message to send: "We're here to stay."
One of the Ford Motor Co. F, +0.31% division's key missions atthis week's Chicago Auto Show is to "send a signal that this is a strong brand for us," Mark Hutchins, president of Lincoln Mercury, told CBS.MarketWatch.com. "We hope to end some of the speculation that Mercury is going to go the way of Oldsmobile."
Partly to that end, the company Thursday will introduce the new Mercury Marauder -- a 300-horsepower, glossy black, four-door V-8 that Hutchins described as "a throwback to a hotrod Mercury."
The rollout of the Marauder, expected to be in showrooms by the summer of 2002, should help put to rest rumors of the brand's impending demise. In the wake of the phase-out of Plymouth; the decision by some Canadian dealers to stop selling Mercury vehicles; and General Motors' GM, -1.39% recent move to put Oldsmobile to sleep, Hutchins said there was some media conjecture that Mercury's days were numbered.
Hutchins wants to put a stop to the rumors "before they hurt the brand ... and we are using [the Chicago Auto Show] as part of the platform. We continue to roll out new Mercury vehicles. It is a great brand and very profitable for us and for our dealers."
Mercury sold about 360,000 vehicles in 2000, a drop from the 438,000 it moved in 1999 -- a difference, the company said, attributable solely to its discontinuance of the Tracer and Mystique lines.
On Thursday, Ford shares rose 75 cents to $28.01 percent at $28.16.


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Government Raises Excise Duty on Petrol
Ljubljana, 11 December - The government has raised the excise duty on petrol, but retail prices of petrol will remain unchanged, the Ministry of Finance reported after Monday's correspondence session of the cabinet.
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Taxi operators press for complete ban on Uber’s ride-hailing services
Hong Kong’s taxi industry is calling on the government for a complete ban on ride-hailing service Uber, which is hugely popular in the city despite being illegal for vehicles without a hire-car permit.
Uber has been operating in Hong Kong for eight years with about 14,000 active drivers. Its ride-hailing services are not legal without a hire-car permit, and the firm has long been under attack by the taxi industry.
The Hong Kong Taxi & PLB Association said on Wednesday that they want all private vehicles with neither a valid hire-car permit to carry passengers for payment nor a taxi license to be banned from Uber’s app.
They said Uber is costing the taxi trade tens of millions in income per day and have robbed it of 20 percent of its business over the past two years.
The association stressed that the High Court had upheld a ban on Uber drivers without a hire-car permit earlier, they also raised concerns that accidents involving Uber rides may not be insured.
The association called on authorities to plug loopholes in the law that allowed firms such as Uber to escape liability, and a new law was needed to crack down on illegal ride-hailing operations.
“Hong Kong could make references to Macau in introducing ‘Premium taxis’ services,” the association suggested.


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Pluto TV has rolled out on Roku in the UK, with the expansion coming just days it made its European debut by launching on Sky’s Now TV platform – also in the UK.
“Right after our European launch it’s now important to connect Pluto TV increasingly to users,” said Olivier Jollet, managing director, Europe, for Pluto TV.
“Streaming devices such as Roku players are key to generating instant reach, so we’re thrilled to now offer Pluto TV to Roku users in Great Britain.”
“Pluto TV does things a bit differently than other streaming TV services by curating handmade channels for content lovers, once you start to dig around, there’s plenty to discover.”
ICYMI: European Parliament approves DSA proposal to ban some targeted ads digitaltveurope.com/2022/01/24/eur… https://t.co/9PQfuXhkO2
24 January 2022 @ 19:33:00 UTC
New movie windowing regime set for France digitaltveurope.com/2022/01/24/new… https://t.co/eGPDZSyuPK
24 January 2022 @ 18:00:00 UTC


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Ultraman will be coming to New York Comic Con 2023!
On September 6th, 2023, JST, it has been announced that three Giant of Light will come to the largest Comic Convention on the East Coast, New York Comic Con 2023!
New York Comic Con (NYCC) is the largest Comic Con on the East Coast, attracting more than 250,000 pop-culture fans from around the world for celebration of pop culture. In 2022, several Ultra heroes have made appearances in NYCC 2022 making new announcements, a live drawing panel, meet & greets, and more.
To read what happened in NYCC 2022, read https://tsuburaya-prod.com/news/5052.


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Israelis must bring their capabilities and enthusiasm for entrepreneurship to the table when collaborating with business people from Gulf countries, and this in turn will help the Emirates grow its unique technological ecosystem, said CEO of Leumitech, Yifat Oron during Calcalist and Bank Leumi’s online conference, “Economic Opportunities in the UAE.”
“It’s crucial to suggest ways we can do things together that benefit both sides. We should be asking how we can contribute through collaboration. This approach will open more doors for us, rather than simply asking whether the UAE is interested in making financial investments par excellence,” Oron said.
Oron has already visited the Emirates, and met with several business people in the Gulf. Even though the peace treaty was only signed a short while ago and there has only been a short time to form relationships, “we have found people with a similar culture. I think that there is an infinite amount of potential here in technology, and in business,” she said.
Oron has pointed to five main fields that the Emirates are interested in: tourism, technology and finances, food technology, global trade, and developing their own unique technological ecosystem. Trade and cooperation with the UAE only “became clear to me once I was there. There is a lot of potential in this field, which we may not even realize now, or the fact that we are connecting between two continents, Israel and the UAE, which are becoming a gateway to southeast Asia on one side, and to the U.S. and Europe on the other,” she said, adding that discussions about opening ports are excellent news for Israel.
When asked whether the peace treaty might provoke a wave of investments in Israel, similar to the Chinese wave in the Israeli venture capital industry a few years ago, Oron responded that there is a fundamental difference in the type of treaty between both nations. “From my experience of working with them, the Chinese investors wanted to be exposed to Israeli venture capital investments and also to specific Israeli technologies, and invested directly but also in venture capital funds as a way to extend a hand, develop familiarity, and learn about one another. In the case of the UAE, we are talking about an entirely different world. The UAE expects to see complete collaboration. There aren’t any intentions to invest passively, rather mutually, so that their financial investments in technologies will yield economic benefits,” Oron explained.


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Singapore banks stronger than HK's despite consumer debt surge
Published on Mar 25, 2014 10:10 AM
Singapore banks are in better shape than their Hong Kong counterparts, even though consumer debt has surged in both cities, a new report has found.
The report, by Barclays Capital, said Singapore banks are in a stronger position as they have more defensive asset qualities than Hong Kong banks.
Consumer debt has grown rapidly in the wake of the global financial crisis, fuelled by plentiful cheap credit in a low-interest rate environment. This has sparked regulatory concern.
But the report, issued yesterday, also acknowledged that the pace of growth of Singapore's household debt to total economic output has stabilised since the Total Debt Servicing Ratio framework was rolled out last June.
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Every year Kiwi families throw away $870 million of food -- but now some of our top chefs are trying new ways of saving food from the rubbish and turning it into gourmet dishes.
Guests at the International Food Design Conference in Dunedin used scraps and leftovers from previous meals on Thursday to create a mouth-watering afternoon tea.
"It's stuff that would have gone in the bin, or would have gone in the compost, is now a meal for your family," Victoria Madison of the Revival Food Company said.
Budding chefs and foodies use a mix of vegetable stalks, leaves, and food offcuts to create cafe-quality savouries and tasty treats.
Every year, New Zealanders throw away 122,000 tonnes of food -- enough to feed the entire population of Dunedin for two years.
"So things like bread crusts, that banana that's gone a bit brown, you know, those apples that have gone a bit soft. And yet a lot of these foods can be reused," Jenny Marshall of Love Food Hate Waste NZ said.
Another challenge for food designers is to create healthier dishes, without turning off diners.
Their sweet task on Thursday afternoon was redesigning the humble chocolate muffin.
"So what we're trying to get less of is salt, fat, and sugars. But we still want it to taste delicious," said Otago Polytech Applied Business Lecturer Lesley Gill.
At the other end of the spectrum is a range of gourmet dining experiences at some of Dunedin's top restaurants -- the $180 a head, three-course 'Game of Flavours' ensuring the "design" and "tasting" part of the conference is well and truly covered.


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Everyone knows that Volvo makes safe cars, or that the Swedish auto manufacturer has been linked to numerous safety and technology related advances in its quirky history.
Read This Article
According to a new survey conducted by State Farm insurance, teens are still texting while driving.
Automotive.com debuts the first of its kind long-term test of a certified pre-owned vehicle: a 2013 Volvo S60.
Last year, Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby said the Swedish automaker planned to expand its presence in China, doubling sales by 2021 and securing at least 20 percent of the premium luxury market alone 2015.


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In Jan 2013, RIM will launch its BlackBerry 10 devices officially. And undoubtedly they will meet a tough rival, neither Android nor iOS, but Windows Phone. In a certain degree, both RIM and Microsoft miss the best opportunity to enter the mobile internet.
At present, RIM has 4.7% market share which is higher than 3.6% of Windows Phone. But some analysts think that market share of Windows Phone will exceed 11%，becoming the third largest mobile OS in 2016. Apparently Windows Phone and BB10 both have their features. But the question is how they can attract more users?
Sales and Market Share
Microsoft had spent lots of money on publicity of Windows Phone, its sales is still satisfying actually. Statistics from Gartner shows that shipment of Windows Phone in Q3 of 2013 is 4 million including 2.9 million form Nokia Lumia phones. And its market share now is just 2.4%.
While statistics from RIM Q3 earnings shows that shipment of Blackberry phone is 6.9 million including 255 thousand PlayBook, and its market share is 5.3%. Shipment and market share of BlackBerry both go down, but they are still higher than Windows Phone. Actually, it’s normal for research institutions to lower shipment estimates of BlackBerry recently since more users are expecting new BlackBerry 10 products after 30th Jan 2013.
In Windows Phone 8 launch event, Joe Belfiore announced that apps in Windows Phone Marketplace has exceeded 120 thousand, and the speed increase is relatively ordinary, but for Microsoft, they have a advantage on financial power. Recent, Microsoft encourages developers to develop apps on Windows Phone platform by direct bonus from 20 thousand to 70 thousand Euro. And for RIM, it’s still urgent for them to make through financial difficulty first. But when bb10 is announced, there will be more than 70 thousand apps in the store which is also a great number for a new OS. Besides, bb10 can run Android apps by simple conversion, which can help bb10 gain more apps in the short term.
Highly information security is one of biggest features and advantages of BlackBerry 10, and signs indicate that enterprise and government are still interested in BlackBerry 10. Work and Life can be separated is the great feature called BlackBerry Balance in BlackBerry 10. Although a report from Forrester Research show that 10% information workers will choose Windows Phone while 7% for BlackBerry. But have to say, RIM is stronger than Microsoft in the field of enterprise and government.
And from BlackBerry 10 system, we could see new features like BlackBerry Hub and Time shift, and its browser is the king of speed.
2013 will be the year of competition for the third position of market between RIM and Microsoft. If Windows Phone can’t win over BlackBerry 10 in the short term after BlackBerry 10 devices hit the market, then we have reasons to believe that Microsoft may lose in field of mobile internet.
What do you think? Share your ideas with us


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The Chilean Avocado Importers Association will sponsor three college football bowl games this season.
The Aptos, Calif.-based association will sponsor the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the Tostitos BCS National Championship game and the Insight Bowl, according to an association news release.
The association also sponsored the Fiesta Bowl last season.
Before the games, Chilean avocados will be promoted with Tostitos products in retailers’ football-themed displays. At the games, the association will serve avocados to fans.
Also as part of the promotion, one consumer will win two tickets to the National Championship game Jan. 10. Fourteen other consumers will win supermarket gift cards.


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Clif Bar Breaks Into New Category: Pet Food
The company’s innovation lead says it's only the beginning of the brand's aggressive growth plans
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Among the several new product introductions Clif Bar made this year, its entrance into the pet category with Clif Pet seems to be the most ambitious—and unexpected.
“The segment for plant-based, better-for-pets treats is growing and there’s more evidence that this is a space for us to go after,” said Rizal Hamdallah, Clif’s chief innovation officer.
The initial offering of three jerky snacks for dogs (set to launch in early 2022) is the first new product release from the company’s Trailblazers Incubator, and a reflection of the increased influence of the pet market through the pandemic (as many as 23 million American households acquired a pet since April 2020). According to Hamdallah, the incubator serves to help the company conceive and grow new product ideas from within, and eventually bring them to market.
“The incubator is not an ‘or,’ but an ‘and’ to all of Clif’s business categories and part of a multi-pronged approach,” Hamdallah said.
Clif has made public its plans to double the company’s revenue by 2030, and the Trailblazers Incubator is a key part of the path to that goal, according to company officials. The development of a pet line also illustrates Clif’s readiness to step away from its core product offerings.
“Pets are in our company’s DNA,” Hamdallah said.
The pet line announcement caps a busy 2021 for the California-based company. Clif released four new products this year, including Clif Cereal. The company also owns Luna bar, which had a couple of new releases itself in 2021.
While Hamdallah didn’t share specifics about how much the new innovation efforts have cost the company to pursue, he confirmed that similar innovation will be a major piece of Clif’s business strategy in years to come. The Trailblazers Incubator will be a cornerstone of the company’s larger plan to stand out in one of nutrition’s most competitive segments, he said.


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By Laila Tyabji
Two successive years of COVID and lockdowns have changed the Indian economy – destroying lives and livelihoods as a consequence. The handloom sector has been no exception – weaver communities all over India have been decimated.
Mohd Dilshad is a handloom weaver from Chanderi, weaving diaphanous, gold-edged sarees spelling summer and celebration. Today his story is bleaker. “Last year,” he recounted, “we were short of food, we didn’t have money for new production. These days we are worried about life and death. The Corona virus reached our villages. It was everywhere, and there is no nearby hospital, no proper medical supplies. 12 artisans died in the first fortnight. 200 more got infected the following day.”
His story is only one of hundreds of handloom communities across India. Tragically, this year Covid struck the hinterland, with districts and villages everywhere in the grip of sickness and death. With few proper medical facilities, the percentage of deaths was proportionately high. The weaver community in Kota had 160 deaths, a tiny village in Barmer had 80. In an Odisha, a 100 out of 500 infected sabai grass-weavers died. A durry weaving cluster in UP had 250 deaths. In Andhra, among handloom weavers, one in every 8 cases proved fatal. The sad stories poured in – from Uttarakhand, Bihar, Kutch, Bengal, Kashmir, …..
There is a silver lining. Over and over, during floods, cyclones and droughts, in Orissa, Bihar and Bengal and the 2001 Kutch earthquake, craftspeople show a resilience and recovery quicker than the average industrial enterprise. The investment required for infrastructure, raw material, tooling etc is comparatively small, and the skills already exist in their hands and heads. They are an ideal sector for regenerating livelihoods and incomes. What WE need to do is give them the support and marketing.
Handlooms are the warp and weft of India – our culture and aesthetics are rooted in its threads. Each fabric tells a story; the raw material, motif and design rooted in the landscape and community.
Often forgotten is that handlooms are also a major part of our economy. Weavers form India’s second largest employment sector. Including the numerous ancillary workers involved – the loom makers, the spinners, those setting the warp, those washing and starching the fabric, those transporting and selling it- the numbers go into countless millions. They are professionals whose knowledge systems and skillsets that are unique to India, unparalleled in the world, with a minimal carbon imprint; perfectly suited to local conditions and production systems. A gold mine.
Every year at this time, the Textile Minister sends out a letter to chosen influencers, urging them to promote handlooms on Handloom Day. Everyone – film-stars, tycoons, politicians, socialites – posts selfies of themselves wearing beautiful Patolas, Banarsis, and Kanjeeverams, with ILoveHandlooms hashtags. But handloom and the weavers who weave it need more than a one-day Love Fest.The rest of the year they remain unseen, voiceless and outside mainstream politics and policies – dismissed as part of our cultural past, seldom regarded as a asset for our economic future.
We need to begin with the basics – appropriate yarn, investment in design, product development, entrepreurship, textile technology, dyeing, washing, and packaging facilities, access to credit and markets…. Production and demand hand in hand.
Do people still want to buy handloom? An intricately woven FORTY LAKH Kanjeeveram sari recently found its way into the Guinness Book of Records and Nita Ambani’s cupboard. One brand alone, FABINDIA, consumes over 15 million metres of handloom annually. So many moribund weaving traditions have recently found a revival – Habaspuri, Dongria, Ilkil, Bomkai, Begumpuri, Kotpad, Bhagalpur, Tangaliya,Bavan-Buti, Kunbi, Baluchari…. There’s even a newly evolved and hugely popular sari – the Bhujodi, whose weavers previously made heavy goats wool shawls. The Western shift from fast fashion and mass production to green, organic, and ethically produced products is a contributing factor. Designers like Abraham & Thakore,Sanjay Garg, Neeru Kumar and Bappaditya Biswas have made their names with handloom. A new generation of young weavers are suddenly seeing a future.
We need to cherish and protect these unique skill sets; honouring and investing in their makers. People cite Nita Ambani’s bejewelled 40 lakh sari but no one remembers the names of the weavers who wove it. Its lack of social acceptence that causes weavers to leave the sector, not because no one wants handloom. Handloom’s survival depends on so many external factors – market linkages, access to education, finance, design and market information, the know-how to develop new fabrics for Western cuts and stitched garments….
Francois de Laval, the French traveller commented in the 17th century that “Everyone from the Cape of Good Hope to China, man and woman, is clothed from head to foot in the product of Indian looms” It could happen again. But every day needs to be Handloom Day!
(Laila Tyabji is Chairperson and Founder Member of DASTKAR Society for Crafts & Craftspeople. Views expressed are the author’s own.)


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Maryland Shoemaker Becomes Top Cobbler After Winning International CompetitionSunny Yoo works at his family's business, Cobber & Company. They have two locations, the Metro Centre in Owings Mills and at Arundel Mills.
Nike "Back to the Future" Self-Lacing Shoes Coming SoonNike has confirmed the HyperAdapt 1.0 sneakers inspired by the movie "Back to the Future" will hit stores Monday, November 28.
Olympics Provides Opportunities For Sneaker CompaniesWhile the men's basketball team's first order of business is to win the gold medal at the Rio Games there will be some other basketball business taking place on the court. Shoe business, and it can get personal.
Under Armour's MVP Sneakers For Steph Curry Sold Out Ahead Of Release DateCurry's 'Back to Back' MVP Pack has already sold out online.
Under Armour Flying High With Stephen Curry SneakersUnder Armour continues to reap the benefits of its relationship with NBA player Stephen Curry, with strong sales of his sneaker line giving a jolt to its first quarter. The chain's quarterly results beat Wall Street's view, and it raised its full-year revenue forecast.
Sarah Jessica Parker Unveils Bridal Shoe CollectionHere comes the bride, all dressed in white -- with a pair of SJP bridal shoes on her feet.
Properly Fitting Shoes Key to Exercise, Stopping Pre-DiabetesOne in three Americans are starting to feel the symptoms of diabetes even if they haven’t been diagnosed. Exercise and healthy eating would help and having properly fitting workout shoes is key.
If The Shoe Doesn't Fit, Don't Wear ItAchy feet? It turns out the shoe size you're wearing could have a bigger impact on your overall health than you may realize.
Bargains Galore At The Annual House Of Ruth BenefitDesigner shoes, handbags and jewelry are all part of a huge sale in Owings Mills this weekend. The annual benefit for the House of Ruth is already drawing big crowds.
Police: High School Freshman Killed Over ShoesPolice say a high school freshman shot to death near his Hillcrest Heights home was killed over a pair of shoes.
Man Uses Shoe Collection Donation To Help TeensLast month, Taren Nance distributed 18 pairs of shoes in wrapped boxes to the six high school students who wrote the essay -- five Pocomoke High School students and one student from Salisbury, a relative.
Baltimore Man Awarded $500,000 Settlement For Police MisconductThe office of attorney Dwight A. Petit confirms a half-million dollar settlement involving a Baltimore City police offer accused of kidnapping two Baltimore teens.
Best Baltimore Shops For ShoesShopping for shoes is a day of fun for some people and a chore to be completed for others. The endless racks of warehouse-style boxes at some shoe stores can be intimidating and impersonal.
Best Shoe Stores For Kids In BaltimoreFrom your child’s first steps and the many pairs afterward, visit the best shoe stores in the area.
Ed Norris: LeBron's $315 Sneakers?I must admit that at first I was appalled at the price tag and thought " how ridiculous can we get?


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Talking about the giants in the world of technology, Microsoft is one of the most prominent names. The company has had an omnipresent feel around it, and has always been up to something or the other which has helped the markets evolve. Microsoft has been taking things one major step forward as they keep introducing update after update which helps the company become a global force. Their venture into hardware and mobile phone markets was indeed one such step, and Microsoft’s venture into the world of mobile phone technology was later highlighted with the arrival of the Lumia 950 and 950 XL phones.
The Lumia 950 and 950 XL devices stand out in the crowd. These phones are the marvels of Microsoft’s achievements and the company has always managed to show-off their excellence with these releases. With the arrival of the Lumia 950 and 950 XL, Microsoft announced their arrival into the big leagues and bellowed out that they too are major market players now.
The company has now released a new, major update for the users of the Lumia 950 and 950 XL devices, which upgrades their Windows 10 Mobile OS devices and gives the users a taste of the latest trends in the markets.
This new Windows 10 Mobile update for the users of the 950 and 950 XL Lumia phones brings out many of the much needed and much demanded changes such as camera updates where the HDR mode has been made more comfortable, as well as an update to Skype, where the users are no longer bothered with contact picture disappearing.
The company, with this new Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL update has now offered the users a fresh perspective at their battery life too. The users of these devices are now getting updates which help them improve the battery life conditions. This Windows 10 Mobile OS update surely helps the Lumia 950 device gain a better market sentiment.


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'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the stores, more people chose Tupac than left with Encore.
Tupac Shakur's latest posthumous album, Loyal to the Game, also sold better than Now That's What I Call Music! 17 to bow at #1 on next week's Billboard albums chart. But it was hardly a landslide victory for the late street poet. Loyal to the Game, which moved more than 330,000 copies, according to SoundScan, topped the seven-week-old Now compilation by just 7,000 copies. Featuring contributions from Terror Squad, JoJo and Jessica Simpson, Now 17 will come in at #2.
Loyal to the Game is the seventh Tupac album to drop after he died in September 1996, and his third since to debut at #1. In all, his posthumous albums have sold more than 10.8 million copies, 5 million more than the four albums he released from 1991 until his death.
Eminem can't be disappointed by next week's chart. For starters, he produced Tupac's album, and his own Encore will move up two spots to #4. Its weekly total of 315,000 copies is also a 15 percent improvement over last week's sum.
Ashanti's third LP, Concrete Rose, is her first not to debut in the top slot. Instead, the R&B princess' latest will come in at #7, with more than 254,000 copies sold.
Next week's top 10 is rounded out by Shania Twain's Greatest Hits, moving up two spots to #4 (with more than 311,000 copies sold); U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, dropping three places to #5 (299,000) while slightly increasing its sales; Destiny's Child's Destiny Fulfilled taking a step up to #6 (267,000); Toby Keith's Greatest Hits 2 maintaining its position at #8 (238,000); Usher's Confessions rising two notches to #9 (236,000); and Jay-Z/ Linkin Park's Collision Course moving a notch lower to #10 (235,000).
With holiday shopping at a fevered peak, just about every album on the chart improved its weekly sales, except last week's top LP, Ludacris' Red Light District, and Lindsay Lohan's Speak. Luda's latest will fall 11 spots to #12, while Lohan's debut album will slide from #4 to #14.
The only other notable debut on next week's chart is Xzibit's Weapons of Mass Destruction, which will come in at #43.


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REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH – The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) has received final test results from the Food and Drug Laboratory Branch, California Department of Public Health, for methylmercury levels in commercially available Pacific Blue Marlin jerky samples. Laboratory results indicate the levels of methylmercury found in the samples were below the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory maximum of 1 part per million (ppm). Actual data findings are attached.
“The findings are consistent with earlier results that show most mercury in Pacific Blue Marlin is the less toxic form; eating moderate amounts of marlin jerky is safe for the general public,” said Gary Gill, deputy director for environmental health. “We continue to urge pregnant women and young children to follow our ‘Local Guide to Eating Fish Safely’* to reduce the health risk from mercury.
“The department will continue monitoring fish jerky products for methylmercury levels that may pose a health risk. We will keep the public informed on what we find.”
DOH collected samples of locally-produced marlin jerky from Asia Trans Company in Kailua Kona in November 2011 in response to a study published last year in the Journal of Environmental Health. The study by California researchers found high levels of total mercury in Pacific Blue Marlin jerky purchased from large retail stores in California and Hawai‘i. The samples tested by the DOH state laboratory showed levels of total mercury in the range of 0.6 to 2.2 ppm. Recent results from samples sent to the FDA to further separate out methylmercury levels showed an average of 0.31 parts per million, the range found in other large ocean fish, including fresh ahi. Methylmercury is of concern because some studies have shown that consumption of fish with high levels can harm a baby’s growing brain and nervous system.
DOH plans to do periodic sampling to ensure that marlin jerky products are safe for the general public. The DOH will also be meeting with fish jerky manufacturers to ensure they are informed of the risks involved and the need to monitor the methylmercury levels in the fish that they use to manufacture their jerky products.
The “Local Guide to Eating Fish Safely” brochure that has been available through the DOH has been revised and updated based on the new findings. DOH currently recommends that pregnant women, young children and nursing mothers avoid eating Pacific Blue Marlin because the larger fish (greater than 200 pounds) can contain high levels of methylmercury.
The DOH protects public health by ensuring food products are safe. DOH programs conduct inspections of establishments statewide where food products are prepared, manufactured, distributed or sold. Programs also investigate complaints and collects samples for laboratory testing to determine compliance with product standards.
* Samples of locally-produced marlin jerky from Asia Trans Company in Kailua Kona collected November 2011


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By: Blessing Mabunda
GIYANI- The mocking phrase ‘Yena aya kwini’? owner, July Hlupheka Mabunda (60) is using a wheelchair after his painful fall on the ground.
According to Giyani View’s source Mabunda on the day of the incident took so much drinks that led Mabunda to fall down at one of local liquor stores in Bambeni village outside Giyani town.
Mabunda dominated the social media networks towards the end of 2017 when his video clips went viral on internet mocking his aunt, Kokwani Khubani Mbiza.
Meanwhile, last year, Benny Mayengane told Giyani View that Boti-majulie’s manager, Tirhani Mabasa shouldn’t have considered organising a birthday warm party and the house opening ceremony for Mabunda but buying his home appliances.
Till to date the RDP house has no new furniture; no tv-set, or couches only old Wardrobe and bed which Mabunda says he bought them out of his disability grant.
“Out of my fortunes I have failed to furniture my RDP house. I only bought a wheelbarrow and ten bags of cement.” Claimed Mabunda.


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The event, hosted by the Rotary Club of Alexandra, is into its 32nd year and has so far raised $500,000 for local and international causes.
It is something members have been only too happy to organise, year after year.
Each Monday a group of organisers sort through the range of titles donated and store them according to category, of which there are many, from cooking and history to travel and children’s titles.
Collectables are also in the mix along with CDs, DVDs and magazines.
Co-organiser Mike Rooney said about 80 large wooden cases, which the club acquired from the Roxburgh hydro refit, were used to transport the many books to the Alexandra Community Centre where the sale would take place from January 1 to 4.
Doors will be open from 9am to 5pm each day.


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When it comes to successfully bringing its products to market, Proprietary Nutritionals Inc (PNI) relies heavily on a core strategy: the products must have good science behind them.
"We don't ever expect to have 100 items in our roster, and our ingredients are not the cheapest, by any means," says Dean Mosca, president of the Brantford, Ontario-based company. "What is important is that the ingredient be proprietary — our partners must own the intellectual property — and that there be at least several successful human trials to prove its efficacy."
Presently, PNI handles just seven branded products, though Mosca says they're very close to taking on another, one in the diabetic category that affects insulin response. "It's a very exciting product," Mosca says, "with two good studies behind it."
PNI owns exclusive global marketing and distribution rights for its branded ingredients, and Mosca says the company uses a push-pull strategy to reach success with each ingredient. "On the pull side, we do a lot to generate interest in the trade. We work hard with marketers to pick up the product; we provide or find credible spokespeople, set up sales training and contests; and we will even do some presentations to retailers like WalMart.
"On the pull side, we work promotional angles, and reach out through TV, print and radio. We'll sometimes run full-page ads." As an example of this strategy, Mosca points to Phase2 by Pharmachem, the company that bought part of PNI some five years ago. Phase2, an extract of the white kidney bean, inhibits the absorption of carbohydrates and basically introduced starch blockers to the weight-loss segment of the market, Mosca says. "We went out and got it into good distribution, and then we were able to create a media-relations campaign that garnered some 600 million consumer impressions — interviews on TV, in print and on radio."
On occasion, the company also pays for new clinical research on the products, though that proved unnecessary recently for another of its ingredients, Cran-Max. "It was a University of Scotland study, strictly academic (we didn't pay for it), that compared a 500mg dose of Cran-Max against an antibiotic for dealing with urinary-tract-infection (UTI). Cran-Max was just as effective."
The cranberry extract has achieved a large portion of the cranberry UTI market, Mosca says. In January, Nutrition Business Journal awarded Cran-Max its prestigious Scientific Achievement Award.
An important part of the PNI strategy is to find powerful products that fall in strong and growing market categories — weight loss, diabetes, joint, heart health, and so on — categories with sizeable consumer demand. "We want to have products within those categories that are some of the best," Mosca says.
One good example of a recent addition is chia. Though it is not a proprietary product, the market potential is huge, Mosca says. "It's a superfood. It impacts the nutritional value of any food. Aside from having a very high omega-3 content, it has more antioxidants per gram than blueberries. Its amino-acid profile is great. It has the full spectrum, which is good for vegetarians. On top of that, it is gluten free. It can be added to yoghurts and cereal, baked into breads — in fact chia seed even improves the mouthfeel of baked products."
PNI just acquired global rights to the product from the largest chia grower in the world, Mosca says, and is working on numerous value-added applications, such as pure protein powder, which could be a replacement for whey or soy protein. Also, it is playing with sprouted chia. "Sprouting changes the chemistry," Mosca says. "The phytic-acid content within the seed drops. Phytic acid protects the seed from digestion, so reducing it makes the nutrients even more bioavailable. The antioxidant content more than doubles."
Absolutely essential to its long-term success, Mosca says, is PNI's ability to build a strong reputation and good partnerships with its source companies. "When you have a good track record, people start coming to you with new opportunities," he says. "And it's our job to help them make money.
"This is what will allow us to be in this market 30 years from now."


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For tonight’s Weird Weiner News we travel to Melbourne, Australia!
Three mysterious penis designs have appeared on sports parks in Melbourne, Australia.
Google Earth currently displays the penis designs on three parks in Preston and Thornbury, near Northland Shopping Centre, each with more than one attempt, of diverse sizes.
View the penises here.
Melbourne’s mayor says the designs will require a “complex, costly and time-consuming” repair process, saying “the Darebin Council condemns this type of irresponsible vandalism on our parks and sports grounds. It is not a cheap joke – fixing the affected ovals is complex, costly and time-consuming. Council is taking action to remove the graffiti, but it can take months for the grass to recover, during which time our community are left using substandard grounds which can be a safety hazard.”


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Over in Japan, Toyota Motor just launched the Pixis Space, the automaker's first-ever passenger minivehicle sold with a Toyota badge and the microvan will soon arrive at more than 200 Toyota dealerships nationwide.
- Eric Loveday
- Sep 11, 2011
Toyota Motor Corporation is set to unveil its first-ever kei car to be sold under its recently launched Pixis sub-brand. The vehicle, called the Pixis Space, will make its official debut in late September.
- Hyundai Veloster N: menacing grille, big wing
- New Chevy Corvette ZR1 caught live on video
- Find and compare 2017 models


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Scott Edmonds’ compensation more than doubled in his final year as chairman and chief executive officer of Chico’s FAS Inc., and the entire increase and more than half his pay were attributable to his severance package.
Edmonds, who stepped down as ceo in January to be succeeded by David Dyer, former Tommy Hilfiger and Lands’ End chief, saw his total compensation rise to $8.7 million last year, up about 130 percent from $3.8 million in 2007. Of the 2008 total, $4.4 million was related to “accrued post-termination benefits.” In addition, his stock and option awards totaled $3.1 million, up from $2.7 million in the previous year, according to the company’s proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Michele Cloutier, who was replaced as president of the Chico’s brand by Cynthia Murray in February, received almost $862,000 in severance, slightly less than half of her $1.8 million pay package. Including severance, her 2008 compensation rose 35.7 percent above 2007.
At Phillips-Van Heusen Corp., Emanuel Chirico, chairman and ceo, took a 26.5 percent pay cut last year to $4.9 million, including a salary of $1 million, incentive pay of $1.9 million and option awards valued at $1.8 million.
Allen Sirkin, president and chief operating officer, saw his compensation fall 36.2 percent to $2.7 million last year, while executive vice president and chief financial officer Michael Shaffer registered a 39.5 percent drop to $982,578.
Tom Murry, president and ceo of the Calvin Klein unit, took a 53.6 percent pay cut to $1.3 million, and vice chairman for wholesale apparel Francis “Ken” Duane saw a 33.1 percent drop in his compensation to $1.8 million.
Stock and option awards are reported based on SEC accounting guidelines. The amounts reported in these categories were not necessarily realized because of vesting schedules and changing stock prices.
Supermodel @helenachristensen teamed up with longtime friend and designer @camillastaerk on a joint @paredeyewear collaboration. The lineup features three styles and 11 offerings, all of which embody a vintage feel. Get all the details on how they celebrated the collab on WWD.com. #wwdaccessories #wwdeye (📷: @slovekinpics)
“It’s a hard industry to keep motivated, as well, so finding different subjects and people is what makes it worth it – when you’re like, oh, I’ve met great people, I feel like I’ve done something good, and I feel proud of having done this,” said French actress Stacy Martin on being grateful for the variety of roles she’s take on. Read @ktauer’s full interview with Martin on her her latest film “Godard Mon Amour.” #wwdeye (📷: @danieldorsa)
After showing in front of the Eiffel Tower for his last two women’s ready-to-wear collection, it looks like @anthonyvaccarello may be heading to the Big Apple. Sources say the designer will stage his next @ysl show in NYC on June 6. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @aitorrosasphoto)
EXCLUSIVE: Two and half months after John Targon, cofounder and codesigner of Baja East, was hired as creative director of the contemporary division at Marc Jacobs, he has left the company, WWD has learned. Marc Jacobs International, which is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, confirmed Targon’s departure in a statement: “John Targon is a talented designer and we appreciate the work he has done here. Ultimately working together did not make sense for the brand and we wish him the best.” Read the story by @jessiredale, link in bio. #wwdnews
@theluxurycollection is officially launching a collection, tapping Sofia Sanchez de Betak for the capsule. Over 30 styles will be featured in the Chufy x The Luxury Collection, debuting next month at Bergdorf Goodman, The Webster, FiveStory and more. De Betak, known as “@chufy,” drew inspiration for the collection from her trips to Japan in the past year #wwdfashion
@lhd, founder and CEO of @thewebster, has teamed up with @lebonmarcherivegauche for the European launch of her ready-to-wear line, LHD. The launch will come with an exclusive pop-up opening today that’s set to run through May 20. Located on the second floor, it carries her debut Miami-themed resort collection, launched in November as see-now-buy-now. #wwdfashion


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China’s yuan falls further amid trade war fears
By Joe McDonald, ASSOCIATED PRESSIndustry Government Manufacturing China Exports tariffs trade trade war US yuan
A weaker yuan might disrupt Chinese efforts to shore up cooling economic growth.
BEIJING — China allowed its currency to fall further Tuesday and accused Washington of destroying the global economic order, fueling fears about increasing damage from their trade war.
The yuan declined to 7.0562 to the U.S. dollar before strengthening to 7.0297 in the afternoon. That came a day after Beijing sent financial markets tumbling by allowing the currency to fall to an 11-year low, breaking through the politically sensitive level of seven to the dollar.
The Trump administration responded Monday by officially declaring that China improperly manipulates the yuan’s value. That opens the way to possible new penalties on top of tariff hikes already imposed on Chinese goods in a fight over Beijing’s trade surplus and technology policies.
The ruling Communist Party’s main newspaper accused Washington of “deliberately destroying the rules-based international order” and jeopardizing economic co-operation. It didn’t mention Monday’s currency decision but accused the Trump administration of using American families as hostages in trade talks.
“One cannot understand how such a big, internationally influential country could be so irresponsible,” the People’s Daily said.
The Chinese central bank denied improperly manipulating the exchange rate. It said the yuan’s decline was driven by market forces.
The US decision is “protectionist behaviour” that will have “a major impact on global finance,” the People’s Bank of China said on its website.
President Donald Trump rattled investors with last week’s surprise announcement of punitive tariffs on an additional US$300 billion of Chinese imports, effective Sept. 1. That came after a round of talks on resolving their tariff war ended in Shanghai with no indication of a deal.
“The latest U.S. move will likely harden China’s position in trade negotiations,” Tao Wang of UBS said in a report.
American officials complain that a weak yuan — also known as the renminbi, or “people’s money” — makes China’s export prices unfairly low, hurting foreign competitors and swelling Beijing’s trade surplus.
Washington’s latest moves may be “evidence that the U.S. administration may not really want to reach a trade deal soon,” said Wang. “We believe there is an increasing risk to a delay or cancellation of the planned trade talks.”
Asian stock markets fell for a second day. China’s main index lost 1.6% and Australia’s was down 2.4%. Markets in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul also retreated.
“Equities are slumping. They will slump more,” Rabobank’s Michael Every said in a report. “Worry about global trade flows, as a stronger USD rumbles through the real economy and U.S.-China divorce smashes supply chains.”
The Chinese central bank governor, Yi Gang, tried to reassure investors, promising in a statement late Monday to stick to commitments “not to use exchange rates for competitive purposes.”
The central bank is “committed to maintaining the basic stability” of the yuan “at a reasonable and balanced level,” Yi said.
The People’s Bank of China sets the exchange rate each morning and allows the yuan to fluctuate by 2% against the dollar during the day. The central bank can buy or sell currency — or order commercial banks to do so — to dampen price movements.
On Tuesday, the yuan’s starting exchange rate was set at 6.9683. That would allow the currency to weaken to as much as 7.100 while staying within the 2% trading band.
The dollar’s unexpected strength against the yuan could have global repercussions, according to Nick Wall of Merian Global Investors. He said many foreign borrowers need to repay debts in dollars that might become harder to obtain.
“The risks of a further dollar squeeze and more foreign exchange volatility are now quite high,” Wall said in a report.
Chinese leaders have promised to avoid “competitive devaluation” to boost exports by making them less expensive abroad. But regulators are trying to make the state-controlled exchange rate more responsive to market forces, which are pushing the yuan lower.
Trump’s tariff hikes have put downward pressure on the yuan by fueling fears that economic growth might weaken.
The yuan has lost 5% against the dollar since hitting a high in February of 6.6862 to the dollar.
That helps exporters cope with tariffs of up to 25% imposed by Trump on billions of dollars of Chinese goods. But it raises the risk of inflaming American complaints.
A weaker yuan also might disrupt Chinese efforts to shore up cooling economic growth. It would raise borrowing costs by encouraging an outflow of capital from the world’s second-largest economy.


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The Driving Standards Agency has announced record sales of the 2007 edition of The Official Highway Code.
One million copies sold in 15 months compared to the previous 2004 edition, which sold one million copies in 20 months. And the Bookseller Magazine has recorded the latest edition as the No1 best selling non-fiction paperback for 2008.
In January a national media campaign was launched to promote The Highway Code to all road users, including learner drivers and experienced motorists. A TV advert appeared across a broad range of channels including TV, online, shopping malls and retail outlets.
The Official Highway Code, published by TSO (The Stationery Office), is available in book, interactive CD-ROM and British Sign Language DVD formats and can be purchased from High Street or online bookstores, or direct from TSO at: www.tsoshop.co.uk/highwaycode.


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Tesco bids to make its food aisles more consumer-friendly
Tesco is trialling a revamp of the way it displays food in aisles to help shoppers buy items more easily and quickly.
The trial, to take place at 50 undisclosed locations across the UK, will regroup items such as tinned tomatoes, olives and baking products to help shoppers who are "pressed for time". Home baking products including decorations have been grouped together to make it easier to find all the ingredients for a recipe and olives have been moved from the canned vegetables section to sit with other pickled products such as gherkins, after the supermarket found that shoppers tended to eat these items in the same way as snacks or with salads.
Tinned tomatoes have been shifted alongside other ingredients for commonly-made meals such as herbs, salt and spices.
Tesco also announced that it is simplifying its range of products over the next few weeks "as part of our work to make the shopping trip easier for customers".
A spokeswoman said: "These changes will ensure we continue to offer customers the best choice of products, as well as improving the availability of the most popular items."
Tesco, which is in the midst of a turnaround plan as shopping habits change and the market copes with the soaring popularity of Aldi and Lidl, said it would take customer feedback before extending the changes.


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Pabst Blue Ribbon named 72andSunny Los Angeles as its lead creative agency.
The MDC Partners-owned shop said in a statement that it will debut its first campaign for the 175-year-old Milwaukee-based Pabst Brewing Co. beer brand sometime this spring.
“Pabst is launching many new exciting products as we strive to bring the same creativity our audience possesses to the drinks category, and 72andSunny’s creative pedigree makes them the ideal partner," Luke Atkinson, senior VP of marketing at Pabst Blue Ribbon, said in a statement.
PBR previously worked with various agencies on a project basis. Last August, for example, BBH New York negotiated its way onto the brand's roster by agreeing to be compensated in beer. The Publicis Groupe agency had created a campaign for Pabst’s new Stronger Seltzer product, and received 12,000 cans of PBR in return.
The win marks 72andSunny's comeback in the beer category after it lost Coors Light last year. The agency, which had held the creative account of MillerCoors' largest beer brand since 2015, decided not to participate in its latest review, which resulted in Publicis' Leo Burnett winning the bulk of the business.
Still, the PBR account is significantly smaller than that of Coors Light, which spends about $184 million on measured media annually, according to data from the Ad Age Datacenter.
Kantar estimates that PBR spent only $37,000 on measured media in the U.S. in 2018 and $125,000 from January to September of last year.
"As someone who has been a huge Pabst fan as both a marketer and a bar owner, I'm honored that 72andSunny was chosen to carry the creative torch for the next generation of their storied portfolio,” Teri Miller, president of 72andSunny L.A., added in a statement.


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Fifteen year high for hotel occupancy in Manchester city centre
- Category: Agency & Association
- Created on Wednesday, 29 July 2015 16:45
Manchester city centre attained an average occupancy rate of 78% from January to June, which shows a significant increase on the 75% reached in the first six months of 2014 and surpasses the previous peak of 76%, attained in 2007.
Keele offers range of themes for partygoers searching to add sparkle to Christmas
- Category: 2015 Christmas Venues & Packages near you!
- Created on Wednesday, 29 July 2015 16:30
In reply to calls from UK businesses for more themed nights the university venue has launched a fresh list of events for this festive period. Keele University Conferences and Events’ 2015 Christmas Calendar now includes the 1920’s themed ‘The Great Gatsby Night’, ‘Casino Night’ and the ‘Black and White Ball’ which will be held at its Keele Hall venue, the grade-II listed building on the Keele University campus in the heart of the Staffordshire countryside.
Adlib exhibiting at Venue Expo
- Category: Show
- Created on Wednesday, 29 July 2015 16:15
Venue Expo takes place from 8th and 9th September and will see Adlib showcasing their new Absen A3 Pro LED Screen, which will be prominently placed in the foyer, showing still images, videos and presentations from sponsors and exhibitors.
Oakwood Worldwide® receives stamp of approval from ASAP
- Category: Hotel
- Created on Wednesday, 29 July 2015 16:00


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Do you have payment difficulties? Changes to liquidation legislation and debt recovery from 1 May
Company liquidations are being slowed down and the situation of companies in debt recovery is being made easier through temporary changes to the law. Extensions are also being granted for submitting financial statements.
The Bankruptcy Act (120/2004) is being temporarily amended to limit liquidation upon application by a company’s creditors. A business owner in debt cannot be considered insolvent on the basis of failing to pay his or her creditors a clear, due sum within a week of receiving a payment demand from a creditor.
The amendment has been in force since 1 May and will be in force until 31 October 2020.
Tiina Toivonen, legal affairs manager at Suomen Yrittäjät, says, “Many businesses are in temporary payment difficulties because of coronavirus. This change in legislation means we can avoid unnecessary liquidations.”
Liquidation applications possible if problems not due to coronavirus
However, the change in the law does not mean that a company’s creditors cannot apply to liquidate it in the next six months:
“If the creditor can show that it is not a case of temporary insolvency, and, rather, that the company has not paid its bills before coronavirus, then it can apply for liquidation of the company,” Toivonen says.
She notes that several large public creditors, such as the Tax Administration and the financial sector, have already said they will not apply for the liquidation of companies which are suffering difficulties due to coronavirus.
“Here, we’re mostly talking about smaller private creditors, such as goods suppliers – what will they do?” Toivonen asks.
The share of companies applying to liquidate themselves is normally between 30 and 40 per cent.
Relief and extra time for companies in debt recovery
An entrepreneur or company may receive relief on payments of debts recovered at source because of temporary payment difficulties. They can also make payment plans for debts of this kind.
Because of coronavirus, debt recovery legislation has been temporarily changed to allow for direct relief when someone faces payment difficulties because of the pandemic. The changes came into force on 1 May 2020 and they are in force until 31 October 2020.
“It’s important to remember that relief is not automatic, not even during the coronavirus pandemic. A debtor has to ask bailiffs for it and make a claim based on the coronavirus situation,” Toivonen stresses.
If you are a business owner and draw salary from your company, the bailiff may grant you additional time to pay. This period is normally up to three months long but is now, thanks to the temporary amendment to the law, six months.
“If the creditor agrees, a six-month extension can normally be granted, but now, thanks to the temporary amendment to the law, 12 months can,” Toivonen says.
Possibility for reducing share of income subject to debt recovery
Due to your impaired solvency, you may be entitled to a smaller deduction at source to pay your debts. As a general rule, five-sixths of a natural person’s regular business income is protected from debt recovery. This proportion can be increased further if the debtor’s financial solvency is at risk.
“Now, from the start of May, the amendment to the law means you can apply for such a change specifically because of reduced payment ability caused by coronavirus. You cannot receive payment holidays or delayed payment dates for business income,” Toivonen says.
If you have income from a company or other organization, you can also reduce the proportion of your income subject to debt recovery at source, if that allows you to continue running your business. During the coronavirus pandemic, it is also easier than before to get relief on income received by an organization.
Toivonen has a reminder for business owners about payment default entries during the coronavirus situation: “If a payment default entry is entered on your credit score because of coronavirus, you can ask Asiakastieto to include a note about coronavirus problems being the cause,” Toivonen says.
Asiakastieto itself announced this a couple of weeks ago.
There are also plans to improve the situation of entrepreneurs in payment difficulties by capping companies’ debt recovery fees. The Ministry of Justice is preparing a cap on debt recovery fees.
Extension for financial statements
Amendments are going to be made to a range of legislation because of the coronavirus pandemic, including the Limited Liability Company Act, the Housing Companies Act, the Cooperatives Act, the Associations Act and other corporate legislation.
Financial statements must normally be submitted within four months of the end of the financial year. Now a partial extension is being made to this. Financial statements and reports for the financial year ending between 30 November 2019 and 29 February 2020 must be filed by 30 June 2020.
Suomen Yrittäjät specialist and lawyer Atte Rytkönen says, “The exception only applies to financial statements with a deadline during the state of emergency caused by the epidemic.”
Relief and extensions are on the cards for meetings.
“The AGMs of limited liability companies, cooperatives, associations and other meetings defined by law can be held any time before the end of September 2020, even if the law, articles of association or rules say they have to happen earlier,” Rytkönen says.
The board of directors of a listed company can decide to hold a fully remote AGM in which all shareholders can participate through prior votes or other remote means, either personally or by proxies.
However, the board of the organization must still compose financial statements by the end of June 2020.
Rytkönen says that all of these changes are designed to ensure organizations’ boards have enough time and means to organize their spring meetings in line with their needs, resources and health protection requirements.


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Comcast last month announced that it was giving its Flex streaming device to Internet-only customers for free, but the announcement did not mention one important detail: the “free” device is only given to Comcast broadband customers who spend $ 13 a month to rent Comcast’s xFi Gateway modem/router.
The Verge yesterday published a story that details the problem. The Verge wrote:
After the free offer was announced last month, a Comcast spokesperson told me the rental requirement would be dropped “in the coming weeks” so that all Internet-only customers could get the device for free. But a month later, that requirement is still in place, and Comcast’s checkout interface has even been updated to emphasize that its streaming box, called Flex, is only included when you rent the company’s modem/router combo, the xFi Gateway. The Comcast spokesperson now says the ability to use your own router and avoid the fee is “coming imminently.”
Comcast told Ars the same thing today, that it is lifting the restriction very soon. A Comcast FAQ explains that the Flex box automatically connects to your Comcast Internet service once it’s plugged into a power outlet, as long as the Comcast wireless gateway is operating. Comcast told us that a software update coming soon will let the Flex connect to any Wi-Fi network.
Read 7 remaining paragraphs | Comments


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BMW is thinking of selling the popular European 320i and 120i models in the US, as quoted by BMW’S Project Director Oliver Friedmann in Edmunds’ Insideline. BMW is looking into putting larger, not so efficient engines and focusing on the smaller ones, allowing them to keep prices “acceptable”.
BMW isn’t pleased with the 135i Coupe sales, so they want to change the situation. The BMW 125i Coupe hasn’t been doing so well on sales because of the high prices, higher than expected, so this was a draw back even for the biggest fans of the 1-series. BMW was put in a tough spot when the BMW 135i Coupe was released positioned so close to the 335i, so everybody was curious if the BMW 3-series will have a bigger success than the overpriced BMW 135i.
The BMW 320i and 120i models are very attractive if we take a look from the fuel efficiency perspective. The 3er direct-injection four cylinder outputs 170 horsepower, just like the BMW 120i.


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Traveling abroad, meet new places and new people is something that everyone loves doing. Unfortunately, for most of us, this year was wasted at home, and what we have left is wondering when we can travel again.
But, a recent Forbes research gives hope that it may happen sooner than expected. According to it, 70% of people are planning to travel again in 2021.
That’s a good sign that confidence in traveling is recovering, and more people are up to board on a plane to enjoy vacations away from home.
Part of that is due to strict sanitary protocols adopted by the industry, including airlines, tour operators and destinations. Also, the expectation for a vaccine contributes to people feeling more comfortable in planing a trip.
But, how the tourism market will look like in 2021?
The pandemic has deeply changed the traveler’s behavior, and this is going to last long. An example is the lack of confidence in booking a trip caused by a large number of canceled flights and pending refunds.
To overcome that, companies need to be very transparent on their cancelation and price policies. Offering products such as COVID-19 insurances can also help to attract more customers.
The Forbes research has pointed out that 60% of attendees are only considering traveling again in 2021 if they are assured to be refunded.
Asking for positive reviews is still a good investment. Especially the ones related to good health and hygiene practices. One-third of next year’s travelers will consider the opinion of who has lived the experience before in order to book their next trip.
Another trend pointed out by the research is traveling to familiar destinations. That is because living an experience again gives the sensation of safety.
To catch the attention of those searching for a familiar experience, destinations should highlight the sense of home. On the other hand, tour operators should target old customers, considering that those are more familiar with their services.
Considering that only 4% of those who traveled abroad this summer have felt unsafe, it’s understandable the industry’s excitement about the next season.
Transparency, flexibility and familiarity. Remember those three words and you have good chances to make the most out of tourism next year.
on October 21, 2020
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With these cold mornings many Tri-Staters are warming up their vehicles before heading off the work or school.
There have already been at least two cases where unattended cars have been stolen.
Police say it only takes a few seconds for a thief to get in your car and drive away even if you look out the window and see what's happening.
The best advice: "Make sure you lock the doors. Make sure you have a spare key or spare key fob so you can get back in. You do not have to leave your doors unlocked to warm the car up," said Sgt. Jason Cullum, EPD.
Copyright 2012 WFIE. All rights reserved.
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Over the years, we have seen more and more people adapting to healthy lifestyle. When we say healthy living, food plays a major role in it. Let’s agree, healthy eating and healthy living go hand in hand. This is why health experts encourage including more and more nutritious ingredients in our everyday diet. A recent study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, states that ingredient placements in supermarkets may help encourage you to eat healthy. How, you ask? As per the study, restricting supermarket placement of less healthy items and increasing the availability of healthier alternatives in these stores may be promising interventions to encourage healthier purchasing behaviours. These were the findings of two new studies conducted by Camren Piernas and colleagues from Oxford University.
In the first study, the researchers conducted a survey in three major supermarket chains in the United Kingdom where they studied human behaviour on the basis of product’s availability, placement, promotions, and signage (of healthier products). “They found that increasing the availability of healthier options within a category was associated with significant changes in purchasing,” the study reads.
The second study conducted a survey on people by removing chocolates and candy from prominent locations within a UK supermarket. This study was conducted for seven weeks leading up to Easter. As per the study, “The researchers found an attenuation in the usual seasonal increase in confectionery sales; units of confectionery sales increased by 18% in the control stores during the pre-Easter period but only 5% in the intervention stores.” This means, buyers in intervention stores ended up adding fewer calories to their grocery basket.
These findings, together, help offer how a government body or administration can help shape consumers’ diets to improve their overall health.
About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.


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OnePlus has started work on its upcoming OnePlus 9 series. OnePlus 9 series can be launched around March 2021. Now, information related to the important specifications and model number of the next flagship series of OnePlus has been revealed. TechDroider has made public the information related to OnePlus 9 series in a latest report.
According to the leak, the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro can be launched as LE2110 and LE2117, LE2119, LE2120 respectively. At the same time, the model number of a mysterious device is reported to be LE2127. OnePlus 9 Pro is expected to be launched in three variants. But there is no official information about this at this time. The first two letters of the model number are from the codename ‘Lemonade’. A few days ago Tipster Max J revealed this codename for the OnePlus 9 Pro.
Dhansu Infinix Smart 4’s first cell with 6000mAh battery today
In addition, TechDroider states that a mysterious device with the codename LE2127 has also been spotted. But it is not yet sure that it is related to the OnePlus 9 series. According to a report in China, three models will be launched in OnePlus 9 series.
Up to 75% off on ‘Music Fest’, headphones, earbuds running on Amazon
OnePlus 9 series: Possible specifications
OnePlus 9 Series Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 processor, AMOLED display, can be given a punch-hole in the middle on the display. Apart from this, OnePlus can offer 144Hz refresh rate screen, IP68 rating, NFC, dual stereo speakers in its next flagship series. According to the report, in addition to 65 wired charging in OnePlus 9 series, 40 watt wireless charging will be given.
The report also states that the OnePlus 9T can also be launched as a mid-product refresh like the OnePlus 8T.


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Holiday to sabotage union referendum
Following the registration of their union at the Mirrai factory, union members have been intimidated and transferred. When the union asked for a referendum to establish its right to be a collective bargaining agent for the workers, the management declared the day of the referendum a holiday and intimidated the workers. As a result there were hardly any workers to vote. The union decided to withdraw from the referendum. The referendum proceeded without the union's participation, and the union was declared to have lost the vote.
J Crew, the brand buying from Mirrai, intervened after being contacted by the trade union FTZ&GSEU, the Clean Clothes Campaign, and global union IndustriAll. Despite this, the factory management refused any form of mediation for several months. In the end this resulted in the withdrawal of orders from the factory by this buyer.
J Crew has explained that the reason it will no longer place orders at the factory is not the allegations brought to it by the union, but rather Mirrai’s failure to partner with J Crew to remedy the violation of workers' rights.


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Delong Holdings has requested that its shares resume trading after the lunch break on Friday after the mandatory suspension a week ago.
Earlier Friday, Delong’s board of directors said in a filing to SGX that the voluntary conditional cash offer from Best Grace Holdings for all of the company’s shares had been withdrawn.
“Accordingly, no further action will be taken by the company in relation to the offer, including issuing an offeree circular to the shareholders,” Delong said on Friday.
SIC to investigate
On Thursday, the Securities Industry Council (SIC) of the Monetary Authority of Singapore said it was investigating the circumstances leading to the withdrawal of the offer for Delong, particularly whether there was a breach of Rule 17 of the takeover code.
“The investing public and shareholders of the company are advised to exercise caution when dealing with their shares,” the SIC said, adding it wouldn’t comment further to avoid compromising the on-going investigation.
Best Grace withdraws offer
Best Grace Holdings withdrew its offer to buy all of Delong as its bid would need to be raised to be compliant with Singapore’s takeover code, it said in a filing to SGX after the market close on Thursday.
Delong Holdings’ CEO and Executive Chairman Ding Liguo had made the takeover bid in late September via special purpose vehicle Best Grace Holdings, offering S$7.00 a share for all of the company’s shares. The offer price was a 8.0 percent premium over the volume weighted average price of the stock for the previous month, the filing had said.
But Singapore’s takeover code requires that the offer price must not be less than the highest price paid by the offeror for shares either during the offer period or within six months before the offer begins.
To be compliant with the code, under Rule 17.1, the offer price would need to be raised to S$7.42 a share, the filing on Thursday said.


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The 11th annual Fashion Show Luncheon to raise money for local high school scholarships of the women”s auxiliary for the Fraternal Order of Eagles No. 218 will be 11 a.m-2 p.m. Saturday at the Eagles Hall,1940 Mulberry St.
Every year one student from Chico, Pleasant Valley, Durham and Fair View High Schools is awarded a $500 scholarship. At least $2,000 must be raised to meet this goal.
Cost of the fashion show and luncheon is $10 and includes lunch, a “Night on the Town: Dress to Impress” fashion show and chances to win raffles prizes.
Contact Carole Eldridge at 933-5409 for tickets and more information.


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China has become an indispensable part of global business since the 2003 SARS outbreak. It’s grown into the world’s factory, churning out products such as the iPhone and driving demand for commodities like oil and copper. The country also boasts hundreds of millions of wealthy consumers who spend big on luxury products, tourism and cars. China’s economy accounted for roughly 4% of world GDP in 2003; it now makes up 16% of global output.
“The outbreak has the potential to cause severe economic and market dislocation. But the scale of the impact will ultimately be determined by how the virus spreads and evolves, which is almost impossible to predict, as well as how governments respond,” said Neil Shearing, group chief economist at Capital Economics.
The virus is snarling supply chains and disrupting companies. Economists say the current level of disruption is manageable. If the number of new coronavirus cases begins to slow, and China’s factories reopen soon, the result will be a fleeting hit to the Chinese economy in the first quarterand a dent in global growth. If the virus continues to spread, however, the economic damage will increase rapidly.
“They first paralyze the region of the virus outbreak,” he said. “Then they gradually spread domestically, undermining internal trade, consumption, production and the movement of people. If the virus is still not contained, the process spreads further, including regionally and internationally by disrupting trade, supply chains and travel.”
Read more : CNN


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Instacart has a new incentive to encourage more Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19: Free snacks.
The on-demand grocery delivery company announced Wednesday that it is teaming up with the White House for its “Get Vaxxed For Snacks” sweepstakes in support of President Joe Biden’s month-long effort to get 70% of Americans vaccinated by July 4.
Through June 30, vaccinated customers nationwide have a chance to win free snacks through a $500 gift card this summer, the company said in a news release.
The company says it also has been supporting vaccinations with its COVID-19 Shopper Vaccine Stipend Program and has paid out $2 million to support its paid shoppers who received the vaccine.
Instacart is the latest company to offer an incentive to encourage more people to get vaccinated. Krispy Kreme is giving away free doughnuts through the end of 2021 for those who show a valid COVID-19 vaccination card.
CVS Health, Kroger and United Airlines also have ongoing vaccine sweepstakes. Anheuser-Busch says it’ll give away free beer if 70% of American adults are at least partially vaccinated by July 4.
“Instacart is proud to join the White House’s effort to encourage more vaccinations in the U.S. so we can all gather safely around the table again and celebrate summertime with friends and family,” said Apoorva Mehta, Instacart founder and CEO, in a statement. “With the Get Vaxxed For Snacks program, we hope to offer customers one more reason to get vaccinated so we can collectively bring this pandemic to an end.” ReadMore
Source : usatoday


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Port closures in Shanghai and Ningbo due to Typhoon Chanthu could disrupt trade worth about $14bn, according to analysis from risk modelling firm Russell Group.
Based on the day the ports closed on 12 September for a projected period of two weeks, Russell Group valued trade in and out of both Shanghai port and Ningbo at $7.5bn each.
Clothing worth $331m exported from Shanghai is expected to face “severe disruption” and computer equipment worth $361m is also expected to be disrupted, which could affect the availability of key goods ahead of the holiday season.
Suki Basi, CEO of Russell Group, said its analysis will “come as little relief” for corporate risk managers, supply chains, ship operators and (re)insurers. “[They] have seen disruption after disruption pile on top of each other in 2021,” Mr Basi said.
Mr Basi said Ningbo has closed twice in this quarter alone. “Rising port accumulation exposures across the global economy are a serious concern for businesses that rely on just-in-time supply chain methods,” Mr Basi said.


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J.E. Bonding: Mark Luckett Texarkana AR Bail Bonds (Bondsman)
1608 W 13th St
Read more about this business
Coins, history abundant at annual show
Coin collectors and enthusiasts will have plenty to peruse when the Texarkana Coin Show kicks off this weekend. ¶ The annual event will be 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at T...
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Sony has been working on its Project Morpheus virtual reality headset for quite some time now and while the company still won’t say how much the device will cost and when it will arrive, it’s going to let GameStop expo attendees take it for a spin. This is going to be one of those rare occasions for gamers to try and get their hands on their virtual reality headset and see how Sony is doing in this rather crowded market.
Recently the company said that it’s too soon to talk about pricing for the headset, and is adamant about not confirming a release date at this point in time.
In a press release GameStop has announced that Sony’s Project Morpheus virtual reality headset is going to be playable for GameStop Expo attendees, the expo is going to take place on September 2nd in Las Vegas.
According to the press release the headset will be aided with a large collection of game demos and game stations so gamers will get a good enough opportunity to see what the fuss is all about.
GameStop Expo registrations are currently open, general admission passes are priced at $40 and limited VIP passes can be purchased for $110. During the afternoon of September 2nd student passes will be available on site for $20.


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The next big Fortnite x Marvel crossover has been leaked and fans are hyped. According to the latest info, Clint Barton and Kate Bishop from Hawkeye will be coming to the island. We have all the details right here!
Epic Games announced a few months ago that "the previous collaboration with Marvel was just the beginning”. And now we're beginning to feel this in full force. It was only a couple of seasons ago that we had the Marvel Season, and we can't forget the countless Marvel Cups, Cosmetics, and mythic items that had that Marvel appeal.
But just when we thought Epic was taking a break from Marvel, a new crossover was leaked. In the coming weeks, we will be able to welcome some cosmetics from the US Marvel Christmas action series Hawkeye. Both Clint Barton and Kate Bishop will come to Fortnite.
What is Hawkeye?
Briefly, for those of you unaware: Hawkeye is from Marvel Studios and is set in post-blip New York, where former Avenger Clint Barton, or Hawkeye, is striving for a seemingly simple goal: to be with his family during Christmas. But, when a dark shadow from his past emerges, Hawkeye must reluctantly team up with Kate Bishop to solve the case. Bishop is a 22-year-old amateur archer who was actually inspired to shoot arrows from a bow because of Hawkeye's superhero status.
The series was released on Disney+ on November 24. And even though that was a while ago, it seems Epic has decided to bring the two main characters of the series to Fortnite.
Clint Barton and Kate Bishop in Fortnite
The leaks once again come from our favorite Fortnite leaker HYPEX. Not only will there be skins, but also the following other cosmetics from the Marvel series:
- Kate Bishop Skin
- Clint Barton Skin
- Kate's Quiver back Bling
- Hawkguy's Arsenal back Bling
- Aerial Archer Glider
- Hawkeyes loading screen
- Pickross Bow Harvesting Tool
- Taut Slicer Harvesting tool
Here you can see what the Cosmetics will look like in-game:
When are the Hawkeye Cosmetics coming to Fortnite?
The collaboration has not been officially announced by Epic Games yet, so we don't know the exact date when the Hawkeye Cosmetics will come to the game. However, the skins are already in the game files, so according to HYPEX, the crossover will come to Fortnite within the next two crossovers—apparently a new measurement of time in the Fortnite metaverse. This skin is officially 5 crossovers old…


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The innovations of robotics and automation have disrupted many industries but especially in the retail market, its impact is more than one could imagine. The day is not far when this market will adopt the maximum number of robots for most of its operations. From logistics to merchandising its impact is multi-dimensional.
To be at par with the rising relevance of robots in the market, a number of retail companies are approaching various methods to expand their business prospects.
• Amazon has a great collection of robots at its warehouses to meet order demands.
• Retailer Best Buy collaborated with PaR Systems in order to introduce an automated system known as Chloe.
• Robots from Bossa Nova Robotics have been deployed in around 50 stores of Walmart.
• Lowe’s along with Fellow Robots created an in-store bot called the LoweBot. This bot helps in assisting people with locating items in the store.
The surge in robot-application in retail surely promises for a great transformation that the industry would embrace forever which implies that regardless of various challenging circumstances the technology is here to stay.
Georges F Mirza, PMC, expressed his excitement for the robot-enabled transformation of the retail industry in his article “Proof robots in retail are here to stay.” He quoted that, “this is all encouraging to me; seeing the renewed excitement and spotlight on retail technologies. Regardless of where investment money currently is, brick or click, it is all connected and shows that brick is here to stay, and robots are part of its future.”
According to him, robots have the ability to accurately, repeatedly and autonomously, function in retail stores by processing collected data and solving real business problems with different degrees of success and reliability.
When it comes to automation, its promises are even more engaging as it saves labor and labor cost, enhances productivity and customer engagement. It also tends to reduce the cost to consumers of reaching out to a market which subsequently means that more and more people can afford to make a purchase.
Even the IT departments of retail companies nowadays, use RPA bots that can facilitate people in call centers with better service prospects. It also allows the staff to connect to people’s queries at the backend to respond to them instantly.
According to a report, the Retail Robotics market was valued at US$ 4.78 billion in 2018 globally and is expected to witness a growth of around 31.9 percent from 2019-2026 to reach the mark of US$ 41.67 billion by 2026.
It has also been revealed by a report that the global retail automation market was valued at US$18.37 billion in 2018 and it is expected to grow at a profitable CAGR of 8.60 percent from 2019 to 2025.
Automation and robots, undoubtedly, help retailers achieve consistency and error-free work eliminating the manual human input in most of the cases. This consistency further helps in brand building, gaining and retaining customers while reducing prevailing operational expenses. Best of both the technologies provide the small, medium and large businesses the opportunity to stay relevant and updated with their efficiency in the market where they will be able to compete with others with a technological edge. All these benefits and futuristic trends clearly imply that automation and robotics are here to stay and transform the retail industry for better.


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Find Out About Google Glass, Affordable Smart Eyewear
A complete study of Google Glass, Google’s $1,500 wearable portable eyewear computer, conducted earlier this month reveals that the price of the actual components adds up to just $152.47 suggesting that the margin between development costs and the device actually hitting consumer retail is considerable.
The product analysis of Google Glass, performed by IHS, found that the most expensive part of the Glass system is in its fragile frame, which the company priced at $22.
“Today’s Google Glass feels like a prototype,” said Andrew Rassweiler, senior director of cost benchmarking services for IHS, in a statement. “The design employs many off-the-shelf components that could be further optimized. If a mass market for the product is established, chipmakers are expected to offer more integrated chipsets specific to the application that will greatly improve all aspects of performance, including processing speed, energy efficiency, weight and size.”
The second-most expensive component of the Google Glass eyewear, according to IHS, is its square lens, made by Taiwan’s Himax Technologies, at a cost of $20.
So called smart wear, in this case eye wear that lets you access Google technology while on the go has yet to prove itself among businesses and consumers as much more than a passing fad. Inevitably though as the tech matures so will the interest rise amongst purchasers. What the sector really needs is a killer piece of technology that is practical and fashionable and at realistic and attainable prices to drive strong sales.


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PayPal subscribers are being targeted by a fraudulent e-mail scheme designed to con them into handing over their personal information.
Over the past week, users of eBay's online payments service have been receiving e-mails masquerading as official PayPal alerts, eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove confirmed Friday. The messages ask recipents to submit bank and credit card details.
Tricks involving bogus e-mail posing as legitimate messages from eBay and PayPal are nothing new. However, the latest spoof e-mail--which included a PayPal logo, links to PayPal's site and official-looking fine-print--appeared particularly convincing, said Brenda Frymire, a PayPal user in San Ramon, Calif., who received the e-mail Thursday
The e-mails tell recipients that their PayPal accounts have been randomly selected for maintenance and placed on "Limited Access" status. The message, which appears to come from firstname.lastname@example.org, instructs the account holder to enter credit card and bank account numbers in an online form embedded in the e-mail.
News source: Full story @ c|net


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Tech Companies and Automakers Most Trusted to Develop Driverless Cars
【Summary】Only four percent mentioned they would be willing to trust companies like Uber and Lyft to work on self-driving technology.
The self-driving industry has attracted a wide range of companies, from tech giants to traditional automakers. Some, like Google's Waymo, are heavy on developing software and sensing hardware, while leaving the development of other core vehicular components to its partners. On the other end of the spectrum, you have automakers, like Ford and General Motors, that are simply bridging the technology gap by integrating autonomous systems in their existing products.
From the perspective of consumers, the trustworthiness of driverless vehicles may come down to the company developing the technology. This is the conclusion that INRIX Research, a firm that specializes in connected car services and location-based analytics, uncovered in its latest ground-breaking study.
"A new battleground is emerging between automakers, tech companies and ridesharing companies in the race to develop connected and autonomous vehicles," explained Bob Pishue, senior economist at INRIX. "With hundreds of millions of connected cars expected to be on the roads within the next 15 years, the market share will be owned by companies that can educate drivers and gain consumer trust."
Measuring Trust and Confidence
The study compiled results from a survey consisting of 5,045 drivers based in the US, France, Germany and the UK. Surprisingly, a whopping 30 percent of UK-based respondents and 27 percent for US-based survey participants collectively agreed that conventional auto manufacturers were to be trusted in developing autonomous vehicles. Tech companies came in second, taking roughly 20 percent of the trustworthiness pie.
For ride-hailing businesses, the results are grim. Only four percent mentioned they would be willing to trust companies like Uber and Lyft to work on self-driving technology. Out of the two startups, Lyft seems to have a better chance at winning over skeptical consumers. The company could easily leverage its partnership with General Motors and Waymo to catapult its status in the autonomous driving space.
Tesla didn't favor well in the study, possibly due to lack of experience in the automotive industry, compared to automakers with decades of understanding and knowledge of the rapidly evolving sector. This shows that familiarity is a huge factor that all businesses in the space must overcome.
Coping with Security-related Issues
The INRIX study also highlights specific concerns that consumers have about self-driving technology, which offers insights surrounding the results above. When it comes to preventing security breaches in connected cars, Generation X and Millennials prefer to leave it in the hands of tech companies. The following autonomous features are the most critical, according to the respondents: blind spot warning, night vision, traffic alerts, front and rear collision alerts, stolen car tracking and re-routing.
The majority of survey participants agreed that autonomous cars will make public roads safer, contributing to less accidents caused by human error. Over half (62 percent) expect to see an overflow of driverless cars within the next decade. Early adoption of self-driving vehicles is expected to mostly come from Millennials and Generation Z.
"Partnerships are a solution to help you appeal to all age groups. If companies want to sell autonomous vehicles, this is going to be a challenge," explained Pishue.
Michael Cheng is a legal editor and technical writer with publications for Blackberry ISHN Magazine Houzz and Payment Week. He specializes in technology business and digesting hard data. Outside of work Michael likes to train for marathons spend time with his daughter and explore new places.
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BFNT adds to Potenza line
The latest addition to Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire LLC's Potenza line, the Potenza G 009, will be available this spring.
The H-rated G 009 will replace the Bridgestone Eager and Potenza RE910 and will be available in 25 sizes, ranging from 14 to 17 inches in diameter with 40- to 65-series aspect ratios.
The tire was officially unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show this week.
mtdealer.com originally reported on it last November at the 2003 International Tire Expo.


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Honor, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, has announced the Magic 3, the company’s first smartphone to support the digital yuan. During a press conference, Honor Zhao Ming’s CEO announced this.
Chinese technology businesses began developing gadgets to support and distribute e-CNY on the Celestial Empire’s realm yesterday. The People’s Bank of China has previously indicated that technical projects popularizing Chinese coins are welcomed. As a result, its officials offer substantial assistance to the country’s banks, building ATMs in the country’s major cities to facilitate financial transactions using the digital yuan.
The project’s whitepaper also mentions that the major distinction between hardware wallets and software wallets (for example, programs for your gadgets) is integrated security measures at the hardware level. This enables them to give a higher level of security for their consumers’ monies.
The Magic 3 is powered by a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 CPU, making it one of the most productive smartphones on the market. In China, the premium edition of the smartphone will cost 7999 yuan, or $1235 at current exchange rates, while the entry-level Magic 3 would cost buyers 4599 yuan, or $710.
Recall that in early August, the Beijing authorities announced that the Chinese CBDC had been integrated into the payment environment for more extensive testing.
Given the rapid growth of the Chinese stablecoin, the Honor handset might soon be joined by dozens of other devices from prominent manufacturers, including Xiaomi, Huawei, and a slew of others.