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Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) will be the fourth member, besides Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express (ONE) and Yang Ming, to join THE Alliance. The members of THE Alliance have also decided to establish a new cooperation with four members and a term until 2030. The actions were agreed in Taipei on 19 June 2019. The new contract between the four lines will begin on 1 April 2020.
Commenting on the new addition, Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, said that:
HMM is a great fit for THE Alliance as they will provide a number of new and modern vessels, which will help us to deliver better quality and be more efficient – and it will help us also to further reduce our emissions
HMM has ordered twelve 23,000 TEU vessels which will be delivered in the second quarter of 2020. What is more, eight 15,000 TEU newbuildings will join HMM’s fleet in the second quarter of 2021. HMM’s 23,000 TEU newbuildings will operate in the Far East – North Europe trade and will enhance THE Alliance’s service portfolio.
HMM joining THE Alliance is an important milestone for THE Alliance as it will help us to provide a broader service network to the customers and facilitate the advance of the development of THE Alliance starting from next year
highlighted Bronson Hsieh, Chairman and CEO of Yang Ming.
As for Jae-hoon Bae, President and CEO of HMM, he noted that being a full member of THE Alliance gives the company a lot of pride. Now, they are convinced that they will be successful and generate additional value.
THE Alliance was founded by Hapag-Lloyd as well as NYK, MOL and ‘K’Line (which merged to become Ocean Network Express – ONE) and Yang Ming. It began its cooperation on 1 April 2017.


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Cambridge bioscience company Metabolix Inc. (Nasdaq:MBLX) saw its stock rise 20 percent Thursday to its highest value since August after reporting a grant of more than $500,000 to fund research on the camelina plant as a potential source of fuel and food.
The rise in stock also comes a few days after company director Matthew Strobeck bought $170,785 worth of the stock last Friday, when it was valued at $1.10, according to Forbes. The company’s stock was trading at $1.84 as of 1 p.m. on Thursday, a 67 percent spike since Friday.
Also last Friday, the company announced that its certified-compostable film grade resin, Mvera B5008, is available for shipping to customers. Compounded in Europe for local markets and widely available for global customers, Mvera B5008 is designed for applications including compost bags, can liners used for organic waste, as well as shopping and retail bags that can be reused as compostable organic waste bags.
According to a statement, the grant money is a subaward under the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) to fund work with the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. The work is aimed at redesigning carbon fixation pathways to increase the efficiency of capturing energy from sunlight.
The research is centered on the crop plant, camelina, which is fast-growing and is a potential source of oil. Metabolix is using is multi-gene expression technology to investigate an alternative biochemical pathway that theoretically could allow the plant to capture twice as much CO2 using the same amount of light, with the end goal of improving the productivity of both food and fuel crops.
Lynne H. Brum, vice president of marketing and corporate communications for Metabolix, told Mass High Tech that the company is not disclosing the amount of the latest grant, it makes up “more than half” of the total of $1 million for the three received this year.
In July, the company signed an agreement with a Madrid-based producer of pharmaceutical ingredients, Antibioticos S.A., for the production of Mirel, a plant-based, biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics used to make compost bags and other consumer items.

domain: news


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Lawyers: Congress, not FDA, will legalize CBD in supplementsLawyers: Congress, not FDA, will legalize CBD in supplements
During a recent conference, three lawyers who advise clients on FDA regulations weighed in on whether FDA or Congress would make CBD a lawful ingredient in supplements.
November 2, 2020
Three regulatory attorneys in the nation’s capital agreed at a recent conference that Congress—not FDA—will have to act to make CBD a lawful ingredient in dietary supplements.
Following a public hearing on May 31, 2019, FDA has been assessing the safety of CBD for well over a year. Industry has grown impatient with the agency’s inaction on regulating the U.S. marketplace while an increasing number of states—including most recently, New York—have moved to fill the vacuum in federal oversight of CBD products.
According to FDA officials, the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FD&C) precludes CBD from being added to conventional food or marketed as a supplement because the hemp-based compound was first studied as a drug. Though the law grants FDA discretion—through the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—to issue a regulation that would authorize the use of hemp-based CBD in conventional food and supplements, the agency has neither initiated such a notice-and-comment rulemaking nor committed to doing so.
Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives in September introduced a bill that would create a legal pathway for marketers of hemp-based CBD in dietary supplements. Several lawmakers from both parties have since signed on as co-sponsors of a bill (“Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2020”) that hasn’t progressed through the Congress since its introduction.
During an Oct. 14 virtual conference (“NOW, NEW, NEXT”) hosted by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), three lawyers who advise clients on FDA regulations were asked whether CBD would be a lawful dietary ingredient in two years, and whether FDA or Congress would step in.
“Yes, Congress,” answered Stuart Pape, a shareholder with Polsinelli, who serves as chair of his law firm’s FDA practice.
Ricardo Carvajal, a director with Hyman, Phelps & McNamara P.C., reached the same conclusion as Pape during CRN’s conference.
I’ll second that,” said the attorney, who counsels manufacturers and marketers of food and dietary supplements. “Given what we’ve heard out of FDA, unless there’s a pretty dramatic turnaround in their position, the best they can offer us is enforcement discretion, so I think it has to be Congress.”
FDA has developed an enforcement discretion policy related to CBD, which is pending before the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB). While FDA and White House officials have requested feedback from industry participants regarding such a policy, they have not disclosed the substance of FDA’s draft guidance.
Miriam Guggenheim is a partner with Covington & Burling LLP and co-chair of the law firm’s Food, Drug and Device Practice Group. She also doubted that FDA would be the one to make CBD a lawful dietary ingredient in supplements.
“It will happen from Congress,” she remarked. “It’s possible that FDA will make a little clearer where it’s not going to enforce, but I don’t think they’re likely to be willing to make a more affirmative statement than that within the next two years.”
Guggenheim observed FDA has received “a significant amount of safety data” related to CBD, and she concluded “there are amounts below which everyone—virtually everyone—can agree that CBD is safe, at least for certain populations.
“It would behoove the entire industry, as well as the agency, if the agency were to go forward and clarify and clean this up,” she said. “The CBD context is exactly where you see the folks who would be the responsible players, who would apply the most rigorous GMPs [good manufacturing practices] and identity evaluations for the material … sitting back and waiting for clarity.”
FDA’s inaction, Guggenheim added, means “only those who are willing to take a risk are entering the space, and that shouldn’t be the way the agency incentivizes the industry.”
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The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association commissioned an Economic Impact Study on the RV industry, released on June 7, 2016. The study found that the RV industry contributes about $49.7 billion in economic output or 0.28 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. Through its production and distribution linkages, the industry impacts firms in 426 of the 440 sectors of the United States economy.
Nationwide, the industry is responsible for 216,170 jobs, both directly and inderectly, creating an economic impact of $37.5 billion. The full study results, along with each individual state and congressional district's economic impact is available on the website by clicking here .
Mon Oct 17, 2016
Burlington, Ontario - The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance has invited the Canadian Camping and RV Council (CCRVC), to appear before the Committee in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, (at the Delta Prince Edward Hotel) on Tuesday, Oct. 18, in view of its study of the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of Canadian Federal Budget in 2017.
A report on the consultations will be tabled in December 2016. The suggestions made by Canadians, including CCRVC’s submission on Oct. 18, will be considered by the Minister of Finance as the 2017 Federal Budget is developed.
Earlier this year, a number of campgrounds in Canada were told that they no longer qualify for the small business tax rate of 15 percent and were re-assessed by the Canada Revenue Agency at the large corporate rate of 45 percent. The Canadian Camping and RV Council has indicated that up to 75 percent of the 2,347 Private Campgrounds across Canada may be impacted jeopardizing their financial viability.
Canadian Camping and RV Council’s five-minute presentation to the Finance Committee will include a financial background on the Canadian Camping Industry, a summary of the tax issue, a description of the financial impact to Canadian Tourism and Economy and will conclude summarizing potential solutions for consideration. There may be questions from the Finance Committee directed to CCRVC after all presentations have concluded.
Shane Devenish, Executive Director of the Canadian Camping and RV Council will appear on behalf of CCRVC and will be joined by Wayne Hambly, current President of P.E.I Home & RV Centre and a former Chairman of the RVDA of Canada.
Interested individuals can follow CCRVC’s presentation by joining the telecast from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
At House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Meeting 43 - http://bit.ly/2eovi4d


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AssangeDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) set up to support the liberation of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from prison, has concluded its fundraiser campaign, raising 17,422 ETH (approximately $53.7 million).
AssangeDAO plans to redirect the funds to bid on a one-of-one NFT from the “Censored” collection created by digital artist Pak in collaboration with Assange.
The proceeds of the sale will go towards Assange’s defense fund and additional awareness campaigns as he fights extradition to the U.S. this month.
Assange has been in remand for the past three years in a U.K. jail, with U.S. prosecutors on standby waiting to try him on grounds of espionage. In the opinion of his supporters, Assange is just a whistleblower, journalist, and publisher.
As of press time, AssangeDAO had won the auction for Pak’s one-of-a-kind Clock NFT with a 16,593 ETH bid ($53 million).
The NFT collection was launched on Feb. 7, the same date set as the deadline for Assange’s lawyers to plead their case against his extradition.
The $53.7 million raised by AssangeDAO stands as the largest-ever fund generated by a DAO via the community funding hosting platform Juicebox. AssangeDAO exceeded the record set by ConstitutionDAO’s, when it raised $49 million in November 2021 to purchase an original copy of the United States Constitution.
Over 10,000 people showed support for Assange by backing the fundraiser, mainly because of the values around transparency that Assange and Wikileaks stand for. A Twitter user openly expressed his support for Assange’s cause.
Pak revealed earlier this week that Assange’s cause was the sole catalyst for their latest drop:
I am in love with creating different mechanisms to communicate my messages. For ‘Censored,’ the drop needed a good reason to exist and Julian was just the perfect fit […] the biggest message is censored as usual.
Check our guide of the most promising crypto


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|By Business Wire||
|May 15, 2014 08:01 AM EDT||
BeautyCon—the preeminent global summit for top digital fashion and beauty influencers, and their ever-growing number of fans—will make its debut in New York City next month. BeautyCon New York will be held in partnership with ELLE, at Pier 36 on May 24th from 10am-6pm, marking the kick-off of BeautyCon’s 2014 event series. Created to inspire and cultivate a new generation of online fashion and beauty trendsetters, BeautyCon will also bring fans and influencers together with events in Los Angeles, Houston and London later this year.
ELLE and BeautyCon’s strategic partnership will span across all three U.S. events and includes collaboration on everything from content curation to programming. ELLE’s parent company, Hearst Magazines, has also made a financial investment in BeautyCon, which is powered by Made with Elastic. "As a leading multi-channel content brand, ELLE continues to align with strategic partners that not only extend our core editorial equities in beauty and fashion, but also offer relevant experiences for our readers and users. And we are excited to work with BeautyCon, a first-mover in the important blogger/vlogger space," said Kevin O’Malley, Senior Vice President, Publisher & Chief Revenue Officer of ELLE. He added, “At ELLE, we are inspired by what’s new and what’s next, and that is what BeautyCon is all about.”
BeautyCon is the place where hundreds of content creators—professional beauty gurus, editors, celebrities, bloggers and YouTube personalities—come together to network, discuss the future of online media, and interact with their fans. More than 3,000 of those fans will gather at this NYC event to participate in interactive presentations, attend panels and performances, create content, engage with a variety of top brands, shop, play games, and interact with some of the most popular fashion and beauty icons who are making their mark in the digital space. Celebrity and digital influencers participating in BeautyCon New York, include Whitney Port, Kandee Johnson, Clothes Encounter, Evelina Barry, Shameless Maya, and many more. Check out the full list here.
This day-long experience is geared toward the tech savvy and socially connected group BeautyCon’s creators have dubbed, “Generation Connected.” Gen C, also known as the YouTube generation, is a group who cares deeply about creation, curation, connection and community. A powerful new force in the consumer culture, Gen C—80% of which is comprised of Millennials—is inherently social (especially where shopping is concerned), internet obsessed, consumes video on the go, and moves markets by spending an average of $500 billion in the US each year.
“BeautyCon is empowering the digital fashion and beauty community,“ says Moj Mahdara, CEO of BeautyCon. “We knew this audience had been neglected and that nobody had created anything like this before, where digital influencers, brands and fans could congregate and exchange ideas. Generation C understands the value of their opinion and the power of their voice. They understand content, media, communication and the power of creation. They are superior communicators.”
Brands interact directly with this group at BeautyCon, and vice-versa, creating the opportunity for a distinctive one-of-a-kind experience. Product integration, consumer engagement and social word of mouth come together organically at BeautyCon. Brands can offer an exclusive first-look at new products and receive vital feedback and exposure on trusted platforms.
For more information or to buy tickets ($45-$145) for BeautyCon New York visit beautycon.com. To become a BeautyCon vendor or sponsor, contact Jonathon Burford at [email protected].
BeautyCon is the preeminent global summit for the internet's most influential beauty and fashion icons and their ever-growing number of fans. Created to inspire and cultivate a new generation of online fashion and beauty trendsetters, BeautyCon will bring fans and influencers together with events in New York, Los Angeles, Houston and London in 2014. BeautyCon launched in 2012 with its first event in Los Angeles. In 2013, BeautyCon events in Los Angeles and London turned out a record number of attendees and created an undeniable impact in the digital media space. Upwards of 18 million people were exposed to #BeautyCon, with two trending hashtags, and BeautyCon received more than 230,000 mentions on Facebook alone, during the three day summit in Los Angeles. More than 10,000 fans flooded into the event to meet their style and beauty icons, attend a variety of panels and hosted Q&A’s, and experience exclusive activations featuring close to one hundred brands. For more information visit beautycon.com.
ELLE is the No. 1 fashion magazine brand in the world, with 45 editions, 34 websites, and more than 158 supplements worldwide. The ELLE US brand reaches more than 20 million readers, users, fans and followers every month who find in ELLE a rich mix of fashion, beauty and culture that invites the reader to discover their personal style. ELLE is also the foundation of numerous brand extensions, including ELLE Décor (25 editions), ELLE à table (4 editions), and ELLEgirl (3 editions). ELLE is owned by the Lagardere Active group (France), and ELLE US is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation, one of the nation’s largest diversified media and information companies. With 20 titles in the U.S., Hearst is the leading publisher of monthly magazines reaching 84 million adults each year (Fall 2013 MRI GfK). For more information visit ELLE.com, or follow ELLE on Twitter (@ELLEmagazine), Facebook (facebook.com/ELLEmagazine), Google+ (plus.google.com/+ELLE), Instagram (@ELLEUSA), Pinterest (pinterest.com/ELLE), or Tumblr (ELLE.tumblr.com).
There is an ever-growing explosion of new devices that are connected to the Internet using “cloud” solutions. This rapid growth is creating a massive new demand for efficient access to data. And it’s not just about connecting to that data anymore. This new demand is bringing new issues and challenges and it is important for companies to scale for the coming growth. And with that scaling comes the need for greater security, gathering and data analysis, storage, connectivity and, of course, the...
May. 4, 2016 07:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,174
A critical component of any IoT project is the back-end systems that capture data from remote IoT devices and structure it in a way to answer useful questions. Traditional data warehouse and analytical systems are mature technologies that can be used to handle large data sets, but they are not well suited to many IoT-scale products and the need for real-time insights. At Fuze, we have developed a backend platform as part of our mobility-oriented cloud service that uses Big Data-based approache...
May. 4, 2016 07:30 AM EDT Reads: 389
The IoTs will challenge the status quo of how IT and development organizations operate. Or will it? Certainly the fog layer of IoT requires special insights about data ontology, security and transactional integrity. But the developmental challenges are the same: People, Process and Platform. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Craig Sproule, CEO of Metavine, will demonstrate how to move beyond today's coding paradigm and share the must-have mindsets for removing complexity from the development proc...
May. 4, 2016 07:00 AM EDT Reads: 814
Much of the value of DevOps comes from a (renewed) focus on measurement, sharing, and continuous feedback loops. In increasingly complex DevOps workflows and environments, and especially in larger, regulated, or more crystallized organizations, these core concepts become even more critical. In his session at @DevOpsSummit at 18th Cloud Expo, Andi Mann, Chief Technology Advocate at Splunk, will show how, by focusing on 'metrics that matter,' you can provide objective, transparent, and meaningfu...
May. 4, 2016 07:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,031
Many private cloud projects were built to deliver self-service access to development and test resources. While those clouds delivered faster access to resources, they lacked visibility, control and security needed for production deployments. In their session at 18th Cloud Expo, Steve Anderson, Product Manager at BMC Software, and Rick Lefort, Principal Technical Marketing Consultant at BMC Software, will discuss how a cloud designed for production operations not only helps accelerate developer...
May. 4, 2016 06:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,243
trust and privacy in their ecosystem. Assurance and protection of device identity, secure data encryption and authentication are the key security challenges organizations are trying to address when integrating IoT devices. This holds true for IoT applications in a wide range of industries, for example, healthcare, consumer devices, and manufacturing. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Lancen LaChance, vice president of product management, IoT solutions at GlobalSign, will teach IoT developers how t...
May. 4, 2016 05:30 AM EDT Reads: 391
The IETF draft standard for M2M certificates is a security solution specifically designed for the demanding needs of IoT/M2M applications. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Brian Romansky, VP of Strategic Technology at TrustPoint Innovation, will explain how M2M certificates can efficiently enable confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity on highly constrained devices.
May. 4, 2016 05:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,232
Manufacturers are embracing the Industrial Internet the same way consumers are leveraging Fitbits – to improve overall health and wellness. Both can provide consistent measurement, visibility, and suggest performance improvements customized to help reach goals. Fitbit users can view real-time data and make adjustments to increase their activity. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Mark Bernardo Professional Services Leader, Americas, at GE Digital, will discuss how leveraging the Industrial Interne...
May. 4, 2016 04:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,333
Redis is not only the fastest database, but it has become the most popular among the new wave of applications running in containers. Redis speeds up just about every data interaction between your users or operational systems. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Dave Nielsen, Developer Relations at Redis Labs, will shares the functions and data structures used to solve everyday use cases that are driving Redis' popularity.
May. 4, 2016 12:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,184
Artificial Intelligence has the potential to massively disrupt IoT. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, AJ Abdallat, CEO of Beyond AI, will discuss what the five main drivers are in Artificial Intelligence that could shape the future of the Internet of Things. AJ Abdallat is CEO of Beyond AI. He has over 20 years of management experience in the fields of artificial intelligence, sensors, instruments, devices and software for telecommunications, life sciences, environmental monitoring, process...
May. 3, 2016 11:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,278
Increasing IoT connectivity is forcing enterprises to find elegant solutions to organize and visualize all incoming data from these connected devices with re-configurable dashboard widgets to effectively allow rapid decision-making for everything from immediate actions in tactical situations to strategic analysis and reporting. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Shikhir Singh, Senior Developer Relations Manager at Sencha, will discuss how to create HTML5 dashboards that interact with IoT devic...
May. 3, 2016 10:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,364
We're entering the post-smartphone era, where wearable gadgets from watches and fitness bands to glasses and health aids will power the next technological revolution. With mass adoption of wearable devices comes a new data ecosystem that must be protected. Wearables open new pathways that facilitate the tracking, sharing and storing of consumers’ personal health, location and daily activity data. Consumers have some idea of the data these devices capture, but most don’t realize how revealing and...
May. 3, 2016 09:45 PM EDT Reads: 389
SYS-CON Events announced today that Ericsson has been named “Gold Sponsor” of SYS-CON's @ThingsExpo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Ericsson is a world leader in the rapidly changing environment of communications technology – providing equipment, software and services to enable transformation through mobility. Some 40 percent of global mobile traffic runs through networks we have supplied. More than 1 billion subscribers around the world re...
May. 3, 2016 08:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,294
In the world of DevOps there are ‘known good practices’ – aka ‘patterns’ – and ‘known bad practices’ – aka ‘anti-patterns.' Many of these patterns and anti-patterns have been developed from real world experience, especially by the early adopters of DevOps theory; but many are more feasible in theory than in practice, especially for more recent entrants to the DevOps scene. In this power panel at @DevOpsSummit at 18th Cloud Expo, moderated by DevOps Conference Chair Andi Mann, panelists will dis...
May. 3, 2016 08:45 PM EDT Reads: 996


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Both Ford and Ram have issued a recall on their trucks for separate problems; Ford for its backup lights, and Ram for a spare tire that's incorrectly labeled.
Read This Article
The 2013 Lincoln MKZ online configurator has gone live and you can now customize one to your liking.
We now have our first look at the 2015 Lincoln Navigator and Navigator L luxury SUVs. They're not as dramatically different as you might think.
Hoping to woo new perspective luxury clientele (and maybe blended Scotch whiskey drinkers), Lincoln introduces Black Label.


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Thanksgiving is over, Black Friday is behind us, and now local shops are hoping to score big on Small Business Saturday.
The day was created by American Express in 2010 to encourage consumers to support local businesses - especially during the holidays.
"It's meant to segue that Black Friday business into Saturday and the small businesses in small towns and districts," said Ginger Brown.
According to the office of Governor Charlie Baker, $0.68 of every locally-spent dollar stays local, compared to just $0.43 spent at national retailers.
"Shopping local helps build our local economies and support the businesses who employ 1.4 million Massachusetts residents," Gov. Baker said.
In Massachusetts this year, there's a #BuyInMA social media campaign to remind online users to shop local.
Friday, Elizabeth Ward and her four-year-old son Jason visited Boing! Toy Shop in Jamaica Plain to gather some ideas for Christmas and birthday presents.
Instead of going to a major retailer, they went to the small shop on Centre Street to help support the family-owned business.
"There's stuff here I wouldn't necessarily find there, these are thoughtfully found toys they're ordering," said Ward. "Putting my money into that business is putting money into my neighborhood."
Unlike Black Friday, where shoppers will flock to big box stores and malls, Small Business Saturday is designed to spread the idea of buying local.
"We have incentives to get people to come in," said Chris Burgan, the manager at Boing! Toy Shop. "We have a prize wheel, we have a raffle going. Lots of local businesses are doing fun things like that."
Burgan said shopping local provides a more personal experience - and the money consumers spend stays local.
"It's shown that 10% of shopping at small businesses feeds back into the community and improves things for everybody, businesses and residents," said Brown.
Cox Media Group


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Cash is still the most popular payment method in Moroccan eCommerce, accounting for 67% of sales in 2020. This is due to the country’s cash-based economy and the lack of trust in online payments.
The use of debit cards has increased significantly in recent years, from 3% of sales in 2018 to 33% in 2020, followed by internationally enabled and domestic credit cards. This is likely due to the increasing availability of debit cards in Morocco and the growing popularity of online shopping.
Deferred debit card payments allow shoppers to buy now and pay later, making them a popular option for online purchases.
International merchants who want to succeed in Morocco should accept local payment methods, such as debit cards and domestic-only credit cards. This will make it easier for Moroccan consumers to shop with them.


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Just a month after announcing it would sell its new headquarters and lean into remote working, REI has completed the sale of the 400,000-square-foot campus to Facebook.
Sold for $390 million, the campus and accompanying 6 acres of land in the Bellevue, WA Spring District neighborhood were picked up by the social media giant, while site developer Wright Runstad & Company and Shorenstein Properties purchased an undeveloped 2-acre portion.
REI is shifting toward a distributed workforce instead of operating from a single location, and the co-op’s future HQ will instead span multiple satellite locations across the region. The company said it received a positive return on its investment.
REI also recently opened a new store in Pigeon Forge, TN featuring its new retail format with product rentals, zero-contact bike shop services and buy-online-pickup-in-store capabilities. Opened Sept. 4 on a reduced schedule, the 21,500-square-foot store was originally scheduled to open in the spring but was delayed due to COVID-19.
“With proximity to the most visited national park in the country, Pigeon Forge is an exciting and unique location that will allow us to connect our members to the outdoors,” said Matt Wheat, REI Pigeon Forge store manager. “Whether you’re someone with years of experience who needs a piece of technical equipment, or a first-time camper looking to rent gear, our goal is to help every adventurer in the Great Smokies get outside.”
Rather than holding an in-person grand opening event, REI encouraged consumers to take virtual store tours on its website and participate in virtual classes.
REI now operates 167 locations in 39 states and Washington DC.


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Landline phone service restored in Jamestown area
JAMESTOWN, N.D. -- A severed data line east of Jamestown caused communication problems for the Jamestown area Thursday. A Century Link fiber line was cut at 11:27 a.m. about 10 miles west of Valley City near where N.D. Highway 1 meets Interstate ...
JAMESTOWN, N.D. -- A severed data line east of Jamestown caused communication problems for the Jamestown area Thursday.
A Century Link fiber line was cut at 11:27 a.m. about 10 miles west of Valley City near where N.D. Highway 1 meets Interstate 94 from the north, causing landline telephone problems in the region, said Robin Anderson, marketing manager with Dakota Central Telecommunications.
Carrie Amann, spokesperson for Century Link, said the cable was repaired by 6:30 p.m. She said the cable was cut by a construction crew working in the area. She said Century Link customers in Jamestown and Valley City were affected.
Amann said cable problems like this happen more often in summer because of increased instances of digging by construction crews and property owners. She said it's important for anyone planning on doing some digging to call 811 beforehand to arrange for underground cables to be marked.
Because of the severed line, many Jamestown-area residents could not make calls from landline phones, while calls between cellphones were still able to connect.
Todd Volk, assistant Stutsman County emergency manager and 911 coordinator, said 911 calls from cellphones were immediately rerouted to State Radio in Bismarck and landline 911 calls were answered in Jamestown by using other seven-digit emergency lines that were dispersed to the public.
Stutsman County learned of the fixed fiber optic cable line at 6:44 p.m. Thursday.
Volk said he was not aware of exactly how widespread the outages were beyond Stutsman County.
The severed line also affected some area businesses, including Regis Salon in the Buffalo Mall.
"We're not able to use our credit card machines and we've been very slow today because people haven't been able to call and make appointments," said Raime Anderson, hair stylist. "Not too many people carry cash or check now either."
Customers at Kmart were still shopping Thursday, but the wait for those using plastic was longer than normal.
Every transaction using a credit card required a cellphone call to the credit card company, said Joni Dalke, store manager.
"I just appreciate the fact that the customers have been extremely patient with it," Dalke said.
Customers also showed patience at White's Home Décor, according to Emily Wolff, store manager.
"People were pretty understanding and they paid with cash or check," Wolff said.
Credit cards still worked at both Jamestown grocery stores.
"We're business as usual," said Dave Borseth, Hugo's manager.
While credit cards worked at Coborn's, gift cards and EBT cards did not. Business still remained steady.
"We haven't been able to make or take phone calls, which has affected our customer service," said Josh Vraa, Coborn's store manager.


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The European Commission is today launching a new EU agenda to ensure that the digital economy is taxed in a fair and growth-friendly way.
The Communication adopted by the Commission sets out the challenges Member States currently face when it comes to acting on this pressing issue and outlines possible solutions to be explored.
The aim is to ensure a coherent EU approach to taxing the digital economy that supports the Commission's key priorities of completing the Digital Single Market and ensuring the fair and effective taxation of all companies. Today's Communication paves the way for a legislative proposal on EU rules for the taxation of profits in the digital economy, as confirmed by President Juncker in the 2017 State of the Union. Those rules could be set out as early as spring 2018. Today's paper should also feed into international work in this area, notably in the G20 and the OECD.
The Commission looks forward to the OECD's report to the G20 in spring 2018, which should set out appropriate and meaningful solutions to taxing the digital economy at the international level and which can be integrated into the upcoming Commission proposal for binding rules in the EU's Single Market. If this is not the case, the Commission will in any case be ready to present an original legislative proposal to ensure a fair, effective and competitive tax framework for the Digital Single Market.


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Photo of the Week: Haitian Mangoes Ripe for Market
August 02, 2013
The Haiti Hope Project is helping revitalize Haiti’s mango industry and raise the standard of living for thousands of farming families.
A young Haitian farmer harvests Francique mangoes, a variety unique to Haiti and prized for its juicy, sweet flavor. Until recently, fewer than 5 percent of the mangoes produced in Haiti reached the export market, and farmers struggled to earn a viable income from their fruit trees. The Haiti Hope Project is helping create sustainable economic opportunities for Haitian mango farmers and their families.
The Haiti Hope Project is a public-private partnership comprised of The Coca-Cola Company; the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB); the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); and TechnoServe. Haiti Hope aims to double the incomes of 25,000 smallholder farmers five years after they join the Project. TechnoServe is training local mango producers and connecting them to international markets. To date, more than 23,000 farmers – nearly 50 percent of whom are women – have enrolled in the program. This year, more than 450 tons of fresh mangoes were sold through Whole Foods stores throughout the United States, a 150 percent increase from last year.
Learn more about the Haiti Hope Project.
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What if every farmer knew exactly what each of her plants needed—the amount of water, the quantity and formula of fertilizer, the type of pesticide—at any given moment? This is the promise of precision agriculture, in which micro-level data is gathered by drones or satellites and used to enhance decision-making on the farm.
Making the most out of a patch of land, smallholder farmers in Karnataka, India are adopting integrated farming systems to sustain themselves and the environment.
In East Africa, a "make-over" style reality television show is providing millions of farmers with top-notch agricultural information. In a recent episode, TechnoServe's own Charles Murage, a business advisor for the YieldWise program, made his TV debut, giving tips to reduce postharvest loss on mango farms.


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Ansar Group of Companies (AGC) is all set for the grand opening of its 30,000sqm branch in Barwa Commercial Avenue, Doha on Thursday.
Qatar Chamber chairman HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani will lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6.30pm. He will be joined by top AGC officials and other dignitaries.
Considered as the longest and the largest in Qatar, the 800m long showroom houses a huge number of shops and boutiques that offer a wide range of products.
All the shops will open today to welcome guests and customers, especially families who want to avail of the promos and big discounts at the new branch of Ansar Gallery.
During the promotion period, 50 cars including luxury models will be given away to customers through lucky draw.
From today to May 8, the showroom offers “Get back half of your purchase” for all products such as carpets, furniture, garments and footwear, sanitary and kitchen wares, porcelain and ceramic, lighting and doors, cosmetics and perfumes, among others. Customers can also get 10 to 20% discount for a number of items.
The finest quality carpets from Iran, Turkey and around the world occupy the two-storey, 2,000sqm carpet section, including handmade luxury carpets from Belgium and India.
The showroom also houses one of the biggest building materials section in Doha. Some of the items on display include bathtubs, shower panels, doors and door locks, tiles for the entire house, and homewares from Spain and Italy and from several other countries.
Besides the food court, AGC will also open the Ansar Café. A Fun Zone is ready to welcome children of different ages who want to play numerous games and stationary rides.
The multi-million riyal investment also has its own supermarket which offers a variety of products at affordable prices.


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The latest research from ad promotion network AdDuplex shows Nokia has a vice-like grip on the Windows Phone market, with a huge 80 percent of the hardware in use being produced by the company. Bar its Series 40-powered Asha line, Nokia has dedicated itself to Microsoft’s mobile OS, and has clearly succeeded in becoming the go-to brand.
HTC is next in line, but with only 14 percent to its name, it’s hardly snapping at Nokia’s heels. Samsung has 5 percent (but only a couple of poorly promoted Windows Phones to its name), while ZTE, Huawei, LG and others all make do with 1 percent or less. Nokia controls more than 95 percent of the market in at least ten countries around the world, including Argentina, Finland (shocking, we know), Mexico, Chile and South Africa. In the U.S., around 66 percent of Windows Phones in the wild are made by Nokia, which despite being a sizable portion of the market, still finds itself down in the bottom ten countries – demonstrating the extent of Nokia’s control.
Forty-two percent of the U.S. market is covered by two phones, the Verizon exclusive Lumia 822 and the range-topping Lumia 920, owned by 22 percent and 20 percent respectively. AdDuplex’s worldwide figures show the most popular device is an even split between the Lumia 920 and the Windows Phone 7 flagship Lumia 800, with both commanding 14 percent each. The recently released, mid-range Lumia 720 is close behind with 13 percent.
So, Nokia’s domination of Windows Phone is good news, right? Well, yes, however while Nokia’s slice of the pie is large, the slice from which it has been cut is rather small. Recent research from comScore shows Microsoft has a 3.2 percent share of the smartphone market in the U.S., with Android far out in front with 51 percent. Even BlackBerry, which has only just launched BlackBerry 10, has control of 5.4 percent.
Nokia appears to be doing its part, but Microsoft may need to put in a little more effort if it wants to be the world’s number three smartphone platform.
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MTN Expects to Report Full-Year Earnings at Least 20% Higher
(Bloomberg) -- MTN Group Ltd. said full-year earnings rose as Africa’s largest wireless carrier by subscribers shrugs off an ongoing tax dispute in Nigeria to report growth across its 21 markets.
Earnings per share, excluding some one-time items, were at least 20 percent higher than the 1.82 rand in 2017, the Johannesburg-based company said in a statement Monday, without giving further detail. The stock reversed gains to trade 1.2 percent lower as of 11:28 a.m. in South Africa.
“There were a lot of once-offs in 2017 so the market was expecting at least 20 percent,” Ruhan du Plessis, an analyst at Avior Capital Markets in Cape Town, said by phone. “MTN has said it will give more detail closer to the time, but there is not enough detail in today’s announcement to get too positive.”
The mobile-phone company is facing a Nigerian court hearing later this week over an allegation it owes $2 billion in taxes in its biggest market, which it denies.
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.


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New iGPS National Sales and Innovation Center exhibits latest pallet technology
The company and its business partners display to supply chain professionals how solution improves operational performance, reduces costs and enhances food safety.
Pictured in the front from the left: Ed Clifford, president of the Bentonville Chamber of Commerce; Bentonville Mayor Bob McCaslin; iGPS president Rex Lowe; iGPS vice president of retail development April Kuga; and iGPS vice president of sales Rich McClelland.
Latest NewsMaersk cyber attack contained as ports and technology solution providers seek answers New wave of cyberattacks continues to impact supply chain operations Jindel tells SMC3 attendees how Amazon continues to distance itself from other retailers KION North America celebrates start of production on new forklifts Truckers say report urging FMCSA to tweak data used for CSA validates motor carriers’ complaints More News
Latest ResourceDigital Issue: The Current State of Third-Party Logistics Services It has become quite clear that logistics professionals are now facing an unprecedented set of challenges. From tightening capacity, to ongoing regulation hurdles, to the complexity brought on by e-commerce, today’s shippers are transforming the way they manage their logistics operations.
Intelligent Global Pooling Systems (iGPS), operator of the world’s first pallet rental service providing all-plastic pallets with embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, hosted customers, supply chain professionals and community leaders at the opening of its new National Sales and Innovation Center in Northwest Arkansas.
Following a ribbon-cutting by Bentonville Mayor Bob McCaslin, iGPS’ 8,000-square- foot National Sales and Innovation Center was opened for guests to tour and learn through interactive exhibits and an automated warehouse environment how iGPS represents a quantum leap in pallet rental. More than 20 interactive displays provided detailed information on iGPS’ all-plastic pallet with embedded RFID tags, as well as the ancillary services and technologies that comprise iGPS’ complete solution. iGPS’ business partners and their contributions to the company’s offering are key elements of the display. Participating partners include: Alien Technology, Belacon, Egemin Automation, Enfora, EPC Solutions, Motorola, Ryder System and Schoeller Arca Systems.
“By opening our new National Sales and Innovation Center, we are demonstrating our commitment to remaining at the forefront of supply chain technology,” said Bob Moore, iGPS chairman and CEO. “Each of our partners is a world-class provider and, together, we offer the marketplace a paradigm shift in pallet rental by delivering the world’s most advanced pallet together with leading-edge technology backed by 24/7 customer support. Our new Center showcases these innovations in a purpose-built facility, and the response has exceeded our expectations,” Moore added.
To complement the displahys and exhibits at its Center, iGPS launched a new feature on its web site that displays a running total of cost savings its customers have realized with iGPS’ plastic pallets with embedded RFID tags. “iGPS customers have saved nearly $68 million in operational costs, and the number is growing by the minute,” Moore continued. “Not only does our technology help customers improve their bottom line, but our shipping solution is more hygienic and environmentally responsible, as documented in the Sales and Innovation Center.” In addition, Moore said that over the course of five years, iGPS customers have cumulatively prevented the destruction of over 600,000 trees, saved 635,000 gallons of fuel and averted nearly 14 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
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Sprint Announces $149 Motorola Titanium for July 24
Sprint has just announced that the Motorola Titanium will be available to customers this coming Sunday, July 24th. The rugged, military-grade handset will run $149.99 with new, two-year service agreements and $100 mail-in rebate. Specifications for the i1 successor include a portrait QWERTY keyboard form factor, a 3.1-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera. The Titanium will join Sprint’s lineup exactly one week before another Motorola handset, the Photon 4G.
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Two more code-named Android handsets have emerged this week, both of which are rumored for Verizon.Â Digitimes is reporting that an HTC Passion is coming in the 4th quarter.
The Boy Genius Report has been passed a tip that suggests the newly uncovered HTC Knight will be landing early January. Pegged with a launch set for the first day of CES 2011 (January 6th), their source also says that the phone will be rebranded as the HTC Speedy.


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Google Now unveiled its latest update Wednesday, introducing instant access to your boarding pass and other travel-friendly features.
The intelligent personal assistant for devices running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or higher will now pull up a user's boarding pass at the airport automatically, helping reduce travel time through the gate.
Packing for a trip? Google Now will also provide users with the weather forecast for their destination on one of its many "cards," according to a post on Android's official blog.
Upon arrival, the assistant acts like a local guide, offering tips for nearby activities and events, the post said. It also suggests websites for users to consult when researching their destination. For those interested in cultural attractions, Google Now gives more information about specific pieces while users are at a museum.
Users will also notice enhanced Voice Search capabilities: They can now find product information and the name of a song that's playing, as well as post updates to Google+, using voice.
The new features will be available in the updated Google Search app, which is available in the Google Play store.


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Safety Nets – People living in poverty will benefit from expanded safety nets, social protection and especially policies and programs that can respond quickly to protect children’s basic nutrition. Nora Lustig posed it as a question, “Even if aggregate poverty measures show a decline (most don’t), shouldn’t we protect the extreme poor from becoming poorer as a result of higher food prices?”
Trade Rules – Like other analysts, de Janvry and the high level panel called for improved international trade rules (through the WTO). De Janvry also noted that “negotiations on agriculture were conceived and conducted in the context of structural overproduction” by major producers who subsidized production and exports. WTO negotiations failed to resolve this problem.
Global agreements for Food Access – Addressing the emerging problems, de Janvry proposed that “negotiations need be reopened from the perspective of access to food for consumers in poor countries,” particularly “Multilateral rules for disciplines on export restrictions, better respect of contractual obligations by commercial actors,” and protection of “poor consumers from undue competition by rich consumers.”
Any Biofuel Policy Should Stabilize – De Janvry also noted that mandates for using biofuels could be used “counter-cyclically.” This means that only when food prices are so low that they harm small farmers would we stimulate demand – for example through corn for use as ethanol – but remove subsidies and mandates as soon as prices start to rise to where they can harm poor consumers. As a key part of this, “Mandates and subsidies for biofuels should be coordinated to help stabilize world food prices instead of contributing to price spikes.”
Help Subsistence Farming as a Safety Net – De Janvry, drawing from the HLPE group, also recommended a “focus on subsistence farming as a cheap and effective safety net for the poorest rural and peri-urban” people.


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ETH 2.0 confirmed for Dec. 1 launch just hours before deadline
November 24, 2020 @ 12:39 +03:00
ETH 2.0’s beacon chain genesis has been confirmed for Dec. 1, following the transfer of 524,288 Ether from 16,384 validators into the ETH 2.0 deposit contract since it went live on Nov. 4.
Despite early concerns stemming from low staking participation, transfers to the deposit contract rapidly increased over the past day — with more than 200,000 ETH being sent to the contract in the past 14 hours.
ETH 2.0’s beacon chain genesis is now set to take place on the earliest possible launch date of Dec. 1, with genesis taking place seven days after the required deposit contract’s threshold was met.
While genesis participants will not be able to withdraw their coins until ETH 2.0 reaches Phase 1.5 — which will merge the Ethereum mainnet with ETH 2.0’s beacon chain and sharded environment — many hodlers are waiting for third-parties to launch withdrawal-enabled staking services, despite the potential risk of exit scams.
The deposit contract’s threshold was met with roughly nine hours to go until its deadline.
ETH 2.0 confirmed for Dec. 1 launch just hours before deadline, CoinTelegraph, Nov 24


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Stratacache, a leading provider of digital display solutions, today proudly announced a significant milestone in its journey. The company’s innovative AMP™ software, Spectra™ Player, and Elevate™ Outdoor Display Enclosure solutions have been deployed in over 100,000 screens in quick service restaurant (QSR) drive-thrus globally. This achievement underscores Stratacache’s commitment to revolutionizing the QSR industry through advanced technology solutions.
Innovative Solutions Transforming QSRs
A substantial portion of these deployments involves Stratacache’s own Elevate™ Outdoor Display Enclosure system, manufactured in their Trotwood, Ohio facility. The company’s technology is currently driving advancements in seven of the top 10 largest global QSR brands. Their offerings include digital menu boards, self-order kiosks, order pickup systems, and innovative uses of artificial intelligence for menu personalization and back-of-house employee communication solutions.
Addressing Industry Challenges with Technology
Stratacache’s CEO, Chris Riegel, highlighted the company’s focus on tackling real-world challenges in the QSR sector, such as labor shortages and inflation, through technology. “Our ability to improve the sales yield of any QSR by 3% or more, while providing mass personalization of menus and improved customer experiences, is a game-changer,” said Riegel. He emphasized that these advancements not only enhance customer service but also contribute to lowering labor costs and increasing profitability for QSR operators.
A Future-Proof and Sustainable Approach
Stratacache’s outdoor digital menu boards are designed with a modular concept, ensuring ultra-efficient field service and easy upgrades. The high-quality, sensor-rich Elevate™ Outdoor digital menu board platforms are built to last over 10 years, utilizing advanced sensors and the SAINT™ Artificial Intelligence engine to drive a positive sales growth of 3% or more at drive-thrus.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Horizons
With a robust order book for 2024 and 2025, Stratacache anticipates surpassing 250,000 screens by the first quarter of 2025. “The opportunities continue to materialize for our business based on the success of our customers,” Riegel remarked, highlighting the company’s forward momentum.
For more information about Stratacache and their outdoor digital display solutions, visit https://www.stratacache.com/en/solutions/outdoor-digital-displays/


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SBC is bringing together the most influential companies in the betting and gaming industry with the launch of the exclusive SBC Leaders operators association.
The group has been formed to provide a forum for the leadership teams of the premier operators to share ideas, promote innovation in the sector, collaborate on major issues, and work to enhance the industry’s reputation.
The membership of SBC Leaders will consist of international operators invited to join as a result of achievements that have helped the entire industry to progress and grow, along with the trade associations that represent the sector in discussions with legislators.
When considering companies for inclusion, a particular emphasis is placed on work in the fields of safer gambling and customer care, product and technology innovation, and corporate social responsibility, along with new market development and revenue growth.
The initial cohort of corporate members will be announced shortly, ahead of the first exclusive SBC Leaders networking roundtable at Betting on Sports America – Digital on 2 December 2020, the second day of the virtual conference and exhibition.
The invite-only session will see senior executives from SBC Leaders connect with The Innovation Group’s prestigious Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 Under 40 Class of 2021 to discuss the future of online betting and gaming.
SBC is also launching the SBC Leaders Podcast – an interview series featuring intimate discussions with senior executives which will provide viewers a chance to get to know the people behind the success of the industry’s biggest companies.
Kelly Kehn, SBC’s Global Relationships Director, said: “To date, the industry has not had a global platform for companies and associations to come together and share ideas about the key strategic issues that they face. SBC Leaders will change that by connecting the world’s most influential companies under one banner to network, collaborate, and work to elevate the overall image of the industry.
“I’m excited about being able to announce the initial members soon for such a valuable first networking roundtable session. The chance to connect with the rising stars of the industry from The Innovation Group’s Emerging Leaders of Gaming is indicative of the quality of opportunities that SBC Leaders members can expect to enjoy throughout 2021 and beyond.”
SBC Leaders members will receive a Mark of Excellence, along with benefits including private lounges and networking opportunities at SBC events, exclusive social occasions, and an annual SBC Leaders event.
They will also receive a dedicated bi-monthly magazine detailing and discussing the latest developments in the global gaming industry and beyond, with the new issue published this week – click here to read.
For further information about SBC Leaders and its plans for 2021, please contact Kelly Kehn, Global Relationship Director @ [email protected].


text: Petri Raatikainen, the Finnish executive who formerly headed Columbia Sportswear in the Nordics, has set up his own distribution company to launch the Super Natural brand in the region. Raatikainen, who left Columbia earlier this year, has obtained the rights for this sports and outdoor apparel brand in the Nordics and the Baltics. Super Natural is a brand made of merino wool and technical fabrics launched by Shanghai Challenge Textile, a Chinese manufacturer for several brands including Icebreaker. A few weeks ago Thomas Stumpp, former general manager of Chris Sports Europe, was appointed to head up a European office for Super Natural, based in Munich. Raatikainen's company, Prescape, will also sell the products of Torspo, an international ice hockey brand.


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Jakarta Globe | April 10, 2011
Stung by Asean-China deal, Minister asks for FTA delay
Industry Minister MS Hidayat has asked for a postponement of the free-trade agreement between Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand to allow for further study.
“If an FTA is to be concluded, a list of its advantages and disadvantages must be made first and an intensive discourse with the business world must be held,” the minister said on Saturday.
He said studies, discourse and pointing out sectors that would be affected by the agreement were important to avoid the emergence of problems after the deal was signed.
“It should not happen that the FTA will only benefit Australia while the expected investment doesn’t take place in the country,” the minister said. He said the most important thing was bringing benefit to and serving the interests of Indonesia.
Government officials and business figures have complained recently about being on the short end of trade agreements.
Hidayat cited the Asean-China Free Trade Area as an example, saying it resulted in losses to a number of local industries, such as textiles and textile products, footwear, electronics, furniture, toys, machinery, steel and cosmetics. Government figures show reduced production between 25 and 60 percent, while domestic sales, profit and manpower fell between 10 and 25 percent.
“In order to overcome this problem, the ministry is carrying out coordination to take precautionary measures and increase competitiveness,” he said.
Indonesia’s increased wariness has delayed a free-trade agreement between Asean, Australia and New Zealand. The AANZFTA came into effect on Jan. 1, 2010, for Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Burma, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. Thailand followed soon after, while Laos and Cambodia ratified the agreement in November.
Indonesia is the only signatory that has yet to ratify the agreement. Michael Mugliston, a special negotiator for Free Trade Agreement Division of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said it must ratify the deal between Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand before proceeding with negotiations on the regional agreement, which he said would be supported by the earlier FTA.
Purbaya Yudi Sadewa, chief economist at state brokerage Danareksa Sekuritas, said the AANZFTA could still be beneficial.
“For example, Australia exports fabric for textile while Indonesia exports textiles back to Australia. That way, we have more added value than Australia,” he said on Sunday.
He also said Indonesian products could end up less competitive in Australia compared to other Asean countries that agreed to the FTA. “It will damage our export market,” he said.


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Table of Contents
- The Mila Sobolov Leaked: Unraveling the Controversy
- The Mila Sobolov Leaked: What Happened?
- The Implications of the Mila Sobolov Leaked Incident
- 1. Privacy in the Digital Age
- 2. Cybersecurity and Online Vulnerabilities
- 3. The Dark Side of Social Media
- Protecting Yourself: Best Practices for Online Security
- Q&A: Addressing Common Concerns
In recent months, the internet has been abuzz with discussions surrounding the Mila Sobolov leaked scandal. This controversy has captivated the attention of millions, sparking debates about privacy, online security, and the consequences of digital footprints. In this article, we will delve into the details of the Mila Sobolov leaked incident, explore its implications, and provide valuable insights into the broader issues it raises.
The Mila Sobolov Leaked: What Happened?
The Mila Sobolov leaked scandal refers to the unauthorized release of personal and intimate content belonging to Mila Sobolov, a popular social media influencer with millions of followers. The leaked material, which included private photos, videos, and messages, quickly spread across various online platforms, causing significant distress and harm to Sobolov.
While the exact details of how the leak occurred remain unclear, it is believed that Sobolov’s personal accounts were compromised, allowing the perpetrator to gain access to sensitive content. The leaked material was subsequently shared on numerous websites and social media platforms, making it nearly impossible to contain or remove entirely.
The Implications of the Mila Sobolov Leaked Incident
The Mila Sobolov leaked incident raises several important issues that deserve careful consideration. Let’s explore some of the key implications:
1. Privacy in the Digital Age
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges individuals face in maintaining their privacy in the digital age. Despite taking precautions, such as using strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication, Sobolov’s personal accounts were still compromised. This highlights the need for individuals to remain vigilant and adopt robust security measures to protect their online presence.
2. Cybersecurity and Online Vulnerabilities
The Mila Sobolov leaked scandal also underscores the pressing need for improved cybersecurity measures. As technology advances, so do the methods employed by hackers and cybercriminals. It is crucial for individuals and organizations alike to invest in robust cybersecurity systems and stay updated on the latest threats to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.
3. The Dark Side of Social Media
Social media platforms have revolutionized the way we connect and share information, but they also come with inherent risks. The Mila Sobolov leaked incident highlights the dark side of social media, where personal information can be exploited and privacy can be violated. It serves as a cautionary tale for both influencers and their followers, emphasizing the importance of being mindful of the content shared online.
Protecting Yourself: Best Practices for Online Security
While no security measure can guarantee absolute protection, there are several best practices individuals can adopt to enhance their online security:
- Use strong, unique passwords for each online account.
- Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.
- Regularly update software and applications to patch security vulnerabilities.
- Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading files from unknown sources.
- Regularly review privacy settings on social media platforms and adjust them to your comfort level.
Q&A: Addressing Common Concerns
1. Can the leaked content be completely removed from the internet?
Unfortunately, once content is leaked and shared online, it becomes challenging to completely remove it. While efforts can be made to take down specific instances, the widespread nature of the internet makes it difficult to eradicate all traces of the leaked material.
2. What legal actions can be taken in such cases?
Legal actions can be pursued against the individuals responsible for the leak, as well as those who continue to share the content. Laws regarding privacy and online harassment vary across jurisdictions, so it is essential to consult with legal professionals to understand the available options.
3. How can influencers protect themselves from similar incidents?
Influencers can take several steps to protect themselves, including regularly updating their security measures, being cautious about the content they share, and educating their followers about online safety. Additionally, working with reputable platforms that prioritize user privacy and security can also help mitigate the risk of such incidents.
4. What support is available for individuals affected by leaked content?
Various organizations and helplines provide support for individuals affected by leaked content, offering resources for emotional support, legal advice, and assistance in removing the content from online platforms. It is crucial for those affected to reach out to these organizations for guidance and support.
5. How can society address the broader issue of online privacy?
Addressing the broader issue of online privacy requires a multi-faceted approach. It involves raising awareness about the importance of privacy, advocating for stronger legislation to protect individuals, and fostering a culture of responsible digital citizenship. Education and open dialogue are key to creating a safer and more secure online environment.
The Mila Sobolov leaked scandal serves as a wake-up call, reminding us of the vulnerabilities we face in the digital age. It highlights the need for individuals to prioritize their online security and take proactive measures to protect their privacy. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of ongoing efforts to improve cybersecurity systems and foster a culture of responsible digital citizenship. By learning from incidents like the Mila Sobolov leaked scandal, we can work towards creating a safer and more secure online environment for all.


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Tuesday, May 31, 2011
WHO: Cell phone use may increase cancer risk
Before its announcement Tuesday, WHO had assured consumers that no adverse health effects had been established.
A team of 31 scientists from 14 countries, including the United States, made the decision after reviewing peer-reviewed studies on cell phone safety. The team found enough evidence to categorize personal exposure as "possibly carcinogenic to humans."
What that means is that right now there haven't been enough long-term studies conducted to make a clear conclusion if radiation from cell phones are safe, but there is enough data showing a possible connection that consumers should be alerted.
Manufacturers of many popular cell phones already warn consumers to keep their device away from their body.
at 10:32 AM


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China to help rebuild Lankan economy after LTTE war
As Sri Lanka works out ways to accelerate development after defeating the rebel LTTE, China has pledged its full cooperation in reconstruction of the Island nation's economy after 30 years of ethnic war.world Updated: Jun 04, 2009 16:14 IST
As Sri Lanka works out ways to accelerate development after defeating the rebel LTTE, China has pledged its full cooperation in reconstruction of the Island nation's economy after 30 years of ethnic war.
"Prevalence of peace will strengthen the economy of Sri Lanka and China will continue to be a part of the economic reconstruction of the Island country," Deputy Director General of the Asian Affairs, Commerce Ministry, China Liang Wentao said.
"Ending the war against terrorism might help Sri Lanka to regain its ancient glory and economic prosperity," Wentao told reporters in Beijing yesterday.
"What Sri Lanka needs at this moment is a peaceful environment to rebuild its economy and this will attract more investments and economic benefits to the country.
"Sri Lanka has the best natural resources in the entire South Asian region. Reviving tourism and the export trade will help Sri Lanka rebuild its economy which was affected severely due to the war," Wentao said.
He said China will provide assistance to the Sri Lankan Government to rebuild and rehabilitate those affected. The top Chinese official said the two countries could work towards economic as well as cooperation in tourism. "The strategic location and Buddhism will attract more Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka," he said.
First Published: Jun 04, 2009 16:12 IST


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Whisky lovers, raise your glasses! The India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) might just bring you a taste of Scotland, but not quite in the way you expect. Forget sleek, branded bottles – India is eyeing unbottled, bulk barrels of Scotch whisky for its import plans. This unconventional approach stems from a concern about “under-invoicing,” a shady practice where companies intentionally misrepresent the value of imported goods to pay lower taxes. Bottled whisky, it seems, has become a prime target for this financial sleight of hand.
By requesting Scotch whisky in unbottled barrels, India hopes to nip this issue in the bud. These barrels would then be used for blending and bottling within India, making it much harder to manipulate the declared value. It’s a clever solution that tackles both trade concerns and ensures a steady flow of the golden spirit for Indian palates.
However, this barrel-centric plan isn’t without its wrinkles. The UK, understandably, prefers the prestige and revenue associated with bottled exports. Negotiating a mutually agreeable solution will be crucial for the success of the FTA.
With India’s general elections looming in March, both sides are eager to finalize the agreement before campaign season heats up. The barrel-versus-bottle debate adds another layer of complexity to the negotiations, but if resolved, it could pave the way for a unique and mutually beneficial trade relationship between two whisky-loving nations.
So, will India’s “barrels over bottles” approach become the toast of the FTA? Stay tuned for updates, whisky enthusiasts, as this intriguing trade saga unfolds!


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In the wake of the recent Star Wars trilogy, many fans will likely remind you that the Force is not always strong with this franchise. While Star Wars remains one of the most popular and iconic film series of all time that is now finding massive success in a series format through The Mandalorian on Disney+, it has had its fair share of disappointments over the years.
Depending on which type of fan you are, that disappointment is either focused on Lucas’ prequel trilogy or the more recent films that saw the likes of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker divide fans. For real fans though, this shouldn’t be the enemy as while some of these movies have flaws, they are all still enjoyable and entertaining to watch. The real turkey in the Star Wars canon actually comes from November 17, 1978. Following the massive success of the first Star Wars film, creator George Lucas and co decided to do a Star Wars Holiday Special to promote the franchise to younger kids and hopefully sell some more toys to them over Christmas. Oh and debut this little character named Boba Fett.
The only problem was, it was absolutely awful and was so poorly received that Lucasfilm has never shown it since. Now a new documentary is coming out titled A Disturbance in the Force about the making of this horrendous TV special and how the studio came about making it and all the stars, fans and even George Lucas himself, trying to forget it ever happened in the first place:
I have never watched the Star Wars Holiday Special and likely never will, given that new owners Disney are also unlikely to ever release this real turd – or have perhaps already burnt every known copy to ensure it never gets out there in totality. However, after just seeing glimpses of it in this documentary, I am definitely keen to get my hands on it, even if just to see how terrible it can be.
A Disturbance in the Force is scheduled for release sometime in 2021, provided Disney doesn’t try and prevent this from ever seeing the light of day either.
Last Updated: November 19, 2020
November 19, 2020 at 11:32
The Boba Fett part of the Holiday special is great though.


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Passengers travelling on ferries between the US mainland and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket can now pay for their tickets using Apple Wallet or Google Pay and authenticate their ticket on boarding by holding their iPhone, Apple Watch or Android device near an NFC-enabled ticket scanner.
The Steamship Authority first introduced contactless eFerry tickets on its high-speed services to Nantucket in 2019 and has now expanded the service to all its regular traditional ferry services.
“Unlike the fast ferry tickets, which still need to be purchased on the authority’s website, the traditional ferry tickets can be purchased on the web without having to log in to an account,” the Steamship Authority explains.
“Customers can simply choose their route, their fare and the number of tickets before paying.
“Within seconds, the tickets are then loaded to the customer’s Apple Wallet or Google Pay, and are ready to be redeemed at the terminal.”
“I could not be more pleased that the rollout of the eFerry tickets is now complete,” says the Steamship Authority’s general manager Robert Davis.
“We have already seen from the high-speed service that the eFerry ticket makes it quicker and easier for passengers to purchase tickets and get on board one of our ferries, and the new payment process will further streamline the process for our traditional ferry passengers.
“The contactless technology is also offering the added benefit of being one less touchpoint in the travel purchase process — an improvement that cannot be understated in the age of Covid-19.”


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Revised GDP figures for the first quarter of the year came out this morning, and as a heated trade policy debate continues to roil Congress, the data confirm that U.S. trade flows have been a major drag on an historically weak recovery. The dramatically increased trade shortfall not only took its biggest bite out of the quarterly growth since the fourth quarter of 2002, but has slowed cumulative real economic growth by nearly ten percent since the recession technically ended in mid-2009.
Moreover, the latest (March) monthly U.S. trade figures – released separately earlier this month – made clear that the trade hit to growth from flows heavily influenced by trade deals and related policies was nearly twice as great. And worse is sure to come if the president persuades Congress to pass new agreements based on deficit-boosting predecessors, along with the fast track negotiating authority that would speed their approval.
In addition, despite West Coast ports labor problems, real imports and real goods imports both hit new records in the first quarter while exports sank, indicating how lopsided the nation’s trade performance remains. The result was the biggest quarterly trade deficit since early 2008 – when the economy was still growing.
Here are the trade highlights from this morning’s GDP report:
>The initial first quarter GDP figures confirm that the trade deficit’s expansion delivered the biggest hit to sequential economic performance since the end of 2002. During that fourth quarter of that year, the trade deficit’s increase took 1.60 percentage points from an annualized real growth figure of 0.30 percent. In the first quarter of this year, the trade deficit’s increase accounted for 1.90 percentage points of an inflation-adjusted annualized GDP shrinkage of 0.75 percent.
>The initial first quarter numbers, released last month, showed that trade subtracted 1.25 percentage points from an annualized growth figure of 0.20 percent.
>During the fourth quarter of 2014, a widening sequential trade shortfall reduced the 2.20 percent annualized growth by 1.03 percentage points.
>As of this morning’s revisions, the worsening of the trade deficit has reduced the cumulative real growth of the U.S. economy by 9.54 percent since the current recovery began in the second quarter of 2009.
>This figure, however, includes the huge improvement the nation has enjoyed in its oil trade thanks to the recent domestic energy production revolution.
>Contrary to the claims by President Obama and supporters of his trade policies, the trade hit to the recovery delivered by trade agreements and related policies has been much worse. Strip out oil (not a subject of trade talks) and services (where liberalization remains at an early stage), and as of full-year 2014, the worsening of the remaining, policy-shaped trade deficit has slowed the recovery by 19.49 percent – with nearly all the damage done in the private sector.
>The upcoming release of the monthly trade report for April, containing March revisions, will enable the trade hit to the recovery to be updated.
>The new GDP figures confirm that if West Coast ports problems have affected America’s trade flows, the impact was largely one-way. U.S. overall real exports and real goods exports both fell significantly from the fourth quarter of 2014 to the first quarter of 2015 (by 7.6 percent and 14.0 percent, respectively). Last month’s initial GDP estimate put these figures as 7.2 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively. As a result, the quarterly goods export drop remains the worst since the 34.90 percent nosedive in the first quarter of 2009 – the depths of the recession.
>Yet the revised GDP figures show that the records set for overall imports and goods imports still stand. The former rose sequentially by 5.60 percent – much more than the initial estimate of 1.80 percent – to $2.6339 trillion on an annualized basis. The latter increased by 5.1 percent sequentially – also much greater than last month’s initial 0.90 percent figure – to $2.1497 trillion). The growth in both categories of imports contrasts strikingly with the overall economy’s shrinkage.
>These slumping exports and surging imports drove the quarterly annualized real trade deficit to its highest level ($584.4 billion) since the second quarter of 2008 ($550.4 billion) – when the economy was still growing.


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38 stomach medications ordered off shelves amid cancer concern
Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) Taiwan's health authorities on Friday ordered the recall of 38 stomach medications as a precaution amid concerns they contained a chemical that could cause cancer.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the recall at 7 p.m., after it was alerted by the regulators of the United States and Europe a week ago that a small trace of a carcinogen NDMA was found in Zantac, a popular heartburn medication produced by British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.
Because the level of NDMA, short for N-Nitrosodimethylamine, was very low, no recalls of the medication was requested in the international markets, according to the administration.
However, the FDA said that as soon as it received the report of the finding, it launched a comprehensive inspection on all the medications permitted to be sold in Taiwan that contained ranitidine, the key ingredient of Zantac, the FDA said in a statement.
The FDA found there were 21 drug companies across Taiwan that held a total of 38 licenses to produce ranitidine-based gastric-medications, including widely-known Culcer DAILY F.C. Tablet 300mg.
The administration then ordered a precautionary recall of the 38 medications, the statement said.
A deputy FDA division chief, Wu Ming-mei (吳明美), told the press on Friday that the drug makers have to complete their recalls by Monday. They will not be allowed to market the medications before the drugs passed a test to see if the amount of the carcinogen NDMA was within a safe level, she said.
Those failing to take the medications off shelves based on the regulations will be slapped with a fine of NT$60,000 (US$1,938) to NT$300,000 according to the Consumer Protection Act, Wu added.
According to the FDA, over 80 million tablets of gastric-medications containing ranitidine were prescribed for National Health Insurance patients each year.
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Eric Bean, owner and brewer at Columbus Brewing Co. in Columbus, gets hit up all the time about when Bodhi, the brewery's highly rated double India pale ale, will finally be available in bottles. Aleheads.com has called it the best beer in Ohio, and the picky reviewers on BeerAdvocate.com swoon over it.
So when will it hit the market? "We don't know," Bean said. "We're working on it. It's an important beer for us so we want to make sure it's right."


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Students learn customer service, inventory management, and other job skills that are difficult for teens in Camden to acquire on their own, said Kristin Prinn, the program's executive director. "It's an experience that helps level the playing field with kids in places like Haddonfield," said Prinn, whom several students called their "second mom." The seven-year-old L.U.C.Y. program focuses on education, spirituality, and service for youth ages 12 to 19. They go on college trips and get help with college applications and homework. In the last four years, the program has had a 100 percent high school graduation rate, Prinn said.
Alexander Figueroa, 15, stood outside the store Saturday morning, holding a wreath and trying to entice shoppers to stop in. "This program, it means a lot to me," Figueroa said. "It opened me up so much. I used to be the shyest kid around." Participants have been to museums, Six Flags Great Adventure, and Ocean City. Last weekend, they went ice skating at Penn's Landing. Money raised from their holiday sales will go toward trips and other programming.
Kelly and Andrew Logsdon from Haddon Heights were walking down the sidewalk Saturday and doing some last-minute shopping when their 2-year-old daughter, Kaelyn, ran into the shop. The table filled with snowmen and Santa Claus figures caught the family's attention and Kaelyn chose a Santa to take home. The family had never heard of the program.
The sale is a chance for the students to advertise who they are, what they do, and how much the program means to them. Penelope Dominguez, 16, said she felt at home in the program. "I'm thankful for it because it helps me and other kids from Camden have a refuge so we don't have to be on the street," she said.
Students will be at the store at 115 Kings Highway East from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday for the last day of the sale.


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LinkedIn has announced a $120m deal for a company called Bright, which offers job-matching and data insight technologies to help suggest connections between prospective candidates and employers.
The deal is the largest by LinkedIn, just eclipsing its $119m deal for SlideShare in 2012, and will be split 27 percent in cash and 73 percent in stock. It is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014.
Vice president of product at LinkedIn Parker Barrile wrote in a blog post that the deal was a perfect fit for the two firms as they were both focused on using data to find user matches.
"We're both passionate about connecting talent with opportunity at massive scale and obsessed with increasing the effectiveness of the job seeking and recruiting processes," he wrote.
Eduardo Vivas, who founded Bright in 2011, echoed this sentiment: "The company shares a similar vision and is equally obsessed about using data and algorithms to connect prospects and employers."
The deal was announced alongside fourth-quarter earnings for the firm, with revenues of $447.2m, up 47 percent compared with $303.6 million in Q4 2012.
But LinkedIn's income slumped, falling from $11.5m in Q4 2012, to $3.8m in Q4 2013. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner was upbeat about the figures, though, claiming the firm was continuing to improve and was well placed to grow in 2013.
"Solid fourth-quarter performance capped another successful year where improvements in scale and relevance across our platform led to strong member engagement," he said
"Moving forward, we are investing significantly in a focused number of long-term initiatives that will allow us to realise our vision to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce."
Despite this the fall in revenue spooked investors, with the firm's share price falling by almost 10 percent in pre-market trading.
LinkedIn now boasts 277 million members and it reported that 41 percent of all its traffic now comes through mobile platforms.
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Retail footfall climbs after slow start to Christmas trading
Retailers were given a much-needed boost last weekend after footfall in shops around the country increased 1.5% year on year, according to Experian.
West End shoppers: London's retail mecca logged weekend sales of £200m
Shoppers appear to have left their Christmas shopping even later this year, with footfall rising by 0.3% on Saturday and 3.5% on Sunday after a torrid weekend the previous week, which resulted in a 3.9% decrease year on year.
The Centre for Retail Research estimated sales across the whole of Britain hit £1bn on Saturday and £650m during the shorter trading hours of Sunday.
London's West End is estimated to have performed particularly well, with a 17.7% year on year rise in footfall on Saturday, contributing to sales across the weekend of £200m, according to figures from the New West End Company.
The pick-up in Christmas trade comes after HMV revealed last week that it could breach its banking covenants after a poor start to Christmas trading.
Meanwhile, the late surge in shopping will come as no surprise to Boots marketing director Elizabeth Fagan, who predicted that Christmas would come "late" as customers continue to see their budgets squeezed.
Retailers are set to be boosted further due to this December having an extra trading weekend, with a British Retail Consortium spokesman predicting a "final surge", with this coming weekend being bigger than last weekend in terms of spending.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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MILAN (Reuters) - Shares in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCHA.MI) fell more than 2 percent in early trade on Thursday as investors raised concerns about the carmaker's updated business plan to 2018, which pins its future on North America and sales of utility vehicles.
FCA raised the financial targets of its turnaround plan following a better-than-expected performance in North America and Europe and strong sales of Jeeps.
But it also delayed the revamp of its sporty Alfa Romeo brand that was supposed to help it catch up with German premium peers.
"The main FCA market, (North America), may start to lose steam, while the decision of focusing on light trucks there - although rational - makes FCA more risky in case of a possible oil price recovery," Banca Akros said in a note.
(Reporting by Agnieszka Flak)


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Originally published on Sustainnovate.
By Henry Lindon
SunPower recently launched the new X22 solar photovoltaic (PV) panel in the US market, giving consumers the option of purchasing a top-of-the-line panel with a 22.8% conversion efficiency.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently verified during testing that a SunPower X-Series — the product series that the X22 is a part of — solar panel achieved a conversion efficiency of 22.8%, thus marking the official achievement of a new world record for its class.
“Solar technology differs widely from brand to brand, so it’s important for consumers to consider that not all panels deliver the same amount of energy, look elegant on a roof, or are guaranteed to last as long as promised,” stated Howard Wenger, SunPower president, business units. “SunPower panels are the most efficient that homeowners can buy, and we stand behind them for a quarter century. We’re proud to hold the world-record title for efficiency.”
Going on: “At SunPower, we innovate relentlessly to deliver the most powerful and durable solar energy solutions chosen by residential, commercial and power plant customers demanding the best when investing in their clean energy futures. SunPower’s greatest minds have raised the bar for the industry, and will continue to push the boundaries of quality solar for our customers.”
Relating to the advantages of SunPower high-efficiency solar panels, a new press release provided this: “The high efficiency solar panels generate more energy in the same amount of space as conventional solar panels, which can reduce the number of panels needed to meet consumers’ energy needs. Compared to conventional solar panels with efficiencies that range from 15% to 18%, a SunPower X-Series solar panel produces over 70% more energy in the same space over the first 25 years.”
The company’s high-efficiency E-Series and X-Series panels are currently available to consumers in the US. The earlier E-Series (and also the X21) solar panels are also available in Europe, Japan, and Australia.
Image via SunPower
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A huge part of the Star Wars universe has always been the avalanche of merchandise released alongside each film, and Disney is hosting a global event for the unveiling of toys, collector's items and other retail items for "The Force Awakens."
It looked like compression technology for superhigh-quality video would be free for watching movies and TV online. Not so, according to a new patent-licensing group that wants a cut of the revenue.
Our favorite smart TV system packs all of Roku's apps, search and simplicity into a TV, no box or stick required. The latest TV brand with Roku built-in is LG, with 55-inch and 65-inch models on sale at Best Buy now.
Apple finally refreshes its streaming-media box, adds a dedicated App Store and revamps its remote control for gaming and shopping.
If you're looking for more space to store your personal content on the 16GB Nook Tablet, just head into a B&N store.
Apple has excised some browser technology from its tvOS, meaning a great many developers will have to retool games and other apps if they want a place in the new Apple TV App Store.
With new hardware options and an app store, Apple TV is expected to substantially increase its revenue potential, says JP Morgan analyst Rod Hall.
Will consumers pay for an Apple set-top box that costs almost $200? Maybe, if the features like Siri and App Store integration are worth it.
The electronics giant has sent out invitations to an event next month in San Francisco, where it's expected to show off the next iPhones and a new Apple TV box.
Lumping the devices together, as Buzzfeed reports, could indicate Apple doesn't have huge changes in store.


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From the tractor
by Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler
Overseas buyers of agricultural products represent a significant market for North Carolina farmers. According to the latest statistics, North Carolina exported $2.1 billion worth of commodities in 2007. These sales have helped many North Carolina farm families stay on the farm.
Even in today’s economy, competition for global exports is strong. We are not the only state, or even country, that is focused on increasing exports, so we have to be proactive.
That is why I am leading a trade delegation to China Aug. 1-8 in hopes of expanding business opportunities in the country.
The state saw more than $271 million in exports to China alone in 2008, and there is good reason to believe there is even greater untapped potential in this market.
My goal in going is to lay the groundwork now to impact exports for the 2010 growing season, and I am encouraged by the potential.
China is our second-largest trading partner, and exports from North Carolina to China continue to grow. The country is a huge customer for tobacco, wood and cotton, and we also see strong growth potential for the sale of soybeans.
I will be joined by representatives of the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina, the N.C. Soybean Producers Association, the N.C. Cotton Growers Association, N.C. Farm Bureau, N.C. Agribusiness Council, N.C. Growers Association, U.S. Tobacco Cooperative, Burley Stabilization Corp. and PS International.
We have a full agenda planned, meeting with government leaders, farmers and agribusiness representatives. We will also tour some farms and agribusiness companies in the country. I look forward to talking with leading Chinese agriculture officials about future opportunities.
International trade will continue to be critical to the long-term success of North Carolina agriculture, and I believe we cannot afford to sit back and miss opportunities for business.
This is particularly true of our tobacco crop, which will need to rely even more on overseas markets for future success.
We will be posting updates and photos from the trade mission to the department’s In the Field blog, which you can find at www.ncagr.gov/blog.


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This holiday season has already seen record holiday spending.
TheStreet sat down with Colin Morris, director of Adobe Analytics.
Adobe Analytics is already reporting that consumer spending, so far, has a year-over-year growth of $50 billion between Nov. 1 and Nov. 26.
In fact, it believes that we could see a record spending number of over $143 billion spent throughout November and December.
Black Friday could see sales of $7.5 billion, a 20% growth year-over-year. And Cyber Monday could see sales top $9.4 billion, nearly 20% growth year-over-year.
But, what does Morris think about the consumer this season?
Yeah, and in fact, while we still think that [the consumer will spend over $143 billion] is going to be accurate, we're starting to see a 15% year over year growth, which is higher than the 14.1 we expected earlier this year," he said.
But, with some market pundits still worrying about a recession, why isn't the consumer worried?
"I think there are a few things happening. It's a shorter holiday season and lots of retailers are basically adding options for discounts further earlier in the season, basically starting in November. So we've already seen discounts for televisions up to 17% that we weren't expecting until Cyber Monday in general. So there's a lot of options that retailers have to be able to provide a lot more shopping experiences early on," said Morris.
Aside from consumer spending, how are merchandise from big Disney (DIS) franchises, such as The Mandalorian and Frozen 2 help toy sales this year?
"Well, I think one of the big trends we've seen thus far is the immense growth and launch of Disney Plus. So millions of subscribers, phenomenal growth over the first two weeks was sure to drive sales of a lot of the associated toys there," he said.
Watch the full video for more on consumer spending.