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SGL is an innovative and progressive lifestyle, leisure and community consulting practice, operated by Phillip Gray and active since 1988. SGL has undertaken an extensive range of sport,…read more
Australian women have highest rising obesity rate
The research, which reveals Australia as one of the heaviest nations on the planet, shows that, for the first time, Australian women are close to matching America's obesity level.
The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has alarmed health professionals and prompted warnings to women over 30 years of age that they can no longer be complacent about gaining weight.
The study measured the top 5% per cent of obese women in Australia at age 30 and found an average BMI score of 37.7.
The index's increase over 10 years has been more than double the international average.
With such a high rate of increase the nation's health experts believe our level of obesity has already caught up to America - where the top 5% of women averaged a BMI score of 42.5.
The most critically obese are defined by the World Health Organisation as having a BMI of more than 34.9.
Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise Director Professor Ian Caterson said efforts to combat women's obesity had been overshadowed by efforts to combat childhood obesity, sating âwhat we have known is that for the past five years, people have been gaining weight and they are women aged between 25 and 35.
"What we are worried about is the next generation will be worse than the current one and this research shows it."
Newcastle University Associate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics Dr Clare Collins said because weight gain was gradual, people did not notice it, stating "I don't think the average person realises the extent of the problem. What is alarming is the sheer numbers of people who are getting obese and moving into those high figures.
"We are going to run out of health services for people. Obesity is the biggest driver of cancer in the world."
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Yorkshire digital marketing agency expands team and boosts revenue by 380%
A Yorkshire digital marketing agency has announced that its revenue has nearly quadrupled over the past year.
SOUP, based in Sheffield, has reported a 380 per cent increase revenue over the past twelve months.
In the period, the company also expanded its team, growing from five members to 27.
The company works with global brands including Heineken, Hewlett & Co, Infini London, Lucy Locket Loves and Pocket Sport.
Amanda Perry, founder, commented: “The past year has certainly been one to remember and I didn’t expect us to grow as quickly as we have!
“It’s been so fantastic to create jobs and welcome new team members on board. Everyone has embraced remote working so well, but it’s great to be back together, seeing the team create magic for our clients!
“We’ve been operating in the digital marketing scene for several years but have really seen scale-up brands embrace paid social over the past 12 months.
“Before now, many saw it as a nice-to-have but when done right, and backed by insight and market research, paid social is such a powerful tool for growth.
“As more consumers moved to online shopping during lockdown, our clients have seen first-hand that it really is the most cost-effective way to drive sales.
“I love that SOUP. is part of this upwards trend; supporting clients on their journey to increased website traffic, more customers and, most importantly, bigger revenues.”
Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →
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Home sales in Bloomington Normal finished the year on a slight upswing from November to December. The Association of Realtors reports for the full year, sales of single family homes, condos, and zero lot line residences were up 14.4%. Association President Chuck Montgomery says rental rates have begun to fall as a result of the layoffs of temporary workers at State Farm Insurance. But, he says he doubts the planned drawdown of several thousand insurance industry workers in town over several years will much affect home SALES.
For this year, Montgomery says he expects less new residential construction, which might affect the average sales price in Bloomington Normal. The average price of a home sold in 2013 was up just under 1% from the previous year. Last year, the average price was just under $172,000.
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Among Us fifth map will release this year | The Loadout Among Us Gets Airship Map And New Update Later This Month Thankfully, the wait for the Airship is almost over. Among Us will get its biggest map yet when The Airship arrives on March 31. The Airship's release date has been confirmed as coming to Among Us on March 31st, 2021. Innersloth has revealed the release date for Among Us' new map The Airship, and it is coming on March 31, 2021. Among Us' New Map: Is the Airship Update Free | Screen Rant 'Among Us' New Map Release Date, Inspiration, Spoilers There is no official release date yet, but InnerSloth has mentioned on the blog that details will be out soon. A new map has not yet been announced, meaning that the most . Here's every feature confirmed for the new map so far, including hats, rooms, tasks, and more. Among Us New Map - If Innersloth Released New JUNGLE Map NEW AMONG US MAP RELEASE DATE! (+All Vent Locations . There's a new map coming that's currently only being referred to as "Map 5," achievements will be added to the game, and Among Us is getting . Everything we know about the 'Among Us' hide 'n' seek mode . Among Us Airship Confirmed Release Time - DualShockers The most recent map to have been introduced to Among Us was the Airship, which released at the end of March 2021 alongside new tasks and . . The new map in Among Us is free for anyone who owns the game already, and it will feature . The Among Us team from InnerSloth released the new Airship map on 31st March 2021. The latest Tweets from Among Us (@AmongUsGame). Among Us 2022 roadmap shows new roles and more . Fifth 'Among Us': Map Setting, Theme And Cost [Details] The developers are working on adding a lot of new content to Among Us, and after the Airship map released, InnerSloth promised future updates . Alongside a massive update bringing new character . Hit murder mystery sim Among Us will get an account system, new mechanics, . Among Us, the social education online game by InnerSloth, is massively popular. Officially, the Airship has been given an "Early 2021" release date. How Among Us' Switch Launch Affected The Airship Map A 2021 map for Among Us updates is still missing in action, despite a promise early this year - which may be because predictions are . Among Us 2022 Roadmap | Innersloth Among Us 2022 Roadmap Details New Features and Changes Innersloth announced at Summer Game Fest 2021 that the hit online multiplayer coop game "Among Us" will soon receive its fifth map. Among Us Airship map: LAUNCH today - Zee Business All-new tasks will also keep players busy as they learn the ins and outs of the map while a killer is on the loose. PHOTO / IS. For . Submerged Among US - Upcoming Release (July 2022) Among Us Airship map: After a massive surge in popularity amongst streamers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Among Us will release new content including a new . Among Us is getting a hide and seek mode, visor cosmetics . A brand-new Among Us map, the Airship, is available now. by world today news; March 19, 2021; No Comments. Among Us New Map - If Innersloth Released New Roadmap . The Airship map was fully unveiled at The Game Awards 2020, and it was given an early 2021 release date. Innersloth to release new Among Us Airship map on Mar 31 'Among Us' developers give Airship Map release date . 5th Map Among Us and new game mode. Among Us Airship Map Release Time - TalkEsport Among Us is getting new roles and another map - MSPoweruser Among Us' Next Map: Why An Industrial Factory Would Be . A separate VR version of the game, Among Us VR, will be released for Quest 2, SteamVR, and PlayStation VR, developed by Schell Games. (Created By 5UP!) Map 5 | Among Us Wiki Among Us - Wikipedia Among Us' Airship Map: All New Features Confirmed So Far Among Us: a 5th map and many new features coming soon Popular strategy-based game Among Us will be launching its awaited new 'Airship' map in a new update on March 31. Other gameplay updates . The first focus for accounts will be to get reporting and moderation . Among Us Submerged Map (Feb 2022) Read Details Now! Is Among Us' Next Map Going To Be Free | Screen Rant New crewmate colors are coming to Among Us. and a fifth map, developer Innersloth announced at Summer Game Fest on . The new map was originally revealed . A 5th Map Among Us will be released in the future, but we don't know much more about it. This is the result of many content creators and streamers making . Regarding the estimated launch time, Innersloth has explained (via Twitter) . Among Us Roadmap Teases New Map, Game Mode, and . In a Tweet posted just after 9pm UK time, from the game's . Even though the submerged . Apart from 'Map 5' - which is still . This has led to a lot of speculation about the map's actual release, with a . Beyond that, fans aren't really sure . Among Us - If Innersloth released ROADMAP in November Among Us Roadmap revealed by InnerSloth, new map roles . Check out all of the new features and tasks that will come with . Why Among Us' 2021 Roadmap Hasn't Released Yet - Screen . So far, these teases have mostly centered . The game's developer InnerSloth announced the new map today; it also shared a trailer ahead of the launch later this month, as well as a . The Among Us blog states that the quality of life updates will fix the UX to make . The map was first teased in late 2020 and offers a bunch of new tasks to try out . The post also detailed the small team's . However, it's not officially . Slowly but . Indie developer Innersloth has announced some exciting new features coming to Among Us in the future. Among Us map update - Airship release date, time, account . Among Us Submerged Map (Aug) Get Complete Details! Submerged is OUT NOW - Among Us New map by @5up Among Us 'The Airship' Map: Release Date, Leaks, Costumes . It's been almost three months since the Airship was unveiled at The Game Awards 2020, and many Among Us fans are eagerly awaiting more news. We launched an official Among Us Twitter with a sneak peek at the new map! . 'Among Us' map The Airship arrives on March 31st | Engadget Among Us Update Info: When The Airship Is Coming - Screen . The studio's game also won two major awards at the . Among Us: The Airship Map Release Date Announced - IGN Among Us is getting a big new map with key changes on . Earlier, on Twitter, the game developers Innersloth announced that . Among Us fans have had to wait patiently to play a new map, but that wait is nearly over. . Arriving on March 31st, 2021, here are the times in which the new map will drop in your area. Among Us fifth map will release this year. Among Us Shares Its Roadmap For 2022 - Nintendo Life A 2022 road map for the smash hit multiplayer game Among Us has been released by developer Innersloth. The first major update was released in November 2021, . Fans have been waiting patiently for the new map since it was shown at The Game Awards in December, and developer Innersloth is finally ready to .
This will be the fifth map in Among Us after The Skeld, MIRA HQ, . The update includes: All New Tasks . EDIT: FORGOT TO ADD MAP 5 TO THE “PLANS” SECTION LOL SORRY. What TIME Among Us' New Map The Airship Releases Among Us Devs Reveal 2022 Roadmap (Friend Lists, Map 5 . Get a sneak peek at the new . The Airship will be the . Among Us will have a 1 shot manga feature in Bessatsu Corocoro magazine on . Among Us is set to get a host of new features and updates, . It doesn't reveal much with regard to dates . If we are not wrong, InnerSloth mentioned that the new map would . The . Among Us: The Airship map release date and new features If you want to get more of an idea, we would say the new map will launch in February 2021. Strangely, Innersloth released the new map and update by reuploading the same trailer it used for The Game Awards. Among Us Airship Update Includes New Map, Skins and More Among Us map update | Airship release date, time it goes live . Getting Ready New Map Of Among Us Will Be Released March 31st. Among Us Airship Map Release Date, Trailer |How to Play . During the Summer Game Fest Live Kickoff stream, Among Us developer Innersloth announced that more content is coming to the hit social game. The Airship map in Among Us is releasing soon. Among Us - If Innersloth released New Map on July 32 What time will among us new map release today? - The . Among Us getting new map, new mode, new roles and more . Recently, Innersloth the devs of Among Us have announced that their new map, The Airship will release on March 31 with a free in-app update. - NME Why Among Us' Next Map Could Be An Underground Level Nowadays, every among us game freak, talking about the new release over each social media platform. It will feature new . The map was officially revealed by Geoff Keighley at The Game Awards back in 2020 and was given an “early 2021” release window. Among Us' Next Update Will Add New Crewmate Colors & More Among Us Roadmap 🗺 Our plans for the game! - YouTube As announced by Innersloth, the Airship map is coming on March 31. airship map on March 31, maker Innersloth announced yesterday. Among Us' New Map: Every Theory Explained | Screen Rant The next Among Us map is finally coming out, here's why it . loading… Game Among Us. Among Us devs show new map, tease Game Awards . InnerSloth released the trailer for their newest map, 'Airship', during The Game Awards 2020. Among Us - Submerged Custom Map (Reveal Trailer) Among Us New Map - If Innersloth released SUBMERGED in . Getting Ready New Map Of Among Us Will Be Released . Later when joined by 4 or more players the game will be . Maybe it has something to do . This free update will offer new tasks, a new map, a spawn-point picker, an account system, and more. Among Us takes place . The Among Us Submerged map is the newest map in the game. Now the gamers must leave this game and start a new one without changing the settings. Among Us New Map The Airship Release Date Announced . While crafty players could approximate this mode through tweaking lobby settings, the 15 player lobbies on the roadmap are something entirely . Fortunately, that's not the cause. Among Us update: From new map, colours and hide and seek . There is currently no release date set for Map 5, although now 15 player lobbies are in the player's hands, the team will be hard at work to get . A new map for Among Us has been confirmed but there are no details on this yet. Among Us Airship map to release on March 31 with new lobby . Why Among Us' Airship Map Took So Long | Screen Rant Among Us Glitch Allows Players to Play the New Airship Map Fixes and a peek at the new map! - Among Us by Innersloth Despite the difficulties of the new map, Airship was one of the most significant changes to Among Us since its release, and the addition of . Thankfully, since it's a major game update, there will be many things besides a new map coming to the game. It is a new addition to the map roles of Among Us game. Innersloth also teased more features that it will announce at a later date. Currently, an exact date for when the new Among Us map could come out is unknown, but it's probable that more news will come out in the next few . Among Us' new Airship map release date revealed - Polygon Among Us: The Airship Map Is Available Now - GameSpot Among Us' new map, The Airship, will be released on March 31, developer InnerSloth announced Thursday. What Among Us' New Fifth Map Could Be | Screen Rant Among Us New Map: What's Coming After The Airship The Airship map in Among Us is almost here. There's no official launch time, although . Among Us Map 5: Leaks, Release Date, Theme, New Tasks . Keep reading to know more about . The NEW AMONG US SUBMERGED MAP. among us 2022 roadmap. The NEW AMONG US UPDATE COMING! (MAP 5 & NEW . Development and Release — InnerSloth teases at the possible release of the Airship map . ✦ made of 1 bone ✦ PC, mobile, Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and @AmongUsVR ✦ By @InnerslothDevs ✦ Merch: . The mystery-party-action game 'Among Us' will release its new map today. Among Us' new map, the Airship, is arriving in early 2021 and will have new rooms. Crewmembers in the Among Us game can use the submerged map to locate impostors. Airship map and new content in Among Us: when it's coming Calling all crewmates for an emergency meeting! 'Among Us' just released the teaser to their newest feature. Among Us to launch new 'Airship' map, new account system . The Among Us 2021 roadmap trailer debuted during the Summer Game Fest Kickoff livestream on June 10. Announced back at The Game Awards in December, the brand new Among Us map has a March 31 release date. Innersloth will release The Airship as part of a . But, thanks to one of the latest tweets by Among Us on their official . Among Us (@AmongUsGame) | Twitter InnerSloth, the developers behind the hit game 'Among Us,' revealed a sneak peek at the new 'Henry Stickmin'-inspired map. . Among Us' New Map: Every Room Confirmed For the Airship . Among Us finally launches its Airship map with new update The devs aren't specific on what that announcement will be, but there's room for all kinds of things, from a proper trailer for the new map to . Image: Innersloth . Among Us Gets NEW Airship Map March 31st! - YouTube The Airship, Among Us' new map, will be released on March 31, 2021 alongside a new update that adds the ability to pick which room you start . The Airship and Polus maps were released a little over a year apart from each other, but with the help of new staff, the developer might begin . When is the new 'Among Us' map coming? Learn more about . Here's every room that has been confirmed for the Airship .


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Alpharetta, GA – (August 29, 2018) – CEDIA Expo, the platform where disruptors, innovators and integrators in the connected built environment collaborate, proudly announces returning exhibitor Leon Speakers will sponsor the first-ever Bourbon & Brownies designer networking event, an invite-only cocktail hour to be held in the Leon Speakers booth (#5401), Thursday, September 6. Event invitees include designers, integrators, builders, media and brands participating in the exclusive, new-to-the show, Design Connection Tour VIPs.
“Bourbon & Brownies is an amazing opportunity to bring together tech brands, integrators and design professionals to continue the conversation that is so vital to our industry and to our customers,” said Leon Speakers President and Founder Noah Kaplan. “We are proud to sponsor this new networking event and look forward to connecting with old and new friends over bourbon in our booth.”
“CEDIA Expo is about education, growing your company brand, and taking advantage of new business opportunities,” says Brian Pagel, senior vice president Emerald Expositions. “We thank our sponsor and host Leon Speakers for making the inaugural Bourbon & Brownies reception a special event for designers and integrators to connect face-to-face.”
See the latest products from Leon Speakers at booth #5401 during CEDIA Expo 2018, September 6-8, at the San Diego Convention Center.
If you are a member of the press and wish to attend Bourbon & Brownies, please contact CEDIA@whitegood.com
About Leon Speakers
Leon Speakers is an American manufacturer of custom audio and audiovisual solutions that mix art with audio and design with technology. For over 20 years, their team of artists, designers, engineers, and craftsmen have been meticulously handcrafting a full palette of custom speakers and technology treatments to deliver Picture Perfect Sound® to both residential and commercial spaces. Leon products are available exclusively at high-end audio/video dealers. Visit www.leonspeakers.com or call 1.888.213.5015 to find dealer locations worldwide.
About CEDIA Expo
CEDIA Expo powers the disruptors, innovators and integrators in the intelligently connected built environments by providing the only platform for discovery and collaboration. More than 20,000 home technology professionals and more than 500 exhibitors convene each year for the leading event in connected technology and connected built environments. CEDIA Expo is the place for system integrators to experience new products and breakthrough innovations first and to access targeted training in technology integration. CEDIA Expo 2018 takes place September 4–8 at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California.
CEDIA Expo is owned and operated by Emerald Expositions, a leading operator of business-to-business trade shows in the United States. The company currently operates more than 55 trade shows, as well as numerous other face-to-face events. In 2017, Emerald’s events connected over 500,000 global attendees and exhibitors and occupied more than 6.9 million NSF of exhibition space.


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On Sept. 24, the public will have a chance to buy and sell a new stock in the blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average index: a health insurance stock.
The S&P Dow Jones Indices announced Friday that UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s largest managed-care company, will replace Kraft Foods Inc. at the end of trading on Sept. 21.
The change in the index is occurring because Kraft Foods is spinning off its North American groceries business, which will be renamed Kraft Foods Group, on Oct. 1. After the split, Kraft Foods will operate under the new name Mondelez International Inc. The S&P Dow Jones Indices said that the DJIA committee felt that the reduced market capitalization of Mondelez and estimates of future revenue are lower and thus not representative of the U.S. Large Cap market.
The Wall Street Journal reported:
“The shift reflects the growing importance of healthcare expenses in the U.S. economy,” said Peter Jankovskis, co-chief investment officer at Oakbrook Investments. “It reflects shifts that have already taken place within the U.S. and so the change makes sense in terms of what the Dow is trying to do as a 30-component representation of the U.S economy.”
UnitedHealth Group, based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, becomes the second insurance company — after Travelers Companies — to be included in the DJIA. Healthcare companies are largely represented by only pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson in the blue chip index.
UnitedHealth Group has two main businesses: UnitedHealthcare, which is its health benefits business, and Optum, which is the company’s health services business. In 2011, UnitedHealth Group had $102 billion in revenue, up from $94.2 billion in 2010. In the past 12 months, its stock, which currently trades on the New York Stock Exchange, was up 18.5 percent to $53.89


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Chinese online retail sales in the first three quarters has reached 3,465.1 billion yuan, a 26.1% YoY growth, of which, online retail sales of physical goods valued 2,795.0 billion yuan, an increase of 25.1%, according to PwC’s annual global survey, Total Retail 2016: They Say They Want a Revolution.
The survey reveals that nearly one-third of Chinese respondents prefer making mobile payments. However, there are also growing concerns about security issues become more pressing.
According to the report, in 2015, almost one-third of Chinese respondents said they preferred to make mobile payments, which doubled the number in 2014. By comparison in 2015, 12% of respondents worldwide stated a preference for making mobile payments when shopping online, a figure four times higher than the previous year (2014:3%).
The rise in prominence of mobile payments for both online and offline markets comes as a consequence of a range of factors that include explosive growth of mobile payment scenarios, more convenient mobile payment methods and development of mobile network technology, as well as e-commerce.
The rapid evolution of mobile payment technology is a driving force for the development of payments. For consumers in China, the ensuing diversity in mobile payment technologies is leading to a proliferation of benefits such as access to faster payment services with more security than ever before.
Technologies underpinning the rise of mobile payments
A range of technologies underpin the rise of mobile payments. Near Field Communication (NFC) and QR code payment methods are already widely employed, while more options are coming on line with cloud payment technologies, Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and payments via Wearables.
Concurrently, efforts to integrate payment options with biometric technology, such as fingerprints and facial recognition are also emerging.
“As market competition intensifies, we see that technology continuously changes the way consumers’ access and purchase products,” notes Yuqing Guo, PwC China PwC Financial Service Consulting Partner and leader of the Experience Centre in Shanghai.
“Mobile payment players are attracting users with strong appetite for innovative technologies and business models designed to seize access to mobile payments and monetize data of user habits.”
Posing growing security risks
However, the rise of mobile payment poses growing security risks. The three biggest threats relate to a leak of user information, payment fraud and virus attacks.
PwC’s Total Retail survey results reflect the growing concern of potential risks by mobile phone users. The report shows that over 60% of respondents are worried that hackers may gain access to their personal information as a result of vulnerabilities associated with mobile phone use.
The Chinese government have taken steps to safeguard the industry by introducing password verification, fingerprint identification as well as technologies such as Payment Tokenization1 and establishment of a Trusted Execution Environment2 which are increasingly being applied to augment the security of mobile payments.
Approaching November, retailers in Greater China are preparing for the traditional sales season, both online and physical stores, which will create huge business opportunities.
“Various forms of promotional campaigns will spur spending and stimulate overall retail volume. This will benefit customers, shopping malls (both online and physical) and logistics companies, says PwC Asia Pacific and Hong Kong/China Retail & Consumer Leader Michael Cheng.
“In order to win amongst competitors, it is necessary for retailers to create personalised offers and engaging experiences, in order to build customer loyalty, and achieve their goals during peak shopping seasons.”
“Current developments in the market are in line with our estimations for China’s retail and consumer product industry, which foresee a compound annual growth rate of 7.5% between 2016 and 2020. The future growth in the mobile payments sector will be spurred by surging smartphone use and spending by sophisticated online shoppers.
“The rise of millennial shoppers on smart payments bodes well for sales, particularly as technological advances make mobile payments more accessible, secure and cheaper. However, there is still scope for companies to improve security measures on payment and personal data in order to reduce risks and enhance brand trust with consumers,” concludes Cheng.


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Today we previewed the future of mobile connectivity in Australia at an event with our technology partners Qualcomm, Netgear and Ericsson.
We showcased the incredible customer experience a gigabit class LTE mobile device and network can deliver. A decade ago gigabit-class speeds on mobile networks could scarcely be imagined. From next month they become reality when we introduce the Telstra Nighthawk M1 mobile broadband hotspot which is the fastest mobile device in the world. It’s going help people further embrace a new breed of mobile applications and experiences including immersive virtual reality, connected cloud computing and rich entertainment. And it brings us one step closer to introducing 5G in Australia.
With Nighthawk M1, customers in select Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane CBD locations can:
- Download a typical 3.5MB song in a fraction of a second
- Download a 20MB PowerPoint presentation in as little as one second
- Download a 300MB one hour TV episode in as little as sixteen seconds
- Download a 3GB HD Movie in as little as 3 minutes
Not only is this hotspot pushing mobile broadband technology to the limit in terms of speed, but it’s also pushing the envelope when it comes to features.
To cater to our customer’s evolving needs, the Telstra Nighthawk M1 can charge smartphones on the go and doubles as a media server for watching movies or storing large files.
It will be a boon for our business customers too who demand office-like bandwidth on the go to power increasingly mobile workforces and sophisticated cloud-based applications.
Here’s an example of one of our customers, Ray Nielson from Enviropacific Services talking about how the Telstra Nighthawk M1 is mobilising his business and improving the way he works:
This device will be available next month to new and existing customers for $360RRP outright upfront or on a range of plans.
We will look to make gigabit LTE technology available on more devices, including smartphones, this year.


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Ooredoo has announced another major technology breakthrough on the Ooredoo Supernet with the implementation of Voice over LTE (VoLTE) across large parts of Doha.
VoLTE will enable customers to make crystal clear HD voice calls over the 4G data network and provide faster call setup. In addition, customers will be able to switch between ongoing voice calls and high-quality video calls as they want. They will also be able to browse the Internet on the 4G network while still on a call – the first time they have been able to do this.
The implementation is based on software-defined data centre architecture and a range of cutting-edge technologies including network function virtualisation and software-defined networking. The success of this implementation positions Ooredoo in a leadership position on the global innovation path toward fully-converged Information Communication Technology (ICT).
With today’s launch of the pre-commercial phase, Ooredoo becomes the first operator in the GCC to introduce VoLTE across a substantial part of its nationwide network. Like a handful of other elite operators, Ooredoo has successfully trialled the service at its headquarters and in its state-of-the-art technology test facilities, and the company has decided to deploy the service on a mass scale now because the strength and scale of the Ooredoo Supernet makes it practical to do so. Ooredoo’s engineers are now working in hundreds of locations across Doha to optimise the VoLTE service for the planned commercial launch.
Waleed Al-Sayed, CEO, Ooredoo Qatar, said: “The successful deployment of Voice over LTE is another compelling indication of the strength and superiority of the Ooredoo Supernet. We have designed our Supernet to evolve and grow with the latest cutting-edge technology, which enables Ooredoo to be the first to introduce these important new services for our customers. Qatar expects the best, and the Ooredoo Supernet makes it possible for us to deliver the very best for our customers, such as Voice over LTE.”
Ooredoo launched HD Voice on its mobile network in 2012, and has been constantly improving call quality all across the country. VoLTE HD voice quality will further enhance the quality of calls.
To ensure that enabled smartphones are certified and ready for sale in Qatar, Ooredoo is working with the world’s largest device manufacturers in the run-up to the commercial launch of VoLTE. The company’s plan is to ensure Qatar is among the first nations in the world to fully benefit from VoLTE.
VoLTE will be commercially launched for everyone in Qatar in 2016, with strong demand expected as Ooredoo continues to enhance its voice and data leadership across the country.


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Mohit Gupta elevated as Zomato Co-founder
Gupta, who is also Zomato CEO, will be the platform’s fourth Co-founder
Zomato has elevated Mohit Gupta as its Co-founder, as per media reports. The CEO of the food delivery platform now becomes its fourth co-founder.
Gupta has been with Zomato since the last two years and as per reports the platform touched the 40-million monthly order volume under his leadership.
Before Zomato, Gupta was Chief Operating Officer at CTrip-backed public company.
Zomato Co-founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal made the announcement in a mail to the employees.For more updates, be socially connected with us on
WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube


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By Jeff Berman / www.logisticsmgmt.com / April 4th, 2019
Amid reports this week that the White House would consider allowing trucks to continue to cross the United States-Mexico border, should President Trump go through with his pledge to close the border, in order to curb illegal immigration, various business concerns are making it clear that shutting down the border could have severe economic consequences.
The main issue being cited centers around trade to a large degree. And that does not come as a surprise, especially when considering that the total value of U.S. goods and service trade with from Mexico came in at around $1.85 billion per day, or $678 billion, and an estimated $502 billion in goods, or around $1.4 billion per day, crossed the border via truck or train in 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
John Murphy, senior vice president for international policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said that in estimating the cost of a border closure to the economy, it would certainly likely be in the ten of billions of dollars per day, certainly much more than the $1.4 billion in daily U.S.-Mexico merchandise trade.
“Why would this be the case? Today’s lean manufacturers keep costs down by using just-in-time delivery for many parts and components,” stated Murphy in a policy paper issued by the U.S. Chamber today. “In this context, the delay of a few million dollars’ worth of inputs can force a shutdown of an assembly plant or other major manufacturing facility whose total output is orders of magnitude greater in dollar terms than the goods held up at the border. A range of other products — such as fresh produce — would face immediate losses as merchandise piles up at the border. Some of this cargo would have to be written off as a total loss.”
Murphy added that the auto and auto parts sectors, which comprise around 25% of total U.S.-Mexico trade, would be expected to close their plants one day for every day the border is closed, noting that due to the nature of each plant’s supply chain and the volume of plants they have stockpiled, some plants would shut down sooner than others. And he added that the fixed costs of operating these plants would be losses that cannot be recovered.
From a modal perspective, the U.S. Chamber said that the freight railroad sector, which depends on international trade for 35% of its revenue, would face a major impact, noting that the Association of American Railroads (AAR) estimates that 50,000 rail jobs are dependent upon global trade.
On the trucking side, the U.S. Chamber indicated it is not yet clear how closing the border to all but “commercial traffic” would work on both a legal or logistics basis.
Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at the U.S. Chamber said on a conference call this week said that the nature of the U.S.-Mexico commercial relationship is not just about goods being shipped on trucks or trains, in that it is much broader than that.
“For instance, this is the most frequently crossed border in the world by a large margin, with nearly 500,000 people crossing it every day,” he said. “These people are workers or students or shoppers or tourists. There are retail establishments all along the U.S. side of the border that re heavily reliant on Mexican shoppers. That side of the business relationship really drives home that if you let trucks and trains roll through but stopping other things, there will still be very extensive harm to the U.S. economy. It is not entirely clear how that would work.”
Bradley added that there are certain actions that would be incredibly counterproductive and destructive the U.S. economy and undermine economic growth and prosperity and provide little benefit in terms of border security.
“That would include closing the southern border,” he said. “One of the things we have been talking about with our members and state and local chambers is understanding the impact that closing the border would have [on] bilateral trade, and also economic activity that we don’t often think about, when we think about the southern border.”
Another Washington, D.C.-based business group, the National Retail Federation (NRF), penned a letter to the White House today voicing concerns regarding how the ongoing threats to close the U.S.-Mexico border would hurt U.S. retailers, workers, and consumers.
“We share the administration’s goal of fixing the nation’s broken immigration system and enhancing border security,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay wrote in the letter. “However, there is no way to close the U.S-Mexico border without inflicting serious damage to the American economy. Closing the border for any length of time would result in significant supply chain disruptions for U.S. retailers. These disruptions would reverberate throughout the supply chain, impacting everyone from truckers to warehouse workers whose jobs depend on the two-way trade with Mexico. The end result would be job losses, factory shutdowns, increased consumer costs and reduced product availability across the country.”
In calling on Congress and the White House, and the U.S. and Mexico to continue to work together to resolve this issue, Shay stated that resorting to a border closure would be a self-inflicted wound to the American economy.
Robert W. Baird and Co. analyst Ben Hartford commented in a research note that the risk of freight disruption is material in the event of shutdown, due to the fact that Mexico is the US' third-largest goods trading partner with $611.5 billion in total goods traded in 2018 (per the USTR and US Census Bureau).
“Assessing the probability of a full (or even partial) shutdown of the US-Mexico border is difficult,” Hartford wrote. “Additionally, questions remain regarding enforcement (i.e., can attempts to address immigration or trafficking be limited to that effort and not impact commercial trade?) in the event of a shutdown. In short, we view the likelihood of a shutdown of the US-Mexico border as low -- particularly one that is prolonged. Regardless, using rhetoric and subsequent action involving tariffs during 2018 with regard to US-China trade as a template, we believe we have to view the President's threat to shut down some/all of the US-Mexico border as credible and, therefore, likely to be disruptive to freight volumes, at least in the near term.”
The analyst added that there is shipper concern regarding supply chain disruptions from the threat of a US-Mexico border closure and related advancement of raw materials into Mexico (i.e., chemicals) to raise inventory stocks in preparation for potential disruptions.
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The year was 1962.
Billie Smoot, whose husband, Jack, owned Langley Shopping Center on Chain Bridge Road, made a suggestion at a meeting of the Fairfax Hospital Auxiliary; in that year, the words “auxiliary” was almost synonymous with the word “ladies.”
Why not raise money for the hospital by starting a consignment shop?
“We were all ready for it,” said an auxiliary member who was then a stay-at-home mother.
From her home on Calder Street in central Mclean, Iva Froelich could walk to the shop, which opened in a rented house on Old Dominion Drive. The wife of Stuart Udall, secretary of the Interior, cut the ribbon.
Forty years later, the Treasure Trove is still around, still accepting consignments and donations, selling them, and raising about $250,000 a year for Inova Fairfax Hospital.
And Froelich is still working there as a volunteer.
Presently, the Auxiliary is working to raise $3 million to meet its pledge to pay for the lobby in a new hospital facility to care for heart patients, said the present shop chairman, Carol Lukas said.
The Treasure Trove has moved only once, to Salona Village Shopping Center, where it is a fixture, just a few doors down from McLean Family Restaurant.
It ran without a manager for the first 28 years, but “we made so much money they needed someone to handle the finances,” Lukas said.
EVERY DAY, people come to bring their cast-offs and their dearest possessions, make prices, and make them available for sale.
The Auxiliary gets a cut of 40 percent.
With that, the group pays rent, two salaries and utility bills. It rents a space of 1,840 square feet and pays the full market price of $29 per square foot, just like the other tenants.
Revenue varies month to month with the donations, said shop chairman Carol Lukas.
“More is donated than we pay to the consignors,” she said. “Each month is different.”
“There’s no doubt this place is growing,” said Froelich, who at 83, just started her 41st year as a volunteer. “The price is right,” she said.
The Treasure Trove is just that — a place of unexpected surprises interspersed with an occasional lifted eyebrow as shoppers go over the offerings.
It’s more of a boutique, really, said Lukas.
There are bargains such as Chanel’s original “little black dress” at $9.50; or a mink stole with a sable collar and a Garfinkel’s label, valued by its consignor at $5,000 and priced at $750; a gold bracelet at $150; and a vintage prom gown for $11.50. A solid rosewood desk is offered at $645; Barry Bonds baseball cards are $21 to $30.
There are silly ties, colorful accessories, jeans, tweed jackets, and household items for just a few dollars.
Drama departments from local schools and community theater groups come in to look for costumes and accessories for the stage, she said.
People from third world countries buy $200 worth of $1 items to send back home. These are the sources of inspiration that bring out the good-heartedness in the volunteers who work at the store.
“I know there are people at the cash register who will put it in, if you don’t have enough,” said Lukas. Ed Homes is one example; he took $3 from his wallet and put it in the cash register as an assist to a woman who came up short.
Consignments are accepted every day between 10 and 11:50 a.m.
PEOPLE WHO BRING THEIR BELONGINGS for consignment love The Treasure Trove.
“You know this is the greatest place. Everybody loves this place. I consign at several places, and the others are a burden and a chore,” said Ed Haak, a regular.
“I’m selling my mom’s clothes for money,” said Maggie Toepffer Alexander, a recent college graduate, who is looking for a job.
Mary Ann Schall stood in line to have her items evaluated. She said the Treasure Trove is fun, and a chance to “Empty the house. Get rid of the junk you don’t want, and get stuff you do,” Schall said.


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The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Turkey organized the second leg of the Sri Lankan Batiks promotional event with the assistance of the Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka to Antalya Ali Kamburoglu on 20 July 2022.
The event was held at Beachpark, Konyaalti in the city of Antalya which is the tourism hub of Turkey. The visitors admired the glamour of Sri Lankan batiks and handloom sarees, wrap-arounds, shawls and other dresses and showed keen interest in connecting with Sri Lankan suppliers through e-commerce platforms.
During the event, Ambassador Rizvi Hassen briefed the guests on the vibrant Sri Lankan fashion industry and the uniqueness of batik and handloom. Honorary Consul Kamburoglu invited guests to explore not only the the batik and handloom industry but also the short film industry of Sri Lanka .
Five Sri Lankan short films were screened at the event where invitees were also served Sri Lankan delicacies.


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Another big new cruise ship is headed to Asia. Royal Caribbean has announced that its first, yet-to-be-named Quantum Ultra-class ship will be based in the Asia-Pacific region when it launches in spring 2019, joining sibling ships Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas. Billed as the “next evolution” of the cruise line’s Quantum class, Royal Caribbean made the announcement regarding the new ship as part of the unveiling of its lineup of 2018 – 2019 China, Singapore and Australia itineraries.
Royal Caribbean also announced that, for the 2018 – 2019 season, Mariner of the Seas will reposition to Miami before sailing a “Global Odyssey” from Asia with three long sailings from Singapore to Dubai; Dubai to Barcelona; and Barcelona to Miami. The “Global Odyssey” opens for bookings May 2, 2017. Voyager of the Seas, meanwhile, will have its first full season in Singapore in 2018 – 2019, offering three- to seven-night itineraries in Southeast Asia with calls including ports in Thailand and Malaysia.
Other highlights of the 2018 -2019 season include expanded open-jaw itineraries, with new 10-night open-jaw itineraries between Auckland, New Zealand, and Melbourne or Sydney, Australia, on Radiance of the Seas. During the winter, Ovation of the Seas will reposition to Sydney for its longest season in Australia, making it the largest ship based in the region, Royal Caribbean said.
Royal Caribbean’s China 2018-19 itineraries for Quantum and Voyager will be available to book beginning April 26, 2017, followed by Ovation on April 27. Australia and Singapore sailings will be open as of May 16, 2017.
The announcement is the latest move by major cruise lines stepping up their investment in the growing cruise market in Asia. In its Asia Cruise Trends report released last summer, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) found that Asian source markets experienced the most growth for ocean cruise passengers in 2014 and 2015. Dr. Zinan Liu, chair of CLIA North Asia, predicted “record-breaking growth in cruise travel” in the region.
Other major cruise lines have been announcing plans to launch new cruise ships in Asia as well. This past week Norwegian Cruise Line announced that the Norwegian Joy, a cruise ship the line is purpose-building for the China cruise market, would sail with a two-level Ferrari-branded competitive racetrack that will allow guests to take a ride in electric go-carts. That ship is set to be officially delivered this year on April 27 in Bremerhaven, Germany, before setting sail for China.
Other itinerary details from Royal Caribbean released today include:
China and Singapore Cruises
Available to book April 26 and 27
- Quantum of the Seas will continue to sail from Shanghai for the fourth consecutive season, offering 78 sailings to and from Japan, beginning January 2018. Highlights include:
- 6-night Japan itinerary: Visits the historic city of Nagasaki and overnights in Okinawa, Japan
- 8-night Ultimate Japan itinerary: Includes stops in Kobe, Tokyo and Nagasaki, Japan
- Ovation of the Seas will return to Tianjin, China for its second season, offering cruises to Japan, including two new ports for the ship: Sasaebo and Shimonoseki. The season begins April 2018. Highlights include:
- 5-night Japan itinerary: Sailing to Sasaebo and Shimonoseki, Japan, travelers will visit what many know as “The Gateway to Japan.”
- 7-night Ultimate Japan itinerary: Stops include Sakaiminato, Maizuru and Nagasaki, Japan
- Voyager of the Seas will offer a combined total of 77 sailings from Singapore, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, offering itineraries Southeast Asia, beginning April 30, 2018. Highlights include:
- 4-night Malaysia itinerary: Sailing from Singapore and visiting Penang and Phuket
- 5-night Vietnam itinerary: From Hong Kong to destinations including Chan May and Nha Trang, Vietnam
Australia and South Pacific Cruises
Available to book May 16
- Ovation of the Seas will sail from Sydney, Australia for its third and longest season in the country, offering 13 sailings beginning November 2018. Highlights include:
- 10-night New Zealand itinerary: Departing Sydney, featuring the country’s wildlife and Maori heritage with stops in Milford Sound, Napier and Picton, New Zealand
- 14-night Singapore to Sydney, open-jaw itinerary: Setting sail this fall to ports of call including Adelaide and Hobart, Tasmania
- Radiance of the Seas will have an expanded open-jaw program with three new itineraries in Australia in 2019. Highlights include:
- New - 10-night, open-jaw itinerary: Departing from Auckland, New Zealand to Melbourne, Australia, travelers will visit destinations throughout the Tasman Sea.
- Explorer of the Seas will join Ovation of the Seas for its fourth season based in Sydney with 23 sailings exploring the island destinations of the South Pacific and Fiji. The ship’s cruises range from 3- to 14-night itineraries, and will begin in October 2018. Highlights include:
- 12-night South Pacific and Fiji itinerary: Visiting a lineup of destinations including Noumea, Caledonia; Port Vila, Vanuatu; Lautoka and Suva, Fiji.


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For clues to where smart cards are headed in the United States, go to college. Just as the student population was the first to embrace ATMs over 20 years ago, so too it seems will universities be important indicators of the future of smart card technology. And fertile ground can be found in the unique structure of U.S. campuses which, unlike anywhere else in the world, offer a gamut of services to students, faculty, and staff.
Institutions of higher learning provide the most visible and numerous examples of the technology in all its multi-application glory, offering a variety of identification, payment, and security services.
Much of the attention has focused on Florida State University, a pioneer with 35,000 cards in circulation, and on Cybermark LLC, a company part-owned by Huntington Bancshares that recently took control of the Florida State technology.
College and university campuses are big plastic-card users to begin with - 235 schools are members of the National Association of Campus Card Users. Many have looked into an upgrade to chips, some have moved, but still their costs of up to $5 each often seem daunting compared to magnetic-stripe cards under $1.
"Smart cards will increase, although universities have a hard time cost-justifying their implementation," said Kevin Mullen, administrator of the association. "There's not a lot now that smart cards can do that mag stripes can't, and so the transition is slow. But once technical and pricing difficulties have been overcome, mag stripe will be replaced."
Colleges epitomize the self-contained communities, or "closed systems," where smart cards have long been expected to take root in advance of mass-market, open environments. Washington University in St. Louis was the first to try them in 1995, with about 15,000 students.
Capabilities have expanded from simple stored-value payment functions and physical access controls to student registrations, tuition accounting, library cards, banking and automated teller machine access, and off-campus usage. Smart cards enable Florida State students to order pizza over the Internet and download their grades.
The opportunities have attracted two main groups of technology providers: Schlumberger and its Danyl unit with strategic ally Diebold Inc.; and a consortium that includes Gemplus Group, Debitek Inc., Product Technologies Inc., V-One Corp., Verifone Inc., and Cybermark.
Cybermark was started by the Student Loan Marketing Association, which now co-owns it with Huntington and Battelle Memorial Institute. The latter two are based in Columbus, Ohio, where they made a showcase installation at Ohio Dominican College.
"One of the novel things about our system is that it can be fully integrated into a direct deposit account and funds can be downloaded from kiosks on campus," said James B. Graham, chairman and chief executive officer of Cybermark.
In its SmartCity program, Florida State "migrated from mag stripe to prepaid cards and added functionality to the cards off-line," said Bill R. Norwood, who joined eight FSU card application technology staff members in moving to Cybermark two months ago.
SunTrust Bank, Orlando, linked checking accounts to the FSU cards and made electronic financial aid disbursements possible. The electronic purse cards, recording about 400,000 transactions a month, can be used at 600 readers on campus. The stored-value function has a maximum amount of $99.99.
Magnetic stripes enable the cards to be used at off-campus ATMs and at merchant locations.
While the FSU operation will continue for at least another year, Mr. Norwood and his team will be out to sign up other universities. Mr. Graham said 12 deals are close. FSU has invested between $750,000 and $1 million, and Mr. Norwood said it costs about $200,000 per 10,000 people to implement a smart card program.
"Most colleges are now making purchasing decisions and a tremendous amount are bidding for smart card programs," said Ron Kirk, director of business development at Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Debitek, which makes card- reloading stations and vending machine components.
He said the competition is less between smart card providers than against magnetic stripe systems. But he sees chips prevailing and emerging into open systems. "The university marketplace is the beginning of smart card programs in the U.S.," Mr. Kirk said.
He naturally touts the Cybermark multi-application system as superior to Schlumberger. The latter's director of product marketing, Randy Vanderhoof, said, "Our Opus platform for campuses supports the stored-value function of ID cards for vending, laundry, POS, photocopying - and the mag stripe functions for door access, credit and debit, and personalization of campus ID cards."
Mr. Vanderhoof asserted that while Schlumberger's current customers just use the stored-value function, the chip can do much more. Schlumberger has been involved in nine college programs since 1994 and is ready to support network access, E-mail security, distance learning, health records, and electronic ticketing when demand arises.
Six of the French-owned company's systems are on Michigan campuses, led by the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. In association with First of America Bank, Kalamazoo, 200,000 Campus First cards have been issued.
"The university issues the card, but if the cardholder chooses it can be a First of America ATM card," said Robert Golisek, manager of new product development at the bank. He said 40% took that option.
The cards are reloadable to a maximum value of $50, using cash or transferring funds from a bank account. Chip-reading devices have been installed in laundry rooms, at photocopiers, and in vending machines.
The bank plans later to use the Schlumberger loyalty program, letting cardholders earn points that can then be redeemed at selected merchants.
Middlebury College in Vermont has used Schlumberger for its Midd Card, which grew out of a card with a magnetic stripe for meal payments and a bar code for the library. The current card has a mag stripe on the back for the library, door locks, and later this summer for use as an ATM-debit card in association with National Bank of Middlebury. On the reverse side is a chip for on-campus payments and up to $50 of stored value for vending machines, microfiche readers, and laser printers. By September, 20 downtown Middlebury merchants will accept Midd Cards.
"We chose Schlumberger because it has open architecture and we can use the cards in other vendors' hardware," said Thomas Corbin, Middlebury College assistant treasurer and head of human resources.
The Midd Cards are customized to each type of user with different logos: 2,000 students, 1,000 faculty and staff, 400 retirees, 300 spouses, 1,500 summer language students, and 19,000 alumni (within 12 months.)
Total investment in the project was $250,000, compared to $20,000 for the mag stripe system, but Mr. Corbin sees ways to justify it: "We don't have to deal with coins and change and the money unused on the card is in our account. Security also loves it by being able to keep tabs on which kids are going through the door locks."
Schlumberger recently signed up the University of Pennsylvania for an installation this fall.
Building on the magnetic-stripe PennCard, the Smart PennCard will include stored value as well as links to accounts at PNC Bank and the University of Pennsylvania Student Federal Credit Union. There is also an optional link to MBNA Corp.'s affinity credit card program.
"We're sharing the costs of development and implementation with our partners, but the (card-reader) installations will be our main costs," said Laurie Cousart, director of telecommunications and leader of the Philadelphia project.
"The campus market is an ideal test bed for smart card technology," said Mr. Vanderhoof of Schlumberger. "It offers all the services of an open financial market, but in a closed, controlled, environment with eager participants." He said usage runs as high as six transactions a day per card.
Other financial institutions involved in campus card development include Commerce Bank of Kansas City, Mo., with Fort Hays State University in Kansas, and Central Fidelity National Bank of Richmond, Va., with Virginia Commonwealth University.
"We are considering setting up services on the Internet where students can get degree summaries, transcripts, and access to their grades by means of a PIN and password entered at the smart card reader beside a personal computer," said John Ross, director of Fort Hays' card center, which introduced a mag stripe program two years ago and is talking to vendors about introducing smart cards in a year.
Fort Hays introduced its University Card program two years ago although it then decided to go with magnetic stripe. The current ATM and debit functions which are optional on ID cards are used by 30% of the 4,500 students on campus.
For the moment, Fort Hays is talking to a number of vendors including Debitek and Schlumberger and is paying attention to what Microsoft is writing about smart cards at its web site. It is also interested in Hewlett-Packard's smart card reader, which can be incorporated into a PC keyboard.
"Costs and standards will drive the decision of which technology we'll go with," Mr. Ross said. "We're definitely looking at the advantages of smart cards and are trying to make a sound business decision. But we'll need a $50,000 investment to upgrade our readers in the food and beverage machines and in photocopiers."
Contrariwise, the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley looked into chips to upgrade the insecure "junk stripe" it used for stored-value on campus. It put off committing to the required investment of $200,000 to $300,000, which "just wasn't cost-effective for us," said marketing coordinator Doug Gibson. The school found a willing partner in Norwest Corp. to issue all students next fall a free checking account, with ID cards doubling as ATM cards.
Despite the occasional setback, Charles Cagliostro of Gemplus said 1997 is the year of the campus smart card. "We have received verbal commitments or purchase orders from four universities and I wouldn't be surprised if there were another five announcements by yearend," said the card manufacturer's director of strategic alliances.
"What will drive the university and corporate market to chip cards is the requirement for secure access to information," he added. "Logging on to a PC can't be done with a mag stripe and everyone wants to get down to one card. The university is where it's happening first."


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Amazon India on Tuesday announced that it is to start manufacturing of Amazon Fire TV stick from India. The move came after PM Narendra Modi emphasized the promotion of local artists and enterprises under the AatmaNirbhar Bharat scheme.
Minister proposed that Amazon India should take goods made by Indian craftsmen and Ayurvedic products to global markets via the eCommerce website.
A virtual meeting with Amit Agarwal, Global Senior Vice President of Amazon and Country Head for India, was held today by the Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, Communications and Law &Justice. This meeting addressed a number of topics relating to the digital market.
Speaking on the occasion Shri. Ravi Shankar Prasad, said "India is an attractive investment destination and is poised to become a major player in the global supply chain in the electronics and IT products industry. Our Government's decision to launch a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme has received a tremendous response globally."
We support the decision by Amazon to set up a production line in Chennai, as it will increase domestic production capacity and also build jobs, he added.
This step will further help the mission of creating a digitally empowered AatmaNirbhar Bharat. Amazon will commence its manufacturing efforts with contract manufacturer Cloud Network Technology, a subsidiary of Foxconn in Chennai and start production later this year.
IT Minister wrote on Koo- "Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, electronics manufacturing in India has recently attracted some of the biggest investments from global giants. Happy to share Amazon India is the latest to join this success story of India."
In order to promote the manufacture of electronics in India, India has taken many key steps. With several foreign companies beginning production of electronics products from India, the Production Related Manufacturing (PLI) for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing has emerged as a big success.
Amazon's entry into this field contributes to India's prosperous electronics manufacturing story.
"Amazon is a global company but Amazon India must evolve as a truly India company deeply connected with Indian business community and culture," the Union Minister said.


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Latest News on Novartis
Showing of 0 - 10 from 61 results
Novartis - Total results - 61
Jun 03, 2019
New hormone-based breast cancer drug found to boost survival rates dramaticallyResearchers are interested in exploring whether the drug could help nip cancer in the bud at early stages.
May 27, 2019
FDA approves $2.1 million Novartis' 'Zolgensma', makes it the costliest drug everZolgensma, a one-time drug for spinal muscular atrophy, affects 1 in 10,000 children and mostly leads to death.
Jan 03, 2019
Sun Pharma acquires Japan's Pola Pharma; firm eyes to expand global presence in dermatology segmentThe acquisition of 100 percent shares of Pola Pharma Inc Japan by the company's wholly owned subsidiary has been concluded, Sun Pharma said in a BSE filing.
Nov 30, 2018
GSK Consumer Healthcare says it is considering potential transaction of nutrition business; Unilever confirms developmentHindustan Unilever, the Indian arm of Unilever, confirmed that the company was in the race to acquire GlaxoSmithKline Plc's consumer healthcare nutrition products
Aug 22, 2018
GSK seeks mid-September bids for $4 billion Indian Horlicks unit, say sourcesGSK started a strategic review of Horlicks - a malt-based drink brand popular in India – and some smaller products, after buying Novartis out of their consumer healthcare venture for $13 billion in March.
Mar 28, 2018
GSK to sell Horlicks to fund $13 bn Novartis deal; Nestle, Kraft, Unilever likely suitors, say sourcesGSK has started a strategic review of Horlicks - a malt-based drink brand popular in India – and some of its smaller products, after buying Novartis out of their consumer healthcare venture for $13 billion on Tuesday.
Mar 12, 2018
Novartis CEO Narasimhan rehauls co leadership as operations president Andre Wyss exitsNovartis’ new Chief Executive Vas Narasimhan is remaking the Swiss drugmaker’s leadership as operations president Andre Wyss exits
Jan 18, 2018
Free diagnostic camps seek to revolutionise healthcare in rural India, but affordability of medicines affecting impactHowever, free diagnosis solves only a part of the problem for these villagers.
Jun 20, 2017
ISB sees 39% rise in campus placements with 1,113 offers, average salary at Rs 22 lakhOver 70 offers were made to ISB students for leadership roles by leading corporates including Aditya Birla Group, Citibank, Yes Bank, Philips India Ltd, Tech Mahindra, MAX, Mytrah Energy and Genpact.
Jun 15, 2017
Google to bet on Euro biotech company to deliver life-changing drugsThe move shows Google pumping cash into global medical research, seeding what it believes will become a core long-term healthcare business.


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Say farewell to the free Wall Street Journal on the iPhone.
According to Paid Content, News Corp's Rupert Murdoch announced that readers of the WSJ on the Blackberry and iPhone will be charged $2 per week for the privilege of reading news through the respective apps. Online and print subscribers of the WSJ will only pay $1 a week. No time limit has been set yet, but Murdoch says it will be within the next few months.
There's bad news for Hulu lovers as well. Murdoch also said News Corp is considering either a pay-per-view or subscription model for Hulu. "No final decision has been made," Murdoch said via Webcast at an investor conference today. The WSJ itself reports that subscription offerings will roll out for media content before the end of the year, though it was made in a different context from the Hulu statement.


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Sony may announce the Xperia 2 at IFA 2019
See the original posting on The Verge
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Sonys Xperia 1 came to the US just last month, but next week, the company may already be planning to announce a successor to the flagship smartphone, specifically on September 5th at 12PM BST / 7AM ET during IFA 2019. The model is rumored to be called the Xperia 2, and according to Xperia Blog (via 9to5Google), we might be seeing it for the first time in a batch of leaked images.
Its easy to tell the Xperia 1 from Sonys earlier phones. It along with the cheaper Sony Xperia 10 were the companys first devices to feature a 21:9 aspect ratio display. It resulted in a tall, skinny display thats a perfect place to watch movies.
The device shown off in the leaked renders above appears to be cut from the…


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Chrysler Group will switch to just one midsize sedan early next year, eliminating the Dodge Avenger and retaining the Chrysler 200 name for a new, Fiat-based model.
The car company apparently believes it can unite its marketing behind a single new sedan and do a better job challenging midsize sedan sales champions Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Ford Fusion.
Midsize cars comprise the biggest slice of the new-car market. An automaker without a serious player there is leaving thousands of sales and tens of millions of dollars on the table.
Chrysler won't say what, if anything, will replace Avenger. The five-year plan Chrysler rolled out November 2009 shows a new midsize SUV at the same time as the new 200 sedan, but that SUV's listed as a Chrysler-brand model, not a Dodge. Chrysler points out that the plan is subject to change.
Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a conference call in January, discussing Chrysler earnings, that "the new Chrysler 200 gets launched in 2014," after a makeover at the Sterling Heights factory that builds the current 200 and Avenger.
Sterling Heights could build many different vehicles; an SUV version using the same underpinnings as the new 200 sedan would be a relative snap.
That's because Sterling Heights is getting a new, flexible-manufacturing, body-assembly and paint facility, able to build and paint any Chrysler Group model except Ram trucks and the ProMaster commercial van.
The new body-paint complex is under construction adjacent to the current plant, and is about 85% complete.
The new facility will open late this year or early next to build the redesigned 200, and could accommodate a midsize SUV or other vehicle to replace the Avenger.
The main factory is shut temporarily for the auto industry's normal summer break. When it resumes production it will make carryover 2014 models of the 200 and Avenger until later this year, as well as the 200 convertible, which is sold overseas as the Lancia Flavia.
That will allow the car company to stock up on midsize sedans to last until the new vehicles hit the market early next year, avoiding the sales gap it endured when it discontinued the Jeep Liberty before it had the replacement Cherokee ready.
Chrysler gave a tour of the new body-paint facility Tuesday. Comments made during the tour sparked a number of conflicting reports – mostly wrong, Chrysler says -- about the timing of the new model and what would replace the Avenger.
The automaker's apparent midsize vehicle strategy is somewhat like its approach to the company's venerable and signal minivans – no need to sell essentially the same product under two names, requiring double the marketing expense. The Chrysler Town & Country minivan will be discontinued next year, Marchionne has said, and a new-design minivan will replace the Dodge Grand Caravan.
Chrysler brand gets a replacement "people mover" vehicle, which might keep the T&C name, but it won't be a van, Marchionne has said.
The Chrysler 200, previously called Sebring, had its 15 minutes of fame in Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" 2011 Super Bowl TV ad, showing Detroit native singer Eminem proudly piloting a 200 around the Motor City. The big Chrysler 300 sedan is better-known and easily recognized, but it's made in Canada so wouldn't have fit the ad's theme.
The 200 and Avenger date back to 2006. Chrysler Group has sold 136,033 of the two, combined, the first half this year, according to Autodata. Toyota Camry sales the same period: 207,626; Honda Accord, 186,860; Ford Fusion, 161,146.


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California Follows European Union In Banning 24 Toxic Chemicals From Being Used In Cosmetics
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A new bill has been signed into law in California that bans two dozen toxic chemicals from being used in cosmetics.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2762 on Wednesday. The legislation will ban a total of hazardous ingredients from being put in products by 2025.
Those same chemicals have already been banned by the European Union, but California is the first state to also adopt a ban.
"Children, communities of color and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to these ingredients, which are not actively regulated by the federal government," said Newsom in a statement about the signing.
The bill was authored by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance).
All the chemicals banned by the bill are known to cause cancer, reproductive harm and hormone disruption.
"The science is clear on the harmful nature of these chemicals and AB 2762 will provide Californians with the same consumer protections already provided in the European Union," said Asem. Muratsuchi in a statement.
Another piece of legislation signed by Gov. Newsom now requires companies to disclose possibly harmful ingredients being used in personal care products.
for more features.


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An animal rights organization is using sex to sell activism and for once it isn't PETA.
A local print flyer delivered to residents in Burleigh Heads, Australia, from a local beauty shop asks "What's New Pussycat?" and depicts a cat… placed strategically between the spread legs of a scantily-clad woman.
It's an ad that's drawing controversy (the good kind) and controversy (the bad kind). And for one brand, it's not the first time this has happened.
The ad, from the Recreate Yourself Hair and Beauty Salon, states that for every wax service, the salon will donate $1 to the Animal Welfare League (AWL).
As should have been expected, some have reacted poorly to the ad. The salon owners have defended the ad and, for its part, the AWL has publicly embraced it.
On its Facebook page, the salon posted a picture of the controversial ad in the paper and commented: "Just had a phone call from a lady who works at the Animal Welfare League to say that she loves the flyer and its amazingly done, she also said thanks to the team and our clients for raising money for their cause! book in today and we'll donate $1 from every wax to the AWL. They need the money and you prob need the wax)"
But the real controversy may not be what the ad suggests, but that it's been done before, almost exactly.
As several media outlets, including the Brisbane Times, have pointed out, the Recreate Yourself ad is nearly identical in message to a 2009 version from Singapore for the Cat Welfare Societ which stated "Add a temporary bowtie tattoo to your Braziian wax and we donate $1 to the Cat Welfare Society."
The Recreate Yourself salon owners denied ever having seen the Singapore ad, yet both carry the "What's New Pussycat?" tagline.
The Singapore version was even more risque. For the "ministry of waxing" salon "Strip," the 2009 versionincluded plush cat dolls.
Strip, which has locations around the globe, including London, New York and Shanghai, ran a gutsy ad in 2008 to note the transition of presidents. With titles like "Bye Bye Bush," "No More Bush" and "Life Will be Better Without Bush" the November 2008 campaign celebrated the end of the George Bush administration with waxing discounts.
Notably, a month later in January 2009, America's Bliss spa chain announced a similar "Farewell to Bush" waxing promotion.


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Products pertaining to individuals were rapidly pursued by CBD chewies, natural skin oils not to mention atomizers with regard to pets.“The expansion one is the most quick as opposed to I've come across for every item found in 20 quite a few years on ecommerce,” said Charge Bookout, president in the Country's Canine Health supplement Council, an industry cluster as their fellow member firms consent to assessment in addition to data-gathering requirements. “Could possibly godsend taking now.
Almost certainly 95 % of this marketplace students tend to be sensible, however , what's threatening could be the fly-by-night working(a) this would like to profit in.”That U.S.
Diet and also Illegal drug Administration can be developing codes just for selling CBD goods, for the purpose of your pets or possibly people. This season, these have mailed indicator characters to help 22 agencies citing violations like generating cases in relation to beneficial utilizes plus cure for ailment for live people or perhaps wildlife and / or advertising CBD to be a dietary supplement or nutrients ingredient. “This can be all the Wild Due west available on the market,” explained S.
Brian Moche, creator regarding Put Fundamental Knowledge, an enterprise organized to guide Colorado Condition University's veterinarian CBD groundwork and so marketing CBD online. Your puppy suggests potential customers to consider a piece of paper for test using a third-party diagnostic tests science lab to make sure of they are obtaining what remedy they take care of for. “Evaluating and additionally labeling will be a vital role into the future of this sector,” Moche said.
Wakshlag said products and services need to be screened never just for CBD levels, but probably to ensure they're just without deadly toxic contamination such as chemical toxins together with inorganic pesticides and also simply have footprint numbers of THC, which in larger levels can be poisonous to help dogs.Bookout mentioned an individual's provider features taken a small number of overall health events regarding CBD no deaths. Really, precise documentation of CBD's safety plus usefulness 's almost nonexistent.
That may be beginning alteration, however. One small medical trial found at Denver colorado Say University or college released during the Log of this Usa Veterinary surgeon Professional medical Affiliation found in June discovered CBD gasoline lessened raptus frequency through 89 proportion for the epileptic k9s which will received it. A good medical learn cbd hemp oil lead by way of Wakshlag with Cornell, printed around Frontiers around Veterinary clinic Art through Come early july 2018, found CBD gasoline assisted rise coziness and also adventure through canines with osteoarthritis.
Stephanie McGrath, an important Colorado Status University or college specialist, will now be performing a more substantial clinical test financed from the United states Doghouse Club's Canine Health Foundation. Further Holiday weekend Reads“That connection between your to begin with epilepsy analysis had been achievable, yet there seemed to be not necessarily plenty statistics to speak about CBD is the newest secret anti-convulsive medication with k9s,” McGrath said.Seizures can be a genuine place emphasis for researching on the subject of veterinarian CBD products, due to the fact Epidiolex, truly the only FDA-approved drug made up of cannabidiol, had been authorized a year ago pertaining to therapy for several major sorts of epilepsy during children.


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The popularity of contactless payments, either by card or by smartphone using a mobile payment solution, has increased rapidly since the start of the pandemic.
For the first time ever, contactless payments by card in shops in Belgium have overtaken the number of traditional payments that require people to insert their card and manually enter their PIN code, as for 50.8% of all Bancontact payments in shops, the card was tapped against the terminal.
Meanwhile, 86% of all Bancontact cards are now equipped with the contactless payment function. The coronavirus crisis resulted in this becoming the preferred option as it is considered a more hygienic way of paying for purchases, according to the Bancontact Payconiq Company.
These figures were confirmed in a survey by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) earlier this year, which found that the increase in contactless payments is most striking when it comes to people between the ages of 65 and 74, as around 76% of people in this age group made at least one contactless payment in 2020, compared to 36% in 2019.
Smartphone payments gaining ground
The use of smartphones as a method of payment has gained even more ground as the coronavirus crisis continues, as people living in Belgium made as many mobile contactless payments between January and August of this year as they did during the entirety of 2020.
"In the 'coronavirus year' of 2020, the smartphone was already well established as a means of payment, but this year the figures are even stronger," the company said.
According to Bancontact Payconiq Company, the method of payment was used around 125 million times, which equates to a growth of 69% compared to last year.
In August alone, people used their smartphones for payments around 18 million times, while they tapped their phone on a card machine in shops to use the Payconiq by Bancontact app or a banking app that has integrated the mobile payment solutions around 1 million times, an almost threefold increase compared to February 2020, before the pandemic.
"Especially online, the dominance of the smartphone is striking," as around three in four of all online purchases made in Belgium in August were made via the payment solution on mobile phones.
The Brussels Times


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Filling Up Local Food Shelves
by Breanna Fuss, Reporter
September 15, 2012 5:52 PM
The third annual ‘Fighting Hunger Together’ food drive is taking place all weekend.
Walmart and Feeding South Dakota have teamed up for the community to be able to donate non-perishable items to local food shelves.
With the holidays right around the corner local non-profit organizations need to stock up on food.
This weekend, one in particular is getting some much needed help, with the help of Walmart.
"All thirteen Walmarts in the state are participating in this food drive,” said Jim Dawson.
Jim Dawson with Feeding South Dakota said last year their annual food drive raised 27,000 pounds. This year they hope to do even better as even more and more members of the community are in need.
"Visitations have gone up between 60 and 65 percent in the last 3 to 4 years,” said Dawson.
Making food drives like the one over the weekend, invaluable.
Chad Thomas a manager at Walmart knows that and said this year they made it a littler easier for people to give.
"We put together items in a bag, pre-packaged, so customers can come in for $3 to $5 and pick a group of items. Customer can pay for it at the register and then put it in this box,” said Chad Thomas.
On Saturday alone, Walmart employees will make around 400 bags all filled with non-perishable food items.
And to give you a little extra push throughout the store you'll find certain items with special prices on them.
"Our toppers here were we're feeding hunger America, is really sending the message to our customers. But these are great really inexpensive items and it goes all the way down our grocery action alley that really makes sense that you can quick items you can grab to really help the cause,” said Thomas.
Sending a message that you can help those who may not know where their next meal may come from.
"One out of every eight persons is below the poverty level. So that figures out about 100,000 people we help annually,” Dawson said.
All the donations made in Sioux Falls will stay here and go to local food pantries in town. Donations end Sunday September 16th, at 5 p.m.


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They will work with the original team to “conclude the story in the way that the fans deserve”.
After confirming that Telltale Games closes its doors, the future of the last season of the series The Walking Dead has been in the air, although its makers left open the possibility of concluding the story by premiering the two episodes that remained to be published. Outcome? Skybound Games will be responsible for concluding the development of The Walking Dead: The Final Season.
The producer of the original author of the comics, Robert Kirkman, announced at the New York Comic-Con that they will work with part of the team responsible for the video game to “conclude the story in the way that the fans deserve”, without providing more details on how and when the remaining episodes will be available to close this last season.
The Telltale Games disaster has also left in the air other projects much anticipated by fans as the Stranger Things adventure, for which Netflix is looking for a new partner to help take the series to the world of video games. Recently, the first videos of Stranger Things, which was going to release a new graphics engine in the studio, came to light.
With the surprising closing of the studio, in 3DJuegos we dedicated a special to analyze the rise and fall in the misfortune of Telltale Games, a giant with feet of clay that did not know how to amortize the success of its first video games.
See More At TechWikies.


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Self-employed bricklayer Richard Nyoni, 30, stood surprised on the pavement when he found his favourite hardware shop turned into a supermarket filled to the hatches with a wide variety of imported South African products ranging from orange crush, cornflakes, sugar and salt to toothpicks and toilet paper.
Business was beginning to pick up this year for us from clients renovating their premises. I never expected this hardware shop would be converted into a supermarket overnight, Nyoni told The Zimbabwean. It means the material we require becomes hard to come by and limits our choice of suppliers.
Nyoni feared a large part of the city would soon be dominated by supermarkets.
Bulawayo, which used to be Zimbabwes industrial hub during the pre-independence era, suffered serious de-industrialisation from a flight of large companies which relocated to Harare. The situation has been worsened by a 10-year economic recession and lack of new investments.
In January this year the Zimbabwean government went a step further to officially adopt the use of multiple currencies after the spectacular collapse of the national currency following the removal of exercise duty on imported food items to stem serious food shortages mid-last year.
All retailers and wholesalers are selling their merchandise in South African Rand, Botswana Pula and American Dollar.
Supermarkets that were lying fallow immediately started filling up their shelves.
Groceries are the fast moving lines, said business man, George Ndlovu.
Ndlovu converted his electrical goods and furniture shop into a supermarket a fortnight ago in order to remain in business. He terms the conversion into another line of business diversification.
Few people could afford durable household goods such as furniture and electrical gadgets and opted to feed their families first ahead of buying luxury goods, he explained adding: Setting up supermarkets is a growing trend in the city.
A few months ago almost one in every five or so retail shops along the citys streets was boarded up; displaying signs that informed potential customers the premises were closed for renovations.
Hard-pressed owners complained of a steep decline in business due to their inability to restock under stringent price controls in a hyperinflationary environment. Before the adoption of multiple a currencies, inflation was officially put at 231 million per cent.
Emily Zhou of Mpopoma, a working class suburb, welcomed the large number of supermarkets in the city for bringing down prices.
It has helped bring down prices, even though foreign currency is hard to come by, said the 36-year old housewife.
But researcher, Caryn Abrahams, of the University of Edinburgh contends that Zimbabwes decision to legalise trade in foreign currency was not benefiting urban consumers.
Abrahams said the retail of foreign goods in Zimbabwe only benefited governments abroad and companies exporting products into the country and selling them in hard currency.
“Who are the residents who have the means and choice to buy in US dollars or travel to South Africa to shop? It’s certainly not the ordinary urban resident earning US$100 a month, she argued in a discussion paper recently.Post published in: Economy


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Hal Sperlich, a former president of Chrysler who retired two decades ago, says Detroit's auto makers are dreaming if they think they can market their way out the problem they're in.
And they better not think they can do it solely with improved quality either. Unless they come out with ground-breaking products, he says, they'll never change consumer perceptions.
If you don't know who Hal Sperlich is, all you need to know is he's one of the fathers of the original Ford Mustang, as well as the Chrysler K-car and Chrysler minivan. Take my word for it, this guy knows product!
Sperlich says Detroit needs to do a car like the first Mustang. But he's not calling for a retro revival. He says the secret to the Mustang's success was not just because it had terrific styling. The real key was it had great packaging and was offered at an irresistible price.
It could seat four adults comfortably, had a good-sized trunk and was priced within reach of the average family. Interestingly, he says the secret of the Mustang's success was that it was a sporty family car. And it completely changed how the public perceived Ford.
If Detroit wants to change people's perceptions, he says it needs to do those kinds of products again: Great looking, well packaged and priced to sell. Not with every single model, mind you. He says you just need two or three “killer” cars to electrify an auto maker's image.
He's also concerned Detroit is locked into the idea of chasing small market niches, rather than going for big sales volume. He complains there are too many models planned for sales of only 45,000 units or so a year. Having so many models makes it difficult to properly advertise and market each one. And since their volume is so low, they can't make much of a financial impact even if they sell out.
Fascinatingly, Sperlich believes the original Ford Mustang and Chrysler minivan are quite similar. They both addressed the transportation needs of the American family, but didn't do it in a boring way.
Instead, they introduced a new dimension to transportation. The Mustang offered sporty family transportation at a great price, while the minivan was about compact-sized functionality in a van that fit in a typical garage.
He emphasizes the price has got to be unbelievable. It's got to offer so much value that the reaction on the street is: “You mean I can get all that, and at that price? You've got to be kidding!”
Sperlich criticizes Detroit's mentality that assumes sales volume will stay fixed, so the only way to make money is to either raise prices or cut costs. If Detroit truly wants to recover, he says management has got to go out on a limb and take the risk to price a car very low. So low it sells in huge volume.
“Put those things together and that's how you make the magic happen,” he told me.
Sperlich ought to know. He made magic throughout his career.
John McElroy is editorial director of Blue Sky Productions and producer of “Autoline” for WTVS-Channel 56, Detroit, and “Autoline Daily,” the online video newscast.


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Sprints “First to 4G” plan altered slightly due to delays
If you have heard of the Sprint EVO 4G you will most likely know that they are currently out of stock, almost worldwide. With little inventory showing up in remote locations across the country, one could imagine that this delay in manufacturing has to be effecting Sprints “first to 4G” plan and marketing ploy.
In a recent interview with the Wall St Journal, Dan Hesse the active CEO of Sprint (and yes the guy in the Sprint commercials) is agreeing to the fact that these delays have hurt their overall strategy. The HTC EVO was officially released under the Sprint moniker on June 4th and runs for about two hundred bucks. But seemingly since day one, there has been a shortage of these units. Sprint was the first national carrier to put the 4G label on their marketing material and the mule that was to bring them to the “first to 4G” fame has lost its breath. The CEO of Sprint Dan Hesse was quoted stating “We thought we would have more of a head start than we’ll end up having,” this largely in part of the shortage on the first ever 4G smart phone. The plan was simple, be the first to launch a 4G/3G phone and establish 4G coverage as time went on. Currently Sprint only covers a handful of major cities with their 4G network and quite obviously cannot put this 4G EVO into the hands of their users. While the numbers on units sold for the EVO 4G have yet to be officially stated by Sprint, analysts put the number at around 300,000.
When looking at this from the outside it is clearly evident that the manufacturer of the device simply cannot keep up with the demand. Currently HTC is also in a bit backed up on the Verizon wireless Droid Incredible. HTC is sighting shortages on components that are sourced from various vendors; a main player in these shortages is Samsung who is known for making the screens on HTC phones. The shortage due to demand has launched a 2.2 billion dollar effort from Samsung to build a factory to manufacture these screens, however this project is not expected to be complete until 2012.
The phone that sold Sprints new 4G coverage is currently on back order and as of recently has gone into the gray, as Sprints site references no potential shipping date.
Are you waiting on the new Sprint EVO 4G?
How long have you been waiting?
Sound off below and let Sprint know that there manufacturer has dropped the EVO ball.Sprint EVO, evo 4g delayed, Sprint EVO 4G


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Dubai Furniture Manufacturing Company LLC (DFMC) has announced the official opening of King Koil’s flagship store at Ibn Battuta Mall.
The new showroom is the 11th store, for the mattress manufacturer, across the UAE and there are plans to open four more showrooms in the first quarter of 2018 that will have the same interiors.
During the opening ceremony, Sundar Rajan, CEO of Dubai Furniture Manufacturing Company LLC, said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming the residents of the UAE in our showroom. This flagship store with totally new concept and design will act as a window for anyone to experience and choose from our exquisite designs to exclusive beds and bedding accessories which provides a comfortable and tranquil sleeping experience helping you maximise your performance for your daily activities.”
He added: “The new location will give all our customers access to a range of mattresses that use the latest and smart technology. King Koil products use high quality raw materials and the mattresses are manufactured using hi-tech machines from Europe and USA. Since inception in the Middle East, King Koil has launched several revolutionary technologies and concepts to lead the mattress industry.”
The premium products displayed at the showroom includes the Silk Collection mattresses, Star Collection mattresses and Adjustable Electra bed products equipped with Ortho protect pocketed spring mattress.


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Ed Sheeran says his "strong" approach on secondary tickets for his gigs will benefit fans in the long run.
People who turned up to the first dates of his UK tour in Manchester with resold tickets were told they were invalid and had to buy new ones.
"The only people it is going to harm in the end is the touts," Ed told Newsbeat at the Biggest Weekend in Swansea.
"I hate the idea of people paying more than face value for tickets when you can get them at face value."
Some fans were angry at their tickets not being valid, including one woman who said she was "fuming" after apparently paying £400 for two tickets.
Secondary ticketing is when people buy tickets for a gig and resell them - usually using sites like Viagogo, StubHub, GetMeIn and Seatwave.
Consumer rights group the Fan Fair Alliance says these sites are used by ticket touts, resulting in something which is "hugely damaging" to the music business.
When Ed Sheeran's latest tour dates went on sale, he stated that secondary tickets would not be valid.
His promoters have cancelled more than 10,000 tickets that were resold on Viagogo - often at vastly inflated prices - for 18 dates in the star's sold-out tour.
In Manchester, fans with resold tickets were asked to pay £80, which is the face value of a ticket.
Their original ticket was then stamped invalid.
Ed says those people are legally able to get a refund from the secondary ticket site.
"It's all being done properly I'm not trying to stitch fans up," he told us.
"People just need to start taking a stance and within two or three years companies like Viagogo are going to be kaput (no longer in business).
"Loads of acts are doing it, Arctic Monkeys, Adele, no one is OK with it.
"The fans are not OK with secondary tickets. Sometimes you can spend all that money and it is a fake ticket.
"I think it is just about being strong and not giving in."
Ed's manager Stuart Galbraith agreed, telling Newsbeat: "Everyone who has been through this process has been really grateful".
"We've had no complaints, we are just trying to make sure people don't get ripped off.
"We will help you get your refund off Viagogo and other secondary sites."
Viagogo directed the BBC to the FAQ section of its website when asked for a response to this story.
It says it protests against concert promoters who deny entry to fans using resold tickets.
"These types of entry restrictions are highly unfair and in our view, unenforceable and illegal," it says.
Newsbeat has put Ed Sheeran's comments to Viagogo and is awaiting a response.
You can find out how to watch and listen on the official Biggest Weekend site.


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The U.S. Postal Service is gearing up for its busiest shipping day of the year and is offering reminders to consumers looking to get their packages to family and friends on time.
The next few days are expected to be very busy, with USPS officials anticipating 658 pieces of mail compared to 528 million pieces on an average day.
Consumers are urged to use complete mailing addresses on holiday mail -- including apartment numbers, directional indicators and zip codes.
Officials say Thursday is the last recommended day to send mail expected to arrive before Christmas Eve. After that, USPS recommends the two-day Priority Mail service or overnight Express Mail.
U.S. Postal Service expects to have delivered 17.9 billion cards, letters and packages between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.
A few other do's and don'ts before you ship:
--- Wrap in durable paper
--- Include return addresses
--- Use box and cushioning
--- Mail early!
--- Take batteries out of electronics
--- Include perfume or cologne
--- Use box with markings
--- Use newspaper or popcorn
--- Leave flaps unsealed
Information from The Associated Press and Alcides Segui was used in this report.
FOX 13 / WTVT-TV
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