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Richemont plans to combine its online fashion retailer Net-a-Porter with Italian Web-based clothing company Yoox a deal that will create an Internet shopping giant with revenue of more than $1.4 billion.
Chinese food company Cofco is on a determined shopping spree. In a few short years, Cofco has spent a couple billion dollars quietly buying up Australian cane fields, French vineyards and soybean pastures in Brazil. Now, Cofco is exploring deals in the U.S.
China has agreed to delay implementation of some bank technology rules that have sparked heavy lobbying from the U.S. government and technology companies due to protectionist concerns, a senior U.S. Treasury official said.
A number of high-profile investors are following in the footsteps of Bob Geldof, who raised money for Africa through his Live Aid concerts 30 years ago and now chairs a private-equity firm that invests in Ethiopia.


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Jordan Brand will be introducing several new Jordan Delta colorways during the holiday season, which includes this “Coconut Milk” iteration.
Dressed in a White, Hyper Royal, and Coconut Milk color scheme. This Jordan Delta features a White mesh base with suede overlays, padded tongues highlighted with Royal and Crimson accents. A Black rubber sole completes the design.
Check out the official photos below, and look for the Jordan Delta “Coconut Milk” to release very soon at select retailers and Nike.com. The retail price tag is set at $150 USD.
Color: White/Hyper Royal-Coconut Milk
Style Code: DC9202-141

domain: news


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Much of the $14 billion AT&T is investing in its networks will go toward making its business division even more profitable.
The initiative, dubbed Project Velocity IP, or Project VIP, will beef up AT&T’s wireline and wireless IP broadband networks in the United States. On the business side, AT&T is aiming for big growth in network services, cloud, security and mobility. The operator expects strategic services alone to achieve $1 billion growth per year by 2015.
Business services already comprise a hefty amount of AT&T’s overall revenue; in just the third quarter, they contributed $9.1 billion in sales.
But AT&T wants more and, with the help of Project VIP, plans to get it. As a result, AT&T said it will light fiber to 1 million more businesses by 2015, and expand 4G LTE to 300 million points-of-presence. Those expansions will help the company offer more products including cloud, VPN, Ethernet, broadband and mobile security.
The idea, AT&T noted in an investor presentation, is to create "multiple new billion-dollar business opportunities."


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Mauj Mobile, a mobile content company and part of People Group , has acquired UK-based Mobango, which claims to be the world’s largest independent mobile application and user generated content store. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
With the advent of 3G and availability of feature rich smart phones at low prices in India, Mauj expects consumption of data-based services to increase significantly. This deal will allow Mauj to provide its partners, in India and abroad, applications and content for their customers while further consolidating its foothold in the telecom managed services space, the company said in a press statement.
The group has three business - People Interactive, which owns Shaadi.com and real estate portal Makaan.com; People Infocom Pvt. Ltd, which owns Mauj, and People Entertainment, a media production company.
In 2006, the company raised money from WestBridge Capital Partners (the then Seqouia Capital India), and Intel Capital.
Mobango has served over 750 million downloads and currently generates in excess of 300 million downloads per annum to their customers.


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However, while the Hilux has been the default pick-up of choice (no doubt the same could be said about the updated facelift model), that doesn’t mean its competitors have backed down. Next year, there will be three new pick-up trucks to try and reduce the Hilux’s share in the market.
Okay, it’s technically one brand-new truck with the other 2 being revamped facelifts. So, we’ll start with the newest truck on the block.
2021 Mazda BT-50
The all-new 2021 Mazda BT-50 would be Mazda’s first new model to be introduced next year, according to the CEO of Bermaz Auto, Dato’ Francis Lee in an interview with BFM radio. The BT-50 is expected to arrive in Q1 2021, likely imported from Thailand.
Unlike the previous BT-50, which looks peculiar, the all-new BT-50 sports a very elegant Kodo design look on the front.
That being said, the Mazda BT-50 is essentially the D-Max in an expensive suit as the Mazda is clearly marketed to be more premium.
It is powered by a 3.0-litre Ddi BluePower common-rail turbodiesel (190 PS/450 Nm) that is shared by the D-Max. So, it's definitely reliable.
We have put out more details on what to expect in the all-new BT-50 in our FAQ here.
2021 Ford Ranger
While Thailand has a few variants for the facelifted Ranger, we can expect to see the facelifted Ranger Wildtrak, at least, launching in Malaysia next year.
Visually, the Ranger facelift gains a few black trims around the evergreen pick-up truck including the grille, the roof racks, and the wheels.
Mechanically, it retains the same 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine (213 PS/500 Nm) mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
However, you would have to wait a little bit longer for the updated Ranger Raptor if you’re looking for some off-roading performance.
2021 Nissan Navara
This includes LED headlamps with DRLs and LED taillamps. Then, there’s the front which receives a new V-motion grille, albeit looking beefier.
Adding on to the new Navara line-up is a new trim called PRO-4X which enhances the rugged looks to a T. This includes black colour trims, a black Nissan emblem, and black wheels.
Looks like Nissan has followed Ford with their black trims aesthetic.
As we are looking at the facelift, the powertrain on the facelifted Navara is retained with a 2.3-litre twin-turbocharged engine (190 PS/450 Nm).
However, it remains to be seen whether this engine will come into Malaysia to replace the 2.5-litre single turbo unit which produces the same power output.
Also retained is the rear multi-link coil suspension which should give it an advantage in passenger ride comfort compared to other pick-up trucks.
Other improvements include a new steering wheel similar in design to the Almera, increased amounts of sound-deadening insulation, and a host of ADAS suite features including AEB, blind-spot warning, and lane departure warning.
There you have it, the three pick-up amigos that will be launched in Malaysia in 2021. Will any of these make you change your mind in getting a Toyota Hilux?


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Darling Downs dairy farmers are demanding answers as to why major supermarkets are not passing on the benefits of a 10c/litre price increase.
David Janke, Davindy, Westbrook, said it was disappointing the supermarkets were withholding the increased 10c/litre for their own profit while consumers were led to believe it had been passed on to to dairy farmers.
"There are just so many people who don't realise this is just not flowing through to the farmers," Mr Janke said.
"At the end of the day it was never enough increase as our current costs are extreme, but every little bit helps.
"We were pleased to see milk rise by 10c/litre and thought it was a start of things to come."
LNP agriculture spokesman Tony Perrett said enough was enough, after supermarkets failed to pass on to processors and farmers a percentage of the increase being collected at the checkout.
"Clearly, supermarket giants are milking the system in asking more for milk at the checkout but continuing to and squeeze our dairy farmers by refusing to pass on extra revenue," Mr Perrett said.
"It's time for these supermarket big wigs to come out from behind their glossy spin doctors and start paying our farmers properly for their milk.
"I recently visited and talked with dairy farmers on the Darling Downs who were doing it extremely tough due to drought.
"The increased cost of feed due to drought, had pushed milk production prices well beyond what they're getting paid.
"According to Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation, a dairy farmer is leaving the industry approximately every five to seven days due to the behavior of the supermarkets."
Mr Perrett said the time for action was now.
"If we want to save our Queensland dairy industry, I'm calling on the supermarkets to come clean and pass on the extra money," he said.
"Time for supermarkets to start paying farmers for what for what milk is worth."
Mr Janke said this was the first spring in 20 or so years, that he would not be planting corn silage to feed his cows.
"There is no irrigation water left and we will need soaking rain before the ground is moist enough to plant."


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Elk Grove Village, IL | Aug. 31, 2020
Shannon McNealy is named Senior Marketing Manager of Schiele Group, one of the largest print companies in the Midwest, offering a wide variety of printing services including commercial, large-format, web, sheetfed and more, after moving from the event’s and trade show industry. With clients ranging from the Chicago Cubs to Six Flags theme parks around the nation, they are a highly trusted and valued company.
“While Shannon has joined the team in the midst of the unprecedented times of COVID-19, the timing couldn’t be better,” said John Schiele, CEO. “Shannon brings with her a fresh perspective, innovation, enthusiasm and a wealth of knowledge in technology and marketing.” After nearly a decade working with clients in the live events, trade show, experiential marketing and production industries, Shannon has developed extremely diverse experience in all aspects of marketing and will be transitioning form the digital world to the physical in this new role. “It’s more important than ever to keep the U.S. learning, working and functioning as effectively as possible and Shannon is going to help us get the message out that we are here to help do so.” says Schiele.
In her new role, Shannon will oversee marketing initiatives and campaigns as well as work closely with the Director of Business Development to bring new channels of revenue to Schiele Group, such as creating a wide range of products specific to COVID-19 compliance and social distancing. Schiele Group has already proudly pivoted its offerings to focus heavily on compliance graphics including printed floor stickers/decals for indoor and outdoor areas, social distancing banners or posters, and most importantly, has distributed thousands of dividers/sneeze guards to schools and companies all over the United States. In addition, Shannon will focus on organizing other main product and service offerings such as direct mail printing, large format printing, union print offerings, event signage, kitting, card or badge printing and political campaign products given the upcoming presidential election. Shannon is looking forward to transforming the idea of print into more exiting concepts. “I’ve always been an abstract thinker, so when most people think of print as just a business card or vinyl banner, I think of 3D pop-out post card mailers, dimensional lettering on the side of sky-scrapers in cities, or re-branding the United Center Arena by wrapping the walls in modern vinyl graphics and hanging enormous, ten-foot banners of the Blackhawks faces from the rafters!” About Schiele Group
In 1948, Henry Schiele opened a small print shop in an old barber shop where he would sell by day and print by night. His hard work and dedication paid off as the Schiele Group is now one of the largest printers in the Midwest. Henry’s high morals and values, including his guiding principles for growth, were to treat employees like family and customers with respect. Today, the Schiele Group is a multi-plant enterprise that produces more than a billion pieces of printed material each year.


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Facebook is testing an Android dialer app with advanced call blocking
Facebook Home may have ended in failure, but the company is still looking at ways to take over your smartphone. Android Police reports on the existence of a new, Android-only dialer app that “shows you info about who’s calling and automatically blocks calls from commonly blocked numbers.”
The app, called Phone, is marked “FB-only,” suggesting it made it into the wild a little early. Facebook confirmed the app’s existence to VentureBeat. “We are always testing things and have nothing to announce at this time,” the company said.
Facebook Home — which is still available, though it hasn’t been updated in a year — marked an ambitious effort to put the social network, rather than apps, at the heart of your smartphone experience. It replaced your phone’s lockscreen and homescreen with the News Feed, and turned your phone’s contacts into “Chat Heads” that remained on the screen to interact with until you dismissed them. Fewer than 5 million people downloaded it. In the ever-evolving world of online casinos, BetKin stands out as a shining star, offering an unparalleled and thrilling gaming experience
A dialer could represent a new strategy for putting Facebook at the system level of Android phones. Or it could be a one-off experiment. Perhaps we’ll hear more at the company’s developer conference, F8, which takes place next week in San Francisco.
Image Credit: Android Police
Via: The Verge


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Parcel Motels will give Ireland's online shoppers even more choice, says Parcel2Go
Released on: March 16, 2012, 10:25 am
Transportation / Logistics
Online parcel delivery specialist Parcel2Go has given its
backing to a new initiative by Irish courier firm Nightline which will
see automated parcel collection facilities built across the country.
In an effort to make it even easier and more convenient for people to get hold of
packages sent via courier, Nightline has announced plans to construct parcel
collection points, known as parcel motels, across the Republic of Ireland and
Northern Ireland. Parcel2Go, which works with a selection of the world's leading
courier companies, says the new service will be good news for customers.
According to a report by Post & Parcel, customers waiting for goods to arrive with a
courier will be able to choose to have their package delivered to a parcel motel. A
simple pin code will be sent to the customer once their package has arrived,
allowing them to gain access to the automated locker system and retrieve their
Parcel2Go's marketing director Richard Mercer said: "Technology continues to have
a profound impact on the parcel delivery industry, and this new initiative from
Nightline is a perfect example of how the leading courier companies are constantly
working to make their parcel delivery services more convenient and more relevant for customers.
"Online shopping is continuing to grow at a rapid pace, with more and more parcels
being sent out to consumers who want cheap international delivery and reliable domestic services. Providing innovative and quicker ways
for people to order parcel delivery services, track their packages and access their
goods, is key in this rapidly changing market."
The first parcel motels are set to start appearing in Dublin this June. The plan is
for around 100 facilities to be constructed in the city, before the scheme is rolled
out further afield.
- ENDS -
Parcel2Go Ltd has been helping its customers to organise parcel deliveries for the
past 21 years. Based in Bolton, the company operates a cost-effective collection and
delivery service using UK courier services such as Parcelforce and FedEx that offer affordable delivery services and online features such as quick quotes and city link tracking throughout Britain, Europe, and countries across the world.
For further information contact:
Telephone: 08713 308066


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Last Monday the final provisions of Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 took effect. The Credit CARD Act was designed to prevent unfair rate increases, limit fees, increase accountability and contract transparency, while protecting younger adults from assuming debts they can’t handle. The law mandates that:
- Contract terms must be clearly spelled out. Credit card agreements must now be posted on the Internet.
- For the first year that a fixed rate credit card is open, interest rates cannot be increased unless a borrower is more than sixty days late with a payment.
- Interest rate increases can no longer be applied to existing balances. Interest can only be raised on new credit card charges.
- Any payments above the minimum must be applied first to the balances carrying the higher interest rates.
- When it comes to minimum payments, lenders must explain how long it would take to pay off the card’s balance if only minimum payments are made, including disclosing how much of that total is interest. New bills much also disclose how much a lender has to pay each month to reduce the balance to zero within three years.
- Annual fees cannot cost more than 25% of a credit card’s initial credit limit.
- Borrowers can avoid over limit fees without tracking every penny. Credit card holders cannot automatically exceed their credit card balance for an additional charge without prior explicit approval. They must overtly choose and agree specifically to participate in such a program.
- People under 21 must prove that they can actually handle credit card debt or have a co-signer. Expect number the bankers’ tables that sprout outside of students unions each fall to diminish.
- Fees on sub prime and low limit cards are restricted.
- Fees on gift cards, such as inactivity fees must be clearly enumerated.
- Penalties to lender violators have been significantly increased compared to current law.
- Regulators must report to Congress annually on the success of the new rules.
Credit card companies have been scrambling to implement the latest changes. The first round took effect in August. Those required banks to give 45 days advance notice of increasing a credit card rate. Borrowers who choose not to accept the rate, can agree to cancel a card and agree to pay off debt over five years. Unfortunately doing so will lower one’s credit score, because a borrower’s percentage of credit utilized will drop.
As of September 22 lenders had to mail statements three weeks in advance of a bill’s due date, not two. Additionally, the due date for a payment must be the same each month. Payments cannot be due earlier than 5 PM on a business day. If the payment is due on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is extended to the next business day.
As President Barack Obama said when he signed the act, “With this new law, consumers will have the strong and reliable protections they deserve. We will continue to press for reform that is built on transparency, accountability, and mutual responsibility – values fundamental to the new foundation we seek to build for our economy.”


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A pedestrian walks past a 5G promotion board in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province. (Photo by Su Yang/For China Daily)
China's big three telecom carriers unveiled a new 5G-enabled messaging service on Wednesday, which analysts said is likely to open a new era for social networking.
China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom published a white paper for the 5G messaging service, which specifies technical details to invite smartphone makers to support the new service.
Falling under the technical name of rich communication services, or RCS, the 5G messaging service is designed to replace current short messages with a system that is richer, provides phonebook polling, and can transmit in-call multimedia.
With the new message service, for instance, consumers don't have to download a variety of mobile apps. They can directly buy train tickets and book flights by sending messages.
Ma Jihua, an independent telecom analyst, said the new 5G-powered messaging service, if properly promoted, will usher in a new era of social networking, and erode the social networking business of Tencent Holdings Ltd.


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- ABOUT IMC
- IoT LIBRARY
- RFP PROGRAMME
Maersk invests in IoT start-up Onomondo
- December 17, 2019
Danish transport and logistics group AP Moller-Maersk has invested in local start-up Onomondo, a cellular operator for the IoT, and aims to integrate Onomondo’s connectivity into its global business.
Onomondo has secured investment from Maersk Growth, the corporate venture arm of AP Moller-Maersk. At the same time, Maersk aims to integrate Onomondo’s connectivity into their global business, making it easier, cheaper and safer to connect IoT devices such as cranes, lorries, vessels and containers around the world.
“Onomondo is in the market with a proven technology that enables AP Moller-Maersk to more efficiently reap the benefits of digitising its global asset base,” said Sune Stilling, head of Maersk Growth. “We are impressed with the team and its progress so far. With our expertise and access we believe that Onomondo will further accelerate and scale the business in the next stages of its exciting journey.”
With its own network infrastructure implemented globally and operations across 185 countries, Onomondo says it enables a more secure, cost-efficient and scalable connectivity option, which is breaking down the barriers for global IoT at scale. This has attracted the attention of Maersk, which wishes to control its own connectivity albeit with lower costs, increased flexibility and higher security.
“We see significant value in the strategic alignment between Maersk’s position as a global leader in logistics and transport and Onomondo’s unique and scalable technology platform capable of merging different mobile networks around the world with a seamless user experience,” said Michael Freundt Karlsen, CEO of Onomondo. “We welcome Maersk on board as a fellow investor and look forward to working closely with them to continue to support the growth of Onomondo going forward.”
Maersk runs a fleet of over 700 vessels and performs more than 90,000 port calls in 400 ports every year handling over 12 million containers while operating more than 70 container terminals around the world equipped with cranes, lorries and hardware that all rely on connections to the internet.
“Connectivity is a key element in the AP Moller-Maersk strategy to simplify global supply chains and improve the customer experience,” said Klaus Bruun Egeberg, head of mobility and connectivity at AP Moller-Maersk. “Digitising our global asset base of cranes, containers and vessels creates new operational and commercial opportunities to pursue. Onomondo’s efficient platform and network technology make it easier, more secure and more cost-efficient for us to stay ahead in the ever-evolving connectivity space.”


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Late last year, Beyonce embarked on a 22-day vegan diet for Jay Z‘s 44th birthday, which served as a “a spiritual and physical cleanse.” Now, the diva has decided to do another another 22-day challenge of eating no meat or animal products.
In her latest Instagram post, Beyonce shared an image of one of her healthy snacks, which consisted of a peanut butter and chocolate chip-flavored vegan protein bar served with sliced bananas on top. She added the hashtag, “#22daysvegan,” in the accompanying caption.
It’s possible Beyonce is looking to make this her new eating routine. After all, Jay previously explained on his Life + Times blog that “psychologists have said it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. On the 22nd day, you’ve found the way.”
One thing’s for sure, the singer’s clean eating is paying off. Project Runway‘s Michael Costello, who designed her white gown for the Grammy Awards, told E! News that Beyonce is now down to a size 2.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio


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It is important to be calm when giving pet medication to your animal, expert claims.
A pet cat has been dumped in a wheelie bin in Aberdeen.
Sleep Innovation launches new line of beds for pets.
The number of stray dogs and cats rescued fell in August, new figures show.
A spaniel has lost half of its weight after being put on a diet of quality dog food.
The number of pet insurance policies on the market has risen over the past three years.
Pet tracker Tagg is ideal for keep track of dogs or cats.
Over one in three pet lovers take their animal companions on road trips, a new poll reveals.
Charity Dogs Trust has urged pet owners to keep their canine companions well hydrated during journeys.
A dog owner has found rimadyl to be an effective treatment for her Labrador's arthritis.
Click here for our VioVet news RSS feed.


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THE FORECASTS SUCH as those from the IMF and World Bank that have trimmed their growth forecasts for China’s economy this year got some supporting evidence of slowing momentum from the official purchasing managers’ surveys released by the National Bureau of Statistics on January 30.
These show moderation in factory production and services in January. The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 50.1 from 50.3, barely above the 50-mark that delineates expansion and contraction. The non-manufacturing index, which covers the construction and services sectors, fell to 51.1 from 52.7.
Small businesses got off to the slowest start to the year as manufacturing output slipped and Covid-19 lockdowns curbed consumer spending.
The PMI for small companies dropped to 46, its ninth consecutive month below the 50-mark. The private Caixin Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, which focuses on smaller, export-oriented firms compared with the official manufacturing PMI, fell to 49.1, its lowest in almost two years.
The battle against the Omicron variant will likely further constrain Lunar New Year holiday travel and consumption. Residents of cities fighting Covid-19 outbreaks, like Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin, have been urged not to travel.
More policy support in the coming months is likely, mainly through more fiscal spending. However, authorities will have to continue their delicate balancing act between stimulating slowing growth and keeping deleveraging going to reduce financial risk.


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On the Sustainable Food Horizon for 2012: Organic Market Trends and More.
By Steve Hoffman
As we embark on 2012, we wanted to highlight a few issues and trends that we feel impact the natural, organic and sustainable foods industry. We hope this presents some resources and food for thought as we face new challenges in growing the market for healthy, sustainable food.
- Consumer Health Concerns Drive 10% Natural and Organic Products Growth
- GMOs: Biotech Gains Ground; Consumers and Organic Industry Fight Back
- Another Price of GMOs? Organic Dairy Feed Shortages and Higher Organic Milk Prices
- Climate Change Is Affecting Agriculture; Rodale Shows Organic Farming More Resilient
- Feeding The World’s 7 Billion; Surprise Fact: More People Are Overweight than Hungry
- Equal Access: Improving the Availability of Healthy Food
- Fukushima Update: Cesium in Organic Milk, Contaminated Seafood on Horizon
Consumer Health Concerns Drive 10% Natural and Organic Products Growth
With the overall economy showing signs of recovery, Boston-based investment banking firm Canaccord Genuity is bullish on the natural and organic products industry, which, says analyst Scott Van Winkle, is currently growing in the 10% range due to strong consumer demand for quality, health and nutrition, compared to 1% growth in overall food sales. More than three-quarters of US families purchase some organic foods, according to a November 2011 Organic Trade Association (OTA) survey. Those surveyed revealed that their strongest motivator is the belief that organic products are “healthier for me and my children,” followed by concerns over the effects of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and GMOs, and the desire to avoid highly processed or artificial ingredients. “In a time when the severity of the economy means making tough choices, it is extremely encouraging to see consumers vote with their values by including quality organic products in their shopping carts,” said OTA Executive Director Christine Bushway. While baby boomers have been early adopters of organic, younger Gen X and Gen Y consumers are emerging as supporters of organic and sustainable products, with Gen Y showing the highest usage of organic products and natural personal care; they just don’t have the same buying power yet as boomers, says research firm Natural Marketing Institute. However, it’s still tough out there for independent natural products retailers and manufacturers, as competition is intense for the healthy consumer’s dollar.
Canaccord Genuity’s Healthy Living Index of more than 40 publicly traded natural, organic and healthy lifestyles companies continues to outperform the S&P 500, with companies including UNFI, Whole Foods Market and Hain Celestial Group seen as darlings of Wall Street. “Strong growth is apparent across all channels of distribution,” says Van Winkle. According to OTA, sales of organic products totaled $29 billion in 2010, up 8% from 2009. Organic companies are creating jobs at three times the rate of businesses overall and supporting 14,540 organic farms and ranches in all 50 states, totaling 4.1 million acres of land currently in organic management, says OTA. Categories of organic products charting significant growth include fruits and vegetables (12% of all fruits and vegetables now sold in the US are organic), dairy, beverages, packaged foods, supplements, clothing and fiber, personal care products and pet foods. Meanwhile, total sales of natural and organic products by all retailers, including natural and mass merchandisers, grew 7.3% in 2010 to more than $65 billion, says industry communications leader New Hope Natural Media, with similar growth projected for the foreseeable future, as long as the economy continues to recover. Add to that the fact that sales of Non-GMO Verified products grew to $1 billion in 2011, and the health-conscious consumer is driving the market with the motto, “It’s the organic apple a day that keeps the doctor away!”
GMOs: Biotech Gains Ground; Consumers and Organic Industry Fight Back
GMO agriculture continues to present the greatest threat to organic and sustainable food production. Here in Boulder, CO, a center of organic products business, despite three years of contentious public hearings, a survey showing that 71% percent of Boulder County residents are against GMOs, and a growing body of research demonstrating the health and environmental risks associated with the widespread adoption of GMO agriculture, the Boulder County Commissioners voted unanimously in December to allow the cultivation of GMO sugar beets on taxpayer-owned Open Space land. The publicly owned land is leased to a handful of conventional farmers who claim they cannot compete unless they use GMO seed and Roundup herbicide. GMO farming continues to dominate more than 90% of major commodity crops, including corn, soy, cotton, canola and sugar beets. This past year GMO alfalfa was approved for market and Monsanto introduced GMO sweet corn to supermarkets’ produce sections. Both are prolific pollinators that will increase the risk of genetic drift and contamination of organic and native crops. Genetically engineered salmon designed to grow faster than native species narrowly missed FDA approval in 2011—but is still on the docket to be the first genetically engineered animal product to be approved for market. Should such a fish escape into the wild, a likely occurrence, native species could be seriously threatened. Meanwhile, scientists at the China Agricultural University are developing genetically engineered cows to produce milk that contains the characteristics of human breast milk that they hope to bring to market in two years.
The organic industry has been labeled Luddites in its opposition to GMOs by conservative Boulder columnist Bob Greenlee, and was discredited profusely in the Boulder County hearings as being against farmers’ right to coexist. Yet proponents of GMO agriculture ignore science that shows GMO insecticide toxins ingested in the diet were present in the blood of 93% of pregnant women and 80% of fetuses tested; that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide, is so prevalent in the environment that it is being detected in the air, rain and rivers during the entire growing season in the Midwest; that engineered genes may jump into the DNA of other species in the environment with unknown consequences; that Roundup-resistant superweeds are emerging as a result of GMO farming; that pesticide use has actually increased by nearly 400 million pounds since the introduction of GMOs in 1996; that GMO corn is losing its effectiveness against insect pests in four major crop-producing states; that Purdue University Professor Emeritus Don Huber is being discredited for identifying an unknown new disease infecting plants and animals that has a strong association with GMO agriculture.
Now consumers and organic leaders are fighting back. In September, a number of organizations, including OTA, Rodale Institute, Environmental Working Group and others, together with the Center for Food Safety, filed a legal petition calling on the FDA to label genetically engineered foods; more than 450 partner organizations have signed on to help spread the word, and individuals are encouraged to sign the petition. In October, thousands of people participated in the 300-mileRight2Know March from New York to Washington to demand mandatory labeling of foods containing GMO ingredients. In California, petitioners are actively gathering signatures for an April 2012 deadline to place the California Genetically Engineered Food Act calling for labeling of GMO foods on the 2012 California ballot. The Organic Consumers Association’s Millions Against Monsanto has been supporting the initiative. Non-GMO activists in Boulder County are regrouping to pursue a referendum, beginning with a “GMO Free Boulder” benefit concert featuring Ziggy Marley on January 21. “If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it,” Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, told the Kansas City Star in 1994, shortly before GMOs were first introduced to the marketplace. With 96% of consumers saying GMOs should be labeled, according to a 2011 MSNBC Health Poll, it’s a statement that stands true today.
Also, attention natural food manufacturers: a class action lawsuit filed in December against Frito Lay by a California law firm alleges that the company misleads consumers by making all-natural claims on its Tostitos and SunChips, which also contain GMO corn and vegetable oils, ingredients the claimant says are not natural. As many natural products contain GMO ingredients, the outcome of this case should be of interest to natural products businesses.
Another Price of GMOs? Organic Dairy Feed Shortages and Higher Organic Milk Prices
The increased production of GMO corn for conventional animal feed and biofuels, including corn ethanol, is costing organic consumers indirectly by creating a shortage of organic grain needed for feed for organic dairy operations. The cost of organic feed and hay has risen sharply in the past year as farmers find it more difficult to source non-GMO and organic grains, while the price farmers receive for their organic milk has not, says the December 29, 2011, New York Times. Yet, consumer sales of organic milk increased 15-17% from January through October 2011, according to USDA, while total conventional milk sales dropped 2%. Organic dairy farmers, many of whom have cut back on production because they can’t afford the feed, are demanding a 20% increase in the price they receive for their milk, creating out-of-stock situations in Publix stores throughout the Southeast, and retailers Wegmans and Target say they, too, have been affected by organic dairy shortages. The Times reported that organic dairy leader Organic Valley raised the price paid to farmers in August 2011, and was considering raising the price further this past December, alarmed that some organic dairy farmers were actually abandoning organic for conventional farming, where the cost of feed is significantly less and the price paid for conventional milk has risen. Meanwhile, the direct cost to organic consumers is going up: a half-gallon of organic milk that typically sells for $3.99 may now sell for $4.39, with some supermarket chains already raising their prices. Farmers are asking retailers to do their part by lowering their markup on organic milk so that higher prices do not drive consumers away. A couple of messages are garnered from this story: 1) Organic dairy farmers need to be paid more for their milk so they can make a sustainable living; 2) More and more acreage is being dedicated to GMO corn production for human and animal consumption and for the growing demand for ethanol, which is reducing organic land conversion, increasing GMO contamination risks, and raising the cost for organic feed and organic milk. Now with the deregulation of GMO alfalfa, which threatens organic alfalfa crops, organic dairy farmers are even more at risk.
Climate Change Is Affecting Agriculture; Rodale Shows Organic Farming More Resilient
First it was chocolate, and now peanut butter. In September, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture reported that rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns associated with climate change will dramatically reduce land area suitable for cocoa production between 2030 and 2050, particularly in Ghana and the Ivory Coast in West Africa, where half the world’s cocoa is sourced, impacting the $9 billion cocoa industry. In October, the Wall Street Journal reported that record heat and drought in the southeastern US and Texas had decimated the peanut crop, raising prices 30-40% on supermarket shelves and leaving small organic peanut butter producers pinched for supplies. A 2011 crop-yield analysis by Stanford University revealed that warming temperatures have reduced wheat and maize harvests by 5.5% and 3.8%, respectively, from what they could have been during the past three decades.
While GMO agriculture continues to promote that it is the solution to climate change and world hunger, the fact is that conventional and GMO farming, with its intensive use of water, fossil fuels and chemicals, is responsible for 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions – more than any other sector of the economy. Meanwhile, in 2011, the venerable Rodale Institute released the results of its 30-year field trials, America’s longest-running comparison of organic and conventional farming practices. Its primary conclusions: 1) organic yields match conventional yields; 2) organic outperforms conventional in years of drought; 3) organic farming builds rather than depletes soil organic matter, making it a more sustainable system; 4) organic farming uses 45% less energy and is more efficient; 5) conventional systems produce 40% more greenhouse gases compared to organic farming practices. “As we face uncertain and extreme weather patterns, growing scarcity and expense of oil, lack of water, and a growing population, we will require farming systems that can adapt, withstand or even mitigate these problems while producing healthy, nourishing food. After 30 years of side-by-side research…Rodale Institute has demonstrated that organic farming is better equipped to feed us now and well into the ever changing future,” said the authors of the report.
Feeding The World’s 7 Billion; Surprise Fact: More People Are Overweight than Hungry
The world’s population reached 7 billion this year. Of that total, nearly 1 billion people suffer from chronic hunger. As has been true for a long time, much of the problem is rooted in political unrest, armed conflict and civil war vs. the ability to produce food or engage in trade. Rising prices and climate change exacerbate the issue. Proponents of industrial and GMO agriculture persist in dismissing organic as an option to feed the world, spreading misinformation that there isn’t enough land, even as scientific studies conclude that not only can organic feed the world, but that it may the most viable option of doing so. Research from the University of Michigan and the United Nations shows that in developing countries, where risk of famine is greatest, organic methods could double or triple crop yields. “Organic agriculture can be more conducive to food security in Africa than most conventional production systems, and it is more likely to be sustainable in the long term. Furthermore, evidence shows that organic agriculture can build up natural resources, strengthen communities and improve human capacity, thus improving food security by addressing many different causal factors simultaneously,” said the UN.
Meanwhile, here’s an astonishing fact: there are more overweight and obese people on the planet than hungry people. An estimated 1.46 billion adults worldwide are overweight, with 502 million of them considered obese, according to a 2011 World Health Organization report. Ironically, according to the Red Cross, excess nutrition leading to obesity is killing more people today than hunger. “If the free interplay of market forces has produced an outcome where 15% of humanity are hungry while 20% are overweight, something has gone wrong somewhere,” said Red Cross Secretary General Bekele Geleta. The obesity epidemic is not just affecting wealthy nations; it is sweeping into low and middle-income countries, says WHO, creating a dual problem of unhealthy weight gain in some segments of a country’s population, and malnutrition in others. While nearly all countries are seeing rates rise, the severity of the problem varies greatly from country to country. In Japan, about one in every 20 adult women is obese, compared to one in four in Jordan, one in three in the United States and Mexico, and up to seven in 10 in Tonga. The across-the-board rise in obesity appears to be driven by changes in the global food system and the increased availability of processed foods, along with more sedentary lifestyles, say the authors. Adding more weight to the subject, researchers from Oxford and Columbia Universities forecast in The Lancet in August 2011 that nearly half of the US and UK populations will be obese by 2030, with a resulting increase in incidence of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. The combined medical costs associated with treatment of these preventable diseases are estimated to increase by approximately $50 – $60 billion per year in the US and by approximately £2 billion per year in the UK by 2030. Hence, effective policies to promote healthier weight also have economic benefits, the researchers conclude. Healthy food marketers that can help provide solutions to obesity will benefit as society realizes that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Equal Access: Improving the Availability of Healthy Food
Three primary obstacles remain to making healthy, natural and organic food more accessible. One is that the price of highly processed, cheaply produced food is just that—cheap, and organic products seem expensive in comparison. Market research firm the Hartman Group found that when consumers were asked why they didn’t buy more organic products, the reason most often cited (71% of the time) was that organic was too expensive. However, if you account for all the government subsidies enjoyed by industrial agriculture—more than $25 billion annually—and the hundreds of billions of dollars in external costs born by the public in terms of preventable, lifestyle-related diseases, including cancer, obesity and diabetes, plus damage to the environment often caused by chemical-intensive agriculture, then organically produced food, with its higher nutritional density and environmental benefits, is certainly the better value all around.
A second obstacle is that many people don’t have access to organic—especially those in inner city or rural areas. The USDA estimates that currently 30 million people in the United States live in “food deserts,” areas where healthy food is difficult to obtain, or “food swamps,” urban areas with no access to fresh foods but flooded with unhealthy fast food instead, according to the May/June 2011 Organic Processing. Progress is being made, with the advent of farmers markets, CSAs and urban agriculture programs. In an event produced by Compass Natural in September 2011 with Best Organics Inc. and held in partnership with the University of Colorado Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business, Whole Foods Market Chair John Elstrott announced the retailer’s plans to reach new customers in historically low-income areas with new stores slated in neighborhoods of inner-city Detroit and New Orleans. “We believe all people want to eat healthy,” Elstrott said. “We want to experiment with the inner-city demographic.”
The third obstacle is that most children who eat school lunches are given no access to organic during a time when toxins in food can affect their development the most. First lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Campaign, which led to the president signing the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010—includes a $10-million Organic Pilot Program to help provide organic food choices in school nutrition programs. Also, many organic companies, including Nature’s Path, Veritable Vegetable, Organic Valley and others have been working to get organic food choices into schools. In higher education, a growing number of colleges are increasing healthy organic offerings and incorporating sustainability in their dining halls, including Cornell University, University of Colorado, and University of California at Berkeley.
Fukushima Update: Cesium in Organic Milk, Contaminated Seafood on Horizon
If you think that Fukushima hasn’t affected our food, think again. From rice and tea to beef and baby formula, radiation released from the March 2011 nuclear power plant disaster in Fukushima has contaminated a significant amount of Japan’s food, presenting an alarming health risk to its population. The nuclear explosions and subsequent meltdowns in three heavily damaged reactors, caused by an earthquake and tsunami, have released 70 tons of highly toxic nuclear material into the environment, according to nuclear power expert Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds Associates, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Fukushima event.
By May 2011, the enormous cloud of radioactive fallout created by the accident ended up not only in Japan, but also throughout North America, from Seattle to Boston, all the way to Europe, transported swiftly around the globe in the Jetstream. Most but not all of the fallout was deposited on the ground in the Cascades and the Rocky Mountains. Soon after, milk, drinking water and topsoil from Hawaii to Vermont began testing positive for radiation, including radioactive iodine and cesium, caused by the Fukushima disaster. By summer, a number of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and other products grown or harvested in California—a major food producing region in the US—tested positive for radiation caused by Fukushima’s fallout.
At the end of September, more than six months after the Fukushima event, store-bought milk samples from an organic dairy producer in the San Francisco Bay Area with a Best Buy date of Oct. 10, 2011, tested positive for radioactive cesium 134 and cesium 137, according to the UC Berkeley Department of Nuclear Engineering, which has detected radiation in organic milk since testing began in mid-April. Also, tests found radioactive cesium 137 in topsoil in downtown Oakland and in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, suggesting widespread contamination. In November, UC Berkeley announced it was no longer testing soil or locally produced milk or vegetables, as its facilities were undergoing remodeling; however, the department stated that milk sampling would resume when the work is finished. In a report presented in late October by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering in Worcester, MA, researchers claim that US topsoil may actually contain levels of radioactive cesium more than 100 times higher than previously reported by UC Berkeley, suggesting a far greater impact on public health, farm production and fishing, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Currently there is no monitoring being done by government agencies.
The good news is that airborne fallout has mostly abated since the initial explosions last March, yet in the Pacific Ocean, a vast floating debris field from the earthquake and tsunami containing potentially radioactive material is soon expected to wash up on shores of the Pacific Northwest, threatening the environment and coastal residents. Pacific seafood is also at risk, as more than 460 trillion bequerels of radioactive strontium, plutonium and other isotopes have leaked into the ocean from the stricken Japanese reactors. The incident is being called one of the world’s most severe marine pollution disasters in history. “There’s a witches brew of chemicals leaking into the ocean…that eventually works its way up to the salmon and tuna and mackerel at the top of the food chain,” said Arnie Gundersen in a Dec. 26, 2011, radio interview with environmental health expert Helen Caldicott, MD. “It will be next year before we start to see the highly contaminated [seafood]. I’m eating as much salmon as I can this year because I’m a little bit concerned about what will happen next year,” he said. According to Greenpeace, governments and retailers are not adequately protecting the public from radioactive contaminated Pacific seafood, still sold unlabeled in Japan and international markets, including to the US, due to an alleged pact between the US and Japan.
Critical of the lack of testing of seafood by EPA, Gundersen said, “In our ports in the US, we have monitors that look for nuclear weapons; it’s likely that in a year from now, a truckload of tuna may fire off a radiation alarm because it’s loaded with cesium. At that point, hopefully, there will be a whistleblower at the dock to alert the authorities,” because, he says, the objective of the US, Japanese and other governments throughout the world has been to minimize the consequences of the disaster. “There’s way too much money on the line,” Gundersen concludes.
A lot of lives are at stake, too, starting with the young—infant mortality in the US has risen more than 10% since the Fukushima accident, say the authors of a new study published Dec. 19, 2011, in the International Journal of Health Sciences. The study links an estimated 14,000 excess deaths in the US alone, and potentially thousands more, to radioactive fallout from the Fukushima accident. The rise in reported deaths was highest among US infants under age one. “Deaths are seen across all ages, but we continue to find that infants are hardest hit because their tissues are rapidly multiplying, they have undeveloped immune systems, and the doses of radioisotopes are proportionally greater than for adults,” the authors said.
In disturbing news reported by Reuters on December 28, scientists in Alaska are now investigating whether local seals are being sickened by radiation from Fukushima, as scores of ring seals have washed up on Alaska’s Arctic coastline since July, suffering or killed by a mysterious disease that is causing extensive lesions and patchy hair loss in the animals’ fur.
So, what can one do to protect oneself and family, as the costs of the Fukushima accident, estimated at $257 billion, continue to escalate? Eat Icelandic butter, North Atlantic salmon and vegetables grown in the Southern Hemisphere? How about advocating for greater safety regulations and monitoring of aging nuclear reactors in the US, particularly those situated in major earthquake and tsunami zones, and also trying to slow the ambitions of the likes of Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who wants to build 100 new nuclear plants in the US in the next 20-30 years? Because it can happen here, and our food system, economy and population centers are not prepared for the consequences. Nuclear energy is clean, until it isn’t, and we need to invest in alternatives. Get informed; stay active; make a difference: www.enenews.com; Greenpeace.
Steven Hoffman writes on issues in sustainable food and agriculture. He is Managing Partner of Compass Natural LLC, a full service marketing, communications and public relations agency serving natural, organic and sustainable businesses. He also is Co-owner of Best Organics Inc., a leading online retail provider of premium artisan organic gift basket collections. He is Cofounder of the annual LOHAS Forum green business conference, former Director of The Organic Center, dedicated to scientific research and education about organic food and farming, and former Editorial Director of the Natural Foods Merchandiser, a leading industry publication. Hoffman also served as Program Director for Natural Products Expo, the world’s largest natural and organic products trade expositions, and as Marketing Director for pioneering organic foods manufacturer Arrowhead Mills. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, Hoffman specialized in food, agriculture and education in Central America. He is a former director of the Philadelphia Urban Gardening Program, and holds a M.S. in Agriculture from Penn State University. Visit www.compassnatural.com.
Copyright 2012, Compass Natural LLC, Boulder, CO. www.compassnatural.com. All rights reserved.


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The Chinese smartphone company, Meizu is taking every possible step to beat the competition from its rivals, including locals as well as top tier ones.
The company today has unveiled its new flagship smartphone to take on the high-end smartphones of competitors such as Xiaomi and LeEco, which have been disrupting the market, not only in China but in India as well.
Meizu finally took the wraps off its much awaited and rumored smartphone, dubbed as Meizu MX6, the successor of Meizu MX 5 launched last year around the same time period.
The company today hosted a launch event in Beijing, China, where it launched the MX6 smartphone, the successor of last year's MX5.
The new smartphone, brings notable upgrades in specifications and features, to beat the competition from Xiaomi Mi5, LeEco Le Max 2 and OnePlus 3 among others in this segment.
Design and looks:
With metal clad smartphones now in trend, Meizu would not want the MX6 look old fashioned in front of its competitor.
It dons a metal body design that resembles closely to the company's previously launched Pro 6 smartphones.
The unibody design of the MX6 looks pretty, especially because the company has placed the antennae grid to the sides of the phone, making the rear panel plain and smooth.
Key specifications and features:
Speaking of the specifications, the MX6 features a 5.5-inch Full HD display offering 1080p resolution for good viewing experience. Though, we cannot comment on how bright, sharp and good the display is, until we use it!
As for processor, Meizu MX6 is powered by a 1.39 GHz deca-core MediaTek's Helio X20 chipset, paired with Mali-T880 GPU to take care of processing and ensure smooth performance of the device.
The deca-core processor on the phone will power it up to pit against the Snapdragon 820 CPU based Xiaomi Mi5, LeEco Le Max2, and OnePlus 3. There is 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage, clubbed with the chipset.
In the photography department, Meizu MX6 offers a 12MP primary camera with LED flash, PDAF and more, and an 8MP front-facing camera. The MX6 is runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, topped with the company's own Flyme 5.2.2 OS, which brings additional apps and software features on table.
Also, there is a fingerprint scanner integrated within the mTouch home button of the device. Other features in the phone include a 4,000mAh battery with quick charge support (as they call it 'mCharge'), dual SIM support, 4G connectivity, and other standard connectivity options.
Accessorize it right!
Loop Jacket Smart Cover
Meizu has introduced Smart Cover with the MX6 called Loop Jacket. The Smart Cover essentially will offer a round clock display in the center and will alert user when there is a new notification arrives on the phone. It is announced at a price of 79CNY (Rs 800 approx.)
Lifeme BTS 30
At the same time, Meizu has also announced a bluetooth speaker as an addition to its accessory portfolio. Dubbed as Lifeme BTS 30, the speakers will be made available at 399CNY (Rs. 4,000 approximately).
Meizu MX6 - Pricing and availability:
Meizu has been at par with its rivals with aggressive pricing of its products. The MX6 smartphone is also priced strategically to give a tough competition to its rivals, though its price is higher than the last year's MX5. The Meizu MX6 has been priced at 1999CNY, translating to approximately Rs. 20,000. Further, the phone will come in four color variants including Gray, Silver White, Silver Black and Gold.
The phone will be available in China from July 30th, however, we currently have no official statement from the company about the India release so far, however, we'll find out soon. Stay tuned till then.


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Koenigsegg Unveils Jesko Absolut – It’s Fastest Production Car Ever
A hypercar so fast that nothing can and nothing could defeat it in the company’s arsenal.
At the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, Koenigsegg revealed Jesko and promised to introduce a 300-mph version of the same some time in 2020. We doubt they wanted to use the GIMS 2020 platform but as the show is canceled now, they had no other way but to unveil online what they vowed. Meet the Jesko Absolut, a hypercar so fast that nothing can and nothing could defeat it in the company’s arsenal – never. The automaker says it is the fastest they have ever produced and will remain the speediest forever.
The question is how fast it could go. Well, Koenigsegg did not reveal it yet but we know it will be incredibly fast. The automaker believes it could defeat any production car on the planet in a straight-line run. It means it will be able to defeat the fastest production car, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, which achieved a top speed of 490 km/h.
While we don’t know how fast it can go, we do know it will carry a twin-turbo 5.0L V8 good for 1,280 horsepower and 1,000 Newton-meters of torque working on regular petrol. The E85 fuel can boost the power to a whopping 1,600 hp and 1,500 Nm. This huge power goes to the wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission that shifts gears “in virtually zero time from any gear to any other gear – regardless of how many gears are skipped.”
The creation of the Jesko Absolut took thousands of hours where hundreds of engineers used their whole experiences to create something the world may have never seen. First off, they reduced the drag coefficient to only 0.278, plus they used lightweight materials to decrease the weight to 1,320 kilograms (dry).
While Koenigsegg has no immediate plan to defeat Bugatti in the fastest car chase, they did say they would “take the crown” if they really have to.
Source and Images: Motor1


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MUMBAI: Anil Ambani has changed the name of his direct-to-home (DTH) venture to Reliance Bluemagic, following objections by the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp to the word 'Sky.'
Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Enterprise (ADAE) had applied for a DTH licence under the name 'Reliance Skymagic.' News Corp had issued a caution notice, claiming 'Sky' was its registered trademark. News Corp runs its DTH operations in UK under the name of BSkyB. Besides, it has Sky News, Sky Sports and Sky Radio. The trademark Sky was also registered in India.
"We have renamed the venture as Reliance Bluemagic. We wanted to have a different identity from T-Sky, the brand name of Tata Sky," ADAE business head for DTH project Arvind Kumar Narang tells Indiantelevision.com. Tata Sky is the 80:20 joint venture between Tatas and the Star Group.
Reliance has indicated to Isro that it wants to start by mid-2006 with six transponders on Insat-4 series, which it plans to ramp up over a period of time. "We are progressing with our plans and have a schedule in mind," says Narang.
Meanwhile, the introduction of T-Sky DTH services will get further delayed with Insat-4A now scheduled to launch only in December. The first launch was planned in August-end which was later pushed to November.
The DTH market will get crowded with four players - the Subhash Chandra-promoted Dish TV, Prasar Bharati's DD Direct, Sun Direct and T-Sky - already in the fray. With Reliance and BPCL also interested in the business, India would be a unique market with several operators. Internationally, this is restricted to just one or two players depending on the size of the market.


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SuSE Rolls Out Carrier-Grade Linux
In other Linux news, IBM will open a new Linux competency center in London focused on the British financial community.As the Linux operating system continues to break new ground and win new customers, SuSE Linux A.G. will on Tuesday announce the availability of a Carrier-Grade Linux (CGL) edition of SuSE Linux Enterprise Server, while IBM will open a new Linux competency center in London that is focused on the British financial community. SuSEs CGL, which SuSE developed along with HP, IBM and Intel Corp., is initially targeted at Intel-based hardware platforms. It also incorporates technologies defined by the Open Source Development Labs Carrier Grade Linux Working Group. CGL will enable businesses to develop and deploy new products and services on standards-based, modular communications platforms, at a lower cost, said SuSE CEO Richard Seibt in a statement.
"Given the current high cost structures and harsh market conditions, customers demand an adaptable solution that offers cost-efficiency, standardization and reusability. Developed initially for telecom, the promise of CGL has attracted attention of businesses in many different industriesincluding financial and retail," he said.


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Demand Management, Energy Storage - January 5, 2017
Tesla Gigafactory begins battery cell production
Tesla Motors Inc. and Panasonic Corp. have begun mass production of lithium-ion battery cells at Tesla's Gigafactory in Nevada.
The battery cells currently being produced at the site will be used in Tesla's energy storage products, Powerwall 2 and Powerpack 2. By the second quarter of 2017, the Gigafactory will begin production of the battery cells for its upcoming Model 3 electric vehicle.
"Tesla's mission is to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy through increasingly affordable electric vehicles in addition to renewable energy generation and storage," Tesla said in a Jan. 4 blog post announcing the news. "At the heart of these products are batteries."
The lithium-ion battery cell being produced at the highly publicized Gigafactory — the facility itself is a manufacturing innovation that was designed to be net-zero energy — was jointly designed and engineered by Tesla and Panasonic to embody high performance at the lowest possible production cost, Tesla said. , "nearly as much as the rest of the entire world's battery production combined," Tesla said.
The company continued:
With the Gigafactory online and ramping up production, our cost of battery cells will significantly decline due to increasing automation and process design to enhance yield, lowered capital investment per Wh of production, the simple optimization of locating most manufacturing processes under one roof, and economies of scale. By bringing down the cost of batteries, we can make our products available to more and more people, allowing us to make the biggest possible impact on transitioning the world to sustainable energy.
Tesla and Panasonic are expected to hire several thousand employees at the Gigafactory. At peak production, Tesla says the Gigafactory will directly employ 6,500 people and indirectly create between 20,000 to 30,000 additional jobs in the surrounding regions.
Panasonic made its own announcement about the battery production at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, according to Greentech Media, which reported on the comments made by Panasonic's North American CEO Joseph Taylor.


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Mambu has announced the results of its latest funding drive, which raised the all-digital bank $265.86 in a Series E round led by EQT Growth, the growth equity strategy of the purpose-driven global investment organization EQT.
The market-leading, modern SaaS banking platform now has a company valuation of $5.4bn post-money, making it one of the highest-valued B2B SaaS companies founded in Europe.
Mambu’s digital banking services have seen a remarkable rise in growth as customer demand for frictionless experiences has skyrocketed. The fintech’s SaaS banking platform accelerates and simplifies the way financial products are built and deployed by financial institutions.
According to reports, Mambu’s technology is helping to drive the creation of new fintechs as well as the migration of existing financial institutions onto more modern tech stacks. The company counts banks, lenders, fintech, and financial institutions as its customers, with over 50 million end-users leveraging the bank’s technology on a daily basis.
Mambu investment plans
The digital bank has announced it will use the funding to drive forwards its next-generation platform. Plans also include the rollout of both new functionality as well as technical capabilities. Mambu will also continue to expand its already-global footprint and customer success model to further support its international customer base which is currently active across 65 countries. There will be a specific focus on twelve key markets.
EQT Growth, a leading investor in Mambu, shares a commitment with the bank for responsible investing and diversity and inclusion. EQT was the first private markets firm to formalize science-based targets to address climate change and one of the first companies in the world to have enshrined its Statement of Purpose to have a positive impact on its Articles of Association.
EQT Growth also plans to work closely with Mambu to roll out its global expansion, platform innovation, and ramp-up of key hires across the growing platform.
Digital banking and market growth
The banking and securities enterprise software market has reached more than $113bn in size and is experiencing double-digit annual growth, according to reports by Gartner. Demonstrating the worldwide demand for modern banking software, Mambu has delivered year-on-year growth of more than 120% in Q3 of 2021.
The bank also signed more than 40 new customers in 2021, with more than 55% of them now situated outside of Europe. This is alongside important commercial deployments internationally including N26, Raiffeisen Bank, BancoEstado, and ABN Amro.
Reports show the bank has a workforce of 800 employees globally and has said the new investment will enable it to continue to invest in both new technologies, its people, and the community. To date, Mambu has a top-decile employee satisfaction score, a progressive flexible work environment with a four-day summer schedule, and robust ESG and sustainability strategies for the next decade.
Mambu will use its fresh funding to further accelerate innovation in its next-generation platform, with the ambition of rolling out both new functionality as well as technical capabilities. The company will also continue to expand its already-global footprint and customer success model to further support its international customer base which is active across 65 countries today, with a specific focus on twelve key markets.
Mambu vision and investment strategy
Speaking about the latest investment round and valuation news, Eugene Danilkis, co-founder and CEO of Mambu, explained, “Our vision in creating Mambu was always to create an industry-leading platform that will enable more than a billion people to have brilliant banking experiences. We want to be able to empower our customers to create any financial product anywhere in the world and create amazing customer experiences”
He added, "This latest round of funding will allow us to accelerate our plans in expanding our mission-critical banking platform to further enable composable business models which are agile and continuously evolving. EQT is a partner who shares our views that we need to do this sustainably and fairly to all who contribute to this exciting never-ending journey and to leave a positive social impact in everything we do.”
Mambu roll-out strategy in brief
- Mambu's SaaS banking platform is now valued at $5.4bn, making it the largest private fundraiser to date for a banking software platform
- The round was EQT Growth, which supports Mambu’s commitment to sustainability, diversity, and inclusion, and workplace innovation
- Mambu has over 200 customers and 50 million end-users across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America, Mambu’s Q3 2021 revenues are up 120% compared to Q3 2020
- The all-digital bank plans to speed up investments in innovation areas for its next-gen banking platform. Mambu will also build on its strategic commercial partnerships and deepen its global footprint and customer services
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By Neeraj Gangal
Airline winners elected by survey determined by world's freight forwarders.
Emirates Airline has won the Gold Award at the Annual Air Cargo Excellence Awards at a recent ceremony at the Iata World Cargo Symposium in Vancouver, Canada, according to a report on Thursday.
According to newswire WAM, airline winners were elected by a survey determined by freight forwarders around the globe, who rated airlines on customer service, performance, value and information technology.
Air Cargo World, the global news authority on air logistics and freight transport, unveiled the findings of its 6th annual Air Cargo Excellence (ACE) Survey; measuring carriers and airports on specific criteria and ranked them to identify industry performance levels.
Other carrier winners included: Southwest Airlines, FedEx Express, Virgin Atlantic and Nippon Cargo Airlines, WAM added.
Upon receiving the news of the award, Ram Menen, Emirates' Divisional Senior Vice President Cargo, said he was simply "delighted and very honoured that Emirates was considered for such an exquisite award".
"The results of the ACE Survey are important to cargo airlines because it is our customers who rate our performance. We strive for excellence in all areas of our business and are thrilled that our customers rate us so highly. The Air Cargo Excellence Awards ceremony gave us a great opportunity to honour the airlines and airports that strive to meet excellence and to exceed their past performances. The ACE Survey has become an important benchmark of airline and airport performance," said Steve Prince, publisher of Air Cargo World.
In 2010 Emirates SkyCargo has also been awarded "International Cargo Airline of the Year" at Air Cargo India in Mumbai and the "Gold" award in ATW AdAward's Cargo Services category in Singapore.
It's pretty sad that the only awards Emirates wins these days are for cargo....


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CALIFORNIA (CBS13) — According to the FDA, an investigation is currently underway into an outbreak of Hepatitis A in strawberries in several U.S. states and Canada.
The outbreak is linked to fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo and HEB purchased between March 5 and April 25, 2022.READ MORE: 'It Just Makes Your Heart Melt': Folsom Marine Injured In Kabul Bombing Gets Hero's Welcome Home
Those who purchased any of these brands between the dates listed above should not eat them, even if frozen.
The products were sold at Aldi, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprout’s Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Weis Markets, and WinCo Foods.READ MORE: Yolo County Program Trades Safe Fireworks For Illegal Ones
Officials advise people to throw away any strawberries purchased between the above dates if unsure of where they were bought.
There have been reports of customers becoming ill in California, Minnesota, and Canada anywhere from March 28 to April 30, 2022.MORE NEWS: Experts: California Lacked Safeguards For Gun Owner Info
Due to the fact that the investigation is ongoing, more information may come to light as to additional products that were contaminated. So, customers are advised to keep an eye out.


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Man spends 23 days in front of the Fifth Avenue NYC Apple Store to pick up his iPhone 7 Plus66
It is all over until next year, when the launch of the 10th anniversary Apple iPhone results in even more pomp and circumstance. But that is in the future. Yesterday, a group of individuals who had camped out in front of the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, picked up their new Apple iPhone 7 or Apple iPhone 7 Plus (or both in some cases). Take Jaime Gonzalez, who spent 23-days in front. Gonzales was first in line as the doors opened yesterday morning. Inside, he picked up the new iPhone 7 Plus he had pre-ordered.
A week and a half was how long Andreas Francis chose to wait on line. She had attempted to pre-order the red hot Jet Black version of the iPhone 7 Plus, but was shut out. She ended up with a black iPhone Plus and an iPhone 7.
Lines were noticeably smaller around the world, but that didn't stop Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster from forecasting higher sales for the 2016 models. U.S. carriers like Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T reported strong year-over-year increases in pre-orders which partially explains the shorter lines. One of those who pre-ordered the device was Paige Hogan, who nonetheless showed up at the Fifth Avenue store to collect his iPhone 7 Plus. "I actually pre-ordered it, so I was only in line for like, 20 minutes, it was super easy," he said.


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Bengal leather industry suffering due to demonetisation
The Rs 6,000-crore leather export industry of West Bengal is facing acute problems owing to demonetisation, several industry bodies have claimed.
The prominent among them are the Calcutta Leather Complex Tanners Association and the Council of Leather Exports.
“Production is already lower by 40 per cent due to lack of workers and inability to pay wages,” Council of Leather Exports Chairman Ramesh Juneja said today.
The organisations said that they were set to miss their export commitment to the world market as demonetisation led to rise in raw leather cost by 20 per cent making Indian leather goods uncompetitive in the global market.
Members of the Calcutta Leather Complex Tanners Association claimed that the industry consists of MSMEs who have some 400 factories, most of them facing severe cash crunch to clear wage dues.
“Our inability to pay wages in cash and workers busy in bank queues for exchange or withdrawing money,” CLE secretary Imran A Khan said.
The industry further said that they are dealing with daily wage earners and many of them are migrants from neighbouring states who do not have any proper document to open bank accounts.
The industry has requested the government to extend the benefit similar to tea gardens to tide over the crisis.


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Having left the U.S. market years ago, the Volkswagen’s flagship Phaeton sedan is (rather impressively) still in its first generation. Volkswagen has reportedly been developing a successor to debut as a 2017 model year vehicle, and GTSpirit got word that it will also feature some advanced technology.
For starters, the second-gen VW Phaeton will reportedly introduce autonomous driving technology that will be capable of autonomously driving the second-generation VW Phaeton at speeds of up to 60 km/h, or roughly 37 mph, and include an advanced overtaking function for highway driving. In addition, the full-size sedan will reportedly feature an air suspension similar to the Magic Body Control tech seen on the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which utilizes cameras and sensors to scan the road ahead for imperfections, and adjust the air suspension accordingly.
The 2017 Phaeton is also expected to offer a barrage of powertrains, starting with a V6 gasoline plug-in hybrid system making 400 horsepower, a turbo-diesel V8 delivering somewhere in the ballpark of 450 horsepower, and the mighty W12 engine supposedly returning for the top echelon of the full-size luxury sedan.
As for the rest of the car, details remain few and far between. What we do know is that it will ride on VW Group’s Audi-developed MLB Evo architecture and utilize lightweight aluminum to combat weight for a more lively driving experience and higher fuel economy. We’ve also heard that the next-gen VW Phaeton will move even further up-market to become be an even more exclusive (and expensive) vehicle, while a rumored VW rival to the BMW 5 Series helps bridge the gap created by the Phaeton’s repositioning. It’s unknown whether or not the second-gen Phaeton or VW’s BMW 5er rival will make it to North America.


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This Just In : The esteemed annual APAC Business Awards has announced the Karma Group has won ‘Best Luxury Hospitality Brand 2020’!
This is such a great achievement for The Karma Group who are dedicated to creating unique experiences in the most beautiful destinations in the world.
The APAC Business Awards hosted by APAC Insider Magazine commends the outstanding achievements of businesses owners and entrepreneurs from across the Asia Pacific. The awards are decided by a panel of esteemed judges who look at the overall business management, growth, products and services offered.
Winners are determined on their contributions to their industry and must demonstrate within their field inclusive of customer service and a commitment to promoting excellence.
‘We create…experiences’ is the ethos of The Karma Group that offers extraordinary escapes to over 24 global locations including Australia, Bali, Thailand, India and Europe.


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Online homeware search engine ufurnish.com has appointed a high-profile chairman.
Pat McCann, a former CEO at Jurys Doyle Hotel Group and founder of Dalata Hotel Group, has been involved with the firm as an investor and advisor since its inception.
Launched in 2019 by Deirdre McGettrick and Ray Wright, ufurnish.com brings 125+ retailers across the market onto one website to simplify furniture search.
The couple approached McCann in 2018 for advice when ufurnish.com was but a concept.
Users are able to favourite products, create home furnishing design boards and receive notifications for sales alerts and retailer promotions. Once they are ready to purchase, one click takes them directly to their desired product on the retailer’s website.
“Deirdre and Ray have put together a really fantastic team and I am very excited about the prospects for this business,” said McCann, one of Ireland’s most renowned international entrepreneurs.
“I am delighted to have been asked to join the new board of directors as Chairman. I am really looking forward to working with this great team and helping exploit the full potential of what ufurnish.com can achieve.”
McCann began his career in 1969, when he joined the Ryan Hotel Group. He was appointed CEO of Jury’s Hotel Group plc in 2000, prior to setting up Dalata Hotel Group in 2007 which he grew to 44 hotels across Ireland and the UK.
Dalata is listed on both the London Stock Market and Dublin Stock Market and has a market cap of €1 billion. Earlier this month, McCann announced his plan to retire from the firm, with his executive role to cease in December and his board role in April 2022.
“Pat McCann is a visionary business leader and his appointment as chairman is a massive triumph for our business at a time of huge growth,” said Deirdre McGettrick.
“His experience and passion for building businesses and brands will be critical to us as we scale. We are delighted to have a person of Pat’s calibre on the journey with us.”
In 2020 uFurnish closed a £2.3m in funding, built out its senior executive team with a CTO from Lastminute.com and CMO with pedigree from DFS, and grew to 125+ retailers and 1.1m furniture and furnishing products on its platform.
The firm was selected as one of five London rising star companies by Tech Nation in December and has enjoyed month–on–month growth of more than 90% at the start of 2021.
“Our next key milestone will be closing our Series A investment raise which we are actively speaking to investors at this current time to help us accelerate our growth plans,” added McGettrick.
“We are targeting a raise up to £10m and first conversations are progressing really strongly with a third of the round subscribed.”


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Meet Cortana: A personal Voice Assistant for Windows Phone 8.1
Yesterday in Microsoft’s first keynote at its BUILD Conference, Microsoft announced Windows Phone 8.1. One of the most admired and attention gaining feature in Windows Phone 8.1 was Cortana. Cortana is personal Voice Assistant that will replace the search feature in Windows Phones. Continue
Missed the BUILD keynote 1?, Don’t worry watch the repeat here
Yesterday night at 9PM IST began Microsoft’s BUILD Conference keynote 1. As expected Windows Phone 8.1 was announced along with its bundled feature’s like the Action Center and the Cortona. We posted an article yesterday with the live stream and we hope that you must have watched it. For those who missed it, don’t worry we have now posted an repeat show of the BUILD keynote 1. Continue
BUILD: Windows Phone 8.1 in brief
Microsoft Announced their Windows Phone 8.1 update at their Build conference in San Francisco. The Windows phone 8.1 update is a significant update for the Windows Phone Ecosystem which hopes to compete with the lights of Android and iOS. Microsoft announced several new features which aims to boost the overall user experience but most of which were expected as there have been several leaks over the past few months. Continue
BUILD: Keynote 1 to begin soon
So today morning we told you folks that we will presenting you the live feeds from the BUILD Conference, where today Microsoft is set to announce its next OS Windows Phone 8.1. The event is nearing and we have embedded the live streaming of the event in this post.
Nokia Lumia 1520 – “The Beast” of the Windows Phone’s
Starting off, the Nokia Lumia 1520 features a quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC, featuring an Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of on board memory and a 20 MP Pure View Camera with a dual flash. It is the first of “Lumia Family” to have a 6″ 1080p display. This is the first Windows Phone with with a Quad Core Processor and yet with the fastest one! I must say, this beast is one of the best phones in terms of specs.
Viber! The best messaging app
Had problems with online messaging or calling your friends from your cell phone using the internet? Then Viber is the solution to end all your messaging problems. Viber has the most simplest interface which makes it easy to make calls and send messages. Viber being cross-platform and being available on Android, iOS and Windows Phone allows you to make calls or message your friends via the internet.
Quick Look: Jetpack Joyride
Jetpack Joyride is a cave flier game that’s available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone, a game that has been created from a classic game. While not exactly “original” per se, the Australian game developer Halfbrick studios have tweaked the cave flier formula and transformed it into hours of laser shooting, robot rampaging and UFO teleporting fun. Continue


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Dubai police fleet expands with BMW i8
Joins an already impressive fleet
The continuously growing Dubai
Police fleet has gained a new member this week as they have taken delivery
of a BMW i8.It was only a couple of days ago when we found out the
police authorities in Abu Dhabi got a Rolls-Royce
Phantom and now Dubai has replied by adding a BMW i8. It joins a generous
range of supercars including the mighty Bugatti Veyron, but also the rare Aston
Martin One-77 and a Lamborghini Aventador.A recent addition was a Lexus RC-F while previous purchases
include a McLaren MP4-12C, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Ferrari FF, Audi R8, Mercedes-Benz
SL 63 AMG, Brabus B63S-700 Widestar, Bentley Continental, Nissan GT-R,
Mercedes-Benz SLS and for some reason, a Renault Twizy.None of these high-end automobiles are actually used as
police cars as the authorities in Dubai just show them off at important
touristic attractions across UAE’s most populous city.Special thanks go to
Osama for sending us the tip!
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Published 19 hours ago
By Adrian Padeanu
bmw i8 dubai
bmw i8 dubai police
Dubai Police add a Lexus RC F to their fleet
Dubai police shows off impressive fleet including Bugatti Veyron
Dubai police gets a Lamborghini Aventador
Dubai Police add a McLaren MP4-12C to their lineup
Dubai police strikes again: BMW M6 Gran Coupe and Ford Mustang this time
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Enough with them, what a waste of supercars.
15 hours ago
one-77??:-( what a shame, thought this was supposed to go to super collectors…
16 hours ago
this is a super collection..of sorts.
1 hour ago
Alfa 4C should be next!
18 hours ago
Bentley Bentayga sheds some serious camo in latest spy picsUnknown Corolla revealed in Toyota Safety Sense feature videoClarkson punched producer over late dinner, Top Gear season ended prematurelyAll-electric Audi Q6 teased, Q8 flagship reconfirmedMercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet spied thinly disguisedKoenigsegg developing a camshaft-less engine
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2015 Skoda Superb
2015 BMW 1-Series facelift
Aston Martin DBX Concept
2015 Honda HR-V (Euro-spec)
2015 Volkswagen Sharan facelift
1 12 photos
Nissan 370Z NISMO Roadster concept
1 33 photos
2016 Toyota Avalon
2016 Honda Pilot
Skoda Superb Combi to be launched in September, spied in Czech Republic Porsche working on electric and fuel cell modelsMercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe to debut in FrankfurtFirst-gen Mazda6 still available in China, sold alongside second and third generationsMysterious Citroen compact sedan spied testing once again2016 Renault Laguna rendered based on spy photosJeremy Clarkson could quit BBC even if fight scandal won’t have further repercussionsDodge Challenger SRT Hellcat arrives in GermanyVolkswagen Golf Borussia Mönchengladbach special edition unveiledNissan shows how rugged the 2016 Titan really is
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Dubai police fleet expands with BMW i8 – Worldcarfans


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The bitcoin community has raised more than $1.6 million or highly respected bitcoin and security expert Andreas Antonopoulos, who has spent the past several years educating the masses about bitcoin.
For many years, Antonopoulos attended countless events, conferences, and meetups to introduce bitcoin to the masses, and educate newcomers in bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market.
On December 3, 2016, at the Coinscrum conference hosted by Imperial College in London, England, Antonopoulos revealed that despite being one of the most influential and active speakers, teachers, and educators within the cryptocurrency industry, he still had some debt in US dollars.
But, Antonopoulos emphasized that he has dedicated virtually every aspect of his professional career and intellectual capacity in bitcoin, and that money was the least of the investment he had made in bitcoin.
“My small savings that I do have are invested in bitcoin. 100 percent [of it]. I actually have a tiny debt in US dollars that I’m still trying to pay off so it is more than 100 percent in bitcoin. Now, I’d like to emphasize again, that is not a recommendation to invest. Because I haven’t invested by money in bitcoin, I invested my career, my intellectual capacity, my creativity energy, my passion, and my work in bitcoin. The money is the least of the investment that I have made in bitcoin and I could lose everything of it and I’d still have everything else,” said Antonopoulos.
On December 5, early-stage bitcoin investor Roger Ver publicly stated that if Antonopoulos had invested $300 in 2012, he’d be a millionaire today. In response, Antonopoulos explained that he had sold bitcoin he owned to pay his rent, given that he had worked for two consecutive years without pay and disposable income.
“I did invest, Roger. Then I sold in 2013 to pay my rent. I didn’t have disposable income to work for two years without pay and invest at the same time. I should’ve gone into more debt, but that would have been irresponsible towards my family who I supported,” said Antonopoulos.
Ver’s statement led the entire bitcoin community to encourage bitcoin supporters to support Antonopoulos. Within 48 hours, the bitcoin community raised more than $1.6 million for Antonopoulos.
Antonopoulos did not have any disposable income to invest $300 in 2012 as Ver said. But, he had invested his career, intellectual capacity, passion, work, and creative energy in bitcoin, which has been proven be larger than financial investment. The bitcoin community Antonopoulos has served for many years, without financial incentive, has took it upon themselves to send donations to Antonopoulos, although he never asked for it.
In a statement, Antonopoulos also noted that Ver was one of the many figures in the bitcoin community who helped him to obtain his first paying work in bitcoin.
“Dozens of people supported me back then, many from the bitcoin community. Roger himself helped me get my first paying work in bitcoin. Let’s keep things respectful,” said Antonopoulos.
Featured image from Shutterstock.


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GTECH’s SPIELO brand gaming products were showcased by Multi Solutions for Gaming (MSfG) at their recent customer event in Zagreb, Croatia. SPIELO’s diversity multi-games, progressive links, systems solutions, and Sphinx 3D were all on display for customers to experience.
“Since we signed the first contract with GTECH in 2003 the gaming landscape has changed significantly.” said MSfG Managing Director Kresimir Licitar. “Over the years we have seen new markets opening up and existing markets closing down. The gaming industry never stands still and there is always something happening. To have a strong partner like GTECH over all those years provides us with the needed stability to do our business in this ever changing economy.”
The event was held for the sixth time and has become a tradition in the Croatian gaming events calendar. The Croatian customers who visited the event were particularly interested in Sphinx 3D and the latest diversity suites. A definite highlight of the event was the Croatian launch of GTECH’s ACTION JACKPOTS, a unique product, offering four different progressive links tied into one single gaming machine.
“At our customer events we are trying to give our customers examples and advice on how to best set up their casino floor,” said C&C CEO Dietmar Redlhammer. “We design the complete event as if it were a real casino. The floor layout, machine placement, and handling of different denominations are all topics we try to cover.”
MSfG d.o.o is based in Zagreb, Croatia and is a 100 per cent subsidiary company of C&C (Casino & Consulting) Handels- und Beteiligungsgesellschaft M.b.h. from Linz, Austria. The two well-known faces are long-time partners; C & C Managing Partner & CEO Dietmar Redlhammer and Managing Director of MSfG Kresimir Licitar. Both gentlemen have been actively working in the casino industry for more than 25 years.
For GTECH, the Zagreb-based partner is the authorised exclusive distributor of SPIELO games and systems solutions for Croatia and Montenegro. The business relationship between GTECH and C&C/MSfG dates back more than 12 years and is based on a common goal of providing customers with the best possible products and solutions for their gaming floor. The Croatian Lottery, the Lottery of Montenegro, EGASA subsidiary company Golden Sun Casino (GSC) in Zagreb, MONEO d.o.o, Wettpunkt Zagreb, and Casino Mulino are just a few of the biggest clients MSfG is serving. Apart from the exclusive distribution in Croatia and Montenegro, GTECH and C&C/MSfG also cooperate on projects in other locations such as Russia and several Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Senior Director and General Manager, EMEA Casino Athanasios “Sakis” Isaakidis added: “It is a great pleasure to work with partners who are as passionate about the gaming industry as Dietmar and Kresimir. I have personally known them for over a decade now and look forward to continuing our business relationship for many years to come.”


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While Mobile Macs and Mac Mini have already been rusted on ARM processors, Apple’s all-in-one flagship, the iMac, still has a corresponding update. Of course already seems that the group finally plans a new design. A well-known leader now reports that another display coarse is planned.
iMac becomes "really rough"
The Twitter account @ L0Vetodream, who laged in the past with Apple-friend felligable, claim the screen of the new iMac "Really rough, coarse than the biggest [previously]". Accordingly, Apple was able to go for the first time over the previous maximum diagonal of 27 inches. Apple’s Pro Display XDR, which is considered a possible design model for the new iMac, comes with 32 inches. Accordingly, it is conceivable that Apple is eligible for this format – or slightly below to get its professional screen for 5500 euros not too close.
iMac unmistakable since 2007
The IMAC has not changed its basic look quasi since 2007 – at that time the aluminum look for the all-in-one machine came on the market for the first time. This design was handled in 2009 with a unibody housing and then designed a little dunner from 2012. 2014 or 2015 then came a high explosive screen ("retina") Add (4k and 5k). In the meantime, Apple repeatedly delivered new processors and graphics chips and improved smaller functions.
Colorful and faster
The bracket believes, among other things, that Apple will reward the iMac again several colors. In addition, there should be a dunner screen rim including new Apple silicone chips – which are faster than the current generation M1. Up to 16 high-performance cores could have the machine, next to four so-called Efficiency Cors.
April or summer?
When Apple introduces the new computers, is unclear. Desktops gladly announces the company for WWDC in summer. This takes place from the 7. June 2021 once more virtually, what Apple was not allowed to stop a rough keynote in the form of a precerpicated video.


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As the calendar turns to November, shoppers are gearing up to hit stores this holiday shopping season.
The average consumer is expected to spend more than $1,007 on holiday purchases, including gifts, food and other holiday goods, according to the National Retail Federation.
In recent years, sales have continued to inch earlier in the season, but they still center on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. However, 21 percent of people told NRF they started shopping in September or earlier — some to spread out their budgets and others to avoid crowds and last-minute shopping stress.
While most stores haven't announced hours or released ads for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, BestBlackFriday.com expects ads to start surfacing as early as Nov. 1.
Every year, Best Black Friday uploads ads as they launch, keeping track of dates. While Kohl’s Black Friday ad was released last year on Oct. 26, Best Black Friday is expecting the ad to surface sometime around Nov. 1.
»RELATED: Sears location in Dayton area to close in November
Other stores like Walmart and Target are anticipated to debut between Nov. 5 and Nov. 9, and Best Buy’s ad will likely launch during the second week of November, according to the website.
This news organization will continue updating as stores announce store hours and reveal ads. Best Black Friday expects the list of stores closing on Thanksgiving Day to reach more than 100 by the time the holiday rolls around.
A.C. Moore, Ace Hardware, At Home, Burlington, Costco, Home Depot and Lowe’s are among the many that said they will close on Thanksgiving.
Here is a full list:
Academy Sports + Outdoors
AT&T (Company-Owned Stores)
Barnes & Noble
Big 5 Sporting Goods
BJ’s Wholesale Club
Blain’s Farm & Fleet
Bob’s Discount Furniture
Christopher & Banks
Cost Plus World Market
Crate and Barrel
dressbarn (majority of stores)
El Dorado Furniture
Half Price Books
Harbor Freight Tools
Music & Arts
Nebraska Furniture Mart
Office Depot & OfficeMax
P.C. Richard & Son
Pier 1 Imports
Raymour & Flanigan Furniture | Mattresses
Sierra Trading Post
Sprint (Retail Stores Closed Unless Mall Dictates Otherwise; Mall Kiosks May Open)
Sur La Table
The Container Store
The Original Mattress Factory
The Paper Store
Tractor Supply Co.
• Local mall announces new store coming two days in a row
• Here's how to get any size fry for $1 at Wendy's
• Dayton airport airfare the 10 most expensive in U.S.: Here's why
• Dayton Mall owner blasts Sears around bankruptcy filing
About the Author


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Warframe PAX East 2016 Highlights
Highlights from the Warframe PAX East 2016 panel, including the announcement of a new Prime Access, new game mode, and more.
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