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ANNOUNCEMENTS by Arla and First Milk at the beginning of July that they were to cut the price paid to dairy producers by 1p/litre has resulted in a deepening sense of crisis within the Welsh dairy industry.
Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, Llyr Gruffydd AM, called on the European Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan to acknowledge that there is a crisis in the Welsh dairy sector on the day that he visited the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show.
The EU Commissioner will visited the show on Monday (Jul 20), as dairy farmers in Wales continue to produce milk at a loss with no prospect of a price increase until at least next year.
Mr Hogan has been widely criticised for refusing to acknowledge the true scale of problems facing the industry. He was criticised for claiming in January that milk prices were holding up well and there was no dairy crisis, and was further challenged to make the long overdue recognition by MEPs in the European Parliament earlier this month.
Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, Llyr Gruffydd AM said: “With devastating milk price cuts at farm gate level, the short-term fortunes of dairy production is pretty grim. No business can carry on producing at a loss for very long and it is time for the Commissioner to acknowledge the scale of the crisis. Producers have seen more than a third knocked off their milk price in less than 12 months and this is having huge repercussions for the rural economy.”
The AM continued: “The Royal Welsh Agricultural Show is the biggest event in our farming calendar, and if the EU Commissioner is meeting with farmers here today then he needs to be honest with them. That means acknowledging that the dairy industry is in crisis. After seeing the Tory UK government cut the overall CAP budget by 10% and then a Labour Welsh Government cutting direct subsidies to Welsh farmers by £1/4bn, plummeting farm-gate prices come at a most difficult time.”
Pointing out the role of supermarkets in driving down prices, Mr Gruffydd concluded: “Large retailers also have a key role to play. Using milk as a loss leader inevitably devalues the product and it should not be happening.”
Optimism expressed by Welsh Conservatives that the removal of milk quotas in an already difficult market would not lead to price falls for Welsh farmers has been shown to be nothing more than wishful thinking. The fears of the FUW that abandoning quotas would adversely impact smaller producers, who predominate in the Welsh dairy market, appear at this stage to have been fully borne out.
Rob Harrison, head of the NFU’s dairy board said: “450 quitting dairy farming since this time last year in England and Wales. The recent series of cuts have highlighted the need for short-term solutions to address the problems happening now – farmers need urgent help from industry and Government. We need Government to move away from paying lip service and focus on the here and now. Their long-term solutions must take a back seat while we focus on the immediate crisis; we need them to insist on best practice in the supply chain, look at growing dairy consumption and supporting more investment in dairy processing in the UK – and this needs to happen now.”
Since 2002, more than half of Britain’s dairy farmers have gone out of business, defeated by rock-bottom prices and rising costs. For the past few months, even those that have survived have been caught up in another perfect storm. Britain consumes more than four-fifths of the milk it produces, but its price is dictated globally, by the cost of producing milk in, say, New Zealand or the US.
Farming faces zero carbon challenge
AN AMBITIOUS new target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 will lead to significant changes in farming practices over the coming decades, according to a leading agri-environment specialist.
Professor Iain Donnison, Head of the Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University, was responding to the publication of ‘Net Zero: The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming’ published by the UK Government Committee on Climate Change.
Professor Donnison is an expert on agriculture and land use, which feature in the report in terms of targets for one-fifth of agricultural land to be used for forestry, bioenergy crops and peatland restoration.
According to Professor Donnison, such a reduction is very ambitious but achievable in Wales and the wider UK. “Land use can positively contribute towards achieving the net zero targets, but there are challenges in relation to emissions from agriculture especially associated with red meat and dairy,” said Professor Donnison.
“In IBERS we are already working on how to make livestock agriculture less carbon intensive and developing new diversification options for the farming of carbon. For example, net zero targets could provide significant diversification opportunities for both farmers and industries that make use of biomass and wood for the production of energy, materials including in construction and for wider environmental benefits.”
Professor Donnison added: “The report gives a clear message regarding the importance of the task and the role that the UK can play to compensate for past emissions and to help play a leadership role in creating a greener future.
“The report says it seeks to be based on current technologies that can be deployed and achievable targets. One-fifth of agricultural land is a very ambitious target but I believe that through the approaches proposed it is achievable (e.g. for bioenergy crops it fits in with published targets for the UK). This is based on the knowledge and technologies we have now regarding how to do this, and because right now in the UK we are developing a new agricultural policy that looks beyond the common agriculture policy (CAP). For example, the 25-year Environment plan published by Defra envisages payment for public goods which could provide a policy mechanism to help ensure that the appropriate approaches are implemented in the appropriate places.
“The scale of the change, however, should not be underestimated, although agriculture is a sector that has previously successfully responded to challenges such as for increased food production. The additional challenge will be to ensure that we deliver all the benefits we wish to see from land: food, carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) management and wider environmental benefits, whilst managing the challenge of the impacts of climate change.
“The link is made between healthy diets with less red meat consumption and future reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. This reflects that agriculture will likely go through significant change over the coming decades as a result of changes in consumer diets.
“Net Zero targets, however, could provide significant diversification opportunities for both farmers and industries that make use of biomass and wood for the production of energy, materials including in construction and for wider environmental benefits.”
HSE fees up 20%
A FEE imposed on farm businesses found to be in breach of health and safety legislation has gone up nearly 20% to £154/hr.
Since October 2012 the Health and Safety Executive has operated a cost recovery regime, which means that businesses are charged for the costs of an investigation from the point a material breach has been identified through to the point when a decision is made on enforcement action.
If you are found to be in material breach of health and safety law, you will have to pay for the time it takes the HSE to identify the breach and help you put things right. This includes investigating and taking enforcement action. This charging scheme is known as a Fee for Intervention (FFI).
Robert Gazely, farm consultant and health and safety specialist for Strutt & Parker said: “A material breach is something which an inspector considers serious enough that they need to formally write to the business requiring action to be taken. Once an inspector gives a farmer this written notification of contravention (NoC), the farmer will be expected to pay a fee.
“From 6 April 2019, the hourly charge has been increased from £129 to £154. The final bill will be based on the total amount of time it takes the HSE inspector to identify the breach and their work to help put things right.
“Of course, the primary reason for farms to be proactive in their approach to health and safety should be to protect themselves, their families and any employees.
“The number of people who are killed and injured each year on farms remains stubbornly high and the human cost of these incidents can be incalculable to those affected.
“But taking a safety-first approach should also help farm businesses to avoid a financial hit, as the HSE fees can mount up in the event of an investigation.”
Red meat gives ‘Taste of Wales’
WELSH Lamb and Welsh Beef were among the finest of Welsh foods at Wales’ largest and most prestigious food and drink trade event, Taste Wales last month.
The remarkable display of products, all under one roof, brought together a large contingent of UK and overseas buyers, including importers with a specific interest in Welsh red meat. These included a major foodservice and retail importer and distributor from Scandinavia that imports 6,000 million tonnes of meat annually from all over the world. The company is recognised for bringing tasty food experiences to Nordic dining tables.
They were invited to the event by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) who also arranged site visits to some of Wales’ major red meat processing plants. The main aim was to impress the importers with the industry’s high ethical and environmental standards.
The visit, led by HCC’s market representatives in Scandinavia, was a platform for many productive and promising discussions.
One representative, Anette Stenebrandt said at Taste Wales: “We have a company from Sweden and Finland with us, trying to do some new business in the Nordic-speaking countries. This is really a fantastic fair and we have enjoyed it a lot.”
Her colleague Jakob True added: “This is our first time here at this amazing event, it’s a great opportunity to meet a lot of Welsh producers, particularly Welsh Lamb which is world-class, we know. We’ll go back to Scandinavia with a lot of good new leads and hopefully bring a lot of business to Wales.”
HCC’s Market Development Manager, Rhys Llywelyn said: “Many of the buyers we met at Taste Wales, including the Scandinavians, showed a significant interest in Welsh Lamb and were impressed by the whole package – from the story of producing Welsh Lamb to the processing techniques, the taste and texture.
“Others also expressed a keen interest in forging deals with the industry, including a Japanese department store, a major buyer from Hong Kong and a representative from Qatar. This bodes well for the future, especially as Brexit uncertainty is set to continue in light of the extension on Article 50.”
In recent months, HCC has undertaken a strategic GB marketing drive to encourage growth and recognition of our quality produce on British soil.
HCC’s UK Market Development Executive, Emily Davies said: “Our presence at Taste Wales also included concentrating our efforts on promoting Welsh Lamb in the domestic market. We met a number of foodservice companies, retailers and executive chefs and discussed Welsh red meat opportunities with meal-kit companies and online retailers. We also launched a new tool-kit for retailers which highlights the ways in which we can work with them to promote Welsh Lamb and Beef.”
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Cuba expects to harvest this year about 400,000 tons more of
agricultural products compared to 2008, and adopt some measures to make
safer and more viable their production, transportation, and preservation.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Juan Perez Lamas told Granma newspaper that
such improvement has a great meaning for his ministry, which has faced
several difficulties in the mentioned mechanism.
When those products surpass the plan, containers, transportation,
warehouses and cold storages are not sufficient
Agricultural units are generally distant from the points of distribution
The situation worsens, above all in crops like tomato, which
deteriorates rapidly, while onion and other vegetables that are
harvested in a determined stage and with different destinations.
As potato, cabbage, carrot, beet, onion and other crops will start being
harvested after February 15, the Interior Trade Ministry is preparing
cold storage to keep, preserve and distribute them.
Publication date: 2/9/2009

domain: news


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Court: Can drug firms pay to delay generics?
, BY JESSE J. HOLLAND and LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators are pressing the Supreme Court to stop big pharmaceutical corporations from paying generic drug competitors to delay releasing their cheaper versions of brand-name drugs. They argue that these deals deny American consumers, usually for years, steep price declines that can top 90 percent.
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Rite Aid announces winners of Favorite Pharmacy Team Member contest
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid announced the two winners of the 2012 Favorite Pharmacy Team Member contest: a pharmacy technician from Ada, Ohio, and a long-time customer of the Birmingham, Mich., store. Both were selected at random from more than 13,000 entries in the annual contest honoring Rite Aid’s pharmacy team members for their commitment to customer care and service.
To enter, customers submitted mail-in nominations, in-store forms and online ballots during American Pharmacists Month in October. The names of one customer and one pharmacy team member were each drawn to receive $2,500 in Rite Aid gift cards. And every nominated "favorite" pharmacy team member receives an official pin and letter of commendation from Rite Aid chairman, president and chief executive officer John Standley.
"We’re proud of the excellent service that our pharmacy teams provide Rite Aid customers each and every day," said Dan Miller, Rite Aid’s SVP pharmacy operations. "I’d like to congratulate all of our pharmacy teams across the country on their dedication, which enables Rite Aid to provide services, products and resources to help our customers lead healthier lives."
Rite Aid’s winning Pharmacy Team Member is Cheryl Minix, a pharmacy technician for more than six years at the store in Ada, Ohio. Minix was nominated for being helpful, friendly and asking customers by name how they are doing.
"It was awesome" to see Minix recognized as the first-ever pharmacy technician to receive the award, said pharmacy manager Mike Elliott. "Cheryl is an invaluable member of our team and helps us all look good — the way she always sends customers away on a positive note or goes out of her way to help a customer find a product on the shelf."
Rite Aid’s winning customer, meanwhile, is Holly Smith, a customer of the Birmingham Rite Aid for "at least seven years." Smith makes a point to drive half an hour to see her favorite pharmacy team member, pharmacy manager Bob Hammer.
Although long appreciative of Hammer’s personal care, she nominated the Rite Aid veteran of 34 years not long after he talked her through some complicated insurance changes. She’s also run into Hammer at community events, including a local Step Out fundraiser held annually by the American Diabetes Association. She was thrilled to be selected for the $2,500 prize — and not just because of the money it’ll save her on prescriptions.
"I’m always teaching my kids that it’s the small acts of kindness that make a difference in life," she said of her middle school students at the Bloomfield Hills area school where she teaches. And she can now point to a real-life example that gave her a valuable prize and also the chance to recognize her long-time pharmacist for all he does to "give you a personal touch in an impersonal world."
Established in 2003, the Favorite Pharmacy Team Member contest was expanded to all pharmacy team members for the first time in 2012.
Like this story? Find us on Facebook for more insight, analysis and the latest in drug store news. Join the conversation.
FDA approves drug for pain during sex due to menopause
SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug for postmenopausal women who experience pain during sex.
The agency announced the approval of Shionogi’s Osphena (ospemifene) for women with moderate to severe dyspareunia, a symptom of vulvar and vaginal atrophy due to menopause associated with declining levels of estrogen hormones.
"Dyspareunia is among the problems most frequently reported by postmenopausal women," FDA Office of Drug Evaluation III deputy director Victoria Kusiak said. "Osphena provides an additional treatment option for women seeking relief."
Ranbaxy resumes production of cholesterol drug ingredients
NEW YORK — Drug maker Ranbaxy Labs has started producing the ingredients for a cholesterol drug while working with the Food and Drug Administration to fix manufacturing issues that led to the recall in November 2012 of several batches of the drug.
The Indian drug maker said it had initiated corrective and preventive actions, or CAPA, as it prepared to resume supplies of generic atorvastatin calcium tablets to the U.S. market. The drug is a generic version of Pfizer’s Lipitor, and Ranbaxy became the first company to market a generic version in November 2011.
The company voluntarily recalled more than three dozen lots of the drug in November 2012, including 500-pill bottles of the drug in the 10-mg, 20-mg and 40-mg strengths, though the recall did not affect the drug in the 80-mg strength. The recall was due to the possible presence of small glass particles in the drug, the company said.


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Commercial-grade fitness equipment paired with expert coaching on a digital platform, MYXfitness’ approach to personal wellness delivers lasting results rooted in science
Wellness company MYXfitness today announced the launch of its in-home fitness equipment and on-demand digital classes. Designed to meet users wherever they are on their personal wellness journeys, MYXfitness offers hundreds of classes ranging from cycling, HIIT, cardio dance and barre to yoga, mindful movement, meditation and everything in between. MYXfitness is designed to improve endurance, strength, mobility, and flexibility, with the science-backed methods of heart rate zone training and cross-training, rooted in positive psychology to deliver lasting results.
“The personal wellness and at-home fitness industries are booming, yet Americans’ mental and physical health are on the decline. For many people, the market’s current offerings don’t suit their needs and lifestyles—MYXfitness hopes to fix that,” said Heberto Calves, President of MYXfitness. “Using science-backed methods and positive psychology for a personalized, holistic approach, MYXfitness hopes to close this gap and transform the fitness landscape, offering users a safer, healthier and smarter platform to achieve their wellness goals.”
Rather than focusing on repetitive exercises—like cycling, running or rowing—which increases the likelihood of overuse injuries, MYXfitness provides users with strategic recommendations to mix up their workouts, infusing cardio, stretching, strength and foam rolling. When it comes to measuring success, MYXfitness appreciates the personal nature of everyone’s fitness journey, which is why progress is measured through a proprietary ‘MYX Score,’ calculated off a user’s heart rate, age and current level of fitness. Rather than trying to climb an arbitrary leaderboard, MYX Scores provide a uniquely rich and personal snapshot of one’s success and progress over time.
Each MYXfitness workout is produced to deliver the benefits of a one-to-one session. The sessions are led by an expert coach, who not only demonstrates proper technique but also provides emotional support and guidance to keep users engaged and in an optimal mindset for not only their workout but to take on the challenges of life. MYXfitness offers two package options priced at $1,199 and $1,499, which can be financed for $34 and $42 per month, respectively, with 0% interest for 36 months.
Both packages offer a commercial-grade Star Trac Stationary Bike Trainer, a 21.5″ interactive tablet and a Polar OH1 Heart Rate Monitor. The MYX Plus package also includes three sets of SPRI dumbbells, a kettlebell, a resistance band, a GAIAM 24″ foam roller and two mats, providing everything needed for a holistic at-home workout. Access to MYXfitness’ growing library of on-demand classes is $29 per month.


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UPDATE 9:30 p.m. EDT Oct. 27 -- Wal-Mart has decided to pull its Israeli soldier costume for children and "Sheik Fagin Nose" from store shelves and its website. The decision was welcomed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).
“The costumes are very problematic, and offensive to many people. The Israeli forces are responsible for the continued death and occupation of the Palestinian people. Such a symbol of fear, violence and a long history of dispossession should not be used for entertainment purposes,” ADC President Samer Khalaf said, according to a news release. “Selling merchandise which mocks Arabs, or any other race or ethnicity, must not be tolerated. These images do nothing but perpetuate racist tropes that have long been used to demonize, otherize and alienate Arab communities throughout history.”
The ADC, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), called on Walmart, Amazon, eBay and Sears to remove the costumes earlier Tuesday. ADC said it would continue to pressure Amazon, eBay and Sears to remove the items immediately.
Wal-Mart and Amazon are facing a massive public backlash over the sale of an Israeli soldier Halloween costume for children, CBS News reported Tuesday. The popular retailers were offering the costume -- consisting of olive-green pants, a jacket with Hebrew writing and a red hat -- for $22.18 to $34.27 on their websites.
Many critics expressed outrage on social media over the contentious costume, noting that its sale coincided with growing violence between Israel’s government and Palestinians. Many people took to Twitter to express their distaste for the costume, and the review section of the costume on Amazon featured a heated debate between consumers.
— Paige Preusse (@4029Paige) October 27, 2015
— Deanna ديانا (@deannaothman) October 26, 2015
One reviewer wrote, “This is absolutely disgusting and should be removed. Unless of course ur going to also sell costumes of the KKK, nazi soldiers, and ISIS...then at least you'd be consistent.” Meanwhile, another reviewer praised the costume, writing, “Great costume for a boy. It teaches a young boy to not be afraid of people that are offended by everything they don't agree with.” Overall, however, the costume received an average of 1.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon, and as of Tuesday afternoon, the costume on Walmart’s website was advertised as “out of stock.”
— Sara Yasin (@missyasin) October 27, 2015
The Israeli soldier costume is certainly not the first Halloween costume to face criticism and controversy this season. Wal-Mart also faced a backlash for the sale of an accessory dubbed a “Sheik Fagin Nose,” described as a “latex prosthetic nose perfect for an Arab Sheik.” The accessory was called racist by several people on Twitter. Amazon also pulled a Halloween costume called the “Lady Boy” from its U.K. site after receiving criticism that the costume was offensive to the transgender community, USA Today reported. Other costumes stirring up debate this year include a Cecil the Lion Killer costume, a Caitlyn Jenner costume and an Ahmed the Clock Boy costume.


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10 Questions We Have About The Upcoming Yeezy Show
New York Fashion Week is back—and so is Kanye.
To be honest, we're still processing the...event...that was the Yeezy Season 4 fashion show. But before long, we'll have new Yeezy-ness to break down. Kanye West and Adidas announced last week that Kanye’s Yeezy fashion line will once again show at New York Fashion Week, which runs February 9 to 16. In true Kanye style, the announcement generated some controversy, causing the show to already get rescheduled.
Somehow, more and more questions come to mind after each and every Yeezy Season show. Here’s what we’re pondering ahead of Kanye’s latest runway collection. And, who knows? Maybe the answers will all be revealed during the Yeezy Season 5 show, scheduled—for now—for February 15.
Why hasn’t Kanye figured out the CFDA’s fashion show calendar yet?
The timing of Kanye’s Yeezy Season 5 show caused a stir among designers, due to scheduling conflicts with Marchesa. The Council of Fashion Designers of America president Steven Kolb slammed Kanye, calling the fact that Kanye didn’t go through CFDA to get on the official NYFW schedule “bad behavior.” Kolb told Women’s Wear Daily: “Not going through the proper channels is disruptive to the whole week and unfair to designers who have secured spots through the formal procedure.”
By Friday, the Yeezy show had been rescheduled and Kolb told WWD, “Kanye called me personally to let me know that he had no intention of showing on top of another designer, and was unaware that there was a conflict.”
The thing is that this exact scheduling scenario has happened basically every season, as surprise Yeezy shows went head-to-head with designers like Naeem Khan, Marissa Webb, Adam Selman, and Anne Bowen. That last designer told WWD in 2015: "It’s like we are David and he is Goliath. We have put our heart and soul into our show, and should not be stepped on like this." So, did Kanye never get that memo over the years?
Will Kanye and Kim Kardashian West’s upcoming children’s line make an appearance? And if so, how much will the kids' line cost?
Kim just confirmed the line’s existence via a snap of North West wearing a mini Yeezy shearling. North looked adorable, but we’re dying to know the price point of miniature Yeezy gear (the Yeezy infant sneaker alone costs over $100.)
What’s going on with plans for Yeezy x Adidas stores?
Yeezy and Adidas announced an expansion of the partnership in June with plans for retail stores, and Kanye told Vogue in September that he wants to open 200 stores in 2017. “I’m very focused on trying to make things far more affordable, far more beautiful, and for far more people,” he said.
Are models going to be able to walk in their shoes? No fainting this time?
The talk about Yeezy Season 4’s presentation in September wasn’t necessarily about the clothes. After a long delay in the hot sun on Roosevelt Island, a few models fainted during the show. Models like Amina Blue also struggled to walk in their Yeezy heels. Yeezy Season 5 is going to be held at Pier 59 Studios next week (out of the elements, presumably), and let's hope that the well-being of the models will be top of mind. Kanye is rumored to have fired 30 staffers after Season 4's, er, challenges.
Is Vanessa Beecroft still involved? And are the clothes going to be….exactly the same?
Performance artist Vanessa Beecroft has been instrumental in designing every Yeezy runway show and presentation, but she deflected blame for the September show's issues and even said the long delay was planned. Beecroft also faced backlash this summer over her statements on race in a New York magazine profile.
All of Beecroft x Kanye shows have similar elements (models in earth-tone colors standing in lines), and the clothing in every single Yeezy Season collection has looked incredibly similar too. Forgive us, but the Spanx-like bodysuits and tattered sweatshirts started blending together after Season 2.
Speaking of, are fashion people going to show up to this thing?
The last Yeezy presentation in September was a four-hour odyssey to a remote location via bus, and some fashion editors seemed to have had enough. "Boycott #YeezySeason4," The Cut's Stella Bugbee tweeted as she chronicled models fainting in the heat, adding "I feel physically sick from that abomination." We’re wondering if the industry will forgive, forget and give in once again to the spectacle that is Yeezy, or if this will be the end of the “mind-lock that Kanye has managed to put on the fashion world” as fashion critic Cathy Horyn put it in 2015.
Is Kanye ok?
Kim and Kanye have been through so much this past fall, with Kim’s frightening robbery in Paris and Kanye’s hospitalization. We’re really hoping this show isn’t causing too much unnecessary stress for Kanye. If he took a pass on NYFW, it might not even register this time around: plenty of brands are moving their shows to Paris or LA as fashion weeks are being reimagined in the age of social media. Here's hoping the show is a success (and, if we may be selfish: here's hoping the color palette strays from earth tones!)


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The internet service is available to McDonald’s 1.45 million daily customers through free WiFi hotspots.
earthwave's Clean Pipes service will provide a common security framework to protect users from external and internal internet threats. It provides the iconic restaurant chain with measures and reporting aimed at highlighting and countering potential network security threats.
The Clean Pipes solution involved a multi-million dollar investment by earthwave to develop a defence in-depth security architecture made up of layers of security including firewalls, network intrusion prevention systems, distributed denial of service protection and various web protection mechanisms.
Carlo Minassian, earthwave CEO and founder, said, “It is critical that McDonald’s employs the best security available for its networks and any online information, so it can take advantage of the benefits of providing an internet service to its customers whilst maintaining the highest standards of privacy and security for both its customers and its employees and partners.”
McDonald's chooses earthwave to secure WiFi
By Staff Writers on Oct 28, 2008 2:56PM


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Search Tags: iphone
Rob Hart woke up last Thursday, May 31, as an award-winning photojournalist for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Do you know someone who adds a little "bling" to their smartphone?
A new app on the scene -- called ShowScoop -- aims to do for concerts what Yelp does for restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
"It completely changed not only the way people developed cellphones, but ultimately the way people developed personal computers," says Larry Magid, CBS technology consultant and CNET technology analyst.
Other than checking in online - there is now more you can do to speed things up at the airport thanks to the Transportation Security Administration.
Smartphones are so advanced these days they can turn anyone into a photographer. Here are some helpful tips to snapping better shots.
A new service aims to give mobile devices high speed wireless data - for free.
Apple has sold out of its latest version of the iPhone, but some users are reporting problems with the shiny new device, namely with the battery. The Data Doctors share some quick fixes.
Love your new iPhone 5 or the new iOS software on your old iPhone, but hate that Google Maps have been replaced with Apple's new maps? Here's a solution.
D.C.-based Sawbuck Realty has raised $3.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Revolution Ventures and The JBG Cos. Managing Partner Robert Stewart, money that will support Sawbuck's house-hunting app HomeSnap.
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If you’re running luxury transportation, you need to develop more client segments and up your service game.
The coach-as-hotel startup Cabin wants to give clients a ride that makes them feel like they are floating on a cloud.
eNews Exclusive: The startup wants to enhance the way people travel by altering public perception of mobility.
Operators Dino Javas and Matt McHugh are examples of industry upstarts who see potential in luxury vehicle service.
The economy might be good in 2018, but it won't last forever. Check out these six timeless tips for launching a livery company.
CTN Global emphasizes the front and back ends of every trip: Reservation and billing processes.
The taxi comparison app has found new life with the French carmaker.
The share of owners who say now is a good time to expand is three times the average during the recent expansion.
Bloomberg calls its fall “extraordinary,” even compared to those of most short-lived startups.
NOV. LCT Cover: iCARS has evolved from an app into a full-fledged service that connects B2B clients and providers with high duty-of-care standards.
The shutdown is a significant crash and burn for the startup, which had never publicly disclosed how much it raised.
The bus includes a custom-built bathroom, color-changing LED lighting, and a SMART TV.
Call Limo offers rides on demand from a legal, licensed, insured fleet of luxury black vehicles at prices similar to those of Uber.
The world's No. 1 online marketplace and trader for professional chauffeured and chartered vehicles, including all types of motorcoaches, buses, vans, stretch limousines, sedans, SUVs, exotics, and classics. New and used vehicles are available from sellers across the nation.
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POZNAN, Poland (Reuters) - The solar power sector will produce an over supply of solar panels in 2009, said Zhengrong Shi, chief executive of the world’s biggest module manufacturer Suntech.
“We expect definitely an over supply of modules next year,” he told Reuters in an interview, adding Suntech expected its euro-denominated prices to fall by 10-15 percent next year, by 25-30 percent in dollars, compared to the third quarter of 2008.
“The financial crisis has accelerated that situation,” Shi said. The entire sector could halve the cost of solar power before 2012, he added, assuming companies cooperated on cutting prices across the supply chain.
Low-carbon solar photovolataic (PV) power is much more expensive than fossil fuel alternatives and provides a tiny fraction of the world’s electricity. The sector is under pressure to cut costs to prove it can scale up.
“Definitely it’s do-able,” Shi said, referring to a goal of cutting the cost of solar-powered electricity before 2012 to about 16 euro cents per kilowatt hour, compared to a guaranteed solar power price in much of Europe now of about 30 cents.
“We can’t do it on our own. The whole industry has to contribute, can achieve it. Otherwise the market will be limited, governments will get impatient.”
Suntech makes solar panels from highly purified silicon. A generally less efficient but cheaper solar PV alternative is called thin film, made from dyes and other materials, and that sector is cutting prices, too.
“We haven’t cut prices of our solar panels as they are already priced below the market but others have been lowering their prices visibly over the last months,” said Mike Ahearn, chief executive of First Solar, a thin-film manufacturer.
Solar power stocks have been battered in recent months on concerns that tight credit markets could hurt financing of large projects. Suntech shares have been down by about half in the past calendar month and First Solar about a fifth.
Reporting by Gerard Wynn and Gabriela Baczynska; editing by James Jukwey


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Facebook detailed a number of practices in a 225-page document for the Judiciary Committee.
We know Facebook tracks a lot of information about its users, but the full extent of its data tracking has always been unclear. Thanks to a 225-page document filed to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, we’re starting to learn more, including how the site tracks users’ mouse movements onscreen.
Facebook answered 2,000 questions posed by the Senate Committee. Among these, Facebook explained that it collects information about users’ computers, phones, or other connected devices, including their mouse, reports India Today. The main purpose is to personalize content, but mouse movements are also tracked to help the company analyze whether a user is a bot or not. A person’s mouse movements also reveal whether Facebook is open on the foreground or background of their computer—so Facebook knows if you’re actually browsing the site, or merely have it open in one of a dozen different browser tabs.
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Facebook detailed other metrics it tracks about users, as well. It monitors just about everything about the devices that you use to access Facebook. This includes data about what operating system you use, what hardware you’re on, the software version you’re using, and even things such as your cellular signal strength, Bluetooth connectivity, and battery levels. It also looks at the available storage space on your device, file names and types, unique device identifiers, what browser you’re using, and what browser plugins you use.
In short, Facebook not only tracks what device you’re on and whether Facebook is in the forefront of that experience. It also knows just about everything there is to know about your device and how you use it.
In recent months, Facebook has struggled to save face following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which a third-party abused access to Facebook data. The social network made a number of changes to help give users greater control of their data and privacy. It also conducted an audit of its connected apps, banning more than 200 for possible data misuse. However, revelations such as these from this Senate Committee dossier don’t aid the company’s case.
H/T India Today
Christina Bonnington is a tech reporter who specializes in consumer gadgets, apps, and the trends shaping the technology industry. Her work has also appeared in Gizmodo, Wired, Refinery29, Slate, Bicycling, and Outside Magazine. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and has a background in electrical engineering.


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He will receive a 4% raise.
As fall approaches, there are many in season produce packed with nutrients you can add to your diet. These fall superfoods include items from apples to butternut squash to pomegranates and pumpkins. Registered dietitian Natalie Allen talks about superfoods and highlights a few good choices for the fall. She’s also clinical assistant professor in the […]
Appointment begins immediately.
Little critters help paint a bigger picture.
MSU supply chain management expert helps us understand the baby formula crisis.
After a pandemic travel pause, the Missouri State University Chorale returns from a South Africa Tour.
Internal search for an interim diversity officer will begin immediately.
Students seek to solve one of the most pressing threats to U.S. national security: domestic terrorism.
More than 2,800 students join MarooNation.
In the news
Plants expert Jennifer Morganthaler offers some insights.
Middle East politics expert Dr. David Romano weighs in.


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Lavazza has partnered with WeWork as the flexible workspace provider's premier coffee partner in the United States and Canada, serving the WeWork community across its portfolio of over 300 locations.
“At WeWork, coffee represents an important part of our workplace experience – from offering our members drip coffee and cold brew on tap to dedicated barista bars in select locations and more,” says Hamid Hashemi, Chief Product & Experience Officer. “We are thrilled to have Lavazza as our partner, helping our members better fuel their work day, every day.”
Lavazza says its ongoing dedication to sustainable initiatives, which has garnered consistent recognition by the Reputation Institute including a top 10 placement in 2019, made for the perfect partnership to bring a conscious coffee offering to WeWork members. In addition to serving coffee throughout WeWork buildings, Lavazza will also offer WeWork members the opportunity to enjoy its products at home.
“Lavazza is proud to partner with WeWork to provide a more sustainable offering for their workforce and beyond,” says Davide Riboni, President of Lavazza Americas. “While Lavazza has a proven history of supporting environmental initiatives, we feel that now more than ever, investing in the future of our earth is not just the 'new normal' – it is essential.
Lavazza will outfit more than 300 WeWork locations across the United States and Canada with Lavazza machines serving coffee, espresso, and cold brew from the eco-friendly ¡Tierra! and Alteco product ranges.
¡Tierra! coffees are part of Lavazza's ¡Tierra! Project, an initiative of the Lavazza Foundation which has supported the development of economic, cultural, and environmental conditions of coffee growing regions for more thsn 15 years.
¡Tierra! coffees are Rainforest Alliance Certified, indicating they are sourced from more sustainable agricultural practices that protect ecosystems and support farm workers with fair wages and dignified living conditions. Separate from the
¡Tierra! Project, Alteco Organic Premium Blend is organic and carries Utz and USDA Organic certifications, verifying environmentally friendly farming practices.
The ¡Tierra! Project initiatives in Colombia and Brazil have empowered thousands of farmers to grow quality coffee utilizing sustainable agricultural practices. Including the ¡Tierra! Project, the Lavazza Foundation has 21 projects in 14 countries aimed at improving the productivity and quality of coffee cultivation while promoting independence for over 60,000 producers. Since 2015, Lavazza has released its annual Sustainability report to gauge the environmental impact of brand practices and inform future initiatives.


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Alert for cargo even as Vietnam becomes SE Asia's fastest-growing economy
Backed by booming exports, Vietnam is on track to become South-east Asia’s fastest-growing economy this ...
In recent times, I have covered in detail for Premium the simmering tensions in the South China Sea – my most recent post referenced the dynamic between China and the Philippines.
Two appetisers here:
– Rehearsal start for the container shipping new normal (South China Sea: the next global container shipping flashpoint);
– Sailing (or not) from Ever Given to the China hustle (Problems we face as logisticians appear utopian in comparison to a worst-case scenario induced by Beijing).
Tuesday alert. Very briefly here: put the ...


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New Pop Up Candy Store Is All The Buzz In Tri-Cities
It's buzzing around the Tri-Cities and folks are waiting in long lines to get it and it's candy!
A new Pop Up Candy store is causing a lot of buzz around the Tri-Cities and another pop-up time is going to happen this weekend. Pochita's Candy is setting up shop at the parking lot of Eat Hot Tamales at 2521 West Kennewick Ave in Kennewick.
The next pop up time will be Saturday at 1:30 PM.
Pochita's Candy is unique because the candy mixes in Chamoy, a sugary special sauce popular in Mexico.
Pocha Gomez, an owner, says the candy making started out as a hobby but there has been such an interest in the candy that she decided to make a go of it as a business.


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Nikola, Tesla’s electric vehicle competition, has been granted $2 million, despite its founder facing criminal charges. This is the second grant the company has received, the first being $1.7 million back in 2019.
Nikola’s founder, Trevor Milton, was forced to resign in September stating “The focus should be on the company and its world-changing mission, not me. I intend to defend myself against false accusations leveled against me by outside detractors,” Milton said in a since deleted statement posted on Twitter.
Milton was resigned as executive chairman of Nikola in September 2020 after allegations of his corruption were made public in a report by Hindenburg Research. On July 29, 2021 Milton was charged with securities and wire fraud.
The report reads “Today, we reveal why we believe Nikola is an intricate fraud built on dozens of lies over the course of its Founder and Executive Chairman Trevor Milton’s career.”
It continues “We have gathered extensive evidence—including recorded phone calls, text messages, private emails and behind-the-scenes photographs—detailing dozens of false statements by Nikola Founder Trevor Milton. We have never seen this level of deception at a public company, especially of this size.”
Hindenburg Research, funded by targeting corrupt companies, published a report on Thursday with criminal allegations , including that Nikola and its founder and executive chairman Trevor Milton presented a non-functional prototype truck as being ‘closer to market than stated.’
“These allegations by the short seller are false and misleading, and designed to manipulate the market to profit from a manufactured decline in Nikola’s stock price,” Nikola said in response
Hindenburg Fires Back
Hindenburg founder Nathan Anderson called Nikola’s response “completely inadequate” in a statement and later released another report, claiming that “Nikola either confirmed or sidestepped virtually everything we wrote about.”
“Nikola failed to address 43 of our 53 questions.” adding “The company says it never claimed the truck was powering itself, despite deceptive editing and claims that it had “1,000 HP” with “Sports Performance””
Timeline of Corruption
In June 2021, Nikola invested $50 million in a new hydrogen factory
“Today’s criminal charges against Milton are where the rubber meets the road. Now Milton will have to answer in a court of law for his allegedly false and misleading statements,” said Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. “This is a very straight forward case. Milton told lies to generate popular demand for Nikola stock. Milton’s lies were instrumental in driving retail investors to eagerly buy up Nikola’s stock.”
“Milton wanted to be in control and didn’t want bankers telling people what his company was like,” said Strauss. “Milton exploited this feature of the SPAC for his own benefit.” She said
According to CNN, prosecutors allege that Milton claimed Nikola had a “fully functioning” semi-truck prototype known as the “Nikola One,” when he knew that the prototype was inoperable.
Audrey Strauss, said “the closest it ever came to operating was when it was pushed to the top of a hill then rolled down to produce a video showing it in motion.”
The indictment also says Milton, was serving as executive chairman of the company at that time, also claimed that the company “was producing hydrogen at a reduced cost,” when in fact, no hydrogen was being produced at all by Nikola.
This is another example of corporate corruption and the Biden Administration taking advantage of honest hard working Americans, who’s taxes will pay the $2 Million advance for Nikola. What other companies guilty of similar crimes, swim under the radar, yet are still in operation?


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- step 1. Finova Economic Raises $52.5M Very first Bullet For Auto Guarantee Finance Fiirez, Chief executive officer Gregory Keough, Derek Acree, and Alfredo Rosing. PHOTO: FI 7:30 a beneficial.yards. Mais aussi Finova Financial has actually raised $52.5 mil within the first organization financial support-the majority of they when it comes to obligations-for its user financing solution that provides auto owners which have a great credit line. The financing is led from the MHS Financial support, having involvement from Refactor Capital; CoVenture;
- dos. Metamorphic Possibilities; five hundred Startups; Capital System co-originator Sam Hodges; NerdWallet co-inventor Jake Gibson; and you can Al Hamra Category, a pals owned by a dominating family unit members regarding the Joined Arab Emirates. A beneficial “highest commission” of your own round is actually the credit studio, the firm told you, however, , Finova brings loans in return for liens toward consumers’ cars, that team phone calls an effective “car-equity personal line of credit,” and that resembles property guarantee line of credit. Their funds are generally $step one,500 in order to $1,700. Finova’s money comes on the heels away from a small uptick from inside the venture investing in fintech startups, and this rebounded on the 2nd one-fourth off 2016 which have $step one.03 billion raised regarding 51 marketing, right up out of $783 mil off 46 profit in the first one-fourth, predicated on Dow jones VentureSource. But not, on the internet financing startups, such as for example peer-to-peer startups, dropped from choose which https://paydayloansexpert.com/payday-loans-tn/smithville/ have buyers adopting the stumbles regarding LendingClub although some. Car-label financing are used by the customers with restricted access to profit a crisis, which often leads her or him for the taking out higher-interest financing, said Leader Gregory Keough, who was in the past chief executive of Cellular Economic Characteristics, a joint venture ranging from Credit card and you can Telephonica SA. Finova, hence operates simply inside Florida, intends to use the the brand new resource to expand that will be operating having bodies to go into almost every other states. Western Palm Beach, Fla.-founded Finova, having twenty five group, is attempting to change a by providing lower rates and you can so it’s a whole lot more clear and easier for people to blow straight back the loans. “From the Finova, we are extremely transparent,” Mr. Keough told you. “People get access to all of our on the internet webpage and will pick every its costs and you may small print while its next percentage arrives.” Debt collectors inside industry will fees an apr off three hundred%, said Mr. Keough. Automobile label collectors become Savannah, Ga.-situated TitleMax Inc.
- 3. Finova charge on the 70% less than the industry average, centered on Mr. Keough said. That loan off $1,000, financed within $step 1,079, would need monthly payments out of $110 for a whole commission regarding $1,320 and you may a speed out-of twenty-two%, depending on the Finova website. Certain enterprises want users to expend a costs every month in individual. Finova, in comparison, allows individuals to pay bills that have bucks atWal- urban centers. Finova money create one year to settle, weighed against 1 month for some car identity finance. Compared with regular papers applications, having Finova somebody can use to your a site or mobile device by providing facts about their cars and you may driver’s permits and you will receive conclusion easily, Mr. Keough said. Regarding 65% out of consumers apply thru devices. Finova is offering the latest financing in person, perhaps not passing her or him onto almost every other lenders. Finova was a protected financial, acquiring the initial lien status on the automobiles, Mr. Keough said. The car guarantee loan was Finova’s basic unit, in addition to company intends to launch almost every other circumstances getting “unbanked” consumers, because the business refers to the target audience. “My financing thesis is: monetary qualities for the rest of united states,” said Sheel Mohnot, brand new companion at the 500 Startups exactly who guides the new company’s fintech financial investments. “There could not a far greater fit (than Finova) to own dealing with a populace that is unbanked.” Generate so you’re able to Tomio Geron in the
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Dalton — Lexmark Carpet announced that Tammy Horn has joined the team as director of marketing. She will be responsible for all marketing efforts of Lexmark Carpet including the hospitality, residential and expo carpet brands.
Horn comes to Lexmark Carpet with 21 years of marketing experience. She has served in a variety of marketing roles throughout the commercial, hospitality and residential flooring industry. Horn most recently served as the director of marketing for IVC U.S. “We are truly excited to have Tammy join our company,” said Todd White, founder and CEO of Lexmark Carpet. “We look forward to building a strong position for our brands under her direction as we continue to expand our brand presence.”


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Amber Kelly discovered what she hopes will be a niche in the womenâ€™s jeans market.
The 24-year-old Newmarket resident expects to open her new store, Denim Diva. She is part of a growing number of youth entrepreneurs, striking out on their own.
The trend is underscored by the provinceâ€™s Summer Company program, operated under the Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
It is open to students 18 to 29, keen on gaining hands-on business experience.
Kelly believed in her business concept and remained dedicated to seeing her idea through for a specialty denim store for women. The idea was spawned from years on the retail sales floor where finding a pair of jeans that fit properly became a rallying cry for fashion-conscious women.
â€œThatâ€™s what I would keep hearing from female customers again and again. I couldnâ€™t find jeans that me properly either,â€ she said.
With the help of a $150,000 grand prize from Ivanhoe Cambridge she hopes to turn the traditional retail model on its ear when the doors open at her Upper Canada Mall store.
Just three months ago, she was attending classes at Ryerson Universityâ€™s retail management program.
Her store will carry more than 700 pairs of jeans, featuring 12 brands, organized through a cleverly concocted system based on womenâ€™s body types.
She threw out traditional names used to describe a womanâ€™s figure, replacing them with more youthful and flattering categories. At Denim Diva, hour glass translates to â€œcurvieâ€ and if youâ€™re pear-shaped, jeans from the â€œbootieâ€ rack should do the trick, Kelly said.
The prize money covered construction and start-up costs.
But she will be flying on her own now, bringing feelings of excitement and fear likely shared by even the most seasoned entrepreneurs. â€œItâ€™s an amazing opportunity for me,â€ she said.
Photo by yorkregion.com.


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- Disgaea 2 PC launching January for OS X, Steam OS, Windows PC
- Learn the story behind Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom in new trailer
- Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon – Da Orks out for iOS, PC
- Progress leads to chaos in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided launch trailer
- Team K’ and Team Women Fighters join The King of Fighters XIV
Fancy A Date?
Daily Archives: May 14, 2014
Rise of the Triad (2013) creators 3D Realms and Interceptor Entertainment have announced a new action title, Bombshell. The top-down action role-playing game is scheduled to come out early next year for PC and PS4. As Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison, players will fight their way across four planets to save the US President from aliens. Those damn dirty ap—aliens. Aliens. Damn dirty aliens.


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Statement by Yoshimitsu Kobayashi, Chairman of Keizai Doyukai
On Finalization of TPP Pact Draft Approval and Related Bills
December 9, 2016
Chairman, Keizai Doyukai
- We welcome that the draft approval of Trans-Pacific Partnership Pact (“TPP pact”) and its related bills have both obtained the Diet's final approval today. It is difficult to see the TPP pact taking effect any time soon as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump pledged that he will oppose the TPP pact ratification in the U.S. The Diet's approval today is, however, an important step forward as Japan has shown its strong belief to inside and outside Japan that the promotion of economic partnership and the robust free trade system will lead to the world's prosperity.
- We expect our government to continue its tireless efforts for the TPP pact taking effect through cooperation with nations involved. It will be done by advocating that the TPP pact will trigger the strengthening of the U.S. - Asia Pacific region partnership, leading to substantial benefits to the U.S. as well.
- We, corporate executives of not only large companies but leading small- and medium-sized enterprises, should have common understanding that the promotion of economic partnership will provide opportunities. We will, then, pave the way for challenging the new business incubation and market development, leading to contribute to the sustainable economic growth. In this regard, we hope for an early agreement of other economic partnership agreements such as the one with EU.


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LG Display has a new, more elegant take on the concept: a rotating curved 55-inch OLED TV coupled to a reclining slice of chair that puts you right in the middle of those pixels.
The “Media Chair,” like most of LG Display’s concepts, is a concept, not a product – at least for the time being. LG Display says it’s working on bringing the chair to market with an undisclosed Korean massage chair company. The spokesperson Matthew Weigand said, “It’s being commercialized by them, and they’re going to sell it.”
While there aren’t any built-in robotic massagers just yet, the design does have a lot of vibration going on — speakers in the chair, as well as a speaker built into the OLED panel itself, owing to LG Display’s Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO) technology, which vibrates the screen to produce sounds.
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According to Weigand, the TV has a 55-inch OLED display with a 1500R curve, which provides the “ideal focal distance away from a person for the best viewing experience.” It can also switch between portrait and landscape modes by pressing a button on the right armrest’s touchscreen control panel.
I don’t think there’s any doubt that such a thing would be completely out of my price range, though there’s always the possibility that some of the concept’s advantages might trickle down in the future. After all, LG’s consumer-grade OLED TVs have lately dropped below $1,000, and its eye-popping rollable display innovations have finally made their way into a $100,000 TV that made it to the United States this year, despite being incredibly pricey.


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While 4K LCD TV shipments hit 1.6 million units during 2013, almost one million of these units were shipped in the fourth quarter of the year. However, these numbers don't tell the full picture, claims the latest NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report.
According to the report, the vast majority of the growth in 4K LCD TVs is being driven by China, and while shipments to countries outside of China more than doubled during the fourth quarter, Chinese brands comprised 84 percent of global 4K TV shipments in 2013 and 80 percent of 4K TV shipments in the fourth quarter.
"4K TV remains on an aggressive growth trajectory, but the expectations of the supply chain are extremely high, relative to observed market performance and current retail pricing levels so far," said Paul Gagnon, director of global TV research for NPD DisplaySearch. "With panel price premiums falling rapidly, and a growing chorus of non-Chinese brands pushing 4K, it is possible for retail set prices to fall quickly to improve volume, but at the expense of profits."
The majority of 4K TV volume in China was primarily focused at the smaller end of the spectrum — 39 inches, 50 inches, and 55 inches – while outside of China, 4K TV sizes were focused on larger sets – 55-inch and 65-inch models – sold by Samsung, and other global brands.
"4K is a very important strategy for most brands, but particularly those targeting the high-end TV market," Gagnon noted. "In fact, while Chinese brand Skyworth held the top overall 4K TV shipment share worldwide in 2013, Sony maintained the top shipment share of 4K TVs outside of China, which is a position they have held since the second quarter of 2013, but one which will be challenged significantly this year by low-cost competitors from China and elsewhere."


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The chief executive of Volkswagen, Germany’s highest paid boss, has chalked up a major victory against the company’s chairman and his erstwhile friend after getting the backing of directors in a power struggle that has held the country’s corporate world enthralled.
The decision of VW’s steering committee to endorse Martin Winterkorn as the “best possible CEO of Volkswagen”, whose contract would be extended next year, was a rare defeat for long-standing chairman Ferdinand Piech, the patriarch of the founding family who had sought to oust the 67-year-old from his post.
It came just a week after the row hit headlines when Piech delivered the stinging remark that he was “at a distance to Winterkorn,” a statement made to journalists which many said drove the final nail into the coffin for the CEO.
Piech, 78 on Friday, is expected to step down at the annual shareholders meeting in 2017 and appeared to have wanted to trigger a leadership change before his departure, but he spectacularly failed to secure the backing of the rest of the boardroom.
But whether the committee’s statement that it was fully behind Winterkorn will now end a feud that has been compared both to Wagner’s Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) and HBO’s Game of Thrones, is yet to be seen.
Many question whether Winterkorn and Piech can continue to work together in such a poisonous atmosphere at Germany’s largest car manufacturer, as it undertakes huge structural changes in a battle to increase profitability and reverse falling sales in the US, Brazil and elsewhere.
The two men will need to show a united front on 5 May when they are expected to share the podium at VW’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Hanover.
In the past, a throwaway comment from Piech, the grandson of the VW Beetle creator Ferdinand Porsche, has been enough to bury the fortunes of many a senior VW executive. So there were widespread predictions that the demise of Winterkorn, who has led VW since 2007, was nigh.
But, following a crisis meeting in Salzburg on Thursday to which executives were flown in on Falcon jets, Piech found himself lacking sufficient votes after the VW works council and the local state government of Lower Saxony, both of them key stakeholders, distanced themselves from Piech to back Winterkorn. Also in the chief executive’s camp were Piech’s cousin, Wolfgang Porsche – whose Porsche SE holding company holds a 50.7% stake.
Earlier in the week Porsche had said Piech’s statements “represent his personal opinion (and) their content and substance was not agreed with the family”.
Instead, Piech, a talented automative engineer and a skillful – some would say Machiavellian – operator, is the one who has found himself isolated. Winterkorn, who last year earned €15.9m (£11.5m) in annual pay and benefits, has received accolades for almost doubling sales to more than €200bn – almost equivalent to the entire economic output of Portugal – putting it on course soon to overtake Toyota as the world’s largest carmaker.
Detractors say the success comes mainly from the strength of the Porsche and Audi brands, (both of which come under the VW marque) as well as VW’s strong position in China, which covers up many flaws at VW, including low productivity compared to competitors and a failure to produce models that the US market wants.
It is also behind on car industry developments such as electric cars, where it has been superseded by companies such as Tesla in California and, closer to home, its Munich competitor BMW. While Google and Apple are experimenting with driverless cars, VW has so far shown little initiative in that direction.
Industry observers have been flummoxed by the timing of the leadership battle.
“Since Piech brought Winterkorn into the top tier of the company eight years ago, the two engineers have worked on realising their big dream – of turning VW into the largest carmaker in the world,” according to Caspar Busse in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. “And at the very moment when they’re on the verge of realising their goal, we get this unprecedented power battle.”
The true cause, he said, was “megalomania”. Both have set their sights on making the Wolfsburg-based company the biggest in the world “to the expense of everything else and the result is a company with 12 brands that has become so big and complex that it is almost ungovernable.”
Long gone are the days when Piech and Winterkorn got on so well that the two had so deep a mutual understanding, according to Piech, that they did not need to speak to each other.
Some observers say that at the heart of the row is Piech’s concern that Winterkorn is now so closely associated with the VW brand that his own legacy is at stake.
Even if they solve their battles, the question as to who will take over the reins from Piech when he retires, remains open. Industry observers say he would like his successor to be Ursula his wife, who famously takes pride in test driving the new models herself. But it is said the Porsche family favours Winterkorn. “For them he is the desired candidate to take over from Piech as chairman,” said Dietmar Hawranek of Der Spiegel magazine. “But the Porsches can’t shoehorn Winterkorn in against the will of the Piechs, and Piech can’t install his wife without the approval of the Porsches.” The next VW battle might well be looming.
A brief history of Volkswagen
Founded on May 28 1937, in Wolfsburg, Germany, by the Deutsche Arbeitsfront (German Labour Front), Volkswagen – translated as the People’s Car – was an attempt to create a model that the average German could afford at a time when the market was dominated by luxury models. The city of Wolfsburg was especially created for the VW plant workers tasked with mass producing the Volksauto, a small-engined, beetle-shaped car designed for the ordinary family by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931, and seized on by Adolf Hitler when he came to power in 1933 as an opportunity to keep the people happy. But Hitler’s plans came to nothing when the onset of war meant the factory had to switch to armaments. After the war, the Allies took control of the Wolfsburg plant and under the supervision of British Army Major Ivan Hirst, mass production of the Beetle began. By 1955, a million of the cars had been sold, with sales remaining high into the 60s and 70s. In 1972, it surpassed the Ford Model T as the best-selling car in the world. VW bought the Audi/Auto Union in the 60s, which led in 1974 to the first Golf – a best-seller. The Polo followed in 1976. In the 80s VW took over Spanish carmaker Seat, and and a controlling stake in the Czechoslovakian Skoda, which it bought out in the 90s. From this time on under Ferdinand Piech, the trophy brands Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti were bought. In 2009 VW acquired Porsche. It also owns motorbike manufacturer Ducati and heavy vehicle manufacturers Scania and MAN.
Volkswagen is now the biggest carmaker in Europe and the second biggest in the world after Toyota. It employs 600,000 people in 118 factories around the globe, selling more than 10m vehicles last year.


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Retail sales continued to slow in August as consumers felt the pinch, despite warm weather fuelled-grocery spending and back-to-school purchases.
FatFace has celebrated a lift in sales and earnings despite warning that conditions on the UK high street are unlikely to improve in the near future.
Close to 1,300 pubs have been shut down or converted over the past year as the industry suffers amid unprecedented cost pressures.
Gaucho is poised to become the latest casualty on the high street, putting 1,500 jobs in doubt.
Mothercare is to close another raft of stores, meaning 60 of its outlets will be shut by June next year, putting 900 jobs at risk.
A young flight enthusiast who saved for a year to buy a drone has been left heartbroken after a struggling shop lost his prized flying machine.


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As reported last year, Best Buy will debut as Super Bowl advertisers this year. According to the USA Today Best Buy will make a big splash with featuring Justin Bieber and Ozzy Osbourne in their Super Bowl ad on Feb. 6.
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Best Buy is supposed to something really big, something that will revolutionize retailing. At least this is what they said in December. Apparently Best Buy wants to be more of an internet technology expert and service provider than stuck in the retail corner. If Justin Bieber can help with that remains to be seen. He definitely looks snappy in his Tron suite. Dads around the country, you will have to share the couch on Super Bowl Sunday with your daughters. The Best Buy Super Bowl ad is on during the third Quarter.
More details about the Best Buy Super Bowl ad will be revealed later today.
Just like last year, I4U News will be featuring again the Super Bowl for Geeks Guide. Of course the Super Bowl 2011 for Geeks Guide will be all about the Super Bowl Commercials and not the big game. The Super Bowl XLV will take place in the Dallas Cowboys stadium on February 6th 2011.
For a list of the current official and rumored Super Bowl ads for 2011 check out our Super Bowl Ads 2011 Guide.
See also our Super Bowl XLV Facts and Times Guide.


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Record sales month for Cadillac drives GM’s Retail Sales in the Middle East in November
General Motors’ dealers in the Middle East reported total sales of 10,741 vehicles in November 2011.
Total sales are up 18 percent in the first 11 months of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010.
Retail sales in November, those to individual customers, increased by 68 percent. This strong performance means that retail sales have increased by 51 percent in the first 11 months of 2011, compared to the same period in 2010
The impressive figure is the result of a consistent growth in showroom traffic throughout the region for GM Middle East’s line-up of passenger cars, crossovers, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickups across the Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac brands.
So far this year, total sales of Chevrolet are up 22 percent year-over-year.
Year-to-date sales of Cadillac are up 10 percent after registering its best November sales performance. Sales of Cadillac were 6 percent higher in November 2011 compared to November 2010 – the previous record month.
GMC’s year-to-date total sales are up 15 percent year-over-year in 2011.
“We are set for a great sales year as we near the end of 2011,” said John Stadwick, President and Managing Director of GM Middle East Operations.
“For the first 11 months of 2011 our retail sales are higher than the same period in 2008, which was when industry vehicles sales were at their peak before the impact of the global financial crisis. We are now on course to set a new retail sales record,” added Stadwick.
Total year-to-date sales of GM passenger cars are up by 15 percent in 2011, driven by strong sales of the Chevrolet Malibu (up 19 percent) and the Chevrolet Cruze (up 14 percent).
Sport Utility Vehicles
Across Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac, total year-to-date sales of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) increased by 25 percent in 2011. The Chevrolet Tahoe (up 43 percent) and GMC Yukon XL (up 21 percent) are the best performing SUV nameplates.
Total crossover sales across Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac are up 14 percent in the first 11 months of 2011 led by strong sales of the Chevrolet Captiva (up 42 percent) and Chevrolet Traverse (up 41 percent).
So far this year, total sales of GM pickups are up 26 percent due to a strong performance by the Silverado, which has grown sales by 71 percent in the first 11 months of 2011.
We envision a future of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, and we have committed ourselves to leading the way toward this future.
General Motors has been pushing the limits of transportation and technology for over 100 years. Today, we are in the midst of a transportation revolution. And we have the ambition, the talent and the technology to realize the safer, better and more sustainable world we want.
As an open, inclusive company, we’re also creating an environment where everyone feels welcomed and valued for who they are. One team, where all ideas are considered and heard, where everyone can contribute to their fullest potential, with a culture based in respect, integrity, accountability and equality.
Our team brings wide-ranging perspectives and experiences to solving the complex transportation challenges of today and tomorrow.
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White House Says LA Port to Operate 24/7 to Ease Logjams
There has been disagreement over 24/7 operations and finger pointing among key players in the supply chain, which includes port workers, truckers, warehouse operators, railways and retailers. Some terminal operators say there is no point extending hours when many of their regular pickup slots go unused by truckers. “We are open 90 hours a week now with 60% utilization. Read more here.


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The debut of the new Scala put a Volkswagen brand’s mouth where its money is
This is the Skoda Scala. It’s an all-new model, and marks the opening of a fresh chapter for Volkswagen’s Czech subsidiary. But what makes the unveiling of the new Scala so unique is less about the car itself, and more about where Skoda chose to present it.
Instead of a press conference at a major international auto show or at its home base near Prague, Skoda lifted the veil off its latest model late last week in Petah Tikva, a suburban satellite of Tel Aviv. And that, to the best of our knowledge, marked the first time that a major automaker has revealed a completely new model to the public for the first time in Israel.
So why Israel, you wonder? The country has no domestic automotive industry to speak of, and isn’t a particularly large market. High tax rates and fuel prices (never mind insurance and maintenance) make car ownership roughly twice as expensive as it would be in America. (Chalk those up to the cost of contending with historically hostile oil-producing neighbors.)
The significance that Israel holds to the automotive industry – and to Skoda and Volkswagen in particular – is far less conventional.
The small Mediterranean enclave has grown into a global hub for emerging technologies, with more scientists and tech professionals per capita, and more startups, than any other country in the world. With nearly a hundred currently listed, no nation short of the United States and China is home to more companies trading on the NASDAQ. This despite geographic boundaries and a population roughly equal to New Jersey (the fourth smallest and eleventh most populous among US states).
“This country for us is a symbol for change. It’s not a huge country, but the creativity that’s here is really amazing.”Skoda communications director Jens Katemann
Over 500 of Israel’s startups are focused on transportation technology – six times as many as there were just five years ago. Google made headlines in 2013 when it bought driving-navigation startup Waze for $1.3 billion. But that sum was positively dwarfed last year when Intel acquired autonomous-driving firm Mobileye for over $15 billion. By those standards, the $430 million that German automotive mega-supplier Continental AG paid earlier in 2017 for Argus Cyber Security seems like pocket change.
Wolfsburg to Tel Aviv
Global automakers have also been investing heavily in the country’s automotive technology scene, and few have laid down roots quite as deep as the Volkswagen Group. The German giant has partnered with its local importer Champion Motors (along with Mobileye and support from the Israeli government) to develop the country’s first self-driving ride-hailing service. The “New Mobility in Israel” project builds on the 20% stake that VW holds in Israeli ride-hailing firm Gett, and is earmarked to start early next year before deploying in full by 2022.
Porsche’s IT chief Lutz Meschke perhaps put it best when the sports-car manufacturer (another brand under VW’s vast umbrella) set up shop in Tel Aviv last year, pouring tens of millions into local automotive tech companies: “Israel is a key market for IT experts and engineers. It has more start-ups per capita than any other country in the world. This talent and technological know-how coupled with the great expertise offered by our employees creates the ideal breeding ground for future business models.”
Volkswagen opened its Konnect incubator campus in Tel Aviv earlier this year to foster (and capitalize on) innovation in fields like vehicle connectivity, smart navigation, cyber security, electric mobility, and big data.
“Israel is a benchmark country in innovation, and is considered the ‘nation of startups’, so there is no better place to launch an initiative of this kind,” said Luca de Meo, chief executive of Seat (another Volkswagen brand) upon launching its similar Xplora venture just over a year ago.
Mladá Boleslav to Petah Tikva
Skoda opened a satellite of its DigiLab division in Tel Aviv last year together with Champion Motors, and has by now begun working with a baker’s dozen startups in Israel. It has concrete projects under development with four of them – including Guardian (which specializes in vehicle sensors), Otonomo (mobility data analysis), XM Cyber (cyber security), and artificial-intelligence mobility firm Anagog, in which sister-brand Porsche and rival Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler have also invested. Skoda’s company-owned college has also partnered with the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University.
“Israel is crucially important for our successful transformation from being purely a car manufacturer into a provider of integral mobility services.”Skoda CDO Andre Wehner
With so much invested in the growing local transportation technology sector, the decision to unveil the new Skoda Scala in Israel doesn’t seem as odd as it might at first blush. “The whole automotive industry right now is really in a big transformation phase – [CEO Bernhard] Maier always says ‘from analog to digital’,” Skoda communications director Jens Katemann told IsraelAutoTech at the unveiling of the Scala. “This country for us is a symbol for change.”
“It’s not a huge country,” said Katemann, “but the creativity that’s here is really amazing.”
It’s a sentiment clearly shared by his colleagues at Skoda headquarters in Mladá Boleslav. “Israel – and in particular Tel Aviv is crucially important for our successful transformation from being purely a car manufacturer into a provider of integral mobility services,” said Skoda’s chief digital officer Andre Wehner in a statement released shortly following the Scala’s debut.
Traditional shape, fresh design
And the vehicle itself? It’s a handsome set of wheels, ushering in a new design language for the brand, inspired by the Czech Republic’s famous cut crystal and previewed by the Vision RS concept it showcased at the Paris Auto Show a couple of months ago.
It’ll be offered with gasoline, diesel, and compressed natural gas engines, displacing between 1.0 and 1.6 liters, and turbocharged to produce between 70 and 150 metric horsepower. (Expect a more potent, performance-oriented RS version to follow.) It offers electronic safety and driver-assistance systems you’d sooner expect to see on higher-end vehicles, as well as standard LED head- and taillights, dashboard infotainment displays as large as 9.2 inches across, and a first-in-class electric tailgate. And of course it encompasses Skoda’s signature “simply clever” features, like an umbrella stashed in the door panel and an ice scraper in the fuel cap.
The new model replaces the notchback Rapid sedan and Rapid Spaceback wagon with a more conventional five-door compact hatchback. That in and of itself ought to help the Czech automaker capture a larger share of a highly competitive market segment. And it’s sure to sell a few of them in Israel, where Skoda stands as the most popular European automotive brand.
All photos copyright 2018 Noah Joseph / IsraelAutoTech


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"We learned today the combination of drugs in Michelle's system, along with a condition we were unaware of, proved lethal," Oswalt said.
Meet "Shitty Charmander," the internet's new weird mascot.
Read an exclusive excerpt from James Franco's new book Hollywood Dreaming: Stories, Pictures, and Poems.
You can't sit with us.
Kitson, a boutique clothing company based in L.A., released a line of T-shirts called "the designer drugs collection," angering many for its supposed promotion of drug use.
SPOILER ALERT: It doesn't end well. Where does this take place? Yup...Florida.


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2 more RMG units partially closed
The government-set review committee on Saturday asked the authorities of two garment factories — Benhid Apparels and Love Craft Garments — to close parts of their factories as inspection teams of North American retailers’ group found the factory buildings unsafe.
The factories are located in the Dhaka city.Inspection teams of the Alliance for Bangladesh Workers Safety had found structural flaws in six garment factories in Dhaka and Chittagong and had sent the list to the review committee for the next course of action.
The review committee comprising representatives from the government, Accord on Fire and Building Safety, Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, BUET and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association visited the factories and asked the authorities of Benhid Apparels and Love Craft Garments to evacuate top floors of six-storey buildings of the companies.
The units where Alliance found structural flaws are Benhid Apparels, Bonny Apparels, Global Merchants, Love Craft Garments and Ashiana Garments Industries in the Dhaka city and Artistic Apparels Ltd in Chittagong.
‘We have asked the authorities of Benhid Apparels to vacate top floor of its building and to remove structure from the rooftop of the building. The authorities of Love Craft Garments have been asked to vacate top floor and a particular corner of each floor of the factory building due to safety risk,’ Syed Ahmed, inspector general of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, told New Age on Saturday.
The review committee has asked the authorities of Artistic Apparels Ltd in Chittagong to minimise load and to vacate a limited portion of the factory buildings, he said.
Syed Ahmed, also the chairperson of the review committee, said the authorities of all six factories had been asked to conduct detail engineering analysis of the factory buildings within six weeks.
The authorities of Ethical Garments located at Sabujbagh in the capital have already vacated its top four floors of its nine-storey building as per the suggestion of Accord, the platform of EU retailers.
Syed said though Accord had sent the name of the factory to the review committee for its action, the committee did not visit the factory as the retailers’ group informed that the company had already comply with the recommendation of Accord’s engineers.
According to a recent statistics of the DIFE, 25 garment factories have so far been closed and 11 factories partially shut down under the inspection programmes of the EU and North American buyers’ groups.
The review panel visited 53 factories in the last six months following the recommendations of Accord and Alliance and 25 garment factories have so far been closed and 11 factories partially shut down.
After the Rana Plaza building collapse last year that killed more than 1,100 people, mostly garment workers, North American apparel companies, retailers and brands formed Alliance and EU retailers formed Accord to improve safety in the Bangladeshi RMG factories.
Alliance has completed its inspection in 600 units listed by it by July and Accord has so far inspected about 900 factories.
The EU retailers’ group is expected to complete its inspection at about 1,600 factories by September.
-With New Age input


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Kate Forscey is an Internet Rights Fellow at Public Knowledge where she advocates for the public interest on internet and technology policy and government affairs, including net neutrality, spectrum policy, and other issues crucial to preserving an open internet and consumer digital rights.
Articles by this author
Thursday, January 29, 2015
When It Comes to High-Speed Internet, Cable Companies are Making Things Up Again
Right now, the Federal Communications Commission is considering bumping the definition of “highspeed broadband” from 4 Mbps down/1 Mbps up to 25 Mbps down/3 Mbps up . This change is significant, particularly because of its implications for how the Commission evaluates “timely broadband deployment”...


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37MB file enables full compatibility with Verizon's LTE network, still Android 4.4.2
Your LTE-equipped Nexus 7 should be seeing an update today that adds "Full compatibility with Verizon's 4G LTE network" — though plenty of people are using it with no issues and no update. Build KVT49L is just 37MB, and doesn't show us anything new or exciting, but we'll take any update we can get, right?
It's worth noting that this is the same compatibility certification that Verizon told us was coming "soon" back in September of last year. We're not going to pretend that we know all the details, but we do know plenty of folks who found work-arounds and have been using their LTE Nexus 7 on Verizon for quite a while.
And don't get me started on the C-block auction agreement.
Anyhoo, if you have an LTE Nexus 7, expect an update for it shortly if you haven't already received it. And for folks wanting to buy the Verizon Nexus 7, it should be available starting tomorrow.
Via: Droid Life
Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus review: Fourth time's a charm
Samsung's Galaxy Buds Plus take everything that was good about the originals and amplifies them. But it also gets rid of nearly every issue last year's model had.
Did you buy the Galaxy Buds Plus?
The Galaxy Buds+ are the latest true wireless earbuds Samsung has to offer, but has anyone bought them? Here's what some of our AC forum members have to say.
Galaxy S20 sales reportedly off to 'dismal' start, Coronavirus to blame
Reports out of Korea suggest sales of Samsung’s new Galaxy S20 phones are off to a slow start in its home country.
The Galaxy Note 10+ is Verizon's best phone
There's nothing quite like a new phone on America's top-rated network, and the Galaxy Note 10+ is a smash hit.


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Nolafunk Jazzfest Series Announces Two Dead Feat Shows
Today’s announcement is the first for 2015’s fourth annual Nolafunk Jazzfest Series of concerts set to take place during the evenings and weekends of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival from April 24 -May 3. A Dead Feat pre-sale for Nolafunk email subscribers starts this Friday, November 21 at 12 p.m. CT. Head to Nolafunk.com/nola to sign up for the list. Tickets then go on sale to the general public on Friday, December 5 at 12 p.m. CT via Ticketweb.
Watch fan-shot footage of “Fire On The Mountain” from Dead Feat’s May 3, 2014 show as captured by S Donna for a taste of what to expect:


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As Facebook is taking steps to boost its presence in Japan, our sister site, AllFacebook Stats, is following suit, announcing an agreement with Japanese marketing agency Torchlight.
If Facebook were to launch its own search engine right now, it would immediately attract nearly one-quarter of that sector and become the second-most-used search engine in every major market in the world except China, Japan, and Russia, where it would place third, according to a recent report by independent digital marketing agency Greenlight.
Though Facebook is still frozen out of China, there is still major growth potential throughout Asia. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is in Japan now speaking about the social network’s plans to grow in the region that already has 255 million users.
For years, Mixi has been the social media site of choice in Japan. But new reports suggest that Facebook could overtake Mixi by the end of the year, thanks to The Social Network and a model that promotes more sharing of information.
Facebook hopes to grow its social influence in Asia, as the company recently announced that it invested in the Asia Pacific Gateway — a 6,214-mile underwater internet cable from Malaysia to Japan, with cables branching off to other countries.
According to the latest figures from comScore, Facebook’s user growth figures for April were down dramatically, with the social network up just 5 percent in unique visitors versus April 2011, following growth rates of 24 percent last year and 89 percent in April 2010.
There’s been talk lately about Facebook’s growth potential among international markets. Much of this will depend on if and when the social network determines how to sell things on mobile, and if it can set up a seamless, user-friendly payment platform.
Facebook Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg spent this week in China and Japan: Was it a pre-initial public offering vacation with girlfriend Priscilla Chan, business, or a little bit of both?
Facebook has reached a membership of 10 million in Japan, more than double the number in September. But how close is that to overtaking the country’s leading social network, Mixi, which reported 15.2 million monthly active users last month?
Most likely, Facebook will reach the one-billion member threshold sometime during 2012. One seventh of the world’s population will be on the social network.


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Travel trend forecasting agency Globetrender has published a new report, The Future of Queer Travel, identifying eight trends shaping the future of travel for the LGBTQ+ market. OutThere speaks to the company’s editor, founder and CEO Jenny Southan, about the evolving needs and behaviours of queer travellers globally.
In 2018, annual spending by LGBTQ+ travellers reached an estimated US$218 billion. By 2030, experts predict this figure could reach US$568.5 billion. Why is this happening and how can travel companies and destinations better tap into this growing market?
Jenny (who is, we’re proud to say, also an OutThere contributor) explains: ‘Firstly, queer travellers are more intrepid and hungry for travel than ever before. Secondly, in many cases, they also have more disposable income. And thirdly, the population of people who identify as queer is increasing. In 2021, a landmark UK Census revealed that 6.9% of Gen Zs identified as LGB+ compared with 3.5% of Millennials, and 1.6% of Boomers’.
Further, Jenny says that brands only stand to benefit from catering to the community when they travel. As a queer woman, wife and parent, no one is better suited to tell us why the travel industry, as a whole, needs to acknowledge and cater to the unique circumstances of LGBTQ+ travellers.
‘For the travel industry, this is a clear indication of distinct market opportunities (particularly among people under the age of 45). It is also an urgent call for better understanding and appreciation of this growing and richly varied consumer group’, she says.
Published in June 2023, Globetrender’s Future of Queer Travel forecast identifies ‘Queer Family Travel’, ‘Limelight Gaycations’, ‘Polydays’ (for those in polyamorous relationships) and ‘Pride Power’ as some of the emerging trends within the LGBTQ+ travel market segment.
It also highlights ‘Gay-I Interfaces’, which refers to how machine-led interactions at border control and hotel check-in can replace interactions with people, which can induce anxiety in queer travellers. ‘This is a milestone report for the travel industry and up until now, these trends hadn’t been identified’, says Jenny. ‘Many of them are also very new shifts and opportunities’.
Jenny explains that a big reason Globetrender chose Queer Family Travel as its number-one trend is that ‘more and more rainbow families are emerging’. In 2019, there were almost quarter of a million same-sex families in the UK, an increase of 40% since 2015.
Jenny says: ‘In this book [the authors] highlight some of the unique challenges we face when travelling as queer parents, such as how we are ‘outed’ all the time by cries of “Mummy, Mama” or “Daddy, Papa”. What this means is that queer families need to be far more discerning and thoughtful about where they visit to ensure they won’t encounter homophobia’.
A trend that might take travel marketers by surprise is ‘Rainbow Rebellions’, which corresponds to the way some defiant queer travellers visit destinations in spite of the fact they have anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
Jenny says: ‘In terms of progress for LGBTQ+ human rights, there are steps forward and steps backwards. Gay marriage is legal in 34 countries (up from just one in 2001) but homosexuality is still illegal in 67 countries. In 2023, the president of Uganda signed one of the world’s toughest anti-LGBTQ+ laws, but at the same time, Latvia welcomed the modern world’s first openly gay president’.
As for why marketers have previously been slow to act on these trends, Jenny believes it’s down to a lack of diversity and inclusivity at the decision-making level. She says: ‘I think there is a combination of reasons that LGBTQ+ people are being let down by the majority of destination marketers and travel brands, but the most obvious one is that they are being run by heterosexual, cisgender people with a heteronormative view of the world’.
She adds: ‘You can see this in the imagery they use in their marketing campaigns and on their websites – there is often very little representation. Unless these decision-makers actively educate themselves on diversity and inclusivity and bring on LGBTQ+ employees, advisors and business leaders, they will continue to fail to recognise the significance of this growing market and react appropriately’.
In a wider sense, we all stand to benefit from greater inclusivity and a better understanding of our world as it exists. An occasion to immerse ourselves in the experience of travel can no longer be exclusive and accessible to only a privileged few. ‘At Globetrender, we are optimists. We strongly believe in travel as the ultimate expression of freedom, and a unifying force that brings people closer together’, says Jenny. OutThere couldn’t agree more.


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A Waterford business owner is fed up with Craigslist after he says the site mistakenly listed his phone number in connection to a personals ad of a sexual nature.
Dann Hart, owner of Hart Pavement Striping, told WDIV-TV his cellphone was filled with calls and hundreds of nude photos due to the prank he believes was carried out by an acquaintance.
According to the report, the advertisement purports to be a young girl offering to perform various sexual services.
Hart told the TV station the ad was removed after he contacted the site and police.
— Online coordinator Paul Kampe


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Airbnb hosts big tourism boost for WA economy
Online accommodation behemoth Airbnb has reshaped WA’s tourism landscape, hosting more than 170,000 visitors for almost 300,000 nights last year.
A report also found it had proved attractive to tourists from the US and those visiting friends and relatives in WA.
The Airbnb-commissioned research by Deloitte Access Economics found guests spent an average $213 a day — including more on food ($58) than accommodation ($47).
This added $100 million to the WA economy and helped create 780 jobs. Airbnb is an online service where people can list and book accommodation around the world — whether it be a spare bed, a private room or a whole apartment or house.
Report co-author Aaron Hill said Airbnb was a sharing-economy success story in WA.
“We’ve found that people using the Airbnb service are helping to drive growth in the tourism economy, increase competition in the accommodation sector and benefiting consumers in terms of choice and, often, price,” Mr Hill said.
“And Airbnb’s contribution in terms of direct and indirect jobs should not be underestimated.”
The report said Airbnb had assisted more than 1.3 million short stays in Australian cities since it was launched in Australia in August 2012.
More than 150 million guests, including over 2.5 million Australian guests, were currently on the Airbnb platform.
WA Airbnb hosts accommodated 171,500 guests for 292,900 nights in Perth and regional towns, placing it fourth behind NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
Almost one in four guests was visiting friends and relatives, twice the national rate, and 35 per cent of guests were Australian, compared with the national rate of 51 per cent. Airbnb hosts in WA earned a median income of $5300 in 2015-16.
Airbnb country manager Sam McDonagh said the data showed Airbnb was important for tourism and the WA economy.
“In stark contrast to the big hotel industry’s trickle-down approach, Airbnb drives bottom-up growth,” he said.
“We are spreading the benefits of the tourism boom and helping create more jobs in local cafes, restaurants and shops.”
Doubleview couple Keith and Patricia Gennoe joined Airbnb last year and have come to appreciate the role they are playing in the tourist industry.
“Our guests obviously go to many of the restaurants, cafes and bars around us,” Mr Gennoe said. “But there’s also activities like surfing lessons.”
The couple offer a bedroom, lounge room, bathroom and access to a full kitchen.
They have attracted tourists from Germany, Ireland, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Africa since they opened.
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