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In Malta, to cross Valletta's Grand Harbour, I take one of the traditional Dghajsa boats, whose lines recall that of the Venetian gondola.
We used to take tours into the Number One Dock, but since they built the new footbridge we cannot go under it because of the high prows,” says boatman Walter Ahar. “One tiny touch and they break." Walter is in his early 70s and has spent most of his life at sea, working for various shipping lines. “I went to England when I was 14 and came back in 1984. I love the sea,” he says. “I started rowing these boats when I was about eight with my uncle. There is now a cooperative and we can take a coachload of 60 people off a cruise ship with our ten boats.”
He is a campaigner to preserve this slice of Malta’s history, encouraging young people to learn the skills of handling the boats. “There used to be 3,000 of these boats carrying sailors and there are between 50 and 100 left – the oldest is 130 years old,” he says. “We are trying to bring them back to life again. There are only three men still building and repairing them, but they are very good as their skills go back several generations.”
While the Dghajsas now use outboard motors, they also still have two oars, which Walter uses skilfully to come alongside the dock at Valletta. Out in the harbor, two teenagers are rowing one, tossed by the wake of a gigantic cruise ship leaving port. “They are training for a race, held every March and September,” he says.
“They race from near the container port to the Customs House. The prize is not a great deal – the parishes play bingo to raise some money – and the government gives a shield or a cup. Anyone can take part, and every parish sends someone to compete.”
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Company Xiaomi unveiled a new flagship smartphone Mi 9 with a triple camera. Initially, the model will be available only in China, but will soon be available in other countries, reports the portal the Verge.
The cost of the smartphone range from $450 to $600. Mi 9 based on 855 Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm, it will be available in two versions: with 6 or 12 GB of RAM. The RAM size will be 256 GB. Among the proposed colors — purple, blue and black.
The newest model has one front-facing camera, and a triple camera with a resolution of 48, 12 and 16 MP. In addition, the smartphone will receive the fast charging — the battery will fully charge in 40 minutes. Also the kit will include a wireless charger.
According to the portal ixbt.com the developers also created a more affordable version of the phone 9 Mi SE. It is reported that it will also be equipped with a triple camera, but the smartphone will be significantly less of a flagship and will not be equipped with wireless charging. Also the phone will get 6 GB of RAM and 64/128 GB of flash memory.

domain: news


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PayPal wants to repay its users for dealing with its recent spate of sporadic outages by giving back a days worth of fees.
The online payment service, owned by eBay Inc., announced Wednesday that it will credit its premier and business account members for all transaction fees they pay this Thursday. The payback will cover transactions posted between midnight and 11:59 p.m. PDT.
In a note to customers, PayPal said the offer serves as an apology for the recent site problems and as a thank-you to customers for their business.
Earlier this month, PayPal battled on-and-off service outages for about five days following a site upgrade. The company blamed glitches in the software update.
Users at the time said they lost sales because of the interruptions. Some online merchants and sellers on eBay, which uses PayPal, were unable to complete their sales.
PayPal, which has about 50 million user accounts, said it would automatically credit accounts for the transition fees by Nov. 25. The offer covers the United States but does not apply in 17 other countries listed in the note.


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Following the Conservative Party’s election victory, prominent UK associations are begining to return their verdicts on the result.
Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), comments: “We look forward to working with the new Government on the many issues facing retailers. The Prime Minister must now fulfil his manifesto pledge and urgently begin a fundamental review into the broken business rates system to relieve the burden on retail businesses and create a system fit for the 21st century.
“Retailers employ three million people across the UK, making the industry the UK’s largest private sector employer. It is therefore important that the Apprenticeship Levy is made more flexible to enable the industry to use funds for any form of accredited training to suit its skills needs and create a workforce fit for the future. Equally, retailers need to see action from Government to tackle retail violence. Every day, 115 people are attacked at work – no-one should go to work in fear.
“It is also vital over the coming days and weeks that the Government commits to bringing clarity on the UK’s future relationship with the EU and pursues a fair deal for consumers that maintains tariff-free, frictionless trade with the EU.
“With retail conditions the toughest they have been for a decade, the Prime Minister must act to support the successful reinvention of retail locations and local communities. We look forward to working with ministers on a strategy to strengthen the retail industry during this period of unprecedented change.”
Hew Edgar, head of UK Government relations and city strategy for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), says: We congratulate Mr Johnson on his election win, and hope that his Government provides the stability the UK’s built environment craves, as well as the attention it needs and deserves. For too long, domestic issues have been sidelined by the Brexit debate, and this has negatively impacted investment and growth in land, property and construction.
“It is imperative that key issues, such as housing supply, high street and town centre renewal and climate change are a top priority for this Government. RICS will work with the new administration to ensure that these issues are tackled, in consideration of the social and environmental impact that any policy or legislation might have.”


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UK: JD Wetherspoon staff allege being forced to distribute Brexit 'propaganda' & call for living wage & trade union recognition
Author: Katie Grant, inews, Published on: 30 January 2019
"Wetherspoon's staff urge Tim Martin: Remove your pro-Brexit 'propaganda' from our pubs", 29 January 2019
“Disgusted” Wetherspoon’s staff have accused boss Tim Martin of using the pub chain to “distribute propaganda in favour of a hard Brexit” and are demanding the company founder and CEO withdraw all material promoting his personal political views from their workplace.
A campaign group, Spoons Against Brexit, claims Mr Martin is “exploiting his position” by forcing staff to distribute beer mats, leaflets, magazines and menus that advocate his “dangerous” political views... The group is urging workers and members of the public sign an online petition demanding the company withdraw all “propaganda”, pay staff the Living Wage and offer trade union recognition.
Eddie Gershon, a spokesman for Wetherspoon’s...said: “...We appreciate not all our staff or customers agree with our stance on putting Brexit-related articles in the magazine. Any member of staff who does not wish to put the magazines out in the pub does not have to – we have reiterated that to managers.” "...We pay above the minimum wage across our pubs, and staff are also able to receive share options after a qualifying period. We also pay millions in bonuses each year.” He... declined to comment on whether or not the company planned to recognise the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union.
Related companies: JD Wetherspoon


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The story of finding 500,000 boxes of GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards in a shipping container has been circulating-missing during shipping, but that story is BS.
Geeknetic.es first reported this story. When this story was put into Google Translate, it was discovered that a Samsung subsidiary’s port warehouse worker in a place in South Korea found a pile of boxes with the NVIDIA logo on it. The staff member pointed out that there is no port record for this shipment.
The employees themselves have been trying to buy GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards, and after seeing hundreds of boxes of NVIDIA products, “Only makes me more frustrated“.
“RTX 3070, 3080 and 3090 are still hard to find. Strong demand, long production cycles and shortages caused by the global pandemic have not made things easy. However, the good news is that the Korean port operator just lost 500,000 GeForce RTX 3000 cards!“
After news set the Internet on fire, the author of the original article added: “This is a false news report, which was released on December 28 to celebrate Spain’s “Innocent Day”


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Rumors online are saying that Dell has held talks with two private-equity firms about potentially taking the company private! The thought of Dell becoming a privately held company has caused investors to get excited and the company’s stock is up more than 15% since the rumors have come out. The rumor mill says that talks between Dell and private-equity firms have been going on for the last two to three months. Dell has declined to comment on the rumors, but who knows! The Wall Street Journal reported that Dell has recently held talks with buyout firms Silver Lake Partners and TPG about going private.
Two years after Michael Dell said he had considered taking his personal-computer company private, Dell is reportedly in preliminary talks with two firms about going private, Bloomberg News reported yesterday, citing two people familiar with the matter. It added that no deal may happen as the firms might not be able to line up the financing needed or “resolve how to exist the investment in the future.”


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The mobile wallet offering from Sweden’s four network operators is to be called WyWallet and is due to launch in mid-2012, Lars Aase of Swedish mobile payments specialist Accumulate has told NFC World. The joint venture will be going head to head with peer-to-peer payments startup Swish, which is backed by Nordea and five other banks and will launch in the autumn.
- NFC Forum certifies Cilab for TR13.1 wireless charging testing
- ST provides insight into using NFC tags to enhance consumer experiences
- NFC Forum adds certification for NFC wireless charging
- NP Plastibell adds ultra-miniaturised ST NFC tags to pre-filled syringes
- German luggage brand leverages NFC for product authentication and customer engagement
This article is more than 10 years old


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The prosecutor Rosário Teixeira, who leads the investigation by the Public Ministry that gave rise to the so-called “Blue Card” operation, says, in the dispatch of the searches to the SAD of FC Porto, that Pinto da Costa is suspected of embezzling millions of euros in transfer fees of players for nearly 10 years.
«Since 2012, several sports agents – among them Pedro Pinho and Alexandre Pinto da Costa – agreed with Pinto da Costa, FC Porto president, to develop a scheme to generate undue profits» in the sphere of those involved, as can be read in the dispatch , to which CNN Portugal had access.
In order to place players in FC Porto, or to sell them from FC Porto to other clubs, according to the same order of the attorney, these entrepreneurs “accept to return, namely to Pinto da Costa, part of the amounts charged in commissions for their intervention as intermediaries business » business.
On November 22, the Public Ministry ordered 33 searches, including the blue and white SAD, claiming to be investigating the payment of commissions in excess of 20 million euros related to footballer transfers.
In all, there are 12 businesses under investigation:
2013 and 2016
2017 to 2020


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Seagate, the world's second largest manufacturer of hard disk drives with a 30% market share, will assemble its products in Brazil, according to a report by business daily Valor Econômico.
Production will be outsourced to Phitronics, a unit of Taiwan's Kinpo Group.
According to the newspaper, Phitronics plans to invest 71.1mn reais (US$44mn) in the manufacturing hub of Manaus and create 311 jobs over the next three years.
Phitronics is expected to produce 1.72mn Seagate drives in the first year of operations, 5.2mn units in the second year and 6.5mn units in the third year.
More than 96% of the components used in the drives will be imported, the report said.
By Sergio Caldas


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Atari Europe: Game development goes on
The company wants to make clear that financial and restructuring issues at Atari, Inc. will not affect the European arm.
Earlier this week, troubled publisher Atari hit the headlines after its latest financials showed the US company's figures taking a nosedive across the board. In a statement, Atari admitted that it was concerned about its ability to continue to operate, and after selling off its development studios, it will concentrate on publishing and distribution in the US.
However, Atari's head of UK PR, Lee Kirton, told GameSpot today, "For Atari Europe business is fine. There's been some restructuring in the US but it doesn't affect Europe."
He reassured gamers that Alone in the Dark, Test Drive Unlimited, and the other titles that Atari had coming up would not be affected.
Earlier this month, Atari's US CEO David Pierce resigned after just over one year on the job, and figures were released for both the first and second quarter, both of which painted a bleak picture for the company.
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The new Help Centre allows users to access help and safety advice on any device at any time. Safety advice is now iconography-led to improve how users engage with important safety messages at all touch points in the user journey.
The Help Centre is supported by in-depth advice articles which offer users a more detailed insight into staying safe on Gumtree. For users who wish to speak to a member of Gumtree’s support team, contact via Twitter, email, live chat or over the phone is now never more than two clicks away.
These improvements to Gumtree’s Help Centre, implemented following a major rebrand in January 2016, have been overseen by recently appointed Head of Customer Services at Gumtree UK, Jamie McLellan. McLellan was previously Customer Services Director at Electronic Arts (EA), and Head of Customer Experience at Shazam. In his new role, McLellan will focus on promoting excellence across the customer journey for Gumtree’s user community.
Jamie McLellan, Head of Customer Services at Gumtree UK, said: “Gumtree boasts an impressive volume of users looking to buy and sell goods every single day. The site is an important part of people’s lives; whether they are renting their first home, finding a new job or sourcing baby items ahead of a new arrival.
“The new help centre is an evolution of Gumtree’s move to 24/7 customer service – customers can now self-serve advice at any time, on any device. If a customer would like to speak to a member of our customer service team, they are only a couple of clicks away from reaching out on their chosen contact channel. I’m thrilled to lead the Customer Service team at this exciting time to implement these changes, and ensure Gumtree customers are having a safe and successful experience.”
To support the updates to safety advice on the front end of the site, Gumtree is working with the ‘Detecting and Preventing Mass Marketing Fraud’ (DAPM) team of academic experts, led by Professor Monica Whitty from the University of Warwick leading the UK’s research in online fraudulent behaviour. These academic experts are lifting the bonnet on Gumtree’s back-end system to improve the site’s safety team’s ability to identify patterns of fraudulent behaviour.
Gumtree also works closely with law enforcement authorities and organisations like the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure all safety advice on the site is aligned to industry best practice.


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A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is set for release on 7 July.
Hank Green has announced he’ll be hosting a virtual book tour this summer, in support of the release of his upcoming novel, A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor.
A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is the follow up to Hank’s New York Times bestselling debut novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and follows the sudden disappearance of a group of robots called The Carls and the changes they left in their wake.
To celebrate the book’s release, Hank has announced that he’ll be holding a special launch event on the vlogbrothers YouTube channel, which will feature an appearance by his brother and fellow author, John Green. Set to occur on 7 July at 7:00pm EST, it’ll only be accessible to those who pre-register via Eventbrite.
Along with the launch event, Hank will also be holding a handful of virtual appearances, with the aid of various booksellers across the United States. Those who purchase tickets will be sent a signed copy of A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, and the first 500 orders for each date will receive an exclusive enamel pin.
The dates are as follows:
6 July – The Town Hall with The Strand, with special guest John Green [TICKETS]
Reserve your spot for June 17th! https://t.co/tEti3inH10
— Penguin Books USA (@penguinusa) May 29, 2020
Hank is also set to make an appearance on the Penguin Worlds Book Club, hosted by Penguin Books. It will occur on 17 June at 8:00pm EST, with Hank being joined by special guest, Catherynne M. Valente.
Those wishing to reserve their spot can do so for free via Eventbrite.


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Now calling itself OmniSky, the company will launch a nationwide beta program for a wireless Net service for Palm V users in December. As reported earlier, the service will allow Palm users to access Web sites and send email. The announcement was made during the first full day of the Comdex trade show here.
AT&T will provide nationwide wireless service for the new offering over its Internet Protocol (IP)-based wireless network and will also market OmniSky's service. OmniSky plans to officially launch the service in the first quarter of 2000.
OmniSky's beta program is open to the first 5,000 people who register. The company plans to offer a special pricing deal for the beta run. For $299, customers will get a Palm V thin wireless modem and unlimited Internet access until March 31, 2000.
The deal is the first service to come from OmniSky, created from the combination of 3Com and wireless data network software maker Aether Technologies. OmniSky, run by former 3Com and Infoseek executives, plans to expand services to Windows CE devices, pagers and cell phones.
OmniSky is one of a growing number of firms offering wireless Internet service for handheld devices. 3Com offers a wireless Net service, called Palm.Net, to Palm VII users. Last November, Microsoft and Qualcomm created a company called Wireless Knowledge, and Oracle recently announced software called Portal-To-Go.
All these companies plan to work with telecommunications carriers to offer handheld users access to email, Internet content, and corporate data over the Web.
OmniSky is using 3Com's "Web-clipping" technology, which pares down information from a Web site and fits it into the small screen of a Palm device.
Separately, Cisco Systems added new technology to its Universal Broadband Router lines of devices, based on a standard for fixed wireless communications announced by Cisco last month. The router line allows businesses and homes to use a wireless connection to access the Net, even in highly congested areas.


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ImageWare Systems Sets Corporate Update Conference Call for Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. ET
SAN DIEGO, CA., March 9, 2016 – ImageWare Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: IWSY) (ImageWare), a leader in mobile and cloud-based, multi-modal biometric identity management solutions, will conduct a conference call on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (8:00 a.m. Pacific time) to provide a corporate update for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2015. The company will report its results in a press release prior to the call.
ImageWare Chairman and CEO Jim Miller and CFO Wayne Wetherell will host the conference call, followed by a question and answer period.
Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Time: 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (8:00 a.m. Pacific time)
Toll-free dial-in number: 1-877-874-1571
International dial-in number: 1-719-325-4772
Conference ID: 8622449
Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact Liolios at 1-949-574-3860.
The conference call will be broadcast live and available for replay at http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=118636 and via the investor relations section of ImageWare’s website at iwsinc.com.
A replay of the conference call will be available after 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on the same day through April 16, 2016.
Toll-free replay number: 1-877-870-5176
International replay number: 1-858-384-5517
Replay ID: 8622449
About ImageWare Systems, Inc.
ImageWare Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: IWSY) is a leading developer of mobile and cloud-based identity management solutions providing biometric, secure credential, and law enforcement technologies. Scalable for worldwide deployment, ImageWare’s patented biometric product line includes a multi-biometric engine that is hardware and algorithm independent and enables the enrollment and management of unlimited population sizes. The company’s identification products are used to manage and issue secure credentials, including national IDs, passports, driver’s licenses, smart cards and access control credentials. ImageWare’s digital booking products provide law enforcement with integrated mug shots, fingerprint live scans, and investigative capabilities.ImageWare is headquartered in San Diego, CA, with offices in Portland, OR, Washington, D.C., Mexico, and Ottawa, Ontario. For more information about ImageWare Systems, visit www.iwsinc.com.


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Stories Tagged - Home Buyers
April 28, 2022 | CREB
For most of us, buying a home will be the biggest purchasing decision we make in our lifetime. Adding to the weight of that decision is going through it the first time.
May 03, 2013 | Cody Stuart
Nearly nine-in-10 Albertans surveyed said buying a house or condo is a good investment, according to a poll released by RBC.
As outlined in the bank's 20th Annual RBC Home Ownership Poll, 89 per cent of Albertans said buying a home was a good investment, compared to the national average of 84 per cent. The poll showed homebuying intentions in the province have dropped to 22 per cent from 31 per cent a year ago.
April 11, 2013 | CREBNow


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Dubai theme parks gear up for 2016 openings
Dubai’s two new mega theme parks have revealed more exciting details about their attractions and pass and package prices ahead of their opening later this year.
Both Dubai Parks & Resorts (DPR) and IMG Worlds of Adventure gave delegates attending the recent Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai (April 25-28), a sneak peek of what’s to come as they start their countdown to launch.
The US$1 billion IMG Worlds of Adventure, wholly owned by the Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group (IMG Group), revealed it would open its doors on Monday, 15th August, 2016.
Covering some 1.5 million square feet, IMG Worlds of Adventure, which is now 96 percent complete, will be the first multi-themed destination to open in the region as Dubai looks to ramp up its credentials as an international family entertainment hot spot.
“By offering a fully immersive indoor theme park experience in a temperature controlled environment, this enables IMG Worlds of Adventure to be open all year round,” said Ilyas Galadari and Mustafa Galadari, executive co-chairmen and owners of the Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari Group, both speaking at ATM.
“With the capacity to welcome more than 30,000 people a day we anticipate 4.5 million guests in our first full year of operation, contributing to Dubai’s position as a leading tourism hub.”
Tickets went on sale for IMG Worlds of Adventure on April 25.
IMG Group has also revealed never-seen-before photos and artist impressions of the park’s top attractions at ATM. The indoor theme park will feature four unique worlds inspired by Cartoon Network and Marvel.
DPR also wowed ATM visitors, using Virtual Reality (VR) headsets to give them a thrilling real-to-life experience of the rides and attractions across its three theme parks – the movie-inspired motiongate™ Dubai; Bollywood Parks™ Dubai; and LEGOLAND® Dubai, which will bring the famous LEGO® Bricks to life.
When it opens in October, Dubai Parks & Resorts will be the Middle East’s largest integrated theme park destination.
At ATM, DPR revealed details of its annual passes, which went on sale at the end of April. They offer visitors a range of benefits including unlimited park access, invitations to exclusive preview days, and VIP packages and discounts on food and merchandise.
“Dubai Parks and Resorts is set to transform the leisure tourism sector in Dubai when it opens in October this year,” said DPR CEO Raed Kajoor Al Nuaimi.
“Our destination of diverse theme parks will benefit from and contribute to Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2020 to take annual visitor numbers to 20 million in 2020.”


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Porsche, a German luxury automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars and SUVs, is reportedly developing another electric sports car, dubbed the electric 718.
News in Focus
The Performance version of the Tesla Model Y compact crossover utility vehicle has become a little bit more expensive to order in China, thanks to the latest pricing tweaks by the American EV manuf
Porsche, one of the largest and most traditional sports car manufacturers in the world, has embarked on the path to gradually electrify the whole of its lineup, and the recently unveiled “Mission R
Guangzhou Automobile Corporation (GAC), a Chinese EV manufacturer and subsidiary of Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group, recently took wraps off a new electric vehicle (EV) that reportedly comes eq
Oshidori International Holdings Limited has confirmed that it pulled out of race for one of three integrated casino resort licenses in Japan.
The global battery market for xEVs (BEVs, PHEVs and HEVs) has expanded at an unprecedented rate this year, breaking previous records and setting up new levels as automakers across the world have sh
American entrepreneur Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla Motors is mulling plans to open its Supercharger network (a network of 480-volt direct current fast-charging stations) to other automakers a
Main Regional Stories
The 2022 Audi e-tron GT will be available in the United States starting this summer with a price tag of $99,900 before any state or federal tax incentives, the German luxury car brand announced.
With an aim to become a major global force in electric vehicle (EV) battery sector and better compete with the likes of Japan and China, South Korea has revealed plans to invest 40.6 trillion won (US$35 billion) in its EV battery industry by 2030.
XPeng, a smart electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer headquartered in Guangzhou Province of China, will be added to the Hong Kong-based Hang Seng Composite Index on 20th of July this year.
New South Wales (NSW) has announced an ambitious plan to encourage people to switch from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles (EVs).
American electric car maker Tesla Motors has reportedly been ordered by Chinese regulators to recall a large number of Made-in-China (MIC) as well as imported Model 3 and Model Y EVs to fix a software issue.


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West Australian Premier
The state’s largest general cargo port, Fremantle, was locked in negotiations with the MUA’s West Australian branch yesterday as it tried to avoid a six-day strike by about 130 workers in its bulk services and stevedoring operations.
The union has threatened to strike from Sunday. It is Fremantle Ports’ busiest period as it handles increased numbers of container shipments for retail customers before Christmas.
“What a dreadful image that [strike] would give to the rest of the world," Mr Barnett said. “Western Australia is a trading, export-orientated economy. This is the industrial relations of the 1970s. I thought we’d grown out of that."
The dispute centres on pay and conditions. The union wants increased overtime rates, higher paid leave entitlements and roster changes. Fremantle Ports has offered a 5 per cent increase to wages each year for four years.
Mr Barnett warned that the Australian economy was in trouble and part of the problem was low productivity at the nation’s ports.
Problems at WA ports have created delays for oil and gas giant Chevron, which could revise up the cost of its Gorgon project by up to $20 billion. Delays in getting key equipment from Fremantle to the construction site at Barrow Island are partly to blame.
Chevron lawyers have claimed in the Federal Court in Perth that unionised wharfies were taking up to three times longer than necessary to complete loading duties.
Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief executive James Pearson said improving productivity at Fremantle needed to be a priority.
“It’s fundamental to business and the broader performance of the WA economy that the port is operating in the most efficient way possible, without industrial stoppages and with improved productivity levels," Mr Pearson said.
Fremantle Ports chief executive officer Chris Leatt-Hayter said it had put a fair offer on the table.
MUA WA branch secretary Chris Cain told ABC radio there was never a good time to take industrial action and it had tried to bargain in good faith with Fremantle Ports. “It is sad to see it come to this," Mr Cain said.
The Australian Financial Review


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This article is based on an article from the Japanese edition of Engadget and was created using the translation tool Deepl.
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has partnered with 3D Bioprinting Solutions of Moscow, Russia, to develop 3D bioprinted nuggets made from chicken cell tissue and plant-based ingredients. KFC says it aims to "achieve the signature KFC taste" and reproduce the same taste and texture of the nuggets sold at KFC.
KFC has recently focused on developing products made from plant-based materials rather than chicken, and in 2019, the company is testing nuggets made from plant-based materials made by Beyond Meat in select stores, which sold out in five hours. KFC explains that the technology, which generates meat from chicken cells into nuggets, reduces the amount of farmland needed for poultry farming by 1/100th and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 25 times.
Yusef Khesuani, co-founder of 3D Bioprinting Solutions, said, "3D bioprinting technologies, initially widely recognized in medicine, are nowadays gaining popularity in producing foods such as meat," and continued, "In the future, the rapid development of such technologies will allow us to make 3D-printed meat products more accessible and we are hoping that the technology created as a result of our cooperation with KFC will help accelerate the launch of cell-based meat products on the market."
It should be noted that the 3D bioprinted nuggets contain chicken ingredients. Also, KFC is not stopping selling Beyond Meat fake meat chicken, and has begun testing the product in 50 more stores in California starting this week. The company will determine how well this turns out to be the case and whether it will go nationwide. Perhaps in a few years, we could see three types of nuggets sold at KFC around the world: 100% chicken, 3D printed nuggets with chicken ingredients, and 100% synthetic meat.
Incidentally, in the medical field, the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkelay) is working on developing a technology to produce human organs by 3D bioprinting. With conventional 3D bioprinting technology, cells tend to degrade before the printing is complete, and UC Berkelay is developing a solution to this problem by freezing the output tissue as it is printed.
There was no detailed explanation of the 3D Bioprinting Solutions technology in the announcement, but we hope that they will take extra care and consideration for the safety of the product they are making to put in your mouth. The 3D Bioprinting Nugget will be in prototype form for testing this fall. There's no word yet on when it will be available for sale to the public.
This article is based on an article from the Japanese edition of Engadget and was created using the translation tool Deepl. The Japanese edition of Engadget does not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of this article.


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Rebel Wilson is ready to share baby Royce’s face with the world! She shared a fleeting look at the 5-month-old baby’s face in a sweeping new video posted to Instagram on Monday, April 3. In the drone video, Rebel, 43, held her new daughter in front as she waved at the camera. She rocked a blue and white shirt and white pants, and stood in front of a palm tree on the beach in the Caribbean. Baby Royce appeared to be wearing a pink and white outfit and went bare feet for the dreamy tropical clip. Rebel waved at the camera and then blew a kiss as the drone moved up and away from the Pitch Perfect actress, and panned across the expansive beach.
“Rebels of the Caribbean!” she captioned the video, alongside emojis of a pirate flag, sun, and ocean wave. “Thanks to the Reubens for this epic adventure!” Rebel completed the post with black, yellow, and blue heart emojis. “Rum and Coca Cola” by the Andrews Sisters played in the background. Unsurprisingly, the Bridesmaids’ star’s 11.3 million followers on the platform rushed to the comments thread to react.
“You just did a face reveal of ur baby,” marveled a fan, while another wrote, “Woot woot! So happy for you! You are such an icon and inspiration to me.” “Rebel Island is in full swing! Love it,” quipped a third.
The new video comes as Rebel has been sharing vacation pics with fans. In an April 1 snap, she cozied up with fiancée Ramona Agruma on a boat, and in a march 28 post, she shared the sweetest photo of “Roycie’s first ever swim in the ocean.” In a March 31 post, Rebel swam with turtles in surreal underwater pics.
The actress and the L.A. fashion designer announced their engagement in February. “We said YES!” Rebel captioned a romantic ring pic from Disneyland on Feb. 19. “Thank you @tiffanyandco for the stunning ring…and to [Disney CEO] Bob Iger and the incredible team at Disneyland @disneyweddings for pulling off this magical surprise!”
Several months earlier, in November 2022, Rebel announced she had welcomed baby Royce via surrogate.
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According to a recent Harris Poll survey, 8 in 10 Americans say buying a home is a priority, and 28 million Americans actually plan to buy within the next 12 months. Homeownership provides many financial and nonfinancial benefits, so that interest is understandable.
Are you planning to buy a home this spring? Though things are more balanced than they were at the height of the pandemic, it’s still a sellers’ market. So, when you find the home you want to buy, remember these four tips to make your best offer.


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Domestic and foreign travel enterprises gather at the International Travel Expo 2018 in HCMC
Ha Van Sieu, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), noted that the local aviation market has seen mostly chartered flights ferrying 70% of the Chinese tourists to Khanh Hoa Province, Quang Ninh Province, Danang City, Hanoi City, HCMC and Phu Quoc Island, among other places in Vietnam.
Khanh Hoa Province reportedly records the largest number of visitors, with 173 flights per week. Chinese tourists account for 60% of the total international visitors to the province’s Nha Trang City, while
Chinese visitors to Danang City and Quang Ninh Province are recorded at 30% and 20%, respectively.
“Some destinations tend to face an overload of services due to the large concentration of visitors at tourist spots,” Sieu stressed at a seminar held on the sidelines of the International Travel Expo 2018 in HCMC’s District 7.
A few representatives suggested the tourism agencies work with their Chinese counterparts to ferry visitors to various destinations in Vietnam instead of a single location to ease the load and enhance service quality. They agreed that it is essential to urgently introduce more of Vietnam’s tourist sites to visitors.
“It is necessary to reduce the density of visitors in populous tourist destinations, such as Nha Trang City,” Nguyen Van Tuan, head of VNAT, stated, adding that other places, such as Phu Quoc Island, have features and favorable conditions to develop the tourism sector and handle large numbers of tourists.
Tuan told The Saigon Times on the sidelines of the seminar that arrivals from the Chinese market will continue to grow strongly in the next few months, adding that the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam will probably exceed five million in 2018.
Last year, Vietnam welcomed four million Chinese nationals among the 13 million international tourists in the country, according to the General Statistics Office.
A source from VNAT pointed out that Chinese tourists tend to travel in groups, spending an average of US$790 per trip, of which 32% is spent on accommodation.
Some firms attending the seminar pointed out that the tourism sector needs to have a more skilled workforce and should create multiple products to meet customers’ growing travel demands.
The seminar also saw many domestic enterprises signing cooperation agreements with Chinese firms to develop the tourism market. Saigontourist Travel Service Company, for example, signed a memorandum of understanding with OCT International Service Corporation on the exchange of customers.


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A new young and vibrant group of farmers is emerging in the US. Just in time as the average age of US farmers is 57 and more than 25% are 65 or older.
“For these new farmers, going back to the land isn’t a rejection of conventional society, but an embrace of growing crops and raising animals for market as an honorable, important career choice — one that’s been waning since 1935, when the U.S. farms peaked at 6.8 million.
“It’s about creating something real — the food people eat — and at the same time healing the Earth.
“Three factors have made these small, organic farms possible: a rising consumer demand for organic and local produce, a huge increase in farmers markets nationwide, and the growing popularity of community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs.”
The new farming sector is attracting activists who want to start something positive rather than just protest. It is also luring Ivy League graduates who do not want to sit in front of a computer all day.
“Small-scale farming is management-intensive. It’s an incredibly intellectual exercise, but you’re also getting your hands in the dirt — that’s why it’s so attractive. There’s a hunger for that.”
Read the full post at MADGE


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Zion & Zion Study Reveals the Usage and Demographics of Food Delivery Apps
Restaurant food delivery services like Grubhub, UberEATS, DoorDash, and Postmates are transforming the way people get their meals from an enormous number of restaurants without leaving home. To understand how prevalent the use of these multi-restaurant delivery websites/apps is, as well as their relative popularity, the market research team at Zion & Zion conducted a new study.
The study reveals interesting findings that have numerous implications for both restaurants and food delivery website/app companies ...
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Deep Packet Inspection Firms Trying To Turn Net Neutrality Satire Into Reality
from the yeah,-good-luck-with-that dept
It’s been around for a few years, but those of you who follow the net neutrality debate may have seen the following “example” here or there of what various ISPs would like to do to the internet if they could:
However, before people get too alarmed about all of this, and start demanding “net neutrality” laws, it’s worth taking a step back and recognizing just how unlikely it is that proposals like this ever get anywhere. Would the various mobile operators like to do this? Sure. In fact, for years, they tried to resist more open systems by totally locking down their handsets. Even with so-called “smartphones,” the experience was entirely controlled (with tollbooths) by the mobile operators. And what happened? Almost no one used them. It wasn’t until Apple broke down that wall (though, it set up its own, slightly more open wall) that smartphone usage really took off. And, these days, with even more open Android systems growing, more people are moving to those as well.
Will some mobile operators sign up for a DPI system like this? Maybe. I can certainly see some of them testing it out. But, I can’t see it ever actually catching on. While the operators will claim that this will allow for “cheaper” plans for low level users, history has shown that they don’t really mean that. The goal is to get the higher level users paying through the nose. And that won’t work — because people have already learned what can be done with mobile broadband on a device, and simply won’t agree to go to a system that charges like this. It’s a pipedream for some DPI companies and some mobile operators, but the likelihood of it actually becoming the norm seems pretty damn low.


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Oliver Dlouhý, the founder of flight bookings website Kiwi.com, has won the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. Mr Dlouhý is now set to represent the Czech Republic at Ernst and Young’s international finals for the award in Monte Carlo in June.
Started by Mr Dlouhý in 2012 under the name SkyPicker.com, Kiwi.com has since become a global player in the online flight bookings market with some 2,800 employees and sales revenues worth CZK 28 billion in 2018.
The company has already expanded its services into rail as well as bus line bookings. Its founder says he now wants Kiwi.com to become a global virtual carrier.
Milan Kundera is a ‘moral relativist’ with much to hide, says Czech author of controversial new biography
Czech Republic opens up to more tourists from Europe and beyond as coronavirus travel restrictions eased
Janek Rubeš: The only question I get – and there are thousands of them – is, Can we come to Prague?
Facemask requirement eased but new restrictions for area hit by spike in Covid-19 cases
Czech nation pays tribute to Milada Horáková on 70th anniversary of her judicial murder


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Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest has filed a lawsuit against Facebook alleging that the tech giant has violated anti-money laundering laws by not cracking down on fraudulent ads that used its image.
According to these allegations, Facebook allegedly did not take sufficient steps to stop criminals from using its social media platform to send fraudulent advertisements aimed at deceiving Australian users.
It is also alleged that these ads, which used Forrest’s image and claimed cryptocurrency investment schemes, have been appearing on Facebook since March 2019. Forrest, chairman of Fortescue Metals Group, also claims that Facebook failed to exercise control or create a corporate culture that would prevent the use of its systems for fraud.
It is unusual for a private citizen to file criminal charges against a corporation. Forrest said it had sought and obtained approval from Australian Attorney General Michaelia Cash to launch action under the Commonwealth criminal code.
“I’m doing this because I’m concerned about innocent Australians being fooled by advertising,” he said.


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Will Wendy’s reverse auction reverse its decline?
Wendy’s misses Dave. The chain’s sales have stayed as flat as its square burgers since the lovable founder died in 2002. Since then, Wendy’s advertising campaigns have been — to put it lightly— less than memorable.
Wendy’s was the first fast-good chain to do a dollar menu and the first to have a healthy menu, but for some reason it couldn’t keep up the innovation. As this Time article from 2005 explains:
Over the past two years, its competitors wised up and realized that
they too could goose up sales by adding some variety to the menu. In
some cases they copied many of Wendy’s most successful products. “That
never happened before,” says Janice Meyer, a fast-food-industry analyst
for Credit Suisse First Boston… The situation got so bad that Wendy’s had
to launch its latest innovation, an entrée-size fruit salad, in
February — not exactly when most people are yearning for a slice of
cantaloupe — because it knew that McDonald’s was launching an
apple-and-walnut salad in May.”
But now Wendy’s is getting smart again. It’s spent the past seven years exactly where most Americans are now — in a recession. As a result, it’s prepared to offer desperate people what they want: free things!


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Kevin Schader, director of communications for the SD Association and all-around great guy, just stated that SDXC cards should be hitting us as early as next year, with a 64GB capacity to begin with. The spec was released to member companies in April, and though Pretec has been parading around a 32GB card, we haven't had a release window of any sort before now. Naturally, it's going to be a slow build up to the theoretical limits of SDXC, with 52MB per second speeds and 64GB cards, instead of the 300MB per second, 2TB cards of our dreams, but we promise not to complain too much along the way.
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The Huawei Enjoy 20s (also known as Maimang 9) has surfaced in the product library of China Telecom. The model number is TNN-AN00.
The listing has revealed the images of the device along with its pricing and release date. Past reports have revealed that it will be a lower edition of Honor Play4 that debuted in China few months back.
Enjoy 20s Specs
The Huawei Enjoy 20s 5G China Telecom listing shows that it is a big phone since it measures and houses a 6.81-inch display. The waterdrop notch screen produces a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and an aspect ratio of 20:9.
The Enjoy 20s is driven by MediaTek MT6873 chipset which is better known as the Dimensity 800 5G SoC. The smartphone is expected to arrive in 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variants in the home market. Both models are equipped with 128 GB of storage.
Also Read: Huawei MatePad T10/T10s (aka Honor Pad 6) Geekbench Listing Appears; Launch Imminent
The EMUI 10 based Android 10 OS comes preinstalled on the Huawei Enjoy 20s smartphone. At the front, the handset has a 16-megapixel selfie snapper. The backside of the phone has a triple camera system. It features a main camera of 64-megapixel, which is coupled with an 8-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel. The device houses a 4,300mAh battery that supports 22.5W fast charging.
The Honor Play4 has also the specs that are available on the Enjoy 20s. One noticeable difference is that the Honor Play4 features a quad camera setup with an additional 2-megapixel camera.
Price and availability
The Huawei Enjoy 20s 5G variants that are mentioned in the listing on China Telecom’s product library states that its 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage model is priced at 2,199 Yuan and the higher 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variant costs 2,399 Yuan. It will be available in colors like Magic Night Black and Sakura Snow Clear Sky. Lastly, the handset is expected to release in the market on July 27.


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Holiday shopping in Lincoln goes local
By: Sabrina Ahmed
“Shopping local is a great way to support the community and there's a lot of great shops in downtown Lincoln,” Shopper Kim Walters said.
Holiday shopping is in full swing and local stores are getting a piece of the action. Yesterday was the biggest shopping day of the year—but what about the small businesses that don't have huge giveaways to reel people in?
It's called Small Business Saturday. It's in between Black Friday and Cyber Monday to support the local businesses around the country. Here in Lincoln, it was a hit.
Shoppers were out in full force. But this time, they weren't looking for the door busters and giveaways.
“Not feel rushed and crowded, bumping into people, it's just a nice thing to do with family or friends,” Walters said.
They were supporting small, locally owned businesses. It's a shopping holiday that started in 2010 by American Express and is celebrated nationally.
Last year, more than 100,000,000 people participated around the country, visiting the independently owned stores. This year, stores like Embellish in downtown Lincoln were busy, too.
“We've had tons of people coming in and everyone knows about Small Business Saturday, which is great,” Embellish employee Mary Claire Rice said.
Shopping local is encouraged to help small businesses grow, helping the economy in communities prosper. But there are other perks, too.
“When you shop local, you find more unique gifts and you find something that suits somebody where it's not a commercialized item. Or everyone has the same things… uniquely someone or uniquely you,” Walters said.
Small Business Saturday has gathered a lot of attention around the country. President Obama even participated. He and his family shopped locally in the DC area.
The shops around Lincoln offered all sorts of deals today. Some of them even partnered up in their marketing to encourage local shopping, no matter where you go.


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Two people have been taken to hospital after a car flipped on its side in a dramatic crash at a busy north London junction this morning.
A couple described today how flash flooding in north-west London led to water pouring into their home “from every angle” leaving £15,000 worth of damage.
Published: 30 January 2013
Retail mogul Natalie Massenet made a designer's dream come true last night.
Acting in her new role as chair of the British Fashion Council, the Net-A-Porter founder hosted a reception to announce the winner of this year's Vogue Fashion Fund Award - a prize given to established designers to help them grow their business.
Massenet, who sold a £50million stake in Net-A-Porter in 2010, took up her new role at the BFC at the end of last year where she succeeds former Jaeger boss Harold Tillman.
Paying tribute to the wealth of talent in our capital she highlighted how difficult it was for a young fashion business to succeed without a helping hand.
"It starts with a dream" she said, "this award is to help propel those businesses to the next level."
The nominees considered for this year's award - a sizeable sum of £200,0000 - included London Fashion Week designers Roksanda Ilincic, Peter Pilotto and Emilia Wickstead. But it is shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood who was eventually chosen as the candidate to benefit from a much-needed cash injection.
The cobbler, whose shoes are a regular on the red carpet as well as in the catwalk collections of some of London's greatest designers, could not hold back the tears as he collected the prize from Alexandra Shulman, editor in chief at Vogue.
"I'm just so so grateful" he said.
Shulman paid tribute to hi's innovative ability and said his decision to present his shoes to the Fashion Fund's judging panel by placing them on models heads caught her eye.
Kirkwood, the first accessory designer ever to collect the award, will undoubtedly be dreaming of achieving similar success to last year's winner Christopher Kane.
Having used the investment to expand his business globally, Kane recently sold a 51 per cent share to fashion power conglomerate PPR.
ES Partners: Fashion Lover? Shop the season’s latest collections and get up to 25% off British designers. Shop now
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Discover Swiss alpine holidays – your way
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Welcome to The Daily Block Explorer. Your global view of the emerging distributed ledger economy.
Oops. Moscow's blockchain voting system hacked. Metal Pay founder claims it's the Libra 'killer' as EU antitrust regulators investigate Facebook's plans. Low quality exchanges still dominate crypto market. The IRS letter to crypto owners isn't helpful.
Decrypt / Nicholas Marinoff
– Aug 21, 2019, 10:00 AM
The cryptocurrency trading market is thriving, yet it's exchanges with less than stellar reputations for regulatory compliance and data security that are still getting the lion's share of trades. That's according to cryptocurrency data firm…
On July 26, 2019, the IRS announced that it was in the process of sending letters to over 10,000 taxpayers with a history of cryptocurrency transactions by the end of August, noting that the letters were sent to taxpayers who, “potentially…
The technology-enabled mechanism of trust could make online balloting more realistic. A French security researcher has found a critical vulnerability in the blockchain-based voting system Russian officials plan to use next month for the 2019 Moscow…
Facebook's Libra project has been questioned by European Union anti-trust regulators. They are concerned about the project, popularly referred to as a cryptocurrency, restricting competition. Libra has been subject to immense scrutiny already from…
– Aug 20, 2019, 4:51 AM
A cryptocurrency entrepreneur who became a bitcoin millionaire when he was still a teenager has launched a new venture that he claims will 'kill' Facebook 's Libra. Erik Finman, 20, says peer-to-peer platform Metal Pay will be the first…


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As per a report by PTI, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) wants Maruti Suzuki to take the lead for development of India-specific products.The company plans to launch 15 new products by 2020 in India.
The engineers at Maruti Suzuki will lead the product development for three to four models out of the total 15that will be launched in the next five years. These products will not be built from scratch butwill be based on the Suzuki platform. This will allow Suzuki todirect its focus on premium models, giving Maruti the charge forthe India-specific range.
This news comes close on the heels of Maruti Suzuki showcasingthe much hyped compact SUV,the Vitara Brezzaat the 2016 Auto Expo. The Vitara Brezza is an all new, sub-four metre compact SUVdeveloped in Indiawithout any inputs from Suzuki'sglobal R&D team. The project was supervised by CV Raman, executive director engineering at MSIL making him the first Indian to head an MNC project by Suzuki. The total investment for the Vitara Brezza project is an estimated Rs 860 crore with 98per cent localisation.
Suzukimaintains that with the advent of many international players in India, the competition has increased and the company needs to buildmore India-specific products. Maruti Suzuki currentlyhas two plants at Gurgaon and Manesar in Haryana. The upcoming facility in Rohtak will also play a key role in the development of India-specific products like the Vitara Brezza.


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Google has been working hard to stay current with their streaming stick, and this is really the best part about competition. Google has to do more - all companies do - in order to keep your business. The update coming for the Chromecast will make it easier for developers to work more closely with this platform. The idea is that your mobile device can become the controller and the content is displayed on the TV. That sounds like a great update to me!
Google said it will begin offering new capabilities that make it easy for developers to create more interactive apps that run on a smartphone, tablet or PC, and then wirelessly stream to its Chromecast device, which plugs in to a television. One example is with video games, whose developers can stream a game's visuals to a television and use mobile devices as controllers.


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At CES 2022, Google outlined some features coming to Android and Chromebooks that will make using the devices seamless, much like the Apple ecosystem. During the announcement of these features, Google showcased an animation that showed a messaging app being mirrored from your Android phone to your Chromebook. We can now see how the future might look like as the popular website 9to5Google was able to enable this feature on their Google Pixel device running the first Android 13 developer preview.
The report showcases how Android devices will be able to 'stream' apps to their Chromebooks, and even Windows devices. The publication says the feature makes use a of web app which could allow streaming to both Chromebook and Windows devices. Instead of simply mirroring your phone's screen to your laptop, the report says that the Pixel will generate a virtual screen which will then be streamed to your laptop. Here's how 9to5Google describes it:
"Your Pixel generates an entirely separate virtual display, which is streamed to your laptop or desktop, rather than simply mirroring your phone’s portrait screen. This second display is where your messaging apps will appear. This means you can have an app open on your laptop/desktop without disrupting any apps running on your phone’s main screen."
And it's not only for messaging apps. You'll be able to stream all the apps installed on your Google Pixel to your Chromebook or Windows device. The report goes into detail showcasing different apps that can be streamed to your device.
"At the bottom left, there’s a menu button that, when clicked, reveals the full list of apps installed on your phone. With this menu, you can launch any app on your phone, not just the messaging apps. In effect, your entire phone is accessible through Pixel’s cross-device streaming."
Once you have the app open on your laptop, you'll be able to interact with the app normally as you would on your Android smartphone. You'll be able to type, swipe, play videos, interact with posts on social media apps, and do pretty much everything. In addition, the web app will also come with features that will allow you to stop the streaming of the app, go back a page, resize the window display, send feedback, and do much more.
For now, 9to5Google was able to enable the feature only on the Google Pixel devices running the first Android 13 Developer Preview build. The feature already works well as per the publication, and it also says that Google "may finally be close to launching." But how soon? Only time will tell. The publication speculates it may be a part of future 'Pixel Feature Drop' but it's only a speculation.


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Beer giant Lion has acquired the Fermentum Group, which owns the Byron Bay craft beer brand Stone & Wood and Melbourne’s Two Birds Brewing, for more than $500 million.
But it needs the approval of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to finalise the transaction.
Fermentum also has a fast-growing alcoholic seltzer brand called Sunly in its portfolio. The business is highly profitable, with earnings before interest and tax running at $25 million-plus annually despite the hospitality shutdowns during the pandemic.
The Stone & Wood brand and its flagship Pacific Ale, Cloud Catcher and Green Coast products are the biggest sellers in the stable of the company, which has been operating from the Byron Bay region in northern NSW since 2008.
Fermentum had been examining a potential listing on the Australian Securities Exchange to help fund growth, including a proposed $50 million brewery near Murwillumbah in northern NSW.
It also owns Fixation Brewing Co, Granite Belt Cider Co and Little Dragon ginger beer.
It expanded in January when Fermentum acquired the Two Birds business, based in Spotswood in Melbourne.
The business was owned by foundation shareholders Jamie Cook – who is the chairman – Brad Rogers, and Ross Jurisich and a handful of other smaller shareholders.
Fermentum’s stable of craft beer brands make up about 1 per cent of Australia’s beer market. The minority shareholders include director Trevor O’Hoy, who was the chief executive of beer giant Foster’s Group before it split into the Carlton & United Breweries and Penfolds owner Treasury Wine Estates in 2011.
Lion Australia managing director James Brindley said the company aimed to expand on what the Fermentum founders had begun.
“We’ve committed to build the brewery,” Mr Brindley said.
But it will be a lengthy process. “It’s a good two years from start to finish,” he said.
He said drinkers would not notice any difference in the end product. “There won’t be one iota of difference with the brand or the liquid.”
Craft beer stable
Lion, which makes mainstream beer brands including Tooheys, XXXX Gold and West End, has been steadily building its craft beer stable, which is led by brands such as Little Creatures, White Rabbit, Kosciusko and Malt Shovel.
Fermentum’s Mr Cook said the company had done a strategic review on how best to pursue future growth options. It had also been assessing funding options for a new Stone & Wood brewery at Murwillumbah.
Mr Cook said it was the right time for the business to sell to a larger company, which had a good record of building craft beer brands. Fermentum employs about 150 people.
He said the beer sector was highly competitive and that had been the case from the beginning. “We know you’re stepping into the ring with the big dogs,” he said.
The companies declined to divulge the purchase price. It is understood Fermentum was achieving earnings before interest and tax of between $25 million and $30 million. Industry players suspect the deal was struck on a hefty multiple, which could have put the price tag at more than $500 million.
Fermentum began selling Sunly seltzer in mid-2020, competing against the bigger brands in the segment, which is becoming increasingly crowded as producers tap into the relatively new “healthy alcohol” category.
This segment has been growing strongly in the United States, led by pioneer brand White Claw.
Lion and its big rival Carlton & United Breweries have been battling tough times in the mainstream beer sector, which was in decline before the pandemic, but has been hit hard as the lockdowns hammered the hospitality sectors in Sydney and Melbourne.
Mr Brindley said it had been tough going in the last two months. “Any business that’s in New South Wales is going to take a big hit,” he said.
CUB was acquired by Japanese giant Asahi for $16 billion in 2019. CUB has been active in the past few years acquiring craft beer brands to try to deliver extra growth. CUB acquired 4Pines, Pirate Life and Balter Brewing in quick succession from 2017 onwards, while Asahi bought the Green Beacon craft beer brand in late 2019.
Asahi Beverages has been expanding beyond beer, and this year acquired the Allpress coffee business, which operates in New Zealand and Australia.
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Shares dipped Friday after the photography giant reported a narrower first quarter loss amid shrinking sales
Eastman Kodak (EK) has made headway during recent months in its struggle to lose less money in the brave new world of digital imaging. But Wall Street players, expecting better, sold the stock on May 4 after hearing the photography giant's first quarter results and forecast for 2007.
Kodak lost $151 million during the quarter ended March 31, compared to $298 million during the same period last year. "I'm very pleased with our first-quarter performance, in which we made significant progress on our two key objectives for 2007 - new product success and cost reduction. Thus far the year is proceeding on plan," said CEO ~
The Rochester (N.Y.) company has lost money, let go of tens of thousands of staff, and shut down factories during recent years in the face of competition from digital camera makers like Sony (SNE) and Canon (CAJ). As people snap more digital pictures instead, Kodak's old consumer film business sold 13% less year over year to $896 million during the first quarter. Given such challenges, the company's overall sales fell 8% year over year to $2.119 billion.
Perez has been trying to revive Kodak by establishing a stronger footprint in digital photography. On Aug. 1, for example, Kodak announced plans to have Flextronics International (FLEX) manufacture and distribute its digital cameras. Kodak is also working on expanding its product line-up. In February the company announced a new product line of multipurpose machines that not only handle photographs and documents but make copies and send faxes. The printers use ink that will make photos stay vibrant for 100 years rather than 15 - and whose cartridges cost half of what consumers are used to paying (see BusinessWeek.com, 2/6/07, "Kodak Launches a Printer Offensive").
After such efforts, Kodak's digital revenue totaled $1.210 billion, a 3% decrease compared to last year. Making matters worse, Kodak now expects 2007 full-year digital earnings from operations of $150 million to $250 million, instead of the $200 million to $300 million forecast earlier. Kodak says digital revenue growth will range between 3% and 5% during 2007, while total revenue will fall between 4% and 7% during the year.
Market players didn't like the sound of that. Investors sold Kodak's stock 4.4% to $24.84 per share in early afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange May 4.
"We are increasingly skeptical that EK can efficiently generate digital revenue growth and we think additional plant closings, job cuts and development costs will continue depressing results," Standard & Poor's equity analyst Tom Graves said in a research note. (S&P, like BusinessWeek.com, is owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies.) Graves cut a 2007 earnings per share estimate to 10 cents from 98 cents and a 12-month target price on the stock to $22 from $24 per share.
With sales down and $2.75 billion of debt looming, Kodak has already had to use hardball tactics to come up with cash - sacrifices that have enabled the company to improve its costs as a percentage of revenue to 19% in the March quarter, down from 22% in the year-ago quarter. The company has saved hundreds of millions in recent years by closing factories and letting go of employees. Kodak is also shedding assets and said in May that it sold its health group Carestream Health, Inc. to an affiliate of the investment firm Onex Corp. for up to $2.55 billion.
Now the company has decided to increase its inkjet investment by as much as $50 million "in order to fully capitalize on strong customer reaction." As a result Kodak thinks it will generate more than $100 million cash during 2007, compared to its earlier estimate of between $100 and $200 million.
In the fourth quarter, the company posted its first profit in two years -- a reflection of cost cuts, not rising sales (see BusinessWeek.com, 2/1/07, "Kodak's Turnaround Keeps Developing"). Investors had bought Kodak stock after the news, but they're apparently losing patience.


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posted 15% growth in third-quarter net income and beat analysts' expectations by a penny, as cost-cutting offset higher raw material prices and currency effects.
The New York-based company earned $275.3 million, or 44 cents a diluted share, up from $239.7 million, or 38 cents a share, a year ago. Net income in the latest period beat the 15-analyst consensus estimate by a penny, according to a poll conducted by
First Call/Thomson Financial
Revenue rose 2% to $2.37 billion from $2.31 billion a year ago.
The consumer products company also said it remains comfortable with the external earnings estimates for the fourth quarter, full year and 2001. Analysts expect the company to earn 46 cents a share for the fourth quarter. Wall Street is looking for earnings of $1.68 a share for the year and $1.90 for 2001, according to First Call.


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A new report into how employees are using mobile data on their work smartphones shows a significant rise in video and mapping over the last quarter. While email remains the most predominant app, accounting for over a fifth of all data usage, both video and mapping have risen significantly (27% and 29% respectively) compared to their usage in the previous three months.
Wandera, the Mobile Data Gateway has published its second Enterprise Mobile Data Report, detailing mobile data usage for April, May and June 2014. The only report of its kind, the quarterly figures analyse mobile broadband traffic across a sample of 10,000 corporate devices from the Wandera network, including 70% iOS and 30% Android devices.
Where does my data go? The top apps for data use
App traffic – an increasing vulnerability
Unencrypted traffic from apps is increasing month on month. There has been a 1% increase in unencrypted data for each of the last three months. Now just under half (49%) of all app traffic is unencrypted and vulnerable to snooping and injection, a significant risk to businesses.
Usage shows holiday season has arrived
The new report shows that total data usage is up 5% compared to the previous quarter but roaming data is up 7%. Overseas data usage now accounts for a fifth of all data. Business users are increasingly keen to stay in touch while abroad, made clear by email accounting for 32% of data used while roaming compared to only 21% domestically. This upward trend in roaming is set to continue to rise over the summer months.
Eldar Tuvey, CEO of Wandera said: “Use of mobile has no doubt revolutionised the way we work. However in the constantly changing mobile space it’s important that we understand how employees are using their devices, and why they are working in new ways.
“We know from the report that personal activity now accounts for 30% of data usage on corporate devices, and the rise of apps like video reflect the cross over between business and personal use. What’s more the rise of unencrypted app traffic means that security is becoming a major concern for many businesses, whether employees are using their device for business or personal use.”
Wandera’s Mobile Data Gateway sits between employee’s devices and the internet, allowing companies to manage how staff are using mobile data.
Wandera is the leader in mobile data security and management, protecting enterprises with real-time threat prevention, compliance and data cost management. Wandera’s multi-level architecture, which includes a pioneering cloud gateway for mobile, offers unrivalled visibility and control. With the industry’s largest mobile dataset, Wandera analyzes billions of daily inputs across its network in real-time to detect emerging mobile attacks and protect sensitive company data. Founded in 2012, Wandera is headquartered in San Francisco and London. For more information visit the website wandera4.wpengine.com


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Circle F Capital absorbed a debt of $ 20.3 million Capital ladder refinance a retail condominium in Prime LIC, a newly built, multi-purpose condominium in Long Island City, Queens, the Commercial Observer reported.
A 10-year, fixed-rate, commercial-mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) loan will refinance a 26,000-square-foot retail apartment that is partially located on the ground floor below a new 11-story residential complex at 22-43 Jackson Avenuewhich has been under construction for the last couple of years by the end of 2020…
Circle F first caught $ 46 million in construction debt in 2017 to build The Prime, as previously reported by CO.
Keeping pace with refinancing, The Prime transformed itself into a one-stop grocery-centric complex last month, adding Trader Joe to a 10,000 square foot section of a commercial apartment. In early June, it was reported that the grocery chain scheduled to open on June 25, under 10 floors above, there are 70 residential buildings.
Co-heads of the New York-based structured debt and equity finance group in Newmark, Dustin Stolley as well as Jordan Roschlaub, led a team that was involved in the search and organization of debt financing, and Daniel Fromm as well as Adri Moses-Bailey…
Fromm said Ladder “immediately recognized the opportunity to finance this retail condo and was able to close the deal without any disruption.” According to Newmark, the condominium includes 14,600 square feet of ground floor retail space and 11,400 square feet of underground retail space.
The hotel is located in the heart of Long Island City, steps from Court Square Subway Station, which offers direct access to Manhattan and most of Queens with the 7 Train, and Brooklyn with the G Train. a couple of blocks from Queensboro Plaza, the central metro hub serving other busy rail lines.
Prime is being shipped to market at a time when Long Island City is experiencing and anticipating relative growth in new residents, and new developments are in development to support growth – just across the street from G&M Realtycurrent project, 5Pointz, a 1,100-unit, 1.3 million-square-foot mixed-use housing estate expected to open this year.
“This place was a triumph for both Trader Joe’s and Circle F Capital. Located just one block from the 7th train, with access to Midtown in minutes and surrounded by thousands of leased apartments in just the past few years, this hotel is poised to become one of the city’s best shopping venues, ”Stolli said.
Mac Burke can be reached at: email@example.com…


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For quite a lot of causes, a majority of the nations in Southeast Asia have rapidly turn out to be mainstays within the crypto area. Singapore, whose authorities has not directly invested in Binance, is thought for its array of business startups, banks that function in good religion with Bitcoin merchants, and sector occasions. Thailand purportedly has one of many largest crypto investor populations on the planet. And the Philippines has lengthy been an business hub, with correct regulation, energetic traders, and pro-crypto monetary establishments in UnionBank.
Whereas that is nice in and of itself, Indonesia, one other powerhouse within the area, is seemingly seeking to plaster itself on the listing of the highest cryptocurrency nations throughout the globe.
Binance Seems to be To Educate Indonesian Crypto Buyers
In line with a press launch obtained by NewsBTC, Binance Academy, the education-centric department of the world-renowned alternate, has launched its service with a Bahasa Indonesia model. To perform this, Binance workers and contributors translated over 80 articles, which pertain to key merchandise and phrases on this business, from English to Indonesia’s nationwide language. Per the discharge, this represents roughly 10% of the content material on the English installment of the web site, which sports activities 726 articles, movies, glossary objects, and different types of media.
Associated Studying: Binance Coin Controversy: Find it irresistible or Hate it BNB Retains Climbing
But, the staff on the Malta-registered firm, which pulled in a purported $400 million+ in earnings over fiscal 2018, continues to be hopeful that the Indonesian content material will advance Academy’s objective to offer frequent Joes and Jills with training. Ted Lin, the chief progress officer at Binance, wrote within the launch:
“Binance Academy’s growth to supply Indonesian content material reaffirms Binance’s sturdy dedication to advancing crypto training by high quality, unbiased information sharing that’s freely accessible to all.”
Lin added that by many measures, Indonesia is a “key rising market,” each by way of legacy finance and cryptocurrencies. On the matter of digital belongings, the Binance launch claimed that as there are purportedly extra Bitcoin traders than inventory traders within the nation — at 1.5 million to 1.18 million respectively — it might be remiss to ignore this booming market. It was added that “in a way,” the launch of Academy in Indonesia comes at an ideal time, because the nation’s cryptocurrency momentum is beginning to decide up.
Binance added that basically, blockchain applied sciences ought to ultimately garner traction within the Asian nation, as cost ecosystems constructed utilizing the know-how may be extra cost-efficient, non-censorable, decentralized, and faster than conventional mediums.
Asia Continues To Be Crypto Hub
This Binance transfer comes mere days after Indonesian authorities had been reported to have issued quite a lot of pro-crypto laws, making a wholesome atmosphere for this budding asset class. Asia-centric information outlet KrAsia reported that the nation’s Commodity Futures Buying and selling Regulatory Company, additionally identified regionally as Bappebti, confirmed that cryptocurrencies are categorized as a commodity within the nation.
In a latest legislative submitting, Bappebti lead, Indrasari Wisnu Wardhana, defined that this newfangled regulation ought to present authorized readability and much-needed investor safety for the crypto area. The regulator purportedly claimed:
“We would like to protect individuals who need to put money into crypto belongings in order that they aren’t cheated by fraudulent sellers.”
The regulation, No. 5/2019, confirms that Indonesian crypto exchanges which can be following anti-money laundering and know your buyer pointers are allowed to proceed operations.
Simply days after this information broke, Bappebti issued a press launch to make one other announcement about cryptocurrency-related laws. Per Finance Magnates, Bappebti, headquartered within the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, launched particular guidelines for crypto-centric futures/derivatives suppliers seeking to arrange store within the nation. Whereas a few of the guidelines that had been talked about might be deemed stringent, this recently-instated coverage ought to create a sustainable atmosphere for each pro-Bitcoin exchanges and traders in Indonesia.
But, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Indonesia’s native crypto ecosystem. In an interview with CNBC Indonesia, finance regulator Darmin Nastuion defined that cryptocurrencies, reminiscent of Bitcoin, can’t be used as a medium of alternate within the nation, for each brick & mortar and digital purchases alike. But, he did be aware that the Asian nation’s governmental entities are nonetheless open to permitting crypto belongings to turn out to be correct funding autos, however not a alternative for the Indonesian rupiah.
Featured Picture from Shutterstock


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Game designer Davey Wreden is creating an updated version of his critically-acclaimed 2013 indie title “The Stanley Parable” for consoles (OK, fine, it’ll be on PC too), it was revealed during The Game Awards on Thursday.
“The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe” will have new content, including new endings and choices. It’s expected to launch sometime in 2019.
“The Stanley Parable” is a narrative game about an office drone trapped in an unusual situation. To say more would be to spoil its wonderful surprises. As the player guides Stanley through his increasingly surreal workplace, a narrator voiced by British actor Kevan Brighting delivers exposition and deadpan humor.
There’s no word yet on exactly which consoles it’s coming to or how much it’ll cost.
Make sure to check out all of Variety’s Game Awards 2018 coverage from the red carpet and inside the awards themselves here.


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Samsung has finally unveiled the most awaited smartphone of this year at the Mobile World Congress, The Galaxy S II. Prior to this, the company also announced their new Galaxy Tab 10.1 Tablet.
It’s features include a a 4.27-inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED Plus display, an 8 megapixel primary camera accompanied by a 2 megapixel camera at the front, Android Gingerbread with TouchWiz 4.0 and integrated NFC support. Galaxy S II will be powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor (likely to be Samsung Exynos chip) and 1GB of RAM. Another interesting feature of this smartphone is its thickness of just 8.49mm which makes it the thinnest phone in the world, but only for the time being.
It will be available for sale in Europe and Asia by the end of this month.
No news about the release in United States so far.


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Earlier this month, Google released a big update to its previously released Windows Phone search app, adding new features. At the moment, it's the only app made by Google that support's Microsoft's mobile OS. However, it looks like that situation could change sometime in the near future.
Stefan Keuchel, an official Google PR rep for Germany, posted a message on his German language Twitter account, (via WPCentral.com) that in basic translated terms says that a Google+ app for Windows Phone devices is in the works. Unfortunately, there's no specific release date yet.
Google+ is, of course, Google's social networking service that is currently trying to compete with Facebook. Launched in June 2011, Google recently said the service now has over 90 million registered users. However, some in the industry have expressed doubts about Google+ and its future.
A recent ComScore report claims that Google+ users only spend about three minutes a month using the service. This is in comparison to Facebook which has its users spending six to seven hours a month on the PC site. Google claims that ComScore's numbers are much lower than its own Google+ statistics but it would not offer any specific numbers of its own.


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4/11/2019Florida Settles With Hertz Over Inflated Toll Road Fees
Florida attorney general forces concession from rental car firm over PlatePass toll road fees.
Rental car customers who were shocked by the daily "convenience" fees that accumulated after driving just once on a Florida toll road have until July 7 to claim a refund. Under a settlement approved at the beginning of the year, motorists who were misled by the confusing terms of their Dollar and Thrifty rental contract can recover up to $75 thanks to the lawsuit initially filed by Florida attorney general Ashley Moody's predecessor.
"Companies owe it to their consumers to be upfront about all of their services and the prices and fees that accompany them," Moody said earlier this year. "I am hopeful that this settlement will provide relief to consumers harmed by the company's actions and prevent future harm."
Verra Mobility (formerly called American Traffic Solutions) runs the PlatePass toll road and red light camera collection service under a deal with Dollar and Thrifty, which is owned by Hertz. Those who were mistakenly billed or were misled about the PlatePass pricing terms are entitled to a refund of all fees. Those who did not know about how PlatePass worked until they received a credit card statement in the mail can request a refund of PlatePass fees of up to $75.
Florida opened the investigation from receiving numerous complaints from aggravated rental customers. The National Motorists Association (NMA) supplied the attorney general's office with a collection of PlatePass horror stories from 700 members in 2014.
"Florida is a great place to visit for business and for leisure," NMA president Gary Biller wrote at the time. "The rental car companies that prey on tourists by charging outrageous fees for electronic toll collection are damaging that industry for Florida."
In a recent response to Biller, consumer protection chief Laura Boeckman sought the group's help in spreading the word about the refunds to affected members.
"We share the concerns you and your organization expressed in your previous correspondence to us and are seeking to ensure that individuals that may have been charged these toll fees and PlatePass charges by Dollar or Thrifty during the above-noted timeframe and without proper disclosure have an opportunity to seek refunds," Boeckman wrote. "We therefore ask that you assist us by sharing this information with your members so that as many eligible consumers as possible can apply for refunds before the July 7 deadline."
The agreement also forces rental companies to provide fuller disclosure of toll service fees as well as alternative options to rental car customers before contracts are signed. Information on filing for a refund is available from the attorney general's office.


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Launched in July 2021, Supercharge Southwest Missouri is a collaborative, regional initiative that empowers entrepreneurs, small business owners and innovators. The program accelerates job growth, creates economic opportunities, and supports the next generation of industry-leading companies in southwest Missouri.
Through the MTC grant-funded program, participants across our region have unlocked access to no-cost resources including business consulting, executive level mentorship networks, and office hours with professional service providers.
Starting today, entrepreneurs and small business owners throughout all of southwest Missouri can also access an on-demand training platform designed for new and emerging businesses. These expert-led modules cover everything an entrepreneur needs to successfully start a business, including customer identification, financial management, effective online marketing, and more. The easy-to-understand curriculum is delivered through an online learning platform and can be watched anywhere, anytime.
“We are excited to offer on-demand business training to entrepreneurs and business owners throughout southwest Missouri. Business leaders will have access anytime to valuable education they need to start or grow their business successfully,” said Chrystal Irons, Director of the Missouri SBDC at MSU. “We know this enhanced access will empower entrepreneurs to start new businesses, create quality jobs, and support economic development in southwest Missouri.”
Missouri SBDC at MSU
Supporting Entrepreneurs Across Southwest Missouri
The technology and tools made available through Supercharge Southwest Missouri will allow our programs to continue to scale. In our efforts to serve more entrepreneurs and businesses throughout the region we are partnering closely with cities, counties and other organizations as Supercharge Supporters.
More than 60 organizations have signed on as Supercharge Southwest Missouri Supporters. Supporters share our commitment to supercharging the region by providing resources and support services to entrepreneurs, business owners and innovators within their networks. Learn more about becoming a Supercharge Supporter.
“The launch of these on-demand business resources is another example of an investment back into our entrepreneurial community. This on-demand training gives us the ability to meet entrepreneurs and business owners where they are and on their schedule,” said Hollie Elliott, Executive Director of the Dallas County Economic Development Group. “For communities, businesses and entrepreneurs in the region this is a tremendous opportunity and we are thankful to be able to take advantage of this curriculum and resources.”
Dallas County Economic Development Group
About Supercharge Southwest Missouri
Supercharge Southwest Missouri is funded by a Missouri Building Entrepreneurial Capacity Program (MOBEC) grant award from the Missouri Technology Corporation. The program is powered by the efactory and Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Missouri State University.


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Letter to the Editor: Beef Checkoff working for producers
As a South Dakota cattle producer and one who has held a number of volunteer leadership positions at both the state and national level, I can say without a doubt that producers nationwide are well-served by their Beef Checkoff Program. The checkoff is led by producers, for producers, to increase beef demand and maintain beef’s image with consumers. It is incumbent on us all to make sure that is happening, and I know it is.
Dozens of Beef Checkoff Program efforts – including successful reinforcement of beef’s positive role in the Federal Dietary Guidelines – have helped build demand and strengthened our industry’s image with consumers. The checkoff’s recent defense of beef in the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which assisted in causing the World Health Organization to take an unprecedented step back on negative recommendations, is another great example. As is the development of new value-added beef products, such as the flat iron steak, which has added hundreds of dollars of value to each beef carcass marketed. These are the results that back the Checkoff’s return on investment of $11.20 for every dollar cattle producers like you and I contribute.
Instead of looking at these recent successes that we can all agree on, some want to look at the recent downturn in the market and try to fit the causes to their policy position. The fact is the markets are cyclical and this recent downturn was a result of dozens of factors. For instance, there was the stronger dollar making U.S. exports less financially attractive overseas, increased volumes of pork and chicken following PEDv and avian influenza, and losses in the Japanese market due to Australia’s bi-lateral free trade agreement which gives them preferential access to that market. What did not factor into this downturn is the status of mandatory country of origin labeling.
Every reputable study to date has shown that mandatory country of origin labeling had no impact on beef demand or price. The reality is, it was a cost to the industry without benefit, and following the resolution of the WTO case brought by Canada and Mexico, mandatory COOL was about to cost the U.S. economy in excess of $1 billion per year in retaliatory tariffs. These tariffs would not only have hit U.S. beef, they would have also impacted a wide range of agricultural and manufactured products.
Moreover, retaliation would have threatened two of our best trade relationships. Canada and Mexico have consistently been two of our largest beef export destinations, accounting for around $2 billion in beef exports per year. Congress clearly saw the writing on the wall and did the right thing in overwhelmingly repealing mandatory country of origin labeling.
That doesn’t change my position on labeling. Like most cattle producers nationwide, I support voluntary industry-led labeling efforts. These programs give consumers the information they are looking for and reward producers with premiums for meeting that demand. These programs do not violate our trade agreements and do not add cost indiscriminately across the industry.
These policy positions, however, have nothing to do with the Beef Checkoff Program, which is focused on funding efforts to increase demand for beef. As one of the 79 percent of beef producers who voted in favor of the Beef Checkoff Program in a 1987 referendum, I strongly supported initiation of the $1-per-head program to increase beef demand through research, education and promotion. And like the 76 percent who said they supported the program in a late 2015 survey, I still do. It’s an inexpensive way to reach out to consumers and let them know the benefits of including great-tasting beef in a healthy, balanced diet.
The Beef Checkoff Program is an industry self-help program directed by beef producers who care enough about their industry to volunteer their time identifying ways to improve consumer perceptions of and demand for their products. It has worked well for 30 years, and independent research shows it continues to return way more than it costs.


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A recent government report indicates that demand for goods produced by American factories rose in November at the fastest pace in four months, and this increase in orders could have an impact on manufacturing staffing.
Data provided by the Commerce Department indicated that orders for factory goods rose 1.8 percent in November after revised numbers showed that the metric dropped 0.2 percent the previous month, according to Bloomberg. Demand for electronics and computers declined, but the increase in demand for metals, aircraft and autos made up for the drop.
The media outlet reports that slim inventories combined with strong consumer spending should spur expanding production, contributing to growth in gross domestic product. However, the decline in demand for capital goods like computers could signal that business investment is decreasing.
"Manufacturing is holding up fairly well," Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics Inc. in West Chester, Pennsylvania, told the media outlet. "Business investment has been very strong during this recovery, so some softening isn’t surprising."
A report released by the Institute for Supply Management indicated that manufacturing activity rose more than expected in December, with the Purchasing Managers Index rising to 53.9 from the previous month's 52.7. The report also indicated that hiring in factories picked up during the month.
"This report for November activity feels like somewhat old news since the state of manufacturing in December has already been indicated in yesterday’s ISM report and it appears from that survey that manufacturing growth is picking up," John Ryding and Conrad DeQuadros, analysts for RDQ Economics, wrote in a note to clients, according to The Associated Press.
Evidence of manufacturing staffing picking up can be seen in North Carolina, where a company plans to hire 166 people in Cleveland County, Charlotte Business Journal reports. The electric manufacturer plans to purchase a 270,000-square-foot facility on U.S. Highway 74 to increase the production of electric motors.
The electric manufacturer currently has a facility in Kings Mountain with 530 employees, and plans to invest $17 million in its new production facility, according to the media outlet. The company is currently scheduled to receive various economic incentives including $780,000 from the Rural North Carolina Center and $400,000 from the One North Carolina Fund.
The rising factory orders as well as the hiring in North Carolina could help to spur further manufacturing staffing.


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FAMILY AFFAIR: There was a celebratory spirit at No. 23, Matchesfashion.com’s private townhouse, where guests gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the launch of an exclusive capsule collection by Osman Yousefzada for the retailer. The event doubled as an unofficial celebration of the company’s sale to Apax Partners for a reported 1 billion pounds.
“I’m really excited about the future,” said Ruth Chapman, who founded Matches as a brick-and-mortar retailer with her husband Tom Chapman 30 years ago. “Our team is amazing, super strong and this is really the tip of the iceberg. I really think that the team at Apax are exactly the right people to take it to the next level.” She added that she has also been gathering ideas for personal projects she wants to work on but it’s to early to talk specifics.
As part of the deal, unveiled last Friday, the Chapmans will retain a minority stake in the company and take on the role of consultants to the omnichannel retail business.
The Osman x Matchesfashion.com capsule collection.
Referring to the new capsule collection with Osman, Chapman said it was aligned with the company’s values of keeping things close to the family and nurturing talent. Yousefzada has been championed