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National Treasury Cabinet Secretary will have powers to fix the maximum retail and wholesale prices of essential goods if a draft Bill before Parliament is enacted.
The Price Control (Essential Goods) (Amendment) Bill 2023 seeks to amend the Price Control (Essential Goods) Act, No. 26 of 2011.
The Bill sponsored by Khwisero MP Christopher Aseka names essential goods such as maize, maize flour, wheat, wheat flour, rice, cooking fat, cooking oil, sugar, paraffin, diesel and petrol.
Further, the amendment provides that the Cabinet Secretary shall provide for the appropriate reduction of the tariffs and taxes on essential goods to be factored in every year’s financial statements.
“The primary objective of price control is to shield consumers from sudden and excessive price increases, especially for items that are essential for daily life such as food, medicine and energy,” Aseka stated.
Appearing before the Budget and Appropriations Committee, Aseka added that by imposing limits on certain goods, governments can prevent profiteering and price gouging during times of volatility or supply disruptions.
“This safeguards consumers’ purchasing power and contributes to social welfare by ensuring basic necessities remain within reach even for the most vulnerable members of society,” Aseka said.
Price control refers to a limit set by a government on the price that can be charged by companies for particular products or services.
The minimum price is called a ‘price floor’ and the maximum price is referred to as ‘price ceiling.’
Aseka cited the Price Control Act in Nigeria which covers a range of essential goods and services that are deemed important for consumers and the general public.
“These goods and services are subject to price control measures to ensure their availability and affordability. They include flour, milk, salt, sugar, petroleum products, motorbikes and their spare parts,” he told the committee.
He further added that price controls can promote fair competition and prevent monopolistic practices in the market.
Committee chair Ndindi Nyoro said all leaders are concerned with the high cost of living but the prices of some commodities are determined by demand and supply factors.
“Every producer is seeking to sell at the highest price while all consumers want to but at the lowest price,” he said.
He warned of a risk of scarcity of commodities if their prices are lowered.
“No producer will want to continue with the business if prices are lowered unless we find money to give them to bridge the gap,” said Nyoro, who is also the MP for Kiharu.
Aseka maintained that price control would strike a balance between consumer protection and market dynamics.


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According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 77 percent of women in Nigeria use skin-lightening products, the world’s highest percentage. That compares with 59 percent in Togo, and 27 percent in Senegal. The reasons for this are varied but most people say they use skin-lighteners because they want “white skin”.
In many parts of Africa, lighter-skinned women are considered more beautiful and are believed to be more successful and likely to find marriage.
It’s not only women though who are obsessed with bleaching their skins. Some men too are involved in the practice.
Lightening creams are not effectively regulated in Nigeria where even roadside vendors sell tubes and plastic bags of powders and ointments from cardboard boxes stacked along sidewalks in market districts. Many of the tubes are unlabelled as to their actual ingredients.
In a market in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, business is booming for shops selling skin-lightening products. Both local and imported products line the shelves of Rashida Lawal’s cosmetics shop.
“About 90 percent of my clients come asking for skin whitening products,” she told Al Jazeera. “I sell it to them and give advice on what product is best for them and how to use them.”
Famous Nigerian Musician Femi Kuti says the use skin-lightening products have given rise to their own terminology.
“When the bleaching propaganda got so negative, they had to come up with toning. Bleaching sounds too hard, now it’s toning. I don’t bleach, they say, I tone!”
“They think bleaching is gege,” he told Al Jazeera, using a Nigerian term for cool.
Skin bleaching comes with hazardous health consequences. The dangers associated with the use of toxic compounds for skin bleaching include blood cancers such as leukemia and cancers of the liver and kidneys as well as severe skin conditions.
Hardcore bleachers use illegal ointments containing toxins like mercury, a metal that blocks production of melanin, which gives the skin its colour, but can also be toxic.
Ayobode Williams, a medical doctor, says the skin bleaching agents have both internal and external effects on those who use them.
“Systemically it causes things like kidney failure because of the mercury in some of the products and it also causes eczema, skin pigmentation among a host of other infections,” he told Al Jazeera.
Dr Williams warned that sustained use of bleaching agents could cause even cancer.
Yet few seem to pay attention to these dangers. For those who bleach, staying black is not beautiful at all.

domain: news


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In Argentina, the top exporter of soybean products, farmers are hanging on to more of their crops than normal to defend against rampant inflation in yet another blow to global food supplies.
Growers have long used hoarding to shield against Argentina’s notoriously volatile economy, especially gyrations in currency and export taxes. But this year, spiraling inflation is exacerbating the dynamic. They’ve sold just 46 percent of the soy harvest, compared with 57 percent at the same stage last year, an analysis of government and grain exchange data shows.
The bigger-than-normal stockpiles of soybeans, often held on fields in giant sausage-shaped silobags, speak to farmers’ battle with rates of inflation that are among the highest in the world – consumer prices rose 64 percent in June from a year earlier, with increases forecast to quicken.
More hoarding signals slower shipments of soy oil and soy meal at a time when food supply chains are already heavily disrupted by the lingering impact of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. It also curtails hard currency flows to Argentine coffers, exacerbating debt woes.
Prices for everything are soaring – from diesel and tires for tractors, to wages for farmhands and rates charged by truckers. But a depreciation of the official exchange rate at which crop revenues are converted from dollars to pesos hasn’t been keeping pace. So rather than selling soy to exporters now, it’s better to wait for a devaluation or to avoid pesos altogether by bartering beans for inputs.
“In Argentina they tend to hold onto grain as long as possible, treating it like money in the bank,” said Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist at StoneX. “It’s to the point where they’d barter to buy a new pickup truck with grain rather than pesos.”
Bartering soybeans amid high inflation and currency swings isn’t for the faint-hearted.
Ariel Striglio, a farmer in Santa Fe Province, took advantage of high international prices, trading enough soy to exchange for inputs and pay off debt while storing away about half of his harvest. But he recently saw two deals collapse, such is the pace of price moves.
After negotiating a loan for a new seeder, Striglio had to cancel after the bank hiked the rate by 15 percentage points. Suppliers also pulled the plug on a sale of fertilisers that he needs for corn and sunflower planting in just a few weeks after parallel exchange rates for the peso spiked.
“It should be a simple equation of selling for more than your costs, but these days getting it right is like scoring a goal from the halfway line,” Striglio said.
Greater uncertainty means farmers go into wait-and-see mode and definitely don’t look to expand, said Eugenio Irazuegui, head of research at grains brokerage Enrique Zeni in Rosario.
Francisco Perkins, a farmer in Buenos Aires Province, has also kept back about half of his soy harvest as cost increases accelerate. “Whenever inflation is faster than currency depreciation, I lose competitiveness because I need more crop dollars to cover peso payments,” he said.
Perkins highlighted out-of-step increases charged by fieldwork contractors, who do the bulk of planting and harvesting in Argentina, and by suppliers who are struggling to replenish stocks because of import restrictions designed to protect the Central Bank’s dollar reserves.
One recent ordeal for Perkins involved a quest to get hold of tractor tires – then forking out about five times what he would have paid a year ago.
“We used to have a spreadsheet of values to help come to an agreement with harvesters, but now we have to negotiate from zero,” he said. “Relative prices have been destroyed.”
by Jonathan Gilbert & Andrea Bossi, Bloomberg


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There’s absolutely no doubt on how good the Google Pixel 4 camera is. It is, without the shadow of a doubt, the best smartphone camera in the world right now. However, this brings us to the Pixel 4 vs iPhone 11 debate, where Google has clearly and easily beaten Apple in its own game – in the camera wars!
Let us take a closer look at how this gen-next Apple vs Google rivalry is panning out in the world of smartphone tech.
Google Has Beaten Apple in the Camera Games!
When Apple launched their new iPhones with the new camera module on the back, many were obsessed with how good the cameras are! However, fans were equally disappointed when Google used a similar module on their Google Pixel 4 smartphones. Nevertheless, while the design style remains the same, Google Pixel’s camera seems far better than that of Apple – especially when one takes a closer look at things such as the astrophotography mode!
At this pace, Google has actually brought a gun into a knife fight. A true competitor to Google Pixel 4’s camera is not the iPhone’s camera but a DSLR camera!
Google Pixel 4 vs iPhone 11: Who Will Win The Smartphone Wars?
Google Pixel 4 vs iPhone 11 is a fight that is all about the camera and Google has won it fair and square. But when you look at the broader picture – at Apple vs Google, it appears that Google is far behind when you look at the overall market share. While Pixel sales got a boost thanks to the 3A’s release, iPhones are far more popular than Pixels and Google has a long way to go.


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Moneysupermarket appoints Mark Lewis as CEO
Mr. Lewis will take ove as Chief Executive on or before May 4, 2017 and will join the Board of the Group as an Executive Director.
Mr. Lewis is currently Retail Director of John Lewis. He joined John Lewis in early 2013 as online director, and in 2015 was made responsible for running both shop and online operations at the retailer.
Prior to that Mr. Lewis was CEO of Collect+, and before that he was UK Managing Director and European Director of Marketplaces of eBay.
He has an MA in Mathematics from Cambridge University and an MBA from INSEAD. ■
LATEST MOVES FROM United Kingdom
- Defenx appoints Franco Francione as director
- Intercede appoints Helen Adams as CSO
- HomeServe appoints three directors
- Millennium & Copthorne Hotels appoints new director
- HSS Hire Group appoints Steve Ashmore as CEO
More inside POST


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RJ, the founder of Ideal I Do's, a full service beach wedding company has teamed up with the City of Boynton Beach for their 1st wedding givaway this February at Oceanfront Park in Boynton Beach. Ideal I Do's is committed to providing affordable beach weddings for local and destination couples, and is donating the design and set up of a custom beach ceremony for this inaugural event.
Environmentalists are calling for the creation of more forestry bonds in order to help raise the cash needed to reduce deforestation by half by 2020, according to reports from Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).
Corcentric, a leading provider of Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable automation solutions, today announced they will host a boothat MEMA's 2011 MTC Fall Conference, which will take place October 16-19, 2011 at the Marco Island Marriott in Marco Island, Florida.
The Never Quit, Never Fail Tour is a coast-to-coast, 12-month long movement that has been created for the sole purpose of infusing life back into the American Dream by providing Americans the necessary education and tools to empower their success.
EzCheckPrinting, the new improved check writing software, from halfpricesoft.com, minimizes the learning curve for the first time users and helps businesses control expenses during the recession - and free offer is available.
Zimmermann International Group, a fast rising commodity futures and brokerage trading service firm with global trading operations in almost all continents of the world has recently intensified its marketing campaign via global online trading service.
Ferrara has been in the public accounting field since 1988, providing services in the areas of income tax planning and compliance for individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporations and private foundations.
Improvement in technology has led to development of X-ray which is relatively cheaper and portable than the conventional one. Conventional X-ray costs around $1.5 million but now there is X-ray which is available at around $150,000.
The plan includes which includes the recent addition of nine employees and the goal to double that number. With the company experiencing exciting growth, it's a great time to become part of the NetCom Learning team.
Leading small business phone system & VoIP provider, TelcoDepot, has launched a rich and extensive video library on its website, which it says is aimed at providing an educational video series for customers and small business owners.
Online Printing Company 4OVER4 has announced the recent addition of yard signs printing to its suite of online printing services. 4OVER4 now offers high quality custom size 4mm White Coroplast yard signs which are extremely durable and ideally suited for placement outdoors in all weather conditions.
The 2011 Pride Family Brands Manufacturer Representative Awards were recently announced in Chicago. Sales Representative of the Year was awarded to Michael Urkowitz. Members of the Pride sales team also were recognized for Summer Winds Brand Specialty Sales Representative of the Year, Most Improved Territory Award and Prospecting Award.


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Does Subaru have a new eyesight issue?
March 31, 2021, New Jersey, Newsweed.com is looking into and working with Subaru America to determine if recent reports on a particular model of Subaru luxury vehicle is a major safety issue. Subaru America has asked Newsweed.com to refrain from reporting specifics until all details of the incident have been researched. There have been recorded incidents of eyesight failure in a model of the Ascent.
Newsweed.com has not been informed by Subaru America that there is anything related to the video below. Reports have surfaced that Dashboard communication happens when eyesight safety fails. Newsweed.com has an audience that are outdoor enthusiasts and a good percentage of the readers drive Subarus. Newsweed.com is seeking to find out who the supplier of the eyesight module is for Subaru. New technology may give a false sense of safety since eyesight technology is supposed to automatically brake. Accident prevention technology is the newest smart technology available. There is a notable so-called war between camera technology for eyesight as Tesla uses and newer laser technology developed by companies like Microvision Inc. of Washington State.
Microvision has recently jumped in price on the Nasdaq stock market after it is suspected that Microsoft is using its mems sensors. The Pentagon awarded Microsoft a 28 billion dollar contract for Hololens 2 AR/VR goggles. So what. Well, Microvision also has created a laser technology using the mems mirror and sensors that can detect vehicles or obstacles at a much farther distance and millions of points.
We need to mention that the failure of Eyesight technology might be the problem. Perhaps Subaru needs to re-evaluate the camera-based eyesight technology. These problems with the Subaru eyesight may actually be the highlighted problem that leads to even safer vehicles by use of laser technology or a combination of laser and camera.
The ongoing debate among self-driving car industry experts is whether LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) or cameras are the most adequate for SAE Level 4 and Level 5 driving. The argument is whether or not to use LiDAR with camera systems, or just use camera systems without the LiDAR. LiDAR’s proponents include Waymo, Cruise, Uber, and Velodyne. Tesla has been the least supportive of LiDAR, in favor of camera systems. Which is the best solution? The answer is which is better at identifying objects and recognizing them. Self-driving cars need to have a way to identify what it sees on the road. Is one better than the other?
MicroVision stock skyrocketed as much as 50% on Thursday after the company announced it has made significant progress on its patented Lidar technology for autonomous vehicles.
MicroVision said it received the necessary components and equipment to meet its April milestone of completing A-Samples of its Long-Range Lidar (LRL) Sensor and it started outdoor testing of key performance features on its development platform.
“We expect MicroVision’s Long-Range Lidar Sensor, (LRL Sensor) which has been in development for over two years, to meet or exceed requirements established by OEMs for autonomous safety and autonomous driving features,” said Sumit Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of MicroVision.
MicroVision’s CEO also said he expects his company’s first generation Lidar sensor to have a range of 250 meters and “the highest resolution at range of any lidar with 340 vertical lines up to 250 meters, 568 vertical lines up to 120 meters, and 944 vertical lines up to 60 meters.”
In December Hindenburg Research blasted MicroVision calling the company a “corporate husk.” “We are short $MVIS. In a market gone mad, this $1.2 billion market cap corporate husk with almost no revenue or intellectual property value is a standout,” Hindenburg Research tweeted.
“It has risen 5,000% from lows this year on misguided retail euphoria over its LiDAR IP portfolio amid a broad EV bubble,” Hindenburg continued. “No one buys patents these days for any real money unless the patents have been put through the test of at least an IPR, our IP attorney told us.”
MicroVision claims its Lidar sensors are some of the best, most scalable products in the industry.
“We expect the capability of our LRL Sensor to meet or exceed OEM requirements, based on technology we have scaled multiple times over the last decade, as being a very strong strategic advantage,” Sharma said.
“Additionally, our sensor being designed on scalable silicon wafer and laser diode technologies will be capable of achieving scale at costs below $1,000 ASP, a key price point expected for commercial success,” added Sharma CEO
MicroVision traded up 29.57%, at $18.14, as of 3:32 p.m. EST on Thursday.
Who makes eyesight for Subaru?


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ZoomEx Crypto Currency Exchange’s token sale is an opportunity to invest in a new exchange, which hits the market in a few months
Posted August 8,2019 in Other.
Crypto exchanges are minting money with their fees. Analysts have reported that some of the largest crypto exchanges are pulling in trade volumes worth of a billion dollars daily. This is easily evidenced by the figures shown onCoinMartketCap.
Moreover, the trend is positive since despite the increased competition for the market, coin trade volume has significantly grown. Increased trade volume simply means that exchanges are making more money. Whether the market rises or drops, exchanges will earn their fees.
The key point is that an exchange is simply a tool and it complements the rise of blockchain technology. It does not leverage the technology itself, and it does not place bets on which sector is ripe for the best earning. Rather, an exchange lets others develop the products and lets investors speculate, and then offers a means for the two. Therefore, exchanges take no risks of a speculative nature.
This is a chart for the price of Binance Coin; its obvious that the token value surged. The reality is that even KuCoin Shares faced a similar growth. Both tokens are far above their opening market caps.
Despite the increased number of exchanges in the market, new exchanges have plenty of room. Just like there isnt a single bank, there will never be a single exchange. However, at present, exchanges have primarily competed on token menu and price.ZoomExCryptocurrency Exchange is a market entrant with genuine product differentiation.ZXEis going to fulfill user desires of a large crypto menu and the want for low fees. But it is going to top-up its offering with added security measures and the leading customer experience offering.
ZoomEx Tokens (ZXE) are a current opportunity to get in on the exchange success train.
This figure shows the daily revenue derived by exchanges. The top 10 exchanges are pulling in fee revenues of over $15 million. Thats why it is no surprise that Wall Street has had such a high interest in exchanges.
However, instead of developing their own platform, investment banks have considered buying other exchanges. Goldman Sachs has made the move to directly get involved, as Circle, which is backed by GS, has acquired Poloniex. Exchanges have no cost of goods sold, so operating costs are the only deduction from their revenue. This allows an easy and extremely profitable means to scale up. Thats why even Wall Streets elite analysts so value in investing in an exchange.
ZoomExCrypto Currency Exchanges token sale is an opportunity to invest in a new exchange, which hits the market in a few months.ZXEtakes the crypto exchange standard to a new generation by focusing not on just lower prices, but by actually giving real differentiation in terms of a competitive edge.ZXEis partnering with insurance firms to give investors peace of mind that their funds on the exchange are backed by a thrid-party. Additionally, as much a three-forths of the investor funds will be secured in cold storage wallets.


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Last time we checked, the world’s first five handset manufacturers were Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and Motorola.
But this above is the top for the fourth quarter of 2008, and 2009 might bring a new phone maker into the spotlight. That’s ZTE, one of China’s largest telecommunications equipment makers.
DigiTimes quotes “market observers in Taiwan” who say ZTE has shipped 45 million phones last year, and is likely to enter the top 5 handset makers during 2009.
If the Chinese company indeed reached the top five, it’s either Motorola or Sony Ericsson the manufacturer that’ll fall on the sixth place (in Q4 2008, they shipped 19.2 and 24.2 million phones, respectively).
(this is T7 – one of ZTE’s handsets made for Australia’s Telstra)
ZTE currently has lots of agreements with various carriers around the world, including Vodafone, T-Mobile, Hutchison’s 3 and Telstra. It mainly offers entry-level phones, but it also has Windows Mobile and touchscreen devices.
If you liked the post, you might find these interesting too:
- LG is the world’s third largest handset producer, with 100 million phones shipped in 2008
- 290.5 million phones sold in Q3 2009, Samsung and LG break new records
- Motorola no longer in top 5 phone makers, RIM takes its place
- Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S, Motorola Defy+ and LG Optimus Spirit announced by Telstra in Australia
- Worldwide phone sales declined 9.4% in Q1 2009, says Gartner


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With the heat on snack-food firms over packaging, Frito Lay to start Sun Chips in Earth-friendly bags.
The Globe and Mail
February 04, 2010
The lowly chip bag is getting a green makeover, the latest salvo by snack-food companies trying to improve their environmental image.
Starting next month, Frito Lay Canada will sell its Sun Chips in bags that can be thrown into the backyard composter or municipal green bins. The food giant claims the packaging, made of sugars derived from corn, is the world's first completely compostable chip bag.
The snack-food industry has long been under fire over the amount of litter and waste from its products, and a flurry of other companies have made similar actions.
Last month, Nestlé Waters Canada introduced a new throwaway bottle that uses 27 per cent less plastic than its previous container. In December, Naya Waters unveiled a new bottle made completely from recycled plastic, a development it called a first.
Frito Lay officials said the backlash from consumers over packaging is intense.
"Every time consumers talk to us and engage with us, they ask us: 'Oh, what about your packaging?' "said Helmi Ansari, a sustainability expert with Frito Lay.
The company is hoping to reap maximum publicity from its switch by pitching the new bags on 45-second television commercials during this weekend's U.S. Super Bowl.
The new bag will break down completely after 14 weeks in a hot, microbe-rich compost pile of the kind municipalities run for organic waste, or about the same time it takes for an apple core to degrade, according to a company estimate. In backyard composts, it will take somewhat longer, and bags thrown onto the ground will take even longer to degrade into soil.
Frito Lay officials yesterday played up the benefits of composting, which include reducing the amount of garbage going to landfills and use of non-renewable materials. "The consumer gets to eat the product and the Earth gets to eat the bag, and I think that's pretty cool," said Brad Rodgers, a packaging researcher at Frito Lay.
The new bag is made from polylactic acid, and while now derived from corn, it can be made from any crop containing high amounts of sugar. Consumers will notice the switch because the bags aren't as soft as traditional plastic packaging.
The company said it sells 20 million Sun Chips bags a year, and although the new ones entail extra expenses, it isn't raising prices. It said the limited availability of polylactic acid restricts the number of products for which it can use the new material.
The company's move has potential drawbacks, some waste experts say. Making one type of bag compostable could be confusing, and people may start throwing regular chip bags into green bins, said Norm Lee, Peel Region's director of waste management.
He said the problem could be fixed if all companies adopt the same packaging material. He said some municipalities, but not Peel, remove plastic bags before composting, in which case the chip packaging would end up in landfill anyway.
Standard chip bags, typically a mix of foil and plastic, are almost impossible to recycle, said Heather Marshall, solid waste expert at the Toronto Environmental Alliance, an activist group. "If they want to reduce their packaging or have more environmentally friendly packaging, they really only have one option," she said.
As Originally Published: Eat the chips, compost the bag


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13 launch markets, with the US claiming 19 entertainment options, the most of any territory. Between November 22 and spring 2014, the US will get Amazon Instant Video, CWTV, Crackle, ESPN, FOX NOW, FXNOW, HBO GO, Hulu Plus, Machinima, MUZU TV, Netflix, Redbox Instant, Target Ticket, TED, NFL on Xbox One, Twitch, Univision Deportes, Verizon FiOS TV and VUDU.
UK Xbox One owners will see a different mix of 13 apps, including 4oD, Amazon/LOVEFILM, Eurosport, NOW TV and Wuaki.tv. Enjoyment of these apps, and every app on Microsoft's list, requires an Xbox Live Gold account. Xbox One will offer incentives to open its entertainment options, with achievements for watching a certain number of shows or specific content.
Check out the complete lineup of Xbox One apps below, along with some clickable pictures of the new dashboard.


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You have searched for Jordan's Furniture
LAST UPDATED : Apr 19, 2018, 01:04 PM IST
- Versace plans to launch furniture range in India
New Delhi, May 1 () Italian fashion and lifestyle major Gianni Versace is planning to bring in its range of furniture in India to tap the fast-growing luxury market here. At present, furniture is the only product category in Versace's portfolio that is not available in India.


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Online marketplaces such as Flipkart, Snapdeal, Amazon etc have started looking beyond traditional customer acquisition model...
Online marketplaces such as Flipkart, Snapdeal, Amazon etc have started looking beyond traditional customer acquisition model and have devised schemes like self-financing programs for sellers or assisting them with resources at various stages to sell on their platform.
Flipkart, which has more than 30,000 sellers on its platform, said, “With the aim to create ultimate ecosystem for sellers, we have launched ‘Flipkart One Stop’ popularly known as F1-Stop, on Thursday.”
The ‘One Stop’ center, currently available in 10 cities will offer services such as registration, training, cataloguing products, packaging and financial assistance. The company has also partnered with other service agencies like Sellerworx, 99yrs.com, BluBox, Chikiweb, Browntape etc., that will work with the sellers and train them.
In the past one year, online marketplaces have started focusing on creating a seller eco-system on their platform. In an interview to FE, Snapdeal’s Chief Product Officer, Anand Chandrasekaran had said, “It is now that the whole industry is waking up to the fact that sellers are important. Today we have about 150,000 sellers on board and my view is it’s just 15% of our overall goal.” It aims to rope in a million sellers in the next two-three years.
Last month, a relatively new entrant in the marketplace vertical, Paytm had said it will invest Rs.640 crore to enable one lakh merchants to sell online. It even launched a “Go Big” platform—gobig.paytm.com for merchants to avail services such as content writing, cataloguing, online marketing and imaging. It claims to have 600 such service providers to assist offline retailers in various aspects of online retail.
Earlier this year, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Shopclues and others introduced financing program for sellers to help them with capital as they scale their business online. While, Amazon has tie-ups with State Bank of India and Flipkart has partnership with five financial institutions, Snapdeal has been running its “Marketplace Financing Program” since a year. Flipkart will help its sellers get loans ranging from Rs.1,00,000 to Rs.2 crore.
Flipkart plans to take “One Stop” initiative to 20 cities by the end of this year. Currently it’s present in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Surat, Jaipur etc. “Flipkart One Stop is an extension of our efforts to create a seamless seller ecosystem in India. Aimed at offering best-in-class environment for every seller, this new initiative will help them streamline and simplify the processes to get their businesses up and running online within a short span of time,” said Ankit Nagori, Chief Business Officer, Flipkart.
Similar to Flipkart’s initiative, Snapdeal is also in partnership with National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) to train sellers on e-commerce under the Digital India Initiative.


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Texas farmers worry non-farmers misunderstand them, but a new website designed to address the problem suggests the cultural confusion may cut both ways.The Texas Department of Agriculture this week unveiled its "Agriculture is Your Culture" campaign, an educational program centered on a website featuring examples of how farmers contribute to food safety and land preservation. An image on the site's home page shows a smiling rancher astride a paint horse, labeled "OUR way of life," alongside a portrait of a surly, beret-topped fashionista with her hip cocked, labeled "YOUR way of life."
Farmers and ranchers have decided to take on the city dweller and her outspoken cohorts, says TDA spokesperson Veronica Obregon. They're hoping to finally correct what they believe are common misperceptions about their industry -- and fend off burdensome regulations in the process.
"Frankly, they feel now is the time to be vocal," Obregon says. "Their message isn't getting out there."
The TDA began developing the "Agriculture is Your Culture" program about a year ago, in response to industry concerns. "The agriculture industry was getting attacked," Obregon explains, pointing to reports of poor environmental practices by farmers and ranchers.
"Agriculture is Your Culture allows ranchers like me to tell the true story of the beef industry and combat the many myths circulated by these radical groups," a release quotes Dave Scott, rancher and president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, as saying.
"The call to action right now for all Texans is just to learn more about agriculture," Obregon says. "We have many people right now criticizing agriculture, and the myths from these anti-agriculture activists are steering legislation down the wrong path."
As an example, Obregon cites the Environmental Protection Agency's interest in regulating dust.
"Farmers and ranchers have always been good stewards of the environment," she says. "They need these resources."
What they don't need, according to Obregon, is additional government regulation.
"If we see more unfunded mandates coming through, we'll see farms shutting down," she warns.
Despite the TDA's contention that many Texans harbor anti-agricultural feelings, small farms have lately been the subject of much celebration. Farmers' markets are exceedingly popular, and locavore events sponsored by Dallas' Chefs for Farmers -- including this Sunday's "farm to tray" dinner -- have been hot tickets in the food community. Yet Obregon dismisses any suggestion that anti-agricultural sentiment is reserved for industrial farms.
"Most of our farms and our ranches are family-owned," she says. "People forget where their food comes from."
As the next step in the campaign, the TDA will release an "Agriculture is Your Culture" icon.
"Pretty soon, you'll see icons on everyone's website," Obregon promises, ticking off names of major industry trade groups. "The industry is really proud of this campaign."


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wannabes don't always have to face Simon Cowell's acerbic comments in their journey to stardom.
They can reach out to America directly -- at least to whomever's logged on to
, a karaoke Web site that lets users record songs, share them with friends, rate and comment on other members' tracks, and customize recordings with photos and videos.
online networking site that has also become a sensation.
( ERTS) wants a piece of this action.
The video-game publisher picked up San Francisco-based SingShot in an acquisition announced Monday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
On the surface, online karaoke may seem an unlikely bet for the largest publisher of video games. But SingShot is a shrewd buy.
The EA-SingShot deal unites two of the biggest trends in gaming: casual games that draw in users who might not otherwise be interested in video games, and rhythm games that cater to those with an inner desire to be a music sensation.
The year-old SingShot licenses music for its members to sing along to. The service is free for two weeks, after which it charges $9.95 for a monthly plan, $7.95 a month for a quarterly plan, and $4.95 a month for an annual subscription.
According to comScore Media Metrix, the start-up logged 173,000 unique visitors to its site in January.
The major Internet players are already hip to the potential of online karaoke. News Corp's Fox Interactive Media bought karaoke site kSolo.com in May, and
bought Bix, a music contest Web site, in November.
With SingShot, EA can not only ride the online karaoke trend but also be part of the social networking buzz that has made stars out of sites such as MySpace and
Redwood City, Calif.-based EA has said the SingShot acquisition will help accelerate its efforts in "community-building and promoting user-generated content." SingShot's CEO Ranah Edelin and CTO Niranjan Nagar, who created Rhapsody Digital Music before it was acquired by
, will now join EA as vice presidents.
Shares of EA closed Wednesday's regular session up 56 cents, or 1.1%, to $50.48. The stock has moved sideways since the
company's third-quarter earnings Feb. 1.
The SingShot acquisition extends EA's reach to a wider audience, says IDC games analyst Billy Pidgeon.
"EA is trying to expand the base away from typical, enthusiast hard-core gamers, because the big-volume deals are with casual players," says Pidgeon.
SingShot, which works both on PCs and
Macs, requires a broadband connection and a microphone.
Gamers who play through their PC -- a subset of whom are casual gamers -- have already helped turn EA's PC-based game
into one of the best-selling PC games of all time.
The five-person SingShot team will join the EA Sims division, the company said, adding that the technology itself can be applied to "several different community projects." SingShot could help boost that franchise.
"EA is looking for some community-building with
," says Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan, which makes a market in EA shares. "They have tried to do that earlier with
to get multiplayer games, but they haven't really been successful in it."
, shipped in 2002, allowed users to play one another through the Internet, but reviews for it have been dreary.
SingShot could give EA a second chance there, says Pachter. "I think EA is looking at ways to make
even more successful with greater staying power," he says.
The genre of rhythm and karaoke games could help EA entrench itself in the casual-gaming market, which researcher IDC forecasts will grow into a $2 billion market in the U.S. by 2010, up from $420 million in 2006.
Also with SingShot, EA could be trying to reach for the kind of success other gamemakers such as
have seen for their music-based games.
series, where users simulate playing the guitar through a guitar-shaped game controller, ranked in the top five bestselling video games.
has its own music-based game, the
series of karaoke games, the first of which it released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2.
Sony plans to bring
, the latest game in that franchise, to the PS2 in North America sometime in April. Additionally, Japanese publisher
The Karaoke Revolution
, a music-based series for different consoles.
When it comes to the product potential of SingShot for EA, think
World of Warcraft
, suggests Pachter.
World of Warcraft
is an online game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and published by
that has more than 8 million players worldwide.


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You might think of Instagram's new private messaging feature as a way to share certain photos with just your best friends. But Instagram -- and the Kardashians -- have other ideas about how the tool could be used to serve up promotional content.
Twitter has made its direct messaging service easier to use and added the ability to send photos, in an update to the Twitter app for Android and iOS released Tuesday.
Qualcomm has made its Gimbal sensors or "proximity beacons" commercially available as part of the company's context aware platform, which lets, for example, retailers see when a customer has entered a store.
Apple is taking a closer look at shoppers in its retail stores, under a new program that will push product-related information to their mobile devices using its iBeacon trackers.
BlackBerry has upgraded its management platform Enterprise Server 10 (BES10) with more features for managing Android and iOS smartphones and has also improved scalability to lower overall costs.
Microsoft has sharpened the photo management capabilities of its SkyDrive app for iOS, a step intended to make the cloud storage product the de facto "camera roll" tool across users' multiple devices.
Pinterest is tweaking its service on the Web and mobile to make it easier for users to plan trips and locate their content with a new mapping product.
Buying Apple products from your iPad just got a whole lot easier. More than three years after Cupertino released an Apple Store app for the iPhone, the company has finally followed it up with an Apple Store app for iPad.
Users of Twitter's mobile apps have some new ways to refine their search results, now with filters for photos, videos, news and people.
Google Play Music, a rival option to streaming services like Spotify and Rdio, is now available for iOS, six months after launching on the web and Android-based devices.
Google has updated its Gmail iOS app with improvements aimed at simplifying user-interface navigation and enhancing message viewing and composition on iPads.
BlackBerry's Messenger app is now available for the iPad and iPod Touch and will work over Wi-Fi connections on those devices, the company announced Thursday.
Facebook is hoping to gain a stronger foothold in the competitive mobile messaging space with an updated version of its Messenger app, which now lets people message each other even if they aren't Facebook friends.
If you're using Twitter on the new iPhone 5S you might start seeing different ads than someone accessing the site with the older iPhone 4.
Microsoft has joined forces with development platform vendor Xamarin to make it easier for Windows developers to create cross-platform apps for smartphones, tablets and PCs.
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If you think the SoBig worm is annoying now, brace yourself. This story over at CNN Money suggests that the worst is yet to come:
"We expect these to drop off on the second day, but we're not seeing that this time," Sunner said. "The e-mail component built into SoBig is so efficient that it has just reached that critical mass where it's got fertile ground to continue to grow."For me, SoBig has by far had the biggest impact of any Internet worm or virus. It's getting so bad, I'm only opening Outlook a couple of times a day. Normally, I have Outlook running all the time checking for new mail every few minutes.
Sunner believes the virus will be brought under control but that it could be a major problem until the middle or end of next week.
"I would actually predict we'll see a real spike on Monday," he said. "With so many people on vacation this week, this has sat in [e-mail] trays waiting to strike, and these are the same users who won't have an up-to-date patch to address it."
As unpopular an opinion as it may be among enthusiasts, worms like SoBig reinforce my belief that consumer versions of Windows should apply security and critical updates by default. Users should be able to disable automatic updates, but having the feature enabled by default, or at least if an always-on Internet connection is detected, could go a long way toward reducing the impact of worms like SoBig.
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THE Chicken Rice Shop (TCRS) kicked off its 10th anniversary celebrations themed ‘I Love Chicken Rice’ with traditional Malaysian favourites.
A home grown brand, the shop offers quality signature Hainanese Chicken Rice and prides itself as one the leading halal family restaurants.
They recently introduced three new favourites to complement the signature dish —Penang Rojak, Whole Prawn Wanton and the famous Kuching 3 Layer Tea.
TCRS Restaurants Sdn Bhd founder and managing director Gaik Wong said the theme was chosen for the celebration because chicken rice was universally liked in Malaysia.
She said that it was a dish all could enjoy as big happy family, which goes in line with their belief of a family who eats together, stays together.
Throughout the year, they will be introducing new dishes, promotions and exciting activities for its customers in conjunction with the anniversary.
For those, who want more information of what’s coming in the 10th anniversary celebrations log on to www.thechickenriceshop.com.


text:
Netflix and Warner Bros. have signed a deal that will deliver several popular shows to the streaming service.
The companies announced today that they have signed a deal that will see several Warner Bros. Television Group shows make their way to Netflix, including "Revolution," "Fringe," "The West Wing," and "666 Park Avenue." According to the companies, Netflix will be the exclusive online home to complete prior seasons of the shows.
All told, eight shows are included in the deal, but in the future, more could be added.
Time Warner, which owns Warner Bros., has been busy lately. The company announced recently that HBO, a company that it owns, extended a licensing agreement with Comcast-controlled Universal that will see the studio's movies become exclusively available in the paid cable channel during the pay-TV window -- the period that kicks off after movies are made available for sale on download and discs.
The deal Warner Bros. has struck with Netflix will not ban Warner Bros. from making its programming available via "traditional syndication windows," the company said. Downloads and reruns also sit outside of this deal.
CNET has contacted Netflix for further details on the agreement, including information on when the programming will be made available to the streaming service. We will update this story when we have more information.


text:
Commandos lives on! Kalypso is expanding and it intends to start that expansion with a new Commandos game for next-gen consoles.
According to a report by Gamesindustry.biz, Kalypso Media Group has announced plans to expand and build a studio based in Frankfurt, Germany. The studio will be lead by Jürgen Reusswig, known for his work on the Anno series. The first thing they’re going to work on is a new Commandos game because it’s “a great, globally recognized brand.”
Commandos is a series of World War 2 era RTS games that focus on the efforts of the British Commandos with a focus on stealth. Originally owned by Eidos Interactive, the intellectual property was later purchased by Kalypso Media Group with the intent of an eventual revival. It looks like this is that revival.
Since the studio has not been formed yet, development on Commandos 6 has not begun. And with 2020 being the year that game companies begin releasing the next generation of consoles, we can safely assume that any console editions of the game will be on those instead. All the same, it has been about 13 years since Commandos: Strike Force had released, so fans have been waiting a long while already.
For those who can’t wait, fear not! There is an HD remake of Commandos 2 in the works and currently planned for release in January 2020 for PC, Xbox One, and PS4.


text:
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text:
Hasbro Takes a Major Hit from Toys “R” Us Bankruptcy
Hasbro has been severely impacted by the loss of Toys “R” Us. The toy manufacturer has posted its fourth quarter results, which missed Wall Street’s estimates by a large margin. Shares fell at least 10 percent following the announcement.
CEO Brian Goldner called 2018 a “disruptive year,” placing the blame on the Toys “R” Us bankruptcy and shifting consumer tastes. Revenue fell 13 percent to $1.39 billion. Despite the loss, Hasbro is focusing on new toys planned for 2019.
The company teased new toys from popular franchises like “Star Wars,” “Frozen” and Marvel’s “Avengers,” hinting that these products could be major sales drivers for Hasbro in the coming year.


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Fans of traditional Cincinnati-style chili can rejoice: Lexington is getting a new chili chain.
Skyline Chili is coming to Richmond Road. On Wednesday, a permit was applied for a building at 2850 Richmond Road for a 4,855-square-foot, $700,000 restaurant.
No word yet from Holland Restaurant Group, which owns Skyline, on when the restaurant might open. The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The closest Skyline Chili restaurants now are in Northern Kentucky and Louisville.
“Skyline Chili is excited to bring iconic Cincinnati-style chili to the city of Lexington. Our successful franchisee, Holland Restaurant Group, will own and operate the location, which will feature a double lane drive-thru and dining room fireplace,” the company said in a statement Thursday night. “As of now, we do not have an opening date set, but we look forward to joining the Lexington community and serving our classic Coneys and Ways to new and loyal customers.”
Skyline is famous for its chili cheese coneys and its “three-ways” — secret-recipe chili served over spaghetti and topped with shredded cheese. Add onions or beans for a “four-way” and both for a “five-way,” according to the Skyline Chili menu.
What is Cincinnati-style chili? Unlike the traditional Texas version, Cincinnati chili has Mediterranean spices including cinnamon, cloves, allspice, chocolate and bay leaves. Geniuskitchen.com has a recipe for Skyline copycat chili, if you just can’t wait or can’t make the drive to pick up the real deal.


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It may not have the panache of a World Cup match, but when a German auto supplier takes over an American auto supplier, people—or at least our kind of people—take notice.
Rumblings of a deal have been, well, rumbling since July, and now TRW Automotive Holdings has agreed to sell its entire business to ZF Friedrichshafen for $13.5 billion, essentially creating a super, one-stop-shop supplier for powertrain and safety equipment. Livonia, Michigan–based TRW, which develops and manufactures airbags, braking systems, and sensor-based driving assists, among other technologies, will become a separate division under ZF. The German supplier has been making money hand over bell housing in the last two years since its eight-speed automatic transmission became the go-to product for nearly every new car using such a gearbox. (Justifiably so, as ZF’s 8HP transmission is excellent in almost every application.)
ZF opened a plant in South Carolina to build eight- and nine-speed transmissions in June 2013, which will expand to assembling as many as 1.2 million units annually by 2016. The company runs 15 other facilities in the U.S and grossed $23.2 billion in global sales last year. TRW has 28 U.S. locations and recorded $17.4 billion in global sales in 2013.
Currently, ZF does about $3.9 billion in annual U.S. sales; the company expects the acquisition of TRW to push that figure to roughly $9 billion. Statements from both companies imply that worldwide staffing levels will be kept at a combined 138,000; mergers always lead to redundancies, but the fact that the two companies’ businesses don’t really overlap likely will mitigate any workforce cuts. TRW stockholders—who will receive a guaranteed 15-percent premium over the company’s record $91.62 share price on July 7—likely will approve the deal next year, cuts or no cuts.
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To placate antitrust regulators, ZF is selling its half of the ZF Lenksysteme steering-technology partnership with Robert Bosch GmbH to that company for an undisclosed amount. (TRW is a major supplier of steering components.) It might not make anti-socialists happy, however. Similar to how Lower Saxony holds a 20-percent stake in Volkswagen, ZF is a quasi-state corporation, with the city of Friedrichshafen overseeing a nonprofit group that controls 93.8 percent of the company. But damned if they don’t make a fine transmission.


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In its latest automotive safety report, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety measured the distraction times required for drivers to complete typical in-car infotainment tasks and the results showed Google’s Android Auto and Apple’s Carplay were significantly faster on average than car manufacturer’s native infotainment systems. The smartphone apps were 24 percent (five seconds) faster when making phone calls and 31 percent (15 seconds) faster programming navigation than standard car systems.
Even with faster performance than in-car systems, however, the smartphone apps were overly demanding. According to the AAA, drivers double their crash risk when they take their eyes off the road for more than two seconds. The group stated that distracted driving causes 3,500 deaths and 390,000 injuries annually.
AAA placed a positive spin on the CarPlay and Android Auto performance, however, even though the driver demand was still significant with the smartphone apps.
“Google and Apple are proving that it is possible to reduce the level of demand in-vehicle infotainment technology places on drivers,” David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, said in a statement. “While improvements are necessary before any of the systems can be considered safe to use while driving, this research shows that smartphone-based software has the potential to offer a simpler, more familiar design that is less confusing to drivers, and therefore less demanding.”
The Foundation for Traffic Safety measured visual and mental demands on drivers completing typical infotainment tasks with five 2017 and 2018 vehicles. University of Utah researchers compared the demand on drivers with CarPlay, Android Auto, and the vehicles’ standard systems.
The researchers considered CarPlay and Android Auto roughly equivalent in visual demand, mental demand, and the time needed to complete infotainment tasks. Overall, the group rated the smartphone apps “moderately demanding” and the native systems “very highly demanding.”
AAA recommends that vehicle manufacturers and industry suppliers combine their efforts to develop infotainment technology with low driver demand levels.
“Automakers are experts at building safer cars, but Google and Apple are more skilled at building safer vehicle infotainment technology,” Marshall Doney, AAA president and CEO, said in a statement. “By leveraging their strengths, the two industries must work together to significantly improve the design, functionality, and safety of these technologies.”
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Today nearly all professional road cyclists have one thing in common:They almost all ride bikes with carbon fiber frames. This space-agematerial, which is one of the most popular composites in the sportinggoods industry, has many features that it make it a popular choice.
It is lightweight and easier to manipulate into shapes than other materials,including various metals, and it lasts and lasts.
That is actually a troubling issue, though. Carbon fiber, which atits most basic form is carbon graphite, will last virtually forever.The material is typically not biodegradable or photo-degradable. While a bicycle frame made of carbon fiber won’tdeteriorate over its useful lifetime, it also means that should theframe crack, break, or just no longer be desirable, itwon’t decompose in a landfill like other materials.
“It just sits and sits, and it is there for an eternity. It justdoesn’t go away,” said Andrew Juskaitis, spokesperson for Giant,the world’s largest producer of carbon fiber bicycle frames.
Because of this fact, it is something that companies such as Giant,Trek and Specialized have begun to address.
“It does fall upon our industry to collect the material — such as inused frames,” Juskaitis told TechNewsWorld.
Limited Supply Chain
At this week’s Interbike trade show in Las Vegas, most of the majormanufacturers will be introducing the latest in bicycles at all pricepoints. On the high end, there are bicycles with frames made ofaluminum, titanium and even steel, a material that is making acomeback.
However, given that the pro riders today sit on bikes with carbonfiber frames, many cycling enthusiasts are drawn to the spaceage material.
“People are walking into a bike shop and they want carbon fiber,”said Juskaitis.
The cost of carbon fiber tends to be high; Giant’sintro-level carbon fiber bike is priced around US$1,500. This is typical across the board, a fact that keeps thematerial somewhat limited to those serious enthusiasts.
The reasons are simple. For one, only a half dozen companies in theworld actually supply the bulk of carbon fiber. While sportinggoods are a large customer, the entire sporting goods industry isdwarfed by aerospace demands.
“The bicycle market is a drop in the bucket. That doesn’t mean it isn’timportant — but compared to what aircraft makers are using, we’re a dropin the bucket,” Juskaitis noted.
The truth is that one Dreamliner aircraft uses more carbon fiber thanthe entire sporting goods industry in an entire year. Given thatplanes, just like bicycles, don’t last forever, that industry islooking closely at recycling as well. However, the bicycle industry –one that prides itself on green initiatives — isn’t letting theproblem roll by. Efforts are already being made to address it.
The problem is made worse by the fact that unlike plastics, aluminum andmany other materials, carbon fiber can’t be easily recycled. It won’t degrade, and it is extremely difficult to recycle.
The reason is that once it is in its product form, it needs to bechopped up to be recycled. The strength of the material is actually inthe fact that it consistes of long fibers. This gives it its rigidity and itsstrength — two things that are lost when it is cut.
“It doesn’t have its continuousfiber any longer,” noted Jeff Sloan, editor of Composites World.
Adding to the difficulty, only the fiber elements typicallycan be reclaimed. The bonding elements, such as the resins that hold thefiber in its eventual shape — like a bicycle frame — also need to be”removed” to reclaim the carbon fibers.
“When you talk reclaiming carbon fiber, you are just talking about theactual fibers,” Sloan told TechNewsWorld. “The rest of the materialsare burned off or otherwise wasted. This includes the resins, whichare not actually recycled.”
One reason any product — whether it is plastic or aluminum — isrecycled is that it is typically cheaper to obtain reclaimed materialover virgin material. Unless that price is cheaper, most companies willcontinue to prefer virgin materials.
Here is another dilemma with carbon fiber: The costs, while high, are still too low to compel efforts to recycle it — andthe recycled materials have little value at the present time.
“You lose some value in the recycling process,” noted Sloan. “Therecycling curve of composites in general, and carbon fiber specifically,just isn’t that deep. The Dreamliner will help, as they’re going tohave to deal with what to do with the materials at the end of the plane’slifecycle.”
One added problem is that the cut fibers from a bicycle frame can’t beused to make another bicycle frame. The fibers from a planealso are cut into small pieces that can’t be used tomake a bicycle. That means lots of small squares of cut fibers with no particular purpose.
“We’ve been looking hard at this issue, and we’ve not found anything thatfits the bill perfectly at this point,” said Jim Colegrove, seniorcomposite manufacturing engineer with Trek Bicycle. “The key is finding that closed loop. We haven’t found that great use for thematerial yet. We’re still looking.”
One solution could be for use in bulk properties. Thus the cut piecescould be used in other products, those where the strength that ittypically provides isn’t required.
“You still have much of the stiffness, but you don’t have thecontinuous fiber,” added Colegrove. “You don’t have the strength.”
So what could this be? In the bicycle industry, it could be waterbottle cages. Other industries are using reclaimed carbon fiberfor laptop casings and mobile phone cases. Of course, a single bikecould provide material for many water bottle cages and thataforementioned airplane could make a lot of smartphone cases!
For now this is a problem without a solution, but one that the bicycleindustry is opting not to ignore, said Juskaitis. “We feel as a manufacturing brand that we’ll have a role in therecycling or responsible elimination of the material in the future.”


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CoinSwitch launches $10 million Web 3 Discovery Fund to invest in early-stage Indian startups
- The Web3 Discovery Fund will invest in early-stage startups building blockchain solutions for the Indian Web3 landscape.
- The $10 million web 3 fund will also provide technical support to early stage Indian web 3 startups.
- Web3 development and innovation in
Indiawitnessed investments worth over $500 million in 2021 alone.
Despite the ongoing crypto winter, there has been a steady influx of capital for Indian web 3 startups. Web3 development and innovation in India witnessed investments worth $500 million+ in 2021.
Coinswitch’s Web3 Discovery Fund, with an initial corpus of $10 million, will provide single-window access to investor partners
CoinSwitch Web3 Discovery Fund’s startups can apply for AWS Activate Portfolio and receive AWS credits, technical support, training, and resources.
The early-stage portfolio startups will also be able access CoinSwitch's in-house capabilities, ecosystem network, and its 18 million-strong user base.
“The venture program is a result of our firm belief that India will be the launchpad for population-scale Web3 projects. To realise this vision of #MadeinIndia Web3, we have to identify and enable entrepreneurs and early-stage startups leveraging the potential of Crypto to solve real-world problems unique to India," said Ashish
Coinswitch was founded in 2017 by Singhal, Govind Soni and
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text:
Commissioned by a European client, the Ferrari Omologata took a little over two years to make.
Frank Stephenson says the Ferrari Roma needs to have a dark grille, yellow fender shields.
This 550 Maranello was once owned by both Harry Metcalfe and Richard Hammond.
Besides the Roma’s 612 HP powertrain, the Portofino M gains updated looks and tech.
Mansory is readying kits for the Porsche Taycan, Ferrari F8 and more.
The rare Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta is worth over $5 million on the used market.
The styling changes are barely noticable, but the car could get boosted to 612 hp .
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel will join a rebranded Racing Point outfit next year, teaming up with Lance Stroll.
This custom BMW M3 could soon be twin-turbocharged.
What if high-end automakers like Ferrari, Lamborghini,and Pagani created semi-trucks?.
Many supercars are garage queens, but the owner of this Ferrari 812 clearly likes (ab)using it.
Costing a fraction of the original car’s price, the 250 SWB Revival is meant to be driven.
The models will effectively be replaced by the upcoming Purosangue.
A 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S, Lamborghini Aventador SVJ And Ferrari 812 Superfast Walk Into An Airfield
This drag race pits the 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S against two of Italy’s fastest supercars.
This Shelby GT500 has about 400 hp more than the 488 Pista – so did it beat the Ferrari?.
The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider started at roughly $350,000 in the United States.
The Ferrari F8 Spider has a superb engine but would be better off with a stiffer chassis .
A selection of classic and modern Ferraris will be on display at the event.
Apparently, the Ferrari Roma can hit 124 mph in just 8.5 seconds.
The 488 Pista drag races what is probably the most iconic Ferrari of all times.


text:
Organizers got fans all revved up for the weekend. A handful of cars, including World Outlaw, late models, street stocks, and Hornets will circle the track both nights.
Members hope newcomers will give the sport a try. Drivers from Springfield, Danville and Bloomington will get behind the wheel. Saturday's main event has a prize pool topping $80,000.
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WATSEKA, Ill. (WCIA) -- He started his jewelry business near Chicago.
ILLINOIS-- It's your daily go-to and where many spend countless hours…


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Neil writes "It's got a book series that has sold 17 million units and an App that has achieved over 9 million downloads. Makes sense that Beast Quest will now be coming to our consoles then doesn't it?"
I read the title too quickly and was then, just as quickly, disappointed.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Optus says the cloud, multi-channel solution will provide Optus Business customers an easily deployed solution, with no on-premise infrastructure or upfront costs.
The telco says, in addition, NICE inContact CXone has a flexible, scalable model that is able to address immediate operational needs and grow with the business.
The NICE in Contact CXone solution is designed to improves a company’s ability to capture real-time information across the channels which customers use to contact a business, including online, in-store and mobile.
“Optus Business is pleased to bring the multi-channel solution to our Australian customers who are striving to deliver exceptional customer experiences with a reliable, quick solution.”
“Our partnership with Optus Business represents a key milestone in the global expansion of NICE inContact and our efforts to help businesses move faster and work smarter. Businesses in Australia now have access to an affordable solution – with full support – previously deemed too complex to integrate,” said Darren Rushworth, APAC president for NICE.
The partnership is an extension of a longstanding relationship between Optus and NICE, which acquired inContact in November 2016.


text: The global market for tablets peaked this year, which will occur after a fall, according to analysts from ABI Research, taking into account the amount of such active devices.By the end of 2015 the number of tablets that people use worldwide will reach a maximum of 373 million units, and in 2016 will start to decline due to the continuing decline in the supply of larger models. Furthermore, it expects a decline in the number of users for the first time bought your tablet, so basically demand will be those people who will update your gadgets. The majority of active "tablets" (48%) falls on North America. In terms of operating systems, leadership Android holds 50 percent benchmark, and the share of iOS 42%, says the director of research at ABI Research Jeff Orr. When you purchase a new tablet in exchange for old people into account factors such as the uniqueness of applications and content, ease of use and reliability stated in the research report. The number of active tablets in the world will decline as consumers increasingly prefer such devices as PHABLET example. These devices combine the communication capabilities of the mobile phone and a large display. The level of penetration of PHABLET market of smartphones is increasing and they are becoming increasingly attractive alternative to tablets. Some owners even tablets renounce these devices in favor of hybrid ultra-portable computers. These products are often preferred by business users, and now - with the release of Windows 10 - the audience holders apparatus "2-in-1" should be increased. All changes in demand that occur in the tablet industry, represent new opportunities for business development of industry and competition, summarizes Jeff Orr.


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A new format and a new name for Barcelona’s hair & beauty fair, scheduled from 25th – 27th March 2023 at Fira Barcelona Hall 1.
Expo Beauty Barcelona 2023 will bring together the most recognized brands in the sector, hand-in-hand with professionals, to become a window of opportunity to learn about new trends and discover new technical advancements.
Two are the fundamental areas covered for professional visitors: first of all training sessions, which will offer hairdressers exclusive spaces to meet and interact with industry icons; plus the chance to witness the launch of many innovative products that, thanks to their technology, support work in the salon and offer fantastic results, even for the most demanding client.
After separating the fair into sectors last time, the organisers have taken a further step by changing its name, so that the hairdressing, barbershop, nails and makeup event is now called Expo Beauty Barcelona.
“For us, it is a new challenge and it is not the first time that we have faced such important steps,” says Santi Torras, President of the Exhibition. “Since the creation of Novoprof in 1991 at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, we have then become founders of Salón Look in Madrid, to offering an alternative in Barcelona in 2013 by successfully organising the STS Beauty Barcelona. Now we can offer the definitive fair – EXPO BEAUTY BARCELONA.
During these years, we have developed the most relevant hair & beauty fairs in our country. For this edition we continue to work on face-to-face fair as well as showcasing digital trends in the hair, barbershop, nails and professional makeup sectors.”
Expo Beauty Barcelona will also feature the ‘Premios Gaudi Beauty Awards’. These are awards that celebrate the work of professional hairdressers and entrepreneurs for their values and commitment, creativity and talent. The Gaudi Beauty Awards aim to promote the values of the hair & beauty industry in the eyes of the public.
Much interest is also expected in the numerous educational seminars and shows that will take place during the 3 days event. It’s a not-to-be-missed opportunity to see first-hand some of the new trends that will excite the market in 2023, both in hair, beauty and makeup.


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Zynga's third quarter financials are in, showing a downturn in both revenue and bookings, but the social publisher has announced the appointment of a new high-level executive, which may calm investors.
For the quarter ending September 30, Zynga produced GAAP revenue of $202.5 million, down 36% year-on-year from $316.6 million in 2012.
In terms of bookings - a more accurate representation of virtual good spend within a given quarter - the decline was even sharper, producing $152 million, a 40% year-on-year decrease.
All in all, the quarter resulted in a net loss of $68,000 - which is actually a sensational improvement on the $52.7 million of the year before; the publisher has clearly been successful in its bid to decrease spending.
"I am pleased with our Q3 performance which exceeded our guidance both in terms of bookings and adjusted EBITDA. We are encouraged to see sightlines to growth and expect to be profitable for the full year on an adjusted EBITDA basis," CEO Don Mattrick, formerly of Xbox, said.
"Our teams are working hard to compete more aggressively on the web, move to mobile and develop new hits, and I am happy with the early progress we have made. We believe our top franchises, Zynga Poker, FarmVille and Words With Friends can be evergreen in terms of consumer interest and we are focused on growing these franchises in fiscal year 2014. I am confident that Zynga is rewiring itself in a meaningful way that will strengthen the core of our business and put us back on track to achieve significant long term growth and profit."
Meanwhile, Mattrick has recently been joined by another former mainstream gaming success - Clive Downie, who will take on the role of COO following the departure of David Ko in Mattrick's organisation changes.
Downie, who has extensive experience at Mattel and EA and recently reigned as CEO of DeNA West, one of Zynga's rivals, will report directly to Mattrick.
"I have known Clive for more than two decades and am pleased to welcome him to the team. He is a seasoned leader with a deep understanding of consumer, marketing and mobile engagement, international experience operating both in EMEA and Japan and a rich background in game publishing - all of which are incredibly valuable as Zynga navigates its move to mobile," Mattrick said.
"I enjoyed my prior experiences working with Clive at Electronic Arts and have appreciated what he accomplished in the past five years at DeNA. As we build new leadership capabilities and focus the company on long term growth, Clive's customer-centric point of view and proven track record will be invaluable to Zynga's future."
Downie said he joined Zynga because he believes it "has the ability to unlock disruptive new ideas that span gaming genres, markets and services".
"Zynga's uniquely positioned inside a growing market to deliver consumers around the world an entertainment experience as beloved as their favorite TV show, movie or music," he said.


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FAIRBANKS — Anchorage photographer Didier Lindsey has traveled to Fairbanks to sell his wildlife photographs at the Holiday Marketplace for the past 21 years. He was there the first year in 1992, and he has been there every year since.
When he made the trip north this past week for the holiday gift show, Lindsey didn’t have great expectations.
“National election years are bad years for business,” Lindsey said, sitting on a stool in his booth Saturday at the Carlson Center as passers-by perused the selection of framed wildlife photographs he had hanging on display.
“You only hear how bad things are,” he said. “One side is attacking the other, and all you hear is the economy is going in the tank and taxes are going up. All the negativity makes people spooked on spending money.”
That didn’t appear to be the case Saturday, however. An overflowing crowd of interested buyers packed the floor of the Carlson Center for the second day of the three-day holiday gift show.
“We’re hoping for 3,500 people today,” marketplace coordinator Kris Knutzen said.
While the bottom floor of the arena usually is the frozen home of the University of Alaska Nanooks, on Saturday it was a crowded, Christmas-decorated maze of vendors and shoppers who were looking to get a head start on their holiday shopping.
One of them was Maryann Wood, who had her husband, Larry, in tow. He was the one carrying the bag. She was the one filling it.
“I don’t think Alaska has been hit yet by the economic drop-off, at least not Maryann,” Larry Wood joked after his wife added a few containers of spices she bought from Trueheart’s Blend, a North Pole spice shop, to the already full bag he was hauling.
“She set her watch alarm (to shop) for two hours, and it’s been way over two hours,” he said with a chuckle.
Now in its 21st year, the Holiday Marketplace is the biggest holiday gift show in Fairbanks. This year’s vendor count was 182, though that’s deceiving because some vendors share a booth, Knutzen said. In reality, there probably were more than 200 vendors represented at the event, which continues from
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.
Fairbanks artist Sandy Jamieson said he was doing a “brisk” business selling T-shirts adorned with his humorous paintings depicting Alaskans and Alaskan wildlife. Holiday gift shows like this weekend’s comprise a big part of his sales, especially since New Horizons, once Fairbanks’ most prominent art gallery, shut down a few years ago.
Likewise, Kasha Ostbloom, owner of Moosetard, which makes and sells gourmet Alaskan mustards, said holiday gift shows account for about 40 percent of her overall business.
“What we do in sales now is what carries us through January, February, March and into April until the farmers market opens,” Ostbloom said.
Based on what she saw at a couple of shows in Anchorage and what she was seeing Friday and Saturday at the Carlson Center, Ostbloom said Fairbanksans are being more frugal with their holiday spending.
“Anchorage seems to be freer to spend right now,” she said. “Up here, everyone is preparing for having enough money to pay their fuel bill. People are still spending, but they’re being careful about their spending.”
Kevin McKenzie, a Fairbanks tile contractor, stopped by the Moosetard booth to buy a bottle of mustard to send to his parents in California.
“They like edibles,” he said. “I know they’re going to like mustard and honey and nuts and soaps, and they’re easy to ship.”
McKenzie said he likes the Holiday Marketplace because it has a lot of vendors with affordable products, many of which are made in Alaska.
Gwenn Davis-Guy, who bought two bottles of Fairbanks-made Lead Dog barbecue sauce at the Moosetard stand, agreed.
“I shop local and try to buy things made in Alaska,” she said.
In addition to supporting the vendors who sell goods, the marketplace provides an economic boost to the community of Fairbanks, Knutzen said.
“Eighty of my (vendors) are here from someplace else than Fairbanks, and they need hotels to stay in and restaurants to eat at,” she said.
Lindsey, the Anchorage photographer, is a prime example. In addition to the $550 rental fee for booth space, Lindsey figures he’ll spend about that much again on gas, a hotel room and food.
“I dump $900 to $1,000 to come here, and if I sell $2,500 to $3,500, I’ll be doing good,” he said. “Doing shows like this there are guarantees. You’re not making a whole lot of money.”
Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.


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Home sales recorded through the MLS® System of the Kawartha Lakes Real Estate Association Inc. came in well above year-ago levels in April 2015.
Residential sales numbered 171 units in April 2015, jumping 52.7 per cent from April 2014. This was the best April sales figure ever reported.
On a year-to-date basis home sales were running 31.4 per cent ahead of the first four months of 2014. This was the best figure for the period since 2007.
New residential listings on the Association’s MLS® System totalled 317 units in April 2015, up 10.5 per cent on a year-over-year basis. This was the highest level of new supply for the month of April in more than 15 years.
There were 610 active residential listings on the Association’s MLS® System at the end of April 2015, down 6.0 per cent from April 2014.
There were 3.6 months of inventory at the end of April 2015, down from 5.8 months reported at the same time last year and below the long-run average for this time of the year. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.
(Source: Canadian Real Estate Association)


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According to the NGO Foodwatch, the Ferrero group had been warned on March 23 about a possible link between its chocolates and salmonella contamination.
Has Ferrero Taken Too Long To Recall Its Chocolates? On April 5, the company launched a massive recall from parties Children’s chocolate made in Belgium, because of a possible link with cases of salmonella. According to information from the NGO Foodwtach confirmed by the Parisian, the British authorities had already warned about cases of salmonella on March 23 after Ferrero. Is twelve days before the announcement the withdrawal of Kinder chocolate shops in France.
Salmonellosis in Kinder products: 150 cases identified in nine countries, including France, “mainly in children under 10 years of age”
The group even acknowledged in a press release that it had already identified the bacterium at its facility in Arlon in Belgium… December 15, 2021† The question now is why it took Ferrero so long to recall its products. And why did he not communicate earlier about the detection of the bacterium in his Belgian factory?
After the consumer memories, the loss of consumer confidence… Children’s eggs thrown in the trash, Ferrero chocolate sales collapse
“Internal shortcomings” recognized
Contacted by our colleagues from parisian, Ferrero explains that the rules in force in Belgium are different than in France. “Our factory is located in Belgium and unlike France there is no no legal reporting obligation† justifies the group before claiming to have blocked potentially contaminated products and increased controls.
Recall of Kinder products: Ferrero factory in Belgium is closed, all Kinder from the site recalled
Regarding the warning launched by the British authorities on March 23, Ferrero’s French subsidiary assures that “they don’t have the answer to this question”. The brand has recognized “internal errors” and the Arlon factory was closed. “As Easter approached, Ferrero tried to keep his Kinders on the shelves despite the warning. If they had responded sooner, contamination would have been avoided† complained Camille Dorioz, campaign manager at Foodwatch.
Recall of Kinder products: EU launches investigation into salmonella cases also linked to chocolate consumption in several countries
Salmonellosis: symptoms, treatment… what to do if you use Kinder products?
Recall of Kinder products: We reveal the list of batches suspected of being contaminated