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This afternoon, ROG gaming phone officially announced that it will hold a new product launch conference on March 10. As you guess, at this event, it will release the Tencent ROG gaming phone 5.
Subsequently, the well-known blogger shared the official rendering of the phone, showing its design.
As the photo shows, the ROG gaming phone 5 will sport a symmetrical full screen on the front. Part of the frame is reserved on the top and bottom of the screen. Compared with the genuine full screen, it is more conducive to game control and avoids accidental touch.
The center of the back has a small secondary screen. It can display light effects.
Also Read: ASUS ROG Gaming Phone 5 Leaked In Spy Video And Photo
The overall size of Tencent’s ROG gaming phone 5 is 172.83mm×77.25mm×10.29mm.
Gizchina News of the week
At the same time, there is also a unique triangular area on the top of the secondary screen. It adopts an Anime Matrix lighting effect design similar to the MagicBook 14. It can support custom lighting effects and patterns, which perfectly inherits ROG’s e-sports bloodline. Users can also adjust the content of the small window through the built-in application of the system, which is quite recognizable.
According to recent news, the ROG gaming phone 5 has passed the network certification. From there, we learned that it will come with a 6.78-inch OLED screen that supports 120Hz refresh rate.
In terms of configuration, the ROG gaming phone 5 will sport a Snapdragon 888 processor, a 16GB memory, a built-in 6000mAh dual-cell super-capacity battery, which supports a 65W wired fast charging.
In addition, the ROG gaming phone 5 will also continue to maintain in-depth cooperation with Tencent. The latter will make deep customization and optimization of the machine to further improve the computing and deployment capabilities of the hardware. This will ensure the stable operation and smooth experience of high frame rate games.
At the same time, it will also bring exclusive optimizations to the ROG gaming phone 5’s secondary screen, matrix lighting effects, vibration and other aspects, providing an immersive gaming experience.


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Google delivered Domino’s pizzas with a Pixel 4 topping on Cyber Monday
Google baked Pixel 4 phones inside Domino’s pizza boxes for Cyber Monday deliveries. The tech giant had also tried the stunt at the Made By Google event back in October. At the time, Google only delivered these steaming hot Pixel 4 pizza pies to influencers and sales reps. Come Cyber Monday, the tech giant decided to give regular folks a taste of the fun.
Some people in Miami, Florida were able to order an unlocked 128GB Pixel 4 phone with their Domino’s pizza (via 9to5Google). To sweeten to deal, Google shaved off $200 from the price of the flagship, selling it for $699.
What was in the Pixel 4 pizza box?
The smartphone was delivered in a 12-inch limited edition pizza box when ordered from pizzawithpixel.com. The box came with a special housing for the Pixel 4 on the top lid. As you can see in the image on top of this article, features of the Pixel 4, like Motion Sense, Astrophotography, and Google Assistant are listed on the box.
— Justin Tse (@JustinTse) October 15, 2019
A separate box contained the phone’s 18W charger, USB-C cable, Quick Switch adapter, SIM tool, and a special edition case.
We hope Google expands this Pizza with Pixel experience to other cities and countries as well. It sure is a helluva way to market the phone. Google knows all too well that the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach.

domain: news


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Disk drive components maker Read-Rite will lay off 500 workers and FleetBoston is closing its investment banking operations of Robertson Stephens, the companies announced on late Friday.
More broadly, major tech stocks maintained closing levels during Friday's late-trading session. Nextel, Intel, and Sun Microsystems each advanced slightly on Island ECN while Oracle, Cisco and Microsoft each edged lower.
For the week, the Nasdaq Composite ended down 5.1 percent.
In the financial arena, FleetBoston
According to a FleetBoston statement, managements of FleetBoston and Robertson Stephens were unable to come to terms on an employee buyout of the firm. See full story.
Read-Rite said it wants to save $30 million to $40 million annually so it will cut 5 percent of its staff, or about 500 workers.
According to a statement, the disk drive components maker said most of the affected employees are "exempt/indirect employees."
Because of this, Read-Rite said it will be able to smoothly ramp production when the 60-gigabyte and 80-gigabute qualifications are completed.
Shares RDRT rose 1 penny to 51 cents on Island.
Wire One Technologies WONE shares reopened from a trading halt but were not active after the company announced its second-half revenue will be less than expected. Shares closed the regular session down 3.4 percent to $1.68.
Wire One said preliminary results for the second-quarter indicate revenue of $27 million or $28 million, an EBITDA loss of $1.5 million to $1.8 million, and a cash horde of $7 million.
One analyst surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call expected sales of $26.7 million for the quarter.
For the year, Wire One said revenue would be $108 million to $112 million compared with $119 million and $127 million expected by two analysts.
The company said that it will discuss plans on July 31, when it announces actual results, on "dealing with lower revenue expectations, competitive pressures, the difficult economic climate and corporate IT/telecom spending challenges."


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In the story of health care, there`s good news and bad news.
The good news for the average person is that these days fewer patients have to stay overnight in hospitals.
The bad news for hospitals is that these days fewer patients have to stay overnight in hospitals.
Medical advances such as laser surgery have led to a nationwide boom in outpatient services, meaning that fewer people are actually entering hospitals. One 1986 study showed that in-patient days decreased by 4 percent in Illinois institutions, while outpatient revenue increased by 18.1 percent. This creates a problem for most hospitals: They want to provide acute care for those critical in-house patients, but there aren`t enough of them to pay for themselves.
The solution? Cash in on moneymaking enterprises such as urgent care, fitness or women`s centers to raise extra revenue. And the way to target those enterprises?
In a time of choosier patients, and in an area of stiff competition, Du Page County hospitals are following the national trend of expanding to specialized areas of health care, said Jeanne Corrigan of the Illinois Hospital Association, an advocacy group located in Naperville.
``They`re looking toward their communities, finding a need and trying to fill it,`` she said.
In the process, patients are becoming consumers or customers, and health- care services are becoming products. The terminology is not the only thing that`s new. Of the five Du Page County hospitals that Corrigan pinpointed as very active in marketing, none has had a formal marketing budget for more than five years.
Central Du Page Hospital in Winfield established such a budget in 1985. For Edward Hospital in Naperville, it was in 1986; for Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, 1983; for Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, 1983; and for Hinsdale Hospital, 1984.
They use those budgets to compete for the consumers-and insurance dollars-in Du Page County.
``This is a real growing area,`` Corrigan said, ``with a few old people and quite a few young people. Institutions are realizing they have to diversify and offer a wide range of services`` to capture a particular share of the consumer group.
For some, like Edward, that means opening fitness centers for young, healthy people. For others, like Elmhurst, it means focusing on the mostly older people of its community.
For all of them, it means looking at health care in a new way-as a business, not just as a service.
``Hospitals are much more bottom-line than they were even five years ago,`` said Jackie Dourlet, director of marketing at Hinsdale Hospital.
``Because of government regulations, they realize they can`t keep raising their rates to cover costs. But they have to break even.``
As a result, she said, ``There`s a much more strategic focus. We`re looking at our goals and focusing on our results. We have to justify the money that we`re spending, and if we`re doing something, there better be a strategic reason we`re doing it.``
Research and planning have a major role in the marketing function, as does a practice once considered almost taboo, or at least tacky: advertising. ``People always used to say, `Hospitals shouldn`t advertise,` or `Doctors shouldn`t have to tell people that they`re good,` `` Dourlet said. ``But just because we`re here doesn`t mean we`re going to get patients. We have to be good, and we have to let people know we`re good.``
According to a 1987 National Hospital Marketers` survey, hospitals nationwide spent $1.5 billion on marketing in 1987, with an average of $158,300 on advertising. The survey predicted that by 1990, hospitals would have broken the billion-dollar barrier in advertising alone.
In an indication of the competitive nature of marketing in Du Page County, none of the hospitals would provide the marketing budgets for their institutions, or even what percentage of the institution`s total budget that represented.
One director explained apologetically that to do so would allow competing hospitals to guess her institution`s budget and give them an edge in the race to lure consumers.
Those consumers are doing some marketing of their own, as in hospital shopping. ``Where once the patient would go wherever the doctor suggested, now more educated consumers seem to be making their own decisions,`` Corrigan said.
Dourlet agreed. ``Some older people still think of their doctor as God,`` she said, ``but the younger people will shop around and look for the best care they can get.``
And marketing directors will keep trying to give it to them, while watching that bottom line, Dourlet said.


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Brothers Andy and Glenn McDaniel may have changed the name of their Sandy Springs barbecue restaurant to McDaniel’s QN2, but they’ve kept customer favorites while putting their spin on the menu.
The brothers began at this location as a Slope’s BBQ franchise 20 years ago in March. They had the chance to make a change and jumped at it.
“We decided to change the name, rebrand it and … stick our family’s name on it,” Glenn said. The new name also plays off the restaurant’s most popular meal, the “QN2,” which is a meat and two sides.
Long history in the community
The brothers were born and raised in the Sandy Springs area. Their restaurant was previously a Happy Herman’s before they took over the space. They were frequent customers the entire time it was open, he said.
“Practically our entire adult life, we’ve been in the business community here before we even were a city,” said Glenn, who has been in the restaurant industry since 1994. “My first restaurant job was at the Derby on Hammond Drive at Perimeter Mall back in the old 10-cent wing days.”
Glenn’s kids now work at the family restaurant — the oldest a senior in high school, another a high school freshman, and his youngest, an eighth-grader.
“My oldest son has been running my cash register since he was eight years old. So all of my customers have watched my son grow up behind the register,” Glenn said.
The brothers also support the community. For about 10 years, they’ve provided food for the Boy Scout troop that serves food at the Dunwoody 4th of July parade, Glenn said. So on Monday morning, they’ll be feeding roughly 900 people.
In addition, they’ll be selling food at City Springs in a tent across Johnson Ferry Road from their restaurant for Sandy Springs’ July 4th celebration.
What’s on the menu for McDaniel’s QN2?
Glenn said brothers aren’t trying to turn anything upside down at the restaurant. They want to offer customers the same favorites they’ve been enjoying, but with a little more of their personality on the menu.
“Pretty much the expectations are the same, as they have always been, just some tweaks, just some more daily specials,” he said.
The standard is their pork, ribs and chicken brisket, plus all the side items. McDaniel’s QN2 menu features chicken on the bone, chopped chicken, sliced brisket and St. Louis cut spare ribs. They try to do a special side every day.
“Our big hitters are [the] chicken salad sandwich… smoked meatloaf, smoked tenderloin. We have fried catfish night on Friday night,” he said.
Wednesdays are for sausage links with sausage sliders on Friday. They offer rotating specials Thursday nights, which is trivia night.
“We do fried green tomatoes two days a week. We do a lot of barbecue potatoes called the cue-tato every Monday night,” he said.
Four barbecue sauces are available, including a regular sauce that’s sweeter, a mustard sauce, a spicy vinegar sauce and a hot wing sauce.
McDaniel’s QN2 also sells everything in bulk for customers to take home.
“Every time somebody goes to a party, they stop by here to grab a quart of beans or a quart of coleslaw,” Glenn said.
When they want to offer comfort to friends or neighbors who are having a tough time, such as an illness or death in the family, they’ll buy a family pack with meat and two sides.
“You drop it off for a family so they can have a nice meal with no work. We sell tons of that,” he said.


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March 14, 2005
Yahoo! consolidated its advertising, search and directory products under one brand two weeks ago, renaming Overture Services, its wholly owned search engine subsidiary, Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions.
In addition to the new brand, Yahoo! said it will launch an advertising solutions center to help businesses plan and buy search marketing and brand advertising online. It also formally announced the launch of the Yahoo! Search Developer Network, which will give developers access to Web service application program interfaces (APIs) for Yahoo! Search products.
The announcements were made at Jupitermedia’s Search Engine Strategies Conference in New York, on the eve of Yahoo!’s 10th anniversary.
"This unifies the way to think about Yahoo! Search, and it’s not just a rebranding," said Jerry Yang, co-founder and director of Yahoo!, in a keynote Q&A at the Jupiter show. "It’s also a long-term solution to unifying the brand." Yahoo! completed its acquisition of Overture in 2003 for $1.8 billion.
During the talk, Yang hinted at more developments in 2005 that will continue to extend the Yahoo! brand. Yahoo! is exploring opportunities in behavior-based search and personalized content, as well as search beyond the desktop, Yang said. "Integration around devices is where a lot of the growth will be," he said. "We’re blending services in a way that we hope will be seamless for the user."
Yang said jettisoning the Overture name was natural, given the growth of the search business. "Search is not just an activity or a destination," he said. "It’s becoming more integrated and more of a platform."
"We think this is good for marketers in three ways," said Ted Meisel, president of Overture Services and senior VP of Yahoo! "It builds awareness. It makes our products more accessible to them by making them easier to find, [and] it underscores Yahoo!’s commitment to take a whole set of search products and over time integrate them into one easy-to-use interface."


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China-based BTCC's Mobi wallet application is to stop offering its Visa debit card service to non-European residents on October 15th, 2017 as because of the new licensing restrictions from Visa.
On top of that, Berlin-based Bitwala, a Bitoin wallet management app, also announced they would be suspending service on all existing debit cards for users who live outside of the Visa European territory. Thus, according to Visa's new regulations, only customers in the EEA and selected adjacent states will be able to order the Bitwala Debit Card. Bitwala will suspend service on all existing Debit Cards for users who live outside of the European territory by October 15th, 2017. The new regulations came into force on August 21st and users who have ordered their cards from August 9th have been refunded.
Furthermore, Bitwala team has also announced some changes in their currency policy:
Bitwala currency suspension
As reported, in the past week, Xapo and Shakepay also announced that they would be halting service of their Bitcoin enabled debit cards to all card holders who reside outside of the Visa European payment network.


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Burberry Perry evolved.
Earlier this week, Lil Yachty's producer/hype man/BFF Burberry Perry was slapped with a lawsuit from luxury fashion company Burberry for repurposing and profiting from their brand name, logo, and signature plaid print. Yachty nobly accepted blame for coining the term "Burberry Perry." “PUT THE CUFFS ON ME I DID IT,” he wrote on Twitter.
In light of the lawsuit, Perry has opted to retire the moniker Burberry Perry in favor of a new name: TheGoodPerry.
“I am no longer Burberry Perry,” he wrote in Instagram. “I am THEGOODPERRY.”
He celebrated the name change by dropping a new 90-second track called "Blueberry." Life goes on for TheGoodPerry.


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MicroStrategy, a business intelligence software maker, has deployed 1,100 Apple iPads to executives and sales personnel to conduct critical job-related tasks. The company said it expects 700 more iPads to be deployed soon.
MicroStrategy is one of the largest business users of iPads to go public about its deployment. Most other businesses that have talked about iPad use have around 100 users.
MicroStrategy said it is using some applications that can run on both the iPad and the iPhone, while others are designed to fully take advantage of the larger 9.7-inch iPad touch screen. For example, some of the latter applications help sales personnel easily show off videos or live demonstrations to customers during face-to-face meetings, said Mark LaRow, senior vice president of products.
Apple has wisely made it possible to import and export documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the Microsoft Office formats of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, which are almost universally used by businesses large and small, he noted. "Apple is breaking the mold for mobile computing," LaRow said.
From the end-user perspective, one of the biggest advantages the iPad has over a laptop is its instant-on capability. "People don't wait two minutes for it to boot like with a laptop," he said. "It's instant on, and that's a big deal."
But instant-on is far from MicroStrategy's major justification in using the iPad.
LaRow said its total cost-of-ownership should prove far more prudent with the iPad than with laptop computers.
In fact, LaRow said the company compared the TCO of iPads and laptops and the result was "wildly in favor of iPad." Microstrategy typically spends about $1,000 a year to support each laptop over a three-year life cycle, including software licenses, maintenance and hardware. By comparison, the company concluded that the iPad would cost just $400 a year, though it is expected they will last only two years, he said.
While some attorneys using iPads must still rely on desktops or laptops for long document creation or editing, LaRow said he and others in his company find that using a Bluetooth keyboard with the iPad is working just fine for creating long memos. LaRow is also using a Bluetooth mouse supplied by Apple when he sits to use the iPad.
LaRow said the iPad could be very useful for "anybody who stands up on the job," such as a worker using clipboards or a warehouse manager.


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News tagged ‘Android’
(before Galaxy Tab 7.7 was pulled)
Yesterday Apple has achieved one more legal victory over Samsung by banning Samsung from selling its tablets in Germany. Last week pan-European CES-like IFA show featured new consumer products from almost every manufacturer except Apple.
As it is known, iOS 5 will copy some Android features. Apart from notification system and system-wide speech-to-text functionality, it was revealed that Apple will also implement Android-like activation of voice recognition Assistant feature.The Google’s promotional video above shows iPhone application for voice-powered search in Google.
As you can see in this video, with the app, you just have to move the iPhone up to your face, speak and in a few seconds Google will show you the page with search results. Apple plans to provide the same functionality to the iOS 5 users for its voice Assistant feature. According to code strings in the iOS 5 SDK, a user will need to put the iPhone to their ear, start speaking and the search results will be shown.
This activation method is much quicker than method in Voice Control. Currently users have to hold down the home button for several seconds to activate the service. Activation method in Assistant will not just rely on the iPhone’s proximity sensor detecting the distance from your ear, but will also rely on data from phone’s motion sensors for accuracy.
Google and Apple, two main parties on the smartphone market, are continuously fighting for consumers especially those who have not yet decided which OS they want to have in their next smartphone. According to
Third-party Dolphin Browser app has become very popular among Android users and has been downloaded nearly 9 million times. As TechCrunch
The iOS version has most of the features that made this app so popular among users of Android devices. They are convenient sidebar for quick access to bookmarks, built-in translations, customizable gestures, tabbed browsing, speed dial and more. It should be noted that Dolphin is based on Apple’s WebKit, as well as other third-party browser available on the App Store, default Safari app, and majority of browsers for smartphones.
This browser has some main competitors like Opera and several smaller competitors like SkyFire that are steadily gaining popularity among iOS users.
Android users will find out that add-ons are absent from the version for iOS devices, as iPhone’s technical limitation doesn’t allow using native application add-ons. These add-ons are mainly used to change the look and feel of the browser. However,
Dolphin Browser app is available for free from the App Store. (
Have you ever wanted to run your iOS applications on your Mac, Windows or Android device? Creator of
Here is a nice video overview of popular Cydia apps.
My personal top 30 Cydia tweaks of 2011. The tweaks chosen are both new and old, popular and unpopular. 30 is a big number so, I hope that most of you are able to find a tweak that you will enjoy having on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. The tweaks are my personal picks and we all will have our opinion. I know that there are allot of other awesome Cydia tweaks that I was unable to mention but, feel free to tell us about them in a video response or comment.
Cydia tweaks include: Tab+, Multiconmover, Infiniboard, Infinidock, SBSettings, Alphacon, Android Delete, Graviboard, Grid Lock, Animate Battery, Winterboard, Flipover, List Launcher, Cy Delete, Folder Enhancer, Pull to Refresh Safari, RetinaPad, Barrel, Camera Wallpaper, icon renamer, double tap to open, Pagenames, iSwipe, Stayopened, iTypeappleicon, retina app, icons, page pusher, Bytafont, AndroidLock XT, Insomnia
If you have never done jailbreak, you might want to try
As New York Post
Research firm NPD has recently announced results of its Mobile Phone Track report for the second quarter of 2011. Android is still leading the U.S. smartphone with 52% of the market; Apple's iPhone has 29% while BlackBerry devices only 11% of the market. But the 14-month-old iPhone 4 is continuing to lead the market in sales, and the 8 GB 26-month-old iPhone 3GS takes the second place, perhaps, because its that price now dropped to $49.
Here are the top five best-selling phones during Q2, via NPD’s Mobile Phone Track service:
- Apple iPhone 4
- Apple iPhone 3GS
- HTC EVO 4G
- HTC Inspire 4G
- Samsung INTENSITYII
Mozilla states that web apps will soon provide end users with a comparable to native apps experience and will represent better alternative for developers.
“We are aiming at providing all the necessary APIs to build a basic HTML5 phone experience within the next 3-6 months”
Today co-founder and CEO of Google Larry Page officially said that their company has acquired one of the largest smartphone manufacturer – Motorola, specifically Motorola Mobility. The company was sold for $12.5 billion, which is 63% more than the closing price of the company on Friday, August 12. This deal has yet to be approved by several official authorities in USA and European Union, as well as Motorola Mobility’s shareholders. All transition processes is expected to finish in the end of 2011 or beginning of 2012.
Advertising firm Millennial Media just issued its 50th
Facebook has just launched Messenger app that extends its Messages service. This app will allow sending Facebook messages to your Facebook contacts and text messages to your phone’s contacts. In addition to messages the app will allow you to send pictures as well.
Read the rest of this entry »


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Ward County feels the lure of Amazon
Should Ward County have an Amazon account?
Ward County commissioners heard from a few department heads Tuesday as they considered how far to go in buying online versus purchasing locally.
Highway engineer Dana Larsen suggested the county look at the different account options on Amazon, which could be beneficial in finding items not available locally or in saving taxpayer money. Larsen received approval to set up a basic, three-user account for now from commissioners who saw both pros and cons of online shopping.
“Does Amazon own any property here that they pay real estate taxes on?” Commissioner Alan Walter asked. “Do they have any employees that live here that pay real estate taxes? We can’t find these deals without going through this?”
Larsen said he has used Amazon through a private account in the past to buy items for his department not available locally. An Amazon account would not replace the seeking of local price quotes but would provide another comparison, he said.
“This is just trying to provide another source. For us, a lot of things that are available in town, we are going to purchase them in town,” Larsen said. When it is necessary to go online, there’s value in having an Amazon account to choose from, he said.
“I would rather get the best bang for the buck,” Larsen said.
Saving tax dollars also was part of the commission’s discussion.
“If you can get it for 50% less, honestly, I think you should get it for 50% less,” Commissioner John Pietsch said.
Larsen cited the case of buying multiple computer server cables and finding prices varying from $10 each at a local office store, $5 at a online technology website and $3 at Amazon. Auditor Devra Smestad cited the case of a piece of equipment available for $500 locally and $149 online.
“This is a savings for the taxpayers as well. Not to take out our local vendors -because we will always look at those – but when we are saving $200 to $300 per item, that’s huge,” she said.
It also was noted that buying from outside vendors isn’t new. Smestad said until a few years ago, the county paid a membership with an outside vendor to order large quantities of office supplies at discounted prices.
Technology director Jason Blowers said warranties and guarantees can be a factor in where to purchase. The county typically purchases personal computers through a state contract with a vendor that offers a three-year warranty, while the county’s printer toner comes from another outside vendor who can provide a guarantee on after-market toner, saving the county $10,000 already this year.
The City of Minot also has struggled with whether to include a local preference option in its procurements and bid awards. Council members reviewed the idea at a July retreat and expect to address it at a future council meeting.
John MacMartin, president of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber and city staff plan to meet to discuss his organization’s thoughts on the buy local preference. The chamber has proposed a local preference when local dollars are paying for a project, with more leeway when federal or state dollars are funding a project.
“We need to encourage purchasing locally as much as possible,” MacMartin said. He noted local companies pay taxes, donate locally and hire people who spend money in town.
“So there’s arguments for keeping those dollars churning in the local economy,” he said.
The county commission voted 5-0 to establish a basic Amazon account with the understanding it will remain basic over the next year.
“I envision this as a very limited resource. But, they have the option available,” Commissioner Jim Rostad said.
In other business, the commission:
® approved stockpiling soil for next year’s levee work in Tierrecita Vallejo after receiving no public opposition. Commissioner John Fjeldahl cast the only vote against the proposal because of the lack of a deadline for eliminating the stockpile. The stockpile is estimated to be about 25 feet high, with a footprint of about 100 feet.
® approved purchase of new in-car computers for the Sheriff’s Department for about $81,000. Existing computers won’t be able to support a required operating system upgrade in 2020.
® tabled for more information a decision on whether to bill other government entities for costs associated with sending out estimated property tax information to taxpayers. Last year, the county bore the full cost of the mailings, which included information from all taxing entities. If other entities are billed for their proportionate shares, individual mailing costs could range from about $11 to $1,100.
® agreed to study whether to create a separate planning department, which currently is a division of the highway/engineering department.


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By Ian Brown and Nicolo Zingales. Last updated: 3 May 2022
The Brazilian competition authority, CADE, hosted a workshop on merger policy for the International Competition Network on 1 April 2022. As part of the closing speech, CADE´s President Alexandre Cordeiro for the first time showed a willingness to reform the merger rules: “In a world in constant evolution, with frequent changes in the economic environment, it´s important to reconsider our premises and standards in the analysis of concentrations in order to guarantee that antitrust practice remains effective and up to date”.
While the federal competition law was last revised in 2012, a 2019 General Law of Regulatory Agencies strengthened CADE’s administrative, budgetary and financial authority – one of the recommendations of an OECD peer review of the country’s competition regime, following which Brazil became an associate member of the OECD competition committee. A further OECD review of Brazil’s digital readiness recommended the main findings be implemented in communications markets, which were:
|1. Ensure better separation between investigation and decision-making.||4. Increase the number of investigations into potential abuses of dominance by prioritising these cases, and by relying less on settlements.||7. Clarify the methodology for calculation of fines.|
|2. Establish a more transparent appointment system for CADE Commissioners and the General Superintendent.||5. Improve the scope and application of CADE’s settlement policy by negotiating during the investigation.||8. Increase legal certainty and predictability through substantive guidelines.|
|3. Devote adequate resources to competition enforcement by hiring more economists||6. Ensure that only objectively quantifiable and readily accessible criteria are used as merger notification thresholds.||9. Clarify the respective advocacy powers and the roles of CADE and the Ministry of Finance.|
CADE has contributed to a BRICS digital competition report and in August 2021 published a study on digital markets. It also participates in the International Competition Network (ICN) and UNCTAD, and in mid-2019 hosted a conference on Designing Antitrust for the Digital Era. With Russia, it is co-chairing a BRICS working group on Research on the Competition Issues in the Digital Markets.
The Brazilian data protection authority, ANPD, adopted after consultation the final version of its Resolution on the application of its general data protection law (LGPD) to small-sized enterprises. The Center for Technology and Society (CTS) at FGV produced an English translation. CTS also published an English translation of the feedback submitted as part of the consultation, which is much aligned with the final version of the text. Importantly, the Authority has followed the suggestion to steer clear of releasing small businesses from data portability obligations, while also failing to adopt the middle position of defining a narrower scope for these obligations for such entities. As CTS´s contribution explains, much uncertainty remains until the ANPD defines interoperability standards, as it is empowered to do according to art. 40 of the LGPD. And in June 2021, CADE published a working paper on International Benchmarking on Competition Enforcement and Data Protection Institutions.
Civil society advocacy
Data Privacy Brasil is a civil society organisation which has worked extensively on research and training relating to data-driven mergers, as well as capacity-building for civil society, and stimulating public engagement and awareness. In June 2021, with the Brazilian Institute of Consumer Protection (IDEC), it offered a free training course on Data, Digital Markets and Competition; and in May, it published research on Multijurisdictional Analysis of Data Driven Mergers: Current Diagnosis and Public Policy Proposals for Brazil, followed by an article, a podcast episode and a webinar on “Data Protection and Antitrust”. It has also published a summary of its event on Open Banking and Personal Data Protection. Speakers emphasised the importance of Brazil’s data protection law and guidance on the user experience. Like the UK, Brazil has even developed customer experience standards; and similarly, both jurisdictions use individual consent as the justification for processing. Speaker Leandro Novais, a professor and lawyer at the Central Bank, suggested there is a need for future cooperation agreements between the Bank, competition authority CADE, and data protection authority LGPD.
In related news, IDEC has criticised government plans published on 25 January for an “Open Health” system, which would enable patients to consent to the sharing of their personal data with other healthcare providers. IDEC highlighted “the challenges of fragmentation of health information systems and lack of security in [the ministry’s] own databases, constant targets of security incidents, or how it will ensure the right to the protection of personal data.”
IDEC also published a survey of the actions of the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon) relating to data protection, finding “the predominance of investigations by the agency against banking institutions, telecommunications companies and the so-called big techs, the large technology companies that dominate the market.”
Both organisations participated on a panel on the Brazilian Internet Forum (with Patricia Sakowski, from CADE) in 2021 and are publishing an edited collection of essays on these theme in 2022. They also organised a study group on the proposed EU Digital Markets Act, which will lead to a policy paper.
EFF´s associate director for Latin America, Viridane Alimonti, published an op-ed with EFF´s special advisor, Cory Doctorow, about the attempt to introduce in the so-called “fake news” bill (P.L. 2630/2020) – a remuneration right for news publishers against platforms for use of their “journalistic content”. Pointing to civil society rejection of the proposal (corroborated by the technical analysis made by Coalizão Direitos na Rede and the Center for Technology and Society at FGV, for instance), the authors criticize this provision as ill-conceived: in its current version, it may actually entrench the dominance of the ad-tech duopoly by enshrining them as permanent structural elements of the media industry, such that efforts to reduce their dominance would undermine media outlets that depend on them.
Research published by Euroconsumers and Mozilla, supported by the Instituto Brasileiro de Defensa do Consumidor (IDEC), reveals Tinder practices discriminatory prices according to personal characteristics of the users in many countries around the globe, including Brazil. The study revealed a lack of transparency over how the prices are set, including on the application of “tailored discounts”.
Key enforcement actions
While CADE opened three investigations into Google during 2019, the agency found no evidence of “losses to competition related to the search engine market“ or “abusive clauses in its ad platform contracts.” CADE noted the latter case involved “involved an extensive market test, in which more than a hundred market agents were contacted, among large, medium and small-sized advertising agencies and advertisers, to understand the effects of the practice and market dynamics.” In June 2020, CADE revoked a decision blocking a payments tie-up between WhatsApp and card processor Cielo.
The vice-president of CADE has proposed to clear the acquisition of Grupo Big Brasil (GBB) by Carrefour’s Brazilian subsidiary Atacadão. GBB is a joint venture between Walmart and a private equity firm, which includes e-commerce assets.
In October, CADE approved the merger of IF Capital with Hortigil. The case concerned the integration of two supermarket chains specialized in fresh produce, into the ecosystem of e-commerce of IF Capital, which includes a marketplace for online grocery shopping and an online payment system. The General Superintendent (the vice-president of CADE) had voted to close the case as it didn’t raise issues in any relevant market. One Commissioner proposed to take the case, in order to examine the conglomerate effects of this acquisition and the ways in which it would impact competition with other ecosystems (as opposed to markets). The other Commissioners dismissed this concern as too speculative, due to the small market shares of the parties, and pointed out that, in similar circumstances, the US Department of Justice did not challenge Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods.
CADE approved a joint venture between Telefonica and Ânima, a company specialized in the administration of educational institutions, especially of secondary nature and university degrees, for the commercial exploitation of “free” and short-term digital training courses.Rio de Janeiro´s government launched an application for food delivery that charges a lower fee to restaurants than the dominant player (iFood) and offers better conditions to delivery workers. iFood is accused of hiring consultants to infiltrate the protests of delivery workers in 2021 and stir the movement away from requests for higher pay and towards demands for priority vaccination – trying to cast the movement as a political leftist initiative against the government, rather than a bottom-up movement of delivery workers against delivery platforms. Brazilian food delivery applications received very low ratings in FairWork´s investigation about working conditions in digital apps, putting Brazil at the bottom of the ranking of for decent platform work (criteria include fair remuneration, working conditions, fair contract terms, fair management and collective bargaining).
Acknowledgment: this update was commissioned by Open Society Foundations. Thanks to Rafael Zanatta for his contributions.


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The message has filtered down to parents, and many are worried. But many health experts say an even greater concern should be whether children are getting enough calcium.
Do the hormones in milk contribute to early puberty?
Because of worries about milk safety and the popularity of soda pop, milk consumption has plunged in recent years. For example, milk drinking among girls ages 12 to 19 dropped 38 percent and pop consumption soared 91 percent from 1978 to 1996, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"Families don't serve milk and kids don't drink it," said Sally Phillips, a dietitian at Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron.
The switch from milk to soda pop has caused what some are calling a calcium crisis among the young. Lack of calcium in childhood can lead to osteoporosis in adulthood. Calcium also is important for nerve conduction, muscle contraction and blood clotting, and may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and colon cancer.
In their crucial bone-formation years, healthy children ages 9 through 17 need 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day, about the amount in four cups of milk.
"The data is out there that says we need calcium in our youth to lay down bone mass. And the best and easiest source of calcium is milk," said Dr. Ellen Kempf, an Akron pediatrician and director of the pediatric primary-care network at Children's Hospital.
But other health professionals, including the late Dr. Benjamin Spock, disagree. In 1998, in the final edition of his revered child-rearing book, "Baby and Child Care," Spock urged parents to stop giving cow's milk to their children, period.
Milk is a "hormonal delivery system" that is sending children into puberty alarmingly early, said Robert Cohen, author of the 1998 book "Milk: The Deadly Poison."
Girls in the United States are developing breasts as early as 8 years old. Cohen said the reason is the growth hormones that are given to many dairy cows to boost milk production. The hormones certainly have affected cows, who can produce an average of 24 quarts of milk daily now, up from eight quarts in 1960.
Cohen concedes that no scientific studies have linked milk consumption to early maturation. That's because the link probably does not exist, other physicians and researchers say. Hormones are short-lived, so it is doubtful that they survive in milk until the carton reaches the grocer's shelf.
"It's very unlikely you will find a high concentration of hormones in milk or even meat," said Dr. Ines Guttman-Bauman, an endocrinologist at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Early puberty instead may be the result of chemicals in plastics, increased protein consumption or even obesity. "Fat tissue seems to produce substances that initiate early sexual development," Guttman-Bauman said.


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UAE-based billionaire Yussuf Ali’s Lulu Group International is all set to enter Gujarat. The group plans to invest Rs 3,000 crore to set up India’s biggest shopping mall in Ahmedabad. This would be Lulu Group’s third shopping mall in the country after Kochi, (Kerala) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).
The construction of the Rs 3,000-crore shopping mall will start early next year, said Lulu Group Director of Marketing and Communications V Nandakumar. It would provide direct employment to 6,000 people and indirect employment to over 12,000 in the state.
The Ahmedabad-based shopping mall will have over 300 national and international brands, a 3,000-people capacity food court with multi-cuisine restaurants, 15-screen multiplex cinemas with Imax, India’s biggest children’s amusement centre and many other attractions.
Nandakumar said, “Discussions to acquire the land to construct this project are in the final stages and the foundation stone of this mega shopping mall will be laid early next year. Our aim is to make Ahmedabad one of the most prolific shopping destinations in India.”
The investment comes in the wake of an MoU signed by Lulu Group and the Government of Gujarat during the recently held UAE road show by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Dubai.
Known for its sprawling business interests worldwide, Lulu Group is now expanding in India, after having a prominent presence in the southern parts of the country for the past many years. From supermarkets to food processing to realty to financial services, the Abu Dhabi-based group runs its popular supermarkets in the cities of Kochi, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram.
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Lulu Group mainly operates in 23 countries located across the Middle East, Asia, the US, and Europe. It has an annual turnover of USD 8 billion and a staff force of more than 60,000.


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With a pick-up in demand, firms within the manufacturing and companies sectors have begun to pad up their sale costs with part of rising prices, exhibits an RBI research. The report provides that there’s should be watchful of concerning the influence of enter worth stress amid continued world uncertainties.
Larger gasoline, uncooked materials, and transportation prices and different provide chain-related constraints have pushed enter costs up. The rise has been broad-based with the repeated waves of the pandemic, and has been aggravated additional by the conflict in Europe, in accordance with the research printed in Reserve Financial institution of India’s September 2022 bulletin.
Referring to the transmission of enter prices in Indian situations, it mentioned output costs didn’t rise as quickly as enter costs attributable to persistent slack within the Indian economic system throughout 2020 and 2021. The hole between enter and output costs widened through the pandemic, significantly after the primary Covid-19 wave.
The passthrough from enter to output costs builds over time, with the long-term coefficient within the vary of 0.26-0.27. Moreover, larger enter costs have a faster transmission and stronger influence on headline inflation than on core inflation.
RBI’s “state of economic system” for September 2022 mentioned retail inflation, or CPI, edged as much as 7 per cent in August from 6.7 per cent the earlier month, whereas headline inflation moved by about 30 foundation factors between July and August. Core inflation softened marginally to five.9 per cent from 6 per cent through the earlier two months.
By way of geographical distribution, rural inflation (7.2 per cent) was larger than city inflation (6.7 per cent) in August. Throughout states, there was huge variation in inflation charges. Goa and Manipur recorded under 4 per cent inflation, whereas Gujarat, Telangana and West Bengal had inflation in extra of eight per cent.


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It’s that time of year again, and the TouchArcade Crew is here in beautiful San Francisco, California for Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference. The major keynote address is set to kick off in just a few minutes, and we’ll be watching along to cover any gaming-centric news that might come out of it. I’m personally hoping for some sort of Game Center revamp, which feels long overdue, and there’s strong evidence to suggest that the Apple TV will be opening up to developers which could pave the way for games.
Of course, it’s also entirely possible there is no gaming related news, but that would be ok since it sounds like there will still be plenty of exciting stuff coming out of the keynote for Apple enthusiasts. We won’t be liveblogging the event ourselves, just any gaming related stuff, but if you’re interested in following the keynote head over to our sister site MacRumors which will be live blogging the keynote in its entirety, and thanks to an elaborate camera setup and possible some dark voodoo they should have the fastest photo feed around.
The keynote kicks off at 10am Pacific time, and here’s links to MacRumors and a few other sources for live keynote coverage.
Check back in on this post to keep up with any gaming news that might come out of the event, and of course follow along with us for the remainder of the week as we dive headfirst into WWDC ’12 coverage.
Update: The keynote is an hour in, and along with the typical Apple fare of touting its record number of available apps, download numbers, users and the like, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro both received a spec refresh as well as a modest drop in price. The big news has been the unveiling of a next generation MacBook Pro that comes equipped with beefy specs under the hood and a long-awaited Retina Display with an insane resolution of 2880×1800 or 220 pixels per inch. And… it will run Diablo 3 at this crazy resolution!
If you’ve got a spare $2199 just lying around, then you too can own this amazing new piece of hardware that is thinner than Phil Schiller’s finger. More closely related to the gaming front (on the Mac at least, not necessarily iOS), the new OSX Mountain Lion will come equipped with Game Center which will use all the same username information and friend list from the iOS version. And the same green felt design (sigh). What’s cool is that it will offer cross-platform online multiplayer, so you can battle against your buddies on a Mac from your iOS device over Game Center.
Apple has also announced some improvements to Airplay Mirroring, which should make the process even more seamless and easy to get going so you can broadcast your games over to your living room television. They’re jumping into new iOS 6 information now, so we’ll keep you posted if any other gaming news comes from that.
Update 2: Keynote has just wrapped up, and Apple really killed it with all the new features in iOS 6. Sadly, gaming seemed to be kind of glossed over, but there was a quick mention of a revamped challenge system in Game Center so you can more easily challenge your friends’ high scores. Yay? Perhaps there’s more under the hood, but we’ll have to likely wait for iOS 6 to release later this fall.
Overall, though, as an Apple fan today’s keynote was literally stuffed with great news. Be sure to check over at MacRumors for coverage of all the big new announcements as well as a transcription of the live blog and a boatload of photos.
Keep checking into TouchArcade this week for all the latest gaming news coming out of WWDC 2012.


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Versace, the Italian luxury goods firm that was this year linked with a sale to Qatar, said it will privately sell a minority stake in 2013 before selling shares publicly in the next three to five years.
Earlier this year, Italian media reported that sovereign wealth fund Qatar Holding and an Italian-government controlled investment fun were looking to buy into Versace, which was founded in 1978.
“We decided to open a minority stake sale,” CEO Gia Giacomo Ferraris told reporters in Macau, according to Bloomberg. “We’re well on track for this.”
Ferraris has previously said that the Milan-based company expected to decide by October or November whether it would sell a minority stake either publicly or privately. Last year Versace hired Goldman Sachs Group and Banca IMI to explore future growth options.
Ferraris added that the company expected “double-digit” percentage growth in sales annually for the next three to five years. Its revenue in 2012 was €408.7m ($539m).
Versace is currently owned by Donatella, Santo and Allegra Versace. It has a valuation of about €1.4bn.
In June this year the company Ferraris told Arabian Business Versace is aiming to increase its sales in the Middle East by 50 percent, part of its goal to nearly double its global revenue and become a $1bn company within the next five years.
French luxury retailer Lafayette launches shoe concept in Dubai Mall
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Paris Gallery launches niche ladies’ perfume, Moresque Contessa
The perfume is a combination of musky and floral scents
UAE and Saudi consumers spent nearly $7 billion on beauty products in 2015
Figures set to increase by 8% in 2016, according to market...
Qatar-based blogger encourages Gulf women to build presence through social media
Layla Asgar says social media is empowering Muslim women...
Five minutes with... celebrity hairstylist Jose Eber
Eber has launched a Beverly Hills-style hair salon in Dubai...
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The brands’ collaborated creation is the third of its kind...
Hermes reveals a six piece edition watch
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Despite not yet officially confirming the title’s existence, 2K Sports are set to begin motion capture work on the upcoming pro wrestling sim WWE 2K19 this weekend.
A prototype version of the original Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis has been confirmed to be in existence.
Have you ever been in a situation where there’s so much going on around you that you just don’t know where to look? Well, that’s the London Gaming… Continue reading
A pair of gaming industry veterans have teamed up to form a new VR studio that will “redefine the virtual reality experience” for players.
Capcom’s Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection has been delayed in Japan following intense fan criticism, the studio has this week confirmed. Back in December, the Japanese developer announced the… Continue reading
Blizzard has spoken of its desire to make the Overwatch League as “welcoming and inclusive” as the game itself, after the confirmation this week that the first female player… Continue reading
The long-awaited big-screen adaptation of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted franchise is once again being rewritten, over ten year’s after the film’s initial announcement. After spending years in development hell… Continue reading
The script for the pilot episode of the upcoming Netflix adaptation of The Witcher has now been completed, according to its showrunner. Series creator and writer Lauren Schmidt Hissrich… Continue reading
The legacy of martial arts legend Bruce Lee continues to live on, as EA Sports have confirmed that the Jeet Kune Do pioneer will make another appearance in their upcoming… Continue reading
In some ways, video games have always had a social aspect. Consoles from the 80s and 90s allowed players to team up or go head-to-head in many games,… Continue reading


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Last year was a rough year for Harley-Davidson with a 6.7% drop in worldwide sales. The company is planning to tackle this slump with the creation of an electric Harley.
Like other large motorbike manufacturers, Harley-Davidson is dealing with the fact that its main buyers keep getting older. With younger buyers appearing disinterested in buying a motorbike.
The company, however, is striking back by aggressively chasing younger riders. Key to this is the creation of a new electric market which it believes will appeal to new riders.
The company plans to have its first electric Harley available to buy in the next 18 months.
While the company has been vocal in intention to bring a new electric motorbike to market, it has failed to show what the bike might look like and, importantly, how much it will cost.
The company has previously chased EV tech with its Project Livewire.
The Livewire was a proof of concept demonstrator which sported a small 7kWh battery.
Reception to it was tepid, and its most notable claim to fame ended up being its use as Scarlett Johannsen bike of choice in Avengers Age of Ultron.
The next Tesla?
The EV motorcycle market is in its infancy today, but we believe premium Harley-Davidson electric motorcycles will help drive excitement and participation in the sport globally. As we expand our EV capabilities and commitment, we get even more excited about the role electric motorcycles will play in growing our business.Matt Levatich, H-D President and CEO
Harley Davidson aim would be to become the ‘Tesla’ of electric motorbikes.
It has a significant advantage in comparison to Tesla’s startup phase. Harley has an already well-established brand with solid engineering credentials, and it can use the existing network of charging stations already created to service electric cars.
Key to the success of the project will be if it can create a new electric image for itself and its products without burning bridges with its existing customer base. Its step into electric is a microcosm of the automotive industry as a whole, and the development of the electric Harley Davidson will be fascinating to watch


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The plug-in hybrid Cupra Leon is available to order now, priced from £34,495 – with pure-petrol variants following early next year
The new Cupra Leon is now on sale in the UK priced from £34,495. The only model currently available is the firm’s e-Hybrid, although the range is set to expand early next year with a line-up of petrol-powered models – the most potent of which will generate 306bhp.
The Cupra Leon e-Hybrid’s powertrain comprises a turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, an electric motor and a 13kWh battery pack. The system has a combined output of 242bhp and 400Nm of torque, which Cupra says is enough for a 0–62mph time of 6.7 seconds.
- Best hot hatchbacks 2020
As an added benefit, the system has a claimed fuel economy figure of 217.3mpg and an emissions figure as low as 30g/km of CO2. With a full charge, the battery also has enough power to provide up to 32 miles of pure-electric running – and, when plugged into an AC Wallbox charger, it’ll recover a full charge in around four hours.
Standard equipment for the entry-level VZ2 model includes 19-inch alloy wheels, a 10-inch infotainment system, keyless entry and an ambient interior lighting system. The flagship VZ3 model is priced from £36,225 and adds petrol blue Nappa leather bucket seats, a heated steering wheel and a wireless smartphone charging pad.
Cupra will also introduce a highly-equipped First Edition variant, which adds a host of additional safety technology to the VZ2 variant, such as a traffic sign recognition system, predictive cruise control and lane change assist. Prices for the launch edition model start from £35,775.
New 2021 Cupra Leon: future powertrains
Next year, the Cupra Leon range will be bolstered by a pair of turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engines, lifted from the Golf GTI and the GTI Clubsport. The entry-level model starts from £31,450 and has an output of 242bhp and 370Nm of torque. Like the GTI, it’ll send drive to the front wheels via a dual-clutch automatic gearbox and an electronic limited-slip differential.
The range-topping hatch will start at around £35,000 and will generate 296bhp and 400Nm of torque. It too will be front-wheel drive.
Cupra has reserved a more potent version of the engine for the upcoming Estate variant – and it’ll have four-wheel drive. Here, the 2.0-litre unit makes 306bhp, enabling the hottest Leon to sprint from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and on to a 155mph top speed. Prices for this range-topping model will be confirmed towards the end of this year.
The ride has been dropped by 25mm at the front and 20mm at the rear over a SEAT Leon, while an adaptive damping system adjusts the rate of suspension response based on the car’s driving mode.
There’s a new electric power steering system, too, which Cupra says is its “most progressive yet” and Brembo has supplied a larger set of 370mm disc brakes for the hot hatchback’s front axle, which are gripped by copper coloured calipers.
New 2021 Cupra Leon: design and interior
The new Cupra Leon was designed, engineered and built at the firm’s new purpose built facility in Martorell near Barcelona – and it will face rivals like the Hyundai i30N and Ford Focus ST. However, it’ll also need to fend off competition from within the Volkswagen Group, as both the Skoda Octavia vRS and the Volkswagen Golf GTI have now been unveiled.
From the outside, the Cupra Leon certainly sports a more menacing look than its SEAT relative – and not just because of the two unique matte paint finishes available. The front bumper has a large open air dam, plus a new copper-coloured logo on its grille. Depending on the model, there’s also a choice of 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels finished in silver, black or a mix of copper and black.
There’s a distinctive full-width rear light bar on both the five-door hatchback and estate models, which is complemented by a new rear bumper that houses a pair of copper-trimmed tailpipes and a deep rear diffuser. According to Cupra, the changes also improve the Leon’s aerodynamic performance – this latest model is eight percent more aerodynamically efficient than the previous version.
Inside, the copper theme continues, with highlights on the seat stitching (there’s two types of sports seats to choose from), air vent surrounds, and the steering wheel. The wheel itself is similar in design to the SEAT Leon’s, but gains two new switches – a starter button, and a toggle switch to swap between the car’s four drive modes.
Volkswagen’s familiar 12.3-inch digital instrument panel also makes it onto the Cupra Leon, albeit with a new “Sport” menu view, which places the rev counter prominently to the centre of the driver’s view, while showing power, torque G-force and turbo boost readouts.
What do you make of the new Cupra Leon? Let us know in the comments section below…
Source: Read Full Article


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Representatives of the California and Florida fresh citrus industries had distinctly different reactions to the announcement that some fresh citrus from China can now be imported into the United States.
California Citrus Mutual President Casey Creamer said, “We don’t anticipate any major disruptions in our fresh markets. It is not anticipated that much volume will come to the U.S.”
But Florida industry representatives Dan Richey and Peter Chaires expressed strong disappointment with the announcement. Their primary concern is the risk of pest and disease spread to the U.S. citrus industry.
The import authorization for five types of citrus from China came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). APHIS will allow pummelo, Nanfeng honey mandarin, ponkan, sweet orange and Satsuma mandarin fruit to be imported to the United States. APHIS stated that those varieties “can be safely imported into the United States under a systems approach to protect against the introduction of plant pests.” The import authorization came as part of a Phase One trade agreement between the United States and China.
Creamer said, “We will monitor closely and work with APHIS to address any pest detection issues.” He added that as part of the agreement, “China has agreed to purchase more agricultural products, which includes citrus. We have also received a reduction in the retaliatory tariffs as part of the Phase One deal.”
Riverfront Packing Company’s Richey said, “California does have a rather robust citrus trade with China. We do not here in Florida.”
Richey, who has long been actively involved in trade issues, expressed strong opposition to the import authorization. “This agreement by our country to agree to import fruit from China under a systems approach is pure lunacy,” Richey said. “If we think for one minute that China will hold their grower/packers to the standards required of a systems approach, we are fools.” He added that the import authorization “is politically motivated and puts agriculture in Florida and the U.S. at undue risk. It is a very unfortunate and dangerous decision.”
“The net result of this is yet to be seen relative to the market impact,” said Richey. “I am much more concerned with the invasive pest and disease risk, not only with the fruit but with pallets the fruit is shipped on. We are required to use heat-treated pallets to ensure no wood-boring insects are hitchhiking in the pallets. Again, the Chinese cannot be trusted to adhere to this rule and who knows what may arrive in these pallets and on our shores?”
“Florida Citrus Packers is certainly disappointed to see the approval of citrus imports from China,” said Chaires, executive vice president of the organization representing fresh citrus packers. “Florida can ill afford another pest or disease outbreak. Our climate can easily host pests from that area of the world. If introduced, these foreign pests can rapidly establish and expand. There is insufficient evidence that appropriate systems are in place in China to mitigate the risk and prevent an unintended introduction. There are no known pest control products or means to control some of the pests of concern. One would think that the loss of half of our producing citrus acreage and tens of thousands of jobs to the direct effect of foreign pest and disease introductions and related eradication programs would illuminate the risk to sufficient levels to renew political and regulatory efforts to protect domestic specialty crop production. Domestic specialty crop producers more closely resemble a trade-table bargaining chip than a treasured industry that ensures a safe, wholesome, reliable food supply.”
“China is a northern hemisphere citrus production region,” Chaires added. “Their citrus season overlaps Florida. They are a low-cost producer with few of the regulatory and institutional costs incurred by our domestic producers. This is not a level playing field. To say that this is a concern is an understatement. This change will result in more low-cost imported fruit squeezing domestic producers out of the market.”
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The Federal Reserve cut its key benchmark interest rate while saying it’s prepared to continue doing what it deems necessary to sustain the U.S. economic expansion.
Purdue Pharma may have just set the starting point for determining what it will cost dozens of pharmaceutical companies to resolve legal liability over their role in creating the U.S. opioid epidemic.
Figures released Friday showed August retail sales advanced more than forecast, while consumer sentiment rebounded from an almost three-year low.
Two key indicators—hiring for temporary-help positions and weekly working hours—have declined this year even as unemployment has remained near a half-century low.
The mortgage industry has added almost 5,000 employees since March. It’s a stark reversal from a year ago, when the Federal Reserve was hiking interest rates and banks were cutting thousands of jobs.
President Donald Trump’s comments followed signs from China that it wouldn’t immediately retaliate against the latest U.S. tariff increase and wanted to focus on removing new tariffs, to prevent a further escalation of the trade war.
A bankruptcy filing would help the company shed unprofitable stores and recapitalize the business. The retailer has four Indianapolis-area stores.
The U.S. and Japan agreed in principle on a trade deal under which Japan will slash tariffs on U.S. beef, pork and other agricultural products while continuing to face levies on its own auto exports.
Administration officials agreed to the broad contours of a renewable fuel plan, including further moves to encourage the use of E15 gasoline containing 15% ethanol, beyond the 10% variety common across the U.S.
The owner of a western Indiana ethanol plant is blaming its shutdown on the Trump administration’s decision to allow some refineries to not blend ethanol with gasoline as required under federal law.
Bigger cracks are forming across America’s manufacturing foundation after lackluster global demand and persistent trade tensions led to the first contraction in U.S. factory activity since September 2009.
By granting a grace period for everyday items such as some phones and toys, the U.S. concession appears designed to avoid any disruption or additional price increases for American consumers heading into the final four months of the year—from back-to-school purchases to Christmas shopping.
Bloomberg analyzed the contribution to gross domestic product by industry and government in all 50 states to create the diversity index. Indiana’s GDP is most dependent on manufacturing and least dependent on government.
A biofuel deal between the two nations would come as a relief for the U.S. ethanol industry, which has been beset by a supply glut and the weakest margins in more than 15 years.
The rate reduction was the first since December 2008, when the Fed dropped its benchmark effectively to zero as it battled recession and financial crisis.
The new publicly traded company will have sales of about $19 billion to $20 billion in 2020, the drugmakers said in a statement.
As the head of the U.S. intelligence community, the 76-year-old Coats has been a rare cabinet official willing to break ranks with President Trump publicly. The imminent departure of the former Republican senator from Indiana has been talked about for several months.
Reducing travel friction and increasing security are critical for the industry, which is expecting passenger growth from 4.6 billion this year to 8.2 billion in 2037.
The mixed report highlights how President Donald Trump—who’s repeatedly called for lower interest rates—is enjoying signs of a solid economy while his trade war with China weighs on the expansion and fuels uncertainty for global businesses.


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Sydney, Australia, March 16, 2013 --(PR.com
)-- In a major shakeup, Shop A Docket has announced it will switch its metro advertising media schedule from a six week cycle to monthly distributions – giving consumers greater access to different offers, and allowing advertisers to vary their offers more frequently.
National Sales Manager, Tim Wingrove, said the current six-week cycle for advertising in metropolitan regions had outlasted its use-by-date.
“It was complicated and confusing for advertisers and consumers, and didn’t match up with standard industry advertising practices.”
The first monthly offers will hit Coles, Woolworths, Big W, Target, Kmart, Bi-Lo and IGA stores and online on 1 April.
“This is one of the most significant changes in Shop A Docket’s 25 year history. Logistically it means an additional three print runs a year, and the added transportation and delivery of thousands of rolls to supermarkets and variety stores across the country," Mr Wingrove said.
“The benefits for advertisers are a shorter lead time to market, the ability to change their offer more frequently and prepare advertising campaigns around seasonal aspects of their business. They can now integrate Shop A Docket campaigns more easily into their advertising mix."
“The major winners will be consumers, who will start to see more offers on their shopping receipts and online, more often.”
With the current national offer count approaching the magic 3000 mark, Mr Wingrove said Shop A Docket’s business model was continually evolving, particularly in regard to promoting advertisers through digital campaigns.
“Our success has been built around the printed medium, but in the next few months we’ll be announcing some exciting changes to our online marketing initiatives that will really change the face of Shop A Docket.”
For further information please contact Shop A Docket PR on 07 3115 5700


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T-Mobile Joins CCA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CCA Contact: Lucy Tutwiler
March 13, 2012 (202) 449-9866
T-Mobile Contact: Tim O’Regan
T-Mobile Joins CCA
Washington, DC – Today, CCA – The Competitive Carriers Association – welcomed T-Mobile USA as its newest member. T-Mobile joins CCA’s over 100 carrier members advocating to ensure the mobile wireless industry is a competitive one and that competitive carriers are able to provide the most advanced, robust service and products to their consumers. T-Mobile will join other members at CCA’s Competitive Carriers Global Expo, March 28-30, in Orlando, to discuss policy challenges ahead for the wireless industry.
“I am delighted to welcome T-Mobile to CCA,” said CCA president & CEO Steven K. Berry. “T-Mobile’s presence is a clear indication we have grown into the competitive carrier association of choice. We look forward to working with them on the policy issues that are most important to our membership. With all the challenges facing the mobile industry, it is more critical than ever for competitive carriers to come together in the advocacy fight and a stronger membership will certainly help ensure our voices are heard at the FCC, on Capitol Hill and at the White House.”
Dave Miller, General Counsel and Executive Vice President of T-Mobile USA said, “T- Mobile is pleased to join CCA at this critical time for our industry. We share CCA’s goal of promoting a healthy, competitive wireless industry and look forward to working with the other CCA members on advocacy efforts that advance competition and ultimately benefit US wireless consumers.”
CCA is the nation’s leading association for competitive wireless providers serving rural and regional areas of the United States. The licensed service area of CCA’s more than 100 members covers 95 percent of the nation.


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Mobile device users can reduce processor power consumption in their products by as much as 50 percent by using a combination of chip technology from IBM and software from MontaVista Software Inc., the two companies said Tuesday.
The result could be significant overall power savings—about 20 percent—in overall power savings in such products as smart phones and personal digital assistants, as well as extended battery life and lower costs for the devices, according to the companies.
“As people start to do their media-centric applications on battery-powered devices, you usually chew up the battery life pretty quickly,” said Michael McGinnis, strategic marketing manager for IBM.
But by combining IBMs upcoming PowerPC 405LP chip with MontaVistas Linux Consumer Electronics Edition software, battery life can be extended, said McGinnis, in Burlington, Vt.
The software works as a monitor within the device to find ways to save power while applications are being run. For example, the software can fluctuate the power being used in between frames of an MPEG4 video clip to reduce power consumption by as much as 20 percent, he said.
“Most apps have some inevitable downtime,” McGinnis said. “We want to manage that downtime.”
The PowerPC 405LP enables the application to continue running while voltage and frequency are being adjusted. Most other chips have to shut down the chip to change the voltage, leading to latency in the applications, he said.
The two companies have been working together for more than three years to design ways of reducing power consumption and extending battery life in mobile devices, McGinnis said.
The PowerPC 405LP will be generally available in the third quarter of this year. MontaVistas Linux CEE will be available later in the first half.


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Auba, a startup leveraging Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology to radically improve supply chain management and planning, has raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding. The investment was led by Nazca, Foundamental and Village Global with Bridge partners, Nido Ventures, 0BS and angel investors also participating. The remote-first company, with a founding team that has experience from Tesla, Walmart, LVMH and Blend, will use the funds to further grow the team and accelerate product development.
For globally-minded companies, having robust and resilient supply chains is critical. Achieving this rests on having comprehensive communication systems – a constant flow of back and forth between different players at different points of the chain. However, the valuable data and insights in these conversations are currently trapped in emails, attachments, and instant messaging platforms. Existing software solutions are costly and complex to implement and most companies continue to rely on manual relay of conversations and manual data entry.
Auba was founded in 2023 to fix this problem with an end-to-end approach – something which until now has been unseen on the market. By using proprietary AI technology, Auba gives supply chain managers and operators the ability to harness the insights held in conversations as well as the ability to map out their supply chain networks and get an overview and alerts of potential disruptions. In the long term, this converts to an AI assistant that learns and evolves with the company.
Adaptable across industries, the startup is targeting the largest markets in North America: automotive; machinery; electronics; retail and food; pharmaceuticals and medical devices. In the past 20 years, the value of intermediate goods traded globally has tripled to more than $10 trillion annually, giving Auba a massive market potential. Recently, Mexico was identified as a more influential trading partner for the US than China, something which Auba is tapping into given the inter-continental presence and foundation of the company.
Cutting through the supply chain chatter
As a result of fragmented supply chain communication processes, operators are failing to manage processes as efficiently as they need to – and it causes a massive financial blow to businesses if not rectified. Recent research from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) has found that as much as 45% of one year’s EBITDA can be lost each decade because of disruptions. Having the tools to predict disruptions and plan accordingly can be a lifeline to companies – with focused supply-chain optimization, it’s estimated that companies can reduce costs by up to 25% in mid-large-sized companies.
Auba’s AI-based application provides a data overview of a company’s entire supply chain that is continually and constantly updated and developed. It cuts through the noise and gives the user the information they need instantly – information which would take weeks to be provided by rival tools. The tool acts as a widget, overseeing email and instant messaging communication to balance external data with internal knowledge to provide more comprehensive oversight. This enables Auba to identify potential problems in the supply chain and then proactively suggest fixes and alternative options – helping businesses save millions.
Auba maps out supply chain networks, including things like transportation modes used, timelines, supplier details and vendor pain points. It matches insights collected with external data points, such as weather, security concerns and transport delays. Doing so provides a clear overview of what problems may arise with vendors, timelines, and transportation, taking an end- to-end approach.
For example, by leveraging external data sources, it can foresee that a storm is coming which could directly impact the transport of certain goods, potentially leading to delayed delivery times and storage and warehousing problems. Auba can predict these problems, identify what consequences this could have on the whole supply chain and enable managers to mitigate, or altogether avoid disruption to their operations. In addition, Auba evolves and learns with each individual company, becoming more accurate over time, supporting companies to enhance and streamline their supply chain processes and ultimately get goods to consumers in a more efficient and timely manner.
Built on a lifetime of supply chain experience
Founded by Diego Solorzano (co-CEO), Françoise Lavertu (co-CEO) and Austin Poore (CTO), Auba is built upon decades of experience with the complexities of supply chains. Solorzano, originally from Mexico, experienced the challenges that arise early on with his family’s business when transporting materials and goods between the US and Mexico. Whilst leading product management at Blend, he met co-founder Poore. Lavertu then joined the team, bringing with her years of experience working with the likes of Walmart, L’Oréal, and Tesla, where she saw first-hand the limitations of existing supply chain management tools as well as the impact this can have on a business when things go wrong.
The pre-seed funding will be used to expand the team and further develop the AI technology. Auba plans to bolster its tech team and will now accelerate the hiring of software engineers and data scientists.


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The fund, which has already elevated $30 million, is powered by advocates and also business companions of WHO and also Global Citizen. The cash will certainly assist local and also local charities that give shelter, food, and health and wellness care to everybody affected by COVID-19.
As we practice social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19, it’s crucial to somehow remain connected with each other. What better means to do that than through songs?
On Saturday, April 18th, Global Citizen will certainly partner with the World Health Organization (WHO) to host “One World: Together At Home,” an online, at-home concert. Hosted by comedians Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, as well as Stephen Colbert, this multi-hour digital program intends to raise cash for its COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund as well as commemorate healthcare employees combating on the front lines.
“As we honor and support the brave initiatives of neighborhood wellness employees, “One World: Together At Home” aims to act as a source of unity and inspiration in the international battle to finish COVID-19,” cofounder and CEO of Global Citizen, Hugh Evans created in a declaration emailed to Allure. “Through home entertainment, effect, and songs, the international live-cast will certainly commemorate those that risk their own wellness to secure everyone else’s.”
There will be at-home performances from Alanis Morissette, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Elton John, John Legend, Lizzo, Kacey Musgraves, Stevie Wonder, and a lot more. Customers can likewise anticipate appearances from celebrities like Idris and also Sabrina Elba, Kerry Washington, David Beckham, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas throughout the show.
International Citizen is simply the current of lots of brands as well as firms pulling in sources to assist combat the pandemic. LVMH and also Coty Inc. are making hand sanitisers, while nail brand name CND as well as hair-care brand SheaMoisture are starting funds to help save local business influenced by mandated store closures. If there’s a positive side in any of this, it’s the collaboration worldwide to aid each other.
You can tune in to the real-time program on Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m. ET (midnight UK time). It will certainly stream on numerous systems, consisting of Amazon Prime Video, Instagram, and also YouTube, as well as will air on ABC, NBC, and iHeart Media, among other networks. For more information on how to watch, look into globalcitizen.org.
We’ll be tuning in without a doubt from the comfort of our very own houses.


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Meta Connect was held on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, and announcements were made for the already revealed Meta Quest 3. The new mixed reality headset will be released on October 10, 2023, with a base price of $499.99 with the 512GB headset selling for $649.99. During the showcase, it was revealed that Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to Meta Quest.
You’ll be able to take your Xbox games to a new level on Meta Quest 3 with Xbox Cloud Gaming. There will be tons of options when it comes to high-quality Xbox games which are well over 100 different titles to play. You’ll be able to play games like Halo Infinite, Starfield, and Forza Motorsport on the headset all with an Xbox Wireless Controller.
The Meta Quest 3 will put you into a virtual living room giving you a different perspective on playing games as seen in the video below:
💥 AND GUESS WHAT 💥
Play 1⃣0⃣0⃣s of high-quality Xbox games — including @Halo Infinite, @StarfieldGame, and @ForzaMotorsport — all on a massive screen you can take with you anywhere. Subscription… pic.twitter.com/qCeJFaON2K
— Meta Quest (@MetaQuestVR) September 27, 2023
A subscription will be required and Xbox Cloud Gaming will come to Meta Quest in December 2023.


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Apr 20, 2017, 10:16 pm134 ptsWe never bought the hype on Juicero's $700 connected cold-press machine, but the company's CEO says anyone who did pay for one can get their money back. In a blog post on Medium, CEO Jeff Dunn responded to a Bloomberg report that pointed out the comp...
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Microsoft open-sources UI Recorder for Win 10 developers The Register 92
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By Leisa Boley Hellwarth, a dairy farmer and attorney near Celina
It’s been said that a lawsuit is a machine which you go into as a pig and come out of as a sausage.
That’s an appropriate analogy for the complaint, filed in mid-August 2020, by Maxwell Foods (a subsidiary of Goldsboro Milling of North Carolina) against Smithfield Foods (purchased by the Chinese company, WH Group in 2013), alleging breach of the production sales agreement (PSA) by failing to pay a fair price for hogs as well as purchase output required by the agreement. (This little piggy went to market below price; this little piggy stayed home in violation of the PSA.)
A few days prior to the initiation of legal proceedings in North Carolina’s Wayne County Superior Court, Maxwell Foods announced it would begin shutting down hog operations and permanently closing by mid-2021 due to “projected financial losses.” Maxwell has been in operation for 31 years and has agreements with approximately 150 contract farmers in its system.
Smithfield issued the following statement regarding the litigation: “It is regrettable that one of our longstanding hog farming partners, Goldsboro Milling, the parent company of Maxwell Foods, who has been a valuable part of our supply chain for many years, is taking legal action against us for what is fundamentally a commodity market issue of low livestock prices, from which we have also suffered. The allegations by Maxwell Foods are not true, and we will respond to the lawsuit accordingly.
“The hog industry has been challenged for some time and conditions have worsened amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of well documented issues have negatively impacted the hog industry over the last several years. These include hog farm nuisance litigation, which we have repeatedly described as an existential threat to farmers and agriculture; lengthy U.S. trade disputes with several large export partners; and the ongoing and unprecedented pandemic, to name a few. Maxwell has openly acknowledged these factors and, consequently, divested half its sows in the past year.
“These macroeconomic factors have caused financial duress, for many hog farmers, including Smithfield. As the largest US hog producer, our exposure to the commodity markets outstrips all other domestic producers and we have not been immune to deflationary pressures.”
Maxwell was an early player in consolidating several aspects of production under one company, commonly referred to as vertical integration. The company started as a feed mill, branched into turkeys, and then diversified into hogs. And they further integrated their milling business to grain purchases and storage.
In 1994, Maxwell Foods entered into a PSA with Smithfield Foods. That contract is the basis for the legal dispute. At the time Maxwell signed the agreement, Smithfield was purchasing hogs from Carroll’s, Murphy Family Farms, Prestage and Maxwell. By late 1999, Smithfield had bought Carroll’s and Murphy Family Farms — more vertical integration in the industry.
Never wrestle with a pig. You’ll both get dirty, and the pig likes it. Even if Smithfield loses the lawsuit, it could turn it to an advantage. Smithfield could buy out Maxwell’s contracts with individual farmers, further consolidating the industry. The farmers will be anxious to find a new contract. The buyouts would also help Smithfield amass more hogs at these existing operations, allowing the company to grow despite a long-standing moratorium on new or expanded hog farms in North Carolina.
Likely, the most Maxwell can expect from the litigation is financial compensation for lost income. While money is always a good thing, Maxwell would still likely go out of the hog business as announced in early August.
Lee Miller, a lecturer of Agricultural Law at Duke University who is not involved with the litigation, observed that in a “rational view” of anti-trust law that Smithfield would not be allowed to operate at its present scope and scale. Yet because consumer prices for pork are steady — the barometer federal regulators use to determine if anti-trust laws apply — Smithfield has avoided that level of scrutiny.
Maxwell is demanding a trial by jury. It is to be determined is whether the old adage will apply to the final outcome:Pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered.
Leisa Boley Hellwarth is a dairy farmer and an attorney. She represents farmers throughout Ohio from her office near Celina. Her office number is 419-586-1072.


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- Written by News Editor News Editor
- Category: News News
- Published: 09 August 2019 09 August 2019
Following the industry-wide acclaim for the superb Electa Amator III standmount, Italian luxury speaker maker Sonus faber is now offering the ‘mini-me’ version in the Minima Amator II loudspeakers... And it's just landed on our shores.
Boulder Amplifiers announces the new, and very distinctive, 866 integrated (as the company prefers to call it, eschewing the word ‘amplifier’ in its nomenclature) which will be available in analogue and digital versions.
Australian high-end distributor Magenta Audio continues to expand its excellent product portfolio with the addition of the handcrafted turntables from Slovenia’s Pear Audio.
Audio Magic, who has been recently appointed as the new Australian distributor for Ayre Acoustics products, has announced the local availability of the company’s ‘Twenty’ upgrade for existing QB-9 DAC owners.
Naim Audio’s NAIT and SUPERNAIT integrated amplifiers have received wide consumer acclaim – even fervent admiration – while the world’s press has bestowed them with numerous awards. Now, Naim announces these important models have received 3rd-gen updates.
Australian distributor Audio Magic has announced it has acquired representation for the highly respected American brand Ayre Acoustics, more colloquially referred to as just ‘Ayre’.
McIntosh Laboratory Inc. has announced the new C53 high-end preamplifier which now includes an all-new Digital-to-Analogue Converter compatible with the latest digital playback formats.
Richter Audio has announced an ‘S6’ update to its long-running Wizard and Merlin speakers, from the Legend range of high-value offerings, taking the series to its sixth generation.
American high-end headphone specialist MrSpeakers’ wide range of cans are now available in the country via Advance Audio Australia.
The company was founded by electrical engineer Dan Clark who has led MrSpeakers with the goal to provide audiophile quality headphones while “having fun doing so”. While MrSpeakers upmarket headphones are predominantly Planar Magnetic designs, the flagship Voce headphones – available with matching ‘Blue Hawaii’ high-end valve headphone amplifier – is an advanced electrostatic design.
British audio stalwart Roksan, who back in the mid-80s brought out the now-classic Xerxes turntable among many other highly acclaimed components, returns to Australia after a market absence with the flagship ‘blak’ and entry K3 product line-ups.
Famed for its wide range of excellent high-value subwoofers, American Ohio-based speaker specialist SVS now introduces the Prime Pinnacle floorstanding speakers, the top-shelf model of the company’s popular Prime series.