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Switching to organic food is good news for farmers, experts say
Dar es Salaam. Although they say old habits are hard to change, more and more people are choosing to live healthily by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Consumers in developing countries are taking steps to be healthier by switching to organic foods while avoiding genetically modified products.
And farmers are ready to seize the opportunity. Experts say that Tanzania will soon be added to the list of countries with a large number of certified organic farmers in the world, which will allow it to take advantage of opportunities available in foreign markets, especially in Europe.
Organic farming is beneficial for environmental protection and a safe way to preserve consumer health as it limits the use of chemicals, including pesticides and industrial fertilizers.
Covering almost 2,790 square kilometres, Tanzania’s organically farmed land is the largest in sub-Saharan Africa, according to 2017 reports. However, the area only accounts for 0.7% of the country’s total agricultural land.
Last year, the European Commission launched an organic farming action plan for EU countries aiming to achieve the European Green Deal of 25% of agricultural land put under organic farming by 2030.
The paradigm shift from GMOs to organic foods should be seen as good news for Tanzanian farmers who rank third in Africa.
Having experienced global climate changes in recent years, organic farming which goes hand in hand with environmental protection should be the option for Tanzanian farmers.
For example, EU standards require organic farming to protect and preserve soil from erosion, protect trees from deforestation, reduce carbon emissions and protect water resources which should be used to facilitate agriculture. ‘organic farming.
Mobo Group CEO Mr Maurice Awiti told The Citizen that black pepper, for example, which is produced through organic practices, is priced at 7 Euros per kilo (equivalent to Sh18,000) compared to black pepper. grown non-organically, which sells for 2 Euros (about Sh5,143) per kilogram.
“Since the demand is high, Tanzanians should seize the opportunity and take advantage of it. I can say with confidence that organic farming is the future,” says Mr. Awiti.
He goes on to say that a kilo of organic ginger trades at 5.2 euros, while non-organic merchandise is sold at 1.9 euros, noting that normally the price doubles or triples depending on the quality of the product.
Mr. Awiti says that the price of cinnamon by convention is sold at 3.2 euros per kilogram, while organic is sold between 6.3 and 10 euros, the price of conventional cardamom ranging from 7 to 10 euros, while that organic is marketed between 15 and 15 euros per kilogram.
“The country should adopt and promote organic farming, which is an agricultural system that uses fertilizers of organic origin such as compost manure, green manure and other organic materials. The practice emphasizes cultivation techniques such as crop rotation and companion planting,” he told The Citizen.
He sees a great opportunity for the prosperity of organic farming in the country. “I personally find this to be a new dawn for farmers interested in organic farming as well as those considering getting into farming. To be precise, most exports to Europe and Asia are organic crops,” he adds.
The Sales and Distribution Manager of SAT Holistic Group Limited, Mr. Akley Mbaye, says organic farming provides people with chemical-free food and plays an important role in environmental conservation.
“We produce various crops, including cereals, vegetables, fruits and spices. For example, last year we exported rosella at high prices. We are supposed to adopt this type of agriculture for health and economic benefits,” says Mr. Mbaye.
He says market gardeners who regularly spray their crops, a practice that could be harmful to consumer health, could reduce the impact through organic farming.
How organic farmers are certified
For farmers to be certified, they must consider the type of crops to be grown, target markets, stages of production, preparation, distribution of organic products and control, according to Mr. Awiti.
According to him, EU standards require farmers to protect and preserve soil from erosion, protect trees from deforestation, reduce carbon emissions, protect water resources and use them for cultivation.
“Standards are formulated and recognized by various national and global certification bodies. These standards form the basis for sustainable production of organic crops while ensuring the efficient functioning of markets, ensuring fair competition, promoting consumer confidence and protecting consumer interests,” he shares.
When it comes to organic farming requirements, they take more traceable farm histories, including where the crop was originally grown, the original grower, harvesting and processing history, and storage methodologies. , which are compiled and submitted to the accreditation body.
The challenges of organic farming
“For three years, land acquisition has been our major challenge. Our plan is to grow organic black pepper on 400 hectares this year. The challenge was to bring all 400 acres together in one place,” says Mr. Awiti, adding; “We have placed our hope and our confidence in the Ministry of Agriculture whose leaders work tirelessly to ensure the prosperity of the sector and the conquest of the world market. Fortunately, many farmers want to expand their businesses, but they don’t know where to start.
Certification of smallholders is another challenge, especially regarding the cost of certification, inspection and audit.
“The lack of experience and knowledge of most organic farmers is another challenge. Training on how this agriculture is practiced to bring sustainable and financial profit is necessary,” he adds.
Organic farming, according to Mr. Awiti, produces crops with yields down 30 to 40 percent, therefore noting that farmers would need more land compared to producing conventional crops.
An agro-economist from Sokoine University of Agriculture, Professor Joseph Hela, agrees that organic farming holds great promise and has niche market potential, especially for cotton, vegetables and other crops.
“The challenge is that it is practiced by small farmers, most of whom do not have organic certification. Therefore, if the government works on it, many farmers will benefit from exports. »
Professor Hela says that Tanzania does not have an organic farming policy and the government is currently working on it. He hopes things will get better soon.
He says that many people in Europe now prefer to wear organic cotton clothes, and that Africa is the leading producer of organic cotton, which is grown in an environmentally friendly way.
Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (Toam) chief executive Mr Bakari Mwongo said people are now aware of the benefits, citing preference for indigenous chickens, which he says are part of farming biological.
“The market is very large both inside and outside the country, so Tanzanians should seize this opportunity for their own benefit and that of the nation.”
He says the movement is working with the agriculture ministry to prepare Tanzania’s organic agriculture strategy, which is due to be launched in August. Its objective is to promote organic farming in the country.
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Operating Systems Posts - Page 6
Android's latest major update Nougat launches today, five months after it entered beta. It's ready to install on Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, Pixel C tablet, and General Mobile 4G, and will come pre-installed on the LG V20 when it launches around early September.
Nougat introduces approximately 250 major features. Among them: quick switching between apps, multi-windows, support for Vulkan API, built-in VR support, improved battery life, faster booting, and data saving for background apps.
If you don't see an update prompt on your phone now, you should soon. If you don't own one of the above listed phones, unfortunately you're likely to wait a long while for the update as per usual.
Microsoft's recent Windows 10 Anniversary Update has been causing problems with USB webcams, where the update prevents them from using MJPEG and H.264 encoding processes, in favor of the NV12 and YUY2 formats that are causing issues for many more people than Microsoft had anticipated. Millions of webcams have been affected.
Windows insider Paul Thurrott said that the Anniversary Update allows new situations where multiple applications can access the webcam, and the banned processed would duplicate the encoding stream, slowing it down. Only allowing a certain few compressions formats would stop multiple simultaneous processes, but now Microsoft has just made millions of webcams across the world not work in a click of their fingers.
Many users have taken to a developer forum where "Mike M" from the Windows Camera team at Microsoft explained why they removed the formatting, with the developer saying there's a fix for the MJPEG issue that will arrive in the September update, but the H.264 fix is a while away yet. You've got 10 days to roll back the Anniversary Update, which will have this problem solved, but if you pass that then you're going to have to wait until the fixes are delivered through Windows 10 updates.
Engadget received a response from Microsoft over the issue, where the Microsoft spokesperson said: "Windows 10 continues to have the highest customer satisfaction of any version of Windows. We have seen a small number of reports of unexpected behaviors following the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Engineering and customer support are investigating these on a case by case basis and offering trouble-shooting tips as necessary. If a customer has any issues, we offer customer support at www.microsoft.com/support".
Android might be installed on over 1 billion devices, but that doesn't mean Google isn't working on other operating systems - like the new, mysterious OS called "Fuchsia".
Fuchsia, according to Google's own description simply means "Pink + Purple == Fuchsia (a new Operating System). There's nothing more than that, but Android Police reports that the Magenta kernel is based on the 'LittleKernel' project, and just like Linux and Android, the Magenta kernel is what powers the larger Fuchsia operating system.
Android Police says that Magenta is "being designed as a competitor to commercial embedded OSes, such as FreeRTOS or ThreadX." Magenta is designed to scale better, which will see it work on embedded devices, smartphones, and even desktop PCs. In order for this to happen, Magenta improves on the foundations of LittleKernel by adding first class user-mode support, as well as a capability-based security model.
The new feature-heavy Anniversary Update for Windows 10 finally went live this week, and Microsoft says there's more where that came from. However, you'll have to wait.
"Based on feedback from organizations moving to Windows 10, [the Anniversary Update] will be our last feature update for 2016, with two additional feature updates expected in 2017," writes Microsoft's Nathan Mercer in a blog post.
The rumor is the first update, codenamed "Redstone 2" will release before spring, and may do so alongside updates to the Surface Pro and Surface Book.
After many months of waiting, the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is finally here. Well, for some: the update is a slow rollout as you'd expect, so if you don't see it in Windows Update yet, you will soon.
There are tons of new features and improvements included, among them mirrored Android notifications and texts, Windows Hello third-party support (so you can login into a lot more apps and sites with your fingerprint or face), an Ink-compatible sticky notes app said to feel like the real thing, Windows Defender scheduling and notifications, a performance-enhanced Edge browser with extensions, Xbox Play Anywhere, and lots more.
The update will his PCs first, with Windows Phone and Xbox One afterward. In the case of the Xbox One, it will be called the Summer Update, and will see Cortana return, and Windows Store integration and sharing, among other changes.
Today is your absolute last chance to upgrade to Windows 10 free of charge. Starting tomorrow, you'll have to shell out $119 for a copy.
The occasion marks not just the end of an offer, but also the end of Microsoft nagging you to upgrade, and the imminent launch of the Windows 10 Anniversary update (set for Tuesday, August 2).
Windows 10 has received a lot of criticism over Microsoft aggressive tactics surrounding the upgrade process as well as the Windows Store. Conversely, it's garnered a lot of praise for being more desktop friendly than Windows 8, as well as its performance benefits (particularly in games), among other perks.
You probably know it already from Microsoft aggressive, repeated messages, but the Windows 10 upgrade offer is about to expire (July 29 is the big day). So, unless you're planning on skipping the OS entirely, now's the time to get on it.
If you decide not to or you live under a rock and find out too late, the company says Windows 10 will cost you $119 (unless you buy a new computer, in which case it will come included).
Despite the off-putting tactics, the operating system remains a strong one, perhaps most of all for gamers who benefit from DirectX 12 and other technical advantages, so we encourage you to grab it free while you can.
Apple has unleashed the second developer beta of iOS 10, which includes a slew of tweaks and improvements to Apple's mobile operating system.
MacRumors has put together an informative video that highlights a bunch of the new features and improvements in iOS 10 beta 2, which includes the new Messages app, sticker packs from Apple, changes to the Control Center 3D Touch actions, Apple's new organ donor signup, and more.
Apple will officially launch iOS 10 in September, so begin preparing your iPhones and iPads now. Personally, I've been using an iPhone 6S for over a month now and iOS severely lags behind Android, so I'm hoping there's some big improvements in iOS 10.
True to its word last week, Microsoft has altered the Windows 10 upgrade notification for Windows 7 and 8 users to be more clear and actually stop nagging you when you tell it to (at least it appears that way). However, as part of the alterations, the notification now goes fullscreen.
Your options upon seeing the message include upgrading, delaying the notification for another three days, setting the notification to go off three more times, or permanently dismissing the notification.
Microsoft notes the notification will not appear if any of these things are true:
- You have a recent version of the "Get Windows 10" app installed.
- You have selected the Do not notify me again option.
- Your computer is detected to be incompatible with Windows 10.
- You have previously uninstalled Windows 10 after you upgrade.
- Your Windows 10 installation failed and rolled back.
- You have hidden the "Get Windows 10" app notifications.
- You have disabled the Windows 10 upgrade or you have disabled the offer screen through registry key settings.
It's always an interesting time when the Steam survey rolls around, with Valve using its extensive network of gamers to provide it with data to display how many gamers are using NVIDIA or AMD video cards, or what operating system the majority of gamers are using.
Windows 10 is now the most used operating system on Steam, where 40.53% of gamers are using Windows 10 with a DX12-capable GPU. Another 29% of gamers are using a DX12-capable GPU but with a version of Windows that's before Windows 10, such as Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 - or even Vista.
It's an interesting statistic to see, as Windows 10 seems to be quite popular with nearly half of the gamers on Steam using Microsoft's latest DX12-powered operating system.

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In May, the U.S. Commerce Department banned the sale of any semiconductors made with U.S. software to China’s 5G behemoth Huawei Technologies. Now, that company’s stockpile of chips essential to its telecom business is dwindling, likely to run out by early 2021. According to sources, Huawei executives have yet to come up with a solution and, without one, the U.S. move is on track to disrupt China’s $500 billion 5G rollout. In the long-run, it could also sideline that country’s goal of dominating 5G globally
Bloomberg reports that, “the latest curbs are the culmination of a concerted assault against China’s largest tech company that began years ago, when the White House tried to cut off the flow of American software and circuitry; lobbied allies from the U.K. to Australia to banish its network gear; even persuaded Canadian police to lock up the founder’s daughter.”
The U.S. sanctioned Huawei by placing it on the Entity List, but that has failed to curb Huawei’s growth. This latest ban, however, is proving to be a serious obstacle.
Huawei has its own internal chipmaking unit, HiSilicon, created 16 years ago to research artificial intelligence inference chips. But every chipmaker in the world “needs gear from American outfits like Applied Materials to fabricate chipsets.” Jefferies analyst Edison Lee wrote that the Foreign-Produced Direct Product Rule (DPR) “focuses on HiSilicon-designed chips” and “the DPR could quash HiSilicon and then Huawei’s ability to make 5G network gears.”
If the Commerce Department strictly enforces the DPR, “HiSilicon can no longer take its designs to TSMC or any foreign contract manufacturer.” Forrester Research principal analyst Charlie Dai said that, “HiSilicon won’t be able to continue its innovation any further until it’s able to find alternatives through self-development and collaboration with local ones, which will take years to mature.”
Elsewhere, Bloomberg notes that, “Huawei Technologies owns the most patents on next-generation 5G technology, ensuring the Chinese company will get paid despite Trump administration efforts to erase it from the supply chain.” Research firms GreyB Services and Amplified AI “identified the inventions most closely connected to the 5G standards and found that six companies owned more than 80 percent — Huawei, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Nokia Oyj, Ericsson and Qualcomm,” the latter the only U.S.-based company.
“Even if they hire some other company to build the 5G infrastructure, they still have to pay the Chinese company because of the intellectual contribution to develop the technology,” said GreyB Services director Deepak Syal.
The study looked at “about 6,400 inventions declared ‘essential’ to 5G by their owners that had active patents … as of Dec. 31, 2019.” A team of 25 researchers whittled that list down to 1,658 patents that are “core” to 5G. So far, Huawei has collected $1.4+ billion in licensing revenue and “paid some $6 million to other companies.”
Huawei Founder Ren Zhengfei Takes Off the Gloves in Fight Against U.S., The Wall Street Journal, 6/6/20
Senate Faults Oversight of Chinese Telecom Companies in U.S., The New York Times, 6/9/20


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Soccer legend David Beckham is increasing his involvement in the rapidly growing Esports world. Back in May 2020, Beckham invested around $319,000 in Guild Esports that was done through another of his businesses, DB Ventures. The investment made him the fourth-largest shareholder in Guild Esports. Guild Esports fields competitive teams in games like Rocket League, FIFA, and Fortnite.
However a new report from The Esports Observer has suggested that Beckham will be paid almost $20 million over the next five years by Guild Esports. The report states that before Beckham invested in Guild Esports, a deal was made between the company and Footwork Productions, a company owned by Beckham that is used to license his name and image rights. The deal is worth a minimum of £15.25 million ($19.78 million) over five years, with Beckham becoming the face of Guild Esports in return. In other words, even if disaster strikes and the company loses all its value, Beckham and his companies will still have made millions in profit through these deals.


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ForeSee Results has ranked the largest online retailers’ customer service and found that Amazon has pulled ahead of Netflix to take the lead — with a score that’s the highest ever recorded by the firm. ECommerce-Guide.com has the story.
A new study has found that online retailers reached a high-water mark for customer satisfaction this holiday season, with the 40 largest e-commerce vendors posting across-the-board improvements over last year.
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) took the top spot with a score of 87 on the 100-point American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a methodology developed by researchers at the University of Michigan that is used to gauge consumer sentiment in a variety of areas across government and the private sector.
ForeSee Results, the research firm that conducted the study, said that Amazon’s score was the highest it has ever recorded for online retail, and represented a 3.6 percent increase over the firm’s mark last year, when it tied for the top spot with Netflix. This year, Netflix checked in just behind Amazon with a score of 86.


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By Sarah Kuper
Celebrating 100 years in business is a milestone for any company, but Lee Edwards of Edwards Chevrolet said it is especially impressive for his family’s business.
“Very few car dealerships make it this long. It seems like every decade there was some sort of major event or hardship: the Great Depression, WWI, WWII, the recession … . It takes a lot of hard work.”
The Chevrolet dealership was established in August 1916, when Sterling Edwards opened the first location in downtown Birmingham on 21st Street. At the time, Chevrolet cars were relatively new on the automotive scene.
Without even a high school diploma, Sterling Edwards started selling cars while supporting his family.
The business began to grow as WWI approached. After the war, demand for the cars increased and Edwards Chevrolet expanded – opening dealerships in outer areas of town.
But, as a result of the Great Depression, Edwards was forced to close dealerships and re-centralize operations downtown.
Edwards Chevy continued to weather the storm and survived through a time when Chevrolet stopped making cars to focus on
manufacturing tanks for WWII.
During the time when no new cars were coming on the lot, Lee Edwards said the business relied on the service and used car sides of the business.
In 1944, Edwards Chevrolet moved headquarters to Third Avenue North and continued to grow its parts and service division.
The dealership continued to thrive even through the Arab Oil Embargo in the ‘70s and the recession in the ‘80s.
Today, the dealership has another location on U.S. 280 and employs more than 200 people.
Lee Edwards is the third generation to run the business, working along with his father, Leon Edwards.
He began working summers at the dealership when he was 15 years old and now he is hoping the next generation will choose to continue the family legacy; his son and nephew are working for the business now.
But, he said, just because Edwards Chevrolet is a family business doesn’t mean leadership will put any Edwards in charge.
“The key is to realize first and foremost it is a business. It is a privilege to have family be a part of it. When you look at it, there is a hierarchy – no family member gets special treatment or a free ride. The world is just too competitive.”
He emphasizes that being a part of the family business is an opportunity that has to be earned, not a gift.
When reflecting on the ups and downs of the business’ history, Lee Edwards cites customer service and employees’ well-being as keys to success and longevity.
“If you treat employees well, they will turn around and treat customers well.”
Even with the car buying tools widely available on the internet, Edwards still believes classic car dealerships will be around a long time.
“Most people aren’t willing to buy a car without driving it and sitting in it. In fact, most people end up buying a different car than the one they came to see. There is still value in the sales process.”
Edwards said the business has been able to weather economic hardships and fluctuations in auto trends and he believes the same will be true for years to come.
“Whether it is driverless cars, electric cars or ones that float or fly, someone is going to be selling them – we represent them to consumers.”
Edwards said that, at its heart, the satisfaction of a job at a respected and established business like Edwards Chevrolet is making dreams come true.
“We have the opportunity to provide a person with one of the most important purchases in their lifetime. It is the American dream to get a nice car. Sometimes it is a first-time purchaser getting their first car or it is someone getting, for the first time, a car they’ve always wanted.”
The entire Edwards family is taking the month of August to celebrate and appreciate all who have supported them over the years.
But, Edwards said that with the celebration comes the acknowledgement that there may always be a tough time around the corner.
“We know it is all about building relationships over decades with great employees and loyal customers. Those are the things that translate and carry through the tough times, because something is always coming.”


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Microsoft has released the latest version of its Windows platform tailored for retail and point-of-sale (POS) environments. Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 is aimed at connecting sales terminals seamlessly with back-end servers and other infrastructure.
Based on Windows XP with Service Pack 3, the new software can be customized for specific hardware requirements and is easy to deploy and install remotely, according to Microsoft. Previous versions of the platform were known as Windows Embedded for Point of Service.
The new software boasts the familiarity of the Windows operating system and supports technologies such as Microsoft Silverlight, the .NET Framework 3.5 with Windows Presentation Foundation, Internet Explorer 7, Windows Media Player 11, Microsoft SQL Server Express and viewers for Microsoft Office documents.


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Google announced today that it can now automatically update business hours of operation, phone numbers, and website information using information gathered from Google Maps.
While the new feature won’t replace human workers completely, it will help businesses update their details in an easy way that should make both customers and owners happy.
Here’s how the AI-powered tool works and what it could mean for your business—no coding required!
Harnessing The Power Of AI For More Accurate Information
Using a combination of their own business listings, their internal data and fresh imagery from Google Maps, Google has created an intelligent system that can make important updates about local businesses with little human intervention.
The key is understanding which information needs updating more than others; for example, if a business changes its hours or location, it’s important for users to see that change in as close to real time as possible. The same applies if a shop closes down completely.
Google Using AI To Update Business Hours
Google is developing a new artificial intelligence system that will update business listings automatically.
According to recent statements by Regina Dugan, a vice president at Google, we’re using computer vision techniques to analyze when buildings appear in Street View imagery and then automatically updating hours of operation data for businesses like restaurants and grocery stores.
Although it seems that only businesses with extended hours are being updated in their information on Google Maps, it can be assumed that time will change as these updates become more frequent.
Google Duplex, an AI system that allows users to conduct lifelike conversations and complete real-world tasks with computers over the phone, is used to call business owners.
Within the next six months, Google expects to use this technology to update the hours of more than 20 million businesses throughout the world.
ML Updates Real-World Road Conditions
Our system predicts road conditions using neural networks trained on aerial imagery, real-time camera data, and historical data.
Then we take those predictions and update traffic on Google Maps. For example, if a road is closed due to a landslide or an accident, our algorithms can automatically update it in real time.
We’re currently piloting ML updates in Indonesia and Malaysia where some 200 million people depend on their smartphones for accurate info about local businesses like restaurants and gas stations.
As more of us rely on our phones for information about our surroundings, it’s critical that we provide up-to-date information—and that means turning to machine learning. The next time you need directions somewhere new, you might just get them from your phone.
Emphasis On Privacy Remains High
Privacy is a major component of this pilot’s design. Only public roads will be used as a source of reference photographs. Identifiable information, such as faces and license plates, will also have to be blurred.
When Google receives an image, it blurs it again before deleting it once the maps have been updated.


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Durango’s first recreational marijuana shop was shut down a few hours after it opened Friday because of a product-testing glitch.
The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division shut down sales at Durango Organics and Wellness Center hours after they began Friday, The Durango Herald reported.
Co-owner Jonny Radding told the newspaper there was a “miscommunication” about potency testing for the marijuana flowers. He said he expects to reopen next week.
Inspectors, he said, “were pretty nice about it and understood our predicament.”
Know your limits: The effects of edibles are different for everybody. Eight tips for getting the right dose
Durango Organics’ medical marijuana operation remains open.
Marijuana shops are required to test the potency of their products. Tests measure the amount of THC, marijuana’s active ingredient. Radding said he mistakenly thought potency testing wasn’t required for marijuana transferred from the medical system. A Marijuana Enforcement Division spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment.
A few customers were able to buy pot Friday morning before the shop was closed.
Peter Berriman, the first customer, bought a package of Cheeba Chews, a popular edible product.
“There are so many great things in Colorado,” Berriman said. “This is another great thing.”
Ann Perkins-Parrott of Durango, 63, said she doesn’t smoke marijuana. Rather, she saw purchasing marijuana as in line with her history of political activism, from protesting war to helping register African-American voters and backing abortion rights.
She called Friday’s opening a “historic moment.”
Animas Herbal Wellness Center also was licensed, but the store won’t open for retail sales until mid-October, when construction on its building is expected to be finished.
Retail pot sales in Colorado were allowed to begin Jan. 1, but local permitting and licensing delays have meant some shops have had to wait months to open.
Home growing: Yes, it’s called weed, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to grow. Professional growers give an overview of the costs and logistics, the botany, the harvest and more.


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Safeco Field isn't just for baseball. For three weekends this summer, it becomes an "Antique and Farmer's Market" where antiques can be evaluated, bought and sold. Fresh produce, flowers and specialty food items also are available.
The first summer market is open today, noon-5 p.m., and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow. Admission is $6 (children 12 and under are free) and parking is free at the Safeco Field parking lot at First Avenue South and South Atlantic Street. More than 150 vendors are expected to participate. Visitors can bring up to three items for appraisal by the International Society of Appraisers.


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LUXEMBOURG & LONDON – January 20, 2010 – Amazon.com, Inc. today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire the remaining shares in LOVEFiLM International Limited (www.LOVEFiLM.com). LOVEFiLM is a leading European subscription entertainment service which combines the benefits of online DVD and games rental-by-post as well as streaming films and TV shows instantly over the internet to PCs, internet enabled TVs and Playstation®3. LOVEFiLM operates today in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Amazon already has a significant minority shareholding in LOVEFiLM and does not itself operate any similar business in Europe.
“LOVEFiLM has been innovating on behalf of movie rental customers across Europe for many years and with the advent of the LOVEFiLM player, they are further delighting customers by streaming digital movies for their immediate enjoyment,” said Greg Greeley, Amazon’s Vice President of European Retail. “LOVEFiLM and Amazon have enjoyed a strong working relationship since LOVEFiLM acquired Amazon Europe’s DVD rental business in 2008, and we look forward to a productive and innovative future.”
“The deal is a winner for the members who love LOVEFiLM because of its value, choice, convenience and innovation in home entertainment,” said Simon Calver, Chief Executive of LOVEFiLM International. “With Amazon’s unequivocal support we can significantly enhance our members’ experience across Europe.”
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2011.


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John Reznikoff recently acquired documents/items related to the Mark Hofmann trials. Mark Hofmann’s is known for forging well known documents, many of which, may still be on the market. Continue Reading
John Reznikoff from University Archives gives you tips to protecting yourself from buying a forged book. Continue Reading
New Edgar Allen Poe exhibits feature a few unique items from John Reznikoff’s own personal collection.
Read full story: The Persistence of Poe
Uncovering perhaps one of the most important signatures in sports history, John Reznikoff confirms Jackie Robinson’s signature on an original contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A handwritten manuscript of the United States National Anthem is found tucked away in an Oregon attic. PBS features John Reznikoff on the show “History Detectives” in hopes to solve this mystery.
A piece of John Lennon’s hair recently sold for $35,000 at auction. Collector John Reznikoff explains to CBS that it’s because “People are interested in owning a piece of history and a piece of famous people.” Read the full Washington Post article.
CBS News uses “autograph analyst John Reznikoff, one of the best in the world”
John Reznikoff plays a crucial role in the autograph authenticity of a Major League Baseball icon. However, the signature in question isn’t in a display case; but a legal one.


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Debut Date: 2021
Finally, the long-awaited revival of the Volkswagen Bus has come. At the Pebble Beach Concours, the company officially announced the Bus’ return, building on the success of the I.D. Buzz concept that made its debut just a few months prior. Sadly, we will have to wait a while. The VW I.D. Buzz isn’t scheduled to be unveiled until at least 2021 for the 2022 model year – but at least it will be fully electric.


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‘More women than ever join the classic car market,” the headline on the news release reported. “Numbers grow by 40 percent in the last two years.”
Forty percent growth in two years? How did we miss this surge?
Well, it turns out we did not.
The news release was from Footman James, a British collector car insurance broker, which reported that its data indicate that 11 percent of classic car owners are women, and that this figure has increased by 40 percent in the past two years.
While 40 percent growth is significant — climbing from 8 to 11 percent in just two years, it remains just the tip of the classic car iceberg.
Is the same thing happening on this side of the pond, we wondered? We inquired of Hagerty, the American-based and world’s largest insurer of collector cars, and asked what its data might show.
Hagerty says that 8 to 9 percent of its policyholders are women, and that percentage has been and remains steady; no 40 percent growth rate here. Hagerty noted, however, that the 8 to 9 percent figure applies only to vehicles owned solely by a woman and does not include the many vehicles for which a husband and wife are listed as co-owners.
So why are British women buying classic cars? As part of its study, Footman James surveyed more than 1,000 British women and more than 900 men. Among women, 26 percent said they would consider purchasing a collector vehicle.
Footman Jones also reported that while more British women are buying collector cars, the average age of those women is falling and now stands at 52.
Oh, and those women are well-attuned to the current marketplace, the report added. Asked to select the vehicles that had increased the most in value in the past year, women did better than men in the Footman Jones survey.
“Nowadays the classic car market is no longer an old boys club” Liam Lloyd of Footman James was quoted in the news release. “The popularity of mainstream media has introduced a whole new array of people to the world of classics, reflected in the rising interest from female buyers across the country.
“However for any buyer, regardless of age or gender, it’s important to keep a few top tips in mind. Look to buy the best, seek expert advice, don’t be afraid to ask questions and monitor the market. Also, while it’s natural to focus on potential increases in value – it’s just as important to make sure it’s a car you actually like. After all there’s a reason it’s often called a passion purchase.”


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Electric Chevrolet Bolt revealed during filming of commercialNovember 19, 2020
The other day Chevrolet showed the salon of its electric car. Now the battery-powered hatchback has been captured without the ubiquitous camouflage.
Fans of environmentally friendly cars have been familiar with the Chevrolet Bolt electric car since 2016. Now the manufacturer is preparing to offer customers a seriously modernized electric hatch: the premiere of the new product is expected in the coming months.
While the Americans are completing the preparations necessary for the upcoming debut, a photo of the updated Chevrolet Bolt without disguise has appeared on the Web. The electric car was captured in North Carolina during the filming of a commercial. These pictures (or rather screenshots) show the front of the restyled car.
Note that the video was initially leaked to the Web, but GM asked its author not to publish the footage. At the same time, screenshots from the video were scattered throughout the virtual space.
The newest car differs from the previous Chevrolet Bolt by the absence of a decorative black grille. Now on the “nose” of the electric hatchback there is another visual accent – a new trapezoidal insert. Head optics also have nothing to do with the “pre-reform” Bolt. Not only the exterior of the electric car has been updated, but also its interior. Moreover, the manufacturer has already allowed fans to look inside the new car. The electric car got a redesigned front panel and an enlarged display.
The restyled Chevrolet Bolt EV will reach the conveyor only next summer.
In the meantime, the first teaser of the new Mercedes-Benz Citan has hit the Internet. The image turned out to be uninformative. Perhaps very soon the Germans will publish another teaser, where they will reveal interesting details. The premiere of the new car is scheduled for the second half of 2021.
- Cupra will build a yacht on the Volkswagen electric platform
- Named the debut date of the new Toyota Land Cruiser
- Testing spotted a prototype electric Audi Q4 E-Tron Sportback
- Porsche began testing the “high” version of the 911 sports car
- New renders of KIA Sportage 2022 model year appeared on the web


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Micro Connect’s MCEX certified to offer Shariah-compliant products
By Gloria Mathias
Micro Connect Group has deemed that Micro Connect (Macao) Financial Assets Exchange (“MCEX”) Shariah-compliant products are allowed to offer Shariah-compliant products on the platform.
These products will be Shariah-compliant products offered in East Asia, further strengthening MCEX’s appeal to Islamic investors. The certification recognises that Micro Connect’s revenue-sharing products are in line with Islamic law, including being non-interest-bearing, and approves the company’s Shariah-compliant screening methodology.
Being certified as Shariah-compliant enables MCEX to expand its membership landscape, opening the doors to Islamic investors looking to invest in the cash flows of China’s micro and small businesses.
MCEX members will be able to invest in Shariah-compliant DRPs (“Daily Revenue Portfolios”), baskets of Daily Revenue Obligations (DROs), and receive daily revenue shares of China’s Shariah-compliant small businesses. This certification also adds credibility to DRPs, particularly in Muslim-majority markets, and accelerates the exchange’s globalisation efforts.
“We are delighted to collaborate with Amanie Advisors in developing a methodology to tailor-make Shariah-compliant DRPs for Islamic investors, an important group in today’s capital markets. MCEX is committed to providing alternative investment opportunities to global investors who seek to make a breakthrough in China’s impact investing,” said Charles Li, Chairman of Micro Connect and MCEX.
Micro Connect has developed a Shariah-compliant screening methodology that filters out non-compliant businesses in the four sectors of retail, services, food & beverage, and culture & sports. The methodology adds a new layer to an already extremely distributed and diversified asset class.
The methodology will also enable issuers looking to issue Shariah-compliant DRPs on MCEX to follow a verification process with the platform and Amanie. Shariah-compliant DRPs would only consist of Shariah-compliant DRO stores screened under such methodology. Daily Revenue Portfolios are products offered on MCEX.
Founded in 2005, Amanie Advisors is a Shariah advisory firm specialising in Islamic finance solutions. It has provided Shariah advisory services for international banks, financial indexes, and investment institutions, including the Hang Seng Islamic China Index Fund and Value Partners’ Shariah China A-Shares ETF.
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Fans of Squaresoft's Final Fantasy series are in for a real treat, or at least, those that live in Japan are. As the masters of RPG announced last week, a complete tome of information surrounding the first 10 volumes of Final Fantasy is headed for Japanese bookstores. Luckily, we've have managed to uncover some additional information regarding the collection as highlighted below.
As of press time, neither Enterbrain or Square has plans to release the collection in North America, but we found it pretty darn cool nonetheless. If there's any word on a U.S. publish date however, we'll be sure and update you the moment we know for sure.


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Penny Stock News
Jul 28, 2008 9:45:00 AM
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
(PINKSHEETS: IDGI) - INCA Designs Inc. a boutique design house distributing sophisticated collections of swimwear, resort wear and accessories, is pleased to announce that it's Sari Dress was featured in a recent issue of Star Magazine.
"Star News has been an integral part of weekly celebrity culture and has been influential in many aspects of the consumers purchasing decisions. Star Magazine has not only set trends, they have to a degree influenced how people dress, they beauty products they use, what to eat and what cars to drive," stated Stephanie Hirsch, designer and President of Inca Designs Inc.
"It is incredibly important for Inca Designs to be mentioned in a magazine of this magnitude. They have given us the privilege of mentioning our fashion forward Sari Dress in one of their editorials, along side celebrities Kate Walsh and Lauren Conrad. It's trending setting magazines such as Star that help drive the demand for our products, which ultimately lead to revenue growth of companies like ours," continued Ms. Hirsch.
Star Magazine targets an audience that is predominately female. They currently have a total audience surpassing 10 million readers and are owned by American Media Inc., which is the 4th largest consumer magazine publisher in the United States and #2 in retail magazine sales. American Media Inc.'s over 16 titles reach over 50 million readers and they publish 6 of the 15 best selling weekly newsstand titles in the country.


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West Marine is looking for a father in need of a waterlife makeover.
The retailer’s Deck Out My Dad! contest is running through June 15. Entrants can submit a photo of a dad in need of fashion help on the water.
The winner, who will be named the week after Father’s Day, will receive a $500 West Marine gift card.
Photos should be posted on Instagram, tagged to WestMarineInc, and include the hashtags #westmarine #deckoutdad. Captions should include information about why the dad is deserving or in need of a makeover.
The photos can be funny or sentimental and preference will be given to those taken on or near the water. They could be on a boat, walking along the beach or at a waterside restaurant.
The winner will be asked to visit a West Marine store to pick up the $500 gift card and must agree to a brief photo shoot that shows him shopping. (What he buys is up to him.)
He must also agree to the use of before and after photos for West Marine promotional purposes.


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BOWIE, Md. (WJZ) — Six Flags America is preparing for the new normal ahead of its reopening.
The park in Prince George’s County says once guests are allowed back inside, they will see extensive new safety measures and hygiene protocols like temperature checks, touchless bag checks and face mask requirements.
- Coronavirus Resources: How To Get Help In Maryland
- What We Know About Coronavirus In Maryland
- Latest coronavirus stories from WJZ
Plus, in order to visit, guests will have to reserve their spot online and will be assigned an arrival time.
Social distancing will also be strictly enforced. Not only on rides, but in dining areas, retail locations and arcades.


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By Angela Scott-Briggs October 22, 2017
Blockchain has the potential to reshape the society in innumerable ways. Lately, there has been enthusiasm and profit taking resulting in what might look like a bubble popping. In the circumstances, it is useful to go through some important blockchain innovations everyone needs in 2018, without regard to the current value of tokens powering them.
The importance of provable identity management is increasing by day in the world where virtually anything including live news conferences can be faked. Estonia has already begun a digital citizenship programme. With time, all organisations that require some form of identification will have a form of an encrypted database, preferably a decentralized one that will be difficult to modify without permissions. A shift to crypto-based identification would be a good change for everyone, once you lose your ID card, you would only need to regain access to your remote credentials.
Public Trust and Accountability
The application of blockchain technology in marriage records, health records, title deeds and even in voting will revolutionize how things are done. Companies such as Factom have experimented with keeping records of real property on blockchain. Similarly, Votem has made important milestones in creating a trusted blockchain voting system. This is significant as elections are now hotly contested with losers alleging electronic vote rigging.
More at: Important Blockchain Innovations Everyone needs in 2018 | TechBullion
By Tom Ball October 23, 2017
Mastercard is targeting cross-border payments by releasing its blockchain APIs, entering the arena with the likes of JPMorgan and IBM.
Financial institutions and their end users are set to be benefit from blockchain APIs released by Mastercard, intended to allow organisations to test their own capabilities.
Developers from these institutions will be able to harness the Mastercard blockchain APIs to work on their own capabilities, targeting area such as cross-border payments and transparency.
While financial institutions are being targeted with this new initiative, Mastercard is also aiming to enhance the banking experience for end users.
Mastercard Labs executive vice president Ken Moore, said: “By combining Mastercard blockchain technology with our settlement network and associated network rules, we have created a solution that is safe, secure, auditable, and easy to scale.”
More at: Mastercard unleashes blockchain APIs to boost development – Computer Business Review
By Nikhilesh De October 23, 2017
The travel and merchant arm of American Express may be weighing the use of blockchain within a personalized customer rewards system, public filings show.
A new patent application published last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office details a concept for offering customer-specific types of rewards (including points, a virtual currency or specific items tied to a product). The filing indicates the financial giant would make these offers by compiling personalized data about the customer, such as their historic spending patterns.
The application cites the tech as one resource for storing and updating information among a number of possible approaches, detailing:
“The blockchain structure may include a distributed database that maintains a growing list of data records. The blockchain may provide enhanced security because each block may hold individual transactions and the results of any blockchain executables. Each block may contain a timestamp and a link to a previous block.”
More at: American Express Eyes Blockchain for Customer Rewards System – CoinDesk
By Angela Scott-Briggs October 23, 2017
A report by Grand View Research Inc. predicts that the global blockchain technology market will reach $7.74 billion by 2024. The distinguishing feature of blockchain technology that has contributed to its growing popularity is the ability to keep all electronic transactions in a public ledger allowing all participants connected in the network to track information through a secure network, thereby eliminating the need for third-party verification. While the technology was first applied to Bitcoin and later other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, its uses continue to increase by the day. Blockchain technology is also used in:
- Smart contracts
- Physical asset registration
- Trade execution and settlement
- Asset exchange
- Cash reserve management
- Supply chain management
More at: Global Blockchain Technology Market will reach $7.74 billion by 2024 – TechBullion
Guest post written by Raja Ramachandran and ripe.io team October 23, 2017
ripe.io, a start-up at the forefront of creating a blockchain solution for our food system was a recent participant at The Mixing Bowl’s FOOD IT: Fork to Farm and recognized as one of Forbes’ Top 25 Most Innovative Ag-Tech Start-ups of 2017. Raja, their CEO, has compiled and written with his team, the following perspective and analysis on how to initiate, gain adoption and run a “Blockchain of Food” in the food supply chain. We would like to share it with you.
Theme 1 – Blockchain Participants’ Friction
The actors interested to participate in the “Blockchain of Food” are driven by a need to demonstrate the superior quality of their methods and products. Most of the participants in the supply chain complain about the lack of transparency and trust by other participants. The participants are asking for a better supply-chain collaboration method. The blockchain can provide this… if they are willing to collaborate.
More at: The Blockchain of Food – Forbes Science #NewTech
By Alex Vasquez, AFP October 21, 2017
Caracas (AFP) – Inside a locked room in an office building in Caracas, 20 humming computers use their data-crunching power to mine bitcoins, an increasingly popular tool in the fight against Venezuela’s hyperinflation.
In warehouses, offices and homes, miners are using modified computers to perform complex computations, essentially book-keeping for digital transactions worldwide, for which they earn a commission in bitcoins.
While practiced worldwide, Bitcoin mining is part of a growing, underground effort in Venezuela to escape the worst effects of a crippling economic and political crisis and runaway inflation that the IMF says could reach 720 percent this year.
Having no confidence in the bolivar and struggling to find dollars, many Venezuelans, who are neither computer geeks nor financial wizards, are relying on the bitcoin — currently valued around $6,050, or other virtual currencies.
Caracas office worker Veronica says her boss installed the 20 machines in early 2015.
“These are machines that bring in $800 a month (more than 26 million bolivars),” says Veronica, who refused to give her full name because of fears of arrest.
Source: Venezuelans use bitcoin ‘mining’ to escape inflation
By Aaron Arnold October 19, 2017
Don’t worry if you have yet to hear about blockchain, the emerging technology set to reshape everything from finance and trade to global governance—you are in good company. According to one recent survey of 12,000 people in 11 countries, 60 percent had never heard of the technology and 80 percent could not explain how it works. Yet, for a technology that few understand, blockchain is sure making waves. The World Economic Foundation (WEF), for example, found that 80 percent of global banks will have initiated blockchain-related projects by the end of 2017. Perhaps even more startling: By 2027, the WEF predicts, 10 percent of global gross domestic product will be held in blockchain technology.
While most people have not heard of blockchain, many do know of its most visible implementation, Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency used to store and transfer value. Although cryptocurrencies tend to dominate media attention, the underlying technology, blockchain, has far-reaching applications; it can be used to store property records, clear and settle accounts, ensure the validity and execution of contractual arrangements, and—possibly— prevent the illicit procurement of weapons of mass destruction-related goods and technologies.
More at: Blockchain: A new aid to nuclear export controls? – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists


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Symantec Corp., one of the biggest names in anti-virus software, shocked the cybersecurity community Sunday when it declared to the Wall Street Journal that antivirus software “is dead.”
But that announcement was probably even more shocking to the Symantec customers who have been spending at least $50 a year for Norton AntiVirus, Symantec’s most popular consumer product, which has been many users’ primary security software for almost 25 years.
Did Symantec just tell its customers that they’ve been paying for an obsolete product?
“It’s quite a bold statement,” Jerome Segura, a senior security researcher at Malwarebytes, told International Business Times. “[AntiVirus] on its own is no longer sufficient. The threat landscape has diversified so much, and AV companies have not adapted as fast.”
What has changed since Symantec launched Norton AntiVirus in 1991 is that computer viruses, which infect files on a hard drive and replicate, are now just one of several dangers facing computer users. There is the broader threat of malware, like Trojans that open a back door into a computer for hackers, and spyware that can record a user’s every mouse-click and keyboard stroke. There are also security flaws like Heartbleed that are immune to AV software.
“[AV is] only a portion of the security business,” Segura said, and it’s a portion that has been very crowded for many years now. “The market share is so divided that making money in the AV space is getting more and more difficult.”
So the point is not really that AV is dead, but that Symantec isn’t making as much money from it anymore. The newer threats are being addressed by smaller companies like Malwarebytes and FireEye (which discovered that a group of hackers was exploiting the Internet Explorer bug to attack U.S. defense and financial firms), that emphasize minimizing damage when a security breach occurs.
“At some point, your network will be compromised,” Segura said. “You do as much as you can to protect it, but it will happen. What matters is how you react.”
Larger companies like Symantec now find themselves shifting their business model to keep up. According to the Wall Street Journal, Symantec will launch new initiatives in the next six months to turn around sliding revenue.
That’s not to say users should throw out their AV protection. Security experts point out that staying safe online means having several layers of defense, and traditional AV software still needs to be the first layer.
Raj Samani, chief technology officer at McAfee, one of Symantec’s primary AV competitors, and adviser on Internet security to Europol, said traditional AV programs still have a role to play.
“It acts like the bouncer at the door and still stops a considerable amount of what we know to be bad,” Samani told IBTimes, adding that he thinks Symantec really meant the days of using a single tool to protect a computer are dead.
“They say there’s no such thing as a silver bullet, but there are. All antivirus is a silver bullet, but not all threats are a werewolf.”
Samani and Segura both said that in addition to protecting against viruses and malware, users need to be vigilant about what they click online and use a Web browser that protects against dangerous websites.
Users also need to comply with the basic protection rules they've heard many times. According to Segura, consumers still don't change their passwords as often as they should, and -- despite repeated warnings -- many use the same password for multiple accounts. This makes a data breach to one account much more damaging.


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Telegram is a platform that is enabling free means of communication on the web, just as censorship seems to be hitting the web from just about every other corner, regardless of ideology or (geo) politics involved.
The product’s emphasis is on keeping the conversations confidential by using encryption, which means it should be free and allow people to exchange documents, videos, messages, and pictures privately, without outside snooping.
But in the real world, with so many moving targets and variables – can Telegram actually live up to its haughty promise of remaining a platform that would never be “censored by itself?” Especially when it has to partner with censorship-prone companies to get the app into your hands – if you’re an iPhone user, that is.
Telegram is a cloud-based instant messaging and voice over IP service, whose client apps are available for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Linux, Windows NT, and macOS. Its client-side code is open-source software – but the source code for recent versions is not always immediately published. And the product’s server-side is closed-source and proprietary – both of these being massive red flags that the founders need to credibly address at some point in the future, to the self-respecting crowd of users. That’s surely very problematic in an of itself for a product peddled among a privacy and freedom-loving audience.
Be that as it may, the strife to achieve and control free speech seems to be the order of the day across the planet. It’s uniting the unlikeliest of allies, at least on that one issue – and not caring if the platform they target is 100 percent free and open, like we may do.
No wonder then, that a platform like Telegram has somebody like Pavel Durov standing behind it, the founder of Russia’s Facebook clone, VK, who has since left the country in favor of a self-imposed exile, and challenged it’s, and many others’ censorship policies.
And Durov is the one who now wants to build his own platform as that desirable place for many looking to escape arbitrary political or merely ideological censorship.
In 2018, Slate looked at the emerging technologies, public policy, and society to discover that the season’s protest movement in Iran at the time produced a temporary ban on both (Facebook’s) Instagram and Telegram.
“Although it only lasted two weeks, the ban had big implications in Iran, where the IP-based messaging app is immensely popular,” said the report.
Durov confirmed this Wednesday that his company suffered a “powerful” DDoS attack which hindered the platform’s services for roughly one hour.
Telegram said that the attack affected users in the Americas as well as in other countries.
This attack reportedly came as activists in Hong Kong were using Telegram to coordinate protests over China’s plan to allow extradition, Reclaim The Net reported at the time.
Telegram is undoubtedly acutely aware of the current climate in mainstream social media and among the most popular chat apps that either have to, for dear (financial) life – or choose to, for ‘heart’-felt political reasons – step up and control and police their content – and survive, as credible apps.
That is – on people’s cross-platform desktops, and on Android. But if you’d like to run Telegram via the Apple Store on an Apple device, you may come up with such hurdles in your path as Apple blocking you from channels and informing you that your content is tantamount to “Hate Speech”:
…or indeed, pornography:
Note, that it’s only when you use an Apple device that you’ll be blocked from accessing content from a channel of your choosing on Telegram. If you download the app direct from Telegram on a desktop computer, you’re allowed to access what you want without Telegram having to bend the knee to Apple’s censors. This means that it’s impossible to get an uncensored version of Telegram on Apple’s iOS or iPadOS operating system.
This comes down to the good old, all-controlling Apple disliking any content that’s “offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust, in exceptionally poor taste, or just plain creepy.” (Yes, that’s a direct quote from Apple’s Guidelines.)
This includes negative references about religion, race, sexual orientation, gender, national/ethnic origin, or other “targeted groups.” But that’s not always the case, Apple explains – the platform will act above all if any of the groups “targeted” by the app are “likely to humiliate, intimidate, or place a targeted individual or group in harm’s way.”
Then comes the sigh of relief we’ve all been waiting for because, according to the Apple custodian of all things pure, fair, reasonable, protective, permitted, and fair onto their bit of the web – “Professional political satirists and humorists are generally exempt from this requirement.”
Generally? OK, that’s not as big a sign of relief as we may have hoped for. But it’s something, in this day and age.
… but what if “our” satirists tell all the truth, funnily – but Apple just doesn’t think they’re very funny?
But enough with making light of a giant, global company like Apple, controlling every last fiber of its App Store, and doing it unchallenged by anyone.
Does it mean it might act at any point to fulfill any censorship request bigger than Apple itself? Say, that of a government?
Now – Big Tech platforms like Apple and YouTube (Google) seem to be going after each other, with YouTube first coming under intense scrutiny for not removing and instead only “demonetizing” anything from educational history channels, those maintained by independent reporters – all the way to Google CEO Sundar Pichai trying to sound a note of calm and caution recently amid a raging storm, with his interview for Axios on HBO.
What if all that was only to be drowned in the verbal assault against a competitor, voiced by Apple CEO Tim Cook. To be completely clear: Apple is at this time that member of Big Tech that is collecting and retaining just as much private data as any other Big Tech.
It’s just that at this time, Apple doesn’t seem to have to seal and deliver that data to third parties like other Big Tech companies do – but might be perfectly willing to make a big deal of that tenable situation.
Apple’s recent “hate speech acceptance” speech saw the tech giant admit that its users were as flawed as any others on the web – say, like users of Google or Facebook – but it’s just that at this time, Apple’s financial structure was comfortable enough not to be selling that data on for money, as others do.
But boy are they making the most of that in the meantime, as Apple’s “privacy selling marketing point” – in a privacy starved world. Great job, Apple – as long as you can, and want to sustain it. As long as the US government doesn’t ask you to surrender all they need and you know – and you either refuse or accept because you knew somebody else would do it if you didn’t – like the last time.
Thinking about a bigger issue now: does Apple’s dominance over the App Store as the only way to get apps on iPhones means that Apple has absolute censorship power – and if so, has it in this ways become an easy target for governments to target who want to impose “quiet, behind the lines” censorship of anything?
If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net.


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From red and white wines to breadfruit bread
KPC students create amazing consumer products with 90% local ingredients
Fresh off the opening of its agro-processing laboratory, the Knockalva Polytechnic College (KPC) in Hanover is now ready to take on the local consumer market, if not the international market, with a range of products.
Last Friday, students pursuing their associate degree in agro-processing and business management showed a wide array of products they have developed to create new options for consumers.
The students, guided by their tutor Murphy Gooden, spent several weeks fine-tuning their creative ideas, which manifested in some 30 products, utilising 90 per cent locally produced ingredients. The products, which were put on display and judged by an outside panel, included wines, punches and juices, jams, sauces, spices and seasoning, bread and cake mixes.
“All the products are good; they deserve credit. The seasoning is very good, very Jamaican, and was tasty. The wines are very good; you could hardly distinguish between red wine and white wine that I’ve had before, so they are up there with others,” said Reverend Kevin Stewart, who was the principal judge.
While noting that there is room for minor improvement with some of the jams, Stewart nonetheless gave them high marks. In addition, he was seemingly blown away by the baked products, especially the breadfruit bread.
“One or two (the jams) could be a little creamier, but, depending on the material used, one could understand,” said Stewart. “The baked products are excellent; the breadfruit bread was exceptional. I think they (the products) can stand up against any other product on the commercial market, and with a little more assistance, I think they can do well.”
Like Stewart, Pauleen Reid, the principal at KPC, is quite impressed with the products and is already envisaging the KPC holding pride of place on the local market in the near future, especially if the requisite support can be had from the Ministry of Agriculture.
“We’re going to be hitting the shelves,” said the enthusiastic Reid. “They have been looking at seasonal, natural products, and that is good for us here. So if we are able to produce them and get them on the shelves, that would be good, as everyone is health conscious these days and are looking for natural products that do not carry a lot of preservatives; so it should be a big sell.”
It should be interesting to note that most of the raw materials used by the students were reaped from the 216-acre property on which the institution is located.
The principal commended the students for the items they produced and the quality of the exhibition they put on to show off their capacity to create high-quality products.
“We must commend the passion they have been exhibiting, because they took on to this idea, and they have been so dedicated, zealous and committed to what they do, and they’re consistent,” said Reid. He was full of praise for the students’ entrepreneurial zeal. “When you go into the lab and see them, they are professional in their demeanour,” he said.
Gooden, who relished the idea of guiding the students, disclosed that all the products that were on display were born out of the students’ creativity. He said they have already created the requisite business plans to take the products to market.


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First Look: Canon Selphy CP1200, the Snapshot Printer Refreshed
Canon has sold its line of dye-sublimation-based Selphy snapshot printers for years, so we weren't surprised to see an updated model at CES 2016. Our first look revealed few differences from its predecessor, the Canon Selphy CP900. Still, that means a handy printer, capable of impressive-looking 4x6-inch output at prices a bit higher than you'd pay at a drug store or supermarket. But the Selphy's advantage is portability, and this latest model is no exception, with the option for a rechargeable battery. Let's take a look.
Photo 1 of 9
Introducing the Canon Selphy CP1200
One-hour photo printing is alive and well at drugstores and larger grocery stores, but what if you don't want to wait that long? Enter the Canon Selphy.
It's been around in several iterations since 2009's Selphy CP790, which vaguely resembled a giant M&M. Canon has decided on a much more traditional design for the current model, the CP1200. It has a flip-up LCD screen similar to those found on all-in-one printers, and it can print up photos up to 4x6 inches. We got our hands on the white model at Canon's CES booth, but the printer is also available in black.


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APPLE REPORTEDLY plans to launch a trio of iPads in 2017, with an unveiling expected in the second quarter.
So says reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claims that Apple is working on 12.9in, 10-10.5in and 9.7in models for release this year.
This follows a report from October that pointed to Apple dumping its standard 9.7in tablet in favour of a smaller 7.9in model. Maybe they read it backwards.
According to Kuo, the 12.9in model will arrive as an upgrade to Apple's existing iPad Pro line-up, while the new 10in-something version will launch as a "high-end" tablet with a narrow bezel design. The mooted 9.7in model will be Apple's "low-priced" option and will reportedly feature a Samsung-made A9 processor.
There's no mention of a successor to the iPad Mini 4 which was released back in September 2014, suggesting that Apple has decided to bin its smaller tablet line-up.
With new iPads on the horizon, Kuo expects Apple's tumbling tablet sales to ease. Back in October, IDC reports that global tablet sales had fallen 15 per cent in the third quarter, which was heavily to blame on falling sales of Apple's iPad line-up.
Kuo said, according to 9to5Mac: "Although we estimate iPad shipments in 2017 will drop again YoY to 35-37 million unexpecte except the decline to narrow to 10 per cent from 2016's roughly 20 per cent given that the 10-10.5in. model may see more demand from commercial/ enterprises and tender markets."
While the 10.5in model is tipped to be popular in the enterprise, Kuo says the 9.7in version likely will be the most popular of the three rumoured models, predicting that it will make up between 50 and 60 per cent of all shipments. µ
You could soon buy that ivory backscratcher on Marketplace in a few taps
Just in case you're too posh for Whole Foods
Borked butterfly mechanism is dead
AI nirvana in the cloud


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Selena Gomez has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the companies responsible for Clothes Forever - Styling Game, a phone game that will, by its own account, “allow you to live out all your fantasies and become the fashionista you were born to be!”
In reality, it’s a cheap dress-up game that, like most mobile titles, looks to gouge the player through the sale of “diamonds”, an in-game currency that costs everywhere from $1 to $99 a pop.
As Variety reports, Gomez is suing both Guangzhou Feidong Software Technology Co. and British company MutantBox Interactive Limited over the game, claiming that it uses her likeness—specifically, an image of her used for the cover of Flare magazine—without permission.
Her suit even throws some shit on the game, saying “Nor, if asked, would Gomez have consented to such use for the Game, which apparently relies on the unsavory practice of luring its users to make in-game purchases in amounts as much as $99.99 to fund imaginary spending in the Game and unlock features”.
It should be noted that Gomez is but one of the celebrities whose likeness has been lifted for the game, with others including Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian.


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RobertCorp. is preparing to launch four corner module projects in the next three years, and three of the recipient platforms are sport/utility vehicles. The first launches soon for the 2002 model year. At least one of the contracts involves both the front and rear modules.
The corner module includes the hub, rotor, brake caliper, splash shield and bearing. The knuckle also is included, but it is produced by a different supplier.will assemble the corner modules at its plant in Clarksville, TN. No new construction is necessary.
Also, within the next four years, Bosch will launch its first integrated engine management system on a high-volume gasoline engine for passenger cars in the United States, Europe and Asia/Pacific. Bosch says the engine will comply with the world's strictest emissions target: California's Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) standard.
Bosch already produces electronic controller units (ECUs) for engines. For the engine management system, Bosch also will supply more than 20 individual components, including the fuel injectors, oxygen sensors, spark plugs and air intake manifold.
Bosch engineers will work at multiple levels with the automaker powertrain engineers to determine key performance characteristics. Engineers at the company's technical center in Farmington Hills, MI, will lead the program.


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Chinaplas returned in its full live glory to Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, on April 17 to 20, in what proved to be the biggest plastics industry event anywhere ever. A record-breaking exhibition area of 380,000 square meters (4,090,286 square feet), more than 3,900 exhibitors packing all 17 dedicated halls plus the conference venue, and a total of 248,222 show visitors, including 28,429 overseas attendees over the course of the four-day event made for packed aisles, stands, and horrendous end-of-day traffic jams. Attendance was up 52% versus the last full-fledged Chinaplas in Guangzhou in 2019, and 673% versus the COVID-hit 2021 edition in Shenzhen.
Although it was hard to stomach the 40-odd minutes it took to exit the underground parking lot on day two, when a record 86,917 industry participants homed in on Chinaplas, once at road level I was able to marvel at the shear multitude of electric and other vehicle models on the street, as well as some quirky model names. My favorites were the gasoline-powered Trumpchi from GAC Group and the “Build Your Dreams” slogan of Chinese EV market leader BYD emblazoned boldly across the tailgate of one of its models.
Speaking of cars, Chinaplas in Guangdong Province traditionally has been an electrical-and-electronics-focused show, given Southern China’s status as a hotbed of manufacturing for the likes of Apple partner Foxconn. But with companies such as BYD transitioning from manufacturing cellphone batteries to becoming a leading EV player and other newcomers emerging in the region, this year’s Chinaplas had a definite automotive tinge to it. This comes as no surprise given that of the approximately four million EVs manufactured in China in 2022, three million were produced in Guangdong Province.
The greenest hall at Chinaplas 2023 must have been Hall 20, which normally functions as a conference and event venue, but has nifty retractable seating that converts the space into an exhibition hall. It was packed with suppliers of biodegradable and bio-based resins and all manner of converted products.
Perhaps the highlight here was a piece of installation art, dubbed “Sustainability Resonator.” This was a collaborative project involving multidisciplinary artist Alex Long, Ingeo PLA biopolymer sponsor NatureWorks, bio-based TPU sponsor Wanhua Chemical, rPET sponsor BASF, Colorful-In ABS resin sponsor Kumho-Sunny, and 3D-printing filament sponsors eSUN, Polymaker, Raise3D, North Bridge, and Creality 3D, among others.
Post time: Apr-29-2023


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We’ve been keeping a few things secret behind the scenes here at Auto Assembly, not just about this year’s convention but for the long term with ideas and plans that we want to bring to all of you to give you more information about some of the things that we are doing here at Europe’s Largest Transformers Convention and we can now proudly unveil the latest of them… the Auto Assembly Podcast!
We did produce a short-lived show released through our old website several years ago but this new one released today will be bringing you updates about the convention, news and much more. The first show is all about Auto Assembly 2014 and brings you some last minute updates, news and some essential information for those of you travelling to Birmingham next weekend and you can download the show here or listen to it by clicking the link in the player at the side.
Don’t forget if you haven’t already booked tickets for Auto Assembly 2014, taking place over the weekend of 8th – 10th August 2014 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel in Birmingham, there’s STILL time to do so! Get your tickets now at our Bookings Page and we hope to see you next weekend as we celebrate 30 years of Transformers!


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Chello Central Europe has appointed Dominik Tzimas regional sales director and country manager for Poland.
Tzimas, who started in the new role this month, will work across Chello Central Europe brands in Poland and expand sales activity in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania. He joins from the publishing sector where he worked for companies including Axel Springer and Bauer and at Chello will report to vice-president, affiliate sales, Alena Blahovcova.
Viacom secures mobile distribution deal for Paramount+ with Telenor. https://t.co/jiKCXOBSuq
19 June 2018 @ 13:31:53 UTC
YouTube launches YouTube Music and YouTube Premium https://t.co/qDyflahJYW
19 June 2018 @ 13:30:35 UTC
Sky independent committee welcomes EC Comcast approval https://t.co/vK40SI7TrN
18 June 2018 @ 14:44:01 UTC
Virgin Media has laid out plans to further strengthen its UK partnership with SV... https://t.co/4bfM8GNyZ8
18 June 2018 @ 14:40:53 UTC


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07:56 | 28/08/2021
Vietnam Airlines will use either Boeing 787 or Airbus SE A350 aircraft for its inaugural US route from Ho Chi Minh City to San Francisco with one refueling stop
07:44 | 27/08/2021
US Vice President Kamala Harris said her visit to Vietnam signals the beginning of the next chapter in the relationship between the two countries.
10:47 | 08/01/2021
US Department of Commerce recently announced affirmative preliminary determinations that Vietnamese tire exporters whose turnovers to the US reach 95,5% would not be considered as "dumping".
15:13 | 01/10/2020
On October 9, the US-Vietnam Business Summit 2020 is scheduled to commence in Hanoi.
15:04 | 18/08/2020
The suspects operated more than 300 websites intended to fraudulently sell scarce products during the pandemic.
10:29 | 13/07/2020
From the beginning of July, the wholesale price of lean pork at Hoc Mon Agricultural Product and Food Wholesale Market has been on average US $ 5.65/kg, in the retail market, pork price is US $ 0.4-0.8/kg while lean pork prices delivered in July-2020 in Chicago (USA) is around US $ 1.1/kg
11:04 | 03/06/2020
The death of African-American George Floyd, a resident of Minneapolis, on May 25 sparked unrest across the US and triggered widespread protests across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. The US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink has shared a message on that US's pain on facebook.
22:32 | 02/12/2023
22:16 | 02/12/2023
22:02 | 02/12/2023


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Melbourne-based energy spend management platform BidEnergy has successfully completed a backdoor listing on the ASX after raising $7 million in funding.
The funding round, raised following a reverse takeover of Cove Resources late last year, was led by Canaccord and Cynget.
BidEnergy is a cloud-based subscription service giving business clients into energy consumption and spending across the business and then allows energy suppliers to bid to provide the most cost-effective service.
It has brought all 20 major commercial energy suppliers in Australia on board and boasts large corporate clients including Cotton On, General Electric Australia and Luxottica.
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Business as usual
BidEnergy began trading on the ASX on Wednesday morning, marking an “extraordinary milestone” for the startup, CEO Stuart Allinson says.
“This is a huge effort from our staff,” Allinson tells StartupSmart.
“This has all been locally developed – we’re a Melbourne tech story. We have some incredibly talented people and they’ve been a key part of our success story.”
But Allinson says that after a few moments of celebration the real work will begin.
“We’re excited but it’s business as usual,” he says.
“Our staff were briefed to take a moment to celebrate and congratulate each other on this extraordinary milestone, but this is about getting us to the start line. We’re treated it as a normal day.”
Allinson says the process of auditing a large company’s energy consumption was previously the domain of “specialists with spreadsheets”, and that BidEnergy’s fully automated approach will revolutionise the market.
“Ultimately it’s a flexible approach to this supply chain category,” he says.
“That’s why digitisation is so valuable and why we’ve been so successful.”
Through the backdoor
The Melbourne tech company launched in 2012 with $40,000 in seed funding and closed a round of $300,000 from friends and family in late 2013.
The $7 million funding round will be used to implement a “three pronged strategy”, Allinson says, consisting of an increased focus on enterprise sale, pushing the product through different channels and international expansions into the US and UK.
“Fundamentally we’re seeing and tackling a global problem,” he says.
“We’ve built a global platform.”
The former chair of the Climate Change Authority says he had a “galvanising” moment while at a conference in America last year that convinced him to take BidEnergy public.
“My main takeaway from that was that if we wanted to break into the US market we really had to be listed on a recognised stock exchange,” Allinson says.
“That was the lightbulb moment for us and showed us where we needed to go next.”
Tech companies taking the “backdoor” to list on the ASX has become increasingly controversial, with the market currently considering a proposal to tighten financial restrictions on this method.
But Allinson says it is a “very sensible and legitimate” route to going public.
“We’ve had a great experience with the process and we’ve had strong private and institutional support in the lead up to this,” he says.
“I don’t have a problem with this as a method of getting to market.”
He says it’s crucial for an early-stage tech company to bring in outside support from experienced individuals and to be always looking towards the next step in the startup journey.
“You need to be getting the right support at the right time,” Allinson says.
“It’s about being very disciplined about setting milestones that your investor community is comfortable about.
“We’ve been trying to behave as though we were listed for the past year. You need to be thinking at that next level of operating.”


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IP court upholds cancellation of legal protection of brand similar to Red Bull trademark
MOSCOW, February 26 (RAPSI) – The Intellectual Property Court (IP Court) has upheld a ruling of Russia’s Patent Agency (Rospatent) cancelling the legal protection of Korean company BullsOne Co., Ltd. trademark on demand of Red Bull GmbH, according to court records.
The Korean company challenged the Rospatent decision of July 25, 2018. At that time the patent watchdog invalidated the legal protection of the trademark depicting a red bull, which was registered by the International Bureau of World Intellectual Property Organization in 2011, saying it misguided consumer as to the origin of the company’s products.
The Rospatent ruled that Red Bull energy drinks trademark was protected in Russia, and although Red Bull GmbH and BullsOne used somewhat different images for non-overlapping categories of products, the Korean brand was still confusingly similar to the Austrian producer’s trademark in the eyes of consumers.


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Last week, consumer rights advocates turned their attention to a somewhat unusual place: breakfast cereal. Word began to spread on the internet that General Mills-maker of Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, and many other popular cereals in addition to food brands like Pillsbury, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, and Haagen-Dazs-was giving away online coupons to registered users. These coupons carried with them a catch, however, and a pretty big one at that: To receive and use the coupon, the future customer had to agree to waive her right to sue the company.
So if, for example, a child swallowed a spoonful of Lucky Charms containing a razorblade, his parents would have very limited options for legal recourse against General Mills if they’d used one of the company’s coupons to buy the cereal. They’d be denied a jury trial in open court, forced instead into arbitration, a closed-door procedure known to be very friendly toward big businesses in disputes against consumers.
Such a practice is known as ‘forced arbitration’ and it’s becoming increasingly common. We all are familiar with long, tedious service agreements, and we tend to scroll all the way to the bottom of the screen and select “Yes I Agree,” without ever reading and considering the language to which we’re agreeing. Though it doesn’t feel like it, we’re signing a contract every time we do this… and when a contract is written by a company expecting you not to read it, you can be sure who the terms will favor.
Forced arbitration clauses have been used by technology companies for years (AT&T was a pioneer in this field). But General Mills is the first food company to do it, and the way it’s tricked consumers into agreeing to its terms are shaky at best, and sleazy at worst. It wasn’t just giving away coupons for modest discounts (usually 50 cents off the price of a box of cereal) in exchange for arbitration agreements, it was posting legal fine print on its Facebook page that users who “joined the General Mills community” merely by “Liking” the company agreed to waive their rights as well, among other dishonest tactics.
Thankfully, the outrage of the online community in response forced General Mills’ hand, and it quickly amended its legal terms to remove the new language. That is good news, and it’s heartening to know that customers can affect the behavior of companies if their voices are loud enough. However, the overall trend is worrying. The legal restrictions that prevent deep-pocketed corporations from running roughshod over consumers are being loosened more and more each year. In 2011, the US Supreme Court upheld that forced arbitration clauses are perfectly legal, and the floodgates opened for any and every company to start using them. As public advocacy group Public Citizen points out, General Mills is far from the only company to use arbitration clauses; they’re used by companies whose products we use every day.
The right to a trial by jury is a fundamental American right-it levels the playing field when the ordinary citizen goes against the major corporation in a courtroom, it’s David’s sling against Goliath. Big companies know this, and they work hard to limit how often they have to go to trial. Forcing consumers into arbitration saves them enormous amounts of money, and these huge companies have to look after their bottom line to please their shareholders. So even though General Mills has backed off (at least for now), there is nothing stopping more and more companies from trying similar tactics. And in all likelihood, they will succeed.


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Tag Archives: New Africa Twin
The New Honda Africa Twin Spotted
It was bound to happen, sooner or later a motorcycle journalist would capture photos of the new Africa Twin in action. On one of the photos we can see the bike’s license plate, which is from Frankfurt, Germany. If you … Continue reading
Posted in Bike Reviews Tagged Africa Twin spotted, Africa Twin Spy Photos, Honda Africa Twin, New Africa Twin Leave a comment
Welcome the new Honda Africa Twin!
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Posted in Bike Reviews Tagged 2016 Africa Twin, Africa Twin, CRF1000L, honda's new adventure bike, New Africa Twin 1 Comment
Honda True Adventure – Episode 4 – The meeting, Part 1
With the popularity of adventure motorcycles going on for more than a decade already, it seemed natural for Honda to bring its discontinued but always popular Africa Twin back to the market. However, for many years already Honda has ignored … Continue reading
Posted in Bike Reviews Tagged crf1000, Honda CRF 1000, Honda True Adventure, honda's new adventure, New Africa Twin, True Adventure 4 Comments
Honda True Adventure – Episode 3 – The Return to Dakar
Several weeks ago Honda released its third video of its media campaign for its Honda True Adventure. If you haven’t seen the previous episodes or have not heard of the “True Adventure” words yet, this concept, “True Adventure” was unveiled … Continue reading
Posted in Bike Reviews Tagged Honda Africa Twin, honda's new adventure bike, New Africa Twin, True Adventure Leave a comment
Honda True Adventure – Episode 2 – Live Unlike the Others
The second installment of what will likely be a series of videos Honda will be releasing in preparation for the launch of its “True Adventure” motorcycle, or line of motorcycles, is out. On the first video Honda showed footage of … Continue reading
Posted in Bike Reviews Tagged 2015 Africa Twin, Africa Twin, Honda Africa Twin, New Africa Twin, True Adventure 5 Comments
Honda True Adventure – Episode 1 – The Dream
Honda’s build up for their new Adventure bike has started. First it was about giving away specs about a rumored bike here and there – journalists claiming they received the information from “Honda insiders.” Maybe the information circulating was not … Continue reading
Posted in Bike Reviews Tagged crf1000, eicma 2014 Africa Twin, elsinore, honda, Honda Elsinore, New Africa Twin, transalp 1 Comment
The Honda Africa Twin is REALLY Back! Sort of…
There you go my friends, time to end one set of rumors… and start another. Under the title “True Adventure” Honda showed three bikes at the EICMA 2014 event in Milan this week. On one side a 1980’s Honda Twin … Continue reading
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Intermot 2014: What’s New in the Adventure World?
The first international show of the fall has come and is now gone. Intermot in Cologne is the first on a series of fall shows where motorcycle manufacturers display their new line up to the public and provide us the … Continue reading
Posted in Bike Reviews Tagged 2015 Tiger 800 XC, Ducati Scrambler, Intermot, Intermot 2014, KTM 1290 Super Adventure, New Africa Twin, Tiger 800 XCR Comments Off on Intermot 2014: What’s New in the Adventure World?
2015 Honda Elsinore or Africa Twin? 500 or 1,000? Both? Neither?
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Is September 10th 2014 the day we will see the New Africa Twin?
Will it finally be unveiled, and will this reveal take place five days from today? A tease on Honda’s German site, the home country of Intermot (2014 Intermot starts on October 1st in Cologne), shows an illustration of a magician … Continue reading
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For Beef And Pork Producers, 2019 Wasn't As Bad As It Could Have Been
People are eating a lot of meat, both in the U.S. and around the world, and that could be good news for the cattle sector in 2020. Things are looking up for pork, too.
Lee Schulz, a livestock economist at Iowa State University, says there’s typically a 9 to 14 year cycle for beef production. At the current point in that cycle, heading into year six, he says the number of cattle should be leveling-off, which would mean farmers and ranchers would get lower prices for their beef.
But as he looks ahead to predictions for 2020, Schulz sees better prices than the ones today.
“That’s certainly setting up that we could continue to hold inventories or not see very large declines or liquidations of the cattle herd because of those supported prices in the horizon,” Schulz said.
He says in recent years beef exports grew by more than 10 percent. While the pace of that growth has slowed, 2019 still saw a bit of an increase. The new trade deal with Japan and the likely implementation of a new North American agreement could keep beef exports strong in 2020.
For hog farmers, 2019 included ongoing tariffs on Chinese imports of U.S. pork, but the year also saw the unprecedented African swine fever (ASF) outbreak claim more than half the pigs in China, pushing the country to go shopping for more pork on the world market.
“We’re not the first location that China comes to to buy pork,” he says, “and so there certainly was a lag in the impact of what was going on with the outbreak of ASF.”
China started buying more pork from the European Union, Schulz says, but eventually it turned to the US, too.
“We’ve seen the US really ramp-up exports to China,” he said, “as well as back-filling other places that maybe weren’t getting exports from the European Union.”
African swine fever has not been found in North America, but Schulz says the threat of it has prompted many farmers to pour profits into shoring up biosecurity. That has the added benefit of reducing the spread of existing diseases, too.
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Copyright 2019 Harvest Public Media


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A new ASX trading platform from Marketech Focus has been launched to put the tools used by institutional investors, such as real-time pricing data and low-fee trading, in the hands of everyday shareholders.
The Marketech platform, which was born out of frustration at the current technologies available for retail traders, is positioned to offer significantly fairer trading fees than a large variety of legacy service providers.
The trading services provider offers two discount-price plans. FocusLite, which is designed for lower volume traders offers free monthly access and minimum brokerage charges of $10-per-trade or 0.04%.
Its other product, known as Focus is intended for active traders and has a $45 monthly subscription with a minimum $5 or 0.02% brokerage rate.
While a large number of competitors have recently emerged offering low-cost execution-only trading services, Marketech Focus managing director, Mr Travis Clark said the company has further sought to differentiate itself by offering advanced technology.
The platform offers real-time prices, is available on desktop as well as mobile and is also able to empower traders with advanced tools providing greater insight, control and transparency over trading decisions.
“This plugs a gaping hole in the online share trading market because no other mobile broker offers such service rich functionality, whilst offering a fairer fee structure for active traders.
It clearly lifts us above opportunistic new share trading apps that typically only offer fairly basic services,” Mr Clark said.
He added that the Marketech Focus team has been building institutional trading technology for over 20 years and intends to take advantage of a major opportunity to bring this technology to retail investors.
In addition to launching the platform, Marketech has also announced that the company has entered into a partnership with portfolio management company Sharesight.
Sharesight’s tracking products allow investors to know instantly how their portfolios are performing, track dividend payments and prepare tax reports by linking their Marketech account.
Commenting on the partnership Mr Doug Morris, CEO of Sharesight said: “We are excited by this partnership with Marketech Focus.
“Self-directed investors seeking clarity on the performance of their portfolio will benefit from this integration. It also showcases the technical capabilities of our API. We welcome Marketech Focus’ clients onto the Sharesight platform.”