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On Earth Day 2021, EV Trail installed the first DC Fast Charger in Huerfano County, Colorado. On November 1, two Level 2 plugs were added. To celebrate this new station, the Colorado Springs EV Club decided to make a club event and visit the station. This became a great time to test the maximum load for the station with all fours plugs charging simultaneously. It's also a great time for local residents to see various electric vehicles and visit with the owners.
Most drivers will be arriving at 11:30 am on Saturday, November 13, 2021, at George's Drive Inn, 564 US Hway 85-87, Walsenburg CO.
Just show up!
EV Trail is supporting the gathering with free charging all day at the station (midnight to midnight). The participating club for 2021 is the Colorado Springs EV Club.
Let's try to overload Walsenburg with EVs for one day! Two goals: 1. charge simultaneously on all four charge plugs at maximum draw to show people the electrical grid won't break with EVs connected. 2. Dramatically increase the count of EVs in Walsenburg for a day.
And of course it's a great time to grab lunch at George's Drive Inn and for Walsenburg residents to visit with owners of electric cars and find out what they're all about.


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Rey to be added to the Star Wars Monopoly after #wheresrey
If you’ve been on social media recently, you might have noticed a certain hashtag going around Facebook with people arguing that the newly updated Star Wars Monopoly was lacking a certain star from the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie. The hashtag being #WheresRey.
The game does feature Luke Skywalker and Finn as the Light Side characters. However, the game completely lacks quite possibly the biggest character in the movie, Rey.
Hasbro went on to explain that Rey was cut from the game to exclude any spoilers of the movie. This was their reasoning behind the lack of multiple Rey toys during the holiday season as well.
Hasbro announced this week that Rey will be added to the game later this year.
This isnt the only Star Wars: The Force Awakens hashtag debate to take on social media. Back when the Star Wars: The Force Awakens poster was revealed, people began using the hashtag #wheresluke due to Luke Skywalker being absent from the movies poster. And well, we all know why that came to be if you’ve seen the movie.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens became the highest grossing movie ever this week, surpassing Avatar.

domain: news


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The OnePlus Nord was once known in shorthand as the OnePlus 8 Lite for fairly obvious reasons: it was expected to be lighter than the company’s recent flagship, both in terms of specs and its drain on the wallet. But now it looks like there may be a Lite version of the Lite handset, as a mystery OnePlus device has appeared on Geekbench.
First spotted by Abhishek Yadav on Twitter, the listing refers to a smartphone with the model number BE2028. While earlier listings for the OnePlus Nord (AC2003) point to a device clocked at 1.8GHz with 12GB RAM, this new page shows a clock speed of 1.71GHz and 6GB RAM.
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That could, perhaps, be the upcoming 5G-capable Snapdragon 690 processor, rather than the 765G powering the OnePlus Nord. The single-core performance (609 vs 612) is pretty similar between the two, but in multi-core tests it’s more clear cut: 1,728 for the BE2028 against 1,955 for the AC2003.
So what’s going on here? Well to clear up one possible misconception right away, this definitely isn’t a sign that the OnePlus Nord is going to be less well specced than the initial rumors predicted. While a now deleted tweet from Qualcomm’s EU account didn’t specify which Snapdragon 5G chipset the OnePlus Nord would be using, OnePlus’ Carl Pei has told our sister site TechRadar that it will indeed be the Snapdragon 765 CPU powering things.
Two other possibilities remain. The first is that there’s going to be a OnePlus Nord Lite with slightly cheaper internals. Whether this would be an alternative handset for everyone, or a version specifically for markets where the company needs to keep prices lower to have any chance of success is open to speculation.
The less exciting other option is that this is just an older prototype of the OnePlus Nord with less ambitious specs built in. That would make it interesting as a curiosity, but irrelevant to the here and now.
All will be revealed soon: OnePlus has confirmed that the Nord will be unveiled at an online event on July 21, and the company has even developed an app to watch along with AR extras on the day.
Other than the possible surprise inclusion of the mystery BE2028 handset, we’re not expecting too many surprises from the Nord itself: a Snapdragon 765G powered, 6.4-inch device with a 90Hz refresh rate, a 4,300mAh battery and a quad camera array on the back. In other words, the upcoming Pixel 4a should be worried, provided OnePlus remembers its affordable roots...


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Why is the program needed?
Teens face the pressures of substance abuse on a daily basis. The pressures in schools across the country are growing for many students and it's important to remember why red flag problems in our communities need to be addressed.
According to the Truth Initiative:
The last five years have seen enormous spikes in youth e-cigarette use rates.
- In 2017, 11% of high school students had used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days. By 2018, that number had risen to 21% and, by 2019, 27.5% of high school students had used e-cigarettes in the past month.
- Compared with the very small amount of youth use in 2011 (1.5%), this represents an increase of more than 1,800% in just eight years
- The current use rate among middle schoolers rose from 0.6% in 2011 to 10.5% in 2019.
- The 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey data show that 34.2% of current high school e-cigarette users and 18.0% of current middle school e-cigarette users use e-cigarettes on 20 days or more per month.
- Similarly, Monitoring the Future found that in 2019, 11.7% of high school seniors vape every day, suggesting that more users are becoming dependent on these products.
- Youth e-cigarette users cite flavors as a top reason they began using e-cigarettes, second only to use by a family member or friend.
- A study that included middle and high school students reported that 43% of young people who ever used e-cigarettes tried them because of appealing flavors.
- The FDA has reported that, among current youth users of e-cigarettes, 97% used a flavored e-cigarette in the past month.
- As much as 98.7% of flavored e-cigarette products sold in convenience, dollar, drug and grocery stores contain nicotine.


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According to the representative, Skype's growth strategy "includes extending the Skype infrastructure and platform to bring Skype functionality wherever, whenever, and on whatever device or site people choose to use it." Currently, that includes computers, some smartphones, and, of course, the PSP. As for the DSi, "Whilst we can't comment on any future plans to bring Skype to Nintendo's DSi, it would technically be possible."
Of course, DS homebrew enthusiasts have known for a couple of years that it's possible. But the DSi Shop makes it seem more likely to happen in an official capacity.


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A recent Google proposal that could make it more difficult to block web ads has incited a great deal of criticism from developers who are offering such tools.
Google is currently working on an update to the security protocol of its Chrome browser that would limit how browser extensions built by outside developers can interact with websites. This would apply to all ads that don’t fall within the “better ads standards,” including popups and sticky ads, while benefiting. Google’s online advertising business. It is important to note that Google makes most of its revenue through online advertising, which relies on users seeing ads as they surf the web. Google’s Chrome dominates the market for desktop web browsers
While the stated goal of Google’s Chrome update is to strengthen privacy and security for Chrome users, software developers in the ad-block industry are concerned that this move will render their products all but useless. Jeremy Tillman, Director of Product at Ghostery, a popular ad-blocking software, expressed his concerns about this looming update, “Whether Google does this to protect their advertising business or simply to force its own rules on everyone else, it would be nothing less than another case of misuse of its market-dominating position.”
In an emailed statement from the company, Google has said that they are still working on the proposal with developers and wants to make sure all “fundamental use cases” will still be possible.
Our take on these changes are that it might be a positive change for affiliate marketing, the reason being that so many of these ad blockers are obvious “Pay to delete” scams. That does little to help the surfer and a lot to annoy affiliates and networks like WebClicks. For now we will monitor the effects of these proposed changes closely.


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MILAN (AP) — Fashion may seem a respite for the cares of the world, but often it is actually an expression of them.
Designers in Milan this week are finding ways to express their concerns about the global affairs through their collections, in some cases purposely providing an escape but in others using textiles and seams to stitch together a story.
Milan Fashion Week on Friday held its third day of previews for next spring and summer with shows by Antonio Marras, Etro, MSGM and Versace.
MILAN (AP) — For anyone wanting to unlock the DNA of Milan ready-to-wear, a new museum exhibition surveying three decades of Italian fashion offers some keys.
Echoes of styles and trends on display in the "Italiana" exhibit at Milan's Palazzo Reale are apparent in big and small ways on the runways during Milan Fashion Week, which runs through Monday with previews of mostly womenswear for next fall and winter.
MILAN (AP) — Milan designers are keeping it clean for next season.
Many collections have a girl-next-door gleam, with an underpinning of sexy. The silhouettes are fresh and there is simplicity to the compositions.
Maybe it's because many designers are taking hints from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s in their designs. And no, that doesn't mean retro. Materials and execution keep the collections modern.


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Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen began testing new desserts and side dishes this week as part of a strategy to increase its presence in the home-meal replacement market, said Amy Alarcon, the quick-service chicken chain’s director of culinary innovation.
Alarcon said the items, which will be bundled into the Atlanta-based chain’s HMR meal options, are being tested in Memphis, Tenn.; San Antonio; and Shreveport, La.
If successful, they will be rolled out chainwide next year, she said.
“We think one of the great ways we can continue the box business sales is by providing more interesting sides and desserts,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of cool side items and desserts that are geared toward feeding a family, not just a one-off or individual in the restaurant.
“We’re trying to provide things that round out the dinner occasion a little bit more than traditional mashed potatoes and gravy, she said.”
Alarcon would not identify the side dish selections that currently are in test, but said the first dessert item is a molten chocolate lava cake that resulted from consumer testing and demand. The new lava cake is priced at $3.99 and serves four to six people.
“People asked us for it,” she said. “There were a couple of loud and clear messages from who I call the gatekeeper. I don’t want to call [that person] mom because it may not necessarily be a mom. But whoever that person is, that person who’s in charge of the dinner meal, they want you to round out the meal.
“The molten chocolate lava cake is meant to be heated at home, so you get the ‘lava’ experience,” she continued. “You still feel like you did something — even though it may have been takeout — to put a warm and nutritious meal on the table.”
Alarcon said the sides would be offered on a seasonal basis and refreshed every three to four months.
“[HMR] is something we’ve always done, what our business is designed around,” she said. “We’re just trying to give it much more of a Popeyes’ experience.”
Separately, Alarcon said that while Popeyes has discussed the possibility of entering the breakfast daypart — it currently offers some items at about 60 of its stores — that is not a current initiative for the 1,945-unit chain.
“We’ve flirted with it, but I think it will be awhile before you see us go down that path,” she said. “It’s out there in certain locations where, for whatever reasons, you need to have it. We have a lot of airport locations, and we serve breakfast in those restaurants. But it is not an easy game to get into. You’ve got to be very thoughtful about breakfast.”
Contact Elissa Elan at [email protected].


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OPPO Offers 30% Discount On Repairs From Their Flood Relief Program
The folks at OPPO Malaysia has recently announced that they are offering flood relief assistance to affected users from the recent flash floods.
OPPO Malaysia flood relief program
With the program, OPPO is offering up to 30% discount on all repairs, where it is valid on a single receipt and starts from this 26th of December till the 31st of January 2022.
The 30% price discount is available on selective spare parts for certain OPPO smartphone and 20% price discount is offered for courier service, which is available for those who apply for online send-in repair service.
You can opt to walk in to the nearest OPPO service centre or My OPPO Space to send in your smartphone for repair. You can also contact their online customer service to enquire about the eligibility of your smartphone model and the availability of spare parts.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: It’s not exactly the kind of aid that I expected from them… but hey, it’s better than nothing, right?


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Machine Learning is Out There….Now!
In a recent post I talked about the exciting new topics that came up at the recent NVIDIA GTC. I talked about NVIDIA and VMware’s partnership, and specifically some bits about the AI Ready Enterprise platform. The partnership has grown rapidly and it’s a great reflection on how quickly machine learning is becoming not just mainstream, but mainstream for Enterprise.
Digital companies like Amazon, Facebook, Netflix etc. have been using Machine Learning for a long time now. As modern digital companies, with large budgets and most importantly, vast amounts of data and compute power, they have been able to adopt ML in a big way, for things like Chat Bots, Facial Recognition, Supply Chain Forecasting, etc.
For Enterprises, we are still in pretty new territory.


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The U.S. hotel industry will benefit from what is expected to be a relatively rapid economic turnaround in 2021 and 2022, according to the June 2020 edition of CBRE’s Hotel Horizons forecast report. CBRE foresees demand for U.S. lodging accommodations returning to pre-crisis levels in the third quarter of 2022. However, a lag in ADR growth will stall the recovery in RevPAR until 2023.
CBRE projects that U.S. hotel occupancy levels will decline as low as 26.2 percent during the second quarter of 2020. The firm also forecasts an annual occupancy level of 41 percent for 2020, and that luxury hotels will experience the lowest 2020 annual occupancy at 33.4 percent. Conversely, economy hotels are projected to achieve the highest annual occupancy level at 46.4 percent.
Based on CBRE’s forecast, the pace of declining occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, and demand is expected to begin lessening during the third quarter of 2020. Year-over-year growth in each measure is anticipated by the second quarter of 2021.
A critical factor driving the recovery is a reduction in the number of new COVID-19 cases. In the event of a prolonged need for social distancing and a persistent occurrence of new COVID-19 cases, CBRE has developed a forecast of a hypothetical downside scenario in which the recovery in RevPAR to pre-crisis levels is pushed out to 2025.
Photo: Lalmch from Pixabay


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Recently, Mac computers have been discovered to have a secret Bitcoin Whitepaper document. This finding was made by Andy Baio, a technology expert, who discovered it on his own computer.
The Bitcoin Whitepaper is the founding document of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency. It was published by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. and describes the operation of the Bitcoin payment and transaction system. Since then, the document has been a key element in the development and adoption of cryptocurrency.
Baio’s discovery was surprising, since Mac computers have not previously been reported to contain this document. Apparently, the Bitcoin Whitepaper is located in a hidden folder in the operating system of Mac computers.
The fact that the Bitcoin Whitepaper is on Mac computers has generated a lot of interest among the cryptocurrency community. This has led to some speculation as to whether Apple has any relationship with Bitcoin or has been involved in the development of the cryptocurrency.. However, at the moment, no evidence has been found to support these theories.
In any case, Baio’s discovery is important because it indicates that the Bitcoin Whitepaper is available to a wider audience than previously believed. This means that more people will be able to access the information they need to understand how Bitcoin works and potentially contribute to its development and adoption in the future.
Those who wish to access the document in order to review it have two alternatives:. The first one is do it from the Fider when accessing the storage unit to later open the folder identified as “System”.
Once this is done, the user must enter the “Decives” and “Resources” folders, where he will find a document in PDF format called “simpledoc.pdf”.
The other option is to copy and paste the following code, file:///System/Library/Image%20Capture/Devices/VirtualScanner.app/Contents/Resources/simpledoc.pdf, directly into the terminalin such a way that the location of the file is opened without the need to navigate between the different folders of the computer’s system.
– Reveal which is the most common virus on Macs and how it affects users
– Which Apple apps will stop working on iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch
– Microsoft is working on a version of Skype for Mac from Apple
Source: La Opinion


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Admirers of the Eiffel Tower now have the chance to wear a piece of the Parisian tourist attraction.
Paul Michael Bedell, founder and CEO of the Austin, Texas–based Korbella jewelry line, credits his young daughter for inspiring his business venture. “We were in France last year on a family trip and the city of Paris captivated my 9-year-old daughter,” Bedell says. “Daughter falls in love with the Eiffel Tower, and father starts a new business.”
Multi-charm sterling silver necklace, $630
Disappointed by the souvenirs in the gift shop, Bedell came up with the idea to create a timeless keepsake combining a piece of the landmark with fine jewelry. “I’ve always loved jewelry, but for the last 20 years all I’ve done is admired it and purchased it,” says Bedell, who worked in financial services for most of his life. After discovering that pieces of the tower’s spiral staircase were auctioned off in 1983, he then tracked down the auctioned staircase and purchased a piece that had previously been shown on the National Geographic channel.
Bedell creates the designs and sends his vision to a professional illustrator who works with CAD technology. A team in Vermont works with the Eiffel Tower metal, while a New York team creates the castings, which are then finished in Rhode Island.
Sterling silver round medallion necklace, $855
The finished necklaces and earrings, made of vermeil or sterling silver (as well as the Eiffel Tower metal), range from $400 to $1,200 and are sold online. Customers are also able to request specific designs with diamonds or colored gemstones.
“I want to inspire people to recall memories and access their dreams,” Bedell says. “I’ve had customers who have never gotten the chance to go to Paris, but it’s on their bucket list.”
Since resources from the Tower are limited, Bedell has toyed with the idea of expansion. “In the future there is the possibility of other artifact-inspired pieces,” Bedell says. “But for now we are capturing the romanticism of one of the world’s most famous icons.”
Vermeil medallion with gold-filled chain, $635 (Photos courtesy of Paul Michael Bedell)


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Kawasaki appears to be joining Kymco in proposing a battery that can the owner can swap quickly to recharge their electric motorcycle.
The company filed a patent for an electric version of its baby Ninja in 2013, but the patent has only now been published.
In the main photo above, the battery and motor are shown to the left of the motorcycle to demonstrate how it can be pulled from the tubular frame of the machine.
That seems strange because only the battery would need to be replaced, although it would make maintenance on the motor easier.
That’s also strange as motor maintenance is not an issue with electric vehicles. They tend to be long-lasting and have low maintenance requirements.
Battery swap history
The patent varies from the Kymco plan to make only the battery replaceable.
Kymco also has battery swap vending machines.
Battery swap technology is not new. British company Battery Traction Ltd came up with the idea in 1938, but it was sidelined by World War II.
Better Place also suggested the idea in 2008 and went broke in 2013.
Car companies dabbled with the idea, but have largely canned it because their batteries are too big.
However, Tesla has patented a robot that can charge an electric car’s battery in 15 minutes and some small electric city cars can swap batteries in under a minute.
Standard battery swap size
While battery swap technology makes a lot of sense and would solve the problem of hours-long recharging, it would require all manufacturers to get on board with standard sized batteries.
However, Kawasaki’s patent doesn’t seem to advance the notion of a standard battery size the whole battery and motor coming out of the motorcycle in one unit.
Electric motorcycles and scooters need smaller batteries than cars, so a quick battery swap system for two-wheelers could still be likely.
Since battery technology is developing at a rapid pace, especially decreasing in size, a standardised battery size would become obsolete in just a few years.
Kymco suggest multiple small batteries would get around the battery size issue. However, their batteries are still quite big – about the size and weight of a 1990s laptop (about 5kg).
The Ionex is powered by two batteries stored under the floor pan. Each battery is good for about 30-40km.
Kymco says riders can also rent up to three extra batteries and store them in the underseat compartment, extending range to 200km.
But then you lose the advantage of underseat storage for your helmet, jacket and gloves.
The Ionex can also be charged by plugging the scooter into a power outlet or plugging each battery into a portable charger you can have at home or work.
Chairman Alan Ko says they are launching 10 electric models in the next few years, establish their own charge battery-swapping networks in 20 countries and sell more half a million electric vehicles worldwide.
“With the Ionex, together we start an open movement that celebrates one of the most important social missions of our time,” he says.
There is also the problem of the expense of infrastructure to provide vending machines in enough places to make it workable.
It may work in large cities, but would be impossible to get adequate con ergo in a large country such as Australia.
Kymco isn’t the first scooter company to suggest battery swap technology.
San Francisco company Scoot has about 700 electric scooters for short-term hire.
Now they are looking at moving into small cars with swappable batteries.


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Medical Device Daily
John Paré – who says, “I'm a blind guy myself” – has recently found new enjoyment in a whole bunch of small things, such as being able to “read” the in-flight magazine when he flies to a conference, or, without help, taking a long “look” at all the offerings on a restaurant menu.
He says that what otherwise might be considered, to you and me, rather small and insignificant accomplishments, will be carried out millions of times each day with a new device, the Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader.
The reader is a newly developed technology for enabling the blind to scan and read – by listening – to a wide range of documents, in whole new settings, Paré told Medical Device Daily.
The latter feature, its portability, is the strikingly new feature of the device.
Paré, director of communications for the National Federation for the Blind (NFB; Baltimore), notes that the scanning and transition into Braille or synthetic speech can be done with bulky scanners and computers at home or in the office, but that they aren't exactly capable of being taken on the road. The new reader changes all that.
Looking like a slightly enlarged personal data assistant (PDA), the Kurzweil-NFB reader is a hand-held system. Placing it over a document for scanning, and then simply pushing a button, enables a blind or poorly sighted person to hear, via synthetic speech, the documents' contents, ranging from a standard page of print to a business card, or even smaller.
The reader combines a digital camera, speech recognition software, text-to-speech conversion and a speaker system, all combined into PDA format that is being bannered by the NFB as revolutionary in its ability to provide quick access to more information in more places for the blind than ever before possible.
The reader can be used with headphones so as not to disturb others, or with small speakers on a desk. Other features include the ability to transfer files to a desktop and laptop computers or to Braille notetakers.
Paré notes that the device can aid those with the entire range of sight difficulties, not only the blind, but those with great difficulty in seeing and the elderly who may otherwise avoid reading such things as the small print of pharmaceutical labeling.
Developed by serial device entrepreneur Ray Kurzweil, with what Paré describes as “significant” financial support from NFB, the reader will be officially unveiled at the NFB's annual convention July 4-7 in Dallas and go on sale then.
Cost of the reader is put at about $3,495, which the NFB compares to the price of a flat-screen TV.
Paré says that the device will receive ready reimbursement, either partially or often fully, through vocational programs supporting blind workers and students and that a variety of state agencies are likely to support purchase options.
Sales will be handled by Kurzweil Educational Sys-tems (Bedford, Massachusetts) and its national distribution channel of dealers, with portions of the profits going to NFB.
Paré says that development of the reader was launched about two years ago, with the devices beta-tested over the last several weeks by up to 500 users – by NFB “pioneers” around the country who used the device and provided feedback for fine-tuning.
Key to the development was the work of Kurzweil, CEO of K-NFB Reading Technology, the joint venture created to develop and promote the device.
Kurzweil – who has been dubbed the “Thomas Edison of the 21st century” – was the primary developer of the first omni-font optical character-recognition technology, the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, the first CCD flatbed scanner, the first text-to-speech synthesizer and related technologies.
Paré says that future development of the reader will be largely determined by the continuing improvements of its key components. As PDAs and digital cameras systems become “smaller and more powerful, we'll incorporate those capabilities,” he said, thereby advancing the system's ability to read print, say, against complex color backgrounds and different varieties of type, perhaps even hand-written notes.
“Some day, I envision that there will be enough processing capability and sufficient resolution on a digital camera to run [the reader] on a cell phone,” Paré told MDD.
Marc Maurer, president of the NFB, said: “The world of the printed word is about to be opened to the blind in a way it has never been before. No other device in the history of technology for the blind and visually impaired has provided quicker access to more information.”
He noted also that the device is consistent with the NFB's promotion of “a positive attitude towards blindness – this reader will make blind and visually impaired people dramatically more independent. The result will be better performance at work, at school, at home and everywhere else we go.”
James Gashel, NFB's executive director for strategic initiatives, said: “Every year 75,000 more people will become blind or visually impaired in this country. As America's aging population soars over the next few decades, so too will the incidence of visual impairment and blindness.”
With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest membership organization of blind people in the U.S. In January 2004 the organization opened the National Federation of the BlindJernigan Institute (Baltimore), billed by the NFB as “the first research and training center in the U.S. for the blind led by the blind.”


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PETALING JAYA: Harrisons Holdings (Malaysia) Bhd’s indirect subsidiary Famous Food Co Pte Ltd (FFC) is buying the entire stake in Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Singapore Pte Ltd (Amos) for S$5.7 million (RM17.1 million).
Amos is principally engaged in the business of retailing cookies under the Famous Amos brand name in Singapore, while FFC is an investment holdings company.
The group told the stock exchange today that FFC has entered into a sale and purchase agreement with Amos’ directors for the proposed transaction.
The group noted that Harrisons Peninsular Sdn Bhd (HPSB), a wholly owned subsidiary of the group and the immediate holding company of FFC will contribute its 68% share of the purchase price amounts to S$3.9 million, which will be funded through bank borrowings.
Harrisons said this acquisition will further enable the group to capitalise on its overseas expansion platform to further expand its distribution and wholesaling business.
“Harrisons plans to expand to other regional territories with this established brand together with the Komonoya brand,” it noted.
Harrisons recently acquired 100% of Watts Harrisons Sdn Bhd which retails and wholesale the uniform price products under the Komonoya brand in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
Source: The Sun Daily


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False, misleading and deceptive conduct by MSY Technology, MSY Group and MSY NSW
Following legal action by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Federal Court of Australia declared that MSY Technology Pty Ltd (MSY Technology), MSY Group Pty Ltd (MSY Group) and M.S.Y. Technology (NSW) Pty Ltd (MSY NSW) (together MSY) engaged in conduct that contravened the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
The Court found that:
·MSY Technology and MSY Group made false, misleading and deceptive representations about MSY’s terms and conditions on its website; and
·MSY NSW and MSY Technology made false, misleading and deceptive representations instore and by email communications to certain consumers who purchased faulty computer products from MSY,
which representations were contrary to the consumer guarantee rights provided in the ACL.
MSY’s false and misleading representations for faulty computer products included statements that:
·consumers had to return the good to MSY within 7 days of receiving it in order to obtain an ACL remedy;
·MSY had the discretion to determine the ACL remedy available to the consumer on a case-by-case basis;
·consumers may incur an administrative fee if the product was not under a manufacturer’s warranty; and
·the consumer would have to approach the manufacturer (not MSY) for an ACL remedy.
As part of its orders, the Court has required MSY to:
·pay pecuniary penalties in the amount of $750,000 and the ACCC’s costs of the proceeding;
·not publish or cause to be published on any website it operates, and not make to consumers instore, any representation that consumers’ rights or remedies are in any way limited, restricted or varied from those conferred on consumers under the ACL;
·implement a consumer law compliance program which includes staff training and a complaints handling system; and
·publish a phone number on MSY’s website that consumers can use to raise consumer guarantee issues with a senior MSY employee.


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Consumers Negative on CARD Act Advice
Consumers are doing a poor job of taking advantage of financial counseling services under last year’s CARD Act, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling charged Wednesday.
Indeed, the association’s help line connecting consumers to member agencies is going unused and that is “confusing particularly during this current economic environment where millions of consumers have serious financial concerns,” said the trade group.
“Every month tens of millions of credit card statements are mailed to consumers as a result of the CARD Act and every statement is required to display a toll free number directing consumers to non profit credit counseling agencies for help managing their finances,” said the NFCC.
The result, said NFCC, has been that the NFCC toll-free line has been listed on 500 million statements since the implementation date of Feb. 22, 2010, but “only 150,000 people have reached out for help with their financial situation.”
This is unhealthy, said the NFCC, since consumers are not contacting the 800 agencies that comprise the NFCC network.
“Consumers are doing themselves a disservice by not taking advantage of this resource, as reviewing their situation with a trained and certified credit counselor could provide solutions they’ve not considered.”


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Facebook Deals gives local shopping discounts
Facebook is launching a service that allows British users to earn discounts from high street businesses.
People who visit participating shops can log in using from their mobile phones to receive rewards.
Companies can use Facebook Deals as a virtual loyalty card or coupon system.
The service ties into Facebook Places, an add-on for mobile phones that launched in 2010 as a way for users to share their location with friends.
Rory Cellan-Jones reports.


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One campaign to rule all tourists
"Special interest travellers tend to spend more and stay longer than travellers seeking a more general leisure experience. For example, over the past five years, 318,000 international tourists participated in a cycling activity. On average, these travellers spend close to $4,000 per trip, compared to $2,500 for all other visitors.
“New Zealand has some spectacular experiences available for people seeking a cycling holiday, such as New Zealand Cycle Trails' 21 Great Rides, which is why we have introduced this component to the latest version of the 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign," said Tourism New Zealand's chief executive Kevin Bowler.
Research has shown the special interest activities for which New Zealand resonates most successfully across target markets include walking, cycling, golf, fishing and skiing particularly in Australia.
The 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign was first launched in Australia in August 2012 and aims to demonstrate that what people see in the cinema as the fantasy world of Middle-earth, is actually a real place just waiting to be explored.
Tourism New Zealand's Active Considerer monitor from the first phase of the Middle Earth campaign showed that 82 percent of respondents stated the campaign increased their interest in New Zealand, and 73 percent stated the campaign improved their opinion of New Zealand. ■


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DALLAS, Texas, Nov. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — As a global leader in industrial-grade storage and embedded peripherals, Innodisk is excited to take part in this year’s Super Computing (SC22) event, the international conference for high performance computing, networking, storage, and analysis, from November 14th to 17th, 2022. Located at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, Innodisk will be waiting to meet customers and partners at booth 421, alongside other industry giants such as Microsoft and IBM.
Innodisk will showcase a variety of innovative products, including its extremely high IOPS 3TS6-P, 3TS9-P, and 4TS2-P Edge AI SSDs, which feature low latency, high DWPD (drive writes per day), large capacities, and come with iCell and AES technologies included to fight against data losses and breaches. Aiming at smart retail, smart city, smart fleet management, and NAS network storage applications, Innodisk is providing high speeds, reliability, and industrial-grade high quality to respond to rising market needs.
In addition to the innovative products that Innodisk plans to introduce, the event will also feature talks from industry experts, hosted by Steve Poole and Beth Kaspar of Los Alamos National Laboratory. At the talks, attendees can expect to hear how modern technologies are addressing some of the most complex challenges we face in modern society.
Prospective attendees and interested parties can sign up or get further information by visiting Innodisk’s website, or by calling Innodisk’s US branch office on 5107709421. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how Innodisk solutions can meet your company’s growing needs for high performance, industrial-grade components.
Innodisk is a service-driven provider of flash memory, DRAM modules, and embedded peripheral products for industrial and enterprise applications. For more information about Innodisk, please visit https://www.innodisk.com


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GM Tristan announced last Saturday at Level Up Live 2011 that a new MMO game will be released next year, and that game was Bounty Hounds Online. BHO is a third-person Sci-Fi MMORPG where players can choose from 5 different classes*; Trooper (melee DPS), Scientist (tank), Bioengineer (medic), Agent (rogue) and Artillery (ranged/AOE dps), they will be able to acquire 3 types of robotic pets ( melee, ranged, tank) which can be customized to the player’s liking. The game was developed by XPEC Entertainment and Namco Bandai Games.
“We’re very excited to introduce Bounty Hounds Online to the Pinoy online gaming community,” says Jake San Diego, Playweb Games General Manager. “It has everything a typical gamer would expect out of a great online game: beautiful graphics, awesome game play and lots of PVP action. But for the sci-fi fan, it offers a lot more. Players will surely be blown away once they get to adventure through Bounty Hounds’ futuristic environment and go to battle with the aid of transforming mechanical pets. Just like all of them, we can’t wait to launch this game.”
BHO is currently in Open Beta in North America and Europe, the Close Beta Test schedule in the Philippines will be announced in the coming weeks and the game will be published by Level Up! Games.
*The character class names are based on the NA version of BHO.
For those who didn’t know, Bounty Hounds Online was actually based on the 2006 PlayStation Portable game of the same name, we will post a game review of the PSP game in the coming weeks. For now, take a look at the in-game videos for both the MMORPG and PSP game.


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Nordica Toys in New Milford caters to ‘generations past, present and future’
A life-sized Playmobil character greets patrons outside Nordica Toys in New Milford.
Once inside, an expansive inventory of colorful stuffed animals and toys catch one’s eyes.
Whether shoppers are looking for something special for themselves or for another as a gift, Nordica Toys is the go-to place, according to local residents.
Under the ownership of Marie McCarthy, who marks her 15th year as owner, and in the spirit of the store’s founders, the late Christian and Aviva Trost, Nordica continues to cater to generations of toy enthusiasts.
“The tradition continues,” Joe Fitzgerald said of why he recently introduced his grandson, Owen Fitzgerald Burke, 2, to the longtime store.
Owen’s mother frequented the store when she was a child and once wrote, “Nordica, where all my dreams come true,” Fitzgerald said.
His daughter’s son, Owen, carries on the tradition. He happily hugged the new stuffed Elmo Fitzgerald purchased for him during his first visit to the store recently.
“Elmo, Elmo, he’s red,” Owen cheered.
Toys, puzzles, arts and crafts, wooden toys, puppets, traditional and modern games, dinosaurs, Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, musical instruments, books, action figures, trucks and cars, infant and toddler toys and stuffed animals, and so much more line the shelves of Nordica.
In addition, Nordica carries all things Girl Scouts, including uniforms and books, and can order badges.
“I feel a responsibility to the community of the New Milford area to maintain the store with high standards and continuity for generations past, present and future,” McCarthy said.
“Nordica Toys is a real gem started by the Trosts and it is up to me to continue with that legacy,” she said. “People come from all over to revisit the store and remember their past visits with children and grandchildren.”
The Trosts opened the store in 1981, moved it from Bank Street to its present location at 7 Main St. in 2001 and retired in 2003, selling the business to McCarthy.
Karen Larson of New Milford has been a customer of Nordica since her children were young. She remains a loyal customer, now buying gifts for her 12 great-nieces and -nephews and other family members.
“I like that it’s small,” Larson said of the store. “It’s not your typical commercial toys.”
Larson said she also appreciates the free gift-wrapping services available at Nordica.
Big-name brands such as Lego, Callico Critters, Playmobil, Ty and Melissa & Doug are among the brands carried. Luke’s Toy Factory in Danbury and Green Toys are among the newer lines McCarthy has added.
As a small business, McCarthy said she tries to support other small companies.
“There’s always something new coming in,” McCarthy said of the store’s inventory.
McCarthy said business has ebbed and flowed over the years, depending on the economy and people’s buying habits. But Nordica keeps up with the times.
The store follows all the latest toy trends, by carrying things like fidget spinners and other fidget toys, body glitter, sunscreen glitter and lip gloss glitter.
“Every day is different,” McCarthy said.
Nordica’s customer service is something customers appreciate, too. Nordica provides free assembly of products, and will not charge a service fee for shipping customer gifts.
The store offers a Loyal Customer Club, which features a periodic newsletter. And if a customer spends $30 or more, he/she will get 10 percent off .
Nordica, located at 7 Main St., Suite D, New Milford, is open Mondays through Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 860-355-2034. For more information, visit www.nordicatoys.com or follow the business on Facebook.


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Despite a partnership between Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction Entertainment that was heralded at one point by Affliction COO Michael Cohen as an event that would “change the world of mixed martial arts,” Oscar De La Hoya’s fight outfit could be poised to go head-to-head with Affliction’s second-ever pay-per-view on Jan. 24.
Published reports indicate that Golden Boy could be close to finalizing a Jan. 24 date on HBO between welterweight champion Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley.
“I love that idea and am very happy about that fight. I have agreed to it,” Mosley is quoted as saying in a recent ESPN.com report by Dan Rafael. “[Golden Boy CEO] Richard [Schaefer] and me spoke about the fight and I said yes and agreed to the terms, so the ball is in Margarito’s and Top Rank’s court. I am ready for that fight. I can’t wait. Now it’s up to Margarito to work his deal out with his promoter.”
This latest development calls into further question the strength of the Affliction and Golden Boy partnership.
At the time of the announced partnership between Affliction and Golden Boy on Sept. 13, three bullet points were listed in a press release to highlight what the pact between the two companies would entail. The deal points included Affliction creating a signature Affliction shirt sold on-site and at retail outlets nationwide for major boxing events; Affliction becoming the official apparel licensee for the Golden Boy-owned Ring Magazine; the two companies promoting events featuring both boxing matches as well as MMA bouts on the same cards.
However, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer has said in recent weeks that in response to public criticism of the concept, the company will not promote boxing fights on the same card as MMA.
“Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com that they’ve had a change of heart and will keep the sports separate,” Rafael wrote on Oct. 24. “…The idea of both sports on the same card was heavily criticized, which Schaefer acknowledged was part of the decision.”
If you subtract boxing from the equation, there doesn’t appear to be anything more to the Affliction/Golden Boy deal outside of an agreement to sell t-shirts.
While boxing and MMA aren’t believed to share a large crossover audience, the fact that Golden Boy is eyeing Jan. 24 as the date to promote what would be the first major boxing fight of 2009 opposite another event that it allegedly has business ties to speaks volumes. The UFC is promoting events in January on the 17th and 31st yet Golden Boy is still choosing to go head-to-head with Affliction’s pay-per-view with a free event of its own on HBO.
With business partners like that, who needs adversaries?


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TI to provide foundry services to Spansion News & Analysis 8/31/2010 Post a comment Texas Instruments has agreed to provide foundry services to another semiconductor vendor, but a spokesperson for the company said TI has no designs on beefing up its presence in the foundry business long-term.
Ethernet switch takes new tack at virtual I/O News & Analysis 8/31/2010 1 comment Startup Xsigo Systems, Inc. rolled out a 10 Gbit/second switch that can handle Ethernet networking and Fibre Channel storage traffic for a fraction of the cost of Fibre Channel over Ethernet adapters sold by companies such as Cisco Systems.
Toshiba rolls 24-nm NAND flash News & Analysis 8/31/2010 5 comments Toshiba Corp. has announced that is has started mass production of NAND flash memories using a 24-NM CMOS manufacturing process technology.
Graphite foam cools hi-intensity LEDs News & Analysis 8/30/2010 15 comments Oak Ridge National Laboratory researcher James Klett (shown) claims to have developed a graphite foam technology that can help cool LED light fixtures and extend their lifespan.
Report: EMS vendors face supply chain 'pileup' News & Analysis 8/30/2010 2 comments Contract manufacturers are facing a challenging supply imbalance characterized by tight inventories of components and a glut of raw materials, according to a report by market research firm iSuppli.
Top-of-rack 10GE switches to hit $500M News & Analysis 8/30/2010 3 comments The market for 10 Gbit/second Ethernet switches geared for rack-mounted servers grew a whopping 300 percent in the last quarter, an indicator a major upgrade cycle is underway in business networks, said an analyst.
MOST Cooperation to highlight new application options at SAE Convergence News & Analysis 8/30/2010 Post a comment At the SAE Convergence, America's most distinguished automotive electronics event, the MOST Cooperation will demonstrate that the MOST technology is now ready to set off for new horizons. The group plans to enhance the market position of its bus system hitherto used solely for multimedia data transport. New domains targeted include connected services and driver assistance systems.
Chip sales stay strong amid slowdown signs News & Analysis 8/30/2010 3 comments The three-month average of global sales of semiconductors for July was $25.24 billion, up 1.2 percent from June and up 37.0 percent from July 2009, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.
Microsoft founder sues the industry News & Analysis 8/29/2010 17 comments Interval Licensing LLC, which is backed by Paul Allen, has filed a complaint against AOL, Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Staples, Yahoo, and YouTube.
China researchers claim faster MRAM News & Analysis 8/27/2010 5 comments MRAM speed can be boosted and power consumption cut by using a new electrical switching technique that requires much less energy to write bits, according to Chinese researchers.
Intel cuts sales target on weak PC sales News & Analysis 8/27/2010 7 comments Intel lowered its sales target for the third quarter, saying the company now expects revenue to be between $10.8 billion and $11.2 billion, down from a previous estimate of $11.2 billion and $12 billion.
Visteon forms Russian automotive JV News & Analysis 8/27/2010 2 comments Automotive supplier Visteon Corp., which is currently operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, has formed a joint venture with Avtopribor, one of Russia's largest automotive components suppliers.
Magma hits guidance, beats analyst expectations News & Analysis 8/26/2010 2 comments Magma Design Automation met or exceeded all financial guidance for the quarter ended Aug. 1, posting a net loss in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles of $3.3 million on revenue of $32.6 million.
Silicon Labs, Quintic settle infringement suit News & Analysis 8/26/2010 Post a comment IC vendor Quintic has agreed to a patent licensing and royalty deal that provides the company with a limited license to Silicon Laboratories' international portfolio of FM radio patents under the terms of a patent infringement litigation settlement between the two companies, Silicon Labs said.
Analyst: Samsung likely to pass Intel in ICs News & Analysis 8/26/2010 24 comments South Korea's Samsung Electronics is on track to catch Intel in semiconductor revenue and will most likely become the No. 1 chip vendor by the middle of this decade, according to an industry analyst.
Report sees 255M Web-ready TVs sold in 2014 News & Analysis 8/26/2010 3 comments Connected TVs and other networked digital home devices will grow to sales of more than 650 million units worldwide in 2014, signaling a gradual decline for DVDs and new opportunities still being defined.
Mentor teams with GlobalFoundries on DRC News & Analysis 8/26/2010 1 comment Mentor Graphics has announced it has been working with GlobalFoundries to create the Graphical Design Rule Manual (GDRM) that helps IC designers debug layout design rule violations in chips intended for manufacture by foundry.
Graphene fabrication gets a boost News & Analysis 8/26/2010 2 comments U.S. researchers claim supercomputer simulations found that electron radiation prevents crosstalk between monolayers of graphene during fabrication.
China's Godson vector, 28nm News & Analysis 8/25/2010 31 comments A chief architect of China's microprocessor initiative described an ambitious set of new Godson CPUs including a server chip with vector processing and plans to leapfrog to a 28nm process for the next generation.


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Gridserve and Moto have unveiled six new high power electric vehicle (EV) chargers at Moto Severn View and 11 at Moto Heston.
They join the 53 high-power chargers across six new ‘Electric Super Hubs’ in historically underserved areas of the UK, including Swansea, Exeter, Thurrock, and Burton-in-Kendal.
Initially, six chargers have been launched at Severn View and 11 chargers at Heston, with capacity to expand when future demand requires.
Supplied by renewable, net zero carbon energy, the 350kW-capable high-power chargers can deliver up to 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes.
Moto chief executive, Ken McMeikan said: “As the largest UK motorway services operator, Moto is setting out to transform the EV charging experience for motorists on motorways with the roll-out of ultra-rapid charging hubs at all of our sites over the coming 12 months.
“Alongside our partners at Gridserve, this roll-out is allowing us to bring significant upgrades in power and charging facilities at our sites.
“We are absolutely delighted with our two newest EV ultra-rapid hubs at Severn View on the M4 and Heston on the M1 and hope that EV drivers will love them.”
All Gridserve Electric Super Hubs at Moto locations have been designed to feature both CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, accept contactless payments and provide at least one extra-wide accessible charging bay for every six EV charging spaces.
Toddington Harper, CEO of Gridserve, said: “We’re building a robust, dependable, nationwide charging network so that anyone, anywhere, can feel confident about driving any type of electric vehicle and have a great charging experience.”


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Tests showed 57 percent of chicken, 83 percent of turkey, and 14 percent of beef.
Showing 1-4 of 4 posts
West Coast underdog Habit Burger Grill upsets In-N-Out.
The findings are based on a nationwide survey conducted by Consumer Reports.
Readers vote for In-N-Out over McDonald's, Chipotle over Taco Bell, and Chick-Fil-A over KFC in a series of fast food upsets.


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Sandals, Marriott to Partner on $50 Million AC Hotel in Kingston
Sandals is adding a new hotel brand.
The company has announced a new partnership with Marriott International to bring AC Hotels by Marriott to the Caribbean.
It will be the first partnership between the two companies and the first time Sandals will manage a brand it did not create.
Construction on the new AC Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, the partnership’s debut project, will begin this month with a planned winter 2019 debut.
AC is Marriott’s design-focused brand, with 90 hotels across Europe, Latin America and the United States. This will be the first AC hotel in the Caribbean.
“Marriott International is excited to partner with Sandals Resorts International on bringing the AC Hotels by Marriott brand to Jamaica. Because of solid partners, like Sandals, we are able to continue to expand our presence in the Caribbean and Latin America where we currently operate over 200 hotels across 30 brands,” said Alejandro Acevedo, VP Development, Marriott International Caribbean and Latin America. “The AC Hotels brand will be an excellent addition to our existing portfolio in Jamaica, as we strive to become the world’s most favorite travel company.”
The AC Kingston will have 220 rooms, a 10,000-square-foot conference center and a full-service restaurant, immediately adding a major new hotel into Jamaica’s capital.
“There is a renewed energy in Kingston and everywhere the city trembles with purpose and productivity,” said Sandals CEO Adam Stewart. “We plan to capture this vitality, to create a destination within a destination, a place where world-class meetings and events happen alongside everyday occasions – from shopping and dining to salon services and cocktails with friends. With its emphasis on design and locally inspired experiences that elevate the guest’s stay, AC Hotels by Marriott® is the right brand to bring our vision to life.”
The development plans call for a BMW showroom, a beauty and wellness salon, a car rental facility and an indoor-outdoor retail and dining space called The Avenue.
“Kingston is quickly becoming a starting point for visitors who want to discover Jamaica beyond its beaches,” Stewart said. “From our rich musical tradition that begins here to the wonders of the Blue Mountains – a UNESCO world heritage site that just happens to produce the world’s best coffee, travelers will find much to capture their imagination here.”


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Before condominiums and housing developments began sprouting up like mushrooms, South Broward was a farming community.
In the '30s, the area had so few residents that farmers had to truck their vegetables down to a Miami produce market to sell them.
These days the area's population is booming, and, for the few remaining farms, business is good.
One of these is Batten's Farm, a family-run business on Davie Road best known for its strawberries and tomatoes. Each year, when there is too much ripe fruit for Wayne Batten's employees to pick and sell in the farm's store, hundreds flock to pick and buy their own.
Batten also grows cucumbers, peppers, onions and eggplants on his 30-acre farm, and sells a variety of other produce in the store.
Batten grew up in Davie and remembers when much of the area was farmland.
"Vegetable farming died out mainly because of development. Land became more valuable that what (farmers) could make out of the crops," he said.
But in 1969, farming looked like a viable proposition to Batten, who saw how well his in-laws were doing in the strawberry business.
"They were working six months out of the year and making $20,000, and I was working year round for a utility company and making $12,000," he recalled.
He started with 6 acres at the corner of Stirling Road and Davie Road Extension. In 1982, he purchased the land he farms today. the property had been owned by Hully Stirling, a Davie pioneer whose father Frank was the town's first mayor. For a time, Batten also owned -- and renovated -- the old Stirling residence adjacent to the farm.
Stirling operated a nursery on the land, where he also planted exotic trees -- a few of which are still standing -- and ran a coconut plantation.
"Even today, when I'm plowing the fields I plow up old coconuts," Batten said.
Nowadays, half the acreage is devoted to strawberries. But Batten has to go to extraordinary lengths to grow them in Florida's semi-tropical climate.
Every March, Batten buys seedlings from nurseries in California and has them shipped to Canada. There they are exposed to frost -- necessary for their development. In October, they are shipped in refrigerated trucks to Batten's Farm.
"We fool 'em," he said. "They think it's springtime."
The plants are planted in early November, and the first fruit is ready for picking by late December -- if all goes well.
Occasionally, Batten has lost his entire crop because of bad weather.
"In 1970, I grew the Sequoia variety. It's a big, beautiful berry, but it needs overnight temperatures of less than 50 degrees to produce fruit. We only had one night cold enough, and we got no berries," Batten recalled.
Another year, he lost the crop to the two-spotted mite, one of the many pests Florida farmers must contend with.
"Every year it's a different ball game -- different varieties, different pesticides and fungicides. I continue to learn as I go along," he said.
This year he has planted 300,000 Chandler plants -- a variety he has grown successfully in the past -- and 50,000 of a new variety called Osogranda.
"Chandler is a bright red berry with a sweet flavor," he said. "I don't know yet if I'll like the flavor of Osogranda."
He also has experimented with different varieties of tomatoes, over the years.
Because strawberries will not need to survive the rigors of shipping (Batten sells all his produce at the farm) he lets it finish ripening on the vine.
"I will not allow my pickers to pick till it's ripe. That way you get the highest sugar content and the most juice."
Customers seem to appreciate his efforts.
Marilyn Herbert drives from Plantation once a week to shop for produce at the farm. The strawberries are her favorite item.
"They're delicious. Smashing. Wonderful. I love 'em," she said.
Helen Roddenberry of Davie has been coming to Batten's for years.
"It might be a little more expensive, but it's worth it," she said.
Batten said he looks forward to seeing long-time customers when they come into the store -- which is just one of the reasons he is not tempted to sell his land to developers.
"I'm sure that if I'd gone into real estate I might be a little better off than I am today, but I enjoy farming," he said. "I enjoy planting plants and watching them bear fruit. I look forward every year to planting my strawberries and my tomatoes. If I sold my land, what would I do then?"
--Depending on the weather, the U-pick'em schedule at Batten Farms, 5151 SW 64th Ave. (Davie Road), normally runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The picking season for tomatoes and strawberries starts in late January or late February. It runs through April, sometimes into early May. Price varies, For information, call 792-0068.


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Reacting to the latest announcement of the Ornua April PPI increasing to 31.6cpl, ICMSA’s Ger Quain said that the price rise fully vindicated his recent comments in which he expressed the view that the market is in a stronger position than was being reported to farmer-suppliers by their milk purchasers and Co-ops. Mr. Quain noted the speed with which some Co-ops and milk purchasers had reduced their price when the Index fell last month, and he said that ICMSA expected to see the same speed applied to a price rise this month. Wholesale markets continue to supply positive trends with the GDT auction increasing once again in its first of two auctions in May. Putting this to context, Mr. Quain pointed out that the GDT has not yet had a negative auction in 2019, with 11 consecutive positives adjustments. European wholesale markets are also suggesting these positive trends with the current Dutch quotations at 31.7cpl for the Butter/SMP mix and almost 35cpl for WMP.
“Milk processors right across the continent are paying a higher price for their farmers’ milk with the three major Irish companies languishing in the ‘relegation zone’ of the LTO European Milk league table. Irish dairy farmers and their representatives are asking why Irish product is not being sold at these prices given that we are told that the “return from the market are below the current prices paid to farmers”. The obvious reply to that point is that in the Ornua PPI we have a basket of Irish goods being sold for 31.6cpl and this figure is itself in excess of what some processors are paying their member suppliers”, said Mr. Quain.
“ICMSA is clearly saying that April milk prices must – at a minimum – meet the PPI or the Co-ops and purchasers will face increasing disillusionment and anger from their farmer-suppliers.
Ends 9 May 2019
Ger Quain, 086-3623041
Chairperson, ICMSA Dairy Committee
Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758
ICMSA Press Office


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Forecourt technology, equipment keep pace despite market, environmental uncertainties.
“For 10 years, we’ve witnessed the success of the [Ovation] dispenser,” says Neil Thomas, president of Wayne. “And during that time, we’ve learned many things about how it’s used and how we can improve to make it even better for our customers.”
The new design is essentially a “refreshed, updated” look, says Patrick Jeitler, product manager for Wayne. It allows for increased “branding” or visual design space; sleeker lines; a change to glass over a clear composite on the main pricing and gallon display, as well as the price-per-gallon displays for a “crisper” look; and a shift to white font on a black background for increased readability both day and night.
Much in the way design evolves with other common devices such as kitchen appliances or cellphones, the company’s dispenser is evolving “to be more than just a functional piece,” he says. “We’re taking it to the next level.”
In an effort to keep ahead of pending environmental rules, which are due for a revision in the coming year, manufacturers have been refining different elements of the fuel-delivery system.
One of the latest developments at OPW Fueling Container Systems, Smithfield, N.C., is a single-wall spill container that allows for accessible inspection and parts replacement, with much of the system housed within an outer shell. For many fuel operators, the prospect of having to replace anything already buried in concrete can be a costly undertaking, according to product manager Charles Liebal.
In addition, OPW’s tank-gauging solution has evolved, with the computing capability and physical room to tie in new devices that today may not be required. “People are building today but getting ready for tomorrow, if regulatory [bodies] were to do anything in the future,” Liebal says.
Containment, of course, is an issue throughout the on-site fuel-delivery system, as James Lawrence, president, of EMCO Wheaton Retail, Wilson, N.C., points out. With the formulation of fuel in question, a trend in equipment is to make components out of stainless steel. To that end, the company has produced stainless-steel buckets that surround UST fuel-nozzle receptacles. They retrofit into established units. Typically needing two man hours for installation, the retrofit will not require breaking concrete, Lawrence says.
“With new alcohol fuels and [other diesel] requirements, having more components with stainless steel was an obvious move,” he says.
And as the industry progresses through its numerous uncertainties, the business case for upgrades increase, leaving marketers and retailers continually looking to manufacturers to provide guidance and options.


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Automobile Insurance and Liability
News about Automobile Insurance and Liability, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
Chronology of Coverage
Aug. 8, 2015
Ann Carrns Your Money Adviser column discusses factors that determine automobile insurance premiums; lists questions to consider when inquiring about rates. MORE
Jul. 4, 2015
Ann Carrns Your Money Adviser column examines insurance options for rental cars. MORE
Sep. 6, 2014
Ron Lieber Your Money column observes that central to debate over app-based ride services like Lyft and Uber is determining who is responsible for insuring their drivers. MORE
Aug. 16, 2014
Ron Lieber Your Money column; increasing number of nation's auto insurance companies, including Progressive, Allstate and State Farm, are offering annual discounts for drivers that allow them to track driving habits; so-called usage-based insurance generates large amounts of data, leaving experts and consumer advocates concerned about how companies plan to use information in future. MORE
Apr. 30, 2014
Walmart, in new consumer service, is teaming up with AutoInsurance.com to help customers in eight states comparison shop for auto insurance; will promote website in its stores for monthly fee, while AutoInsurance.com will collect commissions when insurance is sold on its site; customers will also be able to access site from Walmart.com. MORE
Apr. 19, 2014
Alina Tugend Shortcuts column; car insurance premiums may go up or down based not only on driving records, but also factors like voting records and credit scores; Consumer Federation of America and New York Public Interest Research Group have released separate reports that say factors insurance companies are using to determine rates are detrimental to consumers, especially to low-income customers. MORE
Dec. 27, 2013
Advertising column; campaigns by auto insurers SafeAuto and Nationwide feature real, everyday cars that are well-loved and even nicknamed by their owners. MORE
Oct. 20, 2013
Owners of classic cars damaged by Hurricane Sandy have realized importance of buying specialized collector-car insurance. MORE
Oct. 20, 2013
Some suggestions are noted that owners can use to prepare for storms and steps to follow if their vehicles are damaged. MORE
Jun. 18, 2013
Half the states now allow drivers to show digital proof of insurance on a smart phone. MORE
May. 15, 2013
RelayRides has stopped operating in New York after state authorities raised questions about its insurance coverage. MORE
Apr. 6, 2013
Tara Siegel Bernard Your Money column on some Dollar Rent a Car customers across the country who say they are unwittingly being signed up for insurance with an electronic signature even though they are verbally declining it when renting a vehicle. MORE
Nov. 25, 2012
Randall Stross Digital Domain column observes that more drivers, seeking discounts on auto insurance, are agreeing to install monitors in their cars to record their driving habits. MORE
Aug. 25, 2012
Ron Lieber Your Money column says auto accidents that cause major injuries are rare, but it still may be worth examining how much insurance coverage one has. MORE
Aug. 18, 2012
Ron Lieber Your Money column explores lawsuit in which the car insurance company Progressive sent a lawyer to help defend the driver of a car who had killed Katie Fisher, its policyholder, in an accident; notes public anger over incident quickly spread after the deceased's brother, Matt, posted about it on Tumblr; says incident is a good opportunity for consumers to review the terms of their own liability insurance. MORE
Apr. 14, 2012
Ron Lieber Your Money column describes incident in which a person renting a car through RelayRides died after crashing into another car; notes that crash, which injured four other adults, has generated insurance claims far over the $1 million covered by RelayRides; contends that accident represents the biggest threat so far to the nascent peer-to-peer car rental industry. MORE
Mar. 17, 2012
Ron Lieber Your Money column considers the prospects of person-to-person car sharing services, such as RelayRides, through which individuals can lease out their cars to others when they are not using them; holds that the industry has promise, but so far has been unable to solve the considerable difficulties arising from insurance. MORE
Feb. 4, 2012
Tara Siegel Bernard Your Money column relates that a retiree qualified for lower car insurance premiums, but found that out only after a chance piece of mail prodded him to call his insurer; points out the onus is on the customer to do the work to find the best deal, whether it is a big-ticket item like car insurance or smaller bills from their cellphone or cable provider. MORE
Jan. 24, 2012
Speakers at a symposium say the autonomous vehicles developed by Google pose enormous challenges for the world of law and insurance; Google and automobile makers are lobbying for legislative changes to permit autonomous vehicles on the nation's roads. MORE
Dec. 22, 2011
Advertising column highlights campaign by automobile insurer Esurance. MORE
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ARTICLES ABOUT AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE AND LIABILITY
Consumers pay about 7 percent more for annual premiums if they rent their home rather than own it, even if they have stellar driving records.
February 11, 2016, Thursday
Octo Telematics of Italy, whose devices help auto insurers set rates, is preparing its United States offering at a difficult time for market debuts.
January 27, 2016, Wednesday
Costs per claim have risen, and drivers without comprehensive coverage are more likely to have to pay out of pocket.
September 17, 2015, Thursday
While keeping a teenage driver on a family policy can increase premiums significantly, there are ways to reduce the cost.
August 12, 2015, Wednesday
Many insurers also use a variety of other data, like marital status, as well as a version of credit score, to set rates.
August 8, 2015, Saturday
Auto policies and some credit cards will often cover rentals, but such coverage can come with restrictions.
July 4, 2015, Saturday
MORE ON AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE AND LIABILITY AND: Automobile Insurance and Liability , Automobile Renting and Leasing , Credit Cards , CardHub (Evolution Finance Inc) , Personal Finances , American Express Company , MasterCard Inc , Visa Inc , Insurance Information Institute , National Assn of Insurance Commissioners
In Texas, up to 10,000 insured cars suffered water damage this spring. These automobiles, and others marred by heavy rains, can re-enter the market without a warning.
June 20, 2015, Saturday
Making a few phone calls can sometimes be as helpful as the latest tech developments in searching for car rental deals.
March 11, 2015, Wednesday
MORE ON AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE AND LIABILITY AND: Automobile Insurance and Liability , Zipcar Inc , RelayRides , Insurance Information Institute , Getaround Inc , Automobile Renting and Leasing , Budget Travel , Travel and Vacations , AutoSlash.com , Avis Budget Group Inc , Costco Wholesale Corporation , Expedia Inc , Hertz Global Holdings Inc , Hotwire Inc
Technology start-ups with websites that sell many types of insurance and promise savings with comparison shopping are putting pressure on insurance agents, who collect commissions.
January 19, 2015, Monday
Regulators must get tougher on the hidden charges that assail consumers.
October 16, 2014, Thursday
MORE ON AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE AND LIABILITY AND: Credit and Debt , Consumer Protection , Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates) , Personal Finances , Regulation and Deregulation of Industry , Cellular Telephones , Automobile Insurance and Liability , Banking and Financial Institutions , AT&T Inc , United States
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The specifications of the upcoming Nokia X mid-range smartphone have appeared on Chinese certification website Tenaa.
Rumored to be officially unveiled in China next week, the HMD Global's X-Series smartphone is expected to have a bezel-less display and an iPhone X-like notch.
According to the TENAA listing, the "Nokia TA-1099" will run on a near-stock version of Android 8.1 Oreo. It'll sport a 5.8-inch full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) TFT display with a 19:9 ratio. The phone seems to be powered be an unidentified octa-core SoC clocked at 1.8GHz, it will include 3GB/ 4GB/ 6GB of RAM along with 32GB/ 64GB storage, expandable to up to 128GB via a microSD.
In terms of cameras, the X-series is expected to have a vertical twin rear camera setup with dual 16-megapixel sensors. The rumored Carl Zeiss lens within the rear camera is not confirmed by the TENAA listing.
Built in sensors include accelerometer, ambient light sensing element, fingerprint and proximity sensors.
If these spaces are confirmed, the Nokia X will be competitive with smartphones such as the Vivo V9, Oppo F7, Honor 9i, Motorola Moto X4, and also the Apple iPhone 6.


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Retailer Things Remembered And 2 Others Go Bankrupt, Struggle Not To Be Things Forgotten
Gift retailer Things Remembered has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will close most of its stores, though gift distributor Enesco agreed to buy the brand and keep a fraction of its stores open.
Things Remembered's move comes on the heels of two other retail bankruptcies announced this week, those of clothier Charlotte Russe and plus-size specialist FullBeauty Brands.
Things Remembered has about 400 stores. The deal with Itasca, Illinois-based Enesco, which is owned by private equity firm Balmoral Funds, would keep at least 50 stores open, possibly more, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Charlotte Russe is planning to close 94 of its roughly 500 stores for now and put itself up for sale. The company will completely liquidate if it can't find a buyer by Feb. 17, USA Today reports.
FullBeauty Brands won approval of its bankruptcy in an unusually short 24 hours. Its restructuring plan hands over the company to lenders and cuts about $900M in debt, Retail Dive reports.
Presumably changing consumer habits helped push all of these retailers over the edge, but there were specific problems as well.
Things Remembered was weighed down by about $120M in debt, the legacy of previous ownership by a private equity investor, according to Reuters.
FullBeauty Brands has faced stiffer competition recently as major retailers such as Target and Old Navy expanded their offerings of plus-size clothes, Retail Dive reports.
According to retail consultant Steve Dennis, writing in Forbes, a retailer's move to cut store numbers suddenly usually indicates a deeper problem than lagging sales or heightened competition.
"If management is only taking aggressive action now, we can be fairly certain that they have not been paying enough attention for some time and were too cowardly to act," Dennis writes.


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Exciting news for sneaker-heads! Gola vegan trainers have officially launched, and they’re certified by The Vegan Society.
Thanks to rising global popularity of veganism, and the consumer-led push towards a more ethical and animal-free wardrobe, popular shoe brand Gola have recently announced the launch of their new range of vegan trainers. Responding to the demand of their customer base, Gola made the decision to launch a brand new range of Gola Vegan Classics this summer, sending vegan trainer-lovers into raptures of applause.
To manufacture the Vegan Classics, Gola has utilised a form of material-based analysis known as ve-MAP testing. This unique process analyses the DNA make-up of each composite material used in the shoe manufacturing processes. Vegans can rest assured that all of Gola’s new vegan range includes dyes, adhesives, fabrics and finishing components which are completely free from all traces of animal DNA.
From their website, Gola comments: “We have styles for women, men and your mini-me’s! Our range includes the ladies’ Coaster in various styles: Classic, Rainbow, Hi-Tops and Mirror, while we also have our very popular Mark Cox style in a range of colours.”
To add confidence to your new ethical purchases, Gola’s Vegan Classics have been officially certified by The Vegan Society. It has been an exciting year for The Vegan Society in terms of their larger fashion collaborations, having certified New Look’s latest vegan shoe and bag range to hit the high-streets earlier on this summer. We hope to see more brands choosing to adopt the certification in the future, making shopping for vegan items that much easier, and increasing ethical awareness in consumers.


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Transmission upgrade cost for the 2017 Ford Escape and 2017 Ford Transit are now $2,500.
That’s a $1,500 savings over what it would cost the average American, according to the Consumer Reports study.
The average cost of the transmission upgrade is now $3,000, a savings of $400.
Ford will sell the transmission upgrades for $3 to $4, depending on the trim level and the model.
Tesla’s Transmission Upgrade Program for the Escape will cost $2.50 for the new engine and $1.25 for the transmission.
Tesla is offering $100,000 in cash incentives to the first 500 customers who buy the upgraded Escape and Transit.
The program has been running since February 2018 and has saved the automaker $200 million since the program began in January 2019.
The first transmission upgrade for the 2018 Ford Escape, which starts at $21,995, is available starting in December 2019.


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Mustang versus Camaro is a classic Ford versus Chevy matchup, but the two automakers once battled one another in the U.S. in the compact/midsize truck segment, too. Once the 2019 Ranger arrives, the award-winning Chevrolet Colorado, popular Toyota Tacoma, and others will have fresh competition from Ford, which already builds the best-selling truck in the U.S. Will they have anything to worry about? Keep reading for our best guesses on what to expect for the 2019 Ranger truck (recent European-spec Rangers are shown in this article).
Think Colorado/Tacoma, Not Ridgeline
Ford has already confirmed the 2019 Ranger will be a traditional body-on-frame truck based on the pickup’s global platform because the nameplate lived on around the world after it was discontinued in the U.S. following the 2011 model year. Years ago, an F-100 model was rumored to be a possible entry-level replacement, but the Ranger name has survived (in the U.S. and abroad) to see another generation.
A Ranger of Engines
Although Ford is preparing a diesel for the 2018 F-150 and Chevrolet offers a diesel-powered Colorado, the 2019 Ranger’s volume engines will likely include at least one EcoBoost gas-powered variant. A more powerful version of Ford’s 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I-4 could serve as the base engine (in the Fusion, it makes 175 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque).
Most will skip that engine option, instead choosing what might be a version of the automaker’s new 3.3-liter naturally aspirated V-6. In the 2018 F-150, the engine will produce 280 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque. For comparison, the 2017 Colorado’s 3.6-liter V-6 is good for 308 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. A third engine option could include a 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo-four (good for 310 hp and 320 lb-ft with 93-octane fuel in the Mustang), the automaker’s 2.7-liter EcoBoost turbo-six, or a diesel.
No Regular-Cab Rangers
None of the 2019 Ford Ranger’s competitors currently offer a regular-cab body style, and we expect the Ranger’s lineup in the U.S. to start with the SuperCab two-door body style in the low $20,000 range, with a four-door SuperCrew model available for a few thousand more.
Ready to Tow
We’ve enjoyed watching the specs rivalries among the Detroit Three automakers’ heavy-duty trucks, and Ford will definitely want to be in the mix with the 2019 Ranger. The 2017 Colorado with a V-6 can tow as much as 7,000 pounds, and the Colorado diesel ups that rating to 7,700 pounds. The 2017 Tacoma with its V-6 is rated to tow up to 6,800 pounds. Considering the gas-powered Colorado’s ratings, count on the 2019 Ranger to tow at least 7,100 pounds in the right configuration.
The Loaded Ranger
Higher trim levels will likely be offered with an 8.0-inch touchscreen that’s compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A rearview camera will be standard, and the highest trim could offer heated/ventilated seats, trailer sway control, LED headlights, and LED lighting in the truck bed. Ford has found success with higher trim levels on other vehicles including the F-150 and Fusion, and we expect one on the Ranger, too.
Capability has always been more of a focus than safety when it comes to trucks, but Ford has an opportunity here. The European-spec Ranger already offers a full suite of active safety tech, which includes emergency braking assist and lane keeping assist systems. The 2017 Tacoma and 2017 Colorado are currently rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at four stars out of a possible five stars.
Ford’s popular F-150 Raptor has served as a great halo car for the automaker, and we wonder whether it will allow the Colorado ZR2 or even the Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon go unchallenged. Should we expect a lifted Ranger with beefy tires and upgraded off-road equipment to match that of the Colorado ZR2? If not in the first model year, it’s a possibility after the Ranger relaunches in the U.S., along with the Bronco SUV about a year later.


text: Windows Surface Pro went on sale last week and no one was sure how the public would react to the new device. The Windows RT didn’t sell wonderfully, but it also wasn’t terrible. Knowing that, some people expected doom and gloom with the Surface Pro’s release. Were people still excited? Maybe they were just waiting for the Pro instead of purchases a truncated version of Windows 8 in tablet form. That seems to be the case, at least with its immediate release. Several businesses has announced that their stock of the 128GB version of the Surface has sold out, leaving the 64GB version still scattered about at some locations.


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Credit Card News Prepaid Credit Cards Help Curb Bank Holiday Spending 2107
Prepaid credit cards help curb bank holiday spending
21 August 2008 / by Rachael Stiles
With the August bank holiday fast approaching, thousands of Britons will be heading off for a long weekend, either seeking out some sun on the continent or going somewhere closer to home, and a prepaid credit card can offer an easy way of keeping track of holiday spending money.
It can be difficult to keep tabs on spending whilst on holiday, with meals out and the kids clambering for a new bucket and spade, so PayPal recommends that people take prepay credit cards, which they can top up before they go, and even while they’re away if needs be.
A prepaid credit card also offers a safer option to carrying around large sums of cash, as they can easily be cancelled if lost or stolen, and the credit on the card will be refunded by the card provider.
“In the current economic climate Brits may be looking for ways to be smarter with their holiday spending.” said Carl Scheible, managing director of PayPal UK, and a prepaid credit card can help them do that.
“By loading up a set amount of money people can ensure that they stick to a tight budget for the duration of their holiday; avoiding the headache of a huge credit Card bill when they return.
“A pre-loaded Card is also safer and more convenient than carrying holiday cash or travellers cheques. The Card will be protected by Chip and PIN and if the Card is lost, funds are secure, where a loss of cash is not.”
© Fair Investment Company Ltd


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Konami Digital Entertainment Limited has today announced the launch of eFootball™ 2022 V1.0.0 released worldwide for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows® 10 and PC Steam®
The free-to-play eFootball™ 2022, has been designed to recreate the battle for the ball between players, and the unique team tactics that are often seen in the football world. New controls have been added to the game giving users more options for any situation on the pitch, with the opportunity to experience tactical battles based on real-world football ideologies.
Furthermore, a new element: "Season" has been added. Each Season's theme will reflect hot topics in the real footballing world and will have a wide variety of events to match. The theme of Season 1 will be “New Gameplay Approach, Team Building, & Licenses.” This will offer users to experience the exciting offensive and defensive element often seen in real-world football, perfectly replicated in eFootball™ 2022!
After an initial week-long "Start-up period”, various in-game events matching with the theme of Season 1 will be held from April 21st.
Finally, there will be additions of new licenses from both Japan and North America, Meiji Yasuda J1 League, Meiji Yasuda J2 League, MLS Players Association and USL Championship.


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Local TV stations air Amazon PR piece on worker safety as if it were a real news story
Workers pack and ship customer orders at the 750,000-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center in Romeoville, Illinois.
Local news stations are running a segment produced by Amazon touting its efforts to keep warehouse employees safe from the coronavirus.
The segment includes pre-recorded footage of its fulfillment centers, interviews with workers and a prewritten script for anchors to read on air, according to an Amazon release. It promises to give outlets a “first look” at how the company is keeping “its associates healthy and safe and still able to keep packages flowing.”
The testimonials included in the package differ greatly from the conditions described by Amazon warehouse employees during the pandemic. Since March, tensions have been growing between Amazon and workers at its facilities across the country, as the number of positive cases and deaths from the coronavirus continues …continued .
[Source: CNBC News]


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It’s an age-old question, but one that's even more immediate that the housing market appears to be revving up and ready to run hotter and higher than at any time since before the 2008 crash:
How should one price a house so that it sells -- but without leaving money on the table?
In the three-county greater Harrisburg area, it appears home sales are increasing at a rapid clip, compared to the same time a year ago. In May, the region saw a strong increase in units sold – 12 percent over the year-ago period. That’s 802 units sold last month in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties combined – up from 716 sold in May 2012.
READ MORE -- Home selling advice from the experts.
But prices barely budged. In fact, they dipped 1 percent. For the three-county region, the median sale price (half were more, half were less) was $161,000 in May, down a grand from May 2012. Average sale price dipped to $177,465, down from $178,710 a year ago.
So the message the market might be sending is that price matters. A lot. But it also could be true that last May, only the cream of the housing market was going to closing – so prices could have been a bit higher. Now, with the market showing broader strength, perhaps more fixer-uppers are being snapped up, along with those mythical dream homes.
In any case, here are the price-point trends that drove the Harrisburg housing market in May, according to statistics released this week by the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors, based on the Central Penn Multi-List Inc.:
Homes priced under $199,999 saw units sold soar by 8.1 percent, and median price also increased 1.4 percent.
In the $200,000 to $299,999 price range, units sold surged even higher, increasing 31.3 percent. But median price dipped an almost imperceptible 0.5 percent. Basically, prices in this range were flat, even as sales heated up nicely.
Here’s where the market seemed to remain quite tepid: Units sold in the $300,000 to $399,999 price range were up just 2.2 percent, and median price declined 1.8 percent.
And as prices climbed higher, sales really dipped: In the $400,000 or more price range, units sold decreased 7.1 percent from May 2012, and median price also plunged 10.2 percent.
Wow! Maybe the higher-priced home buyer is building, instead of buying. Could that be it?
Let’s hear your thoughts about the local housing market. Are you selling? Are you buying? Are you just hitting some open houses to be nosy? Whatever the case, tell us how you view the market in the comments.


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In with the old, out with the new: Apple iPhone 7 is outselling the iPhone 843
The analyst also noted that KeyBanc's survey revealed that many of those shopping for a new iPhone are waiting for the tenth anniversary Apple iPhone X to be released before making a decision on whether to purchase the iPhone 8. The iPhone X is supposed to be launched on November 3rd, and production shortfalls are going to make it the hardest to find iPhone ever. It carries the first OLED panel used on an iPhone, and offers an edge-to-edge display. Instead of Touch ID, Apple is using a new facial recognition system called Face ID on the device.
Apparently those choosing the iPhone 7 over the iPhone 8 aren't interested in the new additions to the latter model such as wireless charging, a more powerful A11 Bionic chipset, and the Portrait Lighting (iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X only) feature that allows for the use of dramatic backgrounds when shooting selfies. But the difference in pricing is enticing. The Apple iPhone 7 can be bought at $549 and up while the iPhone 8 starts at $699.