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The threat of EU legislation has spurred Vodafone into slashing the cost of using a mobile phone abroad as the world’s largest mobile phone operator confirmed on Monday that it planned to reduce roaming charges in Europe by 40 per cent.
Vodafone, the world’s largest mobile phone operator, said on Monday that it planned to cut the cost of roaming by at least 40 per cent by April next year, with the average cost falling from €0.90 to less than €0.55 a minute.
“The European Commission and European Parliament have made it clear that they expect to see change. Our announcement [on Monday] shows that the market, led by Vodafone, is meeting those expectations by providing what our customers tell us they want,” said Arun Sarin, Vodafone chief executive.
The company also said it planned to enter wholesale arrangements with other operators outside of the Vodafone group who will agree to reciprocal charges of €0.45 a minute or less.
In March, Viviane Reding, the EU commissioner from Luxembourg, unveiled a plan to get rid of the high charges levied by mobile phone companies on using phones abroad, saying: “It is unacceptable that consumers are punished in their phone bill just for crossing a border within the EU.”
The commission proposal would see the cost to consumers of local and international calls reduced to the same level they would pay at home.
Last week, mobile phone company executives complained that the legislation was unnecessary and that competition was already driving down the cost of calling from abroad.
Jim McCafferty, telecoms analyst at Seymour Pierce, said: “The EU have been making pronouncements on this for some time and the mobile operators will want to make a marketing opportunity out of any legislation.”
He added that although roaming has been highly profitable, it has only made up a small percentage of group revenues and that any cut in charges was likely to result in an big increase in volume.
O2, the British mobile phone operator that recently acquired by Telefónica, the Spanish mobile phone giant, said on Monday that as part of a global company, it could now offer a better roaming proposition to customers and that it would be in a position to announce its plans over the next couple of weeks.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile said on Monday that it planned to launch a new roaming service in June that would charge all UK customers, including pay-as-you-go, a flat fee of 55p per minute to make and receive calls from 29 European countries, the US and Canada, in a move that challenges Vodafone’s current Passport service that charges customers who sign up to the service their normal home tariff plus 75p per call.
In mid-morning trading in London, Vodafone shares were down 0.75p at 127¼p.
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Fall is here and so are apples and pears! I love this time of year because the local orchards are abundant with Gala, MacIntosh and Red Delicious apples … to name a few of my favorites. Just in time, since a study out of the Netherlands has found that an apple a day may really help keep the doctor away. Researchers have found that people who eat a high amount of white fleshed fruits and veggies, like pears, apples and cauliflower can lower stroke risk by as much as 52%.
The study followed more than 20,000 adults over 10 years and found for every 25 grams per day increase in white fruits and vegetables, there was a 9% lower risk of stroke. So considering that 25 grams per day is about ¼ of an apple, it seems like an easy addition to one’s diet.
White fleshed fruits are high in a flavanoid called quercetin, which they believe may be one of the reasons for the lowered risk of stroke. Quercetin is known for its antioxidant, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties.
But don’t be running off to the grocery store to stock up on all white produce. It is still a wise and healthy idea to choose a variety of differently colored fruits and vegetables, because different colors offer health benefits not found in white fleshed fruits alone. Also, please keep in mind that both apples and pears are high on the list for residual pesticide load, so buying organic is the best way to go.

domain: news


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Also invests €10.5m in Flamel stock
Thomas Eldered: We are taking over a first class development and manufacturing facility
Recipharm, a Swedish pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation, is to buy a manufacturing facility from Flamel Technologies in a deal worth €10.6m and has entered into a long-term collaboration with the Lyon, France-headquartered company.
Under the agreement, Recipharm will purchase Flamel’s development and manufacturing facility in Pessac and significantly expand its pharmaceutical development capacity and technical capabilities to provide easier access for development services to its French and other customers.
Recipharm will also provide development and manufacturing support to Flamel under a long-term services agreement.
The deal adds new technical capabilities for spray granulation and spray coating.
This new partnership allows Flamel to retain access to the development and manufacturing capabilities at Pessac and possibly use any of Recipharm’s other facilities for the development or manufacture of its proprietary pipeline. Recipharm will also assume development and manufacturing agreements with other companies and as well as an agreement providing a royalty income.
In a separate deal, Recipharm will invest €10.5m in newly issued Flamel Shares which corresponds to approximately 2.3% of Flamel shares.
Development services is in many respects a ‘local’ business so having another centre should allow us to increase this aspect of our business
Recipharm also has an option to negotiate with Flamel for the European rights to any product that the French company plans to license for sale in the European market.
The deal is expected to close before the end of the year.
Recipharm's Chief Executive Thomas Eldered said: 'I am delighted that we are now entering into a strategic partnership with Flamel and taking over a first class development and manufacturing facility in France. Development services is in many respects a ‘local’ business so having another centre in addition to Sweden should allow us to increase this aspect of our business.'
Mike Anderson, CEO of Flamel said Flamel’s primary objective is 'the development of products using its proprietary drug delivery platforms' and the sale of the Pessac facility 'frees the company from the time-consuming task of running a contract development manufacturing facility'.
He added: 'This sale allows us to continue development of our proprietary products using our current drug delivery technologies at the Pessac facility and the option to utilise Recipharm’s commercial manufacturing capabilities elsewhere. Given Recipharm’s expertise, the investment in Flamel’s stock is a welcome endorsement of the company's anticipated success moving forward.'


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Weekly gaming new round-up, dated January 18, 2010
DS successor may be released within 15 months
Following up on last week’s announcement made by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, EEDAR's Jesse Divnich feels that Nintendo is likely to announce a new DS console sometime this year. Despite record breaking sales of the incumbent Nintendo handheld last year, Dinvich believes that poor performance of software may force Nintendo’s hands to make the announcement within the next eight months. Launch of a new console may also help alleviate piracy issue that appears to have seriously stifled the segment’s growth and attract publishers back into the fray. Ubisoft joined the ranks of other publishers like Sega and Capcom when they made an announcement that they are shifting development focus to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, after dismal performance of games in the ‘casual’ business
Jesse Divnich believes that the successor to Nintendo DS may hit the market in the next fifteen months.
Mass Effect 2 will have free day-one DLC
According to a recent tweet by Mass Effect 2 developers Bioware, the day-one DLC for the game will be available for free. Even though there have been unverified new floating around for a while, there has been no official word on the exact nature of the DLC or Bioware’s plans for premium DLC in the days or weeks following the game’s release.
The same tweet ended with an assurance that more information on the DLC will be made available in the coming week.
New 2D Sonic the Hedgehog game out in 2011
According to a report on GameSpot, Japanese developer Sega has announced a new Sonic game in the making. Code-named Project Needlemouse, Sega hopes to return to the roots of the series that was known for its fast-paced platforming. Taking cue from the last two disappointing forays in the Sonic series, Sega have assured that the new Sonic game will be “…and all new 2D adventure”.
Along, with the announcement, Sega also released a teaser video:
Japanese weekly sales report: Kingdom Hearts gives boost to PSP sales
Japanese market research firm Media Create released hardware sales figures for week-ending January 10. Riding on the wave of Sqaure Enix’s Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Sony’s PSP console took a substantial lead in sales over its competitors. The game itself sold nearly 45,000 units in the week following its launch in Japan. While the ‘old’ PSP model sold an impressive 145,682 units in a week, its successor PSP Go sold a paltry 2,841 units in the same period.
Japanese hardware sales for the week ending January 10
1. PSP - 145,682
2. Wii - 76,772
3. PS3 - 61,591
4. DSi - 50,178
5. DSi LL - 45,221
6. DS Lite - 10,067
7. Xbox 360 - 5461
8. PS2 - 3092
9. PSPgo - 2841


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Mobile ad fraud: Are you really reaching your audience?
MARKETING and advertising are important for boosting business. However, are you sure your ads are reaching the right customers?
Mobile ad fraud is growing and evolving. Every year, it is estimated to costs marketers up to US$2.6 billion. This number is rising, and the attacks hit all kinds of applications and platforms.
AppsFlyer released its findings on The State of Mobile Fraud for Q1 2018. They found 30 percent more fraud in this quarter, compared to the previous year. In 2018 alone, fraud has already cost advertisers US$700-$800 million worldwide, and we’re only in March.
Normally attackers exploit weaknesses in mobile advertising technology, to deceive advertisers, publishers, or supply partners. Usually, the objective is to steal from advertising budgets.
The study showed that in Asia, fraud rate is much higher than the global average. Singapore was hit the hardest by fraud, with as much as 27 percent of installs being noted to be fraudulent.
Shopping apps are favorites for fraudsters, costing the industry $275 million this quarter. That is followed by gaming, finance and travel apps. This is not surprising, given that these apps that have higher CPIs (Consumer Price Index), or a huge scale of operations.
Attackers tend to favor these kinds of platforms because the payout is higher. For apps with high CPIs, the consumers on it tend to have higher buying powers. Whereas for apps such as gaming, the scale is huge; thus, small payouts add up quickly.
On average, out of 1000 apps that were installed via an ad campaign, 115 of them are fraudulent. That is more than 10 percent and these instances continue to grow.
The attacks also do not discriminate based on the platform. Although Android OS is more vulnerable to attacks, iOS is a lucrative target and remains vulnerable to particular types of attacks.
There are four main types of fraud: click flooding, install hijacking, device farming, and bots.
Click flooding is when a “flood” of false clicks reports are sent on behalf of real devices. When the device downloads the app, however, the attacker’s publisher is falsely credited instead.
Install hijacking is when a genuine user downloads the app, but an attacker “hijacks” by sending a false click report and injects false referrer data.
Device farming takes advantage of a lot of devices making actual clicks, downloads, and interactions with the app. The device IDs then get reset, to perform the tasks again. These are mostly for instances where the advertiser gives incentives from their ads.
Bots are malicious codes that simulate an ad click. Bots send clicks, installs, and in-app events for installs that never occurred. This is currently the biggest threat, replacing device farms.
The challenge for many of the marketers is that fraudster’s improving ability to mimic legitimate traffic. New measures are constantly needed, to keep up with the evolving types of fraudulent activities.
Regular updates on SDKs (Software Development Kit) are important to keep your business protected. Businesses should also take note of any discrepancies in data, such as App Store numbers and your reporting platform, or changes in conversion rates.
- Manufacturers solve the puzzle to achieve both growth and profitability: Better ERP support
- Are flexible working arrangements the key to retaining and recruiting skilled staff?
- India to have deepfake regulations
- Australia and New Zealand to see uplift in critical infrastructure cybersecurity
- First-of-its-kind international agreement on AI Safety introduced by the US and allies


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The world has evolved, beauty standards are changed, today people across the globe chant the slogan “Everyone is beautiful in their own way.” Every other influencer speaks against color discrimination, but celebrities in Pakistan are still living in the dark.
Leading Pakistani actress Ayeza Khan is bashed over the latest Ad campaign for a local whitening cream brand. People seem to be against her for promoting a whitening cream.
Disappointed fans took to Instagram and other social media platforms to hammer Ayeza Khan. Ayeza Khan Fans showed mixed reactions; some trolled her while some bashed her.
Ayeza Khan is the new brand ambassador for local Pakistani whitening cream brand Faiza Beauty Cream. Her appearance in the latest commercial ad become controversial because of its script.
Ayeza gave the credit of her success to the whitening cream brand, and her fans have gone wild about it.
Branding, commercials, and all that aside, It is high time to realize that discrimination of any kind is against humanity. The celebrities and influencers should spread love and unity instead of promoting things that are developing an inferiority complex.


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DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR 2ND ANNUAL NYC SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS
Contest Will Award $160,000 in Grants to Small Businesses; Applications due by March 10, 2006
The Second Annual NYC Small Business Awards competition, which will distribute $160,000 worth of cash grants to small businesses throughout the five boroughs, is accepting applications through March 10, 2006. The contest, a joint initiative of the New York City Commission on Women’s Issues (CWI) and NYC Business Solutions, celebrates the achievements of women and business in New York City. Businesses eligible to apply for the contest must be based in New York City, have fewer than 100 employees, have annual revenues under $2 million and have been established a minimum of two years. Entries to the awards program will be judged on demonstrated success for women in New York City, as well as business success and entrepreneurial leadership.
The awards will be given to selected businesses that are eligible for one of three tracks: Track 1 applicants—those with gross annual revenues for the most recent tax year of less than $250,000—will compete for one of two first place $10,000 awards. Track 2 applicants– those with gross annual revenues for the most recent tax year of less than $750,000—will compete for one of two first place $20,000 awards. Track 3 applicants—those with gross annual revenues for the most recent tax year of less than $2 million—will compete for one of two first place $50,000 awards.
Small business owners can download an application and read the official rules at www.nyc.gov/women, by calling 311, or by visiting one of the City’s NYC Business Solutions Centers, where information sessions will be held to provide more information about the program. Applications will be accepted through March 10, 2006.
Entries will be judged against other businesses of comparable size based on the benefits the enterprise provides to women in New York City. Applicants will also be judged on business performance to date, potential for future success, and demonstrated entrepreneurial strength. A panel of judges will select the winners from the award applicants, and the winners will be announced in the summer of 2006.


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In October, consumer prices increased 0.4% over the previous month, which contrasted a 0.2% price drop in September. The monthly rise was mainly driven by increased prices for housing, which rose on the back of ?higher imputed rentals of owner-occupied accommodation?, as well as food. Annual headline inflation fell for the second month in a row, down slightly from 5.5% in September to 5.4% in October. The reading, nevertheless, overshot market expectations that had inflation at 5.2%. Meanwhile, the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) annual core inflation measure, which excludes the costs of accommodation and private road transport, rose from 2.1% in September to 2.3% in October. The MAS expects that inflation will average between 4.0% and 5.0% this year. However, annual average inflation is already at the upper end of the range, having inched up from 4.9% in September to 5.0% in October.
Inflation inches down in October
November 23, 2011
Looking for forecasts related to Inflation in Singapore? Download a sample report now.
Singapore Economic News
October 24, 2016
In September, consumer prices stayed flat compared to the previous month, following the 0.5% increase recorded in August.
October 17, 2016
In September, non-oil domestic exports (NODX) dropped 4.8% from the same month last year, deteriorating from August’s flat result.
October 14, 2016
According to advanced estimates released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry on 14 October, GDP declined a sharp 4.1% in Q3 from the previous quarter at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR), down from Q2’s revised 0.2% rise (previously reported: +0.3% quarter-on-quarter).
October 14, 2016
At its second scheduled semi-annual meeting of 2016, which took place on 14 October, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) decided to leave the rate of appreciation of the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate (S$NEER) policy band unchanged at zero percent.
October 3, 2016
The manufacturing PMI produced by the Singapore Institute of Purchasing & Materials Management (SIPMM) picked up from 49.8 in August to a 15-month high of 50.1 in September.


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Loved-up Northern Ireland couples could win rings with picture perfect selfie
The search is on to find Belfast's best "Bling-stagrammer" with a pair of wedding rings worth £2,000 up for grabs for the winning engagement ring shot.
The winning photograph will also be used in a national campaign for Beaverbrooks the Jewellers.
It is on the hunt for aspiring jewellery photographers after finding that 42% of millennials now take a delighted "engagement selfie" to share their big news on social media, with 87% admitting it was "important" for them to look great in the snap.
As well as bagging themselves a pair of wedding rings and the title of Belfast's ultimate Bling-stagrammer, the photography enthusiast will also have their engagement snap included in a national campaign for the jewellery retailer, featuring on its website and social media channels this summer.
Lorna Haddon, diamond ring and jewellery buyer at Beaverbrooks, said the company is excited to see the images that Northern Ireland's newly betrothed couples will create in hopes of bagging the big prize.
She said couples can use different apps and filters to create a really special photograph to share with friends, as well as entering the competition.
"A marriage proposal is an important milestone in any relationship and for many it's the perfect occasion to show off a sparkling new engagement ring on social media," she said.
"With so many different apps and filters available, amateur photographers can now go above and beyond to create beautiful pictures to share with family and friends.
"We wanted to put this to the test to see who can capture the most stunning engagement ring shot on social media.
"We can't wait to see what photographers in Belfast have to offer."
To be in with a chance of winning a pair of wedding rings up to the value of £2,000 and the 'best Bling-stagrammer' accolade, social media snappers just need to post their engagement ring photo to @beaverbrooksthejewellers on Instagram or @beaverbrooks on Facebook and Twitter by July 31, including the hashtags #EngagementSelfie and #Beaverbrooks in the post.
For anyone in need of further inspiration, the jewellery retailer has even compiled a series of hints and tips on how to capture the perfect shot, including the best filters, lighting and angles to showcase a diamond engagement ring in all its glory.


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FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Mars Petcare’s own research institute for pet health, nutrition and wellness has taken on a new name, Waltham Petcare Science Institute, to reflect its growing impact. For example, the institute’s latest solution uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to detect the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats up to two years faster than previous diagnostic methods.
Founded in 1973 as the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, the institute studies the effects of companion animal microbiomes, potential biomarkers for disease and health, pet food palatability and other areas of pet health and nutrition.
The institute’s access to data from other research centers, pet hospitals and veterinary professionals, diagnostic platforms and nutrition experts helps it develop “more tailored, efficient interventions and understand how a pets’ microbiome impacts their overall health,” the Waltham Petcare Science Institute stated.
Waltham has published more than 900 peer-reviewed journal articles and conducted numerous studies into several pet nutrition and health topics, including amino acid requirements for dog foods, optimal taurine levels for cat foods, and enhancing skin and coat health in dogs by fine-tuning the nutrients in their diets.
The Waltham Petcare Science Institute concluded that, going forward, it will continue to leverage its data and industry connections “to ask — and answer — some of the most challenging questions to support happy healthy pets.”
Stay up to date on news about the pet food processing industry on our News page.


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Mercedes-Benz provides the first official photos of its new flagship '07 S-Class sedan, which goes on sale in Europe this fall and in the U.S. in early 2006.
The sedan features sharper angles and cleaner lines than its predecessor, along with a 1.7-in. (4.3-cm) increase in length, 1-in. (2.5-cm) increase in width and more than a 3.0-in. (7.6-cm) gain in wheelbase.
'07 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Mercedes says the '07 S500 model marks the first application for the auto maker's new family of V-8 engines, with increased displacement, 4-valve-per-cylinder technology, variable valve timing and light-weight crank assembly.
While Mercedes will offer its renowned 3.2L 6-cyl. diesel engine in the new S-Class for Europe, a Mercedes-Benz USA spokesman tells Ward's the auto maker has not yet decided when it will offer the powertrain in the U.S. “We're still studying that one,” he says.
The '07 S-Class also features Mercedes' 7G-Tronic 7-speed automatic transmission, featuring Touch Shift manual operation.
Mercedes also boosts safety features on the '07 S-Class, with improved Pre-Safe crash avoidance systems. (See related story: S-Class Gains Crash Avoidance Technology)
Making its debut on the '07 S-Class is Mercedes' infrared night vision system, which helps to extend driver visibility up to 500 ft. (152 m).
The system distributes infrared beams from two projectors mounted in the headlight assemblies. An infrared camera mounted in the windshield receives the reflected images and displays them onto a display in the instrument cluster.
Inside, the '07 S-Class features Mercedes' revamped Command system, with a new controller located on the lower center console.
While U.S. pricing will not be determined until closer to launch, Germans will have to pay a hefty increase for the new sedan. The S500 will carry a base price of €89,668 ($109,091), an €5,974 ($7,274) increase over the outgoing model.
The MBUSA spokesman says it is too early to determine whether the European increases are a good indicator of U.S. pricing.


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With a new administration, control of Congress by the Democrats and significant changes to many state legislatures, Sam Leyvas of the Professional Beauty Association (PBA) has outlined some of the key issues beauty industry professional should be aware of.
FICA tax credit for spas and salons. The bill's principal sponsor (Shelley Berkeley D-NV) retained her seat in the House and is poised to keep this issue a priority. Additionally, 2009-2010 are likely to be years in which we will see a flurry of tax legislation in Congress, giving the beauty industry newfound opportunities to advocate for a FICA tax credit. The FICA tax credit would give spa and salon owners a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on the FICA taxes paid on employees' tip income putting the professional beauty industry on equal footing with the restaurant industry. Employers currently do not share that income, but are taxed on it. This legislation would significantly help small and large spas and salons to lower their tax liability and allow them to further invest in their businesses.
Credit card interchange fees. For years, small businesses, such as spas, restaurants and other merchants have been waging a quiet war with the credit card companies over interchange fees, the hidden costs of processing credit and debit card transactions that can gobble up a store's profits while earning banks a pretty penny. With a new Democratic Congress set to take power in January, it's likely to see the resurrection of the Credit Card Fair Fee Act, federal legislation that would require credit card companies with substantial market power to negotiate with merchants and retailers about terms for fees paid when processing card transactions. "Interchange" is a percentage of each transaction that credit card companies collect from merchants every time a credit/debit card is used to pay for a purchase. The fee varies with type of card, size of merchant and other factors, but as much as $2 of every $100 consumers spend goes to card issuers.
Card Check law (Employee Free Choice Act). This law could have a significant impact on the beauty industry and many other Main Street businesses. While the bill was approved by the House in 2007, it died in the Senate this year but will most likely resurface in early 2009. With Democrats traditionally supporting organized labor's agenda and with unions aiming to fold more employees into union membership, this law would completely change the economics of union-organizing. Card Check would make it cost-effective for unions to go after Main Street businesses, such as beauty/nail salons, spas, restaurants and other retail establishments that have never experienced unionization before. The law would do away with the secret ballot process currently used for unionization in the workplace and replace it with a Card Check system. Once a union persuades more than half of workers to sign membership cards, the union would automatically be certified. Without the secret ballot process, employees would be exposed to intimidation and bullying tactics from union organizers. From large-scale beauty manufacturers to spa owners, this is a law that could have serious consequences for the beauty industry.
Elimination of LIFO Accounting Method. Distributors and manufacturers take note as the permanent repeal of the use of "Last-In, First-Out" inventory accounting would translate into massive tax increases for hundreds of thousands of American businesses. Although the proposed repeal of LIFO was recently defeated in Congress, with a new Congress controlled by one party and the increased pressure to close the federal tax gap along with finding additional revenues to cover budget deficits, it is likely to resurface. The restricted use or outright repeal of LIFO would have far-reaching and potentially damaging effects on companies within the professional beauty industry that rely on effective inventory management to remain profitable, principally distributors and manufacturers.


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Venture capital’s tight grip on early stage deals is a desirable target for disruption as no other investment category can turn so little money (and patience) into even more money, at least for the savvy and the lucky few that can generate 10X returns consistently.
Crowdfunding is often claimed to be a potential VC disruptor but successful examples are hard to find. April Rudin, founder of high net worth investment advisory Rudin Group, writes it is very attractive to be able to participate in the kind of deal flow. It is normally not easy to access and choosing to invest company by company is not possible via a blind pool venture fund or through a fund of fund intermediary.
She cites the model used by OurCrowd, founded by Jonathan Medved, a well-known venture industry professional, as one way things might go in that direction. OurCrowd is targeted at accredited investors and offers them a pool of vetted companies – it also pre-negotiates terms sheets and takes stakes in the companies on its platform, according to its website.


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BlackBerry is on a roll.
The company formally known as Research In Motion announced today that the Canadian launch its new BlackBerry smartphones were the best ever for the company. In an emailed statement, BlackBerry CEO and president Thorsten Heins said sales were 50% better than any other Canadian launch – and three times the company’s best previous performance in the United Kingdom.
BlackBerry did not provide data for the third country the new smartphones launched, United Arab Emirates.
The full statement from BlackBerry is below:
“In Canada, yesterday was the best day ever for the first day of a launch of a new BlackBerry smartphone. In fact, it was more than 50% better than any other launch day in our history in Canada,” said Heins. “In the UK, we have seen close to three times our best performance ever for the first week of sales for a BlackBerry smartphone.”


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Michaels Companies Inc News
5 Top Stock Gainers for Tuesday: Novocure, Makinac
Novocure, Moderna, B. Riley, Makinac and Novavax are five prominent rising stocks in Tuesday's trading.
Athene Jumps on $11 Billion Deal to Merge With Apollo
Athene shares rise on news of the transaction that is expected to close in January 2022.
5 Top Stock Gainers for Wednesday: Michaels, Alcoa, Ovid Therapeutics
Michaels, Alcoa, Horizon Acquisition, KemPharm and Ovid Therapeutics are five top gainers for Wednesday.
Michaels Agrees to $5 Billion 'Go-Private' Deal With Apollo Global
Michaels will become a private company and delist its stock from the Nasdaq once its $5 billion takeover by Apollo Global is completed.
Covid-19's Deadliest Day, Snowflake, Splunk, Jobless Claims - 5 Things You Must Know Thursday
A Wall Street rally fueled by vaccine breakthroughs is tempered by the deadliest day in the U.S. from Covid-19; Snowflake issues a soft product sales forecast; Splunk sinks after reporting a wider-than-expected third-quarter loss.
Michaels Shares Craft Gains on J.P. Morgan Upgrade
Michaels shares rose big Monday after J.P. Morgan analysts nearly doubled their price target on the crafts retailer.
Dow's 3,000-Point Drop, Coronavirus, Amazon, Boeing, St. Patrick's Day - 5 Things You Must Know Tuesday
Stock futures rise modestly after equities fall the most in 30 years in the previous session; Donald Trump acknowledges U.S. could tip into a recession; Boeing seeks short-term government help.
Michaels Stores Shares Jump as Arts-and-Crafts Retailer Taps Walmart E-Commerce Exec as CEO
Ashley Buchanan takes over as the Irving, Texas, firm has struggled with online competition and other matters.
OPEC, Huawei, PG&E, Biogen, and a 2020 Recession? - 5 Things You Must Know
U.S. stock futures gain; Huawei hits back at the U.S. - again; PG&E rebounds; Slack boomerangs and Biogen preps Alzheimer's trial results.
Tesla Chart Faces Key Hurdle. Here's What Happens If It Fails.
Tesla stock faces a key hurdle on the charts. Here's what happens if resistance rejects it.
Tim Cook and Apple Make a Move That Could Annoy China
iPhone maker wants to diversify its supply chain and expand in a crucial market.


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The above memo was sent out to Starbucks in the United States recently. An Associated press report confirms its authenticity. According to the statement, Starbucks no longer welcomes guns in its stores. The coffee chain giant has been extremely neutral on the subject recently.
Previously the… Read More
They are nothng but a bunch of libtards selling over-priced coffee … I think I have acutally gone in one, tewice in the last twenty years. Bought nothing… Mickey D’s coffee is cheaper and just as good, for me.


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A total of 3,991 units of cars were rolled out in
July 2002, as compared to 2,794 units in the same month last year.
Sales in July 2002 flared up to 3,691 units as against 3,044 units in
the same month of 2001, Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association
(PAMA) figures showed.
An assembler attributed the increase in production
and sales to the rising demand of cars since March this year, change
of models by two leading Japanese assemblers and attractive package
offered by the leasing companies and some private and nationalized
banks for car financing.
A satisfactory cotton crop of 10.5 million bales
and 18 million tons of wheat crop in 2001-2002 also helped in pushing
up sales of cars in rural areas, he said.
Since the last few months, almost all the
assemblers have raised their production to meet the surging demand of
The production of Toyota Corolla rose to 789 units
in July as compared to 500 units.
A total of 575 units of Honda Civic were produced
in July as compared to 385 units.
Suzuki Mehran 800cc production rose to 900 units
from 600 units. A total of 250 units of Alto 1000cc were rolled out in
July as against 117. Suzuki Baleno production and sales increased to
150 units and 141 units, respectively, in July this year from 80 and
58 units in July 2001. Suzuki Cultus production and sales were
registered at 469 and 418 units, respectively, in July as compared to
300 and 326 units.
Daihatsu Cuore production and sales peaked to 370
and 330 units, respectively, from 38 and 77 units in July 2001.
OIL, GAS FOUND IN SANGHAR
The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL)
announced on Wednesday that they have struck oil in Sanghar, Sindh.
Managing director of the company, Maj Gen Pervez
Akmal at his first news conference after joining the company three years
back, said the oil was being drilled at its Chak-02 well, 20km off
Sanghar town, producing 425 barrels of condensate per day.
The reserves could not be ascertained at present but
the production would save US$8 million per year.
TEXTILE SECTOR SET PRODUCTIVITY TARGETS
The government has launched benchmarking campaign for
the textile sector to maximize its productivity and has selected 11
spinning mills mostly located in Punjab to go through this process as a
The National Productivity Organisation (NPO), an
expert agency under the Ministry of Industries and Production, has been
directed to carry out benchmarking study of the spinning industry
because this sector has the maximum leverage for output improvement.
A Belgium-based textile expert of the Asian
Productivity Organization (APO) Geert De Clercq has been assigned to
finalize best practices and productivity standards for the spinning
sector over a period of next ten days following interaction with the
leading spinning players.
The Secretary, Sindh Food Department, Imtiaz Kazi,
has expressed confidence of the provincial government maintaining a
steady wheat supply till next harvest in March 2003.
Pakistan will be among the major beneficiaries of the
general rules of origin being established by Canada for textiles and
apparel products for developing countries, Canadian High Commission
stated on Monday.
Higher production of refined white sugar this season
(2001-2002) has resulted in huge unsold stocks with the millers
resulting in liquidity crunch for the millers.
The production figures released by the Pakistan Sugar
Mills Association (PSMA) indicated that the mills are holding around
0.990 million tons of unsold stocks up to August 15, 2002.
The white sugar production this year stood higher by
236,517 tons at 3.249 million tons as against 3.012 tons produced during
the corresponding period of last season (2000-2001).
As Pakistan Navy launched the first indigenously
built Agosta 90B submarine on Saturday, six months ahead of sea trials,
it announced to negotiate a similar deal with China for the construction
of four surface ships.
The launching of submarine "SAAD" is
Pakistan Navy's biggest achievement and contribution towards
indegenization and self-reliance.
SUGARCANE YIELD IN FIVE YEARS DROPS BY 4.7PC
The sugarcane per hectare yield registered a decline
of nearly 4.7 per cent in the last five years, according to comparative
study of latest official statistics.
In 1997-98, the yield was 50,288 kg per hectare. In
2001-02, the farmers on average could harvest only 48,042 kg per
hectare. Nevertheless, as the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and
Livestock (Minfal) rightly claimed, this figure was better by 5.9 per
cent than that for the previous year (2000-01).
The real reason for the slight rise in output in a
drought year, according to the scientists, lay in "water
stress". As in the case of bumper wheat crop of 1999-2000, the
higher cane yield became possible after the ground water table sank
substantially low — the implication being that water was being
over-used to the point of being a negative factor.


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The venti sized outlet is called the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai.
The world’s largest Starbucks is opening in Shanghai, China.
Quartz reports the 30,000 square feet outlet is called the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai. It is the second Starbucks Roastery with Seattle opening the first in 2014. Although Shanghai already has over 600 Starbuck stores, Shanghai’s Roastery is twice the size of Seattle’s.
CNN calls it a “caffeine-fueled Disneyland” and dubbed it the “first fully immersive coffee wonderland in China”.
The new upscaled Starbucks store offers coffee beans from over 30 countries that are available to be roasted on premise. Beans from China such as the Yunnan Reserve blend will be exclusive to the Shanghai store.
Chinese elements are found in the design of the new coffee store. The coffee bar, which measures almost 90 ft, is handcrafted by a Chinese artist. It is the largest in any Starbucks store. At the entrance, a copper flask decorated with traditional Chinese stamps can be found.
Alibaba has partnered with Starbucks to develop an augmented reality app for the store, in which users can point at objects found in the Roastery to learn more about it.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai has also teamed up with Princi, a bakery found in Milan and London, which will provide pastries to accompany the coffee brewed by baristas at three of its bars in the new store.
Shanghai’s newest Starbucks also sells beer and wine, including a craft beer made from Kenya, Colombia and Guatemala coffees.


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The Reserve Bank of India has asked all banks to send details of fake notes detected during exchange and deposits and also main records of new bank notes in view of seizures by Income Tax Department.
While there is no denying that the government is making all efforts to fight black money and corruption through demonetisation and make India a cashless economy, one must also accept the fact that the move has been misused by many.
To tap opportunities arising out of limited cash supply following demonetisation, SBI Cards will soon launch credit cards aimed at the lower income group who have the capacity to pay but don't have cards, besides quickening card delivery period to 2-3 days.
It may sound relief to all those tax dodgers who lost the opportunity offered by Income Disclosure Scheme that allowed black money hoarders to turn their black money white by paying tax on it.
The government is soon going to make it compulsory to make salary payments to industrial workers only in cheque or direct bank transfers..
In order to nab culprit bank officials who connived with black money hoarders and help them in converting their black money into white, Finance Ministry has conducted sting operations in around 500 bank branches to expose corrupt bank employees.
The government on Sunday asked state-run banks to maintain records of deposits made in denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 and other valid currencies.
After a TV channel and a website to promote digital payments, a nationwide toll-free helpline number '14444' will be launched soon to educate people and provide support related to cashless mode of transactions.
In wake of shortage of change after centre's demonetisation move, Delhi Metro has decided to temporarily hike the ceiling of smart card recharge from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 from Sunday onwards.
The Finance Ministry has sent a strong message to banks, saying that no official will be spared if found involved in wrongdoing.
It was informed in Parliament on Friday that around 85 percent of ATMs in the country have been recaliberated by November 30 for the new currency notes.
Plastic currency notes will soon become a reality in India. The Parliament was informed on Friday that procurement process for required material has already begun.
I-T department discovered 15 fake accounts and found over Rs 450 crores.
The upcoming bank holidays for three consecutive days could further add to the woes of people amidst existing cash crunch situation in the country.
Fraudsters have found one more ploy for cheating people and are using demonetisation as an opportunity and attempting to extract confidential information like bank details from common public.
Even as banks and ATMs across the country continue to remain dry and millions are cashless, one will believe how much cash the Reserve Bank of India has issued post demonetisation – a huge Rs 4.27 lakh crore.
In what could be a major boost for gender equality and mothers in particular, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is likely hike allocation for the Ministry of Women and Child Development by 20 percent with an emphasis on universalising the maternity benefit scheme.
In a bid to promote cashless economy in the wake of demonetisation move, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday announced discount on array of services.
Central Government has decided on a package of incentives and measures for promotion of digital and cashless economy in the country.
The government has cut short the deadline of using old Rs 500 notes at railways, bus and metros. After December 10, old Rs 500 will not be accepted.


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The national CVS drugstore chain is buying C's Discount Pharmacy of Metairie, a two-location business and one of the last independent drugstores in the New Orleans area, WWL television reported Tuesday. The change takes place April 2.
C's has stores at 1401 Veterans Memorial Blvd. and 4650 W. Esplanade Ave.
Felix Ciolino and Steve Ciolino started the business in 1987. Felix Ciolino had operated other drugstores since the late 1950s, according to the company's website.


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Shares of popular casual footwear maker Crocs (CROX -1.30%) popped today after the company introduced a new shoe made of a bio-based material as it aims to reduce its carbon footprint. Investors applauded the news, sending shares to an all-time high. The stock gained as much as 14.6% and still remained up 11.5% as of 2:15 p.m. EDT. Today's rise brings the stock's year-to-date return to 145%.
Crocs management previously announced that the company would achieve net zero emissions by 2030. The company marketed the plan with the tag line "comfort without carbon." Now Crocs has provided details on a new shoe that will be produced using bio-based material it calls Croslite. The material will help the company achieve its target of a 50% reduction in its carbon footprint per pair of Crocs, on its path to net zero emissions by 2030.
Crocs worked with materials company Dow Inc. using a technology that Crocs says "transforms sustainably sourced waste and byproducts into a shoe that has all the comfort you expect from Crocs, but with far less carbon." The company plans to offer the new shoes globally beginning early next year.
Crocs plans to achieve its emissions goal through several approaches, including using renewable energy to power its offices and warehouses. But Crocs shares didn't just hit a new high because of the interest from socially responsible investors. In its second-quarter 2021 earnings report, it announced record revenue that grew 93% over the prior-year period. Operating income more than tripled over 2020, and the company predicts a 60% to 65% revenue increase for the full year compared to 2020.


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Uganda: Shs 30bn Lent Out Through Mokash
17 August 2017
MTN Uganda says it gave out Shs 30bn in loans through MoKash, a product where customers can save and borrow through their phones. MoKash was launched in August 2016 in partnership with Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA). It works on their mobile money platform.
"Since the launch of MoKash a year ago, 2.5 million customers have enrolled onto the service," said the MTN press statement. At least 1.2 million people are active users. Mobile money customers borrow up to a maximum of one million and the minimum is Shs 3,000. One can save on the platform from as low as Shs 50 to Shs 1 million.
MoKash is being seen as an intervention in easing access to cheaper credit, and deepening saving levels, although the amounts remain relatively small. Through MoKash, customers are also relieved of the burden of the paperwork that financial institutions ask for when processing loans.
Already, mobile phone subscribers are borrowing money through airtime and data. The average interest rates on these products is about 12 per cent.
As much as Shs 2.5tn is transacted through mobile phones monthly, according to official figures. This makes mobile money one of the fastest-growing platforms for money transfers.
Source: The Observer (Kampala)


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An unexpected guest gatecrashed a fashion show in Turkey and stole the limelight after walking the runway. A stray cat settled down on the ramp at the the Esmond International Fashion Show in Istanbul on Friday, while models sashayed past nonchalantly.
Inspired by them, the cat then decided to do its own, well, catwalk.
Fashion designer Goksen Hakki Ali said everyone at the show was astonished – with good reason. Despite the cat’s attempt to the leap at them, the models on the runway managed to continue with the show.
But there was no doubt about who the star was.


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With over half of all shoppers reported to be using smartphones as an aid to so-called Robo (Research offline, buy online) shopping, you would expect Britain's major retail chains to be walking the walk when it comes to digital retail services. But how much of the alleged £222,222 of customer spending that takes place every minute during the UK's Cyber Monday are the traditional retailers actually getting a share of?
Figures already emerging paint a mixed picture. Internet Retailing reports that just three sites - Amazon, eBay and Argos - accounted for 30% of the day's site visits. Amazon took 12.9% of all that day's retail traffic, whilst the mobile sites as well as the desktop ones of eBay and Argos also hit the top 40.
There may indeed be a spike in spending on Cyber Monday with department stores such as John Lewis, Debenhams and Marks & Spencer, but Adventures in Retail: The Other Line's Moving Faster, Brand Perfect's recent research report into online spending, shows that 62% of UK consumers don't rate the top high street brands when they're shopping online.
If these companies were willing to put the same level of thought and investment into how their sales points operate across all digital avenues, as do the web-first giants like Amazon and eBay and their boutique brethren such as NET-A-PORTER and notonthehighstreet.com, then the Cyber Monday and seasonal gains they make could dwarf those that they currently enjoy.
Why? Because there are very specific reasons the majority of British shoppers aren't happy with the services they're getting online from them, be it on the desktop, tablet or smartphone. Of those surveyed for Brand Perfect's research, 29% said that poor design was a major reason for them to abandon their shopping, with user experience design even more of a problem: Over half the respondents said not being able to find items on a site was one of their top bugbears, with the second being slow loading, at 64%.
Worryingly for retailers who aren't providing the type of service customers expect, most of us in the UK will tell people we know about shopping experiences. The research shows that nine out of 10 of us share news of online experiences, good or bad, with friends and family, and this extends into social media.
Ofcom's report shows that Cyber Monday spending this year is expected to have increased by 21% on 2011 and that 6.8 million Visa transactions will have been made.
This week most news media have put out rosy pieces on how the traditional retailers are basking in its glow. For an overview, see this aggregated article in The Guardian, on how positive everything is. But take a step back and you'll see that the opportunity for big British brands - and a welcome economical boost to the UK - is far greater than is currently being reaped.
Perhaps the real story here, that's highlighted in the first round of spending stats from Experian Hitwise, is of all of the potential sales that are being lost entirely, or lost to Amazon et al. The Guardian piece quotes Neil Brooks, a spokesman for Argos, reporting that some of the biggest sellers already this year are iPad, Kindle and Samsung Galaxy tablets. These tablets are potentially the ideal shoppers' companions, yet it's precisely where modern retailers are really falling down. Consumers want sites that work seamlessly, regardless of what device they're using to access them with. More investment needs to be made in design and development, right at the beginning of the planning process.
If retail brands give considered attention to the findings of our report and other similar calls for more cohesive digital experiences, maybe this time next year the High Street might be ready for me and thousands more like me when we take to it on tablets. It's been more than trying attempting to shop with my Nexus 7 for this Christmas. And although it wasn't my first port of call, in the end I confess I bought most of my stuff through Amazon.


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Bick was earning six-figures as a product marketing manager at Google and helped build the search engine’s influencer program. She was also a small-time influencer herself, blogging and posting ads on her own social media accounts.
“My time at Google was extremely pivotal in the building of my blog, my business, and my overall approach to becoming my own entrepreneur,” Bick told Business Insider. Before leaving Google, she was earning hundreds of dollars for a sponsored Instagram post.
“I think at that moment that’s when the industry really started moving a lot of traditional advertising dollars over to marketing budgets specifically for the influencer market,” she said. Bick spoke with her boss and calculated what she could earn as an influencer based on her own Instagram follower base and growth at the time “and the numbers checked out.”
There was still some risk involved, but she was willing to give it a shot.
“There’s 90% certainty and there’s 10% of, ‘this could really fail miserably and then I don’t know what I’m going to do,’ but I think I was comfortable enough with the fact that even if I fall flat on my face, at least I tried it and I tried it at a moment where I feel like it really was an opportunity to try it,” Bick said.
She has 125,000 Instagram followers as of August 2018. She doesn’t share her exact numbers, but told Business Insider she now makes four figures per post and up to five figures for a brand ambassador program, which are typically a combination of Instagram and blog posts.
Bick said that working for herself isn’t easy, but it is rewarding. “I love being able to wake up each day, knowing that I’m building something — for me, by me — that gets to impact other like-minded women in a positive way,” she said. “To put it simply, I feel incredibly liberated.”
Bick said working at Google gave her the foundation she needed to negotiate with brands.
“When brands realize I speak the same marketing language as them and understand their campaign objectives, I think it helps solidify their faith in influencer marketing, and in me and my business specifically,” she said.
The influencer market gets a bulk of traffic and sales from Instagram. Instagram announced the platform had 25 million business profiles at the end of 2017. In the same year, #sponsored posts increased from 139 million in September to 171 million in December of 2017, Business Insider Intelligence reported, citing a report from social media analytics company MediaPost.
Bick said the most important part of quitting her job to be an influencer was building a business model, being patient, and setting goals for herself.
“I think a big determining factor is how much you treat yourself like a business and how much you take yourself seriously,” Bick said. “If you don’t treat yourself as a business, business isn’t going to treat you as a business.”
This article originally appeared on BusinessInsider.com.


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Dongche Daily｜Shenzhen will be the first to support L3 autonomous driving on the road / Xpeng Huitian flying car patent map exposure / Volkswagen ID.Buzz overseas opening
- Volkswagen ID.Buzz opens pre-orders in overseas markets
- Li Auto CEO: Li Li L9 will be released on June 21
- Polestar 2 BST edition 270 unveiled
- The Wrangler 4xe Limited Edition will be available on June 10
- Buick plans to stop selling gasoline-only vehicles in North America in 2030
- U.S. regulators ask Tesla to cooperate with investigation into unexplained braking
- Rimac completes a new round of financing of 500 million euros
- Xiaopeng Huitian flying car patent map exposure
- NIO launches portable charging and discharging machine
- 8 car companies improve emergency guidelines for electric vehicle battery fires
- Shenzhen will take the lead in legislation: support L3 autonomous driving on the road
Volkswagen ID.Buzz opens pre-orders in overseas markets
You can now book this popular Volkswagen model in the UK for £2,000.
Volkswagen said that ID.Buzz will officially open orders in July. It is reported that ID.Buzz's annual production capacity target this year is about 15,000 units, and plans to increase to no less than 130,000 units next year.
ID.Buzz available for purchase at that time includes the Style and Life editions, as well as the custom 1st Edition, the Shipping edition is not included.
In terms of price, the Life version is priced at 57,115 pounds (about 478,000 yuan), the Style version is priced at 61,915 pounds (about 518,000 yuan), and the 1st Edition is priced at 62,995 pounds (about 527,000 yuan).
They will all be powered by a 77kWh battery and a 204hp electric motor, with a range of about 415km. (Motoring Research)
As expected of the UK, it's really expensive.
Li Auto CEO: Li Li L9 will be released on June 21
Li Xiang, CEO of Ideal Motors, said recently that the official release time of the Ideal L9 is June 21; all stores across the country can test-drive it in July; it will be officially delivered to users in August; and the delivery volume in September can exceed 10,000.
Li Xiang said that the press conference has already been prepared, but since the Ideal L9 "has too many innovative technologies and product experiences", he hopes that the press conference can be held simultaneously online and offline, so that a certain number of car owners and media can visit in person Live experience.
"The premise is that the epidemic can be brought under control as soon as possible."
Polestar 2 BST edition 270 unveiled
On June 2, Polestar announced that it will launch the Polestar 2 BST edition 270 model. It is reported that this model is the most sporty electric model of Polestar so far, but it is only sold in Europe, North America and China, with a global limit of 270 units. .
The Polestar 2 BST edition 270 model has a maximum power of 476 hp and a maximum torque of 680 Nm. At the same time, Polestar has enhanced the dynamic response ability of the vehicle to adapt to more extreme driving scenarios.
In terms of chassis, this model has lowered the chassis height by 25 mm, equipped with an exclusive customized Öhlins dual-flow valve shock absorber, added an auxiliary shock chamber installed under the front hood, added a front lateral support rod, and added a shock absorber. Hardness has also been increased by 20%. (new trip)
However, the price has not been announced yet, and Polestar may not know how much to sell. (manual dog head)
The Wrangler 4xe Limited Edition will be available on June 10
Jeep officially announced recently that its Wrangler will launch the Sahara 4xe fluorescent yellow limited edition.
As a plug-in hybrid model, the new car will be equipped with a 2.0T plug-in hybrid system with a maximum power of 276kW and a peak torque of 637N m. The transmission system is matched with a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. The battery pack with a capacity of 17kWh has a NEDC pure electric cruising range of 55km and a total cruising range of about 640km. (Auto Home)
In April 2022, Jeep's production is 0. Motors can't save GAC Fick.
Buick plans to stop selling gasoline-only vehicles in North America in 2030
Duncan Aldred, global vice president of GM Buick and GMC, recently announced that by 2030 Buick will offer only pure electric vehicles in North America.
But for the Chinese market, Buick said its Chinese models will not be fully electrified until after 2030.
Today, China is Buick's largest market, roughly five times as many as U.S. sales. In both markets, almost all models are still equipped with combustion engines. (Electrek & Reuters)
New era, new logo.
U.S. regulators ask Tesla to cooperate with investigation into unexplained braking
According to a document released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on June 3, more than 750 Tesla owners across the United States have complained about unexplained emergency situations on the road when using Tesla's partial self-driving function. Stop the brakes.
Regulators require Tesla to provide all reports it receives related to incorrect braking, including crashes, injuries and property damage caused by related incidents. The document is dated May 14.
In addition, the document requires Tesla to submit relevant reports by June 20, but Tesla can apply for an extension. (36kr)
Rimac completes a new round of financing of 500 million euros
Croatian automaker Rimac has raised 500 million euros in a new round of financing, the company said a few days ago. This round of financing was led by SoftBank and Goldman Sachs, with participation from existing shareholders Porsche, bringing its total valuation to more than 2 billion euros.
Porsche said in a separate statement that it had invested tens of millions of euros in Rimac's funding round and would take a 20 percent stake in Rimac, down from its previous stake of 22 percent.
Most of the new financing will be used to expand production facilities and increase production in the technology business, Rimac said, with the company aiming to produce 100,000 batteries a year between 2024 and 2026.
Rimac currently employs more than 1,500 people, plans to hire 700 more this year, and is exploring the location of a new factory. (new trip)
Hammond happy car. (manual dog head)
Ford's U.S. sales decline narrows in May
Ford's U.S. sales in May fell just 4.5% from a year earlier, a narrower decline than in recent months, according to CNBC.
Demand for its latest vehicles remains "white-hot" amid a tight supply of new cars, pickups and SUVs. Ford and other automakers are still grappling with supply chain issues, including a global shortage of semiconductor chips.
For comparison, Ford's monthly U.S. sales fell 10% year-over-year in April and more than 20% in February and March.
Ford sold 763,558 vehicles in the U.S. from January to May this year, down 13.3 percent from the same period in 2021.
- Tesla suspends all global hiring and will cut 10% of its workforce
- Xiaopeng's second-generation home charging pile is online, supporting 4G remote control
- Selence will provide Faraday Future with natural speech capabilities
- Cadillac LYRIQ Ruige opened for sale, selling 439,700-479,700 yuan
- The new Volvo XC40 RECHARGE is on the market, priced at 267,000-309,000 yuan after subsidies
- Financial Times: Electric vehicles accelerate China's rise as a major auto exporter
Xiaopeng Huitian flying car patent map exposure
Recently, a group of patent images of Xiaopeng Huitian flying car were exposed. This flying car has a very sci-fi shape. The logo of Xiaopeng Motors is hung on the front and rear, and an oversized "suitcase" is placed on the roof. It is estimated that the arm mechanism is inside.
Xiaopeng Motors' current goal is to achieve mass production of flying cars in 2024 and control the price within one million yuan.
The car below is pretty good, let's take it out and sell it separately.
NIO launches portable charging and discharging machine
NIO launched a portable charging and discharging machine on its official mall today.
When used as a charging device, it can draw electricity from a household 220V socket with a maximum DC charging power of 2.85kW; when used as a discharging device, it can draw power from a vehicle DC charging port and have a maximum discharge power of 3.3kW.
At the same time, the all-in-one machine has IP66-level dust-proof and waterproof capabilities, and supports camping discharge, emergency energy replenishment, and vehicle-to-vehicle mutual charging.
The device will be available for weekly rental experience through the official rental channel at the end of July, with a price of 168 yuan per week, which supports NIO app payment.
However, the method of "only renting and not selling" subsequently aroused the dissatisfaction of many netizens. Weilai CEO Li Bin said that he accepted the criticism, "Because the initial production capacity was slow, I wanted more users to have the opportunity to use it, and I considered this to be a low-frequency demand," and said that more service plans would be discussed as soon as possible.
Let those who want to rent have to rent, and those who are willing to buy have to buy.
8 car companies improve emergency guidelines for electric vehicle battery fires
At present, the world's major car companies are accelerating the process of electrification, making electric vehicles a mainstream model, and the safety of electric vehicles and drivers has also received much attention.
Eight automakers have adopted the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) recommendation to improve their emergency guidance for electric vehicles and include vehicle-specific information on responding to lithium-ion electric vehicle battery fires, Reuters reported.
The eight car companies are Honda, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Volvo, Proterra and Van Hool. In addition, 12 companies including Ford, GM, Tesla and Toyota are following suit.
First step of emergency guide: run.
Shenzhen will take the lead in legislation: support L3 autonomous driving on the road
The first city in the country to open L3-level autonomous driving is coming soon. It is not Guangzhou, the first city of autonomous driving, nor Beijing, which has the world's first high-level autonomous driving demonstration area. The first to eat crabs is Shenzhen.
According to the 2022 legislative plan issued by the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen National People's Congress, the "Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Intelligent Connected Vehicle Management Regulations" ranks first, and the management regulations have passed the third trial stage before the release, and they are officially released, only one step away. foot.
For L3 autonomous driving, the regulations allow the driver to let go of driving, but need to take over at any time if necessary.
In terms of the ownership of rights and responsibilities, when one's own vehicle violates regulations or is responsible for an accident, the first responsible person is the driver; if the accident is caused by a vehicle accident defect, the driver can be held accountable to the manufacturer after taking the responsibility for compensation. (Smart car reference)
Maybe hands-free driving will soon become a reality, don't you think?
#Welcome to pay attention to the official WeChat account of Aifaner: Aifaner (WeChat: ifanr), more exciting content will be brought to you as soon as possible.


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Ok, here's a short and sweet edition of APK Teardown coming your way. Prepare yourself.
What's the one remaining thing a standalone GPS unit can do that Google Maps can't? (Besides work offline) Lane guidance.
Right now, Google Maps would best be described as "Turn guidance." It will tell you when to make a right turn, but that's about it. Lane guidance is a step further: Your next exit is coming up on the right, and a TomTom (pictured) will better prepare you to make the exit by directing you to the right hand lane in advance. Read More
While NVIDIA may have just announced the Tegra 4 at CES back in January, that isn't stopping ZTE from promising to deliver the first "superphone" to use the powerhouse chip by the end of Q2 2013. Although the company is being scant on exact device specifications, we do know that it will not only use the T4 chip, but also NVIDIA's new i500 LTE modem.
For those who may have missed everything the T4 has to offer, here's a quick rundown:
- 4-PLUS-1 architecture, just like the Tegra 3
- 72 GPU Cores
- A15 architecture
- Optional LTE modem via the i500
Judging by the wording in the press release, ZTE isn't working on just one Tegra 4-powered phone, either. Read More
HBO has been completely uncompromising in its approach to locking up content in pay-for-TV. If you want to watch what are arguably the best TV series currently running, you need to pay your cable provider. The HBO GO and MAX GO apps have provided a little more choice for existing subscribers by streaming to tablets and phones, but the new 2.0 update finally unlocks HDMI video output.
Before this update, the ability to output video over HDMI was blocked for both these apps, so this is kind of a big deal. Read More
Popular beta testing platform TestFlight has officially announced its arrival to Android in private beta form, in a post to the TestFlight blog. If you're wondering how popular TestFlight really is, the same post should provide some reference: the service has been trusted with smoothing the process of beta app deployment for over 300,000 iOS apps. Needless to say, its expansion to Android is big news.
Of course, Android already has HockeyApp.net, and the Play Store offers private app deployment, TestFlight provides the ingredients for an impressively sleek beta testing process with secure deployment, tracking, and – perhaps best of all – centralized feedback. Read More
Today is national app update day. Not officially, but it sure feels like it. We've already seen updates to high-profile apps like Google Drive and Any.DO, but Beautiful Widgets may have set the bar for excellent updates on February 20th, 2013. The day's not over yet, but this one's a doozie.
So, what sorts of newness does it bring? Lots. Lots of sorts of newness. Like the option to select Weather Underground (wunderground) as your default weather service. Read More
In a world where Samsung and Apple dominate the smartphone sphere, and multi-billion dollar companies like Sony, LG, and Motorola struggle to maintain single-digit market share, it's rather easy to convince yourself that real innovation and excellence costs lots of money. And, as an extension of that thought process, that there's little reason to look outside the current crop of popular phone makers.
But you'd be wrong.
Known mostly in the United States for its Blu-ray players (yes, really), Oppo is a Chinese electronics maker that is easily ignored. Read More
Roman Nurik's DashClock Widget has seen remarkable adoption since its release earlier this month, with a handful of apps quickly adding their own DashClock extensions in a bid to populate your lock screen with useful information. Joining the list today is PushBullet which, in an update to version 9, added a DashClock extension that will let you know how many pushes await you before you unlock your device.
Besides the DashClock extension, PushBullet will now play your device's default notification tone when you receive a push, and has new localization for Italian and Dutch users, along with a couple of other tweaks. Read More
Any.DO – one of the best looking task managers on Android – just got an update that makes the app even more useful. For starters, it now has DashClock support; if you're not already using DashClock Widget, then you're missing out on the single best widget of all time. Really, it's pretty amazing. But that's a different story.
Aside from that, is a new feature called Any.DO Moment, which is essentially an elegant daily reminder to plan your day. Read More
The New York Times, old guard or not, is still a huge source of news to a lot of people and to the company's credit, it's paying a decent amount of attention to its mobile apps. Now the publication is issuing an update that brings a night mode that inverts the colors for easier night reading. As someone who likes to minimize the amount of bright white light blasting into my eyes, I appreciate the option. Read More
In the constant effort to make the Drive app better, Google just pushed an update that brings "performance improvements across the whole app," as well as support for video streaming on Honeycomb or higher, pinch to zoom in the presentation viewer, and overall bug fixes.
This marks the first update Drive has seen since mid-December, when the app got a small speed-boost, along with some general bug fixes. Woo. Read More


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Clean tech revs up investors
Published 10:00 pm, Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Clean tech has come of age.
That was one of the messages Wednesday from the "Investing in Clean Energy" conference at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. About 275 people from government, industry and finance attended the second annual event, which was sponsored by Stoel Rives, Nth Power and the Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative.
Scott Barrington, director of private equity at Piper Jaffray, said he was one of the biggest cynics about clean energy just three years ago.
"It sounded like the 'make no money' fund," said Barrington, whose firm invests in private equity and venture capital funds. But Barrington said he came full circle after some prodding from a well-known investor who convinced him that there is money to be made.
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"Now is absolutely the right time to be doing this," he said.
Plenty of other investors agree. Barrington's presentation included a slide with the names of more than 80 venture capital and private equity firms that invest in clean technology, a loosely defined category that includes everything from ethanol production to wind power to fuel cells. Those venture firms have pumped $1.65 billion into the sector this year -- already surpassing last year's total. Clean technology investments now represent about 10 percent of the total venture capital market, Barrington said.
Nancy Floyd, co-founder of Nth Power, a sponsor of the event and one of the earliest investors in the sector, said that consumers and businesses have become engaged in alternative energy in a way she could not have imagined five years ago. She noted that Wal-Mart has investigated the possibility of selling ethanol at its gas stations, while British entrepreneur Richard Branson recently established a multibillion-dollar renewable energy fund called Virgin Fuels.
Still, some have wondered if the enthusiasm for clean technology is getting out of control.
Kirk Washington of Yaletown Venture Partners expressed concerns that the industry could get "tarred and feathered" if too much money starts chasing hot deals. In some cases, he thinks overly enthusiastic investors might not do the research necessary to understand the complexities of a specific market.
"The elephant in the room is that a bubble gets blown up that could burst," he said. But Washington, whose Vancouver, B.C., venture capital firm invests in the sector, also noted that a lot of money could be made.
"Part of what is exciting about it is that these are multibillion-dollar niches within trillion-dollar industries. That is enticing," he said.
Despite the fact that venture capital investments are increasing rapidly, Ira Ehrenpreis of Technology Partners said the market is still "underserved" with a "lack of venture dollars." While Ehrenpreis said investments are doubling or tripling, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based venture capitalist said the quality of entrepreneurs entering the market is at a very high level.
Panelists also discussed oil prices and how their recent decline could affect venture capital investing in biodiesel and alternative fuel companies.
The consensus: Don't bet on falling oil prices for long. And even if they do drop further, that might be the best time to invest in biodiesel, ethanol or other alternative fuel companies.
"My supposition is that oil will reach $100 a barrel before it reaches $30 a barrel," said Winston Hickox, a partner at California Strategies. The former secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency added in his luncheon keynote that "we cannot keep pace with the incredible demand for oil."
Martin Tobias, chief executive of Imperium Renewables, a Seattle biodiesel producer, agreed that the days of cheap oil are gone.
"The idea that we are going to have $10 oil is just ludicrous," he said. "There is not easily findable oil out there."


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CanMaking News TV
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Marble Brewery of Manchester Cans Two More Beers
Manchester’s Marble Brewery has just released two more beers in cans: Underhook IPA in a 500ml can and Chilli and Lemon Gose in a crushable 330ml can. Now in its 21st year, the past year has seen Marble Brewery push to get more of its classic core beers into cans. This has been ‘primarily because……...
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Microsoft threw its hat in the wearable device ring on October 29 when the company began selling a smartwatch-like gadget called the “Microsoft Band”. Was this move strategic or merely a coincidence? The product launch is in time for this holiday season and just months before longtime adversary Apple is due to release their iWatch. The iWatch is expected to go to market early in 2015 and will start at $349. The Microsoft Band, in stores now, retails for $199. Microsoft’s Vice President Yusuf Meghi avoided comparisons between the Band and iWatch. He stated Microsoft didn’t design the Band to be a statement piece, referencing the iWatch’s fashionable appearance.
If not a statement piece, what niche does the Band fall in? Essentially, Microsoft’s Band is a wearable fitness piece similar to the popular Fitbit wristband ($149). The Band, however, is loaded with features and has ten sensors to track a host of health and fitness issues. GPS is onboard for those who prefer not to haul extra devices when tracking running routes. The gadget can measure: skin temperature, steps, deep sleep, calorie burning, workout progress, stress levels (via electrical resistance in the skin) and heart rate. It also measures ultraviolet light exposure to help determine when to use sunscreen. Microsoft Band is loaded with fitness features, but it doesn’t skimp on productivity.
The Band is compatible with Gold’s Gym, MyFitnessPal, RunKeepper, Jawbone and MapMyFitness. A Starbucks app enables users to buy drinks using their wristband. Microsoft paired the device with a cross-platform app, Health. Most exciting and unlike any other big seller, this wearable device will work with all three platforms, Windows Phones, IOS and Android. Users must pair the Band to a Windows Phone to use only one feature but some would claim this feature is significant, Cortana. Cortana software enables the consumer to perform a variety of tasks by giving voice commands. According to comScore, an American analytics company that provides data to agencies and publishers, Microsoft holds a dismal 3.6 percent of 2014 United States smartphone sales. Microsoft is hoping some Band users will buy Windows Phones to obtain Cortana’s features, in turn boosting phone sales.
There are plenty of smartwatch-like productivity features available on the Band and offered across the three operating systems. Band adapters will be notified of phone calls, emails, calendar events, Facebook and Twitter, weather and stock information. Users may also respond to texts via a preset response.
The Microsoft Band is composed of thermal plastic, comes in three adjustable sizes and has a 1.4 inch touch screen. Under typical use the battery will last 48 hours. Initially, quantities are limited while Microsoft gauges consumers’ reactions. Speculation has been brewing as to whether or not the Microsoft Band will outnumber Apple iWatch sales. Many surmise Microsoft is finally fighting back in an industry (mobile) they have been lagging in; the Band is their trump card. In the upcoming months, the Microsoft versus Apple rivalry will continue to unfold. Stay tuned.


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Canadian musician The Weeknd unveiled his new album After Hours, which is due out March 20th.
To coincide with this news, the artist has planned a world tour aptly titled “The After Hours Tour”. He will be entertaining fans around the planet with the help of Sabrina Claudio, Don Toliver, and 88GLAM.
Per the official press release –
The Weeknd has announced his new headline world tour, The After Hours Tour, starting June 11th on the heels of his upcoming album, After Hours. The Weeknd will play Spectrum Center Charlotte on July 15. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets in select markets before the general public beginning Tuesday, February 25 at 10am local time through Thursday, February 27 at 10pm local time. During all US dates, Verizon Up ticket holders will get access to an exclusive stage side experience within the Verizon Up Members section. Regular ticket on-sale begins Friday, February 28 at 10am local time for North America.
The After Hours Tour will showcase state of the art production and one of the most innovative stage designs to date, containing the most LED lights and video for an arena show. Produced by Live Nation, the 57-date tour will hit cities across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France with support from Sabrina Claudio and Don Toliver in the US, and 88GLAM and Sabrina Claudio in Europe.
After Hours album merch bundles became available with the announce of the title track and album pre-order yesterday, available at shop.theweeknd.com. For all North American dates, each ticket purchased online comes with one CD of The Weeknd’s new album AFTER HOURS.


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Romany Creams from Bakers sweet biscuits are now available in bigger-sized value-bags, as well as in a delicious and indulgent new variant – Cappuccino. Fans of Choc-kits won’t be disappointed either: this tasty treat is also now available in value-bags.
‘We wanted to tap into both purchasing and consumption needs for a variety of occasions, providing the right size of pack for the right treat time,’ explains brand manager Janine Ho-Lin of Bakers sweet biscuits. One kilogram and 500g bags on both the Romany Creams and Choc-kits brands are currently on-shelf and they’re incredibly user-friendly. ‘They come in a block bottom bag that stands upright,’ says Ho-Lin, and that means ‘packaging that’s easy to store in kitchen cupboards,’ she explains. The new Romany Creams and Choc-kits value-bags also boast a re-sealable sticker on every bag to lock in the biscuit freshness for longer.
Apart from larger sized packs, Romany Creams is adding a new member to their anytime-treat family. ‘The essence of Romany Creams is that it’s an indulgent treat,’ says Ho-Lin, explaining that market research highlighted a need for a Cappuccino flavoured biscuit. ‘Consumers love enjoying coffee in different treat forms – from a drink to a dessert – introducing Cappuccino in biscuit format made perfect sense,’ she says. ‘The heart of the brand is still the same coconut-based biscuit, but now it’s available in an indulgent Cappuccino flavour.’


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American Food giant General Mills Inc. said in a filing with federal securities regulators on Tuesday that it was reducing its workforce by 700 to 800 jobs as it tries to cope with falling sales.
Most of the job cuts, which are expected to save from $125 million to $150 million each year, will occur in the United States, the Golden Valley-based company, famous for the Betty Crocker, Cheerios and Green Giant brands, revealed.
It expects the layoffs will be completed by the end of fiscal 2015.
American diet is changing
Americans are finally responding to the growing obesity epidemic, and record levels of type two diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, with a change in eating habits.
General Mills says the future is in healthier foods.
To try to adapt to changing consumer preferences, General Mills has been shifting towards healthier and more nutritious foods. Rivals such as H. J. Heinz Co. and Kellogg Co. are also trying to adjust.
In response to shoppers’ preference for breakfasts with a lower carbohydrate content, General Mills is adding more protein to its Cheerios cereal.
In September, the company announced plans to shut down a cereal plant in California, laying off 430 workers, and a yogurt facility in Massachusetts (250 jobs) as part of its “Project Century” initiative aimed at cutting costs and reducing production capacity in North America.
Also in September, General Mills said it intended to buy Annie’s Homegrown, which makes natural and organic snacks, meals and pastas, for $820 million. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
General Mills posted disappointing revenue and profit for fiscal Q1 2015 (ending on August 31st). Net income came in at $345.2 million, while sales dropped 2.4% to $4268.4 million compared to $4,372.7 in the same quarter last year.
On May 25th, 2014, General Mills said it had a total of 43,000 workers (both full- and part-time).


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Apple admits to two key allegations in ebook price fixing case
While Apple and book publishers may find themselves on the precipice of an antitrust lawsuit from the Justice Department, filings in a concurrent civil class-action lawsuit obtained by BetaNews indicate that Apple has already admitted to two of the most damaging allegations in the case that the federal government is likely to include.
According to reporting Thursday by the Wall Street Journal, at the heart of the case is the agreement struck with publishers which changed the way ebooks are sold to retailers. This in turn caused prices to increase dramatically, critics argue. Apple is also accused of further controlling the market through a clause in its own contract for iBooks that forbade publishers from permitting competitors to sell books at a cheaper price than the iBookstore.
Statements by Apple's lawyers in the civil case in an attempt to have it dismissed seem valid in light of the possible Justice Department action. The Cupertino, Calif. company has already admitted to the central facts of the case, which could strengthen the government's position should Apple lose in civil court, although it attempts to argue its decisions were for competitive and financial reasons.
Apple Didn't Want to Lose Money
In the complaint against Apple, lawyers for the plaintiffs detail meetings between the publishers and Apple ahead of the iPad launch. Apple agreed to adopt a model where the publisher sets a price and Apple receives a 30 percent cut, called "agency pricing". The plaintiff's attorneys argue that previous to Apple's entrance, ebooks were sold at wholesaler and the retailer itself set the price.
"Apple knew that if Amazon were allowed to continue to solidify its position in the ebook market, these network effects would make it nearly impossible for Apple to dislodge Amazon in the near term", the filing reads.
Apple responds to these allegations by admitting that meetings did occur between the two parties, however, the company entered the market with zero market share and sales. It made a conscious business decision not to lose money on the sale of ebooks and agreed to agency pricing as a result.
"It would make perfect sense as a rational and competitive business strategy for Apple not to enter as a retailer incurring losses, but instead as an agent on commission with a competitive offering – which is exactly what the agency agreements negotiated by Apple accomplished", Apple responds.
'Most Favorite Nation'
While that argument might be sufficient to appease an antitrust judge, where the picture gets cloudier is the clause in which Apple essentially forced the publishers to renegotiate its contracts with competing retailers. Called "most favorite nation" status, the practice is coming under increasing fire from antitrust regulators who see it as anticompetitive.
"The effect of the MFN Clause ... was to increase prices and reduce competition for the ebooks of the Publisher Defendants", the plaintiff's filing reads in part. "This resulted in increasing and stabilizing ebook prices and eliminated competitive pricing".
Apple admits to using the strategy in its filing, but pushed it back on the publishers. "The agency agreements left it to each Publisher to set its eBook prices based on competition among the various book titles, with a proviso that if certain eBooks were being sold at a lower retail price elsewhere, the Publisher would match those prices at Apple’s iBookstore", the filing argues.
In the end, that doesn't answer the concerns of the Justice Department and antitrust regulators that the MFN clauses are anticompetitive, and begins to build the case that Apple may have played a part in "fixing" the price of e-books.
Settling Out of Court May Be The Wisest Move
With Apple all but admitting to what it's being accused of, the bar is higher to prove that its actions are not illegal. Especially in the area of MFN clauses, Apple is already fighting from a position that government antitrust regulators have already attempted to have invalidated in other antitrust cases. Such a case is also likely to be lengthy and damaging to Apple's reputation among consumers, should it occur.
Another certainty is with the amount of regulatory scrutiny, ebook prices look likely to fall some. Publishers are obviously more apt to avoid an antitrust suit, which could have the undesirable effect of these companies losing control over the pricing of its content. Settling out of court would allow them to maintain some control over pricing. In the end, that appears to be what the publishers want.
Coming Monday: An antitrust lawyer talks about the implications of the case and the government's chances of success.
Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox


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Via Technologies on Monday launched the Via eH1 graphics card, which is aimed at bringing DX 10 graphics and multiscreen HD video technology to embedded devices. Via, a chipmaker that specializes in power efficient x86 processors, says the eH1 is the first graphics card dedicated specifically to embedded applications.
The Via eH1 is a low-profile PCI Express add-in-board product which offers multistream 1080p HD video decoding and stereoscopic 3D rendering capability. Applications that can run the Via eH1 include digital signage, advertising, POS, POI, gaming and multi-display viewing.
The Via eH1 features the power-efficient S3 Chrome 5400E GPU, a 64-bit discrete graphics solution that comes with 512MB of DDR3 memory. Samples of the Via eH1 are now available on request from Via's Web site, and the card comes with a three-year product guarantee.
In addition to being DX10.1 compliant, the Via eH1 is compatible with any system with a PCI Express slot. The card is also compatible with a number of Via EPIA board products.
"The Via eH1 hits a real sweet spot for the embedded industry as a whole," said Daniel Wu, vice president of Via Technologies' Embedded Platform Division, in a statement. "Offering technologies like DX10.1, OpenGL/CL, plus multi-channel HD video playback on an extremely low power AIB will excite system integrators who want to bring the latest features to existing platforms."
Last week, Via Technologies announced that Simmtronics Semiconductors is now Via's exclusive manufacturing and distribution partner for Via pc-1 mainboards in several countries, including India.


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The following op-ed was published this week in St. George News.
Last year, Governor Herbert issued an executive order to mandate that regulations from the state “shall not impose unnecessary burdens” on the economy or on individuals. Despite this welcome direction, small farmers and food producers throughout the state have been restricted by unnecessary and burdensome regulations for many years.
For example, throughout the state—especially in rural areas—families sometimes bake items that they decide to sell at the local farmers market. But these baked goods cannot be legally sold; without the proper permits, fees, and regulatory compliance, even simple snacks are contraband in commerce.
Over the years, some enterprising home cooks have decided to be legally compliant in selling their items by becoming a certified cottage food establishment. This process requires a bureaucratic blessing of your every recipe—which, if modified ever so slightly, requires a new approval. This weeks-long (and sometimes months-long) process inhibits the ability of these micro-entrepreneurs to adapt to available and seasonal produce and ingredients. What otherwise might be a good option for a small business becomes a barrier to success.
Fortunately, things will soon be changing in Utah. Following several years of advocacy from our respective organizations and the tireless efforts of Representative Marc Roberts, the Utah Legislature recently passed a new bill that legalizes the direct sale of food to an informed consumer. House Bill 181, sponsored by Rep. Roberts, passed the House 64-7 and passed the Senate unanimously.
HB 181 does several important things, but its main purpose is to exempt food producers from licensing, permitting, certification, inspection, packaging, and labeling requirements for food that is produced and sold within Utah, sold directly to its consumer for home use, and labeled to indicate that the food has not been inspected and may not be resold.
While it took some time to persuade legislators to adopt this change, the reduction of this regulatory burden makes sense; regulations are to protect uninformed third parties. When you shop at the grocery store, you don’t know the conditions of the farms and factories in which each item was processed. You cannot inspect these locations yourself, nor are you familiar with their processes. Regulations are designed to ensure safety on your behalf.
Direct sale situations are different. If your neighbor is a talented cook who wants to sell her meals, and you are aware of the quality of her food and the sanitation of her kitchen, you don’t need anybody to protect you. You trust her and can inspect her work yourself. And because she has a personal interaction with her customers, she has a strong incentive to eliminate any health risks. On the flip side, factories with faceless customers still cause illnesses, despite being very highly regulated.
Regulations make less sense in a direct, personal transaction. A government that helps uninformed people avoid danger becomes a nanny state when it prevents informed and consenting people from exchanging their goods and services.
We’re all familiar with situations in which homemade food is regularly shared—birthdays, when a neighbor is sick, or when a new family has moved in down the street. No regulations govern these widespread occurrences, nor have any laws prohibited the practice. Because homemade food is exchanged for money rather than being freely shared does not mean it is inherently more dangerous to consume.
Now that the legislature agreed with correcting this problem—and since Governor Herbert has now signed HB 181 into law—these “unnecessary burdens” on direct-sale food transactions have thankfully been reduced. As such, Utah becomes the fourth—and most populous—state to deregulate the sale of home-cooked food.
Regulation should be kept in check, serving its true purpose: protecting the uninformed from threats they cannot see. Thankfully, this new law removes “unnecessary burdens” from farmers and home cooks statewide, ensuring that informed and consenting adults are free to buy directly from their favorite food producer, without the cost and hassle of regulatory compliance getting in the way.