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Bitcoin hit multiple new uncomparable high costs, regulative talks with the potential to own a giant impact on the trade, and additional institutional buy-in from major corporations. All the whereas, people’s interest in crypto has skyrocketed this year: it’s a hot topic not solely among investors but in widespread culture too.
The discussion on “The Future of NFTs and Games” was initialized and carried out by James Zhang, CEO of Concept Art House. His company recently received $25 million on the promise of creating crypto art for games and collector art. Mythical Games CEO John Linden raised $75 million four months ago and another $150 million last week at a $1.25 billion value in a deal led by Andreessen Horowitz. Yat Siu, the chairman of Animoca Brands, raised money three times this year for a total of $203.8 million at a valuation of $2.2 billion. Sky Mavis cofounder Jeff Zirlin recently disclosed the firm raised $153 million at a $3 billion valuation.
Time to Boom
They’re all in the thick of things when it comes to NFTs and games. This year, the NFT business surged, beginning with NFT artwork that leveraged blockchain’s transparent and secure digital record to uniquely verify one-of-a-kind products. This gives gamers digital ownership and allows them to resell their game characters for a profit, enabling a new business model for games known as play-to-earn, in which players earn incentives. Each of the companies in the session is taking advantage of this trend. And they are all expecting mass acceptance and upheaval of the gaming industry’s status quo.
In other words, gamers enjoy accumulating items. Crypto was difficult to use at first, but companies are learning how to onboard gamers to crypto games even if they have no knowledge of wallets or technical intricacies. Now, the gaming economies are thriving, and they aren’t entirely dependent on the ups and downs of Bitcoin values.
The metaverse guarantees that it will provide users increased reality experience that – in many ways – may exceed physical reality in terms of the experiences and opportunities in this. What’s often missing from the discussions around the potential of the metaverse is however all of this data is secured and guarded.
Blockchain is Immutable
Blockchain and blockchain platforms have been tested, to the current purpose, to be unhackable and changeless, which is critically necessary if any computer game platform is to realize thought adoption. Blockchain and crypto assets are unit, in alternative words, a necessary and integral part of computer games. For a real computer game setting to figure and performance as publicized, there’ll have to be compelled to be transactions that occur on a secure and virtually instant basis.
The NFT gaming and metaverse continues to be a rising and fast-growing area in the coming future, however, the underlying truth is that to facilitate and notice a do not know functioning metaverse along with the NFT gaming – blockchain and crypto assets can have to be compelled to play a distinguished role within the future implementation of this concept. However, blockchain and crypto assets are key elements to having this technology reach its full potential.


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One of the more recognizable brands to come out of Fort Greene has closed its doors.
, now a chain with seven freestanding retail locations and a national licensing deal with Macy's, closed its 'heritage store' on S. Elliott Place and Dekalb Avenue this week.
The chain still has stores open at nearby Atlantic Terminal Mall and its flagship location on 125th Street in Harlem.
Founded in 1993 by Lisa Price and inspired by her mother, Carol, the brand began as a line of butters and bath oils sold at local craft fairs.
In the years since, Carol's Daughter attracted investors like Jada Pinkett and Will Smith, blossoming into a multi-million dollar company profiled on Oprah and the Tyra Banks Show.
The closure marked the departure of a key black-owned and operated business from the traditionally African-American brownstone-lined streets of Fort Greene—a place that has seen an influx of new residents and entrepreneurs over the years.
With the store shuttered and the shelves inside empty, all that remained at 1 S. Elliott Place was a sign from Price addressed to what some might have called a shrinking, yet loyal, local customer base:
"It's hard to say goodbye," it read.

domain: news


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Counterfeit Med Seller Convicted by Federal Jury – ICE Led Investigation
A federal jury convicted Luis Angel Garcia Torres, 41, of Puerto Rico on 12 counts related to trafficking in counterfeit medicine, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, on June 14, 2012.
Garcia Torres used the internet to purchase the medication, provided advice to the counterfeit manufacturers in China on avoiding detection by US law enforcement, and then sold the fake drugs to undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Houston, TX.
Counterfeit Vicodin Purchased Online Contained No Hydrocodone
In March, Abbot Pharmaceuticals reported that two instances of counterfeit Vicodin ES had been found, having been purchased on the internet. Vicodin ES is a combination of hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen, used to relieve moderate to severe pain. It is a Schedule III drug, which […]
NABP Applies for New Top-Level Domain to Provide Secure Destination for Consumers
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has applied to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to own and operate the new .PHARMACY generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD). NABP has announced it has applied for the generic Too-Level Domain .PHARMACY as a "community-based […]
House Doubles Maximum Sentence for Counterfeit Drug Crime
H.R. 3668, the Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act, was approved by the House of Representatives on June 18, 2012. Sponsored by Representatives Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.), Tom Marino (R-Pa.), and Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.), the House bill has stiffer penalties for drug counterfeiters than the Senate approved […]
Hamburg Seeks Stronger Penalties for Drug Counterfeiters
FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg seeks stronger penalties to fight counterfeit drug trafficking, saying, “We need legal authorities to give teeth to our action. We are increasingly concerned that this is becoming an attractive area for bad guys, including organized crime,” reported The Financial Times. […]
FDA Says Buy from US State-Licensed Pharmacies to Avoid Counterfeit Meds
The US Food and Drug Administration is advising American consumers in a new campaign to avoid counterfeit medications by purchasing only from US state-licensed pharmacies.
WHO Prequalifies 5 Anti-Malaria Drugs Made in China
World Health Organization (WHO) representative Michael O’Leary has announced that China now has five anti-malaria drugs that have met WHO standards for prequalification. China Daily reports that a study released in January 2012 by the Wellcome Trust cites Chinese manufacturers as a major source of […]
FDA Cites 2 Canadian Pharmacies for Offering Unapproved Drugs to Americans
On May 24, 2012, Thomas Christi, Acting Office Director for the FDA’s Office of Drug Security, Integrity and Recalls sent warning letters to Pharmawest Pharmacy and Best Price Rx, two Canadian pharmacies known by their websites www.bestpricerx.com and www.northwestpharmacy.com. The warning letters state that the […]
Canadian Online Pharmacy Owner Indicted in US Federal Court for Selling Counterfeit Drugs To Americans
Canadian citizen Andrew Strempler, 38, founder of Mediplan, which fulfilled online medicine orders for ten websites, appeared in federal court in Miami on Thursday, June 14, 2012. He is expected to be arraigned on charges related to a 2005 seizure of drugs shipped by Mediplan into the US. The medications were purported to be Canadian, but US FDA officials claim the medications were actually from other countries, reports the Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC).


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If you are worried about moving to the Windows Phone platform or a worried keeping or trying a BlackBerry as the platform may die, there appears to be little to worry about. Canalys, a UK-based analysis company predicts that Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry's OS will be alive and well in 2017.
By 2017, over 1.5 billion smartphones are projected to be sold, accounting for 73% of the total mobile market.
Android. In the next four years Android is expected to increase smartphone shipments from 470 million units per year, to over 1 billion units per year and maintain its 67% market share.
iOS. Apple phone sales will also increase, but it will not keep up with the overall growth rate of the market. So while Apple will sell more smartphones, its share in the market will go down from 19.5% today to 14.1% in 2017. The reason for this is most of the growth in the smartphone market is expected to come from not from a great increase in demand for mobile phones in general, but from smartphones continuing to eat into the sales of feature phones. Since Apple does not compete in the lower cost segments, its market share is projected to decrease.
Windows Phone. Windows Phone is now competing even against entry level Androids with low cost offerings from Nokia, Huawei and soon, ZTE. Because of this, the market share of Windows Phone is expected to increase from 2.4% today, to 12.7% in 2017. This will put it back at about the same level as Windows Mobile hit in its peak in 2007.
BlackBerry. BlackBerry is supposed to hold it current market share, its current 4.8% market share being projected to be 4.6% in 2017. At it peak, in 2009 BlackBerry held nearly 20% of the market.
Others. While there are many new mobile operating systems in the works like Ubuntu, Firefox OS, Sailfish and most notably Tizen, these operating systems are not expected to have any significant impact. Other smartphone operating systems now how 5.6% of the market. This is expected drop to 1.5% be 2017.
So it looks like iOS and BlackBerry will continue to hold niche markets, while in the long run it is Android and Windows Phone which will be contending for the top spot.


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ReciclaMais & Recharger Magazine launch Reciclamais South American Expo 16-18 July 200725 Apr, 2007
ReciclaMais & Recharger Magazine launch Reciclamais South American Expo 16-18 July 2007
Reciclamais announces a new partnership with Recharger Magazine for Reciclamais South American Expo 16-18 July 2007 to be hosted in Sao Paulo, Brazil, recently ranked by ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) as the number 1 city in the Americas to host international meetings. Imaging supplies and remanufacturing companies world-wide will gather at this premiere source for education, networking and product information. Reciclamais Expo, entering its 6th year, has consistently produced one of the 5 largest industry trade shows in the world. The partnership with Recharger is geared toward transforming the event into an international showcase.
Recharger Magazine has partnered to help expand the reach of the event, and facilitate growth of the Brazil market in the global arena. “We are partnering in events around the world, and we believe this partnering approach is critical to the success of the events. Launching new additional events would be disrespectful and present challenges to the exhibitors. Inaugural events are challenged in producing the results that exhibitors need and expect to yield a return on investment.” According to Patricia Ames, Global Business Development Manager for Recharger Magazine.
Registration for the event is now open. Attendees may register to visit more than 90 expected exhibitors on the show floor and will also be able to sign up to attend their choice of the exclusive and diverse course offerings. Early course selection and registration is strongly recommended as seating is limited and classes fill quickly. Complete course outlines and schedules will be available on the website at www.reciclamais.com or you may call +55 (11) 3814 0227 to request a brochure.
The regular educational offerings will be enhanced by a front-runner session. “We are currently working with an elite research company in scheduling a very targeted and exclusive training opportunity for company executives” says show manager Carolina Nogueira, “Reciclamais Expo has always been the meeting place of the South American industry, a trend that has increased substantially this year.”


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Ford Motor Co. outsold rival General Motors in the U.S. last month for the second time since 1998, Automotive News reports.
Ford, aided by a 21% jump in truck sales amid rising gasoline prices, today said it sold 212,295 light vehicles last month, or 5,674 more than GM. Ford's overall gain of 16% was its biggest this year.
Ford last outsold GM in February 2010, but by a slimmer margin of just 471 vehicles, according to the Automotive News Data Center. In July 1998, GM, hobbled by a strike at Delphi Corp., was outsold by Ford by 83,883 units.
GM, which outperformed the overall U.S. market in January and February, is still ahead of Ford in year-to-date sales by more than 97,000 units. It has been the U.S. sales leader on an annual basis since 1931.
Separately, Chrysler Group said its March sales rose 31% to the highest level in three years. Dodge brand sales jumped 50%. Nissan Motor Corp. posted record monthly sales of 121,141, up from 95,468 a year earlier.
The results so far indicate the industry is overcoming concerns about rising fuel prices and any consumer jitters about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Ford's March results were driven by higher fleet sales, strong F-Series demand and record monthly sales of the Fusion and Escape. Fiesta sales reached 9,787, up 56% over February, the automaker said.
The Ford division posted a 28% jump in sales, offsetting a 2% decline in volume at Lincoln. Ford's F-Series truck lineup -- featuring more fuel-efficient powertrains for 2011 -- posted sales of 53,272, up 25% compared to a year ago.
"The No. 1 unmet need for full-size pickup truck owners has been fuel economy," Doug Scott, marketing manager for Ford's truck line, said in a statement.
Ford said its retail sales -- a key measure of consumer demand -- rose 14%. Fleet sales were up 29%, with commercial sales up 50%, government demand up 33% and daily rental volume up 13%.
New models such as the Chevrolet Cruze and healthy demand for fuel-efficient cars and crossovers helped GM post a 10% gain in March sales.
The automaker said car sales rose 15%, while crossover demand jumped 30% and big pickup sales jumped 11%.
It was the seventh-consecutive monthly sales gain for GM, but trailed the increases posted in January and February as the automaker reduced discounts.
GM's average incentive dropped 17% to $3,109 per vehicle last month from February levels, online shopping guide TrueCar estimated.
GM said retail sales advanced 17% compared with March 2010.
Combined retail sales of models launched since June 2009 -- including the Chevrolet Equinox, Cruze and Volt; Buick Regal; GMC Terrain; and Cadillac SRX -- advanced 54% last month and rose 74% during the first quarter, GM said.
Fleet sales represented 24% of GM's sales volume during the first quarter, compared with 30% in the first quarter of 2010.
"Our plan was to get out of the gates quickly in the first quarter and we succeeded," Don Johnson, head of GM's U.S. sales operations, said in a statement.
Sales on rebound
Overall, U.S. auto sales in March are expected to rise about 12% from last year's levels as the industry continues to rebound.
But rising gasoline prices and manufacturing disruptions caused by the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis could slow the industry's ongoing sales recovery during the spring selling season, analysts say.
And while credit markets continue to thaw, making it easier for consumers to finance new vehicle purchases, new vehicle demand is still being hampered by high unemployment and a weak housing market.
The Labor Department reported today that employers added 216,000 jobs in March, slightly above forecasts and a fresh sign hiring is gaining momentum.
Consumer confidence fell more than expected to a three-month in March, the Conference Board said earlier this week. The business group said 3.6% of Americans plan to buy a new car in the next six months, down from 3.9% in February.
Analysts say GM, Toyota Motor Corp. and others dialed back on incentives in March -- resulting in smaller sales gains for the month after February demand rose 27% and January volume jumped 17%.
TrueCar.com estimates the industry's average incentive per vehicle dropped 6% from February to $2,432 last month. In March 2010, industry discounts averaged $2,798 per vehicle.
Still, March sales are expected to top 12 million vehicles on a seasonally adjusted basis for the sixth consecutive month. The consensus of 9 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg was 12.9 million.
That would be up from a SAAR of 11.78 million a year earlier and down from February's 13.4 million SAAR.
Industry sales are up 23% through February this year.
Watching gas prices
The rise in oil and gasoline prices is drawing buyers away from light trucks and into smaller cars, analysts said.
In a recent report, J. P. Morgan analyst Himanshu Patel said that each $1 increase in the U.S. retail price of gas results in a 5 percentage-point shift toward lower-margin cars for automakers.
U.S. gas prices rose more than 3 cents to $3.60 a gallon over the last week, and have climbed by 80 cents from a year ago, the Energy Department said this week.
Political turmoil in the Middle East has sent the cost of crude oil to above $100 a barrel.
"When there is unrest, consumers tend to take a wait and see approach to purchasing big ticket items," Jesse Toprak, an analyst with TrueCar.com, said last week.
The aftermath of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami last month is also expected to dampen supplies and sales of select models in coming weeks.
"The uncertainty surrounding future production and vehicle availability may limit dealers' willingness to provide additional discounts on top of OEM incentives," analyst Richard M. Kwas of Wells Fargo said in a report this week.
As a result, Mr. Kwas expects the April SAAR to fall sequentially from March because of inventory shortages caused by the Japanese earthquake.
~ ~ ~
Reuters and Bloomberg contributed to this report
For more information on the auto industry, visit Automotive News.


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Commonwealth-Altadis Unveils Packaging Innovation
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Commonwealth-Altadis Inc. is flexing its marketing muscle with new packaging innovation and a $100-million investment in one of its core cigarette brands.
During a webcast held Thursday, Commonwealth-Altadis CEO Kevin Freudenthal, Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing Al Dejewski and Vice President of Trade Marketing Greg Moser introduced the new Glide Tec package for USA Gold and talked about the brand's strategy. With this new design, consumers can open the USA Gold cigarette pack one-handed, with just a slide of the thumb. The new packaging will be available in stores this summer.
"Not only are we introducing Glide Tec now in our core markets, but we're investing over $100 million to drive that awareness across the adult consumer landscape," said Dejewski. "This new brand position we've introduced -- made the American way -- is resonating with today's adult, value-seeking consumers."
During a question-and-answer session, Moser directly addressed the company's commitment to convenience store retailers.
"We understand those margin pressures," he said. "What I would say is [that] from a commitment perspective, we're definitely committed to the c-store channel. We understand the size of it and the importance of it to our business. … We're committed to building brands that will drive shoppers into their stores."
Other elements of Commonwealth-Altadis' strategy for marketing USA Gold are:
- New full-color USA Gold packaging that helps the brand stand out at retail and communicates a contemporary brand essence and value.
- A direct-market campaign to 1.75 million adult smokers, as well as an adult smoker engagement program that includes promotional materials such as extra cents off with multiple pack offers and connecting adult smokers to local activities.
- The brand's website, www.JoinUSAGold.com, is logging thousands of adult smoker visits with new and interactive messages about the brand, coupons and other online promotions.
- USA Gold's Blaze New American Trails Sweepstakes is featuring five months of online sweepstakes and awarding nearly $100,000 in prizes.
Moser also spoke about Commonwealth-Altadis' customer engagement strategy, including an interactive listening series with its retailer customers to find out what they need to successfully sell Commonwealth-Altadis' brands. He acknowledged that Commonwealth-Altadis is not one of the biggest manufacturers in the U.S. market. "That's something we're embracing for the time being" in an effort to become a bigger player, he noted.
Commonwealth-Altadis is a division of Imperial Tobacco Group. Its cigarette brands include USA Gold, Sonoma and Montclair, while its machine-made cigar brands are Dutch Masters, Backwoods and Phillies.


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May 13th, 2015
Daily Market Commentary
- Retail sales in the U.S. were flat in April, in month-over-month terms, below estimates of 0.2% growth.
- Retail sales excluding Autos were up 0.1%, below estimates of 0.5% growth, over the same time period.
- The import price index for the U.S. was reportedly down 0.3% and 10.7% in month-over-month and year-over-year terms, respectively.
- The export price index in the U.S. was reportedly down 0.7% and 6.3% in month-over-month and year-over-year terms, respectively.
- MBA mortgage applications in the U.S. were down 3.5%.
- Oil extended its advance to trade above $61 a barrel on signs the U.S. supply glut is easing.
- Gold held the biggest climb in a week as the dollar weakened and investors added metal through bullion-backed funds for the first time in five days. Silver rose.
- An aboriginal group along Canada’s Pacific Coast voted against an almost $1 billion offer by Petroliam Nasional Bhd. meant to compensate the community for building a natural gas export terminal on its ancestral lands.
- Enbridge Inc. has reached a settlement with the state of Michigan nearly five years after a broken pipeline spilled more than three million litres of oil into wetlands and the Kalamazoo River. (Globe)
- U.S. stock-index futures rose, signalling the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index will climb for the first time in three days, as data may show retail sales grew for a fourth month.
- Owens-Illinois to Buy Vitro Food & Beverage Business for $2.15B.
- European stocks rebounded amid earnings reports and as data showed the region’s economy expanded at its fastest pace in almost two years.
- U.K. unemployment fell to its lowest since 2008 in the first quarter and pay growth rebounded in a sign the British labour market is continuing to strengthen
- Deutsche Telekom AG, Europe’s biggest phone company, reported a 13 percent advance in first-quarter revenue as a weaker euro boosted profit at its U.S. business.
- Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark index heading to a one-week high, as energy shares led the advance. Chinese equities declined after economic data suggested a sluggish response to stimulus.
- MSCI Inc. will start a standalone equity benchmark for Saudi Arabia with 19 companies as the kingdom opens up the Arab world’s largest stock exchange to foreign direct investments.
- The safety crisis involving faulty air bags that shoot shrapnel deepened after Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. added more than 6 million vehicles to their global recalls, with Honda Motor Co. planning to expand a call back.
- Nissan Motor Co. plans to build more than 1 million vehicles in Japan next year for the first time since 2013, as the weaker yen boosts earnings from exports.
*All information is taken from Bloomberg, unless otherwise noted.


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Hello, OptiMIST People!
Back at it again with KaMIST! Your weekly dose of insights into the latest marketing trends. In this week’s KaMIST we’ll dive into Fox Sports’ biggest marketing campaign ahead of the awaited 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The world’s most prestigious football event is back! Which country are you rooting for?
The FIFA World Cup is the most anticipated sports tournament in the world. Every four years, the World Cup brings together the best 32 national teams for a month-long tournament. It began on Sunday, November 20th, 2022, with a variety of media outlets globally capitalizing on the incredible views. Fox Sports, one of the United States’ leading sports broadcasters, has launched their largest World Cup marketing campaign, which has been successful in engaging with soccer fans.
This year’s FIFA World Cup is unlike any other because it took place in the fall rather than the summer. As a result, broadcasters had to shift their usual ad copies leading to headlines such as “Tis the FIFA World Cup” starring Jon Hamm as Santa Claus, Tom Brady, Mariah Carey and Ellie Kemper. The campaign capitalizes on the Christmas holiday season, which begins immediately after the World Cup wraps up. According to Robert Gottlieb, who was recently promoted to Fox Sports’ president of marketing, the marketing campaign was designed in such a way that it will not only attract core soccer fans, but will also have a broad reach and attract more crowds. Therefore, as part of the nature of the World Cup, there is a need for the media to sell something broader than a soccer tournament.
Fox Sports does it in various ways, firstly making the most out of their main media which is TV. Says their budget is not that gigantic, Fox Sports look to demonstrate value out of everything they put out, built something inherently visual that can go on TV and TV is where they can get scale for that activation and messaging. For the first time, the network will have a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade World Cup-themed balloonicle called Striker. In which, in this case Fox Sport collaborated with NBC, since they are the one to have the broadcasting rights, including the Spanish-language U.S. broadcast. Secondly, Fox Sports is also installing World Cup snow globes in various cities across the U.S., placed in big events such as World Series, Cowboys Thanksgiving day game, and other events. Thirdly, in another effort to attract casual fans, Fox Sport will be hosting watch parties of key matches in New York City’s Time Square and Port Authority. Lastly, Fox Sports also use traditional marketing techniques, such as the out of home marketing, OOH posters placed strategically, recognizing that many people will not be at home during the matches due to the time difference.
In conclusion, nowadays we mix both traditional and modern marketing strategies. As a matter of fact, what is more important is the placement of the advertisement. Collaboration is also encouraged, to be able to reach a broader market than the existing consumer.
Wanna get more insights on spontan marketing? Tune in every Thursday for more KaMIST!
You can reach us at:
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The fault doesn’t lie with the products themselves, or even with Microsoft, said Nauman Haque, an analyst with research firm Info-Tech. Buying licenced software is a complicated undertaking, he said, and organizations that aren’t armed with the most up-to-date knowledge of the licensing programs available may be spending more on IT than necessary.
Haque, who spoke at an event called “Optimizing Microsoft Licensing,” provided some tips on how to navigate licensing agreements and make the most of the software licences you already own. Too often, organizations ignore the most basic of precepts, said Haque.
“These are things you can achieve without firing anyone . . . without compromising new technology.”
For example, don’t buy shrink-wrapped software. “It seems intuitive — don’t buy retail — but it happens,” said Haque. A person within the company may require a new piece of software to complete a project, so their boss sends them off to a store and tells them to expense the purchase back to the company. Eventually, other employees either want or need the same package, so they also buy their own copies and add them to the company’s account.
Spot purchases can be avoided by planning ahead and being aware of the software that’s already in-house, said Haque. In almost every case, bulk purchasing is a cheaper alternative. “You can save up to 40 per cent by volume licensing agreements.”
A needs analysis will help an organization determine the best kind of licensing plan to pursue. Microsoft’s Software Assurance plan, for example, was controversial when it was first introduced, but is appropriate for organizations that upgrade at least once every three years, said Haque. Microsoft charges a premium for the service, but provides subscribers with discounts and guaranteed upgrade paths. “You may even have rights to upgrade you don’t even know about,” he said.
Some IT departments get tripped up by the terminology that Microsoft applies to its various licensing programs, said Haque. A common mistake is to assume that enterprises of a certain size can automatically be slotted into pre-determined programs. It’s important to examine the advice of Microsoft and its resellers, he said, since ultimately their goal is to sell SKUs.
Mike Palmer, IT co-ordinator for the City of Langford, B.C., said in a separate interview that he tries to balance his own research with the information he receives from his Microsoft reseller. “For me, it’s not rocket science,” said Palmer. “We have a standard workstation build which has a certain amount of software on it and everybody gets that same build. It basically boils down to how many machines we have. I can see how it would be a lot more difficult for other offices that have a huge variety of different software products.”


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China's Canaan Creative, one of the world's largest crypto-currency mining equipment makers, said it was considering an IPO outside the mainland, although it did not provide details on a possible time frame or how much the company expects to raise.
Hangzhou-based Canaan has seen a surge in demand for its mining machines amid a global boom in cryptocurrencies, with the price of bitcoin spiking more than 1,300 percent in 2017.
"We are open to all suitable venues but prefer listing outside mainland China," said Co-chairman Jianping Kong.
China is among the top centers for cryptocurrency mining, a process where people solve complex mathematical puzzles with computers in order to be awarded virtual coins. But trading in digital currencies has come under scrutiny amid worries it could facilitate illegal fund flows and breed financial risks.
Authorities in China have taken several steps to crack down on the market, including closing exchanges and banning initial coin offerings - digital, token-based fundraising rounds.
Cryptocurrencies have seen extreme volatility, with bitcoin dropping more than 50 percent so far in 2018, as regulations get tighter in the wake of a $530 million theft of digital money from Tokyo-based Coincheck Inc earlier this year.
Canaan started making its "Avalon" miners in 2013. Its main competitors include Beijing-based Bitmain, which makes the "AntMiner" series and has expanded globally.
© 2023 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.


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A new state law took effect in September 2012 requiring out-of-state sellers who have in-state marketing or corporate affiliates and more than $1 million in sales a year to Californians, to collect the state’s hefty sales tax (7.5% statewide, but as high as 10% with local add-ons) when shipping goods to its 38 million residents. The law was part of a 2011 deal state leaders struck with Amazon.com
--the company agreed not to try to fight the law and to build warehouses in California and in return the state postponed its effective date for 14 months. Meanwhile, to the relief of California web site owners, a state board has issued rules
that keep the new law from hitting Internet merchants who merely use in-state affiliates to post Web ads or links.


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The full edition of the report is available at Xinhua Silk Road Database. You can click the “Table of Content” to have a general understanding of it.
Click on the button below to create your account and get immediate access to thousands of articles.
China's listed firms increase investment in PV industry
Upbeat about the solar industry, China's listed firms stepped up investing in the photovoltaic (PV) business, reported Shanghai Securities News on Thursday.
Trina Solar inks deal with Changzhou national hi-tech zone on a 15GW PV module project
Trina Solar Co., ltd. (688599.SH) announced that it had penned a deal to carry out a 15GW PV module project in Changzhou national hi-tech industrial development zone in Changzhou city of east China's Jiangsu Province.
Seraphim releases new 158 high efficiency module
Jiangsu Seraphim Solar System Co., Ltd. (Seraphim), a world-class solar products manufacturer, rolled out its latest product, the 158 high efficiency shingled module on May 6.
LONGi cuts price of monocrystalline silicon wafers thrice in a month, prelude to eliminate outdated capacity
LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (601012.SH) has recently announced a price offer for its monocrystalline silicon wafers, which is more than 10 percent lower than the last offer. It is the second time in just 10 days that LONGi has lowered the price of monocrystalline silicon wafers.
FuturaSun in China, we will resume 100% of our business soon
The company founded by Alessandro Barin, which produces highly efficient solar panels - the only European company working in this field located in China - is quickly recovering after the setback which has lasted for two weeks.
China's PV product exports up 32.3 pct in first 10 months
China posed strong growth in exports of photovoltaic (PV) products in the first 10 months of this year, up 32.3 percent year on year.
Economic Watch: Fading subsidies, rising sustainability in China's solar energy industry
China has been active in the deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation, a fast-growing renewable energy technology in the world, and has been reducing subsidies in the sector along with the technology's commercial maturity in recent years.
LONGi (601012.SH) inks purchase contracts worth RMB5.324bln for stable raw material supply
LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (601012.SH) announced on Tuesday that its wholly-owned subsidiaries signed long-term purchase contracts with two companies on Monday to ensure stable supplies of photovoltaic aluminum frames from the producers.
China expected to add 50GW PV power projects in 2019, subsidy needs at RMB1.7bln, NEA
China's National Energy Administration (NEA) announced recently that a total of 3,921 solar PV projects with a combined installed capacity of nearly 22.79 GW are selected through bidding to take national subsidies, which are estimated at 1.7 billion yuan.
China to subsidize RMB1.7 bln to 22.79GW of bidding PV capacity
A scale of 22.79GW of PV capacity is expected to receive national subsidy of 1.7 billion yuan for grid-access bidding in 2019, according to an announcement by the National Energy Administration of China(NEA).
CMC-invested PV power station in Hungary starts construction
A 100 megawatts (MW) PV power station invested by China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC) in Kaposvar, Hungary started construction on June 17.
China wind, PV power installed capacity likely to reach 1.2 bln kw by 2030, expert
China’s wind and PV power installed capacity is likely to mount up to 1.2 billion kw by 2030, reported Xinhua-run China Securities Journal citing Zheng Sheng’an, head of China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute (CREEI) Tuesday.
China posts rising PV power capacity in Q1
China's installed photovoltaic (PV) capacity rose 28 percent year on year by the end of March, official data showed.
NEA issues circular to adopt competitive bidding mode for wind power & PV projects
China's National Energy Administration (NEA) Thursday publicized a circular saying to adopt in principle competitive bidding mode for wind power and PV power projects that need national subsidies, reported Economic Information Daily Friday.
China's solar industry expected to become subsidy-free by 2021: newspaper
Industry insiders believe China's solar industry will become subsidy-free in a few years as the country tries to revitalize its photovoltaic sector after the government announced a plan to scale back its central subsidy system last year, China Daily reported Thursday.
Southeast Asia and Europe see rapid growth in PV markets, Seraphim president
The overseas photovoltaic market is now growing prosperously. In particular, the Southeast Asian market and the whole European market will witness to grow rapidly in the PV sector this year, said Polaris Li, president of Seraphim.
GCL system unveils cast-mono products to welcome grid-parity era
China's Photovoltaic (PV) industry is embracing market-oriented operations as the country’s new policy introduced last year has resulted in a new round of industry shuffling, according to Eric Luo, chairman of GCL System Integration Technology Co. Ltd. (GCL System, 002506.SZ).
Chinese firm becomes provider of the largest unsubsidized solar-storage project in U.K.
Chinese PV inverter supplier Sungrow announced that it has become the exclusive provider of PV inverters and energy storage systems for the United Kingdom's largest unsubsidized solar-plus-storage project, according to website of the Chinese firm.
Seraphim builds leading-edge halfcut-cell solar module factory in N. China's Shanxi
Jiangsu Seraphim Solar System Co., Ltd. (Seraphim) announced that it recently set up a new plant in northern China's Shanxi province to mainly produce high-efficiency halfcut-cell modules.
Swiss Meyer Burger to sell wafering business to U.S. PSS
Meyer Burger Technology Ltd, a leading global technology company in solar as well as semiconductor and optoelectronic industries, announced that it would sell its wafering equipment and service business to U.S. Precision Surfacing Solutions (PSS)
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Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Dara Calleary is “reluctant to intervene” in the beef market – but has highlighted the need for transparency within the market to ensure that all stakeholders have confidence in it.
In his first ministerial sit-down interview with an agricultural media outlet, newly-appointed Minister Calleary touched on a broad range of issues – in conversation with AgriLand editor Jim Breen and news journalist Sylvester Phelan.Also Read: Calleary interview: ‘I personally believe in convergence of CAP payments’
Speaking at length to AgriLand yesterday, Tuesday, July 21, the new minister – appointed just seven days ago – outlined his stance on market intervention when it comes to beef.
A previous minister [Minister Creed] expressed the view that the state’s role is to support a farmer’s income, when needed, but not to directly intervene in the market price – where a ‘free market’ is in operation.
But if the market – for example the beef market – is ‘dysfunctional’, do you see scope to intervene in market prices? Is that the state’s role?
Minister Calleary: I’m reluctant to intervene in the markets; but what we do need is to provide transparency on that market and to ensure that everybody involved in the market has confidence in the market.
As a government, and as is committed to in the Programme for Government, we’re introducing a food ombudsman. We’re working through what that’s going to look like.
The market has to be transparent and the market has to be fair.
The manner and the modus operandi of that market needs to be visible to people. I think that [by] putting in the food ombudsman it’ll give an extra element of visibility and transparency.
Following on from the EU directive on unfair trading practices, will legislation be introduced over the coming months…or is it too early to tell? In relation to the beef farming in particular, this is a recurring theme.
Minister Calleary: The first thing is we will be working to introduce the food ombudsman; I think that’s important. Secondly, we have the Beef Market Taskforce; that’s up and running now and I look forward to engaging with them.
That includes a range of operators – a range of farmers but also producers [processors] as well. I’m going to engage with them – around any engagements that they might have about strengthening legislation. But we are also continuing to monitor beef prices.
[Prices are] obviously very important. They’re currently in a [relatively] good space, but I’m very conscious that it can change quickly.
In the context of where the sector has been for the last 12 months – but even for the last four months with the collapse of the food-service industry, which is such a key outlet – I think the sector is relatively strong at the moment.
However, I will be monitoring it very regularly and engaging with the Beef Market Taskforce regularly. Certainly, I will be keeping a very sharp eye on it.
If there are recommendations in terms of legislative changes and strengthening legislation, we are going to have a look at that. Obviously there’s a whole-of-government approach to it as well.
Bord Bia is developing a new grass-fed beef standard, but when you delve into the detail you find that the animals that will comply with this standard do so by spending a percentage [albeit a large percentage] of their time at grass and a eating a diet for which a percentage is grass-based.
Will there be a credibility issue for such a grass-fed brand with overseas consumers? Is this something that you see as part of your remit as a minister to get involved in? Have you any concerns about where this is going?
Minister Calleary: I’m meeting Bord Bia next week; those conditions are practical in terms of our climate. We can’t leave cattle out every day of the year; we have to be practical and realistic as well.
But Bord Bia – and I think it does in fairness – has to have an eye to the market and to market demands in terms of sustainability and in terms of the environment.
In the preliminary discussion we had yesterday [Monday, July 20] in Brussels around CAP, what struck me [was] the demand from many of our target market countries – in terms of the environmental element of the new CAP. These demands are quite high. Bord Bia will have to deal with these customers.
Farm to Fork is also ‘fork to farm’. Bord Bia is going to have to fit in to that. We’re going to have to ensure that we have the kind of food that customers want internationally. These customers are getting more and more demanding – in terms of sustainability.
So I think [Bord Bia] has shown that it is wise to this; it has a good eye to this. I’m looking forward to engaging with them next week.
Is there scope for Bord Bia to engage more at consumer level in overseas markets – employing more targeted consumer advertising in these markets and building greater brand awareness amongst consumers in specific, high-value markets?
Is the focus solely on foreign trade-fairs and striking deals with specific retail groups – but ultimately such retailers are slaves to consumers’ preferences. Has Bord Bia the resources or the wherewithal to do this?
Minister Calleary: As I look forward to engaging with them, I can put that ask on the table; I will engage with it. Obviously the current focus is on wholesale – on getting to the retailers.
The retailers are the gatekeepers and they will (a) demand a product; and (b) demand a price – but in terms of the product, we have the [desired] product.
I absolutely believe we have the product in terms of sustainability and in terms of taste.
If they put a call to me and they want to expand the role, I’m certainly happy to work with them on that.
Stay tuned to AgriLand for further articles (on other pressing topics) from our extensive interview with the new Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine…


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White Lodging, a company that maintains hotel franchises under nationwide brands including Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton and Westin appears to have suffered a data breach that exposed credit and debit card information on thousands of guests throughout much of 2013, KrebsOnSecurity has learned.
An examination of the malware used in the Target breach suggests that the attackers may have taken advantage of a poorly secured feature built into a widely-used IT management software product that was running on the retailer’s internal network.
Federal authorities in Atlanta today are expected to announce the arrest and charging of a 24-year-old Russian man who allegedly created and maintained the SpyEye Trojan, a sophisticated botnet creation kit that has been implicated in a number of costly online banking thefts against businesses and consumers.
Multiple sources in the banking industry say they are tracking a pattern of fraud on cards that were all recently used at Irving, Texas-based Michaels Stores, an arts-and-crafts retailer that has more than 1,100 stores in the United States and Canada.
Federal authorities in New Jersey announced a series of arrests and indictments of 14 individuals thought to be connected to an online one-stop shop selling embossed, counterfeit credit cards and holographic overlays. According to documents released by prosecutors in New… Read More »
A bug in the software that powers a broad array of Webcams, IP surveillance cameras and baby monitors made by Chinese camera giant Foscam allows anyone with access to the device’s Internet address to view live and recorded video footage, KrebsOnSecurity has learned.
Authorities in New York on Tuesday announced the indictment of thirteen men accused of running a multi-million dollar fraud ring that allegedly installed Bluetooth-enabled wireless gas pump skimmers at filling stations throughout the southern United States.
A security breach at a Web portal for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has exposed private documents and some financial information belonging to at least 114 organizations that bid on a contract at the agency last year.
I was fortunate to spend several hours this past week with two reporters whose work I admire. Both wanted to learn more about my job as an independent investigative reporter. Their stories about my story are below. Mark Stencel, a… Read More »
Yesterday’s story about the point-of-sale malware used in the Target attack has prompted a flood of reporting from antivirus and security vendors. Buried within those reports are some interesting details that speak to possible actors involved and to the timing and discovery of this breach.


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While we have been hearing about the two upcoming Google (Nexus) smartphones, Google also seems to be working on a tablet device.
According to reliable sources, Google has apparently partnered with Huawei to release a tablet device. While there are no details available as yet, sources suggest that the tablet would sport a decent 7 inch display and would have a 4 GB of RAM on-board. While the release details are not yet known, sources in the know suggest that the announcement is expected towards the end of 2016.
While it certainly would be too early to comment, sources suggest that the tablet developed by Google and Huawei would be called as the Huawei 7P. While there have been rumours about Huawei being entrusted the work of making the Nexus tablet this year, we are not too sure if this indeed is the successor to the Nexus 7.


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Published on January 28th, 2013 | by cinderboy1
Luminous Studio – New tech demos get all hairy
After a couple of similar videos over the past few weeks, new ones were uploaded online by the Japanese media late last week. I presume all these were taken at a Square Enix tech event last November, where much was presented to a selected audience.
The 2 videos are all about hair, as you can see below. Square Enix will certainly be giving CryEngine 3 and Unreal Engine 4 a run for the money!


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Xbox One Slim Could Be Coming In Q2 2016, FCC Filings Suggest
Could we be looking at the possible announcement of Xbox One Slim somewhere around June this year? If recent FCC filings by Microsoft are anything to go by, there is a plausible reason to believe that the Xbox One could be in for a small hardware refresh.
Recently, it was reported that Sony’s PlayStation 4 will see a refresh in the form of PlayStation 4.5 come October this year. Those rumors were followed up with further confirmations that the refreshed PS4 is indeed real and will be called the PlayStation 4K. Now new filings for a Microsoft manufactured device at the FCC seems to have kickstarted all our assumptions and expectations from the Windows-maker as well for a possible Xbox One refresh, though not on the same lines as of Sony’s.
The FCC filings show a wireless chip that is most likely to to be housed inside the Xbox One Slim. The said fillings carry the model number C3K1682 and C3K1683 in a document titled “User Manual 1525,” which happens to be the code for the Xbox One console, and C3K is apparently an identifier for Microsoft. The photo of the wireless chip also shows the “Model 1683” stamp followed by “MICROSOFT CORP, Prototype” label on it. Interestingly though, the photo is from ANATEL, the FCC equivalent in Brazil.
The filings at the FCC are stated to be up for viewing by June 25 this year, which is pretty much right after the E3 2016, so we expect that Microsoft may just announced the refreshed Xbox One model at that particular event. Unfortunately, the fillings don’t give us any indication on possible spec upgrades or for that matter any design changes.
As mentioned earlier, don’t expect anything more than a ‘Slim’ version of the Xbox One, just like the Xbox 360 Slim. Microsoft’s head of Xbox division Phil Spencer has already gone on record to state that he doesn’t believe in releasing mid-life full-on upgraded versions for current-gen consoles.


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We speak to Kevin Tan of Megaworld, Tracey Castillo of Rockwell, Steven Tan of SM Supermalls and Jennylle S. Tupaz of Ayala Malls to learn the ins and outs of what going to the mall means know that we are in the new normal.
Shopping malls and lifestyle complexes are a massive part of our lives here in the Philippines. “Malling” has become a family-oriented pastime for many Filipinos. “We know that the malling culture in the Philippines is strong. People love to get together,” Kevin Tan, CEO of Alliance Global and chief strategy officer of Megaworld commented. “As Filipinos, we are a highly sociable people. We like to hug and touch our families and friends,” Steven Tan, president of SM Supermalls said in agreement. Spending weekends at the cinema, doing grocery runs, shopping for new clothes, and of course, indulging in a mouthwatering meal were routine to our weekends.
Now that we are settling into our new normal, and hoping for a further flattening of the COVID-19 curve, reopened malls have begun to welcome us all back. Restaurants are slowly opening their doors and streets are filling up with cars once again. I personally felt anxious and nervous to go to the mall to run some errands, wondering how full it would be, or if sanitation protocol would be abided by.
To learn more about how shopping complexes have gone the extra mile to make all of us shoppers feel comfortable, and ease retailers and restaurateurs back into business, I spoke to representatives of the big four: Ayala, Megaworld, Rockwell, and SM.
Greenbelt, Power Plant Mall, SM and Megaworld malls have all invested time, funds, brainpower and manpower into finding the best methods of sanitising and protecting their customers, merchants and employees. In this day and age - you can't be too careful. From sanitation stations, footbaths, mandatory temperature checks, strict social distancing protocols and enforced mask wearing — the goal is to keep these shopping centres safe. When speaking with Kevin he explained that all the initiatives that are put in place are aimed at ensuring a safer and happier experience for all guests, to protect retail partners, store personnel, and employees against the virus.
Kevin continued saying: “[We] have also designated social distancing ambassadors who make the rounds in our malls to encourage guests to observe proper protocols at all times. In fact, we have also deployed a sanitation squad to make sure that common areas and things like the door handles, handrails, and comfort rooms are deep-cleaned at all times.”
There is a science to implementing all these health measures — one that these experts have reviewed inside and out. Ayala Land Malls Inc president Jennylle S. Tupaz says that they “designed social distancing measures and health and safety protocols to follow the customer journey, from point of entry to movement inside the mall to exit, to foster an environment that gives peace of mind to all mallgoers.”
Persons with a greater risk of catching COVID-19 will actually be prevented from entering Ayala Malls. “The youth, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and pregnant women are not allowed to enter unless they are availing of essential products and services. An ID reflecting birthdate is required to follow the directive that only those within 21-59 years of age are allowed inside the mall,” Jennylle explains. She also informed us that they installed state-of-the-art contactless thermal scanners at main entrances to conveniently and swiftly conduct temperature checks. “To avoid lingering and encourage quick and purposeful shopping trips, the mall temperature is set to 26 degrees celsius and WiFi has been disabled too,” Jennyle emphasises, underlining that going to the mall should be for essential errands, and not for leisure activities.
For Power Plant Mall, Tracey Castillo, as the assistant vice president of Rockwell’s residential and retail development, shares that high contact areas in the mall such as the elevators, walls, and other frequently touched surfaces are disinfected every 15 minutes. “Our escalator handrails are sterilised nonstop through UV technology. Our restrooms, including all cubicles, sinks, and countertops are disinfected after every use as well. Aside from floor markers which aid in physical distancing and queuing, we have also designated Mall Security near our restrooms, elevators, and escalators to maintain order,” Tracey expounded.
While all these malls ensure that their escalators and elevators observe social distancing measures, Steven Tan, president of SM Supermalls said that: “We are also executing one-way movement in the aisles of our malls, and our elevators operate only for PWDs, seniors, or pregnant women at 50% capacity.” SM’s employees, including mall staff and frontliners, undergo the rapid antibody testing and their tenants are also directed to do rapid testing on their employees. SM provides PPEs such as face masks and face shields to their staff as well so that there is no excuse for not being able to wear protective gear.
Tracey of Rockwell explained that: “we strive to create a new, convenient, and safe shopping environment for all our stakeholders, we make sure that our store employees are healthy, and ready to serve our customers.” Thus it is no surprise that tenants in all these malls have been given strict instructions to consistently and continuously sanitise high contact touch points, tools and instruments that may be handled by clients and to always put safety first. Jennylle adds that in Ayala Malls all staff who report to work are required to fill out and submit a Health Declaration Form daily prior to entry. Their work-force is also skeletal, operating at 50% capacity. Kevin shares that In Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, “we have partnered with brands such as The Medical City and Safeguard to put the necessary equipment, tools and measures that promote safe hygiene and cleanliness around our malls.”
Although shopping leisurely is no longer an option these days Kevin told me that his conglomerate, Alliance Global Group, together with Resorts World Manila, are working closely with the Department of Tourism and the Department of Trade and Industry for the #PinasMunaTayo programme, to encourage Filipinos to spend and patronise local establishments, products, and destinations in order to help the country recover from the economic effects of the pandemic.
For Tracey, “it’s quite inevitable that customers will feel hesitant to go back to the mall; however, going digital has allowed [Power Plant] to connect with our customers better. Now that [Power Plant] is more connected online, we’re able to improve services faster, and address needs more efficiently.”
“While we strongly believe that malls will continue to be relevant as social spaces and as a physical market place for goods and services, we also recognize that we need to transform how we operate to adapt to the new normal and remain relevant. One of the notable things that COVID-19 brought about is an accelerated shift to digitalization as e-commerce flourished during the lockdown” Jennylle adds. In fact, Ayala Malls did not waste any time. They launched new e-commerce/online platforms: DriveBuy a curbside pick-up service, DeliverEasy a personal shopper service in partnership with MyKuya, and Zing! their new mobile app and concierge service.
With guarded optimism, Jennylle looks forward to better times ahead as they continue to give their best to support to their customers, staff and tenants.
Ayala, SM, Megaworld and Rockwell have have faith Filipino people and are looking forward to a brighter, stronger future.


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BMW to Make First Payment in Special Finance Program
“We are sending a signal to car buyers that this is a great time to shop for a new vehicle. With its unique 4-year/50,000 mile free maintenance program and good fuel economy BMW has always had a good value story. And with these finance offers on top, there has never been a better time to get into a new BMW”, said Executive Vice President BMW of North America, Peter Miles.
The program started on February 4 and will end on March 2 for remaining 2008 models. As for 2009 models, the program ends on March 31.
The measure is part of a larger BMW offensive on a market that was severely hit by the economic crisis. It appears that the company is concentrating its efforts on both BMW badge cars as well as the Mini brand it owns.
Overall BMW’s sales in the US followed the local trend and went down in January. The manufacturer posted a global sales drop of 15 percent. The Mini brand reported a 15.4 percent drop, selling only 2,082 units in the first month of the year.


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Pidilite forays into N.India with launch of centres
New Delhi, Apr 11: Dr Fixit centre, an initiative of fevicol maker Pidilite Industries Ltd, today announced its foray into Northern India with the launch of its centres in Delhi.
The centres will address problems of the large users including consultants, contractors, builders, architects, painting contractors and interior designers, by providing total solutions in repair and maintenance.
They will provide consultation on the correct practices of waterproofing and protection of structures, latest technological know-how in the field of materials and advise on relevant issues to uplift the quality of construction.
Pidilite Industries Ltd are the pioneers of consumer products and speciality chemicals which have a bouquet of leading brands including Fevicol, Fevikwik, Fevicryl and M-Seal to their credit.


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MODESTO (AP) — Federal officials are investigating CVS over tens of thousands of prescription pain killers they say are missing from four of the company’s California pharmacies, a newspaper reported.
Roughly 37,000 hydrocodone tablets at CVS pharmacies in Turlock, Fairfield, Modesto and Dixon are unaccounted for, according to search-warrant affidavits reported by the Los Angeles Times on Monday.
Hydrocodone — found in such drugs as Vicodin — is one of most widely abused prescription drugs in the U.S.
Lauren Horwood, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Sacramento, told the Times CVS is facing more than 2,900 possible violations of the federal Controlled Substances Act. The violations would carry a maximum fine of $29 million, she said.
CVS spokesman Michael DeAngelis said the company regularly tells its pharmacists to maintain certain records and paperwork and recently sent them reminders.
The investigations are aimed at “assuring compliance with state and federal requirements for administrative record keeping related to invoices and inventory for controlled substances,” DeAngelis said.
The investigation stems from a case involving a CVS store in Rocklin, northeast of Sacramento.


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Lidl is planning a drastic step to lower prices, so the discounter wants to become a customer favorite.
Disrupted supply chains and higher transportation costs have caused prices in supermarkets to rise in recent months, including at discounters like Lidl they were affected.
Products on German markets often have a long way to go: They arrive from Asia to Europe on container ships. To be more independent from the world market, Lidl big plans
Lidl with an unusual project – that’s what the discount store plans
There have been problems in shipping for more than two years, reports the “Welt”. The reasons for this include the corona pandemic and now also the war in Ukraine. Ports are overloaded and hardly any ships continue to sail according to schedule, even the cost of shipping a container from Asia has increased tremendously recently.
- The first Lidl branches opened in Ludwigshafen in the 1970s
- In 1999, Lidl was the first discount store to introduce scanner cash registers.
- Lidl has branches in almost all European countries
- Even in the US there are about 100 branches
- More than 190,000 employees worldwide, more than 70,000 in Germany (as of 2020)
If supermarkets have to spend more money to receive their products, this also affects the prices of products for customers. Discount store Lidl now wants to counter this: The company plans to buy its own ships so it can organize and handle shipping itself, according to Welt.
Lidl wants its own fleet of ships, it should “Tailwind Shipping Lines” to mean
Buying your own cargo ships is quite unusual for a company like Lidl. The company did not comment on an exact timetable, but the plans appear concrete. According to the “Lebensmittel Zeitung”, the fleet already has a name: “Tailwind Shipping Lines”.
Lidl: the mask requirement no longer applies from Monday: this is how the discount reacts
Rewe, Lidl, Edeka and Co.: Sharp rise in cheese and butter prices expected; soon you will have to pay much more
Lidl: Now the discount store pulls the string! Essential foods are rationed
Lidl’s fleet of ships should be another building block to secure supply chains and the availability of goods in branches, reports the “Welt”. Companies like Walmart or Ikea already rent their own boats for their cargo. However, if Lidl did buy its own boats, that would be a step that would put the discounter far ahead of the competition. (jdo)


text: b'CAMPUS NEWSGreensboro DayStudents in the newly launched entrepreneurial problem-solving course School Entrepreneurialcompleted their first project at Kontoor Students Pitch Ideas toBrands, parent company to the Lee and Kontoor Brands Wrangler brands, in October. Kontoor Brands leaders were on hand to listen to the students ideas for celebrating the 100th birthday of Lee Jeans icon, Buddy Lee. Students also shared creative marketing strategies to attract Generation Z to the Lee Jeans brand. Student ideas included a virtual birthday celebration for Buddy Lee, the Lee Jeans original doll, a shoe collaboration, a new doll collection that reflects diversity, andbusiness owners and entrepreneurs is the purpose-driven marketing ideas. Studentskind of work that will prepare students in Generation Z want to purchase productsfor college and beyond. Problem solving, that are connected to a social cause. Theycritical thinking, working collaboratively, want their retail purchases to go towardsand public speaking are essential skills that something bigger than the product itselfevery young adult needs for success.says Tracie Catlett, the Head of School at Greensboro Day School, and co-teacher ofOur team was honored to participate the new course, Entrepreneurial Problemin this initiative and hear the students Solving. insightful presentations, said Scott Baxter, This course gives students the opportunityPresident & CEO, Kontoor Brands. We to work with the greater communitybelieve that connecting students with outside the classrooms walls. The studentsleadership development opportunities is are hopeful that their ideas will have a realimportant to enabling their future success impact in the Greensboro community,and that of our community, and allows Catlett said. Ed Billingslea, Director ofcompanies like ours to tap into innovative the Upper School and co-teacher, added,ideas and solutions.nGiving students an authentic opportunity to do work in the local community with 14 | Winter 2020'


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Ted Lasso fans will soon be able to take their devotion to a new level: The hit Apple TV+ show – or, rather, its fictional English football club AFC Richmond – will soon be a playable team in EA Sports’ Fifa 23 video game.
“I am truly fortunate, and deeply grateful, to have had many special moments in my career thus far, and I consider this experience among the best of them,” said Lasso himself, Jason Sudeikis, in a statement released by EA. “As long-time fans of EA Sports FIFA, having Ted Lasso and the whole AFC Richmond squad incorporated into the newest version of the game is truly a dream come true for myself and the rest of the fellas.”
The popular video game series typically features real-life clubs, but the upcoming Fifa 23 will integrate the characters of Lasso, Coach Beard and players Jamie Tartt, Dani Rojas, Sam Obisanya, Roy Kent, and Isaac McAdoo – as well as the club’s home ground, Nelson Road – into the action.
The video game will also allow players to elect Lasso as a playable manager in Career Mode. Another option will be to manage AFC Richmond by swapping the club into the Premier League or any other playable Career Mode league.
Actor Brett Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent, said in the announcement, “It is so f***ing cool to be in FIFA. I’m not sure this is going to help dispel the CGI rumors but f*** it, totally worth it.” (Goldstein was referring to the internet conspiracy theory that the Kent character is a CGI creation rather than played by a human actor).
Fifa 23 launches worldwide September 30 for PlayStation5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Stadia, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
See above and below for images from the game, and, at bottom, a newly released trailer.
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Dolls, toy trucks, and even jewelry were among children's products seized at the Port of Houston that could be dangerous to children. Some toys included:
- Clacker balls prone to sudden fragmentation and propulsion of parts that could injure children.
- Toy cars, guns, trucks and helicopters with excessive lead in surface paint.
- Bears, dolls and other stuffed animals with eyes and noses can be pulled off and pose a choking hazard.
- Children's jewelry containing high levels of cadmium, which is toxic.
For product recalls and complaints, you can go to: http: /www.saferproducts.gov put together by the CPSC.
As a Product Liability Attorney, I believe that a part of my job is to notify consumers–and especially parents of children–when toys or products are potentially dangerous and therefore recalled. In this case, the unsafe toys have been seized before use by the public. I commend the CPSC at the Port of Houston authorities for the quick move to increase product safety for children.
The primary reason for the seizing of toys was largely because of choking hazards and lead paint. The 25,000 toys are among 117,000 foreign products like mattresses, electronic devices, lighters, bike helmets and all-terrain vehicles confiscated in Houston from 2010 through 2011.
"If the bear's nose and eyes can be easily pulled off, those small parts could choke children," said David McCabe, the compliance investigator at the port as he pulled parts from a toy bear to test them in a cylinder. "Anything that fits in the cylinder is too risky for children to play with."
Nationwide, 19 investigators assigned to the busiest ports have confiscated, among other things, toy guns, cars, trucks, helicopters and dolls containing lead paint, lead content, phthalates and small parts deemed dangerous. Phthalates are chemicals used in plastics and other products.
Faced with a swell of concern and 45 million children's toys and products recalled about five years ago, Congress in 2008 boosted the budget of the CPSC and required it to set up a website where consumers can both register complaints and read reports posted by others.
I take it seriously when I learn of dangerous lead in children's toys, as lead-poisoning is known to cause brain damage, behavioral problems, early puberty in girls, and genital defects and reduced testoterone production in boys. In our view and under state and U.S. consumer protection laws, companies that manufacture, import and distribute products intended for children have a critical obligation to ensure the safety of those products. They ought to take extraordinary care with product design, testing and quality assurance—and yet hundreds of children's toys and other goods are judged unsafe and subjected to recall each year.
In 2010, there were 17 toy-related deaths and 181,500 injuries among children of 15 or younger, according a CPSC report. Eleven of the deaths were from asphyxiation or choking.
I wonder if China and Hong Kong will realize soon that the U.S. is going to enforce the high standards for child safety, and we won't allow defective toys into the country. Most seized products, in fact, come from China, although collaboration with the Chinese government has reduced the number of recalls, officials said. Good news is that CPSC established an office in Beijing last year to make it easier to communicate with Chinese officials about safety problems, like toxic metals in toys.
Oddly enough, I learned a few years ago that the Chinese regulations for lead paint and other safety concerns for children are actually stricter than our own. There is so much money to be made in manufacturing and distributing toys that often a safety fix of just a few pennies makes the manufacturer less competitive in a global market. And if they are making the toys for some other country with lower standards, then sometimes a few thousand of those less safe toys may end up in the shipment to the U.S. It is not cost effective to make a toy one way for one country and have to make it another way for the U.S. so we can end up with dangerous toys.
Currently, 45 percent of imported consumer products and 90 percent of toys sold in the United States come from China and Hong Kong.
Products from South America like jewelry also are stopped for containing lead or cadmium.
With the ongoing Panama Canal expansion project, the number of containers handled by the Port of Houston through the canal could grow by 15% in the next few years, according to the Houston Port Authority–importing more foreign shipments than any other U.S. port.
How does this inspection process work? Determining whether a foreign shipment should be destroyed is a stringent process. CPSC investigators first test the products with tools in the field and send product samples to laboratories in Maryland. The test labs are set up with devices that mimick a children's strength to try to pull the eyes and noses from the bear, for example.
If your child has been injured because a product you thought was safe failed or malfunctioned, the distributor of the dangerous toy should be made accountable. When a manufacturer fails to follow the safety rules for products and someone is needless endangered thereby, the manufacturer, the distributor and even the retailer are responsible for all of the harm that they cause. The best advice if you believe that your child or loved one has been injured by an unsafe product is to call a product safety attorney immediately.
About the author: Claude Wyle is an aggressive product safety advocate dedicated to keeping San Francisco Bay Area consumers–especially children–safer from defective and dangerous products. Claude has decades of experience representing those harmed by the wrongful conduct of others, and, as a Bay Area defective products lawyer, has fought to protect the rights of those with injuries from defective products throughout his legal career.
Claude A. Wyle is a partner of Choulos Choulos, and Wyle, a San Francisco based law firm dedicated to representing clients who have been injured by the wrongful conduct of individuals, corporations, public entities, and businesses. Mr. Wyle also frequently sits as a Judge Pro Tem for the city and county of San Francisco.


text:
One of the organisers of the Travel Day of Action next Wednesday has urged agents to comply with Covid restrictions – or risk the event backfiring.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, said the trade bodies organising the day are limited to two lots of 400 travel trade people on College Green by the Houses of Parliament.
“It is not a protest; it’s an organised lobby,” she told a Travel Weekly webcast. “I know the anger and I know how people are feeling but we have to take a step back, it is not a march.
“Unfortunately, with Covid restrictions, we are limited. We cannot have thousands and thousands of people descend onto College Green.
“It just cannot happen because, ultimately, the event will have to be cancelled.
“We have to be compliant, we have to be measured. This is still a pandemic.”
She added: “Public sentiment, right now, is not behind us.
“What we can’t do is risk anything causing us to have to cancel that event or for anything that puts us in disrepute.
“It would be catastrophic for us all. That would completely backfire.”
Hundreds of agents will back the Travel Day of Action to lobby for a safe restart of international travel and tailored support for the sector.
Some will shut stores to attend events in London, Edinburgh and Belfast for the Save Future Travel Coalition-led day of action across travel and aviation.
All the tickets for the event have now been allocated so agents who have not registered will not be able to attend on College Green.
Derek Jones, chief executive of Kuoni’s parent Der Touristik UK, said one of the key triggers for action was the government’s decision to take Portugal off the green list – and not put countries such as Malta on.
He told the webcast that he tweeted in the aftermath of the move: “I have never seen the travel industry so angry.”
Jones said it was the “biggest tweet I have had this year” and was seen by almost 200,000 people.
“Suddenly, the government’s own system lost all credibility,” he said.
“It was clearly not being utilised the way it should have been.”
He and Mark Johnson, director of Polka Dot Travel, agreed that the removal of Portugal appeared to be more of a political decision, rather than one based purely on data.
Johnson said the move meant consumer confidence hit “rock bottom” and now agents are facing having to pay back loans and deal with the end of furlough while being unable to sell travel, 15 months into the pandemic.
His 19 shops are closed and staffing levels in the call centre have been halved from 10 to five – and yet Europe and US destinations are opening up for travellers.
“We are going backwards. You just get so worn out with it – when is it going to end?” he said.
He said agents’ livelihoods are at risk and they are coming together to fight the situation.
“By uniting, it is better than being fragmented,” he said.


text:
Update: Cadillac ELR Plug-in Hybrid "Sales Fail" Continues, Dealers Offering Up to $19k Off
July 11, 2014 3:34 PM
comment(s) - last by
GM has only sold 390 ELRs so far this year
Many people laughed out loud when General Motors
priced its Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid car at $75,000
. The laughter grew even louder when GM pitched the ELR as a logical competitor to the
BMW 6-Series Grand Coupe
Well, there was definitely no laughter coming from GM once the
dismal sales numbers for the coupe started rolling in
. Through April 2014, only 241 ELRs were sold. Through June 2014, that number had only risen to 390 vehicles. GM was so desperate to move the vehicles that it offered $5,000 in incentives (per vehicle) just to get people to test drive the car along with $3,000 in incentives for buyers and lessees.
Today, we’re hearing about even more bad news for GM with regards to the ELR — or good news if you’re still in the market to purchase one.
is reporting that one Cadillac dealership in Maryland is offering up to $13,600 in discounts on the ELRs just to get them off the lot.
Likewise, dealerships in Austin, Texas and Bradenton, Florida are offering up to $12,000 off the vehicle. Also keep in mind that the a $7,500 federal tax credit is still in effect (if you qualify) in addition to various state credits/rebates that are available. Combine the $7,500 federal tax credit with the $13,600 discount from the Maryland dealership, and you’re looking at over a $20,000 price cut on a vehicle that hasn’t even been on the market for a full year yet.
As some of our commenters have pointed out, $55,000 is probably still too much to pay in their minds for what is
essentially rebodied Chevrolet Volt
with a plush interior.
While GM is still struggling to find buyers for its ELR, Tesla Motors is having no trouble selling its $69,000+ Model S electric sedan. For Q1 2014,
Tesla sold 6,457 Model S sedans
and is expecting global deliveries of 35,000 vehicles for all of 2014.
Updated 7/11/2014 @ 3:34PM
Cadillac dealership in Ellicot City, MD
is actually offering up to $18,985 off new ELRs, which is actually quite... shocking.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
N'est ce pas?
7/16/2014 1:22:46 PM
That's perfect retribution for their stupid ad campaign.
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Google has released a new patent that could revolutionize how we communicate with our digital assistants. The patent, US20230239596A1, is for a seamless conversation handoff feature that could allow users to continue their conversations with an assistant across different devices.
Imagine the possibilities: you could start talking to a Google Assistant on your phone, then move to your laptop and continue the conversation there. The assistant will be able to recognize the device switch and pick up from where the conversation left off without any interruption.
The patent states that the conversation handoff feature will be enabled by the assistant or a digital assistant system. When the conversation needs to be moved to another device, the assistant or system will send a request to the other device with the conversation’s information.
The patent also suggests that the conversation handoff will be able to work on different computing platforms with different capabilities. For example, the conversation could start on a device with an audio-based user interface and then move to a device with a graphical user interface.
Google is no stranger to digital assistant technology. It already offers Google Assistant, a voice-activated assistant for its range of devices, including its smartphones, tablets, and smart speakers. It could be that Google is hoping to expand its assistant capabilities with this new feature.
With this patent, Google might be looking to make conversations with its assistant more natural and intuitive, allowing users to switch devices seamlessly in the middle of a conversation. With its voice recognition technology, Google Assistant could also recognize that the user has changed devices in the middle of a conversation and pick up from where the conversation left off.
The patent does not guarantee that this feature will necessarily come to the market, but if it does, it could revolutionize the way we interact with digital assistants. It could make conversations with assistants smoother, more natural, and more intuitive.
Google is a leader in digital assistant technology, and this conversation handoff feature could be another example of its groundbreaking technology. For now, it’s unclear when this feature might be released, but it could be one of many developments that Google has planned to further improve the digital assistant experience.
This patent is just one example of how Google is pushing digital assistant technology forward. The company has already made impressive strides in the field, and with this new patent, it might be looking to revolutionize how we communicate with our digital assistants. We might not know when this feature might come to the market, but it could be a major step forward for digital assistant technology.


text:
The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder will be making its debut at April's New York Auto Show, but before that it's got to prove itself on the other side of the country. Nissan engineers are flogging the unibody crossover in the climatological extremes of The Great Northwest to make sure it does as well with owners as it does on the comfy confines of the show circuit.
The engineers don't give away anything we didn't already know about it or its roomier, more accessible interior. But along with the rolling footage we do get a few quick shots of the versatile interior and that third-row access even with a baby-seat installed. It's all in the video after the jump.


text:
Worldwide revenue from vendors selling external disk storage subsystems for cloud-based systems will grow from $267.4 million this year to $1.45 billion in 2015, according to Gartner.
Storage device manufacturer Imation Corp. has reached a deal to buy the hardware business of privately-held IronKey, best known for its highly secure USB flash drives.
Texas Memory Systems (TMS), best known for its pricey, yet extremely high-performance NAND flash-based storage arrays, has introduced a new system that it said competes with Tier 1 hard drives on a price-per-gigabyte basis.
OCZ today released the fifth generation of its PCI-Express solid state drive (SSD), which it said can perform at a 2.8GB/sec read rate.
Symantec today announced its next-generation email and content archiving software, Enterprise Vault 10, which now purports to automatically classify email content and metadata and assign the appropriate archiving and retention policy to it.
Start-up Nimble Storage came out of the development stage this week with its first product -- an array that combines solid state drives (SSD) with high-capacity, cost and performance serial ATA (SATA) hard drives, acts as primary and backup storage a...
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


text:
Kochava, the mobile analytics firm, recently announced a partnership with China’s mobile data service company, TalkingData, to provide Chinese apps access to the US market.
Despite the country’s app industry booming, Chinese app developers have been finding it difficult to market their products overseas. Kochava, which helps track app performance of marketing campaigns, now provides a solution which neatly bridges the divide.
Kochava partners with TalkingData to provide Chinese app developers with access to US market
In partnering with TalkingData, 80,000+ app customers are now getting access to Kochava’s network of over 2,000 publishers and partners, including Facebook, Google, Instagram and Amazon. Right now, 80% of the top 50 Chinese developers utilise Talking Data to track their app metrics and analyse data points to improve monetisation efforts.
Charles Manning, CEO, Kochava, says:
“TalkingData has earned its reputation as the highest-quality mobile platform in China, and because of its excellent reputation and commitment to innovation 80% of Chinese app developers are already working with the company, giving TalkingData the largest user base in all of China. This partnership marries the best of the Chinese market with Kochava’s world class global integrations and superior attribution technology to deliver an unprecedented turn-key path for Chinese developers to expand into the US and globally, unlocking tremendous new revenue opportunities. Kochava expects this will be the first step of many paths to cooperation with TalkingData in the effort to help brands transcend international borders leveraging the best tools and services available.”
However, Kochava isn’t the only company providing access to the US. Competitor AppsFlyer has been working closely with Chinese app creators, including Qihoo 360, Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent. It remains to be seen if Kochava can win back some of TalkingData’s customers from AppsFlyer.
Manning says that there’s been much hype around Eastern mobile and gaming businesses expanding to the west. In February, a Qihoo 360 Technology-led consortium made a $1.2bn offer for Opera Software to gain access to the mobile ad platform’s international marketing products. He adds:
“The strategic partnership between Kochava and TalkingData is the first meaningful formal cooperation really enabling instant massive expansion for Chinese companies into the US and global markets. This partnership essentially provides a turn-key, easy pathway for Chinese app developers, along with a playbook for optimized international expansion.”


text:
Stocks of one of the UK’s ‘big five’ species of fish, haddock, fell to a level deemed unacceptable by conservational standards in 2016.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) grades fish on a five-point scale according to scarcity and catchment area. Two Scottish fisheries were downgraded from their ‘Grade 2: fish to eat’ ratings to ‘Grade 4: should not be considered sustainable and the fish is likely to have significant environmental issues associated with its production’. A third was dropped to ‘Grade 3: Eat only occasionally’.
The MCS uses findings produced by the International Council of Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which in November last year reported fishing of Haddock in the North Sea and Western Scotland must be reduced by 47% from the previous year to still be considered sustainable.
'They aren't scientists'
The Scottish Fisherman’s Federation (SFF) has lashed out at what it called the MCS’ false and misleading comments.
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of SFF told FoodNavigator:
“We are really disappointed with this. From the top there is a defect in the logic of these guides and it’s a perversity because as a fish stock the North Sea haddock is a wonderful example for which good science is available.
“The consumer may now say well I’m not going to buy that and the retailer no longer stocks it or throws it away after it's already been sustainably caught and then the lights go out in coastal fishing communities. This could actually have an adverse effect on an industry which is doing its damnedest to really be sustainable. We are seriously unhappy.
“The MCS’ reasoning sounds plausible but it doesn’t bear any logical explanation. Several years ago they did the same thing with mackerel and few years before that they did it with monk fish. They aren’t scientists. It's light work advocacy thinly disguised as science, and this is the equivalent of irresponsible vandalism.
“They should apologise and retract this because it could do a lot of damage to communities.”
Armstrong said that consumers should ignore the MCS’ labelling from now on and heed only the advice of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which grants a single blue label to what it deems sustainable fish and should be considered the ‘gold standard’ he added.
Sarah Lahert, public relations manager at MSC told us:
“The Scottish North Sea haddock fishery is still MSC certified due to the strong management they have in place to deal with changing stocks. The Scottish haddock fishermen have already worked with the government to set lower quotas in response to the latest scientific advice. In fact, they’ve set their catches even lower than the recommendations. It's a bold move to protect the haddock stock for the long term. This is a great example of a responsible reactive management responding to fluctuations in stock status and that’s exactly what MSC certification is about: long-term sustainability. You can still choose MSC certified Scottish haddock for your Friday night fish and chips with a clean conscience.”
After a media storm following the MCS' decision, a statement was released by the charity's press office reassuring customers that there will be no shortage of Haddock available in the UK and that biomass is expected to increase throughout 2017, replenishing stock levels.
"Contrary to some suggestions, consumers should not expect to see a shortage of haddock in shops.
"A new assessment will be undertaken later this year, when new ICES advice becomes available, and if the health of the fishery has improved as expected, this will be reflected in MCS ratings."


text:
Are Low-Fat Vegan Diets Safe?
Plant-based diets are typically associated with improved health and increased disease protection. However, some researchers have uncovered nutritional deficiencies in people who regularly consume an extremely low fat vegan diet (vegans eschew any kind of animal-based product). So, when it comes to all plants all the time, can you get too much of a good thing?
Not really, says a new study published in the September 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. In observing a cohort of men who ate a strict vegan diet in which only 10% of calories were derived from fat, the researchers found that “a very low fat vegan diet with comprehensive nutrition education emphasizing nutrient-fortified plant foods is nutritionally adequate, with the exception of vitamin D.” The authors concluded that “vitamin D supplementation, especially for those with limited sun exposure, can help assure nutritional adequacy.” The authors also recommended that vegans
- receive nutrition counseling that stresses healthy meal planning;
- up their daily intake of fortified plant foods, especially those high in vitamins B12 and D; and
- supplement their food intake with a soy protein supplement.
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text:
Estimated sales of just 64,000 units in February have left Wii U facing up to the reality of being the worst selling new console in two generations.
Many had expected a better performance last month after an influx of pre-owned units on the market in January was blamed for poor sales at the turn of the year.
In fact, Gamasutra reports that sales in January were so poor that Wii U posted worse numbers than were ever seen with PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, Xbox or Wii.
Interestingly the only console that has in recent memory posted comparable numbers was the GameCube, and only then when the machine was on its last legs and its successor had already been announced.
Xbox and PlayStation machines have only ever posted similar numbers in weeks before a price cut was scheduled to be introduced.
Voices of dissent from within the industry are growing increasingly louder, with the perception being that Nintendo has to act quickly if Wii U is to reverse its fortunes.
Big hopes are now pinned on upcoming Wii U exclusive LEGO City Undercover, which hits the UK on March 28th. The game has a fairly decent 79 per cent average on Metacritic, but with Wii U’s install base still disappointingly small the game will have to hit the status of system seller if it is to have an overtly positive impact.


text:
What drives a merchant to begin accepting virtual currency as payment? And, how can that acceptance help drive sales – and perhaps even change up a retailer’s customer mix?
In early November, representatives from three merchants – Amagi Metals, Newegg and the Golden Gate Casino – gathered together at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to share their insights during the Money20/20 event. At a panel presentation titled “Retailers Accepting Bitcoin Share Perspectives,” the trio explained how virtual currency had impacted their businesses.
Denver-based Amagi Metals – a global e-commerce precious-metals dealer selling gold, silver, platinum and other physical metals directly to its clientele – began accepting bitcoin for payment in 2012.
“It’s been a great experiment,” said Stephen Macaskill, Amagi’s CEO. “We began accepting bitcoin [as a way] to encourage and promote bitcoin. Also, we have a high rate of credit-card fraud in the precious-metals industry – with bitcoin, however, there are no chargebacks, and we don’t have to worry about fraud.
“Our customer base has changed as a result of bitcoin. It’s brought in a new base of customers – younger and tech savvy. Currently, approximately 30 percent of our customers are bitcoin customers. Also, order sizes have been larger as a result versus our normal order sizes,” said Macaskill.
Eventually, he’d like to move to a business format that only accepts bitcoin and other virtual currencies. For now, however, the company accepts the usual mix of traditional payments, although it retains a percentage of its profits in bitcoin: “We keep the bulk of our bitcoin in a cold wallet, and also have a small ‘stipend wallet.’ I recommend that merchants keep a small amount of bitcoin – even if it’s just 1 percent — in a secure wallet.”
Newegg, the online retailer perhaps best known for its computer and other tech offerings, began accepting bitcoin in January 2014 in response to its customers, said Soren Mills, Newegg’s Chief Marketing Officer.
“Our customers are at the forefront of mining – it’s important for us to support customers who are using the technology. Our customers, then, expect us to be at the forefront of innovation in selling leading-edge products. So bitcoin was a natural fit for us.”
“Accepting bitcoin has brought in new customers, and our average order size has increased as a result. Although our sales in bitcoin are only a single digit number as a percentage of our business, we see growth here. Plus, bitcoin offers us more international options and opportunities – there are many advantages when it comes to bitcoin.”
Operating in Old Las Vegas since the early 1900s, the Golden Gate Casino was renovated in 2012 and expanded with new luxury suites. In November 2013, it became the first casino to begin accepting bitcoin, along with its sister club, the D Las Vegas Casino, reported CFO Susan Hitch.
“Why wouldn’t we enable customers to spend bitcoin with us? Customers can use bitcoin to pay for items in our restaurants, gift shops, the front desk and so on, and we’ve had a strong response,” said Hitch. But, she noted, the casino does not accept bitcoin on the gaming side – doing so would run counter to Nevada Gaming Commission regulations. Tablets programmed with BitPay were installed at each cashier, allowing bitcoin users to pay for services using their mobile wallets.
The “Retailers Accepting Bitcoin Share Perspectives” panel was just one of many sessions at the 2014 edition of the annual Money20/20 event, which took place in Las Vegas in early November. Virtual currency was certainly one of the conference’s most talked-about topics, driven by the event’s (Bit)coinworld track — which offered 10 sessions specifically devoted to virtual currency – and approximately 20 virtual-currency companies exhibiting on the show floor (up from six in 2013).
Here are a few additional virtual-currency-related quotes shared in other sessions from this year’s Money20/20: