text:
Windows Phone 8.1 Update Preview Starts Rolling Out to Developers
August 4, 2014 11:07 AM
Update brings Live Folders, new localized test builds of Cortana, Xbox Music perks, mass SMS actions, and more
Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 (Developer) Preview
. And you can get it for free, if you so desire.
Normally, Windows Phone maker Microsoft Corp. (
) charges developers a relatively low fee -- $19 USD. But to get access to this and other Preview builds of upcoming Windows Phone updates on your device, you don't even need to pay that -- you just need to sign up for Microsoft's
App Studio program
, which is designed to court new developers. App Studio participants get access to Preview builds just like full-fledged developers -- except they get it for free (you have to pay once you sign up to sell your apps in the Windows Phone Store.
Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 continues Microsoft's
plodding, yet ambitious pace of upgrades
to its maturing mobile effort. It adds localized builds of the Cortana voice assistant in beta form for China (where it's called "Xiao Na", a common female name) and the UK. It also adds alpha builds of Cortana for India, Canada, and Australia.
Live Folders (
, "Photography" folder) and China-regionalized Cortaina (
, "Xiao Na")
Another key addition is the new Live Folders -- expandable bins for your Live Tile widgets that act similarly to app/widget bins in Android and iOS. Other features include updates to the Store tile (clickable links to new featured apps), updates to the Xbox Music hub, mass text message actions (check mark boxes for mass forwarding or deletion), additional customization for alarms, and more.
Microsoft tends to operate on a similar upgrade release cycle to Google Inc.'s (
) Android, first rolling out pending updates to developers (and power users). It then launches them the next month on new devices, before finally rolling out the update to existing devices via carriers.
Windows Phone 8.1
was announced in April. It
launched for developers that month
launched for new devices in May
. In July, two months later, it
finally began rolling out
to the masses with older Windows Phone 8 devices.
We can expect some new Lumia phones from Nokia Devices to be announced
(Sept. 5-10th) mobile electronics trade show in Berlin, Germany. Those devices can be expected to launch with the new Update onboard. For those with existing devices who wish to wait for their carrier, you can probably expect an update sometime in the October timeframe (again, similar to Android).
"So if you want to save the planet, feel free to drive your Hummer. Just avoid the drive thru line at McDonalds." -- Michael Asher
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text:
After the recent riots in Minneapolis that saw over 1,500 businesses damaged, looted and many completely destroyed, business owners want to install metal security shutters in front of their storefronts to protect their businesses from vandals and looting.
But apparently that is illegal in Minneapolis because city politicians believe that such protective barriers leave the impression the city is unsafe.
The Daily Wire explains:
Minneapolis’ sister city, St. Paul, allows business owners to install external shutters if they acquire a permit. But Minneapolis officials said in a report that external shutters “cause visual blight” and imply that an area is “unsafe” and “troublesome,” the Star Tribune reported. […]
Chicago-Lake Liquors owner John Wolf, who lost $1 million worth of liquor to looters when they shattered the floor-to-ceiling windows of his business in May, told the Star Tribune, “Times have changed, I am going to spend millions of dollars to bring my business back, and I don’t want to buy 20 window panes and have them broken the first day. Property owners should have options on how to protect themselves.”
READ: Minneapolis Code Bars Business Owners From Installing Security Shutters To Protect Their Business
And if that wasn’t enough bad news. READ: Riot-Ravaged Minneapolis Businesses Can’t Rebuild Because the Insurance Won’t Cover It
Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without the mainstream media telling us that they were peaceful riots:

domain: news


text:
How New and Emerging Wearable Payments Will Change the Way We Spend
For decades, credit and debit cards were the consumer go-to when it came to making payments–but research shows that’s all about to change.
The latest data from Juniper Research estimates that mobile payments will rise from $35 billion in 2015 to $95 billion in 2018. Mastercard expects all European stores to accept contactless payments by 2020.
What initiated this dramatic shift in payment styles? Read more


text:
New Orleans tech-startup MobileQubes is launching a pilot version of its automated kiosks throughout the city this week.
The company, which launched in December 2012, has developed a portable charging device for mobile phones and tablet devices that can be rented for $4.99 a day and $0.99 each day after. The MobileQube attaches to devices allowing the user to recharge with a portable battery that can be used in a public area where it can be difficult to access an electrical outlet.
Starting this week, users can rent the devices at the kiosks located at the Louis Armstrong International Airport, the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, Ochsner Health Systems, Walk-Ons Bistreaux and Bar, and Tulane university’s uptown campus.
The company is targeting two other locations in the city as well which will be announced in upcoming weeks.
MobileQubes CEO and cofounder Sean Carrigan told CityBusiness earlier this year that the company is especially targeting high traffic areas such as sporting arenas, hotels, airports and convention centers.
To sign up for free CityBusiness Daily Updates, click here.


text:
EghtesadOnline: The governor of the Central Bank of Iran said exporters transferred home $2.5 billion before the July deadline set by the regulator.
The CBI had earlier announced that non-oil exporters should bring their earnings back by July 21. It had routinely protested that export companies were dodging their financial commitments and had failed to repatriate $27 billion in overseas earnings in the past two years.
In a talk with reporters on Sunday, Abdolnasser Hemmati said the current process of export earning repatriation is satisfactory.
“About $2.5 billion was brought back by exporters before the deadline,” IRIB quoted him as saying.
Hemmati said the returned earnings were sold to companies wanting to import raw material, equipment and other goods.
“A balance is shaping up between supply and demand for foreign currency at Nima and offers are increasing.”
Nima is the Persian acronym for the Integrated Foreign Exchange Deals System. It is a special trading platform where exporters sell their proceeds and importers buy. Shortage of currency in this particular market has been blamed for the steep hike in currency rates in the past several months.
Exporters are required to sell at least half of their revenue in the secondary market at exchange rates below the open market, according to rules governing export repatriation in the past two years. As per previous rules, exporters were required to sell at least 10% of the total forex proceeds.
The regulator tightened forex repatriation rules for the current fiscal year (March 2020-21). The new regulations announced by the CBI last month stipulate that all exporters should bring back at least 80% of their earnings in “foreign exchange hawala” and 20% in hard currency. The currency has to be sold via Nima to banks and authorized exchange bureaus.


text:
This week, Sherryl and Jan caught up with Mr Shear and Shine himself…Aaron Wallace!
Aaron Wallace and business partner Lina A Mtengeti-Gadi joined us in the studio to discuss the rise of Shear and Shine (www.shearandshinegrooming.co.uk) – the first supplier of Black male grooming products in the UK.
We covered the products, the business…the whole freakin’ movement!
We also spoke about why ‘ghettoness’ has no place in business and why customer service is one of the keys to success!
Once we got all the business talk out of the way, we put Aaron on the spot and told him he would sing for us before he leaves – after dropping Lina in head first by exposing her passion for singing loudly in the office, she was forced to defend herself.
Moving on, we spoke about Idris receiving an OBE and Ashley ‘Bashy’ Thomas’ new role in 24: Legacy.
Michael Jackson ‘pops up’ again, we discussed the offence apparently caused by the designer dresses worn by the Obama daughters at the White House state dinner and we crowned 50 Cent our Pum Pum of the Week…
All of the above and loooooooads more….
Categories: UK News


text:
Posts Tagged ‘Operating system’
AT&T said it will be the only U.S. carrier to sell the high-end Lumia 920 phone, at least initially, and will also sell the cheaper Lumia 820
Heins took the stage Tuesday at a conference for mobile applications developers to rally support for the upcoming release of a new operating system for the BlackBerry.
Microsoft’s corporate logo has a new look to set the stage for upcoming products designed to cast the world’s largest software maker in a new light.
Apple says Mac users downloaded 3 million copies of Mountain Lion, its latest operating system, in the first four days it was available. That makes it the fastest launch of an Apple operating system ever, the company says. It released Mountain Lion Wednesday. Apple charges $20 for the software. That pays for downloads for all [...]
Research In Motion’s new chief executive unveiled Tuesday a prototype BlackBerry powered by revamped operating system. The company has pinned its future on the software. Thorsten Heins, who took the CEO job in January, revealed features of the BlackBerry 10 operating system running on a prototype device at the company’s BlackBerry World conference in Orlando. [...]
by John Callegari Published: June 10, 2011
Tags: company policy, Delta Air Lines, Long Island, merger, Operating system, Oracle, policy changes, server maintenance, servers, Sun Microsystems, technical support, Technology
A policy change by one of the nation’s largest computer server companies has one local support firm crying foul. Delta Computer Group, a computer maintenance company based in Farmingdale, has been monitoring the merger of Oracle Corp. with Sun Microsystems with intense interest since it became official in 2009. As a third-party maintenance firm for [...]
Melville-based Arrow Electronics Inc. said Tuesday it has reached a distribution deal with software developer Micrium. Financial details were not disclosed. The deal calls for Arrow customers to have access to Micrium’s operating systems, development tools for embedded systems and training materials. Shares in Arrow Electronics added 14 cents to $25.80 in afternoon trading.


text:
Kia Motors Europe Appoints New President
The new president has had several senior management positions before being appointed President of Kia Motors France in 2007 for nearly three years. He also helped improve Hyundai's business in Europe during 2012.
On his appointment, Mr Song said: “I’m excited to take on this role as President of Kia Motors Europe and look forward to continuing the good work of my predecessor, supported by the dedicated and talented team here in Frankfurt. There are strong opportunities to drive further growth in sales and market share thanks to the exceptional new Kia product range that exhibits world-class qualities and excellent value.”
Kia is among the few car brands in Europe that has managed to keep its momentum through the European crisis. The Korean brand has seen a sales increase from 295,000 in 2011 to 338,000 in 2012.


text:
First WI report on food waste finds confusion persists over 'best before' and 'sell by' dates, with supermarkets potentially contributing to the problem
The Women's Institute is urging supermarkets to do more to help consumers reduce their domestic food waste, after a survey of its own membership revealed widespread confusion about "best before" and "use...
It has been a week of turmoil in Westminster, but where do recent events leave a UK clean energy policy landscape that was already in flux?
Long-term partnership aims to respond to customer demand and slash the environmental impact of average Brit's shopping basket
BusinessGreen brings you this week's green business news from around the world
Environment Secretary decides to stay on in current job after reportedly turning down role of Brexit Secretary


text: LIVONIA, Mich., March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. (NYSE: TRW), has developed a range of driver airbag modules made of regenerative plastic material, which offers a number of environmental benefits. The Company is the first to develop the new, greener module where components, including the airbag cover and retainer plate, are now made from a new, bio-based material. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120301/DE62846) Manuel Poyant, core engineering manager for driver airbags and steering wheel systems at TRW commented: "TRW is using a new bio-based material for its driver airbag modules which offers significant environmental advantages. Firstly, this material reduces the vehicle's "interior emissions" – the gases that are released at low levels from new materials, particularly at high temperature. Reducing such emissions is now a key focus, with leading vehicle manufacturers specifying emissions limits for target compounds released from trim materials. In addition, a significant proportion of the carbon in the new plastic material comes from regenerative raw materials, which helps to save fossil resources. "The plastics sector has evolved significantly in recent years and with the greater focus from the automotive industry on sustainable products and the environment, greener technologies such as bio-materials are high on vehicle manufacturers' agendas. Our customers are already showing strong interest in this new technology." TRW envisions that the new range of driver airbag modules will be ready for production by mid 2012 and anticipates that the technology could gradually replace all conventional oil based materials in driver airbags in the coming years. About TRW With 2011 sales of $16.2 billion, TRW Automotive ranks among the world's leading automotive suppliers. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, USA, the Company, through its subsidiaries, operates in 26 countries and employs over 60,000 people worldwide. TRW Automotive products include integrated vehicle control and driver assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, suspension systems, occupant safety systems (seat belts and airbags), electronics, engine components, fastening systems and aftermarket replacement parts and services. All references to "TRW Automotive", "TRW" or the "Company" in this press release refer to TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated. TRW Automotive news is available on the internet at www.trw.com.


text:
Safety First: An Inside Look at Uber’s New Business Model
When Uber launched, its mission was fairly straightforward—to help people get from point A to point B. Today, the ride-sharing company has an evolved purpose—to use technology to make ride-sharing transportation safer.
Illustrations by Tom McCarten
In January of this year, nearly two dozen Uber employees convened in an open design area on the fourth floor of the company’s San Francisco headquarters to talk about safety. On the table were two broad questions: What does peace of mind mean? And what does safety mean?
That brainstorm, the first in a series of pointed conversations on the subject, was undertaken as part of a broader reimagining of both company culture and user experience, which began when Uber’s new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, took the helm in the summer of 2017. For Khosrowshahi, safety is an important part of Uber’s customer experience—and he wanted to ensure first and foremost that the app’s technology would advance that mission.
What came out of that initial brainstorm was a major effort to create a Safety Toolkit, a set of products that live within the app itself to protect the safety of riders, drivers, and delivery partners. “We came up with a huge range of options,” says Brinda Malvi, a product manager on Uber’s rider experience team. “We modeled every scenario: What if we put a 911 button in the app? What if we built in a feature that allows users to designate ‘Trusted Contacts’ whom they can easily be prompted to share trip details with? What should be inside the Safety Toolkit?”
While many of the features developed on the heels of that meeting may seem like small changes—such as making driver and license plate information larger and easier to see—they’re the kind of necessary improvements that reflect a company-wide decision to put safety at the forefront of Uber’s business model. “We stand for safety,” says Malvi. “That’s why we take our design process as seriously as we do.”
Inside UberDesigning Safety
Brinda Malvi's team is on a mission to make the app's new safety features as inclusive as possible.
It has been almost a decade since Uber launched as a startup in San Francisco, where rideshare drivers ferried people around in sleek black cars. But as Uber has grown as a company (and as an app), there have been times when the functional needs of its product—what its customers want and expect it to do—have outpaced what it was originally built for, leading to such turning-point moments as the January brainstorm on safety.
For technology companies, these are what you might call growing pains. “Technology is often on the forefront of how radical change happens because, suddenly, you have a new set of capabilities, maybe at an extremely low price, and that changes the game completely,” says Bharat Rao, associate professor and department chair of technology management and innovation at New York University. In Uber’s case, the company has been forced to evolve beyond its original mission of helping to bring people “transportation as reliable as running water, everywhere for everyone.” It’s an apt metaphor, because safety is often the unspoken concern when it comes to both water and transportation.
According to Rao, startups are intrinsically more willing to adapt, based on what the market tells them. But when the goal is safety, it’s not enough to simply react to market changes or customer perception; Uber must be able to anticipate such shifts. “You choose Uber to help you move about the world,” says Malvi. “It’s the least we can do to make sure you feel good about taking a trip with Uber versus any other ride-sharing competitor.”
Like Malvi, Sachin Kansal was heavily involved in that January brainstorm. As director of safety products at Uber, Kansal and his team work with other engineers to set safety strategies and decide which products to bring to market. “We’re helping to put millions of people in cars together every single day,” says Kansal. “Imagine the scale of that and what could potentially go wrong. Solving for that is a huge, huge challenge.”
Only a small percentage of users will ever have a safety incident on the platform. Still, “the reality is a significant number of Uber users do feel, understandably, anxious about getting into a car with someone they’ve never met,” Kansal admits. “One of the challenges we face is: How to make those people feel safe?”
One of the challenges we face is: How to make those people feel safe?
Of course, foundational elements of the Uber app—like the ability to request inside, GPS tracking of every trip, and the accountability that comes with the ratings system and 24/7 customer service—have given customers peace of mind for years. More recently, however, Kansal’s team rolled out new safety features designed to account for psychological comfort, as well as physical safety, in more tangible ways. Riders can now add loved ones as Trusted Contacts, with whom they will be prompted to share their trip details. If desired, the app can even send a reminder to do this for late-night rides, acting as a guardian angel of sorts. Meanwhile, with the Ride Check feature, Uber is investing in technology to detect a possible crash or otherwise flag an unexpected stop. The company will then reach out to both rider and driver to ensure everything is OK and offer any needed assistance. Kansal’s team is also testing features like Hands-Free Pickups, which would allow drivers to accept trips and communicate with riders using voice commands, and Address Anonymization, which removes a user’s exact pickup and drop-off locations from the driver’s trip history.
Inside UberSafety at Scale
Director of Product Management
Peace of mind for riders and drivers is paramount to Sachin Kansal, who considers both the physical safety and psychological comfort of the app's users.
A big part of Kansal’s process of determining customer needs involves face-to-face interaction. He gathers 10 riders in a room at a time and simply asks them: “What would make you feel safe?” That’s how one of Uber’s most innovative features, the 911 button, came into being. “One thing we heard from users was, ‘When I need emergency help, I would like for there to be a way to get that help very, very easily.’”
Yet after Kansal spoke to several law enforcement partners, it became clear that simply connecting riders to an emergency line wasn’t enough. “Law enforcement told us the biggest problem with using 911 was finding out your location,” says Kansal. “What if you’re in a town you don’t know?” To solve for this, his team created a way to integrate the app with technology that connects directly to 911 infrastructure. That way, dispatchers would receive all the information they need instantly—the make of the car, the rider’s name, the driver, and the location—without relying on a distressed passenger to relay those details. “It’s only available in a handful of cities currently, but it’s on track to roll out across the country and in Mexico,” says Kansal. “This is some of the most important work we’re doing right now.”
Inside UberA Global View
Director of Product Management
A surprising moment during Sachin Kansal's personal trip to India revealed Uber’s role in global social change.
For Kansal, customer safety is personal. In fact, the advent of Uber has changed his family’s daily life. “I come from the northern part of India where, after it’s dark, let’s say seven o’clock, most women don’t really go out alone,” he explains. “If they go out anywhere, they would go with a male family member. Some of that comes from cultural norms and some comes from the general crime in those areas.”
It’s not just about the safety problems we have to account for. It’s also about the safety problems Uber has solved by providing our service.
Last November, Kansal visited his family in India for the first time in four years. “In those four years, Uber has really taken off in India,” he says. “A lot of my family members now can freely go out at night, because they trust Uber.” For Kansal, this raises another important question: As the company expands its reach, what does safety mean to different customers in different countries?
“Today, we’re operational in more than 60 countries, and we want to make sure we understand the nuances of how someone is thinking about safety not just in the U.S., but in India, Brazil, South Africa,” and beyond, he says. “What I realized was, it’s not just about the safety problems we have to account for. It’s also about the safety problems Uber has solved by providing our service. When you put it all together, it has actually created an amazingly safe environment, or a safer environment, as compared to when Uber did not exist.”
But tech-driven companies like Uber know that past successes are just that—in the past. If Uber wants to remain a leading technology company in the ride-sharing and delivery industries, it can’t slow down on safety innovation, and it won’t. Under Khosrowshahi’s leadership, Uber is committed to intuiting the changing needs of its customers and using technology to deliver the required solutions. As it continues to evolve as both a company and an app, Uber is rethinking not only its products and services, but also its very business model. Putting safety at the heart of that is only the beginning.


text:
Earlier this month YouTube announced the removal of spam subscriptions from many channels, and, as a result, many creators may have seen a “noticeable decrease” in their subscriber counts. But a lower subscriber count may have consequences for some creators – especially those with relatively small channels.
YouTube says that it “regularly” verifies “the legitimacy of accounts and actions” on channels in order to make sure they are not gaining subscribers through artificial means. However, in mid-December, it announced that it “recently identified and fixed an issue that caused some spam accounts from being removed.” As a result of the fix, on Dec 13 and 14, the platform took action to remove spam subscriptions, explaining
“Removing spam from the platform helps ensure that YouTube remains a fair playing field for everyone and should result in higher confidence that you’re organically building a community of authentic fans.”
Furthermore, in the announcement, YouTube explained that some creators “may see a noticeable decrease” in their subscriber count after the removal of spam subscriptions. Creators will be able to know if they had spam subscriptions if a banner appears in YouTube Studio or Classic Creator Studio. Creators wondering how YouTube knows the difference between spam and people genuinely wanting to subscribe to a channel can rest assured that the platform uses “a mix of industry-leading techniques and proprietary technology to identify spam.” As YouTube explains, “often, these types of actions are meant to make channels look more popular than they actually are.”
Creators concerned about the effect that this move will have on their channels’ watch time can also rest assured that watch time isn’t likely to be affected, as spam subscribers don’t tend to affect the metric.
But what if a channel falls below the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) threshold of 1,000 subscriptions as a result of the removal? This is where some creators will be affected, as they will no longer meet the minimum requirements for YPP, and they will be removed from the program. Those creators are, however, “encouraged to reapply once they’ve rebuilt their subscribers organically.” This is why it’s so important that creators build their channels organically from the beginning.
However, it’s totally normal for all channels to see fluctuations in their subscriber count – for the following reasons:
- Viewers are subscribing and unsubscribing to a channel normally.
- YouTube has removed spam subscribers from a channel.
- YouTube has removed closed accounts from a channel: Closed accounts were either closed by the user or terminated by YouTube due to some policy violation.
If creators see any major fluctuation that seems “outside the normal fluctuation rate,” there could be an issue other than the above, so this is the kind of thing that should be reported.
You might also like
More from Youtube
YouTube TV now includes new Latin channels and add-on options to expand its live and on-demand Spanish-language content.
YouTube will soon allow access to Community Posting for creators with at least 500 subscribers instead of 1,000.
YouTube hit a new milestone, counting 50 million subscribers and trials on its YouTube Music or YouTube Premium services.
YouTube has unveiled its first IRL venue, capable of hosting indoor and outdoor events with up to 6,000 people.
The well-known Rickroll prank has driven Rick Astley’s "Never Gonna Give You Up" to become one of the most-watched videos …
YouTube is experimenting with a new plan that allows users to watch ad-free videos at almost half the price of …
YouTube is introducing a new Super Thanks monetization feature to allow fans to support creators; and expanding it to 68 countries.
YouTube is adding new features to help viewers identify videos from authoritative sources, and get more credible health information.


text:
In an official letter to investors today, Apple CEO Tim Cook warned them of the fact that the first-quarter earnings might be much weaker than they had initially expected, stating reasons such as fewer iPhone upgrades than what they had anticipated. This weak flow of iPhone demand comes mainly from China, although Tim Cook did say that even in some of the developed Apple markets, iPhone upgrades were not as usual as they normally are.
In the letter, Tim Cook gives out variety of explanations in order to justify the dip in Q1 earnings — unexpectedly early timing for the launch of the iPhone XS and XS Max in comparison to the iPhone X, the current state of the US dollar, production difficulties due to launch of various new products etc. However, the truth remains that people all over the world are just not interested in buying newer iPhone models every year as they were earlier.
In a recent interview with CNBC, Tim Cook explained quite briefly on the fact that the “the trade tensions between the United States and China put additional pressure on their economy,” which resulted in a lot lesser users. To sum it all up, Apple will most probably miss its Q1 earnings estimate by nearly $9 billion and as a result, there was a 10 percent drop in the stock of the company once the news came out about Apple missing its yearly target.
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text:
BusinessWeek gets update as ad sales lag
BusinessWeek magazine is undergoing a face lift and adding stories on new products and personal finance in an attempt to attract readers after advertising pages fell 20% last quarter.
The magazine, published by McGraw-Hill Cos., began Thursday to update its logo, typefaces and graphics, Editor Stephen Adler said.
Now each issue will have three long articles instead of one, in addition to new sections. Lifestyle coverage will be cut and most columns will be moved to the back of each issue.
The changes mark a renewed effort by BusinessWeek to capture advertisers targeting affluent, educated readers, counter a drop in auto ads and define its place in a news cycle shaped by the Internet and 24-hour cable TV. The typical BusinessWeek reader is about 46 years old, with a median annual household income of $86,000, according to New York-based Mediamark Research Inc.
“Business magazines want very much to remain relevant, especially with younger readers, and that’s harder to do,” said Reed Phillips, managing partner at DeSilva & Phillips, a New York investment bank focused on media.
Advertising sales at BusinessWeek declined about 15% to $67.7 million last quarter from a year earlier, the New York-based Publishers Information Bureau estimates. McGraw-Hill, based in New York, doesn’t break out the publication’s sales.
Business magazines have been hit by the decline in U.S. auto sales, which led to a 5.1% drop in the number of magazine ad pages purchased by the industry in the second quarter, according to the bureau.
Time Inc.'s Fortune suffered a 13% drop in ad sales in the second quarter as the number of pages sold slid 20%, the bureau said. Closely held Forbes and the Economist, partly owned by Pearson, bucked the trend and increased ad revenue by more than 10%. Industrywide, U.S. magazine ad pages declined 1.9% in the same period.
The redesign is aimed at attracting a wider audience. The debut issue opens with an expanded news digest called “The Business Week” that is followed by a section of lighter, shorter items packaged under the heading “BTW” and previously called “UpFront.” A new “What’s Next” section focuses on trends and new products.
“Readers want good, clear summarization,” Adler, 52, said in an interview. “They want us to be an intelligent filter about what’s going on, about what’s important.”
The redesign attempts to further integrate the magazine with its website. BusinessWeek’s circulation is little changed from a year ago. Paid readers totaled 919,343 in the six months ended June 30, down 1.2% from a year earlier, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.


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It’s not hard to sell your stuff on eBay, but there are some shortcuts that can make it easier.
There is no federal law that requires online retailers to take returns.
LeSean McCoy’s 20-cent tip is being sold on eBay.
With warm weather and clear skies, heading out for a camping trip is one of America’s most popular excursions. Here are some of the best money-saving tips while camping.
In place of tiny columns with cryptic abbreviations of a car’s conditions, the Internet boasts searchable listings with generous detail and expansive photo galleries.
By Jim Donovan: eBay is urging customers to change their passwords and to take other protective measures following a cyber-attack that compromised the security of certain non-financial data such as customer names, encrypted passwords, email […]
A former executive of the internet auction firm eBay has pleaded guilty to insider trading violations in federal court in Philadelphia.
Have one of those people in your life that is difficult to shop for? Well consider buying the Eagles team allegiance of a stranger for him or her. Exactly what that entails, isn’t particularly clear.
If you’re buying holiday gifts – or any items – on eBay, can a seller really hold you liable for a typo?
A toddler managed to get onto eBay and buy a 1962 Austin Healey Sprite while playing on her father’s smartphone. They now have a new car.
According to police, the victim reported her Cannondale Road bike stolen in December of 2012 and then began searching stores and websites to see if her bike was being sold online.
A New Jersey man has been charged in what federal prosecutors say was a scheme to defraud hundreds of sellers of foreign and antique banknotes on the online auction site eBay.
Whether you’re organizing your garage, or sorting through closets, that may also mean it’s a good opportunity to make some money.
If you buy a collectible, how do you know if it’s real and what can you do if it isn’t?
Second chance scams occur when the bidder on, let’s say eBay, who didn’t win the auction is contacted by a thief posing as the seller who says the sale fell through and the item is once again for sale.


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As flavor manufacturers ring in 2016, they look to meet more demands and trends within the beverage industry. Consumers are looking for cleaner or “natural” beverages with more nutrients and less processed ingredients.
Consumers pay attention to how food and beverages are made and are looking for clean-labels and non-GMO products.
“How food and beverages are prepared, such as fermenting, pickling and smoking, is becoming significant,” explained Catherine Armstrong, vice president, corporate communications, Comax Flavors.
Meeting “Natural” Demands
"There's tremendous activity on what constitutes natural, all natural and organic," said Judson McLester, executive chef and ingredients sales manager at McIlhenny Co., maker of Tabasco products. "The FDA will most likely adopt a tighter set of rules and more active enforcement for future [natural] product submissions."
“What is apparently different and noticeable this year is that companies developing new food and beverage products are less concerned about what the ‘newest in flavor’ will be that will interest the consumer,” said Anton Angelich, group vice president, marketing, Virginia Dare. “They see less of a shift from previous years in new flavors appearing that can drive larger, new-product opportunities. They are largely focusing on ‘getting the product right.’”
One trending natural source is bark, roots and leaves, with specific examples of honeyed evergreen, sassafras root and American Oak distillate ingredients to complement consumers’ interests in bitters, roots and craft sodas.
Tea Flavors on the Rise
Many in the food and beverage industries are finding various tea flavors such as matcha green tea to be growing as a top popular flavor.
“The Tea Association of the USA cited that 85% of tea consumed in America is iced tea and loose-leaf tea is gaining in popularity,” said a representative at Mintel.
Comax Flavors plans to introduce a Cup of Tea flavor collection in the new year, which includes cascara tea, dandelion tea, matcha rose and turmeric orange ginger.
“[There is a] strong interest in a wide range of our proprietary and market-differentiating tea essences,” said Mark Rainey, vice president, marketing, Wild Flavors. “We’re seeing tremendous demand for our white tea extracts, as well as a wide variety of others, too.
Aside from green tea making a lasting impact in 2016, Virginia Dare predicts lime green tea to be the new twist in the market.
In addition to various tea flavors growing in popularity, coffee is also on the rise.


text: Japan\'s factory output fell 3.3 percent in June from the previous month, chiefly due to weaker production of cars and electronic parts, official data showed Tuesday. The fall followed a revised 1.9 percent expansion in May, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. It marked the sharpest month-on-month decline since March 2011, when it plunged 16.5 percent after the earthquake-tsunami disaster that hit northeastern Japan. However, the ministry maintained its overall assessment of industrial production of the world\'s third-biggest economy, saying \"It has shown signs of picking up at a moderate pace.\" Looking ahead, manufacturers polled by the ministry expect production will increase 6.5 percent in July and then fall 0.9 percent in August. Also on Tuesday, the government said Japan\'s jobless rate declined to 3.9 percent in June from the previous month, the lowest level since October 2008.


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We already know that marketing tech is a top priority among brands, with 80 percent saying they’ll be investing more resources than ever this year. A new report confirms marketers are freely sharing their interest in technology, through social networks like Twitter and LinkedIn.
LeadTail and Neustar teamed up to study 1,000 chief marketing officers, and confirmed marketing tech is at the forefront of discussions. Through an analysis of more than 131,000 Tweets, the report stated “the CMO-CIO relationship is getting serious,” with more CMOs actively educating themselves on tech developments and best practices.
The most popular stories shared by marketing leaders were mostly lists of the most popular CMOs (ego-centric much?), although a marketing tech article was among the top five shared articles.
The study noted that more B2B brands are discussing marketing technology, while B2Cs remain focused on branding, but “the line between B2B and B2C marketing continues to blur.”
Neustar’s Digital Vice President Todd Wilms said “the explosion of marketing technologies and the rise of customer experience have positioned Chief Marketing Officers to play a more influential role in the C-Suite.”
In consuming and sharing more information about technology, marketers are not only staying up to date with the latest developments, but are also make a case for investing in marketing technologies for their own brands. When marketers can easily prove that their competitors are sharing information about trends, techniques and strategies, they will be more likely to receive buy in from their peers that this is important in staying up to speed.
For a look at what types of marketing technology brands are investing in this year, check out this related article.


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- Contract Packaging
- Leaders in Packaging
Article | March 31, 2001
Kit Kat Bites the 'Junkyard Dog'
To promote the best use of company equipment, Hershey Foods annually recognizes the team that saves the most money. Two packaging lines for Kit Kat Bites won for 2000.
A scuffed cast-iron statue of a Boston bull terrier mounted on a piece of wood is the symbol of the Junkyard Dog program an annual competition at Hershey Foods Hershey PA. The basic goal of the program is to reward project teams that save money through the best utilization of company assets either money or machines.
“The award is focused on the dollar value of the equipment that a team has reused from a Hershey plant or something that they’ve purchased on the used equipment market” says Wade Latz Hershey’s manager of packaging systems engineering. “And it’s not limited to packaging; it could be for processing operations too.”
Last year Bill Krokonko packaging systems engineer led the team that won the award for the stand-up pouch packaging for Kit Kat Bites a new product launched last July. The Junkyard Dog program operates under Hershey’s QTE (Quality through Excellence) umbrella and the award is typically presented at the Engineering and Technology Group’s year-end department meeting.
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Krokonko’s team discovered that two form/fill/seal stand-up pouch machines were being underutilized at one of Hershey’s plant. In essence says Krokonko his proposal was to move two relatively complete packaging lines to Hazleton PA to pack the Kit Kat Bites into 12-oz stand-up pouches.
“The hearts of the lines are two pouch machines made by Bossar that are fed by two Yamato Dataweigh scale systems” Krokonko says. “We also used some existing conveyor systems a checkweigher and a case sealer too.” The equipment went into operation in July. Bossar equipment now comes from Bossar USA (Sarasota FL) although the equipment was being represented by Hayssen a Barry Wehmiller Co. (Duncan SC) when Hershey originally acquired it. Yamato is also represented by Hayssen.
Even though Krokonko was absent from the meeting the Junkyard Dog trophy was presented to his team along with certificates of achievement. The other five finalists for the 2000 award says Joe Blade packaging systems engineer came away with shirts signifying their membership in the “Order of the Junkyard Dog.”
Last year the competition generated some 16 nominations Blade says the highest number since the competition began.
“Sometimes the nominations are for equipment purchased at auctions but generally the goal is to find one or more Hershey machines rehabilitate them for a new project and then put them into production” Blade says. “We try to stimulate creativity in adapting existing machinery for a new job instead of spending X number of dollars on new equipment that’s customized for a specific project.”
Circulating throughout Hershey he adds is an inventory of equipment that’s sitting idle in a warehouse. In addition each plant has a cache of equipment that isn’t currently being used to its potential. “Sometimes when a project is submitted there’s a bit of ‘sticker shock’ by management” Blade says “and they ask us to look for other alternatives.
“Or the lead time on new equipment is too far out. When that happens the engineers make a trip to the warehouse to see what’s on hand” he notes. After all by employing used equipment the project can usually be completed more quickly.
The battered trophy rumored to have been purchased at a garage sale serves as a symbol of the true concept of the competition.
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The costs of an aborted investment in Home Information Packs (Hips) has hit profits at property website Rightmove.
Rightmove says it is among the top websites for page impressions
The company reported pre-tax profits of £1.6m ($3m) for the six months to 30 June, down from £3.4m a year ago.
The fall was a result of Rightmove's decision to scrap a £22m investment in developing a Hips business, which came after the government altered the packs.
However, Rightmove said that operating profits had more than doubled thanks to healthy growth in online advertising.
Operating profit before costs relating to the Hips project, the company's flotation and share options was up 138% to £8.3m.
Home condition reports
Announcing its results, Rightmove said it had already invested £7m in developing its Hips business before deciding not to proceed, and would now also incur another £1.2m in exit costs.
The decision to abandon the Hips business - announced in July - was prompted by a government decision to make home condition reports - a key element of Hips - voluntary, rather than compulsory.
Under the government's original plans, the packs were to contain a report into the condition of the property for sale - as well as information on title deeds, energy efficiency and local authority searches.
All this was to be done at the seller's expense, with a price tag estimated at close to £1,000.
But the government said in July that the home condition report element of the pack would no longer be mandatory.
The home condition report was set to be by far the most expensive part of the pack.
"The board considered these changes and concluded that there was no realistic prospect of developing a profitable Rightmove Hips business," said Rightmove.
Rightmove is majority-owned by Countrywide, HBOS and Connells, part of the Skipton Group.
"The first six months have seen rapid growth in our on-line advertising business with over 5,000 new advertisers subscribing to Rightmove," the company said.
"Growth has been particularly strong with estate agency, lettings and new homes advertisers across all regions of Great Britain."
It said that in 2006 Rightmove had "regularly been in the top 10 UK websites in terms of page impressions" and had gained market share on its competitors.


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Cà Mau Province's Crab Festival, held in the last week of 2022, was a great success, with 69 crab dishes being recognised as the nation's most delicious specialities by VietKings.
These dishes range from steamed crab with beer or coconut juice to roasted crab with tamarind and salt, and even crab hotpot and tapioca (thick Vietnamese noodles made from tapioca flour or a mixture of rice and tapioca flour) noodle soup.
|Many dinners are interested in Cà Mau Province's steamed crab so much. Photo casnghaisan.com
Cà Mau Cape, with its mangrove ecosystem and immense sea, has an abundance of seafood and prominent among them are crabs. This species has very high economic value and has won a lot of dinners, said Bùi Văn Chiến, a resident of Ngọc Hiển District, which is famed for its crabs.
“This kind of crab has a natural fragrant with a light sweet flavour and meat that can't be compared to crabs from other regions," he said, adding that the crabs were born in the sea and then washed into rivers, ponds and dams, where they dig holes to live in.
Crab season falls from the seventh to eighth lunar months every year.
“During peak season, crab is most tasty with firm meat and much crab roe,” Chiến said.
|Ingredients for crab hotpot include rice vermicelli, fresh vegetables, herbs and different tasty sauces. Photo casnghaisan.com
He said these crabs are high in vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids such as Omega-3, which is very good for health. Despite their expensive price, these crabs are still available in restaurants in the province.
Nguyễn Ngọc Hải, a bank manager from Hà Nội, said he likes steamed crab with beer and crab hotpot so much.
“The dish is enjoyable when being dipped in green chilli salt or lemon pepper salt thanks to the natural sweetness of the crab meat, the buttery fat flavour of crab roes and the salty and hotness of the sauce,” he said, adding that beer helps mask the fishy smell.
|Bánh canh cua or crab tapioca noodle soup is not only a quality, must-try dish but also helps to recall childhood memories of many locals, particularly during Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday. Photo casnghaisan.com
As well as the steamed crab, he also likes crab hotpot because the broth is attractive with the red colour from tomatoes and crab roes, and green from fresh onion as well as light fragrant from herbs such as coriander.
“Taking a piece of white and firm crab meat dipped in hot chilli fish sauce, its aromatic and rich flavour could make you more ecstatic,” he said.
A crab dish seller Lê Thị Xuân, in Ngọc Hiển District, said apart from these dishes, many dinners choose bánh canh cua Cà Mau because the fragrant rice noodles mixed with the fresh sweet and fatty crab in addition to special broth, all creating a delicious dish that no one wishes to refuse it.
|Crab spring rolls are a traditional and indispensable dish on a tray of almost Vietnamese Tết party. Photo casnghaisan.com
“Many dinners told me that the dish is of their favourite because, apart from its quality, it recalls a lot of their childhood memories,” she said.
To cook the dish to its tastiest, Xuân often chooses high-quality crabs to boil and separates the meat and roe. Each cook has their own secrets to make the dish, but it is enhanced when eaten with high-quality Phú Quốc fish sauce and thin slices of fresh chilli.
“Many visitors and travellers to Cà Mau often ask me to give them a recipe of this dish so that they can cook it at their home,” she said, noting that despite the expensive price, many of them bought as much as 10 kg of crab or more to bring home as a gift for their relatives and friends. VNS


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The government, banks and some police forces are not doing enough to tackle online fraud which runs into millions of pounds according to the National Audit Office.
The NAO's report ‘Online fraud’, published today, has revealed fraud is the most commonly experienced crime in England and Wales and most happens online.
Official figures from the ONS revealed an estimated 3.6 million fraud incidents, of which 1.9 million incidents (53 per cent) were cyber-related.
In the same period, there were around 623,000 fraud offences, including online fraud, recorded by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.
The large difference between estimated and recorded fraud suggests that less than 20 per cent of incidents are reported to the police.
Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, commented: “For too long, as a low value but high volume crime, online fraud has been overlooked by government, law enforcement and industry.
"It is now the most commonly experienced crime in England and Wales and demands an urgent response. While the Department [Home Office] is not solely responsible for reducing and preventing online fraud, it is the only body that can oversee the system and lead change.
"The launch of the Joint Fraud Taskforce in February 2016 was a positive step, but there is still much work to be done. At this stage it is hard to judge that the response to online fraud is proportionate, efficient or effective.”
According to the report, criminals using stolen card details to make fraudulent transactions, including over the internet, is known as ‘card not present’ fraud.
Known cases of this type of fraud increased by 103 per cent between 2011 and 2016, from 709,000 to approximately 1.4 million incidents. If the current rate of growth continues, the volume of these frauds could reach 2.9 million by 2021.
In 2016, an estimated 95 per cent of people in the UK had used the internet in the past year, as online shopping and banking grew.
A survey also showed that 82 per cent of adults in the UK used the internet “daily or almost daily” in 2016.
In the same year, 60 per cent of people banked online, compared with 35 per cent in 2008.
Emails can be used to target victims; across the world more than nine billion emails are sent every hour. In 2016, at least 6.3 per cent of adults, or about three million people, were victims of fraud, and the crime is indiscriminate.
In the year ending September 2016, in 39 per cent of incidents where money was taken or stolen from the victim, the loss was £250 or more.
Some fraud relating to scams is included within overall fraud loss figures, but it is not reported separately.
Other data available suggest that somewhere between 40 per cent and 70 per cent of people who are victims of scams do not get any money back. Banks are reported to be holding at least £130 million of funds that cannot accurately be traced back and returned to fraud victims.
The report states that there is a lack of co-ordination and consistency in education campaigns to improve citizens’ and businesses’ cyber security.


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Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise continues to thrill Marvel fans and rake in the big bucks at the box office. This weekend, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse reported blockbuster earnings for an opening weekend of $120.5M making it the highest grossing summer movie to date, beating Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s at $118.4M
The film which features a Black teen Brooklynite as the Marvel superhero pulled in an estimated nine million patrons over the first weekend of June which is the most attended three-day period for a film since last summer according to Reports EntTelligence a movie admissions tracking It’s also a remarkable opening for an animated movie which is at an ungodly length of 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Watch the trailer here:
Producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, as well as filmmakers Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, attempted a whole new animation style that would one-up the previous installment, which earned an Oscar for Best Animated Film. Like they say everything old is new again, and in this case the new technology makes the look and feel of this Spiderman film reminiscent the look of the original Spider Man comics.
Celebrities who campaigned hard to promote the Spiderman film included such fan faves as Bad Bunny, Guillermo del Toro, Steph Curry, Rihanna, Beyonce, Tiffany Haddish, Priyanka and Nick Jonas.
Nike/Jordan Brand took the Jordan Brand and merged its iconic style with Miles Morales. In the film, Miles wears both classic AJ1 shoes and a newly designed AJ1 HI OG “Next Chapter” shoe, which the Jordan Brand released limited editions for purchase. Those sold out within the hour of launch.
Burger King created a Spider-Verse meal featuring a red bun with black seeds, custom packaging, and a Kids Meal program. They have also transformed six locations around the world into the world of Spider-Verse, including fully re-theming select locations. The red bun launched on May 15 and within the week in the US, all major cities sold out of the Spiderman themed bun.
“With Spider-Verse, the film’s incredible creative team and Sony have created one of the most visually dazzling franchises in cinema, and we are excited to see audiences overwhelmingly choose IMAX to experience it,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of Imax, in a statement. “Both from Hollywood and thriving international film industries like Japan, animation has emerged as a powerful engine of growth for our global box office, and we are focused on capitalizing on this opportunity as filmmakers continue to raise the bar for the genre.”
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Investment bankers at Cavendish Corporate Finance have been told by Majestic to secure final offers in the next four weeks for Lay & Wheeler, said Sky News.
The wine merchant, founded in Colchester in 1854 and acquired by Majestic for £6m in 2009, is expected to fetch about £10m, with a number of private equity firms showing interest in the business.
The sell-off is part of plans to transform Majestic Wine’s business, selling off its entire 200-store retail estate and rebranding under the Naked Wines banner.
A number of private equity firms, including frontrunner Fortress Investment Group, Elliott Advisors and OpCapita, are believed to be vying to acquire the Majestic stores, with details of a final £100m deal likely to be announced imminently.
Majestic announced in April this year that it was looking into the potential sale of its UK store network as it planned to focus its energies on online sales and on the continued development of Naked Wines.
The company bought Naked for £70m in 2015, installing Naked Wines founder Rowan Gormley as its new CEO in what amounted to a reverse takeover of the group.


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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) made it real clear last year when CEO Tim Cook paid multiple visits to China that China would be a very important market in which Apple would strongly desire improved market share. However, the company’s executives were not dumb people – they knew that there is a certain level of nationalistic pride in China, and any domestic companies that make smartphones will have inherent loyalty, which greatly limits the number of people who are open-minded to outside vendors. However, Apple clearly saw an opportunity in China and has been working toward getting that foothold.
And based on some of the latest data out of that country, it seems that even before a rumored cheaper iPhone hits the market – much less the confirmed-device reports – Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has apparently improved its standing in the China market while the market itself has exploded over the last year. Canalys analyst Nicole Peng reported that the overall smartphone market in China has grown by more than 150 percent in the last year, and shipments of phones into the country have skyrocketed. In the most recent quarter, there were 82 million smartphones delivered in China, while the U.S. only saw 27 million. Both countries were in the low 30-million range in the previous quarter.
And Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), thanks to the iPhone 5 and reported price cuts on older models, was able to move up on the market share rankings from sixth in the previous two quarters to fifth in this most recent report with about 8 percent of the market – which signifies a significant increase in numbers of iPhones from prior quarters given the dramatic increase in the market.
Samsung Electronics Co. leads the China market with 20 percent, but it is reported that 68 percent of all smartphones delivered in China last quarter were from domestic vendors. That means that Samsung and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) as the top two foreign companies in the market, take up nearly 90 percent of the non-China market share. And one should remember that Samsung has a distinct advantage in that it has multiple phones in the market, and it has a contract with the world’s largest wireless carrier, China Mobile Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:CHL) – a contract that has so far proved elusive for Apple.
What do you think? How much impact would a lower-priced (nee, cheaper) iPhone make in the China market? Or, do you think Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) should stick to its status-symbol reputation and still make its top-of-the-line devices and only sacrifice margins slightly by lowering prices? And do you think Apple will ever reach a deal to seel iPhones through China Mobile and its estimated 725 million subscribers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
As a bonus, check out the secrets of the 7 most bullish money managers invested in Apple stock right now. They’re on the following pages:


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Google Messages will make it less annoying to chat with your iMessage friends
It may not be an ideal solution, but it's something
iOS and Android –as mobile operating systems — don’t always get along well with each other. For example, iPhone users can’t send files to Android phones via Bluetooth without using third-party apps. Another incompatibility plenty of Android users suffer from is iMessage emoji reactions. For the unfamiliar, when an iMessage user reacts to a text from an Android user, the latter receives a repetitive text version of it. For example, the Google Messages app would display Laughed at “Apple and Google will eventually be friends!” as a text message sent from the Apple user, rather than actually adding a laugh reaction to the existing text the Android user has originally sent. Google has finally started rolling out a feature that fixes this issue.
According to 9to5Google, Google has started rolling out the ability for the Messages app to translate iMessage reaction into emoji. The emoji it uses are slightly different than Apple’s, though. For example, Apple uses a heart emoji for the Love reaction, while Google goes for a heart-eyed emoji. So far, the feature has been working correctly for those who have tried it. And just like RCS, Android users can finally see iMessage reactions as emoji, instead of long walls of text.
When an Android user clicks on a Google Messages reaction sent by an iMessage user, the app will state Translated from iPhone as a way to indicate that. It’s also worth mentioning that if an Apple user changes a sent iMessage reaction to a different one, Google Messages will reflect that as well. Google’s execution has got to be the best case scenario, until Apple decides to adopt RCS — if that day ever comes. For the time being, you’ll be spared the annoyance of having your conversations cluttered up by endless reactions sent as text.
What instant messaging app do you use the most with your friends and family? Let us know in the comments section below.


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African economies will largely be transformed by ICT, says Uhuru
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday called on African countries to prioritize the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in their development plans because they hold immense economic transformation potential.
The President spoke when he unveiled Kenya’s digital economy blueprint to investors and Heads of State attending the Transform Africa Summit 2019 of the Smart Africa Initiative in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Heads of State present at the unveiling included Presidents Boubakar Keita of Mali and Paul Kagame of Rwanda who is the current chairman of the Smart Africa Initiative, a continental body that aims at creating a single digital market.
Kenya’s digital economy strategy themed “powering Kenya’s transformation” was unveiled in the presence of over 4,000 participants among them government bureaucrats, policymakers, innovators and technology investors who are meeting to discuss how ICT resources can be harnessed to boost African economies.
Through the blueprint, the government aims at enhancing the contribution of ICTs to the economy through digital governance solutions, digitizing business processes, facilitating infrastructure delivery, innovation driven entrepreneurship and promotion of digital skills and values.
As a champion of the digital economy on the continent, President Kenyatta told a summit panel discussion that Kenya has invested heavily in its digital network and is partnering with various organizations to ensure efficient connectivity for all.
“Our vision is that in the next five years, every part of the country will be connected, thus allowing all citizens partake in the digital movement,” said President Kenyatta.
The President also spoke about the central role of the youth in the digital economy in Africa saying Kenya had fashioned a special intervention targeted at empowering her young people with practical ICT skills.
“We are encouraging the youth to be proactive and tap into the digital market through our Ajira programme that has seen many get online jobs,” he added.
Earlier, President Kenyatta toured various exhibition stands at the summit including that of Kenya where various products that enhance efficiency and use of technology in various sectors of the economy including agriculture were showcased.
In his address, President Kenyatta said Kenya will be at the forefront in driving Africa’s digital economy adding that the country’s globally acknowledged and revolutionary innovations such as MPESA mobile money ecosystem are a demonstration of the continent’s limitless ICT potential.
He said Africa stands on the brink of a major transformation, not only as a new frontier for investment but as a continent driven by a young, vibrant and aggressively innovative population, brimming with immense potential.
“We are the new frontier for trade and investment with estimates indicating that by 2025, business opportunities in Africa will be about US$ 5.6 trillion. More importantly we have evolved platforms for driving this collective destiny of our prosperity,” said President Kenyatta.
President Kenyatta underscored the importance of technology as a fundamental element of Africa’s economic journey to prosperity saying he looked forward the roll out of a Pan-African digital economy strategy.
The Head of State said Kenya’s proactive digital economy strategy gives prominence to five pillars among them an infrastructure that is available affordable, resilient and reliable.
“Achieving ubiquitous, fast, and inexpensive internet connectivity for African businesses and households is critical to unlocking the potential of the digital economy. Connectivity needs to reach a certain threshold in order for users to access digital service,” said President Kenyatta.
Besides infrastructure, the Head of State said the availability and use of digital services and platforms to enable public service delivery is of immense importance.
“Currently, the Kenya Government has over 200 digitized services offered through Huduma Centres countrywide as well as an online self-service platform, E-Citizen,” he told the summit.
The President said Kenya had taken a bold move to digitize core government services such as filing of tax returns where the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) provides services through the iTax system that is linked to the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) and the Central Bank.
“This digital system has helped to speed up assessment and service delivery of the country’s tax administration,” he said.
On electronic commerce, President Kenyatta noted that it would be very difficult to conduct business across Africa without the ability to pay remotely through digital channels.
“Indeed, 39% of private enterprises in Kenya are engaged in e-commerce and 70% of all e-commerce payments in Kenya are settled through various mobile money payment platforms,” he said.
President Kenyatta said that the future of African economies will largely depend on innovation-driven entrepreneurship and called for policies that support local innovations.
“The presence of an ecosystem that supports home-grown firms to generate world class products and services has greatly helped in widening and deepening of digital and economic transformation. Kenya boasts of a robust innovation ecosystem,” the President said.
The Kenyan leader however cautioned against the growing misuse of technology saying social vices propagated, especially by young people, threaten to widen divisions based on African narratives of ethnicity, social class, religion and race.
The President is accompanied by ICTs Cabinet Secretary Joseph Mucheru among other senior government officials.
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Russia’s Roskomnadzor media watchdog has blocked a website that reportedly sold the sexual services of minors under the guise of an online children's clothing store.
The website contained pornographic descriptions of children between the ages of 5 and 8, Roskomnadzor said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
An internet user wrote a complaint on Sunday to Russia’s Prosecutor General after discovering the website through Facebook, the 360TV news outlet reported.
“The site advertises itself as an hourly rental store for children’s clothes. However I could not find any information about the clothes on the website, only photos of children with prices,” Sergei A. reportedly wrote in the complaint carried by the news outlet.
Screenshots of the website suggested that it provided deliveries in Moscow and the Moscow region and only accepted cryptocurrencies as payment.
Roskomnadzor said that it had reported the website to law enforcement agencies, who are currently investigating the matter. The website has since been taken down. The watchdog said it would continue to monitor the internet to block any “mirror” websites offering the same services.


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Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Westinghouse Digital Adds New Photo Frames
Santa Fe Springs-based Westinghouse Digital said this morning that it is rolling out a new digital photo frame. Digital photo frames are a growing segment of the digital photography market, and allow consumers to display a slide show of digital photos in what appear to be standard photo frames. Westinghouse's newest entry into this market includes 8MB of flash memory, enough for 80 photos, and includes a 5.6-inch LCD with options for mahogany, black, or brushed aluminum frames. The new photo frame supports CF I/II, MS, XD, SD or MMC, or transfer of photos from USB. Westinghouse Digital is a provider of LCD TVs and monitors.


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From the Associated Press:
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Police are looking for suspects who stole hundreds of pairs of panties from a lingerie store in Boca Raton's Town Center mall.
Boca Raton police say about 600 pairs of panties worth an estimated $6,300 were stolen from Victoria's Secret last week.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports the thefts came nine days after police arrested two Miami-Dade County women linked to an elaborate fraud that has targeted Victoria's Secret stores across South Florida since October.
In other news:


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As previously reported, arcade game Border Break is coming to the PS4 in Japan, so third-party peripheral maker Hori is making these twin sticks. According to Famitsu, they’re priced at 18,334 yen ($171). However, if pre-orders don’t reach 3,000 units, the controllers won’t go into production.
Hori is making a Dragon Ball FighterZ-branded fight stick. That’s according to a listing on Amazon Japan which shows a ship date of February 1, 2018. It looks to be the Real Arcade Pro.N Hayabusa model but with some sweet Goku Super Saiyan Blue art on top. It’ll be compatible with PS4, PS3, and PC.


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Alliance Grain Traders Inc. hasn’t completely given up on plans to build a pasta plant near Regina.
The company announced in 2011 that it would build a $50 million complex that would include a pulse and durum milling plant and a pasta manufacturing facility to be located in the Global Transportation Hub just west of Regina.
The announcement, which was attended by prime minister Stephen Harper and agriculture minister Gerry Ritz, was made a couple of weeks before the federal government tabled a bill to end CWB’s marketing monopoly for wheat and non-feed barley in Western Canada.
“Without the elimination of the single desk, we would not build a pasta plant in Regina,” Alliance president Murad Al-Katib said during the 2011 news conference.
Seven months later, Alliance announced it was indefinitely postponing the project because of disappointing earnings performance.
CWB supporters said it was proof that the original announcement was little more than a photo opportunity to build support for eliminating the single desk.
Al-Katib was asked to provide an update on the project during a question and answer session following a presentation he made last week at Ag-West Bio Inc.’s annual meeting.
“We are very committed to our pasta business. I’ve always had the dream of building that pasta plant in Saskatchewan,” he said.
“For those of you who know me, when I have a vision to do something, usually I find a way to get it done. We’ll figure it out over time.”
Al-Katib said the company will resume its feasibility study on building a mill and pasta plant in the Regina area in 2014-15.
The successful conclusion of a Canada-European Union free trade agreement would provide a big impetus for proceeding with the pasta project because it would provide unimpeded access to a major market for the end product.
“That is a big deal in terms of the durum wheat milling industry and in terms of the overall value-added processing industry,” said Al-Katib.
“We view that as a very significant development, and we’re a strong advocate of the pro-trade agenda of this government at the national level.”
The proposed Regina facility wouldn’t be Alliance’s first foray into the pasta business. The company owns Arbel Group in Turkey, which mills durum into semolina that is used to manufacture pasta marketed under the Arbella brand around the world.
Al-Katib was also asked why the company invested $35 million in a pulse fractionation and packaged food plant in North Dakota rather than building it in Saskatchewan where the crops are produced.
He said the company was targeting the U.S. market with the novel pulse food ingredients made at the plant and wanted to eliminate all border and transportation issues.
“We’re attempting to get the U.S. food industry to change formulations and to adopt our ingredients. We didn’t want one more reason why they would think about it.”
As well, the plant is the anchor tenant in Minot’s agricultural industrial park, where the facility receives daily rail service from the BNSF Railway Company, he said.


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Sep 22, 2009 | 22
“Are you ready?” the young driver beside me asked, as we sat in the two-seat Tesla Roadster convertible, facing a straight, steep, quarter-mile road that rises from the water of San Francisco Bay up the headland to the Golden Gate Bridge. Then he floored the accelerator. I was driven into the seat-back behind me—and I mean driven, like I was strapped into some insane amusement park ride—for several full seconds as the car accelerated and accelerated like a rocket up the climb. Only there was no screaming flame blasting behind us. There was no engine roaring either. I was being shot up this road so fast my emergency senses were on full alert, yet all was eerily quiet.
The Tesla Motors roadster is an all-electric vehicle. Which means zero emissions. There’s no engine, no fuel tank, just a deep bank of lithium-ion batteries and a single-gear, direct-drive motor that hits maximum torque instantly (that’s the beauty of electric propulsion). The car is blistering fast; the sport edition goes from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds. Not up on car specs? The Chevy Corvette, with a monster 6.2 liter, eight cylinder, 430 horsepower engine takes 4.6 seconds. The Tesla accelerates faster than the Porsche 911. Faster than the Ferrari Spider. The typical sedan takes a good 6.0 seconds or more to reach the same speed.
May 19, 2009 | 39
The Obama administration unveiled a plan to boost fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks to an average of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016—four years ahead of current schedule and up from an average of just 25 miles per gallon today.
The new standards (pdf) will also impose—for the first time ever—a limit on greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles at 250 grams per mile in 2016 under the new proposed rule. (That’s about 5.5 ounces per kilometer, for those of you who like your units mixed differently.)
There are very few vehicles capable of meeting the new standards today, which would mean more hybrids and possibly even electric or other alternative vehicles would have to hit the road within seven years for automakers to comply.
May 13, 2009 | 6
Many have wondered what Better Place's vaunted automated battery changing stations might look like. So the company, a would-be pioneer in electric cars and their attendant infrastructure, has released a slick video showing how it’s done at a demonstration site in Yokohama, Japan.
Swapping out the discharged battery from an electric Nissan SUV for a fully charged one took slightly more than a minute, according to the video, or less time than it might take you to gas up your car. And you wouldn't even have to get out (talk about full service).
Mar 27, 2009 | 10
After providing some teaser shots, Tesla Motors yesterday let everyone get an eyeful of the new Model S, the company’s $57,400 all-electric new prototype vehicle. Like its sports car cousin, the $109,000 Roadster, the Model S relies on lithium ion batteries for its juice, giving the auto a top range of 300 miles (482 kilometers) after a 45-minute charge, the company says. The need for speed has not been neglected: The Model S reportedly revs up from zero to 60 in 5.5 seconds.
It’s heady days for electric and hybrid car manufacturers and consumers. Last week, President Obama announced $2.4 billion in research grants for the next generation of plug-in electric cars, with funding going to battery work and electric car repair technician training, as well as to efforts such as the development of truck stop charging stations, according to a Department of Energy press release.
Mar 10, 2009 | 2
CAMBRIDGE, MASS.—By 2030, the people of the world will be driving as many as two billion cars—up from 700 million today—according to John Viera, director of sustainable business strategies for Ford Motor Company. Whether those cars are plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles or just supremely efficient internal combustion engines, the economic, environmental and social impacts will be huge—from lithium mining in Bolivia to road rage in China.
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Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano warns residents to beware of any phone calls or letters from a company claiming to be holding a package and requesting payment for delivery. This company—Valuable Assets Division—is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau, and has amassed numerous complaints with the Nassau County Police Department.
Residents are receiving letters that promise “Cash Funds Payments and Valuable Merchandise Opportunities,” which can be obtained by sending a processing fee of $20 through the mail. This is a confirmed scam, and County Executive Mangano is warning residents to disregard any such letter they receive.
“I urge Nassau’s residents to be mindful of any phone call or letter they receive urging them to send money in the mail,” said County Executive Mangano. “Notices like this are a scam and should be reported to the proper authorities.”
If you believe you were the victim of a scam, call 911, or report the incident to your local Nassau County Police Precinct. You can also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at: 1-877-FTC-HELP.


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SAN FRANCISCO - According to a report by Grand View Research, the global aniline market is expected to grow due to increasing demand for MDI as an intermediate to produce sealants, elastomers, coatings and adhesives in the polyurethane industry. Increasing consumption of aniline in the OEM and construction industries is expected to propel market growth over the next six years. Growing end-use industries such as construction, rubber, textiles, dyes, pigments, diphenylamine and pharmaceuticals, are also poised to augment demand for aniline over the forecast period. Technological developments and government regulations concerning health and environmental effects of aniline are expected to hinder market growth over the next seven years. However, development in the disposable goods industry and the logistics and infrastructure industry, coupled with growing demand for corrosion inhibitors in the microelectronics industry, are anticipated to propel aniline growth. Additionally, increasing aniline penetration in pharmaceuticals is expected to provide market growth opportunities.
Asia-Pacific is poised to be the fastest-growing market owing to growing automotive and construction industries in emerging economies including China and India. Furthermore, the growing electronics industry in Taiwan and Korea are anticipated to fuel aniline market demand. EU countries and the United States are anticipated to follow Asia-Pacific due to numerous integrated aniline manufacturing firms. The emergence of new MDI plants in the Middle East is also expected to propel aniline market growth. Growing aniline applications including rubber, plastics, petroleum, explosives, agricultural, chemical industries and explosives are expected to develop market demand over the next seven years.
Increasing investments by major market participants in R&D coupled with growing M&A are poised to augment aniline market growth over the forecast period. In addition, a rising number of patents by key players for production of aniline is expected to increase industry rivalry and barriers for new entrants. Dow Polyurethanes and Jilin Connell Chemical Industry Co., Ltd signed a LOI in 2011 for provision of aniline to the U.S. gulf coast. Bayer MaterialScience bought DuPont’s aniline manufacturing plant in order to fulfill growing demand from the construction market. Government approval for doubling the output capacity at Lianheng Isocyanate, a joint venture of Huntsman, BASF, Sinopec Shanghai Gao Qiao Petrochemical Corp., Shanghai Hua Yi and Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical Co., is anticipated to create growth opportunities for the firm.
For further inquiries about Aniline Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast 2014 - 2020, click here.


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New Year's Resolutions might conjure up images of crowded gyms, unhappy people, and a lot of self-criticism ("I need to lose 10 pounds"). But one fitness chain—Blink Fitness (an affordable gym with 50 locations in the New York City area)—is starting 2017 on a different note. They just announced that their 2017 ad campaigns won't feature toned, perfect fitness models or pro athletes, but regular members of their gym. (BTW—that's how Shape is feeling about the New Year too. That's why 2017 is all about being your Personal Best.)
ICYMI Blink has already flown its body-pos flag; it all started with their "Every Body Happy" campaign, featuring bodies of all shapes and sizes. The gist: any active body is a happy body. (Seriously—it's time to give your shape some love.) But Blink upped the ante this year by doing an open "casting call" for anyone who belongs to their gym.
In fall 2016, Blink asked their members to post an Instagram flaunting their confidence and explaining why they should be chosen. They narrowed the 2,000 submissions down to 50 semi-finalists and had them audition in front of a star-studded panel; actress Dascha Polanco (Dayanara Diaz on Orange is the New Black) and former NFL punter Steve Weatherford. In the end, they picked 16 people who embodied the various shapes, sizes, and fitness abilities of the members of Blink. The member ads are already rolling out online, on social media, and in Blink clubs. (If you love this, you need these body-positive self-love hashtags in your life.)
While we're all about scoring our best bodies (because there's no shame in wanting to get stronger, faster, or fitter), it's pretty damn nice to see some regular ol' humans in fitness ads, instead of people who dedicate their entire lives to exercise.
And most people agree with that; roughly 4 out of 5 Americans say their relationship with their body could be improved, and almost two-thirds say that it's discouraging to work towards unrealistic body images they see in the media, according to a study commissioned by Blink. That's why they're promoting the campaign with sayings like, "The best body is your body," and "sexy is a state of mind, not a shape of body."
Can we get a "yassss"?


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The coronavirus outbreak is continuing to aggravate in the United States as the number of new cases reported in the last two weeks was more than 915,000, which already exceeds the cases seen across the country in all of June, per a CNN report. Going on, the world’s largest economy has seen more than 1,000 coronavirus deaths for the second consecutive day. Raising concerns, some states are now short of hospital beds and testing labs are now flooded with samples.
In such a scenario, some U.S. leaders are admitting to the fact that some parts of the economy were reopened too soon, per a CNN report. In order to fight the rising number of cases, states like California, Texas, Florida, Los Angeles, San Diego and Oregon along with others have halted or rolled back the reopening process. California, for instance, is closing down all indoor restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos, museums and bars, per a CNN report.
Considering the halting of the reopening process in around a dozen states in the United States, Goldman Sachs has revised its growth estimates downward for the U.S. economy for the third quarter of 2020, per
a Bloomberg article. Going by the article, the economy is expected to see 25% growth in the third quarter in comparison to 33% predicted previously. Consequently, the U.S. economy is expected to fall 4.6% in 2020 as against 4.2% forecasted previously, per the article. In this regard, the economists commented that, “combination of tighter state restrictions and voluntary social distancing is already having a noticeable impact on economic activity” (according to the Bloomberg article).
Notably, the outbreak has caused an unprecedented collapse in economic activities as governments had to shut down commerce and implement social-distancing measures in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. The halting or rolling back of the reopening process may hurt investor sentiments and optimism around economic recovery in the near term.
Against this backdrop, let’s look at some ETFs that can help investors in sailing smoothly through the aggravating coronavirus situation:
iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF ( IBB Quick Quote IBB - Free Report)
The race to introduce vaccine and treatment for coronavirus is opening up opportunities, making the biotech sector a prospective space for investments. From vaccine-related positive news to progress in development of cell therapies for the treatment of coronavirus, all kept the sector surging.
This fund seeks to provide exposure to U.S. biotechnology and pharmaceutical stocks and tracks the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index. Holding 207 securities, the fund has AUM of $10.20 billion, with an expense ratio of 0.47% (read:
3 Hot Sector ETFs to Tide Over the Coronavirus Crisis in Q3). Global X Cloud Computing ETF ( CLOU Quick Quote CLOU - Free Report)
In the current environment, people will try to maintain safe distancing and work remotely. Large employers like Twitter (TWTR) and Facebook (FB) have allowed their employees to work from home. Cloud computing has emerged as a key technology in the fight against coronavirus. It is supporting organizations in remotely processing a lot of information, developing and running key applications and services, and helping employees across the world collaborate while working. The work-from-home model has bumped up sales of PCs, laptops and other kinds of computer peripherals.
The fund seeks to invest in companies positioned to benefit from the increased adoption of cloud computing technology, including companies whose principal business is in offering computing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), managed server storage space and data center real estate investment trusts, and/or cloud and edge computing infrastructure and hardware. Holding 36 securities, the fund has AUM of $992.6 million, with an expense ratio of 0.68% (read:
Top-Performing Technological ETFs Amid Coronavirus Crisis). Amplify Online Retail ETF ( IBUY Quick Quote IBUY - Free Report)
People now prefer staying indoors and shopping online for all essentials, especially food items. With online retail seeing a spurt in sales, it is benefiting companies like Amazon and Walmart (WMT) among others. In fact, Walmart recently teamed up with Shopify Inc. to open its Walmart Marketplace to sellers of the latter. Per a Total Retail article, e-commerce sales are expected to register more than a 20% rise this year as there is a jump in online traffic of first-time shoppers.
The fund seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price performance of the EQM Online Retail Index. The index is a globally-diverse basket of publicly-traded companies that obtain 70% or more of revenues from online or virtual sales. Holding 48 securities, the fund has AUM of $702.1 million with an expense ratio of 0.65% (read:
Can Top ETFs of Q2 Continue to Rally in Q3?). Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF ( BOTZ Quick Quote BOTZ - Free Report)
We are living in an era largely dominated by AI applications and technological advancements. Revolutionary technologies like AI, ML and IoT are fast changing the business landscape by expanding opportunities, growing revenues and enhancing efficiencies. The robotics market is flooded with opportunities as robots are being used for jobs such as sanitizing hospitals, homes and workplaces along with monitoring, surveying, handling, and delivering food and medicines.
The fund seeks to invest in companies that potentially stand to benefit from increased adoption and utilization of robotics and AI, including those involved with industrial robotics and automation, non-industrial robots, and autonomous vehicles. Holding 31 securities, the fund has AUM of $1.59 billion, with an expense ratio of 0.68% (read:
Global Risk-On Sentiments Back on EU Deal: ETFs to Play). Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox?
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