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Digital is Passe, Focus on Becoming Intelligent Enterprises — SAP to Businesses
By Vivek Singh Chauhan | IANS
In order to thrive, organisations should focus on becoming intelligent enterprises, a top SAP SE executive has said, emphasising that in todays fast-paced businesses, processing huge amounts of data in real-time and analysing them to make quick decisions is critical.
According to the global software firm, intelligent enterprises do more with less resources and empower employees through the process of automation. They can deliver a best-in-class customer experience by proactively responding to customer expectations and invent new business models and revenue streams.
“There was a wave which I would call digital. That was the move of consuming system software in the Cloud, but that was still not intelligent technologies for corporates. And the next wave is incorporation of Machine Learning, of Artificial Intelligence (AI), of Blockchain, of robotic process automation, of conversational AI… into these processes,” Bernd Leukert, Member of the Executive Board, SAP SE, told IANS in an interview.
“An intelligent enterprise brings together machine and human intelligence across all business functions… And this shows why the business model needs to evolve and the organisation needs to become intelligent,” he added.
To stay afloat, organisations across the world, including in India, need to challenge their status quo and existing business models, while feeding the ones which are working with investments. It will help companies if they challenge the way they do business, strive to be creative and try out new business models, SAP said.
“In many cases, it’s a new business model that disrupts an existing business. If you are not doing it, then a competitor will disrupt you, so you should rather disrupt yourself and transform,” Leukert said on the sidelines of the SAP TechEd 2018 event here.
“Successfully applying intelligence to business processes will define the winners and losers in the years to come,” he said, adding that as organisations become intelligent, profiles for people in companies will change.
“I am not saying that less people will be required, but their profiles will change as the repetitive tasks would be done by the system automatically,” said Leukert, who heads strategic innovation initiatives at SAP.
SAP helps customers by identifying the business value of embarking on a transformational journey. With its technologies, the global software firm also allows organisations to test new business models so that they can check what works for their business and what does not.
“And we have even developed a methodology together with the Hasso Plattner Institute of the University of Potsdam in Germany and Stanford University in the US which is called ‘Design Thinking’. To drive disruptive innovation, we collaborate with customers to understand their needs and help them with technologies in order to execute the ideas that are generated,” Leukert said.
In India, SAP offers applications and services that enable companies of all sizes, in more than 25 industries. Started in 1996, SAP India is the second-largest subsidiary and one of the fastest-growing companies within SAP worldwide with around 13,000 employees.
“I would say we build on the strong capabilities we have across 25 industries and have applications that serve any business process in the Cloud that customers across these industries have to run,” Leukert said.
“And in the Cloud, we offer modular applications which are best-in-class on their own. We are building these applications on the HANA Data Management Suite, where HANA does real-time processing, and has more capabilities than a traditional database,” he added.
The HANA Data Management Suite, according to SAP, can collect and integrate an organisation’s data in a secure, unified landscape. This data management framework and in-memory database allows both transactional processing for data capture and retrieval, and analytical processing for business intelligence and reporting.
“We are also building intelligence via the platform into the application — what we branded as SAP Leonardo which uses emerging technologies like Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning, etc,” Leukert said.
“We strongly believe that the future consumption model of software will be Software as a Service (SaaS) from data centres, and openness in that world will be vital,” he added.
Vivek Singh Chauhan attended the SAP TechEd 2018 in Bengaluru on the invitation of SAP. He can be contacted at email@example.com


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The traders of the city on Monday shut their shops in protest against the 5% VAT on raw masala (spices).
The Rajasthan Khadya Padarth Vyapar Sangh (RKPVS) claimed that masala traders in 247 mandis in the state kept their shops shut as a mark of protest against imposing 5% VAT.
RKPVS president Babulal Gupta said that till July 31, all the spices traders would keep their shops closed. The RKPVS would organize a general body meeting on July 31, in which it would take decision on their protest, if the government does not fulfill their demand.
The traders claimed that the decision to impose VAT on raw spices would give rise to prices and it will decrease employment opportunities and affect overall trade of raw spices in the state.
The traders pointed out that when there was no VAT on raw spices, the state's mandis (markets) saw impressive sale of raw spices as traders from neighbouring states including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat and Delhi came to Rajasthan and purchased raw spice from the state's markets. Rajasthan is not a great producer of chilli, even though traders from other states come to buy chilli from the state.
The farmers also sold their crops in Rajasthan only and they did not have to pay huge amount on transportation to sale their produce in other states.

domain: news


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An interesting ad from BBH has appeared in the pages of Campaign’s sibling magazine in Asia, Media, proving that the scandal of scam ads plaguing this year’s Dubai Lynx certainly isn’t unique to the Middle East.
The full-page ad from BBH, an agency well-known for its tough anti-scam stance, poses the question: “What would happen to our business if all the agencies in Asia stopped doing scam ads this year?”
It goes on to suggest a series of possible answers.:
“Would it handicap creativity, or refocus the best brains on paying brands? Could it dilute creative reputations, or simply make them more credible? Might clients even respect agencies more? Could they respect them less? Worst-case scenario: hundreds of thousands of dollars saved in award fees alone. What sort of agency wouldn’t cut those budgets before cutting staff? Surely questions worth asking – especially this year. Or maybe any.”
Just as the Lynx debate has been raging here, the publication of the ad has sparked an interesting debate, with Steve Elrick, executive creative director of BBH Asia, forced to defend his own reputation on the website of Campaign Brief Asia.
Fascinating reading for those of you who have been following the unpleasant aftermath of the Lynx awards.


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Some pictures of Motorola ROKR E3 revealed1
Some pictures of what is believed to be Motorola ROKR E3 have surfaced the Engadget website. The pictures reveal a device that looks just the same as the one shown briefly by Ed Zander at the MotoNow Press Event in Chicago last summer. The details about the handset are still scarce. According to Engadget, like its predecessor ROKR E2, it won't support iTunes. ROKR E3 is reported to feature:
- 1.3 mega pixel camera
- GPRS/EDGE high-speed data
- 512MB internal memory
- a TransFlash memory expansion slot
- 3.5mm headphone jack
It is still not known when ROKR E3 will be available, but having in mind that E2 was introduced in January this year, it probably won't happen very soon.


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- 9 Posts
Chromecast "not for sale" in UK
The Play Store is reporting:
"This device is not for sale at this time" in the UK even though they are advertising it on the home screen of the store for our Fathers Day! Anyone know what might be going on?
edit: must have been a glitch, it is showing again now. Feel free to delete this post!
- By newsman787 in forum Google Nexus 5Replies: 5Last Post: 06-06-2014, 04:32 PM
- By Brady Luc in forum Samsung Galaxy S4Replies: 1Last Post: 06-06-2014, 03:07 PM
- By jnyvio in forum Android 4.4 KitKatReplies: 5Last Post: 06-06-2014, 12:59 AM
- By Corey Furzer in forum Samsung Galaxy Note 3Replies: 0Last Post: 06-05-2014, 02:00 PM


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Xiaomi is set to launch the 5G variant of the Mi Mix 3 on February 24 ahead of MWC 2019. Rumour has it that the Mi Mix 3 5G will be accompanied by the Mi 9, Xiaomi’s true-blue 2019 flagship. Although the Mi 9 has been subject to numerous leaks, none have come close to painting the full picture. Or even half of it. A new leak changes that, showing what is being speculated to be, the first live render of the phone in question in the hands of a Xiaomi product manager. The render has since been taken down, but someone somewhere managed to take a screenshot. Much to Xiaomi’s dismay.
The live render shows off the alleged Xiaomi Mi 9 from the back, seemingly confirming a couple of rumoured features. It is evident that the phone seen in the render has a triple rear camera setup with an LED flash resting below the vertically positioned module. The Mi 9 is said to come with three rear cameras, a 48MP main camera with Sony IMX586 sensor (the same sensor found inside the Honor View 20), a 12MP secondary sensor and another Time-of-Flight camera for 3D depth mapping.
On the front, the Mi 9 will reportedly pack a 24MP selfie camera embedded into a tear-drop style notch. Sadly, the leaked render does not confirm any of that. What it does seemingly confirm though is that the Xiaomi Mi 9 will come with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The last-generation Mi 8 had multiple variants with in-display fingerprint scanners but Xiaomi has confirmed that its next-generation in-display fingerprint scanner will be faster and more efficient. The Mi 9 could make do with the new tech, something that has been part of rumour mills as well.
Basis of the render, the alleged Mi 9 will come with a glossy back panel like the Mi 8 and will be available in blue. The phone seen in the render does not come with a gradient finish like the Redmi Note 7 so it is yet to be seen if Xiaomi will be looking to go down that route with more variants.
The Xiaomi Mi 9, in all probability, will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor. It is yet to be seen if the Mi 9 supports 5G as well.


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The FCA has hit out at providers running premium rate phone numbers for consumer calls and says it will consult on the problem later this year.
Consumer group Which? had called for the Consumer Rights Directive to be applied to financial services firms, meaning premium lines would be dropped.
In a letter responding to Which?, FCA director of policy risk and research Christopher Woolard says: “It is not fair that customers often have to use expensive phone lines when calling firms to ask for help or to complain.
“At difficult times the last thing people need is the added stress of worrying about how much calls are going to cost. We would welcome companies looking again at the rates they charge for phone calls ahead of our consultation.”
The regulator has also announced it consult on proposals to improve complaints handling by financial services firms, including complaints reporting processes.
The consultation will propose standard rules so that charges for consumer support and complaint lines are capped at the cost of a basic rate call.
Current FCA rules require firms to have a ‘free’ communication route, although this can be via another channel such as post or email.
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd says: “Some of the biggest banks have already dropped costly calls so there is no reason why others should not follow their lead. We would like to see all financial services firms change to basic rate lines as soon as possible, and not wait until new rules come into effect.”
Money Marketing reported last week on lenders’ use of telephone support lines charged at premium rates for certain types of business, a practice which has come fire from brokers.


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The US move was described as "disproportionate" by a European spokesman. The US imports about $245m worth of pork products, mainly pate, and a "negligible" amount of chicken from the EU annually.
The reaction is clearly at odds with the measures the US took when its own chicken feed was contaminated in 1997. It advised that removing skin and fat would render dioxin-contaminated chicken safe for sale.
The rapid US ban is seen as a salvo in the trade war over Europe's continuing refusal to import hormone-treated beef from the US. The US has already threatened to impose tariffs on EU meat items in retaliation; the Belgian row offers an ideal reprisal. It is also politically opportune, because there is a pork glut in the US and farmers are pushing for subsidies.
In Britain, thousands of items were removed from supermarket shelves. But supermarket chiefs emphasised this was a "precautionary" measure.
A Tesco spokesman said: "Our understanding is that dioxins at the levels in these items are not a threat to public health. But we have been advised by the Government to withhold them from sale."
The scandal follows the discovery that feed intended for chickens and sent to more than 1,000 farms in Belgium, France and Holland was contaminated with dioxins, probably by adulteration with mineral oils.
The Belgian government has now banned the sale of chicken, egg, pork and beef products while it investigates the extent of the contamination. A father and son, Lucien and Jan Verkest, were arrested on Thursday on a farm near Ghent, and questioned about their part in the production of contaminated feed.
Hungary, Holland and Russia are among the countries which banned pork and chicken from Belgium. The economic impact on the small country will clearly run into millions of pounds. Yesterday its citizens faced empty shelves stripped of everything from steak to mayonnaise, and Belgian waffles to chocolate mousse.
But the extent of the worldwide reaction has plainly been disproportionate to the risk posed. The Independent has found that in July 1997 the US Department of Agriculture (DoA) identified a similar dioxin contamination affecting American chickens, when a feed manufacturer used adulterated oils. About 1 per cent of the entire country's chicken feed supply was affected.
Though the DoA suspended exports of chicken, the problem was not widely publicised. According to advisory documents, "when fat and skin are removed from chickens, most of the dioxin is removed as well", meaning that levels of the chemicals remaining would be "below the level of concern".
Only when the contamination was discovered the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set a "safe daily level" for dioxin intake through food, which was then shown by another government arm, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to be impractical.
Samples of pure ground beef bought in New York were shown to have levels of dioxins 50 per cent higher than FDA levels - and the EPA estimated that the average American ate between 300 and 600 times the "safe" level each day.
Nor have dioxins been proven to cause cancer, or any other deadly illness, in humans. Repeated long-term studies do not bear out the toxicity shown in laboratory animals.
Withdrawn From Sale
WHO'S withdrawing what:
All items are being withdrawn as a "precautionary measure": the Government says "consumption of contaminated food would not be expected to produce harmful effects... those usually occur in humans after prolonged exposure to high levels of dioxins."
-15 Belgian pates, incl Brussels pate and Ardennes pate
-sliced liver sausage
-Tesco mayonnaise (standard, reduced calorie, value, premium roast onion, premium extra virgin olive oil, premium smoked garlic, premium tarragon & white wine);
-egg-coated croissants from in-store bakery.
-ice creams using ingredients from Belgium
-Chicken liver pate
-pre-packed Sainsbury's duck and orange pate
-Brussels and Ardennes pate
-own-brand wafer thin honey roast ham
-Continental honey ham
-pre-cooked sliced chicken products (chargrilled, herb & garlic, honey roast)
-own brand Ardennes, Brussels and specialty pates
-pasta and ham salad
-chili and pepperoni salad
-speciality rice chinese lemon chicken
-bacon & lentil soup
-36 brands of Belgian pate
-own-brand thick-sliced chicken roll
-La Rochelle ham & pork loaf
-Belgian-made Brussels and Ardennes pates
-American-style spare ribs (contain mayonnaise)
-four lines of cooked turkey
-one line of cooked chicken
-Brussels and Ardenne pate
-McVities Jaffa Cake Bars, Penguin Cake Bars and Munch Bar Variety.Reuse content


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The guys at 3G Centrum have got their hands on a very interesting LG Handset. The phone which looks identical to the Android based LG Nova is running a build of Windows Phone 7. While it first appeared that a skin had been loaded over the default Android installation but so far none of the skins are as elaborate which lends further weight behind the thought that LG might be coming out with a WP7 based handset in the same shell as the Optimus Black.
LG has now launched two of their latest and best smartphones in the Singapore market. Continue reading “LG Launches Optimus 2x and Optimus Black in Singapore”
LG has announced it’s latest addition to the Android family, the Optimus Black at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas.


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Apple’s iPhones and iPads get most of the attention, but Apple is now directing the spotlight on the Mac.
The Times’s technology columnist, David Pogue, keeps you on top of the industry in his free, weekly e-mail newsletter.
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There had been rumors swirling that Apple was back-burnering the Mac, but that’s hard to believe after Thursday’s announcement: from now on, Apple will update Mac OS X once a year.
It will start this summer with Mac OS X 10.8, code-named Mountain Lion, only a year after the Lion version was released.
Now you’ll have to decide once a year whether or not to succumb to paying annually the $30 (or whatever Apple winds up charging) for the privilege of remaining current.
The real shocker, though, is that for the first time, Apple decided to give tech reviewers an early, early version of Mountain Lion — not just months before its release to the public, but even before its release to its developer (programmer) community.
When Lion came along last summer, the big changes were all about making the Mac more like an iPad. Trackpad gestures simulated the multitouch gestures on an iPad screen. Lion features like Full Screen mode, Auto Save and Launchpad are total iPad rip-offs, too; if Apple hadn’t stolen these features from itself, it would surely be suing for copyright infringement.
Well, don’t look now, but Mountain Lion brings even more of the iPhone/iPad features to the Mac. The juiciest payoff here is the suite of Mac apps that now mimic what’s on the iPhone/iPad, like Reminders, Notes, Messages and Game Center. Through your free iCloud account, all of these apps are synced instantly and smoothly across all your Apple gadgets. On the Mac, you type a reminder to yourself; it appears simultaneously on your iPhone.


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Vitamin D insufficiency affects almost 50 percent of the population worldwide. An estimated 1 billion people across all ethnicities and age groups lack enough of this vitamin, which is crucial for your overall well-being according to research.“Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is underappreciated condition that can impact your health significantly and can be fairly easily treated,” Jennifer Franceschelli-Hosterman, DO, Geisigner Health System, says.
Here are 20 Signs and Symptoms That You Are Vitamin D Deficient
1. Weaker bones
Vitamin D is unique because the body synthesizes it itself through exposure to sunshine, and it plays a huge role in calcium balance, Dr. Franceschelli-Hosterman says. It helps bones mineralize, and it promotes growth and maintenance of strong bones, she adds. Studies have found “widespread and alarming” rates of Vitamin D deficiency in patients with metastatic bone disease.
2. Heart problems
Research has pointed to Vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for heart attacks, congestive heart failure, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and the conditions associated with cardiovascular disease, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. People with low levels of Vitamin D (versus the optimal level) were 64 percent more likely to have a heart attack and had an 81 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease, research suggests.
3. Diabetes prevention
Vitamin D helps in the regulation of insulin, Dr. Franceschelli-Hosterman says, and this way it helps prevent diabetes as it also affects glucose metabolism. Studies have shown significant improvements in Fasting Plasma Glucose and insulin after treatment with Vitamin D, suggesting that Vitamin D supplementation could reduce insulin resistance.
4. Cognitive impairment
Vitamin D receptors are widespread in brain tissue, and Vitamin D’s biologically active form has shown neuroprotective effects including the clearance of amyloid plaques, a trademark of Alzheimer’s disease. Associations have been noted between low levels of Vitamin D and Alzheimer’s as well as dementia in both Europe and the U.S. The risk of cognitive impairment was up to four times greater in severely deficient adults. Other large studies have indicated that low Vitamin D concentrations may increase the risk of cognitive decline.
5. Risk increases with age
Older people are more at risk of needing help with changing Vitamin D to a usable form, Dr. Franceschelli-Hosterman says. A few factors that contribute to this are decreased dietary intake, diminished sunlight exposure, reduced skin thickness, impaired intestinal absorption, and impaired kidneys which are less able to convert Vitamin D to its active form, research shows.
6. Mood changes
Mood changes, similar to SAD or “winter blues,” can be a symptom of Vitamin D deficiency, Dr. Franceschelli-Hosterman says. “There are several different pathways through which Vitamin D improves mood and reduces chronic pain.” The vitamin acts as a hormone that helps release endorphins, including serotonin, in the brain, she adds.
Studies have investigated whether people with higher Vitamin D intakes or higher blood levels of Vitamin D have lower risks of specific cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute. The cancers for which the most human data are available are colorectal, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. Research suggests that Vitamin D acts as an anti-tumor agent by regulating genes involved in the spread of cancer cells.
Obesity and being overweight increases the body’s need for the vitamin because of the higher amount of fat tissue, Dr. Franceschelli-Hosterman says. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin extracted from the blood by fat cells, altering its release into circulation. “[Obese people] have more trouble converting Vitamin D to a more usable form and often need 2 to 3 times the usual daily dose.”
9. Controlling blood pressure
High blood pressure causes your arteries to stretch beyond normal. Sometimes the body can produce too many cells in the muscle that lines your blood vessels, which can lead to plaque. Researchers have found Vitamin D receptors on these cells, and Vitamin D can bind to these receptors. This may help to reduce the risk of cells building up in your blood vessels.
This is a condition caused by lack of Vitamin D in kids, Dr. Franceschelli-Hosterman says, and it leads to weakening of the bones. Low levels of the vitamin in the body may produce hormones that cause calcium and phosphate to be released from the bones, leading to frail and soft bones, according to the National Institutes of Health.
11. Multiple sclerosis
Research is increasingly pointing to a reduced level of Vitamin D in the blood as a risk factor for developing MS, and studies are underway to determine if Vitamin D levels influence MS disease activity, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Medical reviews have shown that among people with early-stage MS, those with higher blood levels of Vitamin D had better outcomes during five years of follow-up.
Sunscreen blocks the UV radiation which is responsible for helping make Vitamin D, Dr. Franceschelli-Hosterman says. Spending five to 15 minutes outside two or three times a week can be enough, she adds. “Increasing sun exposure is not always recommended as a way to improve Vitamin D levels,” Franceschelli-Hosterman says. “You can improve dietary intake of foods rich in Vitamin D or take supplements.”
13. Gut problems
There is rapidly increasing epidemiological and strong experimental evidence suggesting a role for Vitamin D in inflammatory bowel disease, which is a chronic illness that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. Vitamin D may help the immune system to reduce levels of inflammatory proteins that get overproduced, according to the Vitamin D Council.
14. Vegan diet
If you are on a strict vegan diet, you are at a higher risk of Vitamin D deficiency because many of the natural sources of the vitamin are animal-based. Foods that are high in Vitamin D include tuna, salmon, fortified juices and cereal, mushrooms, Dr. Franceschelli-Hosterman says. “Cod liver oil is very rich in Vitamin D.” People can also take supplements. Most have Vitamin D3, which is what’s added to cereals and orange juices.
15. You don’t go out much
There is a reason why Vitamin D is called “the sunshine vitamin.” Sunlight helps the body produce it – sunshine is needed for ultraviolet-B (UVB)-induced Vitamin D production in the skin. The rays hitting the skin enable cells to manufacture Vitamin D. If you don’t want to be in the sun for too long, go in the afternoon when the sun is brightest. About 10 minutes can help produce between 10,000 and 25,000 international units of the vitamin.
16. Sweaty head
This is an odd symptom, but excess sweating in the head as opposed to the rest of the body has been associated with low Vitamin D levels. Excessive sweating in newborns due to neuromuscular irritability is still described as a common early symptom of Vitamin D deficiency, according to Mayo Clinic.
17. Darker skin
People with darker skin can also have trouble synthesizing Vitamin D, Dr. Franceschelli-Hosterman says. The problem is that the pigment melanin, which causes skin darkening, reduces the skin’s ability to make Vitamin D after being exposed to the sun. Research has shown that people with darker skin are at high risk of Vitamin D deficiency.
18. No symptoms at all
It is common for people to feel no symptoms until they develop severe Vitamin D deficiency, Franceschelli-Hosterman says. Some signs of mild insufficiency are generally subtle and non-specific – fatigue, back pain, muscle pain – so people don’t realize they may have a problem.
19. You Are Sleepy and Fatigued
In one 2012 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, lower levels of vitamin D were linked to higher levels of daytime fatigue and sleepiness.
20. You’re 50 or Older
As you get older your skin doesn’t make as much vitamin D in response to sun exposure. At the same time, your kidneys become less efficient at converting vitamin D into the form used by your body and older adults tend to spend more time indoors (i.e. getting even less sun exposure and therefore vitamin D).
What To Do If You’re Vitamin D Deficient
Researchers have pointed out that increasing levels of vitamin D3 among the general population could prevent chronic diseases that claim nearly one million lives throughout the world each year.
Vitamin D also fights infections, including colds and the flu, as it regulates the expression of genes that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses.
Some steps you can take to maintain healthy vitamin D levels include:
- getting out in the sun without sunscreen on for 15 minutes each day
- taking a multivitamin that contains vitamin D
- eating foods that are high in vitamin D
- purchasing and eating foods that are fortified with vitamin D, such as cereals and milk
Eating a healthy diet with fortified foods and getting some sun exposure when possible can help you keep your vitamin D at healthy levels.


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With the holiday season getting underway Lowe's has announced that they will be providing free meals to local residents affected by Hurricane Sandy.
The company announced that 35 of its stores in New York and New Jersey, including its Marlboro Township location, will be providing more than 22,000 complete Thanksgiving dinners. The dinners include a fresh roasted turkey or ham, mashed potatoes and gravy along with sweet corn and rolls. Table Talk Pies of Worcester, Mass. also donated more than 43,000 pies for the meals.
In addition to the 500 meals each store will distribute the company also said that all employees of the store will also get a free meal, "as a thank you for their dedication before, during and after the storm," a press release from the company said.
The total project is estimated to feed more than 136,000 people in the affected towns with more than $1 million worth of free food.
Meals will be distributed on a first come first serve basis starting at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.


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A bridal shop in Cranleigh has appeared on Channel 4 after receiving the Mary Portas make-over treatment on Wednesday night (January 6).
Cranleigh Bridal, previously Love Brides at Maureen's, was transformed as part of the show Mary Portas: Secret Shopper and underwent a stylish revamp last summer.
The shop in Ewhurst Road, along with its sister store Janet Kent Dressmaking, was struggling with rails of unsold stock and “a lot of dead money”.
With debts of around £16,000 and having re-mortgaged their house, owners Janet and Graham Kent were experiencing “heartache” wondering how they were going to survive.
It was then Mary came to the rescue. For three months, both the bridal shop and alteration shop were closed for filming, allowing Mary to teach the pair her customer service tips and tricks.
But with no phoneline, computer or till in the wedding store, business guru Mary had to wave her magic wand to drive improvements.
She said the shop was undoubtedly in the “right” location, among big businesses and money, and therefore “should do well” in the area.
Viewers watched Janet and Graham pay a visit to a top bridal shop in Essex to learn the new season's trends and attend a wedding fair where they managed to sell two dresses to one bride.
Mary said former Savile Row seamstress Janet was a “real gift to the business”, with her talent for alterations giving the store a unique selling point.
On the advice of Mary, the bridal shop and alteration shop switched sites, providing would-be brides with more space to enjoy their dress-fittings.
The shop was given a new name, layout and extra facilities and kitted out with a "magic" mirror, allowing brides to Skype their friends and family while trying on outfits.
Mrs Kent said: “I've had a very good response on Facebook, and nice comments from people saying it came across very good.
“The locals thought it was nice to have a change around, but they were all a bit shocked in the beginning because of the change in the name, they thought I'd gone.
“I'm hoping the programme will allow more people to come in.”
New visitors were elated with the make-over, saying the shop was “lovely” and provided “a really unique experience”.
Mr and Mrs Kent were given a target of selling 100 dresses a year and making £50,000 profit.
Mr Kent said: “It's early days yet but a lot of people have seen the programme locally, there's a lot of positives out there in the village.
“Where we need the response has not yet happened but we just need to get people through the door, which is basically the problem we've had all along.”
He said they had spoken to a person from Abu Dhabi who is getting married in the UK and was excited to use the store "magic mirror" to show her dresses to someone back home.
“It's a one-off thing, and the only one in the country at the moment, so it's a great attribute to have,” said Mr Kent.
“Mary left some alterations here for Janet to do and we have said we will keep in touch with her.
“The TV crew have been wonderful, keeping a close monitor on us and still providing us with help and advice.”


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Fashion giant Benetton said Thursday that 2019 was an important milestone in its relaunch as its “economic-financial indicators show significant recovery and a reduction in losses compared to previous years”.
Fabrizio Curci, who ran the Milan fair and has a long career with automobile group FCA, is the new head of Italian eyewear manufacturer Marcolin. Curci succeeds Massimo Renon, who left the business for Benetton.
Italian clothing chain Benetton said on Wednesday it would close all its directly-managed shops in Italy for two weeks starting from Thursday in an effort to protect both employees and customers against coronavirus.
Sebastien Badault, Alibaba's international director for luxury & fashion, talked with FashionNetwork.com about Luxury Pavilion, Alibaba’s vast range of low-cost fashion, best-practice issues and the coronavirus’ impact.


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Amazon Prime Video is said to be downsizing its Africa and Middle East operations in a move that will affect teams in the two regions, according to a Variety report that said the company will instead focus on European originals.
Following the changes, Prime Video will stop contracting originals in Africa and Middle East markets. However, shows given a go-ahead will continue as planned.
Additionally, the company plans to split the European team into two groups: the EU Established to focus on the U.K., Germany, Italy, France and Spain markets and EU Emerging to oversee operations in Benelux, the Nordics and CEE, the report said.
“We’ve been carefully looking at our business to ensure we continue to prioritize our resources on what matters most to customers. I have carefully evaluated our structure in the region and decided to make some adjustments to our operating model to rebalance and pivot our resources to focus on the areas that drive the highest impact and long-term success,” said Prime Video Europe VP Barry Furlong according to an email to staff seen by Variety.
“I have listened and considered the feedback received across the teams over the past 12 months; I believe these changes will improve the operational running of our multi-territory business and allow us to be more agile and focused,” Furlong said.
In a sharp turn of events, the shakeup comes months after Prime Video claimed to have laid out a strategy to become the biggest video streaming player in Africa, after it signed multi-year licensing agreements with production companies and set up teams in Nigeria and South Africa.
In 2016, Amazon Prime Video launched in Africa as part of its global push across more than 200 countries worldwide, bringing some serious competition to Netflix’s global plan launched that same year. Versions of the service available in the region at the time didn’t feature local-language interfaces, subtitling, and original content offerings typical in more developed markets until more than 18 months ago when it launched the localized version of its streaming service in one of Africa’s biggest markets: Nigeria.
According to the video streaming platform, which is the third largest in Africa after Showmax and Netflix, this was an attempt to boost its subscriber push in emerging markets — it subsequently launched similar localized plans in South Africa but had not yet commissioned any originals in the Middle East — by increasing its investment in local production, unveiling slates of localized originals and introducing discounted Amazon Prime membership offerings to customers.
Its entrance into Africa to produce original and licensed content came with much fanfare as movies such as Jade Osiberu’s Gangs of Lagos’ and Breath of Life achieved commercial success and critical acclaim.
Before its exit, Prime Video was vying for Africa’s 2026-projected 15 million video-on-demand subscribers alongside other streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Canal+ and Showmax. It had over 600,000 subscribers in Africa, according to Digital TV Research, an analytics firm, Prime Video, and planned to add 1.5 million new subscribers over the next four years. But with its exit, there’s an opportunity for other streaming platforms to gain market share amid a streaming war for African content and eyeballs, which has so far proved unprofitable.


text: Over six months ago, a joint venture between AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon called Isis launched a trial of its nascent mobile payment service in Austin and Salt Lake City. Not only was its debut already delayed, we also haven't heard more than a peep from the company since. CEO Michael Abbott, who is the keynote speaker at ETA 2013 in New Orleans, has opened the discourse but still isn't giving many specific details on the future. When we asked him about his company's expansion plans, Abbott simply told us that "when [we're] ready, we'll start putting it out in different places and see where to go from there." In essence, he views progress in the mobile payments field as a constant evolution, which often involves taking smaller steps to accomplish a greater purpose. You can find the full quote below the break.


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France First Country to Ban Plastic Forks, Spoons, Knives, Plates, Cups to Save The Environment
Plastic? It’s not so fantastic. In fact, the same chemical building blocks that make this product so versatile are the very same ones that make plastics stick around for centuries after we’ve used them, often only one time. The entire planet has become littered with plastic – from medical IV bags, to plastic spoons, forks and to-go containers, to cell phone cases and plastic shopping bags. We’ve simply gone overboard with the use of this environmentally damaging and health harming substance. Fortunately – France is doing something about it. They are now the first county to ban all plastic forks, spoons, knives, cups, and plates.
If you want to eat in France now, you’d better be ready to bring your own reusable utensils, or dine at an establishment that uses biodegradable, non plastic items. A controversial new law implemented in the country bans all plastic cutlery, plastic plates, and plastic cups. Though producers have until the year 2020 to phase out these plastic products and replace them with more eco-friendly, biodegradable ones, many retailers and restaurants have already done the right thing and ditched the plastic.
Pack2Go Europe Secretary General Eamonn Bates told The Associated Press the company is urging the European Union to take legal action against France for violating the European Union’s rules on free movement of goods, but that hasn’t stopped the government from going forward with the ban.
This follows France’s ban on single-use plastic shopping bags that went into effect in March of this year.
More countries need to follow France’s lead. We already have a plastic ‘garbage patch’ growing in our oceans that is said to be larger than the state of Texas. This collection of marine debris is also known as the Pacific trash vortex, and it spans waters from the West Coast of North America to Japan. The ‘great’ garbage patch is actually the collected debris from the Western Garbage Patch, located near Japan, and the Eastern Garbage Patch, located between the U.S. states of Hawaii and California. The plastics in these great accumulations of trash do not break down, they simply become smaller and smaller, eventually finding their way into even the tiniest sea creatures.
Many countries have already made great strides toward reducing the plastic trash that ends up in our oceans.
- Denmark already offers major tax incentives to retailers who hand out reusable bags. This saves approximately 66 percent of single use paper and plastic bags.
- Scotland, Ireland and Wales have begun taxing consumers who still use plastic bags.
- Italy has banned plastic bags that don’t come from biodegradable sources (like hemp.)
- All stores in Germany have to pay a recycling tax if they provide plastic bags to consumers.
- In the US 98 cities already have plastic bag bans in place, or are working on them.
If we were all to follow with a further ban on plastic plates, forks, knives, cups, and to-go containers that are not from a biodegradable, environmentally friendly source, then we could start to shrink the garbage patch before more damage is done.
Image credit: www.yalescientific.org
Typos, corrections and/or news tips? Email us at email@example.com


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Sen. Brewer: Arming senators, staff would improve security
Significant business growth in agriculture
U.S. Ag Secretary visits Sandhills ranchers
UNL Extension tractor safety classes offered across Nebraska
More Ag News
Existing retailers who got no special treatment from the city say it is unfair for them to have to compete against newcomers who get tax breaks and low-interest loans. Development officials say TIF is a valuable tool for them to attract new businesses and promote the city's growth. They point to such projects as the Sandhills Convention Center, the Budweiser distribution center, the new Wal-Mart distribution center and the proposed new Menards in North Platte as proof of the TIF plan's value.
What do you think, Should tax-increment financing be used to bring retail businesses into North Platte?
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


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The bear run in global stock markets is being blamed for a round of valuation reductions for cybersecurity companies by investment banks, and influencing financial plans. Cloudflare’s plans for an initial public offering have changed, and some analysts are expecting industry consolidation in 2016 through mergers and acquisitions.
Cloudflare CEO Mathew Prince told Bloomberg in early 2015 that the company was valued at over $1 billion and that he was planning for a 2017 IPO, but Prince told the Wall Street Journal that he now estimates his company is more likely to go public in 2019.
In a late February update Fidelity, a lead investor in CloudFlare, lowered its valuations for several companies it has invested venture capital in, including Cloudflare, which was reduced by 30.55 percent, Fortune reports. Prince said that while his company is still profitable, and has 80 percent of its total funding in the bank, market conditions will delay its IPO.
“Two months ago, I would have said we were 18 months away from going public but now, with the market the way it is, it’s more like 36 months,” he said.
Dropbox (-10.34 percent) was among several other tech companies Fidelity reduced its valuations of; Morgan Stanley also cut its valuation of Dropbox by 25 percent, according to the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
451 Research’s Tech M&A Outlook for 2016 shows investment bankers split on whether there will be “somewhat more” or “substantially more” spent on cybersecurity acquisitions this year. There were 133 security M&A deals in 2015, up from 104 in 2014. MarketsandMarkets predicts the global cybersecurity market will grow by 9.8 percent CAGR to over $170 billion by 2020, but 451’s Brenon Daly told the Journal that the industry is highly fragmented into niche products, causing extra work for CIOs.


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By Bryan Smith on November 7, 2014 at 9:59am
All three games are back up on Steam in the US. There hasn't been any clear answer why these games were removed from Steam yet.
According to certain Steam users and PC Games "Assassin's Creed Unity," "Far Cry 4," and "The Crew," are no longer available on Steam in the UK.
Steam in North America is also missing these games according to additional users and Gamespot. At this time, the only way to buy these games on PC is to go through uPlay, Ubisoft's PC gaming storefront.
PC Games N Gamespot


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"The second part of Fantasian is almost finished..."
Stray gets a release window, The Outer Wilds has an expansion on the way, and over 15 more game teases and announcements.
Ivy Road is headed up by Davey Wreden and Karla Zimonja and may have something or nothing at all to do with drinking tea.
"A musical journey into magical new realities"
It's going to be a bumpy ride...
“In order to get Western players to accept mobile games, I think it is important that we develop games of the same quality as console games."
The two major pillars in the world of fantasy games, Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, have finally teamed up for a crossover of epic proportions.
Race Master SEA Tournament 2021 is the first Southeast Asia esports tournament featuring KartRider Rush+, the popular mobile racing game by Nexon.
With the success of the Nintendo Switch and the upcoming release of the Steam Deck, should other major video companies also come up with their own dedicated handheld consoles?
RSG is known for their training and development of professional esports teams, with their latest team making their debut in Mobile Legends Professional League Philippines Season 8.
Storms Publishing has launched the second edition of its Storm The World HCG competition, with a total prize pool of US$560,000 and exclusive publishing contracts.
Episode six of Loki has closed a major chapter in the God of Mischief’s life and opened a whole can of worms for the state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The recent Fullmetal Alchemist 20th anniversary livestream unveiled a new mobile game for the franchise, as well as a new manga by series author Hiromu Arakawa.
British actor Richard E. Grant has enjoyed a storied acting career spanning multiple Marvel movies, and contemporary films like The Iron Lady and Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Atlus’ seminal JRPG series is celebrating a major milestone this year, with multiple new Persona projects announced for release.
Action-based combat has become the norm for recent JRPG franchises, but what makes a combat system fun and worthwhile? Let’s find out.
The rise of the virtual office app Gather Town has made working from home a lot more bearable. Co-workers are able to seamlessly talk, collaborate, and play in one convenient place.
The interdimensional adventures of Loki are coming to an end, as the penultimate episode dives deeper into the psyche of different Lokis from parallel universes.
Chinese gaming giant Tencent Games has launched a facial recognition system to curb excessive playtime among children and teenagers.
The Simpsons has officially crossed over with Marvel through the recently released ‘The Good, The Bart, and The Loki’ where the God of Mischief finds himself in Springfield.
Video game developers from across the region can sign up for a chance to win at least one of the 10 awards up for grabs.
Todak Studios’ multiplayer cops and robbers game will be released on Apple devices and on Steam on July 16. The game is available for free on the Google Play Store.
Shonen Jump publisher, Shueisha, and Bandai Namco Entertainment have filed a joint trademark for One Piece Odyssey, as well as the acronyms ‘MHUI’ and ‘MHUR’.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hiromu Arakawa’s seminal fantasy manga series, Fullmetal Alchemist, a special livestream will be broadcasted on July 12.
During the Disney Renaissance, each and every animated film that came out during this era was accompanied by a tie-in video game of varying quality. Let’s take a look at some of them.


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Originally published on CleanTechnica by Zachary Shahan To be fair, we don’t yet know what Donald Trump’s precise climate approach will be, but it seems all but guaranteed that he will slow and obstruct climate action and will do a “great deal” to increase pollution and CO2 emissions from the out-of-date oil, coal, and gas industries. This is idiotic not […]
Browsing the "Tesla" Tag
A new proposal in Arizona would provide incentives to renewable energy suppliers to provide some of their electricity to utility companies during peak demand hours when it is needed most.
The island of Ta’u in American Samoa has shut down its diesel generators forever and replaces them with a solar power microgrid from Tesla and SolarCity,
Originally published on EV Obsession. The prominent advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services has given its recommendation to support Tesla’s $2.3 billion SolarCity acquisition/merger, telling shareholders that Tesla would be able to bridge the funding gap with SolarCity, and also that the acquisition was an important step in the firm’s path to becoming an integrated sustainable […]
On October 28, Elon Musk showed off the four styles of glass solar roof tiles developed by Tesla and 3M. The tiles are stylish and elegant. They are also affordable, says, Musk.
Panasonic plans to deepen its ties to Tesla if the merger with SolarCity is approved in November. It will take over manufacturing of solar cells and solar panels at the Buffalo Gigafactory and supply Tesla with up to 10,000 solar panels a day.
Tesla will install the world’s largest grid storage facility in southern California to eliminate the need for natural gas powered peaker plants in the area. The installation is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
Elon Musk promises a new type of solar energy product – the integrated roof that combines weather protection with the ability to make electricity. Others have tried this concept, with mixed results.
Originally published on sister siteEV Obsession. When a former co-founder of a game-changing company says great things, you know you are on the right track. In this case, it’s Steve Wozniak showering praise on Elon Musk and company. The Apple co-founder said last week Tesla is the “biggest disrupter” in the US auto market, speaking […]
The Crescent Dunes concentrated solar power facility in Nevada is now online and generating enough electricity to power 75,000 homes.


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Even as car sales across Europe have plummeted in recent years, automakers could count on Germans to buy with little discounting. Now, at least one dealer is resorting to Groupon Inc. coupons to boost sales.
AK Autoport Koeln GmbH, a dealer in the western city of Cologne, is offering a 99-euro (US$130) Groupon voucher entitling buyers to a discount of 5,450 euros on a 2013 Ford Fiesta — a price break of about 32%.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
We are not out of the crisis in Europe . . . This is weighing on investments and consumer behavior
Auto discounts in Germany, which accounts for more than one in five car sales in Europe, climbed to their highest level in seven years in April, sapping profit margins for manufacturers, according to a monthly index by the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
“At the moment, nothing points to an easing of the discount situation,” said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, the center’s director. “Cars that couldn’t be sold in southern Europe are being pushed to Germany.”


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Italian 'black widow' who hired a hitman to kill her Gucci heir ex-husband admits she 'didn't think she would be caught' and says the 18 years in prison were 'peaceful' - as Lady Gaga prepares to play her on film
- Patrizia Reggiani, nicknamed the ‘Black Widow’, ordered her ex-husband's death
- Hired a hitman because she was 'furious' with Maurizio Gucci, grandson of fashion house founder Guccio Gucci and an heir to the empire
- She was sentenced to 26 years in prison and was released in 2014 after 18 years
- In a new documentary she admitted she 'didn't think she'd be caught'
An Italian socialite sentenced to 26 years in jail for ordering the execution of her multi-millionaire Gucci heir ex-husband has admitted she 'didn't think she would be caught'.
Patrizia Reggiani, nicknamed the ‘Black Widow’, was found guilty of paying a hit man €300,000 (£240,000) to murder 46–year–old Maurizio Gucci, an heir to the fashion empire, in 1995.
He had left her for another woman 10 years previously after telling her he was going on a short business trip.
Murder for hire: Patrizia Reggiani, nicknamed the ‘Black Widow’, was found guilty of paying a hit man €300,000 (£240,000) to murder 46–year–old Maurizio Gucci, an heir to the fashion empire, in 1995. She has now admitted she 'didn't think she'd get caught'. Pictured, in 2019
Resentment: Reggiani was reportedly furious that Gucci had started seeing other women. Pictured, the couple before their marriage broke down in 1985
Reggiani, who will be played by Lady Gaga in an upcoming feature film about the murder-for-hire, was reportedly furious that Gucci had started seeing other women and was frustrated with how he managed his $170million fortune.
She also wanted more than the $650,000 she had been offered in a divorce settlement, the court heard.
Speaking in the Discovery+ documentary Lady Gucci – The story of Patrizia Reggiani, which is coming soon to discovery+ UK, Reggiani, 72, said she 'asked everyone' if they had the 'courage to murder' her ex-husband, the Daily Telegraph reports.
She said: 'I was furious with Maurizio. I went around asking everyone, even the local grocer, is there someone who has the courage to murder my husband? I can’t aim a gun very well – I couldn’t have done it myself.'
Reggiani eventually found hitman Benedetto Ceraulo, a debt-ridden pizzeria owner who shot Gucci dead on the steps of his office in Milan as he arrived for work. Ceraulo was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
It took police two years to work out who had ordered the killing. 'I didn't think they'd catch me,' Reggiani admits in the documentary.
Reggiani, will be played by Lady Gaga (right) in an upcoming feature film about the murder-for-hire. Left, Reggiani at her ex-husband's 1995 funeral, days after she had him shot
High profile: During the murder trial, which transfixed Italy, Reggiani arrived each day wearing head-to-toe Gucci clothes and accessories. She was sentenced in 1998 (pictured)
The Gucci empire
The fashion empire of Gucci was founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, a Florentine leather merchant whose business of selling leather travel bags prospered after the Depression and World War Two.
Guccio's son Aldo expanded the business into Paris, New York and Tokyo as the 'twin Gs' of the family name became a worldwide fashion icon.
By 1974, the Gucci empire numbered 14 stores and 46 franchised boutiques around the world.
At around the same time, celebrities like Jackie Kennedy were helping establish Gucci as the world's leading fashion brand by embracing its products.
Maurizio Gucci, Guccio's grandson and Aldo's nephew, took control of the company from the board of directors after Aldo, who was sent to prison for tax evasion in 1986 aged 81.
However, Maurizio would be the last member of the family to head the Gucci business.
By 1989, nearly 50 per cent of the business had been bought out by Investcorp, a group of investment bankers angling for shares of the business.
In 1993, Maurizio sold his holding for $170m to a Bahrain-based investment company.
She was convicted after her clairvoyant and confidante Pina Auriemma turned informer and told police about the plot.
During the murder trial, which transfixed Italy, Reggiani arrived each day wearing head-to-toe Gucci clothes and accessories.
The court heard how she had ordered the murder of her husband after he offered her $650,000 in a divorce settlement.
She described the offer as a 'plate of lentils', insisting she wanted at least $1 million, and when he refused she hired hitman Benedetto Ceraulo. She was also said to be furious her former husband had started seeing other women, and feared her daughters’ inheritance was at risk if he remarried before ordering the hit.
Reggiani was initially sentenced to 29 years in 1998, which was reduced to 26 on appeal. She served 18 – with her pet ferret Bambi as a companion for some of the time - before being released in October 2014.
In the documentary, Reggiani describes her time behind bars as 'peaceful'.
'I was absolutely fine in prison,' she said. 'For me they were years of peace. I slept, I worked in the garden.'
Well-known for her luxury lifestyle, Reggiani once said: ‘I’d rather cry in a Rolls than be happy on a bicycle' and turned down the offer of day release while in prison because it would have meant doing 'menial' work.
In 2017 a court ruled Reggiani was entitled to receive £900,000 a year from her ex-husband's fortune.
Maurizio Gucci was the grandson of Guccio Gucci, founder of the fashion company made famous with its double G logo.
In the early 1990s it was hit by problems and he sold the label for $120 million, just two years before his death.
Lady Gaga is set to star as Reggiani in a feature film about the murder-for-hire.
Lady Gucci – The story of Patrizia Reggiani, which is coming soon to discovery+ UK


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Rate survey: Credit card rates reach another record high
|CreditCards.com's Weekly Rate Report|
|Avg. APR||Last week||6 months ago|
|Methodology: The national average credit card APR is comprised of 100 of the most popular credit cards in the country, including cards from dozens of leading U.S. issuers and representing every card category listed above. (Introductory, or teaser, rates are not included in the calculation.)|
|Updated: Sept. 28, 2011|
Interest rates on new credit card offers edged up to another record high this week, according to the CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report.
The average annual percentage rate (APR) rose to 14.97 percent, up from the previous high of 14.96 percent, where the rate had stood the previous two weeks. The national APR average has set record highs three times in the past five weeks, marking the first time since CreditCards.com began tracking rates in 2007 that records have been broken so frequently.
Chase spurred the increase, raising the rate on its Marriott Rewards Visa Signature card from 14.24 percent to 15.24 percent. Chase spokesman Steve O'Halloran confirmed the changes.
"Chase offers a number of cards with different rates and benefits, which is why we encourage customers to choose the card that is best for them said," O'Halloran said.
Chase wasn't the only bank tweaking rewards cards this week. Barclays spokesman Kevin Sullivan confirmed that the issuer raised the top end of the APR range offered for its National Football League Extra Points Visa from 17.74 percent to 22.74 percent. The low end stayed at 13.74 percent. However, since only the low ends of APR ranges are used in our calculations, the national average was not affected by Barclays' move.
Barclays took over the NFL card in 2010, as Bank of America's 15-year association with the hugely popular league ended. The NFL Visa is one of the only remaining co-branded sports cards available on the market. Bank of America's MLB Extra Bases MasterCard is the only other one that we track, after BofA stopped marketing its NASCAR Race Points Visa in June.
Of the nine categories CreditCards.com tracks, only the rewards card national APR average moved, rising from 14.59 percent to 14.61 percent. This marks the highest that category has been in 2011. The last time the APR for rewards credit cards reached this level was the summer of 2010, when rewards card APRs typically reach their peak.
The Marriott Rewards Visa Signature card's APR (15.24 percent) is largely in line with the average APR for rewards cards. However, the top end of the APR for the NFL Extra Points Visa (13.74 percent to 22.74 percent) is well above that average. Barclays also offers the card with the highest APR of the 76 rewards card we track: the U.S. Airways Premier World MasterCard offers an APR range of 15.99 percent to 24.99 percent.
Though rates continue to creep higher, they have been far less volatile throughout most of 2011 than in previous years. The weekly average has changed only 19 times in 2011, compared to 32 times by this same time last year. The stability may be due to issuers finding their footing in the wake of the Credit CARD Act of 2009.
Credit card charge-offs and delinquencies are also showing signs of stability, according to a Moody's Analytics report. Credit card delinquency rates reached an all-time low for the third straight month in August and the charge-off rate index is now more than 400 basis points lower than its level a year ago. Moody's analysts predict that trend to continue throughout the remainder of 2011.
- Rising rates, bigger card balances cripple millennials’ home buying ability – A new study shows nearly three quarters of millennials rate homeownership as a "top priority." But rising interest rates and high card balances could keep many of them from making down payments on their first homes ...
- 2018 Credit Card Fee Survey: Fees freeze as rates rise – Cardholders are most likely to pay fees if they pay late, take out a cash advance or carry a balance, according to the 2018 CreditCards.com Credit Card Fee Survey ...
- Fed: Card balances rose $4.8 billion in August – Revolving debt -- chiefly credit card balances -- grew at a 5.6 percent annual rate in the back-to-school shopping month, according to the Federal Reserve ...


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In this week’s Week in Review: HTC launches VR-focused investor consortium, Liberty Global acquires Technetix and smartphone users ignore ads according to report. To receive a weekly summary of industry news and other VAN interviews and videos, sign up to the weekly Video Round-Up.
Google Pushes Deeper into OTT with Anvato Acquisition
Google announced today that they are to acquire Anvato, a software platform that fully automates the encoding, editing, publishing and secure distribution of video content across multiple platforms. The move is expected to push Google closer into competition with the cloud services provided by Amazon and IBM.
Interstitial Ads Only Slightly More Effective Than Banners
Users viewing news on smartphones barely pay attention to ads, according to the results of neuroscience research conducted by WPP agency Light Reaction and Bethesda, Md., Lab Spark Experience. The research found that time spent looking at ads was less than 200 milliseconds per view, while time spent looking at interstitial ads was slightly more than 800 milliseconds.
Apple Pulls the Shutters Down on iAd
Apple’s iAd App Network, which debuted in 2010 as an ads developer platform for the company’s iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices, has now shut down. Apple’s iAd platform was launched as a means of leveraging the company’s massive installed customer base.
Programmatic Driving Ad Growth
Growth in the amount of video ad slots available programmatically helped drive a 74 per cent increase in paid ad impressions online in the first quarter, according to research by online video platform provider Ooyala. The report also showed a huge use of ad-blocking, and advised investment in ad reinsertion technology to combat it.
Woven Digital Raises $18 Million
The parent company of HitFix, Uproxx and BroBible, Woven Digital, has raised $18.5 million in Series B funding led by WPP Ventures, the investment arm of ad giant WPP. Woven said it will use the new funding to expand its studio operations and original video production, as well as scale its coverage of news, sports, and entertainment.
YouTube to Take “Human” Approach to Video Talent
YouTube plans to do more to nurture the next generation of video talent on its service by introducing new technology and hiring real people to help advise a new generation of talent.
Sizmek Opens Data Centre in Germany
Ad tech company, Sizmek, has opened a new data centre in Frankfurt, Germany. The opening of the centre will allow it to better adhere to the upcoming pan-European data protection rules, plus address advertiser issues such as latency when bidding on inventory.
European SVoD Subscriptions to Reach 50 Million
Subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) subscribers in Europe grew 56 per cent in just one year between 2014 and 2015, the “Market Insights: SVoD in Europe” report from EBU’s Media Intelligence Service (MIS) has found. Subscribers are expected to reach 50 million homes by 2020.
TV Networks Need Overhaul to Beat Netflix
Traditional content creators will need a complete overhaul if they’re to compete with Netflix, Moody’s has predicted. The report shows that Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Facebook, Apple, YouTube and Sling TV are all challenging the long established model of buying and aggregating content in traditional pay and free TV.
Lionsgate Purchase Starz
Studio Lionsgate has acquired cable channels provider Starz. Lionsgate will have production interests spanning TV and film, and will also have the Starz Arabia SVoD service.
PS4 VR Sets Sell Out
Pre-orders for the PlayStation 4 virtual reality headset have already sold out in the US, with shortages also predicted for the UK. Games review site IGN said the final wave of pre-order headsets, which went live on June 30th, were snapped up “within minutes”.
Kin Community Raises $13.5 Million in Funding Round
Female-orientated YouTube company, Kin Community, has raised $13.5 million in Series D funding led by Emil Capital Partners. Kin will use the financing to increase its original production and distribution across social, OTT and traditional media platforms, as well as expand into new global markets, including Australia and the United Kingdom.
Confusion Over Programmatic Video Continues
Programmatic has been described as “the automated buying and selling of inventory,” by the IAB as they issue a white paper that aims to clear up the confusion around programmatic buying. The IAB report says that there are many distinct processes within buying and selling workflows that can and cannot be automated, specifically as it relates to targeting, forecasting, transacting, delivery of creative assets, and reporting.
NBC To Show Olympics in VR
NBC Olympics will provide Virtual Reality (VR) coverage of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games exclusively to authenticated users of compatible Samsung Galaxy smartphones together with Samsung Gear VR via the NBC Sports app.
Media Giants Dominate TV
European TV is dominated by big companies like Deutsche Telekom, Liberty Global, Orange, Sky, Viasat and Vivendi, according to a report from The European Audiovisual Observatory. The report found that a group of 15 media giants dominate pay TV within the European Union, accounting for almost 70 per cent of the bloc’s pay TV homes.
Global Pay TV Subs Up
The worldwide number of pay-TV subscribers has risen by 6.90 million, or 1.68 per cent, in the first quarter of 2016, according to the Informitv Multiscreen Index. Sixty of the hundred leading pay-TV services in the latest Multiscreen Index report showed net subscriber gains in the quarter.
Streaming Services Rise as Piracy Goes Down
A “steep rise” in the use of streaming services like Netflix and Spotify has coincided with a decline online copyright infringement, according to UK government research. The report from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) shows that 52 per cent of internet users now use streaming services to consumer content online and notes there has been a “small but significant” drop in online piracy.
Amazon Leads German SVoD Market
Nearly half of broadband users in Germany subscribe to a VoD service, according to GoldMedia. Amazon and Netflix lead the market, but Amazon Prime is way out in front, claiming 32 per cent of all SVoD users, followed by Netflix with 17 per cent.
HTC Launches VR-Focused Investor Consortium
HTC has created the Virtual Reality Venture Capital Alliance (VRVCA), a consortium of venture capital firms who invest in the VR industry. The VRVCA members together represent well over $10 billion of investible capital.
Mobile Revenue to Hit $25 Billion
Worldwide revenue from mobile video will reach $25 billion by 2021, according to research from Strategy Analytics. The growth in mobile video revenue will be in part driven by advertisers seeking to reach an increasing audience of users that are consuming video on their smartphones and tablets.
SourceKnowledge Introduces Native Ad Unit to Serve Video Ads on Non-Video Inventory
Facebook Introduces Live Video Changes
At VidCon last week, Facebook introduced three new product updates to its live-streaming platform. Soon, Facebook Live users will be able to create two-person remote broadcasts, pre-schedule live streams with virtual waiting rooms, and broadcast using MSQRD face masks. The masks will allow Snapchat-style filters on live videos, comes following Facebook’s acquisition of video filter app MSQRD in March.
Partnerships of the Week:
Verizon Renews Rovi Portfolio Deal
Verizon Communications Inc. has signed a multi-year patent license renewal with Rovi Corporation that runs into the next decade. With this agreement, Rovi now has eight of the top 10 U.S. pay-TV providers under license.
Publicis Groupe Inks Data Deal With Tencent
The Chinese mobile-marketing company, Tencent, has inked a global deal with Publicis Groupe. Tencent, who own the messaging app WeChat and digital platform QQ, plans to give Publicis Groupe access to its behavioural data.
Nexguard Covers Zee TV
Conent company, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises is deploying NexGuard forensic watermarking system at its Mumbai facilities.
Hires of the Week:
Caspar Schlickum Moves to Wunderman
Digital agency Wunderman has appointed Caspar Schlickum to the position of CEO for the Asia-Pacific region. Schlickum is moving from EMEA CEO of Xaxis to take responsibility for developing and expanding Wunderman’s offering in the region, with a particular emphasis on digital and data-driven marketing.
Group M Appoints Connect UK MD
Media investment management group, Group M, has appointed Dave Hompe to a new role as Managing Director for GroupM Connect in the U.K. Hompe has held leadership positions in a range of media agencies including Isobar, Starcom and OMD.
Twitter Hires Ex-Facebook Technology Chief
Facebook’s former chief technology officer, Bret Taylor, has been appointed by Twitter to its board with immediate effect. Taylor currently serves as chief executive of start-up, Quip.
New CRO for VideoAmp
Cross-screen optimisation platform, VideoAmp, has appointed its first Chief Revenue Officer, Michael Parkes. Parkes will be responsible for revenue generation and scaling the sales organisation and joins from Amobee.
Vivendi Appoints Gameloft Chief
Five members proposed by Vivendi to the Board of Directors of Gameloft have been appointed. The Board of Directors held a meeting at which it appointed Stéphane Roussel as Chairman and CEO of Gameloft.
FTTH Appoints New Director General
The Fibre to the Home Council has appointed a new Director General, Erzsébet Fitori. The new role will begin on the first of September 2016. Fitori was formerly Director at the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA).
This Week on VAN:
New Tech Frontiers Will Force the Advertising Industry to Rethink Brand Experiences, read more on VAN
Programmatic TV: the State of Play, read more on VAN
Facilitating a Transparent Marketplace: Challenging the Status Quo, read more on VAN
Ad of the Week: Pep Talk, Cisco, Goodby Silverstein & Partners
This man just bought a goat with his mobile phone… Ewan McGregor reflects on the achievements of human kind.


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- Top 10 Car Features Women Love - October 7, 2023
- 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R Hot Lap! – 2016 Best Driver’s Car Contender - September 10, 2023
- Fixing the ’67 Jeep Wagoneer! | Roadkill Garage - September 9, 2023
SHANGHAI — The Chinese battery giant CATL said it will start supplying cylindrical cells to BMW from 2025 to power its new series of electric vehicles.
The battery maker has signed an agreement with BMW in which it is nominated as the supplier of the cylindrical cells for the automaker, CATL said without elaborating.
BMW declined to comment.
BMW will use the round cells instead of prismatic ones as it seeks to cut costs. The change will deliver a 30 percent drop in cost savings, people familiar with the plans have said.
Cells typically make up four-fifths of the price of a battery pack and improving technology and efficiency have typically delivered annual cost reductions.
But cost reductions have been hampered by record price rises of materials such as lithium and nickel, which has challenged automakers’ goals of soon selling EVs for a similar margin to combustion-engine cars.
Tesla recently started manufacturing its 4680 lithium-ion batteries, a cylindrical cell with 46 mm diameter and 80 mm length that can hold about five times the energy of its current smaller 2170 cells.
CATL has been supplying BMW with batteries for a decade. The Chinese company is looking at potential battery factory sites in the United States to supply automakers including BMW, with a goal of production beginning in 2026, Reuters reported earlier this month.
BMW will launch a dedicated “Neue Klasse” (New Class) electric platform by 2025 as it seeks to challenge EV leaders, including Tesla.


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With a surge of former Manhattanites inhabiting the neighborhood and with rent being in a fierce and constant upswing, Astoria’s small businesses have had to adapt accordingly.
“Our clientele has definitely changed, Astoria has changed, from being a family neighborhood to a more gentrified and kind of artsy area,” said Andreana Verona, who has witnessed this shift in the 15 years she has run Supernova Tattoo.
Established businesses have had to work tirelessly to compete with leases that see no sign of peaking in their value.
“Seven or eight years ago the rent was around $6,000 [a month], now its around $12,000 to $13,000,” said Claude Cozos, who has owned an art and framing store for 12 years. “I don’t know, 5 years from now [the rent] is probably going to be three times this.” Although currently coping, the problem may get out of hand. “If [the rent] is too crazy [in 5 years] then of course I’ll have to think about retiring”
The retail real estate market in Astoria is also heavily influenced by the location of retail space, with the differences between rent prices in residential areas and commercial areas growing increasingly disparate.
“I pay $2000 [a month] here, one block over [on a commercial street] this same space would’ve been $8000,” says Liza Fiorentinos, who has been running Luludi Living Art, a terrarium store, for three and a half years. According to a representative for Metropolis Realty, a local realtor in Astoria, commercial lease contracts have increased by up to 50 percent in value in the last seven to ten years, with an average price per square foot in a commercial district hovering around $80, double what prices were in 2010.
The severity of the situation is illustrated by how many of the leases signed by these businesses, if ended for whatever reason, would lead to an immediate surge in rent value.
“If I were to leave my five year lease, right now, the rent would probably double,” elaborated Mr. Cozos. This would result in a rent value of around $24,000 a month for an 800 square foot space such as his, strikingly close to the current average price per month for retail space in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, as reported in The Real Estate Board of New York’s 2015 Spring Retail Report.
The influx of young professionals, however, has also resulted in Astoria becoming a potentially fertile ground for small businesses.
“I know that many young people are moving into the area – many without automobiles, which is good for local business since there are few chain stores and no big shopping malls that compete with small business,” said Seth Rogovin, of SCORE, an organization that offers advice to small businesses voluntarily.
Established businesses have noticed this shift towards increasingly gentrified clientele hailing from Manhattan, which while providing business, inherently raises the cost of living in the area and as such the cost of running a business.
“With Manhattanites coming this way everything goes up, your rent goes up, your cost of goods goes up,” said Mrs. Fiorentinos. The statements of gentrification echo through every business. “It used to be older people who would come in and shop but now its more and more young people who come in to look and buy art,” said Mr. Cozos.
These events have led to Astoria witnessing the opening of shops it wouldn’t usually boast.
“Now I’m seeing cool shops come to Astoria, bike shops, Buddhist shops, record stores, juice bars.” said Mrs. Fiorentinos. This trend is visible, with HiFi Records opening up just 3 months ago and already generating significant support and revenue from the local community. “There is no other record store around here” said owner of HiFi Records Javi Velásquez, yet the support for the store is substantial, with the store already having hosted several highly attended small free concerts.
The small business climate in Astoria is changing rapidly, let’s see where it goes.


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The 21st International Exhibition on Rubber Technology has been rescheduled from 15-17 September, 2021 to 20-22 October , 2021. The event location is moving from Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre to National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).
RJS Corporation is excited to support the show as an exhibitor. If you are able to attend, please plan to stop by booth 81G28 to meet our team. We look forward to seeing you. RubberTech China is the leading trade fair for rubber manufacturing and rubber processing in the Asian region, including the full range of rubber machinery, rubber chemicals, rubber raw materials and rubber products and services.


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Facebook’s Libra is joining the cryptocurrency world alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum, but this isn’t the first cashless method on the market. As companies are simplifying consumer transactions, will cash reach an expiration date? We explain. #FacebookLibra #Bitcoin #Ethereum #CashlessSociety https://bit.ly/2X7OdkL
Would you trust Facebook with your money?
On Tuesday, Facebook confirmed it would launch a digital global currency similar to Bitcoin, called Libra, aimed at users around the world who don't have bank accounts.
But there's another reason Facebook is introducing Libra, said Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter: It's an opportunity to get some of its more than 2 billion users to shop through the platform.
"Facebook is merely trying to facilitate commercial activity for its customers, and the endgame is to offer links to brands they care about," he said.
The currency is managed by the Libra network, co-founded by several companies in both the payments and tech industries, including Facebook, eBay, Uber, Lyft, PayPal and Visa.
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AKRON, Ohio, June 21, 2019 – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has been conditionally selected as a supplier by Airbus to provide its Flight Radial tires as main and nose landing gear for Airbus’ new A321XLR aircraft.
The Flight Radial, one of Goodyear’s most advanced aviation products, incorporates Goodyear Featherweight Alloy Core Bead Technology and strong, rigid tread belts with enhanced rubber that offer dimensional stability, longer service life and increased cut resistance.
“Goodyear’s Flight Radial Tires will be an excellent fit for the new Airbus A321XLR and we look forward to serving as a supplier of this impressive aircraft,” said Dan Smytka, Goodyear’s president of off-highway businesses.
This success continues the long-standing relationship and collaboration between Airbus and Goodyear and underscores Goodyear’s commitment to supplying the aviation industry with premium products and services.
According to Airbus, the A321XLR will deliver an unprecedented extra-long range of up to 4,700 nm, which is 15% more than its A321LR version, but with the same unbeatable fuel efficiency.
For more information about Goodyear’s latest innovations in aviation tires, visit www.goodyearaviation.com.
About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 64,000 people and manufactures its products in 47 facilities in 21 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.


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The demand for glass baby bottles may grow in response to a report claiming that a harmful chemical has been found in plastic baby bottles sold in Canada.
Inside their Toxic Nation campaign report released by Environmental Defence, it claimed that bisphenol A was found in three different brands of baby bottles sold in Canada. The chemical is used to make polycarbonate plastic and is known to give the plastic additional durability.
But bisphenol A was found to leach from plastic baby bottles when heated in a microwave, a traditional way of preparing baby bottles. It is a known hormone disruptor that can be related to prostate and breast cancer, early puberty in girls, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and obesity according to Environmental Defence’s web site.
The Project Coordinator of the campaign, Cassandra Polyzou said that they did not engage in a conversation themselves with the companies tested. She claimed that the main goal of the report was to inform the public.
“Instead (of writing letters to the companies) we made recommendations to consumers who are buying these bottles,” said Polyzou. “They have the option to buy or replace old bottles and we recommend parents use glass bottles because we know glass does not leach bishpenol A.”
Environmental Defence’s Toxic Nation campaign was created to inform the public how toxic chemicals are polluting the bodies of Canadians. They have tested Canadians all across the country and have even tested some politicians who have appeared to contain more toxic chemicals than all others tested.
Polyzou also said, “Concerned consumers have been in touch with me through emails and phone calls and have started contacting the companies themselves to get more information (on what is being done about the findings in the plastic baby bottles.)”
Neither Environmental Defence nor Polyzou have the answer and this report is bound to change the minds of many new or expecting mothers.
Krystal Yurkovic, 20, is an expecting mother who, once she was told about the report, seemed surprised at some of the details. But Yurkovic said that even if companies do come out with a plastic baby bottle that has no traces of bisphenol A, she would question what else may be in there that could be harmful to her baby.
“I am definitely going to be asking for glass baby bottles on my wish list.” Yurkovic said.
With only one company, Dr. Brown, from the United States of America coming to mind, Polyzou could not think of another one that is making a conscience effort to produce an alternative.
This may be the main reason why others are surely to follow in the footsteps of Yurkovic and steer clear of plastic baby bottles.
Polyzou says that the other thing that consumers want to be careful about is the rubber nipple because she says it may cause an allergic reaction. Polyzou suggests using silicon nipples for baby bottles.
For more information on the companies tested and recommendations on how to avoid bisphenol A by Environmental Defence, got to: www.toxicnation.ca/toxicnation-studies/reports/toxic-baby-bottles-in-canada


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Alongside a refresh of its long-running ThinkPad line, Lenovo announced a pair of new displays ahead of CES 2017. The ThinkVision P27h and P24h join the growing market of USB Type-C connected displays and offer super-narrow bezels around IPS panels. The monitor's USB Type-C port is the star of the show, since it has support for USB Power Delivery and is able to juice up connected devices in addition to carrying a video signal.
Image Credit: Tom's Hardware
The P24h clocks in at 23.8" and the P27h has a 27" diagonal. Both monitors pack a 2560×1440 IPS panel with a 6-ms response time. Lenovo says the displays are capable of covering over 99% of the sRGB color space, too. Tom's Hardware notes that both monitors offer up 2 HDMI inputs and 2 DisplayPorts alongside the USB Type-C port. The display also packs a 4-port USB hub. Lenovo hasn't revealed which iteration of USB the hub uses, but we'd venture a guess at it being USB 3.0.
Both displays are set to release in April 2017, with pricing for the P27h set for $329 and the P24h going for $259.


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NEW YORK, Nov. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Podcasting solution provider Voxnest, today announced a partnership with DAX, the world's most sophisticated digital audio advertising platform, that will bring publishers in the UK a turn-key solution for creating, monetizing and distributing digital audio.
The deal brings together the expertise of the two companies to enable current publishers of audio content to grow audience and revenue. Additionally, the all-in-one solution will facilitate entry into the growing audio market by publishers who have yet to capitalize on the medium's increasing popularity while giving brands and advertisers the ability to connect with relevant and engaged audiences at scale.
The deal with DAX is a continuance of Voxnest's goals to support the growth of professional podcasting and deliver value throughout the entire ecosystem. Voxnest customers, including those on the company's Spreaker platform, now have the benefit of DAX monetization, while advertisers can take advantage of advanced targeting and measurement solutions.
Global, the Media & Entertainment group, created DAX in 2014 to give advertisers access to millions of people listening to digital audio through premium publisher brands.
"Accelerating the growth of the podcasting industry is contingent on two factors: audience and monetization. By partnering with DAX, we're making major inroads on both fronts, adding reach to grow audience and opening the advertising opportunity to more brands and more podcasters," said Voxnest President Francesco Baschieri. "It's an exciting time to be involved in this medium, and we're confident that our easy-to-use, efficient and scalable solution for creating, monetizing and distributing audio content will have a catalyzing effect on creators worldwide."
Ollie Deane, Director of Commercial Digital at Global, said: "The podcasting world is rapidly developing. Through this partnership, content creators now have an opportunity to grow their UK audiences and revenue, while advertisers can understand the impact of their campaigns in more detail than ever before."


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Does buying wine with an "ecolabel" touting that it's been certified as environmentally friendly or sustainability-promoting in one way or another have an impact on purchases? And not just a good one, but possibly a negative one? That's what two researchers at UCLA, Anderson School of Management's Magali Delmas and Economics Department PhD Candidate Neil Lessem, have been trying to find out. Their results are detailed by Ashley Verhines in HuffPost.
So what did this duo discover?
Well, while people may derive warm fuzzies or, as Verhines puts it, a "warm glow" from purchasing an eco-labeled wine, they don't see it as a sign of quality in a wine. In fact, they tend to spend less on wine labeled in such a manner. Delmas and Lessem reveal that, as far as the consumers they studied, "...respondents who are wealthier, better educated, spend more on wine and drink wine frequently are less likely to choose eco-labeled wines."
Does the touting of organic or sustainable certification on a label sway your purchase? What do you expect out of a bottle adorned with an eco-label?


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Citing surging sales of its newest product, Newport Electronics Inc. of Santa Ana said Monday that first-quarter earnings nearly tripled to $111,000 from year-ago profits of $39,000.
In the period ended March 30, the digital meter maker said sales increased to $2.9 million, a 14% gain over the $2.5 million recorded in the same period in 1984.
Barret B. Weekes, chairman and chief executive officer, attributed the strong showing to the success of the company's latest product, a multiple-function meter which measures and helps record such items as temperature, pressure, time, frequency, volts and velocity. The meters can be read in person as well as programmed to send signals to a computer which records the information measured by the devices.
Weekes said he expected "additional gains" in earnings throughout the 1985 fiscal year.
Product Costs Consume Profit for Gish Biomedical
Despite rising sales, Gish Biomedical Inc., the Santa Ana maker of disposable medical products, reported that earnings dropped 57% in the third quarter because of increased spending for new products and business expansion.
For the quarter ended March 31, the company earned $22,000 compared to $51,000 a year ago. Revenues for the period were $1.5 million, 32% above the $1.1 million recorded a year earlier.
Jack Brown, Gish's chairman and president, attributed the revenue increase to strong sales of its new products and continued growth of its existing line of products used in open-heart surgeries, intravenous feedings and chemotherapy.
Brown cited the company's continued high spending for new-product development and computer systems for driving down profits. However, Brown said the company expects sales to surge in its 1986 fiscal year as a result of the products developed this year. Furthermore, the company said it is exploring the purchase of new products and businesses that complement its current lines for the hospital critical care market. No additional details were disclosed.
For the first nine months, earnings were $61,000, about 72% below the $218,000 reported a year ago. Revenues for the three quarters were $4 million, a 17% increase over the $3.3 million recorded the year before.
Earnings, Assets Show Rise for Pioneer Bank
Pioneer Bank of Fullerton reported an 18% hike in profits for its first quarter with net earnings of $107,866, up from $91,219 for the same period last year. The bank said the increase came despite the move to larger headquarters in downtown Fullerton last December. From March 1984 to March 1985, the bank reported a 58% increase in assets, from $36 million to $57 million, an 82% increase in loans from $22.8 million to $41.5 million, and a 64% increase in deposits from $31.7 million to $51.9 million. In addition, bank officials reported an 8.6% capital-to-assets ratio.


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Myanmar to import potato from Bangladesh
Myanmar has shown interest to import potato from Bangladesh because of the low price of the item here, said the commerce minister yesterday.
Faruk Khan said Bangladesh will export a total of one lakh tonnes of potato to that country primarily.
The minister spoke at a press briefing at his office in the capital after returning from a three-day visit to Myanmar.
Bangladesh may get higher export prices for potato from Myanmar due to the low price facility, he said.
He said investors from Myanmar can now invest in Bangladesh as the cabinet approved a bill regarding that yesterday.
During the visit, he urged the leaders of both the countries to remove the banking problems, barriers in direct shipping for trade, and to lease lands in Myanmar for farming agricultural products by Bangladeshi entrepreneurs.
Khan said Bangladesh imported goods worth $180 million from Myanmar in last fiscal year and exported goods worth $20 million.
The imported goods include rice, lentil and gram while cement, pharmaceuticals, condensed milk and electric cables were in the export list, he said.
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to visit Myanmar from December 5-6 to discus different bilateral trade issues.
"Myanmar wants to establish connectivity with Bangladesh in roads, air, waterways and railway."


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Lithium stocks to check out in the stock market today.
Is now a good time to invest in these lithium mining stocks?
Is now the time to be buying these lithium stocks?
Should investors be turning their attention to these trending lithium minin
Lithium stocks to consider as mentions of ramping up domestic production ef
Lithium stocks to consider amidst the current boom in lithium demand.
Markets lose gains as Omicron news continues to weigh on sentiments.
As the automotive industry transitions towards electric vehicles, could the
Can these top EV stocks continue their momentum into next month?
With the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), these battery stocks are poised t
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Keep up to date with the latest news from the BVRLA. You can browse our complete collection of articles below.
The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, COP26, in Glasgow between 1 and 12 November 2021 and members wanting to get involved can submit expressions of interest.
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) has launched a consultation seeking views from drivers on ways to improve the consumer experience of those using public electric vehicle charge points.
From the 18 February the non-profit, government-linked, Low Carbon Partnership (LowCVP) will be known as the Zemo Partnership, to reflect a change in emphasis away from 'low carbon' and towards 'zero carbon'..
The BVRLA will be hosting a free ‘Electrifying 2021’ webinar at 9am on Wednesday 24 February, which will focus on the year ahead for electric vehicles, as businesses continue to battle the challenges presented by Covid-19 and EU Exit as well as changes to supply and demand.
The BVRLA met with Lord Grimstone last week. As Minister for Investment across the Department for International Tade and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), he is focused on helping the UK automotive supply chain to thrive and decarbonise after Brexit.
The BVRLA’s latest Quarterly Leasing Survey (Q3 2020) revealed that nearly one-fifth of BVRLA members’ leasing fleet now has some of electrification, so it is crucial that the industry develops its knowledge to support customers in managing their zero emission cars and vans.
The BVRLA has submitted views to the Transport Select Committee’s inquiry into zero emission vehicles and road pricing.
Eighty-four members joined the BVRLA’s first Residual Value and Remarketing Forum of 2021 last week, which focussed heavily on the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market.
The BVRLA will be hosting a free ‘Electrifying 2021’ webinar at 9am on Wednesday 24 February, which will focus on what the year ahead will hold in store for electric vehicles.
As the roll out of Clean Air Zones ramps up this year, the BVRLA is reminding members of its free user-friendly ‘CAZ Map’ that can be shared with customers to help keep them ‘in the know’ and ensure compliance.
With the first Clean Air Zone being introduced in March members are reminded that if they do not have compliant vehicles, they will need to pay using the Government’s central payment portal.
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) has invited the BVRLA to help shape the UK’s Decarbonisation Delivery Plan and members are being invited to provide input and share views.


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Google's search engine market share is up as compared to a year ago. Currently, Google owns a 66% market share; up from 65% a year ago.
Bing is also up with a 15% market share (14% this time last year).
Yahoo, however, dropped from a 16% market share to a 13% share. It is the lowest market share ever for Yahoo.


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The all-new Toyota Prius was the most popular selling car in Japan for the month of May, according to numbers just released by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.
In total, Toyota sold 10,915 Prius models to take the top sales spot, which was held last month by rival Honda Motor Co. and its new Insight hybrid. For May the Insight dropped to third with 8,183 units sold. Honda did manage to grab the second spot as well, however, selling 8,859 Fits in May.
This marks the second straight month in a row that a hybrid has been the top seller in Japan. Hybrid sales have become increasingly popular in Japan due to government incentives as well as significantly reduced prices.
After Honda priced its Insight at $19,700 in Japan, Toyota responded by dropping the MSRP on the Prius to $20,900 – almost $3,100 less than the past model.
“I am very relieved about the sales, and I am excited to find out more about the customers’ response,” said top Prius engineer Akihiko Otsuka.
Despite the success of the Toyota Prius in the past, this is the first time it has ever clinched a monthly top-seller spot in Japan.
[Source: The Associated Press]
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Last week, an HTC support representative told a customer that the Droid Incredible would not be updated to Gingerbread. Of course, we questioned this claim's validity, as we were absolutely certain that there was a test build on Verizon's servers at the time the statement was issued.
Turns out we were right, as the official update page is now live on Big Red's website. This is pretty good news for Incredible owners -- but the better news is that it's probably coming sooner than you think; possibly as early as this week.
Lets have a look at the changelog:
- Gingerbread -- and all the added enhancements that go along with it
- MMS Messages send correctly
- Successfully play audio files from a message
- Send Vcard through SMS
- Internet connections via Bluetooth now enabled
- VZ Navigator now operates over Wi-Fi
- Change songs in the Music widget by tapping the forward button
- Camera functions successfully without inserting SD card
As you can see, aside from all of the added benefits of Gingerbread, this update also brings several bug-fixes to the Incredible.
There's no official word on when this update will start rolling out, but we'll make sure to keep you updated as new info arises.