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After the IPO, Facebook has grown with every passing day. Not only has it launched much-needed features, acquired products to make its networks experience complete but also at the same time it has fixed it’s advertising strategies. Pundits who had till day criticized the Facebook advertising model and brands who were wary of Facebook ads will have to do a reality check. Facebook has not only enhanced ads on its network but is now experimenting with targeted ads on external websites on the Internet.
Facebook’s Targeted Ads
Some time back, Facebook had announced that it is launching Facebook Exchange, which will provide brands an opportunity to display targeted ads to their fans on Facebook. Facebook Exchange which has been already lauded by marketers, is a real-time bidding ad system where visitors to a third-party website are marked with a cookie and can then be shown real-time bid ads related to their web browsing by Facebook. For example, if you have recently visited an ecommerce store that has tied up with Facebook for this program and you leave the store without buying the product that you had intended to, the next time when you visit your Facebook you would see an ad related to the store you had visited and maybe with a discount on the product that you had intended to buy.
Facebook’s quest to give marketers their value for money didn’t stop with the launch of Facebook Exchange. According to Inside Facebook, Facebook is displaying ads and sponsored stories on the sidebar of Zynga.com. A space that was always occupied by Google Adsense. Facebook also added an entry on it’s help center “Facebook Advertising on Zynga.com” that says a user has the right to remove the ads he is not interested in and that Facebook is not selling any user data to advertisers.
Can Facebook Become The Largest Advertising Network?
Facebook for now has expressed that it is trying out the Facebook ads and sponsored ads only on Zynga.com. But it would be any marketers guess that this is one more way for Facebook to increase it’s yearly advertising revenue. However, it has to be seen when Facebook will make this feature open for other brands but undoubtedly this feature will bring more smiles on to the faces of brand managers. For instance, if you are a Bollywood music lover then chances are that you will log into Saavn via Facebook login to browse for new songs. While you are browsing songs of a particular singer then chances are that you would see ads which will be selling tickets of the singer’s music concert at a discount or may be movie tickets of the movie whose song you have been listening to. Facebook has opened up various ways for marketers to engage with customers effectively.
With this move, Facebook has not only given confidence to marketers but has also given stiff competition to Google’s Adsense. Till day Google had been the leader in ad revenues but the new move by Facebook may change the equation completely. Facebook has the behavioral data of 900 million users, which is enough to disrupt the online advertising space.
Facebook has been slowly nailing the online advertising space along with advertising on its network and it has been only a few months after the IPO. Do you think that Facebook could be the leader in online advertising over the Internet?


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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Siouxlanders are spending hundreds of dollars a week on gas and are looking for ways to save money at the pump. One way to save on gas is switching to electric vehicles.
Sara Fay at Knoepfler Chevrolet told KCAU 9 that Siouxlanders are now looking into electric cars as their new mode of transportation.
“If you look at kinda the path with people searching for electric vehicle, you see it kinda sorta at the bottom last June. So even a year ago it’s sorta at the bottom and then you see when the gas prices increased and then it keeps climbing and climbing and now it’s at an ultimate high. So, people are definitely interested and definitely looking,” Fay said.
Election vehicles aren’t just catching on in Siouxland. According to Bloomberg, nearly 7 million EVs were sold in 2021, that’s more than double the 3 million sold in the previous year.
Bart Gothman is a traveler from Colorado and he said that he knew he wanted to go electric when he saw gas prices over a year ago.
“I kinda saw the gas prices about a year ago, you know, starting to climb and I kinda knew that it wasn’t gonna continue basically with things that are going on, economically and the way that we’re getting oil. I knew the prices would increase,” said Gothman.
Electric cars are an option to put you on a path that will get you to your destination and get you to charging stations at the same time.
Gothman told KCAU 9 that he’s seen a lot more people at chargers than he did around this time last year.

domain: news


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It's farewell to your old Maestro debit card
Millions of bank customers will soon be receiving new cash cards. HSBC, RBS/NatWest and Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks will all replace Maestro cash cards this year.
Customers of Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks are being moved to a MasterCard debit card later this year. All other High Street banks have chosen to move their customers to Visa - which gives extra consumer protection on debit cards.
This is because it operates a ' chargeback' scheme which will refund customers who have lost money to fraudsters, not received goods already paid for, or suffer unauthorised transactions.
New kid on the block: Maestro is being replaced by Mastercard Debit or Visa debt which has extra customer protection
The protections are similar to those which all credit card users get under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
This month, RBS/Natwest, which has 12.6 million current accounts, began writing to customers to announce that Maestro cards will be replaced with a Visa debit card. HSBC will finish writing to its 9.7 million account holders announcing a similar move this March.
Co- op Bank finished moving all its customers from Maestro to Visa last year. Once all these cards have been replaced, it will mean none of Britain's major banks issues Maestro cards.
There were originally two payment systems for debit card transactions. In 1988 Midland Bank, National Westminster Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland launched Switch. Maestro, which is owned by Mastercard, was launched in 1990. In 2002, Switch became Maestro.
There are 44 million Visa debit cards and 21 million Maestro cards.
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Unless we are very much mistaken, Mercedes Benz has been working on its latest crossover which has been spotted winter testing in Europe. Although the car was heavily camouflaged, the car gets a much boxier design than the GLA, GLC, and the GLE.
According to a report from MotorTend, this new vehicle is the Mercedes Benz GLB, which will be sharing its platform and engines with the new A-Class, and B-Class range. The GLB looks bigger than its platform cousins with a big square nose and a boxy rear end, as well as a high roofline. The design is not Mercedes-ish, although the abundance of straight lines brings to mind the boxier looking G-Wagon.
In a report by Autocar, recent trademark filings have suggested that 200, 220, and 250- badged variants will be available and engines will be shared with the smaller Mercedes A-Class and the CLA.
The engine lineup for the upcoming GLB will also feature an updated lineup of Mercedes and Renault-Nissan-sourced four-cylinder petrol and diesel units belting out 160bhp for the base model, with power out up to 300bhp in an AMG-badged flagship. Also on the cards is a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid variant with modest zero-emission capability.
The Mercedes Benz GLB should be revealed officially around the end of 2019.
You can see the spied images here: MotorTrend


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September 1, 2016
The idea of a universal, tamper-proof digital identity becomes increasingly relevant in the face of political, economic and other uncertainties around the world. Massive groups of the global population are undocumented nowadays with numbers growing at a blink of an eye. In fact, some estimates suggest that there are more than 232 million undocumented migrants internationally.
Since many of those people do not have a formal identification document at the new place of residence, they are often victimized and hold a disadvantageous position in the financial system and beyond. Digital identity will not only give undocumented people a chance for financial inclusion in new places but bears a range of other important benefits for businesses and governments.
So, why exactly do we need to move forward, towards widespread implementation of digital identity solutions? This month, WEF made an attempt to answer that question listing the key modern trends strengthening the need in digital identity systems in the financial services industry.
With rapidly growing access to the Internet, increased connectivity, massive international e-commerce and digitization of services overall, the number of identity-dependent transactions is growing through the increased use of the digital channel. Moreover, transactions increasingly involve very disparate entities without previously established relationships,, leading to the necessity to securely establish trust between parties in an efficient manner.
Modern FinTech startups shed international barriers with their platforms, bringing in customers from around the world. In the future, the complexity of the ecosystem will only increase and require a unified way to identify and authorize access and transactions between businesses and individuals from around the world.
With the rapid adoption of advanced tech-powered solutions across industries, over time, it becomes more difficult to remain relevant in a rapidly-changing environment and meet rising customer expectations. The problem is especially severe in the financial services industry where solutions from PayPal, Venmo and Google are just killing it for banks.
The harsh reality is that customers nowadays expect seamless, omnichannel service delivery and will migrate to services that offer the best customer experience. Seamless payments experience, whether with P2P payments or in commerce, is one of the most important experiences with a solution.
Regulatory requirements in the financial services industry can be a real pain. The governments show no mercy to institutions that do not comply with security standards. Institutions, in turn, are forced to pass it along to the end-user, engaging with them in a cumbersome task of identity information collection. Add to that highly varying regulatory environments in international markets and it's Mission: Impossible in real life.
Regulators are demanding increased transparency around transactions, meaning that FIs require greater granularity and accuracy in the identity information that they capture and are increasingly being held liable for inaccurate or missing identity information.
Bad actors in financial systems are increasingly sophisticated in the technology and tools that they use to conduct an illicit activity, increasing their ability to quickly cause financial and reputational damage by exploiting weak identity systems.
Indeed, even with the ever-advancing cybersecurity solutions, online fraud does not seem to be stepping back at all. In fact, the value of fraudulent activities is expected to reach $7 billion by 2020. By that time, cybersecurity is expected to become one of the hottest industries.
Recent stories of data breaches that have occurred with major players across industries have left a bad aftertaste and made users extra cautious about sharing personal information. If previously we used to automatically hit the Accept button with long lines of data points we give access to, now is the time to take an extra minute to actually read what you are giving away. It is especially important when it comes to authorization of payments and access to financial data.


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Infamous short-seller Citron Research has another pharma in its sights: Mallinckrodt. The reason? Apparently, its aggressive pricing on H.P. Acthar Gel--and potential payer pushback against those prices.
The firm mentioned Mallinckrodt ($MNK) on Twitter Monday afternoon, saying that the company has "significantly more downside than Valeant" and calling it a "far worse offender" of the reimbursement system.
"[M]ore to follow," Citron promised in the tweet. Mallinckrodt shares dropped 17%, its biggest decline since it was spun off from Covidien in 2013, Bloomberg points out.
Acthar prices have been under fire for years, long before Mallinckrodt took over its previous maker, Questcor ($QCOR). Per-vial prices rose from $1,500, when Questcor bought it, to $28,000 in 2013. That higher price landed it on FiercePharma's most expensive drugs list, with a $205,000-plus annual list cost.
Along the way, Questcor bought the rights to a potential head-to-head competitor, Synacthen Depot, from Novartis ($NVS), to lock down the competition. It also belatedly disclosed thousands of side effect reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission, after a New York Times story linked Acthar to 20 deaths and half a dozen disabilities. Meanwhile, the higher prices pushed up Medicare's spending on the drug, approved to treat a laundry list of inflammatory diseases, leading some medical experts to take issue with its high prices.
Citron Research zeroed in on Valeant ($VRX) a couple of weeks ago, with a report likening the Quebec-based drugmaker to Enron, and accusing it of using a network of pharmacies to gin up "phantom sales."
"The market has been so focused on Valeant that they forgot about other platform companies who are levered and face the same headwinds in reimbursement," Citron Research chief Andrew Left said in an emailed statement. "We already see these challenges at Mallinckrodt and while Valeant has been taking all the heat, the business model of Mallinckrodt is just as, if not more, in danger of unraveling."
|Mallinckrodt CEO Mark Trudeau|
Company CEO Mark Trudeau told CNBC Tuesday that he doesn't expect to see reimbursement challenges on Acthar's price. The company has invested heavily in studying Acthar for a variety of new indications, Trudeau says. Alternative treatments are even more costly, he contended. Mallinckrodt has said it doesn't own or have a stake in any specialty pharmacies, Bloomberg reports.
But Mallinckrodt definitely faces investigations by federal and state authorities. The Federal Trade Commission demanded documents and information about Questcor's 2013 deal for the rights to potential rival Synacthen Depot. "[A] small number of states" are also looking into whether the deal violates state antitrust laws, Mallinckrodt disclosed earlier this year.
Special Report: The top 10 most expensive drugs of 2013 - H.P. Acthar Gel


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Following the recent Equifax breach that exposed the personal and financial records of more than 143 million people, identity theft has once again become a hot topic and public trust is at an all-time low.
Consumers are naturally wondering how they can protect their identity at a time when one can’t go online and interact with a product or service without entering some form of personal identification. Complicating matters further is the fact that businesses have never been more interested in cultivating personal details about their consumers, and that people have never been more willing to put their information in the public eye for all to see.
The collection of personal information
Targeted online ads have become so ubiquitous that consumers now expect to see them every day. In fact, if you were to look up a flight to Jamaica this winter, you’d probably brace yourself for an instant barrage of banner ads promoting cheap Caribbean airfare.
But businesses aren’t just following your online breadcrumbs to sell you more products. The collection of personal information is fast becoming an effective way to deliver exceptional customer service, or in the case of Google and YouTube— a better product.
When I last logged on to YouTube, I immediately knew my daughter had been using my account because I was prompted with recommendations for Teen Wolf. (Not exactly my taste, but hey, to each their own). We see this every day when our phones prompt us with weather and traffic alerts, restaurant recommendations, sports scores and more.
Businesses are using our personal information to deliver better products and services, and for the most part, consumers are complicit with the practice as long as it makes our lives better. However, a changing regulatory model may soon alter the way businesses collect and use personal data.
Operating in a wild west environment for the past decade, tech giants such as Facebook and Google are now facing a new privacy law in Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), that is expected to greatly hinder the way the companies use personal data to target ads. While North American consumers will remain unaffected for now, the law could become a blueprint for data protection efforts around the world.
The (give away your personal) information age
As more and more of our personal data is collected, it’s only natural to be concerned with its protection. That’s why we hold businesses, financial institutions and government agencies to the highest of standards when it comes to safeguarding our information.
At the same time, however, many of us are all too willing to give our identity away. A few years back, there was a form going around social media that allowed people to share details on when they were married, the street they grew up on, the names of their pets, and the countries they’ve visited, to name just a few. And, today, people continue to post on their public Instagram accounts and check in on Facebook, letting the world know where they get their coffee, buy their clothes and go to the gym.
This opens us up to what security experts call an “advanced persistent threat”, where hackers wait and watch for personal details that will allow them to walk right in the front door, rather than break in the back. After all, what’s easier— cracking the advanced encryption technology of a large financial institution, or resetting a person’s banking password with the details they left open and exposed on social media?
Consumer convenience is key to protection
For consumers, the advice on protecting yourself is simple— go to your social media accounts and set everything to private. Nothing should be public. For businesses and financial institutions, it’s not so easy. In the security world, you’re always facing the challenge – if I make it difficult for the end user, the end user won’t use the system.
A common example is the IT department that requires employees to enter a new eight-character, alpha-numeric password every 90 days, which inevitably leads to passwords being posted to computer monitors on sticky notes.
Whether dealing with employees or customers, security protocols have to be simple to use. Which is why financial institutions have been smart to incorporate mobile devices in their two-factor authentication methods. Increasingly, now, when a customer signs into their online banking account to send an email money transfer, they are asked to enter a separate code that gets sent directly to their smartphone. Since we’re all more likely to leave home without a wallet than a phone, this is the perfect example of an extra level of security that’s effective without being inconvenient.
Biometrics protects identity & improves customer service
We’re now seeing this same mix of security and convenience at call centres, where Avaya is helping some of the world’s largest financial institutions incorporate passive biometric technology to positively identify their customers. At a time when personal information is readily accessible online, it is no longer enough for customers to identify themselves over the phone with a birthdate. However, customers are also quick to become frustrated when call centre agents ask them a laundry list of security questions.
With new biometric technology, call centres now have the ability to scrub customer voice prints passively in the background while they’re speaking with agents in the call’s introductory phrase. Rather than having customers repeat a common phrase (active biometrics)—which can make some people self-conscious or impatient—call centres can use passive biometrics to verify their customers with 97 per cent accuracy, while delivering shortened call cycles and improved service.
It is this combination of advanced technology and easy-to-use security protocols that will be essential to protecting our identities in an age where people are socially motivated to open up about their lives online, and businesses are financially motivated to capture as many personal details about their consumers as possible. While our identities have never been more public, biometrics and two-factor authentication can still keep them secure.
Tracy Fleming is Avaya Canada’s Senior Technologist.


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EU business leaders would prefer a free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK after Brexit than a customs union, according to a survey to be published today.
More than two-thirds of the 800 bosses polled by law firm Baker McKenzie across major EU markets including Germany and France said that an FTA would be “important” for their firm, compared to only 45 per cent for a customs union deal.
FTAs generally cover a broader range of goods as well as some services within their scope. However, some trade experts are sceptical that an agreement can be reached quickly. Customs unions only cover goods.
Nearly half of the respondents say they have reduced investment in the UK since the Brexit vote, with uncertainty still looming over the shape of trade arrangements following March 2019, when the UK leaves the EU.
Yet firms in the EU are keen to retain connections with Britain. Irish firms in particular are keen to preserve trade links with the UK, with 97 per cent of leaders saying their business would be better off without Brexit.
Across the six economies surveyed 96 per cent of firms said that keeping close trade ties was more important than “punishing” the UK for Brexit – although as many as 45 per cent of German bosses supported punitive action.
Baker McKenzie Trade partner Ross Denton said: "The clock continues ticking on a Brexit deal and, without any clarity as to its final shape, businesses in both the EU and UK are inevitably having to take matters into their own hands and make difficult strategic decisions.
"These decisions could end up hurting the UK economy in the long run if, as our survey suggests, EU27 businesses continue to re-think or pull the plug on their UK investments. It's crucial now, more than ever before, that these businesses are given a voice on Brexit and are heard in Brussels and by their local governments."


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Toyota may be faced with another recall a week after its largest U.S. recall in company history.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday said it would investigate frame corrosion on 2000 and 2001 model year Tundra pickups. An estimated 218,000 units are involved.
NHTSA said it has received 20 complaints--15 of them alleging that the underbody-mounted spare tire separated from the rear cross member. The other five complaints allege damaged brake lines due to corrosion on the driver's side rear cross member.
Brian Lyons, a spokesman for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., said he is not surprised at NHTSA's investigation.
“We've been investigating this for a little bit of time,” he said. “We know there are some complaints out there. We have repurchased some vehicles to aid in our investigation.”
The disclosure comes a week after Toyota announced it will recall 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles to replace a floor mat that could cause the accelerator to stick. The recall prompted a public apology from Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda.
Toyota faced a similar frame-rust problem last year involving about 750,000 Tacoma pickups.
In March 2008, the company agreed to buy back 1995 to 2000 model year Tacomas at 150 percent of the high Kelly Blue Book value.
Then in November 2008, the company issued a recall on 2001 to 2004 model year Tacomas. If there was no rust, Toyota automatically extended the warranty to 15 years with unlimited mileage. If there was rust, the frames were replaced at no cost to the consumer.
Lyons did not say why the company did not issue a recall for the Tundra at the same time as the Tacoma.
“The two trucks did not share the same frame, but there were similarities,” he said. Lyons said both trucks had the same supplier.
“But it's our responsibility, not the supplier's responsibility,” Lyons said.
Lyons did not name the supplier.
The 2000 model year was the first for the Tundra, which replaced the T-100. It was made in Indiana at the time. The Tacoma is produced at NUMMI in California.


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How The Pandemic Has Affected City Walkability
Among the countless parts of our lives that have been modified by the pandemic is transportation. More people worked from home for at least a year, and fewer of us are comfortable taking public transit.
Now The Show turns to Jeff Speck to learn more about how the pandemic has affected choices to get around on our own without cars or buses or light rail.
Speck is a city planner and author of the book "Walkable City."


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After a 15-month investigation, they produced a 450-page report in which they noted that Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google had exercised and abused their monopoly power and called for changes to the laws that regulate them.
House lawmakers, who have spent the past 15 months investigating the practices of the world’s largest tech companies, said Tuesday that Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google had exercised and abused their monopoly power and they called for changes to antitrust laws, the largest in half a century.
In a 449-page report that was presented by Democratic leaders on the House Judiciary Committee, lawmakers said the four companies had gone from being “tough” startups to “the kind of monopolies we last saw. in the age of the oil and railroad tycoons. “
Lawmakers said that companies had abused their dominant positions, establishing and often dictating prices and rules for trade, search, advertising, social media, and publishing.
To redress inequities, lawmakers recommended restoring competition by restructuring many of the companies, requesting the agencies that control market concentration. They also proposed reforming the antitrust laws, in the biggest potential change since the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act of 1976, which created stronger reviews of large mergers.
“The totality of the evidence produced during this investigation demonstrates the urgent need for legislative action and reform ”says the report. “These companies have too much power, and that power needs to be controlled and properly monitored and enforced.”
The House report is the most important government effort to control the world’s largest tech companies ever since the government sued Microsoft for antitrust violations in the 1990s. It offers lawmakers a profoundly clear roadmap for turning criticism of Silicon Valley’s influence into action.
The report is also expected to initiate other actions against the tech giants. The Department of Justice has been working to introduce an antitrust complaint against Google, followed by separate lawsuits against the Internet search giant by state attorneys general. Antitrust investigations by Amazon, Apple and Facebook are also ongoing at the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and four dozen state attorneys general.
But the House antitrust subcommittee was split between Democrats and Republicans. on how to remedy and diminish the power of tech companies, pointing to an uphill battle for Congress to cut them down.
Democrats proposed legal changes that could substantially restructure Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple. They said Congress you should consider banning tech giants from giving preferential treatment to their own products, as Google does in search results, or to compete directly with other companies that use its platforms, as Amazon does in its market.
Some Republicans agreed with proposals to bolster funding for antitrust enforcement agencies, but opposed calls that Congress intervene in the restructuring of companies and their business models. Others have refused to back any of the Democrats’ investigations.
“I agree with about 330 pages of the majority report,” said Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colorado. But he said he could not agree with the recommendations to embolden consumer demands and company dissolution, which he called “the nuclear option.”
Por Cecilia Kang y David McCabe. The New York Times


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Specialist lines underwriting agency, CFC Underwriting, has launched a cyber incident response application that will allow policyholders to notify a claim with a click of a button and receive specialist support from CFC’s global cyber incident response team.
In addition, users can access global cyber news and are able to configure the app so that excess insurers and other members of the policyholder’s incident response team are notified at the same time.
“The longer it takes a policyholder to notify us that they’ve suffered a cyber incident regardless of whether it is an extortion demand or a system outage, the more damaging the impact can be on their business,” said Anthony Hess, Head of Incident Response at CFC. “Using the app, it will take just seconds to notify us that something has gone wrong and less than half an hour for our network of experts to respond.”
Hess added that CFC’s cyber insurance proposition has evolved to become an incident response service as the number of cyber claims managed by CFC increased by 78 percent from 2015 to 2016 and the main types of attack being claimed for were privacy breaches and financial loss. Approximately 90 percent of its claims by volume were from businesses with less than $50 million in revenue.
CFC insures over 25,000 companies against cyber risk in a variety of industries located in over 20 countries around the world.
CFC’s cyber incident response app runs on iOS, Android and Windows mobile phones and further functionality will be added over the coming months.
CFC Underwriting a Lloyd’s MGA specializing in developing and distributing insurance products for niche markets. Based in London, CFC has clients in over 60 countries and is backed by 32 Lloyd’s Syndicates.
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What Health Risks Do You Face Using Your Mobile Phone?
Journalist: Corey Grice
July 18, 2000
At the behest of a major wireless industry trade group and amid heightening concerns about potential health risks, many smartphones will soon carry information about radiation levels.
The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) yesterday announced plans to require mobile phones to carry new information revealing the rate of radiation emitted by certain models on the sides of the containers the phones come in.
“Voice-only devices are giving way to real heavy Internet-ready devices with a lot more guts that, at least theoretically, may not be that great to have right next to your head,” said Bryan Prohm, a wireless industry analyst at market research firm Dataquest.
The radiation information, which could be packaged with new handsets in as early as three to six months, is expected to show that cell phones are within acceptable radiation exposure ranges. All cell phones sold in the United States today have been certified to meet or exceed federal requirements for the quantity of radio frequency energy absorbed by the body, industry representatives said.
The World Health Organization urged in June that more testing be conducted worldwide.
The industry’s latest move could rekindle a long-running debate about the safety of a technology used by 95 million Americans, as well as millions more in other corners of the globe.
New evidence suggests the radio frequency waves emitted by the handsets could be cause for some concern. The renewed interest in cell phone safety, including related driving risks, comes just as the industry is preparing for an explosion of growth in the next few years around new voice users and high-speed wireless Internet access.
The addition of radiation information on a cell phone box could help stave off new regulations and future lawsuits and could appease consumer groups, analysts say.
“This is still an unknown. It behooves (the industry) to err on the side of caution, especially in this litigious society,” Prohm said. “The tobacco settlement is a perfect example of what happens when an industry is accused of covering up information. It’s definitely a wise move to be more forthcoming.”
Since 1996, consumers have been able to research radiation levels on the FCC Web site, but industry representatives admit the information has not been consumer-friendly.
“You see these values, but what the heck does it mean?” said Megan Matthews, a spokeswoman for Nokia Americas, the world’s largest mobile phone maker. “What we’re trying to do is make it easier for consumers to understand. We think (the new CTIA plan is) good.”
Added a spokeswoman for Ericsson, another mobile phone maker: “The information will be there to reassure consumers that phones on the market are safe.”
Although research remains limited, several studies are under way to investigate whether there is potential for long-term health risks associated with regular use of a mobile phone.
A November 1999 study by a University of Washington researcher showed exposure to microwaves similar to those emitted by cellular phones led to long-term memory loss in some lab rats. A similar study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also is testing the technology in conjunction with the CTIA wireless group.
Still, there is little, if any, solid evidence to prove cellular phone use results in any health side-effects. Many wireless companies offer information on their web sites about safety concerns and the lack of evidence to show any reason for alarm.
The wireless industry’s self-imposed radiation warning information could be viewed as an attempt to thwart less desirable regulation in the future. A pre-emptive effort would not be a new strategy. For example, the television and movie industry embraced new, self-imposed ratings systems in the late 1990s after a growing social outcry about sex and violence on film and talk on Capitol Hill of requiring “v-chip” parental control devices in new televisions.
Mobile phones are also being scrutinized on another health front.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today said “driver distraction” from cell phones and other devices could, in part, be to blame for a higher number of car crashes, according to the Associated Press.
Increasingly, policy-makers are voicing their opposition to cell phone use while driving. Analysts estimate that about 50 percent of mobile phone use occurs in automobiles.
After a variety of studies in recent years indicating that mobile phone users have higher accident rates than average motorists–in some cases approaching rates of those legally intoxicated–some lawmakers are now calling for curbs in the use of mobile phones while driving.
The distractions of conversing while driving can lead to unnecessary accidents or unsafe driving habits, opponents say.


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USMCA Faced an Up and Down Week
Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley and other Senate Republicans warned that they will block the USMCA if the administration does not remove the Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico. The tariffs are of particular concern to US Agriculture due to the retaliatory penalties that the two countries imposed on US goods in response. Commerce Secretary Ross maintains that the administration will not lift the tariffs without another safeguard in place.
The administration received some help from Mexico earlier this week with passage of a landmark labor reform law – something Democrats have been pushing for to gain their approval. However, some Democrats are signaling that they still have concerns over enforceability of labor and environmental standards.
In a letter to the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees, the Tech Industry voiced its support for the USMCA, noting the positive impact of the digital trade rules that the industry believes would provide a global norm addressing access and usage of digital trade.
US-CHINA Deal May be Close
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and US Trade Representative Lighthizer participated in trade negotiations this week in Beijing. Indications are that a deal may be close, and that US businesses may see the removal of a portion of the 10% tariffs on the $200 billion worth of Chinese imports (the third list) with schedules to remove the rest of the items quickly. However, the 25% tariffs on the remaining $50 billion in imports (lists one and two) likely will remain until after the 2020 election. It is unknown whether the Chinese retaliatory tariffs will follow suit.
Chinese negotiators are scheduled to be in Washington for the final rounds of talks on May 8, and reports are that an announcement of a deal is possible by next Friday
US-JAPAN Trade Talks Continue
The administration is hoping for a quick deal to increase US agriculture exports to Japan with something more comprehensive down the line. Any Ag deal will require major concessions from the US, with President Trump signaling that he could remove the threat of auto tariffs in exchange. The President is hoping for a deal when he travels to Japan in late May.
INDIA Seeks Extension on GSP Determination
India’s participation in the GSP program which allows developing countries to export goods to the US duty-free is set to end May 4. India has requested a 90-day extension to allow for its election period to close on May 19. Some House members are pressuring the administration to reconsider terminating the program.
Miscellaneous Trade Actions:
- Commerce announced the initiation of new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into ceramic tile from China.
- Commerce imposed countervailing duties on yarn from India and China.
- Commerce is set to issue antidumping and countervailing duty orders on imports of laminated woven slacks from Vietnam.


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NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Satellite broadcaster SiriusXM has launched a new challenge to rivals in the music streaming world with the debut of a new, cheaper streaming-only subscription package.
The New Essential subscription tier is aimed at SiriusXM customers who want to listen on a mobile phone, tablet, desktop, and on connected devices in the home including devices with Amazon Alexa, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, Sonos speakers, Xbox, Sony PlayStation and more.
The service provides access to more than 200 channels of SiriusXM content, including music, comedy, news, and sports for $8 a month, making it comparable in price to on-demand streaming services.
The channel selection for Essentials includes artist-branded music channels like Diplo’s Revolution, The Garth Channel and Eminem’s Shade 45, concept-based channels like the popular Pop Rocks, Coffee House and Yacht Rock Radio channels, as well as the new Pandora NOW channel, which features trending music from SiriusXM’s partner platform Pandora.
Essential package listeners will also get access to several sports talk channels, including Mad Dog Sports Radio, Barstool Radio, Fantasy Sports Radio, and others, plus a wide-ranging array of entertainment, news and comedy programming choices.
Listeners can also upgrade to the Premier streaming package, which includes access to Howard Stern’s two full-time audio channels and Howard Video, as well as the sports-focused NBA, NHL, and NCAA channels.


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Residents of Egilsstaðir were alarmed earlier this month to see an unknown foam rising up from a storm drain. Health and utilities services to be called out to inspect the substance. Mysteriously, all traces of the white foam disappeared within an hour of its appearance. No one knows what the foam was comprised of or what caused it to come bubbling up from the sewers.
The Ministry of Transport and Local Government has opened up applications for mini markets in the countryside, the purpose of which is to give financial assistance to small markets in areas far from municipal areas. People who live in the middle of nowhere need to buy things, too, after all. The only conditions are that the stores must be far from any population centres.
For the very first time, Halloween celebrations will be held in Þorlákshöfn, from October 29 to November 4. Dubbed “Þollóween”, it promises to be a family-friendly spooky time, replete with costumes, a haunted house, a spooky disco and much more.
Read more hot news from the cold country here.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!


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Overall, the passenger car fleet in almost all of the EU members has grown over the last five years, reaching a total of 253 million passenger cars in 2021 (+17% compared with 2013).
In Latvia in 2021 there were 758,668 cars registered and Eurostat's statistics showed that in 2021 Latvia had 404 cars per thousand inhabitants, just ahead of Romania on 400.
In 2021, amongst the EU Member States with the highest motorisation rates, i.e. passenger cars per thousand inhabitants, there are several smaller countries. Nonetheless, Poland (687 passenger cars per thousand inhabitants) heads the list; this is mostly due to the high proportion of very old vehicles that may remain registered.
In second place follows Luxembourg with 682 cars per thousand inhabitants; however, this figure may be influenced by cross-border workers (i.e., not inhabitants) using company cars registered in the country and by other elements like the difference on taxation of cars compared with neighbouring countries such as Belgium. Other countries with a high motorisation rate include Italy (675 cars), Finland (656 cars), and Cyprus (655 cars).
Petrol power continues to be comfortably the most popular choice for Latvian drivers as far as new cars are concerned, accounting for around 60% of new cars. However, among all cars in Latvia, petrol engines account for less than 30% of the total stock and diesels around 65%.
Most cars in Latvia are relatively old, with around three quarters of vehicles being at least 10 years old.


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It’s the end of an era. The Elektron Machinedrum (2001) and Monomachine (2003) will see this month their last batch from manufacturing. It’s pretty remarkable how far these machines have come – spurred on by passionate users and a string of software updates that kept them fresh.
Our Swedish friends at Elektron aren’t being terribly subtle with their marketing announcing the event, either, going for a funeral motif. Wait. Let’s back up. These are new units arriving, and unless a software update is going all Blade Runner on these things, not sure “funeral” was what they were looking for. But it is nice to see out these boxes.
And meanwhile, the whole industry has shifted toward Elektron, not the other way round. Now musicians are increasingly clamoring for standalone hardware, drum machines, techno boxes – and, let’s be honest, very often away from the laptop when it comes time to play onstage (at least they aren’t satisfied leaving the laptop solo – it’s very likely with an Elektron or something next to it).
But Elektron remains on fire, with the Octatrack going strong and the Analog line – marked by particularly rich sound – one of the hottest pieces of kit out there. Not to mention, we’re even seeing those CDJ folks, Pioneer, entering the standalone drum machine hardware market.
Still, these instruments remain milestones in electronic musical instruments. Everywhere I saw discussion of this announcement today, people were jockeying to get their own (used or new).
You’ve got until the Summer Solstice – this batch are on sale online at Elektron until Jun 21. Delivery 1-4 weeks.


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Motorists across the country will feel the pinch of a growing gasoline shortage this month, according to Energy Department and oil industry executives.
There will be less gas available than there was last May, longer lines at service stations and more weekend closings.
A high-ranking Energy Department official warned yesterday that gasoline supplies during May could run 10 to 15 percent below demand.
Analysts are not optimistic about supplies for the summer peak-driving season just adhead. "I don't see any improvement over the next few months," said the Petroleum Industry Research Foundation's John Lichtblau.
Other Energy Department officials and some industry sources, however, remain skeptical about the extent of the shortage and the reasons for it. They point out that the government's data on supplies in the hands of the major oil companies and gasoline wholesalers are limited. They suspect that supplies are being withheld from the market now in anticipation of genuinely tighter market conditions and still higher prices later on.
In any case, DOE's Economic Regulatory Adminstration, which oversees gasoline allocations, says that gasoline dealers this month will receive an average of about 12 percent less gasoline than they received a year ago under the Department's complex regulations.
Meanwhile, according to an authoritative oil industry newsletter, oil companies have cut dealer allocations for May an average of 17.2 percent below what they got last year.
Actual deliveries run in excess of the official allocation figures because of special exemptions the government grants farmers, the Defense Department, emergency services and others, such as public transportation agencies.
Only two major oil companies, Getty and Marathon Oil, will give their dealers 100 percent of their scheduled allocations for May. Shell, the nation's largest gasoline marketer, will provide its dealers in the East 80 percent of their allocations, and those in the West 85 percent. Other major oil companies such as Exxon and Chevron will offer dealers 80 percent of their allocations, compared with 95 last month.
Mark Emond, editor of the Lundberg Letter, a gasoline industry trade publications, said yesterday in a telephone interview, "There are all kinds of ameiiorating factors, but the situation is still serious."
Jack Blum, a Washington attorney representing the Independent Gasoline Marketers Association, said that panic buying and "tank-topping" were major contributors to the gasoline lines that President Carter found in Los Angeles during his visit last weekend.
According to Standard Oil Co. of California executive Dale Brooks, in dustry-wide data indicate that in automobile-dependent California, the size of the average gasoline purchase has dropped from eight gallons to three gallons in the last month. The smaller - and thus more frequent - purchases mean that more gasoline than usual is being held in automobile gas tanks, resulting in a loss of 160,000 barrels a day from normal gasoline inventories.
Another indication of consumer fears over gas shortages in southern California is that supplies of lockable gasoline caps virtually sold oout last week.
Meanwhile, oil refinneries are operating at what some observers say is an execessivley low production level - 58.5 percent of capacity in recent weeks compared to 90 percent during the latter part of 1978.
Whatever the reasons for the shortage, one thing is certain: According to the Indepedent Petroleum Association of America's records, the wholesale price of gasoline rose 13.8 cents a gallon between January 1 and April 30. By way of comparison, during 1974, the year of the Arab oil embargo, wholesale gasoline prices rose 25.7 cents a gallon in the entire 12-month period.
Under the standby gasoline coupon rationing plan, now facing an uncertain future in Congress, the president would have the authority to call for gasoline rationing if there were a 15 to 20 percent shortage of gasoline based on government projections of demand.


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Boston, MA – It’s no secret America’s in a fight against fat. But, these days, humans aren’t the only Americans being affected by our obesity epidemic–our pets’ waistlines are bulging too. In fact, approximately 40% of our nation’s dogs and cats are overweight or obese, according to a study by the American Journal of Veterinary Research. Being heavy isn’t cheap either. Research shows Americans shelled out tens of millions of dollars last year in obesity-related veterinary costs alone.
«Obesity is one of the most common health issues we see as general veterinarians,» says Heidi Bassler, DVM, medical director of Veterinary Center of Greater Newburyport. «Ironically, the serious and costly diseases associated with being overweight are also the most preventable.» Year after year, pet obesity remains a leading cause of preventable disease and death in dogs and cats.
High Risk, Soaring Costs
«Some pet parents might not see a problem with their pet’s extra pound or two,» Bassler points out, «but in an down economy like this one, pet owners will likely take issue with paying higher veterinary bills and that’s what having an overweight pet often leads to.» A few extra pounds on a dog or cat can be comparable to a human living with 30 to 50 extra pounds. When a pet is overweight, their whole body has to work harder to support those extra pounds.
From diabetes to arthritis, disc disease, cruciate ligament rupture, hypertension, and even asthma, studies show the risks of being a fat pet are very high. «The vet bills associated with these conditions can be sky high,» says Bassler. «Any one of these diseases could require costly treatment and some can evolve into chronic and even incurable conditions.»
Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) recently reported it reimbursed more than $14 million last year for claims with direct links to pet obesity. Sure enough, some of the most common claims included illnesses such as diabetes and joint and back issues.
Â· Up to 60 percent of American adults are overweight or obese
Â· 7.2 million dogs are estimated to be obese and 26 million overweight. The number in cats is higher, with 15.7 million estimated to be obese and 35 million overweight in the U.S.
Â· Smaller pets can tip the scales with only two to three pounds of extra weight
Â· 52.1% of dogs and 55% of cats over age seven were found to be overweight or obese
Sources: Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of Nutrition
How Cutting Corners Can Hurts Pets
«In a down economy like ours, pet owners are often tempted to switch to cheaper pet food brands in order to cut corners,» explains Bassler. «The problem is, cheaper foods are generally not as nutritious. Making sure a pet gets enough exercise, eats quality food in the proper amounts, and avoids eating too many caloric treats can literally add years to their life and save precious dollars in the long run.» Results from a PurinaÂ® study confirm the link between body fat and the development of chronic health conditions. This study found that even moderate weight gain is problematic, so it is important for pet owners to take the steps necessary to ensure their pet’s health.
What you can do?
To help your pets stay at a healthy weight and


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Looks like Huawei means business! A report from a fairly reliable Chinese website reveals that the company is refreshing its MateBook D lineup of Windows 10 laptops.
The company had announced the original MateBook D, along with two other Windows 10 devices in the MateBook lineup, back in May. The X is a 13-inch laptop with a very thin body and fanless design, while the E was a tablet.
According to the information provided, these new laptops have not radically changed, but they do come with the new 8th generation processors from Intel, which now offer up to a 30% boost in performance, thanks to these being truly quad-core chips.
In addition to the CPU, Huawei has also improved the dedicated GPU.
Adding in the wonderfully powerful NVIDIA MX150, which is sure to deliver a notably improved performance than the NVIDIA 940MX, which powered the previous generation model.
The new MateBook D is set to be offered in three models.
First of this being the base model with Core i5-8250U, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. The second, powered by the i5-8250U, with 8GB RAM, as well as a 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD. And finally, one that houses the Core i7-8550U, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD with 1TB HDD.
And in case you’re wondering, there has been no word yet on a refreshed MateBook E, which should not be surprising, considering the fact that Intel has not announced its 8th generation Y-series processors as of this writing.
What is surprising is that Huawei has made no mention of the MateBook X, the flagship of this lineup.
Perhaps this is something that the company is reserving for later.


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Holiday pivot — Vail Valley bazaar season starts this weekend
EAGLE — The Halloween candy has been distributed into outstretched pumpkin buckets and now its time to jump ahead to Christmas planning.
In the downvalley communities of Eagle and Gypsum, that means bazaar season is upon us.
There are four fair opportunities during the month of November, catering to shoppers who enjoy handing out hand-crafted gifts during the holiday season. The first two markets are scheduled this Saturday, Nov. 2.
Holiday Market and Artisan Fair
9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2
Gypsum Creek Middle School
The Gypsum Middle School Parent Teacher Organization hosts this event, but it has a history that’s longer than the school’s presence in the community. This year marks the 34rd annual bazaar.
Organizers promise everything from crafts and holiday decorations to handmade pottery and jewelry to skin care and nutritional supplements.
Along with between 40 and 50 vendor booths, the event includes kids arts and crafts. The PTO will be selling concessions that include breakfast burritos and baked goods. Money raised at the fair goes to the school’s classroom fund, which pays for extra activities such as field trips or special supplies.
The PTO is also sponsoring a canned food drive for the event. Raffle tickets will be given to everyone who brings in a donation for the drive. Prizes will be awarded and winners do not have tyo be present to win.
Eagle Seniors Craft Fair
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2
Golden Eagle Senior Center in Eagle
For the third year, local senior citizens will sell their unique crafts during the special event.
According to Eagle County Healthy Aging Program Supervisor Carly Rietmann, the fair will feature a variety of hand-crafted items and home-made goods. Shoppers can expect everything from crocheted blankets to knitted caps to jams and jellies to baked goods.
“This gives the seniors the opportunity to show off their work and it gives the individual vendors some extra money to help with their own holiday shopping,” Rietmann said.
A Craftsman’s Christmas Market
9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9
Brush Creek Elementary School
It’s a brand new venue for the holiday bazaar that’s known for its famed chicken noodle soup.
The Eagle Community United Methodist Women have been hosting this fair for more than 40 years and for all that time, they have met beforehand to stew chickens and roll out noodles for their famed culinary concoction. Along with the homemade chicken noodle soup, the ladies sell slices of homemade pie. The soup and pie lunch can be enjoyed on site or purchased to take home.
The fair features an array of hand-crafted goods from vendors from throughout western Colorado. Santa will be on-site for younger fair go’ers.
Winter Market and Holiday Fair
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16
Eagle River Center at the Eagle County Fairgrounds
The largest downvalley venue hosts this event, which will include homemade crafts, beauty products, food items and more. The fair is free and open to the public, but participants are asked to bring a non-perishable food item donation for the Vail Valley Salvation Army Food Pantry.
Along with the booths, the event offers family and pet photos with Santa, a holiday coloring zone and face painting. Beer and wine will be served on site.
To learn more, visit eagleholidaymarket.com.
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Due to budget shortfalls, Vail Resorts has pulled this winter’s funding for its cloud seeding program — the longest-running in the state at 44 years — potentially reducing the amount of water flowing down the…


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The National Kitchen and Bath Association asked me to share research and perspectives on the future of home-related businesses is in the post-pandemic market. Here are my thoughts along with those from with Bill Darcy of the NKBA and J. Walker Smith of Kantar Consulting. And for a wider look across other segments in the […]
In a recent conversation with fellow Forbes.com contributor Steve Dennis, our wide-ranging discussion turned to RH, the company formerly known as Restoration Hardware. “I was at a conference where Gary Friedman talked about these new gallery stores that hadn’t opened yet. And I thought he was crazy,” Dennis said. I had much the same feeling […]
Ikea, under its Ingka Centres group, plans to open 45 to 75 more malls worldwide, including the U.S., to add to its already 45 owned and operated malls in Sweden, Europe, Russia and China.
Small businesses’ opportunity to apply for their piece of the initial $379 billion CARES Act funding has come and gone. Overwhelmingly popular, the National Federation of independent Businesses reports that 70% of its 300,000 members applied for loans. While Congress moved quickly to add additional funds to the program for small businesses, tax attorney Logan […]
In retailing, it is easy to observe rapid-fire changes in shoppers’ purchase behavior. A big sale sign brings people in to shop who otherwise would have walked by. A new more convenient or time saving service, like buy online, pick up in store, gets people to switch from the old ways of shopping to new […]


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India’s total imports fell from 32 per cent in October 2018 to 26 per cent in December 2018
The government levy of import duty on electronic items seems to be working, with India’s trade deficit in December 2018 falling to a 10-month low, as a result of contraction in the import of electronic goods.
According to research and brokerage firm Anand Rathi, a decline in import of electronic goods indicates the “positive impact of the high import duty imposed by the government,” Financial Express reported.
Import of electronics — India’s second highest value import item — shrank 5 per cent in December, helping bring overall import bill down by 2.4 per cent year-on-year in the month. This, in turn, coupled by an uptick of 0.4 per cent in exports, led to India’s trade deficit in December falling to a 10-month low of $13 billion. In November 2018, India’s trade deficit was at $17 billion.
The narrowing trade deficit was also mainly due to a fall in import of crude oil, whose share in India’s total imports fell from 32 per cent in October 2018 to 26 per cent in December 2018. Crude oil is India’s highest value import item.


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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and South Korea are all set to kick off formal negotiation on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) aimed at boosting bilateral trade.
In a meeting between the Republic of Korea Ambassador Dr Dong-gu Suh and Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan, the two sides agreed to push forward the FTA process when the ambassador called at the minister’s office Wednesday.
The meeting discussed that the two countries have completed studies on different aspects of bilateral trade to be covered in the proposed FTA, which will start by the first quarter of next year.
Also under discussion were issues of mutual interest and promotion of bilateral trade and commerce.
Dastgir updated the Korean envoy on the progress of the proposed FTA, adding that during his visit to Seoul last year, both countries agreed to conduct research studies on the feasibility of FTA.
This agreement is part of a series of agreements like FTA with Malaysia and Thailand and Preferential Trade Agreement with Indonesia to reach the markets of East Asia.
An officer in the ministry of commerce told The Express Tribune that on the basis of these studies, an initial draft will be exchanged by sharing the inputs from both the sides, which will be followed by formal rounds of discussions to finalise the tariff lines and other matters.
The South Korean ambassador also expressed desire towards promotion of bilateral trade and commerce and showed willingness to step up cooperation in this regard.
Some Korean companies have shown keen interest to invest in hydro-power plants and IT sector in Pakistan, revealed ministry officials.
“We are encouraging Koreans to invest in Pakistan, especially in the energy sector,” said Dr Dong-gu Suh.
The officer also said that Pakistan is planning to build an IT park in Islamabad with the help of Korea Exim-bank and the Korean government for promotion of the telecommunication sector.
Besides, planning is also under way to establish some vocational universities by taking advantage of South Korea’s advancement in that field.
Currently bilateral trade between the two countries is around $1.1 billion and both sides expressed interest to further promote trade and investment relationship between the two countries.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2016.
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Terri Kelly is a firm believer that the titles of president and chief executive officer apply to her only when she is outside the walls of the headquarters of W. L. Gore & Associates in Newark, Del.
“Inside of Gore, I’m an associate like everyone else,” said Kelly, a 22-year Gore veteran who was tapped to take the reins of the $1.8 billion company last April. “You might say, ‘What’s the big deal?’ The big deal for us is when you have a title you feel you’ve arrived and sometimes it can make you believe that you have an authoritative position, that you are the knowledge center of everything. The fact is, you’re probably not tapping into the full knowledge of the organization.”
As Kelly explained, traditional models of corporate management have no place at Gore and are viewed as an impediment to the company’s lifeblood — innovation.
Creating a company whose corporate culture would fuel innovation was the goal of Wilbert L. Gore, a former DuPont scientist, and his wife, Genevieve, when they started the company in 1958. The result is a company with no formal in-house titles, no bosses and a free flow of ideas that has been responsible for the development of more than 1,000 products used in everything from guitar strings to NASA space suits. It also has landed the company on Fortune magazine’s list of the top 100 companies to work for eight consecutive years.
Kelly admits that a company without strict leadership definitions is a difficult concept for even her husband to comprehend. “I have to say that some days it does feel like we’re herding cats,” said Kelly. “It takes a lot of energy…but we believe if you really want to harness the energy in the organization, you’ve got to allow it to be free.”
Having employees, or associates, work in small teams is a key element to the company’s success. Leaders tend to emerge rather than be appointed in small team environments, according to Kelly. The ability to consult with others in the organization regardless of whether they work in the company’s textile or automotive segments is another element Gore prides itself on. It’s a free flow of ideas that Kelly said is crucial to allow the company to succeed in bringing new products to market.
“Innovation is a key part of what we do,” said Kelly. “About 95 percent of our products actually incorporate a unique material that finds its way into many industries.”
On top of selling fibers used in NASA space suits, the company sells industrial filtration products, cable applications that help improve signal integrity, and is involved in work on hydrogen fuel cells.
“A common theme you’ll find is that our products are typically very innovative, very high-performing, very reliable and find themselves in unique applications, very extreme conditions.”
Kelly pointed out that the human body is the most extreme and aggressive environment Gore products are being used in, with the company providing a range of cardiovascular products.
How success is achieved can be as important as the success itself, according to Kelly. The willingness of other associates to follow a leader is regarded as one of the best benchmarks of a leader within the organization. “We pay attention to how they got those results. Did they explain their actions through our core values? Did they empower people and get them to commit versus directing people to do things?” said Kelly. “When you have to go that extra mile and not just tell people what to do but explain it so they truly embrace the culture, it puts a tremendous burden on our leaders.”
Feedback also comes directly from colleagues through a ranking system. It’s part of a checks and balances process that doesn’t even exempt Kelly. “It’s a great way to really see where the support is in the organization,” she said. “All of our leaders are ranked by their colleagues. It’s not based on seniority. It’s not based on role or title. It’s based on who’s making the biggest impact to this organization.”


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Detroit Venture Partners has invested in Campless.com, a data provider for sneaker collectors. As a result, the Philadelphia-based company will relocate its headquarters to One Campus Martius in downtown Detroit. Financial details of the investment were not disclosed.
“With Campless, Josh (Luber, company founder and CEO) has created a unique methodology and vision for using data to create products, communities, and businesses,” says Dan Gilbert, a managing partner at Detroit Venture Partners and founder and chairman of Quicken Loans.
“This presents unlimited possibilities, not only within the sneaker industry, but any business aware of the powerful role data plays in their industry. This is exactly the type of high-quality, innovative company that further positions Detroit as a thriving tech hub.”
Campless, founded in 2012, operates similarly to Kelley Blue Book by collecting, analyzing, and distributing data about the resale sneaker market rather than automobiles. Luber says consumers, businesses, and financial experts use the website, including investment firms focused on the retail footwear industry.
The 10-employee company has also launched a “Collections” feature, where customers can track the value of their shoes over time and compare their collections with other users. Sneakers on the website include Air Jordans, Air Maxs’, and the LeBron and Kobe series, among others.
Detroit Venture Partners have also invested in companies such as LevelEleven, a sales performance platform; Quikly, an online coupon company for short-term offers, who also moved its headquarters from Philadelphia to Detroit; and reach | influence, a retail analytics firm.


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Azeri also won the Apple Blossom
last year and has now earned $2.
Twice the Vice, a 5-year-old mare owned by Martin and Pam Wygod, has lost only to Serena's Song this year and enters the Vanity off wins in the Santa Margarita, Apple Blossom
and the June 23 Milady at Hollywood Park.
The Washington State Apple Blossom
Festival, which debuted in 1920 as Blossom Days, started out as an event to showcase the apple industry and the people of this community.
The Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park today sees Azeri in a rematch with multiple Grade 1 dirt and turf winner Affluent, after they finished first and second in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom
Handicap last time.
Twice the Vice, who won the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita and the Apple Blossom
on a sloppy track at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, and Jewel Princess will carry a race-high 120 pounds each.
Two of thoroughbred racing's superstars, Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, will face each other in the Apple Blossom
Invitational, a $5 million race for fillies and mares, on April 9 at Oaklawn Racing & Gaming in Hot Springs National Park.
Also consider Escallonia Apple Blossom
, which has pale pink flowers in summer.
The so-called Cafe Quarter conjures up a picture of people in straw hats quietly drinking amidst murmured conversation and the smell of apple blossom
19, STOCKISTS 0870 034 2566 A fresh, feminine floral with apple blossom
and sparkling grapefruit.
And now you can get the same kind of uplift from your laundry thanks to new Bold 2in1 with the refreshing fragrance of Apple Blossom
and Lime Zest.
Johnny Miles insisted their first single was a remake of the old classic Apple Blossom
Time (the 1920s Fleeson & Tilzer song that had been recorded by The Andrews Sisters among others).
Choose from shrub roses such as 'Knock Out' red, blush and white, floribundas such as 'Iceberg' white and semi-pink, and 'Flower Carpet' red, pink, apple blossom
, white and (recently introduced) yellow.
HOLIDAY OF THE WEEK Norwegian Fjords Apple Blossom
Many of the troubles are down to pests and there seem to be numerous problems from wasp and bird damage down to much smaller foes such as the apple blossom
weevil, red spider mite, or the caterpillars of a sawfly.
The Carneros Chardonnay has lingering hints of pear, green almond and apple blossom
, which coupled with its bright acidity, will complement the menu nicely," he said.


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Being Multi-talented digital marketing, app development and mobile marketing agency, Dot Com Infoway has launched an infographic titled, “NFTs & Marketing Infographic: Recent Market Insights, Facts & Statistics.”
Non-fungible tokens, popularly known as NFTs, have recently exploded in the past couple of years, meteorically rising to stardom as the latest investment option. With the most valuable NFT selling for as much as $91 million, and transactions having catapulted by 800% in the years since 2018, it’s no wonder why talk about NFTs continues to rumble louder as many stop to take notice. However, NFTs remain a grey area, with many investors on the fence and not quite convinced of their worth.
In its deep-dive yet succinct infographic, Dot Com Infoway deconstructs why NFTs are the future of marketing. In a world where only 33% of businesses reach their 10th anniversary, with 50% biting the dust within 5 years of inception, NFTs are proving an appealing way for businesses to ensure their longevity by standing out. DCI finds that marketers have much less competition to deal with if they take this route, as many companies remain wary, mostly due to a lack of understating. Moreover, NFTs provide a unique experience that can interactively raise brand awareness and set tongues wagging like never before.
The infographic also answers concerns regarding the best NFT marketplaces, which is especially a bone of contention given the array of alternatives available to investors. Among the top cited listings include some popular names such as Open Sea, which makes up one of the most popular platforms today, having reached an all-time high trading volume of over $20,000,000,000. The infographic further gives the thumbs up to other popular alternatives, including platforms such as SuperRare, Enjin, and Rarible.
Dot Com Infoway CEO and founder C.R. Venkatesh is a big believer in NFTs. He explained, “I believe NFTs are the future of creative expressionism, and that they are not just some fad but are truly here to stay. That’s because digital transformation is growing by over 10.4% annually, and as we hurtle toward a fully digitalized world, NFTs will be a pillar essential to keep this new realm afloat. Moreover, NFTs can be extremely profitable and useful in terms of economic transactions, fashion, games, and the metaverse, you name it, and there have been many big names already jumping on the bandwagon. So we’re bound to keep on seeing NFTs move from strength to strength in a new, futuristic economy.”
The NFT infographic is a culmination of days of research by a team of experienced blockchain developers and targets both experienced and inexperienced readers keen to make heads or tails of the hazy NFT market. It devolves beyond the hype and noise and unearths real facts about NFTs, how they can add a spark to any marketing endeavor, and some of the best NFT marketplaces for investors looking to get in on the cash cow.
Company :-Dot Com Infoway
User :- alfred winston


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North Charles Street
4500 block at 5 p.m. Nov. 29. Bank card, cash stolen. Women left bank card in ATM machine and someone used it to withdraw money from her account.
4900 block, between 4:50 and 5:20 p.m. Nov. 28. Clothing, ID, credit cards stolen from vehicle.
West Cold Spring Lane
2300 block at 6:45 p.m. Nov. 30. Man robbed of Black Boost flip phone by two assailants, one armed with handgun.
600 block at 1:34 p.m. Nov. 29. Cash stolen from vehicle.
North Edgecombe Circle
4300 block at 6 p.m. Nov. 28. Woman's brown suede purse containing cash, Maryland driver's license, debit card and credit cards snatched as she got out of her car.
3100 block, between 9:15 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Nov. 28. 42-inch Vizio TV, 47-inch Vizio TV, Xbox games, Xbox headset stolen from residence. Entry gained by forcing open rear kitchen window.
North Howard Street
2500 block, between 1:30 and 1:45 a.m. Nov. 30. iPhone, cash, olive green Banana Republic coat stolen from woman who left coat on bar stool and walked away
2400 bloc, between midnight Nov. 28 and 9 a.m. Nov. 29. Entire contents of residence stolen. Entry gained by breaking in front door.
2800 block, between 1:15 and 5:15 p.m. Nov. 30. Samsung 46-inch TV, BueRay player, Apple iPod Nano, silver laptop, Blackberry cell phone, Samsung cell phone stolen from residence. Key used to enter front door and alarm system turned off. Door locked after theft.
1000 block, between 7:15 a.m. and 3:40 p.m. Nov. 28. Jewelry, HP laptop stolen from residence. Entry gained by kicking in front door.


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Slay, girl! Justin Bieber pulled regular 17-year-old Cindy Kimberly into the limelight when he shared her photo in Dec. 2015. Now, she’s more than just a pretty face – she’s a real model! See her first ad campaign, right here.
What a Cinderella story! Or should we say CINDY-rella? Cindy Kimberly, 17, was shocked to be thrust into the public eye by Justin Bieber, 22, on Instagram, but now it’s totally paying off! The photos from Cindy’s first ad campaign ever were released on Mar. 14, and they’re gorgeous! Check out a cool behind the scenes video, here.
Wow, we didn’t think Cindy could get any more beautiful! The stunning 17-year-old launched her first official fashion campaign on Mar. 14, and we can see a long career in her future. Cindy modeled for British online retailer Very, and she looked amazing.
With tousled long black hair, some dramatic kohl-rimmed eyes, and pouty pink lips, Cindy looks like the ultimate cool girl. We can’t ignore just how much she resembled Kylie Jenner, especially in a photo where she’s rocking a denim jumper over a graphic tank top. Girl looks hot!
On Mar. 13, Very teased their new it-girl, by sharing a video with behind the scenes clips from her shoot, but with her face mostly hidden. They captioned the photo “#OMGWhosThatGirl Can you work out who’s modelling our #ss16 collection? #veryuk #video #bts #shoot. Revealed 14.3.2016.” The first hashtag sneakily gave away the surprise though!
On Dec. 7, Justin shared a photo of Cindy with the caption “Omg who is this!!” Which is how she gained hundreds of thousands of followers overnight, and the attention of millions. She’s said that the attention was overwhelming and even scary, but now it’s making her dreams come true! Thanks, Biebs.
HollywoodLifers – What do you think of Cindy’s pictures? Let us know!


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US-based crypto firm Abra shared a press release with Cointelegraph on February 6 regarding the addition of new features to the blockchain-based app. Global investors can now invest in shares and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) using Bitcoin (BTC). Abra plans to utilize the Bitcoin blockchain and smart contracts technologies in order to support fractional investments in stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Abra announced early access registration to the platform, through which investors in more than 155 countries would be able to invest in 50 new traditional investment assets with zero trading fees through the rest of 2019 using the leading cryptocurrency, the minimum investment being $5.
Major stocks such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Netflix, commodities including SPDR Gold Trust, ETFs such as Vanguard Growth and the S&P 500, and indexes like the Russell 2000, among others, are reportedly included.
This is in addition to the app’s existing feature of offering investment in 50 fiat currencies and over 30 cryptocurrencies.
The press release states that investors can invest in any asset using Bitcoin (BTC) and smart contracts. Thanks to the stocks and ETFs investment features are based on a new investing model called Crypto Collateralized Contracts (C3s). By this, Abra can fix the value of “anything with a reliable price feed” to the price of Bitcoin.
We are building Bitcoin-backed investing products because, for the first time, we can truly democratize access to investment opportunities at global scale. It shouldn’t matter where you live or how much you earn to be able to make investments and participate in capital markets. – Bill Barhydt, Abra’s CEO
Tech publication Hard Fork is of the opinion that Abra’s newest feature would rake in money by charging a spread when the cryptocurrencies are exchanged – This charge is essentially based on the difference between an asset’s lowest and highest prices at the time of the trade. It compares Abra’s offering to trading apps such as BUX and Plus500 which haven’t met with success while using similar trading systems.
The press release states that the firm expects Abra customers to be able to purchase fractions of high-priced stocks and ETFs, which can be compared to owning a fraction of a Bitcoin.
“Just as consumers can own a fraction of a Bitcoin, they can soon use Abra to own fractions of high-priced stocks and ETFs,” the firm said.
Abra is non-custodial, which means that the app does not store or have access to user funds. Instead, user funds are stored on the Bitcoin blockchain that would make transactions “more secure and private than centralized databases used by most crypto exchanges and wallets.”
When a user makes an investment, the share price changes will indicate the amount of Bitcoin that would be added and subtracted from the user’s holdings. According to Hard Fork, owing to the user’s investment being immediately converted into Bitcoin – although displayed in dollars in the app – Abra would add BTC to maintain the user’s balance in case of a price change in Bitcoin.


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The first man to reach $100 billion in net worth twice and the second man, after Microsoft's Bill Gates to become a three-figure billionaire, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who celebrates his birthday on January 12, certainly has much to laugh on his way to bank as he became the richest man ever in human history, with a net worth of $106 billion. Bezos first reached the $100 billion mark in November last year.
Born Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen, his wealth can buy 2,500 tonnes of gold, which is equal to the weight of 463 adult African male elephants. It can also buy him 1.53 billion barrels of crude oil - India, between January to November 2017, imported 1.38 billion barrels of crude oil.
Bezos first entered the billionaires club in 1998, when Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder, had $51 billion in his kitty. It has taken 20 years for Bezos to become the world's richest man, with his net worth $13 billion more than that of Gates.
Amazon, which started off as an online book seller, is the world's biggest online retailer, has made profits in only 12 of its 23 year existence, with full year results of 2017 still awaited.
Bezos first shortlisted the name The Everything Store, before briefly toying with the name Cadabra, changing it to MakeItSo.com, which was inspired from Star Trek, before settling for Amazon. Bezos also registered several other doman names - among them Awake.com, Browse.com, Bookmall.com, Aard.com and even Relentless.com. In fact, type in Relentless.com even today and it takes you to the Amazon website.
The idea for selling books online came to Bezos after he received a tattered copy of Isaac Asimov's Cyberdreams for $6.04, that was bought through an online retailer.
Bezos' wealth represents almost 2 per cent of the total wealth of the world's 500 richest people and is 0.567 per cent of the US GDP. He earned nearly $41 billion in 2017, equivalent to earning $1,318 per second.
Bezos is known to be a hard taskmaster, much in the same mould as Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Amazon's employee policies, while allowing them the perk of bringing in pet dogs to work, charges them for vehicular parking and snacks.
Bezos named his company Amazon after the world's largest river, the Amazon, registering its URL on November 1, 1994, while the site went live on July 16, 1995. The first investors in Amazon, apart from Bezos, who put in $10,000, were his mother and step father, who put in $100,000. His mother was the company's first accountant.
A lifelong Star Trek fan, Bezos had a cameo as a Starfleet official in Star Trek Beyond, released in 2016. He also played a cameo as a security guard in a 2004 movie, Tooth Fairy.
Bezos was also an early investor in Google, now known as Alphabet, with an investment of $250,000 that would be worth $3.65 billion at current market value.
Copyright©2022 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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Serious games at the service of companies
Article published in the Gazette du midi n°8759 - December 7 to 13, 2020. By Dorisse Pradal
Virtual reality. What do Amélie Raffenaud and Jeff Sebrechts, the founders of Numix, a company located in the heart of France, have in common? in Tarnese Silicon Valley? They're two computer geeks with a passion for computers. With their 15 employees, they create serious games... for industry giants and develop e-learning platforms. Their objective: to make digital intelligent.
Numix in Gaillac, serious games at your service corporate
We are far from living room video games... Imagine simulators instead... At Numix, virtual reality headsets on your eyes, you learn how to repair a leak on a hydroelectric dam, put out a fire or how to react to a gas leak. "We don't just develop a 3D environment, we create its digital twin. This makes it possible to invent very different situations," explains Jeff Sebrechts. When faced with a danger, the user will have to react very quickly, his virtual journey will then be dissected and analysed by technical experts. "It's a powerful tool for learning," adds the manager. It also allows companies to identify certain procedures that have become obsolete."
The start-up has doubled its turnover since last March thanks to its training courses.
THE NEW PEDAGOGICAL DIMENSION OF E-LEARNING
In addition to serious games, Numix develops learning. E-learning can sometimes be boring," explains Jeff Sebrechts. We imagine courses where the learner has to engage in a fun and personalized universe with positioning tests. "The heart of the system is DeepTwin*, a tool designed for manufacturers, which allows simulations and tailor-made training. Numix is financially supported by Bpifrance to develop this technology. Since last March, the company has doubled its turnover thanks to the construction of blended learning training courses (mix between face-to-face and digital). From 500 K€ in 2020, Numix expects to reach 620 K€ next year. With a strong presence at trade shows such as the CES in Las Vegas, Learning Technologies France, winner of the Digital Economy Trophy in Occitania in 2019 and 1st prize Smart Grids in 2017, Numix has already won some pretty good contracts. The RATP, Lacoste, Yves-Rocher are calling on the Tarn company to boost their training... Internationally, the whole team is thinking about it: "We work mainly in France, but we are also starting to go into export with SIG in Switzerland. However, we're going slowly, we don't want to rush through the process," adds Jeff Sebrechts. At the end of 2021, Numix will move up a gear, moving out of the business incubator and flying on its own in a new 400 square meters building. With 17 employees, the founders are keen to keep this family spirit and this living environment between town and country. The company works hand in hand with the Champollion University in Albi and recruits talent from all over France. "We make serious video games, which is very rewarding for a developer. »
Founded in 2014 by Jeff Sebrechts and his business partner Amélie Raffenaud, Numix specializes in the creation of Immersive and Digital Learning for its major corporate clients. Real digital twins, these industry -led immersive simulators are known for their technical and pedagogic quality. Forever looking for new challenges, our 15-strong team are developing tomorrow’s tools to revolutionize the training sector.


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ActiveWin Media brings US casino first to the UK
Manchester’s ActiveWin Media has won a contract with San Francisco-based tech company Betablefor to work on its casino product for a UK pilot.
The partnership will see ActiveWin develop and execute digital strategies for the Prospect Hall brand to optimise its online campaigns and increase the number of players in the UK.
ActiveWin’s Managing Director, Warren Jacobs, said; “With their vision and agility, Betable’s Prospect Hall is a superb fit for our 30,000+ affiliate network, “Active Wins” and with our launch at the AAC in June 24th, we expect to hit the ground running!
“We view ourselves as an extension of Betable’s marketing division and will be working closely with their US and UK teams to grow the player base and maximise revenues for investors and affiliates alike.”
Betable intends to change the online gambling market by enabling innovative and “experience rich” games. The company has raised $23M and sought help from experts at companies including Goldman Sachs, Yahoo, PlayStation and Zynga.
ActiveWin Media launched in 2012 by MD Warren Jacobs & backed by Fred Done (Betfred) has grown to 60+ staff with a turnover of £3M, currently manages budgets and marketing investments in excess of £20M per annum.
In 2012 Betable launched the first platform to enable game developers to offer real-money gambling in their own games and apps. The San Francisco based company has recently launched Prospect hall as a showcase for content and features with the UK selected as a test bed for international expansion.


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Shows & Panels
- The 2014 Big Picture on Cyber Security
- AFCEA Answers
- Ask the CIO
- Building the Hybrid Cloud
- Connected Government: How to Build and Procure Network Services for the Future
- Continuing Diagnostics and Mitigation: Discussion of Progress and Next Steps
- Federal Executive Forum
- Federal Tech Talk
- The Intersection: Where Technology Meets Transformation
- Maximizing ROI Through Data Center Consolidation
- Moving to the Cloud. What's the best approach for me
- Navigating Tough Choices in Government Cloud Computing
- The New Generation of Database
- Satellite Communications: Acquiring SATCOM in Tight Times
- Targeting Advanced Threats: Proven Methods from Detection through Remediation
- Transformative Technology: Desktop Virtualization in Government
- The Truth About IT Opex and Software Defined Networking
- Value of Health IT
Shows & Panels
FDA prepping long-awaited plan to reduce salt
Thursday - 6/19/2014, 12:00pm EDT
MARY CLARE JALONICK
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Food companies and restaurants could soon face government pressure to make their foods less salty -- a long-awaited federal effort to try to prevent thousands of deaths each year from heart disease and stroke.
The Food and Drug Administration is preparing voluntary guidelines asking the food industry to lower sodium levels, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told The Associated Press. Hamburg said in a recent interview that the sodium is "of huge interest and concern" to the agency.
"We believe we can make a big impact working with the industry to bring sodium levels down, because the current level of consumption really is higher than it should be for health," Hamburg said.
It's still unclear when FDA will release the guidelines, despite its 2013 goal to have them completed this year.
Hamburg said she hoped the agency would be able to publicly discuss the issue "relatively soon." On Tuesday, FDA spokeswoman Erica Jefferson said there is no set timeline for their release.
The food industry has already made some reductions, and has prepared for government action since a 2010 Institute of Medicine report said companies had not made enough progress on making foods less salty. The IOM advised the government to establish maximum sodium levels for different foods, though the FDA said then -- and maintains now -- that it favors a voluntary route.
Americans eat about 1½ teaspoons of salt daily, about a third more than the government recommends for good health and enough to increase the risk of high blood pressure, strokes and other problems. Most of that sodium is hidden inside common processed foods and restaurant meals.
In addition to flavor, companies use sodium to increase shelf life, prevent the growth of bacteria, or improve texture and appearance. That makes it more difficult to remove from some products, Hamburg noted.
Once the guidelines are issued, Americans won't notice an immediate taste difference in higher-sodium foods like pizza, pasta, bread and soups. The idea would be to encourage gradual change so consumers' taste buds can adjust, and to give the companies time to develop lower-sodium foods.
"I think one of the things we are very mindful of is that we need to have a realistic timeline," Hamburg said.
Health groups would prefer mandatory standards, but say voluntary guidelines are a good first step.
Still, Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest says he is concerned companies may hesitate, worried that their competitors won't lower sodium in their products.
If that happens, "then FDA should start a process of mandatory limits," Jacobson says.
That's what companies are worried about. Though the limits would be voluntary, the FDA is at heart a regulatory agency, and the guidelines would be interpreted as a stern warning.
Brian Kennedy of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents the country's biggest food companies, says the group is concerned about the FDA setting targets and any guidelines should be based on a "rigorous assessment of all available scientific evidence."
The food industry has pointed to a separate 2013 IOM report that said there is no good evidence that eating sodium at very low levels -- below the 2,300 milligrams a day that the government recommends -- offers benefits. The government recommends that those older than 50, African-Americans and people with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease eat 1,500 milligrams a day. The American Heart Association recommends that everyone eat no more than 1,500 milligrams a day.
Lanie Friedman of ConAgra Foods, one of the companies that would be subject to the voluntary guidelines, says the newer IOM report is a "paradigm change" and more research is needed. But those pushing for sodium limits say it's pointless to debate how low the recommendations should go -- Americans are still eating around 3,400 milligrams a day.
Many food companies and retailers already have pushed to reduce salt. Wal-Mart pledged to reduce sodium in many items by 25 percent by next year, and food giant ConAgra Foods says it made a 20 percent reduction. Subway restaurants said it has made a 30 percent reduction restaurant-wide.
The companies say that in some cases, just removing added salt or switching ingredients does the trick. Potassium chloride can also substitute for common salt (sodium chloride), though too much can cause a metallic taste.
Levels of sodium in food can vary widely. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sodium in a slice of white bread ranges from 80 milligrams to 230 milligrams. Three ounces of turkey deli meat can have 450 milligrams to 1,050 milligrams.