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According to the social group of rahnam News Agency, the General Inspection Organization of the country entered into the issue of tea import based on its inherent duties and has examined the performance of the devices related to tea import from 2018 to the end of last year.
Investigations by the Inspection Organization indicate that the total foreign exchange received by a certain company from 2018 to 2018 (in the form of importing tea and machinery) was equal to 3.370 million dollars, of which about 1 billion 472 million dollars of foreign exchange was provided for machinery. And the rest was for importing tea.
By examining the performance of the mentioned group in currency transfer and tea import, many malpractices were identified and finally the inspection organization filed a case for that business group due to non-payment of foreign exchange obligations.
The case of the devices that had allocated foreign currency to this company is also being sent to the General and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Tehran due to the verification of some violations.
Currently, another part of this case is being processed in the special court for dealing with economic crimes.
In this regard, Zabihullah Khodaian; The head of the country’s general inspection organization explained the results of this organization’s investigation into the issue of “imports of tea and related machinery to the country during the last three years and non-fulfillment of foreign exchange obligations by an importing business group” and stating that the amount of tea required by the country is about 100 thousand tons per year, of which about 70% is imported, he said: while nearly a hundred manufacturing and trading companies are engaged in importing tea; But most of the imports are done by a specific business group.
He added: From the beginning of 1398 to the end of 1401, this business group received about 3 billion and 370 million dollars in foreign currency for the import of tea and advanced printing and packaging machinery, and during this period, 79% of the foreign currency allocated for tea import. , has been assigned to this business group.
The head of the inspection organization stated: In 1401, the total currency provided for the import of tea was about 1 billion 396 million dollars, of which 1 billion 101 million dollars was allocated to this group.
Khodaian stated that the aforementioned business group has not fulfilled its obligations for one billion and 400 million dollars of its received currencies and has not imported any goods into the country, and continued: According to the follow-ups, it was found that part of the currencies received by this group , has been sold in the open market for higher amounts. It is important to mention that in addition to the mentioned amount (one billion and 400 million dollars), the deadline for the remaining currencies received by this group is also coming to an end, and the amount of uncommitted currency in the field of tea import for this company is close to 2 billion dollars. can be increased
Khodaian told the import department of machinery related to this business group: in addition to the foreign currency provided for the import of tea, as much as one billion and 472 million dollars were allocated to this business group during the years 1398 to 1401 for the import of related machinery. The obligations of this company will be added and upon the expiry of the legal deadline, it will be added to the amount of expired unsolved obligations.
Referring to the violation of the company in registering the order of first-class foreign tea and the import of Kenyan and second-class Iranian tea for export, he said: while this group has registered the order of first-class Indian tea called Darjeeling at a value of 14 dollars per kilo. but in practice, he imported Kenyan tea and Iran’s second-grade export tea worth about $2, and the Food and Drug Organization also confirmed the quality of the imported teas in a systematic way with samples obtained in coordination with the customs appraiser. has done.
The head of the inspection organization stated another violation of the company in the way of clearance of goods and stated: the route that was considered in the customs for the clearance of the goods of this group was mainly the “green route”, which means that only through the system, the ticks of the item It has been commented and as a result the goods have been cleared and entered the country; While the import of tea requires inquiries from other institutions to confirm the quality, and as a rule, according to the regulations, the import of this product should be done either through the yellow or red route.
The head of the inspection organization clarified: the import of tea and machinery of this business group required the order registration and approval of the Ministry of Peace, Jihad of Agriculture and the Central Bank. Confirmation of the country’s needs and as soon as it is sent to the central bank, the necessary allocation has been made; While for other applicant companies, conditions such as previous import history and… were used as criteria for approval, and according to some importers, sometimes none of their requested orders were approved.
According to the repeated emphasis of the head of the judiciary to deal with the person who took the currency and did not spend it in the right place, as well as the inquiry from the institution that paid the currency, Khodaian announced the referral of the case to the prosecutor’s office and said: Violations of managers from various institutions, including the Ministry of Jihad, Agriculture, Ministry of Security, Customs, Standards and some banks, a special report has been prepared by the inspection organization and is being sent to the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Economic Crimes.
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The CEO of Twitter is set to change as per an unexpected announcement made by Elon Musk. The affluent tech mogul took to Twitter to express his enthusiasm about the appointment of a new CEO for the social media platform. The successor is expected to assume the role in approximately six weeks.
“Excited to announce that I’ve a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in ~6 weeks!” Musk tweeted on Thursday. “My role will transition to being exec chair & CTO, overseeing product, software & sysops.”
Excited to announce that I’ve a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in ~6 weeks!
My role will transition to being exec chair & CTO, overseeing product, software & sysops.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2023
Musk has a reputation as a visionary leader in the tech industry. Many are optimistic that this involvement will help continue drive innovation and growth for the platform, for example, Tucker Carlson’s upcoming show.
The appointment of a new CEO for Twitter is sure to shake up the social media landscape. With Musk at the helm, Twitter become a more dynamic and innovative platform, capable of adapting to the changing needs and demands of its users. We will have to wait and see how the new CEO shapes the direction of the company in the coming months and years.

domain: news


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Those who study history help evade future mistakes. While particular circumstances constantly change, big data pursuits unearth patterns and the ability to ‘see’ into the future. In recent years, after the surge of Web popularity and consumerism therein, small owners and major brands experienced security threats, hacks waged by tech-savvy rogues.
While the act of influencing another’s structure or technical logistics is illegal, gaining knowledge of ‘how’ to do such helps owners, like self-defense, providing intelligence to protect them from harmful people and endeavors. Below, read about some of the biggest and ugliest computer hacks of 2013. Keep 2014 threat free.
The Obad virus is considerably sophisticated, targeting Android mobile owners, especially those with high-end or ‘busy’ accounts. Those with many apps in operation, etc lack the vigilance to regularly detect threats. Via ‘back door’ methods, hackers gain entrance sending text messages to users who are at greater risk to download further malicious software.
The Ploutus scheme targeted Spanish ATM machines in Mexico. Using automated methods, hackers were able to ‘fool’ systems, unlawfully accruing cash. At its inception, the nefarious quest was contained to Mexico, later finding way into American systems too.
Most consumer and owners think about online transactions regarding hacking, yet hackers gain entrance into systems remotely targeting elements related to offline point-of-sale systems. Vendors swipe consumer cards, and then hackers gain numbers and sometimes general information related to them, maintained in a POS’ mainframe.
Imagine if traditional cyber threats found a mainstream supplier, sort of like an Amazon. That way, brands may benefit from greater exposure and streamlined efforts. Cutwail botnet is that to cyber threats like Zeus and Gameover. The financial industry experiences the greatest current threat, yet analysts suspect botnet’s threats know no end.
Vendors appreciate the breadth of information contained in point-of-sales systems, allowing them to better target repeat and initial customers. Therefore, hackers, gaining entryway, enjoy access to consumers’ credit card numbers as well as relevant information helping to complete illegal transactions. Millions of US dollars were lost in South Africa regarding associated hacker efforts.
Gozi takes root in the financial sector, stealing related information of corporations and individuals. Culprits have been apprehended and brought to justice, but related threats continue. The virus targets the master system of IE users, gaining access to financial data.
Sazoora is an international hacking effort, including the locales of Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium. Based primarily of phishing emails, nefarious elements rest dormant on a corporation or personal server for fifteen minutes, ensuing to wreak damage.
[tp lang=”en” only=”y”]Training[/tp][tp not_in=”en”]Training[/tp] is available to business owners and personalities who prefer knowledge over vulnerability. Like martial arts, owners learn ways to protect themselves from harm. Of course, like hurting someone out of the realm of self-defense, exacting hacking insights is illegal, but people benefit from ‘hacking history’ and those who provide additional guidance.
Seek outsourced tech services; read about previous hacking efforts; and, stay proactive in the fight against online threats and system compromises.
Guest article written by: Jamie Smith has a passion for computer science and how businesses can use it to their advantage. She often blogs about a number of computer topics such as technology training and social media usage.


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Marvel have taken an interesting approach towards digital comics. It’s been a thorny issue for the big two – namely DC and Marvel to try to figure out a balance between embracing new technology and not losing enormous amounts of money.
They have announced in the last few days that any sales of their premium (presumably best selling titles) at $3.99 will have a – presumably one time – code that will allow a digital download of the same book for free.
It would appear that this is an attempt to keep sales of print material buoyant while encouraging interest in the digital market. With Image and Dark Horse benefitting from digital sales – it’s an original idea and one that will be interesting to keep an eye on – particularly for us indy printers.
News on Beyond the Bunker’s digital sales will be appearing on Monday. Please keep an eye out.


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|Gold •15 mins||1,947.90||+8.30||+0.43%|
|Platinum •15 mins||935.70||+11.10||+1.20%|
|WTI Crude •10 mins||89.96||+0.33||+0.37%|
|Gasoline •11 mins||2.623||+0.003||+0.12%|
|Ethanol •11 hours||2.161||+0.000||+0.00%|
|Silver •15 mins||24.03||+0.34||+1.45%|
|Silver • 15 mins||24.03||+0.34||+1.45%|
|Copper • 15 mins||3.729||+0.033||+0.89%|
|Brent Crude • 10 mins||93.50||+0.20||+0.21%|
|Natural Gas • 10 mins||2.631||+0.021||+0.80%|
|Heating Oil • 24 mins||3.393||+0.025||+0.74%|
Smartphone shipment data from China suggests consumers are weighing on overall economic growth, reducing the odds of a "V-shaped" recovery.
Monday was a record-breaking day for the Chinese stock market, representing the biggest increase in shareholder wealth since the global financial crisis
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) now finds itself in a situation in which it desperately needs emergency funding
During this time of lockdown, everyone--not just the younger generations--have used their spare time to hone online shopping skills.
The reopening failed, and coronavirus cases are once again soaring, even if Vice President Pence is encouraging the media to focus on the positive details.
There’s nothing like a global pandemic to put fashion into perspective
In April, US banks took in $865 billion in cash deposits, and since January, they’ve taken in $2 trillion.
The new moratorium for borrowers with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac runs until at least the end of August,
U.S. states are now open again for business, but the lines outside of places like TJMaxx might be misleading.
Equity markets are flying, emerging markets are up, bond yields are creeping ever so slightly higher, credit is doing just fine


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Wendy’s breakfast daypart is close to meeting its 2022 year-end goal thanks to the menu’s first piece of major menu innovation—Homestyle French Toast Sticks.
The product, launched in August and now the No. 1 selling breakfast item, drove “meaningful acceleration” in U.S. breakfast sales across the third quarter. CEO Todd Penegor said the response from customers has been “overwhelmingly positive.” The morning daypart’s average weekly sales per unit approached $3,000—the benchmark Wendy’s hopes for in 2022—as the chain exited Q3. It earned around $2,700 in Q1 and Q2. The chain is confident that French Toast Sticks, combined with a $3 croissant promotion, will lift the brand past $3,000 before the year is over.
About 300 legacy restaurants, which offered breakfast prior to the March 2020 launch, are seeing $4,500 in average weekly sales per unit and well north of a 10 percent mix. CFO Gunther Plosch said these particular results are a sign of breakfast’s growth potential. He added that it’s “just a matter of time” to reach this level. Based on Wendy’s current footprint of 5,997 U.S. stores, if the chain achieved average weekly breakfast sales per unit of $4,500 across the entire domestic system, that would equate to an annual run rate of close to $1.5 billion.
“It’s really about ingraining the habit, bringing some news, ensuring that our customers come in a little more often along the way,” Penegor told investors during Wendy’s Q3 earnings call. “Innovation will play a role. Promotional price points will play a role. And executing great at the restaurant day in and day out with fast, accurate service is critical to success, and we’ll continue to drive all of those things moving forward.”
French Toast Sticks were under development for a year before their release late summer. They comes a la carte in four or six pieces or as a six-piece combo with Seasoned Potatoes and a drink. John Li, vice president of culinary innovation, said the company went through 18 iterations before it was satisfied.
Li told QSR in August that Wendy’s doesn’t have a set formula in how it approaches innovation. He said it’s driven by the environment and staying in tune with what guests want and need. Penegor echoed that sentiment to investors, noting that breakfast has the highest overall satisfaction among all dayparts.
“Any time you’re putting news out there, any time you got a promotion, any time you’re advertising, you start to build some more awareness, but, more importantly, you build trial,” Penegor said. “And we continue to see our breakfast daypart is our highest overall satisfaction daypart. So, our opportunity is to get folks to continue to get in, try us, get us into the routine, and then earn their frequency over time.”
Wendy’s U.S. same-store sales increased 6.4 percent in Q3, on top of 2.1 percent growth in the year-ago period. That was fueled by roughly 9 percent pricing, offset by negative 2 percent traffic, which is a sequential improvement from Q2. International same-store sales rose 10.8 percent year-over-year, lapping a 14.7 percent increase in Q3 2021.
Penegor explained that Wendy’s traffic remains negative because of consumers battling inflation from all sides. He noted that groceries take up about 85 percent of a guest’s basket, up from 82 percent prior to the pandemic. However, multiple quick-service executives have argued that grocery inflation soaring well above restaurant menu prices will shine a brighter light on the industry’s value going forward. For perspective, the food at home index (grocery menu prices) rose 13 percent in September, compared to 8.5 percent for restaurant menu prices, including 7.1 percent at quick-service concepts, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Regardless, Wendy’s is still winning the under $75,000 household, which makes up more than 50 percent of the chain’s business. The brand has also seen some trade down from mid-scale casual and fast-casual restaurants. Like many others, Wendy’s is leveraging a barbell strategy to grow share with low-income consumers and maintain higher-income guests.
On the value end, there’s the 4 for $4, but there’s room for customers to upgrade to the $5 Biggie Bag. There’s also the $3 breakfast deal that features a Bacon or Sausage, Egg & Swiss Croissant and a small order of Seasoned Potatoes. The deal ends November 20. On the high end, Wendy’s brought back the Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger in September and will soon launch fresh Italian mozzarella sandwiches and a peppermint Frosty. Additionally, the company is making gains in its loyalty program, which can use weekly offers to drive further traffic. Digital mix held strong at 10 percent in the third quarter.
Plosch said Wendy’s still has pricing power if necessary.
“Our traffic is sequentially improving. It’s still slightly down,” the CFO said. “So, we don’t see kind of less flow-through. We’re still seeing a flow-through of about 80 percent. So, we have not yet reached a breaking point, and we think there is, therefore, more pricing power there. As we also said, we are getting even more sophisticated on where to take price with a third-party consultant that we have hired, not just for the company but also for our franchisees. And at the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding, right? We have yet again in this quarter held our dollar and traffic share in the category. So, we are competing well with the pricing levels we’re at.”
As for franchisees, Penegor said they are cautiously optimistic about the upcoming economic environment. Year-to-date, Wendy’s has opened a net of 131 restaurants worldwide. Due to development delays for both nontraditional and traditional outlets, 2022 unit growth projections slimmed to 2 to 2.5 percent, mostly from issues with ghost kitchens. That’s still above the historical rate of 1-2 percent. The long-term objective is 8,000 to 8,5000 stores systemwide by 2025. Wendy’s finished Q3 with 7,080 units globally.
The company earned $3.42 billion in systemwide sales in Q3, up 8.9 percent year-over-year. Corporate store margins were 14.8 percent, not too far from pre-COVID comparisons of 15 to 15.5 percent. That was achieved despite commodity inflation of almost 15 percent and labor inflation over 6 percent.


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Virgin Picks ABB Power for Cruise Ships
Virgin Voyages has reportedly selected ABB Azipods to drive a trio of cruise ship newbuilds currently being built in Italy at Fincantieri's shipyard in Genoa. The 110,000 gt vessels, each measure 278 x 38 m and accomodating 2700 passengers and 1,150 crew, with the first due for delivery in 2020, the last in 2021. ABB is tasked to supply the complete electric power and propulsion package for the Virgin Voyages’ new fleet. Each oship will feature ABB’s Azipod propulsion, a gearless steerable propulsion system where the electric drive motor is in a submerged pod outside the ship hull.
Maritime Operators Embrace Digital Transformation
As maritime operators deal with challenging operating conditions, many are embracing digitalization as the most reliable way to lower operational costs and improve vessel efficiency.According to research conducted by Lloyds List Intelligence and Ovum, two-thirds of vessels use digitalization systems onboard. According to the executives surveyed, this is being driven by a desire to improve operating efficiency, with 88 percent already working toward that goal. As part of the process…
Cruise Ship Construction: China Rising
China earns cruise newbuild business, aims for ship financeWhile China has steadily built shipbuilding market share, cruise ship construction – more specifically mastering the logistical complexities inherent in cruise ship design, outfit and construction – has proved elusive. But it appears that Chinese shipbuilders have turned the corner, with contracts signed for the first cruise newbuilds. We were in Tianjin, China, earlier this year for the 4th Annual China Maritime Finance Forum for a look behind the covers of passenger vessel in China…
Freeport of Riga Joins Cruise Lines International Association
Continuing its active work on attracting more cruise ships and, respectively, more cruise passengers to Riga, the Freeport of Riga Authority has become a member of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association), the world’s largest cruise industry association, said a press release. Membership in this organisation will open a path for closer cooperation between the Freeport of Riga Authority and the world’s largest cruise line operators, thus facilitating the development of the cruise sector in the Port of Riga.
MSC Cruises Orders Another Newbuild at STX France
MSC Cruises has ordered a fifth Meraviglia class cruise ship at STX France. Due to be delivered in 2023, the vessel will be equipped with a new generation of dual-fuel engines designed to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG).The agreement for the new Meraviglia-Plus vessel represents an additional investment of €900 million (approximately $1.06 billion).With today’s order, MSC will be adding 13 new ships through 2026.The announcement was made at a ceremony held at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard…
Bolidt Eyes Polar Cruise Sector
Bolidt Synthetic Products & Systems' position for decking and flooring in mainstream cruise ship and superyacht markets has been quickly converted into a series of business wins in the fast-emerging polar expedition cruise ship sector.The most recent contract for the Dutch manufacturer’s hardwearing, environmentally friendly and visually attractive products covers the Hurtigruten newbuildings, Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansens, two hybrid propulsion expedition cruise ships under construction at Kleven shipyard in Norway.
Expanded Panama Canal Commemorates Two Year Anniversary
In the two years since its inauguration, the Expanded Panama Canal continues to offer record growth across segments and rising trade opportunities around the world. The Panama Canal marked the two-year anniversary of the inauguration of its Canal Expansion, the largest enhancement project in the waterway's 103-year history, on June 26. To date, the Canal has transited 3,745 Neopanamax vessels, traffic that confirms the route's efficiency and the maritime industry's confidence in the Expanded Canal.
Maritime Single Window for Antigua and Barbuda
An exciting new phase in a project to develop a maritime single window for Antigua and Barbuda has begun, with the installation of the first, basic system platform, said a press release from International Maritime Organization (IMO). Testing and implementation will now begin and if successful, the system, developed by Norway, could potentially benefit other countries of the Caribbean region and to other regions of the world. A technical team from Norway has explained the basic platform…
Fincantieri's Ancona Lays Keel for Seven Seas Splendor
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has held a keel laying ceremony for Seven Seas Splendor, the second cruise ship being built for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, a brand of the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. The ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard on June 28, 2018. The delivery is scheduled for 2020. The ceremony was attended, among others, by Jason Montague, President and CEO of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, who was welcomed by Giovanni Stecconi, the Fincantieri Ancona yard manager.
Norwegian Breakaway Maintenance Completed
The 326-meter, 146,000 DWT, cruise ship Norwegian Breakaway arrived in Brest on April 28 for 11 days of scheduled maintenance and refurbishment.The primary objective of the visit was mechanical works on the ship’s two ABB azipods. The DSBr team worked alongside ABB service engineers on both azipods to repair the shaft bearings and replace the slewing seals. These works required the removal of both propellers and took place in very close coordination with the other teams working…
Cruise Ship Passenger Dies after Going Overboard
A cruise ship passenger who went overboard near the Strait of Juan de Fuca has been pronounced dead.The U.S. Coast Guard said the 73-year-old male was unresponsive when he was recovered by a helicopter rescue crew from the water near the west coast Canada/U.S. border.The overboard passenger was transferred to local Emergency Medical Service personnel waiting on shore and then to the Olympic Medical Center where he was later pronounced deceased.Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound Command…
MSC Cruises Plans New Terminal at PortMiami
MSC Cruises is eyeing further growth in the North American with a new expansion project in Miami, the cruise line’s exclusive homeport in the U.S. The company announced it has signed an agreement for extended preferential berthing rights as well as of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of a new Cruise Terminal AAA at PortMiami.“The new agreement and expanded partnership with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County is another key step forward in the business growth of MSC Cruises…
Carnival Corp Meets CO2 Reduction Goal
Carnival Corporation, the world's largest leisure travel company, released its eighth annual sustainability report, announcing that in 2017 the company achieved its 25 percent carbon reduction goal three years ahead of schedule and is on track with its nine other 2020 sustainability goals.Looking to the future, the company continues to chart its sustainability journey, using the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to identify new environmental management…
Princess Cruises Orders Two Record-setting Newbuilds
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri said it has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Carnival Corporation brand Princess Cruises for the construction of two 175,000-ton cruise ships. The newbuilds, which will be the largest ships built so far in Italy, are slated to be delivered in Monfalcone in late 2023 and in spring 2025.The vessels will accommodate approximately 4,300 guests and will be based on a next-generation platform design, being the first Princess Cruises’ ships to be dual-fuel powered primarily by liquefied natural gas (LNG).“This revolutionary platform for next-generation…
Air Lubrication System Saves Fuel for Diamond Princess
Silverstream Technologies said its Silverstream System air lubrication technology has been retrofitted onto the cruise ship Diamond Princess, part of Carnival Corporation’s Princess Cruises brand.The system has been in operation since June 2017, reducing fuel consumption and related CO2 emissions. It recently completed its final contract trials, which demonstrated that the original performance expectations were exceeded with net efficiency improvements of over 5 percent at the design service speed…
Video: Sick Cruise Ship Passenger Medevaced
On Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a man suffering from stomach pains from a cruise ship 80 miles east of Charleston, S.C.The cruise ship Adventure of the Sea contacted Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders stating a passenger was in need of emergency care.An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Savannah launched and arrived at 7:30 p.m., hoisted the passenger and transported him to Medical University South Carolina for further care.
Meyer Implements CADMATIC Software at Finnish, German Yards
Cruise ship building giant the Meyer Group is implementing CADMATIC’s design and information management software in an effort to boost and harmonize the outfitting design and construction of vessels at its Finnish and German shipyards.Meyer is taking CADMATIC software into expanded use at its shipyard in Turku, Finland and introducing it in Papenburg and Rostock, Germany. The goal of the investment is to shorten lead-times in design and construction, improve the quality of design…
New Fuel Rules Push Shipowners to Go Green with LNG
Tough new rules on marine fuel are forcing shipowners to explore liquefied natural gas as a cleaner alternative and ports such as Gibraltar are preparing to offer upgraded refueling facilities in the shipping industry's biggest shake-up in decades.From 2020, International Maritime Organization rules will ban ships from using fuels with a sulphur content above 0.5 percent, compared with 3.5 percent now, unless they are equipped to clean up sulphur emissions. This will be enforced…
Celebrity Edge Ready for Sea Trials
Newly constructed cruise ship Celebrity Edge, built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique for owner Celebrity Cruises, left her outfitting dock Wednesday to join Joubert dock from where she will leave Thursday night for first sea trials.The 315-meter Celebrity Edge, due for delivery later this year, is the first of four Edge Class vessels ordered from the French shipyard in December 2014. The remaining vessels are scheduled to be delivered in 2020, 2021 and 2022.Length: 315mBreadth: 38 mGross tonnage: 116,000 UMSNumber of passenger cabins: 1,450 cabins / 3,200 passengers
Norwegian Joy is US Bound
Norwegian Cruise Line’s first ship custom-designed specifically for the Chinese cruise market will be repositioned to sail from the United States starting in 2019.The nearly 4,000 passenger cruise ship Norwegian Joy is slated to sail seasonally from Seattle to Alaska in summer 2019 before making voyages to the Mexican Riviera and Panama Canal from Los Angeles in winter 2019/2020.Built by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft in 2017, the 1,094-foot-long, 167,725 gt Norwegian Joy was designed with finishes and amenities tailored specifically to the tastes of Chinese guests.
Green Shipping: Toward a Clean Future
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has announced its targets of cutting greenhouse gas emissions from global shipping in half by the year 2050, and to make ships entirely CO2-neutral before 2100. But long before that, the so-called sulphur cap will take effect: From 2020 all oceangoing ships must run on fuel that contains no more than 0.5 per cent of sulphur. According to estimates by classification society DNV GL, up to 70,000 ships will be subject to this requirement.
Carnival Plans $200 Mln Cruise Ship Makeover
Carnival Cruise Line will spend nearly $200 million on a major makeover of the 1999-built Carnival Triumph. The bow-to-stern renovation will add a number of new Carnival branded food, beverage and entertainment options, as well as updates to all staterooms.The nearly 20-year-old ship will enter drydock in Cadiz, Spain for a two-month-long refurbishment staring March 1, 2019. Afterwards, the ship will join Carnival’s Sunshine class and will be named Carnival Sunrise.Christine Duffy…
Cruise Ship Costa Venezia Floated Out
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri hosted a float-out ceremony for a new cruise ship under construction for Carnival Corporation’s Italian brand Costa Cruises. The new ship, Costa Venezia, is Costa’s first ship designed and built specifically for the Chinese market.“As our first ship built specifically for the Chinese market, Costa Venezia marks a new era not just for Costa Cruises and Fincantieri but for the Chinese cruise industry as a whole,” said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Group Asia.


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Abstractism Came With Unusually High CPU Commitment
Valve is no stranger to shady games and apps on its platform. Steam has been home to a whole bunch of scummy asset flips and achievement farms over the years, yet this seems like a new level of sinister design practices. It looks like Abstractism has been using players’ CPUs for crypto mining on the sly.
Okay, so the evidence isn’t concrete at this stage. However, the game does come with a “critical file” that ends up being blocked by most antivirus software on the market. The developer has stated that the unusual CPU load people are experiencing is probably due to them playing on high graphics settings. Also, in what is certainly an unrelated coincidence, the game is no longer anywhere on steam.
The sudden disappearance (as I was writing this article in fact) is likely due to another, wholly unrelated, scam happening around Abstractism, the sale of fake TF2 items. Apparently items were being sold through the game/developer that looked identical to items you could purchase for TF2, only they were utterly bogus. Of course, other things for sale were just racist and homophobic memes, because of course they were. Regardless, this is just one more “game” that’s been stamped out and flushed away by Steam’s slow-moving enforcers. Perhaps one day we’ll be free of this weird tyranny.
CLICK HERE IF MEDIA / VIDEO / TRAILER IS MISSING:
Shady Steam Game Crypto Mining App In Disguise


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One of the newest Onion articles has caused waves and sparked criticism from people, including Subway, the company featured in the article.
The Onion, a satirical website, published an article on September 6 about Subway planning a new promotion to honor “Subtember 11.”
“With a number of terrific discounts on special sandwiches as well as our classic footlongs, you’ll always remember where you were on Subtember 11,” Subway president Fred DeLuca told reporters, the article states.
“From the Structural Steel Melt on Tower 7–Grain bread to the Twin Chowers cold cut combo with Ground Zero–Carb vinaigrette on a Let’s Whole Wheat Roll, we’ve got something for everybody this Subtember 11.” DeLuca added that the special promotion will be “first responders, first served.”
The article is playing off of the ceremonial date of September 11, on which in 2001 the Twin Towers in New York City were struck by planes and almost 3,000 people were killed.
Subway responded to the article Friday night, saying it was not pleased with the article. See its reaction and a variety of reactions below.
Follow @ETBreakingNews for breaking news from around the world.
Want your reaction included? Tweet at me: @ZackStieber


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Andreessen Horowitz, the venture firm backed by Netscape founder Marc Andreessen and tech entrepreneur Ben Horowitz, announced Tuesday that it had raised $1.5 billion in its third round of funding.
This will bring the firm's assets under management to $2.7 billion. It's a very opportunity-rich environment right now, said Andreessen. He added that the firm planned to stick to its strategy of investing in companies with the potential to upend an industry.
The firm started with $300 million in 2009 and then raised $900 million more in 2010. Andreessen Horowitz's portfolio currently includes 90 companies, including Foursquare, Pinterest, Zynga and Facebook.
Horowitz also released some data on how the firm works and how that translates into quantifiable action. In 2011, the firm hosted more than 600 portfolio company presentations with corporations or partners, which turned into more than 3,000 introductions to major corporations. The two new funds consist of a $900 million main vehicle and a $600 million parallel fund, said Horowitz. The parallel fund will be deployed opportunistically, he added.
We are uniquely positioned to help the greatest technology entrepreneurs in the world build the best technology companies in the world, and that's just what we're going to do, wrote Horowitz in his blog.


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Their efforts to save the planet go beyond environmental issues.
For the third year in a row, Italian skiwear brand Moncler is named one of the world’s most sustainable brands. According to the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2021, they received the highest score in the Textiles, Apparel, and Luxury Goods category.
Moncler’s sustainability credentials include developing a strict transparency program through the Down Integrity System & Traceability (DIST). The protocol consists of animal warfare, such as only purchasing down fabric exclusively from a by-product of the food chain.
In addition, the high-end label has tackled global issues by making 100 percent of its packaging biodegradable, using 50 percent renewable energy (they plan to hike it up to 80 percent by the end of this year), and encouraging diversity in their workplace with 56 percent of management positions being females.
As a clothing brand, Moncler also uses its resources to protect 50,000 children from cold weather conditions in collaboration with UNICEF.
Sustainability in business
“If I look back and think about every single person’s commitment at Moncler, I believe we’ve done a lot in these years to integrate sustainability in our business model,” says Remo Ruffini, Moncler’s CEO, on their three-peat achievement. “If I look ahead to the urgent social and environmental challenges, I realize that we need to gear up. Young generations are disillusioned and keep reminding us that the time of words has now ended and there is only room left for action”.
S&P Global bases its scores on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, a trusted reference for investors that ranks leading companies based on economic, environmental, and social responsibility criteria.
Banner photo from @Moncler on Instagram.


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LARSEN, Wis. (WFRV) – A family farm has become a staple for one community.
The Overton family has owned ‘Curvy Hill Farm’ in Larsen since 2015. They offer fresh eggs, season produce, and meat.
Once the pandemic hit, Brooke Overton resigned from her job. Her and her husband, Ryan, used their love of cooking and baking to open a baking business right at the farm.
“If we didn’t have this during the COVID shut down, what would we have done? We’re so busy, what would we have done this whole time with nothing to do?”, Brooke explains.
The baking business has done extremely well. They’ve had customers since the start in May until now. The community has supported them since the start and the Overton’s tell Local 5 how gracious they are for their support.
Right now is maple syrup season at the farm and it’s one of the biggest hits at ‘Curvy Hill Farm’. The family had over 300 gallons of sap this season.
The Overton’s offer home delivery with purchases from the baking business. Right to your doorstep service and Brooke says it’s been so convenient for customers during COVID.
It takes the whole family for the farm to function and the two daughters, Dakota and Bristol, help out every step of the way. Their favorite part? Checking for eggs and feeding the chickens.
For Ryan and Brooke, it was a high school crush back in 2005 that never stopped. They originally met through ‘Future Farmers of America’ and years later, led them to owning ‘Curvy Hill Farm’.
Raising their two daughters on the farm was important for Ryan and Brooke so they could have the ability to explore and teach their daughters life lessons.
“Coming off of a dairy farm myself, for the longest time growing up you just kind of want to get away. It kind of got drawn back on me and I wanted to bring that to these two as well”, says Ryan.
To learn more about ‘Curvy Hill Farm’ and all of the goods they offer, you can visit their Facebook page.


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SAN DIEGO – In a trial to decide if Johnson & Johnson sold pelvic mesh implant devices allegedly knowing they would cause harm to women, an accountant assigned by state attorneys to look at Ethicon’s business model said the company made a priority of treating health care providers to meals.
“It (meal treating) was significantly higher than the professional education and training events that we saw,” said Travis Armstrong, a certified forensic accountant and data analysis examiner, during trial on Tuesday.
Armstrong said sales reps for Ethicon treated doctors to meals to discuss their mesh products, as well as the company sales managers who supervised them and selected marketing personnel.
The trial in the San Diego Superior Court is being streamed live courtesy of Courtroom View Network.
The state of California, through its Attorney General Xavier Becerra, sued Johnson & Johnson over the Prolift pelvic mesh device, made by its subsidiary Ethicon, for allegedly causing vaginal injuries in women and allegedly for selling the product through the use of deceptive marketing practices. Prolift is a clear polypropylene mesh with eight thin connecting arms.
The case in San Diego is the first at trial by a state attorney general and seeks damages over allegations of unfair competition and violation of false advertising laws.
The company reportedly sold 42,000 Ethicon pelvic mesh devices between 2008 and 2014. The mesh is designed to help a sagging bladder condition called pelvic organ prolapse, or POP. Two of the products at issue are called Prolift and TVT (tension-free vaginal tape) slings.
Armstrong told state attorneys he received $390 per hour for his testimony in the case and had billed about $200,000 so far for 500 hours of work.
“What was your assignment?” he was asked.
“To review Ethicon marketing activities,” Armstrong answered.
In addition to providing doctors with meals to discuss the company’s products, the company also used print marketing, phone orders, website promotion and participation at events like health fairs.
The total estimated amount spent from 2008 to 2015 treating health care providers to lunch, dinner or snacks was $15,281.
“Do you know what was said at these meals?” he was asked.
“The data (reviewed) does not contain any information on what was said at the meals, no,” Armstrong said.
“Were all the meals purchased by Ethicon employees as part of their job responsibilities?”
Between the years 2009 and 2011, the company spent an estimated $13,925 on health fair promotions.
Distribution of instructions for use of stress urinary incontinence devices totaled an estimated 4,512 in 2011 and 436 in 2018, while instructions for use of POP devices numbered 935 in 2011 and 22 in 2018.
According to the figures, the company took part in 15 education and training events in 2008 and three events in 2011. Print marketing accounted for 36,062 brochures ordered between 2008 and 2011.
Armstrong estimated that at 22 sales calls per week between 2008 and 2012, sales reps for Ethicon in California had made a total of 42,909 sales conversations.
Ethicon also maintained a hotline phone information service about company products at 1-888-Gynecare and a website at www.pelvichealthsolutions.com. The website had a high of approximately 38,000 visits in 2009, Armstrong explained.
J&J purchased web advertising about the mesh products from Google. Armstrong said an e-blast message from J&J in 2009 was sent to an estimated 350,000 women.
On cross-examination, Carolyn Kubota, the attorney for Johnson & Johnson, challenged Armstrong’s statistics.
“You understand the attorney general will use this report as a basis for a penalty recommendation if he wins,” she said. “He will base it on your counts.”
“I have a general understanding,” Armstrong said.
“It’s important for you to be reasonable,” Kubota said.
“Your analysis included a number of judgment calls.”
“Yes,” Armstrong said.
“Do you agree it would be important to error on the side of the conservative? It’s important for you not to inflate (statistics).”
“Not without a basis,” Armstrong agreed.
“Is it important to avoid double-counting?”
Armstrong said it was.
“Are there places where a possibility of double-counting appears?” Kubota asked.
Armstrong conceded the possibility existed for a meal served at a field event to be also counted as a meal for a health care provider.
“There is a potential for over-lap,” he said. “It would be counted double, yes.”
“You don’t have an independent knowledge of the facts of this case, you weren’t present at (marketing) meetings?” she asked.
“I have no personal direct knowledge,” Armstrong said.
“What you reviewed was selected for you by the state? For the Ethicon documents, the answer would be yes?” Kubota asked.
“Yes,” Armstrong said.
“You’re not a marketing expert, right?”
An estimate that a health fair was attended by 2,575 visitors who could have stopped at an Ethicon-run show booth to discuss the risks of mesh devices Kubota also took issue with.
"You agree, that you don't know for a fact if even one person came to the Ethicon booth," she said. "You don't know if a health care provider received a single piece of (Ethicon) literature."
Armstrong indicated his statistics had been developed from reviewing documents.
"I would have had to be there (health fair) to know," he said.


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from the mr.-president-we-seem-to-be-alone dept.
barlevg (2111272) writes "In May 2012, in the midst of an FTC investigation into Google's search practices, the law school at George Mason University in Northern Virginia hosted a conference attended by congressmen, regulators and staffers. The topic: competition, search and social media. What none of the attendees of the conference knew was that Google was pulling many of the strings behind the event, even going so far as to suggest invited speakers.
This event, as documented in The Washington Post is just a snapshot of the operations of one of the largest and highest spending lobbying entities in DC, a far cry from the one-man shop it started out as nine years ago, from a company "disdainful" of Washington's "pay-to-play" culture."
Business is a good game -- lots of competition and minimum of rules.
You keep score with money.
-- Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari


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American embassies, military units, and other U.S. interests brace for possible threats.
Quoted from U.S. prepares for security risks from torture report on Yahoo News – Latest News & Headlines
The drill aims to prepare the U.S. Forces Korea for an evacuation involving the families and pets of around 28,500 troops. Claiming that some Americans were readying for war, a Russian state-owned channel explained to citizens how to store food in bomb shelters. The Trump administration on Monday lost a bid to persuade a federal court to allow long-term detention of migrant families, a significant legal setback to Tags: prepares, family, reunions, migrants, U.S. Prepares to Proceed With The Trump administration is preparing to levy tariffs on tens of billions of dollars of Chinese goods in the ing week, perhaps as early as Friday—a Canada finalized tariffs of American goods and pledged support panies and workers hurt by levies on Canadian steel and aluminum


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But really, Blank told a rapt audience of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and start-up wannabes at Demo Mobile 2013 this week, the only place writing a business plan should be discussed is “in the English department, as creative writing.” The only place outside of Silicon Valley where five-year plans based on complete unknowns have been required was the Soviet Union, he said, “and look how that worked out.”
Instead, startups should expect to go from failure to failure. Because on the first day, you don’t have a plan. “You have a series of untested hypotheses,” he says, “or that’s what I tell my students at Stanford. Outside of Stanford we call them eff’n' guesses.”
To support this plan-less approach to entrepreneurship, Blank brought a series of entrepreneurs to the stage to talk about their experiences. Matt Brezina, CEO of Sincerely, a company that turns personal photos into mailed greeting cards, said the company launched a number of different apps under different brand names as tests of concepts, including a photo printing service and stock greeting cards, before coming up with the concept of personalized greeting cards, that is now commercial as the product “Ink.” He found his first test market by mining his roommates’ Facebook pages; the company did later market research by walking across the street to a shopping mall and stopping shoppers to show them paper mockups, wireframes, and other early app designs. “Malls have people who buy stuff,” said Brezina, “and they’re my customers.”
Gentry Underwood, founder of Orchestra, a company recently purchased by Dropbox, set out to develop a shared to-do list, an app that eventually morphed into Mailbox, a way to handled e-mail efficiently on a mobile device. Orchestra started off intending to offer people who were using e-mail backlogs as de facto to-do lists off e-mail a real to-do list app. But the company ended up trying to make the entire e-mail experience better. It wasn’t “a big pivot,” Underwood said, rather “a series of incremental steps.”
Initially “we made a mistake in the business model,” Underwood said. “Because e-mail was a terrible to-do list we thought we could get people to use a another to-do list. But what we had to do was fix e-mail.”
Deena Varshavskya, CEO of Wanelo, also admitted to making a lot of mistakes, some expensive, in developing her shopping app. She advises testing concepts as web pages before committing to developing an app, and avoiding feature creep. “Understand the one thing that makes a difference,” she advised the Demo attendees, “and put your entire energy behind that.” In the end, she said, after two years of experimenting, Wanelo removed all the features that weren’t working and ended up with a clean—and successful—approach.
Photo: Steve Blank. Credit: SteveBlank.com.
Tekla S. Perry is a senior editor at IEEE Spectrum. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., she's been covering the people, companies, and technology that make Silicon Valley a special place for more than 40 years. An IEEE member, she holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University.


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Apple’s resident master of the tap, the pinch and the zoom, Scott Forstall, has just come in second on Fast Company’s Most Creative People In Business Awards. But how did Apple’s VP of iPhone Software get an award that Steve Jobs and Jonny Ive weren’t up for?
Why’d Forstall get the award? Fast Company makes an eloquently stated case for the recognition:
Jonathan Ive’s slick designs may grab the headlines whenever Steve Jobs introduces a new product, but it’s Scott Forstall’s smart software that fills Apple’s coffers. As senior VP of iPhone software, Forstall is the chief architect of iOS, the industry-defining operating system that runs on more than 160 million iPhones, iPads, and iPods. The popularity of that tap, pinch, and swipe interface has sent Cupertino’s earnings rocketing: Revenue hit a record $26.7 billion in the last quarter of 2010; 65% of it came from sales of iOS devices. Apple’s Mac operating system is now being remodeled around Forstall’s baby, with this summer’s OS X Lion update set to include numerous features borrowed from iOS, including multitouch controls.
It’s true. While the appearance of Apple’s products often gets most of the glory, it’s the software that is really the aspect of the Apple experience that the competition still can’t come close to touching.
Many other people on Fast Company’s list actually owe their businesses to the iOS operating system. Other recipients of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People In Business Awards” include Jack Dorsey [Square, Twitter], Marcos Weskamp [Flipboard], Aaron Levie [Box.net], Kevin Systrom [Instagram], Dong Minghzhu [Gree] and Mikael Hed [Rovio]. It’s nice to see all of these guys get some recognition, not as just app devs, but shrewed, forward-thinking businessmen.


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According to reports by SamMobile and Chinese editor Engadget, Richard Lai, Samsung has delayed launches of its Galaxy Fold phone, about $ 2,000, in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
According to SamMobile, "a person claiming to know the subject" said that Samsung accused the sites involved for the delays, which was supported by a frequent tipster. Lai's message contained no such information, merely saying that two events of April 23 and 24 had been canceled. (Gizmodo has contacted Samsung for confirmation and we will update this message if we receive it.)
The Galaxy Fold, one of the first smartphones with a foldable display to be sold in the market, was undermined by early critics focusing largely on the thing that breaks more or less immediately. CNBC reporters The Verge and Bloomberg have all had problems ranging from hinge bumps to scintillating screens to a protective film on the phone that looks like the removable type usually used on packaging, but it must not be removed because it could break. the phone.
Gizmodo had no such problem with our copy and the TechCrunch review service continues to work, based on a message this morning.
Samsung told Gizmodo that he was working to "determine the cause" of the technical problems, adding that the removal of the protective film was a separate problem that would result in warnings "clearly delivered to our customers".
This phone is very used – as CNN noted, Samsung said it sold each device available on its own website (although it is not clear how many were on sale) and said last week launch on April 26 in the United States as planned. CNN said separately that not moving the timeline to this location "suggests that Samsung" might think that the issues related to the review are "isolated incidents", while deploying the new collapsible technology as "one-offs" is likely to be a problem. standalone device rather than a feature of its main line reduces the likelihood of resembling Galaxy Note 7 The debacle of the burning battery recurs. Expectations could also be somewhat flexible, as the phone is designed for limited output and is to some extent a novelty device (even if it costs $ 2,000).
Of course, it is quite possible that the reported deferrals have nothing to do with the apparent fragility of the Galaxy Fold and that the phone continues to cross to the market as expected. However, competitors are progressing somewhat more slowly, with Huawei's Mate X not scheduled for launch until the fall, the Wall Street Journal reported.[[[[Richard Lai/ SamMobile via the Verge]


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Toy Fair 2014: Capo Toys Unveils New ‘Street Fighter’ Action Figures
A challenger appears! Following lines from Hasbro, SOTA, NECA, Jazwares and others, newcomer Capo Toys arrived at Toy Fair 2014 to show off a medley of painted and unpainted prototypes of its upcoming 6-9" tall Street Fighter action figures sculpted by Rocco Tartamella. Based on the video game designs from Street Fighter IV, Capo Toys' first wave will include Sagat, Ryu, Blanka, Guile and Chun-Li -- each packing around 20 points of articulation.
Ryu and Sagat come adorned in cloth versions of their respective gi and boxing trunks (potentially as more deluxe figures packed in window boxes), with the rest of the team rocking sculpted-on attire and likely being sold in blister packs.
The figures are expected to debut via variants at San Diego Comic-Con 2014, with the standard line rolling out in the fall for an estimated $20-25 price point. Provided the figures perform, Capo plans to release further waves covering as many of the game's characters as fan demand calls for.
You can see all five of Capo Toys' upcoming Street Fighter action figures below.


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Mar 28, 2022
Bitcoin Drugs Market
The agency has been investigating cases where drugs were bought using Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates. In June 2022, the GAOreported on payment methods accepted by 27 online commercial sex market platforms. The agency found that 15 of the 27. The cryptocurrency is emerging as a new front in Latin America's for control of vast criminal markets for sex, drugs, guns and people. The qu4ntum drug organization distributed anabolic steroids and other Market Reddit Best Darknet Markets Biggest Darknet Market 2022 Bitcoin Drugs on A. The seizure of the Hydra servers and cryptocurrency wallets market to operate as a platform used by thousands of drug dealers and other. Other than drugs and fake identification documents, Hydra offers cash-out services that allow users to swap crypto for gift cards, prepaid debit.
And with untraceable cryptocurrency as the primary means of payment, close cooperation Wall Street Market and Valhalla, two of the largest drug markets. The hit German-language Netflix series 'How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)' is very versus project market url marketplace accepts payment in four cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ripple. The market is used to trade everything from drugs to stolen data. A new study on Silk Road, the recently shut-down illicit online marketplace that first brought bitcoin to notoriety in 2022. Darknet marketplace that they say specialized in drug dealing. has facilitated over 5 billion in bitcoin transactions since 2022. In June 2022, the GAO reported on payment methods accepted by 27 online commercial sex market platforms. The agency found that 15 of the 27.
Drugs and other illegal offerings, including ransomware activity, that emanate from 3 Market Trends This Week: 19th Century Crypto, Recession Risk. By J Aldridge 2022 Cited by 112 Cryptomarkets represent an important drug market innovation by bringing buyers and sellers of illegal drugs together in a 'hidden' yet public online. The October 1 closing of a popular darknet marketplace leaves a big hole in drugs, and more than 31 million in cryptocurrency and cash. Criminal ring used 'dark web' marketplaces to sell drugs, to be the versus project market link 'Amazon Marketplace' for thousands of drug addicts and drug dealers. The libertarian institute's website says it seeks to advance the Misesian tradition of thought through the defence of the market economy. Hydra specialized in same-day "dead drop" drug delivery services, to explore more of Benzinga's Cryptocurrency market coverage.
Feds slay dark-web souk Hydra: Servers and 25m in crypto-coins seized known dark-web marketplace trafficking in illegal drugs and. In addition to arresting Ulbricht, the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized approximately bitcoin drugs market million in Bitcoin, making it the second. The agency has been investigating cases where drugs were bought using bitcoin, and recently it arrested versus project market darknet Makarand Pardeep Adivirkar. The pair were arrested in New Mexico two years ago after authorities found they used the seedy marketplaces Wall Street Market and Empire. The complaint alleges that, while in operation, Silk Road was used by thousands of drug dealers and other unlawful vendors to distribute. The agency has been investigating cases where drugs were bought using Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Hydra servers and cryptocurrency wallets were seized by the been a key online marketplace for the sale of deadly drugs worldwide, said. The cryptocurrency is emerging as a new front in Latin America's for control of vast criminal markets for sex, drugs, guns and people. As the markets for digital assets such as cryptocurrencies grow, A technician inspects the backside of bitcoin mining at Bitfarms in. Money versus project link bitcoin drugs market bitcoin drugs market bitcoin drugs market bitcoin drugs market marketplace bitcoin drugs market funding. World's Largest Dark Web Marketplace, Seize 25 Million In Bitcoin and illegal drug sales, has been shut down by German authorities. Sites similar to Silk Road already exist within the Tor network. Two stores called Atlantis and Sheep Marketplace offer illegal drugs, equipment.
Liverpool, a 19-year-old man from New Waltham in Lincolnshire, a 30-year-old man from Cleethorpes [Lincolnshire], a 29-year-old man from Aberdovey in Wales and a man and woman, both 58, also from Aberdovey, have all been bailed after being interviewed. Since May 2016, he has been writing across many areas of technology. We strive to offer you upgraded reports, reviews, and fascinating dark web news that are most relevant in all aspects. Weekly Roundup: US Presidential Elections are Unsafe and Facebook Users are Declining, The bitcoin drugs market Scariest Cyber Threats That Will Terrify You This Halloween, Weekly Roundup: Facebook Threats Online Democracy and Data Privacy Rights. The overall picture of user name c haracteristics, however, has remained unclear. When a customer purchases allocated gold, they have ownership over the gold and can choose to store it on their own, or in a vault at a London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) facility. An Ohio man faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy arising from his operation of Helix, a Darknet-based cryptocurrency laundering service. There are competing views on whether buying drugs off the darknet is better or worse than the street corner. Brian Krebs, "Tax Fraud Advice, Straight From the Scammers," Krebs on Security, March 24, 2015. As long as these illegal behemoths exist, they will be used by bitcoin drugs market the Ruling Class as a weapon against the people.
We do not host, upload or link to any video, films, media file, live streams etc. Rothbard, Introduction to Austrian Economic Analysis, Fundamentals of Economic Analysis: A Causal-Realist Approach, versus project darknet market Austrian Economics: An Introductory Course, Austrian School of Economics: Revisionist History and Contemporary Theory, After the Revolution: Economics of De-Socialization, The Federal Reserve: History, Theory and Practice, The Twentieth Century: An Austrian Critique, The Truth About War: A Revisionist Approach, The Economic Recovery: Washington's Big Lie, The 25th Anniversary Celebration in New York, Against PC: The Fight for Free Expression. However, both Cloud 9 and Hydra used a powerful feature of Bitcoin known as multisig. Peter Krähenmann on the close cooperation between the Cantonal Hospital St.
Distributed by Joep11, LLC.


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Our UKTN host sits down with some of the UK's most influential business founders. Take a journey through their experiences in building from scratch, facing social and economic challenges in an ever evolving digital world, and what failures became motivation to grow and succeed in an unpredictable climate.
Tackling ‘relentless’ rubbish with computer vision – Greyparrot co-founder Mikela Druckman
28:45Mikela Druckman, CEO and co-founder of Greyparrot, explains how her company uses AI to identify and sort through “mountains” of waste, why legislation is key to reducing the volume of rubbish, and discusses the crackdown on greenwashing in the packaging supply chain. London-headquartered Greyparrot was co-founded by Druckman in 2019. The company uses computer vision technology to analyse and sort rubbish into the right categories at waste facilities. It has raised more than $17m in funding and counts waste management companies such as Suez and Biffa among its customers. Druckman is a Global Future Council member at the World Economic Forum and was previously chief commercial officer at Blippar, where she worked on computer vision and augmented reality products.
‘You don’t expect your bank to fail’: Surviving SVB chaos & the future of edtech – Lingumi co-founder Toby Mather
24:17Toby Mather, CEO of Lingumi, shares his first-hand account as a startup founder who scrambled to withdraw company funds from Silicon Valley Bank UK as the crisis unfolded. The edtech startup held most of its funds with SVB UK. Like thousands of other startups, Lingumi worried whether it would be able to pay staff and invoices. Mather recounts his rollercoaster experience of the weekend that rocked UK tech, and his amazement at the "Dunkirk-style effort" in government to save the country’s tech startups. Elsewhere on the show, Mather talks about the impact of ChatGPT in education and the “healthy” discipline the tech downturn is creating for startups. Lingumi is a smart tutoring platform that uses AI to create interactive courses for young learners. It has more than two million users, mostly in Asia, using the platform to learn how to read and speak languages. Prior to founding Lingumi, Mather studied modern languages at the University of Oxford, and worked as an EFL teacher, during which time he began developing the idea for Lingumi.
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Mapping climate risk with AI & how a ‘marriage’ between VCs and policy can support net zero – Cervest founder Iggy Bassi
30:49Iggy Bassi, founder and CEO of Cervest, talks about launching a startup to provide climate intelligence for the world’s assets, how smart industrial policy can work hand in hand with the private sector to reach net zero, the power and limits of data in combatting global warming, and why climate tech investors need to be in for the long haul. Bassi, a serial entrepreneur, founded London-based Cervest in 2016 after his sustainable farm in West Africa was flattened by strong winds, causing millions of dollars in damage. Cervest’s platform uses AI to bring together disparate climate data and provide businesses and governments with insights about the climate risk to their physical assets. It has secured more than £32m in VC funding and went to market last year. Bassi has advised Fortune 500 companies and has been a featured speaker at Harvard University, COP26, World Bank and Tech Nation.
ChatGPT in robots? Disrupting autonomous delivery & the ‘year of AI’ – Academy of Robotics founder William Sachiti
28:26William Sachiti, the CEO and founder of the Academy of Robotics, explains whether ChatGPT will be integrated into companion robots, why mass-market autonomous cars won’t be on the road any time soon and how his company is disrupting package delivery with AI. Sachiti is a serial entrepreneur and inventor who moved to the UK from Zimbabwe in the early 2000s. By his mid 30s he had set up and successfully exited three companies. He founded the Academy of Robotics in 2017, which has gone on to develop Europe’s first autonomous delivery vehicle for the road, Kar-go. The Academy of Robotics has also created self-driving technology used by the RAF and indoor helper robots for hospitals, currently being trialled at the NHS. Sachiti was named Disruptor of the Year by the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2021.
Building a satellite ‘taxi service’, defending Ukraine & cleaning space junk – Skyrora founder Volodymyr Levykin
29:30Volodymyr Levykin, the CEO and founder of Skyrora, talks about building a satellite “taxi service”, how space tech has become an asset in defending Ukraine, the potential of space tourism and the challenges surrounding commercial space travel. Levykin, a Ukrainian-born tech entrepreneur, spent time working in IT in Silicon Valley before moving to Edinburgh to found rocket company Skyrora. Levykin used private funds to launch the company in 2017, which is building launch services for small satellites. Skyrora became the first company to complete a successful integrated rocket stage test in the UK since the 1970s, and has completed four suborbital rocket launches.
Semiconductor strategy, a green silicon alternative & women in STEM – Cambridge GaN Devices founder Giorgia Longobardi
28:36Dr Giorgia Longobardi, the co-founder and CEO of Cambridge GaN Devices, shares her experience spinning out a startup from the University of Cambridge, being a woman in STEM, developing energy-efficient microchips and why the UK government urgently needs to develop a semiconductor strategy. Longobardi co-founded CGD, a fabless semiconductor company, in 2016. It is developing transistors that use gallium nitride (GaN) instead of silicon to power electronics, with the goal of making devices such as data centres more energy efficient. The Cambridge-headquartered company has raised more than $28m in funding.
Taking on the big banks, VC bias & being the ‘odd one out’ – Starling Bank founder Anne Boden
26:11Anne Boden, CEO and founder of digital bank Starling, talks about her journey taking on the big banks, being the “odd one out” in the world of finance, why VCs are overlooking female founders and why crypto is “lacking sufficient practical and moral purpose”. Boden founded Starling Bank in 2014 after decades of working for some of the world’s biggest banks. Starling, which is an online-only bank, provides both business and current accounts. The unicorn fintech company has been profitable since 2021 and has 500,000 small business accounts. In 2018, Boden was awarded an MBE for services to financial technology.
Chip-making robots, microchip geopolitics & AI misconceptions – Karakuri founder Barney Wragg
34:18Barney Wragg, CEO and founder of robotic kitchen automation startup Karakuri, talks about his time at chip giant Arm, the danger of semiconductor trade barriers, finding product-market fit, and how AI is creating more – not less – jobs. Wragg founded Karakuri, a London-based robotics startup, in 2018. Its two main products are a robotic arm that serves personalised sushi dishes, and an automated fryer for chips. The London-based company has raised more than £13.5m in funding. Wragg spent time at Arm during the 1990s and has a background in physics and music, working at studios such as Universal and EMI.
Dangers of AI in cyber, learning from layoffs & fixing the skills shortage - Immersive Labs CEO & founder James Hadley
25:54Immersive Labs CEO and founder James Hadley discusses the dangers of generative AI like ChatGPT in cybersecurity, the lessons learned from laying off 10% of staff, and cracking the cyber skills shortage. Hadley founded Immersive Labs, a Bristol-based cybersecurity training platform, in 2017. The company’s platform creates cyberattack simulations to teach organisations practical IT security skills. The company has raised $189m in funding. Prior to founding Immersive Labs, Hadley worked as an analyst and security consultant for British intelligence agency GCHQ.
Double unicorn, scaling America & everything in-between - Philip Belamant, CEO & Co-founder of Zilch
47:36Zilch co-founder and CEO, Philip Belamant, gets candid on disrupting the fintech sector, catapulting Zilch to double unicorn status and being the fastest growing company out of Europe and the UK. He gets into their American takeover, with a preregistration of over 150,000 customers ahead of their stateside launch based out of Miami. Belamant delves on the astounding growth of their customer base, going from 20,000 to 2.2 million customers in just 18 months. He gets honest on the difficult decisions they faced when deciding between the rapid onboarding of new customers versus quality of service of existing - something they now use AI for as they have expanded. Having lost out on funding at the beginning of the pandemic, Belamant talks in depth on what impact this had on the company and how they came back from that loss to now stand at a total of $339.3M in funding and a company value of more than $2bn. Belamant is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and Co-founder of the double unicorn fintech Zilch, recently valued at over $2bn. Before Zilch, Belamant founded, developed, and sold two other successful fintech ventures. The first provided value-added mobile payment services that grew to over 20 million users in 15 different countries across India, Africa, and Europe, which led Belamant to conceive and launch South Africa’s first cash-to-Mastercard system for Uber that became a top 40 fintech company. Belamant was named Entrepreneur of the Year for 2021 by the Great British Entrepreneur Awards for leading Zilch to the forefront of the changing payments landscape.


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I'm as guilty as the next traveler (Although not really guilty as Jim). Overseas I've taken risks I wouldn't normally dream of taking, And done things totally out how old is the kansas city chiefs quarterback 2019 stats mlb scores of nature. I've been to events I may not go to, Wound up with girls I wouldn't normally wind up with, Bought things I wouldn't normally buy, Tried drugs I may not try, Slept places I wouldn't normally sleep, Eaten food I may not eat. And other such points that rhyme.Several factors might be adding to the faster increase in tablet based sales. The alteration rate, Or the rate at which a site visit results in it becoming an actual purchase, Is it seems that higher on tablets than phones. Perhaps the larger screen makes Web surfing and shopping a nicer experience, Or perhaps people are more likely to use tablets when they're for benefiting from their leisure time at home, A time they are also more prone to shop online. The relative affluence in people who own tablets, especially expensive ones like the iPad, May also come into play. The average sales amount per purchase is reportedly higher on tablets than on either phones or old school desktop and laptops. Tablets have even surpassed smartphones one the market in numbers of Web views [origins: Lomas]. E commerce sales via cellular devices increased by 81 percent in 2012, Taking total mobile sales from 7 kansas city chiefs qb lineup optimizer rotowire mlb research percent of all e-commerce in 2011 to 11 percent in 2012. The firm projected that mobile device shopping will take into account roughly 15 percent of e commerce in 2013 and up to 24 percent in 2016 [info: EMarketer, miller]. Mobile sales concedes are even higher, in the 7.67 percent of famous kansas city chiefs players all online marketing in the third quarter of 2011 and 18.4 pct in the third quarter of 2012 [basis: Edwards].in the review, The UNIGE group reached some huge conclusions about emotion and facial expressions. "Older as well as recent studies that have examined the production of facial expressions by blind individuals reported that visual learning seems to not be necessary in order to produce the same pattern of facial expressions in real emotional contexts, Explains examiner Edouard Gentaz in an email interview. "generally persons born blind can produce facial expressions similar to those of sighted people may be evidence that it is innate and universal, And not just a point of social learning by imitation,
The NFL's trouble with ugly blows to the head isn't going away. the most recent player to leave the game after a helmet to helmet hit was wide receiver 1969 1970 kansas city chiefs roster moves during world series Davante Adams of the Green Bay Packers, Who spent kansas city chiefs hoodie nike roblox hoodie template shirt the night in a medical facility earlier this season after a a similarly scary head shot.
Trump critics say the decision by dark-colored football players to skip a White House visit makes sense given the president's history of kansas city chiefs stats from pittsburgh games n at racially charged positions, Including frequently questioning the record of births kansas city chiefs mahomes salary negotiations employer payroll of President Barack Obama, His campaign rhetoric on Muslims and immigrants, His handling of deadly protests in Charlottesville to his labeling African destinations as"Shithole foreign territories" And saying he chosen Norwegian immigrants over Haitians kansas city chiefs qb draft drought map us 2019 tax calculator during an Oval Office meeting in January.
Starry names such as Alabama Crimson Tide QB Tua Tagovailoa the frontrunner for the Heisman for most of this NCAA season and fellow QB Gardner kansas city chiefs wins and losses 2018 1040a instruction Mishnew of the Washington State Cougars the the second best passer in all of college ball top division this season both kansas city chiefs roster 2007scape reddit nhl live streams appear right now on the neg list of the kansas city chiefs hoodie walmart nearest store Hamilton Tiger Cats.


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Jefferies has a buy rating on Medanta, CLSA maintained an outperform rating on ITC and Macquarie kept outperform rating on Tata Motors.
We have collated a list of recommendations from top brokerage firms from ETNow and other sources:
Morgan Stanley on AU Small Finance Bank: Overweight| Target Rs 835
Morgan Stanley maintained an overweight rating on AU Small Finance Bank with a target price of Rs 835.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted authorized foreign dealer licences which is a key positive for the AU Small Finance Bank, according to Morgan Stanley.
It will boost fee income over the medium term and benefits are seen kicking in from FY25, said the note.
AU’s long-term growth potential remains strong, the global investment banker said, adding that it continues to see strong earnings growth over the next few years.JPMorgan on Autos: Prefer TVS Motor, Bajaj Auto and M&M
JPMorgan’s preferred picks in the auto pace include TVS Motor, Bajaj Auto and M&M. The 2-W demand normalisation could continue in FY24, said the brokerage.
2Ws are still below pre-Covid levels but momentum is improving, and inventory remains healthy, said the note.
“Potential outperformance in rural demand is normally seen as a positive for Hero MotoCorp and Maruti Suzuki. But both these companies have been losing market share in rural India,” it observed.
Jefferies on Medanta: Buy| Target Rs 630
Jefferies maintained a buy rating on Medanta with a target price of Rs 630. Lucknow is emerging as a healthcare hub for the Central/Eastern UP region, said the brokerage.
“There is a significant demand-supply mismatch in the region. We see strong revenue and margin traction for Medanta. It is the largest private healthcare player in the region,” Jefferies analysts said.
CLSA on ITC: Outperform| Target Rs 430
CLSA maintained an outperform rating on ITC with a target price of Rs 430. There is improved growth visibility in cigarettes aided by stability in the tax structure, said CLSA.
“The FMCG business is delivering on both growth and margins. Corporate action for value unlocking in hotels is key to watch out for. The stock remains strong and long-term fundamentals are intact. Strong dividend yield offers support to the stock,” said the note.
Macquarie on Tata Motors: Outperform| Target Rs 511
Macquarie maintained an outperform rating on Tata Motors with a target price of Rs 511.
Delivery on capex needs to be monitored, for now, it addresses investor concerns around the upside risk to JLR’s capex, said Macquarie.
“Tata Motors targets net cash balance sheet by FY25 vs FY24 previously. The launch of EV is in line with earlier guidance,” said the note.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)


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After their trip to New York City last week, the jetsetters reached a big milestone in Milan on Friday. They sat next to each other in the front row for the first time as a couple at Gucci’s spring/summer 2024 fashion show. so yes Kendall Jenner And Bad Bunny Dating
The event took place when Creative Director Sabato De Sarno showed off his first collection for the brand. Bad Bunny, who is 29, and Jenner, who is 27, looked happy to be there.
The singer, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martnez Ocasio, and the model both wore cool outfits that went well together.Check Kendall Jenner Red Carpet look.
The rapper wore a beige hat, a white button-down shirt with a collar, blue pants, shiny black dress shoes, and black sunglasses. Jenner, on the other hand, had her hair pulled back and wore a beige coat, a red leather purse, red leather shoes, and shades. She has WOW car Collection.
Jenner and the musician were first thought to be dating when they were seen out to dinner in Los Angeles in February 2023. That was seven months ago. A source told PEOPLE at the time that the two met through friends and that Bunny had just moved to L.A.
“She likes him and is having fun,” the person said at the time. “He’s different from the guys she’s been with before. He has a lot of charm.”
Since then, the two have been seen going horseback riding, getting “cozy” at Coachella, and even sitting courtside at a Lakers game.
Most recently, the music superstar was asked about his relationship with Jenner by Vanity Fair in September. He said he didn’t want to “clarify anything” about his personal life and that he had “no commitment to clarify anything to anyone.”
“There are people who say that artists just have to put up with it,” he said.
“Just because I want to be an artist doesn’t mean I have to accept everything. You listen to me because you want to, at the end of the day. You don’t have to.”
Never miss a story – Bookmark Us now.
Last week, Bunny and Jenner went to the New York City restaurant Cosme for a night out that was both stylish and comfy. Jenner wore a gray crewneck sweater with bright flowers, black pants, and black loafers. Bunny wore his standard fitted baseball cap and the same blue jeans and white button-down shirt that he wore in Milan on Friday.
“They definitely seem in love and super serious,” a source told after Bunny and Jenner went on a trip to Idaho together in August, adding that they seemed “really cute” and “so happy together.”


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For the past two days (August 1 – 2, 2012) the Agenda Show has packed buyers, brands, and the media into the Long Beach California Convention Center and dazzled them with a wild array of clothing, accessories, surfboards, and skateboards.
Because of its growing size it seemed like more than a few industry veterans still couldn’t help comparing the Agenda Show to the long defunct ASR Show. With the exception of a small area of tables (the Agenda Cafe) on the South East end of the center, the entire 224,000 square feet of floor space was filled.
Everything felt bigger. We had to park farther away. We walked in large groups from the parking garage. Inside on the Berrics Agenda skateboarding end of the show it was often difficult to walk down an aisle without having to say excuse me several times. It seemed too busy writing orders to even look up. And that played into the feeling of bigness even more.
“It’s really not that much bigger,” Agenda Co-founder Aaron Levant said. “We have about 50 new brands, but we also had a few brands that wanted to increase the size of their booths.”
Even with those increases, however, at least one of the brands who took more space this year believed they could have used even more. “We’ve been writing orders all day,” said a partner at one clothing brand. “And our sales manager came back to me and said if we had more room to show the line we could have written more orders.”
With that kind of thinking Agenda can only get bigger. But one thing is for sure: the Agenda Show is still virtually free of the bikini models that seemed to get so much play back in the day. “We did let one exhibitor have a model,” Levant said. “But that’s because they’re a clothing company that makes bikinis and buyers need to see how they fit.”
To check out the people and products we saw at Agenda click the link for complete photo gallery.


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Nintendo will release Pokemon X and Pokemon Y on the 3DS in October 2013.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced the sixth generation Pokemon title at this morning’s Nintendo Direct presentation.
The upcoming game will be released in North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan around the same window of time. This will give players a chance to connect and compete with players around the world soon after the launch.
The preview footage reveals three starter Pokemon. Users will have a chance to train Froakie, Fennekin, and Chespin.
Nostalgic fans will be happy to know that Pikachu also makes an appearance in the announcement video.
Here's a look at the first game footage…
Nintendo Direct: Pokemon Direct 2013.1.8


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Deregulation Means a Clean Power Option for Many Americans
The news that electricity deregulation will give consumers a choice for the first time in determining their power supplier is just starting to filter through the information network. For environmentalists looking to purchase “green power” generated by renewable resources, the initial information is confusing at best, because the rules and options vary widely. But if you're in the right part of the country—specifically California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New England—it may already be time to make a change.
Consider that, according to the Worldwatch Institute, electric power generation produces more pollution than any other human activity. In the U.S., it accounts for two-thirds of the country's acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide emissions, and more than a third of the carbon dioxide that causes global warming. The dirtiest power is coal-generated, and coal is still in common use because it's such a cheap fuel. Pennsylvania, for instance, gets 98 percent of its grid from nuclear, oil and coal. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, particulate air pollution kills more than 5,000 people a year in that state.
California was the first state to deregulate its electricity, and the reviews have been mixed. It was assumed by some free market enthusiasts that there would be a mad rush last year to purchase the cheapest power possible when power marketers descended upon the state to entice residents to switch electric companies. But only one percent of the eligible California customer base, representing 11 percent of electricity consumed, switched to any alternative supplier during the first year.
Nevertheless, a promising sign for environmentalists is that over half of the residential customers in California who have switched chose green power. In Pennsylvania, the news is better: 450,000 consumers, or 12 percent of those eligible, have signed on to the Electric Choice program (although not all of that is renewable).
Critics such as Nancy Rader, an analyst for Public Citizen, complain that green power is failing to attract customers because it's too expensive. Since she released her report last fall, however, residents of California consumers have been able to buy green power for less money than dirty power, and now have the option of paying a $12 a month premium to buy 25 percent of their electricity from new wind turbines.
One of the key obstacles to the success of green power in deregulated markets is assuring consumers, both large and small, that their dollars are, indeed, flowing to renewable power plants. The electricity grid is, after all, a mix of all generated power, from nuclear to solar. The San Francisco-based Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) developed a Green-e verification program modeled after the recycling logo on paper products to insure that when consumers elect to purchase power marketed as “green,” they know the product and the company meet certain minimum content standards and abide by good business practices. Customers get, in writing, a document that tells them the price of power and the fuel sources used.
“By choosing products with the Green-e logo, residential customers will purchase at least four times more renewable energy than the generic mix they would otherwise buy,” said CRS executive director Jan Hamrin.
Should We Worry?
As with the deregulation of the phone industry, consumers tend to stick with the company they know until given a good reason to change. With green power, they worry that a switch will mean waiting for equipment installers, and being left in the lurch when there's a power failure. But as Green-e points out, the electric lines “will still be owned and operated by local monopoly utilities. If the lights go out, you'll need to call the same folks you do now.” No special equipment is needed.
There are, of course, various shades of green. Working Assets Green Power, a pilot project put together in Massachusetts and New Hampshire by the California-based progressive phone and credit supplier, offered consumers a mix of hydroelectric, oil- and natural gas-generated electricity, but did not set up its own power plants. Boston's Sun Power Electric, in contrast, has built three solar facilities to serve consumers in the Northeast.
Implementation of deregulation programs varies widely. Rhode Island opened up its electricity market in 1998, for instance, while Maine consumers will have to wait until July of this year. Up-to-date information is available mostly on the Internet. The best web site for those consumers looking to get general information about green power programs all across the country was put together by the federal Department of Energy (www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower). Probably the best and most thorough green power shopping guide is the Center for Resource Solutions site (www.green-e.org). The Natural Resources Defense Council (www.nrdc.org) has also done some work screening green power products.
If you discover that you don't have a choice in power supply, check the state regulations, then contact your local utility and demand some answers.
PETER ASMUS is author of the forthcoming Island Press book Reaping the Wind.


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Research: Covid secure graphics critical to retail bounce back
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Industry research has highlighted that poor or non-existent in-store social distancing signage could almost halve an individual store's potential footfall.
While the vast majority of bricks-and-mortar stores are now open, following the easing of retail lockdown conditions in late June, the sector continues to struggle to bounce back from the impact of coronavirus.
According to an independent pan-European study commissioned by wide-format printer manufacturer Roland DG, consumer confidence will play a large part in an individual store’s performance, with its study highlighting that 80% of UK consumers are more likely to visit stores that have clear social distancing graphics.
“Retailers need to increase consumer footfall, and effective signage plays a vital role in giving shoppers the confidence to visit stores,” said Jerry Davies, managing director of Roland DG UK.
“But the data shows that most businesses are clearly not giving it enough attention. Stores that fail to prioritise Covid-19 signage will continue to see shoppers stay away.”
According to an online study by research company Censuswide, 40% of UK respondents also said that they had stopped visiting stores that had unclear signage.
Roland DG said the research, which polled just over 2,500 European consumers, including 500 from the UK, highlighted the reputational damage retailers risk with weak Covid signage, with 40% of UK shoppers saying that it indicated “businesses are not taking their safety seriously enough”.
It also reported that younger shoppers, those aged between 16 to 34, were most likely to be influenced by in-store signage, with 54% reporting that they had stopped using stores with poor social distancing signage and 78% saying they were more likely to visit a shop with clear signage.
This compared to 38% of 35 to 54 year-olds and 36% of people aged 55 or over who said they they had stopped using stores with poor signage.
The study found that the stores with the most unclear signage are clothes shops (according to 21% of respondents), supermarkets and grocery stores (19%) and restaurants and bars (16%).
“There’s a big opportunity for brands to use signage to differentiate themselves and rebuild shopper confidence - and print businesses have a critical role to play in educating retail customers of the power of effective, directional signage,” said Davies.


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More than 200 classic and modified cars and trucks are expected June 20 for the seventh-annual Father’s Day Car Show at Whatcom County’s Bellewood Farms & Distillery.
Presented from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. by Gear Heads of Whatcom County, admission is free for spectators. Music and samples of farm-made apple spirits also will be offered and the Bellewood Farms cafe and bakery, featuring eight selections of fresh pies to properly thank Dad, will be open.
Twenty-six trophies will be presented at 2 p.m. Drawings for more than $2,000 in prizes will be conducted during the show.
Net proceeds will benefit the Bellingham Food Bank, Whatcom Humane Society, Vietnam Veterans of America, and Project Santa Claus.
Car and truck registration costs $20. Early registration is encouraged since COVID-19 safety protocols may limit numbers. To register, visit https://bellewoodfarms.com/events.
Bellewood Farms & Distillery is located at 6140 Guide Meridian, between East Hemmi and Ten Mile roads and about seven miles away from Bellingham, Ferndale, and Lynden. For more information, call (360) 318-7720 or visit www.bellewoodfarms.com.


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M1 Data Passport extended to even more destinations
- Unique value-added service enables customers to use existing data bundles overseas
- Now available in 11 destinations with Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan added
SINGAPORE, 31 August 2015 – M1 Limited (M1) customers can now use their existing M1 data bundles in even more overseas destinations.
First launched in July, the unique M1 Data Passport value-added service is now available in an additional five destinations: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. The new destinations, together with the six Data Passport launch countries of Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and the United States, will enable postpaid customers to use their data bundles in 11 overseas destinations at a monthly subscription of S$10 per country.
“Customers have told us how they appreciate our M1 Data Passport’s ability to enable them to enjoy the full mobile experience, the way they do at home. We hear them, and since the launch of the M1 Data Passport last month we have continued to further extend this service. Today, I am pleased to announce that the M1 Data Passport is now available in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, bringing peace of mind to M1 customers travelling to these five popular additional destinations,” said Mr P. Subramaniam, Chief Marketing Officer, M1.
Annex A: Data Passport destination and operator list
|Sri Lanka||Dialog Axiata|
Customers who exceed their data bundles pay local excess data usage rates of S$10.70/GB, capped at S$188.32 per month. A S$2 one-time activation fee applies, with an additional S$5 for multi-SIM users.
For more information on the M1 Data Passport, visit www.m1.com.sg/datapassport


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Morningstar Properties LLC, a North Carolina-based self-storage and marina company, has launched a new website to market its nine marinas. The site, www.morningstarmarinas.com, was created in collaboration with Strata-G Communications, which has developed a comprehensive plan to expand Morningstar’s brand in the boating community from Virginia to Florida. It was developed by bitFlip Technologies of Charlotte, N.C. Website visitors can find Morningstar locations, learn about products and services, manage their accounts and even check the weather.
Morningstar is a developer, builder and operator of specialty real estate types across the Southeast. Since its founding in 1981, the company has developed and operated more than 70 self-storage projects totaling almost 6 million square feet. The company owns and manages nine marinas in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast.


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The battle of the brands will look dramatically different at this year’s Wimbledon Men’s Final.
When Novak Djokovic takes on Kevin Anderson tomorrow, the former will wear Asics shoes and Lacoste apparel, while the latter will sport Lotto. That means Nike and Adidas are officially out of this year’s tournament, which is rare given their recent dominance on court.
Djokovic knocked out Nike-sponsored Rafael Nadal in a thrilling five-set match that ended Saturday morning, while Anderson bested American John Isner, a Fila athlete, in a nearly seven-hour semifinal on Friday.
Djokovic, who previously had a deal with Uniqlo — which recently signed Roger Federer to a blockbuster deal — and also formerly wore Adidas shoes, partnered with Asics for footwear in January.
They have gone above and beyond to ensure the technology is the best and specific to my needs as a player on the court,” Djokovic said in a statement. “The light weight and support structures on the midfoot allow me to move quickly and ensure I have the right stability throughout my performance.”
Meanwhile, the champ, who has seen his ranking fall in the wake of injuries, represents Lacoste for apparel and eyewear. And Djokovic is a key part of the brand’s plans to accelerate its U.S. business as it celebrates its 85th anniversary.
“His visibility and popularity are amazing,” Lacoste’s president and CEO of North and Central America, Jöelle Grünberg, told FN in May. “The story of what is happening to him, of trying to overcome his difficulties, is very similar to the situation we found ourselves in a few years ago. But most people, especially in the U.S., love a comeback story.”
Anderson is giving Lotto Sport Italia, the heritage brand founded in Northern Italy 1973, some huge exposure this week.