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Most people in the US are struggling right now, with the COVID-19 pandemic wrecking havoc on the entire country -- but with a new stimulus package coming from the Trump administration, will it help?
It seems that the next stimulus check, while it will be larger than the original one, will be spent mostly on bills for families and individuals to keep things afloat. According to a new survey from Money/Morning Consult, nearly half of Americans -- 42% of them -- wil use the new stimulus check to cover basic expenses like housing and food.
COVID-19 pandemic is too strong for people to be getting that money, and then running out and buying a new LG OLED TV and gaming PC -- they need their rent, mortgage, food and bills all paid for. This is getting harder and harder with some depressing amounts of unemployment numbers, which seems like it's only going to get worse in the coming months.
The survey said that 32% of people said the stimulus checks would be helpful, but they didn't need them to cover regular expenses. 11% of those surveyed said they didn't need the stimulus check whatsoever. But overall, 75% of the 2200 people pooled said they needed that new influx of money immediately.
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This year, PRINTING United Expo is co-located with several other events to offer a diverse range of specialized content and networking opportunities.
Denise M. Gustavson
PRINTING United Expo begins two weeks from today in Atlanta. It promises to be a vibrant showcase of cutting-edge technologies, networking opportunities, and educational sessions. Here's what's in store.
Due to a continuing chip shortage, Epson UltraChrome HD and HDX ink cartridges of all sizes will transition to a different design with new part numbers starting June 1, 2023.
Why is it that aqueous printers, which were wide-format’s first inkjet technology, are seemingly doing better than ever? We asked that question to a panel of aqueous inkjet experts from some of the wide-format industry’s founding manufacturers: Canon USA, Epson America, HP, and Ricoh.
The Canon Colorado M-Series printers are the “next generational step in the Colorado series” and feature two speed configurations and optional UVgel white ink capabilities.
For the second year in a row, In-plant Impressions is pleased to present a special podcast series honoring women in the printing industry.
We are well into the holiday retail season and “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” — especially if you’ve been walking around in any large city as the huge holiday windows twinkle and shine.
With nearly 700 exhibitors and one-million square feet of exhibit space in the North and Central halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, it might be hard to decide where to start in the PRINTING United Expo. If you want to make sure to see some of the industry’s “big guns,” be sure to check out these products.
Business owners need to arm themselves with the most up-to-date and relevant market information and position it alongside the hardware and technology required to bring those plans to fruition. The best place to accomplish all those goals will be at the 2022 PRINTING United Expo.
For the first time since 2019 the industry came together at a trade show. ISA 2022 in Atlanta was a full success; vendor after vendor noted that traffic was much higher than they had hoped and attendees were very engaged.
ISA Sign Expo opened on May 4 to an excited crowd looking to engage with vendors and connect in-person for the first time since 2019.
During the week of October 11th, dozens of EFI customers and prospects, along with industry media and analysts attended a series of EFI Ignition open house events.
Three weeks of community-based, content-rich Insight Days will reach a worldwide audience beginning October 26. To make it even better, one full day will be devoted to in-plants.
There’s a lot of uncertainty and still many questions. What does the economy look like through 2020 and beyond? Will the industry rebound quickly or slowly? Where do we go from here? What does the next normal look like, and what does that mean for the future of wide-format printing?
Printers and packagers are looking at utilizing capacity to meet the current high demand for PPE products. These guidance documents, step-by-step instructions, templates, and signage can be used to help. Sometimes, just having a place to start — and something to contribute — can make all the difference.

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At the HAI event, Bell launched the new Bell 505
During The HAI event where Bell launched the new Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, Heli Charter Secured 8 orders for the UK market
We have also ensured that the first European 505 will be coming straight to the UK!
Introducing the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X!
The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, is the newest entry in the short light single class. Designed with the focus on safety, efficiency and reliability through the use of advanced technology, its multi-mission capabilities will make it the choice for the future.
Bell has unveiled of its new short light single product, the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X at Heli-Expo 2014. Here, the only real element of surprise is the name, since the company revealed the concept at the 2013 Paris Air Show in June under the “Bell SLS (Short Light Single)” designation. Nevertheless, in the run-up to Heli-Expo, Bell expected the unveiling to make a big impact, as the Relentless introduction did previously. “We’re looking to shock the crowd and bring tears of joy to the eyes of anyone who is associated with Bell products,” director of Marketing and Sales Support Chuck Evans told.
Bell has certainly been able to top the Relentless unveiling in one respect; thanks to the relative sizes of the aircraft (the Jet Ranger X has five seats to the Relentless’ 18-plus), there are three of the new 505 helicopters on display, rather than one.
The centerpiece of the display is a model that is representative of the baseline configuration, and it incorporates a number of actual components, including real main and tail rotors, and a functioning drive system that borrows from Bell’s existing 206L4 LongRanger, as it will on the real thing.
The display model also features the 504-shaft horsepower Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine that will power the production aircraft (and which will include a dual-channel full authority digital engine control, or FADEC).
“Some folks will be convinced that the mockup is a real, flying aircraft,'” said Evans. “In reality, it has served a dual purpose as a mockup and a platform for fast prototyping of some components.”
With the Jet Ranger X, Bell is taking square aim at the five-seat Robinson R66 Turbine, which has come to dominate the light turbine helicopter market since Bell ceased production of the 206B3 JetRanger in 2010.
Even without European Aviation Safety Agency certification for the R66 (or, until recently, certification for the model in Canada and Russia), Robinson produced 191 R66 helicopters in 2012, and 192 of them in 2013. Clearly, worldwide demand for this US$839,000, five-seat helicopter is strong, and Bell believes it can compete with it.
The company will begin taking orders for the Jet Ranger X at Heli-Expo 2014, and while Bell has not yet announced a price for the aircraft, it promises that the 505 “will be price-competitive with the current class-leader,” said Evans.


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EUGENE, Ore. -- Marines were collecting toys at Eugene's Comic Con this weekend, to help bring some holiday cheer to local children.
They had a Toys for Tots booth set up at the Lane Events Center. They're collecting toys for all ages and say books and stuffed animals are popular gifts donated.
These toys will be distributed before Christmas to less-fortunate families in Lane County.
"This weekend, being at Comic Con, has been really good. Seeing all of the people walk in and out, especially during Veterans Day weekend, has been even better. in my opinion. It's been a blessing that we can actually be out in the community and see people," said Staff Sgt. Aaron Frey, Marine Corps.
He said they're hoping to have all the toys collected by December 9th.
They have donation sites at several stores throughout town, including Shopko and Toys R Us.


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EA’s football title and Ubi’s Just Dance 2 keep Black Ops out of top two for first time.
FIFA 11 tops the UK all-formats chart for the week ending January 8, as Call Of Duty: Black Ops drops out of the top two places for the first time since its launch on November 9.
With EA’s football title holding the top spot it took last week, it is Ubisoft’s Just Dance 2, climbing two places to second place, that knocks Black Ops to its lowest chart position in the eight weeks since it hit shelves.
No new releases means no new entries. New Years’s resolutions appear to have had an effect on the charts, with Wii Fit Plus climing eight places to fifth, and Kinect Sports, EA Sports Active 2 and Your Shape: Fitness Evolved all in the top 20.
01. FIFA 11 (EA)
02. Just Dance 2 (UBISOFT)
03. Call Of Duty: Black Ops (ACTIVISION)
04. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (EA)
05. Wii Fit Plus (NINTENDO)
06. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (UBISOFT)
07. Gran Turismo 5 (SCEE)
08. Fallout: New Vegas (BETHESDA)
09. The Sims 3 (EA)
10. Kinect Sports (MICROSOFT)


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Despite the recent economic drag responsible for sluggish regional growth, African economies are rapidly expanding, offering significant opportunity for private enterprises and investors across the globe, a report has shown.
This, according to a report launched by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, on new investment opportunities in Africa, at the 6th Africa CEO Forum, in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, finds that the region’s economic potential is beyond recovering commodity prices, but other forces like favourable demographic trends, economic reforms, infrastructure investment, buoyant services sectors, and strong agricultural production.
Entitled Shaping the Future of Africa: Markets and Opportunities for Private Investors, in partnership with the Africa CEO Forum, the report notes that growth recovered from a two-decade low of 1.3 per cent in 2016 to an estimated 2.4 per cent in 2017, is projected to improve further to 3.6 per cent in 2020.
The report states that certain sectors show potential for high growth due to productivity gains or consumer demand. “Food production and agriculture stand out in a region that continues to import food, while a rapidly urbanising population requires more choice. Africa’s need in infrastructure remain vast, and a range from power to transport to sanitation, among other areas.
“Beyond conventional policies to improve productivity, adopting innovative practices and technology can help Africa’s growth through leapfrogging. Access to finance, for example, is low, yet Africa has led the world in innovative financial services based on mobile telephony, that is opening new opportunities to increase financial and other services through reliable payment systems.”
It also highlights obstacles that has continued to constrain Africa’s development and competitiveness, which include lack of financing and the infrastructure gap. It also states that joint efforts by governments and private sector, supported by development partners, can beat address such challenges and create opportunities.
Vice President, Economics and Private Sector Development, IFC, Hans Peter Lankes, assures that there are considerable opportunities for investors to seize on favourable trends, adding that Africa’s growing middle class is consuming a wide range of goods and services, while technology is changing the services delivered to consumers. “The result is enormous potential across a range of sectors in Africa.”
Founder and President, Africa CEO Forum, Amir Ben Yamid, described the report as a demonstration of the abundance business opportunities today in Africa, noting that the event was founded to provide a dialogue that engages business leaders and helps investors turn the opportunities into successful projects that create jobs and drive Africa’s economic development.
IFC Vice President for the Middle East and Africa, Sergio Pimenta said the continent is the top priority for IFC. He said IFC aims to mobilise more private capital to address development and inclusive growth challenges in Africa, notably in infrastructure and agribusiness.


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So how much did it cost Blizzard to develop StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty over the last seven years? According to Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, the company has already dumped over $100 million into the highly-anticipated sci-fi RTS game, possibly making it one of the most expensive titles to date.
But the number shouldn't be surprising. Blizzard president Mike Morhaine said back in 2007--during the game's official unveiling--that the company really didn't have a budget to begin with. It seemed that an abundance of funds were on standby. "We'll spend as much time and resources as we need to make this game great," he said at the time.
Both Blizzard and analysts predict that consumers will quickly make up for the costs. "There is no shortage of consumers for StarCraft," said Kotick. "For a game that is more than ten years old, there's millions of people still playing it."
As for the analysts, they predict that StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty could sell five million units during its first year of release. We predict that the number will be even greater.
As it stands, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will beat out the development budget set aside for Grand Theft Auto IV--an alleged 100 million. Red Dead Redemption was also said to rack in a development cost of $100 million.
Kotick didn't specify whether Battle.net was part of the $100 million spent on the StarCraft II project.


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This has made it significantly more attractive to people who do not like the taste of oil or simply prefer to take it a different way. The boom in the popularity of CBD in the UK has led to an ever-increasing CBD product range.
While research is still in its infancy, the early signs are promising. Maybe it was after Mandy Moore mentioned that she was experimenting with CBD oil to relieve pain from wearing high heels, or maybe it was actually when Willie Nelson introduced a line of CBD-infused coffee beans.
Based on recent scientific studies, CBD oil may help treat acne due to its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to reduce sebum production. CBD may help reduce symptoms related to cancer and side effects related to cancer treatment, like nausea, vomiting and pain.
Top 10 Reasons Why Cbd Is Everywhere?
Whereas the only way to take CBD was in oil form just a few years ago, you can now find it in vape oils, capsules, edibles, drinks and much more. Now, it is not uncommon to find CBD products in supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury. Not only is CBD being used to reduce physical symptoms of pain and influential, but it is increasingly being used by sufferers of anxiety and depression.
In Europe, the demand for CBD is pegged at roughly €2 billion, according to research by nova-Institute and HempConsult, two German companies who researched the European market potential for non-psychoactive CBD products. The United States is seeing a big increase in CBD companies, offering everything from food supplements , to products like CBD-rich tinctures, to cosmetics, body creams, lotions, and more. In the US, for example, CBD products with less than 1% THC are completely legal and can be purchased online and shipped virtually all around the country. One recent study treated nine healthy men with one dose of 600 mg of CBD oil and found it reduced resting blood pressure, compared to a placebo. Another study gave 214 people with severe epilepsy 0.9–2.3 grams of CBD oil per pound (2–5 g/kg) of body weight.
Cbd Oil For Sex: Potential Side Effects
Pro Golfer, Bubba Watson, with cbdMD-sponsored capBeing an athlete at the professional level can undoubtedly also be very anxiety-inducing. Many athletes may also take advantage of the anxiety-relieving potential of the compound. The pain-relieving potential of CBD can be utilised locally through topical lotions for muscle soreness. Some users also report pain relief after taking the cannabinoid sublingually in the form of oil drops or orally via capsules and edibles. Pain, caused by a number of ailments or health conditions, is also often quoted as the reason for using CBD.
The compound’s interaction with the endocannabinoid system has been found to interfere with the reception of pain. CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties mean that the substance is often added to topical treatments. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions faced by modern society.
- We cannot talk of why CBD edibles are so popular today without mentioning CBD oil because just like CBD edibles, these oils have grown to become some of the most advertised products in and out of the internet today.
- The cannabis plant has hundreds of compounds but only a few, including CBD and another one called THC , have been found to be medically useful.
- In simple terms, CBD oils are oils that carry or contain concentrations of this compound called CBD.
- Because the hemp plant contains minimal amounts of THC, full-spectrum CBD oils do have THC, but in minimal levels.
CBD oil has even been used to safely treat insomnia and anxiety in children with post-traumatic stress disorder . CBD oil has shown promise as a treatment for both depression and anxiety, leading many who live with these disorders to become interested in this natural approach. Another study found that Sativex significantly improved pain during movement, pain at rest and sleep quality in 58 people with rheumatoid arthritis . Tetrahydrocannabinol is the main psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis, and causes the sensation of getting “high” that’s often associated with marijuana. Once Brits became aware of the potential health benefits of CBD, it is therefore no surprise that they have does CBD get you high shown themselves willing to try it out, given their existing enthusiasm for supplements.


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by Christopher Freeburn | December 4, 2013 10:55 am
The ink and paper version of a popular weekly news magazine is about to rise from the grave.
Last year, facing shifting trends in news consumption and the rising challenge form digital media outlets, Newsweek shut down its printed version. Now, the magazine is planning to re-launch a print version in January or February of next year, the New York Times notes.
The resurrected print edition will be positioned as a premium product, costing subscribers more than it used to. It will contain 64 pages and rely on subscription sales more than ad pages to keep it in print. Its new owner hopes to hit a circulation of about 100,000 for the print version in the first year after it is relaunched.
Newsweek was founded in 1933. In 1991, it had a high of 3.3 million readers. But the dawn of the Internet eroded its readership and advertising revenue.
In 2010, the Washington Post Company (WPO) sold the magazine for $1. In 2012, the magazine went online-only in a bid to save money.
IAC/InterActive (IACI) sold the magazine to IBT Media in August.
Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2013/12/newsweek-return-print-price/
Short URL: http://invstplc.com/1fs7lQo
Copyright ©2017 InvestorPlace Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 700 Indian Springs Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601.


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Tesla’s biggest advantage in the EV market is its Supercharger network. To sort of lessen the advantage gap between the VW Group and Tesla (and to alleviate some Dieselgate criticism), zee Germans helped create Electrify America. Unfortunately for Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche, we hear more complaints than praise from customers and users of Electrify America’s network. One of the chief complaints is with software and billing, making it difficult to find open chargers and then pay for a charge once you already have. Thankfully, Electrify America is at least taking steps to remedy that with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
Now, rather than having to take their phone out while driving to find an open Electrify America charger, it’s built right into their infotainment screen. From there, customers can find an open charger, plug in, and pay, all right from the app in the car. You can also pause, stop, and continue the charge right from the app on the screen.
Admittedly, Tesla fans are laughing right now, as Teslas and their Supercharger network have had this functionality for years, without needing an outside software like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Instead, Supercharger connectivity is built right into the car’s infotainment screen. Still, without a proprietary charging network, this is about as close as other EVs will get.
This might not remedy all of Electrify America’s issues and it certainly won’t bring its charging network close to the functionality of Tesla’s Supercharger network but it’s certainly a step in the right direction. With Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, owners will have a far easier time finding a charger, interacting with it, and paying for their charge. At the end of the day, convenience is what we want most from out charging/refilling experiences, so any added convenience welcome.


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The Essential Phone was introduced with various attractive features at the end of May. However, there is something wrong in the company as three executives have left Andy Rubin’s company, Essential Products in just one month. The shipments of the Essential Phone was promised to begin at the end of June, but it has been delayed. Could the recent resigning of top employees of the company be the reason behind the delay of the Essential Phone’s release?
As mentioned above, the employees that left the company do not belong to mid-management but they are high ranking executives that Rubin had handpicked to build a powerful team for his company. Brian Wallace who served as the Vice-President of Marketing for the company left the company at the beginning of this month. He has now joined well-known musician will.i.am’s startup iam+ as the Chief Marketing Officer.
The next one to leave the company was Andy Fouche who was working as the Head of Communications. Today, the head of UX, Liron Damir made his exit from the company. He played a vital role in the designing of the webOS and Pebble and now that he has joined Google, he will be pioneering the Google Home division and use his expertise in designing the future smart products from Google.
There is no confirmation on whether the exit of these top executives could be the reason behind the delay of the Essential Phone. The exit of these employees have been reported by numerous media sites, there is no official statement from the company on why they left the company.
Rubin confirmed in the previous week that the company will be begin the shipments of the Essential Phone in the coming weeks. Well again, the statement does not include an exact release date. Hence, it is not known how may weeks it will take for the Essential Phone to arrive in the market. Since the phone has already received certifications from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Wi-Fi Alliance, it seems that the Essential Phone’s release is close at hand.
Essential Products have confirmed that it is working on a device named Home. It will be a hub for connected appliances that can be controlled with voice. It will feature a touchscreen and a digital assistant. There is no information available on the release of Essential Products’ Home.


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Business owners and leaders should have their own template to help them adapt to a new world where competition is stiff while coping with the COVID pandemic, P&A Grant Thornton said Friday.
“Even if the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic varies across industry sectors and regions, it is no exaggeration to recognize that the struggle is real,” said P&A Grant Thornton chairperson and chief executive Marivic Españo.
The firm noted that with the emerging semblance of economic stability, organizations must be ready with the right strategy to outperform their industry peers.
Companies that adopt more quickly to the initial transition—and, eventually, to the new environment—would emerge stronger, it said.
As published in Manila Standard, dated 22 May 2020


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Cement producer Semen Baturaja (SMBR) suffered a loss of Rp112.6 billion in the first 9M of 2020, against a profit of Rp22.7 billion in the same period of 2019 as revenue fell 19% to Rp1.15 trillion from the previous Rp1.42 trillion. It only booked an operating profit of Rp42.8 billion in the said period, compared to Rp171 billion a year earlier. SMBR’s current production capacity utilization reaches 3.8 million tons, targeted to reach 50% within the next five years. The Company opts to export its product this year as the global demand was declining.
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Recent evidence depicts a worsening growth picture. The slowdown is spread across components. On the consumption side, the trend decline in private and public spending from April 2011 and 2012 is accelerating with fiscal austerity. The weak consumer appetite is visible in the production counterpart; consumer durable goods, for instance, witnessed the biggest-ever fall (21.5% yoy) in over two decades last November. Imports, a key domestic demand indicator, are in double-digit contraction four months in a row and not just from reduced oil and gold demand; minus these, December imports fell 9.5%. Export growth, which slowed to 3.5%, just might portend a fading external stimulus; average export growth in November-December, at 4.7%, is about one-third that in the preceding four months (12.3%). And the last bastion of domestic demand, rural segment, is reported slowing, raising doubts about optimism related to a good monsoon.
This is a vicious spiral of down- trending growth. Even as policymakers are keen to revive investment, monetary and fiscal policies are constrained given high inflation and fiscal imbalance. Looking at the demand scenario and restrictive policies, the question is if investment can take off in such an environment. Something needs to give in to break this spiral. Can monetary policy provide that impulse?
Recall the route to growth unfolded by RBI in October. This, it stated, lay in strengthening foundations of growth by curbing the spiral of rising price pressures, while the revival of stalled projects and pipelines cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Investment would buoy investment and overall activity. A depreciated rupee and monsoon-boosted rural demand would be added stimulus.
Inflation developments are a mixed picture since. The December inflation data released this week confirmed that RBI’s foresight to keep interest rates on hold was well-considered. Both WPI and CPI headline inflation rates eased substantially, 1.29 and 1.36 percentage points to 6.16% and 9.87%, respectively, in December, as vegetable prices corrected sharply. Core-WPI inflation inched up marginally to 2.81% from 2.66% in November, but remains contained within the 3% bound. Core-CPI inflation, on the other hand, remains unmoving from its 8% range.
From a policy perspective, this doesn’t invite a monetary response at this juncture. The puzzle is that inflation which, RBI strongly argued from 2011 onwards, was due to fiscal excesses, refuses to subside notwithstanding sharp fiscal corrections for over a year (since October 2012). One possibility, looking at the difference in WPI-CPI signals,


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This month’s meeting is next week, Wednesday, March 16. It will be at Lady Burra Brewhouse in Topham Mall, in the CBD.
We’ll meet from 7pm as usual but the kitchen is open from 6pm if you want to eat before.
Mark and the team will give us a tour and some insight into how they brew. We’ve also lined up a special ‘teams challenge’.
Last year there was the random supermarket ingredients challenge, this month we’ll kick off another one. This one is much more traditional.
The idea was brewers joined together in teams to brew. It was generally by geographic location. Don’t worry if you weren’t involved before, we’ll get you into a group. It’s fun and you’ll get to meet some members and learn a few things too.
We’ll also present the medals from last month’s Summer Competition.
The SABC Winter competition will be held on July 9 or 10. The theme is ‘Dark and Stormy’. More details and categories to come.
Finally, SABSOSA 2022 — or the SA Homebrewing Competition as we’re probably calling it now — the state’s peak open amateur brewing competition, will be held on September 10 and 11.
Other events to look forward to:
Keep Sunday, April 3 in your diaries for a casual club get together at Kick Back Brewing in Aldinga.
A ‘classic’ SABC BeerBQ in July (food and all member’s beers now restrictions have relaxed), a special guest and beer pairing in April and a special celebration for the club’s 10th anniversary later in the year.


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Stellar, a short-lived bar on Henderson that opened in the Vickery Park space on April 29 of this year, has been sold, renamed and revamped. The new bar will be called Bar Stellar, and has a new owner in 21 year-old SMU undergrad Francois Reihani, who opened Pok the Raw Bar earlier this year.
Stellar was panned by the Dallas Observer, leaving Beth Rankin so bewildered that she wondered if she was on “Candid Camera.” It’s hard to come back from that, but Reihani is attempting to rebrand the space with his own signature style.
According to Bar Stellar’s PR team, the new bar will be “a completely new concept,” with “a brand new cocktail and bar bites menu,” but there are definitely some renamed remnants from the original Stellar menu.
Bar Stellar will have a drink called Cloud Nine, which includes vodka, blueberries, lemon, dry ice and cotton candy. The original Stellar had a drink called Pinky’s Out of Jail, which had nearly the same ingredients, with champagne instead of cotton candy. The new Bar Stellar has a drink called Wildfire, which shares the same foundation — Makers Mark, a sugar cube, a cherry, angostura bitters and even a flaming orange peel — as an old Stellar’s drink called Word from the Bird.
A Bar Stellar press release has promised an exterior and interior makeover, “with wall coverings reminiscent of the iconic Martinique banana palm leaves that adorn the Beverly Hills Hotel” and a patio that has a “Miami-chic vibe.”
Bar Stellar will open in early September.
Click to sign up for the Advocate's weekly news digest and be the first to know what’s happening in Lakewood/East Dallas.


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How the railway will respond on Punjab's claim of clearance of tracks?
Chandigarh, November 6, 2020: Although Punjab government has announced that the rail track network all across the State of Punjab is presently totally clear for uninterrupted movement of goods trains but the question is how the railway will respond on Punjab's claim of clearance of tracks?
The Kissan Unions have started clearing the railway tracks and platforms for running of goods trains, which were suspended after two days’ operation only on blocking at certain places. Keeping in view the statement of the Chairman and CEO of Railway Board that "Railways can start train operations in Punjab only if track & stations are clear for running of all trains including freight and passenger trains, " it looks not so easy to solve the train row.
Railways sources, on Friday late evening, said even after the announcement of Punjab government about the clearing of tracks for goods trains ,t so far no decision had been taken with regard to running of freight trains and passengers trains, however Railway staff will keep checking the clearance of tracks and monitor the safety measures by running the pilot trains.
Sources further said the whole reservation plan has also been disturbed and the refunds of tickets have to be made on cancellation of trains from time to time. It would be convenient for the public as well as the railways if both passengers and goods trains are started simultaneously as the railway has already suffered a huge loss due to Covid pandemic and farmers agitation over the Farm Bills.
Earlier, the railway has categorically stated that it cannot operate the trains on the farmers’ terms for allowing only goods train. On this the railways has taken the stand and stopped the inward movement of goods trains in Punjab on the plea that both passengers and goods trains will run simultaneously.
No doubt the official spokesperson of Home Department has stated that after stabilizing the goods train movement across Punjab for a few days, it would be possible to start the passenger train operations also as the Committee of Ministers continues to be engaged with the various Kisan Unions to permit passenger movement in larger public interest. Now the ball is in railway court to take a final decision to hit.


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Martin Luther King Day is Jan. 20 and you are likely wondering whether certain stores and offices are open. Check out our guide below for what's open and closed on Jan. 20.
Add any closures or openings we may have missed in the comments section below.
Retail stores: At owner discretion.
Town Hall: Closed
Federal offices: Closed
State Offices: Closed
Public Schools: Closed
Post Office: Closed
Liquor stores: State law allows them to be open.


text: 10th November 2014 | NewsApple R&D coming to the UK: Apple to open facility in Cambridge, EnglandReports suggest that Apple is planning to open a new R&D centre in Cambridge, England, all in time for Christmas. Pictured below is 90 Hills Road, Cambridge which is speculated to the exact location of the new Apple facility. The building itself is located in a prestigious area close to the headquarters of both Microsoft and Sony. Cambridge has become something of a technology hotspot since the late nineties. Over 1000 companies operating within the technology sector now have offices in the picturesque English city. The region has even been referred to as ‘Silicon Fen’ in reference to the infamous ‘Silicon Valley’. It is believed that Apple will aim to open the office with 20 full time employees, which will grow to 40 over the course of 2015. Interestingly, it is thought that the UK has been making a constant effort over the previous quarter century to talk Apple into establishing an office on this side of the pond. Once the new R&D centre is launched the UK will join locations such as Shanghai, Israel and Taiwan in being home to a much desired Apple office. With both of the Create Pro offices being located around an hour from Cambridge, we are happy to welcome Apple to the party. Unlikely as it is that we will ever see the inside of the facility, it’s still nice to know that future generations of Apple technology will be developed just down the road. Perhaps the 5K Apple Display we are all waiting for could be birthed in sunny England?


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Voice control to become “bedrock” of the smart home
by Charley Millard | Sep 25, 2018
Looking to create cutting-edge smart products that set your business apart? Our team excels in designing bespoke products that marry technology and user experience. Contact us today to begin designing your distinctive product line!
The smart home market has flattered to deceive. Despite promises to simplify our lives and countless Kickstarter campaigns most homes remain decidedly un-smart.
That’s because many of these technologies still aren’t that smart themselves – they’re difficult to set up, often unreliable and can take up more time in troubleshooting than if you just turned up your thermostat yourself.
Adoption will remain low until these technologies become a seamless and unobtrusive part of our lives, which means making our interactions with them as natural as possible. That’s why ABI Research believes voice control will become “the bedrock for smart home applications”. In a recent report the business intelligence firm predicted that 120 million voice-enabled devices will ship annually by 2021.
The combination of speech recognition and natural language processing is a powerful one. Being able to say “It’s date night” and watching the lights dim, the gas fire light itself and Barry White come on the Hi-Fi rather than fiddling around on your smartphone has obvious appeal.
Amazon, Google & Apple platforms
Amazon is undeniably leading the field with its cloud-based Alexa platform. The company released the API for the voice-control technology at the heart of its Echo wireless speaker last year and it has already seen widespread adoption – it now integrates with 1,000 different third-party services. Most notably from the smart home perspective this includes US home improvement giant Lowes’ Iris smart home system.
Google and Apple are hot on their heels though. The former is due to unveil its voice-controlled Google Home smart hub later this year, with all the weight of the company’s experience in natural language processing behind it. Apple also recently opened up its Siri digital assistant to developers, which combined with the forthcoming release of the company’s Home app in iOS 10 will allow users to control compatible smart home devices via voice through their phone.
While this shows the confidence in the technology it also highlights a major challenge. As ABI notes, a coherent multi-device smart home system needs a shared and standardised voice platform. At present the big players are focussed on creating their own ecosystem with little thought to interoperability, which presents a headache for smaller companies hoping to build smart home devices.
Whether and when to build voice control into devices will also depend largely on how sophisticated they are. As ABI’s research director Jonathan Collins notes, integrating voice control into smart home systems “breeds complexity” so for smaller players it may not be worth the hassle until the technology is well established.
Privacy concerns may also make many consumers wary about purchasing devices that listen in to what we say. Most solutions use “wake words” to tell a device that a command is about to be issued, but big technology companies’ poor track record when it comes to siphoning off user data are likely to give some pause for thought. Smart home devices are also notoriously insecure – a dedicated hacker could well use your voice-enabled fridge to monitor your conversations.
And as anyone who has used Siri, Google Now or Cortana will know – voice control is still far from error free. These errors could be far more off putting if they end up resetting your house’s heating system rather than just initiating the wrong Internet search.
But natural language processing is a fast moving field and these systems are getting smarter every day. As they improve it will be possible to issue complex commands in a single step that would that would require several minutes of scrolling between apps on traditional interfaces. That may be the magic bullet that finally makes smart homes smart and helps the sector live up to its expectations.


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When it comes to printing technology, innovation must be relentless
There are two pressures that drive new coding and printing technology:
- The need for production line efficiency
- Regulatory and legislative compliance
Manufacturers - quite rightly - are constantly looking for ways to keep their production line as efficient as possible, whether that’s through cutting costs, trimming downtime or boosting output speed.
The second thing driving new technology is compliance. It doesn’t matter what the industry is, legislation and regulation is ever-evolving. You only need look to the pharmaceutical industry for evidence. The legislative shift from batch-level to item-level serialisation of pharmaceutical products is perhaps the biggest regulatory shift the industry has ever seen. That drives the adoption of new technologies - as well as the creation of more.
>> 4 item-level serialization challenges for pharmaceutical businesses
Sometimes something small sparks a sea change
“What’s the next big thing?” It’s a common question in every industry. But when it comes to printing and coding technology, sometimes it’s not the next innovative new printer that disrupts the industry and shakes things up for the better - but something smaller.
Here at Domino we have just released a brand new ink for thermal Inkjet printers. It’s called BK118. And it makes it easier than ever before to code onto challenging materials like plastics, films, foils and coated cartons. At speed. Code quality, high contrast and ink adhesion makes it great for coding onto wrappers, sachets and flexible films.
Boost TIJ efficiency
BK118 is great for efficiency. Combined with G-Series TIJ printers it makes it easy to code onto non-porous primary packaging and glossy outer case packaging - simultaneously. It’s all due to the fact that G-Series printers can run up to four heads from a single controller. So one head can print onto primary packaging, while another gets to work on outer case packaging.
And like all of our inks, BK118 surpasses all industry regulations.


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Data privacy and personal data breaches have been in the news a lot recently. Over the past few years, companies have been collecting and processing ever-increasing amounts of data about their customers, employees, and users. As personal data becomes more valuable, governments around the world have begun the debate surrounding whether this data collection should be limited in favor of individuals’ fundamental right to privacy.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the European Union’s answer to these debates. This new regulation strives to take the decisions regarding some uses of personal data out of the hands of companies and return control to the individuals that the data refer to—the data subjects. Any company that has a European presence or handles European residents’ personal data is subject to the GDPR. These companies will likely need to upgrade their data security and privacy procedures to meet the personal data handling requirements of the GDPR.
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Centennial, CO (PRWEB) January 10, 2009
Integrated Printing Solutions (IPS) has announced the promotion of three of its top executives, including company president and founder Sev Spagnolie, along with the appointment of a new vice president of manufacturing.
"These changes will enable IPS to better meet the needs of its existing clients, while helping to attract and serve new clients in 2009, and for years to come," said Spagnolie, who moves from president and chief executive officer of the company to chairman of the board of directors (http://www.denverips.com).
David J. Gandini was promoted to president of the company, which employs more than 70 in its 36,000 square foot headquarters outside of Denver. He had served as vice president of sales and general manager.
Bill Konves was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing. He had served as vice president of client strategy. And John Benjamin was named the company's new vice president of manufacturing. Other members of the executive team are Jerry Wenzel, vice president of finance, and Scott Bennett, vice president of business operations.
"I'm delighted with the accomplishments made by the management team and I'm thrilled that John has joined our organization," Spagnolie said.
"Despite this year's slowing economy, I firmly believe that Integrated Printing Solutions will perform beyond expectations," he added. "Our employees, from executives on down, are committed to this company, which has enabled us to continue to grow."
Spagnolie started IPS (http://www.denverips.com) in 1986 convinced his extensive experience in the printing industry, along with his innovative business approach, could lead to faster times to market and significant cost savings for large print users.
After several successful years as a print broker, and in an effort to stay competitive and ahead of the market, Spagnolie invested in internal manufacturing and moved in a new direction -- plastic card production and personalization. The decision paid off and today IPS is one of the fastest growing independently owned companies in the print industry.
Gandini, the company's new president, joined IPS in 2002. A 19-year veteran of the telecommunications industry, he has extensive experience building and growing young companies.
Before joining IPS, Gandini was the chief operating officer of FirstWorld Communications where he oversaw sales and field operations, mergers and acquisitions, and internal expansion. His experience also includes executive management positions with several other major players in the fiber optic and technology outsources sectors.
Konves joined IPS in 2004 and has been responsible for account management and business development for Fortune 500 retail marketing clients. He was employed previously by GE Money, Victoria's Secret Stores and Value City Department Stores.
Benjamin joined IPS in January, bringing more than 30 years of manufacturing and account management experience to Integrated Printing Solutions. Before joining IPS, he was director of operations, vice president and general manager at Cenveo Inc. and account executive with Spectrographics Inc.
"IPS is truly unique from other companies because of its people and their passion for excellence in client services," Spagnolie said. "Our approach and philosophy fosters an environment that enables strategic thinking and creativity along with our project management expertise - all of which are added values for our clients."
Since 1986, IPS (http://www.denverips.com) has been a premier provider and innovator of print solutions and strategies. The company provides solutions in card and card personalization services, full service fulfillment, distribution and warehousing, commercial printing and direct mail, as well as print management for healthcare, retail, advertising and prepaid card industries.
About Integrated Printing Solutions:
Integrated Printing Solutions, Inc., based in Centennial, CO, is a premier provider and innovator of print solutions and strategies for some of North America's largest businesses. IPS provides solutions in card and card personalization services, full service fulfillment, distribution and warehousing, commercial printing and direct mail, as well as print management for the healthcare, retail, advertising and prepaid card industries. IPS solutions ensure rapid deployment with significant cost savings by utilizing internal production capabilities, outsourced options and industry leading project management.


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Coolpad has sued three group firms of Xiaomi for several patient infringements. Coolpad’s subsidiary, Yulong Computer Telecommunication Scientific (Shenzen) Co Ltd has filed a lawsuit against Xiaomi Telecom Technology Co, Xiaomi Technology Co and Xiaomi Factory Co, in a court in Jiangsu province for using its patents without authorization. The patents involved in this lawsuit are systematic interactions or UI type patents. They all involve basic communication, display and interactive functions of mobile phones and are difficult to be circumvented or replaced.
Yulong has demanded that the Xiaomi companies should immediately stop production or offering for sale and current sale of some of the smartphone models including the Xiaomi 6, Xiaomi Max 2, Xiaomi Note 3, Xiaomi 5X, Redmi Note4X and Mi MIX2. Yulong had filed a similar legal case against Xioami in a Shenzen Court in January 2018 as well.
The three patents are system interaction or UI type patents, involving interactive, applications and icon configuration technologies, whose features are more visible and identifiable on the infringing mobile phones. So, this type of infringement is easy to detect and prove. All these patents involve basic communication, display and interaction functions and are difficult to be circumvented and substituted.
Coolpad hopes that Xiaomi will stop patent infringement and actively cooperate with Coolpad to promote industrial progress. Litigation is a legal remedy for resolving intellectual property disputes. Coolpad is looking forward to Xiaomi to find a better solution, strengthen intellectual property protection and create a good business environment.


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As one of Alaska’s most profitable and exciting industries, tourism is a vital part of Alaska Business coverage. From cruise operations in Southeast to Aurora viewing trips in the Interior, we provide businesses with the insight and economic forecasts needed to not just run a tourism business, but to run a successful, cutting-edge tourism operation.
Latest Tourism News
USDA Rural Development Funding for a Hotel, Helicopter, and Seafood Processor
US Department of Agriculture grants and loan guarantees pay for village infrastructure upgrades, new fishing vessels, and a helicopter.
New Executive Director for Discover Kodiak
A new boss in charge at Discover Kodiak just in time for the busy summer season. Brock Simmons has taken over as Executive Director of the visitor’s bureau.
Simpson Returns to ATIA as President and CEO
A former executive who stepped away from the Alaska Travel Industry Association for a couple of years is back, with a promotion. After a nationwide search, ATIA selected Jillian Simpson as its next President and CEO.
Alaska State Fair Replacing 60-Year-Old ‘Sluicebox’ Beer Hall
Due to roof damage, the Alaska State Fair is replacing its Sluicebox, with plans to open a new performance venue in time for the next fair in August.
Veilbreaker Skybridges Opening at Alyeska Resort
Alyeska Resort is giving guests a new view of Girdwood. In July, the resort is opening Veilbreaker Skybridges, a pair of footbridges suspended above Christmas and New Year’s Chutes.
Spotlight Digital Profiles
Spotlight Your Business Here
Associated General Contractors of Alaska
Crowley Fuels Alaska
This year the Alaska Railroad is celebrating 100 years of transportation people and cargo around Alaska. While the railroad is one of the states oldest transporters, it certainly isn’t the only one, and in this issue of Alaska Business we also check in on the Marine Highway, Span Alaska, and the White Pass & Yukon Route. For those interested in Southeast, our focus on that region provides updates on Kensington Mine, Tongass FCU, the troll fishery, and Juneau’s growing landfill.


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Report : Asia Pacific Projector Screen Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Type (Fixed Frame, Tripod, Folding Frame, Floor Rising/Pull Up, Electric, Manual, and Others) and End User (Education, Media and Entertainment, Healthcare, Government and Defense, Commercial, Personal, and Others)
Healthcare Segment is Expected to be Fastest Growing During Forecast Period for APAC region
According to a new market research study on “APAC Projector Screen Market to 2027 – COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis and Forecast Type and End User,” is expected to reach US$ 6,695.14 million by 2027 from US$ 3,250.76 million in 2020. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.4 % from 2021 to 2027. The report provides trends prevailing in the APAC projector screen market along with the drivers and restraints pertaining to the market growth. Mounting demand for cinema projector screens and upgradation in screen size and layers are the major factor driving the growth of the APAC projector screen market. However, accessibility of alternative solution such as large LED screens hinders the growth of APAC projector screen market.
In case of COVID-19, APAC is highly affected specially the China and India. The government of APAC countries took all possible steps to reduce the effects of the coronavirus pandemic by announcing lockdown. The lockdown has created a negative impact on the projector screen market. In addition, APAC is a house of many manufacturing plants, also got affected due to lockdown. The step disrupted the production and supply of components overseas. Factory activity contracted sharply across most of the region in April as the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed economic activity globally, with sharp falls in export from countries such as Japan and South Korea overshadowing a moderate enhancement in China. Manufacturing indicators also slumped in Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, as per the Purchasing Managers’ Index surveys. China’s factory activity enhanced marginally more than anticipated in March after plunging a month earlier; however, growth was minimal, signifying the intense pressure on businesses owing to a decline in domestic and export demand. While factories in China slowly resumed operations after extended shutdowns and a reduction in virus cases enabled the country to begin relaxing travel restrictions, activity in South Korea contracted at its fastest pace in 11 years as several of the country’s trading partners imposed dramatic actions to control the virus’ spread. Also, the construction sector has been impacted significantly across the region. Such factors have negatively impacted the projector screen market in APAC.
The APAC projector screen market is segmented on the basis of types, end user, and country. Based on types, the market is segmented into fixed frame, tripod, folding frame, floor rising/pull up, electric, manual, and others. The fixed frame segment dominated the APAC market in 2020. The tripod segment is expected to be fastest growing during forecast period. Based on end user, the market is segmented into education, media and entertainment, healthcare, government and defense, commercial, personal, and others. The media and entertainment industry dominated the market in 2020 and healthcare industry is expected to be fastest growing during forecast period.
Barco NV, Elite Screens Inc., Grandview Crystal Screen Co. Ltd., LEGRAND AV INC., Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group), Stewart Filmscreen are among the leading companies in the APAC projector screen market. The companies are focused on adopting organic growth strategies such as product launches and expansions to sustain their position in the dynamic market. For instance, in 2020, Barco NV announced that Collins Aerospace had chosen Barco FS40-4K MKII projectors for a prestigious, international advanced jet trainer program.
The report segments the APAC Projector Screen Market as follows:
APAC Projector Screen Market – By Type
- Fixed Frame
- Folding Frame
- Floor Rising/Pull Up
APAC Projector Screen Market – By End User
- Media and Entertainment
- Government and Defense
APAC Projector Screen Market – By Country
- South Korea
- Rest of APAC
Contact Person: Sameer Joshi
Email Id: firstname.lastname@example.org


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Tata Motors is preparing to strengthen its presence in the bus segment, supported by new launches and capacity expansion.
While the company is gearing up to launch multi-axle luxury buses soon under the Tata Marcopolo venture, it is also planning to invest about Rs.30 crore to Rs.50 crore in its bus body plant here for future demand.
At present, the company does not have offerings in the multi-axle bus segment, where companies such as Volvo are active.
However, it will fill the vacuum soon as it is on the verge of launching the multi-axle range.
“We are yet to decide the branding for that. It will be 14-metre long coach, and we plan to roll out in the first quarter of next fiscal. The market for this segment is 600-700 units a year,” Tata Marcopolo Motors Chief Executive Officer Rohit Srivastava told The Hindu at the company’s plant here.
The Dharwad plant of Tata Marcopolo Motors, a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Motors and Brazil’s Marcopolo for bus and coach building, will see an investment of about Rs.50 crore over the next few years to create additional production lines for new products, including the upcoming multi-axle buses. The joint venture has so far invested about Rs.300 crore in creating a production capacity of 15,000 units a year. The capacity utilisation level is now 12,000-13,000 per annum. It has so far produced about 70,000 buses in the past 5-6 years.
Meanwhile, Tata Motors sees bigger demand for fully-built buses due to introduction of bus body code by the government from April 1. Since the new bus body code stresses on more stringent safety and quality features, unorganised players may find it challenging to incorporate. So, the segment may see a shift towards OEM-led manufacturing of fully-built buses.
Fully-built buses (built by Tata Marcopolo) account for 30-35 per cent of Tata’s total bus sales. Bus body building business accounts for 15-20 per cent of the overall commercial vehicle volumes in India.
The ICV (intermediate commercial vehicle) passenger segment, which includes the school segment, has seen the highest penetration for fully-built buses with a share of 68 per cent in total sales, followed by LCV (light commercial vehicle) passengerand medium commercial vehicle segment.
“The market is under-penetrated given the huge population in the country. Lack of road development and planning, among others are the reasons for poor share of fully-built solutions in the bus segment in the past,” said R. Ramakrishnan, Senior Vice President — Commercial Vehicles (Business Unit), Tata Motors.
News Credits to The Hindu


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NEW YORK — Dark and Lovely has kicked off #LoveMyColor, an online and social media campaign for its Fade Resist Rich Conditioning Color hair coloring.
The Softsheen-Carson brand said that #LoveMyColor aims to encourage women to show how much they love their color by uploading a selfie photo to LoveMyColor.com. After customizing their images, participants then can share the photos on social media to inspire others to also share their selfies using hashtag #LoveMyColor.
Also accessible through #LoveMyColor are real-life “Hair Dyeries,” in which consumers share their personal stories of what makes them feel unique and confident, Dark and Lovely said.
By visiting LoveMyColor.com, viewers can experience the #LoveMyColor selfie generator, Hair Dyeries and the anthem video, which highlights seven individual profiles of dynamic women, ranging from fashion bloggers to well-known models.
“The provocative #LoveMyColor tagline goes beyond being a witty double entendre for women,” stated Michelle Ryan, senior vice president of marketing for the Multi-Cultural Beauty Division at L’Oreal USA, the parent of Softsheen-Carson. “This Dark and Lovely campaign connects with women on every level — their skin color, hair color and their colorful lives. The look, tone and feel are authentic and anthemic. We hear her voice, we see her moments and we believe in the hair color that she believes in.”
Dark and Lovely Fade Resist Rich Conditioning Color is a no-drip, crème hair color in a low-ammonia formula that’s designed to color and condition hair. Fade Resist now includes a new extra-nourishing, moisture-rich conditioner infused with triple fruit oils (shea, avocado and olive) that help protect color-treated hair.
Specially formulated for relaxed and natural hair, Fade Resist provides hair with the nutrients it needs to protect it from color damage while providing brilliant color and shine, the company said, adding that the color is so rich and conditioning that it lasts for up to eight weeks.
Now available in 19 shades, including the new Berry Burgundy, Dark and Lovely Fade Resist is sold at Walmart and other mass retailers nationwide starting at $5.


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Escalating technology disruptions and a truck driver shortage in the U.S. are just a few logistics pain points respondents to the MDM Industry Outlook Survey identified in Top Trends for 2016. Distributors should assess how these and other logistics obstacles may affect their business in the year ahead and make a plan to mitigate the long list of supply chain disruptions.
For example, the U.S. truck driver shortage has wide-ranging logistics implications, including increasing costs for companies across the supply chain due to drastic increases in driver wages.
Distributors can also look for opportunities in logistics, such as the expanded Panama Canal. It will give companies more options for moving goods around the globe and help shippers shift from West Coast ports to East Coast ports, which would have a profound effect not only on companies’ supply chains but also on the U.S. economy.
To avoid disruptions, stay informed of these and other possible logistics and supply chain obstacles and opportunities, and develop a risk mitigation plan for any issues that arise.
Read more about distributor pain points to watch out for in Top Trends for 2016.


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Netgear Offers VPN Firewall with DMZ at SMB Price PointBy Ericka Chickowski | Print
Desktop-as-a-Service Designed for Any Cloud ? Nutanix Frame
The new ProSafe 8-port VPN firewall offers remote access for small businesses with 10 or fewer users that is embedded with business-class network security.
Netgear released a new firewall through the channel today that aims to give SMBs more robust and affordable protection at Gigabit LAN speeds.
The new ProSafe 8-port VPN firewall offers remote access for small businesses with 10 or fewer users that is embedded with business-class network security. The IPsec VPN device comes equipped with eight gigabit LAN ports and a single gigabit WAN port, which sport up to a 25 megabit per second throughput.
Netgear believes the key selling point to the model will be the software-configurable hardware DMZ port for server and other externally facing connections, a feature that Jason Leung, senior product line manager for security at Netgear, says "push(es) the boundary of what’s considered 'standard’ security fare for small businesses."
Typically only found on expensive enterprise-class firewalls, the DMZ feature will be offered at the ProSafe’s $139 price point. The DMZ port can be controlled via a user-friendly GUI, giving small business administrators or service providers the ability to block off the majority of the network when linking external-facing equipment to the business’s internal resources. This can offer VARs a cheap and easy way to segment the network within small businesses that may still need to comply with regulations such as PCI DSS.
Compatible with Windows, UNIX, Macintosh and Linux OS environments, the ProSafe is designed with ease-of-use in mind. Auto detect functionality and a streamlined user interface via the Web-based ProSafe Control Center aids configuration, as does the included IPsec VPN wizard, which automates IPsec VPN configuration for multiple site connections.
This latest Netgear release is yet another example of the company’s push this year to appeal to the SMB security market. In January the company announced a partnership with Kaspersky Lab to help it create what it called "VAR-focused" threat management appliances for the SMB.


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South Korea is working in the direction of a brand new regulatory framework for digital currencies. That is coming after Yoon Suk-yeol, the South Korean President elect, made room for Preliminary coin choices (ICOs), as one of many many issues it’ll give approval to.
South Korean President Elect Yoon has massive plans for Crypto
The ICO approval is one out of the 110 duties that the president’s administration is ready to hold out. The regulatory plans might be cut up into two, and can classify cryptocurrencies as securities or non-securities.
In the end, the newly proposed invoice is meant to watch and entry each the itemizing and insurance coverage processes of digital belongings. The committee of the Presidential transition explains that the transfer will even assist to keep away from biased buying and selling actions throughout the cryptocurrency market.
In his administration, Yoon has additionally got down to denote a laws generally known as the Digital Asset Primary Act. It is going to embrace the principles and laws that may support the method of issuing cryptocurrencies and different digital tokens. They are going to embrace investor safety, gauging and levelling of digital transactions and likewise Non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
As well as, the presidential committee additionally famous that the tasking of digital belongings will even be regarded into, proper after investor-protection laws has been organized.
The ICO Ban May additionally be lifted
Recall that again in 2017, South Korea’s Monetary Companies Fee (FSC) positioned a ban on Preliminary Coin Choices (ICOs). The ban was enacted due to the extreme volatility and speculations, in addition to prison associated actions throughout the native South Korean ecosystem. Nevertheless, with the arrival of a brand new administration, it’s being anticipated that the long-standing ban is likely to be lifted.
The Crypto-scene within the nation can also be seeing some important development with regulation. Again in 2020, Cryptocurrencies have been regulated and legalized, after the nationwide meeting in South Korea handed a brand new laws.
In March of 2022, Crypto utilization surged considerably, after Yoon, whose time period begins on the tenth of Might 2022, revealed his plans to halt the taxation of cryptocurrency beneficial properties, as much as as a lot as 50 million gained ($39,706). The transfer is predicted to spice up crypto-adoption within the nation, and additional add to the worldwide cryptocurrency market cap.
The introduced content material might embrace the non-public opinion of the writer and is topic to market situation. Do your market analysis earlier than investing in cryptocurrencies. The writer or the publication doesn’t maintain any accountability in your private monetary loss.


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J. Crew fans will soon have more stores at which they can do their shopping.
Nordstrom announced on Monday that it will start carrying an assortment of J.Crew's product offering at select Nordstrom full-line stores and at Nordstrom.com beginning September 12. The assortment will include women's apparel, accessories and petites (online only).
"We know our customers love J.Crew, and we're excited to be offering this coveted brand in our stores and online. Partnering with quality brands like J.Crew that have exclusive distribution is part of our long-term strategic agenda," Pete Nordstrom, Nordstrom co-president, said in a press release.
J. Crew sister brand Madewell has been sold at Nordstrom since 2015 and is now available at 76 Nordstrom locations and at Nordstrom.com. Nordstrom is the only retailer to sell Madewell and J. Crew outside of the brands' stores in the U.S.
"This was an easy decision. Nordstrom is the perfect partner because we both share the same high standards of customer service and store experience. Additionally, we are known for exceptional design, quality and style, which we know will appeal to the Nordstrom customer," Millard Drexler, J.Crew's chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
Nordstrom's fall 2016 J. Crew edit will include the brand's Regent and Rhodes blazers, Italian cashmere, outerwear and its popular Martie pants. The assortment will be carried at the following 16 stores:
Downtown Seattle (Seattle, Wash.)
Bellevue Square (Bellevue, Wash.)
Washington Square (Tigard, Ore.)
Michigan Avenue (Chicago, Ill.)
Oakbrook Center (Oak Brook, Ill.)
Somerset Collection (Troy, Mich.)
Scottsdale Fashion Square (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
NorthPark Center (Dallas, Texas)
Houston Galleria (Houston, Texas)
Barton Creek Square (Austin, Texas)
Domain Northside (Austin, Texas - opening September 30th)
Tysons Corner Center, (McLean, Va.)
The Plaza at King of Prussia (King of Prussia, Pa.)
South Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa, Calif.)
The Mall at Short Hills (Short Hills, N.J.)


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The competitive pressure for card issuers to reach consumers 'where they live' has become so great that banks may no longer be able to avoid integrating with social networking sites like Facebook.
To give banks another way to interact with customers online, Cardlytics' Facebook rewards app takes the same technology it offers through online banking sites and makes it accessible through Facebook.
"This gives consumers a chance to engage with banks via Facebook, and for banks it gives them a positive relationship on the social network," says Rod Witmond, senior vice president of talent acquisition and international expansion for Cardlytics.
Cardlytics is expanding its analytics and marketing platform—currently available via online, mobile and email—to allow consumers to op-in to receive offers and rewards via Facebook. It's hardly alone in moving payments capabilities to social networks. American Express recently began supporting payments made through Twitter —one of several payment companies to tap the network for payments, including Dwolla, Chirpily and Vantage Credit Union. American Express has also used the popular Facebook game Farmville to promote the Amex Serve digital wallet.
Cardlytics will allow issuers to deploy a Facebook app that integrates with the Cardlytics rewards platform. The app enables consumers to privately see offers and rewards while using Facebook. The consumer does not enter personal banking information, nor is this information shared—Cardlytics is using the Facebook application programming interface (API) to create a link from a token ID at the issuing bank to the consumer's individual Facebook ID.
Cardlytics says it's in talks with issuers to use the Facebook app, but it has not announced any that have agreed to use it. Bank of America and Regions, two Cardlytics clients, say they are not currently using the new Facebook app, and did not comment further. Other clients such as PNC and Fiserv did not return requests for comment.
Cardlytics, which launched in 2008, has more than 300 clients and reaches about 70% of U.S. households. The Facebook rewards app is similar how Cardlytics works in other channels, adding features such as the ability to "like" rewards and experiences and discuss their use of the app online.
Cardlytics' app is targeting issuers pressured to keep pace with the moves into social commerce by American Express and other companies.
"Facebook makes a lot of sense because a lot of customers are there," says Stessa Cohen, a research director at Gartner. "One of the things that's becoming clear is that if you put something on a bank's website, the customer may not see it."
There are some challenges, however. The FFIEC, for example, just proposed guidance (PDF) on the use of social media by banks. The possible trap for card issuers is risk — the FFIEC says the use of social media can affect compliance, legal, privacy reputational and operational risk by using social networks to deliver financial services or marketing.
"There are issues around customer privacy…banks have to be careful about payment offers that may use personal information," Cohen says.
However, consumers simply visit social networks more often than banking sites, making Facebook a potentially better venue to deliver offers, analysts say.
"The Cardlytics model has always been: people have to go the bank site to see the offers, and I think most people don't do that very often. So [they] need to get the offers out without cluttering people's email inboxes," says Aaron McPherson, a practice director for IDC Financial Insights.
There is a lot of untapped potential in Facebook, but also a few pitfalls banks are wary of, he says.
"Banks haven't really done much on Facebook beyond 'brochureware' and press releases. And that's one of the tricks here. If you are on Facebook people can post whatever they want on your wall, and that's the sort of things that banks don't handle very well," McPherson says.


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L.A.-based adaptive robotics company Evollve has unveiled its first-ever Marvel line for its STEAM-centric robot, Ozobot Bit.
The company will launch Ozobot Bit starter packs based on Marvel properties Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man at Disney’s D23 Expo July 14 in Anaheim, California.
Providing a physical and digital STEAM experience, the Ozobot Bit comes to life by drawing lines and color segments on paper. The patented color command language, or OzoCodes, can make the Bit robot spin, dance or zigzag.
The Guardians of the Galaxy pack includes skins of popular characters Groot and Rocket (pictured), while the Spider-Man pack will feature Spidey and Venom. Each pack will retail for US$59.95. A free, web-based block-based programming editor, OzoBlockly, for more advanced coding is also included in the box.
Additional pack items include 20-plus pages of drawing and color coding activities, four color-coding markers, DIY, Marvel-themed stickers and pop-outs, as well as free Android and iOS apps and online and printable games.
The new line will supplement Evollve’s existing Marvel Avengers line for its Bluetooth-enabled social Ozobot Evo. Captain America and Iron Man skins are currently available and will be joined by Black Widow, Hulk and Ultron in the coming months.
Ozobot currently reaches one million kids in homes and schools with more than half a million units shipped and bots placed in more than 3,000 classrooms.
The new items arrive as STEAM-centric products for youth continue to trend well in the kids space. Most recently, robotics and AI company Anki announced its new Fast & Furious-branded robotic battle racing game, and New York-based tech startup littleBits introduced a new game-based coding kit.


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Wells Fargo has raised its Sprint (S +3.1%) valuation range to $11-$11.75 from $7.75-$8.25, and predicts ongoing reports of a Sprint/SoftBank bid for T-Mobile USA (TMUS +0.7%) will continue to bolster shares.
The firm also thinks the value of Sprint's spectrum (increased by the Clearwire acquisition) helps create a base for shares, and notes a T-Mobile deal would produce major cost savings.
Meanwhile, Reuters observes the Obama Administration has taken a skeptical view towards consolidation between major carriers and pay-TV providers, something that could stand in the way of a Sprint/T-Mobile deal.
New FCC chairman Tom Wheeler recently stated his organization has a responsibility to "protect competition that exists and promote competition in those areas where it doesn't." Likewise, DOJ antitrust attorney William Baer has said the Department "believes it is essential to maintain vigilance against any lessening of the intensity of competitive market forces."


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Apple Event 2023 September Live: iPhone 15 series with USB-C, Apple Watch Series 9, and more launched!
Apple WWDC 2023 live updates: Reality Pro headset, iOS 17, watchOS 10 and more expected
Karnataka Election Result 2023 Live: Who will Congress choose - Siddaramaiah or DK Shivakumar?
Google I/O 2023 live updates: Pixel Fold, Pixel 7a, Android 14 and more expected
Karnataka Assembly Election 2023 LIVE: most exit polls predict close race for BJP, Congress
Lucknow Super Giants unveil new jersey ahead of IPL 2023
Assembly Elections 2023 LIVE: BJP, allies retain Tripura, Nagaland; hung assembly in Meghalaya
Tripura Assembly Election Voting Live: 'violence' claim by TIPRA Motha; Left accuses BJP of hindering voting


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Gary Wright talks to Nicolas Garcia, VP (MEA) Sales, Biometric Devices at IDEMIA, supplier of facial recognition, biometric products and software to governments and companies across the world. He offers positive view for the region in the wake of the pandemic with contactless security at its heart
Gary Wright: Could you tell our readers what they can expect from you at Intersec 2022?
Nicolas Garcia: Our visitors can expect to experience the power of Contactless Biometrics (facial and fingerprint) on our stand. We are pleased to announce that we will be launching some new exciting products. Visit us at the exhibition to experience the Power of Contactless and our newest additions to our portfolio offerings.
Gary Wright: Tell our readers about your IDEMIA’s focus and products for Intersec 2022
Nicolas Garcia: IDEMIA main focus at INTERSEC will be on contactless – while accelerated by the pandemic, we at IDEMIA, believe that contactless biometric powered access control technology is the way forward – delivering unmatched security and frictionless experience to the end user.
At our stand, we have put together user experiences which demonstrate different use cases that will allow our visitors to see our technology delivering enhanced results for real world scenarios like time and attendance, secured access and smart cities etc.
Gary Wright: What do you see as the key security issues for customers over the coming year?
Nicolas Garcia: The key security topics that are of primary concern for our customers is how to authenticate and verify users with legitimate access, securely and adhering to privacy regulation and data protection.
Our readers ensure that identity is checked safely and with certainty before sharing the information to the access control system which will in turn let people in, based on specific business rules or government regulation.
Gary Wright: What effect has the pandemic had on your business and your customers?
Nicolas Garcia: The most visible effect is that customers are now demanding integrated solutions to empower them with the tools to manage compliance with local regulation such as making sure that users adhere to sanitary measures such as wearing masks and/or social distancing.
Integration has been one of our strength for decades and we believe that system should adapt to the customer’s need and not the other way around.
Gary Wright: Could you tell others why Intersec 2022 is important to your business targets.
Nicolas Garcia: Intersec 2022 is particularly important to our business targets because that is where all major players in the region meets. It is traditionally a great occasion to catch up with the market and to present our existing and upcoming products.
Gary Wright: Why is the Middle East a key area for your business?
Nicolas Garcia: IDEMIA technology has been supporting our customers in the Middle East for over two decades. The Middle-East continues to be a region of dynamic growth. Countries such as the UAE has demonstrated that it is among the world’s leaders in the handling of the pandemic. Coupled with world class events such as the Dubai Expo, COP 27 in Egypt, the World Cup in Qatar next year and COP 28 Abu Dhabi the year after, optimism for economic recovery in the region has accelerated.
Gary Wright: Where do you expect the key growth areas in this sector?
Nicolas Garcia: As growth accelerates in step with business optimism, we can expect a corresponding increase in the need for access control and time & attendance for infrastructure and buildings, both existing and upcoming. We believe that lessons learnt during this current pandemic, such as the increased need for sanitation measures, will stay for a while. In addition, there may be new regulation for new challenges in the future. Both situations will required increased compliance with updated regulation. This is expected to constitute another key growth area for our business
Gary Wright: Is there anything else you believe our readers should know about you and this sector?
Nicolas Garcia: We are excited to be back at Intersec after one year and we are looking forward to welcome everybody on our stand. Again, this year is extra special as we will be launching new products – so do come visit us at Intersec!
Gary Wright: Thank you for your time and we look forward to welcoming you and the IDEMIA team here in Dubai at the World Trade Center from 16-18 January 2022.
Register to visit
16 December 2021
By Gary Wright


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Coors' Zima Raises Rumors Among Teens
The Coors Brewing Company is continuing to draw fire for rumors about its newest alcoholic drink, Zima (Jay Mathews, "Controversy Follows Coors's Zima," Washington Post, Feb. 7, 1995, p. D1).
Experts on underage drinking say that Zima is becoming the most popular party beverage among teens because the drink is sweet, smooth, colorless, and is as high in alcohol content as premium beer. Teens say they think that the drink is harder for police and parents to spot than beer or hard liquor. Some teenagers even say that Zima can beat a Breathalyzer test.
Coors admits that Zima may be a problem among underage drinkers, but denies that the drink was marketed to the teen party crowd despite the complaints and accusations of groups in ten states working to curb underage drinking. The company has sent letters to police and school superintendents to tell them that the rumors that Zima can beat the Breathalyzer are false.
To prove that Zima contains alcohol and does show on a Breathalyzer, Takoma Park, Maryland Police Officer Mark Gardner drank several bottles of the beverage and had another officer monitor his blood alcohol. The demonstration was videotaped and was broadcast on local television news programs in May 1994.
According to John Goldman, a spokesperson for Coors Brewing Company, Coors received many complaints and questions about Zima when the product was first introduced in 1994. At that time Coors instituted a public education program about the drink and a promotional campaign to discourage underage drinking. The company distributed T-shirts with the messages "I.D. Pleaze" and "Adult Humanz Only," with the "z" referring to Zima.
Brandy Anderson, a spokesperson for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), said that MADD has been pressuring Coors to stop using young-looking actors in Zima television commercials. Anderson said that Coors may be targeting underage drinkers as the market for Zima.
[For questions about Coors products, contact the Coors consumer hotline at 1-800-642-6116. For more information about MADD's position on alcohol advertising and promotion, contact MADD at 1-800-438-6223.]


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TL; DR: Larry Book Bombed his departed friend Zach’s posthumous first novel, hoping to drive sales and boost the book’s Amazon ranking as much as possible. That means getting as many eyesballs on the Book Bomb as possible. But he found that Facebook was only showing his posts to a fraction of his thousands-strong following.
Facebook, ostensibly a social network designed to connect people, appears to be throttling users–deliberately withholding their posts from wide circulation and showing them only to a small number of users’ friends.
What’s FB’s motive? Larry suspects Facebook of using throttling to strong-arm users into buying ads on the site. Want your post seen by all your followers? Then pay up.
Best selling author Brad Torgersen backs up Larry’s observation and notes that FB seems to target posts with outside links for throttling. His description of Facebook as “a hot mess of bots and algorithms” seems quite apt.
Not coincidentally, Parliament recently slapped another unflattering label on Facebook, calling the company, “digital gangsters”.
Facebook broke the law in its quest to destroy other businesses and behaved like a ‘digital gangster’, MPs say
- The Culture Committee report says Facebook would ‘starve’ other tech companies of data to destroy their business model
- Documents seized from Mark Zuckerberg also reveal it was willing to override users’ privacy settings to transfer data to other developers to make money
- The report, published today, calls for an investigation by the Information Commissioner, and the Competition and Markets Authority
- Facebook denied that it had broken anti-competition and data privacy laws
Larry and friends appear to have found a workaround. Links appearing in comments and videos embedded directly into Facebook seem exempt from throttling. If you still use Facebook and want anyone to see your links, you’d be well advised to try it.
When prominent conservative authors are having their posts throttled by one of the biggest big tech companies, you have to wonder if petty greed is the only motive at work. We already know that fellow social network Twitter actively censors conservative accounts. Facebook themselves have been caught engaging in censorship. Is it beyond the pale to suspect that FB’s throttling disproportionately targets users who dissent from the Narrative?
To paraphrase Warpig’s Laws of Twitter, these sites are so poorly programmed that malfunctions are indistinguishable from malice. At the same time, the people in charge use their shoddy platforms as fig leaves for their malice.
One thing is certain. Rough times lie ahead for anyone who’s unwilling to publicly profess his love for Big Brother. Support honest creators who are working hard to entertain you, as Larry and Brad are, and as Zach did before his untimely death.
Consider my own humble offerings. My thrilling mech Mil-SF novel Combat Frame XSeed is available now, and you can back the earth-shattering sequel Combat Frame XSeed: Coalition Year 40 on Indiegogo. Claim amazing perks, and get the book first!
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The CFPB announced on Thursday that it would examine bank accounts and debit cards geared towards college students in order to determine if the products and services pose any threat to college consumers.
“The bureau wants to find out whether students using college-endorsed banking products are getting a good deal,” CFPB Director Richard Cordray said, The New York Times reports.
The 2009 Credit CARD Act prohibits banks from using aggressive techniques to market credit cards on college campuses and requires all agreements made between universities and credit card issuers to be made public. The CFPB, however, said that little is known about university-affiliated bank accounts and contracts between banks and schools to disburse financial aid.
Many students receive financial aid in excess of tuition and are allowed to use the money to purchase school-related items, such as a backpack or books. Banks can provide students a debit card, linked to an account, to distribute the funds to the student. Some schools even issue university ID cards that can also be used as debit cards, according to The New York Times.
Some credit card providers have been the subject of criticism due to the high fees charged for using the card. Higher One, a big marketer of student debit cards, settled allegations last summer by the FDIC that it imposed excessive overdraft fees to consumers.
Rohit Chopra, the agency’s student loan ombudsman, said that students already under financial stress do not need the added fees.
“We want students to know they can, and should, shop around,” Chopra said, The New York Times reports.


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Ten years in the past, the general public concept rubbish used to be uninteresting; even business execs concept it used to be no less than predictable.
However the previous few years had been tumultuous for the rubbish business. China’s Nationwide Sword marketing campaign — an import ban on recycling commodities — threw the U.S. waste machine right into a tailspin from which it’s nonetheless improving. The way forward for forged waste and recycling is way much less sure now, however there are a couple of developments that we will be expecting to look proceed in 2020 and past.
One certain pattern whose results we will hope to start out seeing in 2020 is the growth of the home processing of recyclables. Shuttered paper turbines round america, like McKinley in Washington state, have begun retooling to procedure waste paper.
No less than $1 billion in new investments has been sunk into U.S. paper processing crops. Plastic and scrap steel recycling crops have additionally noticed larger funding. Paradoxically, a lot of that funding is coming from Chinese language corporations. However without reference to the investment supply, home recycling capability will lend a hand stabilize the machine.
Fabrics restoration amenities (MRFs) have additionally begun to reinforce their techniques. Some MRFs have already varied and broadened their services and products by means of, for instance, buying complicated scanners that kind paper into 15 grades as a substitute of the standard two.
Shrinking Native Techniques
Group curbside recycling techniques will proceed to fight. Even if extra home processors are up and operating, U.S. environmental and exertions requirements would require cleaner commodities and better running prices than overseas processors.
Many communities have already deserted curbside recycling up to now two years, and extra are prone to surrender on recycling at some point. We will be able to be expecting those who proceed to refocus at the maximum winning commodities whilst refusing to assemble problematic or unprofitable fabrics like glass or plastic.
Seattle, Washington, recognized for its enthusiasm for recycling, has already stopped accepting plastic luggage and plastic movie in its curbside recycling program. Citizens should now take those recyclables to drop-off websites, however it’s most probably that some will merely discard the fabrics of their rubbish with different forged waste.
New Trade Fashions
The business’s main gamers are too deeply invested in MRFs to go back to source-separated recycling for curbside shoppers. However the fabrics MRFs can not have enough money to maintain will supply alternatives for brand new approaches.
Leading edge new companies are already springing as much as benefit from the business’s disruption. Corporations like Ridwell are connecting citizens to recyclers for fabrics that curbside techniques don’t settle for. As governments fight to take care of curbside recycling services and products, they’re prone to step up efforts to inspire product stewardship techniques, wherein producers design for and fund the recycling of their very own merchandise. Take-back techniques like the ones for plastic luggage at grocery retail outlets and toner cartridges at place of work provide retail outlets will function a fashion for added fabrics.
In america, landfilling is by means of some distance the dominant disposal approach. However the collection of landfills has been reducing for many years.
In 1988, there have been just about eight,000 landfills within the U.S. and in 2017 the collection of running landfills used to be nearer to one,250. A few of this attrition could also be because of a motion clear of small, native landfills towards huge, regional ones. Nevertheless it’s additionally true that the siting and allowing of recent landfills is just about unimaginable. If the present development continues, the U.S. may just run out of landfill house by means of 2036. If recycling charges drop additional on account of the Chinese language import ban, it might be 2031.
As the following decade progresses, communities will an increasing number of be challenged to search out reasonably priced disposal choices for our forged waste. This may result in larger pastime in and beef up for selection disposal strategies. It may additionally lead to communities turning into extra open to website hosting new landfills, ultimately reversing the decades-old pattern.
Lately, a large number of applied sciences have emerged as doable possible choices to landfilling or incinerating our forged waste. Thermal applied sciences like pyrolysis and gasification and organic strategies like anaerobic decomposition have proven actual promise. Up to now, those applied sciences are both restricted to sure segments of the waste circulation or have now not been effectively scaled as much as set up municipal amounts. However analysis and trying out proceed, and we will be expecting extra pilot initiatives and most likely even scaled rollouts of those strategies within the subsequent decade.
After years of incremental enhancements, new recycling applied sciences also are at the horizon, particularly for plastics. In 2019, IBM, PureCycle, and BP all made strides in creating new post-consumer plastic recycling processes. Simply recycled new plastic formulation have the prospective to switch one of the crucial commonplace problematic plastics in use lately.
Technological advances may also proceed in conventional sectors of the disposal business. Robots and scanners will type waste and recyclables with expanding accuracy. And gear from family recycling containers to landfill compactors will sign up for the web of items, offering ever extra granular knowledge for governments and processors.


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For our loyal customer, Casey Dutmer, using the Aira app within our stores helped him discover products he never knew existed, especially in the candy aisle. Blind since birth, Casey appreciates the help of remote agents through the Aira app on his phone that can guide him through the aisles, and he especially appreciates our partnership with Aira to offer its services free of charge in all our stores.
Aira is a service that connects blind and low-vision people to highly trained, remotely located agents through cameras on their smartphones. At the touch of a button, Aira connects customers who need immediate visual assistance with anything from reading in-store signage to product labels.
“With the Aira app, I do not have to be afraid or overwhelmed by all the sounds and vastness of a store,” Casey said. “I know I can access this app in Meijer, and the agents will tell me where I am, what is around me, and where to go for specific items.”
The partnership with Aira began in 2020, and part of our efforts to make customer shopping experiences more inclusive. Instead of a per-minute fee that is usually incurred to users, we absorb the cost entirely so that our customers can utilize the app free of charge.
“The initiative with Aira came about because members of our Meijer Disability Advocacy and Awareness Group (mDAAG) brought the app to our attention,” said Kathrine Lee Baker, Manager for Diversity and Inclusion at Meijer. “They wanted to see us make shopping more accessible to our customers and community.”
Meijer is also a longtime partner with the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI).
“For ABVI and our clients, allowing the independence to shop in a place like Meijer is a game changer,” said Brad Kauffman, Director of Development for the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired. “The fact that Meijer supports the blind and low-vision community through the Aira app provides that independence.”
Dutmer is no stranger to advocacy for the blind and low-vision population.
“I feel like more of an equal part of the community knowing that we have the support of Meijer,” said Casey, who is President of the Michigan Council for the Blind and Vision Impaired and a volunteer for ABVI.


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TELF AG’s latest publication, available on its website under the title “TELF AG analyses the sustainable potential of palladium,” delves into the crucial role of palladium, a precious metal that has been gaining attention from numerous companies and institutions involved in the worldwide shift towards sustainable energy practices.
While discussions about the green revolution often revolve around materials such as lithium or cobalt, primarily due to their essential role in electric vehicles, the significance of palladium remains relatively unknown to the general populace. However, in the coming years, palladium could prove pivotal to the successful realization of the global ecological transition.
In recent years, palladium has garnered increased attention for its remarkable sustainable potential, particularly its natural ability to control emissions in specific types of vehicles. This attribute has positioned it as one of the most sought-after raw materials in the automotive sector. Many experts speculate that its importance may grow even further in the near and medium term.
TELF AG also examines the recent performance of the palladium market, which has exhibited consistent growth. This growth cannot be attributed solely to its contribution to decarbonization but also to its significant role in facilitating the world’s transition towards electric vehicles with minimal emissions.
Palladium plays a pivotal role in the production of catalytic converters for hybrid vehicles, serving as a bridge between traditional fossil fuel-powered cars and the future generation of fully electric vehicles. These hybrid vehicles are set to play a crucial role in helping humanity prepare for a future dominated by electric vehicles powered by advanced batteries made from critical raw materials.
For a comprehensive understanding of the subject, we encourage readers to explore the full publication on TELF AG’s website.