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- Fidelitas promotes Will Hoppes, Mitch Venohr as part of transition
- New Alliance of Women in Washington Wine already stands at 200 strong
- Bullocks bid goodbye to Eye of the Needle Winery in Woodinville
- VineLines Dispatch #7: That’s a wrap
- Former Oregon car dealer gears up with Jachter Family Wines
- VineLines Dispatch: 6 Vineyards at Work
- L’Ecole Nº 41 to create wine bar at Marcus Whitman Hotel
- VineLines Dispatch: Harvest surrounding Lake Chelan
- Northwest restaurateurs purchase Basel Cellars in Walla Walla
- Hayden Homes CEO buys interest in Pepper Bridge, Amavi wineries
More News News
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- Posted August 21, 2020
Williamson Vineyards young Albariño rises to top of 2020 Idaho Wine Competition
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- Posted August 19, 2020
2020 vintage for Northwest tracks dry, warm but not hot
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- Posted August 5, 2020
5 Idaho wineries to pour at drive-in theater
PARMA, Idaho — Countless celebrations of wine worldwide have been lost to the pandemic...
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VineLines Dispatch updates moves in Woodinville Wine Country
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VineLines Dispatch updates Walla Walla Valley openings
WALLA WALLA, Wash. – As the wine communities slowly move towards various levels of...
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- Posted June 30, 2020


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By Joyce Asuquo
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has again alerted Nigerians on the consumption of industrial hides as animal hides popularly known as Ponmo owing to activities of unscrupulous business men and traders who are selling industrial animal hides as food article.
In a press release signed by the Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye she said that industrial animal hides cannot be consumed as Ponmo which is a food article.
According to the statement, the agency said that as far back as 2015 it has being monitoring intelligence reports through its Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, and has discovered isolated cases of dangerous diversion of animal hides meant for industrial use into the food chain for consumption as local delicacy PONMO.
This practice poses grave danger to public health she said.
Investigations revealed that some companies are legally importing hides from countries such as Lebanon and Turkey, while majority of the product was smuggled into the country through the porous borders.
These imported animal hides are meant for industrial use by leather industries for the manufacture of items such as shoes, bag, belt etc.
The hides, therefore, are pre-treated with industrial chemicals which are not of food grade and will be toxic and injurious to human health. Health hazards inherent in the consumption of such animal hides include risk of Liver, Kidney and Heart damage, increased risk of a plastic anaemia, Central nervous system toxicity, Cancer, etc the statement said.
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Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Still Reigns
The founder of the online retail giant is on top of his game. So when is he going to step away to focus on truly important things, like space tourism?
Fortune has an interesting profile of Amazon.com CEO and founder Jeff Bezos, who has persisted, and seen his company grow, through the ups and downs of the dot-com economy. Presently he’s worth around $8 billion, which isn’t too bad. In addition to recounting his rise to prominence, the piece also details his plans to transform Amazon into the Web’s biggest retailer of digital media. Hence Amazon’s e-book reader, the Kindle, and the company’s push into the MP3 space, where it’s trying to unseat Apple as emperor. Apparently this is a pretty heated competition: According to the Fortune piece, he refuses to use the word “Apple.”
The story details a few Amazon mis-steps as well, but overall, the point is that the company is growing, and Bezos is still on top. Which kind of makes you wonder: When is he going to ease off on this Amazon business and focus on the really important stuff. That would be space tourism, of course. Bezos has a quasi-secretive venture called Blue Origin, and we’re hoping that company can help turn space tourism into a real industry in the next few years.


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Breast reduction scores as 'one of the highest' surgeries for patient satisfaction
21 June 2012Breast reduction surgeries have a very high patient satisfaction rate according to Seattle-based plastic surgery specialist Dr. Wandra Miles. "My breast reduction patients consistently report that they are extremely happy with their results," Dr. Miles says, stating reasons such as helping to create a more balanced body and physical activity becoming easier and more enjoyable for the positive feedback.Additionally, cosmetic treatment discussions website, Realself.coms own Worth It Rating index, based on their customers reviews on various cosmetic procedures finds that breast reductions have one of the highest satisfaction ratings, usually around the 95% mark. Dr. Miles says she isnt surprised. It mirrors what I see with my own patients. After breast reduction surgery, people are often inspired to try new activities, shop for new clothes and even set new physical goals for themselves.


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Company spokeswoman can't confirm Blockbuster closing
"Because some stores are owned by Blockbuster and some are owned by franchisees, we cannot confirm which stores are closing."
That's the statement this morning from DISH Network Corp. spokeswoman Danielle Johnson.
So we will have to let the picture that accompanied today's story speak for itself.
I called Johnson yesterday to get some more information about the Churn Creek store closing.
Johnson's response came after I filed my story, so it was waiting for me in my inbox this morning.
She went on to say that "stores can close for a number of reasons, such as the store reaching the end of its lease or property owners may be unwilling to reach a reasonable lease renewal."
DISH Network bought the struggling video store chain after Blockbuster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2010.
DISH announced in its last quarterly earnings report plans to close 500 underperforming Blockbuster stores in the United States during the first half of 2012.
Blockbuster had some 3,000 stores when it filed for bankruptcy two years ago. The chain had 1,500 stores at the end of 2011.
"For employees affected by store closings, Blockbuster intends to relocate as many employees as possible to other stores," Johnson said.
The demise of the Churn Creek store is more evidence of the antiquated video store model.
Twenty years ago, the running joke was you could find one on every corner.
Blockbuster, Hollywood, Showtime (weren't there three Showtime video stores in Redding at one time?), Wherehouse, to name a few.
Just two years ago, Blockbuster had three stores in Redding, and one each in Anderson, Red Bluff and Yreka. After Churn Creek closes, the beleaguered former video giant will be left with a location in the Placer Heights shopping center in Redding.
Indeed, the brick-and-mortar video store has gone the way of the record store.
Today, we take virtual shopping trips to browse for movies and music via Netflix or iTunes.
Call it progress.


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IHT Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm acquired 5,223 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $288,000.
Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in General Mills by 15.8% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 47,890,359 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,515,202,000 after buying an additional 6,544,997 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in General Mills by 1.4% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 47,174,991 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,477,631,000 after buying an additional 643,774 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in General Mills by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,381,995 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,950,256,000 after buying an additional 435,266 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of General Mills by 0.9% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 18,063,593 shares of the company’s stock worth $948,701,000 after acquiring an additional 159,380 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in shares of General Mills by 44.6% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 5,313,884 shares of the company’s stock worth $279,085,000 after acquiring an additional 1,639,900 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.69% of the company’s stock.
In other General Mills news, insider Jonathon Nudi sold 18,951 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.52, for a total transaction of $1,033,208.52. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 81,656 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,451,885.12. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Kofi A. Bruce sold 15,582 shares of General Mills stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.33, for a total value of $846,570.06. Following the sale, the insider now owns 35,487 shares in the company, valued at $1,928,008.71. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.52% of the company’s stock.
General Mills (NYSE:GIS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 18th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.77 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $4 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.08 billion. General Mills had a net margin of 11.21% and a return on equity of 27.38%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.71 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that General Mills, Inc. will post 3.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, January 10th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 9th. General Mills’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.87%.
A number of brokerages have recently commented on GIS. Credit Suisse Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of General Mills in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of General Mills from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on General Mills from $52.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded General Mills from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $58.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage on General Mills in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $57.00 price objective on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. General Mills currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $53.82.
General Mills Profile
General Mills, Inc manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates in five segments: North America Retail; Convenience Stores & Foodservice; Europe & Australia; Asia & Latin America; and Pet. It offers ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, grain, fruit, and savory snacks, as well as organic products, including refrigerated yogurt, nutrition bars, meal kits, salty snacks, ready-to-eat cereal, and grain snacks.
Featured Story: Does the discount rate affect the economy?
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GIS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS).
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“Ule“, which translated roughly as “happy post”, is an e-commerce joint venture by, mainly, the China Post. Ule is many things:
- It shows how China needs online retail to bring rural and urban regions together. (And to let the rural regions prosper too.)
- It shows what postal services can build.
- It may, at first, look like the multichannel wet dream of Western consultants. But..
- ..Ule also shows what is possible in China (and maybe similar markets like India) which does not make that much sense in Western countries with a more robust retail and logistics infrastructure.
- Still, there are some things here to learn from for postal services worldwide.
So, let’s look at Ule. Wired UK recently published a long portrait on Ule. We’ll start with some context and an anecdote:
“[…] he’s run the store for 21 years and lives upstairs with her farmer husband, his father, and their 21-year-old son. “When we first opened, business was good, as people didn’t often go to town to buy things,” she says. “But in recent years it’s got much harder. It’s [e-commerce website] Taobao. People started learning how to buy online around 2014; their kids taught them. Then the smartphone arrived. They just stopped buying daily goods. We felt the pressure: it was only old people coming in to the store. If we didn’t change, we would be eliminated by the internet.”
Alibaba’s Taobao is changing small local retail in China’s rural regions. In the process, Taobao’s pressure opened the door for Ule. It made local shop owners more receptive to Ule’s offerings.
Then, in July 2015, the local postman offered to turn Lou’s simple store into a data-enabled, real-time-responsive, globally connected e-commerce hub of its own. With help from the postman, she plugged an electronic point-of-sale laser scanner, a till-receipt printer and a digital weighing scale into a new Asus laptop that sits between a router, a cash register and a landline towered over by western and Chinese cigarette packs. Now whenever a customer pays for a Funkid Grapefruit Juice or Hazelive Soap, their purchase is tracked instantly on a central database. It is linked to both the shopkeeper and that particular customer, whose membership card is then credited with loyalty points that can be redeemed for a purchase of blueberry juice or rice wine.
A wall-mounted 42″ Sanyo TV displays the WeChat group that Lou maintains for the stor
The small rural stores get turned into a POS and service point and local representatives for the China Post, making them the go-to place in their villages for many things:
Ule’s point-of-sale device lets customers pay utility bills in the store and manage their Postal Bank accounts, further boosting Lou’s income. A quarter of her turnover is now online, with a growing trade in outbound sales of local farmers’ shredded bamboo, fungus and dried vegetables. There are so many products that she’s had to rent the warehouse opposite to store them.
With the connection to smartphones, promotions can be send out to local people. And, interestingly, the counterfeit problem on online marketplaces has already reached China’s rural regions (or the talking points have been delivered and memorized beforehand):
“It may be a bit more expensive than Taobao, but you don’t have to worry about fake products. I take care of everything. It’s a long, hard day but I feel fulfilled. With the mobile, we’re very busy. Before it was so boring that I wanted to cry.”
Samson Yeung, Ule’s chief operating officer, on the goal for Ule:
“China has 700,000 villages, and we are planning to have one Ule store per village, plus 20 or 30 per city. Then we’ll cover all China’s rural areas and the best parts of the city,” […]
In August, when WIRED tours the villages of Zhejiang province, there are 250,000 stores on the Ule system; by late December, that will rise to 330,000.
With Ule being the online platform AND the POS system for (previously completely offline) in-store purchases a unified system is raising up here that can provide unmatched market data insights.
That level of near-real-time data from stores across China opens doors that western consumer-insight businesses can only dream of. By recording millions of daily purchases and linking them to individual customers via loyalty cards or phone payments, Ule is building an unprecedented view of Chinese consumer purchases. […]
Kerry Liu, founder of a Toronto analytics company called Rubikloud, which is working for Ule:
“you can influence brand and product development – we did a pilot for a big pharmacy chain – and can influence consumer spending, say, to encourage healthier foods. And third, you can shape new product launches. A razor company wanted to launch a new product without cannibalising sales, so we found the 25,000 most likely customers from the retailer’s database, scraped online price data, used reinforcement learning. The result was a 42 per cent rise in product spend.”
Chen Qing, founding member and chairman of Ule, as well as China Post’s general manager in the province, on what this means for China Post:
“Ule is a major weapon, a catalyst, for China Post renewal,” Chen, 50, continues. “To change a culture, you need to use innovative tech and a market-driven mindset. Our parcel business has grown 450 per cent in this province because of Ule.
The Chines government is endorsing Ule, because it significantly helps rural villages. With seventy percent of the population being rural, that matters.
“Our transactions on Ule will soon exceed 200 billion RMB. The farmers get more business, which creates more logistics volume for us and more cash on deposit for the postal bank. In 2015, the postal bank had 150 billion RMB in cash deposits. In 2016, it was 200 billion. Ule has contributed half of that growth.”
In 2017, he says, the goal is to connect 500,000 rural stores. “After that, the next 500,000 will be urban. Imagine anyone in a city being able to order organic greens from farmers via Ule. We have cold storage – so we’ll deliver to the neighbourhood shop in the city. And think of the benefit to the farmer.” In the city today, Chen explains, ginger is selling for 6RMB per half a kilo, of which the farmer gets 1.5RMB. “We will pay the farmer 3RMB and then sell it on Ule for 4.5RMB. China Post provides the lending capital, Ule provides sales and we all share the profit.” […]
Ule’s gross merchandise value in the first half of 2016 was 28.2 billion RMB, a threefold increase on the previous year.
Alibaba, which is investing 10 billion yuan to build 100,000 Taobao service centers in remote areas, seems to have its work cut out for it.
More on this topic:
* Taobao Villages: Alibaba Is Deeply Entrenched in More and More Rural Regions in China
* How Wish Grew to 2 Million Orders Per Day
* Alibaba, Amazon, Startups, Everyone Wants to Disrupt Global Logistics
* Alibaba’s On-Demand Services Unit Koubei to Raise $1.2 Billion
* Alibaba: “Our Ultimate Strategy Is to Build the Future Infrastructure for Global Commerce”
* Global Scale Strategies: Amazon Providing Ocean Freight Services Is At First About Chinese Sellers


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Kuldeep Jhangu, president of Maruti Suzuki Mazdoor Sangh, tells S Khurram Raza that the minister needs to take concrete steps to revive the economy instead of giving meaningless statements
What is the situation on the ground?
The automobile companies are using the ongoing economic slowdown to fire employees. Hundreds of them have already lost their jobs and the sword is hanging over millions. On top of it, the government is also trying to divert attention from the main issue.
Do you agree with the data of economic slowdown?
Yes, there is economic slowdown and 30% sales have dropped in comparison to last year — though it could be less in the case of the two-wheelers industry — and for this economic slowdown, the policies of the Central government are responsible.
How is the government responsible and what it can do to reverse the process?
Government can do a lot as automobile industry is the backbone of the Indian economy. Demonetisation and faulty implementation of GST are the major policy decisions of the Union government directly responsible for the current economic slowdown. The government can still step in. It can give an economic package to the automobile industry, reduce the GST slab, ease the loan conditions, reduce the rate of interest, reduce the taxes levied by state governments. But instead of taking concrete steps, the Finance Minister is just giving meaningless statements. All the trade unions condemn these statements. The whole country is laughing at the statement given by the Finance Minister that the drop in car sales is due to Ola and Uber cabs. These cabs have been around for the last ten years; they have not come in last six months and neither these companies have bought cars from USA or Germany. They are buying them in India itself. Finance Minister should take back her statement and should announce some relief measures for the auto industry.
How many workers in Maruti industry are affected by this slowdown?
In Maruti, there is direct hiring of employees, which has gone down by around 30 per cent. But in the auto parts companies, they have a contract system, and these companies have terminated many employees, including many who were working for them for a long time.
What is the condition of the vendors who supply parts to Maruti?
They are also directly affected as Maruti is not taking material from them due to the drop in sales. So these vendors are also reducing their work strength. It’s important to note that the slowdown has affected not only the workers in Maruti or in its vendor companies but even those down the line like chaiwallahs to cleaners in the truck. People are losing their livelihood at a very fast pace and the government seems clueless.
What are your demands?
Basically, the government should come forward with some relief package immediately. Our demand is that the companies should take back our colleagues, stop firing others and talk to us on the wage settlement issue. Most importantly, GST should be decreased immediately otherwise the whole economy will fall flat.


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U.S. Senators Robert Menendez, Sherrod Brown, Elizabeth Warren, Dianne Feinstein, Bernard Sanders, as well as Cory A. Booker collectively sent out a letter on Thursday to Mark Zuckerberg, chairman as well as CEO of Meta, regarding his business &#x 2019; s &#x 201C; initiatives to battle cryptocurrency frauds on its social media sites systems, consisting of Facebook, Instagram, as well asWhatsapp &#x 201D;
Citing &#x 201C; current records of frauds on various other social media sites systems as well as applications, &#x 201D; consisting of information from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the legislators composed:
We are worried that Meta offers a breeding place for cryptocurrency scams that creates substantial injury to customers.
&#x 201C;While crypto frauds prevail throughout social media sites, numerous of Meta &#x 2019; s websites are specifically preferred searching premises for fraudsters, &#x 201D; the letter defines. &#x 201C;Among customers that reported being scammed out of cryptocurrency on a social media sites internet site, 32% recognized the fraud as having actually come from on Instagram, 26% on Facebook, as well as 9% onWhatsapp &#x 201D;
The legislators asked Zuckerberg 7 inquiries worrying Meta &#x 2019; s present plans relating to cryptocurrency frauds. They demand that the Meta CEO reacts with in-depth info byOct 24.
For each of Meta &#x 2019; s social media sites systems, the inquiries consist of exactly how the business discovers as well as gets rid of crypto fraudsters, enlightens as well as cautions customers regarding crypto frauds, as well as helps targets of deceptive crypto plans. The legislators additionally asked exactly how Meta validates that crypto advertisements are not frauds as well as what regulative licenses are called for to promote on its systems. Moreover, they asked to what level Meta teams up with police to locate fraudsters.
U.S. authorities have actually been alerting that fraudsters are significantly utilizing social media sites to rip off capitalists. In August, the U.S. Securities as well as Exchange Commission (SEC) cautioned capitalists of defrauders manipulating their concern of losing out (FOMO) on social media sites.
Tags in this tale facebook crypto frauds, instagram crypto, Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Zuckerberg crypto, Mark Zuckerberg crypto frauds, Mark Zuckerberg facebook, Mark Zuckerberg instagram, Mark Zuckerberg meta, Mark Zuckerberg legislators, Mark Zuckerberg whatsapp, meta crypto frauds, whatsapp crypto
Have you encounter any kind of frauds on Meta &#x 2019; s systems, consisting of Facebook, Instagram, as well as Whatsapp? Let us recognize in the remarks area listed below.
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You have searched for ""child care""
Showing 1-10 of 222
LONDON: Tesla boss Elon Musk is a poster child of low-carbon technology. Yet the electric carmaker's backing of bitcoin this week could turbo-charge global use of a currency that's estimated to cause more pollution than a small country every year
WASHINGTON: Senate Democrats passed the latest version of the US$1.9 trillion stimulus bill after a more than 24-hour voting session that included the longest single vote in the chamber’s history.
The bill would provide the biggest health-care expansion since the Affordable Care Act, a temporary plan to slash the child poverty rate and send $1,400 payments soon to millions of Americans. I
NEW YORK: The rally in GameStop Corp shares showed further signs of losing momentum as the stock limped into the close even after news of a trio of executive hires, including the appointment of a chief technology officer.
Everyone should contribute to efforts to contain the pandemic, leaving selfishness aside
SYDNEY: Australia’s consumer prices rose faster than forecast in the final three months of last year as the government amended funding to various stimulus programmes amid an economy regaining momentum.
Will low-cost, long-haul airline AirAsia X be able to rise from the depths of its debt despair, or will the pandemic kick the last nail in?
KUALA LUMPUR: FGV Holdings Bhd says it is "disappointed" in the US Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) ban on the import of its palm oil products, and will engage with the agency towards clearing its name.


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SAP Africa, Navomax in historic agreement
by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG – NAVOMAX, a subsidiary of SSA, has announced an agreement with SAP Africa to provide managed cloud services for SAP software solutions.
Through this agreement, Navomax has become the first official provider
of managed cloud as a service for the SAP HANA platform in the continent.
The database and technology solutions provider will deliver a ready-to-use, subscription-based offering of SAP solutions in its private hosted cloud, enabling customers to access SAP software quickly and easily with an affordable and predictable cost.
“Thanks to this deal, our customers don’t need to worry about the
underlying IT infrastructure and can focus on the use, development and
administration of their services.
“This enables a powerful paradigm shift, as cloud-based solutions are always on, incredibly adaptable, highly reliable and secure, and deliver a
more solid return on investment,” said Wayne Borcher, Chief Operating
Officer of Navomax.
He explained that the pay-as-you-go model allowed Navomax customers to
save money that would have been spent on IT infrastructure and use this to grow their business.
Pfungwa Serima, Managing Director of SAP Africa, said with managed cloud as a service, customers can focus on managing their business and not on IT.
“Their preferred SAP partner takes care of deployment, application and
infrastructure management services, along with ongoing maintenance and
“All the customer pays is a single subscription fee that gives them greater control over their operating expenses,” Serima added.
As a provider of managed cloud services for SAP solutions, Navomax will provide customers with a cost-effective, on-demand, cloud-based delivery model of their software solutions.
The company will supplement these services with application migration,
implementation, management and support services.
As an SAP channel partner, Navomax offers and supports solutions around in-memory computing (SAP HANA), as well as the traditional online transaction processing (SAP Adaptive Server® Enterprise) and online analytical processing (SAP IQ) database solutions.
Navomax, based in South Africa, will be able to deliver even more SAP
solutions to its customers as a turnkey offering on a subscription basis, without the customer having to license solutions separately from SAP.
– CAJ News
Short URL: http://cajnewsafrica.com/?p=1543


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Citroën Fleet has significantly improved response times for customers who use the epyx 1link e-commerce system.
The average response time in June was down 63% to an impressive 24 minutes, having previously been around 65 minutes before the initiative began in January this year. Refusals are down by over 70% to just 26 in the month. Last year over 100 refusals a month were being recorded.
A new customer service team, appointed at the start of the year, liaises directly with Citroën dealers and leasing company customers to ensure vehicle downtime is minimised, booking refusals are reduced and service work is scheduled quickly and efficiently.
Citroën Fleet, and the vast majority of the leasing industry, recognise the benefits of the epyx 1link platform to book work online with a Citroën franchised dealer. The process provides real benefits for leasing companies - although delays and refusals can severely impact operator satisfaction levels. Citroën quickly understood the need to enhance its service provision and a significant number of customers are now seeing the benefits.
Citroën UK's fleet director, Andy Wady, commented; "The new Citroën team's role is to intervene proactively with our dealers, ensuring all booking requests are dealt with quickly and effectively. In just five months, we have been able to make significant improvements and I am delighted with how well the Citroën network has responded. This is the first of several major fleet aftersales initiatives that we will launch this year, aimed at improving the quality of service our fleet customers receive. So far this is very encouraging and I'm confident we can do even better."


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Walt Disney’s Great-Niece, Abigail Disney, has once again spoken out against the C-Level Members of The Walt Disney Company, warning its employees “layoffs are coming.”
But is her warning backed with evidence, or is it merely from her continued dispute with Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, and the rest of Disney’s C-Suite Executives?
“Disney furloughed its workers because they intend to lay many of them off, but they didn’t want the bad publicity that would come with layoffs, so they chose to take the heat of two medium-sized PR hits, instead of one great big one,” Abigail Disney wrote in an extensive Twitter thread. “Wait for it. Layoffs are coming. I don’t expect Disney to pay people who don’t work for them, nor do I expect them to employ people in excess of what they can afford.”
The Disney Heiress also claimed, “the last two decades prioritizing ‘efficiency and productivity’ in the form of smaller staffs doing the same amount of work.” And that “when they furloughed workers who were already living close to the bone, they shifted the moral burden of caring enough about those who mutually create profits with them onto the state and therefore the taxpayers.”
Her outrage comes after The New York Times reported on a survey of 3,000 companies which showed that the pay cuts C-Suite execs were taking only amounted to a minor fraction of their overall pay.
At this point, it should be mentioned that while she is the granddaughter of Roy O. Disney (Walt’s brother and co-founder of The Walt Disney Company), Abigail Disney has no power or position in the company, particularly when it comes to the layoffs she is predicting. She is a filmmaker and philanthropist that has the Disney name and her inherited holdings in the company, which she has admitted makes her very wealthy herself.
Abigail also has a history of calling Disney out for the dissonance in its apparent treatment of its C-Suite Executives compared to its bottom line workers. But her credit in reporting on those work relations has also been put into question after both the Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort were forced to rebuke her claims of poor work conditions, denouncing them as “baseless.”
Disney company executives were also affected during the closures and furloughs. We at Inside the Magic reported that Disney’s C-suite execs took massive pay cuts. Executive Chairman Bob Iger decided to forgo his entire salary for the rest of the year and Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek reduced his pay by 50%.
According to The New York Times’ article, which sparked Abigail’s rage, Iger’s $2.25 million in forgone pay–his Disney salary from April to the end of the year–only amounts to 3.3 percent of the “total realized compensation” he received in 2019.
The Walt Disney Company has also shown great eagerness to get its employees off furloughs by getting them back to work. Since the end of May, the company has attempted to progressively reopen all of its theme parks and get its studio projects back into production.
Now, it is possible layoffs could be on the way for Disney employees, especially as Walt Disney World continues to delay the reopening of several resort hotels and the Disneyland Resort remains closed. However, whether or not Disney always intended to lay off its employees is a much more difficult claim to prove. So far, nothing has been announced or confirmed.
The Walt Disney Company has not yet made an official statement in response.


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Events Focus on Customer Experience, Brand Strategy and Social Media Communications
NEW YORK January 23, 2012 – Siegel+Gale today announced speaking engagements for its top executives and thought leaders in the first quarter of 2012. Based in the global strategic branding firm’s New York and Los Angeles offices, these speakers will deliver key insights at prominent branding, technology and marketing conferences across the country.
Siegel+Gale will share its “Simple is Smart” perspective on numerous topics—including the power of social media, improving the customer experience and branding strategies that companies employ to expand their businesses—during these important industry events:
- On January 25th at the Conference Board’s Corporate Image and Branding Conference, Thomas Mueller, Siegel+Gale’s global director of customer experience, will present on how to do “social media the right way.”
- Howard Belk, co-CEO and chief creative officer, and Brian Rafferty, global director of customer insights, will speak at Columbia University’s BRITE 2012 event on March 6th. Mr. Belk and Mr. Rafferty will present the findings of Siegel+Gale’s recently published Global Brand Simplicity Index and reveal why simplicity is an essential part of building and sustaining a lasting and profitable brand.
- Jason Cieslak, managing director for Siegel+Gale’s West Coast offices, will participate in Worldwide Business Research’s Next Generation Customer Experience conference. His panel session on “Empowering Your Employees to Deliver Extraordinary Customer Experience” will take place on March 26th. Together with executives from Kohl’s and Zappos, Jason will discuss the importance of empowering employees to make decisions with the customer in mind.
- At the Advanced Learning Institute conference on March 28th in Vancouver, Canada, Siegel+Gale’s Strategy Director Kathleen Kindle will present the session “How to Make the Most out of Social Media.” Ms. Kindle will provide a step-by-step process for using internal communications to advance brands.
- Thomas Mueller and Rob Harles, global head of social media with Bloomberg LP, will headline the closing keynote session at Customer Engagement Technology World (CETW) on March 29th. This event focuses on leveraging the integration of emerging media across multiple channels to activate customer engagement.
“Our speakers are deeply involved in helping organizations apply the powerful concept of simplicity to communications and experiences across all touchpoints,” said Gail Nelson, Global CMO at Siegel+Gale. “They look forward to sharing our experiences with industry peers and learning from them as well.”
Siegel+Gale is a global strategic branding firm committed to building world-class brands through elegantly simple, unexpectedly fresh strategies, stories and experiences. With Simple is Smart as its operating philosophy, Siegel+Gale delivers powerful services in brand development, simplification, research and digital strategy.
Since its founding by branding pioneer Alan Siegel in 1969, Siegel+Gale has helped drive business results for brands such as Aetna, American Express, Bank of America, China Youth Development Foundation, Dell, Dow Chemical Company, The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the Internal Revenue Service, The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Microsoft, Motorola, Pfizer, Qatar Telecom, SAP, Sony PlayStation, Yahoo! and the YMCA.
Siegel+Gale has offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Hamburg, Dubai, Shanghai and Beijing and strategic partnerships around the world as a member of the Omnicom Group of companies.


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FiatFiatItaly, 1899 > present is cutting its European investment for 2012 by about €500 million and continues to increase its stake in ChryslerChryslerUnited States of America, 1925 > present with the intention of eventually owning the entire company.
Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne says that it has decided to cut the investment due to the market downturn in Europe. Part of the change is the decision not to introduce more Chrysler products into Europe. It is also reconsidering introducing the Fiat Grande PuntoFiat Grande Punto - Punto Evo Gen.3Italy, 2012 > present in early 2013 and looking for partners to work with in the future and to license platforms to.
Marchionne does not believe the EU governments will help automakers in dealing with overcapacity. Instead, each European automaker will have to take it upon itself to reduce capacity.
"We're definitely going to be at these lower sales levels for some time to come in Europe," said Marchione.
Instead of investing in Europe, Fiat plans to increase its investment in the US and in Chrysler. It currently owns 58.5% of Chrysler and has submitted a letter to purchase 61.8% of the company. Fiat's goal is to eventually own the entire company and merge it with Fiat by 2014. It wants to diversify and not rely so much on Europe for profits.
Source: Automotive News


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December 31, 2017
MYANMAR Tourism Entrepreneurs Association and Tourism Development Commission of Hubei Province of the People’s Republic of China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Yangon last week to collaborate on travel sector development between the two nations.
The MoU was signed by U Thet Lwin Toe, Chairman of the Myanmar Tourism Entrepreneurs Association and Ms. Yan Puli, Director of Hubei Province Tourism Development Commission.
The discussions were joined by eight members of Hubei travel companies led by Ms. Yan Puliu and officials from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Myanmar Tourism Federa- on and sister associations, airline, travel and tourism companies.
U Thet Lwin Toe stated that China’s economic development stands at 8 percent growth per annum and 30 percent of more than a billion people belong to the middle class. As the per capita income increases, so does the travel sector.
Most of the people from inland and land-locked provinces of China visit beaches and coastal areas. Tourism officials and related persons from the travel industry from both countries will make visits to each country’s areas of interest to promote the travel sector.
According to the meeting, travel promotions and road shows are planned. Chartered flights will also be arranged taking not only e-visa but also visa-on-arrival into considerations.


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Experts Say Long Winter Saved Grapes from Early April Freeze
ROCHEPORT - Freezing temperatures in early April threatened to damage Mid-Missouri vineyards even more than winter already has, but one grape grower said the harsh winter actually helped protect his vines from the recent spring freeze and is confident consumers will not suffer this season.
Larry Lopez is the Vineyard Manager for Les Bourgeois Vineyards. He said the extreme winter set back the bud break of the grapes, so the recent freeze didn't damage them.
"The cold weather that we've been having all winter set back the bud break that we could've had," Lopez said. "If we did have that bud break then the freeze we had would've hurt, so the winter actually helped us in a way."
Horticulture specialist Patrick Byers said the vines were able to tolerate the cold temperatures because of the stage of development they were in at the time.
"The buds we're beginning to develop, but the shoots were definitely not out yet so the vines were able to tolerate fairly cold temperatures," Byers said. "Everything depends on the stage of the growth of the vine and the absolute temperature."
Byers said a frost on grapes is much more devastating if it comes later in the spring than if it comes earlier in the spring.
Although the long winter protected Mid-Missouri grape vines from the recent freeze, Lopez said it still took a toll on the vines.
"This year we've had a lot of cold snaps, or long spells of cold weather, and it's really put a hard hit on our plants," Lopez said. "The vines are only temperature ready for certain degrees below freezing, and we've had so many consecutive days below freezing and below zero temperatures that it has been really hard on the grape vines."
Lopez said he expects a large loss of crop this season.
"We've actually lost a lot of our primary buds on these grapevines, so we will still have our secondary and tertiary buds, but the primary bud on a lot of these vineyards are already burnt off due to the hard freeze."
Lopez said he is confident his consumers won't suffer because they have a big inventory and will still produce a large amount of secondary buds.
"We'll get the grapes and the wine made one way or another because we have so much inventory and stock now," Lopez said. "It is going to impact us a little bit, but I don't think the consumers will really be hurt by this."
He said he thinks smaller vineyards in Mid-Missouri will suffer more severely from the loss.
"It's really going to hit them hard," Lopez said. "It's going to be a loss to some of the individual, non commercial wineries or vineyards; a complete loss to them. "
Byers said the amount of crop produced on a secondary bud depends on the type of grape.
"Some types of grapes will produce abundant crop on the secondary buds, but others produce very little of any crop on the secondary," Byers said.
He said it is still too early to know if the crop of grapes in Missouri will suffer this season.
"We don't have a clear picture of what the crop is going to look like and that won't be evident for probably several more weeks," Byers said.
Byers said the potential loss of crop this season could affect the price consumers pay and could force the Missouri Department of Agriculture to modify the percentage of grapes in a bottle of wine allowed to be from somewhere outside the state.
"There's several scenarios that could play out," Byers said. "One is a higher price paid for the grape crop. Secondly, in the event of a year where we have a short grape crop, or we don't have a sufficient grape crop to meet needs then the Department of Agriculture's requirements can be adjusted to allow a higher percentage of grapes in a bottle of wine to come from outside the state."
Ultimately Byers said he thinks Missouri grape-growers will still be able to produce a good supply of wine despite the harsh winter setbacks.
"We'll have an adequate supply of Missouri wine and of course it will be good quality," Byers said. "The only difference is some of those grapes may be forced from outside of Missouri."


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We’re constantly working to improve our product here at CallTrackingMetrics.
The following updates should be rolling out next week:
- Triggers are expanding: Triggers will soon also work with the following fields: email, street address, and postal code.
- We’ve released a new version of our iPhone app: Download the update to our iPhone app for an improved experience when transferring calls and adding additional agents.
- Upcoming Zoho CRM Integration: We’ve been hard at work building a new integration with Zoho CRM. Keep an eye out for the official release!


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Updated January 14th, 2024 at 19:05 IST
US progress on inflation likely to be slow: Atlanta Federal Reserve
The Atlanta Federal Reserve President acknowledged that price pressures had fallen faster than he had expected in 2023
US Progress: The Atlanta Federal Reserve President, Raphael Bostic, said inflation could "see-saw" if policymakers cut interest rates too soon, warning that inflation's descent towards the central bank's 2 per cent goal was likely to slow in the months ahead, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
Bostic, who will be a voting member on the Federal Open Market Committee in 2024, said he was "expecting to see much slower progression of inflation moving forward," while adding that there were "some risks that inflation may stall out altogether," according to the report.
The Atlanta Federal Reserve President acknowledged that price pressures had fallen faster than he had expected in 2023, however, he still thinks inflation is likely to be nearly 2.5 per cent by the year-end and only hit the Federal Reserve goal in 2025, the FT said.
After the Federal Reserve's December policy vote, Bostic said he thought rates would need to remain on hold until after the summer. He told the Financial Times that the uncertainty facing the US economy warranted such a cautious approach.
"Inflation must be firmly and surely getting back to our 2 per cent target," the newspaper quoted Bostic as saying. "It would be a bad outcome if we started to ease, and inflation started to rise up and down like a see-saw. That would undermine people's confidence in where the economy is going."
Bostic said the recent increase in shipping costs due to the disruption of traffic in the Suez Canal caused by Houthis targeting vessels would need to be watched "very closely".
"It will be very interesting to see to what extent the Middle East conflict and attacks on the container ships is starting to show up in the cost structure for businesses in my district," Bostic told.
In December, Bostic said the Federal Reserve can begin reducing rates "sometime in the third quarter" of 2024 if inflation falls as expected.
(With Reuters Inputs)
Published January 14th, 2024 at 19:05 IST


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Tomorrow marks the 5th anniversary of Kojima Productions and in celebration, the studio has announced it’ll be delivering an update. You can view the announcement below.
December 16ᵗʰ marks the 5ᵗʰ Anniversary of #KojimaProductions !
— KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS (Eng) (@KojiPro2015_EN) December 15, 2020
Rumors have been circling around the internet for several months anticipating either a Death Stranding DLC or perhaps a sequel. Hideo Kojima himself has also commented on his desire to return to the horror genre and he’s hinted at his own studio developing their own horror film.
What do you think the announcement will be? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter!


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The Wall Street Journal goes A1 with a “you don’t say!” story saying Big Business is mad about the EPA declaring carbon dioxide a pollutant.
Fine, but let’s count sources: Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, Edison Electric Institute, American Petroleum Institute, Iron and Steel Institute, Eurofer (European steel-industry lobby). Six, all anti, of course, because they’re big carbon emitters.
They’re the “Many business groups… opposed to EPA efforts to curb a gas as ubiquitous as carbon dioxide” the story focuses on.
You’d never know from this piece that there are businesses that have carbon-policy stances that don’t mesh with Exxon’s, say. Including that would have made this a more-interesting and fair story.
Remember all those companies that left the Chamber of Commerce or its board because of its carbon-policy position? Big names like Apple, Exelon, Nike, Pacific Gas & Electric, according to this October Forbes article, which lists other corporate anti-carbon activists like Starbucks, GE, BP, Caterpillar, and Sun Microsystems.
I don’t know if they’re pro or con the EPA regulation, but there’s no evidence that the Journal asked or that there might be anything but a monolithic business position on carbon policy.
And is there an environmental or labor group quoted in this story? Get outta here! The best it can do is to quote the EPA and an EU regulator (who’s not quoted being pro-regulation or anything).
Bottom line: It seems obvious that most big businesses oppose serious restrictions on carbon emissions, but this story is far too tilted to the obvious anti-carbon-regulation players.


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CAIRO: Twenty four percent of Egyptians are smokers; Health Ministry Undersecretary for Preventive Affairs Amr Kandil was quoted by Youm7 Wednesday.
Even more worryingly, 12 percent of the smokers are under 15 years old, Kandil added.
Ministry of Health signed a protocol with Consumer Protection Agency to support smoking-give up activities and to reduce the rate of smoking tobacco, Health Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar told Tahrir News Wednesday.
Kandil added that Egypt is a signatory to WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control 2003 that aims to determine the whole problem of smoking tobacco, for the countries to improve its activity to ban tobacco and to ban advertisements and TV series that encourage smoking.
Egypt places tenth among the most tobacco consuming countries in the world, and smoking is the second leading cause of death worldwide, Health Minister Adel Adawy told Youm7 on May 3.
According to a study by WHO, smoking kills nearly 2.5 million yearly around the world. The study also revealed that by 2025, the number of smokers worldwide is estimated to reach 1.7 billion.
Deaths caused by smoking diseases are 4.9 million per year, which estimated to be 7 percent of the total deaths.
A Feb. 22 presidential decree raised sales taxes on both local and imported cigarettes by 50 percent.
Under the decision, the government applied an increase of 0.5 EGP or more on brands officially sold at or below 10 EGP ($1.3) per pack.
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi previously raised taxes on local and imported cigarettes and alcoholic beverages by up to 200 percent in July 2014.


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rjohnson11If the prices for the upper level cards turn out to be that expensive I think many gamers will be disappointed and angry.
ty_ger07What kind of journalistic integrity was required to write up this article?
the_Scarlet_onerjohnson11If the prices for the upper level cards turn out to be that expensive I think many gamers will be disappointed and angry. It could be free and they would be disappointed and angry. Tweaktown is going full clickbait these days. They are just trying to get people to give them ad revenue.
yaymzLol.. This is just some Youtuber's "predicted" prices. Gotta get that click bait in.. All that aside, the prices listed wouldn't shock me at all and aligns with what I see as the new normal (inflation) along with the added costs of moving to TSMC/reserving line time, component price jumps, etc.. I just hope it is the top end 4090's hitting that $2999 mark and not the retail starting block MSRP.
Flint 1760ty_ger07What kind of journalistic integrity was required to write up this article?Oh, about as much as you get from most journalists these days, i.e., none.
Miguell800 bucks for a x070 vanilla mid-upper card??
HoggleI remember when we thought the 3080Ti would launch in fall 2020 with a retail price of $1499 price. What we got was a fall launch of just a 3080 that had the performance of better than a 2080Ti with a price of $699. Everyone thought it would be five hundred more than that. As for the cards I don't know how much of an interest miners will have in the future with Bitcoin being down 50% and it looking like Russia might crackdown on mining like China did. The other thing is we could see NVIDIA put in a limit to mining on future cards. If all that happens I am not sure how much value mining will have to people looking to buy a GPU.


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Tag Archives: Web Design
Translucent Developments has recently begun offering a startup development service in order to help entrepreneurs take potential ideas to reality.
Laura Wagner, owner of Webs by Wagner introduces custom designed mobile websites to her market. After months of research and learning, Wagner now creates custom mobile websites for her clients.
Dr. Steven Meress and his staff at Fox Valley Wellness and Hyperbaric Center in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin treat patients for a wide variety of health issues with Integrative Medicine, which blends the best of conventional medicine and alternative therapies.
Customers can now enjoy a free online quote regarding web design and SEO project by simply visiting InfintechDesigns.com, according to the latest announcement by company owner Brian Hong. This new offer is part of showing commitment to offer great customer service.
Clark College’s Graphic Communications and Computer Technology departments have recently pooled their resources to monopolize on the benefits of WordPress development skills and launched the new Associate Degree in Web Design and Development .


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Virtual Diamond Boutique Is the First to Launch JBT’s New API
It allows JBT members to access credit information within the marketplace.
An API is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other, according to Salesforce.
The new API integration with VDB allows JBT member buyers and sellers to run credit reports and obtain credit ratings on potential clients within the app.
JBT members signed into their VDB accounts will also be able to log into the member portal to access credit information without leaving the app.
Additionally, all JBT members will be identified with the organization’s logo in various places across VDB.
There are no additional charges to use the new feature in the VDB marketplace.
Anyone in the jewelry industry can register for a free VDB login, but a paid JBT account is needed to access the credit information.
“Having the highly respected JBT credit ratings available on the VDB app will add a layer of security and credibility to our digital marketplace,” said Tanya Nisguretsky, CEO of VDB.
“Our industry-specific technological experts have created a unique usage for the new JBT API that aligns perfectly with the need for more transparency in our increasingly digital world. It also streamlines the process, making it easy and efficient for vendors to accept buy/memo/hold requests, even when out of the office.”
In a Q&A, CEO David Sherwood shares some company history, the secret to success during the busiest time of year, and more.
Give your customers the full gemstone buying experience by using the 6C's.
After a 13-carat pink diamond was pulled ahead of the sale, blue and colorless diamonds reigned supreme.
The jewelry giant posted a decline in same-store sales in the third quarter but is gearing up for a season of growth.
“Viva Magenta” easily finds its colored gemstone counterparts.
From laboratory-grown diamonds to design to country-of-origin, GIA's Alumni Collective™ has a seminar to suite your needs.
Holabird Western Americana Collections offered hundreds of treasures recovered from the S.S. Central America in its Dec. 3 sale.
From creating catchy subject lines to retargeting abandoned carts, Emmanuel Raheb has a half-dozen pieces of email marketing advice.
Qi Holtzman is a member of the second generation to run the family-owned Chicago area jeweler.
Mann, who opened the Ohio jewelry store with her husband and son in 1984, was 95.
Scholarship winners received awards in six different categories.
According to Russian news sources, the sanctioned head of the diamond company is leaving to take a job with an investment group.
Said to be the largest pink diamond found in hundreds of years, “The Lulo Rose” was sold for an undisclosed sum.
A princess’s tiara fell within its pre-sale estimate while an Art Deco bracelet from a queen doubled it.
Sponsored by GIA Alumni Collective™
The auction house is not offering any details on why the fancy vivid pink stone was pulled from its upcoming “Magnificent Jewels” sale.
In the spirit of an advent calendar, “Gems to Help Ukraine” will sell a stone a day through Dec. 24 on the Nomad’s Instagram account.
The secure mark combines an overt mark with a covert data set to provide assurance on a gem.
Plus, what a potential rail strike would mean for retailers.
It will provide a place for select luxury watch retailers to sell their stock.


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Gordie Howe game-used Detroit Red Wings jersey at sCP Auctions approaching $70,000 with the auction closing Saturday, Aug. 20.
Led by one of the finest single-signed Babe Ruth baseballs in existence, an incredibly rare Franklin D. Roosevelt single-signed OAL (Harridge) ball inscribed to Clark Griffith and attributed to Opening Day 1937 and a complete 1952 Topps set rated No. 10 on the PSA Set Registry, Mile High Card Co. kicks off its latest auction.
Upward of 100 outstanding lots from former Milwaukee Brewers superstar Robin Yount will be up for bid through SCP Auctions, ranging from both his “3,000th Hit” bat and baseball (Sept. 9, 1992) to multiple game-worn Brewers jerseys.
Following the ‘53 season, Brooklyn Skipper Charlie Dressen insisted on a multi-year contract to continue as Dodgers’ skipper. Brooklyn Owner Walter O’Malley balked at the demand and to everyone’s surprise chose the little known Walter Alston to pilot the club. Four World Series titles later…..
Fifty-three lots items from Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin, including his 1984 Olympic uniform, first MLB hit baseball, game-used jerseys, bats helmets and more up for auction through January 30 courtesy of Goldin Auctions.
Worthridge is offering another round of athlete collections in its latest sale, featuring artifacts from Moses Malone, Craig Hodges and Tony Galbreath, among others.
SCP Auctions is offering a cut-up jersey of Ben Roethlisberger, from when he was removed from the field in a stretcher during a game, among other items from the quarterback. Proceeds will go toward canine units and service dogs.
SCP Auctions is presenting a pair of extremely rare game-worn uniforms from the final season campaigns of two New York Yankees legends – Joe DiMaggio (1951) and Thurman Munson (1979). Bidding is set to surpass $250K total for the two uniforms with bidding ending Dec. 5.
Grey Flannel Auctions trots out game-used jerseys across the major sports, rare signed baseballs, NBA awards and more. Looks for examples from Favre, Jeter, Pete Rose, Gretzky, Butkus and hundreds more.
Records fell by the wayside for three Hall of Famers in Grey Flannel’s $2 million Summer Games auction. Game-worn relics from Johnny Unitas, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell all topped six figures in the sale.


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Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is quietly developing its Apple iCar.
The program to develop an autonomous electric car is known as “Project Titan.” And the Apple iCar designed to compete directly with EVs from Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA).
Right now, Apple is likely selecting partners to supply lidar technology and EV batteries for its new car. And it could mean billions in contracts for these little-known stocks.
Go here to discover my #1 EV battery Pre-IPO for February.
Of course, Apple doesn’t plan to manufacture the new iCar. Instead, the company plans to outsource everything . . .
Bloomberg reports that Apple may be making a major news announcement on Feb. 17.
It’s rumored that Apple has selected Kia to build the new iCar. That’s according to a Korean news organization cited in Bloomberg’s report.
The new Apple iCar could be manufactured at a Kia facility located in West Point, Georgia.
Is This the New Apple Car Factory?
Go Here for My #1 EV Battery Supplier
The report suggests that Apple plans to roll out the iCar in 2024.
The factory would be capable of producing 100,000 vehicles in its first year. Production could then be increased to reach 400,000 EVs per year.
Kia is owned by Hyundai Motor Co. Its stock jumped 15% on the news. And it’s trading at the highest level since 1997.
Apple is rumored to be investing $3.6 billion in Kia as part of the deal.
One new EV battery could be used in the new Apple iCar. And that could be a boom to one little-known company.
Unlike other EV stocks – this company is currently PRIVATE (click here for Pre-IPO details).
Yet the company just announced plans to go public by June. And top Wall Street firms are lining up to invest over $475 million in the deal.
This company is the real deal . . .
Last year’s sales reached $100 million. And the EV battery maker reports to have over $1 billion in signed contracts!
Go here ASAP to claim your pre-IPO shares.
Yours in Wealth,
Full Disclosure: Ian Wyatt owns shares of Apple.


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It’s bound to be a busy time of year for any butcher – but one shop in Telford has been inundated with orders from across the UK and seen Christmas food trends change.
Bosses at G. N. Badley & Sons butchers, in Gibbons Road, Trench, have so far prepared 570 turkeys, one tonne of sausages, 6,000 pigs in blankets, 150 joints of gammon and ham.
The orders have been coming in from residents across Telford and Shropshire as well as far afield like London and Sheffield.
And bosses have seen a huge rise in the number of orders for turkey crowns rather than a whole turkey.
Kay Badley, whose late husband Keith set up the business with his father in 1976, said there have been a few quirks this year.
She said: “We always look forward to Christmas, it is inevitably a busy time of year for us but it’s also interesting to see exactly what it is our customers are buying.
“It’s important to be able to react to what they want so we do plenty of preparation and start working longer hours to ensure it’s all ready.
“It’s unusual to see so many turkey crowns this year instead of the whole bird sold, maybe it means people are having smaller get togethers – or maybe they are watching how much they eat.
“I don’t know what the reason is but we’ve been kept busy, extending our opening hours on some days to make sure everyone gets the most delicious supplies they can to have a merry Christmas.”
The small family business looks set to make it another record breaking year for sales, as they just pip last year’s record to the post.
Managing director Simon Badley said: “We really have been busier than ever this year.
“Last year’s sales was the biggest we had seen to date so for those few extras to come in this year, we just keep expanding.
“We have a big base of customers now and thanks to our online order system we’ve seen people travelling hundreds of miles to come here and we’ve also delivered throughout the UK.
“We try to help people take the stress out of Christmas by pre-ordering food for a chosen collection date with just a £10 deposit.
“The figures are up on last year, only by a bit, but it means it is the best year since we started keeping records.”
Kay added: “We’ve introduced a few new options for this Christmas such as a new Christmas range with our party deli food, stuffed turkeys, ducks or geese as well as firm favourites such as a cooked ham joint, sausages wrapped in bacon and gala slicing pie.
“It is busy but it really gets you in the festive mood, people who place Christmas orders are collection only from our shop in Telford, which is great for us as it means we get to wish all our customers a Happy Christmas too.”


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Following are headline news of the latest issue of Seed China News:
Potato prices overall run high in 2013
Domestic potato prices have been overall running high in 2013, mainly due to shrinking potato acreage.
China's soybean planting still not optimistic
China's soybean output in 2013 will probably be flat or slightly down over last year, in view of the unit yield decrease caused by the flood disaster in Heilongjiang in August. Low planting benefits may continue to dampen growers' enthusiasm for soybean planting, resulting in decrease of future soybean acreage.
Daiweisen tomato: seed sales in Shandong rise sharply
Daiweisen, a large red tomato variety bred by Hazera, has experienced significant growth in seed sales this year in Shandong, mainly due to its attractiveness and an efficient sales strategy.
Denghai618 to underpin Shandong Denghai's further growth
Denghai618, a new hybrid corn variety bred by Shandong Denghai, is expected to become a strong profit generator due to its high yield potential.
Brief overview of Hunan's rice seed market
Rice acreage declines in Hunan, resulting in increasingly intense competition in seed sales, and a surplus of hybrid rice seeds. Growers have been gradually accepting high-priced, high-efficiency hybrid seeds.
Rising cucumber prices boost seed sales in northern China
Rising cucumber prices starting in August stimulated farmers' enthusiasm for cucumber planting, boosting the sales of cucumber seeds in northern China.
Hefei Fengle suffers heavy losses in first three quarters of 2013
Hefei Fengle suffered an estimated net loss of over USD10.53 million in the first three quarters of 2013, mainly due to weak sales of its hybrid seeds, and trading losses on spices.
Beidahuang Kenfeng constructing corn seed processing plant in Xinjiang
On 23 Sept. 2013, Beidahuang Kenfeng initiated the construction of a large corn seed processing plant in Xinjiang in cooperation with the No.9 Agricultural Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.
As a leading market research consulting company in China with more than 10-year-experience, CCM offers Market Data, Analysis, Reports, Newsletters, Buyer-Trader Information, Import/Export Analysis all through its new proprietary product ValoTracer. For more information, please visit http://www.cnchemicals.com.


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In the recent past, blockchain has experienced a media-driven surge in popularity, capturing the interest of the shipping sector. With companies like Maersk and IBM announcing the creation of an industry-wide blockchain solution for the shipping sector, and Hyundai Merchant Marine declaring the completion of its maiden journey with the help of blockchain, the industry is all set for a blockchain-driven transformation.
The maritime industry has recently shown interest in blockchain and its solutions, with companies creating consortiums to benefit from the technology. As per a statement released by IBM, blockchain has the ability to “vastly reduce the cost and complexity of trading.” Maersk and IBM collaborated on a project that included 30 entities and over 200 interactions between them, laying the foundation for their blockchain project. The two claim that their solution can help “manage and track the paper trail of millions of shipping containers across the world” by digitizing endto-end supply chain activities.
According to the World Economic Forum, corruption raises the cost of doing business by 10 per cent, limiting Foreign Direct Investment. As a solution, blockchain keeps shipping records on a shared ledger that allows the exporter, importer, freight forwarder, carrier, port, and customs officials to see the status of the shipment.
To improve their shipping operations, a number of shipping companies and trade organizations have resorted to blockchain technologies. A South Korean shipping and logistics consortium of 15 members, including HMM, focuses on developing and testing blockchain technology and successfully completed its pilot cruise in September 2017.
The potential of blockchain to digitize the bill of lading is one of the most important features it offers. A Japanese consortium, comprising Mitsui OSK Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, took advantage of this opportunity to develop and test a blockchain-enabled data sharing platform; while another consortium from Singapore including Pacific International Lines, PSA International, and IBM Singapore agreed to develop blockchain-based network solutions to reduce fraud and documentation errors.
Blockchain regulatory compliance
Blockchain has proven to be effective in terms of regulatory operations as well. As part of the SOLAS treaty, IMO introduced the Verified-Gross-Mass regulation, which requires shippers to disclose a container’s VGM to the terminal operator before loading it onto a vessel. In order to comply to regulation, Maritime Transport International (MTI) developed a blockchain-based solution to process the required information.
Moreover, in order to reduce the industry’s CO2 footprint, EU implemented a Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification protocol, which requires ships entering European ports to record their emissions in a standardized way. In order to meet this need, BLOC is looking into putting MRV data on a blockchain and sharing it with regulatory agencies.
Blockchain in ports and government authorities
Government entities have also taken notice of blockchain. With the use of blockchain, the Danish Maritime Authority hopes to automate its entire ship registration process, and has begun an endeavor to help bring an open, secure, and more efficient approach to dates recorded in shipping registers.
Moreover, North European ports such as Port of Rotterdam and Port of Antwerp have begun developing blockchain-management platforms to remove physical paperwork and improve operational efficiency. During these operations, cryptocurrency will be used as a deposit throughout the container shipping booking process.
Relative advantages & disadvantages
Blockchain is not the type of innovation that can easily replace existing technology or legacy systems due to its uniqueness and present immature stage. However, since IT systems are not interoperable, massive amounts of data silos are formed, thus isolating organizations. This results in a loss of competitive advantage for SMEs in the sector, since they are unable to fully participate in the market, and their procedures are more cumbersome and expensive than blockchain.
The ability of blockchain to overcome data silos and make different legacy systems to communicate and contribute information over a common blockchain ledger makes it simple to implement. Data silos can be overcome since blockchain information cannot be deleted, which is expected to have an influence on the industry since ecosystem players could be held accountable if they provide wrong information. Moreover, it will also be able to build a common infrastructure under existing legacy systems, allowing everyone to contribute to the same information.
Due to the present immature stage of blockchain, many perceptions have emerged, leading to misrepresentations and misconceptions. Moreover, it’s not like the traditional IT systems, and is difficult to adopt since there aren’t enough industry users to create value. However, some argue that it is simple to use as it combines technologies like databases, peer-topeer networks, and cryptography.
Since a blockchain system may be developed in a variety of ways depending on its degree of decentralization, consensus procedures, and economic purpose, the concept of blockchain is wide and does not relate to a specific technology. Compared to other existing technologies such as cloud computing, blockchain solutions are easier to incorporate into legacy systems at a lower cost.


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The word is out, solebox is opening a new store with another unique store concept in Barcelona later this year. Together with Nike, solebox celebrated the upcoming store launch with an exclusive two-day pop-up for Air Max Day in Barcelona.
On Friday 26th and Saturday 27th March 2021 an exclusive pop-up experience, solebox Mercat, was open to celebrate the upcoming store launch and Air Max Day in the city centre of Barcelona. The solebox Mercat premiered hints of the upcoming store concept and was only accessible by a limited number of people who reserved the Nike Air Max 90 Bacon for purchase and pick up in Barcelona.
In celebration of the upcoming store launch in Barcelona, solebox teamed up with the Nike SNKRS App to give the local community a unique experience, authentic to the localities and the new upcoming store concept. To ensure the safety of all customers and personnel, strict Covid-19 measures were in place, including time-slot pickups.


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Vingroup reports a 60% drop in earnings after relinquishing control of major retail chain
|Vietnam successfully develops two more sets of COVID-19 test kits
|Vingroup to send donations of 100 ventilators to Da Nang hotspot
|CNN live for impressive Vingroup's 11 'golden minutes'
Vingroup’s profit after taxes came in at $58.3 million, while group revenue fell 37% in the same period to $1.67 billion, a company spokesperson said Tuesday.
According to Zing News, the drop was due to COVID-19's impacts, and because there were no retail incomes recorded. Explaining this, Forbes reported, in December, two divisions of Vingroup merged with the Vietnamese retail giant Masan Consumer Holding. Through that deal, Vingroup handed Masan control of its 2,600 VinMart and VinMart+ stores so it could commit more resources to manufacture motor vehicles and smartphones, a company spokesperson says.
He also shared that if including the real-estate trade, the income in the first haft of 2020 has increased 5%, except for the retail earnings in the same period last year.
Over the first 6 months of 2020, Vingroup focused much on manufacturing Vinfast cars and electric motorbikes.
According to Zing News, Vingroup has added directly VND1.535 billion (US$ 66,7 million) into the manufacturing line, which contributes to one of the top 3 biggest capital accounts among its subsidiaries over this half year.
Vingroup’s manufacturing units took in revenue of $266 million over the first half of 2020, three times that of the same period last year, as cars and phones began reaching consumers, the spokesperson says, reported Forbes.
“VinFast is a large proportion of Vingroup,” the spokesperson says. “The reason for the increase in manufacturing revenue is that...VinFast began delivering cars to customers.”
VinFast accepted more than 67,000 vehicle orders last year, 50,000 of those for electric motorcycles, domestic news website Vietnam Net Global reports. Sales had reached 5,000 in the first quarter this year, fifth highest of any automaker in Vietnam, the news outlet says. The Covid-19 crisis including a month of shutdowns hit Vietnam mainly in the second quarter.
Vingroup’s manufacturing revenue will eventually show strain, especially if it depends on sales of higher-end cars, says Ralf Matthaes, founder of the Infocus Mekong Research consultancy in Ho Chi Minh City, according to Forbes.
Developing smartphones and production
Smartphones developed by Vingroup subsidiary VinSmart are starting to gain traction in the domestic market as well. Phones under its Vsmart brand command a 16.7% domestic market share, in third place after Samsung and Oppo. VinSmart announced a 5G smartphone last month, said Forbes.
The second-quarter financial report of Vingroup announced that amidst the pandemic, production was still gained most investment, valued over VND 100,000 billion, equivalent to nearly 30% of the total assets.
Production also becomes the second-largest contributor to the parent group's revenue, with more than VND 6.159 billion in the first haft of 2020. However, this line still recorded the loss up to VND 5.524 billion before taxes, increasing 89% in the same period.
Mr. Nguyen Viet Quang, CEO of Vingroup said recently that after the restructuring and strategic direction, Vingroup will prioritize the area of industry - technology, reported Zing New.
|Manufacturing down across South-East Asia, showed survey
South-East Asia's factory output slumped in July for a fifth consecutive month, according to the IHS Markit Purchasing Managers' Index published on Tuesday.
|Vietnam economy expects to stay resolved to prevent negative economic growth
“We must stay calm and resolved to continue performing the dual tasks of containing COVID-19 and preventing economic fragility and negative growth.” said PM in ...
|EVFTA - a significant boost to Vietnam's economy
The EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which officially entered into force starting from August 1 is expected to be a significant impetus for ...


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The final session of Nielsen’s 2010 Consumer 360 featured a lively and informed debate between Wired Editor In Chief, Chris Anderson the New Yorker’s Malcolm Gladwell on the topic of “free.” This intellectual “cage match” (as Anderson called it) was moderated by Nielsen’s President of Media Product Leadership, Steve Hasker.
Malcolm Gladwell was first with opening remarks, jousting that Anderson has built a “cottage industry” around the subject of free (Anderson literally wrote the book on it). He joked that while Anderson had been tweeting about the debate, he had been keeping it quiet, painting himself as a sort of Don Quixote to Anderson’s “windmill.”
Gladwell based many of his opening remarks on the excerpts from Anderson’s book that reference a 2008 Dan Ariely book, Predictably Irrational. Ariely, a professor at Duke, conducted experiments on cost sensitivity using chocolates: one a high-end truffle and the other a popular milk chocolate treat. Ariely found that participants would choose the truffle over the chocolate treat when the truffle cost 15 cents and the milk chocolate was priced at a penny. When the cost of both came down one cent, though – making the truffle 14 cents and the milk chocolate free – participants switched allegiance and opted for the free chocolate. Gladwell agreed it’s possible to build a business off of free, citing Google, but what scares him is how the notion impacts the marketplace and ultimately promotes “irrational” consumer behavior.
For effect, Anderson took to the opposing platform for his remarks, even pointing the difference in attire between the two (casting Malcolm as truffle and Anderson as free chocolate — interesting how both presented themselves as the underdog).
Where Gladwell opted for candy to make his point, Anderson went to Gilligan’s Island — a show he watched routinely as a child. The strong TV ratings and pre-teen share of that program in its heyday, Anderson said, had more to do with the lack of viewer choice than program quality. For Anderson, a free ecosystem broadens the range of content, allowing entertainment to reflect the individuality of consumers and producers as opposed to a one-size-fits-all model. Quality, he argued, is not always about production value, but can also be about relevance, as evidenced in the explosion and virality of consumer generated media. Hasker asked Anderson who would pay for a Gilligan’s Island in a world where consumer-generated videos of adorable cats took over. Anderson rebutted: this presumes a show like Gilligan’s Island was a product worth it to begin with.
Anderson then turned to a key topic of his book – the idea of freemium, where the few subsidize the many. In addition to ad-supported free content, Anderson argued that a free content economy will create an opportunity to sell more premium content direct to consumers, as promoted by free slices of that content.
Anderson concluded by saying that time is the true scarcity today, and that if content providers can win a consumer’s time, they’ll win their money.
Gladwell landed an early jab in the back and forth that followed opening remarks when he asked Anderson where this “free revolution” was, noting he’d written a lot of checks to his cable company over the years and he’d like to start saving some money. Gladwell argued that it was not the concept of free that expanded content options as Anderson argued, but consumers paying for premium content and the rise of things like cable TV. Well, that would be a good observation from the 1990s, Anderson jabbed back.
Gladwell argued that Anderson’s story of free works only when you remove a large chunk of history or crop out many of the ancillary costs of content production and delivery.
An audience question noted that much of the “free” news content consumed through Google comes from established news sources. Gladwell noted that while he likes many sites that aggregate content, he blunty noted that many were “parasites.” Anderson took the flipside, noting that such free content drives considerable traffic, awareness and search engine “link love” to the original content provider.
Anderson was challenged by an audience question regarding Wired’s iPad app — priced currently at $4.99. Why not “free?” Anderson noted the Wired team was working on a number of models, from free to freemium to premium and other bundles.
So who won the debate? Here’s Anderson’s take.


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Peeve or Fitch?
This press release appeared in the “Financial Times”, and it merits a second look.
“Fitch Special Report – U.S. Seaports: Challenges and Opportunities
“SAN FRANCISCO – (Business Wire) – Aug. 9, 2006 – Fitch ratings today released a special report titled ‘U.S. Seaports: Managing Capacity.’ Fitch’s 2006-2007 outlook for U.S. seaports is robust, based on strong cargo growth in the near-term, presenting both opportunities and challenges.
“The greatest near-term challenge U.S. seaports face is dealing with capacity-related pressures, which have competitive implications. As West Coast ports and the U.S. land bridge feel the strain of increased cargo volume, Eastern and Southern ports must continue developing capacity through technological advances and innovative logistics solutions so that commerce demands will be met. Future competition will come from development and utilization of ports in Mexico and Canada. The costs associated with U.S. seaport infrastructure improvements are quite significant, and although those seaports operate profitably, traditional financial resources used to fund such enhancements are increasingly constrained …
“Currently, the shipping industry is operating at record levels. Fitch expects 10% growth in U.S. seaport cargo throughput as the shipping and logistics industries enter their peak season (July through November). Additionally, U.S. cargo volumes are expected to double between now and 2020-2025. U.S. seaports benefit from surging cargo volumes, while ship owners, operators, and logistics companies continue generating robust earnings. Moreover, positive economic trends in Japan, Germany, and China, along with the trend of U.S. companies to move production overseas, has driven ocean trade to all-time highs.
“Nonetheless, cargo growth at select U.S. seaports will likely slow starting in 2008. Fitch’s economic forecast for 2007 indicates that global growth could move back toward 3%, and the expected soft landing of both the global and U.S. economies, together with excess vessel capacity, will likely pressure the shipping industry in general, and potentially U.S. seaports. Furthermore, U.S. seaports that depend on dramatically increasing cargo volumes and rates may face a challenging environment after this season if trade patterns shift or consolidation results in a significant realignment in the shipping industry.”
Fitch’s analysis raises a bunch of questions. Here’s a sampling:
– What does this analyst mean by ‘technological advances and innovative logistics solutions’? [If a ‘magic bullet’ has been found, port authorities would love to know about it.]
– Instead of taking for granted ‘Future competition … from ports in Mexico and Canada’, why not push for the development of some of our own West Coast ports?
– And the ‘pressure’ from ‘excess vessel capacity’? Isn’t that what we were warned about by this same “Financial Times” earlier this year? And by Neil Davidson, and Charlie Woo, and Nolan Gimpel, and James Hartung and Conrad Everhard, etc., etc., etc.? Hmmm?


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A few months ago, the word was that Volkswagen’s electric car program was in deep, deep trouble in China. The newly released ID.4 SUV only sold 1,500 units in the first month after it was introduced to Chinese customers. According to an Inside EVs article in August, a market research firm sent mystery shoppers to VW, Nio, and Tesla showrooms and discovered the sales reps at the VW locations were dressed like old fuddy-duddies in suits and ties, while the staff at the Nio and Tesla stores were dressed more casually, appeared younger, and were more energetic.
Here’s another possible explanation. The number 4 when translated into Mandarin sounds similar to the word for death. Well, that’s a bummer for sure. That theory sounds about as credible as the one about why the Chevy Nova never sold well in Spanish speaking countries, because “no va” is how you say “no go” in Spanish. Make of those theories what you will.
But not to worry, EV fans. Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess took to Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Fakebook) to enthuse over the latest sales numbers for ID. branded cars in China. According to China EV Post, Diess said, “The ID. family continues its steady growth momentum in the China market. In October, ID. models sold nearly 13,000 units in a single month, surpassing domestic competitors including NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto. The Volkswagen brand ranked third in October sales of new energy vehicles.”
Want to guess who the two elephants in the room are? Both Tesla and BYD are averaging more than 20,000 EV sales a month. BYD can claim more than 40,000 sales a month if you include plug-in hybrid models, according to Inside EVs.
Volkswagen currently sells the ID.4 CROZZ, ID.6 CROZZ (an SUV with third row seating) through is joint venture with FAW and the ID.3, ID.4 X, and the ID.6 X through its joint venture with SAIC. Soon it will begin selling other MEB-based electric cars such as the Audi Q5 e-tron, which is a corporate cousin to the ID.6. Its sales in China are showing a steady increase month after month, which is really good news for Volkswagen, which has invested heavily in the Chinese market.
It is unusual for one company to mention its competitors in China, but Diess obviously wants to shake things up in that country. Maybe he told his sales staff to leave their ties at home?
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Leo says that Apple's "It's Been Way Too Long" invitation for October 16th likely means that Apple is going to make a huge announcement for Apple TV. Not an actual TV set, but the small set top hockey puck, which Leo says has been long overdue for an upgrade. And with Apple's new "Home Kit," there could be home automation capability.
We do expect new iPads, but since those get released every year, it isn't something that's been "too long." Leo also says that Apple is going to announce the expansion of more ApplePay capability, including Walgreen's. Leo expects a lot of merchants to come on board.


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There have long been talks of Xiaomi’s subbrand Redmi working on its flagship smartphone. Rumors about a Redmi phone with Snapdragon 855 have been around for a while now. While it was confirmed earlier that the phone would launch later this month, there hasn’t been any info on what it would be called. It was earlier speculated to be referred to as the Redmi X, similar to the upcoming Realme X. However, that was later ruled now. Now, new reports suggest that Redmi will be launching not one but two flagship devices, called the Redmi K20 and the Redmi K20 Pro. Also, there is a word from the company as to what this “K” stands for.
Update 14/5/2019: The “K” stands for Killer
Following the confirmation of the smartphones’ names, many people had questioned the logic behind the K series. In response, Redmi’s General Manager Lu Weibing took to Weibo to talk about the new range. He states that the K stands for Killer, and the Redmi K-series smartphones will be the flagship killer.
Now, where have we seen that tagline used before…
Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro specifications
Thanks to renowned tipster Ishan Agarwal, we know that Xiaomi would be launching two new Redmi flagships named Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro. Both the devices are said to come equipped with the flagship Snapdragon 855 SoC. The leaked specifications suggest that the devices could come with a 6.39-inch AMOLED screen without a notch. You’d get about four variants to choose from with 6GB/8GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB/256GB of internal storage. There will also be a 32MP pop-up selfie camera.
Other than that, the devices are said to feature a triple camera setup at the back, comprising of a 48MP primary sensor, 8MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 16MP telephoto lens. Also, the entire setup will be juiced by a 4,000mAh battery. Lastly, recent reports also confirmed that the device will come with support for Android Q Beta at launch. It could debut in Red, Blue, and Carbon Fibre color variants.
Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro release date
As of now, it is not clear as to what’s the difference between the two variants. We’d have to wait for the official launch to find that out, which will happen sometime later this month. Also, an added incentive for Indian users to be excited about this is that one of the two variants would be launched as the Poco F2 later in India. As always, stay tuned to Mr. Phone to get notified of all the buzz in the smartphone world.


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- Tram Ho
Today, Microsoft confirmed that it no longer plans to continue developing and launching Windows 10X. The operating system was originally supposed to launch alongside dual-screen devices, like the Surface Neo, with a simpler interface and features. Windows 10X is dead, and Microsoft now plans to bring the best features of this operating system to Windows 10.
“Instead of launching Windows 10X in 2021 as originally planned, we are taking advantage of our experience in developing this operating system and pushing it forward ,” said John Cable, Director of Windows Service and Distribution. accelerate the integration of 10X’s foundational technologies into other components of Windows and our other products.”
Some of the foundational technologies of Windows 10X that will be integrated into Windows 10 are a more modern touch keyboard, more accurate voice input, and several other applications. Microsoft says it will still develop core Windows 10X technologies, with both software and hardware in the future. But that doesn’t mean we’ll see Surface Neo anytime soon.
Microsoft will change its strategy, turning Windows 10X into a lightweight version of Windows 10, to compete with Google’s Chrome OS. Microsoft has also spent years of effort developing a lighter version of Windows. Windows RT was first released with Surface tablets in 2012, then Windows 10 S launched in 2017, but both were unsuccessful.
Microsoft will launch a major update for Windows 10 in October. This major update will have interface changes, File Explorer improvements, and possibly additional Windows 10X features.
Source : Genk


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This month, Lexus revealed the NX, an all-new model that encapsulates three of the brand's most important efforts to remain a big player in the increasingly competitive luxury market.
The NX is the brand's first entry into the red-hot small crossover segment. It's the first Lexus with a turbocharged engine, and the latest step in a years-long effort to make cars that appeal to drivers' sense of style.
Jumping Into A Red-Hot Segment
The SUV and crossover market is "bread and butter to us," Lexus Corporate Manager of Marketing Communications Brian Bolain told Business Insider at the New York Auto Show last week. But the cars have been mostly popular among Americans.
"For such a long time, it was a specifically U.S. phenomenon," Bolain said. Now, "there's just suddenly an immense desire for small crossovers." This "is probably the first time I remember seeing one segment on fire globally, at an equal pace ... across Europe, across Asia, across North America."
So it's no surprise the competition will be fierce. By Jalopnik's count, 20 crossover models and concept debuted at the Beijing Auto Show this week. A bunch more had their coming out parties at the New York show.
More Power, Less Fuel
The all-new NX is not only the first small crossover from Lexus, it's the first time the brand has offered a turbocharged engine. Turbos have picked up in popularity in recent years thanks to their ability to deliver more power along with improved fuel efficiency.
The NX will also come as a hybrid. (A model with a naturally aspirated 2.o-liter engine will be available in China and Russia.) Among the luxury brands, Lexus has been particularly successful in the hybrid market, selling more than half a million units to date. That's where its focus will remain, according to Bolain. "There's no plan currently" to start making electric or diesel-powered cars," he said. "We're still really reliant on hybrid."
For the past two years, since the introduction of the fourth generation GS sedan, Lexus has been making a special effort to build cars with a real sense of style. No more slab-sided cars — Lexus wants to present a "more youthful, certainly more contemporary, more innovative" image, Bolain said.
Customers interviewed before the launch of the NX "wanted to focus on how they look in it," Bolain said — so style is key. Not everyone will like the look of the little crossover, but it definitely has character.
The NX will go on sale in the second half of 2014. Pricing hasn't been announced, but expect it to be below the $39,760 MSRP for the bigger Lexus RX.