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NACDS applauds credit card expiration date bill
President George W. Bush signed into law Wednesday a bill to protect drug stores from lawsuits for printing expiration dates of credit and debit cards on receipts, drawing praise from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores.
The Credit Card and Debit Card Receipt Clarification Act states that printing the expiration date of a customer’s credit or debit card does not violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
In the past, consumers have filed class-action lawsuits against retailers that print the expiration dates, alleging that it violates privacy, though it has not harmed consumers. The new law will allow retailers to move for dismissal of lawsuits over the practice.
“Enactment of this law sends a strong message that Congress and the President are confident in the standards that businesses use to protect consumer privacy,” said NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson. “Retailers will be able to serve their customers without the threat of bogus lawsuits that abuse the judicial system and undermine consumer protection.”
Walgreens, Nielsen renew agreement through 2013
PHOENIX Under a contract renewed Wednesday, Walgreens and Nielsen will continue their collaboration through 2013 in category management, business planning and merchandising services.
Nielsen will also share consumer data and insights with the drug store chain. The data will help Walgreens develop new strategies for attracting customers. Nielsen will also provide Walgreens with Nielsen Answers Retail Edition, a custom analytics platform for retailers.
Based in Haarlem, the Netherlands and New York, Nielsen is a global information and media company that gathers and distributes information on media, marketing and the Internet, as well as sponsoring trade shows and publishing trade titles such as Billboard, Adweek and The Hollywood Reporter.
Drugstorenews.com ranks among top BtoB media sites
NEW YORK Drugstorenews.com, the online news home for The Drug Store News Group, was ranked among the top five fastest-growing Web sites in terms of new, unique visitors, according to a recent report in Mins b2b, a weekly industry newsletter for publishing and media executives. Between the months of February and March, drugstorenews.com received the fifth highest percentage gain in the number of unique visitors that visited the Web site during that time, up almost 27 percent month over month, Mins b2b reported in its May 26 edition.
In March, drugstorenews.com received 33,827 unique visitors to the site, a sharp increase over the 26,649 unique visitors the site received in February, as tracked by WebTrends. The news is an important win for The Drug Store News Group, which has devoted more and more resources in recent years to growing its online platform and empowering buyers and sellers in the retail pharmacy industry to communicate more directly and with greater immediacy than ever before.
“The Center for Media Research reported recently that 38 percent of corporate-level executives are using their favorite publication’s Web site on a daily basis. They do it because the websites offer more useful information on the topics they’re interested in; it’s easy and fast,” noted Drug Store News Group publisher John Kenlon. “Drugstorenews.com is growing—versus some pretty big sites—because it helps retail executives keep up with their competitors.”
According to webopedia.com, the term unique visitor refers to “a person who visits a Web site more than once within a specified period of time. Software that tracks and counts Web site traffic can distinguish between visitors who only visit the site once and ‘unique visitors’ who return to the site. Different from a site’s hits or page views—which are measured by the number of files that are requested from a site—unique visitors are measured according to their unique IP addresses, which are like online fingerprints, and unique visitors are counted only once no matter how many times they visit the site.”
Other top finishers, according to the Mins b2b report, included che.com and chemweek.com, which both cover the chemical industry, as well as jlc.com, a web-based resource for professionals in the construction industry, and macforge.net, an online guide for computer programmers looking for open source projects that work on the Mac platform.


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biomedicine industry thrives in yichang
workers package pharmaceutical products in a plant in hubei's yichang city. (photo: vcg)
by chen chunyou & wu chunxin
the biomedicine industry is known as a "sunrise industry" due to its close connection with high technology, broad development prospects and huge market potential. yichang high-tech zone (yhz) is a prime example.
in 2020, the yhz biomedical industry base was identified as the national torch program specialized industrial base by the ministry of science and technology, and the pharmaceutical industry cluster was listed as one of the key growth industry clusters of hubei province.
yhz is home to more than 250 enterprises in the field of biomedicine. in 2021, the revenue of the biomedicine industry reached 47 billion rmb.
yhz has introduced a number of public technical service platforms, such as yichang biomedical research center, hubei jinque medical laboratory, and yichang biotechnology public service center.
eastern valley u is a national professional incubation platform in yichang high-tech zone biomedicine industrial park (bip), and covers an area of more than 300 mu (about 20 hectares).
over the past five years, eastern valley u has attracted and cultivated more than 150 biomedical industry chain enterprises, including 23 national high-tech enterprises, four provincial-level "little giant" enterprises, and six listed enterprises. the output value reached 1.35 billion rmb in 2021.
"we introduce leading enterprises, which likewise attract their upstream and downstream enterprises of the industrial chain to accumulate here. enterprises can exert a positive influence on each other, meet each others' demands and cooperate together. thus, the industrial chain is gradually improved and the innovation capacity is further enhanced," said wu penglu, vice-general manager of the eastern valley u.
in order to support the industrialization of generic drugs' research, yhz generic drug technological innovation public service center built three public experimental platforms centering on fermentation, extraction and detection technology, and 14 laboratories specializing in different research fields, which make it convenient for enterprises to carry out technological innovation and r&d.
guo kangxin, director of the management committee of yhz, said that the zone will continue to strengthen the capacity of leading enterprises, and accelerate the cultivation of small and micro enterprises. he noted that 70 biomedicine enterprises above the designated level and 10 new high-tech biomedicine enterprises are to be cultivated this year.
the r&d expenditure of enterprises at bip accounts for more than seven percent to date, and five new r&d platforms, along with innovation and entrepreneurship platforms at and above the provincial level, were established. it is expected that by 2023, the proportion of enterprises' r&d expenditure can reach nine percent, and 10 r&d and entrepreneurship platforms will be created.
wang li, vice governor of hubei province, said yichang aims to build a biomedical industry cluster, which focuses on the transformation of people's lifestyles to promote r&d of products, and will maintain a high intensity of r&d investment, creating more possibilities for long-term development.

domain: news


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This week, Kim’s Convenience star Andrew Phung uploaded the first in a three-part video series highlighting Calgary’s Chinatown.
Born and raised in Calgary, Phung’s connection with the city runs deep, and Chinatown in particular is a place that holds a lot of significance to Phung and his family.
"I'm a Calgary kid, born-and-raised, and many of my weekends were spent with family eating in Chinatown. With Calgary taking steps to reopen, I wanted to help shine a light on all the delicious places to eat in this truly special area of our city,” Phung explains. “With the help of The City of Calgary, I've created some videos of my favourite places, all filmed prior to COVID-19 quarantine.”
The series was conceived in Calgary’s pre-pandemic era with the intention of bolstering local businesses in Chinatown that were facing a big decline due to misconceptions surrounding COVID-19 abroad.
And although the sudden and drastic changes from the pandemic ultimately delayed the series’ release, Phung says now that businesses are beginning to reopen, his message is as relevant as ever.
“This is a community of small business owners, and the food here is spectacular. I think about this food on a daily basis. I'm literally craving some BBQ pork buns and dim sum right now,” Phung continues. “Let's support local in Calgary and give Chinatown a visit. Your tummy will appreciate it!"
Phung’s first video highlights family-owned Rainbow Bakery in Calgary’s Dragon City Mall, who Phung says produces the city’s best BBQ pork buns and egg tarts. Phung says that as a kid, one of the things he looked forward to the most was seeing that white bakery box on his kitchen counter, and now as a dad, he loves to see kids react similarly.
Phung’s next two videos will highlight his favourite candy shop and his favourite place for dim sum. The videos are slated to release on Phung’s Instagram and Twitter feeds on June 12 and June 19, respectively.


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American Technology Company, Google has announced 11 start-ups that made it into the second cohort of its Launchpad Accelerator Africa program. Since its establishment in 2017, Launchpad Accelerator Africa forms an important part of Google’s initiatives that support the African entrepreneurial ecosystem and builds on the Launchpad programmes already run in Africa, which have successfully connected over 200 African mentors with several hundred African tech startup entrepreneurs through one-week bootcamps in six different African cities over the last two years.
The first phase of the Launchpad Accelerator Africa class recorded 12 start-ups graduate, with more than 20 teams from Google and 40 mentors from nine countries supporting them.
The start-ups have created 132 jobs and, between them, have raised over US$7 million in funding and their products are being used by approximately 4.5 million people.
For the next three months, the selected start-ups will receive intense mentorship and support from Google to launch them into global competitive businesses, Cloud and Firebase Credits, Access to Google engineers, resources, and mentors, during and after the programme and Inclusion in the Launchpad Accelerator Global Community and network of alumni and mentors.
Fola Olatunji-David, Head of Start-up Success and Services, Launchpad Accelerator Africa said that “we’re currently as a region creating about three million jobs per year, while more than 11 million job seekers are entering the market. Google believes that empowering entrepreneurs and start-ups is essential to drive employment growth, and enable both economic and social development on the continent.”
The 11 finalists from six countries include;
AppZone (Nigeria): AppZone builds Software as a service (SaaS) fintech software ecosystems for digital banks, allowing them to reduce operational costs while improving service delivery.
Chalkboard Education (Ghana): Allows educational institutions to make their curricula available via mobile devices (USSD, SMS, and internet). It also lets those institutes gather insights about student learning patterns and helps them create and adapt curricula for the mobile space.
Cloud9xp (Kenya): Cloud9xp is an online marketplace and booking service that allows people to buy and sell experiences in various locations across Africa and the Middle East.
EzyAgric (Uganda): EzyAgric is an on-demand platform that provides inclusive and data-driven access to finance, production and marketing services for farmers and agribusinesses in Uganda. It does so through a network of youth agents equipped with smartphones and other forms of agricultural technology, providing employment and helping farmers improve yields and market access in one go.
Formplus (Nigeria): Formplus allows companies to collect online and offline data through the use of customisable digital forms. The startup also provides analytics based on form answers and allows for payment collection via PayPal, Stripe and Flutterwave
Medsaf (Nigeria): Medsaf is a one-stop, curated medication marketplace for African hospitals and pharmacies.
Mintrics (Egypt): This social video intelligence platform helps brands and agencies understand how people are interacting with their social videos, giving them insight into what is and isn’t working and thereby maximising their ROI.
PayGo Energy (Kenya): PayGo’s smart meter and connected software service allows players in the LP gas (LPG) value chain to better service their customers, driving the adoption of clean cooking fuels.
Pineapple (South Africa): Pineapple’s unique machine learning technology allows users to easily insure individual items using just a mobile app.
Preeva (South Africa): Preeva is an online platform that connects students with young educators who provide tutoring help at school and university.
Thank U Cash (Nigeria): Thank U Cash is an online rewards platform that allows consumers to save and earn loyalty points that can be swapped for cash and merchants to benefit from extra spend.
So far at the global level, Google’s global accelerator programme, Launchpad Accelerator has enrolled seven African start-ups; Twiga Foods, JUMO, Paystack, Delivery Science, Helium Health, Paylater and Aerobotics and they have been provided with visibility, best-in-class mentorship and access to Google’s network in Silicon Valley.
More Tech Stories:
- Honeywell Group Launches New Accelerator Program for Nigeria’s Start-ups
- Agro-Export Event, Meet The Farmers Conference set to hold in Lagos this October
- Google Android 9 Pie is Here!!! Checkout All The Amazing New Features!
- Applications are now open for Innov8Agric Challenge, Kenya


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The Korean Technology Giants are set to make exclusive gains or profits from their opponent’s 2017 Flagship Smartphone. The manufacturing and supplying of these components constitute 35% of the company’s revenue.
Samsung along with LG is the world’s leader in OLED display technology and in 2017, Samsung was only the best company to manufacture the sufficient OLED screen for Apple.
Other companies aren’t able to provide what Apple needs as to Samsung -and Samsung is the biggest surviving competitors to Apple- meanwhile, the
Samsung is set to make around $110 from each iPhone X that Apple sells and also if in case, you don’t know, the OLED displays used in the making of the iPhone X are produced by Samsung.
The Journal estimates that Samsung’s profits from the iPhone X are expected to be so large that the company’s revenues could earn up to $4 billion more than producing parts for the Galaxy S8
Apple is expected to sell 130 million iPhone X over the next two years, which would give Samsung close to $14 billion in additional revenue.
Samsung is only estimated to make $10 billion in profits from its own Galaxy S8 devices over that same span. This means the iPhone X is bringing Samsung more money than the company’s own flagship.
Those parts which are only made by Samsung which includes the OLED display, NAND flash, and DRAM chip in the quantities that Apple needs for its iPhones, which are the main revenue driver for Apple.
Apple, perhaps not wanting to continually help rival Samsung this much, is rumored to be considering a switch to LG for its next round of OLED panels starting in 2019.
Source: The Wall Street Journal.


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Early in our careers, we have been delighted to give a contribution to era that would create new tactics of attractive with one any other, our units and knowledge around the globe. As of late, we paintings at two of the most important era firms, Google and Amazon. We joined those firms as a result of we noticed the massive have an effect on that they’ve on other folks’s lives globally, and since we believed that creating era at one of these scale may just advertise excellent and convey other folks in combination.
We’re calling on Amazon and Google to finish their new contracts with the Israeli executive and armed forces.
However we aren’t naive in regards to the hurt that era permits. As employees, we’re answerable for the goods we create. As a result of we consider that each individual merits to are living with freedom and dignity, we’re calling on Amazon and Google to finish their new contracts with the Israeli executive and armed forces, which violently oppresses tens of millions of Palestinians.
We’ve joined in combination as employees throughout company traces for the primary time to ship a joint letter Tuesday calling on Google and Amazon to admire Palestinian human rights and cancel Mission Nimbus, the $1.2 billion challenge that can supply cloud products and services to the Israeli executive, particularly together with the army. The products and services surround each garage and computational sources, in addition to options that allow customers to simply teach tough synthetic intelligence.
Below those contracts, our cloud products and services would assist facilitate the Israeli army’s regulate and persecution of Palestinians, demolition of Palestinian houses within the occupied Palestinian territories and assaults on Gaza that experience hit civilian goals comparable to hospitals. Along with the army, Mission Nimbus will even supply our cloud products and services to the Israel Land Authority, an company that permits Israel’s endured growth of segregated settlements in violation of world regulation and U.S. coverage.
This ancient marketing campaign follows the separate efforts of our fellow staff who recommended our respective employers to strengthen Palestinian rights and finish their ties with the Israeli army throughout the surge in violence in Would possibly, which killed no less than 230 Palestinians in beseiged Gaza, together with 65 youngsters. In keeping with our data, just about 1,000 nameless signatories at Amazon and greater than 600 at Google have joined this name.
Mission Nimbus isn’t the primary time that Amazon and Google have collaborated with violent and destructive establishments. In accordance with a freelance with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which systematically surveils and cages undocumented migrants, Amazon employees introduced “We Gained’t Construct It,” which referred to as on Amazon to finish its investments in facial popularity era that permits abuses of marginalized other folks. When Google signed Mission Maven, a freelance to beef up drone era for the U.S. army, Google employees stressed the company to drag out of the contract and institute a coverage committing to moral use of synthetic intelligence.
The Mission Nimbus contracts have been designed to depart our firms with little regulate over how our era will probably be used. The contracts guarantee continuity of carrier even within the case both corporate desires to drop out because of worker protest, and specifies that the firms can’t refuse carrier to any department of the Israeli executive, together with the army. Regardless of the massive have an effect on and harms those contracts may have, their main points aren’t to be had publicly or to employees, so, concerningly, they prohibit scrutiny by means of human rights organizations and enter from staff.
Additionally, Mission Nimbus stands in direct opposition to Google’s mentioned dedication to moral AI and Amazon’s management rules. Google claims to price responsibility and protection, and says that businesses “can earn a living with out doing evil.” Amazon says we will have to “make higher, do higher, and be higher” for the arena at huge. We agree. We need to paintings for firms that do greater than pay lip carrier to moral industry practices.
As a substitute, our firms signed contracts that they knew can be extremely arguable, but relinquishes their skill to put into effect their very own publicly mentioned rules whilst making an attempt to disclaim employees our say in how our hard work is used. On account of how interconnected era is, staff who aren’t all in favour of construction cloud products and services will nonetheless see their paintings give a contribution to those oppressive movements unknowingly. We see this as a betrayal in their workforces, their values and their customers.
Huge tech firms have replied to human rights considerations prior to, and they are able to do it once more. In 2019, Google terminated Mission Dragonfly, a censored seek engine in China, and pulled out of the Pentagon’s Mission Maven in 2018. The similar rules must follow to the Mission Nimbus contracts and all long term contracts in accordance with their real-world penalties. Since we haven’t any skill to make it possible for the era we construct received’t be used to dedicate human rights abuses towards Palestinians, slicing the contracts completely is the one moral possibility left for our firms.
Increasingly more tech employees are rising desirous about how era can hurt communities. Whilst we can’t be answerable for the movements of all of our shoppers, we additionally can’t shed accountability for the have an effect on on other folks around the globe once we promote products and services to organizations that grasp the ability of existence and loss of life over our personal customers.
Our paintings has real-life penalties — each excellent and dangerous. After we sign up for in combination, we will be able to call for that the era suppliers who so strongly affect our lives grasp to rules of transparency, responsibility and moral accountability. Our firms have the selection to completely decide to the usage of era the place it has a good have an effect on; by means of doing so, we will be able to construct an international that higher aligns with the fundamental values of freedom and dignity central to making a extra simply and equitable global for us all.


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Smeg Foodservice is ramping up its focus on commercial ovens and dishwashing products in 2018 as it plots a “return to its roots” that it hopes will take it deeper into the UK restaurant market.
The move will see the company roll out new Topline dishwashers and glasswashers to the UK market and shift its Alpha professional cooking business away from bake-off applications and more towards gastronorm solutions.
Phil Coulstock, commercial channel director at Smeg UK, said operators could expect to see a renewed focus on its core lines.
“When I joined the company four years ago we were looking to become a one-stop-shop with the ability to offer a full turnkey kitchen solution, whether that be through acquisitions of companies with expertise or taking other people’s product and branding it,” he explained. “But what we have realised is that we should just focus on what we do well because, like some of our competitors, it pays to concentrate on what your fundamental DNA is. For us that is very much cooking, the ovens, and dishwashing. Any other product that doesn’t fit into that will certainly fall down the priority list in terms of us focusing on it.”
Mr Coulstock, who was speaking as Smeg opened the doors of its new £6m UK headquarters in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, to partners and customers, said there had been a “significant” investment at factory level to support the new strategy.
“Originally ovens were moving along doing very well, but there was no level of investment. Over the last 12 months that has completely turned on its head in terms of factory level, not just R&D but also automation of the production lines,” he described.
Mr Coulstock said that Smeg Foodservice’s focus in the UK was moving away from standard bake-off ovens and more towards full gastronorm cooking ovens, which it thinks will expose it to the broader restaurant market. It is also branching into steam combi solutions to beef up its offering.
“The bake-off industry in the UK is not as big as it is in continental Europe, where you have got a bakery and a patisserie on every corner. This is taking us from looking only at the baking market to the restaurant kitchen market, so we can target anybody that is looking at an oven.”
Smeg Foodservice supplies catering equipment to some of the biggest chains around. In Europe it provides ovens and dishwashers to McDonald’s McCafe branches, while in the UK it works with names such as Pret A Manger, Patisserie Valerie and Esquires Coffee. At Esquires it has supplied twin basket undercounter dishwashers to all 15 sites that it has opened in the past year.


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Press Releases / Lucas Posts Double-Digit Growth In 2008
Mar 17, 2009
Lucas Posts Double-Digit Growth In 2008
Company Reports 11th Straight Year of Profitability with 39% Profit Growth; Adds Senior Managers to Continue Expansion in 2009
Lucas Systems, the leading provider of voice-directed warehouse applications for open, mobile computers, today reported significant revenue and profit growth in 2008, and announced two additions to its management team. Net income increased 39 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, and revenue grew more than 10 percent for the year, including significant growth in the fourth quarter. New executive managers are James Margaria, Director of Engineering, and Christopher Sweeney, Senior Vice President.
“2008 was a difficult year for many companies, yet we managed to grow our revenues, profits, and market share in a tough, competitive environment,” said Jeff Slevin, COO of Lucas Systems. “Retailers and wholesale distributors continue to recognize the value of our comprehensive, configurable Jennifer™ voice applications that deliver a rapid, significant ROI. We are also benefiting from the market transition away from voice-only hardware terminals to industry standard mobile computers that reduce operating costs for customers. As the leader in hardware-independent voice applications with a large and loyal customer base, we are well positioned to continue to grow our market share in the warehouse voice market, even as the economy continues to struggle in 2009.”
Significant new customer projects in 2008 included Do it Best Corp., Cornerstone Brands, and Henry Schein. Lucas also earned significant new business from long-time customers, including OfficeMax and C&S Wholesale Grocers. In late 2008 the company signed two of the largest voice application projects in the industry with leading multi-site distributors in healthcare and industrial distribution. These two projects are now underway.
To support ongoing growth, Lucas continues to add technical, sales and support staff in Pittsburgh and in its satellite office in Colorado. Lucas also announced two new members of the executive management team. James Margaria joined Lucas in the fourth quarter of 2008 and Chris Sweeney is joining Lucas at the start of April.
“Jim and Chris each bring management skills and experience that will be critical as Lucas enters its next phase of expansion and growth,” said Rick Brown, president and CEO of Lucas Systems. “Jim is a seasoned technology manager who brings energy, discipline and focus as we continue to expand and upgrade our products. Chris’ business development and marketing expertise will help us expand our market share and awareness in this growing market.”
Chris Sweeney joins Lucas with 25 years of sales and marketing leadership in the technology industry, ranging from established international companies like IBM to growing, entrepreneurial companies, including Stargate, one of the earliest Internet pioneers in the Pittsburgh area. Prior to joining Lucas, Chris was the President and CEO of 3 Rivers Connect, a Pittsburgh-based consulting group promoting innovative technology solutions for education, government and social services organizations. At Lucas, Chris’ role will be to accelerate the company’s revenue growth and strategic expansion.
Jim Margaria has over 20 years of experience architecting, integrating, and supporting ERP and other large-scale systems across complex, multi-division enterprises, with a strong background in process and software engineering. As Director of Engineering, Jim is focused on the continued development and evolution of the Jennifer™ voice applications and architecture, and the integration of Jennifer software with other enterprise systems. Prior to Lucas, Jim was a senior software development manager with a multi-division distribution and services company.
About Lucas Systems, Inc.
Since 1998, Lucas Systems has delivered more voice-directed warehouse applications on a wider variety of mobile computers than any other company. Customers like Cardinal Health, the Container Store, HD Supply, OfficeMax, Mondelez (formerly Kraft Nabisco) and Rust-Oleum trust Lucas to deliver solutions that greatly improve worker productivity and accuracy because Lucas truly understands warehouse operations. Jennifer VoicePlus, the Lucas voice solution, creates a conversation with warehouse workers that frees their hands and eyes to focus on the job at hand. Jennifer also provides managers and supervisors with real-time reporting and management tools that help them better manage their operations. Tens of thousands of associates at hundreds of distribution centers work with Jennifer every day.
Back to all press releases


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NEW YORK (AP) — Americans — whose hope for the economy had been rising since March — are starting to lose faith, pushing down a widely watched barometer of sentiment in June.
The New York-based Conference Board said today that its Consumer Confidence Index now stands at 49.3, down from its revised May level of 54.8.
Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters had projected confidence would be virtually unchanged at 55 this month. The dip comes after surges in April and May that were helped by a stock market rally.
The index comprises two parts. The Present Situation Index, which measures how shoppers feel now about the economy, declined to 24.8 from 29.7. The Expectations Index, shoppers’ outlook for the next six months, declined to 65.5 from 71.5 in May.
Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, said in a statement that the decline in consumers’ current view — caused by a less favorable assessment of business conditions and employment — “continues to imply that economic conditions, while not as weak as earlier this year, are nonetheless weak.”
She said the six-month outlook suggests consumers are “less negative” about the months ahead, rather than anticipating strong growth.
Economists closely monitor consumer confidence because consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity in the United States.
Consumer sentiment — bolstered in part by signs the economy is stabilizing — has risen markedly from its new historic low of 25.3 in February. But it’s still well below what’s considered healthy. A reading above 90 means the economy is on solid footing. Above 100 signals strong growth.
May’s confidence figure zoomed 14 points past economists’ expectations to the highest level since September, when it was 61.4. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected a reading of 42.3 in May.
But that rise hasn’t translated into relief for merchants, who continue to struggle with weak sales. Now, the concern is whether retail sales will falter as shoppers resume worrying about their economic security.


text: Photo Gallery of Toyota Cami Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Uploaded by: 77svoboda Date: 22.10.2018 Image "HEX" Code: #2707313 Image size: 276x211 You can download photo Toyota Cami or use this pic as wallpaper or poster for desktop. Full size link https://cloudlakes.com/data_images/models/toyota-cami/toyota-cami-14.jpg We have more photo of Toyota Cami in our gallery. If you interesting to view them, you can follow on links below. Also you can see full gallery of Toyota Cami on this page. If you have your own good photos of Toyota Cami, you can upload them on our website and become one of our authors. See more photos Toyota Cami from our users Recent automotive trends, reviews, test drives and the latest news from the world of cars Seat announces first compact SUV SEAT has confirmed that will launch in 2016, after two years of design and development, the first model's compact SUV brand. Volkswagen T-Roc can be produced soon After presenting the T-Roc at Geneva, Volkswagen begins to consider making the concept car. According to the company's CEO, Martin Winterkorn, VW will ask their clients about the model and if the answer is positive, the car can be produced. Audi shows the first image of the new TT Audi still want to generate a bit of mystery about the new generation TT will be presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show next week. So, revealed on Friday (28) just a teaser-image model. Subaru BRZ launch special edition In the coming weeks, Subaru will launch a special edition of BRZ sports coup?, as revealed by the American press. The model, however, should have no functional changes, but only aesthetic.


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Short message service and telephone are slowly being pushed off from the home screens of smartphone consumers who increasingly rely on mobile communications applications which use data services. Telkomsel, which has begun to feel the effects of this market trend on its revenue has initiated a number of ways to overcome this issue, one of which is by announcing Teman Dev which will be launched in June.
During the launch of Nokia 520 on Friday (3/5) at JS Luwansa Hotel in Jakarta, Telkomsel extended its hands to Nokia and a number of developers to create an ecosystem aimed at jumpstarting the creative industry for local developers by revealing Teman Dev (Telkomsel Application Developer).
What are the benefits? Telkomsel is offering a number of incentives for local developers who would like to have their products marketed more widely, especially in Indonesia. One of which is by offering detailed information about its subscribers, such as which ones use Nokia's devices and what operating systems they use. Nokia will use this information to advertise particular mobile applications to its subscribers, for example Windows Phone apps for those using Windows Phone who might want to purchase those apps.
Telkomsel will also begin to implement carrier billing to make things easier for developers and consumers alike. In a country like Indonesia in which the use of credit cards is still relatively very low, this would allow for a more streamlined way to purchase mobile applications and reach a greater number of consumers. For the majority of Indonesian consumers, Carrier billing is far more practical than having to use credit cards.
According to Puja Pramudya of Radya Labs, one of the leading development companies for Windows Phone apps, the most awaited incentive is the SMS blast for developers who have reached level three or has an average rating of 4.25 for its apps. Developers can register to participate in the SMS program which will send app recommendations over SMS to consumers. "This is important", said Pramudya. "For consumers, information on interesting apps can be delivered without having to find out for themselves".
In Puja's experience, "many asked where to find information on new or local apps, because they don't read technology blogs and they rarely open the Windows Phone Store to find out about new apps. Through SMS blast, the hope is to help with new user acquisition".
Aside from that, developers who are registered in this program will also receive incentives such as a Windows Phone token account, a Lumia test device, free data plan, and so on, according to the levels achieved in the program". This incentive method "can provide more reasons for developers to be interested in the Windows Phone platform", Pramudya said.
This mobile channel is brought to you by Samsung Developer Competition 2013. SDC '13 is an app competition for Android apps that leverage Samsung's mobile technologies. For more information please visit http://techne.dailysocial.net/


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MIDAS BY JOANNE HART: US deal helps CSR in fight to rebuild status
Mobile phones have become essential items for almost everyone in the developed world and anyone who can afford them in the developing world as well.
Once, they were used simply to make calls while on the move. Now they can take pictures, explain how to get from A to B, provide weather updates, play music and even tell you where to be at different times of the day.
Mobile phones today are minicomputers and the services they offer are increasing almost every week.
Innovation: CSR's chips are expanding the capabilities of mobile phones
The technology behind all this comes from companies such as CSR, which designs chips for phones, desktop computers and laptops.
The chips are made in places such as Taiwan and China but the technology is devised by CSR, which is based in Cambridge.
CSR came to prominence as a leader in Bluetooth technology, which enables mobile phone users to talk through wireless earpieces while in the car or on the street. Bluetooth is also used to provide wireless computer mice and keyboards.
CSR was hailed as one of the brightest and the best in this sector, but when it was late delivering to its most important customer, phone maker Nokia, investors decided it was too reliant on Bluetooth and the economic downturn hit demand for CSR's chips.
Joep van Beurden, a dynamic 47-year-old Dutchman with over a decade of experience in running IT companies, was appointed chief executive in November 2007. His mission, to turn CSR round and make it a market leader once again.
Van Beurden, assisted by finance director Will Gardiner, formerly director of technology and enterprise at BSkyB, devised a recovery plan for CSR that involved expanding its product base and restoring its reputation among customers and investors.
Recovery has not been easy. The economic climate has been harsh and customers slow to forgive.
CSR, which reports in dollars, in line with other technology companies, made profits of $17million (£107million) in 2007.
Last year, profits before tax were just $67.2million and brokers expect a loss of about $36million for 2009.
Revenues were $850million in 2007 and are expected to be about $490million this year.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. CSR has just acquired US satellite navigation company SiRF for £91 million and the benefits of this deal are already manifest.
The transaction was completed at the end of June and when CSR unveiled results for the three months to July 3, these included one week's revenue of $2million from SiRF.
Total revenues for the three months were $113million, up from $81million in the first quarter of the year.
CSR is also working on improved WiFi technology, which enables computers to connect to the internet without using cables.
Nokia has begun to use the company much more again because it is feeling more confident and other customers are buying its technology too.
Mobile phones have been transformed in recent years but more change is on the way.
As chips become increasingly sophisticated, phones become cheaper and able to do more.
CSR is already working on designs that will enable phones to be used as credit cards and developments are taking place, for example, so that users will receive a text message if they enter a crowded area where pickpockets are active.
- Midas verdict: Three years ago, CSR shares were trading at more than 1500p. Today they are 452p. However, analysts expect this company to move into the black next year, forecasting profits of about $70 million for 2010. Buy and watch the recovery.
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When protecting farmers hurts consumers — and farmers
Butter isn’t as essential in Japanese cuisine as it is in certain other countries’ national styles of cooking, but it does have its place, most commonly in white sauces and baking, and anyone here who uses it regularly has had to pay premium prices for it. Lately, they’ve been paying even more.
In a recent Asahi Shimbun feature a housewife shopping in Minato Ward, Tokyo, is tempted to pick up a package of “luxury brand” butter because all the regular butter is sold out, but in the end she leaves the store without it because she just can’t see spending that much money. The article doesn’t say what that price is, but regular butter right now is said to cost “¥400 or more” for 200 grams, and the luxury butter is “twice as expensive.”
The implication is that ¥400 is already too much to pay, but in any case wherever you go, regular butter tends to be sold out, and many supermarkets now limit customers to only one package per trip. More significantly, businesses such as ramen restaurants and bakeries, which rely on butter as an essential ingredient, are also suffering from the price increase. That’s because there is an acute butter shortage.
And the reason there’s a butter shortage is that there’s a milk shortage and butter is the least prioritized of dairy products. Most milk that’s produced in Japan is sold as milk, and only when there is milk left over after being channeled into by-products like cheese and yogurt does butter get made. Unlike most other dairy products, butter can be frozen and stored for a long period of time.
But why is there a shortage of milk, especially since milk is fiercely protected by the government, making it one of the most contentious items on the table for the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations? Japanese dairy farmers insist that if the market is opened to imports of milk products they will be underpriced out of existence, but as it stands the dairy industy in Japan is dying anyway due to attrition. According to the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (JA), Hokkaido, which contains the bulk of Japan’s dairy farmers, is seeing a shortage of labor in the dairy field, but more importantly the price of feed has gone up greatly in the last year due to the drop in value of the yen. Three-quarters of livestock feed in Japan is imported. One Hokkaido dairy farmer told the Asahi that production has dropped 10 percent since spring and he doesn’t expect it to return to “normal” since he’s already reduced the number of cows on his farm.
Dairy prices are basically controlled by the three large food manufacturers, Meiji, Snow Brand (Yukijirushi), and Morinaga, all of which have enjoyed healthy profits due to the natural price increase brought about by their own control of shipments starting last winter. The ostensible explanation for the shortage was the unusually hot summers of 2012 and 2013. In hot weather, cows are less likely to become pregnant and thus milk production decreases. But a longer view shows that milk production has been steadily declining for almost 20 years. Total milk production in 2014 is expected to be 7.32 million tons, which is 15 percent less than the amount produced in the industry’s peak year of 1996.
Technically, all the butter sold in Japan is supposed to be domestically produced, but even during so-called normal years there is never enough for demand, so food companies make up the difference by buying foreign butter, which comes with a heavy tariff. But during particularly bad years the agricultural ministry will implement “emergency imports” of butter to meet demand, and such stopgap purchases have become more frequent as the number of dairy farms decrease and production drops.
There were emergency imports in 2008, 2011 and 2012. This year, however, there have already been two emergency imports — 7,000 tons in May and 3,000 tons in September. It’s the first time there has been more than one emergency import order in a given year. For purposes of reference, 10,000 tons of butter typically fulfills demand in Japan for 1.5 months.
Consequently, the situation will continue as it is, and will probably worsen, especially for consumers, unless real structural change is implemented, and not necessarily through TPP. What’s needed is internal structural change. Recently, a joint program began in Hokkaido to transfer dairy production technology from New Zealand. Twenty years ago Japan and New Zealand produced roughly about the same amount of milk, about 8.6 million tons each. In 2013 Japan’s output was 7.45 million tons, while New Zealand’s was 20 million.
The difference, as pointed out in a different Asahi article, is that New Zealand did away with subsidies and government support, forcing dairy farmers to rationalize production methods, while Japan’s dairy industry continues to fall under the sway of the agricultural ministry, whose main priority is maintaining influence, and JA, whose importance with regard to dairy farmers is tied to the fact that JA is their exclusive source for feed. The New Zealand protocol doesn’t use feed or factory methods.
It stresses pastures, short grass that is more nutritious than grain, and “seasonal reproduction,” meaning planned pregnancies that make it easier for farmers to plan their years. One reason young people don’t want to go into dairy farming is because the Japan method is time-intensive: year round and round-the-clock. With the New Zealand method, work stops at dusk, and in the winter both farmers and cows get to take a break.
The irony is that despite all the work Japanese dairy farmers perform, they produce less than half of the milk New Zealand dairy farmers do, and New Zealand’s population is smaller than Japan’s. Granted, milk products don’t have the traditional traction in the Japanese diet that they do in New Zealand’s, but that is because domestic dairy products or, at least, the kind sold by the three big food companies, aren’t appealing. T
These companies, JA and the agricultural ministry, in order to protect their own interests, have kept high quality imported cheese and butter outside the reach of average consumers, and as a result the domestic dairy industry is now suffering. Farmers are quitting because they think there is no future. They assume tariffs will fall and put them out of business. It doesn’t have to happen that way, but bureaucratic and corporate myopia seems to guarantee that it will.


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Dutch industrial production increased to the highest level on record in June, figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics showed on Tuesday.
Industrial production grew 17.9 per cent year-on-year in June, following a 16.4 per cent rise in May.
Almost all business classes in industry produced more in June.
Production in the machine industry grew the most, by 68 per cent. Production of electrical and electronic appliances grew 23.2 per cent and those of metal products gained 15.8 per cent. Production of rubber and plastic, and chemical products rose by 14.5 per cent and 6.3 per cent, respectively. Production of food and means of transport increased by 4.1 per cent and 2.4 per cent, respectively.
On a seasonally and working-day adjusted basis, industrial production rose 4.4 per cent in June.


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Here are the Top Cryptocurrency Hacks So Far
The attack on South Korea’s Bithumb exchange, one of the most recent hacks in the cryptocurrency world, resulted in the theft of $30 million in digital tokens. This was one of the most significant thefts of this type this year, but it was far from the only one.
Even as cryptocurrencies have risen in popularity and security mechanisms supposed to safeguard clients and exchanges have become more sophisticated, hacks and thefts have continued to occur. When a service as large as Bithumb, South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, is targeted, it demonstrates that even the biggest participants in the digital currency market aren’t always protected. We’ll look at some of the biggest cryptocurrency attacks so far this year in the section below.
Bithumb: $30 Million
According to Coin Telegraph, Bithumb was hacked on June 19, and roughly $30 million in tokens were taken. Despite the exchange’s assurances that clients’ wallets will be unaffected and that any lost bitcoin will be refunded, Bithumb has not been spared. Indeed, Bithumb, which was once the world’s sixth-largest exchange by trade volume, has subsequently fallen to tenth place. The hack targeted Bithumb’s hot wallet, a less secure storage mechanism than a cold wallet system.
Coinrail: $37.2 Million
There was Coinrail before Bithumb. Just over a week before Bithumb, a rival South Korean exchange, was hacked. The theft totaled $37.2 million in digital currency, with the majority of tokens stolen being Pundi X and Aston coins. In the immediate aftermath of the breach, Bitcoin lost approximately 11% of its entire value, while it is unclear to what extent the Coinrail breach contributed to this change. For the time being, the exchange is closed to rectify the damage caused by the breach; it hopes to return later this month.
BitGrail: $195 Million
In early February, the Italian exchange BitGrail was hacked, with team members claiming that $195 million in the token nano was stolen. However, according to CoinTelegraph, there is still some doubt about the hack; the blame might go on BitGrail creator Francesco Firano, the nano development team, or hackers.
Coincheck: $534 Million
In January of this year, the Japanese exchange Coincheck was hacked, losing 523 million NEM coins worth $534 million. The theft was once again perpetrated with a heated wallet. The Coincheck attack was much bigger than the Mt. Gox attack, according to NEM Foundation president Lon Wong, who called it “the largest theft in the history of the planet.”


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لندن لديها أسوأ الازدحامات المرورية في العالم
December 9, 2021 - مع بدء تعافي حركة المرور من تزابير الإغلاق بسبب كوفيد، تبين أن لندن هي المدينة الأكثر ازدحاماً على المستوى العالمي. في العام 2021، قضى الركاب في العاصمة البريطانية 148 ساعة عالقون وسط الازدحامات.
The 2021 Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard, which covers more than 1,000 cities selected across 50 countries, reported that Paris follows London (140 hours lost), Brussels (134), Moscow (108) and New York (102). However, it excludes some infamously busy cities like Lahore, Lagos and Cairo.
In Europe, St Petersburg delays fell by 50% compared to 2019. Nimes in France, however, saw congestion nearly double (98% increase) compared to 2019.
Inrix reported that, like most other countries, the UK implemented protective lockdowns that impacted travel within the country in 2020. By 2021, England has had no restrictions since mid-June, when the third national lockdown ended.
London’s high congestion levels are reportedly partly due to the installation of new bike lanes last year. Cycle charity Cycling UK disputes this claim, arguing that lanes help move people more efficiently. Transport for London, a local government body, plans to create 450km of new bike lanes by 2024.
According to the study, worldwide traffic in 2021 was still below 2019, but the increase from last year signals a significant economic recovery.
The Inrex 2021 Global Traffic Scorecard is based on more than ten months of data, extrapolated to an annual number.


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Bajaj Auto witnesses 5% sales increment at 3,73,270 units in August
Two-wheeler giant Bajaj Auto has reported a total sales growth of 5 per cent at 3,73,270 units in August this year as compared to a total of 3,56,199 units in the same month last year. The company's domestic sales were, however, down by 7 per cent at 1,72,595 units as compared to 1,85,879 units sold in August last year.
Bajaj Auto's total two-wheeler sales stood at 3,38,310 units as compared to 3,21,058 units in the year-ago month, up 5 per cent. However, domestic two-wheeler sales saw a dip of 11 per cent at 1,57,971 units as against 1,78,220 units in the same month last year. Two-wheeler exports rose in August this year by 26 per cent at 1,80,339 units as compared to 1,42,838 units in the corresponding month a year ago.
(Also read | Bajaj Auto & KTM complete 10 years of partnership in India)
The company's total commercial vehicles sales were down by one per cent and stood at 34,960 units last month as against 35,141 units in August of 2020. While domestic sales of commercial vehicles rose by 91 per cent to 14,624 units in August this year, exports of commercial vehicles saw a dip of 26 per cent at 20,336 units. The figures for domestic commercial vehicle sales in the corresponding month a year ago stood at 7,659 units and that of exports stood at 27,482 units.
Bajaj Auto is gearing up for the launch of a new touring-specific variant of its highly popular Dominar 400 motorcycle, HT Auto had previously reported quoting sources. The bike is expected to be launched in the country this month and will carry a slightly higher price tag than the existing model which has a price tag of ₹2.11 lakh (ex-showroom). With the new Dominar 400, Bajaj Auto hopes to appeal to riders who prefer to travel long distances on a their motorbikes.


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32% haven’t visited a butcher and 23% have never been to a greengrocer
But kids prefer shops to online as they can explore, talk and feel grown up
Three quarters of parents stick to supermarkets and four in ten shop online
Kids want more places to play, more variety and mum and dad to take them
As the decline of the UK’s once-bustling high streets continues to be a concern, research* reveals a quarter of children (26%) don’t even know what one is.
But the resounding message is clear – children value the experience of shopping locally, with 74 per cent stating they would rather spend £10 in a shop than online (15%). However, kids expect more variety on their local high street, more places to play and for their parents and carers to take them in the first place.
The national poll of 2,000 children aged five to 11 reveals seven per cent of children think a high street is literally the highest street in their local area, while one per cent think it’s a road that leads to the sky. In terms of geographic split, those in Northern Ireland were the least aware with two in five (43%) children not knowing what a high street is, compared to one in 10 (10%) in Greater London.
We commissioned the research as part of an ongoing commitment to the great British high street. This year we pledged to not leave any town or city in which we're based without a branch until at least May 2021 – despite hundreds of bank branch closures this year alone.
According to the poll, almost one in four (23%) children have never visited a greengrocer while close to one in three (32%) have never been to the butcher. This compares to just three per cent who have never visited a baker.
|Type of shop
||Have never visited
|Bank/ building society
The research highlights that despite a lack of awareness, children want to experience bricks-and-mortar shopping, with nearly three quarters (72%) preferring to buy in a shop than online. The reasons are that they get to explore all the different things in there (64%), they get to feel grown up (31%), and that they get to talk to people (10%).
Of those who know what a high street is, more than four in ten (41%) find them boring because there isn’t enough for them to do and this increases with age – a third (33%) of five-year olds voiced this opinion, compared to 45 per cent of nine-year olds. When asked what would make them go to the high street more often, the most popular answers were more places to play (42%), better choice of shops (35%) and if their parents took them more often (21%). A tech-savvy three per cent even said they would go more often if there were more phone chargers available.
Interestingly, children were able to shed light on their parents’ shopping habits too – three quarters (76%) say their shopping usually comes from a large supermarket and two in five (40%) said they shop online. Half of children in Greater London (50%) say their family shops online, compared to just over a quarter of children in Wales (27%).
Mandy Beech, Nationwide’s Branch Network Director, said:
“Our research shows there is a clear need for local shopping centres in the eyes of the youngest generation. It is up to businesses – large and small – to think how we can work together, invest and rejuvenate our high streets."
“Kids say the high street gives them the opportunity to explore and feel grown up. But they want more variety and places to play and that can only come from greater investment. This is perhaps what is putting parents off going shopping locally"
“At Nationwide, we’re clear that the high street has an important role to play in our economic and societal future. We’ve promised to not leave any town or city in which we are currently based without a branch until at least May 2021 and are looking at other ways we can make a difference. It’s also why we are investing some £350 million over five years into our 650-strong branch network – so that we can move with the times and serve people on their terms.”
*Research carried out by Censuswide. 2,000 children aged between 5-11 were polled between 13/06/2019 – 19/06/2019.


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Technology Briefing | Deals: Qualcomm To Acquire Iridigm
Published: September 10, 2004
Qualcomm, the world's second-largest maker of chips that power mobile telephones, will buy the Iridigm Display Corporation for $170 million to acquire its patented technology for cellphone screens. The price covers the 86 percent of Iridigm that Qualcomm does not already own, the company said yesterday. Iridigm's so-called iMod technology is cheaper to make and uses less battery power than existing liquid crystal-display, or L.C.D., screens, said Qualcomm, which is based in San Diego. The technology allows manufacturers to make lower-priced phones with more features like color screens that display pictures and video. Demand for cellphones with color screens and features like cameras lifted global shipments 37 percent, to $163.7 million during the second quarter, the research company IDC said. Qualcomm makes wireless-phone chips and sell licenses for the use of its patented code-division multiple-access, or C.D.M.A., technology for transmitting phone calls. Shares of Qualcomm rose 14 cents to close at $39.65.


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Debt-laden Findel has put its Kitbag brand up
for sale. The online seller of sport gear is “one of the
most profitable parts” of Findel’s eCommerce group,
according to Crain’s Manchester Business. Findel sold
its Letterbox children’s catalogue earlier this year to
the parent company of Hawkin’s Bazaar and shut down its
unsuccessful Cotswold Company home furnishings title.
Last week it announced that it is considering an equity issue
to raise cash.
Mike Hancox, chief executive of TV and online shopping firm
Ideal Home Shopping, was named chairman of soft-goods
brand Character World, reports the Manchester Evening News.


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Last night, a star studded event took place in Karachi at the launch of Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik’s perfume with collaboration with J. Fragrances. Top faces from entertainment and fashion lit up Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza’s perfume launch. Number of celebrities, including Ayesha Omar, Sadia Imam, Anoushey Ashraf, Humayun Saeed, Adnan Siddique and many others were spotted at the event.
Ayesha Omar, who previously appeared in a photoshoot with Shoaib Malik was also present at the event. The star was spotted posing with Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza at the perfume launch.
However, Ayesha Omar’s presence at the launch created curiosity among the audience. The netizens were quite offended when Ayesha Omar jumped into Shoaib Malik’s family picture. One of the clip from the launch shows Sania Mirza looking at Ayesha with disgust, which sparked controversy. Here we have gathered some public reviews, have a look!


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E-commerce is becoming a norm for consumers in the Philippines. Is your business ready for it?
Consider this: According to We Are Social’s Digital in 2018 study, 56% of internet users in the country visit an online retail store as part of their surfing routine, while 39% have purchased a product or service online. With increased mobile data penetration, 25% of internet users have already bought something using their smartphone.
With the challenging traffic situation in the metro, more Pinoys may be inclined to purchase products online due to its convenience. Businesses are taking notice.
According to the 2017 Gig Economy Survey conducted by GoDaddy, the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures, entrepreneurs mentioned e-commerce tools as one of the digital platforms they highly consider for their venture.
Even with readily available online tools, not all businesses may be ready for e-commerce. Here are four questions business owners can ask themselves before embracing the online marketplace.
Is your brand already established online?
For a business looking to add an e-commerce offering, it is helpful to already have a presence online.
“A strong online presence adds credibility to a business as it shares information and even customer testimonials—which greatly influences people to consider a product. Think word of mouth amplified even more,” said Roger Chen, GoDaddy’s senior vice president for Asia Pacific Region.
Filipino consumer behavior in fact, is greatly influenced by web searches. According to We Are Social, 54% of internet users search online for a product or service before buying—making a strong web-presence a must for any business.
How big is your inventory?
The beauty of selling online is that it opens businesses to a wider customer base. However, that also means having enough product for people to purchase. Customers who shop on the internet do not like to be disappointed when items they would like to purchase are out of stock.
A venture that wishes to offer e-commerce needs to accurately forecast inventory and have back-up suppliers, if necessary, to be able to deliver should demands increase. Otherwise, the risk of alienating customers is high if your supply cannot meet demand.
How will customers get your product?
How customers get their purchases is key to help keep them coming back to an e-commerce site. Meet-ups is often still the preferred method of most Filipino entrepreneurs which may well turn off potential buyers, especially if they live far from the pick-up point. Businesses need to have shipping options to make it easy for customers to receive what they bought online. Remember that it is often convenience that drives people to make internet-based purchases.
Do you have the right online platform?
Having an online store that easily integrates payment options, inventory, and information is crucial to business success.
“An e-commerce site makes it easy for your customers to buy and learn more about your product. Convenience is key, so the site needs to be mobile-friendly, as today that is often the way customers access the internet,” said Chen.
From domain names to mobile-friendly websites to online store solutions, GoDaddy offers tools for businesses to build a strong online presence and get started with e-commerce. GoDaddy also has locally based customer care support available 24/7 to help along the way.
To find out more about these tools, log on to ph.GoDaddy.com.


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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced new rules to protect consumers from misleading advertising, which will be enforced from September 1.
The rules, which were announced on Monday by the SEC’s enforcement division, aim to stop the misleading advertising of health care products and services by placing stricter standards on how advertisers can use the agency and marketing techniques that can be used to target customers with misleading advertising.
In the past, companies that engaged in misleading marketing or offered false or misleading advertising had faced penalties ranging from fines to the removal of their advertising contracts.
According to the new rules, the SEC will no longer require companies to take action against individuals who engage in misleading ads.
Instead, the agency will focus on the actions companies can take to prevent the same type of behavior from occurring in the future.
The new rules also mandate that companies with at least $5 billion in annual revenue will have to have a policy that requires them to post a disclaimer on their websites stating that any ads that include misleading information are not intended for consumers.
The disclaimer must be clearly displayed in the ad, according to the rules.
Advertising will also have to be more targeted and include more accurate information about the product and services offered, such as the brand and size of the company or product, the brand name, or the age of the product or service.


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Jolla Unveils Its Very First Sailfish OS Powered Smartphone
Gabriel Roşu / 10 years ago
A few Nokia employees that left the company to continue their own work, named Jolla, have been working behind the scenes for some time now and they did not take long to come out with something. They have been working on a smartphone powered by the Sailfish OS, their very own operating system, and now it’s time for them to make it official. The Jolla phone was announced in Finland and the first 450 units are available to those who pre-ordered them.
The Jolla team partnered with Finnish carrier DNA for a low profile launch as had earlier been indicated and is starting small with plans to partner with a major UK carrier in coming days said to be in advanced stages and the team has also announced that the device will still be available in other markets. The device’s pre-orders were made in 136 countries world-wide.
Jolla smartphones have a 4.5-inch IPS qHD display with Gorilla Glass 2, a 1.4 GHz Dual-Core Snapdragon CPU, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory expandable via a microSD slot, an 8-megapixel camera with LED Flash on the back and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. In terms of connectivity, the handset covers the GSM, 3G and 4G internet connectivity. The phone measures a 131 x 68 x 9.9 mm casing and comes with a 2,100 mAh battery.
Running on Sailfish OS, the Jolla phone enjoys the new platform’s Meego-based open source nature that makes it easy to port Android apps. Jolla had previously announced that its Sailfish-based smartphones will ship with Yandex.Store as the default app store. Yandex is a Russian Android app store that boasts of over 85,000 apps with all popular apps available. Jolla also licensed Nokia’s HERE Maps to be the default maps and navigation application across all Sailfish-based devices.
Thank you Tech Weez for providing us with this information
Image and video courtesy of Tech Weez


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Menopause News Flash – research, news and information
No need to go scouring the Internet. I’m here for you with all the latest menopause news.
Menopause News Flash: Would You Get a Shot in the Neck to Cure Hot Flashes?
Scared of needles? It might be time to buck up. A shot in the neck of local anesthesia may reduce hot flashes by 50 percent, according to a new study from Northwestern Medicine.
Breast cancer radiation treatments may increase your risk of heart disease, according to research from Columbia University.
Avoid arthritis: Intestinal bacteria may contribute to the development of rheumatoid arthritis, according to research from the NYU School of Medicine.
What a pest! A study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centerhas shown that exposure to two specific pesticides may lead to an increased risk of endometriosis.
A study from the University of Southampton has shown that ibuprofen does not help relieve colds or sore throats.
November is National Caregivers Month! Celebrate with a signed copy of Katie Haner’s book: Mother Daughter Me. Enter to win here.
PRODUCTS RECOMMENDED BY THE SISTERHOOD
Check out the Products That May Help You and get discounts on great menopause products, courtesy of EllenDolgen.com. Available now: botanically based vegan & gluten-free beauty-health-wellness products, cooling clothes, a sleek and discrete chargeable fan, a “Hot Flash Havoc” documentary, and a natural menopause relief formula. Enter promo code “ellend” to save serious cash!


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Gov't slams business leaders, pledges to control bread prices
A staple food for most households in Argentina, bread is likely to face price controls as part of the Kirchnerism-sponsored Precios Cuidados program that aims at stemming inflation. News were confirmed by Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich who said “there is enough wheat to supply the milling production” in order to reach what he called a “sustainable prices agreement” in the sector.
During his daily brief to the press at the government house this morning, the head of ministers announced Domestic Trade Secretary Augusto Costa is expected to decide “this week” on a new price scheme for bread amid negotiations with the sector.
“There is enough bread to supply the level of milling production to reach a sustainable prices agreement,” Capitanich told reporters and added that “the international conflict in Ukraine” is fueling “upward trends in the price of wheat” as well.
Stepping up his criticism of private-sector retailers and business leaders in the government's battle to hold back the rise in the prices of goods and serves, the cabinet Chief renewed the Kirchnerite position against “many businessmen” who "deliberately relabel prices."
“We praise the attitude of some and harshly criticize the attitude of many. They are trying to lumber on the state with the responsibility of an eventual hike in prices,” Capitanich insisted and defended the government’s subsidy program, highly questioned by the opposition here, saying that such benefits aim at creating “more purchase power.”
Although he pointed out March is showing “stabilizing trends” in prices proving that “state intervention” helps to create public awareness, Jorge Capitanich accused business leaders of abusing consumers by “relabeling” products’ prices "deliberately."


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The world’s leading software company, Microsoft is the force behind the Windows operating systems and the Office suite of software.
News & Analysis: Microsoft
The Fool has written over 7000 articles on Microsoft.
An analyst is seeing solid sales of the iPhone 11 this holiday season, and Amazon made its case for why Microsoft was unfairly awarded the JEDI contract.
Though it may not garner the same publicity as software or streaming services, hardware is an integral part of these companies competing with one another.
There's fierce competition brewing in processors for artificial intelligence.
A cloud rival, two superstores, and an artisan marketplace could all curb Amazon’s long-term growth.
Microsoft and Adobe have outperformed broader markets over the past decade. Here's why they remain a favorite among long-term investors.
3M is reportedly looking to dump an underperforming business, and Microsoft has plans for a broader consumer-subscription product.
Microsoft’s Xbox boss dismisses the VR gaming market, while Sony embraces it.
Investors are showing signs of concern as the stock has been falling sharply since its IPO.
Microsoft's Teams platform now boasts far more users than Slack.
Feel free to consider these the top income stocks in the world.
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If you look at the retail sector, you probably won’t think that it’s slowly dying. After all, people are still buying clothes, footwear, homeware, and many other goods. But, if you look closer, you’ll see that the retail industry is actually on a downward spiral. Restaurant experts are preparing for this turn to online shopping, as many restaurants are located in these retail sectors.
This is particularly true for brick-and-mortar retail shops. Online stores generally have decent sales as more and more people decide to buy what they need through the web. And you can’t really blame them: with today’s technology, online shopping has become a quick and effective way to fill your cupboards and cabinets and enjoy some retail therapy — without having to deal with traffic, hordes of other shoppers, and other issues that real-life shopping brings.
Still, the rise of online shopping has greatly contributed to the downturn in the retail sector, especially among physical stores. This, in turn, has significant impact on the restaurant industry, which we’ll continue with further.
Less Foot Traffic and Fewer Filled Tables
One of the effects that restaurateurs and restaurant experts can expect to see is fewer customers. Most restaurants nowadays are located in commercial areas in a bid to attract shoppers. And this plan makes sense: shopping for clothes, shoes, and other things can leave people hungry and thirsty, so they choose from one of the restaurants nearby where they can eat, drink, and relax. However, with malls and other retail centers losing foot traffic, many restaurants are also dealing with fewer filled tables and less sales and revenues.
In many cases, it’s not just about foot traffic — it’s also about people not having enough financial capacity. As of 2013, the U.S. retail sector employs around 4.3 million people, but many of them have lost or will lose their jobs as the industry continues its downward spiral. In fact, in February and March 2017, U.S. retailers lost 60,6000 retail jobs, resulting to the sector’s worst two months since the latter part of 2009.
With thousands of people losing their jobs, many families in the country are now dealing with limited funds, which means most of their budget will be more focused on basic needs including rent, groceries, and utilities and less on dining out and other forms of entertainment. This can have a devastating impact on the restaurant industry.
There’s Still Some Good News
Fortunately, all hope is not lost. There’s a trend among consumers, particularly millennials, that promotes spending on experiences instead of buying stuff. “Experiences” can mean different things to different people; some like to travel, while others love to attend concerts. A majority of people, though, agree that dining out with their loved ones counts and exploring new cuisines and dishes both count as positive experiences that they like to enjoy a regular basis. This is definitely good news for restaurants, particularly those that offer foreign cuisines and novel food items.
The downturn in the retail sector will undeniably have an impact on the restaurant industry. If you are a landlord, owner or investor in a restaurant and are apprehensive about the coming months and years, it may be time to consult restaurant experts. This way, you’ll get to work with professionals who’ll help you keep your business afloat during the rough times ahead. Or, you can request an initial no-cost consultation with a Perry Group expert to discuss your options and strategies.
Contact us Today at: (800) 580-3950; Continue Viewing Our Website


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Primark says it’s building the “right foundations” for its one-year-old sustainability strategy, Primark Cares.
In its second sustainability and ethics progress report, the Associated British Foods-owned company shares how pilots and new processes have led to wins both big and small in the past 12 months across the strategy’s three pillars: product, planet and people.
“To provide focus, we set deliberately stretching targets reaching to 2030,” said Lynne Walker, Primark Cares director. “We’ve spent the last year investing in and growing our expert teams, collaborating in new ways within our own business and also with suppliers and partners to support our transformation. It’s felt challenging at times, and we know we’re only getting started but one year in, we’re more committed than ever to make more sustainable fashion affordable for all.”
To shake off fast fashion’s reputation as being disposable, Primark is taking steps to extend the life of its apparel. “Our customers are increasingly conscious of the impact of their shopping choices on society and the planet,” it said in the report. “They want to know how and where their clothes are made, and that they’re designed to last. We are working hard to become a more circular business to reduce the impact of our clothes on the environment.”
To do this, Primark said it will strengthen the durability of its garments by 2025 so customers can shop “affordable clothes designed to last.” This will be measured by increasing the number of products which have been tested and pass Primark’s “enhanced durability wash standard.” In year one, the retailer said it has piloted a framework for this new standard, starting with testing denim. So far, 60 percent of the product it’s evaluated has passed this standard.
Closer to the end consumer, Primark said it plans to scale free in-store educational workshops to teach people how to repair their clothes with hand-sewing techniques. After piloting the sessions with groups during the pandemic, Primark started expanding the program in March 2022. To date, the company has run 43 sessions in stores and head offices in the U.K. and Ireland.
Additionally, 65 percent of Primark stores have Textile Takeback boxes to promote recycling. These are currently available in the U.K., Ireland, Austria and Germany.
Primark’s jeans that follow Ellen MacArthur Jeans Redesign guidelines as well as its Cradle to Cradle Gold certified mom jeans are two examples of how the retailer is designing for recyclability. By 2027, it aims to have all its clothes be recyclable by design.
A partnership with Circle Economy and the Sustainable Fashion Academy to pilot a Circular Design Training Program for buyers, designers and suppliers is setting decisions makers on the right path. The circularity training is designed to “embed circular thinking across all levels of the business, but with a specific focus on how to develop and design products that meet our vision of a circular product.”
Primark’s goal is to have all apparel made from recycled or “more sustainably sourced” materials by 2030. Though there is no “universal definition” of what more sustainably sourced materials actually means, Primark said it considers these inputs to have a lower environmental impact when compared with conventional components.
A partnership with Recover, a global producer of low-impact, high-quality recycled cotton fiber and cotton fiber blends, is one example of how Primark uses alternative ingredients. In July 2022, Primark became the first high-street retailer to use Recover’s RColorBlend fiber on an international scale. The chain’s leisurewear range was made using recycled cotton and recycled polyester fibers and included T-shirts and sweatshirts in a range of colors.
The company is making progress in this area. At the end of its first year of Primark Cares, 45 percent of clothing units met these criteria—an increase from 25 percent at the launch, the report said. But to truly scale effective circular systems, Primark said more such collaborations are needed within the industry.
“Brands, manufacturers, waste handlers and recyclers need to agree to improve areas such as waste traceability and output quality, all of which are key to large-scale circular production,” the report stated. “However, the small changes we make can deliver a huge impact and we’re committed to use Primark’s scale to help deliver change in this space.”
Using a baseline established in 2018-2019, Primark reports that it is responsible for producing over 6 million tons of CO2e1 emissions across its value chain each year. Its goal is to halve that total by 2023.
There are challenges, however, for a company that has 408 stores in 14 countries, 26 sourcing markets and no owned factories, meaning it must rely on suppliers to help achieve the target, but Primark is playing the long game.
This year, it increased its overall carbon emissions 2.6 percent, which is largely the result of the increased volume of material used to produce the products sold over that period. In the short term, the company said this trend is likely to continue but expects to see a decline once the energy programs being rolled out across its supply chain begin to deliver at scale. Primark is working with RenEnergy, a consultancy and installation company, to help suppliers source and switch to energy from renewable sources.
“RenEnergy is mapping energy consumption in key strategic supplier factories so that we can identify opportunities where we could pool their purchasing power and access alternative energy options that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to individually,” the report stated.
Primark is also moving toward a more regenerative approach to farming, beginning with farmers in its Primark Sustainable Cotton Program (PSCP) initially launched in 2013 to support the livelihoods of cotton farmers.
To date, Primark reports that almost 3,000 PSCP farmers have participated in a pilot on regenerative practices in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Now in its second year, the pilot will initially run for three years and will support the design of an effective training program—specific to the needs of farmers across the three countries.
“Our suppliers source cotton from a number of different countries and regions, and the local environment and climate is different for each location. This means there is no ‘one-size fits all’ for the most appropriate regenerative farming practices. So, we’ve been working closely with farmers and our partners on the ground to consider their different needs in this context,” Primark said.
Primark is pursuing a living wage for workers in the supply chain and support with financial literacy training and access to social protection by 2030. Working with supplier factories through its Ethical Trade program and having in-country teams analyzing payroll data is part of the company’s strategy, as well as following fair purchasing practices.
The company said it has committed to implementing ACT’s Purchasing Practice Commitments by the end of 2023 and is beginning to roll out awareness training to its product teams. The commitments are a set of guidelines that require wages to be itemized costs, on-time payments to suppliers, better planning and forecasting and responsible exit strategies that avoid negatively impacting workers.
Efforts to protect and strengthen the position of women in the supply chain are part of Primark’s people pillar as well. The company is addressing this concern through skills development and supporting easier access to healthcare for women workers.
Last year, Primark launched a six-month trial in eight Bangladeshi factories with the Maya app, a platform that allows users to communicate directly with medical personnel through a hotline, text messaging service or through the app. Maya reported that workers have so far submitted more than 500 queries. This result encouraged Maya and Primark to jointly roll out the app to 20 factories over the coming year.


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ServiceSource's cloud application is built specifically to maximize a company's recurring revenue.
A business's overall revenue mix is often comprised of a variety of sources, including recurring revenue streams such as subscriptions, maintenance and support contracts, and other services. However, several factors can limit this recurring revenue, including customer churn and a sales force that's too focused on new product sales. In addition, incomplete and missing data can hurt a company's efforts to find recurring revenue sources. Research firm Gartner estimates that companies are missing out on some $30 billion in annual revenue, in part because they're using outdated or poorly implemented tools to manage this side of their business.
ServiceSource, a software and services provider that targets the recurring revenue niche, says its new Renew OnDemand cloud application uses big data analytics to help companies find revenue opportunities in their existing customer information.
"There's a big data problem in renewal analytics," said Ganesh Bell, ServiceSource chief product officer, in a phone interview with InformationWeek. "We help tech-enabled companies derive recurring revenue from subscriptions, maintenance, support contracts, or any other form of recurring revenue."
"We estimate that in two years' worth of data that we've seen across fifty global companies, about $1.4 billion dollars in recurring revenue have been lost because of incomplete data, missing data, wrong asset information, and things like that," he added.
Renew OnDemand has real-time analytics tools and integrates with existing enterprise applications. It can slice and dice a company's recurring revenue performance in a variety of ways, including by contract size, customer segment, distributor or reseller, and so on. "In our application, you can do target planning in terms of recurring revenue. We've built analytics that allow you to get an overview of the entire picture of your recurring revenue business," said Bell.
Renew OnDemand offers industry benchmarking tools as well. "Not only do you know how well you're doing against your recurring revenue, you know how you're doing against a peer group in the industry," Bell said.
"When we engage with customers, we're able to take all their data and identify where they have data gaps, and whether they have data duplication," said ServiceSource chief delivery officer Rob Sturgeon.
Based in San Francisco, ServiceSource has focused on the recurring revenue market for 12 years. It currently has approximately 120 customers, including well-known tech giants such as Hitachi Data Systems, Motorola, Verizon, and VMware.
ServiceSource launched Renew OnDemand last month. It claims the product is the only cloud application on the market to focus on recurring revenue.
In a recent analysis of Renew OnDemand, Gartner analysts Patrick Stakenas and Robert P. Desisto stated that competing products from vendors such as NetSuite and MaxQ address recurring revenue problems as well. "In some respects, Renew OnDemand may look much like the CRM systems currently in place in many companies, and these organizations may question the need for yet another one," wrote Stakenas and Desisto.
However, the Gartner analysts agreed with ServiceSource's assertion that recurring revenue poses a major challenge for businesses. "Many companies with large installed bases of renewal customers struggle to maintain an accurate view of who buys their products and services month after month, and [they] battle with complex spreadsheet-based systems. And they increasingly have to capitalize on every customer opportunity to meet and exceed their revenue targets. In such an environment, revenue from existing customer relationships represents a frequently undervalued asset," they wrote.
ServiceSource positions Renew OnDemand as a viable alternative to spreadsheets and expensive in-house recurring revenue management systems. "For the first time, they have a solution they can go buy rather than cobbling something together," said Bell.
Find out the nine questions you must ask before migrating apps to the public cloud in the Cloud Ready? special issue of InformationWeek. Also in this issue: It's time to lay to rest two common myths of the cloud computing era. (Free registration required.)
How Enterprises Are Attacking the IT Security EnterpriseTo learn more about what organizations are doing to tackle attacks and threats we surveyed a group of 300 IT and infosec professionals to find out what their biggest IT security challenges are and what they're doing to defend against today's threats. Download the report to see what they're saying.
Digital Transformation Myths & TruthsTransformation is on every IT organization's to-do list, but effectively transforming IT means a major shift in technology as well as business models and culture. In this IT Trend Report, we examine some of the misconceptions of digital transformation and look at steps you can take to succeed technically and culturally.


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EchoNous shoots for the stars with $60M for Kosmos hand-held, AI-powered ultrasound
After locking down 510(k) clearance from the FDA in March 2020, EchoNous is now on track to begin the commercial rollout of the Kosmos platform, backed by a recent influx of funding.
Read the full article at: www.fiercebiotech.com
Who We Are
Omnica Corporation is a privately-held design, engineering, and medical product development firm located in Irvine, California. The 28-person company is staffed with full-time employees and has been in operation since 1984. Our speciality is custom product development for the medical industry and industrial fields.
Our expertise is developing complex medical devices.Technical personnel at Omnica includes designers, mechanical engineers, electronic and software engineers, advanced R&D specialists, regulatory staff (for FDA documentation), machinists and model makers.


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Israeli business starts medical trial for sublingual cannabis pills
Israel-based pharmaceutical company Panaxia Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced that it’s started performing medical trials for fast-acting cannabis pills. These pills are made to break down beneath the tongue.
Sublingual application is known as to be among the speediest ways for the medication to be consumed right into a person’s bloodstream. Consequently, these sublingual cannabis pills could offer a good option to vaping or smoking cigarettes.
Dr. Silviu Brill, director associated with Chronic and acute agony Center in the Tel-Aviv Sourasky infirmary, stated that whenever it comes to extended chronic discomfort, there was a significant benefit for treatment plans that provide an instant response and a longer-lasting impact.
Global CBD Exchange
Relating to Panaxia’s pr release, if these sublingual pills are authorized, maybe it’s great news for patients that are experiencing persistent or pain that is chronic. 阅读更多


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DigitalOcean, a technology company that sells cloud hosting services to app developers, has taken off tremendously. The three owners, Mitch Wainer and brothers Ben and Moisey Uretsky, have grown their business to become a multi-million dollar startup.
DigitalOcean is different than your typical SSD cloud server, VPS server, or Simple cloud hosting provider. It has a clean and easy to use control panel where you can create, resize, rebuild, and take snapshots with a single click verses having to go back and forth between multiple screens.
In addition, it comes with full Wordpress capability, DNS management, Ruby on Rails capability, and one-click application installations. These are important tools because the everyday person just trying to make a site to the advanced techies hoping to form something more significant can use them.
The startup has worked hard to manage more products while keeping its demand high. The company has just grown to a whopping $37.2 million dollars thanks to some venture capital firms that were willing to invest some money into the company.
The company currently has 180,000 customers, up from just 2,000 in January 2013. The application developers have seen some serious “growth” right now said Michael Rasalan, director of research for Evans Data Corporation (News - Alert), which tracks developers.
He said the products that the global population of app developers offer will continue to grow and increase by as much as almost 10 million by 2019.
“The thing that blew me away was the growth,” said Peter Levine of Andreess Horowitz, who will be joining DigitalOcean’s board. “These guys have just cracked the service of developer community,” said Levine in a statement.
The plan is to continue offering services worldwide including increasing its data centers in New York, Singapore, Amsterdam, and San Francisco.
“We have a ping pong table in the office and once that gets folded up and moved to the side, that’s when we know we have to move,” Wainer said. “Ping pong is critical,” he added with a laugh.


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BlockFi, a service that allows its users borrow fiat using crypto deposits, has just bagged $18.3 million in its Series A funding. The funds will reportedly be used to expand its products and employee base.
FTX, a crypto derivatives platform, has started to offer a very interesting new product recently. The company has created a speculative index fund called SHIT-PERP: Shitcoin Index Perpetual Futures.
Bitcoin price just crossed the $11,350 mark and dives into a new all-time-high in 2019. That way, Bitcoin still is the best performing asset in 2019 with +170% increase this year and +250% since it bottomed out.


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Pinduoduo is set to raise a total of US$6.1 billion from its offering of convertible notes and equity, the proceeds of which the interactive mobile commerce pioneer will use to power its next stage of growth.
The Nasdaq-listed e-commerce giant had offered US$1.75 billion in convertible senior notes due 2025, and priced its upsized offering of 28.7 million American Depositary Shares (“ADS”) at US$125 per ADS, according to a release. The company will sell an additional US$250 million in notes and 4.305 million ADS should a greenshoe option be exercised in full. The offer was oversubscribed.
Pinduoduo expects to use the funds to strengthen its balance sheet and to make strategic investments. Last week, the company reported its first quarterly profit since listing. The number of annual active buyers increased 36% to 731.3 million for the 12 months ended Sept. 30, while average monthly active users jumped 50% to 643.3 million. The company's management said on a conference call last week that the company will invest in developing agricultural logistics and transforming manufacturing to capture shifts in consumer behavior.
“We are seeing large-scale changes in consumer habits as a result of Covid-19, which are accelerating digital transformation across different sectors,” said Chen Lei, Chief Executive Officer of Pinduoduo.
“We are constantly evaluating how technology can be deployed to meet these changing preferences. We are prepared to invest capital and resources to improve our platform and build infrastructure to capture key opportunities.”
The company highlighted the online migration of grocery shopping as an area of opportunity, but noted the need to develop new infrastructure and technology solutions as the current logistics system was optimized to deliver sturdy manufactured goods rather than perishables like agricultural produce.
The company introduced Duo Duo Maicai, a next-day pick-up grocery service, in August in two cities, and has since expanded it to most provinces. The aim was to meet a growing demand from consumers for high-quality produce at attractive prices the following day.
Online grocery shopping has taken off in China after the Covid-19 lockdowns in the first quarter pushed many households to seek alternative ways to buy their daily necessities. By 2025, nearly half of China’s grocery shopping is expected to take place online, up from 20% currently, according to Goldman Sachs. The online grocery market is projected to reach US$1 trillion in five years, the bank said.
Another area of focus was on helping manufacturers build brands and connect directly to consumers.
Pinduoduo recently upgraded its “New Brand” initiative, first launched at the end of 2018 as part of its consumer-to-manufacturer (“C2M”) plan to facilitate more targeted and responsive manufacturing with the help of consumer insights. The company has expanded its C2M efforts, and will direct more resources to support brand development for manufacturers, incubate new sub-brands under well-known brands, support new emerging brands, and rejuvenate heritage brands.
Commenting on the fundraising, David Liu, Vice President of Strategy at Pinduoduo, said the "strong demand underscores investor confidence in our company fundamentals and vision to invest in growth."
“Pinduoduo has always been cashflow positive. We are confident of our prospects and focused on the next stage of growth,” Liu said.


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Two companies based in the Triangle — The Pantry and Quintiles — have made the latest Fortune 500 list of the nation’s largest companies.
Convenience store chain The Pantry, based in Cary, ranked No. 371 in this year’s list, down from No. 347 a year ago. The rankings by Fortune magazine are based on revenue and include both publicly traded companies and privately held companies that file financial statements with a government agency.
Durham-based Quintiles, the world’s largest pharmaceutical services company, cracked the list for the first time. Quintiles ranked No. 486.
Quintiles CEO Tom Pike hailed the Fortune 500 ranking as “a significant milestone in Quintiles’ history” in a news release.
Retail giant Wal-Mart retained its hold on the No. 1 spot. Its revenue totaled $473.1 billion — nearly one-half trillion dollars.
Altogether, 13 North Carolina-based companies made the list, led by Bank of America, which ranked No. 21.
Other North Carolina companies on the list: Lowe’s, No. 52; Duke Energy, No. 123; Nucor, No. 150; V.F. Corp., No. 241; BB&T, No. 269; Family Dollar Stores, No. 271; Sonic Automotive, No. 309; Reynolds American, No. 329; Laboratory Corp. of America, No. 440; and Lorillard, No. 496.


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In spite of reaching a new sales milestone, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has seen a decline in their active player base on PC since last month.
Revealed in a tweet by Bloomberg tech reporter Yuji Nakamura, the game’s active player numbers have continued to drop since January despite the title reaching 30 million units sold as of this week. The downward trend marks the biggest decrease since the game’s launch. Nakamura attributes the drop to continued cheating within the game, which has been an ongoing issue and led to the banning of 1 million guilty players last month.
PUBG hit 30m in sales this week, but it is churning hard. Bluehole still not taking cheaters seriously enough imo pic.twitter.com/Iqjz8BPzVE
— Yuji Nakamura (@ynakamura56) February 14, 2018
Originally released to Steam’s Early Access in March of 2017, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds became one of the breakout hits of last year. Drawing in millions of players over the course of its beta, the game saw widespread praise and popularity before its official launch on PC. Since its early access release on Xbox One, the game has seen over 4 million players, with 3 million flocking to the port in its first month alone.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is currently available on PC and Xbox One. For more on what’s next for the game, check out the recently announced Xbox One bundle set to release later this month.