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CDPR released a new trailer for the upcoming Blood and Wine, more scenes in Toussaint are disclosed.
Creative director Richard Hilleman, one of the oldest producers confirmed leave EA.
Today, New work Shadwen developed by Frozenbyte has been officially released.
In Take-Two season financial report conference, CEO Strauss Zelnick was been asked to take a stand to the coming Nintendo VX and the PS4.5 in rumors.
NEA 2016 (National Electronic Arena) is a comprehensive tournament with 2 million RMB prize money and held in National Stadium.
Just as the rumors before, Batman：Return to Arkham HD collection is an existed work. It has been released by Warner Bros eventually.
In the Uncovered Final Fantasy XV conference at the end of March, SE had released a period of video on FF 15 World of Wonder Environment Trailer.
In recent investor conference, EA indicated that they will continue to cooperate with Unravel developer Coldwodd Interactive.
Modder Zulliethewitch made Dark Souls III first person mod, have a try if you want.
EA executives announced at Investors Day about redesign old IPs, a new team set up for exploring future technologies including virtual humans, deep learning and AR/VR.
Today, famous game media IGN released a demo of Final Fantasy XV high level combat and magic.
The International 2016 Battle Pass has arrived. Loaded full of objectives, features, and exclusive rewards, this Battle Pass celebrates the journey through The International season, and the Dota 2 community that makes it all possible.
On the first day of TI6 Battle Pass’s release, the prize pool has been accumulated to 2.6 million, which is 35% higher than TI5’s.
You could watch parts of 2D and 3D designs on environment and roles released by Naughty Dog.
Resident Evil 7 is in the development process and it will be officially released in next month E3 in Los Angeles.
Full body of Kojima Productions’ Icon Ludens is released, “the gear he's wearing is the extra-vehicular activity (EVA) creative suit”
Capcom notices it has lots of IPs to further develop, and prioritizes game quality even it means delayed release.
Last week, Outlast series game producer Red Barrel released two Outlast 2 gameplay videos.
Universal Pictures published a video on the visual effects in the upcoming Warcraft movie.
Today, Transformers 5 officially released movie subtitle The Last Knight and Movie Logo. In the official social media account, Transformers 5 subtitle has been released.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild Master Edition Canceled on Amazon


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Lala’s fresh hair styles and daring design decisions have turned the reality star into a red carpet fixture.
Photo Credits: Getty Images/MTV
Lil Wayne’s highly-anticipated Free Weezy Album has finally been released from the confines of his studio.
SEE ALSO: Chris Brown And Lil Wayne Gather Thousands At Free Haiti Concert
After announcing the compilation earlier this year, fans can now add this to their Fourth of July playlist, featuring guest verses from…

domain: news


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Paving the Way for an Efficient Light Bulb in Every Socket
The U.S. Department of Energy has just updated and expanded its definition of what constitutes an everyday light bulb in our homes and businesses, paving the way for the Trump administration to implement the second phase of a bipartisan law signed by President George W. Bush to cut the energy waste of bulbs. Energy efficiency standards were sorely needed because the incandescent light bulb had not been significantly updated since the days of Thomas Edison, more than 125 years earlier.
Once the 13-year transition to more efficient light bulbs is completed, U.S. consumers will save more than $10 billion on their electric bills every year and there no longer will be a need to generate the amount of electricity that’s produced by more than 30 large power plants annually. The savings are so large because the average U.S. household has around 40 lighting sockets and more than 2 billion sockets nationwide still contain inefficient bulbs.
First, some history: Back in 2007, President Bush signed a law passed by a bipartisan Congress to phase out inefficient incandescent light bulbs. The first phase, which occurred between 2012 and 2014, went smoothly and the old incandescents were replaced on store shelves by halogen incandescent bulbs that used about 28 percent less energy.
The 2007 law also required the Department of Energy (DOE) to review and update as necessary the definition for “general service lamps” (GSLs), the technical term for the everyday light bulbs used in our homes, and to increase the efficiency levels required for bulbs sold after 2020 to at least 45 lumens per watt (LPW). (Lumens refers to the amount of light a bulb produces and watts the amount of power it draws.) That’s triple the efficiency of the conventional incandescent bulbs sold before 2012. (Note: Today’s LED bulbs already meet the 45 LPW benchmark. In fact, the typical LED replacing the old 60-watt incandescent only uses 10 watts to produce the same amount of light and has an efficiency level of around 80 LPW.)
In fulfillment of its statutory obligations, the Department of Energy just issued the updated definition for the types of light bulbs that will be considered “general service lamps.” This step paves the way for the eventual conversion of our nation’s light bulbs to dramatically more efficient ones. The new definition culminates a nearly year-long process led by the DOE that provided multiple opportunities for input from manufacturers, retailers, and other stakeholders.
Now that the new definition has been updated it will be up to the Trump administration and new secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy to adopt and enforce the next phase of the 13-year transition: the 45 LPW minimum standard scheduled to go into effect in 2020. Because the standards are technology-neutral, bulb manufacturers can use whatever technology they prefer—incandescent, CFL, LED, or any other—as long as the bulbs meet 45 LPW. However, given their superior energy efficiency, long life, and cost savings, the bulbs meeting the improved standard are most likely to be LEDs. (To learn more about the standards, see our NRDC Fact Sheet here.)
Here’s some more information on the new definition and the amazing LED innovation occurring in the lighting space, all of which is translating into massive energy savings and lower consumer electric bills, and will lead to new U.S. jobs.
What is a general service light bulb?
Because light bulbs come in all sizes and shapes, a clear definition is needed to determine which bulbs will be covered by the future standard and just as importantly, which ones won’t. The updated DOE definition adds some commonly used bulb types like the reflector bulbs that go into the increasingly popular recessed cans/down lights and the flame-shaped candelabra bulbs often used in chandeliers and sconces. DOE also listed bulbs to be exempted due to their niche applications and unique characteristics—such as the bulbs that go into ovens, bug lights, etc.
Are efficient versions available?
Today, three years ahead of the projected effective date, one can already find an energy efficient, long-lasting version of virtually all the bulbs covered by DOE’s updated definition. Shoppers visiting their local big box and hardware stores can find a broad selection of LED bulbs that are drop-in replacements for their old incandescent bulbs. The new LEDs do everything the old bulbs did, except waste energy. They start instantly, are usually dimmable, deliver the same quality of light, and depending on the bulb, last between 10 and 25 years under normal usage (3 hours per day) compared to just one year or so.
What about jobs?
With a few exceptions, the improved incandescent and halogen bulbs sold in America are no longer made here, and are manufactured instead in factories in Mexico, China, or Hungary. The good news is that several thousand U.S. jobs have been created to research, design, market, and manufacture LED bulbs and related products, which dwarfs the number of remaining domestic jobs tied to incandescent bulbs. For example:
- Cree Inc., one of the top-selling LED brands, employs more than 3,000 in its North Carolina and Wisconsin plants and offices.
- Lumileds in San Jose, CA, which makes LEDs that go into household light bulbs and car headlights, as well as other LED lighting products.
- Ledvance, the maker of Sylvania light bulbs, has retooled its Saint Marys, PA factory from producing halogen and incandescent light bulbs to the state of the art, super-efficient LED light bulbs. As a result, the 200 current manufacturing jobs will be preserved and per Ledvance another 20 jobs will be added.
Where are we in the transition to LEDs?
LED bulbs are now widely available and have decreased from more than $20 per bulb to less than $5 and in some cases, can be purchased for as little as $2 in a multipack. And they can save consumers $50 to $150-plus, depending on rated lifetime, brightness, and local utility rates. As a result, LED light bulbs have grown from just 1 percent of the market a few years ago to more than 20 percent of all bulbs sold today, with additional increases expected as LED prices continue to decline.
But first the new administration must adopt and enforce the next phase of updated standards under the 2007 law to ensure virtually all the sockets in the United States contain an efficient bulb, which will reduce consumer bills, cut electricity use, and create jobs. While some members of Congress are leading an all-out assault on regulation, why would anyone want to roll back bipartisan light bulb efficiency legislation that’s saving their constituents money, helping to clean the air, and leading to American job growth? Let’s hope the Trump administration sees the light and quickly sets in motion the second phase of these beneficial efficiency standards aimed at avoiding needless energy waste by our light bulbs.


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Articles About Ford Mustang
July 26, 2014
You don't need a whole lot of power to go quickly provided that the weight of the car is kept relative.
July 19, 2014
There's a new Camaro on the way, the new Mustang GT weighs in at 435 horsepower, and the Challenger Hellcat is like riding a nuclear bomb rodeo-style.
July 13, 2014
Whether it's adding power, losing weight, or both, here are the 10 cars for under $50,000 that offer the best balance of both.
July 02, 2014
It's all good under the hood over at Saleen's skunkworks.
June 21, 2014
You don't always need a big engine to hit incredible speeds. Here are the 15 fastest cars that are equipped with a four-cylinder engine.
June 14, 2014
Ford has lowered its fuel consumption figures on six vehicles to better reflect their real-world results.
June 04, 2014
Here are some of the fastest cars that cost less than $30,000 at base -- some albeit slightly.
June 02, 2014
Performance cars strive for lightness almost above all else, so a report from Ford tuner Steeda comes as a bit of a surprise.
May 29, 2014
Here are some of the cheapest plays on horsepower for what you get. You can spend more, but you might not get more.


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A little after 12.00pm today the LEGO Store London, located at Leicester Square, opened to the public. After much hype and publicity from the LEGO Group, the flagship store – the largest in the world – was officially ‘unboxed’ as the cover was dropped to reveal the shop that until now has been hidden underneath.
The store was opened by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, John Goodwin, LEGO Chief Financial Office and Lester the minifigure alongside a group of children. Hundreds of visitors had turned out to see the store opening, with the queue snaking around the side of the location.
‘We are excited to have finally opened the doors to the world’s largest LEGO store here in London,’ Goodwin told the crowds of fans. ‘We want to inspire and develop children through creative play experiences – and this store is all about that. Here, parents and children can explore the many different LEGO products while at the same time getting a truly immersive experience of the LEGO brand.’
‘The opening of this wonderful flagship Lego store is another indicator that London is well and truly open for business.As someone who grew up with Lego, I am proud to be able to support a company that is passionate not only about entertaining our children, but about educating them too,’ the Mayor told the East London Guardian.
The LEGO Store London is the 14th official branded store to be opened in the UK.


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Google’s Nexus 4 smartphone has been in short supply since the handset was launched last year, good news if you have been waiting to get your hands on one as the handset is now back in stock at the UK Google Play store.
Both the 8GB and 16GB Google Nexus 4 handsets are now available to buy at the UK Google Play store, and Google is showing a shipping time of 1 -2 weeks for the device.
There are no details on how much stock of the Nexus 4 Google has available, so if you want one it might be a good idea to get one sooner rather than later, as the handset will probably be sold out again soon.
Source Google Play
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Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.


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PayPal is set to make a concerted effort to break the lucrative Japanese market, despite the absence of its parent eBay in the country.
The online auction house quit the Japanese market in 2002, the same year it acquired PayPal, conceding the country to Yahoo Japan.
PayPal already operates in Japan but is a minor player. Traditionally, it has relied heavily on its parent as a way to attract accounts and transactions but in Japan it will sign up individual e-commerce outfits.
According to the AP, PayPal's boss in the country, Andrew Pipolo, told a press conference in Tokyo that the firm sees "great opportunities" in Japan, the world's second largest online consumer market. The firm will look to take a slice of this by selling itself to retailers as a way to tap overseas sales.
The Japan move is part of a concerted effort to tap the Asia Pacific market. In March it vowed to double its staff numbers in the region and signed a deal with China UnionPay.
The strength of PayPal and its importance to eBay was recently underlined by the company's second quarter results, which saw the payments unit record a revenue rise of 22% to $817 million.
PayPal making belated foray in Japan, without eBay - AP


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MotoLease LLC is planning another dealer seminar for September, following a successful training session in late April, Managing Partner Emre Ucer told Powersports Finance.
The September seminar will be offered over two days, with a focus on training dealers to use some of MotoLease’s new product and system enhancements — which the company has planned to launch in the coming months, he said.
The inaugural two-day seminar, which was hosted the last weekend in April, “went really well,” Ucer said. Approximately 30 dealers attended, and MotoLease projects close to 100 to attend the September training.
Great seminar day with some of the visiting MotoLease dealers. pic.twitter.com/lEjv3TrQG2
— MotoLease Team (@MotoLease) April 28, 2017
The first day of the April seminar was focused on MotoLease financing, as well as F&I products, and the second day was dedicated to third-party partners that attended and presented their services, including EFG Companies and National Powersport Auctions, Ucer said.
The seminar covered how dealers can benefit from add-on products, such as service contracts, insurance programs, and more. Another topic covered was “what dealers can do to help with the underwriting and verification as part of the application process, so that everything goes smooth and there are no surprises,” Ucer added.
“Dealers really enjoyed it, but this was more training on the F&I product,” Ucer said. “The [seminars] in September will focus more on a lot of system enhancements that we have coming up, so we want to go through those new improvements.”
On the second day of the September training, MotoLease hopes to offer F&I certification, Ucer said. Dealers can send F&I managers or related staff to the seminar, and at the end MotoLease will provide a certification of completion to attendees, he added.
MotoLease is still in the market to hire a professional dealer training specialist, who will take over the September seminar, Ucer said. MotoLease is reviewing candidates, but hopes to hire the specialist this month.


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DOJ Starts New Inquiry into Publishers' Negotiations With Amazon
I was waiting for this shoe to drop.
The WSJ reported yesterday that the US Dept of Justice is asking questions of publishers. It seems someone at the DOJ has noticed that 2 years have passed since 3 major US trade publishers settled an antitrust lawsuit over a conspiracy to fix prices, and the DOJ wanted to see if the trio weren’t back up to their old tricks.
The inquiries, made in recent weeks by letter to Lagardere SCA’s Hachette Book Group, CBS Corp.’s Simon & Schuster and News Corp’s HarperCollins Publishers, have created anxiety in the publishing industry. The inquiries reopened a sensitive and costly issue that publishers thought they had resolved, and raised the possibility of additional constraints on how they do business.
While some might see this as DOJ once again taking the role of Amazon’s pawn, I regard the DOJ’s letters as merely prudent. Only a fool would believe there’s no chance of the publishers conspiring again, and what better way to discourage that possibility than by sending a scary letter?
That letter comes shortly after the 2 year anniversary of the antitrust lawsuit filed by the DOJ and 33 state’s attorneys general against Apple and 5 publishers. Apple is of course still fighting the lawsuit in court, but all 5 publishers settled in advance of the trial.
Hachette, S&S, and HarperCollins had the good sense to settle as soon as they knew the lawsuit was coming, and that’s why they are being singled out for this letter. One of the requirements of the settlement was that the publishers had to give up any hope of retail price maintenance for a period of 2 years. That period ended in April 2014, right in the middle of the nasty Hachette-Amazon contract dispute (which actually started in November 2013).
So, does anyone think that the DOJ has evidence of a new conspiracy?
It might be unlikely but it’s not out of the question.


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TimiFit the global digital health initiative is excited to announce the launch of the Believe You Me Competitions across the UK.
TimiFiT and it’s global fitness competitions is dedicated to helping motivate individuals, businesses, and communities to get healthier. Along with the added bonus of earning some crypto rewards.”
— Will Lowe Co-Founder Timi Group
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM , May 25, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — TimiFit the global digital health initiative is excited to announce the launch of the Believe You Me Competitions across the UK.
The Believe You Me Competitions will feature MMA Legend Michael “The Count” Bisping, renowned comedian Luis J. Gomez and other members of the BYM podcast.
Competitions kick off via the TimiFIT Mobile App in the following cities across the United Kingdom including London, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Manchester on June 1st 2021. You must enter the competitions prior to June 7th 2021 to be eligible to claim your share of the prize pool.
Top 10 places in each competition will be able to claim a share of the $250 prize pool in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, and or the platforms native rewards token FIT. You may only claim one reward per month. Terms and Conditions may apply.
TimiFiT global competitions will be launching in other countries including Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and the United States. No purchase is necessary to participate in the fitness competitions. TimiFiT works with Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin Connect, Google Fit, and Samsung Health. Users may be required to create a digital wallet to claim their rewards.
Believe You Me Podcast is a twice weekly MMA podcast hosted by former Middle Weight Champion, Michael Bisping and New York comedian Luis J Gomez. Michael and Luis take a comedic look at the biggest news in MMA and interview the sports biggest stars.
Check out the show on GasDigitalNetwork.com where the show premieres with a pre-release every Monday and Wednesday. Subscribe with code “BYM” to get access to all 230+ episode archives of the podcast, bonus content, and more.
The TimiFiT mobile app health and fitness competitions platform is positioned to give businesses and communities the technology infrastructure to help motivate and inspire healthier employees and communities.
Technology licensing opportunities are available. Please visit TimiFiT.com or email email@example.com
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South Africa has five online publishers which have a readership of over 5 million unique browsers per month – 24.com, Arena Holdings, MyBroadband Media, Independent Online, and Caxton.
This was revealed in Narratiive’s February 2021 website traffic report for South Africa.
Narratiive is the official traffic measurement partner of the IAB South Africa and provides accurate traffic statistics for South Africa’s top websites.
The report showed that News24 is South Africa’s top online publication with a readership of 12 million unique browsers.
It is followed by TimesLive on 6.9 million, IOL on 6.0 million, and BusinessTech on 5.9 million.
Shifting the focus to online publishers, 24.com dominates the South African market with a readership of 18.5 million unique browsers.
To read more on the article titled “South Africa’s biggest online publishers, and the websites they own” click here


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'Arrested Development' season 5 will include Jeffrey Tambor
It wasn't clear what would happen after the sexual harassment and assault allegations.
Amazon confirms Jeffrey Tambor won't return to 'Transparent'
The company has completed its investigation of sexual harassment claims.
Amazon’s ‘Transparent’ hasn’t cut ties with Jeffrey Tambor yet
His future on the show is still very much up in the air.
Jeffrey Tambor leaves Amazon's 'Transparent' over harassment claims
It's the latest incident to affect online streaming services.
Amazon scores two Golden Globes, Netflix debuts House of Cards trailer
Tonight's Golden Globe Awards were a triumph for internet TV services, as Amazon and Netflix s...


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Comstar Automotive Tech hopes big on domestic market
March 11, 2010 7:32 am
“Comstar was one of the largest producers of starter motor in the country, producing on an average about 11 lakh per year and 9 lakh starter kits.”
Comstar Automotive Technologies, with an export-oriented unit in Ford suppliers park at Maraimalai Nagar, Chennai, has placed big hopes in the domestic market for starter motors and alternators from new generation cars. The company is also hopeful of retaining its strong position in the export markets.
Comstar Director and CFO, Sat Mohan Gupta, said that in the past two years, the company has invested Rs 2 crore on testing facilities and product development.
The company has built enough capacity of 30 lakh starter motors to meet the expanding export market, which accounted for 90% of its sales besides the domestic segment.
Your future advertising space? Our media data


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Burton’s Biscuit Company is axing its Cadbury BiscBits brand to focus on Cadbury Mini Fingers.
Launched in 2011, the BiscBits range of ring-shaped biscuits are sold in 110g bags and come in five varieties including Honeycomb Crunch, Mint Crunch and Caramel Crisp.
Burton’s said it was phasing the range out to focus on its pouches of Cadbury Mini Fingers, launched in March 2011. The range includes milk Chocolate and Toffee Crunch varieties.
“This move will strengthen Cadbury Mini Fingers,” said a spokesman, who added that Burton’s aimed “to maximise the halo effect” of the wider Cadbury Fingers brand.


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Which Brand Is Most Likely to Pull An @Oreo on Sunday?
The Super Bowl appears set to be the apogee of real-time marketing, judging by the eagerness of brands to jump into the fray during comparatively smaller events like the Golden Globes and the Grammys.
It was of course last year’s Super Bowl that touched off the frenzy of real-time marketing efforts as brands, like it or not, tried to literally “join the conversation.” Of course, for every Oreo “tweet heard round the world” (which itself is a stretch, to put it generously) there’s dozens and dozens of duds. For that, brands, Digiday would like to thank you.
Digiday plans to cover the Super Bowl this year exclusively through the real-time marketing efforts by brands. We will be on the lookout for both the ham-handed (please, please, please) and the sublime. Each quarter, a Digiday writer will give a rundown of what brands bumrushed the field. Needless to say, we expect it to get messy.
With that in mind, here’s a rundown of our odds of which brands will achieve the iconic status of the Oreo “you can dunk in the dark” tweet or Arby’s recent reply to Pharrell about the giant hat he wore to the Grammys.
Gain Laundry 20-1
It’s detergent. Still, this brand is going all-out on Twitter with an account that’s high energy, slightly desperate and this side of crazy. It was an enthusiastic tweeter during the Grammys, and you should expect the same during the Super Bowl. This is an unpredictable business, and 2014 might just be the year of the underdog. Leave it all on the field, Gain!
You have to hand it to the Mondelez brand: It has mostly moved on from its big moment. Last year’s Super Bowl blackout tweet was lightning in a bottle, and the brand doesn’t appear to want to push its luck. That’s not to say it might not see an opening to bring back the magic, but our feeling is this is highly unlikely. In the history of real-time marketing, no brand has won two years in a row. Besides, it might want to concentrate on fixing its recent spammy tweeting strategy first.
Do not sleep on everyone’s favorite neighborhood hangout. I don’t know if it’s on-brand or not, but the Applebee’s Twitter account is weird and slightly unhinged. It’s worked to the tune of 265,000 followers. Sure it tweets photos of greasy appetizers with corny hashtags, but it also is known to unleash a volley of trollish tweets that betray just the sort of friskiness needed to lose itself in the moment, Mom’s spaghetti.
The rule of thumb in football is the team that’s most desperate for a win usually wins. That’s because it’s a physical, draining game. Same goes for real-time marketing. Domino’s has the whiff of desperation when it tried to do some real-time marketing around the State of the Union. Pretty much everything is on the table.
DiGiorno Pizza 3-1
Digiday has a bias, since this is our current favorite brand account for its willingness to completely troll its arch enemy: delivery pizza. The key to winning this battle of attrition is to just want it more than the other guy. DiGiorno, with just 55,000 followers, wants it. Do not underestimate these kind of intangibles. The genius that was its “Sound of Music” live-tweeting will come in handy at just the right moment.
Cheat Sheet: Pinterest’s new rules hold creators accountable for posting brand-safe content
Pinterest's "Creator Code" mandatory content policy guidelines will keep its content creators in check, ensuring Story Pins adhere to the tone and brand-safe messaging Pinterest wants to market.
‘Seeing the shift’: As theaters open up, studios are starting to promote theatrical movie marketing again
Some agency execs, who work with major movie studios, are bullish about a return to theaters as well as a resurgence of marketing of the theatrical experience.
This Gen Z agency ‘eliminates the learning curve’ to connect brands with its generation
CarsonDoyle is an agency built by Gen Zers and is pitching clients on working with them to authentically connect with their generation.
SponsoredDeep Dive: How AI steered The Ad Council’s campaigns during crisis
The past year transformed the way audiences respond to advertising. The pandemic, quarantine and social unrest radically altered consumers’ sensitivities, and real-time news cycles made every campaign message fraught with potential pitfalls. As NPR reported in 2020, organizations raced to keep up with the public’s changing perceptions of marketing and what resonated — or fell […]
‘Throwing spaghetti against the wall’: Why marketers are expanding experimental budget testing
Consumers are spending significantly more time online to shop, stream and connect with others, forcing marketers to be flexible and diversify their media spend.
‘There’s no stopping work’: Confessions of an agency exec on lack of boundaries, time off amid the pandemic
In the latest edition of our Confessions series, in which we trade anonymity for candor, we hear from an agency exec about the need for more boundaries and time off for the sake of mental health.


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Dyad will launch for Windows PC on April 24th
Dyad will launch for Windows PC on Steam, GOG and Dyadgame.com on April 24th says creator Shawn McGrath on Twitter
The PlayStation 3 game Dyad, will be available for Windows PC users on April 24th, the games creator Shawn McGrath has announced.
Dyad developer Shawn McGrath posted a YouTube video of him along with a tweet announcing the games release for April 24, admitting that although he originally said the game would be available in March, "he lied... I had a kid and they are a lot of work."
The Steam release of this mind-bending racing/shooter/puzzle game was leaked earlier this year after a public version of the Steam Database was unveiled by a NeoGAF forum member.
Dyad originally launched on PS3 in July 2012 and the Windows PC counterpart will include all the same content, says McGrath. Dyadgame.com describes the game as a, "blast through a reactive audio-visual tube creating a harmonious synthesis of color and sound as you hook, graze, and lance enemies to master Dyad's 27 unique levels.
The only difference in content is the Platinum Trophy available in the games Trophy Mode.
Users who want to pre-order the game will receive a 20 percent discount and the game will be 10 percent off in the first week after launch.
You can watch the full announcement video below.


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U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) recently sent a letter to members of the Trump administration urging the federal government not to do business with contractors that have forced labor or human trafficking in their supply chains of companies.
Two executive orders (EOs), signed by previous administrations, aimed to curb the practice.
EO 13126 required federal contractors to certify that good faith efforts were made to determine whether forced or indentured child labor was used to produce or manufacture any product covered under a contract.
EO 13627 required federal agencies to ensure goods and services do not directly or indirectly involve human trafficking.
To read the full story by Melina Druga on Homeland Preparedness News: Click HereTags: Senate, Trump
Category: US Government


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Import taxes on used cars of nine seats or fewer and an engine
displacement of less than 1,500cc will increase by up to 20 percent from
The Ministry of Finance’s Circular 28/2013/TT-BTC
states that the import tax imposed on used cars with engine displacement
of less than 1,000cc will be 4,200 USD per unit instead of the current
The tax for each used car with a cylinder capacity of between 1,000-1,500cc will become 9,600 USD, a rise of 1,600 USD.
The adjustment will narrow the gap between import tax on used cars and brand new cars, especially in the compact car division.
Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai last month asked the Ministry of Finance
to review the import tax on used cars in a bid to restrain importers
from disguising brand new vehicles as old ones to avoid higher tax
It followed a proposal from local automaker Thaco Group,
who reported that companies were fraudulently importing cars with small
engines in order to be charged in the lowest tax bracket.
to recent regulations, in order to be defined as second-hand, used cars
must have been registered in a foreign country for at least six months
before being exported to Vietnam and they must have a minimum mile
age of 10,000 km.
Thaco claimed that many imported disguised
brand new cars as used ones by adjusting the mileage counters to over
10,000 km and changing import documentation, allowing them to avoid the
70 percent tax imposed on new cars.
According to the General Department of Statistics, the country imported 3,000 cars in January and just 1,000 cars in February.
It imported 27,000 cars in 2012, down 50 percent year on year.-VNA


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LAS VEGAS, April 16 – Critical Media’s Syndicaster unit introduced today a live HD streaming solution for television stations to identify and extract over-the-air commercials in real-time, and replace them with geo-targeted digital ads for delivery to web, mobile devices and connected televisions.
The solution, being demonstrated at the National Association of Broadcasters’ 2012 NAB Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Booth #SU11707), has completed successful pilot implementation and it is currently under deployment across all Newport Television® stations. In addition, Critical Media will work with Inergize Digital®, the leader in fully integrated digital management solutions that generate revenue for local media companies on-air, online and on mobile devices, to integrate live video streaming with commercial insertion on News Synergy™, the industry’s leading mobile app that delivers locally branded content to Apple® iPhone®, iPod touch®, iPad® and Google™ Android™ mobile digital devices.
“Extracting OTA commercials and replacing them with digital ads in a live streaming service has been a vexing problem for station owners,” said Sean Morgan, founder and CEO of Critical Mention, which operates Syndicaster. “To date, the live streaming of news programming has been a cost center for broadcasters. The new Syndicaster service now opens up an untapped marketplace for broadcasters to offer valuable and targeted rich media advertising opportunities to local merchants and businesses that would not typically advertise on TV.
Ion Puspurica, executive vice president of Critical Media and general manager of the company’s Media Services Group, indicated Syndicaster’s live ad-extraction approach was designed to solve two acute challenges for broadcasters:
- Nielsen does not count live stream impressions, inhibiting stations’ ability to monetize OTA ads within live streams
- Managing intellectual property rights as it pertains to the display of commercials outside their DMAs and other rights issues.
“Our patent-pending technology identifies the commercial break, dynamically removes the broadcast commercials and replaces them with geo-targeted web video ads,” said Puspurica, adding that the service is available in conjunction with an upgrade of the Syndicaster appliance to high definition.
Interested parties can schedule a private demonstration of the technology at NAB in Las Vegas, April 16-19, by registering.
About Syndicaster and Critical Media
Syndicaster, used by about 30% U.S. news-producing television affiliates and over 150 newspapers for real-time HD capture and creation of video clips, makes content fully keyword-searchable within moments of airtime without disturbing existing workflows. The Syndicaster platform enables publication of video assets to the broadcasters’ own websites for web, mobile, and tablet viewing; and placed into syndication online, all within 60 seconds of airtime. Syndicaster is a unit of privately held, New York City-based Critical Media, the leading broadcast intelligence and services company. For more information, visit www.critical-media.com.
Contact: Dave Armon of Critical Media, email@example.com or +1.212.398.1141


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2012 Business Confidence Index Report
The Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) contracted with McDowell Group, an Alaska research and consulting firm, to conduct the fourth annual AEDC Business Confidence Index (BCI) Survey. The purpose of this survey was to assess business conditions in the Anchorage area and measure business confidence entering 2012. The online survey, conducted between November 9 and December 21, 2011, had 183 responses from businesses and organizations in Anchorage and Chugiak/Eagle River.
The 2012 AEDC Business Confidence Composite Index for 2012 is 59.5, a notable increase from early 2011, when business confidence was measured at 56.5. This increase marks the most positive outlook for Anchorage’s economy in the four years the BCI has been measured. With a maximum score of 100, an index above 50 indicates an optimistic outlook while below 50 indicates a more pessimistic view.
Overall, the indices in all five main areas of the survey have trended upward since the first BCI survey was fielded four years ago: capital expenditures, employment, net profits, gross sales, and the Anchorage economy. The Composite Index has gained almost eight points overall during that time period.
Download the full report (PDF file) sponsored by Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska here: 2012 AEDC Business Confidence Index Report


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Store closures lead to slight decline in Cato’s sales
The Cato Corporation – owner of the Cato, Versona and It's Fashion brands – announced a 1% decrease in its fourth-quarter sales on Thursday, as the Charlotte, North Carolina based womenswear retailer pushed forward with store closures.
For the fourth quarter ended February 1, 2020, the company announced net sales of $188.2 million, down from $190.4 million in the prior-year period. Quarterly same-store sales rose 1%.
In January, Cato’s sales totaled $44.2 million, again reflecting a 1% decrease from the $44.5 million reported by the company in the same month in the previous year, while same-store sales increased 1%.
Over the course of the month, the company opened one store and closed one, bringing the total number of Q4 openings up to five, versus 22 closures.
Despite the impact of these store closures, it’s worth noting that Cato chairman, president and CEO John Cato also highlighted that “January same store sales were below our current trend,” in a release, suggesting a more general deceleration in the company’s momentum.
Looking back over the whole fiscal year, the company’s annual sales came to $816.0 million, falling 1% from the previous year. Full-year same-store sales increased 2%.
Cato closed a total of 35 stores over the last year and opened five, finishing January with 1,281 locations in 31 states, compared to 1,311 stores at the end of January 2019.
Cato intends to announce its full fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2019 financial results on Thursday, March 20.
Copyright © 2020 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Tourists visiting Shimla will now see beautiful golf cars plying on the Mall Road, the ridge and some other roads where vehicles are not allowed. These golf carts have been introduced by the Himachal Pradesh government as a step to boost tourism and help those who are too tired to walk from one end to another.
These golf carts are eco-friendly as they are operated by a battery which is re-chargeable. The seating capacity in one golf at Shimla will range from 9 to 13 people. A total of 16 carts have already started the operations. Shimla Municipal Corporation had done a trial run of these golf cars on various roads before finally introducing them for public.
Which roads will have golf cars in Shimla?
- Mall Road, Lakkar Bazaar.
- Ridge to Sanjauli
- Central telegraph office to Summerhill
- US Club to St. Bede’s College
- Willows Bank to Chotta Shimla
Golf cars have been tested for steep hills with full seating capacity. The fare has been fixed at Rs. 15 per person which is quite economical. Tickets will be issued through electronic ticketing machines and a proper queue would be made at the boarding points so that there is no rush to board the golf car. To add to the excitement, these cars also have golfing Bluetooth cart speakers.
Specifications of Shimla Golf cars:
- Can run 60-70 Kilometres in one full charge of battery.
- A maximum speed of 20 Kilometres per hour has been fixed for these cars in Shimla.
- Seating capacity of 9 to 13 people depending on cart size and battery.
- There will be special women driven cars as well.
These golf cars will be a great help to senior citizens, women with kids and to physically handicapped people as it will be easier for them to commute in Shimla. 60% of seats will be reserved for them in all golf cars in Shimla.


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Recently the NHK news reported the following:
Regarding the future system to be used to carry out quick charge to the electric vehicles, while individual Japanese auto making company held a meeting in Tokyo on the 22nd to confirm the plan which aimed at spreading the standard and setting the direction of future development, the European and American makers were furthering developing another standard, and a competition involving the leadership in setting the international standard was likely to become intense.
Regarding the quick charge machine which could charge the electric vehicle in a short time, in Japan it was now putting into practical use; individual Japanese automaker company named it "Chademo system" and decided to enable it to be used by all cars.
On the 22nd a general conference was held by about 400 related companies meeting in Tokyo. A plan was confirmed in which about 1400 sets of the "Chademo system" quick charge machines would be installed domestically and in Europe so as to spread its popularity further.
Centering around the quick charging machine, European and American makers such as Volkswagen etc. were further developing a different standard, and it had become a competition involving the leadership in setting the international standard.
If domestic manufacturing companies had two or more standards for the quick charge machine, consumers would refrain from buying. It was feared that this would became an obstacle to the spreading of electric vehicles. COO - chief operating officer of Nissan Motor Toshiyuki Shiga was showing the idea to advance deliberations with the European and American maker counterparts, and had said to the press conference that "would examine whether the European and American new standard could be in a format that was compatible".
This competition for new standard reminds me how the VHS became the world standard in video tape recording a few decades ago.


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Frédéric Jaunault, founder of the Academy of Fruits and Vegetables in France and “MOF Primeur” (Best Craftsman of France – Fruits and Vegetables category), has had an interesting journey. Having previously worked in the United States and in Bermuda, as well as at the iconic Ledoyen, the Plaza Athenee, Bernard Loiseau and Le Normandie in Deauville, he decided to specialize in vegetables, finding balance between tradition and modernity, technicity and pleasure. Here, Jaunault tells us about his upcoming charity gala dinner by Mon Liban d’Azur, which is set to take at Eddé Sands, Byblos -Lebanon, on May 28, 2022.
Nestlé Professional’s culinary advisor Elie Lteif has worked in hospitality for 22 years. Having initially specialized in French cuisine, he shifted to Asian food, working in some of the top fine-dining restaurants and five-star hotels in the world. Here, Lteif gives us the lowdown on Nestlé Professional products and why he believes they should be a staple in every chef’s kitchen.
The project will adhere to ENVI’s thorough sustainability standards vetted by Beyond Green, the sustainability alliance that ENVI is part of.
Although we are on the path to recovery, the hospitality industry barely resembles its pre- Covid-19 state. Kostas Nikolaidis, Middle East and Africa executive for STR, examines today’s hotel sector and emphasizes the need for change.
Along with an on-site aqua park, the project brings 166 rooms and suites, a kids club, pools, as well as a plethora of F&B options.
Maren Kuehl has been appointed GM at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar while Andrea Orrú GM of Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara.
As managing partner of WSH LLC and Tastings SoFlo LLC, a luxury catering and events company, Giovanna Mansi Lutfi has plenty of hospitality experience. Her latest concept, Lira Miami, pays homage to her Lebanese heritage.
The new Miraval resort will pave the way bringing transformative wellness experiences and the largest spa in the Red Sea destination.
Chef Samaan Helal has plenty of experience under his belt, having worked in kitchens around the world, from the Gulf to New York and many cities in between. HN sat with the visionary chef to discuss his latest projects in KSA, some of which include his three children.


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Discussion in 'General Tech & Gadget Forums' started by Stuart Wright, Aug 9, 2005.
He gets everywhere, Murdoch is like Gates, they want to control the world.
It would be a shame to lose an "independant" like Skype
Skype also want to control world using its private protocol, not standard like SIP.
SIP is much popular these days
He must have smelled the money somewhere
eBay are buying Skype according to the BBC headline, more to follow
Here's a bit more http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000140058350/
Yup, its happened: eBay just bought Skype. The price? An astoundingly ridiculous $1.3 billion in cash and 32.4 million shares of eBay stock for a company which expects to make only $60 million dollars this year. But, hey, its eBays money to spend as it pleases, and in the press release they describe their plans to begin integrating Skype into eBay auctions in order to streamline and improve communications between buyers and sellers as well as their intent to combine Skype with PayPal to pursue entirely new lines of business that would monetize ecommerce communications on a pay-per-call basis. Rockin, we guess.
Separate names with a comma.


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SunTrust Bank unveiled its mobile check deposit feature for smartphones this week. Customers can now deposit a check through an iPhone or Android device without trekking to a SunTrust branch or ATM.
The feature has been at the top of the SunTrust customers’ “most wanted” list, the bank said earlier this year. SunTrust aimed to release mobile deposit in the third quarter of this year.
After downloading the latest update to SunTrust’s mobile banking applications, customers will find a new tab to access the mobile deposit feature. Customers have to take photos of the front and back sides of an endorsed check to make the deposit.
According to a SunTrust customer representative, customers with accounts for less than six months are subject to a $500 maximum per deposit and a $1,500 limit in total deposits per month. For customers with accounts for six months or more, the limits increase to $1,000 and $3,000, respectively.
Accounts that have three or more returned items in the past 90 days are ineligible for mobile deposit. The cut-off time to have mobile deposits available during the next business day is 9 p.m. Eastern time (8 p.m. Central time).
Because of the demand for the feature, it’s no surprise that it was well-received by customers.
“Mobile check deposit is awesome!! That feature alone makes this app a must-have,” said reviewer “ R4M0N” in the Google Play store. “A little late, but finally able to deposit checks via the app! Thanks!” wrote “Dolfan3033” in the Apple App Store.
USAA Bank was the first bank to pioneer mobile check deposits in 2009. Since then, consumers have called for this feature from their banks — many have switched banks for mobile deposit. SunTrust joins a handful of big banks that currently offer mobile deposits.
SunTrust Bank is the ninth-largest retail U.S. bank by deposits.


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Gilts boosted by auction
SOLID demand in a £3 billion gilt auction and a below-forecast US consumer confidence indicator saw bonds post modest gains across all maturities.
Monday’s after-hours gains in US Treasuries ensured a strong start for UK government bonds, which rallied in line with European markets. However, gilts were left to drift lower until the afternoon release of the US Conference Board survey of consumer confidence, which gave a reading of 93.2. Although that number was an improvement on April, it was below the 93.7 predicted by analysts.
However, it was the successful £3 billion sale of Treasury 4.5 per cent 2007 by the Debt Management Office that provided the session’s focus. Investors had been apprehensive after last week’s disappointing auction of index-linked gilts, but those fears


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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra along with Coca-Cola India has recently launched a pilot project in Pune to train street food vendors on food safety and good hygiene practices (GHPs).
Under this initiative, Coca-Cola and FDA Maharashtra will train 1,200 street food vendors in Pune city on the aspect of safe and nutritious food enabling them to improve the quality of their offerings, which will ultimately lead to increase in their earnings.
The initiative has been designed by keeping in mind the specific needs of the small food vendors. Coca Cola India has collaborated with FSSAI and various state FDAs for project Clean Street Food, aimed at providing best practises and knowledge to street food vendors through specialised training modules enabling them to grow their businesses sustainably.
As part of this initiative, Coca-Cola India, will closely work with FDA in upgrading the eating out experience for the local populace at large.
While the former will be responsible for the programme execution through its network of trainers and available infrastructure, the latter will ensure the relevance of the training content and shall oversee the overall delivery.


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G-Xchange, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, has entered into a partnership agreement with four key technology retail companies in the country to expand the distribution network of Globe Charge mobile point-of-sale (POS) solution.
Under the arrangement, Globe Charge will be carried by over 250 partner outlets located in different parts of the Philippines namely: AllPhones – 41 branches, MemoXpress – 138 branches, PC Express – 38 branches, and Silicon Valley – 37 branches.
“We are very pleased to collaborate with the country’s leading distributors of computer hardware and accessories, mobile phones, and gadgets which play a vital role in bringing Globe Charge closer to its customers. Through this partnership , small-and-medium sized enterprises will have more avenues to purchase Globe Charge credit card reader off-the-shelf and be able to use it immediately to accept more customers and generate more sales for their business,” said Xavier Marzan, President & CEO of GXI.
Marzan’s sentiment was echoed by the partners who also expressed gratitude for the tie-up. “GCash truly is an innovator in the mobile financial space. We are happy to be in partnership with them,” said Allan Catli, Marketing Manager of AllPhones while Jobi Noel Business Development Head of Silicon Valley noted that they are “very grateful partnering with Globe since we both have good intentions in making connectivity easier for a wonderful digital life.”
Globe Charge is a revolutionary service that enables entrepreneurs, small business owners, and professionals to accept credit card payments without the need for traditional credit card terminals. It allows businesses and professionals to accept MasterCard and Visa card payments, thus providing more payment options to customers, and resulting to more sales.
In order to use Globe Charge, a merchant only needs to have the following: Android or iOS device, Globe or TM SIM card with GCash account, Globe Charge Mobile Card Reader, and Globe Charge mobile app downloadable from Google Play or the App Store. It also works easily and conveniently with Wifi or mobile data, with no data charges for Globe and TM SIMs.
Aside from the retail outlets, Globe Charge can also be bought from Globe Stores and via the Globe Charge website www.globecharge.com.ph.


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This past year, you couldn’t open a web browser without being bombarded with news on “mobility.”
From autonomous vehicle testing and ride-hailing partnerships to new urban development plans and auto manufacturers as service providers, 2016 was the year when the seeds of new transportation models grew into green shoots. Even the auto shows have rebranded with mobility in their titles or tag lines.
While the traditional model will continue to dominate car rental in terms of transactions and revenue for some time, the borders are starting to erode — brought on by new players and the car rental companies themselves. And it’s all centered on the app, accessible from the palm of our hands.
- Rise of auto manufacturers as mobility providers
These days, the big picture on the future of auto manufacturers focuses on the concept of mobility, as OEMs prepare for an urban, autonomous future in which car ownership gives way to usage-based plans. We may be a generation away from this future (or not), but in the meantime, OEMs are testing the waters as mobility providers.
It’s not just carsharing of owned fleet similar to Daimler’s car2go network — although carsharing is the biggest initial play — it’s a breadth of offerings including shared lease plans, peer-to-peer rentals, autonomous technology pilots, and ways to find and pay for parking. BMW is even piloting a program through its ReachNow app that allows customers to hail rides similar to Uber, though in a more premium experience. Some services exist on multiple apps, but the idea is to have one app manage a range of mobility options using that OEM’s vehicles.
Essentially, these are still high-profile pilot programs. Long term, it remains to be seen if the manufacturers want to incorporate service provision into their business model.
- Renting fleet to Lyft and Uber drivers
While Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) make headlines for stealing share from traditional transportation modes, providing wheels to TNC drivers is a growing segment. Hertz is supplying cars to Uber and Lyft; Enterprise piloted a program with Uber in Denver. Hyrecar allows TNC drivers to rent either owned rental fleet or peer-to-peer vehicles through its platform. California recently gave the practice regulatory approval.
This business opportunity comes with a mileage caveat: The average TNC driver drives well over 100 miles in a day, which presents a different cost structure than your average neighborhood rental.
- Blending of peer-to-peer and rental fleets
Peer-to-peer platforms (renting personal vehicles through an app-based network) have been around since RelayRides launched in 2010, but the concept struggled to find a footing initially and saw the rise and demise of FlightCar, among others.
RelayRides has since rebranded as Turo, which is seeking fleets for its platform with a specific program for rental companies, as is ride-hail vehicle provider HyreCar, which also rents privately owned cars.
Without the legacy infrastructure, emerging markets such as China and India are proving to be incubators of new models. In India, where “self-drive” car rental is still a new concept and supply is a constraint, startups such as Zoomcar and Myles rent owned fleet, and they now allow private owners’ vehicles on their platforms.
Auto manufacturers such as Ford, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and GM are propelling peer-to-peer even further under their mobility services blankets, in which private users can share their OEM-financed vehicles through an app for extra cash.
- On-demand rentals take first steps
The end of the rental counter — can it just happen already? Technology providers have had systems for some time that blend traditional car rental with carsharing, allowing access to vehicles through a smartphone app. But this move to self-service rentals takes more than just technology and an app, particularly regarding parking, user onboarding, and dispersing cars to meet demand.
A good first step is simply allowing renters to bypass the counter. National’s Emerald Club offers this option, while the recently launched Avis Now mobile app is designed to control the entire rental experience from a smartphone. Meanwhile, those third-party technology providers have next-gen offerings that they’re marketing to independent rental companies, which could, as a start, allow for counter bypass and afterhours pickups and returns off the rental lot.
Accelerated implementation will occur when telematics systems can be ordered straight from the auto manufacturers, alleviating the aftermarket hardware install and reinstall hassle. On the commercial fleet side, this is already offered through large truck manufacturers. For rental, standardizations will be needed to manage fleets across multiple manufacturers.
- Opening of new online marketplaces
Neither the media nor the general public will ever understand the intricacies of fleet management, as important as this is to any form of consumer-facing transportation. Car rental companies are good at fleet management — and yet they regularly have underutilized vehicles.
Enter tech startups. On the flip side, they do app technology and mobile customer interface well, and the marriage of tech startup with rental fleet could mitigate a traditional car rental problem. For instance, Skurt rents fleet through its app and delivers the vehicle for a premium, while aforementioned Turo has landed $47 million in funding and experienced exponential growth since rebranding.
These platforms, along with the rise of new online brokers, are attracting customers who wouldn’t have rented through proprietary channels. As a result, smaller car rental companies are starting to realize inexpensive options to leverage underutilized fleets.
Originally posted on Business Fleet


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TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Results of a new Cargo study reveal that the needs of Canada’s small businesses are commonly ignored by the very companies that try to sell products and services to them. Cargo is North America’s leading authority on helping brands market to small businesses, providing B2SB marcomm guidance to global brands like Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz, Daimler and Freightliner.
“Because their business is a reflection of themselves, they consider poor customer service toward their business a personal affront.”
Among the Small Business Owners (SBOs) responding to the nationwide survey, 56 percent said that brands are not marketing to them effectively. Perhaps even more important is the degree to which companies fail to reach them on a personal level, the very level that is the psychological engine, motivation driver and competitive differentiator for this group.
- 44% say brands/companies do not understand their needs
- 48% say companies do not make an effort to understand their business
- 42% say companies try to sell to them versus talk to them
Conducted in summer 2013, the Cargo study marks the Canadian launch of a long-term research initiative called the “B-Side Marketing Project,” designed to bring a voice to the under-served small business owner (those operating in a commercial setting with at least one employee in addition to the owner). Started last year in the United States, the B-Side Marketing Project is thought to be the first of its kind to focus on the current state of small businesses and how brands market to them. A strong and growing buying force, SBO’s are often the neglected target audience within company and agency marketing plans — the so-called “B-side” of marketing. The study reveals SBO behaviors, attitudes and insights so brands can learn to better understand and ultimately better connect with this passionate, driven and loyal audience. This is the first of two planned waves of the study in Canada in 2013.
SMALL BUSINESS FRUSTRATIONS
The B-Side Marketing Project study found that the top three reasons Canadian small business owners changed brands were:
1. Bad previous experience - 22%
2. Better product/service support - 20%
3. Bad customer service - 18%
"Poor customer service is not only a pragmatic issue but also a dogma for how SBOs pride themselves in how they treat their own customers,” explains Cargo Managing Director Dan Gliatta. “Because their business is a reflection of themselves, they consider poor customer service toward their business a personal affront."
When it comes to SBO’s top frustrations with brands and marketers, lack of responsiveness, lack of responsiveness was cited as SBO’s top frustration with marketers (20 percent) followed by “poor customer service” (18 percent); “poor quality product/service” (16 percent); and “not understanding my business (10 percent).
HOW TO PLEASE SMALL BUSINESSES
The need for relevance is prevalent throughout the study findings. For instance, when asked what marketers can do to improve the way they market their goods/services to small businesses, nearly half (48 percent) of SBOs said, “Tell me how this is relevant to my business,” and 42 percent said, “Show me how the product benefits my company.”
Respondents also said that face-to-face meetings have the greatest impact on their purchasing decisions. Tradeshows and events were cited as the #1 way to influence the small business decision maker, followed by search engines, business magazines, television, media websites, online advertising, business blogs and social media, in that order.
“With all the focus that’s placed on technology and digital communications today,” says Gliatta, “it may come as a surprise to many B2SB marketers that ‘old school’ vehicles like events, magazines and TV still have a profound influence on small businesses. Cargo has taken a deep dive into these surface level findings to get to the core of small business decision making so we can help marketers maximize their investment toward this lucrative, but largely misunderstood, audience.”
HOW AND WHEN TO REACH SMALL BUSINESSES
Cargo’s B-Side Marketing Study also examined the best way to reach small business owners. While face-to-face opportunities have the most influence on making a purchase, technology plays a huge part in gaining initial access to the small business decision maker. Results of the study show that:
- 56 percent of SBOs use tablet or phone apps for business daily;
- 60 percent spend 1 to 3 hours checking/writing email daily;
- 28 percent spend more than 3 hours checking/writing email daily;
- Monday is by far the most active day of the week for online activity (52 percent with next highest being weekends at 18 percent);
- 2-5pm is the most active time of day for online usage;
- 64 percent spend 1-5 hours per day viewing/searching Internet for business purposes; 14 percent spend more than 5 hours per day on the Internet.
To download a full report of the Canadian B-Side Marketing Project, visit http://www.thecargoagency.ca/metrics/volume.
Established in 2006 with offices in Toronto and Greenville, S.C., Cargo is a new model marketing agency specializing in helping brands connect with small businesses, otherwise known as B2SB Marketing. Cargo’s client brands include such heavyweights as Mercedes-Benz, Daimler and Microsoft. To be a part the evolution of the B-Side Marketing Project, follow Cargo on Twitter @tweetcargo or visit http://www.thecargoagency.ca/metrics/join - 1.


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Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency that created the way for almost 1,000 more that came available thereafter. Cryptocurrencies allow users to make secure payments as well as store money with anonymity. Due to its mysterious nature it still remains an enigma to a lot of the world. Southridge Capital believes it is easy to understand and track. This diversified financial holding company specializes in investment and advisory services to middle and small market companies. Southridge has made over $1.7b direct investments into the growth of companies globally since its founding in 1996.
According to Newswire, this is where TxStreet.com comes in. It is a website that was originally created to track Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. It takes real-time transaction date from the two networks and makes them into simple visuals. This was helpful because humans are naturally visual learners. The experts at Southridge Capital rely on its ability to customize a financing plan and execute without fail. They believe TxStreet.com will help bitcoin become more approachable and easier to understand.
Stephen M. Hicks is the Chief Executive officer of Southridge Capital and sets the direction for the group of companies. He is also responsible for business development and execution. Hicks has been active in the investment industry for 30 plus years and has an extremely diverse financial experience and background. He has spent time discussing the potential political impact of cryptocurrency across the nation and says it is, quote “amazing.” The current trend of this new currency really excites him. Hicks goal is to start a channel for cryptocurrency in the form of CNBC. Going on to say he would want an actual channel or a podcast. This industry is really explosive according to the Southridge CEO and with this idea there will likely be an endless supply of guest communicating about their ‘coin’ and everyone would be watching.


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Prices of cooking oil are projected to hit a record high in the coming days amid shifts in international policies that have thrown global trade in limbo.
The latest hike in prices is attributed to a change of policy by Indonesia which is the world's biggest producer of cooking oil.
Indonesia has limited the exportation of palm oil, a move that is already affecting the rest of the world and worsening the situation in Kenya.
The Asian country had initially blocked the export of cooking oil entirely, causing a sharp rise in prices of the commodity.
Indonesia is reported to have scaled down exports of palm oil by more than 75 per cent, dropping the global production of cooking oil by a corresponding margin.
This means that manufacturers who access the palm oil will get less than a quarter of what they have been importing.
Apart from the policy change, most manufacturers in the country have scaled down cooking oil production. The situation has been worsened by the shutting down of Pwani Oil.
"Given the prevailing challenges, Pwani Oil has temporarily halted operations at its refinery in Kilifi as we work to resolve the problem. We, however, wish to assure our customers, employees, suppliers, partners and other stakeholders that this is a temporary measure and the business remains in operations and our products available in retail outlets," Pwani Oil announced.
Kapa Oil, which is also a major player in cooking oil and detergents manufacturing sector, is also operating below its capacity owing to the dollar shortage.
Cooking oil production companies say the dollar crisis, the war in Ukraine, and the ban on exports by Indonesia have hampered the importation of raw materials used in the production process.
Furthermore, Ukraine remains Kenya's top supplier of sunflower oil and with the ongoing war, the situation in the country has degenerated.
Other than that, the country is not expected to import edible oil between now and June 20.
This comes even as players in the sector raised the fear that fuel prices might also increase during the monthly review.
Already, millers announced an increase in maize prices. Peter Miiri, Kitui Flour Mills Chief Accountant, noted that the price was estimated to go up in a week's time as millers continue to suffer a shortage in stocks.
"We are extremely running low on raw materials which is maize which is being caused by disruptions in the supply chain in that local supply has dried up as well as regional supply.
"The government's offer to import maize from abroad has been impossible because of the high cost of importation," Miiri stated.


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In the game "Risk," strategy wins the day. For small and midsize businesses (SMBs), the same principle applies to IT assets. That is why this is a very interesting time in the corporate world.
On Wednesday, Apple held it's highly anticipated press event to officially unveil the iPhone 5. While many professionals will flock to stores for the September 21 product release, there are plenty who have yet to make a decision on their next business phone.
A recent ZDNet article discusses how company decision-makers are weighing their options and the iPhone 5 is far from a default choice. In a survey of TechRepublic's CIO Jury, a group of about 200 technology executives around the globe, ZDNet found that offerings from various manufacturers sporting the Android platform, as well as new Windows Phone 8 and tablet devices, are very much under consideration.
Some respondents told the news source that while Apple products are sleek and fit for consumers, they don't always meet enterprise-level needs. The Windows 8 phones and tablets will all run on the same operating system kernel, creating a more cohesive IT ecosystem that could be more business-friendly.
They also noted that there is constant innovation with other platforms like Android because manufacturers are always developing new devices and do not lock themselves into set product cycles, like Apple does.
There are undoubtedly business executives that will remain loyal to Apple, but there exists the potential for the likes of Android and Windows to make significant inroads into that market in the coming months and years.
Clearly, there is a wealth of information to consider when making these choices, whether looking for company solutions or deciding which products to recommend for employees who wish to use their own devices for work. Managed IT support for small businesses should be geared toward monitoring these trends and which approaches are working for other companies. This can provide a helpful blueprint for future initiatives.


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Philippines-based Bitcoin exchange BuyBitcoin.ph has joined forces with local payment processor Dragonpay to enable bitcoin purchases at over 12,000 local banking and retail locations.
BuyBitcoin.ph launched in January with a focus on remittance payments. Some 12 million Filipinos work abroad and need a low-cost and convenient medium to transfer funds. The exchange has been fairly successful with high liquidity- the peso-bitcoin bid/ask spread is only 0.15%. CEO Sam Kaddoura commented:
“We’re excited to be offering a new channel for customers to purchase bitcoin outside of the pre-existing cash deposit process we currently have in place. Our users continuously asked for online depositing and we’re happy to provide a solution now with Dragonpay.”
7 Habits of a Highly Effective DeFi TraderGo to article >>
Dragonpay says on its website that out of a population of 100 million, only 5% have a credit card and 20-25% have a bank account. With few avenues to shop online, Dragonpay lets customers shop using non-credit card channels. Customers can fill their Dragonpay accounts at ATMs, physical bank branches and retail stores supporting the service. The company offers other services like recurring and mass payments. Said Dick Chiang, the company’s CTO:
“We commend players like BuyBitcoin.ph for taking the initiative to trailblaze and develop the local bitcoin ecosystem. The bitcoin community is growing fast in the Philippines and we look forward to helping it grow even more by offering our suite of services to the major players like BuyBitcoin.ph.”
The partnership is similar to that between ZipZap and PayZone, who recently teamed up to let British customers buy Bitcoin at over 20,000 retail locations.


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Sales for Sony's Playstation 3 fell nine percent in the latest Japan retail data.
Media Create Co. this week said the PS3 sold 26,481 units between Mar. 8 and Mar. 14 to rank as No. 3 hardware for the week.
By comparison, the hardware sold 28,824 units the week prior.
EA's Battlefield Bad Company 2 ranked No. 8 selling 28,853 units the first week of availability


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Be a part of National Fire Prevention Week at Pompano Square.
Today through Saturday, Pompano Beach Fire Rescue will sponsor the second annual Fire Prevention Poster Contest at all Pompano Beach elementary schools. Posters will be exhibited throughout the mall and winners will be announced during an awards ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday in front of JCPenney. A fire safety show with clowns and a robot will take place before the ceremony.
Two antique fire trucks will be on display inside the mall at the JCPenney entrance. Employees of the fire department will be handing out educational material Monday through Saturday.
Pompano Square is on the southwest corner of Copans Road and Federal Highway in Pompano Beach. Call the mall office at 943-4683.
Meet actor Charlton Heston at his book signing from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Books A Million. Although he won't part the Red Sea, Heston will sign copies of his new autobiography, In the Arena.
See and experience state-of-the-art technology at the BrandsMart USA Appliance and Electronics Expo '96 from Friday through Sunday, Oct. 15.
Check out some of the hottest new stores: Kenneth Cole, MCM Factory Outlet, The Executive Suites Jones New York, Crazy Shirts, Rodier Paris, The Bearific Bear Factory, Royal Doulton and Sensations.
Sawgrass Mills is at Flamingo Road and Sunrise Boulevard in Sunrise. Call the mall office at 846-2300.
Future brides and grooms will get assistance at Macy's bridal seminar from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Macy's bridal and gift registry program will be showcased. Participants also will discover the latest in tabletop accessories, houseware appliances and florals.
Guests will play Macy's "Couples Challenge" and view the trousseau fashion show. Couples will be able to register for door prizes and enjoy refreshments and live music.
Although the seminar is complimentary, reservations are required by calling 370-5209.
Macy's at The Fashion Mall is on University Drive, one-half mile north of Broward Boulevard, in Plantation. Call the mall office at 370-1884.
At the Malls lets you know what's going on at area malls. Future columns will keep you informed of mall activities, new stores, safety, restaurants and shopping tidbits.
We'd like to hear your comments about malls and ideas for this column. Send information two weeks before the event to At the Malls, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33301.


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6th February 2020 – Gaming solutions supplier Yggdrasil has won the Innovator of the Year award for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year at the prestigious International Gaming Awards (IGAs) held at London’s Savoy Hotel.
The award recognises the year’s best-in-class supplier that has broken boundaries to disrupt the industry with ground-breaking innovation.
Yggdrasil has achieved this with the launch of its game-changing Publishing division, offering customers ‘the keys to its kingdom’ with all tools they need to build, create and offer a complete B2B gaming business.
It is also introducing a series of transformative game mechanics including Splitz™, offering never-before-seen win potential. Aztec-themed Temple Stacks: Splitz™ was launched in January this year giving players the first view of Yggdrasil’s revolutionary mechanic, which transforms a 3×5 slot grid into reels of infinite potential, offering up to 248,832 pay ways.
As part of Yggdrasil’s new strategic approach, it is franchising its entire business, from its current and future content portfolio and industry-leading gamification to its advanced platform technology and new GATI (Game Adaption Tools & Interface) product. This will enable partners to instantly create their own unique, end-to-end iGaming offering supported by, and in partnership with, Yggdrasil Publishing.
Future customers will be able to license any, or all elements, of Yggdrasil’s gaming eco-system with all technology, functions and content already proven after being live in the most developed iGaming markets for the last six years.
The three core value propositions for the Publishing arm will be: YG Franchise (platform IP licensing) YG Masters (game development and distribution program), and YG Game IP (game IP licensing).
Fredrik Elmqvist, CEO, Yggdrasil, said: “Winning this award for a record fourth year in row is an amazing achievement. It is testament to the huge effort the entire Yggdrasil team has put in to launch the game-changing Yggdrasil Publishing and the investment we put into slot innovation and new mechanics.
“This is a ground-breaking global licensing business that significantly changes our and the industry’s approach to content creation, publishing and distribution. In a very short space of time we have become well-known for our highly innovative online gaming content, platform and software solutions but we are now taking this to another level altogether.”
Yggdrasil is a provider of superior online gaming solutions for igaming operators. The business was founded in 2013 and has since emerged as one of the industry’s most respected and acclaimed suppliers. Yggdrasil operates a highly scalable business model and covers three product verticals: Casino Slots, Table Games and Bingo, in addition to the business verticals: YG Masters, Yggdrasil White Label Studios and Yggdrasil Dragons. Since its inception, Yggdrasil has embarked on a solid growth trajectory enabled by a strong corporate culture focused on innovation, creativity, quality and technology leadership. Yggdrasil is headquartered in Sweden and has offices in Malta (operational HQ), Poland and Gibraltar.
For more information go to www.yggdrasilgaming.com


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Drivers at Reading Buses are to get a fresh look with the introduction of a new uniform.
Six drivers will be modelling the new garments over the next four weeks before an order is made for the entire workforce later in the year.
The company says it is the final part of the Reading Buses revolution which has taken place in the presentation of its buses, timetables and promotional material.
James Freeman, chief executive of Reading Buses, said : "The new range includes lots of garments, some of them new items, which are designed to have flexibility in being layered and to interwork with each other.
"It’s a modern new uniform using high-tech fabrics to help our drivers to be comfortable, practical and look smart whatever the weather.
"The trial will help us see how the garments wear and wash and also how comfortable and practical they are. It will help us make sure we have the best uniform possible before the full order is placed later in the year."
Drivers were asked to complete a questionnaire last year saying what they liked and disliked about their current uniform and how it could be improved.
Reading Buses now feel they have come up with a modern and smart look working with their chosen supplier, Uniform Express.
Ian Fountain, senior business development manager, at Uniform Express, said: "We are delighted - and excited - to be awarded the supply agreement for the new Reading Buses drivers’ uniform.
"This launch will offer a fresh new way of dressing bus drivers whilst incorporating the modern and vibrant brand of the Reading Buses which is portrayed in their logo and vehicle livery.
"It has been a long project and the feedback and support on the initial design concepts created by our design consultant was that we have understood and produced the products to meet the requirements to ensure Reading Buses are at the forefront of the industry in terms of design, comfort, style and practicality."
Mr Freeman added: "Incidentally, we provide replacement clothes to our staff every year anyway so changing the design is not a big deal cost-wise."


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In short: In addition to the black and white variants of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Google will also be launching a “Sand” version of its upcoming Android flagships, industry insider Roland Quandt said earlier today. The same source expressed skepticism about the possibility of a teal or mint green variant of the Pixel 3 line being in the works, despite the fact one data-mined teaser taken directly from Google already pointed toward that scenario.
Background: The black and white versions of both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL already leaked quite extensively over the last several months, in part due to numerous insiders getting their hands on both real-life image and renders, and partially because a sizeable pre-production batch of the handsets was stolen from Foxconn in August and ended up being sold by a Ukrainian black market dealer. The bizarre episode provided the general public with a good idea of what to expect from the upcoming devices – the smaller Pixel 3 will essentially look like last year’s Pixel 2 XL but feature upgraded internals, whereas the larger Pixel 3 XL will be more in line with the latest industry trends, for better or worse. The latter means consumers can expect a display notch and that the 3.5mm headphone jack won’t be making a return either. Regarding color variety, if the previous two product generations were any indication, not all memory configurations of the Pixel 3 series will be available in all colors.
Impact: By all accounts, the Really Blue finish of Google’s Pixel smartphones won’t be making a return this year, with the development suggesting that despite positive feedback from both consumers and critics alike, that particular color variant didn’t do so well in terms of sales. The exact color selection will be confirmed on October 9 when Google is scheduled to announce the new Android handsets at a product event in Paris, France.


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Belk, JCPenney, and several new stores at Main Street Oak Ridge are closed. So is Cinemark Tinseltown Theater. Dick’s Sporting Goods is open for curbside pickup only.
The new stores that are closed include Burkes Outlet, maurices, Rack Room Shoes, T.J.Maxx, and Ulta Beauty.
Electronic Express, PetSmart, and Rue21 were open at last check this weekend, but they have modified hours. (Note: The response to COVID-19 changes rapidly, meaning store operations could change quickly.)
JCPenney said it plans to reopen on April 2. JCPenney said it temporarily closed for the health and safety of customers and employees. The store said it continues to offer service online at jcp.com and through its mobile application.
Cinemark Tinseltown said it is closed until further notice to comply with a local government ordinance. It’s not clear what ordinance that is. You can reach Cinemark by calling (800) 246-3627.[Read more…]


text: In response to the ever-increasing demand for high-speed internet access, Airtel Rwanda has set a goal to extend its 4G network to cover 95 percent of the nation by the end of 2023. The announcement came during the 'ConnectRwanda2.0' campaign, held on Wednesday, November 8 in Burera District's Butaro Sector, which drew over 3,000 local residents to a football field for the occasion, complete with live entertainment by local artist Eric Senderi. ALSO READ: Airtel Rwanda unveils affordable 4G smartphones In a press interview, Emmanuel Hamez, the Managing Director of Airtel Rwanda, said: Today we're very happy to deliver the second batch of phones that we have promised, we launched this on October 16 and we're now doing the distribution in Burera district. It is very exciting and energising to see that there is a lot of demand, and you can see that there is a big queue behind us.” “To the people of Rwanda, I offer this assurance: there's no need to worry, for we are committed to delivering over 1.2 million smartphones within the upcoming six months,” Hamez said. ALSO READ: Airtel Rwanda launches its own 4G LTE network These smartphones come bundled with enticing data and communication packages, making them accessible to a broad audience. Hamez added, Those who purchase these phones will enjoy 30GB of data, 1GB of 4G internet every day, and unlimited calls and text messages. This offer also extends to other Airtel subscribers who can access the same deal for just Rwf3,000.” “In case of data exhaustion, we have you covered with booster packs readily available. These packs offer 1GB for a mere Rwf200 or 5GB for just Rwf500. We're not merely selling phones; we are also dedicated to providing widespread 4G services for the entire population,” he said. ALSO READ: Airtel Rwanda first to launch e-SIM Richard Kubana, the Director General in charge of Community Mobilisation and Youth Volunteers Coordination in Community Policing at the Ministry of Local Government, elaborated on the campaign's importance. He stated, This 'Connect Rwanda' campaign 2.0 aims to provide more than 1.2 million affordable smartphones to Rwandans. These smartphones will enable Rwandans to access a variety of services online, eliminating the need to travel long distances. Kubana emphasized the collaboration between the government and stakeholders in making these smartphones affordable, as they typically cost over Rwf80,000. “This initiative aligns with the government's goal to achieve 100 percent 4G internet coverage across the nation by the end of the year. This extensive access will empower citizens to perform essential tasks independently, in line with the Byikorere campaign (do it yourself) philosophy,” he said. ALSO READ: Airtel Rwanda, UNICEF, Education Ministry inaugurate digital learning in schools Maurice Mugabowagahunde, Governor of the Northern Province, highlighted the impact these smartphones will have on citizens, especially those residing near the Ugandan border. As citizens near the Ugandan border, they needed many services that required crossing into neighbouring countries. This is going to change now. These smartphones will help them access valuable information, particularly in agriculture. Young people will have access to social media, which we encourage them to use productively. Mugabowagahunde emphasized that these phones have the potential to empower communities, including security personnel, by enabling effective communication. We hope to see them use these devices appropriately and perhaps even generate income from them, he added. ALSO READ: UNICEF, Airtel partner to increase access to digital learning in rural schools Jean Paul Niyonsenga, a resident of Kinyababa sector, reflected the enthusiasm of many citizens. He said: Our local leaders told us Airtel is bringing affordable smartphones, and I had to get one. The world is changing, and I also need something that'll give me access to social media and international news. “Airtel's offer is genuinely impressive. Purchasing a smartphone for Rwf20,000 is highly cost-effective, especially considering the current market rates. In fact, I'm considering getting one for my wife as well to ensure that our entire family can benefit from this opportunity,” Niyonsenga said.


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Trailer - Authenticity… The driver of D&I with the DEI Consultancy, We Are Stripes08 April, 2021
The benefits to having a diverse, equal, and inclusive company are vast. Yet, still businesses around the global struggle with delivering robust DEI...
The benefits to having a diverse, equal, and inclusive company are vast. Yet, still businesses around the global struggle with delivering robust DEI strategies.
In the latest episode of our Life in Digital Podcast, Sphere's talent manager, Amy, is joined by Akama Davies, Director of Global Solutions & Innovation at Xaxis and Co-Founder of We are Stripes, a DEI consultancy whose mission is to address the ethnic imbalance in the creative and advertising sectors.
The team at We are Stripes are true advocates for change and have been instrumental supporting companies big and small in these industries to deliver successful, robust, and genuine D&I strategies.
Whether they’re working with global brands or boutique agencies, what the team find time and time again is that the challenges these companies face are always knowing exactly how and where to get started.
Listen to the full episode via our Life in Digital Podcast page.


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Matt Rosoff from Businessinsider.com claims that Google may have just made the worst mistake in it’s rather short lifetime (Google is about 14 years old).
Why? because this week the search giants decided to change search results with Google+, you can read about the changes here.
According to Matt:
Like Wave. And Buzz. And releasing unfinished products. And allegedly taking money from rogue Canadian pharmacies for illegal ads (that was a $500 million mistake).
But its core business — the search engine that is still responsible for the vast majority of its traffic and revenue and profit — has never been threatened.
Bing? Nice try, but nobody outside Microsoft really believed it was enough BETTER than Google to make the switch.


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The Florida Lottery announces that Thomas Wagner, 60, of Port Charlotte, claimed a $1 million prize in the $10,000,000 WORLD CLASS CASH Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings in annual installments of $40,000.00 a year for 25 years.
Wagner purchased his winning ticket from Publix, located at 24051 Peachland Boulevard in Port Charlotte. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The $25 game, $10,000,000 WORLD CLASS CASH, features more than $549 million in total cash prizes, including two top prizes of $10 million and 46 prizes of $1 million! Overall odds of winning are one-in-2.89.
Scratch-Offs are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, generating more than $784 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in FY 2016-17, and comprising approximately 68 percent of ticket sales.


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June 19, 2017
BITRI Chief Executive Officer, Professor Nelson Torto addressing the business community during the BITRI Business Dinner on 27 May 2017 in Francistown.
The Mayor of Francistown Mrs Sylvia Muzila has applauded and thanked BITRI for hosting its business dinner in Francistown. Speaking at the event in Francistown on Saturday May 27th the Mayor said “it is humbling when an organisation recognises that Francistown has a lot to offer in terms of partnerships and collaborations. I am happy that you are not only confining yourselves to Gaborone but you are making an effort to engage stakeholders around the country”. She further said BITRI as a research institution funded by the tax payer should remain mindful of its mandate and obligations to the nation by engaging stakeholders so that they know and understand the role they play. Mrs Muzila said BITRI went to Francistown at an opportune time because building a sound research landscape in Botswana is a national priority if the country is to compete in the highly competitive global, social and economic environment. “It is critical that research play a more central role in nation building and economic development in Botswana. Even more important is the development of products and services from our research that will be the critical economic engine for prosperity and growth in our country. I am glad that the Government of Botswana is strongly committed in this area and has already approved the National Innovation Fund that will provide seed and early stage funding for technology based start-ups and ventures and established companies with viable innovation concepts. It is expected to fund innovative companies in order to increase their chance of success and fuel innovation” she said.
The dinner was a technology uptake drive to reach out to captains of the industry, CEO’S of the parastatal, Senior Government Officials, local authorities, the youth as well as SMME’S to share with them the BITRI mandate, the technologies solutions in progress and business opportunities. Still in Francistown BITRI addressed the City Council on its mandate and gave an update on research being conducted.
Meanwhile BITRI exhibited its products and services at the Business Botswana Northern Trade Fair (BBNTF) which ran from 24th to 28th May The theme of this year’s fair was “Business Agility in Botswana: Optimising Business at 50 years & Beyond” and its aim was to provide exhibitors with an opportunity to actively promote their business and network with other exhibitors. In addition, the fair presents a significant opportunity for business branding, creation of new product visibility as well as to promote existing products. The fair will also feature business seminars where exhibitors would interact, network and share ideas.
BITRI participated at the fair and used the platform to promote awareness the BITRI mandate and a focus on some of its projects such as on Climate Change, Foot and Mouth Disease Diagnostic Test Tool Kit, Kalahari Sand Building Block Technology, Morabaraba, Seding Solar Street Lights, as well as the Load Management Device.


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Ableworld has announced the promotion of Tony Leavy to buying manager with immediate effect.
Earlier this year, Mike Williams, Ableworld’s managing director, spoke about Leavy being part of his plans for strengthening the Ableworld buying team.
In his role, Mr Leavy will manage the department and liaise closely with Mr Williams to improve ranges and margins.
Since joining Ableworld, Mr Leavy has spent the past two years running its Northwich store. It is one of Ableworld’s most successful branches, with sales up 42% in the last 24 months.
Ableworld said that Mr Leavy has been having regular supplier meetings, refreshing and upgrading ranges of products, as well as ensuring store category reviews have been taking place.
The retailer adds that he has done this with speed allowing it to stay ahead of rivals when bringing in quality products.
Previously, Mr Leavy had worked for several retail giants, including the Co-operative Group and TK Maxx, working his way up to management level in both companies.
Ableworld UK Ltd is the country’s largest retailer in the growing mobility and homecare sector.


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Dr. Sanathani Ranasinghe, Director of the said Research Institute stated that the research conducted by the Lunuwila Coconut Research Institute on the preparation of coconut plants using tissue culture technology for the first time in the world was very successful.
Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries has recently visited the Lunuwila Coconut Research Institute to see this new invention.
The Minister observed the coconut plants that have been successfully produced by using a fine part of a coconut flower in research tubes at there. Although a large space is required for setting up coconut plants in our traditional coconut cultivation system, coconut plants were successfully grown in a glass tube about six inches high in the laboratory.
A group of scientists led by Dr. Sanathani Ranasinghe, Head of Division Dr. Vijitha Vidanarachchi conducted this research in this research group.
Although many coconut growing countries in the world are using tissue culture technology to grow coconut plants, they use parts related to the coconut kernel. However, no country in the world has constructed coconut saplings using parts related to the Unopened Female Flower of the coconut flower so far.
Therefore, the production of coconut plants by the Clonal Plant tissue culture method carried out by the Lunuwila Coconut Research Institute in their laboratories has been very successful.
The Minister who discussed with the said officials expressed his opinion regarding the use of this new technology to produce king coconut plants as there is a huge demand for king coconuts of our country in the international market.
Dr. Sanathani Ranasinghe stated that the Lunuwila Coconut Research Institute has already started creating king coconut plants using this new technology.
The Minister has also mentioned that the steps will be taken to provide the necessary financial allocations through the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries to produce as many coconut and king coconut plants as possible using this method.
Also, the Minister expressed his gratitude to all the scientists who introduced this new technology and showed that Sri Lanka is ahead of other countries in the world.


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BY CHRIS KRAMEDJIAN
RISK MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT, COTTON
INTL FCStone Inc.
As a long-time runnerup to China’s cotton story, India is now taking center stage, at least as the world’s largest producer. India’s agriculture is critically dependent on the monsoon, and this year’s late start resulted in a large, unexpected shift toward cotton acreage as farmers opted for a more drought-hardy crop. However, despite the delay, rainfall totals made a healthy comeback after planting. As a result, India is likely to produce a 31-million bale crop this year, passing China’s production for the first time in more
than half a century.
India’s consumption has also prospered in the last few years, largely because of China’s supply control programs. China’s cotton yarn imports were not nearly as restricted as raw cotton imports. Among many others, India’s spinning industry was able to meet that demand in a profitable way.
There still is a price advantage to Indian yarn in China’s markets, but the size of the advantage has diminished. With foreign demand for cotton yarn now fading, India’s cotton use will likely plateau this season. Future consumption will likely require weaving capacity.
The price of India’s cotton is beginning to have an impact on the Cotton Corporation of India’s (CCI) Minimum Support Price (MSP) program.
The CCI is the government corporation responsible for the purchase and marketing of cotton when prices fall below certain published levels. Rather than purchasing just the lint ex-gin, the CCI actually purchases seed cotton from the farmers and commission’s ginning.
Intervention in the markets pre-ginning complicates matters for most western observers, particularly as ginning is a widely dispersed industry, and there are little official data about quantity or quality. However, the main point to note about the MSP is that it gives farmers more flexibility and comfort in timing their sales.
Diminished demand, a large crop and the nearness of the MSP make India’s exports much more difficult to forecast. Adding in the currency volatility only makes guessing more difficult.
U.S. cotton has been more highly priced than Indian flat-price offers over the last few months. Whatever happens, the United States and India will be in a fierce competition for internationally sourced cotton this season.
Contact Chris Kramedjian at firstname.lastname@example.org. Comments in this article are commentary and are not to be construed as market advice.