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On May 24, a man told police he was celebrating his birthday with his family at a Dressler Road restaurant when he and his wife got into an argument. They took the argument outside where the man said his wife struck him in the face with her fist. Officers noticed a long scratch on the man’s cheek and nose. The woman left the scene and could not be located. Police issued a warrant charging her with domestic violence.
A Promway Avenue business owner told police on May 24 that an employee quit without notice three days before and failed to return a meter valued at $1,900. The matter was being investigated.
A Shreve man, 35, was charged with theft May 24 after he was accused of pushing a shopping cart full of merchandise out of a Mega Street department store. The cart held $284 worth of items that weren’t paid for, police said.
A thief was interrupted while trying to steal copper pipes and other metals from a vacant home in the 2800 block of Whipple Avenue, according to a May 24 report. A witness reported seeing a white male in a truck fleeing the scene. Some of the suspect’s tools were found left behind.
A 22-year-old Canton woman was arrested May 23 on a warrant charging her with misuse of a credit card. She was turned over to Stark County deputies. On the same day, a 28-year-old New Philadelphia man was found with an outstanding warrant during a traffic stop on Portage Street. He was turned over to police in his hometown.
Two men, both of Wales Avenue, were charged with theft May 23 at a Belden Village Mall department store. Police said they were seen stuffing merchandise down their shorts and left without paying. Also at the mall, someone forced open a cash box inside a kiosk and took $115.
Sixty used batteries worth a total of $720 were reported stolen May 22 from a retail warehouse club store on Portage Street.
A 53-year-old Canton man was charged May 22 with theft after he allegedly ran out of a mall department store with a $470 item. He was apprehended and escorted back inside the store to await police. According to reports, the same man was observed the day before stealing a motorcycle jacket and a juicer from the store. In those incidents, he reportedly picked up the items inside the store and tried to return them for cash at a sales counter. When he was denied the returns because of lack of receipts, he walked off with the items.
A resident in the 3200 block of Bloomsbury Circle NW said someone broke into his garage sometime between May 17 and 22. An air compressor, a propane heater, and a power saw and drill, total value $425, were taken.
A 20-year-old Louisville woman was arrested May 22 for allegedly stealing clothing from a mall department store. A loss prevention officer said the woman went into a fitting room with 17 items of clothing. A short time later, she came out with only 11 items. The officer checked the room and found nothing was left behind. The woman was stopped in the parking lot. Six pairs of shorts were reportedly found in her purse.
Page 2 of 2 - On May 21, a manager of a transport business in Clinton told police that a subcontractor failed to return a truck in Columbus on May 15. As of the report date, the truck had not been returned. Also, the subcontractor had not returned phone calls or emails from the business, and the GPS unit inside the truck had been disconnected.
On May 20, an officer patrolling Lasater Street spotted three young people drinking in a rear parking lot. The oldest of the three, a 20-year-old male, was found intoxicated. The officer said the man tried to mislead the investigation by continually giving him false information. He also accused the man of providing vodka to the two other young people, both of whom were under the age of 18. The man’s blood alcohol content registered .15, almost twice the legal limit. He faces charges of falsification, underage consumption and two counts of providing alcohol to minors.
Also on May 20, a Logan Avenue man, 18, was charged with theft and a Blarney Circle man, 20, was charged with complicity to commit theft. Police said the 18-year-old was seen picking up a shirt at a mall department store and removing the price tags. He then took off the shirt he was wearing, handed it to the other man, and put on the new shirt. The other man put the old shirt in a bag, and the two left.
Police responded to a disturbance May 19 at an apartment on 20th Street NW in Canton. During the investigation, a 24-year-old woman was found to have a warrant in Portage County charging her with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. She was turned over to the Portage County Sheriff’s Office.
On May 18, two women were reportedly captured on surveillance video stealing cameras from a retail warehouse club store on Portage Street. The packaging from the cameras was found in an aisle.
A 27-year-old Green man was arrested for driving under the influence May 17 after he was involved in a traffic crash at the intersection of Hills and Dale Road and Brunnerdale Avenue. An identification check revealed the man was in the United States illegally. Police contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement and then took the man to the Stark County Jail where he was placed in a holding cell.


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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Thousands of credit card numbers were stolen from a state government Web site that allows residents to register their cars and buy state permits, authorities said Friday.
The private company that runs http://www.ri.gov said that 4,118 credit card numbers had probably been taken, a state official said. All online transactions were suspended Friday until any possible security problems could be fixed.
"We just can't risk it," said Department of Administration Director Beverly Najarian.
The company, New England Interactive, originally told state officials late last month that eight credit card numbers were stolen during a security breach, but said Thursday that thousands had probably been taken, Najarian said.
The state didn't notify consumers in December about the breach, Najarian said, because it appeared limited and company officials promised security had been tightened.
Najarian said she did not know why the scope of the breach wasn't detected sooner, and the state will hire an outside consultant to conduct a security review.
State officials have decided to mail notices to the affected credit card holders, she said. So far, no fraudulent charges have been reported.
It would be difficult to use the stolen information for fraudulent purchases because the Web site only records partial credit card numbers, company spokeswoman Renee Loring said.
The breach was uncovered when a security company discovered a Web site in Russian, Najarian said. The author claimed he obtained 53,000 credit card numbers.
Loring said Web site was breached on Dec. 28, and far fewer than 53,000 numbers were stolen. She said the company notified credit card companies of the breach, but did not notify card holders.
Jeff Neal, a spokesman for Gov. Don Carcieri, said the company's contract to run the state's Web site expires this summer and the governor's office plans a review before deciding whether to extend it.
Steven O'Donnell, spokesman for the Rhode Island State Police, said a computer crimes team was investigating.
Loring said the company's other state Web sites for Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont were not affected.

domain: news


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Industry acquisitions are keeping us all on our toes
I was about halfway done writing this column when I got the news that Jacuzzi had purchased Hydropool. That changes things a bit, doesn’t it?
I had been planning to write about living in community — your business, your customers and your employees — working to help one another. There’s an interesting synergy and responsibility that you take on by doing business in a place, and we have a story about that on page 37.
If I’m being honest, this is probably my third or fourth time rewriting this because I keep changing my mind about the impact that the Jacuzzi/Hydropool, and other recent acquisitions, have on our industry.
During the worst years of the recession there were predictions of major consolidations. While this happened, it never reached the level many forecasted. But here we are a few years out and there has been a steady stream of purchases across all segments of the industry.
In addition to purchasing Sundance Spas years earlier, Jacuzzi has purchased Thermospas, Dimension One Spas and now Hydropool Hot Tubs. In addition to its earlier purchase of Caldera Spas, Watkins Wellness has purchased American Hydrotherapy Systems (Freeflow Spas and Fantasy Spas) and Endless Pools. MAAX Spas bought L.A. Spas and made it clear they had an acquisition strategy going forward. LPI, Inc., the makers of Signature Spas, bought Catalina Spas. On the chemical side, NC Brands has made several purchases including Seaklear. Instead of coming in a rush during down years, these acquisitions are happening when things are on the upswing. In many instances the acquired companies weren’t in financial distress, but were made an offer they couldn’t refuse.
If we’re being candid, and why not, my first reaction to news of this latest purchase was, “OMG are there going to be any manufacturers left to advertise in the magazine?” A valid fear, but this is what I was vocalizing: Is all of this consolidation good for our industry, us included?
- Sponsor -
This is my ninth year working in the hot tub industry, so my feet are thoroughly wet, but I’m not working with the historical context of our readers with 30 or more years in. Fortunately, I’ve made some friends, old timers you might call them, who pointed out that this isn’t the only time this industry has seen lots of consolidation. And when it happened before it was during times of economic and industry growth.
The resources these larger brands bring to product development and marketing can float all boats, so to speak. And the small and midsized brands can definitely still compete. It may require a rededication to their niche and a close look at their efficiencies, but that also can benefit all. They aren’t a manufacturer, but Gib-San Pools and Landscape Creations is a great example of what a business with laser-like focus can accomplish, page 32.
These are interesting and exciting times indeed. I’ve talked to dealers who had record-breaking first quarters and, after taking a deep breath, I’m anticipating more good news to come.


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The US pharmacy industry is struggling to address a growing problem that could derail the industry’s reputation as a leader in drug discovery and development.
A growing number of employees are being asked to tweet about drugs at work, which may be violating policies on social media, according to an industry official.
Pharmacy professionals are being urged to tweet as part of a national campaign called “WOW” in response to the rise in social media use among pharmacists.
The campaign was started by a pharmacy chain called WOWPharmacies and aims to increase the use of social media in pharmacists’ work.
“We want to make sure that our pharmacists know about the importance of using social media to share information with our patients and colleagues about the medicines they are prescribing,” said the company’s senior vice president of pharmacy and pharmaceuticals, Michael Kugler.
“It’s important for us to communicate the importance that we have to our patients, our colleagues and our colleagues’ patients, and we want our pharmacians to be aware of the importance to be able to share that information,” Kugling added.
“Our pharmacists need to understand that we want to be a part of this conversation and to share this information with others,” he added.
“And if they don’t understand, we want them to share their thoughts with us.”
Pharmaceutical company WOW says it will begin enforcing stricter guidelines on social sharing policies on Thursday, November 15.
The company has said it will be reviewing policies on its social media channels and will issue new rules.
The industry has been grappling with how to curb social media usage among pharmacist.
Pharmacists are expected to take part in the social media campaign at their local pharmacies on Thursday.
Pharma experts say the increase in social networking is worrying.
“Social media is becoming a major problem for the pharmacy industry.
It has a significant impact on the pharmacy community and on the industry as a whole,” said David Zapp, vice president for research at the Institute of Medicine.”
There is a very clear trend to see pharmacists tweeting about their own products more frequently than they would tweet about competitors,” Zapp said.
“We have a number of examples of that, where the pharmacist is talking about a particular drug on social platforms more frequently and more extensively than he would normally be.”
“It is becoming an increasingly important part of the pharma community, and it is an important part for our customers, our pharma employees, and the pharmacists themselves to be in the loop,” Zopp added.


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Holden has made the decision to discontinue the storied Commodore nameplate after more than 40 years in existence to focus on SUVs and utes, but was this the right move to make?
In the latest sales figures to the end of November 2019, the Commodore has amassed 5417 new registrations this year, making it the second best-selling model in Holden’s stable behind the Colorado ute (16,106 combined 4×4 and 4×2 sales).
The brand has also decided to axe its Astra hatchback after discontinuing both sedan and wagon body styles earlier this year, which combined have notched 4047 sales this year for fifth place on Holden’s stable behind the third-placed Equinox (4448) and Trax (4252) SUVs.
Combined, the Commodore and Astra represent 9464 units out of Holden’s year-to-date total of 39,969 sales, or nearly 24 per cent of volume.
A potential cut of quarter of its sales is a big hit, but – if industry sales figures remain steady – would drop Holden only a single place from 10th to 11th, swapping places with Subaru.
Of course, it is hard to predict where Holden will sit by the end of 2020, but the Commodore and Astra will continue to be sold until stock runs dry.
Even if its sales slump continues and Holden drops out of the top 12 brands, it will still be moving significant – if nowhere near the market-leading – volume.
So, the discontinuation of the Commodore and Astra doesn’t exactly rock the automotive landscape.
If anything, without the Commodore and Astra might even make Holden stronger as it focuses on presumably more profitable models sourced from its parent company General Motors.
All of this doesn’t even mention the fact that Holden still maintains the Lang Lang proving ground, and a GM design studio that can develop and build concepts from scratch.
Holden’s interim chairman and managing director Kristian Aquilina said at the time of the Commodore’s demise that the brand is simply evolving with the times.
“Holden is taking this decisive action to ensure a sharp focus on the largest and most buoyant market segments,” he said.
“So far this year the SUVs and utes have increased to 76 per cent of Holden sales, a trend we only see continuing.
“The decision to retire the Commodore nameplate has not been taken lightly by those who understand and acknowledge its proud heritage.
“The large sedan was the cornerstone of Australian and New Zealand roads for decades. But now with more choice than ever before, customers are displaying a strong preference for the high driving position, functionality and versatility of SUVs and utes.”
From a sales perspective, Holden might be not be rocked by the discontinuation of Commodore and Astra, but it is nonetheless sad to see an iconic nameplate be resigned to the history books.
Article Source: Cars Guide MagazineDecember 15, 2019 9:01 am


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Covid-19: First virtual meeting of BIR Ambassadors
This week, President Tom Bird chaired a first virtual meeting with BIR Ambassadors to exchange views and information about the various market and regulatory situations around the globe.
Many ambassadors expressed concern that, due to shut-down measures, many seaports were facing congestion. Containers are piling up in ports of destination with either slow handling or no handling at all. Also, it appears that the situation varies from country to country, with very contradicting scenarios, with regions not affected by the pandemic continuing business as usual, and others under strict lockdown.
Yet again, participants stressed the importance of BIR in coordinating and voicing the interests of the recycling industry at global level. The organisation’s recent initiative towards governments, shipping lines and seaport authorities will now be relayed and enhanced by BIR Ambassadors.


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Instant noodles are stacked on shelves at a convenient store in Seoul, June 13. (Yonhap)
Vietnam outpaced South Korea in terms of instant noodle consumption per capita, on the Southeast Asian country’s growing purchasing power and economic growth rate, data showed Thursday.
According to Nongshim, a leading ramyeon maker in South Korea, the average Vietnamese eats about 87 servings a year while the average South Korean has 73 servings, citing 2021 data from the World Instant Noodles Association. Nepal was in third place with 55 servings per person a year.
Korea topped the world from 2013 to 2020. The tally was 75 servings in 2019, rising to 80 in 2020, but falling back down to 73 in 2021.
The figure for Vietnam, meanwhile, has steadily increased from 55 in 2019, to 72 in 2020, and to 87 in 2021.
Vietnam’s instant noodle market is growing rapidly, from $5 billion in 2019 to $8.6 billion in 2021, reaching third in market size, following China and Indonesia.
“Vietnam has a high purchasing power with its increasing economic growth rate. Also, people tend to eat at home rather than dining out due to COVID-19,” said a Nongshim official.
By Hwang Dong-hee (email@example.com


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Monsoon man with the midas touch
Peter Simon is a proven retailer and worth £400m, but he remains a pariah in the City, reports Richard Fletcher
PETER SIMON, the chairman of Monsoon who has a fortune of £400m, was setting up his stall in London’s Portobello Road. The market was already in full swing even though the snow had only just stopped and it was bitterly cold.
Simon started out in 1972 selling hand-knitted coats from a market stall just around the corner from where he stood.
Thirty-three years later he was back — for one day — selling Monsoon samples to raise money for the Monsoon Trust, a charity that provides education for children, young people and women in India and the Far East.
“Had a good year, Peter?” said “Honest Barry”, a long-standing Portobello Road trader. “Not bad,” he replied.
In fact, Simon has had a very good year. His family’s worth has almost doubled to more than £400m in the past 12 months. Monsoon’s share price has soared 107%. With 112m shares — a 62% stake


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I bought about 2lbs whole shrimp for $3.83. Headless shrimp sells for $4.99 and peeled shrimp sells for $5.99/lb at Harbor Fish Market.
Yesterday's article in Village Soup HERE
"They are sweet, little plump pieces of candy," said Jay Villani, chef owner of Local 188 and Sonny's restaurants in Portland.
Villani said if the weather holds, he expects the shrimp to start appearing on his menus by Sunday. They will continue to make regular appearances in empanadas, risottos and other dishes until the season closes, now scheduled for April 15.


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Troubled smartphone maker HTC touted its 5G credentials, stating a 5G smart hub device will bring it back to the forefront of technologies including augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR).
The company has already announced hub deals with Sprint and Telstra, stating the product will “debut in 2019”. It has also trumpeted work with China Mobile, the world’s largest operator by subscribers, as part of the operator’s 5G Devices Forerunner Initiative.
In a statement, the vendor said it is “driving the future ubiquity of converged technology” in AR and VR, by “offering the next generation of high-bandwidth, low-latency, real-time services and applications”.
Partners for other regions, including Europe, will be announced in 2019, alongside full details of the Qualcomm-powered product.
Cher Wang, chairwoman and CEO, said: “We believe that 5G technology will help connect solutions across even more applications in the future, enabling users to have a seamless experience across smartphones, VR, AR, and more.”
While HTC played a pioneering role in the development of the smartphone market, it has suffered in recent years due to tough competition from both established and new competitors.
It is betting heavily on VR as a future driver through its Vive business, although it is yet to reap the rewards of this work.
By highlighting its work in 5G, the company is reasserting its relevance as a front runner in mobile technology. It has not so-far announced plans for a 5G smartphone, although its work on the Snapdragon 855/X50 hub should stand it in good stead.Subscribe to our daily newsletter Back


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Peddlers versus pedestrians? Jakarta governor’s plan to legalise street vendors divides the city
JAKARTA: Standing on the pedestrian bridge at the Semanggi interchange in the heart of Jakarta, dozens of officers from the Jakarta Public Order Agency kept a watchful eye on the busy streets below.
They were on the lookout for vendors who usually occupy the pavements in the afternoon, selling drinks and snacks to office workers and students on their way home.
But someone had clearly tipped off the hawkers, for there were no stalls to be seen that day. Normally, dozens of them would have lined up their carts and obstructed the walkways.
By law, it is illegal for street vendors across Indonesia to operate on pavements.
In Jakarta, a bustling metropolis with 1,600 public order officers serving a population of 9.6 million, random raids and patrols are conducted.
For survival, the errant traders rely on a reliable network of parking attendants and buskers who alert them of the presence of the uniformed team on those rare days when the city decide to enforce the law.
But there may be some good news for them soon – Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan wants to legalise street vendors in the capital.
While the Law on Road and Traffic bars anyone from disrupting the flow of pedestrians on pavements and pedestrian bridges, Mr Baswedan said there are other laws and regulations, like the Law on Small and Medium Enterprises, which permit vendors to operate on pavements.
“Pavements can serve more than one function, for pedestrians and other uses, and that is allowed under the Public Works Ministerial regulation,” the governor told reporters on Sunday (Sep 8) in defence of his proposal.
“We must not assume that pavements must be free from street vendors, that pavements are only for pedestrians.”
Mr Baswedan drew attention to the fact that major cities across the world allow street vendors to operate on pavements, with strict regulations in place.
“We are formulating a regulation (to allow street vendors to operate legally) now,” he said.
His proposal has sparked debates in Jakarta. Some welcomed the move, while others said it would be a nightmare for pedestrians to jostle for space with vendors, when there is a lack of infrastructure for pedestrians to begin with.
The proponents of the governors proposal argued that hawkers provide affordable food choices to the city dwellers. Allowing street vendors to legally operate can therefore boost the economy, they said.
A Twitter user pointed out that street vendors and pedestrians can co-exist in other countries and called for tighter regulations instead of an outright ban.
On the other hand, critics argued that permitting street vendors to occupy the pavements would put pedestrians' safety and convenience at risk.
“The government gets tax money from its people to build roads and pavements. The government has the responsibility to maintain pavements according to its function,” Twitter user Mochamad Arip wrote.
Kenapa PKL dilarang dagang di trotoar?
Trotoar itu milik semua warga. Bukan milik orang/orang. Pemda dpt pajak dari warga utk bangun jalan termasuk trotoar. Pemda harus amanah menjaga trotoar agar digunakan sesuai fungsinya.
— Remington Steele #TT (@mochamadarip) September 10, 2019
Data from the Ministry of Public Works showed that Jakarta only has 500km of pavements, compared to 7,000km of roads. Jakartans have long complained of how the pavements are mostly shoddily built and poorly maintained.
“Imagine if you allow street vendors to legally operate on pavements. Even when it is still illegal, vendors would occupy the entire width of the pavements. Legalising this would open a floodgate of vendors encroaching spaces meant for pedestrians,” Mr Alfred Sitorus of the Indonesian Pedestrian Coalition told CNA.
But the Jakarta governor said there will be specific pavements where vendors can operate, adding that narrow pavements will be vendor-free.
“We will establish the ground rules. Not all pavements will have to be shared by both pedestrians and economic activities. We will set places (where vendors would be allowed),” Mr Baswedan said.
He said the government will also limit the amount of space the vendors can occupy.
“Pavements will be divided. There will still be sections which are dedicated exclusively for pedestrians. We are formulating the regulation now."
LICENSED BUSINESSES FACE COMPETITION FROM ILLEGAL STREET VENDORS
In Jakartas commercial district Tanah Abang, vendors selling cheap clothes and knock-off shoes have almost completely overrun the narrow pavements, leaving pedestrians with only a tiny space to navigate.
Occasionally, the foot traffic comes to a standstill when passersby stop to check out the items on offer.
Mr Aspiracy Muda, who sells Muslim wear in a shopping mall, said the street vendors made it hard for people to access the malls.
“They dont have to pay rent like us, so they can sell their goods for much cheaper. And they are the first sellers the customers see. Thats why sellers in malls or stores like us dont support the governors proposal,” he told CNA.
Mr Muda remembered a time when the situation was so bad that the street vendors spilled onto roads, causing massive gridlocks.
Under former governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, the street vendors were evicted and relocated to a market. But after Mr Baswedan became governor in 2017, one by one the street vendors reappeared, Mr Muda said.
At one end of Tanah Abang, the sidewalks are filled with vendors selling clothes, household goods and mobile phone accessories, while shops remain empty and shuttered.
Mdm Arfini, who goes by one name, said her nearby store is only used for storage while she sells Muslim dresses and headscarves on the pavement.
“Otherwise the street vendors would completely hide my store from view and I would lose customers,” she said.
Mdm Arfini said she would retreat to her store when public order officers come to raid the street vendors. “It is a cat and mouse game,” the 54-year-old said.
NO LEGAL BASIS: EXPERTS
When Mr Baswedan ran for office, legalising street vendors was one of his key campaign promises to the voters.
“Street vendors are small entrepreneurs. They are marginalised because they are under the threat of eviction. They must be helped and empowered. We dont want street vendors evicted, but managed and regulated,” he


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According to an email I received today from Mixi (they didn’t post the information on their website for some reason), the NIKEiD social banner ad campaign they started earlier this month on their site worked. Does this pave the way to another channel of monetization for Japan’s biggest social network?
During the campaign, which ended June 20, Mixi members could customize various Nike items with “NIKEiD. FRIEND STUDIO”, a Flash tool, and share the designs with others (and make use of Mixi’s tight social graph).
Now Mixi says they were able to engage a total of 2.13 million users with the social banners – a more than respectable number, considering Mixi has 15 million active users (25 million registered). What’s more, Mixi has seen CTRs that are up to 11 times higher on PCs and even up to 16 times higher on cell phones.
I personally think the NikeiD campaign was pretty clever – obviously seeing banner ads pop up with designs made by my friends is much cooler than getting bombarded with random messages. This sure won’t be the last social ad campaign of its kind on Mixi.
Update: more on the campaign over on Penn Olson (in English).


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VIENNA, Va. – Sprint Nextel Corp. laid out its financial targets for its WiMAX wireless broadband network on Thursday, saying it expects revenue of $2 billion to $2.5 billion from the network in 2010.
The No. 3 wireless carrier is spending $2.5 billion through next year to build a WiMAX network it hopes will differentiate itself and draw new customers. It will spend $5 billion through 2010.
It expects the network to post positive adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization in 2010 and positive free cash flow a year later.
“WiMAX has the ability to transform the marketplace,” said Paul Saleh, chief financial officer of Sprint.
The WiMAX business will carry the Xohm brand, Sprint announced here at its Technology Summit conference.
The cost of building the network has drawn some skepticism from analysts who believe management should be focusing on its current operations. But a WiMAX network would leapfrog other carriers in terms of connection speeds.
Saleh defended the move. He said the WiMAX deployment is cheaper and covers more people than Verizon Communications Inc.’s FiOS fiber project or AT&T Inc.’s U-Verse Internet TV service.
He also noted that the capital budget for WiMAX is lower than the estimate given earlier this year as a result of its partnership with Clearwire Corp.
Clearwire isn’t the only ally. Sprint has partnered with Intel Corp., Samsung Electronics, Motorola Inc. and Nokia Corp. in the build-out. It also struck a deal with Google Inc. for its mobile search capabilities.
Barry West, who heads the WiMAX business, said the partners have committed to putting out 50 million devices, from cell phones to laptops with WiMAX chips.
West said the model of embedding chips that can access the WiMAX network gets away from the old subsidy model of giving phones away.
“I’m absolutely convinced this model will work,” West said. “It is a completely new, game-changing model.” Chairman and Chief Executive Gary Forsee said that the various partners will help “create demand for WiMAX services.”
Sprint Nextel shares fell 33 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $18.30 in early afternoon trading Thursday. The communications company is based in Reston, Va.
More technology news and opinion at www.siliconvalley.com


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The dual-SIM devices, Asha 205 and Asha 206 have been unveils in four countries (Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya and India) today.
Nokia India Director (Mobile Phones) Sari Harju told to the reporters “The new phones are also aimed at giving users a smarter Internet experience at affordable costs.”
The Asha 205 is a QWERTY handset with a devoted Facebook button offering one-touch access to the social networking site, whereas the Asha 206 is an alphanumeric handset with a 2.4-inch display.
Nokia Asha 206 has a camera application, which allows users to click focussed self portraits using the back camera of the handset through voice-guidance.
The two handsets will be available in India in the next month. However the pricing has not been announced, but the handsets are likely to be priced at about USD 62 globally.


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Some Napa Valley Residents Seek Stricter Rules On Winery TourismWine and Napa go hand in hand, but the influx of people enjoying Wine Country has changed the landscape, the industry and many argue the quality of life.
More Drought-Challenged California Winemakers Grow Grapes With Less WaterA growing minority of California growers and winemakers believe that when it comes to wine grapes, the less irrigation, the better.
35 To Ride 'Wine Soul Train' Bus Tour Of Napa Valley To Raise Awareness Of Race DisparitiesThirty-five people are headed from Oakland to wine country Saturday on what's being called The Wine Soul Train, a response to a racial incident last month on the Napa Valley Wine Train
Wragg Fire Near Napa Valley Slows; Some Evacuations LiftedA wildfire burning near Napa Valley wine country had calmed enough that many were allowed to return to previously threatened homes, officials said.
Dogs Trained To Sniff Out Truffles In Napa Valley You've seen dogs trained for search and rescue and others for for sniffing out narcotics. Now some Bay Area dogs are learning to dig up what chefs call the “black diamond,” better known as truffles.
California's Historic Drought Sprouts Success For Napa VineyardsIn Napa Valley, home to some of California's prized vineyards, the vines are looking healthy, despite the state's historic drought, reports CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy.
Best Places Off The Beaten Path In Wine CountryWant to discover the hidden gems of wine country? Laura Dave, author of "Eight Hundred Grapes," shares her top off the beaten path locations in San Francisco's wine country.
Napa Time Capsule Opened After Being Unearthed By Last Year's EarthquakeA time capsule that would have remained hidden for a century was unearthed after just thirty-five years under the ground thanks to the Napa earthquake.
Best Romantic Winter Destinations For CouplesCouples looking for a romantic winter destination in America will enjoy any of these five beautiful places.
Where's Roberta? Hall Wines Grape Crush In Napa ValleyVIDEO: It's harvest time in wine county. We go behind the scenes at Hall Wines in Napa Valley!
Quake Damage Becomes Napa’s Newest Attraction For TouristsVisitors to Napa have their choice of wine-related attractions, from the wine train to the pastoral beauty of the vineyards. But now they have one more: the damage from Sunday’s quake.
$50 Billion Wine Industry Begins Reporting Costly Toll Of Sunday’s QuakeThe region produces 17% of the nation’s wine, including some of the most prized vintages bottled just north of Napa in Calistoga, Yountville and St. Helena. For owners of those labels, there is no way to replace the loss of a product bottled years ago.


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Nine-year-old natural beauty brand Clark’s Botanicals is ramping up its digital presence. This month, the skin-care company is preparing for a site refresh and, come summer, it will undergo a full rebranding covering visuals and packaging.
“When I started this company, the voice of the brand was governed and distilled by the top-four glossy magazines,” said Clark’s Botanicals founder, Francesco Clark. “That has all changed. We need to bring a better sense of community to our customers, and the best way to do that is through direct communication.”
It is a fitting time for Clark’s Botanicals to be reinvesting in itself versus its third-party partners like Space NK, QVC and Amazon, as its parent company Glansaol, which acquired the company in January 2017, voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December. (The Warburg Pincus-backed business also owns cosmetics brands Laura Geller and Julep.) Glansaol sought a motion to sell off its assets to AS Beauty, which was formed by Alan and Joey Shamah, founders of E.l.f. Cosmetics, barring a higher offer. The sale should be completed in the early part of this year.
Though Clark’s Botanicals is still sold through the aforementioned partners (in November, the brand also expanded into Nordstrom.com via Space NK Apothecary shop-in-shops), in 2018, online sales for ClarksBotanicals.com increased by 250 percent, and site traffic is up to 65 percent in six months. In 2019, the brand expects direct sales to double.
According to the brand, much of the conversion and engagement on the site is through its social channels, like Instagram where it has nearly 64,000 followers. The company is also testing a new YouTube channel with Clark as its lead face and guest appearances from makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes and blogger Grace Atwood. Of the latter, Clark said, “It is very similar to the direct conversation I was having with women during my QVC appearances. We’ve found that it isn’t the most perfect or precious image that sells our story or product; it is through real connection. With our own channels, you become your own QVC.”
A further example of this is Clark’s late November interview with Gayle King on “CBS This Morning.” Immediately following the appearance, the brand reported to have increased its annual revenue by 200 percent and sold out of seven of its hero skin-care products. This had a halo effect to its wholesale partners, as Clark’s Botanicals sold out of a nine-week inventory run in one week with Nordstrom/Space NK, according to Karen Adam, Clark’s Botanicals global head of marketing. To fuel ongoing customer interest, Clark sent email blasts to existing and prospective customers immediately after the segment, which saw a 70 percent click-through rate.
While plans for the site refresh are still under wraps pending the Glansaol sale, Clark disclosed that a chatbot functionality with him at the helm will coincide with the site relaunch to further facilitate direct access to the brand. “Instead of getting pre-canned responses from an automated service, I will be doing live videos answering customer questions,” he said.
Additionally, Clark’s found that a majority of its direct customers, most of whom are between 30 and 50 years old, were repeat purchasers in 2018. The company had a consumer retention rate of 98 percent last year, with the average basket size upwards of $240. Clark’s Botanicals product assortment ranges from $10 for a sample size offering of products to $115 for its Nourishing Youth Serum and Smoothing Marine Cream, the latter of which is the company’s top-selling product. “We are converting these customers not only at a higher price, but also in the most basic step of their skin-care routine, where there is typically a lot of loyalty,” said Clark.
This year, Clark’s Botanicals expects its site to account for over 70 percent of revenue and Clark explained that his customers are going to help spur product innovation via its chat communications in 2019. “We want to close the loop between speaking as a brand that promotes connecting with the customer and making it a hand-in-hand experience,” he said.


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Lower On-Line Prices for Brazilian Meat While Cuban Government is Silent
14ymedio, Zunilda Mata, Havana, 24 March 2017 – Cuba has reacted very
oddly to the scandal of adulterated meat from Brazil, the island's main
provider of beef products: silence on the part of the authorities, lower
prices on some on-line shopping sites, and very little public concern
about possible health risks.
At the corner of Monte and Cienfuegos several customers milled around
this Thursday, waiting for La Havana Butcher Shop to lower the prices on
its display. "My daughter told me they were going to lower prices,"
Carmen, a 78-year-old pensioner waiting on the sidewalk, told this
Carmen's daughter lives in Murcia, Spain and has kept abreast of all the
news about the adulteration of products by the Brazilian companies JBS
and BRF, the two most important in the country, which came to light
through an investigation by the Federal Police.
The Cuban press has been sparing in details about "Operation Weak Meat,"
but the issue has generated hopes among Cubans of a possible fall in
prices of these foods, in high demand on the nation's tables.
The digital sites that sell on the island have taken the first step and
this week some of them have dropped prices on beef. "Meats imported from
Brazil. With great discounts and better quality," announced Supermarket
Treew, one of the most popular internet sales sites.
The services of the company, based in Toronto, began in 1998 and are
widely used by emigrants living abroad to supply their families with
food, cleaning supplies and appliances; they place and pay for their
orders on line and the products are delivered in Cuba. Now
online products like roasts, ground beef, hamburgers and steak are
showing price reductions ranging from 5% to 15%.
However, Cuba's Ministry of Internal Commerce has not applied similar
discounts in the network of domestic stores nor withdrawn these products
from the shelves.
The Ministry of Internal Commerce has not applied similar discounts in
the network of national stores or withdrawn products from the sale
The Department of Attention to the Population of that state entity
confirmed to this newspaper, by telephone, that "no particular measure
has been taken with regards to that subject. We have not ordered the
suspension of the sale of meat from Brazil nor lowered prices, although
each store can do so autonomously."
The point of sale of frozen products located at Neptuno and Angeles
streets continued displaying the usual prices: 10.90 CUC per one
kilogram of beef, half of the monthly salary of a professional.
"I have the store's phone number and I have called every day to know if
they have put anything on sale, but nothing," says Ignacio Luaces, an
entrepreneur who runs errands for a private restaurant. "We are hoping
that the goods will go on sale, but so far, no," he told 14ymedio.
Others are concerned about the potential health implications. "Every day
on TV there are lots of announcements about mosquitoes and the dangers
of the diseases they transmit, but they have not said anything about
it," protests Liudmila, a medical student who plans to specialize in
"Food poisoning is very dangerous and most people who buy beef for
domestic consumption do it for children or the elderly," she says. "I
think it's time for the Ministry of Public Health to make a public
announcement telling people not to eat that meat."
Source: Lower On-Line Prices for Brazilian Meat While Cuban Government
is Silent – Translating Cuba -


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More HTC One 2 pictures leak showing off upcoming handset
The HTC One M8 leaks are coming thick and fast as yet more claimed HTC One 2 pictures appear showing off the upcoming phone.
With a mass of recent HTC One 2 rumours all suggesting the phone will feature a brushed metal design largely similar to that found on last year’s original HTC One offering, the new leaks have backed up further teased images that have surfaced in recent days.
According to the latest leaked shots, the inbound HTC One 2 will sport a body markedly similar to last year’s model, albeit with a larger 5-inch display that slots in thanks in large to a heavily reduced bezel.
Further freeing up space for a bigger screen, the phone’s formerly soft-touch Android controls have once again been teased as making way for new, digital, on-screen options.
Around back there are a few further changes, with a dual-lens camera being introduced to aid the phone’s focusing and metering capabilities. The second, smaller lens looks set to be located directly above the primary, Ultrapixel sensor.
Although not shown in the leaked images, recent HTC One 2 rumours have claimed the phone will be powered by a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, with the 5-inch, 1080p Full HD to line up alongside Google’s latest Android 4.4 KitKat OS.
Despite MWC 2014 being just weeks away and offering a potential high-profile launch platform for the phone, it has been suggested that the HTC One 2 release date will be held separately in mid-March.
Far from the only high-profile phone to be set to make an appearance in the coming weeks, the eagerly awaited Samsung Galaxy S5 is believed to be heading for a formal unveiling on February 24.
Next, read all the latest iPhone 6 news and rumours


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The festival is mainly celebrated in Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The Chhath Puja is also known as Chhetri, Chhath Parv, Chhath Maiya, Dala Chhath, Dala Puja and Surya Shashthi. It is celebrated on the sixth day of the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar.
Flights are one of the biggest expenses on any international trip and depending on the location your are flying to, it could be roughly half of the total budget for the trip. That’s why finding cheap flight tickets is worth putting in a bit of an extra effort into. It’s not difficult to find good deals on international flights and these tips will help you find out the cheapest flight tickets out there..
Part of what makes this meme so notable is how quickly this video of two cute kids interrupting their dad Skype interview with the BBC blew up to score international buzz. When political science professor Robert E. Kelly daughter, Marion, crashed his live interview, her indifference toward whatever her father was trying to do won everyone over.
Amazon Prime Day is a big deal each year with the online retailer offering some of the best deals you can find on various items of the entire year. Prime Day is a fantastic opportunity to do all your holiday shopping early, and according to a rumor, it will kick off on October 13. Prime Day has been delayed this year thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to an alert released Sunday morning, officers found one 25 year old man at the south end of the park with several gunshot wounds to his midsection. At the north end of the park, officers found one 57 year old man who was shot in his midsection and one 63 year old man who was shot on his hand. Officers provided first aid until medical personnel could arrive..
“They think they’re spending $10 million a year trying to combat something. That $10 million is going down the drainpipe,” said Kevyn Kennedy, the founder of CBI Consulting, who has run investigations for over two decades. “A lot of times the counterfeiter will turn into the investigator’s informant: ‘Don’t get me.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, or Fan Edition, promises the most popular features of the flagship Galaxy S20 family at a much lower price. You get the same Exynos 990 processor, plus a 6.5 inch full HD+ 120Hz Super AMOLED screen and a 4500mAh battery. The body is polycarbonate but this phone still feels premium, and is IP68 rated for water and dust resistance.
According to a new survey, 60% of men dread getting invites to stag dos (file picture) (Image: Getty)Our free email newsletter sends you the biggest headlines from news, sport and showbizOur free email newsletter sends you the biggest headlines from news, sport and showbizSign upWhen you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights.


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Apple has detailed its financials for the third quarter of its fiscal 2015 year, and as expected there are a lot of good talking points. We’ve already dug into some of the relevant numbers, but are taking a moment to talk about the Apple Watch specifically. Apple shies away from getting too specific about it smartwatch’s sales numbers, though CEO Tim Cook did say that the quarter was a “great start for Apple Watch”.
Among the company’s financial numbers is a category call “Other Products” in which the iPod and, more recently, the Apple Watch reside. The sales number provided is a sum total; Apple did not break it down into per-device numbers.
As such, we don’t know the sales numbers for the Apple Watch — only that Apple considers the wearable’s launch to have been a success and to have contributed to this past quarter’s record-breaking numbers.
We do get a glimpse of how the Apple Watch did via Apple’s Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri, however, who said that the wearable’s sales across its first nine weeks trumped the same timespan’s initial sales numbers for both the iPad and iPhone.
That is to say, when the iPhone and iPad were first introduced, their respective first nine weeks’ sales numbers were lower than the sales experienced in the Apple Watch’s first nine weeks. Good news for Apple? Yes. Bad news for all of its competitors? Absolutely.
Check out Apple’s full report here.


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Helsinki-based digital marketing agency Activeark is joining the world’s leading communications group.
The American marketing communications agency JWT informed this week that it has aquired majority share of Activeark. Founded in 2003, Activeark is Finland’s leading digital marketing company currently employing 80 people. As a result of the aquisition Activeark and JWT Helsinki will merge into a new company, Activeark JWT Oy.
The CEO of JWT Europe Toby Hoare said in their press release: “This is a major step towards us achieving our ambitions in Finland. The merger catapults Activeark JWT to a top three marketing agency in Finland and brings together a respected global,
well-established brand expert with a leading, fast growing, digital marketing
agency. We know we will do great and exciting things together as one team.”
Read more about the topic: http://www.activeark.com/


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Bank of America, USAA and Wells Fargo have all come out on top in a new study looking at which credit cards are the best at fraud prevention, detection and resolution. Not surprisingly, retail credit cards like Target scored the lowest in the study.
The ninth Annual Credit Card Issuers’ Study by Javelin Strategy & Research looked at the records of 24 credit card issuers in order to learn more about fraud trends and ways to improve security.
Coming out on top
Bank of America was the overall winner earning Best in Class status for security, a spot they have held for the last seven years. The bank earned a grade of 70% (out of 100) on the study’s scorecard, coming in 15 points ahead of the industry average.
USAA came in first in the category of fraud prevention, followed by Bank of America, Citibank, Navy FCU, and State Farm. These issuers were effective at preventing fraud due to their focus on educating cardholders on how to keep their information safe, whether they are shopping online or in the store, or using social media networks.
Associated Bank and SunTrust tied for the top spot when it came to resolving fraud issues. A fast response time is an important part of resolution. Both of these issuers provide their customers with a line of credit or reverse fraudulent charges within 48 hours.
BB&T, Pentagon FCU, and PNC took the other three top spots in this category. All the winners adopted resolution initiatives that include creating a team to help customers resolve issues quickly and providing 24/7 account suspension once an issue is discovered. Cardholders are also off the hook for any fraudulent charges.
Wells Fargo was the best at actually detecting fraud, doing especially well at catching changes in cardholders’ credit card activity or account information. Fifth Third, First National Bank of Omaha, U.S. Bank, and Nordstrom were also in the top five. All these issuers pay attention to charges made when a credit card is used virtually, whether that’s shopping online or via phone. Only about a third of the issuers in the study provide this service. According to Javelin online purchases are made by criminals in just about half of fraud cases.
Retailers scored low
Retailers who issue credit card cards are often prime territory for criminals. The study looked at three retail credit cards, and they actually scored the lowest in the study when it came to prevention. Target and Nordstrom came in at the bottom of this category indicating that there is an opportunity for retailers to provide their customers with more effective protection.
Javelin Strategy & Research used a scorecard-based system when reviewing the profiles of the credit card issuers in this study, which included: Pentagon Federal Credit Union, PNC, RBS, State Farm, Bank of America, Barclays, BB&T, Cabela’s WFB, Capital One, American Express, Associated Bank, Chase, Citibank, Discover, Fifth Third, First National Bank of Omaha, GE Capital Retail Bank, Navy Federal Credit Union, Nordstrom, SunTrust, Target, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank and USAA.


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Microsoft Hosts Windows Mobile Developer Camps
Microsoft will be hosting a number of developer camps for its WIndows Mobile platform in the coming weeks in at least six cities around the world. If you develop apps to sell or work on them for your enterprise, you might want to check these events out. The targeted platform is Windows Mobile 6.5.
Too Many Collaboration Platforms
Chatting in the lounge of our Global CIO virtual event this week, one CIO raised his concern about having too many collaboration platforms. A wiki here, e-mail alerts there, a SharePoint group there, and pretty soon the discussion's fragmented, and IT has a bunch more platforms to support.
When Online Marketers Betray
One day soon, some marketing company is going to go too far in its quest for short term gains, and betray our real identities to one of its customers. Or it will turn out that one of them has been doing it all along for years.
Verizon Apps Store: No Bandwidth Hogs, Please
A Verizon Wireless spokesperson has indicated that the company plans to block applications that draw a lot of bandwidth from its V CAST Apps store. What, you thought Verizon was going to be more "open"? This and the Great Google Voice Debacle prove that "openness" is a fallacy and the walled gardens never came down.
In Case Of Disaster, Turn To Cloud
Disaster recovery is one of those eat-your-spinach topics: not glamorous, not fun, not appealing but good for you. A new report predicts that cloud computing will transform the backup, recovery, and business continuity markets and hit the sweet spot for many SMBs.
HTC Lowers Revenue Forecast
The smartphone maker is feeling the heat from a downward trend in handset pricing and from China's delay in rolling out its 3G network.
UK Government Tries Twittering By Committee
Reading about U.K. government guidelines for participating in Twitter, I'm reminded of a joke: A woman says to her workaholic husband, "We need more spontaneity in our marriage. Surprise me!" And the man says, "Great idea, honey! Why don't you prepare a list of ways that you'd like me to surprise you spontaneously, and then we can schedule a meeting to discuss it!"
ReviewCam: Video Publishing Magnified
Magnify is a hosted solution for managing and publishing video on the web. It shares many of the traits that similar, competitive solutions have, but it's got two features that caught my attention. First (and this is a small one), it auto-tweets any new video you publish; second (and this is a big one), it lets you integrate your video with video on other public web sites. We've captured some of the nuances in a ReviewCam video.
Apple To Patch iPhone Security Flaw [UPDATE]
According to U.K.-based network operator O2, Apple plans to distribute a patch for the iPhone's SMS security flaw as soon as this weekend. What's not clear is if the patch will be only for O2's customers or if Apple will update all iPhones. Update: iPhone OS 3.0.1 released to fix the flaw!
SPSS Is Not the Story; IBM's Vision for Analytics Is
The media and my fellow analysts have been breathlessly touting IBM's acquisition of SPSS ($1.2B) as some sort groundbreaking to a new era of analytics. I don't see it that way... If anyone thinks the acquisition of SPSS marks IBM's serious entry into analytics, they've been sleeping...
iPhone Smackdown: TechCrunch's Arrington Versus Forrester's Colony
I hate to dive into the traffic-trolling antics of TechCrunch's Michael Arrington, but I will (and not just because I'm chasing clicks, too). In his post about why he's abandoning the iPhone, he's apparently coming around to the view I've espoused for years. Namely, there are better options out there. He's opting for an Android; I say Blackberry's better.
Google's Global Dominance
While Google's search share of 60% in the U.S. will certainly be tough for Microsoft and Yahoo to attack, the challenge in many other major countries around the world will be even more daunting: Google's worldwide search share is 67%, according to ComScore.
Netezza Is Changing its Hardware Architecture, Slashing Prices
Netezza is about to make its biggest product announcement in years, cutting prices to less than $20K/terabyte of user data, replacing its PowerPC chips with Intel-based IBM blades and making substantial changes in how data flows between the various parts of a Netezza node for a claimed 10-15X increase in price-performance...
The CentOS Shakeup
A rift has opened within the ranks of the CentOS project -- a schism between the project's team and its leader that, to me, points up the differences between a "hobby" and a "professional" open source project.
Whacky Graphics at USAspending.gov
I started this blog entry with the intent of appraising USAspending.gov's IT Dashboard, a new, interactive tool for evaluation of Federal Government IT spending. Unfortunately, graphical issues start on USAspending.gov's main page with one downright whacky graphic. I can't recall the last time I saw a graphic that so distorted the numbers, so I tried to recreate it (and failed). Here's how...
Can Wal-Mart Sell The Power Of The Sun?
I'm a huge fan of Wal-Mart and its passionate commitment to customers and its ability to do things at an unmatched scale and with unmatched efficiency. Even so, I'm not buying an investment advisor's frothy analysis of how Wal-Mart is looking to harness the power of the sun to become one of the country's largest producers - and sellers - of electrical power.
Yahoo's Incredible Change Of Fortune
Only last year, Microsoft offered to buy the whole of Yahoo for a price of somewhere around $40 billion dollars. This week, Microsoft managed to get the part they really wanted, the search traffic from Yahoo visitors, for almost nothing. What was Yahoo thinking?
Apple Shows Google The Web Hasn't Won
The Web may be the platform of the future, but at the moment, Web development technology doesn't provide Google with a way around Apple's ban on its Google Voice app.
Xbox's Project Natal Revamped For Offices?
The technology behind Microsoft's Project Natal, a future Xbox technology that employs voice recognition technology and uses a camera to recognize gestures and eliminate the need for a controller, could eventually make its way into the business world.
Google Docs Gains E-Commerce Option
Google on Thursday released the Google Checkout store gadget, software that allows any Google Docs user to create an online store and sell items using a Google spreadsheet.
The Potential of Virtual Desktops
I've been covering desktop virtualization quite a bit lately; it's a pretty hot topic. After debugging the Matrix for the last 6 months in the InformationWeek Desktop Virtualization labs, I'm trying to free my mind and consider the potential uses of desktop virtualization beyond running MS Office, here's some pretty cool ideas. Gaming companies, listen up.
Is This Verizon's Android Phone?
Well, it looks like the specs and pictures have leaked of the first Android phone to be on Verizon Wireless' network, and this Motorola smartphone looks really, really cool. Hit the jump for details and a picture.
Google Readies Its Book Business
As it prepares to become a major digital book seller, Google is striking partnerships with brick-and-mortar stores and trying to dispel concerns.
Are Mobile Devices Closing The Digital Divide?
Mobile devices seem to be closing the digital divide. More and more people are getting online with cell phones, but the uptake is really strong with minorities according to a report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Memory Chip Market Recovering
Rising demand and limited supply will boost prices for DDR3 DRAM chips in the second half of the year, iSuppli says.
In SPSS, IBM Gains an Open R & Python Analytics Platform
I love telling folks that I ran my first SPSS programs in 1976... and that I haven't run one since. SPSS has long since reinvented itself as a predictive analytics vendor but brings other, less-visible assets to the IBM deal including the ability to patch Python and R code into SPSS routines. SPSS's Bring Your Own Analytics is a clear competitive differentiator with benefits for users and the company alike...
Microsoft Is Following Me On Twitter
I'll admit to experiencing a tiny ego frisson upon reading the email notification that Microsoft News is now following me on Twitter (and since I'll be Tweeting this, I assume someone at Microsoft News will feel the cool pleasure of a python having taken the measure of its prey).
BlackHat Bombshell #2: iPhones And Other "GSM" Phones Open To SMS Hack
With one bombshell already having been dropped at the BlackHat Conference (that most implementations of SSL are configured to give up everything including logins, credit cards, etc.), researchers dropped another one today when they demonstrated how the SMS infrastructures of GSM-flavored operators such as AT&T and T-Mobile are hackable to the point that cell phones can be hacked and their users can be tri


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Fisher Textiles Hosts Back to Business Textile Imaging Symposium
Fisher Textiles, a fabric supplier for digital printing, hosted its first textile imaging symposium with industry partners Axiom America, DGI, Mutoh, REXframe, and Practix Mfg. at its corporate headquarters on Oct. 21-22.
Health and safety protocols were strictly enforced, including limited attendees, COVID screening, temperature checks, sanitizing stations, social distancing, and face-covering requirements.
Educational sessions led by the industry experts included Dye Sub 101, Color Management, SEG Innovations, and All About Fabric.
Live production demos held in Fisher’s print and demo room featured turnkey production with equipment from Mutoh, DGI, CadCam Technology, Practix Mfg., fabric media from Fisher Textiles, and framing systems from REXframe. Demos focused on face mask production, feather flag production, SEG production, and personalized blanket production.
Scott Fisher, president and CEO of Fisher Textiles, says, “The event was a great success. We were able to safely utilize our demo and training rooms to support customers with on-site training and provide educational resources to the industry”.
Find an overview of each session and a link to request video footage here.


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When Motorola announced the Droid 3, there was a lot of negative energy directed at the device for its lack of an LTE radio. Of course, it was still better than its predecessors in every way -- larger, more vibrant screen, better keyboard, less intrusive Blur -- it was an all around nice piece of kit. Moving forward, Moto knew that it had to one-up the D3 with the newest iteration of the iconic Droid series, and, according to these leaked images, it looks to have hit that nail on the head with the Droid 4.
It's a pretty well known fact that, when trying to lose weight, you have to create a caloric deficit -- for every 3500 calories burned, that's one pound of weight lost. Thus, it takes a combination of diet and exercise to create said deficit. However, it is exceedingly difficult to keep track of your caloric intake, as well as calculate the calories burned for various activities. If you're serious about getting in shape, though, there is a solution: using an automatic body monitoring system like BodyMedia's FIT Armband.
We heard that Sony was looking to buy Ericsson's half of Sony Ericsson earlier this month, and now that deal has come to fruition. Sony will purchase Ericsson's part of the joint effort that has been over a decade in the making for €1.05 billion cash. Aside from the obvious, the deal will also land Sony a cross-licensing agreement that includes access to a few "essential patent families relating to wireless handset technology."
The purchase will allow Sony to better streamline all of its current markets, including game consoles, smartphones, tablets, computers, and more into one unified subset of devices.
Out of all the awesome accessories for smartphones on the market, Capta has to be one of the coolest I've seen in a while. It's a multi-functional accessory that works as a tripod mount/desktop stand, bringing some incredibly useful functionality to your device. Just take a look for yourself:
I know what you're thinking: how does it stick?! Yeah, I wondered the same thing after watching the video for the first time.
In what seems to be its biggest update since the initial release, the Winamp team just pushed some pretty major changes to Winamp for Android. For starters, this update now allows Mac users to sync with Winamp -- something that has previously been missing. Aside from that, there is now a pro version available, offering enough new features to easily justify the $5 pricetag:
- 10-band graphic equalizer
- A customizable home screen
- The ability to navigate or browse your music by Folders
- Crossfade between tracks
- Gapless playback
- Support for FLAC playback in Browse by Folders nav (lossless audio playback)
- Replay Gain Support (configurable in Settings menu)
- Personalized SHOUTcast station recommendations (based on music in your Android device)
- The ability to play any streaming audio URL in SHOUTcast (supported formats only)
- Ad Free
The update is available now in the Android Market -- hit the widget to grab it.
In an effort to help advance computer vision on mobile devices, Qualcomm has released the first mobile-optimized CV library, aptly named FastCV. While this news may not be groundbreaking for end-users, it's a pretty big deal for developers, as this library can be used in mobile development to help improve things like face detection and recognition, text tracking and recognition, gesture recognition, as well as open a whole new world for augmented reality applications.
There's no doubt that Fandango is one of the best apps for finding out what movies are playing in the local theatre, reading reviews, watching trailers, and even buying tickets. If you're just not into watching trailers or checking out movie details on you phone, though, then you should check out Fandango's newest app: Fandango Movies for Tablets.
Like you would expect, Fandango for tablets makes good use of the much larger screen and offers all the same features that you're already accustomed to using on the phone version.
Lookout, one of my favorite mobile security apps, received an update today that brings a feature I've wanted since I got my Tab 10.1: tablet support (which, in this case, also includes support for ICS devices). Aside from the malware scanner and backup functionality, one of the most alluring features of Lookout is its find-my-device capability -- a highly useful feature if your device is ever lost or stolen, and a must-have on any tablet.
Sprint just released its Q3 earnings report, and while it's nothing to boast about, it does offer some encouraging numbers for the Now Network. Its operating revenue is up to $8.3 billion -- a slight jump up from this time last year. It also saw a major jump in wireless subscribers, adding 1.3 million new customers -- a five year high for the company. Out of the 1.3 million, 304,000 were post-paid, 485,000 were pre-paid, and 835,000 were wholesale.
Go ahead and file this one under the we're not surprised tab: Google's Hugo Barra told the Telegraph that the Nexus One won't be getting updated to Android 4.0, as the hardware is just too old. Honestly, we didn't expect the Big G to support the original Nexus forever, so this shouldn't really come as a shocker to anyone.
With that said, we know that tons of unofficial ports (read: custom ROMs) will be available shortly after the ICS source is dropped, once again breathing life into an otherwise dying device.


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In the face of a challenging economy, many Americans are working to improve their personal spending habits. A recent Wall Street Journal article provides several examples of broadband tools that can help -- and notes these websites and apps are more needed than ever, with today's retirees carrying almost double the mortgage debt they did in 1989.
Need help tracking your expenditures? Mint.com and LearnVest.com enable users to import bank, credit card, and loan information securely to a personal account. Then they can set budgets, monitor spending, receive alerts on when to pay bills, and consider suggestions on streamlining debt or saving for retirement. For a fee, LearnVest.com will also provide a personalized financial plan, and offers “boot camps” to help consumers learn more about financial topics.
Those who need specific strategies on the most efficient way to pay off debt can find advice at WhatsTheCost.com. The site provides debt reduction tips and serves as a debt calculator – providing a timeline of when you can expect to eliminate personal debt. ReadyForZero.com offers a similar debt payment strategy service, and also recommends ways to cut debt over the long-term.
There are even sites that entice users with rewards for good financial habits. SaveUp.com awards credits that can be used to earn prizes, and Payoff.com users earn badges that make them eligible to win small cash rewards.
Tightening tyour financial belt can be challenging, but broadband-enabled financial tools are helping consumers achieve a more balanced financial life.


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More modern, more digital and more agile: this is how the Blanco Professional Group is presenting itself nine months after Egon Kofler took over as the new managing director. Befittingly, the company is looking ahead with confidence again after a challenging year in 2020. The fresh, modern corporate image and ambitious claim will also be reflected in a new corporate brand from the beginning of October 2021.
“Our new brand will convey the values which represent us today: modern, agile and uncompromisingly customer-focussed. It will unite our dynamism with the security we will continue to have as part of the Blanc & Fischer family holding,” says CEO Egon Kofler.
A strong brand – for the company and products
The new name also encompasses the merging of the company and product brands. The new company name will, therefore, also be used to identify the products in the future, thus, showing their origin clearly and consistently. “This will allow the product brand and the company brand to strengthen each other,” stresses Kofler.
The new corporate brand name will be revealed along with the entire brand image, including the logos, in September. Shortly after, the new brand image will be showcased to a wide audience of trade professionals for the first time at the catering trade fair Host in Milan in October, where the company will also be presenting a new product line.
About Blanco Professional
Blanco Professional is active in the B2B sector. The company group produces high-quality capital goods for commercial kitchens and is a supplier for the industry.
Founded as “Blanc & Co.” in 1925 and spun off as Blanco in 2007, today’s Blanco Professional Group and its 693 employees achieves a consolidated annual turnover of 103 million euros (fiscal year 2020). In addition to its headquarters in Oberderdingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) the group has subsidiaries in other parts of Germany and in France, Belgium, the UK, Austria and the Czech Republic. It also has sales offices in Spain, Russia and Switzerland.
The Blanc & Fischer family holding has a majority share in Blanco Professional.
More information at www.blanco-professional.com


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Update: You can now listen to the full Tesla conference call below.
Tesla just released its quarterly shareholder letter. The first item is a whopper: the company aims to move its 2020 target to produce 500,000 vehicles a year to 2018.
Obviously, this is in response to the insanely (nay, ludicrously) high demand for the Tesla Model 3 (up to 400,000 reservations weeks ago, before Elon stopped updating us). If there’s the demand, there’s a way to achieve it, right?
As many commenters here on CleanTechnica and people Kyle and I talked to at the Tesla Model 3 unveiling said (the EVAnnex dudes, for example), with banks, investors, and Panasonic seeing how strong demand for the Model 3 is, Tesla should have no shortage obtaining more financing and agreements to increase battery and vehicle production further.
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There have already been several signs that Tesla is aiming a much faster ramp, but that is now crystal clear thanks to the shareholder letter.
Other news this week (that we haven’t yet had time to cover in detail) that hinted at this was that Tesla just nabbed a huge warehouse lease in Livermore, near its Fremont factory — “just over 1 million square feet, or more than 17 football fields.” Yep, that had Model 3 fingerprints all over it.
Another tidbit that could be related to the ramp or could be related to the Model X production problems (or could be related to other matters altogether) is that two of Tesla’s production chiefs are on their way out — “Greg Reichow, Tesla’s vice president of production and one of its highest-paid executives, and Josh Ensign, vice president of manufacturing, will leave the company. A Tesla spokesperson confirmed both departures and said Reichow will remain until his replacement is found.” One would think that has more to do with the ongoing Model X production problems, but who knows, maybe there’s a difference of opinion regarding the challenge of ramping up to 500,000 vehicles a year by 2018. Can I emphasize that target strongly enough?
Naturally, there’s a bit of a “he said, she said” going on with these departures, and we don’t have enough insight to pick a side, but here’s another quote from that Bloomberg piece: “A person familiar with the situation who isn’t authorized to speak about the matter said the executive changes are linked to delays, glitches, and a recall that have bedeviled Tesla’s Model X. Tesla denied any connection between the departures and production problems with its SUV. ‘This is not about the Model X,’ said a Tesla spokesperson. ‘After being at Tesla for over five years and leading its production team for the past three years, Greg Reichow has announced his intention to take a leave of absence from Tesla so that he can have a well-earned break.'”
Reichow made nearly $6.4 million in cash, stock, & options in 2014 + 2015, so I’m sure it wasn’t a lighthearted decision however it came about. And one could certainly see that the burnout from the past several years left him ready for a vacation rather than a daunting production task. I’m sure Tesla won’t have trouble finding a replacement, though. (Edit: Notably, Reichow’s LinkedIn profile shows no prior experience in the automotive world ahead of Tesla, but over 7 years at SunPower.)
Back to the Tesla shareholder letter, here’s the opening paragraph:
“The overwhelming demand for Model 3 confirms that compelling all-electric vehicles have mass-market appeal. In the first week of taking deposits for Model 3, we received more than 325,000 reservations despite no advertising or paid endorsements. This implies about $14 billion in future sales, making the Model 3 introduction the biggest consumer product launch ever. Since then, reservations have continued to grow to surpass even our expectations. With Model 3, our mission of accelerating the transition to sustainable transportation is more achievable than ever.”
I’ll update this article as I get further into the letter, or I’ll write new articles if it seems warranted. But my big take-home is the same as I repeated many times on Model 3 unveiling night: The conventional automakers (BMW, Mercedes, GM, etc) must be panicking and/or crying right now.
Full Disclosure: I’m long TSLA. Very long TSLA. My articles are not aimed at affecting the TSLA stock price and I’ve been writing in the same way about Tesla for long before I was a stockholder. Just sayin’.


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Apple shares were falling 5% to $193.71 Monday afternoon, as the broader U.S. market also tumbled on fears of rising trade conflict between the U.S. and China. Apple shares have slumped almost 11% since President Trump first tweeted on Aug. 1 that he planned to place 10% tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, including smartphones, apparel and other consumer goods, after little progress had been made on trade talks.
Trump's tweets last week "brought back a dark cloud over Cupertino," wrote Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives in a note on Friday. "If fully absorbed this tariff would negatively impact fiscal year 2020 EPS by roughly 4% and be a clear overhang on numbers," Ives said. But "if Apple passes through the 10% tariff to consumers we could see a hit to iPhone demand by roughly 6 million to 8 million iPhones in the US based on our analysis over the next 12 months based on our overall unit forecast of 185 million iPhones globally for fiscal year 2020."
Trump later indicated that the tariffs, planned to go into effect on Sept. 1, could be as high as 25%.
Ives stopped short of estimating the EPS impact if Apple opted to raise prices for consumers, but Cowen analyst Krish Sankar in a Monday note broke down the potential EPS impact of four main scenarios:
Scenario #1: Trump enacts a 10% tariff, which Apple absorbs without raising prices.
"We forecast total EPS impact of $0.60 or 4% of fiscal year 2020E EPS if Apple absorbs the 10% tariff cost itself across the major hardware product categories and assuming the tariff stays constant throughout the year."
Scenario #2: Trump enacts a 25% tariff, which Apple absorbs without raising prices.
"Total EPS impact of $1.51 or 11% of FY20E EPS assuming a constant 25% tariff and Apple absorbs the full cost itself."
Scenario #3: The president enacts 10% tariffs that Apple passes along to the consumer via higher prices.
"We estimate an EPS impact range of $0.09-0.38 assuming the 10% tariff costs are passed along to consumers with 5-20% unit demand destruction. We estimate the iPhone would have the largest EPS impact at 0.5%-2% of total company earnings, followed by sub-1% each for iPad, Mac, and Watch."
Scenario #4: Trump imposes 25% tariffs that Apple passes along to consumers.
"We estimate an EPS impact range of $0.19-0.76 assuming the 25% tariff costs are passed along to consumers with 10-40% unit demand destruction. We estimate the iPhone would have the largest EPS impact at 1-4% of total company earnings, followed by sub-1% each for iPad, Mac, and Watch."
Analysts polled by FactSet are looking for 2020 EPS of $14.09. Should that earnings number fall by 11%, Sankar's worst-case scenario of a 25% tariff that Apple absorbs, Apple shares could drop to roughly $174, assuming they're able to maintain the current multiple of about 14.
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American video-sharing website YouTube has unveiled a brand new logo, a redesigned desktop website, and a redesigned mobile app.
The new YouTube logo eschews the old look, removing the ‘Tube’ in YouTube from the confines of its red screen. Now, the red screen — complete with a white YouTube play button — rests to the left of the company name.
YouTube has been working on adding features to its mobile app for some time now — including an in-app sharing function, but now, the company is bring certain desktop features — like slowing down or speeding up playback — to the mobile app as well.
According to an August 29th, 2017 blog post, the mobile app will also soon adapt the viewing window to match video format. Vertical videos, for example, will play without horizontal bars.
As for the desktop website, YouTube has been redesigned to fit more in line with Google’s Material Design philosophy.
“Our new look applies Material Design to YouTube and delivers a fresh, simple and intuitive user experience that lets content shine — because there’s nothing more important than the creators and videos we all love to watch,” reads an excerpt from the same media release.
The desktop site will also feature a brand new dark mode, “which turns the background dark while you watch for a more cinematic look.”
In spite of these changes, YouTube has reaffirmed its continued commitment to “[giving] people a voice and [showing] them the world – no matter what device they use.”


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Update: Washington Redskins agree to review name July 3, 2020
The American football team has agreed to review its name under pressure from its sponsors
England's pubs and restaurants prepare to open July 3, 2020
For the first time since UK lockdown started, England's pubs and restaurants are to open
UPDATE: Lethal landslide in Myanmar jade mine July 2, 2020
Who controls the world's largest jade industry?
India-China relationship worsens July 2, 2020
Business relations have declined between India and China following a border dispute.
UPDATE: Tesla becomes the world's most valuable firm July 2, 2020
The American electric carmaker has a total share value of nearly 210 billion dollars.
Germany economy shows signs of recovery July 1, 2020
As a VAT cut comes into force, there are signs of life in the German economy.
China approves new Hong Kong security law June 30, 2020
China's parliament has approved a controversial new national security law for Hong Kong
Update: India bans TikTok June 29, 2020
India has banned 59 mobile apps including TikTok and Tencent's WeChat
Coty buys 20% of Kim Kardashian West’s beauty line June 29, 2020
Coty buys 20% of Kim Kardashian West’s beauty line
Coffee bean imports have grown threefold since the Arab spring in 2011
Facebook has come under growing pressure to improve the moderation of users' posts
Air France-KLM granted $3.7bn Dutch bailout June 26, 2020
As the Netherlands lends Air France-KLM $3.7bn we look at the future of travel.
Glyphosate was the chemical which many said had caused them severe harm
The German chemical firm is to pay out nearly $11bn to settle cancer claims.
Update: Global economic forecast increases market woes June 25, 2020
Warnings from the International Monetary Fund come amid fears of a second Covid-19 wave
Indian healthcare feels coronavirus pressure June 24, 2020
India's coronavirus outbreak has put the country's healthcare system under immense strain
Nestle UK cuts ties with Fairtrade June 24, 2020
Swiss confectioner Nestle is ending ties with Fairtrade for KitKats in the UK and Ireland
Update: Mexico earthquake after-effects 'manageable' June 23, 2020
We hear from Mexico City, where an earthquake shook buildings
Update: Apple to replace Intel as chip provider June 22, 2020
Technology company Apple has chosen an in-house chip design over those from Intel
Wirecard admits $2.1bn is missing June 22, 2020
Scandal-hit German payments firm admitted $2.1bn is missing from the Philippines


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Man, it is not shaping up to be H&M's year when it comes to doing the green thing. The Swedish fast-fashion purveyor and other leading European retailers and brands, including C&A and Tchibo, have been hawking certified-organic cotton clothing contaminated with genetically modified cotton from India, according to the German edition of the Financial Times, which uncovered the alleged fraud with the aid of an independent testing lab.
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Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sony's Playstation Network Still Down
Sony’s PlayStation and Qriocity network services went down over the long weekend, even as a hacker group it crossed paths with denied involvement in the incident.
PlayStation corporate communications and social media senior director Patrick Seybold said the outage stemmed from an “external intrusion."
“An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. In order to conduct a thorough investigation and to verify the smooth and secure operation of our network services going forward, we turned off PlayStation Network & Qriocity services on the evening of Wednesday, April 20th," he said in a blog post.
He did not give a definite timetable on when the services would be resumed, but said they are doing “all we can to resolve this situation quickly."
In an earlier blog post, he had said it may be “a full day or two" before they could get the service completely back up and running.
“Providing quality entertainment services to our customers and partners is our utmost priority. We are doing all we can to resolve this situation quickly, and we once again thank you for your patience. We will continue to update you promptly as we have additional information to share," he said.
But Anonymous, a group of hackers that crossed paths with Sony for suing “hacktivist" George Hotz, said it was not involved in this incident.
Hotz was slapped a lawsuit by Sony for making public the root keys of Sony’s PlayStation 3 console.
Still, in a post on the AnonNews site, Anonymous admitted the possibility its individual members may have acted on their own.
“While it could be the case that other Anons have acted by themselves, AnonOps was not related to this incident and does not take responsibility for whatever has happened. A more likely explanation is that Sony is taking advantage of Anonymous’ previous ill-will towards the company to distract users from the fact that the outage is actually an internal problem with the company’s servers," it said. — LBG, GMA News
Free Xbox Live


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Alienware is known for creating some really powerful PC but everything it creates, from PCs to laptops, is put together with parts from various PC component manufacturers. However, that will soon change if the company’s change of plans is any indication.
Alienware is planning to take on Nvidia, Asus, AMD, and many other big players of the PC component manufacturing scene. According to the company, it is seriously looking into manufacturing its own brand of PC component.
Frank Azor, an exec from the company recently asked if the company has plans to move into the manufacturing business, he confirmed that the company is indeed looking into it.
And, you know, funnily enough talking to NZXT their inspiration for the company was Alienware because they wanted the Alienware chassis [Predator] and they didn’t want to necessarily buy the entire system – and that’s the only way you’ve ever been able to get an Alienware. But, yeah, it’s absolutely a segment of the market that we are looking at.
On the component side, it hasn’t been a primary focus for us, yet, because we struggled to really come up with ways we can do it better. You’ve got some really great component companies out there. Some of the graphics card partners are very good at what they do, they’ve mastered the art of overclocking and they’ve mastered building high quality, highly reliable add-in boards. You’ve got SSD manufacturers out there that are doing an exceptionally good job
He added that the company wants to do it right and not just to put their name on something. They want to deliver on the promise of quality products, something that Alienware represents. Alienware plans to create its own line of PSUs, motherboards, mice, keyboards, and may even create GPUs. But the company admits that GPUs are a tough market to crack into.


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PHILADELPHIA, PA — Cabaletta Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: CABA) announced that Steven Nichtberger, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, will present at the 41st Annual J.P. Morgan Conference being held in San Francisco, CA on Thursday, January 12th at 7:30 a.m. PT (10:30 a.m. ET).
A live webcast of the presentation will be available on the News and Events section of the Company’s website at www.cabalettabio.com. Replays of the presentation will be available on the website for 30 days.
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U.S. low-cost car manufacturer, Local Motors, plans on selling 3D printed cars in about a year, ranging in price between $18,000 to $30,000.
The large majority of aerospace manufacturers said they plan to increase their workforce over the next 12 months, expect to win new long-term supply agreements in the next three years, and expect aircraft deliveries to continue to grow at least through 2016.
Ford is using the metal almost exclusively in the body of the 2015 version of its best-selling F-150 pickup, which will arrive at dealerships next month. Barnett is already answering customers' questions about the truck.
Germany's largest industrial union is calling for a 5.5 percent pay increase next year for some 3.7 million workers in Europe's biggest economy.
It's Ford Motor Co.'s biggest bet in decades: an aluminum-sided F-150 that could set a new industry standard — or cost the company its pickup truck crown.
You have to break some eggs to make an omelet and, according to a lawsuit from the maker of Hellmann's, the same goes for mayonnaise.
Google has signed a long-term lease for part of a historic Navy air base, where it plans to renovate three massive hangars and use them for projects involving aviation, space exploration and robotics.
China's trade growth decelerated in October but still was relatively robust as Chinese leaders try to reverse a deepening economic slowdown.
A lawsuit is blaming a restaurant's bad meatloaf for the deaths of a former West Virginia state lawmaker and her husband.
Internet providers shouldn't be allowed to cut deals with online services like Netflix or YouTube to move their content faster, and should be regulated more like phone companies, President Barack Obama said in an announcement that was swiftly rejected by the industry.
Canadian food supplier Golden Boy Foods has yet to comment on the future of a New Mexico peanut process plant eight months after completing a $26 million deal to buy Sunland Inc.
U.S. Sen Charles Schumer is calling for a top-to-bottom review of federal safety screening for defective car parts. He is citing the recall of millions of vehicles equipped with Takata Corp. passenger air bags that can explode with too much force and send shards of metal into the passenger compartment.
September U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $647.63 million according to AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.
The feud between Apple Inc. and the operator of a failed sapphire glass factory in metro Phoenix is growing more intense.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation today announced Michigan Strategic fund approval of two business expansion projects that are expected to generate nearly $22 million in investments and add up to 115 new jobs in Michigan.
A federal judge approved outgoing emergency manager Kevyn Orr's long-term fiscal recovery plan, which calls for $1.7 billion to remove blight, train city workers, hire more first responders and shore up services to improve the lives of Detroit residents.
Healthy job growth in the United States has reached a level of consistency unseen in nearly two decades. But, the U.S. job market is hardly without its own weaknesses. Americans' average hourly pay rose only slightly last month, a negative note in an otherwise solid report.
LNS Research has assembled a free Manufacturing Execution System (MES) toolkit for manufacturers who are considering implementing an MES system.
Life is genuinely sweet with the cold, refreshing taste of Coca-Cola Life. The new beverage is The Coca-Cola Company’s first reduced calorie cola to use a blend of cane sugar and stevia leaf extract.
The federal labor department is suing to protect West Virginia steelworkers who may have lost millions in retirement savings because investment managers hired by Severstal Wheeling failed to properly oversee the plan.


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Wohlers Associates just blogged their list of the top news stories for 2013 in 3D Printing. It is worth a read to look beyond the hype we have seen this year and focus on the stories that will be having an impact in the future:
As a Stratasys distributor and provider of additive manufacturing services, PADT can attest to the importance of the stories listed. The first one, the GE Fuel Nozzle, had an especially significant impact on the world of commercial additive manufacturing, especially with the Aerospace customers we work with. In many ways, GE’s move was the tipping point for metal additive manufacturing and for companies to really look at AM as an end part manufacturing solution.
2014 is already shaping up to be a big year. We expect to see consolidation and a weeding out in the consumer and prosumer 3D printer market, better material options across all of the technologies, and more adoption of the technology in new industries and applications.
Wholers Associates has been consulting in additive manufacturing for over 27 years and is PADT’s go-to resource for what is really going on in the AM world.


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Image caption, The shop worker was abducted and forced to open the Scotmid store on Leven Street
Two thieves abducted a shop worker on an Edinburgh street, and forced him to return to his store and hand over a four figure sum of cash.
The 24-year-old was bundled into a car in Spey Street at 22:45 on Thursday after his shift at a Scotmid shop.
He was driven more than three miles back to the store on Leven Street in a blue Volkswagen Tiguan.
The men threatened him and forced him to give access to the premises. Police said it was a “frightening” incident.
Det Insp Kevin Tait, of Police Scotland said: “We believe this was a targeted attack and that those responsible had been following the victim prior to approaching him and forcing him to allow them entry to his place of work.
“While this was a very frightening experience for him, thankfully he was uninjured and we are now pursuing a number of lines of inquiry to trace the suspects.
The Volkswagen Tiguan was later found on fire in Edinburgh’s Lochend Park.
Police said it had been stolen from Maybury Car Sales in Turnhouse Road on 12 December.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.


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Cable Technology Feature Article
Netflix Drops CDN Requirement for Super HD, 3D Streaming
By Tara Seals, TMCnet Contributor
Netflix has decided to bury the hatchet with ISPs, uncoupling its streaming 3D and Super HD programming from its Open Connect content delivery network scheme. When the higher-quality streams launched in January, ISPs were required to use Netflix's Open Connect CDN in order to carry them (Cablevision, Clearwire (News - Alert), Frontier and Google Fiber made the list). Now, the streaming giant has dropped that requirement.
"Leading-edge ISPs around the world such as Cablevision, Virgin Media (News - Alert), British Telecom, Telmex, Telus, TDC, GVT, among many others, are already participating in Open Connect to provide the highest-possible quality Netflix service to consumers," Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said at the launch. "Our goal is to have all of our members served by Open Connect as soon as possible."
While Open Connect is free to ISPs, some ISPs were not pleased with the carrot-and-stick measure. Time Warner (News - Alert) Cable said that Netflix was asking for “preferential treatment” through Open Connect and that it was “wrong for Netflix to withhold any content formats from our subscribers.”
Now, while the company will still encourage ISPs to use Open Connect, which caches content closer to subscribers to boost quality of service, “based on the performance data we’ve seen, and in response to member requests, we are now expanding availability to give all our members the ability to enjoy Netflix in the best possible quality,” Netflix director of corporate communications Joris Evers wrote in a blog post.
Apple TV, Roku, Wii U, Windows 8 and most other devices that can play Netflix video at 1080p are compatible with the Super HD service, and and the Sony PS3 and LG smart TVs support 3D.
CDNs are expected to generate $175 million in 2013 as quality management continues to emerge as an important service differentiator.
Pay-TV operators have been moving an increasing amount of their content online through TV Everywhere or multiscreen services, as well as seeing an increasing amount of Internet streaming via OTT services like Netflix and Hulu (News - Alert), according to Multimedia Research Group. As a result, cable, IPTV and satellite operators are seeing an increased need to manage what’s happening in their networks, and how to deliver premium video more cost effectively and with higher quality. So, CDN services for pay-TV operators will increase by a CAGR of 57.5% through 2017, the firm found.
“CDNs are a system of computers and caches that place copies of content (web pages or audio/video) in various places around a network in order to more effectively and efficiently deliver that content,” MRG explained. “CDNs can help service providers and content owners by reducing delivery costs, as well as ensuring higher quality delivery of content.”
MRG found that multiscreen and OTT video are the biggest market drivers for implementing a CDN among pay-TV operators. Asia will be the largest user of CDN services among pay-TV operators by 2017, with 27.4 percent, followed by Western Europe (23.9 percent) and North America (21.8 percent). Asia will also show the largest growth as well with a 76.6 percent CAGR during the forecast period.
Managed CDN services from vendors like Akamai (News - Alert), Level 3 and Limelight account for about 57 percent of total forecasted revenue by 2017. MRG does expect continued growth of open source CDNs from operators like Comcast as well as growing use of caches from Netflix's Open Connect CDN.
Edited by Rachel Ramsey