text:
Five Ways to Protect Your Identity During the Holidays
Identity thieves steal more than 10 million identities each year. To make sure yours isn’t one of them, consider these tips for preventing, managing and responding to identity theft, during the holiday season and all year long
It was the kind of gift that nobody wants to find in their stocking: In 2001, shortly after moving to South Florida from Massachusetts, Denise Richardson got a call from her credit card company. Someone had purchased $9,000 worth of airline tickets using her credit card – and they’d done it from more than 5,000 miles away, in Italy.
“Obviously, it wasn’t me,” says Richardson, a former real estate paralegal turned consumer protection advocate. That was Richardson’s first brush with identity theft. Unfortunately, however, it wasn’t her last. A year later, she got another call from a different credit card company. “They asked if by chance I’d been in Canada the day before,” Richardson continues. “I knew immediately what that meant – I had to cancel all of my credit cards – and started realizing something wasn’t right.”
In fact, something was very wrong. Somehow – to this day, she doesn’t know how – Richardson’s information had gotten out of her wallet and into the hands of identity thieves. And nearly 10 years later, it’s still there.
“My latest battle was in December 2009,” says Richardson, who discovered two unusual charges from a cable company on her credit card statement. Upon investigating them, she found out that a woman several cities away had used her credit card to have cable TV installed in her apartment. The same woman, Richardson later found out, also had opened an entirely new credit card in her name. “I thought this woman only had my credit card information. Come to find out, she also had my Social Security Number, my date of birth and my name. I often wonder who this woman is and what else she’s doing in my name.”
Although it took her many months, Richardson – now a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist – finally managed to clean up the messes others left on her credit report. She’s even used her experiences to write a book “Give Me Back My Credit!” She always wonders, however, what will happen next, and when. “You feel so violated, but you have no control over it,” she says. “You can’t stop it. You can only plan for it.”
Although it’s vital all year long, planning for it is especially important during the holidays, when shopping and crowds mix to create a perfect storm of opportunity for identity thieves. “The holiday season is peak season for thieves,” Richardson says. “Their imaginations are working overtime as they busily find new and innovative ways to steal your money – and you.”
A Growing Problem
Identity theft is a bigger problem today than it’s ever been before, according to San Francisco-based Javelin Strategy & Research, which early this year released the results of a new study in which it found that:
- The number of identity fraud victims in the United States increased 12% in 2009 to 11.1 million adults – or 4.8% of the population.
- The total annual fraud amount increased by 12.5% in 2009 to $54 billion.
- Consumers spend an average of 21 hours resolving identity theft incidents.
- Of all identity fraud activity, 39% involved opening a new credit card account in 2009, up from 33% in 2008.
“Identity theft affects somewhere between 5% and 10% of Americans,” says Tom Rusin, CEO of Affinion Financial Group, a Norwalk, Conn.-based company that provides identity theft protection to consumers via their banks. “That may not sound like much, but believe me, you do not want to be one of those people.”
Because computers and shopping malls are ground zero for identity theft, the easiest time to become one of those people, unfortunately, is during the holidays.
“Holiday shopping can be a lot of fun, but it can also place you at greater risk for identity theft,” Richardson says. “If you are like most consumers, your wallet is stuffed with credit and debit cards and your purse is overflowing with a variety of items. In all likelihood, you won’t even discover that your wallet is stolen or your cell phone is missing until you arrive at the cashier’s desk.”
What You Can Do
Although you can’t totally prevent identity theft, you can definitely plan for it, according to Richardson and Rusin, who suggest taking the following steps to minimize your risk:
1. Look for Smoke
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Before you begin your holiday shopping, Rusin recommends outfitting your identity with a figurative smoke detector by signing up for an identity protection service such as ID Secure available at First Midwest, which will monitor your credit report, public records and even Internet chat rooms in real time in order to look for evidence of identity theft. If they find it, they’ll contact you directly to report it, then help you take action to stop and resolve it.
2. Protect Your Credit
An identity protection service can be your eyes and ears, alerting you of potential identity threats immediately after they’ve happened. To stop them before they happen, however, holiday shoppers should take steps to protect their credit report. Contact each of the three credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – to put a fraud alert on your credit report. When you do, the credit bureaus will put a note on your credit report – completely free of charge – that requires anyone issuing new credit in your name to contact you for permission to do so.
For even more protection, consider paying the credit bureaus for a credit freeze, which is more powerful than a fraud alert because it requires you to call the bureaus and have them “unlock” your credit report before anyone can access it.
3. Shop Smart
Protecting your credit report is critical. During the holidays especially, however, so is protecting your actual credit cards, Richardson says. To keep what she calls “Santa fraud” away, she suggests thinning your wallet before you go shopping. You don’t need a wallet full of cards to make purchases, so bring only the ones you need, as fewer cards means fewer accounts to report if your wallet’s stolen. Also, use only ATMs in secured locations, like banks, and remember to secure your GPS, phone or laptop – all of which contain sensitive information – if you leave them in your car, storing them in the trunk or underneath a seat so that thieves in the parking lot can’t see them. Finally, guard your information while shopping by blocking the view of anyone who is standing too close to you at the register, and by refusing to verbally provide personal information like your Social Security Number. If a clerk needs your information, write it down on a piece of paper and then destroy it.
4. Secure Your Computer
Of course, holiday shoppers are just as vulnerable on the Internet as they are at the mall. Maybe even more so, according to Richardson, who cautions consumers to avoid shopping on public computers – at the library, for instance. She recommends shopping only on secure websites, which are marked by a padlock icon in the status bar of your web browser and by a secure web address – “https” versus “http” – once you proceed to the checkout.
Even when you’re not shopping, remember: The Internet is always on. Rusin therefore stresses the importance of installing a firewall to protect your home and office computers from hackers, who can use your wireless connection – if it’s not password-protected – to access your computer and everything on it, including online banking information, usernames and passwords. Also, he says, consumers should supplement antivirus software with anti-spyware and anti-phishing software, both of which can help you safeguard your personal information.
5. Be Careful, Cautious
Although you can’t stop identity thieves, you can slow them down by being constantly vigilant, according to Rusin, who recommends purchasing a shredder – a must-have stocking stuffer, he says – and shredding all sensitive documents before they go in the garbage. This includes credit card statements, envelopes and even “junk” mail that has your name on it. Practice the same vigilance online, he adds, by regularly changing your usernames and passwords – especially on websites where you make purchases, each of which should have a different username and password to prevent thieves who steal one virtual shopping cart from stealing another. Although it’s inconvenient, he says, it’s also “pretty darn important.”
Forget your waistline: This holiday season, resolve to reduce your risk, instead, Rusin concludes. “It just isn’t worth it to let yourself go unprotected,” he says. “One day, I think Americans are going to look at identity theft protection like insurance: Almost everybody’s going to have it.”


text:
The new operating software for Apple‘s iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad was released on Wednesday, September 19th in close conjunction with the release of the iPhone 5 on Friday, September 21st. Users of the new operating system, especially those in urban areas, have noticed one glaring omission: the map service in Apple’s iOS 6 has dropped its public transit feature. The button for public transit is still present, but it simply leads to a referral page that recommends apps for public transit directions. All iPhones had previously included a map system designed by Google, on which public transit directions were readily available. With the most recent update to the software, however, Apple has introduced its own map, designed in-house.
Apple’s map does have a few features that Google’s map does not provide, such as turn-by-turn directions and Flyover, a feature that gives users a view of 3-D models of major city skylines. Apple has acquired three mapping companies in the last three years in an effort to enhance its own map features as it planned the move away from Google. Nonetheless, industry insiders seem to be in consensus that it will be a few years before Apple’s map software stacks up to Google’s. By making the process of finding environmentally-friendly transportation more difficult for travelers and city-dwellers alike, these developments could make iPhone users more likely to rent a car or simply hail a cab. From a sustainability perspective, this is a step in the wrong direction.
But green-minded travelers, especially those new to the city and unfamiliar with its bus and subway systems, need not despair: with Apple’s encouragement, several apps have stepped up to provide quick, convenient, and usually free mass transit directions to iPhone users. Garmin, a leader in the personal GPS industry known for its in-car navigation systems, is in the process of updating its StreetPilot Onboard iPhone application to include public transportation data. Embark, a company that designs mass transit apps for the iPhone, has released a lineup of apps, including apps for the NYC Subway, NJ Transit, Metro-North, and LIRR, all of which are available for free. In addition, popular free mass transit apps such as Hopstop and NYSubview are likely to see increased usage as a result of the Apple map’s app referral page. Whether Apple will create its own public transportation data on its map system or continue to rely on third-party apps remains to be seen. The important thing for iPhone users to remember is that even with the changes that come with Apple’s iOS 6 operating system, sustainable travel is still easy thanks to free mass transit apps.

domain: news


text:
SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — A sign of conflict is surfacing again over the commissions charged by Apple and Google in their respective app stores, which have an unrivaled presence in the app market.
After charging a 30 percent commission for gaming content, Google plans to shift its commission policy towards charging commissions on all in-app payments just as Apple does with its app developers.
According to industry sources, Google recently briefed a local app developer on its new commission policy.
Many app developers are now sharing the view that if Google expands the scope of its commission levy to encompass all genres of apps, developers may have no option but to raise their prices and eventually suffer losses.
Naver Webtoon’s cookies, for example, which are now available at a price of 100 won on PCs and Android devices, are offered at a higher price of 120 won on the Apple App Store due to a higher commission burden.
It’s difficult for South Korea’s major app developers to openly criticize the commissions charged by Apple and Google since they are dominant platforms.
Against this backdrop, the government and politicians are mulling over measures to push the two tech giants towards taking correction action with respect to their commission policies.
Government authorities such as the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Communications Commission are reviewing the feasibility of the commission rules of Apple and Google.
A local company is now gathering victims to file a complaint against the commission rules of Apple and Google with the Fair Trade Commission.
Some analysts, however, have pointed out that such moves lack a sense of reality particularly given the situation where the app marketplaces of Apple and Google are tax-free in Korea due to the fact that they have no physical operation here.
Kevin Lee (email@example.com)


text:
Fadnavis will be a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s entourage to China and will take part in the State/Provincial Leaders Forum meeting in Beijing on Friday.
The forum will have a discussion on ‘Sustainable Urbanisation: Smart City, Smart Living’ and the role of states in strengthening relations and development partnership between the two Asian giants, in which Fadnavis will participate.
He is expected to sign some major agreements with Chinese companies during the visit, the official said.
Fadnavis is scheduled to meet Terry Gou, chairman of Foxconn Technology Group, the world’s largest electronics contractor manufacturer and Chinese automobiles major Beiqi Foton Chairman and CEO Jin Yu Wang, which is planning to set up a manufacturing unit in Maharashtra.
He will travel and meet officials and industrialists in cities like Beijing, Hangzhou, Chengdu seeking investments for his state.
In Dongguan, Fadnavis will sign a ‘sister-city agreement’ for Aurangabad, the tourist centre in Maharashtra famous for Ajanta-Ellora cave temples.
During his five-day Chinese sojourn, the chief minister will meet top officials of Haier, Yapp, CGGC, Taiyuan Heavy Industry, Great Wall Motors and others to offer investment opportunities in Maharashtra.
Last month, Fadnavis visited Germany and Israel to woo businessmen and offer benefits of ‘Make In Maharashtra’.


text:
Aveda's NorthPark store has a shiny new look.
It’s not just retail anymore: NorthPark Center‘s Aveda boutique recently underwent a sleek redesign, focusing on the concept of experiences that go far beyond standard shopping.
Ten Experience Zones now allow us to meander through different areas, including haircare, beauty, bodycare, and aroma. There’s also a Chakra Experience Zone that features a rejuvenating aroma sensory journey.
In time for the bustling holiday season, Aveda’s new concept also offers a year-round gifting zone where presents can be wrapped free of charge in Lokta bark paper from Nepal, which the store has partnered with for almost a decade. (Aveda is known for using the best of modern science combined with Ayurveda, the 5,000-year-old ancient healing art of India.)
And, fear not — despite the store updates, Aveda’s delicious-smelling hair, skin, and body products are still available for purchase. The official grand opening is slated for January 2017.
Aveda, NorthPark Center, 214.346.9686.


text:
If you live outside of your mom's basement (suckers!) and aren't transfixed by the minutia of gaming news, you may have missed the word that Microsoft just dropped a. It's sleeker, cheaper, and more wireless-ish than its predecessors. The not so long ago, and we can only assume the Wii will get more wee in the near future (sorry, had to).
But despite the leading consoles shrinking in size and price, some game developers, notably, think consoles' days of leading the video game market are numbered. And it's not necessarily PC gamers who will cause the market to shift, they say, but users of mobile gadgets such as iPhones and Android devices, and handheld units like Nintendo's forthcoming .
That said, while consoles aren't going away, their roles may expand. As more feature non-gaming capabilities like Netflix streaming or Flickr integration, more non-gamers will find value in them. But that's the mainstream; what about Crave's readers?
Let's look into the future, say 2015. Where will you be playing most of your games in five years?


text:
Coming to PS4 first, as always.
That the next DLC pack for Call of Duty: WW2 would be called The War Machine has been known for some time, thanks to premature listings on online stores, as well as other associated and similar leaks. Today, that was confirmed officially, when Activision and Sledgehammer Games announced the map pack, which will be the second bit of DLC released for the game since its launch last November.
The War Machine will add three new maps for the multiplayer mode, as well as one new map for War Mode. And of course, no new DLC for Call of Duty will be complete without a new addition to the Zombies Mode, which The War Machine obviously includes as well.
Call of Duty: WW2: The War Machine will launch on PS4 on April 10, and will be available on Xbox one and PC on May 10, 30 days later. The game itself is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.


text:
“In terms of platforms, online transportation is a revolution of life and the impact is very large. On the other hand, online transportation also has a value of efficiency,” Rhenald said in a release received by Antara on Thursday (5/4/2018).
According to him, the efficiency created through online transportation services, namely shortened travel time. In addition, online transportation is also considered to be able to help overcome the problem of congestion and pollution.
“The existence of online transportation cuts people’s travel time to a place. Online transportation can also reduce congestion because they don’t have to add vehicles,” Rhenald said.
Meanwhile, he said, the research results of the University of Indonesia Faculty of Economics and Business Demographic Institute (LD FEB UI) showed that one of the online transportation service providers, namely Go-Jek, contributed Rp.9.9 trillion to the Indonesian economy each year.
“The numbers mentioned by the Demographic Institute are actually correct, but the numbers are still not large. My guess is that the impact rate is greater than that,” Rhenald said.
He revealed there are other things that have not been shown through this research, namely the efficiency value created through online transportation. In addition, he also considered online transportation services, such as Go-Jek, should be seen as a cross-industry platform.
“Defining a new start up is not merely a single product. The first thing to look at is the platform, the second is the efficiency value,” Rhenald said.
Meanwhile, economic observer from Gajah Mada University (UGM) Tony Prasetiantono added that besides the value of efficiency, online transportation also has an impact on its human resources.
He said the average income of online transportation drivers reached Rp.3,300,000 or exceeded Rp.2,800,000, which was the same as the average Regency / City Minimum Wage (UMK) in nine regions.
“So, it can be said that working as an online transportation driver, for example Go-Jek, turns out to be more feasible. This can be an alternative job, especially in the informal sector,” Tony added.


text:
London-based content agency, TVC Group, has made three senior promotions, including a board appointment, and strengthened its luxury team with a new addition.
Leon Schlesinger joins content agency TVC Group’s existing five-member board, led by global managing director James Myers, after 12 years at the agency.
Joining in 2005, Schlesinger has risen through the ranks from editor and producer, to his most recent role as director of production, overseeing all levels of production, from multi-camera lives to producing bespoke hero content.
Alicia Manji has been promoted to head of luxury and lifestyle (global distribution) and will continue to grow this burgeoning part of the business. She joined TVC in 2006 and has spent the last 11 years working with some of the most high profile brands across the globe. In her new role, she heads up the luxury and lifestyle team which is made up of four media relations and client service experts as well as dedicated creative, digital and specialist producers.
The third senior promotion is Shaun Ezlati to head of integrated strategy. Part of the ideas and insights team, Ezlati has been at TVC for five years and has been instrumental in the development of the strategic practice over the last 18 months. He will lead major pitch opportunities and direct transition across the agency roster.
Meanwhile, Jessica Howard has joined TVC as a senior account manager, after returning to London following a three-year stint in Melbourne working for PR and content marketing agency Keep Left. While at Keep Left she worked on FMCG and lifestyle brands including Bakers Delight, Fiji Water and Anchor.
At TVC Howard will work across the luxury and lifestyle portfolio of clients including Peninsula Hotels, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren.
James Myers, TVC Group global managing director, said: “It has been a super busy time at TVC and we’re really pleased to be able to promote our home grown talent – well done to all!”


text:
Corporate India may prefer cheaper Very Light Jets
03 October 2007
They're small, sleek, sexy and so-o-o-o much cheaper. Industry experts predict that the Indian market will opt for VLJs rather than corporate jets. Ashwin Tombat reports
If you can afford a Maybach ($885,000, Rs 3.50 crore) to drive around in, surely you can also afford a Very Light Jet (VLJ) to fly around in. This new family of four-to-six seater planes will soon be available starting at just under $1.50 million (Rs6 crore). A VLJ costs less than one-third of a standard corporate jet, which would be very expensive to buy, even for a large corporate house.
They have low operating costs too; a VLJ could fly Mumbai-Delhi for just Rs36,000. In comparison, a single business class or first class seat on a commercial airline could cost as much as Rs14,000. Just as it sometimes works out to as much or cheaper for a family of four to take a taxi rather than a bus, VLJs may make private flying cost effective, compared to its commercial cousin.
What is a VLJ?
Previously known as a microjet, a VLJ is a small jet aircraft approved for single-pilot operation that seats four-to-eight people, with a maximum take-off weight of less than 4,500 kg. They are lighter than what is commonly termed as a business jet.
In the United States, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have encouraged their development, as they foresee wide use of VLJs in point-to-point air taxi services.
They would provide air service to areas ignored by airlines. VLJs not only have lower operating costs than conventional jets, but are able to operate from runways as short as 3,000 feet (900 m). A number of designs are currently in development.
Who makes them?
International companies like US-based Epic Aircraft (in which Vijay 'Kingfisher' Mallya recently picked up a 50 per cent stake), Eclipse Aviation, Embraer, Cessna, HondaJet, Adam Aircraft and Diamond Jet manufacture or are in the process of manufacturing VLJs. And they are all looking at the Indian market.
'On-demand' air taxi services depend on low cost projections and high demand. Their viability has been the subject of much debate among industry experts. Some pundits believes that the VLJ may turn out to be one of the greatest disappointments of the aviation industry, owing to the economic infeasibility of large-scale air-taxi operations.


text:
Telecommunications company Beam has partnered with Australia Post Group to sell Zoleo, a satellite device, across Australia Posts’ 4,300 outlets with half of them located in rural and remote regions and communities.
ASX-listed mobile satellite technology firm Beam Communications has signed a retail partnership with outdoor adventure superstore Anaconda Group to sell its ZOLEO satellite messaging solution and accessories.
ASX-listed Beam Communications has reached an agreement with online retailer Kogan to sell its global messaging device ZOLEO to Australian consumers through the Kogan Marketplace.
Thanks Peter! A story well worth reporting.A tiny step in a better direction except that 2035 will be far too[…]
Pyramid payments for the rollout and the smallest chunk for the actual guys doing the rollout. What a surprise from[…]
By moving away from fibre and sticking with an archiac mess of copper the Coalition ensured that wireless would be[…]
This is such an interested case, that will shape the World's view of a controlled monopoly or is it a[…]
Excellent article thx Alex -Pricing to enable bonuses to execs while hiding what they do to their 'essential workers' -[…]


text:
Same design, but a fourth color is coming
Apple doesn’t typically shake up iPhone design too much with S releases, and most agree that this year’s changes will be minimal. Now, we’ve seen the first leaked images of the casing of both the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus.
The 6S Plus photos leaked in mid July on a site called Future Supplier. The photos show a casing that looks much like the current iPhone 6 Plus’ aluminum body, but the site notes a few changes, such as the speaker and the quality of the aluminum, which it claims is sturdier.
The first pictures of what appears to be the aluminum casing for the iPhone 6S leaked on the last day of June. The images show little to no changes in the iPhone 6S’s design, either.
It’s been a few years since Apple added the champagne gold color option to its iPhone lineup, and now The Wall Street Journal’s sources say the next iPhone will come in four color options, but would not say which color would be added to the lineup.
Earlier on, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple will add a new color this year. The iPhone 6S will come in rose gold too, Kuo claims, bringing the color options up to four. It’s unknown whether the new option will be real gold like the Apple Watch Edition — with a price tag to match — or simply mimic the color of the precious metal, reports AppleInsider.
Some reports do hint at a slightly thicker body for the iPhone 6S, but the difference is a mere 0.2mm, according to a leaked schematic from Engadget Japan. The increased thickness could be due to the new aluminum that was previously rumored to cover the iPhone 6S or the Force Touch taptic engine. Otherwise, the schematic shows a pretty similar-looking design to today’s iPhone 6.
Remember the #Bendgate scandal that plagued the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus for months after the phone’s release? So does Apple, and apparently, the company want to ensure that it never happens again. As such, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus may be made out of the same extra-strength aluminum alloy that Apple used on its Watch, Taiwan Daily Economic News reports.
Related: Everything you need to know about the Apple Watch
The series 7000 alloy includes specific amounts of zinc and magnesium to make the aluminum 60 percent stronger, while also ensuring that the device stays super light. Given how much Apple emphasized the impressive qualities of the new alloy during its Apple Watch event, it seems likely that the new aluminum will end up on more devices in the near future.


text:
Yesterday, representatives for several local hotel chains dropped a lawsuit blocking the city’s sale of property near the Basilica of St. Lawrence to the McKibbon Hotel Group. According to interim City Attorney Martha Walker-McGlohon, the plaintiffs gave no reason for dropping the suit, and retained the right to sue over the matter again in the future.
“The lawsuit was dropped, or dismissed, without prejudice, which means it can be brought again within a one-year timeframe,” she tells Xpress.
According to Walker-McGlohon, other than that possibility, there are no other legal challenges to McKibbon if the company wants to proceed with its plans to buy the property from the city and build a high-end hotel on the site.
Asheville City Council’s approval of the sale last September was controversial, with a split vote and critics asserting the city should instead sell the land to the Basilica or convert it into a park. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit — including the owners of Four Points, Hotel Indigo and the Renaissance — claimed that the deal amounted to subsidizing their competition; the group of hoteliers sued in March.


text:
Vienna, February 6 – Russia’s already hard-pressed light industries are suffering “heavy losses” as a result of the economic crisis, industry sources say, and while the amount of money involved is far less than those in the oil and gas sector, the declines over the last year threaten to “put a cross over this branch” – that is, kill it all together.
That is because Russia’s light industries had already been under pressure from cheap imports coming in from China and Turkey. But today when Russian officials are talking about the need for re-industrialization and the diversification of the economy, the destruction of this sector is especially disturbing.
During 2008, the Russian State Statistical Committee reported, the volume of production in the domestic textile industry fell by almost 12 percent, even though there were some gains in sub-sectors like clothing for newborns -- up 8.8 percent -- and women’s coats – up 6.1 percent (www.bfm.ru/news/2009/02/06/legkaja-promyshlennost-neset-tjazhelye-poteri.html).
As a result of declines which in some part of light industry exceeded 50 percent last year, by the beginning of 2009, BFM.ru reported, “many Russian producers have landed in the most difficult financial position, and one, the Russian Textile Alliance, has announced its plans to liquidate at least some of its 81 companies.
These producers ceased production already in December because of debt, and financial analysts say that there is no way most of these factors will be able to avoid simply disappearing from the marketplace, leaving their owners with no money, their employees with no jobs, and Russia with one less industry not tied to the export of natural resources.
But the impact on the light industrial sector is broader than just textiles. For example, the Unichel shoe company cut production by a third at the end of last year. And the Elektronika factory which had been manufacturing consumer electronics closed its doors after the company defaulted on its debts.
In addition to the difficulties that have arisen in this sector as a result of declining demand, “the devaluation of the ruble” has also hit this part of the economy hard because many of the components Russian firms use in the manufacturing process come from abroad and are now more expensive, prompting yet more declines in the marketplace.
Earlier, one executive in this sector said, “money was cheap and labor relatively cheap. But now things are just the reverse.” That has led firms to cut waves by up to 30 percent, something that may be necessary for firms in this sector to stay in business but an action that has infuriated workers and led some of them to take part in public protests.
Because this sector is relatively small compared to the exporters of natural resources, the Russian government has not done a great deal to try to defend it. But it has now begun to take notice of the problems of light industry and at least take some symbolic actions to demonstrate its concern for the workers and their employers.
The most significant – or at least the most high profile – of these actions has been a joint effort by the trade ministry, customs officials and the interior ministry to block the importation of fraudulent merchandise and thus protect the Russian marketplace where many goods are produced on the basis of licensing (www.gzt.ru/business/2009/02/05/223003.html).
Russian officials began talking about the need for a struggle against such fraudulent goods already in June 2008, especially when figures showed that nearly half – 49.7 percent -- of the goods on the market came from “shadowy” producers abroad, especially in China, Turkey, India and Poland, as well as at home who were violating licensing rules.
Officials like Sergey Shiryaev, the head of the trade ministry’s department for the development of light industry, have sketched out a 12 year plan to combat such goods, not only to help Russia’s domestic light industries but also to ensure that the Russian government is able to collect all the taxes it is owed.
So far, however, this new program apparently has not had a major impact for the hard-pressed light industry sector, but the ministry obviously hopes that it will as do all the workers in that part of the economy as well as all those who believe that Russia cannot survive and develop into a modern society by exporting oil and gas alone.


text:
Menopause News Flash – research, news and information
No need to go scouring the Internet. I’m here for you with all the latest menopause news.
What are your vitamin D levels? A diet low in the vitamin can damage the brain, according to a new study led by University of Kentucky researchers.
Did you know that after a hysterectomy, testosterone levels also drop? New research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital shows that testosterone supplementation in women with low levels improves their sexual function, muscle mass, and physical function.
Depression hurts: Depression among pregnant women can impact the brains of developing babies, increasing their potential risk of depression after birth, according toresearch from the National University of Singapore.
What’s in your medicine cabinet? A new Loyola Medicine study comparing two popular osteoporosis drugs, denosumab and zoledronic acid, found that denosumab is significantly better at increasing spine bone mineral density.
Enter to win December’s Giveaway: A Magnificent Clarins Gift Basket! If you live in the San Diego area, you will also win – a gift certificate for a free 50 Minute Facial at the Clarins Spa at Bloomingdale’s San Diego! “It’s a fact. With Clarins, life’s more beautiful.” Enter to win here.
PRODUCTS RECOMMENDED BY THE SISTERHOOD
Check out the Products That May Help You and get discounts on great menopause products, courtesy of EllenDolgen.com. Available now: botanically based vegan & gluten-free beauty-health-wellness products, cooling clothes, a sleek and discrete chargeable fan, a “Hot Flash Havoc” documentary, and a natural menopause relief formula. Enter promo code “ellend” to save serious cash!


text:
The burgeoning global market for plant proteins presents a huge opportunity for Ontario soybeans, but new investments in research and local processing will be key to capturing that potential, industry officials say.
“We really want to drive towards more branded food products in Canada from the ingredients we produce here… As we get into this, there’s more opportunity for investments in soybeans,” says Bill Greuel, chief executive officer of Protein Industries Canada – an industry supercluster focused on developing Canada’s plant protein potential.
While Ontario has a reputation for producing high quality, food-grade soybeans, most are exported unprocessed.
Why it matters: Without a commitment to domestic processing, Canada will be unable to fully capitalize on the plant protein market.
Being a leader in the plant protein market requires dominance in crop production, but also the ability to process them, Greuel said.
Vast acres of high-value protein crops such as canola make Western Canada the dominant player on the production side. It’s also the reason why so much investment has been directed at the region to date.
Protein Industries Canada recently made its first investment in Ontario, but most of its funds have been directed to Western Canada.
“The reality is we need some investment in infrastructure, science and innovation, companies to set up shop, create tighter linkages,” says Greuel in reference to a five-year, $350 million investment going to the value-added sector.
“For someone to unseat us globally they have to grow 20 million acres of canola. We have to take advantage of this crop because of the value.”
For the east, the potential lies in further developing soybean markets.
“We’re already a plant protein powerhouse,” says Crosby Devitt, chief executive officer for Grain Farmers of Ontario, regarding the quantity and quality of specialty crops produced in the province.
Devitt says an ideal scenario for supplying domestic and wider regional demand for plant proteins would indeed include grown-in-Ontario speciality crops, like IP soybeans, moving through in-province processors. This might hinge, in part, on whether local demand could grow to a point where processing in Ontario makes sense.
Japan, for example, buys approximately 200,000 tonnes of food grade soybeans from Ontario annually. Processing, says Devitt, is done in that country because soybeans are mainstream food products. While Ontario does have some small-scale processing currently, local demand isn’t quite there.
As the market for plant proteins grows globally, he believes Ontario is well positioned to capitalize as opportunities reveal themselves.
“I’m quite confident the Ontario farmer will meet the demand. We’re in a global market. If we can already be competitive in Japan and other countries around the world, surely we can be competitive here at home.”
Distinguishing Ontario products
Rob Hannam, client director for Guelph-based consulting firm Synthesis AgriFood Network, agrees that soybeans — currently comprising over three-quarters of global plant-protein demand — offer the most obvious opportunity for the province. Edible beans are another.
“The highest protein crops are soybeans, edible beans, and hemp. We have an advantage with our climate. Being in the Great Lakes region, we have a more moderate climate and are able to produce higher protein content. We also have high quality growers, storage, and segregation,” says Hannam, whose father Peter was a pioneer in the development of food grade soybeans in Ontario.
But a clear challenge is staying competitive given large suppliers elsewhere, such as those in the United States. Value-added profit is also a missing piece, in that any Canadian processor would need to be price competitive with the American companies currently dominating the market.
Like Greuel, Hannam says capitalizing on Ontario producers’ ability to grow higher-quality crops would make a difference — but it’s not enough.
Additional value, such as that gained by producing crop varieties with specific traits, including higher oil levels or protein blends from different crops (such as combining soybean, dry beans, canola and pea meal) are required.
Processors moving into Western Canada are processing multiple kinds of plant proteins.
Attracting investment — a chicken or egg conundrum
Distinguishing Ontario commodities via quality and creative innovation is possible, says Dana McCauley, director of New Venture Creation in the University of Guelph office of research.
Doing so costs money, however, and Canada’s plant protein industry is not usually high on investor priority lists.
“It’s not terribly attractive to investors who can get in on things that have really low cost, really low risk… and a history of quite aggressive growth,” says McCauley, mentioning innovations in the tech-world as a comparatively attractive investment area.
It’s also a question of research capacity. McCauley says investors see opportunity, but they are not necessarily taking the plunge because Ontario — and Canada as a whole — does not have the right combination of research focus (such as actively developing protein cell cultures), nor the ability to derive protein isolates from raw commodities through processing.
“We get calls all the time from people who want to find those scientists, but they’re not largely in Canada yet,” she says. “There’s a misalignment between research priorities and industry priorities.
“We don’t have that capacity in any part of Canada that I know of. That’s a big cost barrier to achieving monetary success, and without that investment likely won’t come to Canada. It will go to those who can do it more efficiently.”
Optimism and the role of government
Research and processing capacity are required for investment, but investors won’t invest unless Canada has greater capacity. From McCauley’s perspective, government incentives are part of the solution.
Subsidies or rebates might encourage a company such as Maple Leaf to keep its money in Canada — rather than investing in the United States, as has been the case.
“We have the people; we have the product. I think some of the challenges are systemic, but some of them are just people have not necessarily responded to early market indicators,” McCauley says.
“I think it will follow. We’re still a very desirable place to come to for services.”
Greuel, Hannam, and McCauley all say Ontario’s plant protein sector has been receiving increased attention and financial backing from both government and members of the agri-food sector.
Griffith Foods, Persall Fine Foods, and K2 Milling, for example, have established a tri-company partnership to produce plant-based protein ingredients (specifically flours and protein blends), for the vegan and flexitarian markets.
According to a press release, the consortium will engage in product research and development, as well as marketing to processors. There will be further effort to help processors market novel products to foodservice and retail throughout Canada and the United States. With a $1.2 million investment, it’s the first Protein Industries Canada initiative specific to Ontario.
While the bulk of investments to date have been more westwardly oriented, eastern provinces are also likely to see greater momentum in time.
“The role of [Protein Industries Canada] is to help the sector identify and capitalize these opportunities,” says Hannam. “I’m optimistic it will be helpful for companies in Eastern Canada as well.”


text:
McLaren has pulled the covers off its new 650S successor at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show – the 720S.
The new model is the first car to be launched as part of the British manufacturer's second generation of Super Series vehicles.
It is powered by a new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that develops a staggering 710bhp and 770Nm of torque, which allows for a 0-60mph time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 212mph.
Not only does the 720S boast impressive straight-line performance figures, carbon ceramic brakes also allow the McLaren to come to a halt from 124mph in just 4.6 seconds.
The new McLaren supercar features a dry weight of 1,283kg, allowing for a power-to-weight ratio of 553bhp per tonne. An integral aspect of the car's lightweight construction is the new Monocage II carbon-fibre tub, which delivers both extreme strength and rigidity while keeping the car's weight low.
As far as fuel economy goes, McLaren claims the 720S can deliver a combined consumption figure of 26.4mpg while CO2 emissions stand at 249g/km.
Mike Flewitt, McLaren Automotive's CEO, said: "Super Series is the core of the McLaren business and personifies the blend of extreme performance, crafted luxury and unparalleled driver involvement that is the McLaren heartland.
Orders are now open for the McLaren 720S, which is available in three grades of specification: standard, Performance and Luxury. Prices start at £208,000 and customer deliveries are expected to start in May.


text:
Google Ad Software Disrupted for Publishers Large and Small
Google’s widely used advertising software for publishers suffered an outage of more than 2½ hours Thursday evening that affected numerous publications large and small.
During the outage, publishers who use Google Ad Manager couldn’t make their ad inventory available in exchanges for automated buying, according to publishers who use the technology. They also weren’t able to load any ads that the publication had sold directly, the publishers said.
Millions of websites use software from
Google unit to serve digital ads, including that of The Wall Street Journal and other major newspapers.
“We and all the publishers we work with are getting no ad revenue. Literally every company we know has been affected,” said Paul Bannister, chief strategy officer at CMI Marketing Inc.’s CafeMedia, a network of blog properties. He called the outage unprecedented in its scope and duration.
Google confirmed the outage in a tweet Thursday evening. “We’re investigating an issue affecting ad serving from Google Ad Manager and are working to address it as quickly as possible,” read the tweet from the Google Ad Manager account.
The service’s status dashboard said affected users were seeing “error messages, high latency, and/or other unexpected behavior,” and that Ad Manager wasn’t delivering ads for those users.
The dashboard later confirmed the restoration of service, saying the disruption lasted from 8:04 p.m. to 10:40 p.m. EST.
—Alexandra Bruell contributed to this article.
Write to Patience Haggin at [email protected]
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
For all the latest Technology News Click Here


text:
Fast-casual brand signs first-of-its-kind statement of intent to embrace back-of-house automation
Today, Wing Zone – one of the nation’s leading fast-casual brands serving made-to-order flavor-packed chicken wings – announced a partnership with Miso Robotics – the company transforming the restaurant industry with robotics and intelligent automation – to make Flippy 2 a part of the chain’s standard build for all future restaurant locations. Wing Zone is the first fast-casual brand in the world to spec food robotics into its operations at this level.
“With over 100 new shops in our current development pipeline, our technology roadmap relies heavily on strategic partnerships with companies like Miso, a pioneer in the field of food automation, that has the knowledge, data and resources to design robotics solutions that maximize our efficiency and provide a better overall customer experience,” said David Bloom, Chief Development and Operating Officer of Wing Zone. “Our industry is in dire need of automation, and we are more than ready to deploy it at scale to continue growing our business.”
The partnership comes in parallel with the recently announced Wing Zone Labs – a franchisee of Wing Zone that will also support the brand’s overall corporate innovation efforts. Wing Zone Labs will deploy Flippy at its twenty forthcoming Southern California locations to handle the frying station for chicken wings and other fried menu items.
“We couldn’t be more excited to announce a truly groundbreaking partnership with Wing Zone to incorporate back-of-house automation into all of its future restaurants from this point forward,” said Mike Bell, CEO of Miso Robotics. “No other brand has accepted automation to this degree, and we don’t take their trust in us lightly. We want to establish Wing Zone as the franchise of the future, and this is just the first step in doing so.”
Miso Robotics is primarily funded by individual investors and is one of the most successful crowdfund stories in history. With over 18,000 shareholders, the company has raised more than $50MM in crowdfunding to date and is currently in their Series E round, which kicked off with a market valuation of $500 million. To invest in Miso Robotics, visit: https://invest.misorobotics.com/.
For more such updates and perspectives around Digital Innovation, IoT, Data Infrastructure, AI & Cybersecurity, go to AI-Techpark.com.


text:
Mattel will release a plastic version of the fierce 'Hunger Games' heroine later this year.
HBO cancels shows to make way for new programming.
Dunder Mifflin paper – the product at the heart of NBC’s hit comedy “The Office” NBC Universal – is now a real product. It's even on sale, $34.95 for a 20-pound carton, at online office supplier quill.com and the NBC online store. Manufactured by quill.com, the paper bears the Dunder Mifflin logo and slogans “Limitless paper in a paperless world” and “Quabity first." Dunder Mifflin paper is the latest in a long line fictional TV and film goods that turn into successful products. Will "The Office" office paper do as well as these Top 6 items?
Stephen King whisks readers back to 1963 in a piece of time-traveling historical fiction that asks: What if JFK had survived?
Collection of Paul Simon lyrics in print, website that documents New Yorkers and what they're reading, new AMC Civil War series, and more.
Arrested Development is coming back, creator Mitchell Hurwitz said over the weekend. And it could be coming straight to Netflix.


text:
Skype Sold To Microsoft For $8.5 Billion
Skype has been sold to Microsoft for $8.5 billion it has been confirmed today, subject to regulatory approvals.
Skype was started in 2003 and had a high profile acquisition in 2005 by the high flying eBay group. It had a slightly less well known takeover by an investment group in 2009.
“Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world.”
Skype’s CEO Tony Bates said that “Microsoft and Skype share the vision of bringing software innovation and products to our customers. Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype’s plans to extend our global community and introduce new ways for everyone to communicate and collaborate.”
It looks like the deal will allow Skype to grow it’s customer base via Microsoft’s software and hardware products and Microsoft will get new and tested functionality for it’s services such as Xbox Live.
Microsoft have stated that they will continue to invest and support Skype on non-Microsoft platforms and devices.


text:
This October, GameStop will give away codes for Volcanion, one of the Pokémon series’ newest legendaries. The event will run throughout the month, giving shoppers a chance to pick up a download code for the Pokémon.
Volcanion will be at level 70 when players import it into the current Nintendo 3DS games Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire — and come with a special hold item; it will also feature a moveset that includes both fire- and water-type moves. That's in keeping with its unique hybrid typing, as the first ever Pokémon to be both a fire- and water-type. Keeping it in a player's party will prompt new dialogue options in certain areas, expanding the Pokémon universe's lore.
We first met Volcanion last December in a trailer that showed the Pokémon off in-game. Following its debut, Japanese players were treated to the distribution event this spring. That giveaway was held in honor of the latest Pokémon movie, which is heading stateside as well. The trailer above introduces its English name: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel. The film remains undated, although it's expected to arrive sometime later this year.
The promotion is set to conclude just ahead of the launch of the next installments in the franchise, Pokémon Sun and Moon. New and legendary Pokémon will make their debuts in those games, some of whom we’ve already met — including as recently as this past Monday.


text:
Borgward is back, having arrived at the Geneva Motor Show with one of its 1957 Isabella Coupes and a bag full of plans for the future.
The company has not been seen on the world stage since 1961, but describes itself as “one of Germany’s largest and most successful car manufacturers of its time”.
Founded by Carl F.W. Borgward in 1919, the carmaker built cars, buses and trucks, along with boats, electric cars and even helicopters.
And now Carl’s grandson and president of Borgward, Christian Borgward, along with business partner Karlheinz L. Knöss plan to revive the brand in a big way.
"We began shaping and designing the future of Borgward nearly ten years ago and are now ready for the next step,” Mr Knöss said last month when announcing the Geneva appearance.
“Incorporating the values and cutting-edge technologies that Borgward stood for, combined with our ambition, drive and commitment to succeed, I believe we are now perfectly placed to open up this new chapter in Borgward's history.”
Speaking in Geneva, Mr Knöss has now provided more details on what we can expect from Borgward in the future.
We’ll have to wait until the Frankfurt Motor Show to see Borward’s comeback model, where it is scheduled to go on display in production guise.
This model will be an SUV destined to go on sale in 2016. The carmaker has chosen a popular body-style in the pursuit of immediate sales to build on for the future.
From there, Borgward promises a range of models focusing on luxury and bold styling.
The carmaker has big plans for the future, with Mr Knöss telling the UK’s Autocar that an annual production run of 800,000 is planned by 2020, rising to 1.6 million by 2025.
Petrol, diesel and hybrid powerplants developed in-house will be available in future models, as the carmaker says it wants to tackle the big guns to “become one of the top players in the automotive industry”.
Mr Knöss has recruited former Saab designer Einar Hareide to pen its range of models, and Hareide promises a modern look that retains the character of Borgward’s previous models.
You may be questioning where Borgward could source the funds to facilitate its large-scale plans, and a reported link with China’s Foton brand may provide at least part of the answer.
A second new model is scheduled to appear at next year’s Geneva Motor Show.
MORE: German Brand Borgward Returning After 50-year Hiatus
MORE News & Reviews: Geneva | Frankfurt | SUV
- Interested in buying ? Visit our showroom for more information.


text:
Motorola sends TV to your connected devices
Tuesday 14 June 2011
Motorola wants consumers to have access to their favorite TV shows, regardless of if they are sitting in front of their TV screen, cooking dinner in the kitchen or relaxing in the bedroom.
The company, usually focused on mobile devices, has taken the covers off a broadband device called "Televation" that streams live TV to connected devices including tablets, smartphones and displays.
"Consumers love entertainment, and want easy access to TV no matter where they are in the home. Coupled with the explosive popularity of tablet devices, this represents a terrific opportunity for MSOs to increase customer satisfaction while generating new revenue," said John Burke, senior vice president and general manager, Converged Experiences, Motorola Mobility.
Motorola Mobility's Televation works hand in hand with a customer's broadband router and coax outlet to convert live TV to MPEG-4 in real time, transmitting TV shows and movies to connected devices such as iPads, iPhones, Xooms and Android-powered gadgets on the network.
The Motorola Televation also augments or reduces the resolution and bit rate of the streamed TV feed to "match the capabilities of the consumer's viewing device while maintaining excellent picture quality."
TV broadcasters and cable operators have been hesitant to provide their customers with TV streaming options. While companies such as Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, and ABC have released TV streaming apps for the iPad, the industry's strict stance on digital rights has hindered the TV to tablet streaming market.
Motorola claims that its method of secure streaming "preserve[s] the digital rights associated with the program."
US cable operator and internet provider Comcast is rumored to be the first company to deploy Televation. No pricing or release dates have been announced.
The device is currently on show in both Motorola and Comcast's booths at the Cable Show in Chicago, USA. The Cable Show runs from June 14 to 16.
Life & Style blogs
iPhone 7 (or iPhone 6S) leaked pictures show similarities to older model — but Apple is fixing the biggest issue of all
The face of fertility: why do men find women who are near ovulation more attractive?
'Help me I'm trapped in a factory' messages keep being found on bottles of vitamin water
Google has set its terrifying, dreaming image robots on the public
What do the emojis on Snapchat mean?
Greece crisis: IMF was pushed around by Angela Merkel and Nicholas Sarkozy – and now it is being humiliated
Nathan Collier: Montana man inspired by same-sex marriage ruling requests right to wed two wives
'I wish the BBC would stop calling it Islamic State' – David Cameron unleashes frustration at broadcaster
Forget little green men – aliens will look like humans, says Cambridge University evolution expert
Greece crisis: The wider lesson is that it’s time to abandon this failed experiment in currencies
Girl, 7, stares down hate preacher at Ohio festival with pro-LGBT rainbow flag gesture
- 1 Michelle Watt's father says TV presenter killed herself because she was in constant pain
- 2 Nathan Collier: Montana man inspired by same-sex marriage ruling requests right to wed two wives
- 3 'Help me I'm trapped in a factory' messages keep being found on bottles of vitamin water
- 4 North Korean defector flees to Finland 'with evidence of chemical testing on humans'
- 5 Greek debt crisis: The photograph that conveys the despair of Greece's elderly
iJobs Gadgets & Tech
£20000 per annum: Recruitment Genius: The leading provider of Employee Managem...
£15000 - £25000 per annum: Recruitment Genius: This Kent based design consulta...
£25000 - £34000 per annum: Recruitment Genius: Are you looking to work for an ...
Negotiable: Recruitment Genius: This role's responsibility also include operat...


text:
Mastercard is planning to hire 470 people as the company expands its technology hub in New York City.
According to news from Bloomberg, a company statement with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that Mastercard will move to a new 212,000 square-foot location in Manhattan’s Flatiron District.
Mastercard, the world’s second-largest payments network — which already has 250 research, development and technology employees in New York — plans to add the new jobs by 2024. The company operates five technology hubs around the world. The others are located in St. Louis, Dublin, Sydney and India, as it seeks to transition from debit and credit cards to gadgets.
“New York is an exceptional gateway for talent, innovation and collaboration,” Ed McLaughlin, president of Operations and Technology at Mastercard, said in the statement announcing the hiring spree. “The activities in New York are a natural complement and expansion of our global effort to deliver the digital future today.”


text:
Titanfall Not Coming to Games on Demand
Written Friday, April 11, 2014 By Lee BradleyView author's profile
Titanfall will not be coming to Xbox 360’s Games on Demand Service.
The mechs and parkour multiplayer shooter arrived at retail this week for Xbox 360, but EA has said that the game won’t be made available as a digital download.
“After extensive testing, we felt that it simply did not represent the true Titanfall experience and it was decided not to release a Games on Demand version,” said an EA Support blog post.
“As we never officially announced that Titanfall would be available via Games on Demand and the option to purchase it that way should have never been offered. We hope players understand this decision was all about quality and making sure you get the best Titanfall experience.”
EA neglected to specify exactly why offering a digital download version of Titanfall on Xbox 360 would impact the quality of the experience. Read our review of the retail version through here.


text:
Most of Samsung’s smartphones may run a version of Google’s Android operating system. But the company has also shipped a handful of devices powered by the Linux-based Tizen operating system, and it looks like the next one may be on the way.
An FCC listing for an unannounced phone called the Samsung SM-Z400F/DS went live this week. As SamMobile and Tizen Experts note, that model number suggests this phone could eventually hit the streets with a slightly simpler name: the Samsung Z4.
That would put this phone in the same family as the Samsung Z1, Z2, and Z3… all of which shipped with Tizen software.
Samsung also uses Tizen to power its smartwatches, smart TVs, and some other products. For the last few years there’s been some speculation that the company is also hedging its bets in the smartphone space by continuing to explore Tizen and an alternative to Android. That would give Samsung more control over the software that runs on its phones, but it remains to be seen whether customers would jump ship if they lost access to features (and the app store) provided by Google.
For now, Tizen-powered phones make up a relatively small portion of Samsung’s smartphone portfolio. The company primarily ships Tizen phones in emerging markets such as India.
I think Samsung will have a massive up hill battle with Tizen. Not only is there a serious “app gap”, but I don’t know how many people trust Samsung enough to let them have complete control of their phones. Google has some problems but over all they have proven that they are willing to play nice with others. They could easily lock out Amazon but have chosen not to do so.
Comments are closed.


text:
For the fourth year in a row, BOWTECH Archery kicked off the industry’s largest trade show with the launch of its flagship bow. On the opening morning of the Archery Trade Association show in Nashville, BOWTECH unveiled the flagship RPM 360 and a second premium bow, the Carbon OverDrive.
“It has become a tradition at ATA for everyone to gather in the BOWTECH booth on the first morning of the show to see the latest in archery innovation,” said Jeff Suiter, Media Specialist for BOWTECH. “We had another great crowd on hand and we’re excited with the early reviews on the new bows.”
Jim Shockey of Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures hosted the event, which opened with live music from country artist Tyler Farr before Jim Burnworth of Western Extreme and Michael Hunshucker and Shawn Luchtel of Heartland Bowhunter unveiled the bows and discussed their new technologies and features.
The RPM 360, capable of firing arrows at speeds up to 360 fps, features a new trapezoidal I-beam riser and new Bridge Lock Pocket technology for precision and accuracy. The Carbon OverDrive takes the incredibly durable and lightweight Carbon Knight riser and adds BOWTECH’s OverDrive Binary Cam system and torque-eliminating FLX-guard technology.
BOWTECH manufactures and distributes the world’s finest compound bows and archery equipment. Founded in 1999, BOWTECH’s corporate offices and manufacturing facilities are located in Eugene, Ore. With a worldwide distribution network, BOWTECH’s family of brands include: BOWTECH, Diamond, Octane, Stryker and WaterDog Surface Technologies.
More at: http://www.bowtecharchery.com/


text:
Appeal of festival giants divides but minnows conquer on costs
OXEGEN attendees will likely be donning a River Island shirt and munching on Skittles at this summer's event, while Electric Picnic-goers will be sipping on a tall frappuchino.
The brand preferences of the two festivals' audiences are as different as their music choices, according to new research by digital agency Eightytwenty, whose analysis of the online preferences of social media users will be revelatory for sponsors.
Forever 21, alongside Tayto, River Island and Skittles, are the most popular brand names among those who "like" Oxegen on Facebook. Electric Picnic visitors, who tend to be older, are much more driven by their vices – Guinness and Starbucks make their top three. The one brand preference that the two share in common says leagues about young Ireland – Bacardi.
Both music festivals are clearly still the Goliaths of Ireland's music festival scene – Electric Picnic enjoys 118,000 "likes" while Oxegen has 247,000, even though their actual capacity is about a quarter of those numbers.
But there are plenty of Davids ready to take on the challenge.
There has been a steady growth in the number of smaller, cheaper festivals on offer in the past few years as ticket prices in excess of €200 steer punters away from larger events. Mini-festivals Forbidden Fruit, Longitude, Body and Soul and Castlepalooza have seen ticket sales soar this year.
And though both of the country's biggest music festivals are going ahead, it came as little surprise when concert promoters MCD announced a hiatus of Oxegen last year. In 2011 a camping ticket to the event cost €245, beyond the reach of many of its stalwart younger customers.
Electric Picnic has experienced similar financial woes. Electric Republic, the registered company behind the festival, lost €4,245 in 2011 and €344,654 in 2010, and had an outstanding loan worth over €4m to its parent company on its book. It was founded in 2004 by music promoter John Reynolds, who now co-owns it along with majority shareholder Festival Republic Dublin. FRD, itself owned by Dermot Desmonds' Gaiety Investments, bought a 71pc stake in the festival for €4.2m in 2009.
Mr Reynolds has previously claimed he has been pushed out of the decision-making process and that choices regarding the festival's acts have damaged its reputation.
Regardless of disagreements about acts, it was clearly obvious to all involved that prices had to come down from the lofty heights they reached during the boom if Irish festivals were to survive.
Ticket fees have been slashed across the board this year. Weekend camping prices at Oxegen have been cut to €150, while Electric Picnic costs a maximum of €230, depending on when the ticket is booked. Deadlines for cheaper rates have now passed.


text:
With an aim to bring its consumer-facing businesses at par with its flagship petrochemical and refining operations, RIL had announced a hybrid online-to-offline platform that would connect millions of small retailers to customers across India. The petrochemicals giant plans to marry its vast network of retail stores to the digital network of Reliance Jio Infocomm.
The acquisition of the hyperlocal logistics company is expected to help RIL fine-tune its e-commerce plans. The quantum of the investment could not be confirmed but the deal could be announced in the next few weeks, The Times of India reported. RIL could also make fresh investments to scale up the venture.
Grab has been talking to potential suitors for the last six-seven months. The company had also held talks with Paytm for an acquisition," the newspaper quoted an unnamed source.
The Mumbai-based startup has raised 300 million rupees from financial investors like Oliphans Capital, SIDBI and Sixth Sense Ventures. Food delivery major Zomato and Dubai-based logistics company Aramex are Grab's strategic backers. The startup was founded in 2014 by Pratish Sanghvi, Jignesh Patel and Nishant Vora.
The company has handled over 127 million orders across 49 cities for marquee clients such as McDonald's, Flipkart, Amazon, BigBasket and Big Bazaar.
Last month RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani had announced the plan to roll out the retail portal from Gujarat. "The new e-commerce platform will empower and enrich our 12 lakh small retailers and shopkeepers in Gujarat," Ambani had said.
The move has brought RIL in direct competition with global e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart, who dominate the Indian market currently. RIL has gone on an aggressive acquisition spree to spruce up the content play of Jio.
The company acquired music streaming service Saavn last year and merged it with JioMusic, shooting up the valuation of the combined entity to $1 billion. The company has also bought education tech startup Embibe and has committed to invest $180 million in the application.


text:
Depreciating technology has been a controversial topic in gaming for some time now. As time moves on, the continuous need for newer hardware will always be present, yet many fans are stuck on a previous generation. For a long time, the plan was simple, keep online services running until it becomes financially unsuitable to support both marketplaces. Yet, it seems Sony is taking that philosophy much further and stopping their PSN store services a lot earlier than one might expect. As many have predicted for a long time, the PlayStation 3, PSP, and Vita network stores are being brought offline and so will digital purchases on these consoles. While the move to close PS3 and PSP stores seemed inevitable, the Vita closure has come as a shock to many. The recent news has even caused many Vita developers to stop the development of future PlayStation Vita endeavors.
Salutations Quantumers and Community!
— Cotton Candy Cyanide (@CottonCandyCN) April 3, 2021
With the announcement coming after many years of embarrassing results in the handheld market; Sony has always wanted to continue maintaining its presence in whatever form that may be. As the fight over custom firmware and piracy has been long and arduous on these consoles, it seems that Sony is finally putting in the towel and giving up support for the PSN store on legacy hardware. Developers like Lillymo games took to Twitter expressing their disdain with the decision to bring the PlayStation Vita fully offline.
Whilst the PS3 library of content continues to exist on both perpetuating PlayStation systems and PS Now, the way to play these games legally is now becoming less of an option. With Sony in the hot seat over online safeguards reducing the lifespan of digital console purchases, the outrage is clear. Fans want to continue to have opportunities to play legal copies of games as publishers continue to try their hardest to combat emulation as a legitimate competitor when no alternative exists. As the games for the system are subsequently delisted later this year, so do more titles that could have released to great success.
So what do you think about the Vita store closing causing the cancellation of upcoming games? Let us know in the comments down below!


text:
Galaxy Racer Gets Into Gaming
Galaxy Racer (GXR), the largest esports, gaming and lifestyle organisation in the world, has announced its foray into gaming by sponsoring Rogue Jam, a brand-new indie game jam competition. This marks Galaxy Racer as the first esports organization to get into gaming. Galaxy Racer’s branding will be visible throughout Rogue Jam’s marketing campaigns including post-event coverage.
IGN and Rogue Games are partnering to produce Rogue Jam, a brand-new game jam that’s offering exclusive development deals along with US$800,000 in total prizes to competing indie game developers.
Galaxy Racer (GXR) was founded in 2019 and is the largest esports, gaming and lifestyle organizations in the world, with over 100 content creators across Middle East North Africa (MENA) and Southeast Asia (SEA), amassing over 500 million followers and generating over 2.5 billion monthly views.
Founder and CEO of Galaxy Racer, Paul Roy, said: “We’re delighted to support Rogue Jam, an awesome initiative by Rogue Games to uncover the next generation of indie game developers. Galaxy Racer believes in supporting the gaming community and Rogue Games are certainly on point with this competition and are making waves in the industry, including their recent ground-breaking partnership developing games for Netflix.”
Founder and CEO of Rogue Games, Matt Casamassina, said: “We’re thrilled to have Galaxy Racer come onboard as our gold sponsor for Rogue Jam. They are the first esports organization to enter gaming by having skin in the game. With their growing presence in the esports and gaming ecosystem, we are confident their support will have a positive impact to our community.”
Submissions will be accepted between November 29 and December 31 at Rogue Jam’s homepage roguejam.com , with finalists being showcased in a show produced by IGN in early 2022. The grand prize winner will win US$500,000 to develop their game as well as an exclusive Rogue Games publishing deal.
The competition will feature several other categories, including a “WTF” prize for Rogue Jam’s weirdest and wildest game, and an “Eye-Poppingly Beautiful” award for the most attractive game of the competition.
Both categories will offer prizes of US$100,000 along with a publishing deal with Rogue. Smaller prizes of US$50,000 plus a Rogue right of first refusal deal will be offered for “Huge Potential” and “Audience Choice” winners.
Judges for the event will include several well-known figures from across the games industry, including IGN Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer Peer Schneider and former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé. Complete list of judges below:
- Kimberly Pointer Corbett, Warner Bros. Games Senior Vice President of Digital Publishing
- Reggie Fils-Aimé, former Nintendo of America President, Board Advisor at Rogue Games
- Peer Schneider, IGN Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer
- Chris Lee, Netflix Head of Game Sourcing and Interactive Games
- Matt Casamassina, Rogue Games CEO
- Chris Archer, Rogue Games Chief Strategy Officer
Rogue Games was founded by Casamassina, who served at IGN until his departure in 2010. Earlier this year, Rogue Games raised US$2.5 million in funding to publish “batsh*t insane” indie games for PC, consoles, and mobile games.
The list of games Rogue currently has in development includes Super Impossible Road, a spiritual sequel to Impossible Road released on Nintendo Switch on December 9, to be followed by a first quarter launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Rogue is also publishing Arcanium, an “open-world single-player strategy card adventures,” and Sprawl, a retro FPS. In addition, Rogue Games recently announced that it is partnering with Bloober Team on an unannounced project.
The Rogue Jam submission portal opened November 29, and submissions will be accepted until December 31. Submissions must be playable in order to be considered.
If you are interested in more various igaming anf gambling games and sites, please visit our casinofriends.net site with information of games, offers, studios and casinos. Remember also, that you have to be adult to gamble and play igaming games and visit the sites. If you are interested to learn, read and try new slots,check out myslot.org site.
The future of gaming is more and more into different hybrid models. As land based casinos are checking more into igaming options, and igaming studios provide games to land based casinos – hybrid gaming is growing also within sportbooks and esportsgaming – just wait.


text:
Hosted by Adobe, Adobe Summit is a digital experience conference featuring the latest Adobe news, product innovations and breakout sessions covering digital trends.
Our 'Adobe Summit Recap Report' examines the key topics for brands and retailers from the conference, including:
1. Experience across the entire customer journey
2. Integrated data is a must
3. Business transformation requires a modern-day technology infrastructure
21 September 2020
To mark the UN General Assembly International Day of Peace, on the 21 September, Isobar Good Director Kara Prosser shares her perspective on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and why business should care about them today, more than ever, and how Isobar’s tools can be used to bring about change.


text:
Returning to the workplace
The Talent in Logistics team caught up with Mike Hayward, Partner and Head of our Crime, Transport and Regulatory team and Maria Gallucci, Partner and Employment Solicitor, about the duty of employers to review their policies and procedures during these unprecedented times, the rules around Annual Leave in 2020/21, Data Privacy for Covid-19 Employee Testing […]
Lawyers in Lockdown
Nathan Taylor-Allkins, Senior Associate in our Road Transport, Crime & Regulatory team gives us an insight into how he has been balancing work and family life during the lockdown. I can’t quite believe we are nearly into July. I recall when lockdown first started, we were talking about the summer like it was a dot […]
Notice pay during Furlough leave
What notice pay is an employee entitled to receive during their notice period if they are given notice of dismissal but remain on furlough leave during their notice period? The answer depends on whether under the employee’s contract of employment they are entitled to statutory notice only, or at least a week more than statutory […]
Landlords allowed to remedy breach before serving section 21 Notice
Landlords are able to regain possession of properties let under an Assured Shorthold Tenancy by serving a notice in accordance with section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. Previously two months’ notice was adequate in most circumstances, however this has been temporarily increased by the Coronavirus Act 2020 to a minimum of three months’ notice. […]
What now for retail?
The retail industry has been among those hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. With all non-essential shops forced to close their doors, consumers have been able to adapt their shopping habits by ordering online. But for retailers, it hasn’t been so easy. For many, lockdown has been catastrophic, with retail sales falling by a record […]
The ‘death of the office’?
In March, the coronavirus outbreak led to a mass exodus from UK offices as the country went into lockdown. Sensationalist media headlines screaming “Is it really the death of the office?” soon became a regular occurrence, sparking concerns about the sector’s ability to survive. Recent research from Knight Frank, however, dismissed the idea as “naïve” […]


text:
According to HMRC, Scottish manufacturers have seen a steep drop in demand for exports.
Roughly an eighth of all the goods manufactured in Scotland are sold abroad, but sales to other countries are down more than 9%.
Machinery and transport sectors, which account for a third of all Scottish good exported, was down by 5%, or around £319m at £5.8bn.
Are you excellent at exporting?
The Manufacturer has teamed up with Global Trade Review to launch the UK National Awards for Export Excellence 2016.
UK exporters of all sizes and industries can highlight their accomplishments by entering any of the 10 categories across a range of sectors and geographical regions.
Entry deadline: March 24, 2016
Find out more here.
The data shows a steeper drop off for Scottish good than other British made goods.
In the UK, machinery and transport were barely down, at just below £108bn, despite manufactured UK exports as a whole being down by almost 6% on 2014, and are now worth less than £26.9bn.
These figures represent a global slowdown in trade and the difficulties of the sterling being strong.
The other big export sector for Scottish goods is whisky, which dominates the beverages and tobacco classification. The sector continued to slide to 4.4% in exports to just under £4.5bn.
While exports fell, imports rose, according to the HMRC’s latest regional trade figures.
The Scottish Engineering trading group recently published their quarterly survey of companies also showed a slide in both output and exports.
The figures were slightly better than those from the final quarter of last year, 29% of companies said orders were up while 40% said they were down.
One of the larger engineering-based companies based in Scotland, Aggreko, has produced full year results that reflect a wide range of changes in the world economy over the past year.
The provider of temporary power generation was hit by the fall in oil and gas prices, where it had been a provider of power on fracking projects, though it has partly offset that by doing better in petrochemicals and refining.


text:
Cadbury's owner paid no corporation tax in 2014
Mondelez avoids tax despite £96.5m profit
The Guardian reported on 6th December 2015 that food company Mondelez was able to pay no UK corporation tax as a result of a Channel Islands-based bond, despite its subsidiary Cadbury making £96.5m profit in 2014.
An investigation by the Sunday Times found that Mondelez had been wiping out Cadbury’s bills using interest payments on an unsecured debt, which was listed as a bond on the Channel Islands’ stock exchange. The interest paid on the loan was able to be offset as a loss against gains made elsewhere in the company.
The arrangement, which was acknowledged to be legal, meant Mondelez was able to pay no UK corporation tax despite accounts showing that Cadbury UK, its subsidiary, made profits of £96.5m in 2014 and £83.6m in 2013.
Margaret Hodge, chairwoman of the Commons all-party group on responsible tax, told the Sunday Times:
“Multinationals like this are deliberately exporting their profits with artificial company structures to avoid tax. The founders of Cadbury who set it up as an ethical company will be turning in their graves.”
Kraft Foods bought Cadbury in 2010 in a deal worth more than £11bn, and renamed its international snacks sector Mondelez. A report by the Financial Times at the time of the purchase claimed Cadbury had tax avoidance schemes ready when it was bought by the multinational, saying the chocolate-maker had a system of loans in place that allowed it to reduce its UK tax bill to just £6.4m a year on a profit of £100m.
A Mondelez spokesperson said:
“In common with all global businesses, we pay corporation tax based on the laws of the countries in which we operate. We comply with all applicable tax legislation in the UK, and on a global basis we pay hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate income tax annually. Since 2010 we are proud to have invested over £200m into both UK-based manufacturing and R&D supporting our 4,500 employees in the UK."
Mondelez claimed it had invested £75m in four new lines at its Bournville site and that research showed that for every £1 it spent in the UK, a further £1.42 was generated in the UK economy. However, soon after the takeover of Cadbury, Kraft announced it would close a plant in Bristol with the loss of 400 jobs, despite pledging before the deal that it would keep it open, and early in 2015 it announced that 250 jobs would be lost at its Bournville plant.
See our guide to chocolate and boxes of chocolate for alternatives to Cadbury.
This story has been added to our corporate database. The database powers all our live product guides, giving the score for each company on our rankings tables. Find out more about how we rate companies.


text:
US consumers: 36 percent plan to grocery shop online in 2018
Report highlights importance of an omnichannel grocery experience in 2018 as consumer expectations rise
The annual Grocery eCommerce Forecast completed in partnership with ShopperKit, an in-store fulfillment platform, surveyed over 1,000 U.S. consumers about grocery shopping habits, intent and barriers moving into 2018 to better equip regional grocers with the insights they need to compete in this increasingly competitive industry.
Among the findings:
1) Online grocery shopping continues to rise in popularity
In 2018, 36% of U.S. consumers plan to shop online for groceries, which is up from 22% of those who shopped online in 2017.
2) The 2018 shopper wants a convenient, flexible online experience and will switch grocers to find it
76% of online shoppers will switch grocers for a better digital shopping experience.
3) The secret to a strong fulfillment offering is real-time communication
51% of online shoppers want the ability to communicate with their in-store picker during their shop.
"Online grocery adoption has risen year over year, and so has the desire for different methods of shopping online and offline, which was a prominent theme in this year's findings," said Chris Bryson, Founder & CEO at Unata. "Moving into 2018, grocers need an offering that meets the expectations of today's omnichannel shopper."
"Shoppers are fiercely loyal to their local grocery store because food is so personal, and the expectation for a convenient and trustworthy way to shop online from their local store of choice is becoming mandatory," said Jack Record, CEO of ShopperKit. "It's the execution and efficiency of a grocer's fulfillment program that will determine whether or not that expectation is met."


text:
Marc Lore, the founder of Jet.com, is moving further into the U.S. food delivery scene with a new company called Wonder, an on-demand meal courier platform he calls a “one-stop shop” for prepared meals.
According to various reports, Wonder Group has recently raised more than $500 million dollars in venture capital, and is finalizing plans to bring its Wonder and Envoy brands to Westchester County, New York, parts of Connecticut, northern and central New Jersey and parts of New York City.
Lore has suggested his new businesses combine aspects of food trucks, ghost kitchens, and delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats to create something new in the delivery space. He has partnered with Scott Hilton, previously chief revenue officer of Walmart, who now serves as Wonder’s CEO, a division within Wonder Group that oversees a fleet of trucks with small kitchens inside.
Wonder allows customers to summon these food trucks to their houses through the app, where the trucks will cook food at the curb. Its early outposts suggest the service is aimed at high-wealth customers willing to pay for a tailored, chef-driven experience brought right to their homes. The company is reportedly planning to expand its current stable of 60 trucks to more than 1,000 units by the end of 2022, according to Bloomberg.
Wonder Group’s Envoy offering is more like a traditional third-party delivery service, partnering with local restaurants to offer direct delivery and customer pickup.
As the founder of Jet, the ecommerce site Walmart acquired for $3.3 billion in 2016 and shut down in 2020, Lore was once viewed as a key rival to Amazon.com’s rapid ascent in the online retail space. Lore is also co-owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx professional sports teams, as well as co-founder and general partner of VCP Ventures, among other initiatives.


text:
Most companies will avoid making real product announcements on April Fools’ Day, as the news will inevitably get buried under a mountain of pranks from companies incorrectly assuming they can be funny. But not Asus. It used April 1 this year to announce its first handheld gaming device, leaving fans wondering if it was real... until Asus confirmed the ROG Ally this morning on Twitter.
Unlike recent handhelds from Logitech and Razer, which are primarily designed for use with either game streaming services or Android mobile games, the ROG (Republic of Gamers) Ally sounds like it’s being positioned as a handheld gaming PC, similar to the approach Valve took with its Steam Deck. At least, that’s if we go off the limited specs and features revealed during a somewhat unhinged announcement video Asus shared on YouTube on April 1. (Why are there zombies at the end?)
What we do know is that the ROG Ally will be a Windows gaming handheld powered by a custom-made AMD APU (accelerated processing unit, or a processor with integrated graphics capabilities). For reference, the Steam Deck also uses a custom AMD APU, although we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Ally boasting more recent tech, as Valve’s APU uses a Zen 2+ processor and RDNA2 graphics, which are a few generations behind. Boasting, “Full HD gaming,” the Ally’s screen will probably max out at a 1080P resolution, and the handheld looks to feature a pair of quiet cooling fans to maximize performance while ensuring the device doesn’t get too warm to actually hold.
The ROG Ally will play AAA games natively from various game libraries, and while it will inevitably require performance tweaks and compromises for certain games to play smoothly in handheld mode, the device can be docked and connected to the ROG XG Mobile eGPU, allowing more demanding games to be played in full quality on a larger screen at greater resolutions.
Details on when the Asus ROG Ally will be available or how much it will cost haven’t been disclosed yet, but Asus’ tweet this morning is pointing interested gamers to a landing page on Best Buy’s website, where they can sign up to be notified when the handheld is ready for pre-order.
Aside from out-of-the-box eGPU support, what seems most noticeable here is that the handheld appears to be a touch smaller than the Steam Deck, and bears the same type of over-the-top branding as ROG laptops. We’ll see how well it can compete with other Steam Deck alternatives like the Ayaneo Geek when we can actually hold it in our hands, hopefully without being interrupted by zombies.


text:
RTW Vs CSG | Match 6 Jul 23, 2019
CSG 140/6 (19.2)
Latest News on Grocery
Showing of 0 - 10 from 6 results
Grocery - Total results - 6
May 30, 2019
Amazon expands Pantry to 110 Indian cities as it bets big on grocery category to drive growth in businessE-commerce major Amazon.in on Thursday said it has expanded its 'Pantry' service to over 110 cities in the country as it bets big on the grocery category to drive growth in business
May 21, 2019
Reliance Retail eyes consumer-focused retail businesses, plans to focus on last-mile deliveryWhile most retailers are trying to bank on an omnichannel strategy, Reliance Retail is working on a unique Offline to Online (O2O) model
Apr 29, 2019
BigBasket to invest $100 million to strengthen supply chain, will set up vending machines and distribution centres across citiesBigBasket had recently raised $150 million in funding, led by Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund, CDC Group and Alibaba Group.
Feb 22, 2019
Softbank-backed Grofers narrows standalone losses to Rs 258.3 cr in FY18 from Rs 268.3 cr in March 2017Grofers, which has already completed five years of operations, had a revenue run rate of over $360 million (about Rs 2,500 crore) around that time
Sep 13, 2017
Zomato acquires logistics company Runnr for an undisclosed sum to boost food delivery businessRunnr is already efficiently fulfilling 300 thousand orders a month, which is just a tad less than 10 per cent of Zomato's food ordering volumes.
Jul 16, 2016
Britain's Sainsbury's trials similar concept to Amazon's Prime NowSainsbury's, Britain's second largest supermarket group, is trialing a one hour home delivery service that is similar in concept to Amazon's 'Prime Now', it said on Friday.


text:
Mazda will pull the curtains on the next-generation Mazda 3 small car at this month's Los Angeles Auto Show, kicking off a new era of performance-oriented vehicle platforms and Skyactiv-X drivetrains, all wrapped in a voluptuous new design language.
The sedan and hatchback versions of the Mazda 3 are expected to be on the stand.
A teaser shot released Thursday by Mazda Motor Corp. offers glimpses of both, with their rounded bodywork showcasing the reinterpreted vibe of the brand's Kodo design look.
But the Mazda 3 embodies more than just new styling. The compact car is the leadoff nameplate for an entirely re-engineered vehicle architecture that the Japanese carmaker promises will weigh less, cost less and deliver a quieter ride with crisper handling and better rigidity.
The Mazda 3 also receives a new engine — dubbed Skyactiv-X — which Mazda says combines the best traits of diesel and gasoline engines for ultraclean power. Using a technology called spark-controlled compression ignition, it aims to improve both performance and fuel economy.
Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto, talking about the car here ahead of its unveiling, said the strategy is to mate the Skyactiv-X engine to a mild-hybrid system. Marshaling the electric motor's power-assist ability will ensure linear acceleration and spirited driving, Marumoto said.
It also will deliver a fuel economy improvement of more than 30 percent over a standard gasoline engine of the same displacement. The Mazda3 will be offered with the mild hybrid 2.0-liter Skyactiv-X engine or a current-generation 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G gasoline powerplant, Marumoto said.
Source: Read Full Article


text:
Ahead of Valentine’s Day, for the first time, we have an answer to the age-old debate: which nationality is the most romantic? It might not surprise you to hear that it’s not the British.
According to analysis of 2016 Waze navigation data from 2016 to flower shops (not including petrol stations) the most romantic country was the US where navigations on Valentine’s Day were up by 3.3x. France came second with an increase in navigations of 47% and UK bagged third place with an increase of only 31%.
In the UK, there was an almost equal spike in flower shop navigations a week after Valentine’s Day, possibly due to men trying to make amends or avoiding the love holiday’s premium prices hikes.
Either way, flower shops should get ready for another bumper day.
Responding to the Waze findings, Finlay Clark, UK head of Waze says: “It might be not being a surprise that our French counterparts put us to shame in the romance department. However, this Valentine’s Day analysis shows the Americans to be the true (rose) thorn in our side, subjecting us to third place.
“Collecting vast amounts of data from drivers around the world can be a particularly useful way for brands to target and showcase national consumer habits. And when it comes to Valentine’s Day flower shopping this year, Waze urges Britain to get into the spirit. Surely we should be able to do just as well as, if not better than, couples in the States!”