text:
Nissan may build more Leaf EVs to meet growing demandWed, 07 Aug 2013
Nissan is making plans to begin building more electric Leafs as dealers clamor for more of the once slow-selling car. The automaker's North American factory chief -- who has been visiting with retailers in recent days -- cautions that production will move ahead in small and careful steps.
But Nissan is already taking measures to increase its output of electric motors from its engine factory in Decherd, Tenn., says Bill Krueger, Nissan Americas vice chairman and senior vice president for manufacturing, purchasing production engineering and supply chain management. Decherd is now staffing up to launch a third work shift that will give Nissan a third more electric motors starting this fall. That will ease up a critical pinch-point for Leaf output in the United States.
Krueger, speaking today on the sidelines of the 2013 CAR Management Briefing Seminars here, said the company also will decide next month whether to add a second shift to its production of lithium-ion battery modules for the car in Smyrna, Tenn.
Retailers have been selling about 2,000 Leafs a month lately -- three to four times its volume of a year ago, before the car was moved into U.S. production. Through July, Nissan sold 11,703 Leafs in the United States -- a 230 percent increase over the 3,543 units sold during the seven months last year. The company sold 1,864 of the cars in July, compared with 395 during July 2012.
But Nissan decision-makers are waiting to see if August retail sales for the car are holding firm before moving ahead and signaling to suppliers that it is time to ramp up.
Green light from sales
"Sales needs to give us the green light, and we'll decide in September," Krueger says. "We want to know is this a spurt, or is this long-term?" He said the equipment is already installed to produce significantly more batteries and Leafs. "But we don't want to ramp up and then ramp back down," he said. "We want to see that it's sustainable. You don't want to end up with a bunch of cars out there that you can't sell."
Nissan is the only North American automaker that produces an all-electric car, its battery module and the electric motor that powers it. The battery is an unusual piece of automotive hardware, with each battery taking a full month to "bake" from chemicals into a module that can absorb and store energy.
(Nissan poised to boost Leaf output originally appeared on Automotive News.)
By Lindsay Chappell- Automotive News


text:
Square announced it was developing a new credit card reader that would allow businesses to begin accepting a more secure type of credit card being rolled out in the U.S. over the next 15 months.
The announcement comes as credit cards embedded with microchips finally begin to reach American consumers. The cards, which have been common for a decade in many other parts of the world, are believed to be harder to clone than traditional stripe cards.
Hustlers in Europe will agree.
Beginning in October 2015, liability for credit card fraud will sit with whichever entity — the issuer or the merchant — is using the less secure equipment. So a merchant would be penalized if it doesn’t have the equipment to accept chip cards and suffers an unauthorized purchase with a card that had a chip in it. On the other hand, the bank would be liable if it doesn’t issue chip cards and one of its customers makes an unauthorized transaction with a traditional card at a store that accepts chip cards…
Square makes the point this will enable expansion into other markets.
I’m not certain how that statement fits into Square’s growth plans. Are they taking advantage of opportunities opening up because they have to make this change, anyway – or is this around the time when they planned on moving into Europe.
Either way, I admit to liking the usability and design of their hardware/software packages.

domain: news


text:
Aston Martin Is Showing Off Designs For A Limited Edition Submarine
The auto brand plans to make a dozen submarines available for the public to purchase
Aston Martin, the luxurious British sports car company also known as James Bond’s car of choice, has entered a partnership with submarine group Triton. Together they plan to release a limited number of submersible vehicles available to the public, called ‘Project Neptune’.
Presently the engineers at Aston Martin have a concept written up with no working prototype. Their concept imagines the submarine’s size as nearly six feet tall and weighing 8,800 pounds. It can travel up to 3.5 miles per hour and reach depths of 1,650 feet. Only 12 of these vehicles will get made and they will all cost around $4 million each.
Now Track More Ideas
- NYRIW Preview: How Roam Fitness Meets Travelers At The Juncture Of Wellness And Convenience
- American Airport Travelers Can Skip The Line At Amazon Go Stores
- Aston Martin And Waldorf Astoria Offers Guests Luxury Car And Hospitality Experiences
- Shoppers Who Purchase A Rimowa Suitcase Receive Air-Mile Credit


text:
Registration takes less than 1 minute.
American Maritime Partnership chairman Tom Allegretti says there is strong support for Jones Act in Congress and attempts to exempt Puerto Rico could jeopardize Congressional support for aid.
The ocean carriers, which offer liner service to Puerto Rico and Alaska, will henceforth be known as TOTE Maritime, according to a statement from the companies.
Jobs directly associated with port activity have increased more than 13 percent between 2012 and 2014, according to an economic impact study of the Port of New York and New Jersey.
TOTE says "While this reflects that the ship was caught in rough seas and extreme weather, it is in no way indicative of the ship’s fate."
Rep. Stephen Fincher, R-Tenn., introduced a bill that would restore Ex-Im Bank’s operations and include various reforms, but will require a "discharge process" to reach the House floor for a vote.
The company’s minority investment in e-commerce specialist Ally Commerce Inc. is more about research than revenues, according to Rimas Kapeskas, head of UPS’s strategic enterprise fund.


text:
Also, the combined market caps of Google and Microsoft. Steve Jobs would be pleased.
Apple (AAPL) closed Thursday at a record high $493.17, up a whopping $16.49 (3.46%) for the day. That pushed its market capitalization (share price times shares outstanding) to nearly $460 billion -- more than any other company in the world and, as Apple Insider's Neil Hughes noted, greater than the value of Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG) combined.
What else is Apple worth more than? Let's see ...
Updating some of the links in the Things Apple Is Worth More Than tumbler, and adding a few of our own, we find:
Unable to fill U.S. orders, it will make the device unavailable in 25 more countries on Friday
Last week, for reasons I'd rather not examine too closely, I spent the better part of an hour waiting outside an Apple retail outlet in center city Philadelphia only to be told, 50 minutes before the store was scheduled to open, that its promised overnight shipment of iPad 2s had not arrived.
It was an MOREPhilip Elmer-DeWitt - Mar 22, 2011 1:41 PM ET
|I work 4 jobs and I'm still struggling|
|"The Hobbit" dispute sparks lawsuit|
|Premarkets: Stocks' disappointing December continues|
|Don't fight it. Bitcoin has a bright future|
|Apple supplier draws scrutiny after worker deaths|


text:
Tactile Launches with a Sales Data Sync Platform
Tactile launched today as a company with $11.2 million in series A funding from Accel Partners and Redpoint Ventures.
With an initial focus on salespeople, the company also introduced its first app, Tact, which automatically syncs customer data.
Tactile's patent-pending personal sync platform ties the sales professional's essential business data from email, calendars, tasks, contacts, LinkedIn, and Salesforce. Further, with a simple swipe, important details can be synced back to the company.
Prior to launching Tactile, founder and CEO Chuck Ganapathi was senior vice president of products at Salesforce.com and responsible for building the company's Sales Cloud, Chatter, and Mobile products. Earlier in his career, he developed CRM products at Siebel Systems, helping the company transition from the client-server platform to the Web. Most recently, he served as entrepreneur-in-residence at Accel Partners, where he incubated the idea for Tactile.
"In my 18 years in enterprise software, I've never met an end-user who isn't frustrated by disconnected, company-mandated tools," Ganapathi said in a statement. "In our personal lives, we have come to expect everything—photos, music, documents—to be available everywhere and instantly up to date. Sync is the defining technology of this generation, and we are on a mission to bring its power to our work lives and deliver business applications that people love."
"From the start, we've been aligned with Chuck's vision to invert the top-down enterprise software industry model," said Kevin Efrusy, who led Accel's investment in Tactile, in a statement. "With its people-first approach and groundbreaking technology, Tactile is taking a fresh look at an important market, and we are excited to join forces with Redpoint in helping Chuck and his team define a new category."
Should You Break Up with Your CRM Solution?
Four simple signs that it may be time to move on.


text:
Late night entertainment venue firm Regents Inns has revealed its turnover fell by three per cent during the last 12 months, largely due to changes to licensing regulations.
The firm, which owns the Walkabout, Jongleurs and Bar Risa businesses says that its takings were down to £127.6 million compared to last year's value of £131.3 million, also attributing the loss to "challenging trading conditions".
New licensing rules that came into force this year increased security costs for late night bars and are also said to have limited the number of young people going out during the week.
Like for like sales were down 0.4 per cent, while the group's profits dropped more than £1.5 million to £5 million.
Bob Ivell, Regents Inns' executive chairman, today dubbed the legislative changes of the last 12 months "the most significant… ever experienced by the sector".
"Our approach to these changes was to minimise risk, build on good relationship with the police and local authorities and emerge with the integrity of our brands intact and well positioned for the future," he said.
Mr Ivell added: "Events post-licensing deregulation have reinforced our belief that operators must consolidate in order to protect business value and in view of this, our previously stated objective of participating in sector consolidation remains a priority."


text: A-Trak has revealed the finalists for this year’s inaugural Goldie Awards competition, in which 8 DJs and 8 music producers will be pitted against each other in a live contest to be held at Brooklyn Steel on September 7. Competitors were chosen from over 300 online submissions from around the world, with contestants from the USA, Japan, Germany, Portugal, and more. Check out a video featuring the full list of finalists and clips from their respective video submissions below. Prizes for the winners include a DJ booking at Fool’s Gold Day Off, the opportunity to release music on Fool’s Gold, and more. This year’s judges panel includes Diplo, Mannie Fresh, Just Blaze, Mija, Craze, HARD Festival founder Destructo, and the Whooligan.


text:
Artesian Spas will be diving into a hat-trick of exhibitor appearances at the UK Pool & Spa Expo to highlight enhanced hot tub options and a new model boost for the TidalFit range.
The booming hot tub brand from May Manufacturing, producers of the 2014 WhatSpa? Best Buy Award-winning South Seas 518P, Island Antigua 33 and Platinum Elite Dove Canyon, pictured, is among a number of loyal exhibitors appearing for the third consecutive time during the wet leisure showcase, running from January 22 to 24 in Hall 10 at the Birmingham NEC.
Following up product promotion success at the International Pool Spa Patio Expo in Florida, and Piscine Global in France, representatives from the Doncaster-based European distributor will be looking to build on 2014 retailing success by showcasing enhanced hot tub models and new TidalFit options for 2015, which are joining the swim spa stable that includes the WhatSwimSpa? Best Buy Award-winning TidalFit EP-14.
Making its debut this year will be a powerful TidalFit Active EP-12 Above Ground model, which comes in at 366 x 231 x 114cm and has a water capacity of 4,921L. It has a dry weight of 794kg and a filled weight of 5,711KG. The Active Plus EP-12 has the option benefit of being available as an Above Ground or Semi In-Ground model.
A new Power Plus EP-16, which comes in at 487 x 231 x 152cm has also been launched for 2015 as the first hydraulic propeller TidalFit model with a Variable Current Swim System that provides nine times more flow rate than traditional swim spas. It has a water capacity of 8,328L, a dry weight of 1,588KG and filled weight of 9,910KG.
“Our new 12ft model is very powerful for its size and we are officially launching it to the market at the UK Pool & Spa Expo,” said Artesian Spas Director Victoria Wrigglesworth.
“We are looking forward to attending this event again and will also be using our third consecutive appearance at the exhibition to promote the new fully-integrated Bluetooth system within our Island and Platinum Elite ranges, which will come as standard.
“Because it is now internal within the hot tub itself, there is no side unit involved in production so customers no longer will have any issues with decking around the side of these new hot tubs.”
Artesian Spas has already signed up new dealers for this year and will be looking to promote the brand’s extensive product choice in the Platinum Elite, Island Spas, South Seas Spas, Garden Spas and TidalFit ranges to prospective retailers during the three-day event.
The UKPSE exhibition will also provide an opportunity to highlight the enhanced South Seas range that has been extended with the imposing 965L. Coming in at 274 x 231 x 91cm, it has been designed with seating capacity for eight people and is the largest model in the Deluxe Class of the flourishing South Seas stable of models.
Once again the Artesian Spas dealer network in the UK has produced increased annual sales figures and new dealers will be joining their retailing counterparts this year after contacting the distributor following the Hot Tub Britain documentary by ITV, which was aired in September.
“We had a fantastic year of sales in 2014 and have surpassed our 20 per cent increase of 2013 by a big margin,” said Victoria.
“Our new models and enhancements were well received and overall most of our UK retailers have performed highly to produce improved annual sales figures.
“As a result of the Hot Tub Britain programme we have had huge amounts of calls and online applications from potential retailers and will be bringing some new dealers on board.”
For further details about how to become an Artesian Spas dealer, or for comprehensive product material on the wide range of hot tub and swim spa options from the USA manufacturer, visit Stand 320 at the UK Pool & Spa Expo.
Opening hours for the first two days of the UK Pool & Spa Expo, on January 22 and 23, will be between 10am to 5:30pm. On Saturday, January 24, the third and final day of the UK Pool and Spa Expo is the Consumer Day that will be staged between 10am and 3pm for exhibitors in Hall 10 to meet with members of the public as well as trade representatives.


text:
Cobone.com discount site to launch before Eid
Site sees about a 1,000 registrations a day as they get closer to launching their deals
Middle Eastern e-commerce giant Jabbar Internet Group will launch their discount group-buying website Cobone.com before Ramadan.
Cobone is seeing 500 to 1,000 registrations a day as they get closer to launching their deals.
"Cobone.com went live in June and has seen huge numbers sign up so far. The buzz around Cobone has been really exciting," said Paul Kenny, CEO of Cobone. "What sets the Middle East apart from the western world is a culture of bartering. Negotiating for a better price is something that comes naturally in the region and traditionally this culture has mainly been enjoyed offline."
Cobone, a play on the word coupon, will launch in the United Arab Emirates first before expanding to every city in the Middle East and beyond. It has already signed big discounts with leading restaurants, spas, hotels and experiences, but won't reveal names just yet.
The idea for the site came about during a discussion between Kenny and Jabbar Group chairman Samih Toukan, when both realised it was the perfect time to bring a group-buying concept based on the penetration and popularity of the internet in the region.
"Everybody loves a discount and what Cobone brings is one great deal every day of the week with up to 90% off the best things to do and see in your city," stated Kenny.
Users also receive a bonus AED 25 each time a friend purchases a deal through their referral, which creates the potential, over time, to take advantage of deals on the site without having to pay out of their own pockets.
The Cobone team has invested heavily to make sure the site remains secure, with payment options including full credit card functionality, PayPal, CashU and even cash for added convenience.
There's more to making a new business venture successful though and Cobone.com faces stiff competition from GoNabit.com, which was launched earlier in the year by entrepreneurs Dan Stuart and Sohrab Jahanbani, venture-backed by Bayt.com.
Regional market knowledge, resources, technology and customer care are core areas that can make or break businesses particularly in the MENA region, Kenny explained. He's convinced they've got that covered and being associated with the well-established Jabbar Internet Group is a definite plus.
"Being part of Jabbar has been an excellent base for Cobone to launch within the region. You are going to see some very exciting partnerships between the Jabbar entities which Cobone will be doing in the coming months so make sure to sign up. Jabbar who recently sold Maktoob to Yahoo! has a wealth of intelligence and with Cobone partnering with our International partners we have no doubt Cobone will be a huge success in the region," he said.


text:
I dubbed it my Hit Car Colour of the Year back in May. This was a result of SO many new cars and motor show stars appearing in varying shades of orange.
Now, thanks to Pantone voting an orange hue its Colour of the Year 2012, its scope may soon stretch to the catwalk and the make-up counter, too.
In the car world, Bentley started the trend with the latest Continental GT back in November 2010. Today, VW Group brand partner is carrying it onto the road with orange Q3 and, from early next year, A1 Sportback.
(As is increasingly the case, Audi is launching the five-door A1 with a bespoke colour – Samoa Orange – ensuring it will probably be the marketing ‘brochure colour’ at the launch event. Expect to see a lot of it in early 2012)
Now, orange is set to gain official recognition as a cool colour, courtesy of the Pantone Matching System propriety colour space. Each year, it announces its Colour of the Year, one researched, debated and chosen to ‘connect with the zeitgeist’. And this year’s colour has been revealed.
Colour of the Year 2012
The 2012 Colour of the Year is Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango. Yes, orange.
Why? Because it’s a vivacious, enticing hue, says Pantone: ‘The 2011 Color of the Year, PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle, encouraged us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.’
What next for Tangarine Tango, then? Fashion, reckons Pantone: look out for it in the 2012 collections of Tommy Hilfiger, Nanette Lepore, Cynthia Steffe by Shaun Kearney, Elie Tahari and Adrienne Vittandini, it says.
Cosmetics, too: it’s apparently particularly good for eyeshadow, as it’s ‘a complementary opposite that flatters blue or green eyes. When paired with brown eyes, it brings out an amber cast.’
I’m curious to see what happens now, and will be looking to people who know much more about this stuff than I (chiefly, my girlfriend) to tell me how orange is making its way into High Fashion.
In the meantime… geeks (like me), do you want to recreate Tangerine Tango yourself? Try the CMYK code: 0/82/80/0. The official Pantone code is 17-1463. Hexadecimal? #FA500A will do it for you.
So… what IS the Pantone Colour of the Year?
A very thoughtful process, says Pantone. It scours the world for influences, from the entertainment industry, art collections, new artists, travel destinations ‘and other socio-economic conditions’. Not only that, continues Pantone, but influences also come from technology, including new textures and effects that can affect colour.
Influences even, get this, stretch to ‘upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention’.
The Colour of the Year influences product development and purchasing decisions across multiple industries, continues Pantone: ‘fashion, home and industrial design… (even) product packaging and graphic design’. Who knew.
Past winners? Here’s a list, with the Pantone codes, colour-coded in hexadecimal:
• PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle (2011)
• PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise (2010)
• PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa (2009)
• PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris (2008)
• PANTONE 19-1557 Chili Pepper (2007)
• PANTONE 13-1106 Sand Dollar (2006)
• PANTONE 15-5217 Blue Turquoise (2005)
• PANTONE 17-1456 Tigerlily (2004)
• PANTONE 14-4811 Aqua Sky (2003)
• PANTONE 19-1664 True Red (2002)
• PANTONE 17-2031 Fuchsia Rose (2001)
• PANTONE 15-4020 Cerulean (2000)
+ My hit car colour of 2011
+ My hit car colour of 2010
+ From the Porsche archives: Carmine Red and the Panamera GTS


text:
citigroup - News, Features, and Slideshows
Britain's brand new Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UK) has finally been launched, the latest and most high-profile part of the Government's long-running overhaul of UK cyber-defences.
You may arrive at some conflicting conclusions about reported cyber attacks in recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by some of the largest companies in the nation.
Iran has once again been accused of being behind a huge wave of DDoS cyberattacks directed against US banks and financial institutions for at least the last six months.
Groups of companies in the same industry could mitigate the effects of cyberattacks by pooling infrastructure resources and working together on security issues, a senior official in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has suggested.
Prosecutors call it the biggest identity theft bust in US history. On Friday, 111 bank tellers, retail workers, waiters and alleged criminals were charged with running a credit-card-stealing organization that stole more than $US13 million in less than a year-and-a-half.
Sign up now »
Balancing the requirement for strong network security with the need to harness collaborative web technologies is essential for business growth.
I’m dating myself, but I remember when holiday shopping involved pouring through ads in the Sunday paper, placing actual phone calls from tethered land lines to research product stock and availability, and actually driving places to pick things up. Now, holiday shoppers can do all of that from a smartphone or tablet in a few seconds, but there are some security pitfalls to be aware of.


text:
Dow Chemical (DOW) will not purchase all of Chemtura (NYSE:CEM) as rumored, but rather look for an acquisition of portions of it.
Dow has said
our strategy involves growing the Company's performance portfolio - both through organic growth and through carefully targeted acquisitions - while, at the same time, lightening our basics portfolio - principally through joint ventures. And we've made no secret of the fact that, right now, we're looking at dozens of opportunities and potential ventures around the world to advance that strategy. Some are in an early assessment phase, others are further advanced.
So, what does Chemtura have that Dow could want? For starters, it is currently a very willing seller. Earlier this year the company put itself up for sale, but the auction failed. That does not mean it is still not for sale, as Trian Fund Management LP, run by activist hedge fund investor Nelson Peltz, sported a 4% stake in the company as of June and has his firm's co-founder on Chemtura's board. Pelts's MO is to sell off assets of companies he invests in like he did with his investment in Wendy's (NYSE:WEN) and the Tim Horton's (NYSE:THC) chain sale. Additionally, Apollo Management, the private equity firm that owns nearly 2 percent of the company was rumored to be the lead bidder in the Chemtura auction before dropping out.
Chemtura does have a specialty chemical business growing profits at 35% YOY (year over year) and a crop protection business growing profits at 14% YOY. Dow has been aggressive in both areas in both acquisitions and joint ventures like the recent Monsanto (NYSE:MON) announcement. Neither segment will be a large contributor to earnings (sales of roughly $600 million in the first 6 months of 2007) but at current level could be had for a song and would be accretive to earnings almost immediately (one of CEO Liveris's determinant factors). Q3 earning come out 11/2.
It would not be a blockbuster deal for Dow, but one that would add steady profits in growing areas and - best of all - could be had at very reasonable prices.


text:
With NS Studio and Dragonfly, two Korean studios have announced that they are developing on versions for their free-to-play (f2p) FPS titles that run on VR (virtual reality) platforms.
Dragonfly had assigned resources to develop a VR version based on the Special Force series last year. Since they phased out Special Force, launched under the title Soldier Front in North America, the VR version might be targeting the markets in Asia only.
NS Studio is confident to release a VR version for their military shooter Black Squad even by the end of this year and together with the launches of the non-VR versions. And according to the official press release, the regular game Black Squad will be debuting in Brazil (finally), North America, Europe, China and Thailand within this year. Chinese gamers will be able to play Black Squad also on SmartTV platforms.
It hasn't been mentioned yet, if you can experience frenetic 16-vs-16 PvP matches in Black Squad with a VR set, which might be rather unlikely, but the FPS will offer special PvE 'scenario' modes that you can play with a Rift or HTC Vive headset.


text:
One of the world's biggest solar panel makers made it official Thursday, confirming it will invest $171 million to expand its facility in Dalton, Georgia and add 470 more jobs in Whitfield County.
The Korean solar panel maker Hanwha Qcells, which already employs 750 workers at its 200,000-square-foot factory built three years ago in the Carbondale Business Park in Dalton, said by the summer of 2023 it will produce 1.4 gigawatts of solar modules per year made with Qcells' next generation TOPCon cells.
"Our additional investment in Dalton will help Qcells better serve the needs of U.S. customers with increased local manufacturing capacity," Qcells CEO Justin Lee said in an announcement of the plant expansion in Dalton. "Georgia has become the clean energy manufacturing heart of America, and we are proud to contribute to the state's advanced manufacturing economy."
Located near the company's existing 1.7-GW factory in Dalton, the plant addition will bring Qcells' total capacity in the U.S. to 3.1 GW, equivalent to one-third of the country's solar module manufacturing capacity. Groundbreaking is planned for fall 2022 and operation is expected to commence within the first half of 2023.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp welcomed the additional Korean investment.
"The state of Georgia and Korea have enjoyed an outstanding partnership for decades, supported by a dedication to relationship building," Kemp said. "I am thankful that Qcells' facility will ensure Whitfield County remains a hub for manufacturing as we continue to prioritize bringing jobs and opportunity to all parts of our state, including our rural communities."
The investment is part of the effort by Qcells and other solar panel manufacturers to improve the U.S. solar supply chain. In March, Qcells' parent company Hanwha Solutions became the largest shareholder of U.S. polysilicon manufacturer REC Silicon to secure reliable supply of the raw material crucial to solar panel manufacturing.
"There is no doubt that we are witnessing the rebirth of the solar panel manufacturing industry in the United States, and Qcells is a pioneer in that movement," Pat Wilson, commissioner for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, said in a statement Thursday. "In 2019, the company opened their state-of-the-art facility in Dalton, which ultimately became the largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere. Today we celebrate not only the successes of the past, but the future that Qcells brings by expanding their footprint in Georgia.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, also applauded the new investment and pledged he will work "to make Georgia a world leader in renewable energy innovation and manufacturing."
The American solar industry, which is working to expand renewable power generation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit climate change, faces major headwinds with supply delays and interruptions in getting equipment for new solar generation.
The Solar Energy Industries Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group, said more than 315 solar projects have been delayed or canceled and solar installation for 2022 and 2023 could be nearly cut in half due to supply chain problems and concerns about the inquiry launched by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The delays are pushing back major solar installations planned by TVA and Georgia Power Co., among others. TVA President Jeff Lyash told the TVA board earlier this month that TVA has had some setbacks in developing new solar arrays.
"Some of our projects have been delayed by up to a year in getting them in service because of the problems in the availability of solar panels," he said.
Amid the shortage of supplies, Lyash said costs have also jumped for some supplies by up to 50%.
"We have to face this reality," Lyash said, noting that some projects won't come online as fast as originally envisioned.
Georgia Power recently announced that nearly 1,000 megawatts of planned solar installations are now delayed by a year, as supply chain issues slow the company's transition to renewable energy.
"Energy production from solar increased in the U.S. by 20 percent in 2021," Jevin Jensen, chairman of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners, said in a statement Thursday. "We are excited to partner again with Qcells on this major expansion, which will boost our contribution to the growing renewable energy sector and continue to diversify our solid manufacturing base in Whitfield County."
Qcells said it will be hiring for positions in engineering, finance, production, and related functions. Interested individuals can learn more about working at Qcells by searching Qcells, Dalton on indeed.com.


text:
Collier County authorities cited 10 local employees for selling alcohol to minors Thursday during a joint undercover operation between the Sheriff's Office and Marco Island Police Department.
According to a news release, 76 out of 86 businesses checked IDs and refused to sell to minors. The other 10 people were issued a notice to appear in court and will face charges of selling alcohol to a minor.
The operation focused on convenience stores, drug stores, liquor stores and grocery stores. It was preceded by educational operations meant to help businesses and their employees become aware of their legal responsibilities when selling alcohol.
Employees at the following businesses were cited:
Hess Gas Station, 1600 Airport-Pulling Road S.
Circle K, 5680 Radio Road
Rose's Super Market, 6026 Radio Road
BP Gas Station, 7329 Radio Road
Beach Store, 155 Vanderbilt Beach Road
Sam's Store, 4501 U.S. 41 N.
Hess Express, 2055 Pine Ridge Road
Kangaroo Express, 1000 Pine Ridge Road
Shell, 2493 Trade Center Way
CVS Drug Store, 5585 Golden Gate Parkway
Need Help? Call us at 1-888-878-6842.
Monday-Friday: 6am-6pm / Saturday: 7am-3pm / Sunday: 7am-2pm


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sign Up for the Triangle Business Journal Afternoon Edition Newsletter
Send this story to a friend
Why is Apple down ahead of earnings?
Former Fidelity Magellan portfolio manager Peter Lynch often used to say he would buy stocks by walking down malls and noticing what people like buying at stores.
If you use the same principle on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), it is hard to believe the stock falling 4 percent on Monday ahead of its earnings report next Tuesday.
Virtually everyone in the newsroom currently owns an Apple iPhone and if they don't own it right now, they keep talking about owning it soon.
And yet, some analysts are now speculating that the Apple stock and its product value may have priced itself out from the market.What may be worse is that fact that mobile-phone carriers say they may cut the subsidies associated with the iPhone.
The stock currently trades at about $584 a share. It's 52-week low was last June when it was trading at $310 a share. It's 52-week high was $644 a share recorded last week. More than 36 million Apple shares traded hands on Monday, a number that certainly will be eclipsed following the earnings report.
True, the stock has risen some 60 percent this year and about 77 percent in the past 11 months. Anyway, you look at it, that's overheating.
But people are still packing up Apple stores looking at iPads, iPhones, iPods and other products. Don't believe me, just walk down to the second floor of the Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh and notice how many people simply are 'grazing' in that store.
With analysts expecting about $36.45 billion revenue quarter for Apple, the first step for the company would be to beat those estimates. Then comes the product sales breakdown — if iPad sales are slowing, that would be a bigger worry for Apple than say, slowing Mac sales.
Sougata Mukherjee oversees the editorial department at the newspaper.
- Most popular
- The Triangle's top 10 most expensive corporate airplanes (SLIDESHOW)
- N.C. called out for its southern lingo on national website
- Charles Schwab to build new office in front of Crabtree Valley Mall
- N.C.'s 10 major airports, by corporate jet activity
- Durham ice cream shop listed as one of 'the country's coolest'
- Whiskey bar to close in downtown Durham
- Study: Recalled Chobani yogurt contained health-threatening mold
- Downtown Raleigh retail building sold for $4.6M
- Triangle Town Center mall GM resigns
- Durham health IT company Validic acquires Silicon Valley's Infometers
Sign up to receive afternoon and morning edition newsletters and breaking news as it happens.
Do you agree with the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision? (Exempt certain contraceptives from employees' medical insurance on moral grounds)
Vice President, Software Development HydroXphere, LLC | Cary, NC
Financial Systems Analyst Truliant Federal Credit Union | Winston Salem, NC
Supervisory Trial Attorney The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission | Miami, FL
Vice President of Finance Louisburg College | Louisburg, NC
Marketing and Communications Coordinator Credo | Whitsett, NC


text:
Six of the top 10 consumer complaints revolve around the housing sector, from home improvement issues to mortgage and landlord/tenant issues, according to the recently released 2012 Consumer Complaint Survey conducted by the Consumer Federation of America and the North American Consumer Protection Investigator.
The annual survey collects data from state and local consumer protection agencies to find out the top consumer complaints.
Topping the complaint list was automobile industry complaints due to misrepresentations in advertising or issues centered around the sale of new and used cars.
But No. 2 on the list of customer gripes was home improvement and construction due to “shoddy work, failure to start, or complete the job.” Credit and debt issues also appeared high on the list, including complaints over mortgage modifications, mortgage-related fraud, and predatory lending.
Customers also were unhappy with several utility providers, due to service problems or billing disputes.
The survey showed that the fastest-growing complaints among consumers is due to landlord/tenant problems and unlicensed contractors. The landlord/tenant problems mostly centered on “unhealthy or unsafe conditions, failure to make repairs or provide promised amenities, deposit and rent disputes, and illegal eviction tactics.”
The agency also asked about the worst customer complaints, based on the number of complaints and dollar amount impact. Topping that list of “worst customer complaints” was foreclosure issues followed by problems with home repairs after disasters.


text:
Google’s latest update – dubbed Penguin - is designed to stop ‘keyword stuffing’. The change was announced in an official Google blog post containing eight keywords in the first seven sentences. So what exactly is keyword stuffing, and is it still possible to optimise quality content without being penalised?
Here, Ali Harris, content manager for leading UK internet marketing company ClickThrough Marketing, looks at the implications of the latest chapter in Google’s cat and mouse game with the SEO industry.
SEO is a delicate art. We’re all painfully aware of the fine line between good, natural keyword density, and ‘keyword stuffing’.
I’m a big proponent of natural, keyword-rich copywriting – we’ve always aimed to produce high-quality, rank-topping content which strikes the right balance between readability and optimisation.
The general rule of thumb for SEO copywriters dictates it’s unwise to obviously overload an article with keywords. Google agrees – and the search engine giant has just released an algorithm update designed to root out and down rank websites which use keyword stuffing to trick its spiders and manipulate ranking.
The update is now live – and has officially been dubbed Penguin, despite the outcry of social-media savvy SEOs, who nominated ‘Titanic’.
Google engineer Matt Cutts originally warned that Google would be penalising ‘overly optimised’ sites. Google has since said ‘over optimisation’ was a poor choice of words: the update is designed to destroy webspam, not SEO.
None of our current clients has been downranked as a result of Google’s recent search engine updates – but, oddly, we’ve had a number of random calls from non-clients panicking because their website’s suddenly disappeared off page one, asking what they can do to fix it.
Many reputable webmasters have seen similar ranking divebombs – hence the cheeky suggestions to call the update Titanic.
Google has issued its own advice, of course, on top of its best practice guidelines, and the bottom line stresses the importance of high quality content.
But there’s an elephant in the room – the original announcement came in an official Google blog post which, surprisingly, was stuffed face-first with keywords.
The post on Google’s official blog features eight instances of ‘search engine optimization’-style keywords in the first seven sentences. ‘Search engine optimization’ features three times in the first paragraph alone.
For most SEO copywriters, this approach to front-loading keywords is usually a total no-go – based entirely on the fear that Google would discount their efforts as spam at best.
So, how come Google is looking to penalise ‘keyword stuffing’ whilst essentially overusing keywords itself?
Is Matt Cutts’ post an example of the much-vaunted ‘quality content’ which won’t be affected by the update? Or is it just sloppy copy?
The key here is readability. Yes, the first paragraph could probably be edited down to more simple sentences, and the triplicate mention of ‘search engine optimization’ perhaps wasn’t entirely necessary in traditional good writing terms (where repetition should generally be avoided).
But this is an article about search engine optimisation, honestly talking about search engine optimisation, to people interested in search engine optimisation. And therefore, including that term repeatedly in such a small space is seemingly okay, in Matt Cutts’ writing mind at least.
This update is designed to crusade against sites which use keywords as a crutch – where key phrases are randomly jammed into an unrelated paragraph, or whole pages are turned over to farm lists of various search terms. Other tactics include hiding little boxes of text at the bottom of a page, or putting keyword links into completely unrelated pieces of content.
These tactics can help rubbish websites rank higher than genuine sites – something Google wants to stamp out to ‘reward’ honest SEOs, level the playing field, and ensure users only get to see informative, quality search results – not spammy farms full of nonsense.
It hasn’t gone entirely to plan so far – examples abound of honest site rankings being obliterated, whilst spammy, low-quality sites suddenly soar up the SERPs.
The resulting downranking and outcry from honest webmasters could be put down to a lack of information about what Google was looking at with Penguin.
Of course, giving everyone a hint of what the changes entail would’ve given the spammers a heads up to make the necessary changes to avoid punishment – but the fact so many apparently white hat sites have suffered suggests webmasters need a little bit more information on these matters.
But where do most people go for information? Google search.
The name Penguin took a day or two to surface, but now it has, there are no official Google results on page one for a ‘Google Penguin update’ search.
At least we have a name now. When the update launched a day ago, there was one important announcement on keyword stuffing from Google’s own mouth – that on the official blog, written by Matt Cutts, stuffed face-first with keywords.
You’d hope that post would probably return in a Google search result for ‘keyword stuffing’.
Nor does it appear for search terms ‘keyword stuffing change’, ‘keyword stuffing algorithm’ or, even, ‘keyword stuffing Google’.
And herein lies the problem. With utter keyword overload in Matt Cutts’ announcement post, even the mighty Google can accidentally over-optimise their content. Where does that leave the rest of us?
We’ll be paying particular attention to the rankings over the next week, to see if honest webmasters survive and nefarious spammers are punished as the dust settles on the Penguin webspam algorithm update – here’s hoping Google does, too.
About the author:
Ali Harris is an award-winning journalist with more than ten years’ experience in printed press, public relations and online PR. He is the content manager for ClickThrough Marketing, an Internet marketing agency based in Lichfield, UK, specialising in SEO, PPC and conversion enhancement. For more information about ClickThrough Marketing’s web content services, call 0800 088 7486.


text:
In this era of innovation and technology, everything useful could soon be digitized. In an effort to digitize the agrifood industry in Italy via blockchain technology, Future Food Institute and SMAU have signed a 3-year agreement to participate in the national and international SMAU Roadshow.
The mutual goal of both institutions is to make food innovation a vital subject through the presentation of real experiences of innovation within Agrifood by both the Italian and foreign companies.
"For years we have been working with SMAU, since 1964 a timeless reference event on innovation, more and more open thanks to the involvement of startups, businesses and administrations," says Sara Roversi, founder of the institute. “From this year we are structuring a more articulated collaboration, to consolidate the promotion of the Italian System and guarantee the monitoring of the innovation applied to the agrifood sector that today represents not only a business opportunity but also a necessity to generate an exponential impact in social, environmental and cultural terms."
"As SMAU we are concerned with telling the concrete innovation coming from the leading sectors of the" Made in Italy," said Valentina Sorgato, CEO of SMAU. "Agrifood is certainly a sector with very high potential and, through collaboration with the institute, we will be talking at national and international level about the many opportunities and the most significant experiences to offer ideas to companies that want to undertake a path of innovation."
Italy is continuously investing in and embracing innovative technologies including blockchain, smart contracts, artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT) and others. In doing this, it wants to easy the process of doing things, reinforce, fight bad vices. For instance, Italy wants to employ distributed ledger into tax authorities in order to fight tax evasion.
As a matter of fact, the agrifood industry is one of the core sectors that uses distributed ledger technology to support the Made in Italy project, and for the international promotion of the superiority of the Italian structure that via digital transformation, revolutionize and generate value.
The next steps which will see the two institutions together will be SMAU London (10 - 12 April), SMAU Bologna (6 - 7 June), SMAU Berlin (19 - 21 June), SMAU Milan (22 - 24 October) and SMAU Naples (12 - 13 December).
In the Live Show steered by Roversi, the solutions established by the local startups to support and boost innovation in the agriculture industry were presented, like the AgriOpenData Blockchain for Food platform developed by EZ Lab: the online dais for traceability and certification of agricultural goods, which uses Blockchain and Smart Contracts as a security arrangement for the whole food chain, to ensure the source of environmental sustainability and ethical values.
To show that Italy is very serious to improve the wellbeing of its citizens by boosting the economy, the deputy prime minister and minister for economic development Luigi Di Maio, was recently calling for big companies such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Apple, Virgin Galactic, Saleforce, IBM, eBay, etc., to come and take part in digitizing Italy especially through blockchain technology.


text:
Food policy, nutrition and public health have played a central and often contentious role in the Bloomberg administration's agenda for the city. Achieving the goal of a healthier New York City has led the mayor to employ both legislation and executive order. Now Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer has joined the push to increase the availability of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables in an effort to improve public health.
"We need a paradigm shift in the way New York thinks about food. For too long, decisions about food have been made on the federal level or by private parties," Stringer said.
The city's food and public health policy has had three major parts: increasing the availability of healthy food, reducing the prevalence of unhealthy food and adjusting the public's behavior so people eat a better diet. Stringer's proposal takes a larger scope than previous initiatives and offers a comprehensive plan for the city. The report focuses on using tools such as zoning and tax abatements to ensure the city's "food security" and eradicating its "food deserts."
Neighborhood Food Shortages
In April 2008 the Department of City Planning issued a report detailing the intersection of demographics, geography, food policy and public health. It concluded areas underserved by retailers selling fresh food, such as the Bronx, central and eastern Brooklyn, far eastern Queens and Harlem, have above average rates of diet related diseases.
Currently, an estimated 3 million New Yorkers live in "high-need neighborhoods," defined by a lack of supermarkets and a prevalence of diet-related health problems. These areas lack food security, meaning that people who live in them have difficulty getting "nutritious and affordable food." An estimated 750,000 city residents live in "food deserts" -- areas more than five blocks from a supermarket. Often food deserts are located in low-income and minority communities with a prevalence of diet-related disease, such as obesity and diabetes.
Increasing rents and tight profit margins have led to a wave of supermarket closings across the city, exacerbating existing problems. Many of the supermarkets have been replaced with drug stores, which sell the unhealthy foods at the root of weight-related health problems as well as the medications used to treat them. Pharmacies, convenience stores and discount stores, which sell processed foods, have become the primary food retailers in some neighborhoods.
The city has taken several steps to reverse this trend, including the healthy bodegas initiative, which tries to encourage the small neighborhood stores to stock low and reduced fat milk as well as fruits and vegetables. In February 2008, City Council passed the Green Carts bill to allow more mobile fruit and vegetable vendors in low-income neighborhoods. Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn put forward the bill as part of the effort to make New York City healthier.
Stringer would build on these efforts. Under his report's recommendations, the city would continue to look at approaches to making fresh produce available outside of the traditional grocery stores and supermarkets, but also would take a more active approach to increasing the availability of healthy foods. He recommends the city create "food enterprise zones" to attract food retailers to underserved areas through zoning and tax incentives. The plan calls for public financing or micro loans to community food partnerships, allowing food vendors tax abatements under the Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program and exempting vendors from business taxes. It also suggested the New York City Housing Authority make provisions for food retailers in public projects.
Zoning for Food
Zoning regulations offer another policy option to increase the number of retailers selling healthy foods and stem the tide of closing supermarkets. The report suggests government agencies develop an integrated plan for city support of supermarkets, adjust land-use regulations influencing supermarkets, consider supermarkets' need during future rezoning and evaluate the possibility of supermarkets on city owned property. For example, the city might categorize retailers selling fresh fruits and differently from general food stores and so provide them with a density bonus or a permit for additional floor area exemption, according to Stringer.
Other officials have proposed ideas to discourage less nutritious fare. Bloomberg ordered that city restaurants stop selling food containing transfats and now reportedly is considering ways to reduce the sodium content in prepared and processed foods. In his budget for the coming year, Gov. David Paterson called for an 18 percent tax on sugary drinks, although the idea appears unlikely to pass.
City Councilmember Joel Rivera had suggested capping the number of fast-food restaurants through changed zoning laws. The idea did not go anywhere here, but last year, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a bill to place a one-year moratorium on the development of new fast-food restaurants in South Los Angeles, a low-income minority area that has double the obesity rate of the city's wealthier areas. The legislation is intended to allow for the development of restaurants that serve healthier food and is confined to an area of the city with high instances diet related problems.
While the borough president's office indicated it would be open to explore restricting the proliferation of fast food restaurants, people there point out that any effort to limit fast food outlets must be supplemented with a drive to increase the number of healthy food outlets. Instead, Stringer's report emphasizes more market-oriented approaches to improve the city's food options.
For one, the borough president's office proposes eliminating tax subsidies for fast food restaurants. "We'll give you a tax abatement if your store sells Big Macs but not if you just sell the lettuce and tomato. It's time for government to step up to change how we approach the city's dinner plate," Stringer said.
The Industrial and Commercial Incentive Program was intended to keep businesses in New York City by offering a tax abatement or tax exemption for increased property value, which would gradually be incorporated over time.
In October 2008 the Industrial and Commercial Incentive Program was replaced by the Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program, which puts more restrictions on the incentives. It limits the areas in which businesses can receive benefits -- firms in a large part of Manhattan can no longer qualify -- but it does not go far enough for some who believe the incentives tip the commercial playing field toward big corporations who sell unhealthy food.
"It was great that in midtown Manhattan it was basically eliminated," said Allison Lack of Good Jobs New York, a public interest group. But, she continued, retail projects, including national fast-food restaurants, are still eligible for tax abatements in Harlem, the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn, areas that are low-income, minority and afflicted with above average rates of diet-related health problems. Stringer would like to see the programs updated to prevent national fast food chains, such as McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts, from benefiting.
Supermarkets and grocery stores also are eligible for tax abatements, but despite this many have not applied. "Some have and some haven't," said Lack. Good Jobs New York has not yet been able to determine why more retailers have not taken advantage of the program. "We really don't know. It's something we're looking into," said Lack.
Any effort to limit, restrict or inhibit the fast-food industry would meet resistance. Fast food restaurants constitute a powerful lobby. Subsidies given to producers of unhealthy food have increased the amount these companies spend on advertising and lobbying, giving them an even more outsized influence on food choices. But as obesity and diabetes rates rise -- and the costs placed on government increase -- a number of city offices are looking to end the Big Mad attack.


text:
According to The Economist – an international newspaper, Vietnam is still at the beginning of the economic miracle in East Asia. Does integration with global supply chains really help Vietnam’s economy humming during the COVID-19 pandemic?
In 2020, Vietnam was considered one of the best countries in controlling the pandemic situation, leaving a huge impression on the rest of the world. Unfortunately, Vietnam is now facing an extremely difficult time fighting the Delta variant in the fourth wave of the pandemic, the worst outbreak of COVID-19 by far. Many parts of the country are under strict lock down, including big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, and Da Nang. Consequently, a series of manufacturers such as Nike’s shoe factory and Samsung’s phone factory have been forced to slow down or temporarily close. These result in a major disruption to the global supply chain.
However, with the rapid global economic integration policy, Vietnam’s economy can manage to maintain strong growth during the pandemic. In 2020, Vietnam’s GDP grew by 2.9% while most of the world recorded a deep recession. Even with the latest outbreak, the World Bank still forecasts Vietnam’s GDP growth to reach 4.8% this year.
These are the real reasons why Vietnam’s global position has been strengthened, and it is now a crucial part of the world supply chain.
Over the past 30 years, Vietnam has been among the five fastest-growing countries in the world. Unlike other frontier markets, this achievement has been accomplished by steady growth. The government also aims to make it a high-income country by 2045, which requires the average growth rate to reach 7% per year.
Do you think Vietnam can maintain its secret advantages to success?
Vietnam’s economy is often compared to its neighbor China in the 1990s and early 2000s period. This comparison comes from the fact that both countries see exports as the basis for their development. However, there are still some major differences between the two. Simply labeling Vietnam as an export-focused country is insufficient to describe the potential of its commerce. The trading sector alone often exceeds 200% of GDP. Only a few other countries with rich resources or maritime advantage can achieve this number.
Moreover, the basic characteristics of Vietnam’s exporters are different from that of China. Indeed, with a deep connection to the global supply chain and also receiving a huge amount of foreign direct investment, we can say that Vietnam is more similar to Singapore. Since 1900, the average inflow of FDI into Vietnam has been worth 6% of GDP per year. This amount is more than double the global level, even higher than China or Korea records.
Even when the other neighbors in the East Asia region have increased their average wages, Vietnam still attracted global manufacturers thanks to its low labor costs and stable currency exchange rate. This aspect also contributes to the net export situation. While domestic company exports increased by 137%, foreign-invested company exports grew by 422% over the last decade.
Though, the widening gap between foreign-invested companies and domestic companies is posing another challenge to the country’s economy. Therefore, The Economist believes that Vietnam’s economy needs a more productive and efficient service sector. As living expenses increase, the level of attractiveness to foreign investors can decrease, and workers also need more opportunities.
The economic boom has encouraged overseas Vietnamese to come back to the country or invest in stocks, real estate. Andy Ho, Chief Investment Officer of VinaCapital emphasized: “Few economies can be fortunate enough to experience what Vietnam is currently experiencing”. Andy Ho’s family moved to the US in 1977, where he grew up and worked in finance consulting. He and his family had decided to move back to Vietnam in 2004.
The success of this movement has made Vietnam’s economy one of the largest foreign investment recipients in the world, with $17 billion last year. It may seem hard not to be optimistic about a country that appears to be in the early stages of an East Asia economic miracle.


text:
DSCC says that OLED mobile display production capacity will overtake LCD capacity in 2020, and will reach a 65% market share in 2025.
Looking at the entire display market (mobile and TV and others), DSCC sees OLED production capacity rising at a 20% CAGR till 2025, and OLED's market share will rise from 5% in 2019 to 14% in 2025.
In another interesting note, DSCC says that BOE will become the world's largest display market in 2019. In 2025, LG Display will be the 2nd largest display maker and the third one will be China Star (CSoT). The fourth largest producer will be Innolux followed by Samsung Display at number five.


text:
Alabama Retailer of The Year
We couldn't be more proud to receive the Alabama Retailer of The Year Award!
"A panel of judges chose the Alabama Retailer of the Year winners in four categories based on annual sales volume. Bronze, silver and gold awards were presented in three categories. The judges also selected two Emerging Retailers of the Year, innovative and effective Alabama retailers who have been in business for at least two years, but less than five years. All of the other winners have been in business for at least five years and an average of 23 years. More than 5,500 cast their ballots on Facebook for the Customers’ Choice Award."
Head over to Alabama Retail to read more about the awards and who else in our great state was represented well.
GOLD AWARD: Bryan Owens, chief executive officer, and Mike Elkins, president of Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro; nominated by the Jackson County legislative delegation, Greater Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Alabama Travel Center, Jackson County Economic Development Authority and volunteer Gene Hess.


text:
TORONTO, Ontario /eNewsChannels/ — NEWS: London Ontario-based tech entrepreneur, David Ciccarelli, CEO of Voices.com, is the very first Canadian to experience Google Glass as a Google Glass Explorer. He joins just 8000 other people around the world as a Glass Explorer, and is only one of eventually three Canadians to sport the ‘coolest specs in Canada’ as a Google Glass Explorer.
Tag Archives | Voices.com
Tech entrepreneur David Ciccarelli, CEO of Voices.com, is very first Canadian to experience Google Glass as a Google Glass Explorer
Online Marketplace for Voiceover Talent Voices.com Celebrates 100,000th Voice Talent with New Responsive Web Portal
LONDON, Ontario /eNewsChannels/ — Industry-leading Voices.com is celebrating the registration of its 100,000th voice talent member with the launch of a new website, rebuilt from the ground up. Part of the project included the implementation of ‘responsive design,’ a design technique that accurately resizes the contents of a web page to any screen, regardless of its scope or device.
New Voices.com iPad and iPhone App Allows Marketers and Professional Voice Talent to Connect Anytime, Anywhere
TORONTO, Ontario /eNewsChannels/ — Voices.com, the online marketplace that connects businesses with professional voice-over talent, unveiled the first-ever iPhone and iPad app for procuring voiceovers today. The Voices mobile app will allow clients to search the Voices database of over 75,000 voice talents, review price quotes and listen to custom auditions from their mobile devices.
Voices.com, an online marketplace for voice actors, announces sponsorship of The VoiceOver International Creative Experience 2012
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /eNewsChannels/ — Voices.com, an online marketplace connecting businesses with voice actors, is pleased to announce their sponsorship of The VoiceOver International Creative Experience (VOICE 2012). Voices.com supported VOICE 2007 and 2010 in previous years through sponsorship, social media reporting and editorial coverage, extending the reach of the conference to a global audience hungry for the latest news, information and trends observed during the industry conference.
TORONTO, Canada — Voices.com, one of Canada’s fastest growing digital media companies, has been recognized in PROFIT Magazine’s ’11th Annual PROFIT HOT 50.’ For the second year in a row, digital media company Voices.com ranks on the definitive list of emerging growth ventures.
LONDON, Ontario — Voices.com was honoured with a ‘Best in Class’ Interactive Media Award (IMA) for professional services. ‘The Best in Class’ award is the highest honour bestowed by the Interactive Media Awards, representing the very best in planning, execution and overall professionalism.
Online voice over marketplace Voices.com launches the next generation of their Website, now 10X faster
LONDON, Ontario — Time is money, and when both are of the essence, there’s a need for speed that cannot be ignored. Voices CEO David Ciccarelli and his team recently revealed the newly redesigned site to their customers and have received a significant amount of support from members of the service, particularly as it relates to how quickly the website pages load.
Voiceover industry leader Voices.com has been recognized as one of Canada’s fastest growing companies by PROFIT Magazine
TORONTO, Canada — Voices.com, one of North America’s fastest growing Internet brands and digital media companies, is pleased to announce that in PROFIT Magazine’s “10th Annual PROFIT HOT 50,” Voices.com has been recognized as Canada’s #20 Emerging Growth Company. The PROFIT HOT 50 is the definitive list of young Canadian growth companies, ranked by two-year […]
- Chillbox S.A. partners with Lymel Holdings LLC to bring Chillbox Greek Frozen Yogurt Stores to American Market
- PALISADES PARK, N.J. /eNewsChannels/ -- NEWS: The Chillbox Greek frozen yogurt chain of stores...
- Time to switch: EaseUS Software makes it easy to migrate from Windows XP to a Modern OS
- NEW YORK, N.Y. /eNewsChannels/ -- NEWS: EaseUS Software, a leading provider of PC data...
- Mortgage Tech leader Quandis Inc, named to HW TECH100 List for 2014
- FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. /eNewsChannels/ -- NEWS: Quandis, Inc., a leading provider of default...
- Dark Matters: New Research Study Suggests that Dark Energy Likely Does Not Exist
- MONTREAL, Quebec /eNewsChannels/ -- NEWS: According to the Pantheory Research Organization, a...
- ReverseVision Inc. welcomes industry expert Mark Johnson as Customer Support Manager
- SAN DIEGO, Calif. /eNewsChannels/ -- NEWS: ReverseVision, a leading software and technology...
- Opinion: GOP Outfitters
- Are you running for public office in a district full of incredibly dim-witted people? Hello...
- Sipapu’s NM-AZ Native Program Helping Heal America
- To further help heal and unite America, on February 26, New Mexico’s Sipapu ski area announced...
- Could World Prayer Help Protect Sochi Olympics?
- OPINION: The Olympics has been the greatest force for Peace, Understanding, Healing, and Unity...


text:
AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site.
Unlike the Wi-Fi-only iPad, which arrived on Saturday, April 3, via UPS, Apple has opted to ship the iPad 3G with FedEx. As expected, the orders state that the hardware is due to be delivered by April 30, which is the official launch day for the WiFi + 3G iPad.
The device will also be available in Apple's retail stores on Friday, but customers will have to wait until 5 p.m. until they can purchase. The 3G iPad models carry a $130 premium over their Wi-Fi-only counterparts. The 16GB model starts at $629, the 32GB capacity is $729, and the high-end 64GB offering is $829.
In the U.S., AT&T will offer no-contract data plans for the iPad, starting at $15 per month for 250MB of bandwidth, or $30 for unlimited access. Both plans offer free access to AT&T's nationwide Wi-Fi spots. The iPad ships unlocked and uses GSM micro-SIM cards, but the internal 3G radio is only compatible in the U.S. with the AT&T 3G network.
The 3G model offers an estimated 9 hours of battery life when surfing the Web using a 3G data network. Surfing on Wi-Fi has a slightly longer estimated capacity of 10 hours.
Though the 3G launch is proceeding in the U.S. as planned, Apple earlier this month was forced to delay the international launch of both the Wi-Fi and 3G models until late May. Officials said higher-than-expected demand for the iPad in the U.S. forced the delay, so that Apple could accommodate all of the 3G orders for the April 30 launch.
Apple sold more than a half-million iPads in the first week of sales of the Wi-Fi-only model. One recent estimate suggested that the device recently crossed the 1 million milestone by counting devices spotted on an online advertising network.


text:
Amazon is now accepting HTML5 apps into their AppStore. From the press release:
This is huge news those of you who are using in5 to generate HTML5 from InDesign. You just got a new distribution channel, and a much larger audience!
Thanks to Keith Gilbert for bringing this news to our attention.
Get updates from Ajar Productions
Sign up today and get the InDesign Split Text premium extension for free!


text:
The FlipSide - your CODC news
Our new newsletter, The FlipSide, will be produced twice a year. It is delivered to all Central Otago residents and ratepayers. Limited copies will be available in our Council service centres and libraries. Plus issues will be posted online and archived here.
To keep in touch with our Council news between issues be sure to check out our weekly CODC Noticeboard on page 5 of The News, check out our website regularly for news and fresh homepage spotlights on what's happening, and "like" Central Otago District Council on Facebook for Council and community news.
View the latest newsletter below.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Restaurant investors pounce despite sour economy
Send this story to a friend
- Jackie Noblett
The secret to Abby Park’s success as an upscale eatery launched in the middle of the recession just might be as simple as a liquor license.
The modern American restaurant opened this month in East Milton Square and is one of only a few alcohol-serving establishments in the formerly dry town. Abby Park owner Vance Welch says the combination of location, low prices and libations is driving people to his eatery in droves despite the economy.
“There’s a void in the area. Milton’s never had a restaurant, never had a liquor license. There had been private clubs, but nothing like this,” he said. “We’ve had a great response because it’s just a striking difference to what was here.”
A seasoned restaurateur and owner of Java Jo’s cafe in Jamaica Plain, Welch had been scouring Milton to open a restaurant since 2007. He aggressively went after a 3,500-square-foot former video store at 550 Adams St.
But the environment is brutal.
With clients battered by the economy, sales at U.S. restaurants are expected to slip to $566 billion this year, which adjusted for inflation amounts to a 1 percent decline from 2008, according to the National Restaurant Association.
While everything began coming together on the Milton site, the financing environment was in shambles. Welch could not begin the long and unpredictable process of applying for a liquor license, which was never a sure thing, without a site. The former video store site would not stay on the market for long.
“We realized there was on opportunity to get a liquor license and the best retail space in East Milton and we decided to go forward,” he said. “It’s a special business opportunity, and so we were able to use the investors we had to raise the debt.”
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
- Most popular
- Project Tiger update: It's Baxter
- Here are over 2,000 restaurant violations in Cambridge since Jan. 1
- Arthur T. Demoulas is back at the helm of Market Basket
- Suffolk University announces abrupt departure of President James
- ALS biotech says ice bucket challenge will pay for a clinical trial
- Here's the newest addition to WBZ-TV's news anchor team
- Here are five key factors that ensured a Demoulas Super Markets deal
- Market Basket deal seems more likely, but not until late today
- Former Entercom boss Jason Wolfe lands a new radio gig in the Boston
- Lynn public schools cut ties with Gordon College
Audience Development Sales Professional Boston Business Journal | Boston, MA
Work For: ChannelAdvisor ChannelAdvisor | Morrisville, NC
Sales Representative ChannelAdvisor | Morrisville, NC
Marketing Manager, Merchandise Visibility Checkpoint Systems | Waltham, MA
Risk and Compliance Manager MassHousing | Boston, MA


text:
17 Jul Food and COVID-19 in Omaha
COVID-19 has had an impact on everything including Omaha individuals’ relationship with food. While many of the changes can be seen anecdotally, a recent study by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) specifically identified how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Americans’ current perceptions about food as well as food-related trends from the past decade.
Three key statistics stand out.
- “85% of Americans have made at least some change in the food they eat or how they prepare it because of the coronavirus pandemic.”
- “32% of Americans reported in the survey that they are snacking more.”
- “More than half (54%) of all consumers say the healthfulness of their food choices matters more now than it did in 2010 [the last time the survey was performed].”
Understanding these changes and adapting to them is especially important for Omaha employers as non-essential employees head back to their workplaces. Employers have an opportunity to help their employees by providing safely prepared refreshment options on-site. This is important as 27 percent of the 85 percent who have already made changes are thinking about what they are going to eat more than usual. A well-rounded and comprehensive approach to break room and food safety should play an integral part in creating a safe workplace.
Employers can also emphasize the importance of risk-reduction practices (hand washing, minimizing contact with surfaces and using wipes and hand sanitizer) at work, especially when it comes to using the break room to purchase snacks, food, and beverages from vending machines or micro-markets. Break room providers can help by openly conveying their COVID-related policies and procedures. Combining education about risk-reduction practices and break room providers’ practices will help employees feel more comfortable purchasing break room items.
Since almost a third of participants were snacking more, employers should consider offering additional healthy options to help employees make healthier choices. Better-for-you products are even more important for those employees who have children as 33 percent of participants who are parents (compared to 16 percent without children) are more likely to “eat their feelings” and then feel less satisfied by eating.
But choosing healthier options isn’t just for those with children. With more than 50 percent of the 1,011 survey participants making dietary choices based on health-related goals, access to better-for-you products is important for all Omaha employees. Of those 50+ percent of survey participants, 47 percent are following a specific diet to lose weight, 40 percent hope to have more energy, 39 percent are changing their physical appearance, 37 percent want to protect long-term health and prevent future health problems, and 36 percent want to prevent weight gain.
Omaha Break Rooms
Whether it’s adding new items to your refreshment menu or updating your break room with new vending machines or a micro-market, Host Coffee Service can help. We offer a wide variety of better-for-you and traditional snacks, fresh food, cold beverages, and office coffee service that can safely meet the refreshment needs of your employees. For more information, please contact us at 800-578-4678. We look forward to hearing from you.


text:
Topic: Apple v. Samsung
10/24/2012, 05:10 am
A Dutch court on Wednesday ruled that Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and tablets do not infringe on a certain Apple patent regarding multitouch technology.
10/23/2012, 05:10 am
It was discovered in a Monday court filing from Samsung that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office tentatively invalidated Apple's bounce scroll, or "rubber-banding," patent, possibly putting the Apple v. Samsung jury's decision regarding the property at risk.
10/18/2012, 05:10 am
Apple on Thursday lost an appeal of a previous UK ruling that said Samsung did not copy the look and feel of the iPad.
10/15/2012, 06:10 pm
In Apple's ongoing worldwide patent litigation with Samsung, the company on Monday filed for an appeal of a Tokyo District Court ruling that said the Korean electronics giant did not infringe on certain utility patents.
10/11/2012, 04:10 pm
It was reported on Thursday that a Seoul court has granted Apple's request to stay a sales ban against both the iPhone and iPad after an August ruling found the products to be in violation of Samsung's patents.
10/03/2012, 10:10 pm
It was revealed in a court filing this week that prior to its California patent trial against Samsung, Apple proposed a mutual agreement regarding cross-licensing patented 3G/UMTS technologies with the Korean company under what it considered to be FRAND terms.
10/03/2012, 03:10 am
Samsung has requested the $1 billion Apple v. Samsung trial verdict be thrown out on claims that jury foreman Velvin Hogan's failure to disclose a previous lawsuit and bankruptcy led to a biased decision.
10/01/2012, 09:10 pm
Apple v. Samsung presiding Judge Lucy Koh on Monday dissolved a U.S. preliminary injunction against Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, lifting the sales ban the jurist first instituted in June.
09/28/2012, 05:09 pm
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Friday granted Samsung a limited appeal of a sales ban against the Galaxy Tab 10.1, effectively handing the reconsideration decision down to Apple v. Samsung presiding Judge Lucy Koh.
09/25/2012, 12:09 am
In post-trial filings on Friday, Samsung revealed it is planning to fight for a new trial against Apple, and to that end entered a number of documents supporting the theory that juror misconduct led to the jury's original $1 billion verdict.
09/18/2012, 12:09 am
Judge Lucy Koh on Monday filed an order denying Samsung's motion to dissolve Apple's sales ban against the Galaxy Tab 10.1, and in doing so vacated the Sept. 20 hearing at which both parties were scheduled to discuss the matter.
09/07/2012, 04:09 pm
Samsung's "enormous political clout" in South Korea speaks well of the decision by the nation's Fair Trade Commission to investigate allegations of its standards essential patent abuse.
09/06/2012, 04:09 pm
Apple v. Samsung presiding Judge Lucy Koh on Thursday issued an order denying Apple's request to rearrange the schedule of post-trial hearings, allowing a hearing on Samsung's motion to dissolve the existing Galaxy Tab ban to come before a decision on motions to overrule the jury's decision.
08/31/2012, 06:08 pm
In a late Thursday filing, Apple requested Apple v. Samsung presiding Judge Lucy Koh to reconsider the scheduling of post-trial decisions, saying that the current timeline may dissolve an existing Galaxy Tab ban prematurely.
08/30/2012, 02:08 pm
Reeling from its scathing jury verdict, Samsung executives have promised to continue litigation with Apple over patents while also partnering with Microsoft to cut its dependency on Google's Android.
08/28/2012, 09:08 pm
Apple v. Samsung presiding Judge Lucy Koh on Tuesday set the date on which the Court will hear Apple's request for a permanent sales ban against certain Samsung smartphones.
Samsung's efforts to lift injunction on Galaxy Tab in limbo as Apple targets its better selling smartphones
08/27/2012, 03:08 pm
As Samsung tries to overturn the Galaxy Tab 10.1's U.S. sales ban, Apple seeks to broaden it to include Samsung's much more lucrative smartphones just in time for iPhone 5's holiday launch.
08/27/2012, 04:08 am
Samsung on Sunday filed a motion with the U.S. District Court of Northern California asking that a preliminary injunction against its Galaxy Tab 10.1 be dissolved, noting the Apple v. Samsung jury found the device had not infringed on an Apple iPad design patent.
Jurors knew Samsung was guilty after first day of deliberations, wanted to send message with verdict
08/25/2012, 08:08 pm
A day after the Apple v. Samsung trial concluded with a resounding Apple win, jurors shared their story of how the decision was made to slap Samsung with over $1 billion in damages owed for copying the iPhone maker's patents.
08/25/2012, 02:08 am
Apple CEO Tim Cook on Friday released an internal memo to employees regarding the largely favorable ruling the company received in its patent infringement suit against Samsung, saying values won the day.


text:
Fans of Chevys Fresh Mex will have to look elsewhere for their burrito fix after the Columbia franchise at 1010 I-70 Drive S.W. abruptly closed its doors yesterday morning.
The Columbia store’s closure comes three days after the franchise owner, T&J Restaurants LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday.
T&J, 91 percent owned by John Whicker of St. Charles, operates seven Chevys restaurants in the St. Louis area.
One of T&J’s bankruptcy attorneys, Tom Riske of Lathrop & Gage’s Clayton office, said the company wanted to focus on its St. Louis-area stores, and continuing to operate the Columbia location was “just proving a little difficult.”
“At the end of the day, it was a company decision that closing that store was the best business decision for the company to continue to provide employee compensation and good relationships with its vendors during the restructuring process,” Riske said.
The Columbia Chevys has been open for 12 years and employed 40 to 50 people, some of them full time, said Colton Williams, the kitchen manager at the Columbia Chevys.
By filing Chapter 11, the company is seeking to continue operations and restructure its debt load rather than having its assets sold for cash to pay creditors.
But it’s “too early” to say when or how much the company’s creditors, some of which are in Columbia, will be paid, Riske said.
T&J’s bankruptcy petition lists $7.7 million in liabilities and $2.8 million in assets. The company owes Columbia vendors about $40,000 and also owes Boone County more than $24,000 in past-due property taxes.
T&J owned the restaurant building on I-70 Drive S.W., valuing it at $200,000 in its bankruptcy filing. But it rented the land from Spencer Development, half-owned by Tom Bass of Columbia. The company owed $32,800 in rent when the restaurant closed, according to court records.
Bass said the company had been late with its rent recently, and he only heard the restaurant had closed last night on the news.
“They’ve been there 12 years and were a good tenant, and we’re sorry that things didn’t work out,” Bass said. “We wish them the best in the future.”
One of the local companies left with an unpaid tab is Albright Heating and Air Conditioning, which performed some work for Chevys in early June worth $1,500. Dennis Griffin of Albright said he heard of the bankruptcy last week after an attorney called to ask whether he needed help recovering the money T&J owes Albright.
“We’re probably just gonna lose it,” Griffin said. “I’ll be honest: This’ll be my first” bankruptcy. “I’ve never really been in this predicament.”


text:
Machina Capital S.A.S. bought a new stake in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,712 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $226,000.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bollard Group LLC purchased a new stake in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. CI Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Athena Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Moody National Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Berman Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.14% of the company’s stock.
In other Ross Stores news, Chairman Michael Balmuth sold 20,057 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.82, for a total transaction of $1,781,462.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 134,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,952,240.94. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Bernard G. Brautigan sold 12,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.18, for a total value of $1,094,160.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 174,450 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,906,351. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 137,054 shares of company stock valued at $12,504,328 over the last ninety days. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 5th. The apparel retailer reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.05 billion. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 49.58% and a net margin of 10.60%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Ross Stores announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, March 5th that allows the company to buyback $2.55 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the apparel retailer to buy up to 7.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 18th were paid a dividend of $0.255 per share. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.04%. This is an increase from Ross Stores’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 6th. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio is 23.94%.
ROST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Credit Suisse Group increased their price objective on Ross Stores from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. BidaskClub upgraded Ross Stores from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Loop Capital increased their price objective on Ross Stores to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 24th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on Ross Stores to $92.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, March 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Co increased their price objective on Ross Stores from $92.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $97.42.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION WARNING: “Machina Capital S.A.S. Buys New Position in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST)” was originally reported by Baseball Daily News and is owned by of Baseball Daily News. If you are accessing this story on another domain, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of international trademark and copyright legislation. The legal version of this story can be viewed at https://www.baseballdailydigest.com/news/2019/04/26/machina-capital-s-a-s-purchases-new-position-in-ross-stores-inc-rost.html.
Ross Stores Company Profile
Ross Stores, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates off-price retail apparel and home fashion stores under the Ross Dress for Less and dd's DISCOUNTS brands. Its stores primarily offers apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions. The company's Ross Dress for Less stores sell its products at department and specialty stores primarily to middle income households; and dd's DISCOUNTS stores sell its products at department and discount stores regular prices to customers from households with moderate income.
Further Reading: Why do commodities matter?
Receive News & Ratings for Ross Stores Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ross Stores and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.


text:
Android tablets closing in on iPad: researcher
(Reuters) - Tablet computers using Google's Android software narrowed the lead of Apple's iPad on the global market in the fourth quarter, research firm Strategy Analytics said on Thursday.
Global tablet shipments reached an all-time high of 26.8 million units in the fourth quarter, growing 2-1/2 fold from 10.7 million a year earlier, the research firm said.
"Dozens of Android models distributed across multiple countries by numerous brands such as Amazon, Samsung, Asus and others have been driving volumes," analyst Neil Mawston said in a statement.
Android's market share rose to 39 percent from 29 percent a year earlier, while Apple's share slipped to 58 percent from 68 percent a year before.
The tablet computer market grew 260 percent last year to 66.9 million units as consumers are increasingly buying tablets in preference to netbooks and even entry-level notebooks or desktops.
Strategy Analytics said Microsoft had a 1 percent share of the global tablet market last quarter.
- Police seek motive in fatal Washington state school shooting
- Two deputies killed, two others hurt in California shooting spree
- U.S. nurse quarantined over Ebola criticizes her treatment |
- Wall St. finally turning on Amazon as Bezos magic fades
- U.S., allies stage 22 air strikes in Iraq: U.S. Central Command


text:
The iconic Pepsi globe logo is getting a new facelift, featuring a completely new modern and contemporary look while still honoring its 125-year history.
Paying a great homage to its rich heritage, the new logo will be hitting nationwide shelves in North America this fall, in time for the brand’s 125th anniversary, and globally in 2024. Pepsi is also moving towards sustainable packaging, as the brand has begun to convert all 20oz bottles of Pepsi, including Pepsi Zero Sugar, to 100% recycled PET in the United States as of 2022. Now the brand is taking a leap into the future with its all-new vibrant and cool design.
Since early 2023, we have seen a number of facelifts from PepsiCo. From rebranding the iconic Sierra Mist with New Starry Lime Soda to launching all-new and improved Pepsi Zero Sugar, the soft drink brand is on a mission to modernize and streamline its product portfolio. Pepsi is also showcasing its commitment to staying relevant and innovative in a highly competitive market. The brand has introduced a number of new varieties, including the recent Nitro Pepsi, Pepsi x Peeps, and Pepsi for SodaStream. It is clear that the Pepsi brand is going to stay ahead of the curve with its bold moves.
Coming back to the new visual identity, the brand looks successful in creating a modern design while also preserving its past. The brand has used the classic Pepsi globe and wordmark but updated the colors to include electric blue and black, giving it a more vibrant and contemporary look. The design also features a new silhouette, which showcases its accessibility to everyone, and the modern, custom typeface reflects the brand’s confidence and unapologetic mindset. The signature Pepsi pulse is meant to evoke the energy and excitement of Pepsi-Cola and music, which have been important parts of Pepsi’s legacy. Overall, this new design features a number of major changes; however, it will be interesting to see people’s reactions to the changes.
The answer to all your questions will come to an end this fall when Pepsi with its new logo and visual identity will be available across North America and globally in 2024. To stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, follow our blog on a regular basis.


text:
Addressing questions about the different processors used in the new iPhones, Apple says the battery life of its devices varies by only 2 percent to 3 percent.
The actor who portrayed Mini-Me isn't really evil, but he is one hell of a shot when it comes to the latest gadgets.
This depth sensing camera can create a 3D model of you, or even a room.
How a flood sensor and water valve can detect floods and minimize damage
A security research company claims to have found a vulnerability baked into Google's Android operating system that could leave devices open to attack. CNET's Lexy Savvides reports on how Google has addressed the issue and how users can minimize the risk.
Free public Wi-Fi is incredibly convenient, but security can be an issue. Here's how to minimize the risk, whether you use a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.
The upcoming OS will add new trackpad swiping features, including a three-finger swipe that can minimize or maximize all open windows.
The White House will co-host a November workshop exploring the use of robots to help minimize human contact with the fast-spreading virus.
We show you how to customize and set up your home network router, how to extend your coverage area to minimize dead zones, and how to share videos, photos, and files over a networked hard drive.
A 3D cardboard avatar will cost you less than a ticket to see the next 3D "Avatar" movie.


text:
A new public charging station for electric vehicles has been installed in Hastings.
Located at the Woolworths carpark on King Street, the 50kW fast-charger will be capable of charging a typical electric vehicle from flat to 80 per cent charge in approximately one hour.
This service is part of DELWP’s Destination Charging Across Victoria Program, providing $5 million in grants to create a public electric vehicle fast-charging network across the state to promote the uptake of sustainable transport.
The service will be operated by Evie Networks, who have committed to power all chargers from 100 per cent renewable electricity sources.
New public charging station for electric vehicles at Kings Street in Hastings.
Thinking of transitioning to an electric vehicle and want to learn more? Join us for a free community event!
Come along to find out about the benefits of electric cars, the models available, the costs, government incentives, how to charge your vehicle at home or on the road and much more!
You’ll also have the opportunity to view a range of electric vehicles (EV) and charging equipment first hand, as well as learn from experts in the field.
- Bryce Gaton (founder of EV Choice, EV consultant, author, EV safety trainer for Melbourne University School of Engineering)
- Ross De Rango (Head of Infrastructure at the Electric Vehicle Council)
- Dan Pleiter (Acting Chief Executive Officer, South East Councils Climate Change Alliance
Saturday 22 October 2022
EV viewing: 9.45am and 12 – 12.30pm
Presentations: 10.30am – 12pm
Peninsula Community Theatre (91 Wilsons Road, Mornington)


text:
The event is unusual in a number of ways, including its much later start than Apple’s regular events: it will begin at 5pm local pacific time, or midnight in the UK. Apple events almost always begin at 10am local time, and it did not give any indication of why it had changed its time.
It will also take place notably late in the year, on 30 October. Apple appeared to reference the proximity to Hallowe’en in its invitation, which used the title “Scary fast”.
It will also be entirely virtual, with no in-person attendance. Apple switched to fully virtual events during the pandemic, but has since opened up physical attendance as restrictions have lifted.
Unlike many recent Apple events, it is unclear what exactly the company is planning – though Apple’s website used the “Finder” icon from the Mac operating system, all but confirming a focus on its computers.
Apple seems likely to introduce a new version of its iMac, which was last updated in April 2021 and is now far behind all of the rest of Apple’s line-up. It still uses Apple’s M1 chip, and the event will presumably at least bring it up to speed with the existing M2 processors.
The company might unveil its first M3 processors, however. Apple’s first M2 computers arrived last summer, inside updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, and so those computers could also be updated with the latest generation.
Some reports have also suggested that Apple could be planning an update for its most high-end and expensive 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, too. Those were overhauled earlier this year, however, with the introduction of the M2 Pro and M2 Max, meaning that any new update might be less likely or could be more minor.
Recent weeks brought rumours that Apple was planning to update at least some of its iPads. The rumoured launch day only brought a new Apple Pencil, however – which may mean that the iPads were delayed for the upcoming event, or may mean that Apple opted not to make any changes to the iPad and released the Apple Pencil to clear the way for its new Macs.
The latest launch comes the month after Apple held another live event – at its usual time – to launch the new iPhone 15 and other products.


text:
Several mail order houses specializing in gas masks and other survival products were too busy to talk or could mot be reached, according to press reports.
One, the Emergency Preparedness Center in Heber City, Utah, was telling customers it could no longer take calls, that orders had to be placed through its Web site and that gas masks were sold out until a new shipment comes in March 1.
Proprietors at two Manhattan stores each said they have sold several hundred chemical protection suits this week.
In addition to extra firepower, police have been urged to start packing protective hoods to be used in the event of a chemical attack. A mobile missile launcher has been stationed near the Capitol.
Lawmakers have been urged to get rid of vanity license plates that identify them as a member of Congress, avoid predictable routes and devise an emergency action plan with their respective families.
Report Abusive Comment


text:
Police are looking for a gunman who robbed a woman making a deposit at a Castor Avenue ATM last week.
Two opportunistic robbers waited for a Wissinoming convenience store clerk to go outside before snatching a cash register from the business on Oct. 16, police said.
It would’ve been pretty tough to miss the guy who wore a white sweatshirt with a gaudy black design into a Wissinoming grocery store on Oct. 25. Police now hope that someone recognizes him or his distinctive hoodie from surveillance video because the guy ended up robbing the business at gunpoint.
Apparently, a gunman didn’t want to sully the name of his beloved Frankford when he decided to hold up a Torresdale 7-Eleven on Oct. 20. So he went outside, pulled a red hoodie over his “FKD” shirt and took care of business.
Philadelphia police have released surveillance video of an armed robbery at a Northwood pizza parlor.
Two masked gunmen robbed a 7-Eleven in Castor Gardens on Aug. 14.
Detectives are trying to identify two suspects and a witness in the Aug. 13 robbery of a 7-Eleven in Northwood.
A masked, knife-wielding man robbed an East Torresdale convenience store and made off with up to $400 cash early Sunday, according to 6ABC.
A knife-wielding man parlayed a dollar bill into a lot more cash as he held up a Morrell Park convenience store early Monday.