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Innovid, providers of a video marketing platform, has integrated with Jivox, a digital marketing technology provider, to deliver dynamic creative optimization across channels, devices, and formats, including video, mobile, social, display, and connected TV. The solution also provides independent ad serving, dynamic creative decisioning, and integrated measurement
"In light of [the General Data Protection Regulation] and a siloed industry approach to data and measurement across stacks, there is a real market need for omnichannel solutions that offer data-driven creative and optimization support across all channels, platforms, devices, and ad formats," said Zvika Netter, CEO and co-founder of Innovid, in a statement. "Our new offering, developed in lock step with Jivox, delivers the best of both worlds, providing marketers with integrated dynamic creative optimization without sacrificing best-in-class video capabilities."
"Market research shows that 75 percent of customers are more likely to buy from personalized experiences, which makes data-driven relevance across all channels more important than ever," said Diaz Nesamoney, CEO and founder of Jivox, in a statement. "We are thrilled to integrate Innovid's unparalleled video expertise together with Jivox's powerful personalization technology to optimize dynamic creative for brands across the world."


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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Aug. 4, 2023: In a bid to foster innovation and accelerate economic growth in the Caribbean region, Invest Caribbean, the global private sector investment agency of the Caribbean, has emerged as a leading force, providing entrepreneurs with unparalleled support through its exceptional pitch deck and financial projection services.
With a track record of success in assisting businesses seeking growth and investment opportunities in the Caribbean, ICN has solidified its reputation as a reliable partner for ambitious entrepreneurs looking to take their projects to new heights.
Pitch Deck Services: Crafting Compelling Narratives to Woo Investors
A well-crafted pitch deck can make all the difference when it comes to capturing the attention of potential investors. Understanding this critical aspect of business development, Invest Caribbean offers expert pitch deck services that blend creativity, data-driven insights, and compelling storytelling. The consultancy’s pitch decks go beyond the standard templates, incorporating a customized approach that showcases the unique value proposition of each project. By incorporating comprehensive market analysis, financial projections, and a clear roadmap for success, the pitch decks curated by Invest Caribbean empowers entrepreneurs to stand out in a competitive landscape.
Financial Projections: Charting a Clear Path to Profitability
Invest Caribbean understands that solid financial projections are the bedrock of any successful business venture. To this end, the consultancy employs a team of skilled financial analysts who work hand-in-hand with entrepreneurs to create realistic and data-driven financial projections. The financial projections offered by Invest Caribbean take into account various market dynamics and potential challenges, ensuring that entrepreneurs have a clear understanding of their project’s financial viability. By providing accurate revenue forecasts, expense analyses, and growth scenarios, the consultancy equips entrepreneurs with the tools they need to make informed decisions and navigate potential obstacles.
A Collaborative Approach to Success
Invest Caribbean prides itself on its collaborative approach. The consultancy’s team of seasoned experts engages entrepreneurs throughout the entire process, seeking their insights and visions to create tailored solutions. With a growing roster of satisfied clients and a proven track record, Invest Caribbean continues to be the go-to consultancy for entrepreneurs seeking to transform their ideas into thriving ventures.
For more information about Invest Caribbean’s services, connect at https://www.investcaribbeannow.com/connect

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Consumers who commute between the UK and the US have seen their roaming charges slashed because of the launch of a new product by Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider Truphone, it has been revealed.
The service allows handsets to use the same SIM either side of the Atlantic and offers lower roaming charges.
Existing charges in the USA for UK carriers averaged out at £0.94 per minute for receiving calls and £1.17 for making calls.
Diane Myers, a directing analyst for VoIP and IMS at Infonetics Research, said: "The mobile side of VoIP is really just beginning to blossom and, while it is far from mainstream, it is definitely growing in options and innovative offerings."
She added that VoIP carriers are showing innovation and that one-third of all Skype-to-Skype calls are now video.
Recycle your old mobile phone to cash http://www.mazumamobile.com/
Posted by Paul Whalley


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Appeals Court Strikes Down EPA’s Denial of SREs
*Please Note – Bob Lane was out of the office today and will return on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.
On November 22, a U.S. appeals court struck down a decision...
News that California’s CBD legislation did not move forward is unfortunate for the segment. California would have joined a handful of states that include Virginia, Florida, and Colorado that have explicitly allowed for CBD in dietary supplements, as well as food and beverage. Attempts at legislation were deferred last fall and renewed recently with an amendment that would both allow CBD to be incorporated into the above products, and also regulate the industry there. Currently a full range of CBD products are widely sold in the state, without any oversight or safety testing like one sees in Florida.
Other cannabis policy advanced in their legislative session, providing tax relief and certainty to that industry. California has realized over $1 billion in taxes assessed on MJ since their adult use program began in January 2018. CBD products also have enormous economic opportunity when food and beverages are factored in. California’s lack of clarity on CBD policy is a barrier to corporations introducing products in that market.
California has a mind boggling 3.2 trillion economy, making it the largest in the US by that GDP figure, and would rank as the worlds 5th largest economy if the state were a sovereign nation. This puts California right behind Germany, and ahead of India. California markets are vast, and current policy stymies demand for hemp derivatives.
The state has also seen routine pushback from local governments on pan-cannabis policy that includes both retail MJ, extraction, and hemp production. Hemp policy in the state is complex, with cities even thwarting their own county regulations in favor of their own hyperlocal policy. Moratoriums are commonplace, and some counties have taken more permanent steps to prevent hemp production, like San Luis Obispo County. Their Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 in May for a 400-acre minimum and 2000’ setbacks, making it impractical to site any production in the county.
We discussed last week the wide-ranging issues that confront hemp and MJ production in various communities. Drying facilities are increasingly under pressure because of odor, and extraction facilities face more resistance in the state due to the historical manufacturing presence for MJ derivatives. Residents simply don’t want to smell cannabis growing, particularly in densely populated areas, and extraction facilities are met with a NIMBY reception.
Hemp and CBD policy continues to bring state’s rights issues to the forefront, and the trend for states to depart from federal policy is just beginning. Look to hemp production states like Colorado to circumvent policy like the DEA’s IFR, which criminalizes hemp extracts that exceed .3% THC, at any stage of manufacture. Hemp extracts by their very nature routinely exceed these limits tenfold, making this impractical. The USDA’s IFR will also be tested this fall, with that transition looming for states operating under the 2014 Pilot Program. States like Colorado have already brushed off federal policy as it relates to MJ, it is only logical that they may also diverge on hemp and CBD issues.
The California market for CBD and other cannabinoids is one of the best in the country. Bringing these products into the fold would both generate revenues, and jobs. MJ tax already funds a number of social programs. We’ve seen what California fuel markets have done with federal and state policy that encourages renewable diesel, for which The Jacobsen is the benchmark for feedstocks. Refiners are quickly expanding capacity there and elsewhere in the US because of the lucrative credits that facilitate 45% profit, as compared to 2% for ethanol. Just this move impacts the entire US economy to the tune of billions of dollars, but largely driven by California policy. California also has the potential to disrupt hemp markets and for now it is unclear what political forces have prevented CBD policy from moving forward there.


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Vishay Intertechnology expanded its offering of TMBS Trench MOS Barrier Schottky rectifiers with 12 new 45 V, 60 V, and 100 V devices that feature a wide range of current ratings from 6 A to 20 A. Optimized for use in commercial applications, the devices offer extremely low forward voltage drop in the surface-mount TO-252 (DPAK) package.
Littelfuse announced it has developed a new SP3012-06UTG Low Capacitance ESD Protection TVS Diode Array (SPADevices). The new product is optimized for protecting sensitive chipsets on high-speed data lines from any external ESD (electrostatic discharge) event.
Scientists have developed a way to print silver directly onto fibres. This new technique could make integrating electronics into all types of clothing simple and practical. This has many potential applications in sports, health, medicine, consumer electronics and fashion.
Researchers from the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC) have discovered two security weaknesses that permit installation of malware onto Apple mobile devices using seemingly innocuous applications and peripherals, uncovering significant security threats to the iOS platform.
Ametherm today introduced a new series of inrush current limiting NTC thermistors designed to withstand high steady-state currents from 6 A to 50 A and 250 J to 800 J of input energy in a wide range of applications. Recognized by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) for ensured safety, AS Series devices provide lower current density....
Beauty is in the eye of the Google Glass wearer. At least that's what the Internet search giant hopes a handful of young filmmakers will discover. Google is enlisting film students from five colleges to help it explore how its wearable computing device can be used to make movies.
Mouser Electronics announces the availability of the smallest transistor package on the market from ROHM Semiconductor which is optimized for thin, compact portable devices. ROHM Semiconductor ultra-compact MOSFETs & bipolar transistors have the smallest transistor package on the market which is optimized for thin, compact portable devices.
For decades, technology experts and home automation enthusiasts have been talking about and promising the emergence of the smart, connected home. They have foretold a home connected by multitude of sensors, monitoring applications such as HVAC, home security, and even the health of the inhabitants, and all controlled remotely over the web via a smartphone or a tablet.
Nearly all of the research on multitasking to date has studied its effects on individuals. Researchers have not yet paid much attention to the effects of multitasking on organizations, but there are good reasons to believe that multitasking has similar effects at an organizational level. After all, people do not typically work independently in organizations
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., is mass producing the world’s fastest embedded memory – asserted to be the industry’s first eMMC 5.0 devices – in 16 gigabyte (GB), 32 GB and 64 GB densities for next-generation smartphones and tablets. Featuring an interface speed ofSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd., is mass producing the world’s fastest embedded memory – asserted to be the industry’s first eMMC 5.0 devices – in 16 gigabyte (GB), 32 GB and 64 GB densities for next-generation smartphones and tablets. Featuring an interface speed of
In this week's headlines: Drone It Yourself turns random objects into RC quadrotors: A Drone It Yourself project turns just about anything into a quadrotor drone with the addition of a few motors and a control unit. Twinkind 3D photo booth scans your body in a flash: A company called Twinkind in Hamburg, Germany is offering a 3D portrait service that creates your very own mini-me.
Are batteries replaced too soon or too late? The answer lays in reliability concerns, service strategies and economics. While most batteries are replaced too late, Dr. Imre Gyuk, manager of the Energy Storage Research Program at DOE, says that every year roughly one million usable lithium-ion batteries are sent in for recycling with most having a capacity of up to 80%.
C&K Components has expanded its product offering of miniature rocker switches to include IP65-rated waterproof switches. The miniature IP65-rated rocker switches have a splash proof rubber boot option for waterproofing. Available in multiple versions and styles...
A doctoral candidate at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) developed a magnetically driven pen interface that works both on and around mobile devices. This interface, called the MagPen, can be used for any type of smartphones and tablet computers so long as they have magnetometers embedded in.
Power Integrations introduced CHY100, the first AC-DC wall-charger interface IC that enables designers of mobile devices to implement the Quick Charge 2.0 protocol from Qualcomm. Launched earlier this year, Quick Charge 2.0 enables users to charge mobile devices up to 75% faster than when using conventional technology.
I am, by nature, a very anxious person. Alright, I am a worrier—particularly when it comes to leaving the house. Did I leave the garage door open? The stove on? The hair straighter plugged in? Did I lock all the doors? Windows? And that’s just when I leave for work.
Cypress Semiconductor announced the availability of a new development kit that speeds design of digital audio accessories for Apple’s iPhone, iPad, and iPod products. The CY8CKIT-033A PSoC 3 MFi Digital Audio Development Kit for Lightning includes license-free reference hardware, firmware, and iOS app software....
Cypress Semiconductor expanded its market-leading USB product portfolio, adding a unique family of USB-Serial bridge controllers. The new CY7C6521x family is the first to provide dual-configurable serial channels for UART/SPI/I2C communication along with industry-leading CapSense capacitive touch-sensing technology....
Face-to-face communication begins with the eyes, a crucial factor in the design of interactive physical characters. By employing 3D printing, Disney Research, Pittsburgh has developed a new technology that is uniquely expressive, robust and adaptable for creating interactive characters' eyes.
Parents will try anything to ensure their baby’s health – even if that means scanning their infant’s backside with their smartphone. At least that’s the idea behind Pixie Scientific’s “Smart Diaper” concept, which transmits health data via QR codes.
On a windy morning in California's Salinas Valley, a tractor pulled a wheeled, metal contraption over rows of budding iceberg lettuce plants. Engineers from Silicon Valley tinkered with the software on a laptop to ensure the machine was eliminating the right leafy buds.
Here at ECN we're always looking for what's going to change the world of electrical design. This month we're focusing on new material technology. From adhesives to thermal gap pad management, we want to know what's happening in your lab and on your benches!
Ever worry about buying a new phone, only to see a better one come out just two weeks later? Phone companies normally make you wait two years before upgrading to a new device. T-Mobile will now let you upgrade twice a year for just $10 a month.
LG Display announced that it will unveil the world’s slimmest Full HD LCD panel for smartphones. The state-of-the-art 5.2-inch panel is an exciting advancement for the premium mobile device market enabling sleeker Full HD smartphones featuring better “grip-ability” and a superior viewing experience.
Microsoft Corp. has decided its entire business needs a new operating system. CEO Steve Ballmer is restructuring the company to cope with a quickening pace of technological change that has left the world's largest software maker a step behind its two biggest rivals, Apple and Google.


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On Monday December 9th, Palestinian producers and suppliers of dates, fresh herbs, and olive oil came together to meet with various Dutch buyers at a B2B and networking event in Amsterdam. The event was put together through a cooperation between the Palestine Trade Centre (PalTrade) and the European Union. Mohammed Nuseibeh, the chief executive officer of PalTrade, opened the event, followed by a presentation from the RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency) on available programs to aid the trade relationships between the two countries. The event was attended by 7 Palestinian suppliers, and more than 15 Dutch buyers.
Encouraging a green economy in Palestine
The event emanated from an initiative to increase a green economy in Palestine in a three-year project. Nuseibeh explains: “This is a project funded by the EU, and together with the Palestine Trade Center the project is aimed at creating a green economy in Palestine. This is done through work with both the authorities and the production companies in Palestine.”
He continues: “The first part of the project focuses on creating a policy framework for the Palestinian authorities to better encourage the use of green products and production and to work with the government to implement regulations that incentivize producers to switch to green production.”
“The second way in which we are working towards a greener economy is by helping the companies themselves to start converting to green production. This is done by helping them get their licenses and certificates, and helping the companies connect with markets that are interested in the green products, through events such as this one.”
Extensive market research
The Palestine Trade Center identified three European countries that would be most likely to be interested in green products from Palestine: France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Extensive market research was conducted on these countries to further flesh out the potential here.
Monique Harmsen conducted this market research and explains: “We looked at the market potential in these countries, not just for these specific products, but also for these specific products with a Palestine origin. We also looked at how the markets work, where the demand is, and the rules and regulations in place in these countries. Based off of this research we also created export guides for the companies to help them cooperate with these countries.
Through our research we were able to identify the Netherlands as the highest potential market for green products from Palestine.”
Nuseibeh adds: “At this event we are focusing on three main products: herbs, dates, and olive oil. These products were chosen because our initial research showed that these products have the most potential as green products in the European market. After this was decided, we invited all producers of these products to submit applications for the program, and if they met the criteria they were admitted to the program.”
Successful networking event
During the initial stages of planning the event, 38 companies were identified as fitting with the event. Of these companies, 7 were able to attend. The event had an informal setup, and after the initial introductions – a welcome from Nuseibeh, and a short presentation by Geert Bode of the RVO – the suppliers and buyers engaged in short 15-minute meetings, ‘speed-dating style’. The Palestinian suppliers remained seated at their tables, on which they have set out their products for showing and tasting, and various buyers from the Netherlands went around to meet with the suppliers.
Momen Sinokrot, of date production company Palestine Gardens, was pleased with the event: “We have been meeting a good selection of people here. The European market can be really difficult to break into, and this event is giving us great opportunities to meet buyers, make connections, and even make some deals.”
Nuseibeh said at the outset of the event, during his welcome: “PalTrade was set up in 1998 and our goal is to promote Palestinian exports through B2B meetings such as this one, as well as through organizing trade exhibits, doing market research and facilitating trade agreements. Through this event, we hope to show that Palestine has some great products to offer the Dutch market.”


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Truss Professional recently announced that industry leader Ian Browning has joined the team as Creative Artistic Director/Director of Education.
While waiting to attend Navy boot camp, Ian Browning was sweeping up hair at a salon for extra money. This was his first introduction to the hair industry, and it was this early experience that inspired him to pursue a career in the creative and ever-evolving beauty industry.
In 1997, he began his professional career with Toni & Guy as a hairstylist, and soon discovered that he could also expand into the educational realm. By 2000, he transitioned to Sexy Hair where he enjoyed a successful 15 year career, becoming the 2009 & 2011 Master Artist of the Year.
Browning is known for his strong sense of street style and innovative teaching methodology. Throughout the past 16 years, he has traveled to over 25 countries, producing educational shows for professional hairdressers, and has been recognized as the lead team member of the "Best Hair Academy" by Beauty Launchpad three years in a row.
Browning is often producing hairstyles on fashion runways and for prestigious publications including Allure and Cosmopolitan. His work includes, but is certainly not limited to, producing and developing trends for print work with top directors, producers and respected fashion and beauty photographers.
Today, he joins Truss Professional as Creative Artistic Director and Director of Education, leading the educational division for one of the fastest growing companies in the industry. In his new role, Browning will be responsible for developing education programs and curriculums, new techniques and trends, as well as developing stage presentations for the marketplace.
His biggest motivation to make the move? Products that are result driven. “Truss works better than anything I’ve ever used in 20 years doing hair,” says Browning. “The products deliver more than what they promise, they’re simple to use and I feel confident standing behind them when I recommend them to my clients. This a professional brand that prioritizes the hairstylist, and will now take America by storm with a new educational concept never seen in this country before.”
Manuella Bossa, CEO of Truss Professional added, “I am delighted to welcome Ian to our growing team. His skills, talent, background and passion will certainly help propel us to the next level in the US market. 2017 promises to be an exciting year for Truss!”
For more information on Truss Professional, please visit trussprofessional.com.


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Young start-ups honoured by Foundation.
How to thrive in the age of constant digital disruption? How can young start-ups forge their own path? Answers to these questions and more were found at the much-anticipated Malaysia Rice Bowl Startup Awards 2018 that was held at the Oasis Discovery Centre in Ara Damansara, Selangor.
Organised by the New Entrepreneurs Foundation Malaysia (myNEF) and now into its fourth year, the Malaysia Rice Bowl Startup Awards is the platform for recognising young start-ups disrupting old processes and industries.
A brainchild of myNEF, the awards recognise breakout start-ups in the country that harness digital technology and celebrate rising tech entrepreneurs in various categories of excellence ranging from retail, media, digital, tech, products, services and innovative campaigns to women and social enterprises.
myNEF believes businesses can grow fast and be sustainable when they harness technology and knowledge.
It plays a significant role in bridging industry players and the government, working closely with various agencies and government-related organisations to support existing and upcoming entrepreneur development programmes.
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The city's biggest shopping centre is hoping to spread some positivity by opening a gallery of creative work its customers have put together during lockdown.
It's now appealing for people to submit their photos, artwork and words for the display, which will run throughout the summer.
intu Potteries staff are particularly looking for items on the themes of socially distanced reunions, local heroes and Stoke-on-Trent under lockdown as well as colourful rainbows and poetry created by people of all ages.
Amy Dibble, marketing manager at intu Potteries, said: “We hope that our lockdown gallery will showcase some of the incredible experiences that the local community has gone through over the last few months.
“The selected photographs, artwork and poems will be printed and displayed in a dedicated gallery space that will hopefully put a smile on the faces of our visitors, local residents and the wider community.
"So, if you’ve taken a picture during lockdown that fits within one of our three themes, produced a piece of inspiring art or even written a piece of powerful poetry over the last few months, we’d love for you to get in touch!”
It's free to take part, with people asked to submit their entries to email@example.com before 5pm on Thursday, July 23.


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Innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and renewable energy would be the focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Silicon Valley over the weekend where he will meet CEOs of top American companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google and Tesla.
On the first day of his arrival in Silicon Valley on September 26, Modi would visit the campus of iconic Tesla where he would be welcomed by its CEO Elon Musk. Modi would have a look at some of their path breaking inventions, particularly in the renewable energy sector.
“One of the important interests in Tesla is in battery technology because it has implications on in terms of storage and renewable energy,” Indian Ambassador Arun K Singh said. Later, Modi would have one-on-one meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Modi would also be having dinner with top CEOs of the Silicon Valley companies, considered to be pioneers in digital economy.
Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Sunder Pichai of Google, John Chamber of Cisco, Paul Jacobs executive chairman of Qualcomm and Santanu Narayan of Adobe would make presentations on digital technology. The focus of their presentations is expected to be what digital economy means for India, what the opportunities for India US collaboration are and what plans they have for India. Thereafter, Modi is expected to discuss his vision for policy on ‘Digital India’.
Read more at:


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Sending money via GPS satellite sounds like something from a science fiction movie, but soon it could become a real service for people to use all over the world. Blockchain specialist company Blockstream has introduced satellites that can help people that don’t have internet access the Bitcoin network.
Beaming Blocks Via Satellite
Blockstream, a leading company in blockchain technologies, has introduced a brand-new way to interact with the Bitcoin blockchain. Marketed towards people without easy access to reliable internet, they have leased out bandwidth on three satellites that are currently in orbit around the planet. These satellites will allow people … Read the rest
With Bitcoin’s price skyrocketing recently, many traders have their eyes and minds on the moon. Blockstream, the blockchain technology company, quite literally wants to put Bitcoin in outer space with the use of satellites. It is offering access to the Bitcoin network for everyone on earth, projected from space!
Bitcoin in Space
Those of us familiar with Bitcoin know that decentralization is a key feature of the network. However, those of us living in Western nations often take our ease of access to the network for granted. There are scores of people on this planet that do not have reliable … Read the rest
MegaMillions, Powerball, EuroMillions, SuperEnlatto… Every year people spend billions on these and other lottery games around the world. Now Bitcoin users can get in on the action and try their luck at LottoPark.com.
In 2015 global lottery sales totaled just under $280 billion and that figure rose by another 4% in 2016 to just over $291 billion. Some of the most popular lottery games worldwide include:
- Euro Millions
- UK Lottery
- Mega Millions
While it has been possible to buy lottery tickets online for some time now, Bitcoin users have been left out in the cold.
Until now.… Read the rest


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Lam Research (NASDAQ: LRCX) is scheduled to report its third-quarter earnings results on Wednesday after the market closes. The bottom line will be hurt by higher costs and expenses related to the intangible assets acquired through business combinations, note discounts, and associated tax charge.
The top line is likely to be hurt by lower deferred revenue as the company remained cautioned about the near-term market trends. However, the long term remained bright as Lam Research expressed confidence in the growth of the installed-based business and the company’s focus on Deposition and Etch technology.
The company has experienced higher adoption rates for 3D NAND technology, FinFETs, and multi-patterning. Along with this, the company’s results could be benefited by cost-reduction activities, 3D NAND density scaling, and new memory technologies. However, in the near term, capital expenditures remained a major concern for Lam Research, which is likely to shed out the top line growth.
Analysts expect Lam Research’s earnings to plunge by 29.40% to $3.38 per share and revenue to fall by 16.90% to $2.4 billion for the third quarter. In comparison, during the previous year quarter, the company posted a profit of $4.79 per share on revenue of $2.89 billion.
The company has surprised the investors in the past four quarters as it has beat analysts’ expectations all the time. Traders also expect Lam Research to surprise the market by exceeding the consensus. Majority of the analysts recommended a “strong buy” or “buy” rating while expecting the stock to reach $200.47 per share in the next 52 weeks.
Also read: Lockheed Martin Q1 earnings
For the second quarter, Lam Research reported a profit compared to a loss last year, helped by lower income tax expense despite a decline in the revenue. Japan topped the geographic revenue distribution for the December 2018 quarter. However, China dropped to the fourth position with 14% in the recently ended quarter from the second position in the previous quarter.
For the third quarter, the company had expected earnings to be $3.21 per share, plus or minus 20 cents on a GAAP basis and $3.40 per share, plus or minus 20 cents on a non-GAAP basis. Revenue was predicted to be $2.4 billion, plus or minus $150 million. Gross margin was anticipated to be 43.6%, plus or minus 1%, and operating margin of 23.6%, plus or minus 1%.
The investors were concerned about the volatility in the PC market, which could stand as a hurdle to Lam Research’s growth for the third quarter. Also, competition has been brewing stiff in the semiconductor capital equipment market and the company faces tough rivalry for all of its product and service categories.
Shares of Lam Research opened lower on Tuesday and is trading in the red territory. The stock has risen over 1% in the past year and over 39% in the past three months.
Last month, the IPO market was in a full swing. IPOs of Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW) and JFROG (NASDAQ: FROG) had an impressive opening day in September, the former creating a
PepsiCo Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP) beat market expectations on both revenue and earnings for the third quarter of 2020. The company saw the momentum continue in its snacks business while the
With more and more people turning to virtual entertainment sources, amid the virus-related movement restrictions, video game publishers like Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) are witnessing unusually high demand. Not surprisingly,


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Most of us know the Winklevoss twins and their involvement in Facebook, whether it’s from their media presence or their role in the Social Network. After suing Facebook, claiming they played a much bigger role in its origin, the twins have been involved in a number of different business ventures. Hukkster, one of my favorite new startups, is just one of many companies that they have invested in. Just this week, the Winklevoss’ have received even more attention from the media, labeled the “most high profile Bitcoin millionaires out there.” According to this short video by Bloomberg TV, the Winklevoss twins are the biggest Bitcoin millionaires, worth $11 million dollars. Virtual dollars, that is.
Bitcoin, an online digital currency that uses cryptography to control its creation and transactions rather than relying on central authorities, is just another example of how technology is changing the way we live. Unlike a conventional banking system, transactions are authenticated cryptographically and cannot be reversed. The system is not managed by any government or central authority, and Bitcoins are transferred through a smartphone or computer either locally or internationally. Currently, Bitcoins are accepted by only a handful of merchants and services around the world; however, it is traded on exchanges such as Mt. Gox. The core of the Bitcoin network is known as the blockchain. Roughly every 10 minutes, a new block is generated containing a record of all previous Bitcoin transactions that have occurred. Bitcoin participants, known as miners, race to decode the next block by solving a cryptographic puzzle. The person who discovers the puzzle announces the new block to the other miners, who must agree that it meets all of the Bitcoin standards. Once the winner has been agreed upon, this block is accepted as the next entry into the block chain starting the race again.
Bitcoin Logo (Taken from Wikipedia)
Clearly, this is a complicated platform and I’ve provided only a simplified version of what’s really taking place. According to a recent Forbes article, right now it’s only nerds who are playing around with Bitcoin. There are Bitcoin-based banks, casinos, drug emporia, derivatives markets, and more. Although right now the market is limited to “computer nerds”, there is potential for growth and increased participation. Kent Liu, a Bitcoin trader, explains why he is so bullish on Bitcoins. Liu believes that Bitcoins will go up in value because they operate on superior “fundamental properties” and recent media attention will increase demand, driving up Bitcoin prices. Despite a high degree of volatility in the past, Bitcoins have traded at a high of $266 and if trends go the way Liu predicts, traders have the potential to earn a high rate of return.
(Taken from TechCrunch.com)
But technology, as we know, is a double-edged sword. One of the biggest issues I see with Bitcoins is the lack of regulation and instability behind an online digital currency. Even Liu, who speaks highly of Bitcoin trading, noted that in 2012 the system was plagued with scams, hackers, and thefts. As Professor Ransbotham mentioned in last week’s class, the Internet presents multiple opportunities for online hackers, and unfortunately Bitcoin provides “bad guys” with even more possibilities for online exploitation.
This past week, one Bitcoin trader was robbed in a forum offering a forged Adobe updater and prompting him to update his Java plugin. On the traders’ forum was a link connecting individuals to an imposter site, which used stolen code and style to imitate the legitimate MT.Gox site. Once the trader agreed to the updates and his computer was infected with malware, the attackers stole credentials from his MT.Gox account as well as other passwords. While I should have taken safer precautions, notes the user, “this attack is rather basic and should not be possible on a site at the level of MT.Gox. I can only imagine how people with larger amounts would feel if clicking on a link emptied their account $10k+.” Right now, I personally think it’s too early to predict Bitcoin’s future. However, technological changes, such as Bitcoins, are inevitable and despite possible positive outcomes we must be wary of the pitfalls as well.


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Representatives from the Chinese side say they think it likely that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the G-20 meeting later this month. But in order to reach a trade...China Economyread more
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A company spokesperson said the outage was the result of a "an internal technology issue" and was not security related.Retailread more
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Using MIT's living wage calculator, CNBC Make It mapped out the minimum amount a single parent must earn to meet their basic needs without relying on outside help in every...Earnread more
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced at a press conference on Saturday that a contentious bill to allow extraditions to mainland China has been put on hold.China Politicsread more
Stratolaunch, the world's largest airplane, which flew once, is up for sale, sources familiar told CNBC.Investing in Spaceread more
Transparency is key… or is it? With the first-ever non-transparent, actively managed exchange-traded fund receiving approval from the SEC, "ETF Edge" goes straight to the...ETF Edgeread more
Mired in a crisis over its best-selling 737 Max plane, Boeing could hand the spotlight over to its rival Airbus at the Paris Air Show.Airlinesread more
A new update to the Apple Watch called watchOS 6 will notify you if the environment you're in is too loud and could damage your hearing.Technologyread more
Here's a roundup of the most important deals in venture capital from the past week.
Swiss pharma giant Roche is acquiring Flatiron Health in a deal valued around $2.1 billion. Flatiron created an electronic medical records system for physicians treating cancer, which analyzes the information to recommend the best potential treatments. Flatiron was founded by ex-Google employees Nat Turner and Zach Weinberg and previously raised more than $300 million from investors including Roche and Alphabet's venture arm, GV (formerly Google Ventures).
Sotheby's has acquired Viyet, an online marketplace for vintage and antique furniture. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Sotheby's is in the midst of ramping up its online business. Owning Viyet will help Sotheby's to accept, and sell, entire estates the company told Architectural Digest. Prior to the deal, Viyet had raised around $7 million in venture funding from Social Stars and Rosecliff Ventures.
Grocery delivery start-up Instacart added $200 million to its coffers. Executives told CNBC that the merger of Amazon and Whole Foods has driven other grocers to partner with Instacart in order to extend easy online ordering and delivery options to shoppers. Coatue Management and Glade Brook Capital Partners led the new investment. The deal brings Instacart's valuation to around $4.2 billion.
Harry's raised $112 million to expand beyond razors and men's grooming products, the New York Times reported. While Harry's started out selling monthly shipments of razors online, it now also sells its products in major retailers including Target. The company has also purchased the factory that makes its razors. Investors in the series D round of funding included: Alliance Consumer Growth, Temasek, and earlier backers including Tiger Global and Wellington Management. The funding brings Harry's total capital raised to about $475 million.
Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors, Playground Global and Aleph VC poured $20 million into CommonSense Robotics, a start-up building robot-operated fulfillment centers that help groceries make fast deliveries. CommonSense CEO and co-founder Elram Goren tells CNBC, "We want 'on-demand' to become profitable and sustainable for groceries who aren't Amazon." With the funding, the company plans to open its first facilities in the U.S. It is currently operating one 5,000 square foot fulfillment center in Tel Aviv.
Outdoorsy raised $25 million in a series B round of funding to rent out RV's Airbnb-style. Investors included: Aviva Ventures, Altos Ventures, Tandem Capital and Autotech Ventures.
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Learn Capital and TCV invested $50 million into Varsity Tutors, a start-up that links students with experts in a field they're studying for private, online or in-home tutoring.
A former Uber and Lyft VP, Travis VanderZanden, has raised $15 million for his new startup, Bird. The company offers electric scooter rentals. The scooters are strewn about campuses or cities, and unlocked for use through the Bird app. Investors included: Tusk Ventures, Valor, Lead Edge Capital, and Goldcrest Capital.
Norwest Venture Partners has closed its latest fund at $1.5 billion, its largest to-date.
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is bringing on a new general partner, Andrew Chen, the investors announced on Thursday. Chen previously led Rider Growth at Uber, and was an entrepreneur in residence at Mohr Davidow. The news follows the departure of Lars Dalgaard who has started his own firm, Luv Ventures.
A new firm in Austin, Texas, True Wealth Ventures, closed a $19 million debut fund. The firm intends to back start-ups founded by women.


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The latest electric model from Ford earned a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The 2013 Ford Focus Electric, which was designed specifically with safety in mind, was awarded the top Overall Vehicle Score thanks to a variety of new features aimed at keeping occupants secure and avoiding the auto repair that can arise from a crash.
According to Torque News, the rating was the result of a comprehensive test as part of the New Car Assessment Program, which is run by the NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
"As more people shop for electrified vehicles, the Focus Electric now offers both a top vehicle safety rating from the NHTSA and a faster-charging technology that allows it to fully recharge in three to four hours," said Steve Kenner, director of the Fort Automotive Safety Office.
One of the newest features that helped improve the safety features of the vehicle is a reconfigured driver's airbag, which uses a tether system to create a pocket of space that lessens the impact of the airbag on a driver's chest, protecting them in the event of a crash without causing bodily harm. Similar side airbags also have shoulder vents that reduce pressure on smaller occupants, like children.


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BRITISH kids are at risk of a rickets epidemic because they’re spending too much time indoors playing with gadgets, experts are warning.
The condition, which was common during the Victorian era, is coming back “at some speed” as youngsters spend less time in the sun.
Getty – Contributor Kids aren’t going outside enough and that’s putting them at risk of rickets
Rickets was a disease that was practically eradicated in the 1950s but cases have more than doubled in a decade.
Each year, around 450 kids are admitted to hospital with the disease.
And leading geneticist Steve Jones says that’s because kids aren’t getting enough of the sunshine nutrient vitamin D.
He said that vitamin D is “very important stuff”, which can help to tackle disease and strengthen the immune system.
“Children today spend an hour a day less outside than they did ten years ago,” Mr Jones told the Hay Festival.Smartphones and tablets to blame
“That’s the smartphone and the tablet situation.”
He said that Scottish kids in particular were spending less time outside than any other children in the world.
“Rickets is coming back and rickets is coming back at some speed … because of a shift in human behaviour which we never thought would happen.”
Not enough vitamin D
You can get vitamin D from the sun but also in foods such as oily fish, eggs, margarine and certain cereals.
Although it can affect any child, darker skinned kids are more at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
It’s easily treatable – children simply need to be given lots of calcium and vitamin D.
In fact, some families are eligible for free vitamin supplements from the government’s Healthy Start scheme – find out if you qualify for Healthy Start.
Despite never thinking that he’d take vitamin supplements, Mr Jones said that even he had resorted to taking vitamin D tablets.
“‘I do that because the evidence that the shortage of sunlight has drastic effects on health is overwhelming.
Scottish kids are most at risk
“It can be seen in Britain – men in Scotland still have a two-year less life expectancy than men in England and Wales. Scotland is still the sick man of Europe.”
It’s not just rickets that has become a problem.
Multiple sclerosis levels are also an issue and again, that could be down to a lack of sunshine.
He said that MS levels used to be highest in northern Canada and almost unheard of in tropical countries.
Again, Scotland has much higher levels than England.
“The Scots are the palest people in the world…and that’s because their entire body systems are crying out for vitamin D,” he said.
Vitamin D is beneficial in a number of different ways.
Symptoms of ricketsRickets causes a child’s bones to become soft and weak, which can lead to bone deformities.
The signs and symptoms of rickets can include:
pain – the bones affected by rickets can be sore and painful, so the child may be reluctant to walk or may tire easily; the child’s walk may look different (waddling)
skeletal deformities – thickening of the ankles, wrists and knees, bowed legs, soft skull bones and, rarely, bending of the spine
dental problems – including weak tooth enamel, delay in teeth coming through and increased risk of cavities
poor growth and development – if the skeleton doesn’t grow and develop properly, the child will be shorter than average
fragile bones – in severe cases, the bones become weaker and more prone to fractures
Some children with rickets may also have low levels of calcium in their blood.
This can make the symptoms of rickets worse and can also cause:
tingling in the hands and feet
If your child has any kinds of bone pain, delayed growth or muscle weakness, take them to your GP for a checkup.
STROKE PROVOKED Stroke rates rocketing among young Brits due to obesity and cocaine use RAT’S DANGEROUS Piles of uncollected rubbish in LA could cause bubonic plague, expert warns NO LAUGHING MATTER Young people ignoring risks of laughing gas as deaths DOUBLE in one year JOG YOUR MEMORY Dramatic weight changes in later life can raise dementia risk by a QUARTER DOC’S ORDERS Kids who haven’t had MMR should face school BAN amid measles outbreak fears NETFLIX AND KILL Algorithm similar to Netflix’s can ‘predict death with 90% accuracy’ MORE VEGAN KIDS One in ten Brit kids are refusing to eat meat & identify as vegan or veggie RevealedWHAT A PAIN Headache pills are 14 times pricier for same drugs — our guide to bargain pills HEALTHY TRADE Britain’s economy booming thanks to exports by drug companies ahead of Brexit RED MIST How flying into an angry rage is a sign you could be seriously ill, experts warn RED ALERT 100,000 people hit by EU measles outbreak as disease spreads at terrifying rate BODY SHOCK DEATH Footballer dies of cardiac arrest after drinking cold water after a match
It can help us to fight off infectious disease as well as improve mood.
Mr Jones also said that “if you have a shortage you’re more likely to get kidney disease”.
“It is really, really important stuff.”
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It’s a bleak time for the future of stereoscopic 3D TV channels.
The TV service provider that was more bullish on 3D content than anyone else is now cutting back on its three-dimensional programming due to low consumer demand, even though there are notably more 3D TV sets on the market.
The problem is that viewers just aren’t tuning in, even if their TV supports the new standard. As a result, the flagship n3D channel will no longer operate 24 hours a day.
When it launched in July of 2010, just a matter of months after the very first stereoscopic 3D TV set was available in the US, n3D was touted by DirecTV as being the first 24/7 3D channel.
It was made only available to DirecTV subscribers. The company also launched other dedicated 3D channels and was the first to offer ESPN 3D. So for DirecTV to back-peddle in this market speaks volumes.
The n3D channel is not going away for good. It will still run part-time, mainly for special events like live concerts and sporting events.
But there will still be some regularly scheduled content as well. When it is off air, the channel will simply show the n3D logo.
Even when it was running 24/7, a lot of the programming was looped and repeated throughout the day.
DirecTV still also offers other 3D channels including one that exclusively plays 3D movies.


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Welcome to 2014, a year in which taking selfies and photos of your food are the norm, and real-life social interactions are becoming less popular in comparison to electronic instant messaging. We live in an era where our cellphones are no longer just accessories, but are fast becoming appendages to our daily routine, where checking Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp every 15 minutes have become the norm.
Earlier this month, social artist Julien F. Thomas constructed a makeshift coffee shop in Vancouver, Canada called Faraday Café that essentially blocks cellphone signals, turning your mobile phone into an almost useless brick. The shop was enclosed in a Faraday Cage (from which the coffee shop got its name) which made it impossible for those inside to communicate to the outside world via any electronic devices. This means that anyone inside the cafe would be unable to make calls or Instagram their coffee foam art.
The two-week exhibit (now closed) was set up as an attempt to get people to start talking to each other again and trying to get them away from the lifestyle of constantly checking for new updates on their social networks. You can still take pictures, but for many, it’s no fun if you can’t upload it while you’re “in the moment”, unless you’re fine with a #latergram post.
Thomas said he wanted to create a space where people could get away from the fast-paced world of technology and enjoy a mental break. But wasn’t that what a coffee shop was mainly set up for in the first place? He also wanted to encourage discussions about technology and how people use it, and what the world would miss the most if the Internet suddenly disappeared (among other things).
It’s definitely a great concept because many humans’ social skills have become rather rusty thanks to instant messaging and social media, but it’s unlikely that this type of implementation would catch on since there’d still need to be room for those emergency phone calls or messages.
With that in mind, can you survive a trip to the coffee shop without looking at your phone once? Or better yet, could you survive going without your phone for 24 hours? Let’s hear your take on the matter in the comments below.
[Images: Cafe YVR]


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Our view: Hold
Share price: 609p (-1p)
On the face of it, Big Yellow Group looks like an extremely boring company - providing storage space for people moving house (and sometimes office).
But the way its share price has performed makes it look like a whizzy, exciting dotcom company before the crash. However, a crash is not something that is going to happen with Big Yellow, whose business is backed by bricks and mortar and makes solid profits.
Big Yellow's success was driven by the idea of its three founders to set up storage centres in locations close to customers in big cities, rather than in industrial estates or other out-of-the way and inhospitable places.
So successful has that idea been, the share price has risen by a factor of six during the past three years.
Can it continue? The chief executive, Jimmy Gibson, reckons there is plenty of room for growth. So far, Big Yellow has 43 stores in operation, and another 19 in development with plans to top 100 in four years if it can meet its target of between eight and 10 openings a year.
There should be further benefits from conversion to a real estate investment trust, assuming a row with the Inland Revenue over Big Yellow's tax status can be overcome.
And then there is a franchise deal struck in Dubai, which will provide income to the company with limited risk if the formula can be replicated in economies awash with petrodollars throughout the Middle East.
Yesterday's trading statement was upbeat, and while annualised revenue and space occupied fell in the fourth quarter compared with the third, fewer people move near Christmas and both figures were up strongly on last year.
At 609p, down 1p, the shares are anything but cheap. Based on Merrill Lynch's 2007 estimated net asset value per share, they trade on a 53 per cent premium, and the yield, at just 1.2 per cent, is nothing to write home about. Still, Big Yellow has proved it is a company worth supporting. If it can live up to its growth promises, the shares remain worth holding even at their current exalted level.
Our view: Buy
Share price: 141.5p (-4.5p)
Handling hazardous waste is the top end of the waste management arena. As a result, profit margins in the sector are pretty impressive. Take Augean, for instance. Last year, the AIM-listed group made a profit of £3.4m on sales of £26m. These figures are expected to remain largely static during the current year and then to soar to profits of £5m on revenue of £28m in 2008. Yesterday, Augean put out a statement telling the City that it is on course to hit these forecasts.
Augean controls about 25 per cent of the UK hazardous waste market which is estimated to be worth £400m. The sector became a desirable place to do business three years ago when the European Union passed legislation insisting on the separation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. After the edict, prices for handling the former rose fourfold.
Established players like Augean enjoy high barriers to entry. It would probably take up to seven years to set up a rival facility to that operated by the AIM group. And demand for its services is constantly rising as more and more waste is classified as hazardous.
Although Augean is valued at a high multiple of its earnings, it has a great set of assets worth a lot more than the current share price would suggest. One51 Limited, which owns a waste business in Ireland, certainly seems to think so. It recently built up a 27 per cent stake in Augean, the majority of which it bought in November for 157.5p.
Augean's management is conducting a strategic review of the business. Its sale is one option they will consider. Whether One51 has the firepower to swallow the whole group is unclear - however, there are plenty of others who certainly do. Buy.
Plant Health Care
Our view: Buy
Share price: 224p (+54.5p)
Plant Health Care (PHC) yesterday unveiled a deal with Bayer that can only be described as transformational for the AIM-listed group. Myconate, PHC's lead product, helps plants grow and greatly increases crop yields. Under the terms of the 10-year deal, the AIM group is responsible for the manufacture and supply of its product to Bayer and will receive, according to analysts, around $0.5 (25p) for every acre it is used on.
Bayer will market Myconate in conjunction with its own portfolio of products which are currently used on up to 100 million acres in the US alone. In addition, PHC will also get milestone payments from the German giant as Myconate hits various targets.
The agreement with Bayer covers only corn, cotton, soybeans and sunflowers. This leaves PHC open to seek similar alliances with other global players for other crops, and the deal with Bayer should open a lot of doors.
But PHC is by no means a one-trick pony. It has other formulas, including organic plant food which naturally increases the shelf life of vegetables. Given the tie-up with Bayer could potentially be worth up to £25m to PHC in the US alone, even after yesterday's rise the stock looks to offer good value. Buy.Reuse content


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The Aldi supermarket chain has announced a commitment to eliminate all plastic shopping bags from its stores by the end of 2023. Aldi, which is headquartered in Batavia, IL, claims to be the first major U.S. retailer to take this step.
Aldi was the most active grocer in 2019 and 2020, and its aggressive expansion activity ensured this past year was no different. The German grocery retailer announced plans to open about 150 new stores by the end of 2022, making them the third-largest grocery retailer in the U.S. by store count, right after Kroger and Walmart.
For the second year in a row, Greensboro, NC-based The Fresh Market garnered the “Best Supermarket in America” award from a USA Today-backed vote naming the Top 10 Best Supermarket Brands in the U.S.
More than 1,000 new ALDI stores have opened throughout America over the past decade, and customers nationwide have fallen in love with the company's fast and affordable shopping experience.
ALDI is ramping up the flavor and affordability of a traditional Thanksgiving feast, offering the Butterball turkey, must-have sides and classic pumpkin pie for less than $30, both in stores and online.
For the third year running, shoppers share their #ALDILove for items they can't leave the store without
While the majority of new store openings are dollar and deep discounters, they appeal to a broad section of U.S. consumers.
ALDI today announced a new sustainability charter to demonstrate its commitment to protecting the planet's resources and ecosystems with a series of initiatives that will be achieved between now and 2030.
The retailer says it will open approximately 100 new locations nationwide in 2021, with a focus on Arizona, California, Florida and the Northeast.
As part of this new program, EBT SNAP participants in the available states will be able to shop from ALDI via the Instacart online site and mobile app.


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Written by Pathi Venkata Thadhagath
A jewelry store in Bengaluru’s Malleswaram reportedly suffered huge losses after the gold ornaments and furniture in the store got washed away, after several minutes of rain. According to The News Minute, the losses came up to Rs. 2.5 Crores, due to the flood water inside the store.
The report said that Nihaan Fashion Jewelry in Sampige Road was below ground level and on May 21, the area saw a heavy rain for several minutes. The owners of the store Sanju and Priya Reddy were inside the store when the rain lashed the area and had to step out of the store to save their lives. The entire store got flooded in a few minutes, resulting in the loss of gold ornaments and some furniture. However, the owners and staff were able to protect some of the jewelry which was placed on the top shelves of the store.
Meanwhile, the owners of the jewelry store blamed Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for the loss as the civic body’s white topping increased the height of the road, which led to flooding of the store after a few minutes of rain.
Speaking with the publication, one of the store owners said, “Nobody from the BBMP visited the store to check and inquire about the damage caused due to rain. We are worried about the situation in monsoons.”
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday ordered the officials to get ready for monsoon and fix the civic issues across the state.


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See also "Synthetic Marijuana Ban Seems Like a Good Idea, Probably Won't Do Much" and "Broward Commission Moves to Ban Bath Salts, Fake Weed"
The Dania Beach City Commission on Tuesday evening cleared the way for a ban on selling bath salts and herbal incense, more commonly referred to as synthetic marijuana.
Unlike some of the other laws that are aimed at banning specific chemical compounds used in these substances, Dania Beach is looking to make it illegal for retailers to sell or display these chemicals within city limits.
The proposed ordinance applies to "synthetic cannabinoid herbal incense and synthetic stimulant bath salts and related substances" as well as "synthetic cathinones, synthetic amphetamines and other synthetic stimulants that mimic illegal drugs."
Those busted selling or displaying these products in Dania could be hit with a $500 fine and/or up to 60 days in jail.
As previously reported, the Broward County Commission has started work on a countywide ban against these substance, which it expects to reveal this fall. Miami-Dade has already passed a blanket ban on bath salts.
Bath salts grabbed national headlines after news outlets and police officials assumed that Rudy Eugene, the so-called "Miami Zombie," had to be high on them while devouring a homeless man's face.
Weeks after the gruesome attack, scientists reported that they didn't find any trace of bath salts in Eugene, only weed. Some cautioned that he might still have been high on some form of bath salts they couldn't detect.
Dania Beach commissioners are expected to take a final vote on the ban in August.


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The need for businesses to move online is something that should never be underestimated. The market is so ripe with opportunities – and leaving that potential untouched will certainly be a bad business move, whatever your business may be.
Perth, Western Australia (PRWEB) May 16, 2012
Oracle Digital, considered as among Australia’s most established SEO companies, has released its latest SEO and on-page optimisation strategies to help businesses reach success at a faster pace, and to fight-off the decline in sales of traditional retailing.
These new strategies stem from reports showing that despite the sudden decreases in sales by traditional retailers – online sales have been increasing at a very fast and constant pace.
This demand for online retailing is forecasted to increase even more, as attested to by Forrester, a trusted specialist research firm. According to the latter, there is a great probability that online sales will reach $ 33.3 billion or more by the year 2015.
With the ongoing strength of the Australian Dollar and the increasing popularity of online shopping - many experts have declared that these factors will play significant roles in the expected upsurge of online sales in the coming periods.
In line with these findings, business analysts are now stating that these current figures only prove that the consumers are now getting more comfortable with online platforms and online retailers. This clearly shows that traditional businesses must immediately engage in the proper online strategies suited for its business to increase their revenues.
However, many experts have noted that despite this big potential presented by online retailing, many traditional companies still refuse or are reluctant in using online tools. This is shown in a business monitor study of esteemed business analysts in Australia. Only 38% of small to medium enterprises have been using the internet as a business platform. Fortunately, the same study also showed that around 30% of this number is planning to engage in respective online endeavours within the year.
In explaining the benefits of using online tools, Clint Maher, Director of Operations of Oracle Digital says, “The need for businesses to move online is something that should never be underestimated. The market is so ripe with opportunities – and leaving that potential untouched will certainly be a bad business move, whatever your business may be.”
Maher, however, notes that going online is not limited to just building a business website alone. He says, “The first step in going online is to build a website that will help entice more customers to support whatever it is that you have to offer. However, the next step is equally as important. And this is SEO and on-page optimisation. Why? Because regardless of how excellently made your site may be, if it lacks web visibility and presence, then there is a big probability that no one will see it – and if no one sees it, then you have failed to send your message across.”
Indeed, in the ever growing market that the internet brings to the fold, using the right techniques and procedures must always be taken into account.
Oracle Digital is an expert Digital Company in Perth that provides SEO, on-page optimisation, and other internet services to clients from Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. If you want to know more about the company or its services, please call them at 1300 899 851 or visit their website at http://www.oracledigital.com.au.


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The German auto giant is introducing major technology upgrades at CES 2023 that are sure to shake up the industry. From its ambitious charging network to its world-first Level three autonomous driving systems, Mercedes-Benz appears set on leading the charge into the future.
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled plans for its own charging network. With the help of MN8 Energy and ChargePoint, the company plans to build out over 400 hubs with 2,500 high-powered chargers by 2027. This will be available to all electric vehicles and offer amenities like food outlets and restrooms at nearby locations.
Mercedes-Benz is bringing SAE Level Three conditionally autonomous driving to the US, specifically California and Nevada. This will allow drivers on certain roads and in specified conditions to take their hands off the wheel and relax. While still having to pay attention, this is a monumental step forward in technology.
Together with the approval of semi-autonomous technology, the German brand will also bring automatic lane change to its collection of Mercedes vehicles in North America. This Level Two system gives drivers the ability to overtake slower vehicles with cruise control with the necessary steering inputs.
The revolutionary Vision EQXX took the stage at the tech expo. This concept is the most efficient Mercedes model ever produced. It has already covered over 745 miles on a single charge and achieved a remarkable 406.1 MPGe during its trip from Stuttgart, Germany to Silverstone, UK.
Mercedes reveals that it has partnered with Apple Music and UMG to offer a unique listening experience for consumers. Mercedes products equipped with the Burmester 4D and 3D sound systems will have Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, especially mixed songs with an exclusive 'Approved in a Mercedes-Benz' label.


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Palm has announced a new Smartphone at CES in Las Vegas spreading rumours that the company will phase out its own operating system in favour of Microsoft's mobile OS.
However a spokesman for the company told Pocket-lint that although "You will see more Microsoft Palm devices, we will not be dropping the Palm OS anytime soon".
The rumours come following the launch of the company's latest device, the Treo 700w, that features Microsoft Windows Mobile 5 Operating System and follows on from the Treo 650.
The phone, which will be exclusive to the US mobile operator Verizon for the first 6 months, supports the companies Wireless' BroadbandAccess service on its EV-DO network.
"The deal with Verizon is for the first 6 months, however you can expect to see it on Cingular and other operators in the US after that", Pocket-lint was told.
The device that is virtually identical to the Treo 650 apart from the OS, will hopefully make it to the UK later in the year. However on body on the Palm Booth at the show had any information as to what operators it would be available on.
In the past, the Treo has been exclusive to Orange.
We will keep you posted.


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Alexander Wang Updates His Personal Account With New Statement Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
In the past week, several models publicized accounts of sexual assault involving designer Alexander Wang. The 37-year-old denied the allegations in a statement to The Times and other publications, dismissing them as “baseless and grotesquely false accusations”. Today, he updated his own Instagram account with a slightly modified version of the previous statement.
In his updated statement, below, Wang thanked those who have stood by him. He also assured that he would “remain “honest” and “transparent” throughout the investigation into the claims.
His initial statement, below, was released on Dec. 31 following days of silence after model Owen Mooney first spoke out on TikTok about being groped by the designer in 2017.
Industry ‘watch dog’ accounts such as Diet Prada and Shit Model Management also shared accounts of models with similar stories. The latter account published anonymous DMs from people with damning stories involving assault, pranks, and being tricked into doing drugs.
Several days later, comments remain disabled on the brand’s main account (which has 5.5 million followers) and ditto with the designer’s personal account (465k followers). Model’s Alliance has also published a statement in support with the models who spoke out. “We at Model Alliance stand in solidarity with those who have shared accusations of sexual abuse by Alexander Wang. Let’s be clear: The fashion industry’s lack of transparency and accountability leaves all models vulnerable to abuse, regardless of their sex or gender identity.”
While Mooney, the model, is one of the more recent models to go public with their accusations, it isn’t the first time that Wang has been embroiled in allegations of sexual assault. In 2019, his former collaborator Azealia Banks, shared anonymous stories from her followers about alleged assaults committed by Alexander Wang via her own Instagram account. Allegations have also circulated on Twitter several times since 2017.
According to BoF, neither Wang nor Mooney, or any of the other models, have sought legal action yet.


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German chemical producer BASF’s production network of 20 sites has received the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)’s Supply Chain Certificate at the RSPO’s fifth annual European meeting.
The RSPO Supply Chain Certification Standard is a series of auditable requirements, designed for use by organisations in the palm value chain to demonstrate implemented systems for control of RSPO certified oil palm products.
BASF had in the past year “virtually doubled” its sales of certified palm kernel oil-based ingredients for the cosmetics, detergents, cleaning agents and foodstuffs industries, the company said in a 9 June statement.
“We have made some good progress in 2016 in the changeover to certified ingredients for the cosmetics industry and we believe that sustainable manufacture of palm oil is possible,” said Jan-Peter Sander, senior vice president of BASF Personal Care Europe.
“A reliable certification system and the best possible transparency are the key factors in protecting forests with a high carbon content,” he added.
BASF, which has been a member of the RSPO since 2004, processed a total of 508,000 tonnes of palm-based raw materials in 2016, which makes it one of the largest palm product processors in the world.
The company also joined the High Carbon Stock Steering Group in 2016 in order to “promote the industry activities for forest conservation”, the company said.
Globally, an approximate 71M tonnes of palm products are manufactured annually, of which around 10% or 7M tonnes is palm kernel oil.
Out of this amount, only about 1.3M tonnes of palm kernel oil is RSPO certified, according to BASF.


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He is one of only 10 individuals in the world worth 12 figures.
By Ashima Sethi
Despite the fact that COVID-19 has rocked multiple industries, caused mass unemployment, and pushed plenty of people under the poverty line, the richest in the world have continued to get richer in the last few months (tickle me shocked, honestly).
One of these ultra-rich individuals is Mukesh Ambani who has officially joined the ‘100 Billion Dollar Club.’ According to Forbes Billionaires List, Ambani is the richest Asian in the world and only the 10th person in the global rankings to join this coveted ‘club.’ Other notable individuals on the list include Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Bernard Arnault, Warren Buffet, among several others.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Ambani’s wealth increased by more than 23.8 billion dollars this year. The majority of his wealth comes from his take in Reliance Industries, which is an oil-refining and petrochemicals business that he inherited from his father, Dhirubhai Ambani, which has since expanded into a conglomerate with subsidiaries in industries like petrochemicals, telecom, oil, gas and retail businesses. It is predicted that shares for Reliance Industries skyrocketed by over 30% in recent time, which pushed Ambani’s net worth to 101.4 billion dollars.
More individuals are expected to join this club soon. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, heiress to the L’Oreal cosmetics fortune has a net worth of 82 billion dollars, which is steadily growing. Similarly, Amancio Ortega who owns the clothing retail group Inditex and Gautam Adani, who runs the Adani Group conglomerate, are both predicted to join the group soon as well.
Just to put things into perspective as to how much of the world’s wealth is owned by a select few individuals, according to Statista, the global 1% comprise of approximately 80 million people and the global 0.1% comprises of approximately 8 million individuals. This means that the individuals in the ‘100 Billion Dollar Club’ make up 0.0000001% of the global population.


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Buybacks have gotten a bad rap from both Republicans and Democrats. But stocks would be trading at a massive discount without them.Marketsread more
Fiat Chrysler and France's Renault could soon partner up to take on the sweeping changes to the global auto industry, according to a report in the Financial Times. The...Autosread more
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When commercial real estate investor Manny Khoshbin spent $2.2 million on the fastest production car in the world, he had no idea it would very quickly also become the...Autosread more
The IRS is about to release a new draft of Form W-4, which will more closely reflect the changes stemming from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. For workers, that means they'll need...Personal Financeread more
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Stocks rose on Friday, but notched weekly losses as investors worried the U.S.-China trade war is hurting economic growth.US Marketsread more
* Year-plus wait for approval to earn money from PUBG continues
* Tencent launches "Game for Peace", analysts say resembles PUBG
* Users say PUBG data transferred to new game
* New game could make up to $1.5 bln in annual revenue -analysts (Adds social media reaction, analyst comment, share price)
SHANGHAI/HONG KONG, May 8 (Reuters) - Tencent Holdings Ltd on Wednesday shut down its test version of global blockbuster "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" in China and shifted users to a similar, more patriotic video game which, unlike PUBG, has regulatory approval to generate revenue.
The Chinese video gaming leader has waited in vain for over a year for approval to earn money on PUBG via in-app purchases, having given the gory, South Korean-made game a socialist makeover to meet stringent government rules.
In a post on the game's official account on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform, Tencent said it would end testing for PUBG. It also said it had launched an anti-terrorism-themed "Game for Peace", for which it gained monetisation approval in April.
"With PUBG Mobile having around 70 million average daily active users in China now, we expect Game for Peace could potentially generate 8 billion yuan to 10 billion yuan ($1.18 billion to $1.48 billion) in annual revenue", said analysts at China Renaissance.
Tencent shares were up about 2 percent in afternoon trade.
In a website statement, Tencent described Game for Peace as a tactical shooting game developed in-house which "pays tribute to the blue sky warriors that guard our country's airspace", in reference to the Chinese air force.
IHS Markit games analyst Cui Chenyu said user reviews indicated that Game for Peace was very similar to PUBG, a PC game from South Korea's Krafton, previously known as Bluehole. Tencent licensed PUBG in China and created a mobile version.
"It's almost exactly the same," she said. "The game play, the background, the graphic design and the characters, they're almost the same."
Some Weibo users said on starting Game for Peace, they found themselves at a place in the game that strongly resembled the place they left off in PUBG, complete with PUBG gaming history.
Tencent told Reuters "they are very different genres of games".
A spokeswoman for Krafton said the firm was looking into PUBG's status in China and declined to comment further.
Global game distributor Steam named PUBG one of its highest-grossing titles of 2018. On Wednesday, "PUBG is gone" was the one of most viewed topics on Weibo, with over 300 million clicks and close to 90,000 posts.
"I was scared to death," said one Weibo user of his feelings when he realised that PUBG had been shut down in China, explaining he had spent many nights to reach a certain level.
"But I didn't expect that once I updated it to Game of Peace it returned me back to the same level. The game changed its name and became very socialist to gain approval."
Others commented on the absence of gore, which regulators have all but outlawed in new titles following a public outcry over perceived excess in video games.
"I'm going to die of laughter," said another Weibo user. "When you shoot people, they don't bleed, and the dead get up and wave goodbye!" ($1 = 6.7710 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Brenda Goh in SHANGHAI and Sijia Jiang in HONG KONG; Additional Reporting by Heekyong Yang in SEOUL and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Christopher Cushing)


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This is why we can’t have nice things.
One of the world’s rarest books could have sold for £7million at auction – but its owner decided to cut it up and make wallpaper out of it instead.
Snip-happy Lady Isabella Hertford took out her scissors and destroyed the precious item – now thought to be the world’s most expensive book – when her mansion needed redecorating.
But before you go looking her up on Twitter to vent your outrage, Lady H did do this way back in 1827 – so we’re pretty sure she’s dead now and the value has risen somewhat since then.
Lady Hertford used 28 pictures from John James Audubon’s ‘The Birds of America’ to stick onto her Chinese-inspired wallpaper in the Chinese Drawing Room at Temple Newsam House in Leeds.
The paper had been given to her as a gift by her lover, the Prince of Wales – later King George IV – with whom she had a 12-year-long affair.
There are just 119 known copies of the book left in the world, and one of them sold for £7million at Sotheby’s in 2010.
Temple Newsam House is about to reopen after a deep winter clean.
Curator Rachel Conroy described the drawing room as ‘extraordinary’, adding: ‘It’s made all the more special because it’s largely been decorated by a former resident of the house and most of the furniture which is still on display was chosen by Lady Hertford herself.’


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Tablet for $200!
I think we all knew that tablets would be huge at CES 2011 this year and things are shaping up that way already and the show doesn't start or a few days. AOC has announced that CES will be the launch point for its new Breeze tablet.
Don't Miss: This is How to Find a Nintendo Switch in Stock
This tablet has an 8-inch screen and will run Android 2.1 for the OS. It will have WiFi, 4GB of internal storage, and a USB 2.0 port on the outside the device also supports USB OTG, and has a 3.5mm headphone port,
Rounding out the features is a microSD card slot and the battery promises 12 hours on audio play and six hours on video. The screen resolution is 800 x 600 and AOC is targeting $200 for the price of the device. That will make this one of the cheapest tablets on the market.


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VG Mobile's European office will be closed within days, ME understands.Sources say the team has been informed of the decision and will be disbanded. It's hardly a surprise. The axe has hung over mobile since Vivendi was bought by Activision earlier this year.
Shortly after the buy-out Activision said VGM would be ‘realigned or divested', and the latter looked more likely as Activision has never had its own mobile unit, preferring to license its IP to third parties such as Glu.
It can now be assumed that the most lucrative VGM brands, such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro The Dragon will go the same way. The closure of VGM's US operation earlier this month by Mobile Games Blog.
On the 'traditional' games side, Activision is already is the process of selling Vivendi-owned studios such as Massive (based in Sweden, developer of World in Conflict).


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Cape Town - More retailers are joining the Black Friday sales promotion year-on-year, according to the SA Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC).
Its research also found that category offering on Black Friday deals is not limited to food and technology. A clear contribution of fashion and apparel, jewellery and accessories and home and decor tenants are also participants in the sales promotion.
Another trend it found is that regional shopping centres are offering flat rates on parking and even free parking on Black Friday.
According to the SACSC, in 2016 the Black Friday promotion was dominated by supermarkets and electronic store sales that offered customers deals up to and over 50% off selected instore items.
Supermarket chain Checkers, for example, upped its sales for the 2016 Black Friday promotion with over 40% more product offering than in 2015, according to marketing director Neil Schreuder.
"The response to the sales was overwhelming for many shopping centres, with over 71% of the respondent shopping centres reporting that they had the highest influx of footfall year on year with an average increase of up to 13% in the month of November," said the SACSC.
Its survey illustrated a fashion and apparel offering component that came through both in 2015 and in 2016. Approximately 33% of tenants in regional and super regional shopping centres participated in Black Friday sales in 2016 compared to only 4.4% of tenant participants in 2015, indicating a growing trend across all retail categories.
"In South Africa, consumers who were still new to the promotion supported many retailers in 2015 Black Friday but 2016 saw growing crowds across shopping centres throughout the country as retailers increased their offering or took part in the promotion for the first time," commented the SACSC.
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Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the US, yesterday (12 September) posted profits that were up 6% from the same period of last year, bolstered by an increase in overall grocery sales as consumers eat-out less because of higher fuel prices.
Profits for the quarter reached US$209m, up from $196.5m. Revenues rose 9% to total $15.14bn, up from $13.87bn a year ago.
Kroger said that efforts to build customer loyalty, price discounts and cost-cutting have helped increase profits.
“We are realising the benefits of our strategy, which includes listening to our customers and associates. We are investing our resources in what they tell us is most important, an approach that builds loyalty to Kroger,” said David B. Dillon, Kroger chairman and chief executive officer. “Internal measurements show customers are responding to the investments we have made in service, product selection and pricing. This focus by our associates on the business strategy enables us to achieve our financial objectives.”
Speaking at a conference call yesterday, Dillon said that increased consumer concern over increasing fuel prices, pushing spending down, was actually beneficial to the supermarket’s results. “Fuel costs are higher and people are feeling the pinch,” he suggested. “A family can be fed more economically at the supermarket,” he observed.
Same-store excluding fuel were up 6.2% for the quarter. Including fuel, same-store sales grew 8.2%. The company launched a loyalty card that rewarded customers with reduced fuel prices.
Kroger said cost-cutting measures, such as the use of energy-efficient lighting and the management of transportation to reduce petrol usage, had paid off.
Despite the positive results, Kroger shares tumbled yesterday to close at $22.75 from an open of $23.85, as FY guidance failed to meet Wall Street expectations.


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Alarming: Tesla lawsuit claims collision monitoring system is faulty
Alert noise is 'loud and distracting' for drivers, claims filing
All-electric vehicle maker Tesla is facing a potential class action lawsuit over claims that some of its cars suffer from a defect involving false collision alerts that not only inconvenience the driver, but could also represent a serious safety hazard.
The complaint was filed in Cook County, Illinois, by a plaintiff claiming that his Tesla vehicle exhibits a serious defect in the forward collision monitoring system. Courthouse News had a copy of the filing [PDF].
The system is a feature designed to prevent a crash by monitoring the area in front of the car for objects such as other vehicles. If it appears that a collision is imminent, the system sounds an alert to have the driver take immediate action. If such action is not taken, then the car automatically applies the brakes.
According to the lead plaintiff, Joshua Santiago, his Tesla regularly exhibited false forward collision alerts when the vehicle was proceeding along a highway with nothing in front of it, triggering a loud noise and applying the brakes, even though there was no danger of the vehicle hitting anything. He claims this happened multiple times per journey.
The alert noise itself is not only “loud and distracting” for drivers, Santiago’s filing states, but the “phantom braking” can happen when there is another vehicle following behind, which means that the system could actually cause a collision rather than preventing one.
The filing alleges that hundreds of similar complaints regarding this collision warning defect have been reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and to Tesla itself by drivers across the US, although it lists only 15 of them, involving different Tesla models.
The filing goes on to claim Tesla must be aware of the alleged flaw, yet while the company regularly updates its vehicles with over-the-air software updates, none of the updates has delivered a fix for the supposed defect.
“At the very least, defendant should have disclosed the collision warning defect to consumers before they bought a vehicle possessing the defect,” the document states.
The plaintiff argues he would not have decided to purchase that particular vehicle (or would have paid significantly less for it) had he known about this flaw.
He also claimed that it was affecting his insurance premiums, as he is enrolled with Tesla Insurance, and this implements a usage-based safety discount scheme which determines the premium based on certain driving metrics, which includes the frequency of safety alerts.
The filing seeks an award of compensation for damages to the plaintiff and the other members of the purported class action, and an order to prevent Tesla from continuing to sell vehicles with this alleged defect without disclosing its existence.
We have asked Tesla for a statement.
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- Here's a fun idea: Try to unlock and drive away in someone else's Tesla
- US officials probe Tesla's incredible detaching steering wheel
The automaker is no stranger to the courts, or to reports of malfunctions. This week alone, Tesla has been hit with a pair of proposed class action lawsuits over alleged monopolization of repair work to its vehicles, while it was reported that owners are claiming they can unlock other people’s Teslas.
Last week there were alarming reports of Tesla drivers experiencing the steering wheel completely detaching from the steering column while driving, and there have been numerous incidents involving Tesla’s Autopilot software not functioning as it should. ®


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Some legal counsel eye up the c-suite of their company wondering if they have what it takes to join them. But the prospect of moving to such an influential management role can be daunting. Lawyers have many of the skills required to be an excellent business leader, so what’s holding them back?
The covid-19 pandemic has devastated economies and populations across the world, leaving many people and companies vulnerable. But there is an upside: carbon emissions are decreasing, air pollution levels are down and damaged ecosystems are recovering. With businesses returning to varying degrees of normality over the coming months, can companies keep with the trend and make their business models more sustainable?
Whether a company is facing a major M&A, the threat of a class action lawsuit or simply carrying out its day-to-day business, legal expenses can be almost impossible to predict. LACCA takes a look at some of the top tips from regional GCs on how to master legal spend management.
Nominate your favourite in-house lawyers and legal departments for LACCA’s 7th annual awards before 7 August.


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Mt. Brighton ski and snowboard area opens Saturday
Snow-making machines have been covering part of Mt. Brighton in the white stuff.
Clouds of man-made snow have been billowing over the ski and snowboard trails at 4141 Bauer Road in Genoa Township just outside of downtown Brighton.
Opening day of the 2018-19 season is Saturday, when a limited number of chairlifts and trails will open. Hours that day are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
"One of the cool things we're doing this year is opening the full terrain park on opening day, instead of just part of it," Mt. Brighton Marketing Manager Jason Knight said. "We were able to make enough snow."
The terrain park will feature new rails and boxes for skiers and snowboards to maneuver, Knight said. Mt. Brighton acquired them from fellow Vail Resorts-owned ski resort Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah.
Two chair lifts on the front side of Mt. Brighton and one tow rope to the top of the terrain park will be operating on opening day. Instructors will be available for lessons with skiers and snowboarders.
"The two chair lifts service three runs, but it's a pretty big area, and as we open up more terrain, hopefully the sooner the better, we'll announce more run openings," he said.
Mt. Brighton has five chair lifts, seven surface lifts and 25 trails on about 130 acres.
Knight said discounted lift tickets will be available.
"We'll make more snow and hopefully get natural snow and open more of the mountain soon," he said.
Another change this year: Mt. Brighton has a new general manager, Elizabeth Lohman, who is the ski area's first woman to get the job. She was previously senior director of finance for Park City Mountain Resort.
Former General Manager Chris Sorensen is now managing Vail Resort-owned Afton Alps in Denmark Township, Minnesota.
Vail Resorts purchased Mt. Brighton in 2012 and spent $10 million on upgrades to the slopes, main lodge, restaurant and snow making equipment. The company operates 15 mountain resorts and three urban ski areas in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
Mt. Brighton first opened in 1960.
Several features added last year include a snowboard training area for children ages 3- to 7-years-old, two new mogul fields off the side of black diamond trail Challenge and into intermediate trail Sunrise Bowl, and new terrain park obstacles.
"Since Vail Resorts purchased Mt. Brighton, we've noticed a major economic impact on the area," Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce President Pamela McConeghy said. "We've experienced an economic boom with the amount of different schools coming in to ski there, competitions, classes and skiers and snowboarding enthusiasts come from outside the area."
McConeghy said more people coming into the Brighton area from out of town supports local restaurants, businesses and hotels.
"They are a major focus for recreation here," she said. "It's one of the main attractions for the whole county."
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- Kroger Co. celebrates larger Brighton store
Contact Livingston Daily reporter Jennifer Timar at 517-548-7148 or at firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow her on Facebook @Jennifer.Timar99 and Twitter @JenTimar99.