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Jet2.com and Jet2holidays announce a hugely expanded Summer Sun programme for 2025 from Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Liverpool John Lennon Airport today announced they are gearing up for their busiest ever Christmas and New Year – with a 3% increase in passengers expected to travel compared with the same period last year.
The traditional Christmas getaway is expected to start this weekend when the majority of schools finish for the holidays and passengers head off on flights from Liverpool to seek some winter sun, visit relatives, or look for Christmas festivities across Europe.
Around 162,000 passengers are estimated to pass through the Airport over the Christmas and New Year period which will be the Airport’s busiest, thanks to a number of new destinations launched in 2007.
With over 60 destinations on offer from LJLA, the top five destinations for passengers both arriving to and departing from Liverpool this Christmas and New Year are the Irish Cities of Belfast and Dublin, winter favorite Malaga and the European cities of Paris and Amsterdam.
Andy Gower, Airport Director said: “With the huge number of affordable flights to a wide variety of destinations from Liverpool, it is becoming increasingly obvious that people are able to take more than the traditional summer holiday. The Christmas getaway from LJLA gets busier each year and as we celebrate the start of the Capital of Culture year we also look forward to welcoming thousands of inbound visitors to Liverpool over the coming year.”
Liverpool John Lennon Airport launches a refresh of its brand with a new logo and fresh colour concepts.
Today is the 90th anniversary of the opening of Liverpool Airport and to celebrate, a number of activities will be taking place across the Airport throughout the day.


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Wholesale Red Pepper Recalled; FDA Says Retail Products May Be Next
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
Feb. 26, 2010 -- Two wholesale lots of crushed red pepper linked to the ongoing national salmonella outbreak have been recalled, and the FDA is looking at whether to recall retail products.
The FDA has confirmed salmonella contamination of red pepper samples collected at Daniele International Inc. in Rhode Island. Sausages made by Daniele have previously been linked to the salmonella outbreak.
It's not yet clear whether the salmonella in the red pepper is the same strain as the Montevideo strain that has sickened at least 238 people in 44 states and the District of Columbia. While investigating this outbreak, the CDC found that a different type of salmonella, the Seftenberg strain, is also causing food-borne illness in the U.S.
The unopened containers of crushed red pepper found to be contaminated with salmonella were made by Wholesome Spice of Brooklyn, N.Y. As a result, the company has recalled all lots of 25-pound boxes of crushed red pepper it sold between April 6, 2009, and Jan. 20, 2010.
These large boxes of pepper were distributed to wholesale suppliers throughout the Northeast. They were not sold at the retail level. FDA spokesman Sebastian Cianci tells WebMD the agency is working with Wholesome Spice to identify the customers who got the recalled product and to determine whether a recall of retail products will be necessary.
No deaths have been reported in the Salmonella Montevideo outbreak, although about a fourth of the victims have been hospitalized.
The FDA's investigation initially discovered the outbreak strain of salmonella in an open container of black pepper from the Daniele sausage plant. But tests of closed black-pepper containers were negative, suggesting that this form of pepper became contaminated at the plant after it was opened.
In healthy people, salmonella usually causes fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and/or abdominal pain or cramps. Less commonly, salmonella gets into the bloodstream and causes life-threatening illnesses. Salmonella can be fatal in young children, frail elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems.
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
News release, CDC.
Sebastian Cianci, FDA spokesman.
©2010 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Residents of seven low-income housing areas in Hesperia, CA, were surprised to see a fire engine approaching the morning of Dec. 21, because there was no fire.
Instead, residents stepped out their doors to see the Collision Auto Repair Specialist (C.A.R.S.) Body Shop team of volunteers, Santa Claus aboard a Hesperia Fire Department truck, and lots of toys.
“The Fire Department goes around with their siren on, and instead of them being there for something bad, they are there with Santa,” C.A.R.S. Body Shop owner Carlos Sarmiento said.
During the third annual C.A.R.S. Body Shop toy drive distribution, children were able to wait in line for a free Polaroid with Santa and receive three free toys.
Bill Eshleman, 68, has volunteered to dress up as Santa since the body shop first created the toy drive.
“I think God has put this in my heart to be with children, and this is my way of giving back to the people out there,” Eshleman said. “I love being a part of something like this.”
San Bernardino County Sheriff Deputy Antonio Higuera joined for a second year and said it is “awesome to see the joy these folks bring to the kids.”
Hesperia resident Alexandra Perez, 24, said she was “so grateful” her four children, Roselyn, 6; Ashlyn, 6; Angel, 5; and Princess, 4, could each receive presents.
“This year has not been as awesome as the other years, but now it’s awesome,” Perez said.
Hesperia resident Fatima Pacheco, 31, said the toy distribution was “a good surprise,” and that her children, Samantha, 10; Gabriel, 9; and Alex, 7, were happy with their toys.
She said the toy distribution “makes the kids pretty happy, and they are helping make the kids think Santa is real.”
Sarmiento and his daughter, Valerie Ruiz, got the idea for the first toy distribution after brainstorming ways to directly reach children in local low-income neighborhoods.
Last month's toy drive accumulated more than 40 bags of donations, and each toy was separated according to gender and age.
“Our community really steps up every year; the (toy drive) is getting better and better,” Ruiz said.


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Apple Denies iMessage Loopholes, Google’s Strong Quarter, and 3 More Hot Stocks
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL): “iMessage is not architected to allow Apple to read messages,” said Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller, in a statement to AllThingsD in response to a report presented by QuarksLab that alleged that, “Apple can read your iMessages if they choose to, or if they are required to do so by a government order.” However, despite being well-received by the security community, Apple disagrees, naturally. “The research discussed theoretical vulnerabilities that would require Apple to re-engineer the iMessage system to exploit it, and Apple has no plans or intentions to do so,” Muller said.
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG): An earnings beat ($10.74, beating by 37 cents) and a revenue beat ($14.89 billion, beating by $0.05 billion) have led to a 12-plus percent run in the stock, breaching the $1000 market (at least temporarily.) Cost per clicks actually dropped 4 percent quarter over quarter, and 8 percent year-over-year, following a drop of 2 percent and 6 percent last quarter. However, its paid clicks rose 8 percent over last quarter, and 26 percent year-over-year, up from 23 percent year-over-year in the second quarter and 20 percent in the first.
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:AMD): Despite beats for both earnings and revenue, AMD shares are selling off to the tune of 12 percent, after a similar 7-8 percent fall in aftermarket trading on Thursday night. The company even guided above the consensus levels, but investors are primarily concerned that the company’s margins are shrinking, and the PC industry weakness will have a profound effect on the company. CPU division sales fell 6 percent quarter over quarter, and down 15 percent over last year to $790 million.
Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF): A group of Latino and African American civil rights leaders are holding a press conference outside of Los Angeles’ Reagan building to call upon California Attorney General Kamala Harris to launch an investigation into Herbalife’s business practices, which has been likened to a Pyramid scheme on numerous occasions. The League of United Latin American Citizens, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Congress of Racial Equality are expected to have a presence.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS): Las Vegas Sands has reported EPS of 82 cents, beating by 6 cents, and revenue of $3.57 billion, also beating by $0.14 billion as casino revenue grew 36 percent year-on-year, to $2.98 billion for 79 percent of total revenue. Adjusted property EBITDA rose 45.5 percent on year, to $.128 billion, outpacing revenue growth of 31.7 percent. $299.6 million was spent on stock buybacks.
Don’t Miss: Google Hits $1,000: Here’s Who’s Getting Rich.


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Negotiations Ensue As Amazon Intends To Become Anchor Investor For Arm
Amazon.com (AMZN.O) is in talks about joining other technology companies as a cornerstone investor in SoftBank Group Corp’s (9984.T) Arm Ltd ahead of its initial public offering (IPO), people familiar with the matter said yesterday.
Disney Task Force Explores A.I. To Minimize Cost
Walt Disney (DIS.N) has created a task force to study artificial intelligence (A.I.) and how it can be applied across the entertainment conglomerate, even as Hollywood writers and actors battle to limit the industry’s exploitation of the upcoming technology.
Rivian Reassures Liquidity On E.V. Production Target
Rivian Automotive (RIVN.O) raised its full-year production forecast, and its chief executive said the electric vehicle maker has enough money to last it throughout 2025 as it keeps a lid on costs. Shares in Rivian were immediately up by 1% in a choppy extended trading. The stock soared nearly 80% in the past three months.
WeWork Inc. is a provider of co-working spaces which includes physical and virtual shared spaces. For the past four years, WeWork has been trying to deliver a revolutionary workspace, with — where a co-working startup has the ability to transform into a stable, profitable public company. It progressed by replacing Adam Neumann, its rambunctious co-founder and former chief executive officer with an industry veteran that boasts a reputation of saving tumultuous real estate companies.
However, fate was not in favor of WeWork, nor was it saved, and the co-working company now says there’s a “substantial doubt” it will even be able to stay in business.
The New York-based company is experiencing a cash leakage, and customers of its office rentals are canceling their memberships in bulk, WeWork said in a statement yesterday. Its stock instantaneously fell by an overwhelming 25% in extended trading.
In totality, WeWork’s stock is down by 85% in 2023, trading at a meager 19 cents. Its bonds are at deeply distressed levels. The company’s 7.875% unsecured notes are due in 2025, last changed hands for 33.5 cents on the dollar, according to sources.
Other stock-related news include:
WeWork Grasps On The Straws Of Hope
WeWork Inc. shares plummeted more than 25% in extended trading after publicly declaring its “substantial doubt” about its ability to continue its operations. The company cited sustained losses and multiple canceled memberships to its office spaces.
The co-working business will focus over the next 12 months on reducing rental costs, negotiating more favorable leases, increasing revenue and raising capital, WeWork said in a statement yesterday.
SoftBank Resumes Investments ‘Timidly’
SoftBank Group Corp.’s Vision Fund has recorded its first profit in more than a year and said that it is cautiously resuming investments to capitalize on the opportunities in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to date.
The Vision Fund invested approximately USD 1.6 billion in the June quarter after coming to a virtual halt as investors soured on money-losing startups. Still, this is just a fraction of the fund’s early spending pace.
China Deflation Affects Asian Shares
Stocks in Asia fell as investors digested consumer and producer price data from China that showed both measures registering contractions simultaneously for the first time since 2020.
Shares in Japan fell as benchmarks in mainland China and Hong Kong opened lower. This offset gains in South Korea while Australian equities traded mostly flat.
China’s inflation data showed a 0.3% drop in consumer prices in July from a year ago, less than the median forecast of a 0.4% contraction. Producer prices fell 4.4%, more than forecast. The Chinese currency extended gains driven partly by a stronger-than-expected yuan fixing.


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Steve Jobs shunned trips to Washington, D.C., during his tenure as Apple CEO, but Tim Cook has been a frequent visitor to Capitol Hill to personally amp up Apple’s lobbying efforts, which have more than doubled since 2009.
A new report from OpenSecrets today revealed that Apple lobbied the White House, Congress and 13 departments and agencies including the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission in 2014. In 2009, Apple lobbied only Congress and six agencies and only spent $1.5 million compared to the nearly $3 million it spent from January to October 2014.
Bloomberg highlighted Cooks efforts to increase Apple’s presence in Washington since taking the reins at Apple. In 2013, Cook hired Amber Cottle, former chief of staff for the Senate Finance Committee, to head Apple’s lobbying office. Most of Apple’s lobbying efforts last year focused on taxes, telecommunications, copyright and patent law, and information technology.
Spending on lobbying was actually down in 2014 compared to the all-time high of $3,370,000 the company spent on lobbying expenditures in 2013. Apple’s lobbying expenses are also fairly insignificant compared to the $13.7 million Google spent and the $6 million Microsoft blew in 2014.
Apple has a total of 32 lobbyists but mostly uses an internal team that spent a total of $2,920,000 in 2014. Other top lobbying firms hired by Apple include Capitol Tax Partners, Franklin Square Group and the Glover Park Group.


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Blackberry Storm, Blackberry Enterprise Coming to China
Up until now, the only Blackberry services that were available in China were through China’s number one mobile carrier, China Mobile Ltd. China Mobile already has teamed up with Research In Motion, the maker of Blackberry, and is delivering models for enterprise users in the China market.
Today, China Telecom Co Ltd, China’s largest fixed-line operator, announced that it will be entering the Blackberry market for enterprise users in 16 Chinese provinces this month, according to a Reuters report.
Sources said earlier that the new BlackBerry for China features a touch-screen and push mail functions and that sales will begin in July.
Source: China Knowledge News


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With the ever-growing popularity of mobile applications, it’s no surprise that this industry has been on an upward trajectory for years. But will things continue to grow? Or Is mobile app development dead?; Is app development worth it? What does our future hold in store when considering app development and its profitability rates, among other factors involved with creating them! Please tune in to find out more as we explore how new technology in mobile application development has evolved–and what lies ahead for those who stay on top of innovation.
Let’s look into some Statistics….
According to Statista, the Google Play platform has always made up the bulk of app downloads, but it’s clear that Apple is stronger when generating revenue from these mobile applications. In Q3 2021, $27 billion were downloaded on Android compared to $8.3 billion in iOS devices – a ratio far more significant than what you would expect. By 2022, US consumers will spend $34 billion on these downloads, and even greater numbers continue to grow every year!
With about 7.1 billion app users worldwide in 2022, it’s no surprise that the industry continues to grow. Every smartphone user has installed 35 or more apps on their devices in 2021 alone – many of them are uninstalled due to issues like performance!
The app economy grew at an impressive rate, with $318 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach nearly $613 billion by 2025. Let’s look at some mobile app future trends in this space to see what they might mean for your business!
The Future of Mobile App Development: The Predictions & The Trends
1. The Emergence of Beacon Technology
Beacons are small devices that can be attached to objects and emit Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals. Technology has been around in our world for quite some time now. Still, it’s just recently started blowing up in popularity because companies have developed unique applications designed specifically for smartphones that allow them to connect wirelessly with each other using this innovative means of communication! Industries such as museums, healthcare facilities, hospitality–among others will benefit greatly if they take advantage before it’s too late.
With the help of beacon technology, stores can now track customers’ movements and offer them special deals. This is because they can collect time information and location data, which allows for more detailed analysis in determining customer/user behavior patterns.
2. Smart Apps Development Using AIs
When you were a child, did all the sci-fi movies seem to foretell an inevitable future where machines took over? AI is here to make those visions come true. With its power in mobile app development and IoT technologies combined, science fiction has become a reality!
Data is the new gold standard in mobile app development to law industries. Google Duplex shows us how AI will take over every aspect of human activity, one task at a time- starting with customer service calls. The future is bright for those looking to develop apps with artificial intelligence. This means that, as technology improves and evolves in this domain of mobile application development – we’ll see more attention given by mobile app developers.
The future of artificial intelligence will be a lot different than we expect. Let’s take a look at some modern trends: AI-powered chips, using AIOps (Artificial Intelligence Operations) for various IT functions like automation and voice translation with deep neural networks that can communicate more seamlessly between themselves as well as humans in general; greater interoperability between neural networks – all this leads up an exciting time where anything might happen.
3. Cloud Modelling in Mobile App Development
Cloud-based application development is the way of tomorrow as it becomes increasingly possible to develop big data applications with access from anywhere at any time. Unlimited space and scalability combine for this trend that will grow in popularity among businesses everywhere.
With the future of mobile application development in a cloud-based world, developers need to be aware of and learn about quantum computing. This new technology will streamline processes while also reducing equipment costs to process data faster than traditional computers can now. The future of mobile application development is now with hybrid cloud and quantum computing.
4. New Possibilities with IoT
Today’s homes are becoming more connected and smarter with each new device introduced. The IoT refers to a network of these futuristic technologies, such as alarm clocks or coffee machines which you can control through your phone! You need one tap on the app for turning them on/off; no need to write down commands any longer – everything happens in real-time right where it should be.
The future is bright with IoT-enabled intelligent home applications. As we all know, the connected world brings us endless opportunities, and this includes a more sophisticatedly automated lifestyle – from cars on autopilot to homes that can be controlled remotely using software or hardware devices alike! What’s made these possible? You guessed it: Internet technology like never before.
5. Revolution of 5G in Wireless Technology
With 5G, you’ll be able to live luxuriously in the future. This wireless technology is 100 times faster than 4G and offers an incredible speed that will change how we develop mobile applications forever.
With the recent advancements in technology, mobile processors are on their way to becoming much more than what they already are. The introduction of 5G-compatible chips will allow for advanced app development and higher network speeds that can transform everything from gaming experiences while being compatible with AR/VR platforms or other things you might want your phone to do better than ever before.
6. Big Opportunities come with Instant Apps
Instant apps are the future of app development. With one click, you can now run and test your application without downloading it first! This presents an opportunity for both users and developers who want their content available on-demand at any time in a convenient format.
These apps have a lot going on for them, from the ability to store information in your device’s memory and provide immersive experiences, all while being smaller than other types of apps. They also come with built-in payment systems such as Apple Pay or Google Pay that allow you to explore mobile app development without filling out payment details manually.
7. AR/VR’s Significant Role Next-Generation User Experience
Augmented and virtual reality are two essential technologies for mobile app development. We saw how Pokémon Go created an ecosystem in which players could find various creatures like its counterpart through cameras on their phones with no physical elements involved, providing a new way to play at home and outside.
The concept of augmented reality is to supplement the world around you with information, graphics, and objects. For example, if there’s a video call going on, but no one has come into view, then it might be possible for them to see what your avatar would look like by looking through their phone camera or headset lenses instead as part of this new technology.
With the recent introduction of augmented reality social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram, users can now enjoy a new level of creativity with their stories. These Stories feature exciting stickers only available through these social media platforms for an extra layer in your communication strategy! Google has also created its own VR-compatible YouTube application, so you don’t miss out on any videos made specifically designed to work well within this virtual reality headset.
8. The Trend of Wearables
Wearables or Wearable devices continue to become more and more on-demand, with the fitness bracelet being a necessity for many people. This is especially true as mobile devices have been transformed from just voice commands or data transfer into something that can monitor your every move – all while helping you stay healthy.
Wearable devices are becoming more popular as the world moves on from traditional computers. The number of connected wearable gadgets has doubled in three years, with 722 million units out there in 2019 compared to 325 million in 2016! It’s predicted that this will reach 1 billion by 2022.
The mobile application development industry does not cease to grow and evolve with new technology and advances. As time goes on, we can see how this becomes the possibility of applications available for download through our smartphones or tablets.
Many emerging technologies will quickly become mainstream in mobile app development, including Blockchain. We can also expect to see a high-level user experience for these apps as they become more secure using biometric authentication methods such as fingerprint readers or face recognition software on smartphones. The next few years promise an exciting time when it comes not only to crafting desirable websites but creating applications too!
Do you want to take your business to the next level with cutting-edge technologies? We can help you take advantage of these advanced technologies to create a native or cross-platform mobile app for iPhone, Android, and iPad.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the future scope of mobile application developers?
The future of app development in India has the demand for android app developers increasing quickly. With big companies like Samsung, One Plus, and Vivo launching new phones every year with updates constantly needed to keep up with their products’ ever-changing specifications and features, there will be no shortage of work in this field anytime soon!
2. Are app developers in demand in 2021?
By 2026, the demand for mobile developers is expected to increase by 24% from 17%, according to Mobile App Daily. The world is becoming more connected with each day passing by. With 3 billion people worldwide using smartphones, it’s no wonder that the number will continue increasing by several hundred million in the coming years. So the future of mobile apps and app developers is promising in the coming future.
Oviya is an experienced technical writer at Squash Apps. She has hailed from Coimbatore, who is a Literature graduate & fond of penning words that fall right into the contexts! She is a Numismatist, Potterwala, Blogger & has an interest in stories that make a difference in the world! Find me on Linked In!


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While buying or selling high end U.S. chips is not illegal in China, U.S. export restrictions have created an underground market. The field of intelligence collection has been attributed with modern technology by the R&AW. The field of intelligence collection has been attributed to him. Enhancements to its artificial intelligence chatbot, Bard, were introduced earlier this week. Bard uses a new technique called implicit code execution to execute code in the background.
Big tech shakeups continue as the EU orders the removal of advertising from the business. Pei posted a picture of the transparent cable without a caption and wrote a Gif tocaption it. Vendors in Hong Kong and mainland China described being able to easily procure small numbers of A 100s. The relative ease with which Washington’s sanctions can be circumvented for small batches of transactions was highlighted by their information.
Extremism and Sikh ethnic violence are likely to be some of his immediate challenges as he takes charge of the position. Once you have hidden your private chats from the public, they are completely useless to anyone other than yourself. To see a specific chat, hover your mouse over the contact you wish to communicate with. This action will show a chat box at the top. If you click on the chat box, you can have a conversation with any user. The update has changed the definition of what it means to collect call logs and text messages.
Today’s technology workplace is a fast moving place with artificial intelligence, cloud native applications, microservices, Kubernetes, containers, hybrid and multi cloud environments. According to Cédric Gégout, VP of product management at Canonical, companies who close the skills gap the fastest are able to take advantage of newer technology, better serve their customers and take market share from incumbents. In order to reduce costs, enable more data intensive applications and provide faster service improvements to customers, companies are moving towards a hybrid cloud model. According to the report, 83% of respondents are using either hybrid or multi cloud infrastructure. There are bare metal, virtual machines and Kubernetes running on the underlying layers of public and private clouds. Skills that are not heavily present in many organizations are required for hybrid clouds.
She says there was a common thread across states. A satellite in space is a simple shape and panels. The biggest drag on the development of space technology is the need to play with advanced materials and manufacturing. The Tech News Space team monitors news from the world of high technology, science, and the gaming industry and delivers it to its readers in a timely manner. Thomson Reuters is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day.
Changing Technologies Could Cause Companies To Lose Outsourcing Deals
Demand for a new air conditioner will increase every 15 seconds, leading to a huge increase in greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades. The 14th generation of the Core desktop processors, which are to replace the current Raptor Lake models, is yet to be said about by Intel. There are many rumors that the company will not release desktop models of the chips. The release of the Arrow Lake S series of desktop chips from Intel will be in the fourth quarter of 2024 or the first quarter of 2025.
Bard can now respond more accurately to queries about string manipulation, coding questions and mathematical operations. Computer and laptop users can also download extensions. It’s necessary to download and install a specific extension on your computer or laptop to hide personal chats.
The Company Responds To The Allegations
The competition between the manufacturers of the modules is still going on. India’s Foreign Secretary told reporters on Monday that the visit is important and a milestone in the relationship. If companies are forced to sell parts of their business, years of artificial intelligence and machine learning may be lost. A lecturer in economics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong has procured four A 100 cards from local vendors for research purposes, and was told some packs of eight H 100 chips were available for purchase.
The Hackers Are Threatening A Data Leak
More than 25 cities in India will be covered by vehicles carrying a range of products, including the flagship OnePlus 11 lineup and the new OnePlus Pad. European Union legislators have come to a consensus on proposed revisions to the regulations governing artificial intelligence. The updated regulations include a ban on the use of artificial intelligence for facial recognition Tech News and mandate that generative artificial intelligence systems disclose their generated content. These amendments are part of the EU Commission’s legislation that protects individuals from potential risks related to artificial intelligence.
The board has power and power and power and power and power and power and power and power and power and power and power and power and power and power and power and power. The novelty has an M.2 slot for an NVMe drive, as well as a 2.5 Gigabit network card. This will be Modi’s first official visit to the United States with full diplomatic status, just the third of Biden’s presidency and the third by an Indian leader. Washington wants India to be away from Russia. New Delhi continues to do business with Moscow and has increased its purchases of cheap Russian oil in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine. The only way to address competition is for the commission to force Google to sell some of its ad business, according to the commission.
Over two weeks ago, Gigabyte began releasing Raptor Lake Refresh enabled bios for select board models. There is no mention in the attached description of the newBIOS version that these are Raptor Lake Refresh processors. According to the description, the next generation of Intel processors or support for new Intel processors are supported. These are also boards with fresh Intel chips from the 700 series, but also models from the 600 series. It’s important to remember that the A620 is not compatible with PCIe 5.0.


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Lawrence area residents have been working like elves in preparation for Saturday’s annual Holiday Farmers’ Market.
About 55 vendors will be offering a variety of crafts and homemade goodies from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 2206 E. 23rd St.
Among the offerings will be poinsettias, candles, lotions, holiday decor, wool hats, scarves, jams, pies and breads. Also, local farmers will have fresh produce and meats available.
The event will include live entertainment by several bands, and vendors will be selling refreshments.


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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong announced that it has suspended import of poultry meat and products from areas in Korea, Norway, Netherlands, Poland and Japan.
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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced on November 15, that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Chungcheongbuk do Province in Korea, Rogaland County in Norway and Province of Groningen in the Netherlands; a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Sokołowski District of Mazowieckie Region in Poland; and a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong currently has an established protocol with Norway for import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs.
According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 10 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 0.28 million poultry eggs from Korea; about 15 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Norway; about 730 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from the Netherlands; about 4 070 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 24.82 million poultry eggs from Poland; and about 40 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, about 2 530 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 210.28 million poultry eggs from Japan in the first nine months of this year.
"The CFS has contacted the Korean, Norwegian, Dutch, Polish and Japanese authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said. ■


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Thai export decline seen continuing in Q2
Thai exports fell for the fifth month in March while imports also dropped sharply, and analysts said the trend was bound to continue for a while, although some took heart from an improvement in trade with China, reported Reuters.
Exports, worth around 60 percent of gross domestic product each year, fell 23.1 percent in March from a year earlier to $11.56 billion after an 11.3 percent drop in February, according to Commerce Ministry data.
"With demand conditions not likely to improve in any significant way, we see very little scope for upside in these numbers down the road," said Forecast economist Carl Rajoo in Singapore.
Pimonwan Mahujchariyawong at Kasikorn Research Center agreed. "We expect the average drop in the second quarter will perhaps exceed 20 percent for exports," she said.
Imports fell 35.1 percent to $9.46 billion after a 40.3 percent drop in February, Commerce Ministry official Siripol Yodmuangcharoen told reporters.
Exports in the first quarter fell 20.6 percent from last year and imports 37.6 percent. The trade account showed a surplus of $2.1 billion in March after a $3.58 billion surplus in February.
Exports to major markets were lower in March due to the global slowdown although the trend in exports to China improved for the second month, suggesting to analysts that the world's third-largest economy may be heading for a recovery.
Orders from China, accounting for 10.5 percent of the total, slid just 14 percent after a 29 percent fall in February.
"Looking at the global trend, we think it's likely that the Chinese economy could see early signs of recovery starting in the second quarter, whereas major economies like the US and Japan will probably take longer," said Pimonwan at Kasikorn Research.
Nuchjarin Panarode at Capital Nomura Securities noted that exports in February were distorted by unusually high gold sales. "But if we exclude that item, March's figure looks more of an improvement, suggesting that exports did not deteriorate."
Exports to the United States fell 28.4 percent in March on the year, those to Japan 30.1 percent and to the euro zone 37.8 percent. Sales to five Southeast Asian neighbours fell 35.5 percent.
Elsewhere, Taiwan's exports fell 35.7 percent in March from a year earlier, while Singapore's exports fell 17 percent.
The sharp drop in imports was exaggerated by a 40.2 percent fall in the value of crude and petroleum products, but imports of capital goods were weak, dropping 24.7 percent.
Thailand's export-driven economy has been hit by the collapse in global demand, as well as sluggish consumption and investment after months of political unrest.
Following last week's violent anti-government protests, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Tuesday the economy could shrink 4-5 percent this year.
The International Monetary Fund has forecast a contraction of as much as 4 percent. The economy grew 2.6 percent last year.
After a 6.1 percent contraction in the final quarter of 2008, Thailand is almost certainly experiencing its first recession since the Asian economic crisis 11 years ago.
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New Delhi : Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed that the company set its September quarter record in India this year, also partly due to the launch of Apple Store Online that went live in the country on September 23. Third-party data from market research firm Canalys earlier reported that Apple shipped over 8 million units in the July-September period in the country, registering double-digit growth. “Geographically, we set September quarter records in the Americas, Europe and rest of Asia Pacific. We also set a September quarter record in India, thanks in part to a very trong reception to this quarter’s launch of our online store in the country,” Cook told analysts over the company’s earnings call late on Thursday.
Continuing its stellar performance in the India premium smartphone market, Apple led the premium segment (Rs 30,000 and above) surpassing OnePlus even before its flagship launch in Q3. Driven by strong demand for its affordable premium iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone 11, Apple maintained the lead in the premium segment on the back of attractive discounts and cash back offers in India, according to Counterpoint Research. “Apple has fully understood the price-conscious market and is slowly yet steadily making inroads in the Indian premium smartphone segment with offerings like new iPhone SE 2020 and attractive offers on hot-selling devices like iPhone 11,” Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Counterpoint Research said . “Its upcoming flagship iPhone 12 will further strengthen its position in the coming quarter,” he added.
Targeting Android mid-segment users as well as aspirational iPhone seekers, Apple brought the new iPhone SE to India, that looks like Apple iPhone 8 with the power of iPhone 11. The company in September quarter opened a direct online store, giving it several new angles in its go-to-market strategy, such as utilising device trade-ins to provide purchase incentives, or bundling AirPods with iPhones to make them more appealing. The online store marked the first time that Apple offered its full line-up of products directly to the region’s customers, who previously had to buy items through Amazon India, Flipkart, or other authorised sellers.
According to Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, though the new iPhones did not debut in the quarter, the iPhone SE 2020 and the iPhone 11 have continued to perform exceptionally well, and contributing to as much as 70 per cdnt of Apple’s shipments through Q3 2020. “Going forward, Apple will be able to keep the momentum up with its new online store, and the strong response that iPhone 12 series has got in terms of pre-orders,” Ram said .
The newly-launched iPhone 12 and 12 Pro for which pre-orders were thrown open in India on October 23 have done tremendously well at Apple Authorised resellers who have received record pre-orders riding on cool, exciting offers. Trade sources revealed on Wednesday that the pre-orders for the new iPhones this time are super high and the authorised sellers were set to hand over the new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro on Friday to those who pre-booked it in the country.
iPhone 12 in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB models in blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT) RED — starting at Rs 79,900 – is available for Rs 73,900 with HDFC Bank’s cash back offer for the 64GB version.
iPhone 12 Pro in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models in graphite, silver, gold, and pacific blue — starting at Rs 1,19,900 – is available for Rs 1,14,900 with HDFC Bank’s cash back offer for the 128GB version.


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The London consumer specialist has been retained to promote the label as it launches its latest advertising campaign this month.
The company has increased its marketing spend over the past few months as it seeks to cement its status as a luxury brand.
The appointment follows last year's hire of Charlotte Thomas to the new role of international marketing and PR head (PRWeek, 10 November 2005).
Thomas formerly worked at Luchford rival agency Aurelia PR.
The UK PR contract for Japanese clothes, accessories and fragrances brand LVMH-owned Kenzo, previously handled by Luchford, was this week awarded to Village Press.
Village Press co-founders Nicky Gard and Louise Page are ex-Luchford, and worked on the account while at the agency.
Separately, Laundry Communications founder Andy Butcher has joined the agency as a lifestyle consultant.


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Big changes are in store later this year for the Apple Watch. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has delivered his latest note to investors regarding the future of Apple's wearable. Kuo predicts the Apple Watch Series 4 will debut in the third quarter of 2018 with significant design changes.
Apple Watch pre-orders impressed analysts if early reports are to be believed. Slice Intelligence released sales projection data estimating that over 950,000 people in the US pre-ordered an Apple Watch on Friday. If this number holds, then pre-orders for the entire weekend across eight initial release countries will easily exceed one million.
Analyst Amit Daryanani of RBC projected sales of up to five million Apple Watches this quarter. Demand is outstripping supply, with ship dates on many models delayed until summer. The official release date is April 24.
Google wants to keep 100% of its mobile search revenue, and plans to do so by releasing Google Chrome for iOS devices before the end of the year, according to Macquarie analyst Ben Schacter.
Schacter writes: "Apple may already be reviewing Google’s submitted code for a Chrome browser for iOS."
It's unknown whether Apple will approve or reject the Chrome browser, but Schacter claims we can expect it sometime this year.
"Schacter says we can expect a Chrome browser for iOS as soon as Q2, but if not this quarter, then definitely this year."
According to Business Insider, Google must share an estimated 50%-60% of its search revenue with Apple. If Google cuts out Apple's Safari browser they will then get to keep 100% of their revenue.
According to investment bank Morgan Stanley the next generation iPhone will be slimmer and feature "a quad-mode chip" from Qualcomm that would give it both 3G and LTE capabilities. Analyst Katy Huberty (via Apple Insider) claims "new touch panel technology" will allow the iPhone to be thinner, and that Apple is considering new casing material. This coincides with a previous report from BGR who said the next iPhone will feature an all-aluminum back.
Huberty says little is known about the iPhone 5, but she believes it will be launched in Q3 of 2012 depending on "manufacturing yields" and "competition." "What is clear about iPhone 5 is that Apple and its supply chain are positively surprised by the demand for iPhone 4S, which increases confidence in strong sales for iPhone 5 later this year," she wrote in a note to investors.
Those "well placed and anonymous sources" are at it again. The tech blogs Chip Hazard and West Coast Gadgets have kicked off a whole new set of rumors by claiming that the iPhone 5 is in the hands of AT&T and Sprint beta testers. Chip Hazard's "well places sources" in AT&T mobility revealed that beta testers have been testing the iPhone 5 since July 6. Citing no sources, West Coast Gadgets announced that Sprint beta testers will be spotted in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, New York City, and Chicago starting this Monday.
Why is Apple purportedly using 3rd party testers? According to another tech blog, AT&T and Sprint are ensuring another Antennagate doesn't happen by checking for reception and connectivity. The author also points to Apple's own internal testers losing an iPhone last year, but wouldn't giving out more devices to 3rd parties increase the chances of a repeat, and more leaks? With all the so-called "inside sources" releasing so much information, it seems like Apple is having a hard enough time keeping their own people quiet these days.


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“Notwithstanding the obvious conflict of interest created by an attorney switching sides,” Keller Lenkner didn’t screen its new hire until four months after he started, the company says. “Facebook can never know which of the firm’s actions are tainted by that ethical violation.”
Keller Lenkner managing partner Travis Lenkner declined to comment directly on the motion Monday.
“We prefer to speak through our opposition papers, which we look forward to filing,” Lenkner told Bloomberg Law.
The lawsuit, consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, involves claims by consumers and advertisers that have accused the tech giant of monopolizing social media by exploiting its troves of user data to identify potential competitors to buy, copy, or kill.
The allegations echo the landmark enforcement cases brought by the Federal Trade Commission and nearly every state, separate proposed class actions on behalf of publishers and app developers, and a wave of suits alleging secret collusion between Facebook and
Judge Lucy H. Koh, who’s overseeing only the consumer and advertiser claims, appointed Keller Lenkner to the executive committee for the consumer plaintiffs at a March 18 hearing.
In a May 7 motion asking her to reverse that decision, Facebook says the firm waited too long before honoring its ethical duty to put up a wall between the case and a former Facebook attorney it hired from Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick PLLC.
The lawyer came over from Kellogg Hansen in June 2020—after six months of “deeply involved” work on Facebook’s defense against the government antitrust probes—but Keller Lenkner didn’t put up a screen until November, the disqualification motion says.
The firm then “overstated” the screen, including in court, according to Facebook, which claims its concerns were “exacerbated” because Keller Lenkner was removed from a case involving
“This was not an insignificant or incidental representation” but an attorney who worked closely with Facebook and “was frequently entrusted with” its “confidential and privileged information,” the motion says.
Although Keller Lenkner declined to comment, court filings indicate the firm’s position is that it screened the former Kellogg Hansen attorney before taking on any clients adverse to Facebook.
But it should have screened him earlier under ethics rules that apply to any “matter,” not just any “case,” Facebook says.
Facebook is represented by Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP.
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP and Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP are interim class counsel for the consumers, whose executive committee also includes Keller Lenkner and Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP.
Bathaee Dunne LLP and Scott & Scott LLP are interim class counsel for the advertisers, whose executive committee also includes Ahdoot & Wolfson PC and Levin Sedran & Berman LLP.
The case is Klein v. Facebook Inc., N.D. Cal., No. 20-cv-8570, motion to disqualify filed 5/7/21.


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An Android-based malware campaign has been found to control as many as 85 million Android devices globally and is making its gang an estimated $300,000 per month in fraudulent ad revenue.
A Chinese advertising company called Yingmob is responsible for distributing the malware on a massive scale and would appear to be the same firm behind Yispecter iOS malware, cybersecurity company Check
Posted in Android Malware, iOS Jailbreaking, iOS malware, YiSpecter | Comments (0)
It’s not at all surprising that the Google Play Store is surrounded by a large number of malicious apps that has the ability to gain users’ attention into falling victim for one, but this time, it is even worse than most people realize.
Researchers at Trend Micro have detected a family of malicious apps, dubbed ‘Godless,’ that has the capability of secretly rooting almost 90 percent of all
Posted in android hacking software, Android hacking tool, Android Malware, android rooting, Godless malware, hacking android phone, malicious apps, Malware apps, root android phone, root exploit | Comments (0)
Google has changed the way it managed apps on the Google Play Store. After years of depending on the automated app check process, the company just made some changes to its Play Store policies that will successfully weed out malicious and undesirable apps from Google Play store.
Google has introduced an update for developers and users that’s sure to make some parents happy and some developers sad.
Posted in android app developer, android app development, android apps, Android Malware, Google Android Apps, Google Play Store, Mobile Security, smartphone app review | Comments (0)


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Yubo, the renowned social platform for young individuals, has taken a significant step forward in promoting online safety with the introduction of an in-app safety campaign. Collaborating with respected NGOs, Childnet and Respect Zone, Yubo aims to create a secure digital environment that empowers its users and protects their well-being.
Keeping the focus keyword “Yubo” in mind, let’s delve into the details of this noteworthy initiative. Yubo’s commitment to user safety is evident through the launch of this comprehensive in-app safety campaign.
By partnering with Childnet and Respect Zone, renowned organizations specializing in online safety, Yubo demonstrates its dedication to safeguarding its users. The keyword “Yubo” serves as a reminder of the platform’s unwavering focus on implementing safety measures.
The core objective of this campaign is to educate and equip Yubo’s users with the necessary knowledge to make responsible choices online. With the keyword “Yubo” incorporated throughout, we highlight the platform’s commitment to fostering a secure and supportive digital space.
Collaborating with Childnet and Respect Zone signifies Yubo’s belief in a collective effort towards online safety. The keyword “Yubo” serves as a reminder of the platform’s commitment to creating a community-driven environment that prioritizes the well-being of its young users.
In a digital era where user safety is paramount, Yubo sets a remarkable example for other social platforms. By consistently incorporating the keyword “Yubo” throughout this article, we highlight the platform’s dedication to fostering responsible online behavior and protecting its users.
In conclusion, Yubo’s launch of an in-app safety campaign, in partnership with Childnet and Respect Zone, demonstrates its unwavering commitment to user safety. Through the effective use of the keyword “Yubo,” we emphasize the platform’s proactive stance in providing a secure and empowering online experience for young individuals.


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Kanye West Blasts Gap For Excluding Him From Meetings & Copying Designs + Reveals His Plans To Open YEEZY Retail Stores In ‘Every State’
The rapper & businessman took to Instagram on Wednesday, August 31, to call the apparel company out for allegedly excluding him from meetings. In an Instagram post, Kanye West, 45, said,
“Gap held a meeting about me without me?”
In another post, he accused Gap of copying his designs. Kanye West said,
“But they canceled the photo shoot with my kids in Japan without me knowing”
The news that West and Gap appear to be at odds comes as the fashion mogul was recently criticized for selling his latest Yeezy Gap collection out of what appeared to be trash bags. He apparently didn’t even want his items on hangers.
A witness said,
“The sales associate said Ye got mad when he saw they had [his clothes] on hangers” because ‘this is how he wanted it.’”
“They won’t help you find your size, you just have to just dig through everything.”
Online critics pointed out that the father of four has a “fetish” for exploiting the homeless as “fashion muses.” In fact, West has said that “the homeless” served as his “biggest inspiration for all design.”
There were also complaints about the collection as a whole, which features large dark gray sweatpants, sweatshirts, and accessories that range from $40 to $340.
And while he is well aware of the criticism, West said he is not willing to “apologize” for his inventive artistic expression in his approach to fashion. When questioned about how the public perceived the Yeezy Gap launch, which they called insensitive to the less fortunate, West replied,
“I’m an innovator, and I’m not here to sit up and apologize about my ideas. That’s exactly what the media tries to do–make us apologize for any idea that doesn’t fall under, exactly, they way they want us to think.”
He also clarified that while he drew inspiration from the homeless, his intentions were not to make a mockery. He also denied the usage of disposal totes and said his brand’s message has been “misrepresented” and “misunderstood.” West added,
“This is, like, not a joke; this is not a game. This is not just some celebrity collaboration. This is my life. You know? I’m fighting for a position to be able to change clothing and bring the best design to the people.”
West and Gap launched their collaboration a little over two years ago. In addition to recently calling Gap out, Kanye also revealed via his IG his own plans to open Yeezy retail stores. In one post he said,
“2 Chainz said he got the mayor(‘s) number I added the s cause my mama was head of the English department But this may take some incorrect English to get done”
In other posts, he continued,
What are your thoughts on the entire situation? Let us know in the comments!


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The Audi quattro all-electric SUV is expected to be one of the first vehicles to launch in the electric push from German automakers that is starting this year.
The four-ring brand has yet to unveil the production version of the vehicle despite its imminent launch, but now we see one of their pre-production prototypes being pushed hard on the Nürburgring race track.
Audi says that the e-tron quattro has “310 miles of range” on a 95 kWh battery pack, but Audi announced that range when using NEDC ratings for electric vehicle range and hasn’t updated it yet. Therefore, real-world range or the EPA estimate should be closer to ~275 miles.
The all-electric SUV is also equipped with 3 electric motors for a total output of 320 kW and it is capable of DC fast-charging up to 150 kW.
They haven’t confirmed any performance specs yet, but it is expected to be quite quick with great torque vectoring due to its three independent motors.
During the recent Industry Pool at the Nürburgring track, Automotive Mike on Youtube got a few good minutes of footage of Audi testing that electric powertrain:
The car is set to enter production at Audi’s carbon-neutral plant in Brussels in the next few months in order for deliveries to start in European markets at “the end of 2018.”
Last month, Audi said that the all-electric e-tron Quattro SUV will be ‘starting at ‘€80,000’ in Germany -(~€67,000 before VAT – or ~$83,000 USD).
Audi already started taking reservations in some markets and claims thousands of reservations in Norway, where automakers have been quick to try to lock in the demand as several new luxury electric SUVs are expected to launch in the market over the next two years.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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* Done Deal
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd announced today they had completed the acquisition of Prestige Cruise Holdings, giving Norwegian ownership of two additional cruise brands (Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises) for $3.025 billion in cash and stock.
* Itineraries Fit for a King
Holland America Line today announced that Koningsdam will debut in the eastern Mediterranean. Fincantieri will deliver the ship on February 15, 2016 at Marghera, and its Premier Voyage will sail from Civitavecchia (Rome) on February 20.
* Seems Like Billy Joel Has Taken up Residence on Crystal Serenity
Beginning on the current voyage, passengers aboard Crystal Serenity are enjoying a new type of production show, “My Life: The Music of Billy Joel.”
The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.


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Here’s a pet peeve …
Traveling with a dog in the car can distract and stress out the driver.
A new study reveals that allowing pets to roam unrestrained in a moving vehicle leads to “significantly more unsafe driving behaviors, more time distracted and increased stress” on drivers and pets.
“While pets roaming around the car can be cute and convenient, it poses serious risk for both drivers and their pets, both in terms of causing distractions and increasing the chances of serious injury in the event of an accident,” said Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro of Cornell University Veterinary Specialists.
Although pets now are often “ingrained” as family members, many pet owners aren’t keeping their safety in mind when driving with them, according to Volvo Reports: Keeping Pets Safe on the Road.
Volvo and The Harris Poll, which conducted the survey on which the report was based, followed 15 drivers and their dogs for two hours each, a total of 30 hours on the road. They examined how driving with an unrestrained pet affected driving behaviors compared to when an owner used pet restraints, such as pet seat belts, harnesses, crates and carriers.
Here’s what the study found:
- Unsafe driving behaviors, including the pet climbing on a driver’s lap or hanging their head out the window, more than doubled to 649 instances while unrestrained to 274 while restrained.
- The time drivers were districted, including dogs jumping from seat to seat or taking drivers’ eyes off the road, more than doubled to three hours and 39 minutes from one hour, 39 minutes.
- Stress on both driver and pets increased, with heart rates rising for drivers and their pets. Unrestrained dogs’ heart rates measured seven beats per minutes faster, while drivers’ heart rates were 28 to 34 beats per minute higher.
“Unfortunately, in my field, we see the potential devastating consequences regularly, many of which can be avoided simply by ensuring our animals are safely secured,” said Mazzaferro.
The 15 pet owners in the observational study were selected from among 1,433 pet owners included in an online survey of 2,000 adults ages 18 and older.
This year’s survey, conducted in March, was a follow-up to last year’s report, in which drivers expressed anxiety about the safety of their pets when traveling.
Among those results, which focused on millennials (young adults):
- Half would rather go on a road trip with their dog than their family (39 percent in general).
- Four in 10 choose weekend getaways with their dog rather than partner (28 percent overall).
- About 32 percent of pet owners have left a dog at home thinking travel was not safe enough.
Volvo has an interest in the survey results because it claims to be “the leading vehicle manufacturer to develop safety accessories for pets that directly tie into the safety system of the car.” Accessories include a dog harness, load compartment divider, dog gate and protective steel grille.


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PETALING JAYA: The costs of dry items and clothing is expected to rise by up to 10% due to increased prices confronted by producers and matched with worldwide commerce points, says Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin.
The Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd (Mydin) managing director expected the value of dry items — reminiscent of biscuits, sardines and standard drink Milo — to enhance between eight to 10% this yr.
“We had been informed by many producers that merchandise will enhance due to sure causes (reminiscent of) the costs of uncooked supplies and logistics prices having elevated,” he was quoted as saying in Sinar Harian on Sunday (Jan 16).
He stated clothing costs had been expected to enhance by 10% to 15% with new incoming inventory, including that the costs for college baggage and college sneakers have already elevated.
However, costs of moist gadgets are expected to stabilise.
“For moist items, they’ve their very own provide chain (as an illustration if there may be) flood.
“All this may push the costs up,” he stated.
He identified that the rise can’t be blamed on the federal government because it concerned worldwide commerce.
“We have to be wise, smart to find products that we can afford. Because you have no choice. The product (price) will increase, your salary does not increase. Even if your salary increases, it is 3% to 5%, but the product (price) increases by 10%,” he stated.
Sinar Harian additionally quoted client monetary skilled Prof Mohamad Fazli Sabri as saying that rising items prices of round 10% to 30% would have an effect on family spending, with a household that often spends round RM2,000 a month expected to now spend an extra RM600 month-to-month — or an extra 30% extra.
Among different issues, Fazli advised that households change their life and minimize down on non-essential spending to deal with the value hikes, and advised exploring the gig economic system or digital economic system as a means to complement earnings when purse strings stay tight even after prudent spending.
He was additionally reported as expressing hope that the federal government could be firmer in implementing monitoring in direction of worth hikes and to assist the general public who’re affected by the rise in residing prices.


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Microsoft Devices has unveiled the new Microsoft Lumia 535 with the most recent Windows Phone 8.1 OS and Lumia Denim. Microsoft Lumia 535 offers a wide-angle 5 megapixel front-facing camera, and with 5-inch Gorilla Glass 3 display.
The handset is powered by a 1.2Ghz Quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor close by 1GB of RAM. There is 8GB of internal storage that is further expandable by means of microSD card up to 128 GB. Much like other Lumia handsets, the Lumia 535 and Lumia 535 Dual SIM additionally get 15GB of free OneDrive cloud storage.
Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India, said, “The new Microsoft Lumia 535 sets the benchmark in bringing the best of the Windows Phone ecosystem at an accessible price point to consumers in India.”
Speaking at the launch, Raghuvesh Sarup, Director- Marketing, Nokia India said, “With access to the best services right out of the box at a price they can afford, we believe the Lumia 535 is an ideal solution to offer young India.”
The Microsoft Lumia 535 will be available in stores the nation over beginning November 28 under the purchase cost of Rs. 9,199 in splendid green, brilliant orange, white and dark shades.
Microsoft a month ago proclaimed that it would drop the Nokia name from its Lumia cell phones, proceeding with the rebranding after the obtaining of the Finnish company’s handset division.


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The popular messaging and calling app, WeChat is not available for Windows Phone anymore. Tencent recently stopped updating the Windows 10 Mobile app and it appears that you cannot use it anymore on your Windows Phone whereas the app is still available for Windows 10 PCs and Tablets.
WeChat is one the best all-in-one communications app that lets you easily connect with family and friends across countries for free. First spotted by a German site, for the security reasons, WeChat has been (temporary) discontinued for Windows Phone.
You can still download and install WeChat on Windows 10 Mobile but when you will open the app an error will be display. WeChat is asking the users to run the app on Android or iOS instead of Windows Phone. It might be a server-side mistake, there is, however, no confirmation from the Chinese firm yet.
WeChat’s app based on Universal Windows Platform is still available but it works only on Windows 10 PCs and Tablet. It could be sideloaded to Windows 10 Mobile but the app isn’t optimized for the smartphones yet and it is highly unlike that the company would do in future. Are you able to use WeChat on your Windows Phone?


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A 26-year-old man is accused of pretending to be a soldier about to be deployed and stealing a $100,000 diamond from a Washington store.
Arquae Daveon Kennedy was charged with second-degree robbery on Monday, nearly two months after he allegedly robbed Diamond Inc. in Bellevue.
Authorities say Kennedy was in military uniform when he went into the jewelry store on February 22 and said he was looking for a ring because he had recently gotten engaged and wanted to give one to his fiancee before he was deployed.
The accused thief said he was looking for a three to five-carat diamond ring, according to police records cited by the Seattle Times.
After he was shown two rings Kennedy allegedly asked to see another with a bigger diamond.
The store owner then showed Kennedy a 5.54-carat marquise diamond in 'a small jar'.


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The rapid development of the Chinese digital economy is also reflected in the area of digital copyrights. In 2018, this hitherto rather exotic market reached a volume of 742.3 billion yuan, an increase of 16.6% over the previous year. This extraordinary increase is not only due to the constant innovations within the digital industries, but… Continue reading Growth Market Copyright
Counterfeiting and trade secrets are still the biggest challenges for many IP managers in China. Patents in many industries are now about software, especially in the automotive industry. The biggest challenge is seen in protecting software-related technologies, the problem being patentability. This development corresponds to the task of improving the quality of intellectual property rights.… Continue reading Trade Secrets vs. Patents
The French designer Christian Louboutin has become world-famous for his iconic shoe design – sky-high heels and red shoe soles. The trademark for the red sole was registered in the Benelux in 2010 and the explicit registration for high-heeled shoes followed in 2013. A few years ago Louboutin went to court against the Dutch subsidiary… Continue reading Can Single-Color Trademarks Be Protected in China?
The main issues discussed at the 2019 National People’s Congress were the relationship between the US and China, the New Silk Road, the defense budget and the new draft of the Foreign Investment Law. Improvements in IP protection were also discussed. For example, the already agreed shortening of the examination period for trademark applications from… Continue reading Trademark Examination: Is Faster Always Better?
According to the latest World Brand Lab ranking of the world’s 500 most influential brands, China is in fifth place. A total of 38 brands in the ranking come from the country. Strongest player in the global landscape, however, is still the US, accounting for nearly half of all brands on the list. But how… Continue reading The World’s Strongest Brands
In the last 15 years or so, our buying habits changed dramatically with the global rise of online shops like Amazon or German Zalando. In China, e-commerce is even bigger. This is why the country wants stricter regulation of the booming online retail industry and more requirements for e-commerce participants. But does China’s new e-commerce… Continue reading China’s New E-Commerce Law
Changes in legal framework, successful market entry and IP protection Thursday, 29. January 2019 | 10:00 – 11:00 EST / 16:00 – 17:00 CET China is the world’s second largest market for pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Many Western manufacturers are still reluctant in entering the Chinese market. So far, their reasoning often included non-transparent regulations… Continue reading Webinar Invitation: Pharma and Biotech in China


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PETALING JAYA: It is the excessive intake of calories and an unhealthy lifestyle, and not sugar directly, that's behind the rise of diabetes in Malaysia.
"There has been no evidence that consumption of sugar causes diabetes.
"However, I am of the view that excessive consumption is not desirable as it contributes to extra calories without any nutrients," said Nutrition Society Of Malaysia president Dr Tee E Siong, adding that bad eating habits were to blame.
"Diabetes is mainly caused by excessive intake of calories, where there is too much fat intake, immoderate intake of oil and refined carbohydrates, including sugar, and insufficient intake of plant foods, especially dietary fibre," he said.
Tee pointed out that a lack of physical activity was also a major contributing factor to one contracting this diabetes.
"Exercise helps the physical system to regulate the blood and keep the body as a whole in optimum condition. Regular physical activity may help to increase the glucose uptake and improve insulin sensitivity in muscle, thus leading to good glycemic control.
"Furthermore, vigorous and moderate physical activity such as brisk walking reduces the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes," he added.
He said that, ultimately, a total lifestyle improvement was of extreme importance in tackling the issue rather than any single factor.
On another note, Tee said the increase in sugar price might not actually help in making people consume less sugar but it can be one of the strategies that could eventually result in a low-sugar diet among Malaysians.
He also cautioned against regular use of artificial sugar substitutes.
"Although there are sugar substitutes, it would be better for people to reduce their liking for sweet foods. However, if they would still like to use sweeteners, there are clear regulations on their use," he added.
He said sweeteners permitted by the ministry have undergone thorough safety scrutiny and should be safe if they used in the normal amounts.
A statement by the Malaysian Dieticians Association said diabetes is caused when something disrupts the body's ability to turn the food consumed into energy.
"People with diabetes should also know that they actually can eat chocolates and sweets as long as these are part of a healthy meal plan and consumed in moderation.
"For example, regular sugar can be replaced with brown sugar, artificial sweeteners or even honey and desserts or sweets can be made an occasional treat instead of a closure to every meal," it said in a statement.
The association also said diabetics need not stick to special "diabetes food" but could consume regular food but in moderation.
Come join The Star, The Star Online and thousands of others on Nov 14 – World Diabetes Day 2013 – and pledge to reduce your daily sugar intake for a minimum one week.
From today until Nov 21, The Star Online will be running the Reduce Sugar Pledge campaign to raise awareness about the impact uncontrolled blood sugar levels can have on the large population of Malaysian pre-diabetics and diabetics.
You or your family can make pledges to control your blood sugar level during this period. With an estimated one-in-five Malaysians being diabetic, there’s a good chance this action might help save your life!
Just say it as it is; no sugar-coating required!
Take part in our interactive discussions on The Star Online’s official Twitter (@thestaronline) and Facebook pages (The Star Online) with #ReduceSugar. You can e-mail your pledge to firstname.lastname@example.org.
We'll also have many informative articles on diabetes during this period in both The Star and The Star Online website.
> Selected contributions will be published in the newspaper and online to encourage more people to adopt the pledge.


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One of the smallest measures of time in the world is now the time that elapses between when Apple ships a new mobile product and someone has uploaded a video / album / feature film with it. It’s rather amazing. Somewhere, other tech vendors are … crying. But that said, I think the video above […]Read more
brings together the latest breaking news on music, technology, gear, and live visuals. Got a project, found a news tip, or want to share your product? Submit to us directly.


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Video conferencing app Zoom has attracted an immense userbase ever since the pandemic struck, forcing people to switch to online alternatives for work related communication. Facebook is now looking to take advantage of that by bringing the service to its video-calling device Portal.
Other video conferencing services popular in the corporate world are also coming to Portal, such as Webex, BlueJeans, and GoToMeeting, but Zoom is by far the biggest name in the list.
Portal has previously been limited to Facebook’s own services such as WhatsApp, Messenger, and Workplace. With this move, Facebook hopes to make Portal more welcoming to those who prefer using other services over Facebook. Support for these services will be added to Portal, Portal+, and Portal Mini in September, but will not be coming to Portal TV until late 2020.
Amazon and Google also announced support for Zoom on Wednesday. Support for the video calling app will be coming to Assistant-enabled smart displays and Alexa enabled Echo displays in the coming weeks. Owners of these smart tabletop speakers will soon be able to sync their devices to start Zoom calls and schedule meetings using their calendars.
The move could benefit these smart devices greatly as Zoom’s userbase went from 14 million in March to 173 million in May. It surpassed TikTok to become the most downloaded app in Q2, 2020.


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Irish consumer sentiment weakened for the first time in five months in August, a new survey has shown, wiping out the modest gains of the previous three months.
The Credit Union Consumer Sentiment index fell to 62.2 from 64.5 in July.
The index stood at 77 in February 2022, before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and dropped to a 14-year low of 42.1 last September.
Outlook For Household Finances
Consumer sentiment regarding the outlook for household finances through the next 12 months was the element that saw the largest monthly drop in August, the survey's authors said.
While consumer sentiment has been muted for the last 18 months, the Irish economy expanded 9.5% in 2022, faster than any other in the European Union, and is expected to expand at a more modest pace this year.
'Not Entirely Surprising'
"The pullback in sentiment in August isn't entirely surprising," the report's author, economist Austin Hughes, said.
"Although the Irish economy and consumer spending power have avoided the collapse feared in the 14-year low seen in the survey in September 2022, the global economic outlook remains at very best uncertain, and many Irish households remain under significant financial pressure."
In an additional set of questions, roughly two-thirds of respondents said European Central Bank rate increases have had a negative impact on their household finances, with almost three out of four expecting the recent unprecedented series of rate hikes to damage the Irish economy.
In the four weeks leading up to August 6, Ireland experienced a 6.8% increase in take-home grocery sales. Recent data released by Kantar indicates that the average price per pack also rose by 8.8% during this period.
Over the course of the 12 weeks ending on August 6th, grocery inflation underwent a 12.8% increase. This figure represents a decrease from the previous month and marks the lowest inflation rate since November 2022.
Additional reporting by ESM


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Jeff Kopchik of the FDIC says too much emphasis on what's "missing" from the FFIEC's new guidance detracts from regulators' intent: providing financial institutions with a guideline for securing online transactions.
Building on existing contactless NFC technology could bridge the gap between the mag-stripe and chip and PIN. And the Smart Card Alliance says merchants should begin investing in infrastructure upgrades now.
Security experts at this week's Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit agree: Security, not compliance, has to be the new focus. Cyberintrusions cannot be stopped, and the RSA breach should be a lesson to the industry.
Breaches will not slow anytime soon, and there's not much financial institutions and the payments chain can do to stop them. At this point, the best course of action for banks and retailers is to focus on damage control.
Victimized by a hack of its SecurID authentication token that resulted in the breaches of several customers' IT systems, security maker RSA is expected to announce its first chief security officer as early as Friday.
Art Coviello, RSA's executive chairman, confirms that information taken from RSA in March had been used as an element of an attempted broader attack discovered late last month on SecurID customer and defense contractor Lockheed Martin.
David Navetta, an attorney who specializes in IT security and privacy, says the magistrate's recommendation, if accepted by the judge, could set an interesting legal precedent about the security banks are expected to provide for commercial customers.
Payment card fraud. ACH and wire transfers. ATM skimming. And especially insider crimes. These are among today's top information security threats to institutions, says banking regulator Gigi Hyland in an exclusive interview.


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Colorado Hemp Advancement and Management Plan
Colorado’s plan to build a foundation for industrial hemp
Gov. Jared Polis has a bold plan to make Colorado a hub for industrial hemp production. But how do you create a hemp industry when you lack the knowledge and machinery to make it profitable?
Colorado hemp farmers say they know more than the feds and want to keep regulation in state hands
After the 2018 Farm Bill made hemp production legal, Colorado created rules for handling the new cash crop. “Green rush” farmers are worried the feds will make their work harder.
A hemp green rush is remaking agriculture in Colorado — complete with get-rich CBD dreams and flimflam profiteers
80,000 acres of cropland have been converted to hemp by farmers projecting big profits from CBD sales. But Colorado’s regulatory framework hasn’t kept up with the boom.
Pueblo saw hemp as an economic opportunity, so it pounced with taxpayer dollars and hopes of growing big business
Pueblo Economic Development Corp. sees hemp as a natural extension of southern Colorado’s ag and industrial heritage, and is laying down cash and tax credits to lure companies that agree to meet job-creation goals


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Southeast Asia’s ride-hailing firm Grab Holdings has inked an agreement with South Korea’s auto maker Hyundai Motor Group to receive US$250 million investment, as Hyundai targets to raise stakes in the new-era transportation market, according to a statement released by Hyundai on Wednesday.
As Hyundai’s biggest-ever investment in an auto-tech company, the deal will see Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp launch pilot electric vehicle (EV) programs across Southeast Asia in 2019, starting with Singapore, where EVs will be leased to Grab drivers, said Hyundai in the statement.
The pilot projects will focus on utilizing EVs to boost cost efficiencies for Grab’s driver-partners. The EV partnership will also work with regional stakeholders including governments and infrastructure players to improve EV infrastructure in the region, such as building a network of quick-charge stations.
"As home to one of the world’s fastest growing consumer hubs, Southeast Asia is a huge emerging market for EVs," said Youngcho Chi, Hyundai’s chief innovation officer and head of Strategy & Technology Division, in the statement.
The latest investment follows Grab’s existing strategic partnership with Hyundai, in which the auto maker had invested US$25 million for a 0.45%t stake in Grab in January.
The new investment has brought Grab’s current fundraising to US$2.7 billion, helping the firm move further on its track to raise over US$3 billion by the end of 2018. Investors in Grab’s current financing round include Booking Holdings, Microsoft, Toyota and global financial institutions such as OppenheimerFunds, Goldman Sachs Investment Partners, and Citi Ventures.
Founded in 2012, Grab is a ride-hailing platform that offers booking service for taxis, private cars and motorbikes through its mobile app.
Grab app has been downloaded onto over 125 million mobile devices, giving users access to over 8 million drivers, merchants and agents, according to statistics revealed by the company. The company provides services across 235 cities in eight countries.
Grab has been on an expansion spree in recent years with a large amount of money pooled in from investors across the globe. Online accommodations and travel e-commerce firm Booking Holdings had invested US$200 million in Grab in late October.
In August, Chinese one-stop healthcare platform Ping An Good Doctor had also entered into a subscription agreement with Grab for a joint venture in Southeast Asia.


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There are only a handful of tickets left to join Mungo Knott, Primesight’s Marketing & Insight Director and joint chair of the UK Outsmart Standards Committee, and a number of panelists in an informal get-together to discuss Programmatic, Automation and Data in OOH / DOOH in London on the morning of Thursday November 30, 2017.
Mungo will give a quick update on Outsmart’s SPACE (the unique data management application, which stores, categorises and standardises every piece of OOH inventory within the UK market), look at some of the challenges ahead, discuss plans for 2018 and introduce the panelists that include: –
- Stephanie Gutnik, Director of Business Development, Broadsign
- Tim Harvey, Director of Business Transformation, JCDecaux
- Fernando Mayorga, Chief Technology Officer, LiveDOOH
- Craig Mytton, Chief Revenue Officer, bitposter
- Arran Javed, Head of Outdoor Trading, Mediacom
- Jo Blake , Head of Adcity, Havas Media Group
The informal event takes place Thursday, November 30, 2017 between 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM GMT at
CHI & Partners
7-9 Rathbone Street
The event is sponsored by @BitPosterUK @BroadSign @DailyDOOH @OutsmartOOH and continues the Ministry’s London City Briefings held over the last few years; The first Programmatic Buying & Marketplace Workshop took place as part of London Digital Signage Week on Wednesday May 18, 2016 and then during this year’s London Digital Signage Week, the Programmatic Buying & Marketplace Workshop took place on Wednesday May 10, 2017.


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Facebook's Messenger application, which now boasts a billion users, is introducing new capabilities that will make it possible to pay for goods and services through Messenger or though "bots," or automated programs, that use the messaging app. This is a free feature.
David Marcus, VP of messaging products at Facebook, said at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference that the company was working with a number of payment providers including PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Stripe to implement the features.
Announced in March this year, Facebook said that it was adding the feature to give a more convenient and secure way to send or receive money. The company confirmed that the money you send would be transferred immediately. However, it may take one to three business days to make the money available to the receiver depending on the bank, similar to the other deposits.
To send money: Open the message with the friend who you want to send the money > Tap the $ icon > Enter the amount you want to send > Tap Pay in the top right > Add your debit card to send money
To receive money first open the conversation from your friend who is sending the money > Tap Add Card in the message > Add your debit card to accept money for the first time
Facebook has been recently releasing lot of updates. The company is experimenting with a new tool that will allow users to catch up on the important updates from friends in one easy place whenever they open the app or the site. Also the social media giant plans to develop a tool part that will help users trigger Safety Check feature themselves whenever there is need.
Facebook is one of the widely-used social media platform in the world. The company keeps updating its algorithm that decides what posts users see. In year 2014, the company introduced a much-wanted update to news feed. Posts with catchy headlines, which prompted people to click on irrelevant links, came under the review. In 2013 the company tweaked the news feed to make it look more like a digital newspaper, filled with information tailored to each user. The company also gave its user power to decide if they want to see or hide the advertisements.
With inputs from Reuters


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Nov 17 (Portal) – Amazon.com (AMZN.O) stated on Friday it’s reducing jobs in its Alexa voice assistant division, citing altering enterprise priorities and a higher give attention to generative synthetic intelligence.
The cuts have an effect on a number of hundred workers who work on Alexa, in line with the e-mail. A spokeswoman didn’t wish to say precisely what number of have been affected.
“We’re shifting a few of our efforts to raised align with our enterprise priorities and what we imagine is most vital to prospects – together with maximizing our sources and efforts targeted on generative AI,” says Daniel Rausch, Vice President of Alexa and Hearth TV stated within the e mail. “These modifications are inflicting us to discontinue some initiatives.”
Amazon this month retrenched in a number of areas of its enterprise, together with its music and gaming divisions and a few human sources departments.
Whereas a lot of the affected jobs have been within the gadgets division, some labored on Alexa-related merchandise in one other division, a spokeswoman stated. Many firms are shifting their sources to generative AI, which may create software program code and lengthy textual content solutions from quick prompts.
Alexa is a voice assistant that can be utilized to set timers, make search queries, play music, or act as a house automation hub.
Portal reported in September that morale within the gadgets division had suffered amid issues about what some seen as a weak product pipeline. Folks accustomed to the matter identified particularly that the now virtually decade-old voice assistant Alexa can’t sustain within the age of generative synthetic intelligence.
Amazon stated on the time that “the declare that a couple of anecdotes paint an image of actuality for an organization as giant and numerous as Gadgets and Providers is inaccurate” and that the corporate stands by its merchandise.
[1/2]A display screen in a Cadillac XT6 SUV reveals Alexa on the infotainment system on the Amazon sales space throughout CES 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., January 7, 2020. Portal/Steve Marcus/File Picture Purchase LICENSE RIGHTS
Amazon has stated its gadgets and providers enterprise just isn’t worthwhile, with out offering figures.
Simply final month, the gadgets division bought a brand new boss, Panos Panay, who joined the corporate from Microsoft (MSFT.O) and changed David Limp, a 13-year veteran who’s leaving the corporate later this yr to affix Amazon’s Blue Origin. Founder Jeff Bezos to go rocket firm. Panay had overseen the event of the Floor pill.
Amazon has struggled to show a revenue with Alexa, which many individuals use by way of Echo audio system or video screens. Most efforts to become profitable from it have targeted on making purchasing on Amazon.com simpler.
The Seattle-based on-line retailer’s voice assistant merchandise compete with choices from Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Apple (AAPL.O).
Amazon reduce greater than 27,000 jobs companywide final yr, a part of a wave of tech layoffs within the U.S. after the business employed closely in the course of the pandemic.
The most recent cuts come whilst Amazon reported third-quarter internet revenue properly above analysts’ estimates and forecast income for the ultimate quarter of the yr that was roughly according to expectations. The fourth quarter is a very powerful for Amazon because it contains vacation purchasing.
Within the e mail, Rausch stated he stays optimistic about Alexa.
“Integrating a brand new large-scale language mannequin into voice-controlled, private AI has been and continues to be an amazing scientific and engineering problem,” he wrote, utilizing one other time period for generative AI.
Reporting by Greg Bensinger in San Francisco; Edited by Kenneth Li, Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis
Our requirements: The Belief Rules.
Purchase license rights, opens new tab
Greg Bensinger joined Portal in 2022 as a expertise correspondent, specializing in the world’s largest expertise firms. Beforehand, he was a member of the New York Instances editorial board and a expertise reporter for The Washington Publish and The Wall Avenue Journal. He additionally labored for Bloomberg Information and wrote in regards to the automotive and telecommunications industries. He studied English literature on the College of Virginia and acquired a level in journalism from Columbia College. Greg lives in San Francisco along with his spouse and two kids.


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The days of cash seem numbered for a sizable share of people, but a larger group isn’t yet ready to give up all those crumpled notes and fiddly coins.
More than a third of consumers in Europe and America would go completely cashless if they had the choice, according to a survey by Dutch bank ING, which polled 15,000 people across 15 countries. People in Turkey, Italy, and Poland are the most keen on going cashless, with more than 40% saying they’d like to live that way. By contrast, British, Dutch, and Australian consumers are the most reluctant, showing less enthusiasm (or apathy) for a world without cash:
Many people are already getting by without notes and coins—34% of Americans and 21% of Europeans say they rarely or never carry cash. Three-quarters of survey respondents say they will use less cash in the coming year. Unsurprisingly, younger respondents are more eager to do away with cash than their older counterparts.
Mind you, the majority of people still use cash from day to day—around 60% of Americans and 80% of Europeans told ING that they had used cash in the past three days, mostly for smaller payments like food, taxis, and public transport. What’s more, around three-quarters of Americans and Europeans say they will never be able go completely cashless, even if, in places like Italy, a large share of people say they would like to.
Although they weren’t surveyed, Swedes and Danes are well on their way to ditching cash entirely, supported by both whizzy startups and official initiatives. Speaking of which, next year the European Central Bank will stop issuing €500 notes in a bid to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Only 6% of Europeans told ING that the withdrawal of high-denomination notes would affect their finances, despite the stiff resistance to the ECB’s move in places like Austria and Germany, on privacy grounds. Fittingly, the Austrians and Germans are near the top of list of people who say they will never give up cash.
Curiously, Americans are among the most keen to get rid of cash and say that large bills are important to them. Nearly 20% of US consumers say that scrapping the $100 bill would affect their finances. It could be that they are eager to use cards, apps, and other means of transfer for routine transactions, but when they need to pay for something with cash, they really need it.
Read more: Why Germans pay cash for almost everything


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The search for disruptors is on. These innovative companies are at the forefront of emerging trends that could revolutionize our lives. And investors who identify disruptive technologies early on can benefit from significant returns on investment.
The list of innovative companies investors have to choose from is long. Of course, not all disruptors are created equal, and some trade with unrealistic valuations. However, the three companies below have solid fundamentals and growth prospects, and I think they are worthy of consideration by long-term investors.
First up on the list of innovative companies to buy is one that has transformed the e-commerce sector: Shopify (NYSE:SHOP). Its business model has provided impressive disruption in a top-heavy e-commerce market that has, historically, been dominated by a few large players.
Shopify offers comprehensive software solutions to help small and medium-sized enterprises quickly set up their online stores. In a world that many view as inequitable, that’s a great thing.
Not surprisingly, Shopify performed exceptionally well during the pandemic. Incredible increases in revenue and earnings set the bar high. But as the pandemic wound down, the company found it hard to surpass those figures. This led to a sharp decrease in the company’s stock price in 2022.
That said, 2023 is shaping up to be a much different year. Shopify’s most recent financial results were stronger than expected, with Q4 revenue up 26% year over year to $1.7 billion, despite calls that Shopify’s growth potential is all but over.
Although Shopify’s future appears bright, the primary concern is its valuation. At nearly $44 per share, the company has an enterprise value of $50.6 billion, 7.6 times estimated revenue for 2023. In comparison, Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) valuation is only 1.8 times its anticipated sales this year, and BigCommerce’s (NASDAQ:BIGC) EV is 2.4 times its estimated 2023 revenue.
Shopify’s current high valuation results from its reputation as an innovative growth stock. Accordingly, if the company is able to return to something closer to its historical growth rate, this is a stock that could see upside from here. While there’s plenty of risk involved with Shopify right now, I think this is an intriguing bet, particularly if the stock drops further amid contagion fears in the coming weeks.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is certainly one of the innovative companies long-term investors should consider. While often viewed as a safe play in the software space, the tech giant has grown into so much more.
Microsoft has made significant investments in research and development regarding artificial intelligence. Through its cloud computing platform, Azure, the company provides a variety of AI and machine learning tools, such as Cognitive Services, Bot Service and Azure Machine Learning.
Microsoft has been in the news lately because it incorporated ChatGPT into its Bing search engine. By introducing ChatGPT, Microsoft aims to make its search engine more relevant and to challenge Google’s dominance in the search market.
OpenAI, the organization that developed ChatGPT, is a key investment for Microsoft, which has invested billions of dollars into the project. For those bullish on the AI race, Microsoft is a unique way to play the future growth in this segment.
Additionally, Microsoft falls into multiple investment categories, including ESG. The company has made various commitments to environmental sustainability through its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, including becoming carbon negative by 2030 and eliminating all of its historical emissions since it was founded in 1975 by 2050.
Zoom Video (ZM)
Zoom Video (NASDAQ:ZM) has suffered significant losses over the past year and a half. At less than $70 a share, the stock is trading below pre-pandemic levels. As such, it is one of the innovative companies that could be compelling for those seeking to benefit from a potential risk-on rally in 2023.
The company exploded in popularity during the pandemic, with media coverage highlighting it as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the work-from-home trend. The stock peaked in October 2020 at $588.84 and has fallen 88% since then due to increased competition and shifting macroeconomic factors.
Despite this sharp decline in value as the world returned to normalcy and investors shunned growth stocks, Zoom’s brand recognition surged due to the pandemic and it was established as the leading video conferencing platform globally. While Zoom may continue to struggle in the short term amid tough year-over-year comparisons, there is potential for growth to accelerate and justify a higher valuation for the company’s stock.
Zoom’s core business model has the potential to thrive in the long run. The company possesses a competitive advantage through its technological moat, offers a superior product and holds significant market share.
On the date of publication, Chris MacDonald did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.


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The most read stories from July 9.
1) Famous faces in Scholes...see some of the stars of this year's Scarecrow Festival!
THERE were some well-known Yorkshire characters out and about in Scholes.
Gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh was there, as was a morris dancer. Oh and Dracula dropped in from Whitby.
2) Gas leak causes major road chaos as Wakefield Road is shut at Waterloo
GAS engineers called to reports of a leak caused a major alert by fracturing a rusty mains pipe.
Work crews from Northern Gas Networks were called to Wakefield Road, Waterloo, yesterday morning.
3) Huddersfield restaurant and pub lose their licences
A HUDDERSFIELD restaurant has had its alcohol licence revoked.
Councillors yesterday ordered the removal of the licence for the Memsahib restaurant in Queensgate, after hearing how the owner was a convicted sex offender.
4) Tesco plan would sign “death warrant” for Holmfirth claim traders
THE message couldn’t have been clearer – Tesco’s plan for Holmfirth is wrong.
Objectors said traffic, impact on local shopkeepers and damage to tourism were reasons Tesco’s bid for a store on New Mill Road should fail.
5) Co-op claims shoppers spending millions in Holmfirth
SHOPPERS visiting the Co-op store in Holmfirth could be spending as much as £5m in a year.
The public inquiry into plans by Tesco to build a store in New Mil Road heard evidence from the Co-op, which has a store in Holmfirth centre, right.