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It started off with a bold idea born of an important insight: young middle class men and women in Pakistan’s urban centers aspired to live like their counterparts in the United States and Europe and would therefore have a demand for Western clothing. A local brand seeking to serve that niche would likely do well and grow as that middle class grew in both size and importance.
Outfitters is one of the largest retail clothing brands in Pakistan, and claims to be the largest that focuses on Western clothing for the country’s urban youth. Its management pride themselves on being what they consider to be the closest Pakistan has to Zara, a fast-fashion brand that has a certain “cool” cache among fashion forward young people. In a country rapidly urbanizing and with a rapidly growing middle class, Outfitters’ core business model should be a recipe for success. Yet over the past five years, about half its growth in stores and revenue has come from Ethnic, a brand it launched in 2011 to sell Pakistani-style women’s apparel.
The reason for Ethnic’s launch and growth? While Outfitters has been wildly successful in marketing and selling its core Western clothing line to men, its ability to sell to Pakistani women has been severely hampered by the country’s patriarchal social structure where what women wear is dictated not by their own preferences but by what their families deem “acceptable”, a factor acknowledged by the company’s founder, Kamran Khursheed.
“We had been observing since the inception of our brand, that the sales in women’s wear were much lower than our sales in menswear,” said Khursheed, in an interview with The Express Tribune in 2011. “The trend is understandable given that many young girls don’t get permission to wear western clothing [from their families]. Therefore, we wanted to offer a range that is ‘cool’ and trendy, yet eastern, so their families don’t have an issue with their attire.”
Outfitters currently operates a total of 60 stores across 17 cities in Pakistan and one in Dubai, and Ethnic now has 27 stores across the country. Over the past five years, the company has opened 34 stores, half of which are Ethnic stores, according to Abdul Malik, the Chief Operating Officer of Outfitters Stores, the holding company for both brands.
The late entry into a market for women’s clothing that would be considered culturally acceptable is reflected in the company’s revenues: men’s clothing accounts for the lion’s share of sales, followed by children’s clothing, sold through a third brand called Outfitters Junior, launched in 2008, followed by women’s apparel.
While urban Pakistani men have been wearing Western clothing since the founding of the republic, local retail chains that sell their own brands of Western clothing are still a relatively recent phenomenon. Outfitters was the third such brandt, launching in 2003, following in the footsteps of Leisure Club (1997) and Crossroads (2002).
The cultural aspects of aspiring to wear Western clothing and what that can represent to its customers, or at least what its management perceives it represents to its customers, is reflected in the company’s decisions with respect to marketing and advertising campaigns. Outfitters’ clothes are marketed to Pakistani audiences using white Caucasian models, while Ethnic uses Pakistani models.
When asked about this decision, Malik told Profit: “We use foreign models because we want to have a global presence, and that is in line with our brand image. But this is about to change and we will start using a mix of Pakistani and foreign models very soon.”
Khursheed founded the company in his house and bootstrapped its growth all the way to becoming the recognizable retail brand that it is today with virtually no debt on its balance sheet. The company’s strategy is dependent on offering chic clothing at prices affordable to most of Pakistan’s urban middle class.
“It’s all about fast fashion at affordable prices for us,” says Malik. The mission statement of the company says pretty much the same: “Be the customers’ preferred apparel choice for upcoming trends and fashion, in an affordable price range”.
In order to be able to control its pricing and margins, the company relies on in-house manufacturing for the vast majority of its products. “More than eighty per cent of the manufacturing and logistics is done in-house, excluding the transportation of goods from the unit to our stores,” says Malik.
“It’s very important to have your own manufacturing unit in the apparel industry,” says Malik, and adds, “The efficiency of manufacturing, quality of designs, and an accomplished human resource team enable Outfitters to fulfill its promise of ‘good value for money’, and thus outperform its rivals.” The only products it does not manufacture on its own are heavier jackets and woven sweaters, which are outsourced to producers in China. The outsourced clothing accounts for some of Outfitters’ highest margin products.
The company’s management appear to have an unusual mix of confidence and paranoia when it comes to their competition, simultaneously considering everyone and no one to be their competitor.
“Anybody selling apparel is a competitor. By no competition, we mean that the other players don’t offer the same product range that we do, neither do they operate on such a huge scale to be considered a competitor,” says Malik, adding that Outfitters only considers Levi’s a true competitor.
The company was unwilling to disclose revenue or market share details, though it did state that it seeks to conduct a market sizing and opportunity research exercise with the help of a global consulting firm, which would help the management assess growth opportunities and trends. The company also says that its fastest growing segment is its children’s wear brand.
“We look forward to hiring an international company to carry out an in-depth research of the Pakistani apparel industry in 2017, which would focus on how many people know us, what they really want, and the market share of each player,” says Malik.
Initially, Outfitters franchised a few outlets to bolster expansion but realized the perils of doing so early on and stopped franchising. The few franchised outlets that still exist are owned by the franchisee but operated and managed solely by Outfitters.
“Our aim is to provide the best customer shopping experience and ambience. Also, success comes from ambition and the level of ambition needed for our brand to succeed can only come when operated and monitored ourselves,” says Malik.
Outfitters is expanding to smaller cities across Pakistan, and it aims to exploit what it sees as the inevitable transition from eastern to western wear in these localities. It has already opened stores in cities like Rahimyar Khan, Mardan, and Jhelum. “Smaller cities have a huge untapped potential – they are the places to be in today,” says Malik.
In the larger cities, meanwhile, the company is adapting to changing shopping habits of consumers. For instance, it is increasing its store sizes from an average of 2,000 square feet to 6,000 square feet, with some of its flagship stores as large as 20,000 square feet each and opening locations in malls or relocating some of its stores to malls with high foot traffic.
The company is also gearing up for the rise of e-commerce in Pakistan. In addition to selling clothes directly through its own website, the company is also partnering with daraz.pk, Pakistan’s largest online retailer, to sell its products.


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Reference:CGTN | Updated:9 July 2021
China and the European Union (EU) were undertaking legal reviews, translation and other technical preparations for the China-EU Comprehensive Investment Agreement, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) Gao Feng said on Thursday at a press conference.
The investment agreement was negotiated at the end of 2020, and has since entered the text review stage.
At a video summit held by leaders in China, France and Germany on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed their support for the bilateral deal hoping that it would be approved soon.
As the world's two largest economies, China and the EU are highly complementary and have great potential for cooperation, Gao said.
The strengthening of economic and trade cooperation between China and the EU is conducive to enhancing the well-being of the people of both sides, jointly responding to global challenges, and promoting the recovery of the world economy, he added.
Bilateral trade and investment between China and Europe are growing steadily over recent years. China became the EU's largest trading partner in 2020.
According to China's official statistics, the China-EU trade volume saw year-on-year increase of 28.7 percent in the first five months of 2021; EU investment in China increased by 16.8 percent year on year during the same period.
China's investment in the EU increased by 70.8 percent year on year in the first four months of the year.
Also on the agenda at the news conference were the allegations of forced-labor in Xinjiang's cotton industry, which recently sparked controversy in Europe and elsewhere. China has denied the groundless allegations.
One major Japanese company recently announced its decision to continue working with suppliers in the region. Ryohin Keikaku, the parent company of the Japanese brand, Muji, recently said that it will continue using cotton produced in Xinjiang.
"We have reiterated this multiple times. The so-called forced-labor issue totally disobeys the facts. Individual countries operate through protectionism and bullying by using so-called human rights violations. This severely damages the international trade and economic order. We urge certain countries to immediately correct their actions. And we would like to continue supporting foreign companies to have trade and investment in Xinjiang," Gao said.
He also confirmed that international organizations, from certain industries, and representatives from foreign companies, will soon visit Xinjiang for an inspection.
Beijing is looking forward to their trip, he added.

domain: news


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Saturday, 7 Jan 2017
With the launch of the 7th gen Core processors for all desktop and mobile form factor systems, it was time for Intel to refresh its NUC system kits. Thanks to the new processors, all of the new NUC systems are a perfect shoe-in for use as a media center to stream 4K premium content.
Friday, 18 Mar 2016
Intel has revealed more details about its Skull Canyon NUC at GDC 2016, including the fact that it will work with the Razer Core external graphics dock. It may be small, but it pretty much has everything it needs to become a high-performance gaming PC.
Wednesday, 13 Jan 2016
Intel has announced upcoming Skylake-based NUC kits with Thunderbolt 3 support. In the meantime, the company has released four other new kits to whet your appetite. Read on to find out the new specifications of these space-saving mini desktops!
Tuesday, 7 Apr 2015
Amazon and Newegg have updated listings for the Windows and Linux versions of the Intel Compute Stick, an ultra-portable flash drive-sized PC that turns any HDMI-equipped display into a computer. Hit the link for more details.
Wednesday, 30 Apr 2014
Intel has unveiled a new entry-level Atom-powered NUC kit aimed at 'thin client applications' at its Global Solutions Summit. Appropriately codenamed Thin Canyon, the new NUC kit will be powered by a Bay Trail E3815 1.46GHz processor and will be priced much lower than existing NUC kits.
Tuesday, 25 Feb 2014
According to leaked Intel roadmaps, the company’s NUCs (Next Unit of Computing) will be refreshed with Broadwell processors, as early as the fourth quarter of this year.
Thursday, 6 Jun 2013
The tiny Intel Next Unit of Computing (NUC) desktop PC which fits in the palm of your hand will be updated soon with Intel's latest 4th generation Core processor.
Wednesday, 23 Jan 2013
Intel is exiting the desktop motherboard business after the launch of its fourth-generation Intel Core processors. This is according to Intel spokesman, Mr. Dan Snyder. The company will focus on areas that include reference design development and its Next Unit of Computing devices.


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Toronto-based global entertainment firm Boat Rocker Media has upped long-time exec Samantha Traub to chief operating officer.
Formerly senior VP of business and legal affairs and general counsel, Traub, pictured, will now oversee the firm’s production team at Boat Rocker Studios in addition to managing the company’s human resources department and any governance issues that arise.
The company’s creative engine, Boat Rocker Studios, is responsible for developing and producing worldwide premium content across all platforms. Its umbrella prodcos include Temple Street, Radical Sheep, Boat Rocker Digital, Boat Rocker Animation, and a partnership with Industrial Brothers.
Traub first joined Boat Rocker Media, then Temple Street Productions, in 2007 serving as its VP of business and legal affairs. In that capacity, she was responsible for managing the structuring of the shop’s domestic and international productions and copro, production legal deals while also negotiating talent and partnership deals.
She served as a key player in Fairfax Financial’s capital investment into Boat Rocker in 2015 and was soon after elevated to senior VP of business and legal affairs and general counsel. She has since played a crucial role in Boat Rocker’s recent acquisition spree and expansion into distribution, kids and family programming and animation services.
Elsewhere, Michel Pratte has been promoted to chief revenue officer at Boat Rocker Media, with oversight on Boat Rocker’s rights, brands and ventures divisions while continuing to lead the shingle’s mergers and acquisitions and corporate development activity.
Traub and Pratte will continue to report into Boat Rocker CEO John Young.


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Morrison & Foerster represented SoftBank Group Corp. in connection with the recently announced Series D US$225 million investment round in VTEX. Other investors in the round were Tiger Global, Lone Pine Capital, Constellation, and Endeavour Catalyst.
Hailing from Brazil, VTEX is a leading e-commerce platform serving global brands and retailers in 28 countries. The company’s innovations include a patent-pending passwordless checkout called SmartCheckout™, an architectural network of microservices to seamlessly deliver continuous updates, and the company’s VTEX IO serverless development framework that enables clients to develop scalable, production-ready web applications for global commerce without infrastructure complexity.
The new funding takes VTEX to unicorn status with a valuation of US$1.7 billion, and a total funding of US$365 million. The funding included a US$140 million venture round led by SoftBank’s Latin America Fund last November.
MoFo’s Latin America corporate team previously represented SoftBank in its earlier investments in Brazil, including real estate leasing company QuintoAndar, bus charter online booking service Buser, data science company Cortex, and IDTech pioneer in ID protection solutions Acesso Digital.
The MoFo deal team is led by Miami-based Latin America Desk co-chair Randy Bullard and corporate partner Juan Delgado, together with corporate associate Julia Danforth.


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Westcon-Comstor Sub-Saharan Africa has once again achieved a Level 1 B-BBEE (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment) rating.
The company is more than 51% black-owned, including an over 35% black woman ownership, which is key to it exceeding all requirements to retain its Level 1 B-BBEE status.
“At Westcon-Comstor, we are committed to ensuring that our business has a sustainable and long-term impact on the lives of all South Africans. Retaining our Level 1 B-BBEE status is testimony to the fact that we have embedded transformation into both our business objectives, as well as our company culture,” states Rakesh Parbhoo, CEO of Westcon-Comstor Sub-Saharan Africa. “I am delighted that we can give our customers and partners the assurance that we will continue to assist them in their efforts to increase their own B-BBEE ratings by recognising their spend with us in their scorecards.
“I need to thank my team who tirelessly work towards ensuring that transformation is part of Westcon-Comstor’s DNA,” Parboo adds. “To us this is far more than a scorecard, it is a programmatic approach towards investment and upliftment initiatives, and opportunities that will have a long-term impact on the livelihood of the South African businesses and people whose lives we touch daily.”


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The Real Alternative Wine Glossary is out now.
Golden Grapes takes place December 8th at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs.
Where to drink natural wine in Zurich, Switzerland.
Four different women have accused Anthony Cailan, 29, sommelier at Manhattan’s The Usual, of sexual misconduct.
An interview with Giampiero Bea of Paolo Bea Winery in Montefalco, Italy.
Freedman’s in Los Angeles, California.
The historic Soda Rock Winery of Healdsburg, Calif. has been destroyed by Northern California’s Kincade Fire. The wildfire, which was started late last Wednesday, has covered roughly 73,000 acres across wine country and has required the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared the Kincade Fire a statewide emergency. Alexander Valley’s…
Where to drink natural wine in Toronto, Ontario.
Wine Call takes place November 16th and 17th at The Mint in San Francisco.


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- 'Lunch shaming' solution will take concerted effort (5/16/19)
- Peace officers deserve honor each and every day (5/15/19)
- Mid-Nebraska provides vital services for area (5/14/19)
- Generic drug hike not a figment of your imagination (5/13/19)
- Disclosure of drug prices could begin much-needed change (5/9/19)
- Time for armed security at every school gathering (5/8/19)
- Red Cross providing timely help (5/7/19)
New GMO rules should tell whole story
Rather than let Vermont dictate GMO food standards for the country, the Senate passed a labeling law last week and the House will take up the issue in short order.
There's no guarantee the House will go along with the requirement.
While humans have been modifying their foods for centuries through selective breeding, it's only been a few years that they've been able to manipulate DNA directly, by inserting a gene from one plant or animal into another.
You've eaten GMO food today whether you realize it or not, in the form of soybean oil, cornstarch, or high-fructose corn syrup.
Corn and soybeans are most commonly modified to resist disease or herbicides, and 75 to 80 percent of foods contain products made from them, foods the U.S. Food and Drug Administration assures us are safe.
Whether or not a labeling bill makes it to President Obama's desk, be prepared for a slew of products advertised as "Non-GMO" -- even if they never were made from GMO products in the first place.
And, besides hybridization and selective breeding, there are other ways our food supply has been modified besides the techniques known as genetic modification.
For instance, removal of an undesirable gene from a plant does qualify it as a GMO food.
And, a number of foods such as barley and rice have been modified by accelerating evolution through the bombardment of radiation. That red grapefruit grown in Texas was created by a breeder in the mid-1960s who exposed grapefruit tree buds to radiation. Called mutagenesis or radiation breeding, that technique produces food that can be certified as organic.
Some genetic mutations occur naturally, of course, such as orange carrots, which were favored by humans over the original purple and yellow ones that were more common in nature.
If some form of the Senate bill finally makes it into law, consumbers will be able to scan a code on their smart phones to go to a website that explains the food's genetic modification and the reason it was done.
Vermont leaders such as Bernie Sanders say the federal law doesn't go far enough, falling short of that state's stricter GMO laws that went into effect last week.
Consumers have a right to know what they're eating, and new GMO labeling requirements seem to be a reasonable step.
But any new requirements should allow the whole story to be told, not simply be a knee-jerk reaction to the latest food scare story.


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6-26-2019 — Charles Lindsey, associate professor of marketing, was quoted by the Associated Press in a story about the impact online shopping is having on small businesses.
4-10-2019 — Arun Lakshmanan, associate professor of marketing, was interviewed by CBS News about a controversial tweet by Gillette and the impact it may have on the brand.
4-9-2019 — Emily Grijalva, assistant professor of organization and human resources, wrote an Associated Press article about her research showing how narcissistic players can negatively impact team performance. The article originally appeared in The Conversation.
4-5-2019 — Brian Wolfe, assistant professor of finance, spoke with Christian Science Monitor about how artificial intelligence can help individuals struggling to save.


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Welcome to the Trendenz Special Contributors feature. Every now and then we bring you inside stories and reports from journalists around the world. Our first contributor is Brazilian journalist and writer Vanessa Barone who gives us a particular and informed vision on the most recent São Paulo Fashion Week and Brazilian Fashion.
São Paulo Fashion Week, the biggest in Latin America, is now over. Looking back at all the shows and the designs for the summer 2014 a question remains: when will Brazilian designers cease to blindly follow what the designers from luxury brands come up with? The most recent edition of this Brazilian fashion week did lack prominent designers like Reinaldo Lourenço, Gloria Coelho and Clô Orozco (from Huis Clos *) and gave us a show of imported trends slightly adapted to the Brazilian climate and consumer profile. The need to follow the pace of international catwalks is perfectly understandable. But having an event like São Paulo Fashion Week (SPFW) repeating what international fashion has already launched does not seem reasonable. Now on its 35th edition, we hope this event and Brazilian designers address this issue.
Prints were all over, particularly stripes, in shows by Alexandre Herchcovitch, Colcci, Osklen and Têca, just to name a few. But these very same stripes are there in the most recent campaigns by Oscar de La Renta and Marc Jacobs, and in the bags by Michael Kors – after having been spotted at the Spring 2013 show by Dolce & Gabbana.
Combination between black and white – an undeniable classic in fashion – was recently revisited by Balenciaga in its Spring 2013 collection. This trend is particularly strong and deserves a full editorial in the April issue of American Vogue. In this event Black and White was explored by brands such as UMA, Têca, Juliana Jabour and Tufi Duek. This colour combination often comes back in fashion and the fact that it was adopted by Brazilian designers precisely now is no coincidence.
It was difficult to define what will be “the colour of summer”. Red, orange and shades of green were some of the strongest bets. But the unanimous colour was white, which was there in the full looks by Colcci, Cori, UMA, Tufi Duek and Têca.
Regarding cuts and shapes, the prevailing combination was between high waist trousers or skirts with short tops unveiling the belly, a trend already presented by Balenciaga, by the way. This combination was replicated here by brands such as Colcci, Osklen, Neon and Alexandre Herchcovitch. This is pretty much a Carmen Miranda style, suited certainly for few – and good- occasions.
Men’s fashion was not much represented in the event. João Pimenta was the only designer showing items just for them. Colcci and Osklen did also presented designs for men, but in mixed shows. From what we could see, the season promises to be less well behaved – something which was visible among European designer brands. In the Old Continent traditional brands have shown men wearing suits with shorts trousers– or even, shorts. In Brazil, this trend is not here yet, not even in hotter days.
Beach fashion was not much represented in this edition of SPFW. But from what we could see at the shows by Água de Coco, “tropical” themes still nurture the imagination of designers working in this segment. As to the shapes, democracy still rules – with thongs for those who prefer tiny beachwear items and hot pants for those who privilege comfort. One-piece swimsuits are still and big trend and they come in super elaborated designs. In this respect Brazilian fashion does seem to have sought inspiration in itself.
* Nearly a week after this edition of São Paulo Fashion Week Brazilian fashion lost one of its biggest icons. Clô Orozco, founder of the brands Huis Clos and Maria Garcia was found dead on March 28 in the garden of the building where she lived in São Paulo. She worked 35 years in fashion and was one of the biggest designers Brazil has ever seen. She didn’t like the obvious and she never copied international trends. She wanted to make clothes for strong, independent and self-assured women and for that she created clothes with geometrical lines and sophisticated fabrics.
By Vanessa Barone, reporting from São Paulo


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Automotive - - Dec 27,2016
Hyundai Motors has decided to trim production costs and cut down perks for overseas employees, in the wake of heading for a fourth straight annual profit decline.
The South Korean automaker is scaling back on business class flights and annual family home trips for overseas employees, as it was hit by its exposure to weak emerging markets and a production line-up that features more sedans as compared to sports utility vehicles (SUVs).
The company attributes the decrease in profits to the lacking SUVs in its vehicle line-up. Meanwhile, SUVs gained popularity globally, Hyundai has been unable to take advantage of the change as most of its line-up consists of sedans.
The saved costs would be aimed to prepare new models and a design revamp especially in manufacturing SUVs. This cost cutting even includes reducing printing and use of fluorescent light bulbs. Since October, Hyundai Motor Group executives have taken a 10 percent pay cut – the first time in last seven years. The number of executives at Hyundai Motors has been raised by 44 percent in the last five years, to 293 last year.
A spokesperson from Hyundai said that the company doesn’t have any specific long term plans other than just focusing more on the production of SUVs, thus it is just trying to save every penny. The group has also downgraded hotel rooms for executive travel, and it is encouraging the use of video calls as a cheaper alternative to travel.
Ko Tae-bong, analyst at Hi Investment and Securities, said that Hyundai cannot compromise with low-margin supplier parts and labor costs but it definitely needs to spend more on research and development in self driving, electric vehicles and other emerging technologies.
Hyundai’s top US executive has resigned, its Chinese head and the South Korean sales chief have been replaced; all in the wake of falling sales and revenues.


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China: Up To 6 Million Plug-In Vehicles Will Be Sold In 202
EV subsidies are reduced by 30% in 2022 and will be gone in 2023.
Plug-in electric car sales in China were growing in 2021 at a very fast rate and it’s expected that this trend will continue in 2022.
© InsideEVs Xpeng P7
During the first 11 months of 2021, more than 2.7 million passenger plug-in cars were sold, which is 14.3% of the total. Once December numbers are announced, we will see a result noticeably above 3 million (compared to more than 1.27 million and 9.4% market share in 2020).
According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) (via CnEVPost), in 2022, sales of plug-in electric cars might reach 5.5 million, while the overall New Energy Vehicle volume (including commercial vehicles and buses) should be at up to 6 million.
The market share would then further increase to 22%, and most likely, the majority of plug-ins will be all-electric.
Those are pretty serious numbers that will translate into very high global EV sales, as China is the world’s largest EV market.
According to the reports, in 2022, the incentive to buy an electric car in China will be reduced by 30% compared to 2021.
We already saw it in the case of Tesla, which in November adjusted the price info for cars that were envisioned for 2022. The eligible subsidy was reduced by exactly 30% from 15,840 CNY to 11,088 CNY ($1,745).
It’s actually positive news that the market is expected to expand significantly – almost double – while the subsidies are decreasing.
In 2023, the direct subsidies will be completely removed, at least if nothing serious happens.
We guess that China has also some other mechanisms, like EV credit quotas or local incentives/ICE registration limits that help, but overall, the market is maturing and electric cars are becoming competitive enough on their own.


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BT faces defeat in Sky football clash
BT is facing a humiliating defeat in its battle with BSkyB to win Premier League football viewers. The telecoms group is spending tens of millions of pounds creating and promoting its pay-TV package, but it is on course to sign up only 60,000 households.
This is despite a £30million marketing push which started last month with TV commercials featuring footballers Michael Owen, Shay Given, Wes Brown and Gareth Bale.
Before launching its football offer, BT had 481,000 subscribers to its BT Vision service, which launched in 2006 and requires customers to take its broadband internet service as well as the TV package.
Trounced in: BT's multi-million pound campaign has persuaded only 60,000 to sign up for is TV package
However, the last five months mark the first time that BT and other pay-TV providers have been able to offer subscribers live Premier League football after media watchdog Ofcom forced BSkyB to supply Sky Sports 1 and 2 to rivals at a regulated price. BSkyB is planning to appeal.
BSkyB has about 9.8million subscribers and is heading for ten million by the end of the year. Its own advertising campaign this summer featured former Manchester United star Eric Cantona and emphasised the breadth of sport and the number of channels available on Sky and tacitly branded BT's rival service a ' compromise'.
The original ruling from Ofcom followed a complaint from BT and other pay-TV providers such as Virgin Media that BSkyB's hold on live Premier League football rights was damaging competition.
Despite winning the rights to show some matches, analysts at investment bank Execution Noble reckon that BT will have signed up just 60,000 new subscribers in the three months to the end of September.
Most of the increase is expected to have happened already, ahead of the Premier League season, which kicked-off this weekend.
Execution Noble analyst Will Draper said: 'This is a very small number compared with what BT wanted. BSkyB has marketed very aggressively against it, highlighting the number of sports channels Sky can offer compared with BT.
'Also, BT's prices sounded good value at £6.99 for Sky Sports 1 or 2, but when customers realised they had to have a two-year contract, BT broadband and pay line rental, they realised it was not so competitive.'
It costs £36.52 a month to get Sky Sports 1 or 2 on BT Vision, compared with £27 from Sky, £30.99 on Virgin Media and £22.99 on Top Up TV. Draper reckons most new BT Vision subscribers are likely to have switched from Freeview rather than defected from Sky.
BT declined to comment on subscriber figures for BT Vision, saying that they were confidential and would be officially released later in the year.
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Update: Hear our interview on KNSJ radio with Micole Moore, Ramona Valley Vineyards Association, and Elaine Lytleton, Hatfield Creek Vineyards and Winery, here:
Are the County's proposed changes rooted in 'sour grapes' complaints filed by competitors of successful new wineries?
By Miriam Raftery
July 12, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Several years ago, the County adopted a tiered winery ordinance designed to promote agriculture and help small “boutique” winery owners. But now the County is proposing drastic changes. At a packed hearing last week, numerous winery owners and heads of vintners’ associations turned out, most warning of dire harm to the region’s wine industry if the proposal is adopted.
“Should the changes proceed as written, many fear for the death of our budding wineries, eliminating our potential growth, impact and long-term commitment to our communities,” a letter to County program manager Joseph Farace signed by Teri Kerns and Micole Moore states. Moore is president of Ramona Valley Vineyard Association, which has over 100 members. Kerns is Editor in Chief of the Ramona Valley Wine Region Magazine. Together, the couple also owns Ramona Ranch Vineyard and Winery.
The current ordinance established three levels: boutique wineries, small wineries (which require an administrative permit) and large (requires a major use permit).
Mike Menghini of Menghini Winery got a major use permit back in 1980 for $25,000 long before the tiered winery ordinance was adopted. Today, he says an MUP would cost around $250,000—prohibitive for new vintners. But he says of his newer competitors, “These guys want a major use permit without a major use permit.” He wants to see the smaller wineries “fight the fight to make it easier to go up the ladder. They’re fighting the wrong battle.”
Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who pushed for adoption of the original ordinance, said she “never dreamed of the success.” Back then, Ramona had just one winery with a tasting room. Today, there are more than 30 in Ramona alone—and more in other areas, such as along Highway 94 in Jamul and points further east. “Our wines in San Diego County are certainly better than the big “T” (Temecula), she said, “but we heard from some of you that we need some changes.”
But that success could be stopped and some wineries forced out of business if the new rules are adopted, many vintners say. Moreover, several winemakers told East County Magazine that the County’s proposal stems from anonymous complaints made by larger competitors. Kerns and Moore brought neighbors to attest that they did not complain about noise. So who did?
ECM has asked the Sheriff and County Code compliance for records of those complaints, but thus far we have not received an answer.
Are the “complaints” over noise and possible code infractions merely sour grapes from one or more winemakers seeking to stomp out competition?
Peter Clark form Altipiano Winery in Ramona says after he published an opinion on what the original ordinance meant in 2013, “anonymous complaints were made against 13 wineries. Ours was among the first investigation. No violations were found except we needed a permit to convert our tasting room. The other 12 complaints are on hold…Twelve wineries face being shut down, so we’re in turmoil. The phrase, `if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’” applies here,” he added, drawing applause from the crowd.
But Andy Harris from Chuparosa winery says some wineries aren’t in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and are offering up tastings in “everything from basements to sheds.” He asked for even enforcement.
The proposed revisions would ban parties and any event that is advertised or promoted, and also seemsto make no allowances even for private events not promoted ot the public. “This is very restrictive and not in line with the promotion of agri-tourism,” Kerns and Moore write. “In my review of several other successful wine regions in California, boutique wineries are allowed a limited number of events per year by-right.” She wants the ordinance amended to allow up to 24 events a year for up to 100 guests. That could conceivably allow parties and smaller weddings, providing an important source of revenue for struggling smaller wineries.
Outside amplified music is prohibited. County staff says that’s because they don’t want to see concerts at boutique wineries. But Kerns and Moore, who have been forced to shut down low-key, background music even during weekend tastings, say the Sheriff told them to get an entertainment license. But Kerns says the County informed her that as agricultural land, their property is not eligible for an entertainment license, so they can’t get a permit to play music at all on their outdoor tasting patio – even though neighbors have no complaints. Kerns and Moore, along with many others, asked that the County allow music as long as it doesn’t exceed the decibel levels of the existing County Noise Ordinance.
The ordinance would not allow wineries to promote a musician, even one donating his or her time. Michael Duryer, a professional musician who performs mostly background music for wine tasting in Ramona and Temecula, says if wineries can’t promote name artists, they lose the opportunity to bring people up to the wineries . “The experience of live music is a positive thing.”
Another dispute is whether boutique wineries should be allowed to offer catered food. The county prohibits preparation of any foods onsite at boutique wineries, though sales of prepackaged items such as crackers and cheese would be allowed.
Caterers including the owners of Jeremy’s on the Hill and John Little Catering both suggested the ordinance is unclear and overly restrictive. Jeremy’s owner asked for a list of which wineries are boutique, small and large. He suggested allowing caterers to apply for annual events that would allow food service at wineries in all three tiers.
Not everyone agreed. A spokesperson from one winery people should come for wines and offering crackers should be adequate.
But caterer John Little responded, “When people go there, they want to have some food—not go to a winery and just have a cracker. It’s not church. We don’t go to a winery to have communion.” He says restricting caterers from cooking onsite is “not good for business.”
Les Paul spoke on behalf of the East County Vintners’ Association. “We’re on Highway 94,” he said, adding that if motorists are drinking alcohol, “They need food.” Serving food with wine would make 94 safer than serving alcohol alone, he added.
The ordinance would also severely limit the amount of tables in outdoor eating areas and the hours of operation.
Kerns and Moore object to the ordinance being so strict it would prohibit even food trucks that commonly serve up fare at wineries and breweries in other jurisdictions.
Some pointed out that the strict language, if adopted by the county on this and other points, would pit wineries in the unincorporated region against wineries in incorporated cities such as La Mesa or San Diego, where such restrictions do not apply.
New limits on building sizes are so stringent that vintners say it would be impossible to produce the amount of wine that the boutique ordinance allows by right. Aging and storing wine alone requires about a foot per case, so just to store 5,000 cases would require 5,000 square feet—not counting space needed for shipping, offices, a laboratory, maintenance and more. Ramona Valley Ranch is just 10 acres, so would be limited to only 3,200 square feet total if the new rules are adopted. The owners propose doubling the size limit.
Additionally, the new language would ban use of extra barns or agricultural storage. “Where are we to store all of the equipment that is used once a year in the harvest and production of wine?” Kerns and Moore ask.
Sourcing and blending fruit
Many winemakers have said they cooperate with other growers to blend grapes for their wines, but until now, the was not expressly allowed. On this point, the County has agreed to allow up to 25% of grapes for local wines to be sourced from other wineries inside San Diego County.
But many testified that this does not go far enough. Linda McWilliams, head of the San Diego County Vintners Association and co-owner of San Pasqual Winery in La Mesa, says “We cannot get enough of everything we need here, especially white wines, but it’s one of the most in demand. We need to be competitive.”
Others testified that there are not enough of some grapes locally to produce bulk wine. In addition, a vintner from outside the county pointed out that when a regional disaster occurs such as the Napa Valley earthquake, pest damage to crops, wildfire or drought loss, wineries must be able to source grapes elsewhere short term to stay in business.
Winemakers ask for equal rights with other winemaking regions in California—and give evidence how the wine business boosts economies
Eric Metz from Lenora Winery in Ramona summed up the sentiments of many in the hearing room. “I don’t want to see rights that we have taken away.” He said it’s expensive to start up a winery -- $15,000 to $35,000 an acre just to put in grapes. It can take seven years or more, including aging, for some red wines to be ready for market. “Being able to operate like any other winery in the state is critical,” Metz told County staff.
Across America, the wine industry has helped to revitalize rural economies – nowhere more so than here in California, in regions such as Napa, Temecula and Pasa Robles that have regulations friendly to the wine business.
These statistics from the California Wine Institute’s 2013 report show that winemaking is big business in California and the nation:
- Tourists spent $2.1 billion in the California wine industry in 2013, through 20.7 million wine-related tourist visits.
- The California wine industry paid $14.7 billion in state and federal taxes in 2013 alone and has created 25.8 billion jobs in the U.S.
- Nationwide, the wine industry fortified the U.S. economy with $162 billion, according to MKF research on “The Impact of Wine, Grapes and Grape Products on the American Economy-Family Businesses Building Value.”
Kerns and Moore recall that from when they moved to Ramona in 2004 until 2009, “We saw our property values plummet, local businesses go bankrupt and the town of Ramona earn the designation in some circles as blighted.”
But after adoption of the boutique winery ordinance, the town rebounded with much of that due to the impact of 30 new wineries with tasting rooms and many vineyards. Visitors come to Ramona for the wine, but also stop to shop and dine at local stores and restaurants. “Main Street is now inviting, with interesting and varied shops and businesses. At the heart of this momentum is our wine tourism industry,” Kerns and Moore conclude in their letter to the county.
But these family winery businesses are rooted in the community, and most are less than 10 acres. Critics say the proposed changes to the San Diego County Winery ordinance are not friendly for small businesses, consumers, or agri-tourism.
“The future of Ramona’s economic development is very much dependent on the wine industry,” said Ramona Chamber of Commerce executive director Robert Argyelan, who voiced serious concerns over the proposed ordinance changes.
Elaine Lyttleton, co-owner of Hatfield Creek Winery in Ramona, notes that the San Diego County Farm Bureau’s recent event brought 200 tourists into the community—one of many wine-oriented events that could be in jeopardy. She adds that beyond agricultural interests, the wine industry here now supports musicians, caterers and community leaders all “enjoying the economic development prospects trickling down from the infant San Diego wine industry—and who are threatened by some of the new rules popping up in this version.”
Kerns and Moore say that a survey of Ramona winemakers found that the majority said if the proposed ordinance language was in place, they would not open a winery today.
The leaders of Ramona’s wine industry asked County staff to “Look at the challenges facing our start-up industry and let us know if you want us to succeed or stagnate?” They concluded by urging the County to proceed cautiously and “avoid adding restrictions that would make our future as wine-grape growers and wine-makers unsustainable, eliminating the potential tax base created by this growing industry and revitalization of our back country.”
Following last week’s heated hearing, the next steps will be a public review process that will run for 30 or 45 days with a goal to complete revisions by year’s end. Staff encourages comments and suggestions for improving language in the ordinance.
Disclosure: East County Magazine has held events at wineries in the past. Our editor testified to the negative impact that this ordinance would have on nonprofit organizations such as ours, if events and promotion of musicians and winery events are not allowed. We also feel it would be a disservice to our readers if we were not allowed to inform you about the many activities and events offered at local wineries.


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Mar 12, 2018
Zendaya curates spring collection for Boohoo.com
Mar 12, 2018
She is a wildly successful actress, singer and songwriter, and now Zendaya can add "fashion designer" to that impressive list.
The US star has been snapped up by the online British retailer Boohoo.com to collaborate on a capsule clothing edit set to be unveiled on March 21. The collection, dubbed the "Zendaya Edit," will consist of 50 pieces picked from the brand's Spring 2018 series by the fashion icon herself, spanning dresses, separates and athleisure pieces that ring in at Boohoo.com's typically affordable price points.
Zendaya will also allegedly front the collection's campaign -- a job she is well versed in, having previously modelled for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana and CoverGirl. However, the collaboration confirms her status as a rising fashion heavyweight, and follows a year of killer red carpet dressing.
Since being founded in 2006, Boohoo.com has carved out a niche for itself as the ultimate fast-fashion fix at affordable price points, growing rapidly to cover menswear, womenswear and children's fashion and accessories. The brand also acquired LA label Nasty Girl in 2017.
Copyright © 2022 AFP-Relaxnews. All rights reserved.


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Agriculture: A number of vegetable groups in Phongmey are left struggling due to small market. Despite bountiful harvest every year, members are unable to market their products.
There are seven vegetable groups in the gewog. Their only reliable market is the Dungtse Central School (DCS).
Dorji Lhamo, chairman of Bumtang Tshesey Tshogpa, said the group could only sell about 30 percent of their vegetables last year. “After working hard in our gardens, it is discouraging to see that almost 50 percent of our vegetables go to waste. It is because we have more vegetable groups.”
Members said that the vegetable business in the gewog worse a few years back. In 2006, Tshering Penjor, chairman of Jangjangma Tshesey Tshogpa, together with a few villagers, formed the first vegetable group in Phongmey. Back the nearest market meant travelling to Trashigang town or Samdrupjongkhar.
“In order to compete with the vegetables imported from India, we had to sell our vegetables at very low rates,” said Tshering Penjor. “Sometimes, we couldn’t recover the transportation charges.”
Transporting the vegetables became difficult during summers when the Yudiri (river) swell. In 2014, the gewog took the initiative to market vegetables to Samdrupjongkhar but Yudiri had washed away the road. They were left stranded.
“We had to wait for almost two days until the block was cleared. The monsoon damaged all the vegetables by the time we reached FCB auction yard,” said Phongmey Mangmi Namgyel Wangdi. About 800kg vegetables had to be dumped at the landfill in Samdrupjongkhar. The incident left members discouraged.
Today, DCS buys about 2500kg vegetables from the groups every week. To sustain all vegetable groups, the groups have resorted to supply vegetables to the school on a rotation basis.
“Without a timetable for supplying the vegetables, some groups supplied more. So we agreed to supply turn wise,” Tshering Penjor said.
Phongmey chiwog tshogpa, Yonten Jamtsho, said that supplying vegetables to the school becomes difficult when the season is over.
“At times, we buy from other villages and supply to the school. After entering into a contract, groups have to meet the school’s demands,” he said.
Tshering Wangdi | Trashigang


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Homegrown insurance technology (insurtech) startup Kwik.insure today (March 30) launched the country’s largest online insurance marketplace with over 100 life and non-life insurance products from 15 top providers.
Consumers can select, search, and compare different insurance offerings digitally, just as they would in popular e-commerce platforms.
Kwik.insure partners include Sun Life and Malayan, the largest life and non-life insurers in the country.
All transactions are done online and users receive their e-policies directly from the insurance firms, cutting down processing time from days to just five minutes.
“Filipinos are now used to shopping online, so we patterned our platform after what they are already accustomed to,” explained Kwik.insure Founder and CEO Hamilton Angluben.
“We made sure that our platform makes insurance easy to understand and quick to purchase,” he pointed out
“The end-to-end process is 100 percent digital. People are instantly protected the moment payment is confirmed. We are one of the first insurtech companies in Southeast Asia to be able to offer real-time coverage,” Angluben stressed.
Ceating a transparent and easy-to-understand platform, the startup seeks to remove the negative perception around insurance, normally perceived as complicated, unaffordable, and difficult to purchase.
A user can purchase a Vital Cover (Covid-19 Cash Assistance Benefit) from Malayan Insurance via Kwik.insure for P130 by simply signing in, clicking on the insurance product and checking out.
The Insurance Commission (IC) welcomed the development and recently approved Kwik.insure’s brokerage license.
“We hope Kwik.insure contributes to the advancement of the industry and help get more Filipinos adequately insured,” confirmed IC Deputy Commissioner Randy Escolango.
The insurtech firm is partnering with more insurance and healthcare providers to add more products to its platform.
Life, travel, and property insurance categories will also be made available soon.
Payment options include VISA and Mastercard credit and debit cards, over-the-counter channels, banking apps, and e-wallets.


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Hello, friends, and welcome to Daily Crunch, bringing you the most important startup, tech and venture capital news in a single package.
In this issue: How the Space Coast braced for the storm; Humans: 1, Asteroids: 0; News from Astra, Firehawk Aerospace and more
Section 230 of the Communications Act, which prevents online platforms from being liable for the content posted by their users, will be evaluated by the Supreme Court in the coming season. It’s
Twitter’s throwback feature, Twitter Status, is today expanding its list of potential status updates to choose from, in a continuation of tests that began this July. The feature, which is someth
Electric vehicle maker Rivian announced its Q3 production and delivery numbers on Monday, revealing it made 7,363 of its R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV during the three-month period that ended on Septem
Today, Spotify released the first two episodes of the new original podcast “Kim Kardashian’s The System: The Case of Kevin Keith,” narrated by reality TV star Kim K and true-crime producer Lori
The company said the health and wellness industry was a natural next step for it and instant delivery overall.
Spin, which was acquired by Tier Mobility earlier this year, has laid off about 10% of its staff and is exiting Canada and Seattle.
One of the highest-profile sexual assault allegations against Chinese business tycoons ended abruptly this past weekend. Liu Qiangdong (also known as Richard Liu), the founder of Chinese e-commerce gi
Facebook parent Meta has settled a lawsuit in the U.S. against two companies that had engaged in data scraping operations, which had seen them gathering data from Facebook and Instagram users for mark
I’ve long been super against edited tweets, mostly for technical reasons. The core issue is that Twitter isn’t like other social media sites; unlike, say Instagram and Facebook posts, embe
Rather than an unfairly targeted outlier, count Kim Kardashian as the first of many celebrities who should start facing the consequences of their actions.
Liquid Death is more than simply bougie water. It comes with built-in liquidity, ensuring that its investors won't be parched on the deal.
Golden State Warrior and four-time NBA champion Draymond Green will take the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt on October 18–20 in San Francisco — and get ready for a plot twist. He will bring his popul
Twitter is rolling out the ability to edit tweets to Twitter Blue subscribers in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the social network announced on Monday. The company says the edit button will roll o
With public stock valuations way down, it's surprising we aren't seeing more aggressive M&A activity from acquisitive companies and private equity alike.
While the broader virtual reality industry earnestly waits for Meta’s next announcements around new VR products at its Connect event next week, Google’s venture arm GV is placing an interesting be
Dating app Bumble has been experimenting with a new way for its users to connect. The company has been quietly testing a speed-dating feature in its U.K. market, which allows users to join the app on
YouTube’s Premium paid subscription includes benefits like ad-free viewing, video and song downloads for offline consumption, and background plays. Now, it might also be shifting video streaming
An antitrust win for Amazon and Apple in Italy, where an appeals court has cancelled a multimillion-dollar penalty the pair were hit with last year for alleged collusion following an investigation int


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The UK’s first ever KFC is now set to close its doors forever.
Fishergate in Preston has been home to the KFC restaurant since it first opened in 1965. It was the first to open in the country and has been there ever since.
The company has now chosen not to renew their lease on the building.
Preston has three other KFC premises in the city to offer, but locals have reacted to the news with sadness, stating that the closing of the restaurant will be the end of a part of Preston’s history.
Original reports of the closure came with claims that this KFC was due to close in early 2015, when the lease on the building will expire.
However it now looks that it is possible that management have decided to shut early.
The image above shows a sign currently occupying the window of this KFC branch, stating that it will not be open until further notice, found on December 3rd by one of our reporters.


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The Conference Board Consumer Confidence index climbed higher to 127.4 (1985=100) in July, up from 127.1 in June. The Present Situation Index improved from 161.7 to 165.9, while the Expectations.
The latest ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index shows a 4.7 per cent rise from mid-December to 122 points – its highest since November 2013 – thanks to significant increases in all sub components.
UK consumer confidence climbs to six-year high. Market research company GfK said its monthly consumer confidence index rose to -10 from -13 in August. It was the highest reading since November.
Mortgage applications increase 1.3% Mortgage rates hold tight Mortgage Rates Hold Steady at Lowest Levels in March. With bonds trading at the lows, locking in today is the way to go. Until we break 2.81 and stay below for at least 2 days, i will continue to advise locking as early as possible. – Victor Burek, churchill mortgage bond markets tread water today, remaining with tight ranges,Wells Fargo clears living will hurdle; sanctions removed by Fed, FDIC 2018 Women of influence: elizabeth giddens senate Bank Chair weighs sweeping GSE, mortgage lending overhaul The banking agencies are considering issuing roughly a dozen different rulemakings in response to the bill spearheaded by senate banking committee chairman. so long as the bank holds the mortgage.KEYWORDS HW Women of Influence HW Women of Influence 2018 Valerie Ausband Valerie Ausband is the woman behind Arch MI’s Executive Women’s Conference, a development event that brings together.These include at least one which helped evade north korea sanctions: Bank of Tokyo.. After US OCC Apologized to Wells Fargo, Fed Imposes Cap on Growth For.. the living wills exercise and the volcker rule limiting proprietary trading. to be clear ICP will herein have the following focus, on the Federal Reserve.On a monthly basis, the index gained 1.3% in August with Las Vegas leading at an. Recent increases in mortgage rates and fewer mortgage applications are two factors in these shifts.”.
MAGAnomics – U.S. Consumer Confidence "Reaches Highest Point in 17 Years", Wage Rates Climbing. Posted on October 31, 2017 by sundance The U.S. Conference Board is an economic think tank in partnership with Nielsen surveys which provides predictive economic analysis based on consumer and economic surveys within the larger U.S. economy.
Consumer confidence in Florida is now the highest it’s been since before the Great Recession, a new survey has found. Florida consumer confidence climbs to nearly 6-year high – News – Daytona.
NY Consumer Confidence Up; Highest Since Summer of 2007 NY Consumer Confidence Up; Highest Since Summer of 2007 Plans to Purchase Homes Reach Five Year Peak; Nearly 6% in Real Estate Market Gas and Food Worries.
TAIPEI (CNA) – Consumer confidence in Taiwan continued to climb in February following its rebound the previous month, with rising faith reflected in all six sub-indexes, according to a survey released Feb. 27 by National Central University (NCU).
Economic strength hinges on China a feature of China’s socialist economy that provided guarantees of lifetime employment, income, and basic cradle-to-grave benefits to most urban and rural workers. Economic reforms beginning in the 1980s that aimed at improving efficiency and work motivation sought to mash the iron rice bowl and link employment and income more directly to.
Consumer confidence back near 16-year high. Consumer confidence index climbs to 121.1 in July from 117.3. By.. That’s the highest level since mid-2001.
Consumer confidence climbs to 2nd highest since august 2013.. posting their worst performance since June 2012.. The US consumer is not ready to splurge just yet.
CFPB’s Steven Antonakes dials back for borrowers The honorable richard cordray Director Consumer Financial protection bureau 1275 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20001 Dear Director Cordray: As you are aware, today marks the fifth anniversary of.
Consumer confidence rose last week for the fifth week in a row to the second-highest level since August, according to the Bloomberg consumer confidence index.
Consumer Confidence Index climbs in January. The share of consumers who said jobs are plentiful increased to 4.3 percent, the highest since August, from 3.1 percent, according to the Conference Board. The proportion of people who said jobs are hard to get fell to 47.4 percent from 48.1 percent.


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U.S. prosecutors have charged one current and five former Fitbit employees, accusing them of taking stolen trade secrets from their former employer, Jawbone, to their new jobs at Fitbit.
An indictment filed Thursday in federal court in Northern California says the employees received the stolen trade secrets after leaving Jawbone and knew they were not supposed to have them.
The named defendants include six former and current Fitbit employees: Katherine Mogal, 52, of San Francisco; Ana Rosario, 33, of Pacifica; Patrick Narron, 41, of Boulder Creek; Patricio Romano, 37, of Calabasas; Rong Zhang, 45, of El Cerrito; and Jing Qi Weiden, 39, of San Jose.
The indictment describes Jawbone as a company that "designed, manufactured and sole wearable electronic devices, fitness trackers and wireless speakers." It alleges that Jawbone's protected internal computer systems and cloud storage contained trade secrets, 14 of which are described in the indictment.
According to the indictment, each of the defendants worked for Jawbone for at least one year between May of 2011 and April of 2015, and had signed a confidentiality agreement with the company.
A Fitbit spokesman says a judge in a related case found that no Jawbone trade secrets were misappropriated or used in any Fitbit product, feature or technology.
The defendants are scheduled to make their first appearance in court on July 9, 2018, before US Magistrate Judge Virginia K. DeMarchi in San Jose.


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Ukrainian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade published addendum to the decree on additional restrictions of imports from the aggressor country, which will come into force in ten days after publication and will be valid till August 5, 2016 or until Russia cancels embargo on Ukrainian goods, Joinfo.ua reported with reference to the Ministry official site.
The list contains about 70 tariff lines, namely onions, green tea, fish, caviar (black caviar) and caviar of other fishes, white chocolate, confectionery in the form of a gum or jelly, including fruit paste (marmalade), chocolates containing alcohol, cereals, crispy bread, soy sauce, ketchup and other.
It should be recalled that, Ukrainian embargo on Russian imports came into force on January 10, 2016. The list included over 30 positions, such as meat, fish, cereals, grains, baked goods, vodka, beer, cigarettes, confectionery, feed, chemicals and a number of railway equipment.
As the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine noted, these steps will be taken to protect the economic interests and security of Ukraine.
On December 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the suspension of the free trade area agreement with Ukraine and imposed embargo on Ukrainian imports, as a response to the Agreement on the Free and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the EU and Ukraine, valid from January 1, 2016.
Besides, Russia fully halted the transit of goods from Ukraine through its territory from January 4, 2016.


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iPhone 12 Launch Event: Hi, Speed on October 13th.
2 years ago
Apple finally announced that it would eventually hold an iPhone 12 Launch Event on October 13th called "Hi, Speed." The company is all set to get its hands on 5g for the latest iPhone 12 model.
But like always, people can cherish themselves with a whole of different announcements like any previous iPhone launch event and the same for this iPhone 12 launch event. The iPhone 12 is expected to be Apple's first-ever smartphone with 5G technology.
iPhone 12 Launch Event in Details
Apple likes to give teasers and hints to people as to what to expect on specific points. As per previous experiences, sometimes these signs are less obvious, and sometimes these signs are pretty much straightforward.
The Hi, Speed iPhone 12 launch event refers to the next generation of 5G connectivity. iPhone 12 will be the very first iPhone with 5G enabled technology. Even no iPads or any other product from Apple has offered 5G connectivity so far. So Apple is most likely to welcome this new era of fast data connectivity with iPhone 12 launch event.
An upgrade to the current Apple A13 Bionic SOC, Apple has announced that iPhone 12 will be powered by an all-new A14 Bionic processor making iPhone 12 the most powerful iPhone ever made.
But still, it's not clear which of the four models of the iPhone 12 will pack 5G connectivity.
Apple likewise needs liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) innovation installed in the iPhone 12 to uphold the 5G network framework.
Furthermore, some extra particulars may be utilized for the iPhone 12 arrangement, for example, a 7-component focal point framework, 4K 240fps video, and a Lightning USB-C link.
Colors of the New iPhone 12
One of the leaks given the iPhone 12 launch event concerns the iPhone 12 colors. The new design might additionally enhance bits of gossip about the midnight blue iPhone 12. The circle picture highlighted in the iPhone 12 launch event invitation could likewise be deciphered as a sound wave.
This could mean the reputed littler and more moderate Apple HomePod Mini speaker may be turning out. The organization is likewise expected to deliver AirPods Studio over-ear earphones.
Should You Buy the Apple iPhone 12?
The announcement that Apple will be releasing the new iPhone 12 in October this year and realizing that there are no iPhone design updates released in 2020 has left many asking whether they should buy the new iPhone 12 model.
Familiar Design Language
One of the most significant downsides to the new 12 Apple phone is that it looks the same as the current iPhone 11 Pro or Pro Max using the same housing and dimensions. This worries many consumers as Apple is a product that they enjoy showing off to their friends, and none will know which model they have.
For those that are not concerned with the exterior looking the same but more interested in the upgrades that Apple has made to their flagship product, the decision to buy the iPhone 12 may be a little easier.
The new upgrades have brought it in line with many other high specification devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Google Pixel 5. With some added new features such as the latest voice recognition software, it might just have the edge.
Matching the Galaxy S20 and Google Pixel5 in the camera department with three 12 megapixel lens and one TOF 3D sensor, Apple has further improved this by adjusting the sensor to let in 70% more light for high-quality pictures. The camera can now also record 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec, which again matches both of the competing models.
The newly launched A14 chip powering the iPhone 12 is matched by the S20 and Google Pixel with their own latest processors, but Apple has stated that this makes the new iPhone 12 twice as fast as the iPhone 11 makes it extremely fast.
The new voice features of the iPhone 12 are the one unique selling point that others do not have. Although the Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S2 utilize Google Android's voice search, it has been mediocre.
Updated Version of Siri
'Siri,' as the updated software called, do not use Google for its returned information. But instead, a leading non-Google search engine that is more in tune with answering real questions. The user can ask almost any everyday question and have a voice answer them.
The general Apple consumer was hoping for more when Apple announced its latest launch event. And the rumors started with an iPhone 12 release with a fresh and updated design. However, they may have won over many a fan who would not buy any other smartphone type.
The iPhone 12 expected to be released on October 15th with pre-orders starting from October 22nd. It is available in 128GB, 256GB, and new 512GB memory formats and made available in new colors.
Why iPhones Beat The Competition
Apple inc. has reformed the innovation market by making probably the most well-known gadgets that keep buyers hurrying to the store. For example, The iPod, Apple Tv, iMac, Macbook, iPad, and the iPhone.
iPhones have gotten one of the most mainstream cell phones available. Apple works admirably in keeping their clients needing to get their hands on the following model that comes out.
Regardless of missing the mark in some products and equipment includes that some iPhone fans are dying to see. Apple keeps selling millions of units each time it delivers another model. Let's investigate why that may be:
Apple works admirably with painting their design language as being creative and high caliber. They realize how to speak to their intended interest group and make their image one that you can perceive from any aspect of the world. The organization is enthusiastic about keeping their gadgets essential yet ground-breaking. And they ensure they let their shoppers realize that with each item they publicize.
They try making their gadgets as meager as could reasonably be expected. Making every single one of the archetypes of their gadgets more slender than the past one. Individuals give the iPhone a great deal of analysis about not being anything one of a kind. It's just making up for lost time to different telephones with further developed highlights. However, one thing you can't contend about is Apple's design being sufficiently extraordinary to sell items dependent on its name alone. The name has a specific eminence that a shopper will become tied up with regardless of their selling.
One thing that genuinely makes Apple stand apart from the remainder of the group is their items' plan. Even though their cellphones are sensitive and not generally worked for mishaps like dropping or sitting on, they work admirably with making it gorgeous sight. The phone is thin and has a pleasant glass finish. It just has one catch that utilized for exploring through the gadget. The latest model has served as a finger filtering highlight for locking and opening the telephone, discussing increasing present expectations.
In the wake of investing some energy with Android and Windows gadgets, I need to state that iOS effectively understands the three working frameworks. Not exclusively are the symbols vast and striking. Yet, it requires some investment in figuring out how to explore through the cellphone. And discovering the entirety of the significant elements of the gadget. Different gadgets can sometimes have sub-menus that are excessively intricate and confounding to the average buyer.
Apple's application store has the most significant measure of uses than some other application stores available. There truly is the importance behind the truism "there's an application for that" there's in a real sense an application for anything you can consider, and the best part about it is a ton of it is free! The application store has a huge assortment of free applications, including games, books, instructive applications, and some more. One thing you can't deny is apple's ability to open their entryways and allow anybody to turn into a designer and permit them admittance to make magnificent new applications.
These are just a couple of reasons why the iPhone keeps on being one of the essential gadgets in the cellphone market. Apple keeps developing its cell phone and continues coming out with progressive highlights to keep the iPhone on the market's head. Shoppers will keep on outdoors in from of their stores days before the arrival of their foreseen gadget, keeping Apple one of the most discussions about the organization of our decade.


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January is a time for turning over a new leaf. Whether that means a few half-hearted jogs after too much Christmas cheese, or setting yourself more long term goals for health and well being, many people seem to get a new found sense of obligation and commitment at the start of the year. In particular, there are two major food groups that tend to suffer. One is alcohol. The other, which has become less popular than ever in recent years, is meat.
Traditionally, the New Year’s hangover is often enough to put huge swathes of the population off booze for at least a month. This trend has been apparent for several years. However, new research for 2019 is suggesting that, for the first time ever, the number of people willing to give up alcohol is about to be overtaken by those who fancy ditching anything that’s come from an animal. Bacon, as well as booze, could be firmly in the doghouse.
The research, commissioned and published by savings site VoucherCodes, surveyed around 2,000 people from across the UK and came up with some fascinating insights into how our New Year’s resolutions are influenced by what we eat. They found that, for the first time, Veganuary is just as popular as Dry January, with an estimated 2.66 million Brits set to give up on meat entirely for the month. This certainly adds fuel to the theory that veganism is a growing trend that shows no sign of slowing over the coming 12 months.
Commenting on the findings, Anita Naik, Lifestyle Editor at VoucherCodes, said: “With Brits more environmentally aware than ever before, we’ve seen a real surge in people going vegan – and it’s interesting to see it overtake Dry January among young adults’ New Year’s resolutions. Meanwhile, it’s great that we will be looking to compensate for overindulging in the Christmas festivities by exercising more and eating healthily come 2019.”
Other stats suggest that, however you spin it, health is high on the agenda for people in the New Year. Around 40% of people surveyed said that their number one resolution was to try and eat more healthily, whilst a whopping 44% said that their top priority was getting more exercise. Clearly, a Christmas of overindulgence has a habit of making us all feel extra guilty.
What’s really interesting is how age affects the ambitions of those attempting to make major changes with the start of a new year. VoucherCodes’ work reveals that “1 in 20 (5%) will not consume meat or dairy products in January – making Veganuary as popular as those attempting Dry January (6%).” However, when you look at those aged between 16-24, the trend is even more obvious. There, “...a tenth (are) aiming to go vegan, compared to 7% who are planning to go without alcohol.” The priorities for today’s youth are clearly changing.
You might think that these new revolutions spell doom and gloom for the meat and drink industries. However, despite the rhetoric of everyone taking part, it’s important to note that what people say and what they do are very different things. We’ve all broken too many promises to know that the whole world is going to follow through on their January vows. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see whether 2019 throws up any markedly different trends to what has gone before.


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Red Blogs, which AOL unveiled Tuesday, allows teenagers and parents to select the level of privacy they want for their online diaries; a private blog can be kept locked. A semiprivate blog is locked to all but those who are invited to read it. And a public blog allows access to anybody on the Net.
However, blogs of younger teenagers, those between 13 and 15, will be locked from general public viewing. Similarly, with semiprivate blogs, parents must approve the list of people invited to read the journals of younger teenagers.
Web giant invites
members to sign up
for beta test of
When AOL asked teenagers in a survey who they were more likely to share their feelings with--parents or a blog--parents narrowly won out, 51 percent to 49 percent, the company said.
Still, most teenagers, 84 percent, said they would not like to share their blog with just anyone on the Web--hence, the varying privacy levels AOL is offering.
The teenagers who read blogs said they prefer Web logs written about people they know and about their favorite musicians, TV shows and movies, according to the survey, which was conducted in conjunction with Digital Marketing Services. Teenagers who read blogs said they are more entertaining than traditional Web sites, the survey said.
AOL's service is designed to let teenagers select their blogs' color and layout and add content such as polls and news.
Every week, AOL will highlight the five most frequently visited blogs, the company said.
"With the unique customization features threaded throughout Red Blogs, we are confident that our more than 5 million teen members will find this the best place online to express their creativity, showcase ideas and share their thoughts with others," Malcolm Bird, general manager of AOL Teens & Kids, said in a statement.
Many Internet companies have launched blogging services. Microsoft's MSN has announced a service called, and Yahoo is testing a social networking and blogging offering, , which is scheduled to launch this week.


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Decision Science is an idea whose time has come and just what advertising needs, writes Anirban Roy, head of strategic planning, South, Ogilvy
The ad campaign has been conceptualized by Ogilvy Bangalore and directed by Aarthi Kakkad of Curious Films
Roy was in Ogilvy Mumbai and comes with 15 years of work experience across mainline and digital in India and APAC (Singapore, Manila)
The ad campaign has been conceptualized and created by Ogilvy Mumbai
India’s vast regional diversity has been a perennial headache for brands. Can social media work where so many others have failed?
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text: Tesco, the world’s second-largest retailer after Walmart, has jumped into the ad tech game with the purchase of Sociomantic Labs, an ad tech firm that specializes in programatic and retargeting advertising. Though the company specializes in e-commerce solutions, it does provide some real-time, in-store marketing analytics as well. Tesco has made big-data pushes in the past, and this one signals the intent to target customers even more heavily through things like loyalty cards, retargeting from brick and mortar into the digital space, and other moves as well. Sociomatic specializes in this type of retargeting, so the move makes sense. The move is rumored to be worth upwards of $200 million. It’s a big move by a big company that is looking for new ways to integrate deeply with its customers.


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Behavioral finance is very much in vogue these days, and many advisors across the nation are looking to find out more about it and to apply its principles in their practice. Yet some believe that the financial world’s rush to embrace behavioral finance may be a little too much too soon, and could actually prove to be counterintuitive or futile for financial advisors.
Justin Reckers, director of financial planning at Pacific Wealth Management in San Diego, says that financial advisors really have to make an effort to understand what behavioral finance is. They need to understand how psychology interacts with economic theory, and they need to realize that the goal of proper applied behavioral finance is to create more educated and better-equipped investors who can recognize the mental roadblocks they may have, and how these may be inhibiting their overall goal of saving and proper financial planning. If advisors do not keep that very fundamental tenet in mind, Reckers believes they risk falling prey to misusing behavioral finance or using it in a limited fashion.
As behavioral finance has become a greater part of the mainstream financial forum, Reckers is most concerned that advisors may rely on financial products that are either being billed by the firms producing them as capable of dealing with particular investor biases or fears, or are a reflection – albeit unwitting – of what an advisor believes is the right fix for a particular fear or bias.
While financial institutions have been making use of behavioral finance for years, it is only recently that they have started to make it a part of the retail side of their business, Reckers says. There’s a danger in this if advisors and their clients concentrate on financial products that firms may produce as a consequence of implementing behavioral finance principles on their end, he says, since “proper behavioral finance needs to be used in client relationships in order to make people aware of their behavior.” Anything else, Reckers says, would be more of a quick-fix solution to a deep-set issue.
“Rather than products, self-determination is the most important part of applied behavioral finance,” he says. “It is about building a decision-making process to get people to make their own decisions. As a financial advisor, my goal is to figure out where a client wants to go and what is driving their behavior. Specific products are not the answer.”


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Thefts of motorcycles decreased 1 percent in 2012 when compared to 2011, according to a recent report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) based on National Crime Information Center (NCIC) data.
In total, 46,061 motorcycles were stolen in 2012, a decrease of 606 thefts from 2011. American Honda Motor Company, Inc., had the highest reported thefts, with 9,082 bikes stolen in 2012. Yamaha Motor Corporation followed with 7,517. American Suzuki Motor Corporation (7,017), Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (4,839) and Harley Davidson, Inc. (3,755) were also among the top five stolen brands.
California led all states in motorcycle thefts in 2012 with 6,082 bikes stolen. Florida (4,110), Texas (3,400), North Carolina (2,574) and Indiana (2,334) followed. The most thefts were reported in July 2012, with 5,529.
To read the full NICB report, click here.


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Atlasjet will launch a daily service between London Luton and Istanbul Ataturk in May.
The Turkey-based airline will deploy a 200-seat A321-200 in a two-class configuration on the route, with connections to Cyprus and Turkey.
The carrier said the daily flights, which start on May 2, will provide "significant" trade and leisure links.
Yuksel Atak, Atlasjet's ground operations director, said: "We are delighted to connect Istanbul to London Luton with our new flights and look forward to creating a long and successful partnership."
Simon Harley, London Luton's business development manager, added: "We look forward to welcoming Atlasjet to the list of airlines that have chosen to operate from London Luton.
"With Atlasjet's quality on-board service and competitive fares, we are sure the Istanbul flights will be a great success."


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Recently, high-fashion Australian model Andreja (formerly Andrej) Pejić made the brave decision to publicly come out as a transgender woman. The runway favorite — who has walked in shows for major brands like Jean Paul Gaultier — underwent reassignment surgery earlier this year, transitioning from male to female. She also officially changed her name from Andrej to Andreja. While this is a milestone for the queer community, it is also a major step for the fashion and beauty industries. Now we've learned that the model will be sharing her story of transiting in a film titled Andrej(a), which you can learn more about on her Kickstarter page.
Andreja proves that you can be the hottest (or hautest!) model on the catwalk — no matter what gender you were born as. Not only do we envy her courage, but we also covet her rocker-chic beauty style. Scroll through to see her top looks since she broke onto the scene in 2010.


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Old Cell Phones Donated to Battered Women
Nov 28, 2001, 5:00 PM by (staff)
A California congressman's office has collected 1,000 used cell phones as part of a national campaign to donate the phones to battered women for use in emergencies. The phones have been reprogrammed to dial 911 and local shelters, providing instant access to help in an emergency.
Jan 5, 2023
Qualcomm has revealed Snapdragon Satellite , the company's solution for connecting Android phones directly to satellites for truly global coverage. The feature uses the Iridium network, a satellite constellation that has has been in operation for 25 years.
Sep 7, 2022
Apple has revealed the iPhone 14 series, with new features, improved specs, and new size options. In place of a Mini option, the iPhone 14 will come in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen size options as the Pro models.
Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.
Sep 7, 2022
Apple has refreshed its Apple Watch lineup with Series 8, a new Watch SE, and added a larger, more rugged Apple Watch Ultra for athletes and extreme adventurers. Apple Watch Series 8 has two main upgrades over Series 7: temperature sensors and Crash Detection.
Apr 29, 2020
Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T are working with iHeartMedia to donate 200,000 cell phone chargers to hospitals in major cities hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. "Many patients seeking treatment for Covid-19 either forget to bring their phone charger to the hospital or don’t have one easily accessible.


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Samsung Galaxy S7 versus LG G5 : let’s compare 2016 flagships !
After long weeks of waiting, the most waited 2016 Android flagships have been unveiled over the weekend at MWC 2016. Both are plenty of awesome technologies all around and bring some notable difference with 2015 leading smartphones. Samsung has chosen to fix some issues on its Galaxy S6 bringing refinements to a proven design with a slogan that could be “better, faster, stronger”. At the opposite, LG has chosen to innovate with its G5 that is a very unique modular phone with original design. Only time will us who will be the winner for 2016 battle of flagships.
To help you to choose your side, let’s compare specifications of Galaxy S7 and LG G5 :
Like you can see by reading full specifications, big changes with the 2016 generation is the move on up to Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 820 processor. Qualcomm has chosen to move down the Snapdragon 820 to a quad-core configuration rather octa-core like the Snapdragon 810 last year. Result seem really efficient with doubled performance, a 40% boost of performance thanks to new Adreno 530 GPU. Besides, all of these changes must bring a better energy efficiency.
LG G5 is making use of the Snapdragon 820 and US variants of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge too. But, Samsung has also planned to integrate its Exynos 8890 Soc in these Galaxy S7 in International variants. Exynos 8890 features an octa-core chip. It will be first Soc to feature a custom designed CPU from Samsung. It’s known as M1. Samsung announces a 60% performance boost !
All these changes made clearly Samsung S7 and LG G5 the top flagships for 2016. But, sufficient to convince users to change their devices ?
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Apple has sent out invites for 21 March 2016 event, it is expected that Apple will launch iPhone SE, 9.7-inch iPad Pro or iPad Air 3, new Apple Watch bands and release of final versions of iOS 9.3.
Apple’s 21 March event which says “Let us loop you in” will be held at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, 21 March 2016 at 10am Pacific Time.
The iPhone SE
It is expected that Apple will be announcing the much rumored 4-inch new iPhone, the “iPhone SE” or “iPhone 5SE” which will replace iPhone 5S and will be similar to iPhone 6s. iPhone SE is expected to have A9 processor along with an M9 coprocessor, 2GB RAM, 12-megapixel rear camera with Live Photos support and NFC for Apple Pay. iPhone SE will however come without 3D Touch support which is found in the latest iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. It is expected that the price of iPhone SE will be between $400 and $500 which will less than the cost of iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
Apple is also expected to announce a new iPad on March 21 event. The new iPad would be the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, or the iPad Air 3. The iPad Air 2 was announced in the year 2014 and was not updated in 2015. The 9.7 -inch iPad Pro will differ only in size of 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It is expected that the new iPad will have A9X processor, 4GB RAM, 12-megapixel camera, four speaker system, Smart Connector for connecting accessories like Apple’s Smart Keyboard and support for Apple Pencil.
The March 21 event could also see the launch of some new new sixth-generation core line (Skylake-based) MacBooks and MacBook Pros along with the final release of iOS 9.3 and watchOS 2.2.
How To Watch Apple’s March 21 Event Live
Apple’s March 21 keynote will be streamed live on Apple TV, Mac, iPhone, iPad. The Windows 10 PC users can also watch the live streaming of March 21 event on Microsoft’s new Edge web browser.
Link To Livestream Apple’s March 21 Event


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Latest News on Mah
Showing of 0 - 10 from 46 results
Mah - Total results - 46
Jun 14, 2018
Xiaomi's sub brand Mijia unveils a new stabilised gimbal for smartphonesThe photos that have surfaced online, show that on the design front the new gimbal is not very different to the action camera gimbal, launched earlier.
Jan 06, 2018
NASA's Curiosity Rover reveals reveals images from Mars that look 'remarkably similar' to trace fossilsThe first new batch of 2018 photographs taken Curiosity Lens Imager (MAHLI) could be similar to Ordovician trace fossils.
Nov 21, 2017
Xiaomi launches Mi Power Bank 2i with prices starting from Rs 799; goes on sale from 23 NovemberThe 20,000 mAh power bank comes with two USB ports and supplies 5.1 V/3.6 A power from each of the port even while charging two devices simultaneously.
Oct 17, 2017
10 stellar reasons why you need the Panasonic Eluga Ray 700 in your lives right now!Array
Oct 14, 2017
Diwali 2017: Here are the top five mobile phones with massive batteries that you should be looking atWhile there are a number of devices in the market that provide 5,000 mAh batteries, there are very few devices available in India that offer more.
Sep 21, 2017
Panasonic Eluga Ray 500: An amazing dual camera and seven nifty quirks for easy everyday lifeArray
Jun 12, 2017
Maharashtra Board MSBSHSE SSC Class 10 Result 2017 Date likely to be announced today: Check your grades on mahresult.nic.inMaharashtra MSBSHSE SSC Class 10th result 2017 likely to be declared today: Check your grades on mahahsscboard.maharashtra.gov.in
Mar 23, 2017
Oppo F3 Plus has been launched in India for Rs 30,990 with 4,000mAh battery and dual front camera arrayOn the front, Oppo has gone in for a dual camera setup with a 16MP camera and an 8MP 120 degrees wide angle unit.
Feb 21, 2017
Lenovo P2 review: The battery power-horse, but camera is not impressive at allThe big on battery offering from Lenovo is probably the best smartphone you can go for if you don't like to carry a wall charger or a power bank.
Dec 27, 2016
Gionee M2017 with 7,000mAh battery, 6GB RAM and Dual rear camera launched in ChinaGionee has launched the M2017 in China ahead of CES 2017. The phone features some impressive specs and an "elegant" and "symmetrical design".


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Developments in technology happen now and again, due to the numerous devices that companies have now launched. Meanwhile, Google’s Pixel 2 digital camera got our recommendation for its superior HDR processing, and it is also integrating a ton of AI features into its digital camera software that can solely get extra helpful. When manufacturers, retailers, regulators, and transportation firms have actual-time information from sensors imbedded on merchandise, vans and ships, everyone within the distribution chain can profit from insights that they had been previously unable to get.
Features like stress gauge, digital display and the new inverter technology incorporated in the machine make it one of the wanted plasma cutter for first-time customers and professionals alike. These type of mobile apps reduce the load on the interior reminiscence by fetching the info from cloud and therefore this will show helpful for app developers and enterprise homeowners.
In future, within the …


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Microsoft has made the preview version of its Android productivity suite available on Google Play for the first time. Previously the three applications were available to users who signed up for the preview through a Google+ group.
The new apps are packaged separately, and more fully-featured than the existing all-in-one Office Mobile software that’s been available for some time. Of course, this is still an unfinished product, so bear in mind that some issues are bound to arise.
Users can now download the Excel, PowerPoint, and Word applications without jumping through any hoops. The apps require a tablet with at least a 7-inch display running Android 4.4 or newer and feature in-app purchases ranging from $1 to $9.99.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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How Much Does GM’s CEO Make?
As the highest-paid Chief Executive Officer of the Detroit Three (Ford, GM, and Stellantis) auto manufacturers, GM CEO Mary Barra saw a large portion of the company earnings come her way with a staggering annual salary package.
Mary Barra makes a comfortable living running GM
GM recently filed an annual executive compensation report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), stating that Barra earned $28,979,570 in 2022.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the CEO’s take-home pay was slightly less than her 2021 compensation of $29,136,780 due to a smaller annual bonus. In 2021, Barra earned $29,136,780 as chairman of the board and GM CEO. In 2020, her total compensation package totaled $23.7 million. Meanwhile, in 2019, she earned $21.6 million.
GM President Mark Reuss and CFO Paul Jacobson saw an increase in 2022 compensation after receiving more stock options with the auto giant. However, other top executives came in slightly lower than their 2021 earned income, thanks to smaller bonus payments enacted by the board of directors.
Mary Barra’s base pay and bonuses
According to GM’s filing with the SEC, the high-powered CEO received a base salary of $2.1 million. Barra faired rather well, considering the median pay for global employees working for the leading auto manufacturer was $80,034 in 2022.
In addition to a substantial base salary, the empowered CEO earned $14.6 million in stock awards, another $4.9 million in option awards, and approximately $6.3 million in incentive plan compensation. The SEC filings report $1.1 million more in “other” payments.
Meanwhile, GM has been cutting the fat with company-wide employee layoffs. CNN Business reported that at the beginning of 2023, the automaker announced plans to reduce costs over the next two years by $2 billion, with Barra telling investors, “I do want to be clear, though, we’re not planning layoffs. We are limiting our hiring to only the most strategically important roles and will use attrition to help manage overall headcount.”
Despite her claim, hundreds of salaried workers got laid off in March 2023, and GM “strongly encouraged” 5,000 select global employees to accept a voluntary separation program. Several months later, several hundred contract workers were let go. In August 2023, GM announced the closure of its Arizona Technology Center, laying off another 936 workers.
A successful career with General Motors
Barra has been with GM since 1980, when, at 18 years of age, she began her career as a co-op student at the General Motors Institute (Kettering University) inspecting hoods and fenders in the Pontiac Motor Division.
In 1985, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. In 1990, Barra received a GM fellowship to earn a Master of Business Administration from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Before becoming the first female CEO of a major automotive manufacturing company, Barra quickly rose through the ranks. She served as the executive vice president for GM’s Global Product Development, Purchasing, and Supply Chain and the senior vice president of Global Product Development.
In both roles, the successful businesswoman was responsible for worldwide GM vehicle launches, managing teams throughout the design, engineering, and quality control production phases.
Barra was named GM CEO in January 2014, replacing Daniel Akerson. In 2016, she was elected Chair of the GM Board of Directors.
Throughout her career with GM, Barra has faced many challenges, establishing a reputation within the automotive industry as one of the most respected leaders. As she leads the auto giant towards an all-electric future, Barra was recently inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame and recognized by Time, Fortune, and Forbes as one of the most influential women in business.


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As half of what’s now clearly a crackdown on Nice Firewall-evading instruments and companies, through the summer time Chinese language authorities strain reached know-how large Apple. On or round July 29, Apple eliminated lots of the most-used VPN functions from its Chinese language app retailer. In a brief electronic mail from the corporate, VPN suppliers… Lees Meer »
Early 2017, Chinas Ministry of Business and Info Know-how stated that because of Web applied sciences and providers increasing in a disorderly vogue, regulation can be wanted to revive order. Announcing measures to strengthen community info safety administration, the federal government stated it will start a nationwide Web community entry providers clean-up. Announcing measures to… Lees Meer »
Back in January, Chinas Ministry of Trade and Info Expertise introduced that as a outcome of Web applied sciences and providers increasing in a disorderly trend, regulation can be wanted to revive order. The authorities stated that it could take measures to strengthen community info safety management and would embark on a nationwide Web community… Lees Meer »
Article By Cassie Philips. Linuxaria has been considered one of my go-to sources for Linux suggestions and knowledge ever since I discovered it a few months in the past. I might strongly counsel studying this post on managing processes with cgroup, as it’s an instance of the standard of their content. Linuxaria has been considered… Lees Meer »
SKYNPRIVAATNETWERK verskaffer Perfekte Privaatheid het twee van sy bedieners in beslag geneem deur die nederlandse polisie, as deel van'n aktiewe ondersoek. Police bypassed the VPN service and went directly to the company’s hosting provider, I3D, wat nagekom'n dagvaarding versoek om die hardeware. By die tyd van die skryf van, dit is steeds onduidelik hoekom die bedieners in die vraag is geneem.