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Asurion, the global leader in technology protection services, announced today national results, which refute the commonly held perception that only adolescents and younger adults are cell phone-dependent. Questioning 1,000 randomly-selected consumers, 32 percent of those 60-64 years old said a cell phone was their primary means of communication and that losing it “would cause tremendous disruption to my life.””When we envision the ‘cell phone generation’ most of us think about the teenage through college-age groups that have grown-up with cell phones,” said Bettie Colombo, spokesperson for Asurion. “But our research disproves that assumption. As a nation, we’re all coming to see the cell phone as an indispensable part of our lives.”The Asurion survey also found that those between the ages of 50-54 viewed the cell phone as their main form of communication and that losing it would cause tremendous disruption.
Asurion’s findings that older adults are embracing the cell phone are in-line with those of the respected Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. That group’s February 2011 report, “Generations and their gadgets1,” shows that among those 57-65, a full 84 percent own a cell phone.
More than 95 million consumers insure their handsets through Asurion to protect their investments and to be certain they can quickly get reconnected in the event of loss, theft or out-of-warranty damage, including liquid damage. Asurion provides replacement cell phones – usually overnight – when a claim is made either on the phone or online. Asurion is the cell phone protection company chosen by every major wireless carrier.
Using Opinionology’s online Opinion Outpost market research panel, Asurion surveyed a total of 1,000 consumers. Respondents were asked a series of questions to determine their perceptions, opinions, attitudes and experiences using wireless phones. Asurion surveyed an equal mix of males and females between the ages of 16 and 65. The margin of error is +/- 3.5 percent.
1. Source:Pew Internet & American Life Project; Kathryn Zickuhr; Generations and their gadgets; February 3, 2011; http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Generations-and-gadgets.aspx.


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Posted January 08, 2018 03:30:34The app, which allows users to send text messages and pictures via a mobile device, has been installed on over two million computers and phones around the world.
Whatsapp has been around for less than a year but has been a hot topic in the mobile industry since it launched last year.
It has gained a loyal following due to its ability to connect users with friends and family via WhatsApp, the app’s messaging service, and a “friends” button that allows users in different countries to send each other messages.
In 2016, WhatsApp acquired the startup Kik for $360 million in cash and stock, but it is not yet clear if the deal will be completed.
A year later, the company has not only expanded its messaging service but also added a new feature called “friends lists”.
Users can now add their friends in their native language to their Whatsapp friends list.
The company has also started to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to help it develop and market its service.
Last year, the WhatsApp app was able to connect with more than 40 million people through its service, according to data from Statista.
But the app has faced criticism in the past for allowing access to content that could be harmful or inappropriate to some users, such as the content of porn or explicit videos.
Its biggest rivals in the messaging space, Apple and Google, have launched similar products in recent years.
Google has long had a dominant position in the social network space with its popular messaging apps, Facebook Messenger and YouTube.
Users have been able to send messages via WhatsApp in many ways, but users are able to share pictures, videos, text messages, and music on the app.
However, users have been unable to send video messages via the app, and have also been unable in some cases to send videos to Whatsapp’s friends list, as WhatsApp says it does not allow the sharing of private video chats.
WhatsApp has been gaining popularity in recent months, with more people using the app to send and receive text messages.
Users have been encouraged to use the app as they do not have access to their own private messaging apps and the apps themselves are very limited in what they can do with the content they can send and send.
Some users are also finding that they can only send messages when they are at home, which can be a pain when they travel to a different country.
Whisper is a messaging app, rather than a messaging service in the traditional sense.
Its not just a messaging application like WhatsApp.
Its a communication app, a service that allows you to send a message, to have someone else send a response, and to have that reply be visible on your own screen.
If you are an iOS user who is looking to connect to Whatsper on your iPhone, you can get the app on the App Store and Google Play.
You can also install Whatsapp on your Android device using the Android app store and Google.
There is no sign of WhatsApp on Apple devices at the moment, although its possible that Whatsapp could be coming to Apple devices sometime in the future.
Follow us on Facebook for the latest news and updates.

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Perhaps more than ever, U.S. small businesses need our support—especially those owned and operated by entrepreneurs of color and women.
To that end, I’m excited to share that on Saturday June 20, from 4-10 pm EDT efforts to support underserved businesses are getting a major boost through a live virtual concert and fundraiser featuring some great bands, including 2 Chainz, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Leon Bridges, T-Pain, and more. All proceeds from the concert, “Small Business Live,” will go to Accion Opportunity Fund to provide grants to small businesses, with a focus on those run by entrepreneurs of color and women.
Artists will also place small businesses in the spotlight by performing onsite at local establishments and sharing personal stories about what that business means to them and their communities. Please tune in and share these details with anyone interested in viewing or making a donation.
Accion Opportunity Fund, the newly combined organization that brings together the former Accion U.S. Network and Opportunity Fund, is taking bold steps to address today’s challenges and help underserved entrepreneurs – entrepreneurs of color, low-income entrepreneurs, and women – access the capital and support they need to build thriving businesses. Over the past 30 years, more than 80 percent of Accion’s clients in the U.S. have been entrepreneurs of color.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, in early 2020 the Opportunity Fund launched a small business relief fund with a goal of raising $50 million to reach the most vulnerable entrepreneurs, especially women, people of color, and immigrants, with loan payment relief, access to affordable capital, and educational resources on a range of business topics to help them navigate challenges during the crisis.
More about Accion’s presence in the U.S.
Accion was founded in 1961 to empower low-income people with the knowledge and tools to improve their lives. In the early 1970s, Accion staff in Recife, Brazil, began focusing on informal businesses as a means to achieve this goal. An Accion organization in Recife called UNO coined the term “microenterprise” and began issuing small loans with rates typically reserved for commercial customers. To our knowledge, these were the first loans that launched the field of microcredit.
In 1991, concerned about growing economic inequality in the United States, Accion brought its microlending model home by piloting a program in Brooklyn, New York. Accion aimed to help those who didn’t meet requirements for traditional financing (such as bank loans) because their requested amount was too small or because they had limited or damaged credit.
Accion has since worked to adapt its lending model to the social and economic needs of communities across the United States. We’ve served small businesses nationwide through four independent community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and a national office (the Accion U.S. Network, now part of the Accion Opportunity Fund) that invests in shared knowledge, innovation, and impact to benefit the entire network.
Since 1991, our Accion U.S. partners have provided more than 60,000 loans to enterprising small business owners and disbursed more than $500 million in capital. Additionally, Accion provides business advising and training services — both in person and through online educational resources — to tens of thousands of entrepreneurs each year.
Accion Venture Lab, Accion’s seed-stage investing initiative, has also helped expand financial inclusion and resilience in the U.S. by supporting innovative fintech companies finding new ways to reach low-income and underserved populations in a sustainable, scalable way. Venture Lab’s portfolio companies in the US have helped Americans with thin or damaged credit files access credit-building loans, connected self-employed workers with business banking accounts, and provided solutions for refinancing consumer debt.
I’m proud of all the work that Accion, our affiliates, and our portfolio partners have done to support struggling families and small businesses in the U.S. We remain committed to building a financially inclusive world and ensuring that low-income and underserved people don’t fall further behind as we recover from the pandemic. I hope you’ll join me in supporting small businesses in the U.S. by tuning in to “Small Business Live” on June 20.


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What one of three known Penny-Black-franked India covers sold for at Cavendish auction
By Matthew Healey, New York Correspondent
Cavendish Philatelic Auctions held a sale Sept. 7-8 in London featuring what is thought to be one of just three known covers from India bearing a Penny Black, the world’s first postage stamp.
The originally stampless envelope was mailed on May 13, 1840, from Madras, with markings showing that its sender paid 2sh 8d for it to go by steamer to London. On arrival, in early July, the letter was forwarded to Scotland, with the person forwarding it adding a fine, four-margin 1d black from plate Ia. A July 8 Edinburgh receiving handstamp documents the letter’s arrival.
“We have only recorded two other India covers” forwarded with a Penny Black, noted the auction house in the sale catalog, adding that this one was “recently discovered by a Cavendish describer in an old-time stamp collection.”
Estimated at £2,000, it realized three times that amount, selling for the equivalent of $9,300 with the 20 percent buyer’s premium added by Cavendish.
Connect with Linn’s Stamp News:
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SEGA announced last week that Mario and Sonic would again be competing in the Olypmic games...only this time, they're taking to the ski slopes and ice rinks, and they're doing it in co-op!
Of course, the same competitions that Wii owners love to showcase at parties will still be present. But when the guests leave, you can now kick back with a friend or loved on and play co-op as well.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games will be available winter 2009 for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS, and will include Wii Balance Board and Nintendo Wi-Fi support.
Click "Read More" for the full press release...
TOKYO (February 12, 2009) – SEGA® Corporation and Nintendo Co., Ltd today announced that two of the biggest video game heroes, Mario™ and Sonic™, will be coming together again, this time taking their rivalry to the snow and ice in another officially licensed Olympic-themed smash hit Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games™. Heading to stores late in 2009 on the Wii™ home video game system and Nintendo DS™, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games will take players to Vancouver, Canada, host city of the official 2010 Olympic Winter Games. This gaming experience invites players of all ages and skill sets to face-off in some of the most intense winter competitions available for the Nintendo platforms.
Developed by SEGA of Japan, under the guidance of Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games will take players to lifelike Olympic venues where they can choose from a legendary cast of playable characters, including new faces to the series to be revealed later this year. Following the phenomenal worldwide popularity of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, which has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, this fresh gaming experience will feature completely new Olympic Winter Games events from the official competition schedule including Alpine Skiing and Speed Skating with more events announced throughout the year.
Tailored to the specific system controls, Nintendo DS and Wii gamers will enjoy completely unique experiences thanks to each platform having its own specific gameplay features and modes. Players of all skill levels will enjoy the intuitive controls of both the Wii and Nintendo DS systems, in both single and multiplayer gaming modes. The Wii game will offer an even richer multiplayer experience offering co-op and competitive gameplay where the Nintendo DS brings an intense competitive element using the Nintendo DS wireless capabilities. Additionally, one of the new features to be found in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is the inclusion of the Wii Balance Board™ which can be used in some events featured in the Wii version, allowing for a more interactive and realistic gaming experience.
Published by SEGA® across Europe and North America, and published by Nintendo in the Japanese market, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is again licensed through a worldwide partnership with International Sports Multimedia (ISM), the exclusive interactive entertainment software licensee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“We are extremely happy to again team up with Nintendo and ISM on what promises to be another global success.” says Naoya Tsurumi, CEO, SEGA of America and SEGA Europe. “Sonic will partner with Mario once more beneath the spotlight of the legendary Olympic Games. Together they will face new athletic challenges that will provide gamers with more of the exciting experiences unique to this series.”
”SEGA has been a valued publishing partner of Nintendo for many years and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is the ultimate representation of that relationship,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, president and COO, Nintendo of America. “We look for this game to continue the tradition its predecessor started by bringing new events, new characters, and new gameplay experiences to fans worldwide.”
“To once again have Mario and Sonic and friends compete in Olympic sports and events in a winter setting is tremendously exciting for the Olympic Movement and the millions of gamers worldwide who enjoyed the characters’ previous match up”, says Raymond Goldsmith, Chairman & CEO of ISM.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games will be in stores late 2009. For more information about the game, please visit www.sega.com or www.olympicvideogames.com. For any assets, please visit the SEGA FTP site at http://segapr.segaamerica.com.
About SEGA Corporation:
SEGA®Corporation is a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home, encompassing consumer business, amusement machine sales and amusement center operations. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA® Corporation's Web site is located at http://sega.jp.
The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.8 billion video games and more than 480 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii and Nintendo DS, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.
ISM is active in managing and developing entertainment software applications. In addition to the exclusive rights ownership of the Olympic Games, ISM is one of the world's leading providers of sports fantasy games, particularly specializing in the football/soccer sector. Visit the company's website at www.ismltd.com.
TM IOC/VANOC/USOC 36USC220506. Copyright (c) 2009 International Olympic Committee (“IOC”). All rights reserved. SUPER MARIO characters (c) NINTENDO. Trademarks are properties of their respective owners. Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG characters (c) SEGA. SEGA, the SEGA logo and Sonic The Hedgehog are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation.


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And, as constantly, You must Be careful when opening Unusual electronic mail messages with attachments from unfamiliar senders. Regrettably, the patch gained’t be An magnificent offer you allow for classes which have Earlier been contaminated Although making use of the ransomware.
3 of your world's most important Net businesses have come with each other variety a single program for ethical hackers to report vulnerabilities within their Website technology.
Yahoo Inc was sued by a person who accused it of gross carelessness about a massive 2014 hacking in which information was stolen from at the least 500 million accounts.
He dismissed statements created by Crowdstrike, the cybersecurity Company used to investigate the DNC hack, which concluded it were the work while in the Russian governing administration.
Companies have taken on more secure electronic mail steps, with consumer registration as well as a second id or password confirmation. ... It truly is no surprise administrators tend to be more intense in checking and necessitating specifications be established for his or her directors.”
An officer of the Maharashtra Cyber Cell mentioned hacking publications and associated materials besides the desktop, laptop, pen generate as well as other devices ended up seized.
Along with the increasing worth of electronic cryptocurrencies, crafty hackers are utilizing an attack which may quietly make use of your computer energy to make money.
Police are investigating a "significant and sustained cyber-attack" on the TalkTalk website, the UK enterprise states.
In accordance click here with the security Main of controversial Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, all countries use the web to spy and steal sensitive information.
“For your fund organization sector, if a technique gets compromised and you can't execute trades or respond to margin calls, you will have some losses or, inside the worst circumstance, head out of enterprise,” claimed Lisa McLaughlin, vp, corporate security and info integrity, SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc.
Most are blaming the Russians for that Hillary Clinton email hack, but a single particular person has reminded persons of some fairly embarrassing specifics.
Assume self-driving cars are a hacker's desire? Re-examine Dispute together chilly war traces led to collapse of UN cyberwarfare talks
A world cyber-assault leveraging hacking resources extensively thought by scientists to happen to be designed through the US National Safety Agency strike Worldwide shipper FedEx, disrupted Britain's well being procedure and infected computers in almost a hundred nations on Friday.
A DOCO demonstrates how every little thing you retail store on the web is liable to attack. Industry experts say when hackers strike, “you’ll in no way know”.


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Spray-on packaging and vapor stickers: How the fight to curb food wastage is turning to science
Restaurants, grocers, farmers and food companies are increasingly turning to chemistry and physics to tackle the problem of food waste.
Some are testing spray-on peels or chemically-enhanced sachets that can slow the ripening process in fruit. Others are developing digital sensors that can tell — more precisely than a label — when meat is safe to consume. And packets affixed to the top of a takeout box use thermodynamics to keep fries crispy.
Experts say growing awareness of food waste and its incredible cost — both in dollars and in environmental impact — has led to an uptick in efforts to mitigate it. U.S. food waste startups raised $300 billion in 2021, double the amount raised in 2020, according to ReFed, a group that studies food waste.
“This has suddenly become a big interest,” said Elizabeth Mitchum, director of the Postharvest Technology Center at the University of California, Davis, who has worked in the field for three decades. “Even companies that have been around for a while are now talking about what they do through that lens.”
In 2019, around 35% of the 229 million tons of food available in the U.S. — worth around $418 billion — went unsold or uneaten, according to ReFed. Food waste is the largest category of material placed in municipal landfills, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which says rotting food releases methane, a problematic greenhouse gas.
ReFed estimates 500,000 pounds of food could be diverted from landfills annually with high-tech packaging.
Among the products in development are a sensor by Stockholm-based Innoscentia that can determine whether meat is safe depending on the buildup of microbes in its packaging. And Ryp Labs, based in the U.S. and Belgium, is working on a produce sticker that would release a vapor to slow ripening.
SavrPak was founded in 2020 by Bill Bergen, an aerospace engineer who was tired of the soggy food in his lunchbox. He developed a plant-based packet — made with food-safe materials approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — that can fit inside a takeout container and absorb condensation, helping keep the food inside hotter and crispier.
Nashville, Tennessee-based hot chicken chain Hattie B’s was skeptical. But after testing SavrPaks using humidity sensors, it now uses the packs when it’s catering fried foods and is working with SavrPak to integrate the packs into regular takeout containers.
Brian Morris, Hattie B’s vice president of culinary learning and development, said each SavrPak costs the company less than $1 but ensures a better meal.
“When it comes to fried chicken, we kind of lose control from the point when it leaves our place,” Morris said. “We don’t want the experience to go down the drain.”
But cost can still be a barrier for some companies and consumers. Kroger, the nation’s largest grocery chain, ended its multi-year partnership with Goleta, California-based Apeel Sciences this year because it found consumers weren’t willing to pay more for produce brushed or sprayed with Apeel’s edible coating to keep moisture in and oxygen out, thus extending the time that produce stays fresh.
Apeel says treated avocados can last a few extra days, while citrus fruit lasts for several weeks. The coating is made of purified mono- and diglycerides, emulsifiers that are common food additives.
Kroger wouldn’t say how much more Apeel products cost. Apeel also wouldn’t reveal the average price premium for produce treated with its coating since it varies by food distributor and grocer. But Apeel says its research shows customers are willing to pay more for produce that lasts longer. Apeel also says it continues to talk to Kroger about other future technology.


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Doing laundry is quite stressful for lots of people with common excuses like “having no enough time” or “getting too tired after work”
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but Chinese designers have developed a washing machine so cyclists can clean clothes while exercising.
A group of students at the Dalian Nationalities University in China have worked out a quirky concept, imagining a stationary bike that doubles as a washing machine to help users clean their clothes and do exercise at the same time, the Xinhua news agency reported.
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“When you ride this bike, the pedaling motion causes the drum of the washing machine to rotate,” the students wrote on the design site Tuvie. “At the same time, superfluous electricity is generated, which can be used to power the display screen or stored for future use.”
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It’s unclear that when the idea of BWM, which is short for Bike Washing Machine, was first posted online, but it attracted media attention recently. This concept actually revitalizes hopes for people who prefer multi-tasking. However, it’s just a design concept now and there is no production plans are tabled. Also the student designers have not hinted any further plans.


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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation plans to invest $1.7 billion in partnering with networks of schools. The initiative, announced Thursday, will invest in schools that are developing and testing new approaches to teaching and learning.
Mall-based pretzel chain Auntie Anne's is expanding its focus on catering and food trucks to boost sales as mall traffic declines. The chain, which has upwards of 1,200 US units and around 500 international locations, is also experimenting with delivery in some markets and may eventually offer it nationally, said President Heather Neary.
Dole has revealed new packaging for its salad offerings, featuring a color-coded system to aid consumers in product selection. The designs, which are slated to hit stores next month, will help shoppers quickly differentiate among the brand's salad categories.
The Pepsi Bottling Group is set to begin a $6.5 million project later this year to expand its warehouse in DeWitt, N.Y. The undertaking will bring an additional 26,000 square feet to the facility and is expected to be finished in late 2018.
Spanish winemaker Miguel Torres Maczassek has been searching for higher land and hearty older vines in a bid to make the wine business more resistant to climate change. Many of the tough old vines that proved themselves resistant to phylloxera also seem to be drought-resistant, he finds.
Giffard Banane du Bresil adds the pure fruit flavor of banana to cocktails and is winning more fans among bartenders. Julie Reiner, proprietor of Brooklyn's Clover Club, uses it with chunks of banana and light and dark rums in her own riff on the frozen daiquiri.
Target will make over 1,000 of its 1,800 stores in the next three years, up from the 600 announced earlier this year, after seeing positive results from its first remodels, CEO Brian Cornell said Thursday. As it focuses on competing with Amazon and Walmart, Target will also open more small-format stores and bolster its private-label offerings.
Acquiring both Associated Grocers of Florida and Unified Grocers has put SUPERVALU in a strong position in the food retail industry, according to supermarket expert Burt Flickinger III. The acquisitions bolster SUPERVALU's position among Hispanic and Asian-American consumers and give the retailer the ability to lower store prices on private-label and CPG items, making it more competitive, he said.
Neiman Marcus has teamed with Indie Beauty Expo to launch 15 new beauty brands at the upscale retailer's department stores. It's the latest example of department stores looking to boost store traffic and beauty sales through partnerships with independent brands.
Sephora Collection teamed with Clique Media Group to launch a beauty truck that rolled out to college campuses this week with makeup samples and beauty tips. Students get advice on how to make up appropriately for different situations from internship interviews to nights out.
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HTC has unveiled more details on its all-new blockchain phone.
The Taiwanese phone maker has revealed that the HTC Exodus will be available early to fans in the third quarter of 2018.
The Android-powered device is set to be powered by blockchain technology, including a cold storage wallet that will support all major cryptocurrencies, including the likes of Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as decentralised apps.
HTC blockchain phone
“In the new internet age people are generally more conscious about their data, this a perfect opportunity to empower the user to start owning their digital identity,” said HTC chief crypto officer Phil Chen.
“The Exodus is a great place to start because the phone is the most personal device, and it is also the place where all your data originates from. I’m excited about the opportunity it brings to decentralize the internet and reshape it for the modern user.”
As part of the launch, HTC revealed it is partnering with Cryptokitties, reportedly “the most popular NFT game on the blockchain”, to exclusively distribute it on mobile via selected HTC devices, starting with the U12+.
HTC also revealed two further blockchain partnerships with Animoca, the distributor of Cryptokitties, and Bitmark, the crypto based digital ownership project, both of which it hopes will help further development in the industry.


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Cardiac Science has reported net losses for the fourth quarter and the full year of 2008. The company also named Dave Marver as a replacement for CEO and president John Hinson, who is leaving "for personal reasons."
Marver is currently the medical device maker's chief operating officer. He will also replace Hinson on the board of directors, the company said.
For the quarter, the Bothell, Wash.-based Cardiac Science booked a net loss of $105.2 million, including a $107.7 million non-cash impairment charge related to a share price drop "significantly below book value". The company attributed the loss in large part to "the depressed macroeconomic environment and volatility in the equity markets." These results compare with fourth quarter 2007 reported net income of $2.4 million.
The 2008 net loss was $98.4 million, compared with 2007 net income of $8.5 million, according to the company. Net income for 2007 included exceptional litigation-related items that increased net income by $1.4 million. Excluding these items, pro forma net income in 2007 was $7.1 million.
Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2008 was $51.1 million, a 1 percent increase from last year's fourth quarter revenue of $50.4 million. Revenue for 2008 was $206.2 million, an increase of 13 percent over 2007 revenue of $182.1 million.


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Those of you who already have the NBN may have noticed that your connection has improved. This is due to a promotional deal offering extra bandwidth for retailers. This promotion is set to end on October 31 this year. After that date, the levels of congestion on the network is set to increase.
According to Life Hacker, before the NBN began its promotional pricing last December, the average congestion experienced by users was five hours a week, and in August this year was down to just one hour a week. However this is already more than double what it was in July, at 28 minutes a week, and that’s an increase again on the all-time low of 12 minutes in February.
At the end of this month, according to the NBN’s statement, “we do expect these [congestion] levels to fluctuate as our promotional discount ends (31 October) and as we help service providers adopt our new wholesale discount bundles.”
NBN stresses that the new changes “aren’t things that affect consumers directly,” but end users will feel the effects of congestion at least in the short term.
Currently, the contributing factor to congestion is retailers not providing enough bandwidth for their customers, which was a big problem before the NBN released its promotional pricing last year. The NBN promises to work closely with retailers to minimise disruption while transferring retailers from the unlimited bandwidth plans. However, it is highly likely that the issue will emerge once again as the bonus bandwidth period ends.
You may have noticed the NBN is urging users to do their part to reduce congestion on the network, with the “how much speed do you need?” campaign. This initiative asks users to be aware of their internet usage in peak times between 7 pm and 11 pm, to make sure they’re on the right speed plan for their usage, and to use the right home router/modem set up for connection quality.
If you have any questions about your Internet connection feel free to get in touch. We are more than happy to have a look at your connections and bandwidth to ensure it is correct.


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With Mercedes-Benz rapidly expanding into new markets like China where more and more passengers are riding in the back seat, the company sought to draw a new focus on rear-occupant safety.
Read This Article
Mercedes-Benz has released official information and pictures at on the European version of the 2012 A-Class hatchback.
In a letter to dealers, Mercedes-Benz says the 2014 CLA supply may be tight as demand remains high.
Big, expensive, and stately, flagship luxury sedans represent the best an automaker has to offer, all in one vehicle.


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CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 18 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Visual Evidence / E-Discovery LLC, headquartered in Cleveland announces a new hire – Anne S. Peterson, Esq. She joins the company as the new Regional Account Manager for Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas. ‘Anne’s combined expertise in the areas of law and electronic discovery makes her a valuable […]
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Griffin Pest Solutions announces The Bed Bug Invasion, an educational seminar designed to address diverse communities where bed bugs have become significant problems. The seminar will be held at the Fetzer Center at Western Michigan University on May 20, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The $49 registration fee includes lunch; […]
HOUSTON, Texas, May 8 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — For the second straight year, Momentum Transport — the nation’s premier auto and freight transport provider — has earned the Better Business Bureau’s coveted Winner of Distinction award, presented in recognition of Momentum Transport’s superior commitment to ethics, overall excellence, and quality in the workplace.
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., May 7 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Exponential Growth(TM) creator of a revolutionary new social networking platform for private investing, has appointed Chuck Morales to the position of Vice President, Business Development, where he will oversee the ongoing development of the web community platform as well as marketing direction and sales strategy.
DENVER, Colo., May 6 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Businesses need to be aware of the extent to which identity misrepresentation and identity theft can affect their operations and profitability, as well as their customers or clients, according to Bryan Thornton, director of information security planning for Denver-based idBUSINESS. Thornton is available to speak with news media […]
BOONTON, N.J., May 4 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — US enterprises and consumers are expected to spend more than $27 billion over the next five years on Ethernet services provided by carriers, according to a new market research study from The Insight Research Corporation. With metro-area and wide-area Ethernet services now available from virtually all major data […]
BALLINGER, Texas — Mueller, Inc., a leading manufacturer of steel buildings and residential metal roofing, wants to extend a helping hand to a Texas non-profit in need of a new facility. One organization will be chosen to receive a new Mueller steel building through applications submitted by June 1, 2009.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 14 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Authernative, Inc., the leading developer of innovative user authentication and identity management technologies, announced today that the United States Patent & Trademark Office has granted the company its patent for a communication session encryption and authentication system. The newly issued US Patent No. 7,506,161 titled ‘Communication session […]
WOBURN, Mass., March 31 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Tracy Streckenbach, CEO of GerrityStone, New England’s premier interior and exterior custom stonework specialist, is pleased to announce two key promotions to their management team: Dawn Carroll, marketing director, architectural division and Adam Graber, director of new business development.
NEW YORK, N.Y., March 6 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — EASEUS, a leading hard disk management solution provider, today announced a public apology for the online EASEUS Partition Master Professional Edition giveaway failure on Feb. 27, 2009 due to a hosting crash. Last Friday, EASEUS established a free giveaway in cooperation with MakeTechEasier, allowing a 24-hour unlimited […]


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New uniform highlights
- Honolulu Blue, a color first established in 1934.
- Numerals are now silver, trimmed in anthracite the newest color to the Lions visual system, officially "dark steel grey."
- Sleeves feature a silk-screened wide horizontal silver stripe, inside two smaller silver stripes. The wide stripe is stenciled with "LIONS" on the right sleeve and "WCF"on the left sleeve in honor of the team's late owner, William Clay Ford Sr.
- Traditional "road whites," with blue numerals trimmed in dark steel grey.
- Players' nameplates on the back are Honolulu blue (no trim) like each set of numerals.
Color Rush jersey
- Dark steel grey (anthracite) colored with white numerals trimmed in Honolulu blue.
- Replicates what the team wore in their inaugural season in Detroit (1934).
- Solid Honolulu blue with silver traditional block numbers.
The Detroit Lions will wear four different uniforms this coming season: The new home and away uniforms the team unveiled in April, as well as throwback and new color rush uniforms.
Players will don throwback gear Nov. 23 for the Thanksgiving Day Classic Game against the Minnesota Vikings and their color rush uniforms for a home game Dec. 16 against the Chicago Bears.
The throwback jerseys replicate what players wore their inaugural season in Detroit in 1934, while the color rush jerseys are a dark steel gray.
The new home and away uniform designs, part of an ongoing makeover under owner Martha Firestone Ford and team President Rod Wood, are more lightweight and optimized to give players greater movement. The home jerseys' shade of blue is as close as Nike Inc. could get to Honolulu Blue, the color the team first used in 1934. The away jerseys are a traditional white.
The preseason starts Aug. 13, with the team's first home game set for Aug. 19 against the New York Jets. The regular season kicks off Sept. 10 at home against the Arizona Cardinals.
For more information on the uniforms and redesign, visit DetroitLionsuniforms.com.


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Intellectual Property Costs Deter Innovation
Intellectual property (IP) costs should be taken into account in the business plan. Few entrepreneurs know exactly which rights relate to their business and even fewer know how much it will cost to protect them. The cost of IP protection involves paying official fees, and legal fees.
Litigation is not a cost that all businesses need to spend money on, and therefore, need only be planned if there is an actual dispute involving the business. Indeed, protecting a company’s IP will often reduce the likelihood of litigation.
Costs involved in protecting your ideas
When compared to the costs involved in litigating to protect your ideas from being copied, the cost of protecting your rights through registration or contracts are insignificant. As we wrote in our previous blog “SMEs And IP – FSB Reports They Struggle To Protect Their Intellectual Property”, that is the case especially with small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) which do not have the budget to protect their IP rights. They suffer losses as a consequence.
Think about the following interesting comparison made by the Financial Times. To fund the International Space Station over ten years’ costs about €100 billion. The patent war in the smartphone industry, on the other hand costs $20 billion over two years. That is a lot to spend even for giants like Apple, Samsung or Motorola who all battle to protect their IP. Such costs are unbearable for start-ups and SMEs. As the Financial Times interestingly states, “the costs of litigation are astronomical and the outcome, too uncertain”.
The Vicious Circle Of Intellectual Property Costs
This is why companies end up in a vicious circle. If a company cannot afford to protect its IP rights, it suffers losses as a result. If it invests in IP protection, and cannot afford to litigate its rights should that be necessary, it cannot protect what it owns.
The research of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) surveyed more than 1,000 of FSB’s 200,000 members. Only 32% had actually spent money to secure their IP rights within the last five years, 22% of whom invested more than £5,000. Furthermore, around 25% of the businesses surveyed responded that they have suffered some form of violation or misuse of their IP and a third of them took no action over the theft because of lack of resources and information as to the correct routes and costs involved.
Governmental Actions Needed
The reality, therefore, is that IP law must adapt to change because, as the Hargreaves Report warned, innovations are stifled by the current framework.
The onus is on the Government to better promote the IP services available and install effective instruments that will enable adequate protection. The Hargreaves Review suggested that “there are outstanding uses that need to be resolved”. Therefore, there is a need for a collective action to resolve this problem. However, given that the UK Government is planning to double the fee for issuing civil lawsuit, it will be another deterrent to small businesses to protect their intellectual property.
Nevertheless, businesses should make sure their IP rights are protected adequately and be on the safe side if they need to litigate them. Litigation is more unlikely if intellectual property is effectively protected. Therefore, IP protection should be top priority for any ambitious business.


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China’s Tencent Launches Free, International Version of Video Conferencing Tool, VooV, Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic; Tencent CEO a Proponent of China’s “Great Firewall”
On March 20, Chinese technology company, Tencent, launched an international version of its video conferencing tool, Tencent Meeting, rebranded as VooV Meeting in over 100 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan, Singapore, India, and Thailand. The launch was timed specifically to capitalize on the influx of demand for teleconferencing services prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced professionals and organizations to rely heavily on teleconferencing services for work and school. Key features of the platform, such as its ability to support 300 attendees, screen sharing, and online document collaboration, have been released free of charge for the duration of the ongoing pandemic.
Tencent has faced foreign scrutiny, particularly in Western countries, during efforts to expand its services abroad, particularly with regard to its social media platform, WeChat. WeChat has been alleged to track and monitor domestic user data and to keep an open line of communication with the Chinese Communist Party in compliance with the 2017 National Intelligence Law. Consequently, data security concerns have led to special attention to the expansion of Tencent products abroad, including in Australia, the United States, and Japan.
Past scrutiny has also been triggered by the company’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including due to the company’s CEO, Pony Ma, serving as a delegate to China’s National People’s Congress – an indication of CCP ties. Ma has also publicly expressed support for China’s authoritarian internet government model. Tencent has been noted as an early proponent of the China’s “Great Firewall.” It remains to be seen the extent to which VooV Meeting challenges existing teleconferencing services such as Zoom, Slack, and Google Hangout (among others), which have all also experienced an uptick in users due to the virus, and what kind of response this could receive from security professionals.


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November 20, 2023
Blood from worms usually used as fishing bait could be the newest doping technique in professional cycling, even at the Tour de France, reports over the weekend have alleged. Haemoglobin from arenicola marina lugworms, otherwise known as sandworms, is used for medical use because of the worms' incredible oxygen transporting abilities, and according...
November 15, 2023
After 45 years in business, Pace Sportswear closed at the end of last month, the result of declining sales following the pandemic. Company president Maria Marsh on Wednesday wrote in an email that the company is looking for a buyer for the remaining inventory. Pace manufactured cycling headgear — including...
October 30, 2023
Life Time Group Holdings Inc., saw a 23% increase in revenue through the first three fiscal quarters of 2023 as member visits were up 24% over pre-pandemic levels at the company’s fitness clubs. Revenue in Life Time's athletic events business also was up, even though it sold two events earlier...
October 26, 2023
A number of major European cycling teams have been exploring plans to create a new competitive league in a move that could reshape the sport’s landscape and allocate more funding for participants. About five teams around Europe including Ineos Grenadiers are involved in the early-stage talks and more could join....
August 25, 2023
Giant Bicycles says it is aware of a fraudulent website mimicking its U.S. domain and has started the process of eliminating it by notifying the Federal Trade Commission, which investigates online scams in the U.S., and the brand's global legal team in Taiwan. BRAIN
July 17, 2023
Could a Garmin watch actually know something a runner doesn't about his training progress? Could it replace a coach? Andy Cochrane decided to be a guinea pig, making a resolution to wear his Garmin for a full month, 24 hours a day, and do everything it recommended. Outside
July 6, 2023
Brooks Launches ReStart Recommerce Program to Support Sustainability Goals and Increase Access to the Run
Brands that sponsor the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) are found to have gained up to a 400 per cent return on their investment, according to a report from SponsorUnited. The LPGA Marketing Partnerships Report for 2022/23 produced by the sponsorship data and advertising services firm found that the number of...
June 27, 2023
The new Nike Aerogami Jacket is meant to both warm and cool an athlete by automatically opening vents for added breathability when they start to sweat and then closing in the absence of moisture. Gizmondo
January 27, 2023
Giant Group has made a $20 million investment in Stages Cycling, acquiring 32.5% of the company's common stock according to a filing with the Taiwan stock exchange. According to the announcement in Taiwan, on Jan. 20 Giant's board approved the purchase of 32.5% of Stages Cycling Inc. common stock for...
January 5, 2023
Peloton is starting off 2023 with a $19 million fine. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the company has agreed to pay the civil penalty to settle charges that the company knowingly failed to immediately report safety issues with its recalled Tread Plus. Peloton continued to sell 38 Tread...
November 15, 2022
Amazon announced the launch of Amazon Clinic, which it calls, "a virtual health storefront, bringing together clinical offerings from national, award-winning telehealth providers." With Amazon Clinic, customers are able to select the third-party telehealth provider that best meets their timeline and budget, then connect directly with a licensed clinician. Vator
October 26, 2022
Kanye West is persona non grata for Peloton -- the exercise company is banning his music from any new future classes. The statement comes on the heels of Peloton's Alex Toussaint -- a popular cycling instructor -- declaring he would not be playing Ye's tunes during any of his classes. Toussaint...
October 9, 2022
Experts have long known that fitness is good for the brain. A recent paper connects different types of workouts with assorted improvements in memory. NYT (paywall)
October 7, 2022
Pon's Pacific Cycle has reduced its North American workforce in an attempt to restructure operations in response to what it called "challenging economic conditions in the retail mass market segment." A Pacific Cycle spokesperson said that the layoffs affected less than 10% of the workforce but did not give a...
September 8, 2022
Hilma, was founded by Brooke Torres in 2019, when she could not find running shoes that fit her properly. Torres was disappointed with the one-fit shoes that were on the market, as well as the exclusion of women from product development in women’s running shoes and fits created off the...
August 29, 2022
TRX, which filed for bankruptcy in June to pursue a sale, announced that its founder and former CEO, Randy Hetrick, and partner, Jack Daly, have acquired the fitness brand. Hetrick founded TRX in 2004 after inventing the Suspension Trainer as a SEAL team squadron commander and will now lead the...


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New Bar Code Still a Mystery
Nearly two years ago, Inside Direct Mail reported on a new bar code that surfaced in a mailing from Capital One Financial Corp. ("A New Code in Town," IDM February 2002), and its function is stumping industry experts even still.
We've all seen Postnet codes, required by the U.S. Postal Service on bulk mailings and necessary for receiving postal discounts, and to a lesser degree the newer PLANET Codes, which track mailings en route through the postal system. But the bar code first seen on Capital One mailings, and now on those for Fleet National Bank (544FLEBAN0903), Advanta Bank Corp. (544ADVANT0903) and Children International (613CHIINT0903)the first nonprofit to be seen using the codehas raised a few more eyebrows, as it is neither a Postnet nor PLANET code.
The code has several distinct characteristics from its Postal code counterparts. First, it appears on business reply envelopes, not by the address label or window on an outer envelope. Second, as Dave Lewis of direct mail tracking company Trackmymail.com explains, Postnet and PLANET codes are "height-modulated bar codes," meaning that the codes are interpreted by the length of each bar; the new codes are uniform in height, similar to UPC codes, which are "width-modulated."
"I would be pretty sure this has nothing to do with the Postal Service. To my knowledge, the Postal Service will not read these codes," says Lewis.
All three credit card companies label the code on the BRE:
* Advanta refers to it as an "Application Tracking Code";
* Capital One calls it a "Customer Locator Code"; and
* Fleet calls it a "Customer Tracking Code."
Fleet and Capital One also both run a warning against unauthorized envelope tampering immediately above or beneath the code.
Andrew Davidson, vice president of market-research firm Synovate, says, "We interpreted the [code] numbers as a warning to potential tamperers that they could be traced." Synovate executives "began noticing these bar codes and tracking numbers on offer BREs collected on Mail Monitor back in March 2002," Davidson recalls. (Mail Monitor and Inside Track® are part of Synovate's Financial Services Practice, which provides marketing research, intelligence and services to the banking and payments industries.)
And, considering that the Federal Trade Commission reported that 27 million Americans were victims of identity theft in the last five years, it wouldn't be surprising if financial companies tried to quell consumer concerns about mail transactions.
Lewis says that he could be pretty sure of just one thing: The codes are not for external scanning. "Whether it's a marketing tactica kind of faux personalizationor a fraud deterrent, I couldn't say."
The use of the bar code without the warning on the packages for Children International and Advanta, however, raises some doubt about the code's use as a fraud deterrent, but doesn't discount it entirely, since it still sends out the message that the piece can be tracked.
Wayne Gurley of Gurley Direct Marketingwho has provided direct mail services for many nonprofit organizations, such as the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes, Greenpeace and The Salvation Armyis not exactly sure what the code is either. "It's probably a coding so that a caging operation can track responses before they actually open [the reply envelopes] and deposit funds," he suggests. "I saw one recently with a scannable bar code, and name and address on the back of a BRE, which was tracking responses from a union vote, so it's being used on a number of different applications."
Hopefully, we will soon know for sure the true function of these codesthat is, if one of the companies using them is eventually willing to talk and put this mystery to rest.


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The demand for vegan food is soaring. A new report estimates that the plant-based market will be worth $162 billion by 2030—a major increase from its valuation of $29.4 billion in 2020.
Bloomberg Intelligence released the report, entitled Plant-Based Foods Poised for Explosive Growth, earlier this month. It finds that the plant-based market could make up 7.7 percent of the expected $2.1 trillion global protein market in 2030.
The vegan meat and dairy sectors are projected to outpace their animal-based counterparts. The report predicts the plant-based meat market will see the largest growth, raking in $74 billion by 2030. This is a major increase from its valuation of $4.2 billion in 2020.
And the plant-based dairy market isn’t far behind. It’s projected to grow to $62 billion by 2030, making up ten percent of the total dairy market. This is up from 4.5 percent in 2020. Other vegan categories that will see growth include condiments, dressings, and eggs. They may increase to $25.7 billion (up from $2.3 billion) in the same time period.
Plant-based market surges, according to new report
Although the U.S. has seen a surge in vegan products hitting store shelves, it appears Asia will lead the world in plant-based food sales. The region will command $64.8 billion of the global plant-based market by 2030—up from $13.5 billion in 2020.
So, what’s causing the plant-based foods market to expand?
The report credits major vegan food brands like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Oatly, and Eat Just for the surge in market valuation.
The companies have spurred innovation in their respective plant-based food categories. By partnering with various retail outlets, restaurants, and fast-food chains, they’ve made their products even more accessible to consumers. Foodservice outlets will play a pivotal role “in driving long-term trial and consumption of plant-based products,” the report finds.
But non-vegan brands are also spurring the growth of the sector. Companies like Tyson, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz, and Nestlé have all tapped into the market—producing plant-based products to meet the growing demand. The latter recently launched three varieties of vegan pea milk under its plant-based milk brand, Wunda.
Nestlé even partnered with Future Meat Technologies to produce a hybrid protein, which features a combination of plant-based and cultured meat.


text: Despite the apparent problems, Sony doesn't appear worried. Company representatives did not return calls seeking comment on PSP sales, but at an investor conference last month, Jack Tretton, co-chief operating officer and vice president of sales and marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America, argued that the PSP has been a success so far. The company expects to ship 14 million of them worldwide by the end of Sony's fiscal year in March, he noted. The PSP is a "disruptor in the portable space," Tretton said. While few analysts would agree the PSP has already achieved that status, fewer still believe the device is a failure. In fact, many think it will do quite well in coming years, and possibly this holiday season. The PSP should benefit from the fact that the Xbox 360 appears to be in short supply this holiday season, analysts say. Unable to find one of the new consoles, many parents will probably pick up a PSP as a consolation prize, they say. "It's likely people will make some tradeoffs ... and fall back to the PSP," says Gartner's Baker. Just because GameStop is seeing soft sales doesn't mean overall sales of the device are weak, notes Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities, which has not done recent investment banking for Sony or GameStop. GameStop's customers are those who typically have to have a new game or game machine the day it goes on sale, he says. Those customers likely already own a PSP; in contrast, the consumers who are likely buying a PSP this holiday season are shopping at Target ( TGT) or Wal-Mart ( WMT), he says. A Target representative declined to comment on sales of the PSP, but sales of the PSP on Wal-Mart's online store have been "very strong," said a company representative. "The thing's going to be huge," says Pachter. Sales of the device should pick up after the holiday season once Sony cuts the price, analysts say. And better games should come for the device as the number of owners increases, they say. "You can put great software on the PSP, but at the current price you're only going to attract a limited audience," says Lin.


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But that isn’t the case anymore because of companies like Renovo Motors Inc.
Initially starting 4 years ago, Renovo Motors decided that they would attack a gap in the electric car industry by producing the world’s first pure electric supercar. Today, after years of hard work and design, the company revealed their very first product, the Renovo Coupe. It will be released in the United States next year.
Priced at $529,000, the Renovo Coupe is an all-electric two seater that is built atop a Shelby CSX9000 chassis. Company officials say that the car can deliver an astounding 1000 pounds-feet of torque through a 740 volt high-powered lithium battery pack. That is almost double the voltage of the 375 volt Tesla Model S!!
The engine on the vehicle runs off of a pair of Sequential Axial Flux motors that is routed into a single gear drive transmission. This helps the vehicle to hit an impressive 3.4 second 0-60 time.
Renovo CEO Christopher Heiser says, “Renovo Motors sought to create an aspirational vehicle that demonstrates the performance, control, and excitement that is possible with EV technology. We have poured our passion and innovation into the Coupe in an effort to deliver a truly amazing driving experience.”
Renovo founders Christopher Heiser and Jason Stinson, formerly at Intel, have high hopes for the vehicle, stating that they believe the car can compete in the supercar market alongside big name brands like Ferrari and Lamborghini, as well as newcomers Pagani and Koenigsegg.
Stinson says, “Simply put, we can do things with electric vehicles that can’t be replicated by any other platform. Exploring these areas, reducing them to practice, and building them into our products is at the core of what we do best.”


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Ahead of this year’s Royal College of Art fashion show, taking place on Thursday 14 June, Something Curated caught up with the school’s Head of Fashion, Zowie Broach, and some of this year’s graduates to discuss their plans. The show, titled A walk without a cat, is set to be a radical parade hosted at 180 The Strand, interwoven with talks, food, dance, movement, and installations — we found out more.
Something Curated: What inspired the concept for this year’s RCA Fashion Show?
Zowie Broach: The ideas in the show all began with a project titled ‘Mirror Mirror’ that the students presented back in October 2017. At that point, they all discussed their visual design community and they could see an immersive experience was evident, and they asked of themselves to be less timid, more confident, and more true to themselves. It is now seventy years since the Fashion programme began at the RCA so with insistence we have a great responsibility to ask the questions outside of the industry, and that perspective means that the Masters students must explore, examine and innovate new systems that offer potential new ways to communicate, cut, make, design — building new narratives that hover about obsessions, rites, rituals, emotions and the new challenge of all of these from their eyes, and cultural position associated to their own space and time. It is our responsibility as a school that these voices are heard and to be as brave as we ask them to be.
SC: What do you hope to achieve with this means of presentation, as oppose to a traditional catwalk?
ZB: Offer something that creates a ‘punctum’*, an imposition, a revolt, a beautiful failure, an ugly success, a potential ask of the guest to view what they may know in new ways. *Camera Lucida, R. Barthes, 1981 English translation.
SC: What are some of the key matters and themes that this year’s graduates have explored in their work?
ZB: Creating new dialogue and discovery, to where we can improve our understanding of various levels within the meat, leather and accessories business is deeply inspiring, challenging our perspective, our values, our choices and our luxuries. Considering intense levels through tailoring to scientific detail, the requirements we need to live off the planet widens out to a macro scale, and pulls us back to the relationships we have with our earth.
Sexuality is on-going as this is changing and dynamically revealing new states of being; so this is addressed through various works, some deeply subtle, as we watch nuanced forms of future humans move gently forward and some erotically charged. Other work wanders through wells of sound, body parts sweat crystallised to examine the beauty and the science of each of us, extraordinary machines to make new materialised silhouettes hang heavy in steel and wool, un sewn coded processes make new dresses, and fashion a bounds through it all.
SC: Are there any particular issues at present facing the fashion industry that you think young designers, including this year’s graduates, need to address?
ZB: Until three areas are fully researched, examined and answers are developed with freedom, to leap to the far future as well as incrementally effect the near future, we are stuck — material, make, identity. Only our phones and trainers seem to hover in relevance to new material, what about bio as a format to drive new aesthetics and values in how we touch, connect, wear and live? Manufacturing is still beholden to mass, to create profit and so this will always disintegrate the designer and the design process as a whole.
Fashion has a low profit business model due to numbers and error and experimentation, size, scale, body, location and so how do we look to change this to offer new landscapes, better values and where new types of business can grow and develop into future companies over watching waves of designers slowly close down or move to positions in the older fashion houses. And now as we look to a future, our identity is being numbered and owned – that zero and one data grab. Augmentation, AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) and those digital spaces need to be investigated, designed and opened out by the fashion designers of today.
Interview by Keshav Anand | Feature image: Lenny Murr (All images courtesy RCA)


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BANGKOK (NNT) – To ensure the enforcement of coronavirus control measures among businesses allowed to reopen, government agencies have been patrolling shopping malls and other businesses, making certain of their compliance with the Emergency Decree.
At the Walking Street in Chai Nat, Provincial Governor Ronnaphob Laengphiroj has observed the orderliness of visitors and vendors.
Full story: NNT
Reporter: Tanakorn Sangiam,
Rewriter: Rodney McNeil
National News Bureau of Thailand


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NEWYORK (TIP): A high level delegation led by Sri R.V. Deshpande, Minister for Large & Medium Industries and Tourism, Government of Karnataka, was warmly welcomed by Consul General Ambassador Dnyaneshwar. M. Mulay at the India House in New York, December 4.
In the Interaction with members of USIBC, TiE and AKKA, Mr. Deshpande strongly pitched for inward investments into Karnataka highlighting several steps that are being taken by Government of India to ease business, physical and digital infrastructure and taxation. He specifically spoke of the steps initiated by Government of Karnataka to decongest Bengaluru and disperse industry to tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
Mr. Deshpande released EY’s India Attractiveness Survey 2015 report which observes that international corporations with a presence in India are far more optimistic about the country’s prospects than those who are not yet established in the country.
A whopping 32% of the respondents said that India is the most attractive place for investments in the next 3 years. India has already emerged as the No. 1 FDI destination globally with capital inflows of US$ 30.8 Billion in 2014. 62% of those interested to expand or enter India over the next year, say that they plan manufacturing activities in the country. The Government’s flagship programs Make in India and Digital India have had a positive impact on investor sentiment. Make in India has gained considerable momentum and industry is a lot more optimistic about its success now than about a year ago.


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The 59th annual Starpack Packaging Industry Innovation Awards
The Starpack Packaging Industry Innovation Awards took place at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, London, on Thursday 22 February.
The red carpet event celebrated industry professionals, packaging manufacturers, designers and brand owners, who continue to push the limits of technical expertise and innovation in packaging.
David Wiggins, Chair of the Starpack Advisory Group, said, ‘The entries this year showed the impact packaging has in a truly diverse range of industries.’
‘I would like to thank and congratulate all our entrants for the time taken to explain your work especially those who won one of the 9 Gold Awards, 13 Silver Star Awards and 15 Bronze Star Awards. Thank you to all of you for sharing your expertise. I look forward to seeing yet more exciting innovations next year,’ said Wiggins.
Paul Lowes, Designer and Technical Sales for Smurfit Kappa Leeds, received the prestigious Packaging Star of the Year Award, for his ‘Shop In A Box’ pack.
The judges said, ‘Paul demonstrates not only a great passion for intelligent design, but also a need for delivering the best solution through effective use of materials and structures. With focus on environmental priorities, commercial practicalities and the need for consumer inclusive design, his pack design shows attention to the right detail.’
Packaging Team of the Year was awarded to SAICA Pack and Diageo, for their collaborative spirits case optimisation project. The judges said, ‘This project entry clearly demonstrated the effective teamwork between business and across disciplines to deliver tangible results.’
Special thanks to this year’s judging panel, consisting of Mike Swain, John Lamb, David McGowan, Alaster Yoxall, Chris Peach, Nikki Clark, Brian Lodge and David Wiggins.
IOM3 and The Packaging Society will continue to recognise and reward excellence in innovation across the UK industry. Winners of the Starpack Packaging Industry Innovation Awards 2017/2018 are eligible for entry in the WorldStar Packaging Awards. For more information contact the World Packaging Organisation, via www.worldpackaging.org


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Like many savvy buyers, Gemma Crowe, the proprietor and designer of Infamous Swim, has made decent side profits from purchasing and promoting pick-style objects online, frequently for a great deal extra than she paid.
“If it’s useless inventory, you could promote an item for 25 in keeping with cent more incredible than the authentic encouraged retail fee, and that’s no kidding.
“We had also had several fulfillment with Jordan footwear, particularly the shoes that are numbered from when Michael Jordan performed his American basketball championships,” says Crowe.
“The useless inventory objects – the ones which can be produced in a certain quantity and sold out – resell for loopy amounts five times the portion you can purchase in-store or greater.
“But for some other clothier items which might be available, you would be searching at more like 25 according to cent less for in new circumstance.”
Over the decade, the second one-hand economy has boomed, helped by the upward push of online structures such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Gumtree, which allow everyday consumers and stores to alternate items in an extreme enterprise feel or as a bit of a facet hustle.
Crowe says from her experience, many women will spend between $150 – $four hundred a month on style, either from shops or 2nd hand, totaling $1500-$4800 a year.
Designer items, including dresses, luggage, and shoes, hold value highly inside the second-hand economic system, whereas speedy style doesn’t have an area.


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Fewer hogs, along with a recent rally in cattle prices, is likely to continue upward price pressure for both livestock and meat prices, recent reports show.
The likelihood of the first profitable year for livestock producers since 2007 will help farm incomes rise by an average of 10% this year, USDA said.
Consumers so far have seen only single-digit increases in meat prices, according to the USDA, despite price increases for live cattle and hogs and finished cuts of meat. Analysts said demand for beef, which lagged in 2009 under the weight of the poor economy, is picking up.
To read the entire article, link here.
From your perspective, how is 2010 looking for you? Do you forecast a positive year for beef producers? Are things finally turning around for the better? Weigh in today.


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Dish Rises on DirecTV Merger Talk as Customer Growth Stalls
Dish Network Corp. (DISH) gained after Chairman Charlie Ergen said the second-largest U.S. satellite TV company and its larger rival DirecTV should consider a merger to address a slowing pay-TV market.
Both companies “have to consider” a combination given the lack of growth remaining in the U.S. video business, Ergen, the world’s 87th wealthiest man and Dish’s founder, said during a conference call today. No deal discussions have taken place, he said.
“I think it’s something that probably both companies will look at,” Ergen said.
The second-largest U.S. satellite-TV provider reported a loss of 19,000 net subscribers in the third quarter, a smaller decline than the average analyst estimate of 36,000. DirecTV posted fewer subscriber gains in the U.S. and Latin America than analysts projected.
Darris Gringeri, a DirecTV spokesman, declined to comment on Ergen’s remarks. Both Ergen and DirecTV Chief Executive Officer Mike White have said a combination would benefit consumers by giving more power to a joint entity to push down programming costs on content providers.
DirecTV added 67,000 net U.S. customers, less than the 99,000 average analyst estimate. The company has sought to entice subscribers with National Football League Sunday Ticket promotions, which give new customers access to all Sunday football games for free for a year. DirecTV also lowered the price for Sunday Ticket for current customers. The promotions have led to a 50 percent increase in paying customers for the package, White said during a conference call.
Net income attributable to DirecTV rose to $565 million, or 90 cents a share, from $516 million, or 70 cents, a year earlier, the El Segundo, California-based company said. Analysts had estimated 92 cents on average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Sales rose 8.4 percent to $7.4 billion, in line with the average analyst estimate.
DirecTV added 543,000 net subscribers in Latin America, fewer than the 585,000 estimate from nine analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The results were “underwhelming,” said Marci Ryvicker, an analyst at Wells Fargo & Co. in New York.
Latin American customer additions fell from 645,000 in the quarter ended in June. Last year, DirecTV reported 574,000 new Latin American users in the third quarter, an increase from the prior three-month period.
Dish reported a surprise net loss of $158.5 million, compared with a profit of $319.1 million a year earlier. Analysts had predicted a profit of $251 million, the average estimate compiled by Bloomberg.
Dish recorded litigation-related expenses of $730 million in the period, the cost of settling with AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) and Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC) over Voom, the suite of high- definition television channels that Dish terminated more than four years ago. AMC and Cablevision sought $2.4 billion in damages before settling. The settlement was announced Oct. 21, in the fourth quarter, even though the charges were assigned to third-quarter earnings.
Sales fell 2.2 percent to $3.52 billion, trailing the $3.56 billion average analyst estimate.
Dish is awaiting Federal Communications Commission approval to use its airwaves to transmit mobile video and data. The Englewood, Colorado-based company has said it’s searching for a partner that already has a wireless network, letting it avoid spending billions on building a new one. Dish said it still plans on hearing from the FCC by the end of the year.
Approval of a merger between DirecTV and Dish would become more probable if Dish is given approval to enter the wireless business, letting it compete against a broader array of companies, said Craig Moffett, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York. Ergen said a transaction would be approved by either a Republican or Democratic administration if “it was good for the American public.” The U.S. presidential election takes place today between President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney.
Dish and DirecTV attempted to combine in 2002. The deal was blocked by regulators after it was deemed anti-competitive.
“The industry has changed since the last time Dish pursued that kind of a transaction,” with phone companies offering television service and more video options online, White said in a September conference call.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at email@example.com


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By Mary O’KEEFE
On Monday, a man entered the See’s Candies store at 1133 Foothill Blvd. in La Cañada at 6 p.m., just before the store was scheduled to closed. He ordered the two employees to lock the door and demanded money from the cash register.
There were no customers in the store at the time, said Sgt. Ray Harley, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Crescenta Valley Station.
The suspect gave the impression he had a weapon under his long sleeve shirt, however no weapon was seen, Harley said.
The employees complied with the suspects demands by placing an unknown amount of cash into a See’s Candies bag. The man took the bag and fled the store.
While in the parking lot, the suspect encountered a woman customer and calmly told her the store was closed. The woman entered the store and discovered the employees had just been robbed.
The suspect was described as a male Hispanic, 25-to-30 years old, 6 feet tall, weighing about 190 pounds. At the time of the incident he was wearing a blue long sleeve shirt, blue jeans, dark sunglasses and a green ball cap with white lettering on the front. He was last seen walking westbound on Verdugo Boulevard from Foothill Boulevard.
Anyone who may have witnessed this crime or has information about the suspect is asked to contact the Crescenta Valley Station Detective Bureau at (818) 248-3464, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.


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Retail Gazette catches up with Kenneth Melchior to learn more about Zalando.
Jo Jackson talks to Retail Gazette about what it's like to be the chief creative officer at homeware retailer Made.com.
George Graham has spent the majority of his career at fashion house Wolf & Badger.
Helen Dickinson reflects on how much the UK retail industry has changed since she took the helm six years ago.
Mist was founded by Fred Cassman when he realised there was a market for it amidst online forum reviews.
Martin Harris has gone from Carpetright veteran to the founder and CEO of its main rival Tapi Carpets in just four years.
The outlet retail model may be relatively new to the UK, but it is currently well outperforming traditional retail destinations.
Retail Gazette spoke to Cath Kidston’s Xenia Xenophontos in an interview to get an insight into the iconic label’s success.
Since he purchased Jessops' assets five years ago for less than £2 million, the Dragons Den star has been working to transform it
Despite being in London for just a year, Reserved has not wasted a second in letting everyone know they are here.


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A new ruling by the Taxi & Limousine Commission requires all taxis purchased after October 1, 2008 to achieve at least 25MPG. For comparison, the taxi staple, the Ford Crown Victoria gets 14MPG. After all of 2009, that number increases to 30MPG. Being that taxi fleet owners have to replace cabs every 3-5 years, this could mean that by October 1, 2013 all cabs may be hybrid, pretty much right in line with Mayor Bloomberg’s goal of an all hybrid taxi fleet by 2012. Of the 13,000 taxis in NYC, only 630 are currently hybrids.
Why the big push, you might wonder? According to TLC Chairman Matthew Daus, the fuel efficiency vote was “a giant leap for the environment.” He added, “This regulation, the first of its kind anywhere, lays the groundwork for the cleanest, greenest large city taxicab fleet in the world,” he said in a statement.
Ford sells about 3,000 Crown Victorias as taxis in NYC each year. Ford spokesman Jim Cain did say that Ford is committed to the taxi industry and that the company is working on some fuel efficiency initiatives in addition to the Escape hybrid it currently has.
Dropping the Escape hybrids powertrain into a Fusion would be a good start. A large sized hybrid Taurus would be the ultimate though. After all, it already gets 20MPG city with its beefy 263-hp V6.
[tags]Cars, Car, Auto, Automobile, Vehicles, Technology, Auto News, News, Automotive[/tags]


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Finder is committed to editorial independence. While we receive compensation when you click links to partners, they do not influence our content.
Buy Now Pay Later Report
1.1 million Singaporeans have used a buy now pay later service.
Buy now pay later (BNPL) services are making waves across the world as an alternative to credit cards. But just how popular are they in Singapore, and could they leave you worse off financially? Read Finder’s Buy Now Pay Later Singapore Report to find out.
- 38% of Singaporeans, an estimated 1.1 million people, have used a buy now pay later service.
- Over a quarter (27%) have taken a financial hit when using a BNPL service.
- Impulse buying is the most common BNPL mistake.
Buy now pay later use in Singapore
38% of Singaporeans – an estimated 1.1 million people – have used a buy now pay later service, according to a nationally representative survey of 1,008 Singaporeans aged 16+ conducted by Milieu in October 2020.
Men are significantly more likely to have used a BNPL service than women. 45% of men say they’ve used BNPL, while just under a third (32%) of women said the same.
Across age groups, those aged 25-34 and 35-44 are most likely to have used BNPL (44% and 43% respectively), followed by 16-24-year-olds (40%). In comparison, just 35% and 28% of those aged 45-54 and 55+ said the same.
The data suggests that your employment status can have a big impact on whether you’ve used BNPL before. Over half (54%) of those who are unemployed and not looking for a job have used buy now pay later, well above the national figure of 38%. Meanwhile, 36% of those who are unemployed and looking for employment said the same. Buy now pay later adoption is much lower among homemakers (22%) and retirees (12%) and a bit lower than average among those who are studying (34%).
The data also suggests that major life events, such as becoming engaged, getting married, moving house and having a baby, could increase your chances of using a BNPL service. 69% of those who were married in the last 12 months and 68% of those who got engaged in the last 12 months say they have used a BNPL service. Those who have had a child in the last 12 months or moved house in the last 12 months are also likely to say they’ve used BNPL (67% and 64%). The incidence of those who have used BNPL is also high for those who got a new job (49%), graduated (48%) or retired (43%) recently.
Buy now pay (more) later
27% of Singaporeans aged 16+ – equivalent to 783,000 people – admit to being worse off financially due to a buy now pay later mistake. The most common BNPL faux pa is making an impulse purchase, with nearly one in five Singaporeans (17%) admitting to making this mistake.
The next most common transgression is buying a more expensive item than you otherwise would have (15%). Worryingly, a whopping 11% say they’ve overstretched their budget so far that they’ve struggled to pay for other expenses. 9% of Singaporeans have had to pay a late fee and 7% have had their bank account go into overdraft as a result of BNPL use.
The most common buy now pay later mistakes
|Buy now pay later mistakes||Percentage|
|1||Made an impulse purchase||17%|
|2||Bought a more expensive item than you otherwise would have||15%|
|3||Overstretched your budget and struggled to pay for other expenses||11%|
|4||Paid a late fee||9%|
|5||Had your bank account go into overdraft||7%|
A third of men (33%) have made a BNPL money mistake compared to one in five women (21%). The biggest differences between the sexes are that 11% of men have had their bank account go into overdraft compared to just 3% of women and that 19% of men have bought a more expensive item than they otherwise would have compared to 11% of women.
Those aged 35-44 were most likely to say they’d made a BNPL money mistake (35%), followed by those aged 25-34 (31%) and 16-24 (30%). 35-44-year-olds are the most likely to have stretched their budget and struggled to pay for other expenses (17%), paid a late fee (15%) and bought a more expensive item than they otherwise would have (18%). Along with 16-24-year-olds, they were also the most likely cohort to have their bank account go into overdraft (8% each). 16-24-year-olds were the most likely to say they had made an impulse purchase using BNPL (21%).
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Civitan Services will host a time to create ornaments and drink hot cocoa. The event is 6-8 p.m. on Monday, December 9th at the Farmers Market in downtown Benton. The address is 125 W. Ashley Street in Benton. Admission, cocoa and craft is free.
See more holiday events at www.mysaline.com/holiday-events.


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The BBC launched the first BBC Micro personal computer in December of 1981. 34 years later, they’re launching an all-new Micro, but this one’s decidedly different.
It’s called the Micro Bit, and it’s a development board that’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Or a schoolchild’s hand, which is where the BBC wants to put them. They’re preparing a million of the boards, which will be given out to all UK students entering secondary school this fall.
There’s a key difference to how the BBC is positioning the Micro Bit compared to the original Micro. The first time the BBC launched a Micro, Sir Clive Sinclair was understandably upset about a government-funded competitor to the ZX Spectrum. This time they’re being careful not to step on anyone’s toes. The Micro Bit is meant to be a complimentary device, and it’s made to work seamlessly with other dev boards like the Raspberry Pi, Arduino boards, and Intel’s Galileo.
The BBC is actually working with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and they’ve got a bunch of other major tech industry players involved, too: ARM, Microsoft, Google, Samsung, and BT to name a few.
The Micro Bit is part of a massive push by the BBC to help the UK shore up their digital skills gap. It’s always been a part of the BBC’s mission, and recently they’ve been working on new ways to help. You might remember the nifty little Doctor Who game that teaches kids programming logic by issuing commands to a Dalek.
Kids will be able to create programs for the Micro Bit using C++, Python, and TouchDevelop when they reach schools this September. The hope is that the Micro Bit will help inspire Britain’s youngsters… and maybe kickstart the career of the next Sir Clive Sinclair.


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What you need to know
- Apple's iPhone maker Foxconn has published its Q1 profits.
- They slumped by a record 90% to a low not seen since 2000.
- Foxconn said that it is seeing growth momentum in Q2, and that the worst is over.
Apple's iPhone maker Foxconn has published its Q1 profit, showing a massive slump of 90%.
As reported by Reuters:
Foxconn's first-quarter profit plunged to its lowest in two decades, all but wiped out, after the coronavirus pandemic forced the Taiwanese firm to suspend manufacturing operations in China and knocked demand from customers including Apple Inc.
"The report does, however, note that Foxconn says the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is over for the company, and that "new growth was to be found in work-from-home lifestyles." In a statement the company said:
"Hon Hai will stabilize in the second quarter"
The 90% slump in profit is the lowest quarterly profit for the company since 2000, revenue declining by 12%.
According to Reuters, the company expects to see "double-digit percentage growth" in Q2 compared to Q1, but still a decline year on year. Whilst enterprise computing is expected to be a source of growth for the country, Foxconn is expecting a 15% decline in smartphone sales. Smartphones accounted for 42% of Foxconn's revenue in Q1.
Foxconn's Chairman Liu Young-way said, " for consumer electronic products, because everyone is staying at home, naturally, it affects consumers' purchasing power and such power might take a very long time to recover."
A recent DigiTimes report suggests that recovery is on the way, as Apple's new iPhone SE helped propel the company to a new April record of $12.72 billion in revenue, an increase of nearly 10% on the month before.


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The bioplastics market is expected to grow from US$ 5,799. 8 million in 2021 to US$ 13,806. 1 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 13. 2% from 2021 to 2028. Bioplastic is a moldable plastic material made from chemical compounds derived from or synthesized by microbes, such as bacteria, or genetically modified plants.
New York, April 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report “Bioplastics Market Forecast to 2028 – COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type and Application” – https://www.reportlinker.com/p06269982/?utm_source=GNW
Bioplastics are obtained from renewable resources, and some bioplastics are biodegradable.
Based on type, the global bioplastics market is segmented into biodegradable and non-biodegradable.The non-biodegradable segment led the market in 2020.
Also, the market for the same segment is expected to grow at a faster rate during the forecast period.


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Daimler to produce first in-house electric motor at Berlin plant
BERLIN — Daimler will produce the first in-house electric motor at its oldest plant in Berlin, the carmaker said on Thursday, providing relief to workers worried that the diesel motor production site was on the brink of deep job cuts.
Workers who feared for their positions after Daimler said in September 2020 its Berlin site would end production of the 6-cylinder diesel motor within a year would also be offered retraining in software and coding, the German company said.
Investment in the Berlin-Marienfelde plant, previously pinned at a two-digit million euro amount, will rise to a low three-digit million euro amount in the next six years, Daimler said.
The motor, known as an axial-flux motor and designed by the British startup YASA Daimler acquired earlier this year, weighs a fraction of its diesel equivalent and can boost the range of an EV by up to 7%, YASA’s founder told Reuters in July.
(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Zuzanna Szymanska and David Evans)


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Group 1 Automotive UK expects cost savings after the roll-out of TMC’s Fuel+ service across its 52 car dealerships.
Gerry Myton, head of VAT at Harwood Hutton, shares some taxation advice for dealers
Getting an employee car ownership scheme wrong can be expensive and it is sensible that any dealer running one gets HMRC sign off.
Three out of four car dealership employees are overpaying BIK tax on their company vehicle according to an audit carried out by Cooper Solutions.
Audi dealers in major cities will be a central component of a new premium car-sharing mobility scheme being rolled out by the German manufacturer this year.
Dealers’ claims for compound interest took a move forward last week, with a win for Littlewoods at the court of appeal, says ASE.
Automotive Management Live: Where franchised and independent dealers will find everything they need to know about operating a modern showroom and service and repair facility fit for the digital age.
When: November 12 2020
Where: Birmingham NEC
Find out what features are in this month's, and future, issues


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In a competitive market, the packaging and presentation of products can make or break sales, giving one brand an edge over its rivals. HN caught up with three packaging professionals to learn more about what’s shaping this key industry, from leveraging AI to maximizing capacity.
Green and sustainable manufacturing is the headline theme at the 2023 edition of Gulfood Manufacturing, which takes place in early November (from November 7th to 9th) at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
The F&B industry and food delivery services find themselves engaged in a tug of war, with businesses striving to increase profits while simultaneously considering the shift toward sustainability, which inevitably brings about operational changes. Tech disruptor and global entrepreneur Mohamed Al Fayed, CEO and co-founder of Grubtech, tackles the challenges faced by the industry to establish a delicate balance between financial growth and environmental consciousness.
The Nestlé Creating Shared Value Prize 2020 aims to recognize innovative changemakers working on waste-free packaging solutions.
According to McKinsey, the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the megatrends buffeting the USD 900 billion-a-year packaging industry.
Individual single-serving F&B products were very probably first introduced primarily to accommodate the commercial airline industry’s space constraints on aircrafts. The concept was then adopted by hotels over time, leading to global brands using them to serve consumers in povertystricken markets. As people began to spend more time outside of their homes, global and local brands have created their own concepts to cater to an ever-growing audience. HN unpacks this important industry to find out more.
Branding the box has gone mainstream, providing a great communication channel for showcasing the company’s logo and expressing the purpose of the business or relaying what the brand stands for. Chirine Salha, senior consultant at Ulysses Consulting, lifts the lid on the latest trends.
Customers visiting the IRC will be able to see the latest innovations in sustainable aseptic packaging such as a carton pack that can be heated and carried on the go.


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LUSAKA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) intends to implement a new strategy aimed at driving Africa's industrialization and increasing intra-Africa trade by at least 50 percent in the next five years, the bank said on Wednesday.
The Afreximbank Intra-African Trade Strategy will see the bank work with partners to ramp up trade among African countries to 250 billion U.S. dollars by 2021 from its current level of 170 billion dollars.
"Intra-regional trade will drive value addition in Africa and help reduce the continent's dependence on commodities. It would also allow for the expansion of domestic trade value chains, thereby strengthening the capacity of African economies to resist economic shocks," Benedict Oramah, the bank's president said in a statement following the approval of the strategy.
"The fact that about 40 percent of intra-African trade is done in the informal sectors shows that there are institutional gaps. Afreximbank intends to play a significant role in reducing these barriers, by promoting the emergence of export trading companies and by helping to resolve regulatory and policy issues through a deepening of partnerships and bilateral trade arrangements," he added.
The strategy will involve expanding existing trading activities within Africa's regional economic communities, integrating informal trade into formal frameworks, reducing trade barriers, and minimizing the foreign exchange costs of intra-African trade.
Through the strategy, the bank will support the expansion of the production, provide a facilitative environment to increase the flow of goods and services, and deepen access of traders to African markets by creating effective and cost-efficient distribution mechanisms.


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Posted by: Anirevo Staff | May 9, 2014
2014 News & Updates
Our AniRevo crew are at The International Summer Night Market in Richmond on May 17th, from 7pm to closing!
Stop by our booth & say hi! We will also be selling tickets & merchandise!
There will be live singing, dancing, and COSPLAY! So come and experience the International Summer Night Market!
Location & Date
Location: Summer Night Market (Close to IKEA in Richmond)
Date: Saturday, May 17th 2014
Check out our Special Performances and Cosplay Fashion Show at the Sakura Days Japan Fair
subscribe to get the latest news and deals from Anirevo. don’t worry, we won’t be sending any spam.


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BLOCKHOUSE, Canada — Mahone Auto Service, which has operated for 67 years in Lunenburg County, will close its doors on August 29. David and John Croft, who have owned the business since 1985, said the shutdown is due to demands put on the dealership by Ford Motor Company, according to SouthShoreNow.ca.
The owners said they would have had to spend as much as $600,000 to redo the look of the dealership. They claimed they would have to knock down the current showroom in order to comply with Ford’s Millennium Facility Standard.
To read the full story, click here.


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According to previously reliable Twitter user PushDustIn, the pop up displays are set to run until September 15. The last time similar ads appeared for the most recent Hero DLC, the character was released within a week.
Nintendo has previously said the Banjo-Kazooie DLC will be released in autumn/fall 2019, so any drop ahead of the season’s official start on September 23 would represent an early release.
On Sunday Nintendo uploaded a holding page for Smash Bros. Ultimate’s 4th DLC character, suggesting it could be preparing to ramp up its marketing for the add-on content.
The listing also suggested the next fighter could be related to developer SNK. SNK is best known for its cult fighting game series King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown, as well as arcade shooter Metal Slug.
Sakurai announced the release details for the Hero character DLC in July, via an unscripted, ad-hoc video which appeared in deep contrast to Nintendo’s usual slick video presentations.
In his latest Famitsu column, Sakurai explained that he no longer has the budget for high production video presentations, something he first joked about in the Hero presentation itself.