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Search For "airpods"
Updated : 2 weeks, 1 day ago IST
Washington [US], January 2 (ANI): The second-generation AirPods Pro might support Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC), and could even come with a case that makes a sound to help users find it.
Washington [US], January 2 (ANI): American tech giant Apple's vice president of acoustics Gary Geaves recently provided some interesting insight into the limitations of Bluetooth and the feature set of the AirPods 3.
Updated : 3 months ago IST
Washington [US], October 17 (ANI): Apple is hosting a virtual event on Monday at 10 am Pacific Time, with rumours widely suggesting the event will be focused on redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with a faster version of the M1 chip, brighter mini-LED displays, and more.
Washington [US], October 16 (ANI): Apple Airpods may soon help you monitor your body temperature and posture, as the tech-giant company is working on adding health features to Airpods just like the recently launched Apple Watch Series 7.
Washington [US], October 13 (ANI): Apple is reportedly exploring new health-focused features for its AirPods. Features might include using the earbuds to take wearers' temperature, monitor their posture and improve their hearing.
Updated : 3 months, 1 week ago IST
Washington [US], October 6 (ANI): Tech giant Apple is likely to come out with a new MacBook Pro in October this year.
Updated : 3 months, 4 weeks ago IST
Washington [US], September 21 (ANI): Finding your lost AirPods Pro will not be getting easier any time soon as the much-anticipated 'Find My network' support for Apple's AirPods Pro and Max is not coming with iOS 15, as previously announced.
Updated : 4 months ago IST
Washington [US], September 13 (ANI): A day before Apple's Calfornia Streaming event, new details regarding the upcoming iPhone series and other products have emerged.
Updated : 5 months ago IST
Washington [US], August 18 (ANI): Apple's next iPhone 13 series is expected to be unveiled in the third week of September. At the launch event, the Cupertino tech giant will also make some major announcements around AirPods, iPads, and more.
Updated : 9 months ago IST
California [US], April 20 (ANI): Tech company Apple is expected to announce new iPad Pro models, AirPods 3, and a new item-tracking AirTags accessory at its 'Spring Loaded' event on April 20. The company may also announce its podcast service at the event.
California [US], April 17 (ANI): Tech giant Apple may launch the new iPad Pro models alongside the Apple Pencil 3, and AirPods 3 soon.
Updated : 9 months, 2 weeks ago IST
Seoul [South Korea], April 5 (ANI): If you are a fan of collecting special editions of your favourite brands, then you may be intrigued to discover that Samsung has collaborated with Adidas over in South Korea for a special rendition of the Galaxy Buds Pro.


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Steve Jobs would have backed Apple Chief Tim Cook’s fierce resistance to federal authorities on privacy issues, the tech giant’s co-founder Steve Wozniak said.
“I think Steve would have gone for the privacy,” Wozniak told CNBC on Thursday, asked to speculate on how the late Jobs would have reacted to federal demands for a “back door” that would allow searches of private data in iPhones.
On Wednesday, Cook blasted a court order requiring Apple to help the feds search an iPhone used by one of the terrorists who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif., last year.
Wozniak said he was “not intimately involved in the fight,” but if he were, he might fight the order “quite vigilantly.”
Such orders could sap customers’ trust in the brand, Wozniak warned.
“I’m definitely against that,” he said. “I don’t think phones should have back doors.”
On Wednesday, Cook called the court order “chilling,” saying authorities could eventually use it to “extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software” to gather personal data.

domain: news


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Crystal International, a clothing company based in Hong Kong, has released its 2020 sustainability report, with the theme “Innovate in the New Normal, Care via Action,” to showcase creative innovations and care efforts implemented in the previous year. The report adheres to HKEx's environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure standards, as well as GRI Standards.
The report discusses the company's long-term strategy, goals, significant activities, accomplishments, and performance in 2020.
The report's highlights include: best ESG report and Excellence in Environmental Positive Impact Commendation award; the company reduced freshwater intensity by 53% compared to the 2017 base year (target achieved); Carbon intensity was lowered by 12% compared to the base year of 2017 (target achieved); joined the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 30% by 2020; and achieved outstanding verified Higg FEM scores of 92 percent and 91 percent in a China factory and a Vietnam factory, respectively, they earned exceptional verified Higg FEM scores of 92% and 91%.
Notably, the firm established a long-term decarbonization plan and extended rooftop solar PV in two Vietnam facilities, resulting in yearly CO2e reductions of approximately 4,000 tonnes. It also recycled 2,832,308 m3 of water, enough to supply drinking water to 3,800,000 people for a year.
Catherine Chiu, the company's GM of Corporate Quality and Sustainability, said that the year 2020 was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of us. Despite the uncertainty and challenges posed by the COVID-19 epidemic, their commitment to sustainability remained unwavering. The pandemic has reinforced for them the importance of cultivating a long-term relationship with the natural environment, how critical it is to address the looming climate crisis, and the importance of working together to overcome adversity and be resilient.
Crystal International Group and its subsidiaries, which were founded in Hong Kong in 1970, have expanded product categories into five segments: lifestyle wear, denim, intimate, knitwear, sportswear, and outdoor gear, with leading positions in corresponding areas. With about 20 manufacturing sites spread across five countries (Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka), the company maintains a multi-country manufacturing platform.
A weekly report covering market and price information on the entire chain of polyester along with online access to daily polyester chain prices.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in individual products including polyester, nylon, acrylic, viscose, and cotton.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in the individual country's natural and manmade fiber/filament industries.
Countries Served Worldwide


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australian computer society (ACS) - News, Features, and Slideshows
australian computer society (ACS) in pictures
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is holding a two-day youth festival of ICT, ACS YITCON14, in Melbourne today and tomorrow.
The New South Wales government’s 2014-15 Budget IT spending will help the state prepare for a digital future, according to the Australian Computer Society (ACS).
Kaylene O'Brien, deputy chair of networking forum Vic ICT for Women, is one of many Australian ICT workers who have experienced gender discrimination.
The Australian Computer Society released a draft discussion paper this week that asks cloud vendors and users how they can help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and not for profits (NFPs) become more confident in using the cloud.
Women make up just 20 per cent of the ICT workforce, compared to 45 per cent in all occupations, according to a study by the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency (AWPA).
NBN Co chief executive, Mike Quigley, was asked by the Australian Computer Society (ACS) to deliver the traditional Charles Todd Memorial Oration, a politically charged speech which has caused ripples in the community. Here it is in full.
- How AMEX is using data and creative to tap into customer contexts
- Mobile Mentor and iProximity join forces on beacon technology
- 5 lessons in brand culture from Gelato Messina
- New board builds AANA's brand marketing expertise
- 10 mind-blowing Oculus Rift experiments that reveal VR's practical potential


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Lynn Sanchez wore black from head to toe Wednesday-- except for her new pink mules, pink purse and yellow three-quarter-length trench coat. "I've been in Chicago going on 15 years, and it used to be a sea of black," said the human resources director for Chicago law firm Neal Gerber & Eisenberg. "Now you can do bags of different colors with shoes of different colors."
Next on her shopping list: Clothing in today's must-have hues. Particularly eye-catching to Sanchez is an aqua shade reminiscent of the signature blue on Tiffany & Co. gift boxes and shopping bags.
"Tiffany blue can go anywhere," said Sanchez, who also has sprung for the cropped pants that are omnipresent this season. "For the first time in years, I think the fashions for spring and summer are great."
Thanks to scores of shoppers sharing that sentiment, many clothing retailers are experiencing a rags-to-riches year.
Apparel sales are forecast to rise between 1 percent and 1.5 percent in 2004. While the lowest of low-single digits might not sound like much, the industry will take it, considering clothing sales fell 5 percent to $166.5 billion in 2003, according to market research firm NPD Group. In fact, the apparel industry last posted a sales increase in 2000, when revenues rose 1.2 percent.
One factor fueling the upturn: Consumers who last year made do with their black, gray and pink ensembles have taken stock of their get-ups and realize this year that they need an infusion of the tangy tones.
"They're making people's existing wardrobes look obsolete," NPD industry analyst Marshal Cohen said of the current crop of colors, many citrus-inspired.
A year ago, consumers also seemed willing to buy what amounted to throwaway clothing at low prices. But the chickens are coming home to roost. "You get what you pay for," Cohen said. "Now they've got to go back out and buy again."
As the economy improves, pent-up demand is accounting for the more active shopping of some consumers.
"I'm shopping more than last year because I budgeted for it," Kelly McCain said. Recent additions to the Chicago secretary's wardrobe include an eye-popping purple shirt and cropped pants.
McCain frequents H&M as well as Limited Brands Inc.'s Express stores and namesake Limited chain.
Limited Brands, in fact, was part of a long list of specialty apparel chains for which consumers roared their approval in May.
It was also a heady month at Ann Taylor Stores Corp., Chico, Bebe, Guess, Gap Inc. and Aeropostale. In May, all of those chain's comparable-store sales, or revenues at locations open at least a year, exceeded Wall Street's forecasts.
"It's the greatest boom in apparel in a decade," said Howard Davidowitz, chairman of New York-based retail consulting and investment banking firm Davidowitz & Associates Inc.
Profit margins also are up
But Davidowitz believes there's even a more remarkable story than apparel sales: apparel profit margins.
"We have clients canceling sales," he said. "No one is talking about deflation in apparel."
That's in contrast to recent years, when apparel became a low-price commodity to move through the doors, crushing profits of department stores and apparel companies alike.
"Our regular-price business is up dramatically," Bloomingdale's Chief Executive Michael Gould said Thursday.
Bloomingdale's average unit ticket price is up 12 percent, and the chain, owned by Federated Department Stores, has cut the number of days on which it holds sales by 15 percent this year.
Bloomingdale's is not alone..
"At Ann Taylor, we continue to see full-price comparable-store sales improvement, due in large part to our colorful, feminine and novelty merchandise offerings," Ann Taylor Stores Corp. Chief Executive Patrick Spainhour said Thursday.
Consumers also are ga-ga over products at Gap Inc.'s namesake stores.
"We continue to deliver year-over-year merchandise margin growth through more regular-price selling," Sabrina Simmons, a Gap senior vice president, said in a statement.
And it's not just happening at stores that do large volumes of business with women. Casual Male Retail Group Inc. also is seeing fewer markdowns as same-store sales surge.
Even some discounters are riding the wave. On May 13, Wal-Mart reported record profits and sales for the first quarter. It cited "the strengthening economy and the improving apparel environment."
Still, not everyone is sharing in the rebound.
Sears, Roebuck and Co. has said it's happy with the performance of its exclusive Apostrophe brand, which aspires to be a more fashionable clothing line than the Hoffman Estates retailer's more classic Covington and Lands' End lines.
Sears misses fashion action
But in a recent speech to the Investment Analysts Society of Chicago, Sears Chief Executive Alan Lacy conceded that his department store chain was still missing out on the uptick for trendier fashions.
"The fashion component is still not what we want it to be," Lacy told the gathering on May 20.
But, he added, just wait until this fall--when Sears' stores roll out Structure, a more fashionable men's line once owned by the Limited, and A Line, a women's offering from Jones Apparel Group.
Until then, Sears must wait to get on the radar screen of Martha Rosenburg, an Evanston marketing director.
She, too, is spending more this year on apparel, haunting Filene's, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom's Rack and H&M when shopping in downtown Chicago.
"I bought two little stretchy and metallic cardigans in bright colors," she said. "One is aqua and one is pink."


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JEKYLL ISLAND- A 260-room hotel on Jekyll Island is about to close its doors.
SAVANNAH - Georgia port officials pledged Monday to support a deeper shipping channel for rival seaport Charleston, S.C., while they also seek federal permission and funding to dredge the waterway to the Port of Savannah.
Firth Rixson on Wednesday formally announced the grand opening of its new facility in Midway during a two-day customer appreciation event at the site in Tradeport East Business Park. The company also officially announced the signing of a contract with Rolls-Royce, owned by BMW, to produce parts for the foreign cars at the new facility.
ATLANTA - State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent in December, up two-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 10 percent in November. The preliminary November rate of 10.1 percent reported last month has been revised downward by one-tenth of a percentage point. The rate was 10.3 percent in December 2009. This is the 39th consecutive month Georgia has exceeded the national unemployment rate, which is currently 9.4 percent.
Given the economic climate we're in, you may one day be faced with a downsizing or otherwise forced to retire earlier than you had planned. But even if that happens, you can still maintain control of your financial future - if you make the right moves.
Between holiday shopping bills now coming due, increased winter heating bills and the coming income tax season, many people are feeling the pinch. Your best bet for getting back on track is probably to trim expenses.
It has been an interesting winter so far.
The Internal Revenue Service is looking for more than 4,700 Georgia taxpayers who are due refund checks worth more than a total of $7 million.
Liberty County Chamber of Commerce members now can use their smart phones to download an application that gives them access to a member directory, along with information for businesses that are most relevant to consumers.
Defense Department civilian employees affected by the federal pay freeze for 2011 and 2012 will still have the opportunity to receive performance awards, promotions and normal longevity increases, the American Forces Press Service reported recently.
Residents of Long County and neighboring areas no longer have to fight traffic to get a good work out. A new fitness center recently opened in Ludowici.
ATLANTA - At its annual conference in Savannah, the Georgia Economic Developers Association named its 2011 board of directors and the chairmen and women of its volunteer working committees. The new terms of office began Jan. 1.
As you navigate the financial world, you'll most likely deal with a wide array of investment choices, constantly changing tax laws, estate-planning issues and other areas. And then, to make things even more complex, you'll have to consider your own risk tolerance, time horizon and individual goals. If you're like most people, you don't have the time and expertise to create, monitor and adjust your investment strategy by yourself, so you'll need to get some help. But how can you choose a financial professional who is right for you?
If someone gave you a $50 bill, you probably wouldn't just stick it in a drawer and forget it.
CenturyLink, a communications company with local offices in Hinesville, recently announced it will merge with Qwest, considered by some to be a leader in the networks services market because of its national fiber-optic network.
ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that Metro Hinesville's unemployment rate for April was 5.3 percent, down 0.6 percentage point ...
The Hinesville Area Board of Realtors presented $1,000 Thursday to the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce to support the ESPLOST campaign.
ATLANTA – State Bank Financial Corporation, the holding company for State Bank and Trust Company, and S Bankshares Inc. announced Thursday the signing of a definitive ...
The seventh annual Night of Champions Thursday at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa – Hotel Grand Ballroom was emceed by celebrity chef Jamie ...
SAVANNAHA - Area Kroger stores will soon be filled with "Miracle Balloons" for the grocer's annual fundraiser benefitting The Children's Hospital at Memorial University ...
The Glennville Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon-cutting for Glennville Eye Surgery Center, an affiliate of Georgia Eye Institute. Glennville Eye Surgery Center is ...
Optim Healthcare held a ribbon-cutting Thursday at its new Hinesville location, in the Central Station shopping center on Veterans Parkway.
The Liberty County Convention and Visitors Bureau celebrated National Travel and Tourism Week Monday through Saturday.
SAVANNAH - Gabrielle Jackson Bosché, president and founder of the Millennial Solution and author of "5 Millennial Myths: The Handbook for Managing and Motivating Millennials," will ...
SAVANNAH - Nordic Logistics and Warehousing has doubled capacity at its Savannah location, holding a ribbon cutting last month for a 200,000-square-foot cold storage and ...
During the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Oglethorpe Square Shopping Center on West Oglethorpe Highway in Hinesville, national athletic retailer Dick's Sporting Goods was ...
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“We are not going to give up on getting the Commodore into the US,” a Holden insider has told GoAuto. Holden has made it pretty clear that ever since GM announced the death of Pontiac, it is doing all it can to not end Australian exports to the U.S.
Insiders say that ever since the death of Pontiac was announced, officials have been looking at different options that they are not able to discuss as of yet.
It is reported that Pontiac’s partnership with Holden was originally an unfortunate mistake. Apparently Bob Lutz fell in love with Monaro and thought it would a great vehicle to replace the Pontiac GTO. Eventually, that brought the Commodore to the U.S. as the G8.
For those of you still upset about the death of the Pontiac G8 ST (which was cancelled before the death of the brand since GM ran out of cash to market the car), Holden feels that the model could now perform well in the GMC range. Holden and GMC have already been working together on the Denali concept car, which was built by Holden in Australia.
Other options to continue Holden exports to the U.S. include Chevrolet. Currently, Holdens are sold as Chevrolets in the Middle East. Sources say that Holden could also supply Cadillac with rear-wheel-drive long and short wheelbase VEs.
Holden believes that there is clearly a high demand in the U.S. for its Commodore as a niche vehicle – and we definitely agree. GM sold a total of 2,939 units of the G8 in March despite cutting back on marketing.
– By: Omar Rana


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Indonesia will lift its ban on palm oil exports next week, President Joko Widodo said on Thursday, easing pressure on the global vegetable oil market after prices surged following the suspension and the war in Ukraine.
The archipelago issued a ban last month to secure supplies of the raw material used in a range of goods from chocolate spread to cosmetics in the face of a domestic shortage.
“Based on the supply… of cooking oil and given that there are 17 million people in the palm oil industry – farmers and other supporting workers – I have decided that cooking oil exports will reopen on Monday, May 23,” he said. Widodo at an online briefing.
“The government will still strictly control everything to ensure that demand is met with affordable prices,” he said.
Authorities had strictly enforced the export ban, with the Indonesian navy earlier this month seizing a tanker carrying palm oil out of the country, in violation of the order.
After the ban went into effect, Widodo said supplying the country’s 270 million residents was his government’s “top priority.”
But Jakarta came under pressure from even more saddled prices that had already skyrocketed after Russia’s invasion of agrarian powerhouse Ukraine.
Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in Indonesia and despite being the largest producer in the world, the country has been struggling for months with a shortage of cooking oil due to poor regulations and producers who are reluctant to sell at home.
The shortages have in some cases forced consumers to queue for hours at distribution centers.
Indonesia produces about 60 percent of the world’s palm oil, a third of which is consumed by the domestic market. India, China, the European Union and Pakistan are among the main export customers.
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)


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There’s a new trend in the air, spreading with rapid speed across the digital world: Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), represented by platforms such as ChatGPT for text and Stable Diffusion for images, is now available to a wider audience. While the potential of these technologies is rendering our digital experience exciting and diverse, it also carries certain risks that have been highlighted by a team of researchers.
We’re living in an era where AI-generated content is inevitably populating the internet. A parallel phenomenon is the practice of AI companies combing through the internet for freely available data to train their language and image models. However, as emphasized in a study by Cornell University, there lies a tangible danger when the data used to train these models are produced by the models themselves.
Let’s delve deeper into the world of “model collapse,” a phenomenon that happens when AI models train on their own outputs in an endless loop. What happens exactly? In the first round, these models lose a portion of the actual information about the world. But with every subsequent generation, they begin mixing the remaining information from the real world with those they’ve created themselves. The outcome is a steadily increasing distortion of reality. A text-based AI trained in this manner could end up sounding less and less human-like – an unwanted outcome that runs counter to the original intent.
So, what’s the solution, you ask? Fresh, human-generated data is the keyword. That, however, is easier said than done, as it’s often unclear whether internet data are human or machine-generated. Researchers underscore the need to ensure access to the original data models were trained on and regularly refresh the data pool with new, non-AI-generated data.
This calls for a synchronized effort from AI communities and companies to create clarity on which data are of human origin and which are produced by AI models. Unless such measures are undertaken promptly, developing new AI models trained on genuine human data could become an increasingly challenging task. Our digital future hinges on how we master this challenge.


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Huge crowds as police patrol Bath Christmas Market after terrorist attack
‘It’s a bit mad out there’
The Bath Christmas Market 2019 is in full swing, and according to our photographer on the ground “it’s a bit mad out there.”
Photos show huge crowds jostling about the market.
A significant police presence has also been seen around the market, with heightened security after the London Bridge attack yesterday.
Follow our live blog with updates on travel disruption here.
What has your experience been of the Bath Christmas Market? Comment below or email firstname.lastname@example.org


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Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, and NVIDIA, the leading artificial intelligence (AI) computing firm, are joining forces for the development of a highly advanced, AI-capable core computer for the next generation of Volvo cars.
Volvo Cars has for the first time introduced solar energy into its global manufacturing operations. The installation of 15,000 solar panels at its car factory in Ghent, Belgium marks another step towards the company’s vision of having climate-neutral global manufacturing operations by 2025.
Volvo Cars has maintained a strong sales momentum in September, with global sales rising 12.9 per cent, compared with the same period last year. The company sold 60,622 cars during the month, as sales grew in all its key regions of US, China and Europe.
Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, today revealed the new Cross Country version of its V60 mid-size estate. The rugged V60 Cross Country is the latest addition to the company’s line-up of brand new Volvos that underpins the company’s transformation in recent years.
Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, this week joins the G7 Ocean Partnership Summit, one of the largest environmental summits in the world. Volvo Cars is the only car maker to be invited to the G7 summit, underlining the company’s position as an industry leader in sustainability.
Volvo Cars has extended the contract of chief executive and president Håkan Samuelsson by another two years to 2022. The extension provides the company with management continuity as it continues to transform itself into a global and diversified mobility service provider.
Where would you live if you could commute each workday in an autonomous driving, fully-functional, connected, comfortable, mobile office space? What if the service was provided via an on demand subscription basis? Or what if it was provided by one employer yet not another – which company would you work for?
With its new 360c autonomous concept, Volvo Cars tackles one of the main challenges around the introduction of autonomous technology and calls for a new, global standard in how autonomous vehicles can safely communicate with all other road users.
Imagine a world in which you travel long distances without the need for airports. A world in which you can avoid airport security, hours of queuing and waiting, and noisy, cramped airliners. What if, instead, you could take your own first-class private cabin that picks you up at home and takes you from door to door?
For information on how Volvo Cars process your personal data in relation to Volvo Cars Global Newsroom click here.


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Pilgrim's Pride Corp. said Friday it will cut 3,000 jobs as it shuts down operations at three of its 32 chicken processing plants.
The announcement does not include the company’s processed products plant in Waco, which employs around 700.
The closures will reduce the company's chicken production by roughly 10 percent and are designed to save the company $110 million a year as part of an ongoing restructuring.
The Pittsburgh, Texas-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December under a heavy debt load.
The plants the company expects to close by mid-May are in Douglas, Ga.; El Dorado, Ark.; and Farmerville, La.
The company expects the closures to cost $35 million, not including asset write-downs it may take in the second quarter.
The company also said it would combine its protein salad production operation in Franconia, Pa., with its Moorefield, W. Va., facility.
The company says the move also affects 430 independent chicken farmers.


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SUBWAY customers can now easily pay and save at more than 26,000 restaurants nationwide, all from their mobile devices
October 1, 2014 – MILFORD, CT – The SUBWAY® restaurant chain today announced the nationwide availability of contactless/NFC-based mobile payments in partnership with Softcard™, completing a rollout that was announced earlier this month. SUBWAY customers can now use their mobile device to pay at more than 26,000 SUBWAY locations across the U.S. using the Softcard app.
In the future, the SUBWAY® brand will integrate its SUBWAY Card Rewards Program into the Softcard app in participating markets, providing a simpler way to earn Reward Points.
“We’re excited to give our customers a seamless way to enjoy SUBWAY offers and rewards through the Softcard™ app,” said Carman Wenkoff, Chief Information Officer for the SUBWAY® brand. “By mobilizing our SUBWAY Card Rewards Program in Softcard, we can offer customers an easier, more meaningful experience through the technology they use most – their smartphones.”
Softcard™ is a free app that combines payments, offers and loyalty. SUBWAY® customers can download and use Softcard today on more than 80 mobile devices across AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless and tap to pay at more than 200,000 locations nationwide. Through its use of the contactless EMV global standard and SmartTap® mobile commerce technology, Softcard enables a safer way to make payments, to redeem offers and to use loyalty cards through a simple tap.
“Today’s announcement marks a milestone for the mobile payments industry as SUBWAY takes quick-service to the next level with the largest deployment of mobile payments in the U.S.,” said Michael Abbott, chief executive officer, Softcard. “We’re excited to work with SUBWAY to offer customers an easier and safer way to pay, save and earn rewards.”
About SUBWAY® restaurants
Since 1965, SUBWAY® owners have been devoted to offering customers customized made to order sandwiches with a wide range of better-for-you options. Providing easy access to vegetables, detailed nutrition, dietary, and healthy lifestyle information has been a priority for the SUBWAY® chain for many years, earning the American Heart Association’s Heart Check Meal Certification in 2012 for many Fresh Fit™ meal options. As the world’s largest restaurant chain, thousands of dedicated entrepreneurs have the opportunity to run their own business, while playing an important role in their communities. To learn more information about us, visit http://www.subway.com, like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/subway and follow us on https://twitter.com/subway. SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor’s Associates Inc.
The joint venture is among AT&T Mobility LLC, T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Verizon Wireless and is based in New York City. The venture is chartered with building Softcard, a national mobile commerce venture that will fundamentally transform how people shop, pay and save. Softcard™ is available to all merchants, banks, payment networks and mobile carriers. Softcard and the associated logos are trademarks of JVL Ventures, LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos, product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. For more information visit www.gosoftcard.com.


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Supermarket Morrisons has started a fuel price war after slashing costs of petrol and diesel.
The retail giant sparked off the war on Wednesday by announcing it was cutting diesel by 2p a litre, and 1p a litre off its unleaded petrol.
Rivals Sainsbury’s and Tesco have both followed suit by matching Morrisons.
Asda said it was keeping its prices at 113.7p per litre for petrol and 115.7p for diesel.
A spokesman said: “Asda consistently offers drivers the lowest fuel prices nationwide week in week out.”
AA spokesman Luke Bosdet said: “Wholesale fuel costs have been bobbing up and down in recent weeks with one or more of the supermarkets taking advantage to pull in the punters with price cuts. This has paid off for them.
“Latest official figures show that, last year, overall UK petrol sales fell one per cent from 2015’s 12.713 million tonnes to 12.592 million tonnes.
“However, the volume of sales for the Big Four supermarkets rose 1.6 per cent.
“With diesel, the UK volume of sales rose 4.1 per cent in 2016, up from 24.251 million tonnes the previous year to 25.236 million tonnes in 2016.
“Supermarket sales, though, were up 9.4 per cent.
“Sadly, drivers in rural towns without a supermarket presence have missed out. While supermarket petrol prices dropped as much as 4p a litre earlier in the spring, rural drivers were lucky to see their local prices budge a penny.”
Morrisons which was the first to cut prices said: “We are again bringing prices down quickly and we hope that this move will help motorists’ budgets stretch a little further.”
Tesco’s fuel director Peter Cattell said: “We are committed to everyday low prices on all of our products which is why we’re dropping the cost of petrol and diesel at our 500 filling stations across the UK.”
And Sainsbury’s added: “This is a great piece of news for our customers after the bank holiday weekend and we hope it’ll help them to balance their budgets in the run up to summer holidays.”


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Sony appears to have scored an own-goal with its latest firmware patch for the PlayStation 3: not only does it fail to patch the flaw in the digital rights management system, but reports are coming in of it causing upgraded hard drives to fail.
The PS3 3.56 update was released by Sony in order to issue a new private key and uninstall the third-party firmware that was released as a result of work carried out by George Hotz and fail0verflow - firmware that allowed illegitimately downloaded games to be played on an otherwise unmodified PS3.
Just a few hours after the update was posted, reports came in that the new key had been cracked in the same way as the old one - but the news gets worse for Sony.
According to multiple reports from users across the world, the latest firmware update doesn't play well with new-model PS3 Slim consoles. Units with upgraded hard disks report that the drive is corrupted, and request that a USB drive with the 3.56 firmware is inserted in order for the drive to be reformatted and repaired.
Sadly, that doesn't appear to work. Instead of a working, albeit blank, hard drive, users who follow the instructions are receiving 'Data Corrupt' errors and being left with unusable consoles.
While the error appears to only be affecting newer models of PS3 Slim, and only those that have had the internal hard drive upgraded to a larger model, it's a blow for Sony - and leaves those affected waiting impatiently for firmware 3.57 to be released.
YouTube user PS3slimComparison has provided a video demonstrating the issue, reproduced below.


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KodakOne Token Kicks Оff Later This Month
Kodak aims to raise up to USD 50 million from the much anticipated ICO
US photo giant Kodak expects to raise up to USD 50 million in the final phase of its blockchain platform KodakOne’s Initial Coin Offering (ICO) later this month.
The developer of the token Wenn Digital, which worked together with Kodak, said on Thursday that the sale will take place on May 21. Initially, the offering of the platform’s token dubbed KodakCoin was scheduled for January 31 but was delayed for what was originally said to be a several-week period in order to evaluate the status of potential investors.
Kodak and Wenn Digital partnered in January to develop the image protection blockchain platform KodakOne. The platform is expected to launch a beta version later this year. It will serve as a one-stop shop for photographers’ management, protection and distribution needs by providing an image marketplace where users can buy, sell and trade photos based on licensing terms and conditions.
The sale of the token will be hosted on Cointopia, and coins will be priced at USD 1.00. The offering will be overseen by Pickwick Capital Partners and Exemplar Capital, both of whom are registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) as broker-dealers.
The KodakCoin offering will be legally compliant with the SEC, using an instrument called the Simple Agreement for Future Tokens (SAFT). SAFT provides that participation is restricted to accredited investors, guaranteeing safety and transparency to the offering. In such a sale, no tokens are offered, sold or exchanged, instead, money is exchanged for paper documents that promise access to a future product.
A similar cryptocurrency, Filecoin, used the same offering strategy in August and September last year, raising around USD 200 million.
“We are excited to offer the SAFT and the rights to the underlying KODAKCoin Token in a manner structured to fully comply with an exemption to the SEC’s registration requirements,” said Wenn Digital CEO Jan Denecke. “Our goal with this offering is utmost security and transparency, working to bring digital tokens to investors by adhering to industry best practices and in a manner that we hope instills public confidence in the crypto space.”
Wenn Digital has already run a pre-sale of the token to accredited investors and reportedly raised nearly USD 10 million. KODAKOne Chairman and Co-founder Cam Chell told Reuters in an interview on Thursday that demand is greater than the developer’s capital requirement of USD 20 million. “I think USD 50 million is our sweet spot,” he remarked.
Public filings revealed in March that Wenn Digital paid Kodak a USD 750,000 licensing fee for the rights to use Kodak branding on its platform, along with approximately USD 1.25 million worth of Wenn common stock. Under the deal, Kodak will also receive three million KodakCoins and undisclosed royalties tied to the performance of the token sale.


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Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Sergey Ryazanskiy will be going outside of the space station to launch several nanosatellites, perform structural maintenance and collect research samples. The event will start at 10am ET, with commander Yurchikhin and flight engineer Ryazanskiy exiting through the Pirs airlock at about 10.45am.
“Ryazanskiy will begin the schedule of extravehicular activities with the manual deployment of five nanosatellites from a ladder outside the airlock,” the space agency said in a statement. “The satellites, each of which has a mass of about 11 pounds, have a variety of purposes.
“One of the satellites, with casings made using 3D printing technology, will test the effect of the low-Earth-orbit environment on the composition of 3D printed materials. Another satellite contains recorded greetings to the people of Earth in 11 languages. A third satellite commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Sputnik 1 launch and the 160th anniversary of the birth of Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky.”
Yurchikhin and Ryazanskiy will also be installing handrails outside the space station to improve future spacewalks, while they will collect samples from various locations outside the Russian part of the ISS.
This will be the seventh spacewalk of 2017 and the 202nd since construction began on the space station in 1998. The longest spacewalk ever to be undertaken was in March, 2001, when NASA astronauts Jim Voss and Susan Helms spent eight hours and 56 minutes carrying out maintenance and installation work on the station.
Astronauts are well prepared for spacewalks. Clayton C. Anderson, a NASA astronaut who performed six spacewalks during his time on the ISS, recently explained what would happen if an astronaut floated away into space in a Quora question.
He said assuming the astronaut is on an ISS spacewalk and that they have somehow become untethered from their vehicle, they will then resort to using a jet back called SAFER— Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue .
These jetpacks, which he says are “straight out of a Buck Rogers comic book,” allow astronauts to fly back to the ISS where they can reattach themselves and continue going about their business. “SAFER gives astronauts basically one-shot to ‘come home,’” he wrote. “Limited in fuel, and governed by the laws of orbital mechanics, it is not simply a leisurely task to fly back to safety.”
Anderson explains there are several steps the astronaut must take and that they are extensively trained to do this through virtual reality on Earth. These are as follows:
While untethered spacewalks have taken place in the past, so far no astronaut has ever accidentally come free and floated away.
Xiaomi was launched it's budget-friendly smartphone Redmi Note 8 in last month in India, alongside Redmi Note 8 Pro. Now Xiaomi has announced that the Redmi Note 8 smartphone will go for a sale on November 12 in India.
Xiaomi was launched it's budget-friendly smartphone Redmi Note 8 in India last month back. Yesterday Redmi Note 8 went for a sale in Amazon as part of its weekly flash sales. Once again Xiaomi has revealed the Redmi Note 8 next sales date on its website. Read on for all the details about the Redmi Note 8 sales details, including its price in India, specifications, and sale offers.
Looking for the best 4G smartphones under Rs 15,000 right now? Here we have listed out the best mobiles under Rs 15,000 in India for November 2019 based on their specs, performance, price and more. These are the best phones available in the market right now for this budget.
Samsung Galaxy A30s and Galaxy A50s launched in India in September 2019. Now Both Galaxy A50s and A30s have been received price cut in India.
Looking to buy a new smartphone under RS.7,000? Here, we'll tell you which smartphones are the best to buy in India right now.
Xiaomi has finally launched the long-time rumored smartphone Redmi Note 8T in France on Wednesday.
Xiaomi has launched its first 108MP Penta camera setup smartphone "Mi CC9 Pro" on November 5 in China. Yesterday it introduced its global version-Mi Note 10 in Spain.
Realme X2 pro was launched in China last month with the starting price of CNY 2699. Now the Realme X2 Pro is all set to launch on November 20 in India.
Xiaomi's Redmi Note 8 Pro smartphone made its debut in India last month and has been made available for flash sale ever since. Today the Redmi Note 8 Pro is set to go on sale in India at 12PM via Amazon and Mi.com.
Xiaomi will unveil the world's first Penta camera setup smartphone "Mi CC9 Pro" in China on November 5. Meanwhile, Xiaomi has officially announced the launch date of Mi Note 10 on its twitter page. The Mi Note 10, which is said to be a global version of Mi CC9 Pro will be launched on November 6 in Madrid, Spain.


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CANNES — The business at MIPCOM is not only about selling finished product and not only about supplying content to foreign broadcasters. It’s also about commissioning new shows sometimes for one’s own foreign offshoots.
Sony, which like most of the Hollywood majors, has invested in a number of foreign program channels, unveiled Wednesday a reality format called “Six Degrees of X” for its global AXN action channel.
The show was initially a pilot created by L.A.-based Base Camp Films and has now been commissioned as a series.
“In our continuing efforts to develop original content for Sony’s international networks as well as to fortify Sony Pictures TV Intl.’s already robust catalog, ‘Six Degrees’ is a highly commercial reality series that’s scalable to produce anywhere in the world,” said SPTI exec vp Marie Jacobson.
Plans are also to focus on mobile and online extensions for the show.
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Apple TV is going live. Deals have been done with, among others, Dish Network for its Sling TV platform and Fox for its Live Fox Sports Go service, bringing dozens of live channels to Apple TV users. But is Apple too late? Does anyone care about, or watch Live TV anymore?
We asked our RockStars – do you Live TV?


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Qualcomm’s ‘Snapdragon Sound’ Set To Revolutionise Wireless Audio
Wireless audio products such as headphones, earbuds and portable speakers will soon sound even better with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Sound technology.
Qualcomm says Snapdragon Sound will “deliver high resolution wire quality audio, wirelessly” in a bid to close the gap between wired and wireless sound.
“Snapdragon Sound is designed to deliver studio master quality, 24-bit, 96kHz high-resolution Bluetooth music that streams straight from your phone, thanks to Qualcomm® aptX™ Adaptive audio technology. And when listening directly on your mobile device, Qualcomm Aqstic™ technology means you can play your music extra loud without damaging the speaker on your phone,” Qualcomm states.
The technology will work with Qualcomm’s existing mobile platforms, such as Snapdragon 999, headphone chips and features such as Qualcomm Active Noise Cancelling.
It is slated to work across a range of devices from various manufacturers and brands and will push wireless audio into a new level of superior sound.
James Chapman, Qualcomm’s vice president of Voice, Music and Wearables, told TechRadar the new technology will follow the audio from the phone all the way to the device – earbud, headphone or speaker – to ensure the sound remains crystal clear.
Innovations in 5G and Wi-Fi 6 have also helped improve audio so it is not “horribly compressed”, adds Chapman.
The first mobile manufacturer to support Snapdragon Sound will be Xiaomi, while headphone and turntable brand Audio-Technica will be the first audio company to use the technology.
Amazon Music HD will also partner with Qualcomm for superior sound.
Qualcomm says devices supporting Snapdragon Sound are set to be available later this year.


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- Adidas has cashed in on surplus Yeezy stock, after terminating its contract with Kanye West last year.
- The footwear giant received over $560 million in orders for inventory it had originally planned to write off.
- This will go some way to ease the German footwear brand's financial woes – after it warned earlier this year it could make a rare operating loss.
It's been nine months since Adidas cut ties with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West over his anti-semitic remarks, but that has done little to damp demand for his signature shoes.
The German sportswear maker has received orders worth 508 million euros ($564 million), beating its own most optimistic estimates, at a sale of leftover Yeezy shoes – and demand was so high that not all requests could be processed, according to the Financial Times.
Adidas's collaboration with Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, lasted seven years and was highly profitable for both parties, but the contract was terminated last October following the rapper's controversial remarks.
The company had originally planned to write off all existing Yeezy stock at a cost of $500 million, before shareholder pressure reversed this decision in May. Instead, the clothing brand has pledged to donate some of the profits from the sale to causes fighting antisemitism and racism, but the total contribution to charitable causes has not yet been confirmed.
Without Ye – who is reported by the FT to have generated €1.7 billion in sales and almost €700 million in operating profit for the company – Adidas may report its first operating loss in 31 years, but the sale of Yeezy inventory will likely ease these woes.
The sportswear maker is also embroiled in a legal dispute with Ye, after accusing him of "mishandling virtually all of the marketing funds" on the Yeezy project. West admitted on the Nick Cannon podcast to spending $50 million on his "Sunday Service" gospel choir tour – though whether this was Adidas money, he didn't clarify.
"The Yeezys, they were selling themselves," he said. "So instead of paying for ads, I invested it in the church."


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Amidst these uncertainties, Việt Nam has emerged as a prime alternative manufacturing location in Asia.
Small- and medium-sized enterprises in Việt Nam have made technology their top investment priority to ensure growth, according to the ASEAN SME Transformation Study.
Singapore-based United Overseas Bank (UOB) will open its first branch in Việt Nam on July 2. It is the ninth wholly foreign-owned bank and first Singaporean bank in the country.
The United Overseas Bank (UOB) has partnered with the Foreign Trade University (FTU) in Việt Nam to launch the finance industry’s first tertiary education programme designed for bankers that serve small businesses.
Singapore’s United Overseas Bank (UOB) has launched a Business Banking service dedicated to help small businesses in Việt Nam grow their business.


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Marketing campaigns that use print deliver better and faster results than online-only campaigns, a review of 850,000 sales has found.
CoreLogic RP Data reached their conclusion after a two-year analysis that looked at where each property was advertised, its time on the market, offer price and value of the final deal.
Sydney properties that were advertised in both print and online channels sold for 5.1 per cent more than online-only properties, according to the data house. They also had a 13.9 per cent greater success rate and spent 50.0 per cent less time on market.
Melbourne properties that used print increased their sale price by 3.1 per cent and their success rate by 33.3 per cent, while time on market fell by 6.7 per cent.
Print gave Brisbane real estate a gain of 5.8 per cent in the sale price, and 12.5 per cent in the success rate, as well as a reduction of 16.7 per cent in time on market.
Perth enjoyed a boost of 8.7 per cent in the sale price through print advertising and 4.0 per cent in the success rate, although time on market actually climbed by 8.0 per cent.
Adelaide homes that were advertised in print gained 5.7 per cent in the sale price and 7.6 per cent in the success rate, while time on market fell 13.0 per cent.


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Hyundai set to enter India’s EV race with Ioniq brand
NEW DELHI: Hyundai Motor India Ltd will introduce its electric vehicle brand Ioniq in India to tap into India’s ambitious plans to have an all-electric fleet in the country by 2030.
Ioniq, the brand under which the South Korean car maker sells electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars globally, is expected to be showcased at the forthcoming Auto Expo scheduled to be held in February 2018, two people privy to the matter said.
Hyundai sells Ioniq in the US, Europe and East Asian markets.
“We will bring electric cars to India and will meet the timeline given by the Union government. Hyundai has the technology required for electric vehicles so we will bring them in all the segments we are present,” Rakesh Srivastava, director, sales and marketing, Hyundai Motor India, said in an interview.
He, however, declined to comment on the introduction of the Ioniq brand in India.
The move comes days after an announcement by Suzuki Motor Corp on November 17 where the Hamamatsu-based car maker said it will manufacture electric cars for India and supply some units to Toyota Motor Corp with technical support from the latter. The first electric car from Suzuki, which has a 56% stake in Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, is expected to be introduced in the country in 2020.
“We will surprise the market (when it comes to electric vehicles),” Srivastava said.
Through a policy-driven move the Indian government has compelled domestic car makers to launch electric cars in the country leading to frenetic activity in the space after the state-controlled Energy Efficiency Services Ltd invited bids to procure 10,000 cars. The bidding process saw cut-throat competition between Tata Motors Ltd and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Tata won the tender, which was matched by Mahindra later forcing EESL to award the tender to both companies. EESL has said it will come out with another tender to procure 10,000 more electric vehicles around April 2018.
“Any manufacturer bringing these vehicles to India will essentially be showcasing models. As of now we don’t have a market for pure electric vehicles,” said Anil Sharma, principal analyst, IHS Markit.
In the current year, Hyundai plans to manufacture 6.72 lakh vehicles and can stretch its capacity by another 30,000 units in the next year. During April-october, volume sales of the company has increased by 4.5% to 314,053 units while the overall passenger vehicle industry led by Maruti grew 7.67% to 1.91 million units.
Hyundai sells Ioniq in the US, Europe and East Asia


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UK-based Bio-D, a cleaning products company, said that its eco-friendly, fragrance-free laundry products were named Allergy Friendly Products by Allergy UK, an organization that represents the interests of people with allergies. Bio-D’s accredited laundry range, including laundry liquid, washing powder and fabric conditioner, may now display the Allergy UK logo, the company said.
The Mövenpick Hotel Deira in Dubai, UAE, has recertified its Green Globe status. The luxury hotel reached 90 percent of Green Globe certification criteria. In addition to the areas of energy saving, grey water recycling and landfill waste reduction, the property implemented a purchasing policy that favors environmentally-friendly products, where available, Green Globe said.
SCS Global Services has entered a partnership with Alpha Hydraulic Engineering Consultants of Japan to conduct audits of sustainable seafood businesses under the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council standards. SCS and AHEC will offer MSC certification for wild capture fisheries, ASC certification for fish farms, and chain-of-custody certification for processors, retailers and restaurants, SCS said.
Target Corp. will pursue LEED certification for its 124 Canadian stores opening in 2013. Design plans include conserving energy and water, reducing GHG emissions and limiting waste sent to landfill. Target is among the first organizations in Canada to be part of the LEED Volume Program, which streamlines the certification process for multiple buildings of a similar type, the company said.
The Durst Organization, developers of the first LEED platinum certified skyscraper in the US, has announced it will not seek LEED certification for its latest 600-unit 80/20 residential building in development in New York City. The company said it intends to focus on the building’s carbon efficiency over the LEED-based method that tends to focus on energy efficiency, Real Estate Weekly writes.
IEWC’s distribution center in Monterrey, Mexico, has earned LEED for Commercial Interiors certification. Built with energy-efficient equipment and materials, IEWC warehouse is expected to save a minimum of 15 percent on air-conditioning and heating costs. The wire and cable supplier worked with environmental consultants Quest Resource Management on the project, Quest said.
Weis Markets, operators of 162 grocery stores, announced it will open its first LEED-certified store next month in Fogelsville, Pa. The new supermarket measurably reduces environmental impact in areas pertaining to sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection and indoor environmental quality, Supermarket News said.


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According to the latest survey results, business activity rose in June for the fourth consecutive month. The general business activity index registered 15, down slightly from 19 in May. Businesses reported an increase in sales, customer traffic and labor demand. However, prices continued to decline and businesses reported that investment activity remained weak. Expectations for activity six months from now remained strong, with a solid majority of survey respondents anticipating increases in general business activity. Respondents expect sales, labor demand, prices and investment to increase over the next six months.
The latest survey results indicated that business activity increased in June as the general business conditions index registered 15, down slightly from 19 last month. There was some moderation in the specific indicators of activity. The sales and customer traffic or inquiries indexes edged lower to 10 and 12, respectively, from 15 and 30. Taken with the moderation in the overall business activity indexes, it seems clear that that the pace of business activity slowed notably from April and May. Investment in equipment and software was flat in June while inventories declined after two months of increases, likely reflecting the softer activity for the month. Somewhat surprisingly, the business activity indexes for the state and the nation both fell sharply. While the indexes remained positive, survey participants have noted a considerable slowdown in business activity for the month. The state index dropped 24 points to 12 and the national index fell 28 points to 8.
The June survey results indicate an improvement in the labor market in June. Participants reported an increase in employment and hours worked. The number of employees index rose to 8 from −9 while the index of weekly hours jumped to 21 from 4. Despite weak labor market conditions, the index for average wages remained positive at 8, up slightly from last month.
Survey respondents continue to anticipate an increase in business activity over the next six months that will result in greater labor demand. Looking at respondents' expectations six months from now, the number of employees index edged higher to 18 from 15 last month while the hours worked index rose 2 points to 14. Just over one-third of respondents anticipate expanding their workforce over the next six months while 18 percent expect to reduce their workforce.
Businesses reported that prices received for final goods and services continued to decline while prices for materials continued to increase in June. Energy prices however, were slightly lower for the month. The prices received index edged lower to −15 from −12 while the prices paid for materials index was essentially unchanged at 17. The energy price index dropped 27 points to −2. However, firms continue to expect pricing conditions to improve with final goods prices rising over the next six months. There are widespread expectations for prices of materials and energy to also increase over the next six months.
Expectations of economic activity six months from now remained solid in June. The expectations index for general business activity at respondent's companies increased by four points to 39. Fifty-seven percent of respondents anticipate greater business activity six months from now while 18 percent anticipate business activity to decline. Expectations for sales and customer traffic rose in June while expectations for investment and inventory accumulation moderated. Expectations of economic activity for the state and national economy moderated slightly, with the state and national indexes edging lower to 33 and 39, respectively.
R. Andrew Bauer


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You won't believe the treasures found in construction sites
Tank Williams explains why the Dallas WR should have a spot on your roster vs. the Chiefs.
Amazon is facing strikes by warehouse workers and delivery drivers across Europe as its busiest weekend of the year begins. © Evert Elzinga/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Mandatory Credit: Photo by EVERT ELZINGA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (12618816a) Extinction Rebellion activists block the access to the distribution center of e-commerce company Amazon in Rozenburg-Schiphol, the Netherlands, , 26 November 2021. The reason is Black Friday, a day when retailers try to lure bargain hunters with all kinds of discounts. Extinction Rebellion takes action at Amazon, Schiphol, Netherlands - 26 Nov 2021
Labor unions in Germany, Italy and France are calling for the company to pay its workers fairly and respect their right to join unions. The strikes have been called to coincide with Amazon's annual Black Friday event, which kicks off a four-day shopping bonanza that culminates in Cyber Monday.
PlayStation deals are live for Black Friday — here are the 24 best deals
Like Marvel’s Avengers, Far Cry 6, Star Wars Jedi, and FIFA 22 for up to 76 percent off. Amazon and Walmart have the best PlayStation gaming deals, and newly released titles like Far Cry 6, Just Dance 2022, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, and Tales of Arise for the PS5 are as much as 58 percent off. Prices start at just $20 for the new console's games. PS5 owners aren't the only ones with deals to shop.
The action is part of a wider global protest organized by a group called Make Amazon Pay. The coalition of unions, environmentalists and tax campaigners has called for protests in 22 countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.
The international coalition is also demanding that Amazon "pays its fair share of taxes and commits to real environmental sustainability."
An Amazon spokesperson said that the groups represented a variety of interests, and while the company was "not perfect in any area" it was taking its role and impact seriously.
"We are inventing and investing significantly in all these areas, playing a significant role in addressing climate change with the Climate Pledge commitment to be net zero carbon by 2040, continuing to offer competitive wages and great benefits, and inventing new ways to keep our employees safe and healthy in our operations network, to name just a few," the spokesperson added.
The 24 best Xbox Black Friday deals to shop now, from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy to controllers
Let the (shopping) games begin — discounts are up to 67 percent off. Best-selling games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Far Cry 6, and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy are now discounted up to 67 percent off. Shoppers who are lucky enough to already have the Xbox Series X or S will find NHL 22, and Madden NFL 22 for the Series X now up to 50 percent off.
Some of its workers are not convinced.
Germany's giant Verdi union organized a strike of warehouse workers to coincide with the launch in Berlin of "Amazon Workers against Surveillance," a group protesting the company's "use of apps, hand scanners, browser tools and cameras to surveil its workforce 24/7."
"Working almost anywhere at Amazon is stressful and hazardous to one's health," the group said in a statement on its website.
In Italy, workers are planning to blockade warehouses and trucks at all Amazon centers across the country, and thousands of drivers are set to strike on Friday.
Warehouse workers are also striking in France, including at a logistics center in Lille, in support of demands for wage increases and bonuses, and an end to compulsory overtime.
They told CNN that Amazon has asked employees to work on all four Saturdays during December, in addition to their usual hours. For this overtime, they would get a bonus of €120 euros ($136) subject to certain conditions, the workers said.
Hanukkah 2021: When it is and what to know (no, it's not the 'Jewish Christmas')
Known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. The event occurred when Jews rose up against Greek-Syrian rulers in the Maccabean Revolt and drove them out of Jerusalem, according to the History Channel. To mark their victory, Jews wanted to reclaim the temple and light its menorah, but only found enough pure olive oil for one day, according to Chabad.org. That one-day supply lasted eight and is considered a miracle in Jewish faith. Every year, Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev, a month in the Hebrew calendar.
It's not clear how disruptive the strikes will be for Amazon, but this holiday shopping season is proving tough for retailers trying to satisfy strong consumer demand in the face of supply chain disruptions, and shortages of workers and some goods.
Make Amazon Pay was launched a year ago after 50 organizations held strikes and protests in 16 countries around the world, the coalition said.
"Today's actions show the scale of resistance to Amazon's exploitation at every link in its chain of abuse," said Casper Gelderblom, a coordinator of the group.
"Workers throughout the supply chain are demanding what's rightfully theirs when even Jeff Bezos admits their labor paid for his recent joy ride to space," he added.
— Xiaofei Xu and Nathaniel Meyersohn contributed to this article.
Amazon workers in Alabama get a do-over in union election .
NEW YORK (AP) — The National Labor Relations Board has ordered a new union election for Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, based on objections to the first vote that took place in April. The move announced Monday is a blow to Amazon, which spent about a year aggressively campaigning for warehouse workers in Bessemer to reject the union, which they ultimately did by a wide margin. The board has not yet determined the date for the second election and it hasn't determined whether it will be conducted in person or by mail.The rare call for a do-over was first announced by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which spearheaded the union organizing movement.


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8:45 p.m. | Updated
Anheuser-Busch InBev and the Justice Department said on Wednesday that they were in talks to resolve antitrust concerns over the beer maker’s planned deal with Grupo Modelo, the maker of Corona beer and other brands.
The parties said they had jointly requested a temporary stay of an antitrust suit filed by the Justice Department while they work through the options.
Last year, Anheuser-Busch InBev offered $20.1 billion to buy the part of Grupo Modelo that it did not already own. The deal, one of the biggest in the beverage industry, was meant to cap years of deal-making that transformed a small Brazilian brewer into a juggernaut that eventually swallowed the maker of Budweiser.
The Grupo Modelo deal is a vital merger for Anheuser-Busch InBev, which has been seeking greater access to emerging markets. Buying Grupo Modelo, a Mexican brewer, is meant to solidify its footprint in attractive markets in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America.
But the Obama administration filed suit on Jan. 31, seeking to block the deal on antitrust grounds. United States authorities said the original merger proposal would increase Anheuser-Busch InBev’s control of the American beer market, letting it raise prices while reducing choice for local consumers.
Grupo Modelo is the third-largest beer company in the United States. Anheuser-Busch InBev is the largest, ahead of MillerCoors.
Despite robust competition from microbrewers and other brands, analysts say the craft beer market makes up just 6 percent of beer sales. The biggest brewer in the market, Anheuser, has regularly raised its prices every year, with MillerCoors following suit, the Justice Department said.
Anheuser-Busch InBev first countered that the government’s lawsuit was based on faulty assumptions, since the company that determined Grupo Modelo’s prices in the United States was Grupo Modelo’s importer, Crown Imports.
Then, last week, Anheuser-Busch InBev offered broad concessions, saying it would sell the rights to Corona and other Grupo Modelo brands in the United States to Constellation Brands, one of the world’s largest wine companies, for $2.9 billion. Constellation already owns half of Crown Imports, alongside Grupo Modelo.
The new agreement would also include the sale of a brewery close to the United States-Mexico border that is owned by Grupo Modelo, as well as the perpetual licensing rights to Grupo Modelo’s brands in the United States.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Justice Department and the companies involved in the talks jointly requested a delay until March 19. Anheuser-Busch InBev and Grupo Modelo reiterated their contention that the “revised transaction resolves the concerns raised” by the antitrust suit.
The proposed deal for Grupo Modelo would be the second-largest takeover in the beer industry after the $52 billion merger that created Anheuser-Busch InBev, according to Thomson Reuters.


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Why are brands building on the blockchain?
NFTs and digital ledgers aren’t just good for digital artworks and cryptocurrencies. A number of brands are finding ways to marry blockchain technology with the sale of physical products.
Satoshi Studio, a sustainable sneaker brand based in Paris, is about to launch a new marketplace. In two weeks time, the Futures Factory MVP will be up and running, and it will allow sneaker designers to sell digital versions of their upcoming physical products.
It’s pre-selling meets NFTs (non-fungible tokens) – and Satoshi Studio thinks it could be a game-changer when it comes to financing production in the $79 billion sneaker market.
“The goal of this project is to change the ways brands presell and to create a new revenue stream for designers by allowing them to sell virtual-only sneakers,” Satoshi Studio’s founder Nicolas Romero explains. “It’s a way for them to put their products and creations in the hands of consumers, and make it more tangible.”
While Satoshi Studio has certainly picked the right moment to launch an NFT-based marketplace - non-fungible tokens are currently experiencing a flurry of hype following the $69 million sale of a Beeple digital artwork by auction house Christie’s last month – it has been playing the long game on blockchain technology. In 2019, the company, named after Bitcoin's founder Satoshi Nakamoto, became the first company ever to “build sneakers on the blockchain.”
Brands on the blockchain
Blockchain is essentially a digital ledger that tracks the events or transactions that take place in an asset’s lifetime. That can be a digital-only asset (such as an NFT or a cryptocurrency) or it can be linked to a physical product. Most importantly, once a record has been approved and added to the ledger, it becomes immutable, meaning it can’t be changed or tampered with. Think of it as authenticated transparency.
Each Satoshi Studio sneaker has a QR code that links to a unique digital identity. Scanning the QR code not only provides proof of ownership and authenticity, but it also gives customers access to information about the shoe’s materials and suppliers.
“We thought that [blockchain] could be a solution to counterfeiting, and also bring more transparency to the industry,” says Romero.
Satoshi Studio is not the only brand experimenting with ways to enhance the experience of buying and owning new products through blockchain technology. Arianee, a French software-as-a-service startup, has been working with luxury fashion houses since 2017 to provide NFT-based ownership certificates. It also works with a number of smaller brands, including Satoshi Studio and RSVP, a French accessories label that sells limited-edition products.
Blockchain is the platform, Arianee’s cofounder Pierre-Nicolas Hurstel says, and it’s up to brands what they do on top of it.
“It’s like a graphics card if you want to play a video game,” he says. “What we’re trying to do is enrich the experience of owning these goods and the things you can do with them, through a digital twin.”
Blockchain meets supply chain
By scanning a QR code or an NFC (near field communication) tag, blockchain technology can give owners access to all sorts of information about a product they’ve purchased.
Several brands are using the technology to bolster their sustainability credentials. Provenance – a UK-based business founded in 2013 that creates digital passports for physical products – is utilizing blockchain technology to track product supply chains and verify brands’ sustainability claims. It works with a number of brands and platforms, including Cult Beauty and direct-to-consumer dog food brand Marleybones. Partnered with Everledger, Taylor & Hart became the first jewelry brand in the UK to create a ring using blockchain-tracked diamonds.
Each sweater from knitwear brand Sheep Inc. has an NFC tag attached, which can be scanned to reveal details about the product’s carbon footprint and manufacturing journey. Each sweater is also linked to a sheep on the New Zealand farm where Sheep Inc. sources its wool.
Blockchain for physical products
Although blockchain might allow brands to unlock unique digital experiences for customers, questions still remain around how useful this is for consumers. In other words: beyond providing behind-the-scenes information about a product, is there a better use for these digital passports?
Arianee’s Hurstel and Satoshi Studio’s Romero believe that blockchain and NFTs could become an important tool for resale marketplaces, by storing information such as authenticity certificates and the number of times an item has been repaired (and how). Instead of relying on a platform like StockX or Vestiaire Collective to validate the authenticity of secondhand sneakers and clothes, what if an old-fashioned QR code could do it for you?
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Thingtesting is a database of internet-born brands. We’re building the un-sponsored corner of the internet where consumers can come together to talk honestly about new things. Read more about Thingtesting.
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Threefold Architects deliver new coworking space Paddington Works
Inspired by Brunel’s iconic station, the design uses a limited palette of simple and robust materials that give the the space an industrial and civic quality.
Willmott Dixon have recently been recognised for their contribution to reducing greenhouse gases.
This October The Young Furniture Makers Exhibition returns to the City of London for one day only, offering industry the opportunity to connect with young designer-makers who are looking to make an impact on the sector.
Office fit-out and refurbishment specialist, Overbury, is delivering the new 7,250 sq ft Birmingham office of national dementia charity, The Alzheimer’s Society.
An innovative £320,000 development at Alsager School in Cheshire has provided schoolchildren with a renewed sense of health and wellbeing, allowing a space for students to enjoy fresh air, whatever the weather.
Leading UK tile manufacturer, Johnson Tiles, has invested £650k in two new inkjet machines for its factory in Stoke-on-Trent.


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Latest Vascepa Lawsuit Plunges Hikma Into Induced Infringement Battle
Amarin Files Over Icosapent Ethyl Capsules And Cardiovascular Indication Patents
Hikma has pushed back against a further attempt by Amarin to counter its US generic version of Vascepa, this time via a fresh lawsuit claiming that the generic induces infringement of patents protecting cardiovascular indications for which the brand is approved but which are carved out of the generic label.
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Teva has been denied in its attempt to convince the US Supreme Court to re-examine long-running litigation with GSK over skinny-label carve-outs of generic indications. However, the generics firm has vowed to fight on as the case is returned to the district court level, while the wider off-patent industry weighs the impact of the latest decision.
Amarin is digging deep to take Hikma back before a US district court in its induced infringement case against the generics manufacturer.
An attack on Hikma’s skinny-label generic version of Vascepa by originator Amarin, claiming induced infringement of patents protecting a cardiovascular indication, has been dismissed in the US.


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IC Green Energy, a subsidiary of Israel Corp., has announced a takeover bid for Petrotec AG, a Germany-based biodiesel company, valuing Petrotec at about 28 million euros.
Petrotec says IC Green Energy has already bought a 42% stake in the company, and remaining shareholders are to receive a voluntary takeover offer at the same price (2.70 euros per share).
Petrotec is a manufacturer of biodiesel based on alternative feedstocks. The company produces biodiesel with its multi-feedstock technology from yellow grease, animal fats and virgin vegetable fats and oils. In 2007, Petrotec produced 50,800 tons of biodiesel. It has the capacity to produce up to 185,000 tons of biodiesel a year at its two plants in Germany.
IC Green Energy CEO Yom Tov Samia told Globes, "The acquisition of Petrotec is ICG's first investment in the European market as part of our strategy to deepen its activity in the value chain in the biofuels market."
At a Tel Aviv University event in May, Samia outlined IC Green Energy's "12-12 Vision" to be one of the 12 leading companies worldwide in the field of renewable energy by 2012. In order to achieve this goal, IC Green Energy aims to process 4-5% of the global biofuel market (~4 million tons), and Samia emphasized that the company's biofuel production will be based solely on non-edible feedstock.
IC Green Energy invests in HelioFocus
IC Green Energy and Yom Tov Samia


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300 local sellers showcased to promote typical agricultural products from the East of Morocco.
Rabat – The annual agricultural Salon of Saidia, currently in its 6th year, is taking place in the beach town of Saidia, near the Morocco-Algeria border.
The salon was opened on Saturday, July 27 and will end on Sunday, August 4th. Organizers expect the event to attract over 200,000 visitors.
The salon showcases over one hundred cooperatives and 200 local producers working with traditional agricultural goods from the eastern region of Morocco.
The event, sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, is a collaboration between the regional chamber of agriculture, the regional directorate for agriculture, and the regional office of the Moroccan National Health Security Office of Food (ONSSA).
The salon aims to bolster and promote traditional agricultural products from the east of Morocco, such as honey, olives and olive oil, almonds, and couscous. By setting up this event, organizers hope to increase investment in these products as a gateway to reducing unemployment and promoting inclusive, sustainable development.
This initiative is the latest in a series of efforts to promote traditional agricultural goods in Morocco. On July 13th, the Minister of Agriculture Aziz Akhannouch presided over “Tasting days” in the city of Taza near Fez, where visitors were offered dishes prepared with typical products from the Taza region. In addition to showcasing medicinal plants and cosmetics made from traditional products.
The secretary-general of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mohamed Sadiki, the governor of the Berkane province, where Saidia is located, Mohamed Ali Habouha, and other public and private sector figures in the region all attended the opening ceremony, on July 27th.


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Weekly Focus APAC: Singapore Marketplace Opens Up for Maritime Community
In this edition of Weekly Focus APAC: Singapore Marketplace Opens Up for Maritime Community; Alipay to Jointly Drive QR Payments on EU Mobile Wallets; Chinese Consume More Media Online Than Offline; Alibaba Goes Rural for June 18 Sales Festival; and JD.com Membership Programme Goes Global with 15K Hotels.
Singapore Marketplace Opens Up for Maritime Community
Singapore-based Marine Online has unveiled an e-commerce maritime marketplace that features more than 10,000 product listings and 4,000 service providers, offering more than 10 marine services.
These included bunkering, port agency, ship supply, crewing, and chartering, according to the marketplace operator, which added that the site aimed to bring down operating costs and drive transparency for the industry.
Marine Online COO Stephen Qi said: “Shipowners form the core of the shipping industry and is the source of business for all marine suppliers. However, recent global economic uncertainties place tremendous strain on shipowners to maintain their operations and this vicious cycle continues downstream to their suppliers.
“Marine Online spent three years developing eMarineOnline.com, with great ambitions to cut operational costs, improve efficiency, and promote transparency within the maritime ecosystem and, eventually, to bring sustainable profitability back to the industry,” said Qi.
He added that the online marketplace was available online and via its mobile app–on Google Android and Apple iOS–enabling sellers across the globe to list their products and services.
To meet the “highly specialised” needs of the marine industry, Marine Online said its marketplace was designed around two key components: an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered request-for-quotation (RFQ) platform and an online payment system developed by fintech company, M-DAQ.
The AI-powered RFQ tool aimed to help shipowners more quickly find the right suppliers through product comparisons and quotations, bypassing potential hurdles brought about by language and cultural differences.
Transactions and evaluation data also could be viewed in the sellers’ credit system within the online marketplace, which would serve as a critical function since transactions in the maritime industry typically involved hundreds and thousands of dollars, said Marine Online.
In addition, the M-DAQ online payment system would facilitate guaranteed foreign exchange rates and provide an escrow service.
Marine Online’s vice president Tiger Cai said: “Every supplier in Marine Online has an equal opportunity to take their business to the next level on the platform by gaining access to potential clients and providing excellent services to their customers. Credit has been the cornerstone in the marine industry for centuries. We hope to be able to develop a robust system and database, leveraging data science to support a holistic financing system that helps business development, especially for small and midsize businesses in the industry.”
Alipay to Jointly Drive QR Payments on EU Mobile Wallets
Alibaba’s mobile payment business Alipay has inked an agreement with six mobile wallets in Europe to jointly promote QR code-based transactions amongst travellers in the region and China.
The Chinese vendor would work with Bluecode, ePassi, Momo Pocket, Pagaqui, Pivo, and Vipps to drive the adoption of a unified QR code, as the partners looked to bring together Europe’s fragmented mobile payment market.
The partners would adopt a compatible QR code format provided by Alipay, while ePassi and Bluecode would offer technical services to simplify the integration process.
When deployed, the six digital wallets would support QR payments made via their mobile apps, at local merchants across 10 European countries. Alipay users also would be able to make payments using the Alibaba digital wallet at the same European merchants.
Helsinki-based ePassi and Oslo-based Vipps have already begun deploying the QR code payment platform across several Nordic countries, while Spanish Momo, Portugal’s Pagaqui, and Austria’s Bluecode would begin supporting the QR code payment in their local markets later this year.
Together, the six European mobile wallets boast a user base of more than 5 million and a merchant community of some 190,000 in the region.
Chinese Consume More Media Online
Chinese consumers will spend more time on digital media this year, setting aside 3 hours and 54 minutes a day online, up 12 minutes from 2018.
In comparison, they are expected to spend 2 hours and 44 minutes on traditional media in 2019, according to eMarketer. The market researcher said online media consumption had outpaced traditional platforms in China since 2016 and the gap was expected to continue widening over the next several years.
This growth was fuelled in large to increased government efforts to develop communication infrastructures in the country’s lower-tier cities and rural areas, eMarketer said, adding that this had driven online adoption in regions that previously were underdeveloped.
The firm’s research analyst Cheung Man-Chung said: “Currently, lower-tier cities and the rural areas of China represent the biggest untapped opportunity for brands and marketers, and [the government’s focus on] building out the telecom infrastructure is only the beginning. More education and nurturing of consumer habits will help to realise the internet’s full potential in these parts of the country.”
eMarketer predicted that, through to 2021, consumption of traditional TV and print media would dip, with time spent on radio remaining stagnant. Time spent on digital media, particularly via smartphones, would continue to see double-digit growths through to 2020.
With 31.9% of Chinese consumers yet to come online, eMarketer noted that there still was room for growth in terms of online consumption.
Alibaba Goes Rural for June 18 Sales Festival
Taobao and Tmall are focusing on consumers outside China’s major cities for the upcoming annual June 18 shopping festival, according to Alibaba, which operates the e-commerce marketplaces.
The sales event this year had been designed to help more than 200,000 brands and retailers tap smaller cities and rural areas across the country, and would include the launch of 1.5 million products and Alibaba’s Daily Deals feature. These efforts were part of an initiative aimed at enabling factories in China to sell directly to consumers, tapping Alibaba’s data insights and technical support.
The aim were was to provide less-developed markets easier access to more affordable goods, as well as offer merchants tools and data insights to better engage consumers and meet customers’ demands, Alibaba said.
President of Taobao and Tmall, Jiang Fan, said: “In addition to rising discretionary spending, consumers in China’s less-developed regions are becoming more-sophisticated shoppers who are looking for lifestyle upgrades. This increased consumption potential could mean bright prospects for our merchants.”
According to Alibaba’s latest annual results, 70% of its 654 million annual active consumers are based in China’s less-developed cities. In addition, more than half of the sales of Tmall’s Luxury Pavilion–which features luxury and premium brands–are generated from customers outside of the country’s first- and second-tier cities.
JD.com Membership Programme Goes Global with 15K Hotels
Customers of JD.com’s membership programme, JD Plus, now can enjoy more privileges at 15,000 hotels worldwide as part of the e-commerce site’s June 18 annual sales event.
These members would be able to receive discounts, lounge access, extra loyalty points, amongst other benefits, at 19 international hotel brands including InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, AccorHotels, and The Ascott.
This marked the first time JD Plus members would be able to enjoy privileges outside of China
Fonte: DTC Daily


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Tag / fred. olsen cruise lines at the ‘telegraph cruise show liverpool 2014’
‘Bringing the world closer to you’ with Fred. at the ‘Telegraph Cruise Show Liverpool 2014’ – Stand C30, Echo Arena, Saturday 11th / Sunday 12th October 2014
Press releases • Oct 01, 2014 17:32 BST
Award-winning Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will have a team of experts on hand on stand C30 at this autumn’s ‘Telegraph Cruise Show Liverpool 2014’, to be held at the Echo Arena on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th October 2014, ready to inspire and inform visitors about the right kind of Fred. Olsen cruise for them.


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Will a tyre major acquire ATG?
Indian financial daily The Economic Times reports that American private equity firm KKR & Co. L.P. has begun initial talks that may result in the sale of its 90 per cent share in off-highway tyre specialist Alliance Tire Group. The publication names Sumitomo, Continental and Michelin as potential buyers, however it notes that no confirmation of these firms’ interest has been given.
The Economic Times comments that ATG is said to be worth US$1.5 billion, and therefore such a transaction would represent the largest private equity exit from an Indian company ever. KKR confirmed its acquisition of a 90 per cent stake in ATG in April 2013; although the terms of the transaction were not disclosed, media sources at the time suggested the deal was worth $650 million, including an estimated $125 million in debt.
If the sale of this majority ATG shareholding goes through and the company comes under the control of another tyre maker, the deal would be the third round of consolidation within the global agricultural tyre market to take place in recent months. Towards the end of last year, Titan International acquired the license to produce Goodyear-brand agricultural tyres in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia and the CIS, and Trelleborg purchased CGS Holding, parent company of Mitas.


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Banks in Wal-Mart Stores Discount Danger in Retailer's Plan to Buy Thrift
Whiteman, Louis, American Banker
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s application in June for permission to buy a small Oklahoma thrift made many community bankers uneasy.
They worried that the retailing giant, which said it may use the thrift charter to build a branch network, could run them out of business, just as it has done to countless general stores, hardware stores, and drug stores.
But Wal-Mart has leased space to banks in its superstores, and the bankers in that program say they are not fretting about the possibility that they might be thrown out on the street. Indeed, they say they are going full steam ahead with plans to put more branches in the superstores.
"It is not something I am worried about," said Peter Montpelier, president and chief executive officer of Norway Savings Bank in Maine. Norway, with $345 million of assets, has one Wal-Mart branch and another on the way. "By the time they start looking at where to put branches, my hope is that we will be doing so well here, they will look elsewhere."
Wal-Mart applied to the Office of Thrift Supervision to buy Federal BankCentre of Broken Arrow, Okla.
Wal-Mart said in its application, which is still under review by the OTS, that it would like eventually to put branches of the $26 million-asset thrift in some of its stores.
Robert L. Epling, president of Community Bank, a $260 million institution in Homestead, Fla., said that he was concerned when he first heard of Wal-Mart's plan.
Only months before, he had negotiated a deal to open branches in 15 Florida superstores throughout Florida.
Mr. Epling said subsequent discussions with the retailer quieted his fears.
"They have given us their word that the thrift deal will not affect their dealings with us," he said. "I have that and a long-term lease. I don't know what else I could ask for as assurance."
Mr. Epling said his leases are in the "15- to 20-year range." Norway Savings has a five-year lease with three five-year options to renew, Mr. Montpelier said.
More than 200 banks have branches in Wal-Mart stores, in 450 of the chain's 600 superstores nationwide, company spokesman Mike Maher said. Wal-Mart would like to put FederalCentre branches in some of the other 150 stores, he said.
"Our goal is to constantly add new services to our stores, which is why we bring banks into them in the first place," he said. …


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KTM declares Orange Cup in India for the first time
Snapshot: The Orange cup is a one-day event and is exclusively for RC390 and Duke 390 owners only.
From a long time KTM has been organising racing events like Orange days and Track days, but this is for the first time that the orange maker will be conducting the KTM Orange Cup here in India. Finally KTM has rolled up the sleeves for its maiden ‘One Make Race’ series. The orange machine maker has announced the first edition of the KTM Orange Cup, the racing event will be held at the MMSC Race Track in Chennai on 6th December 2015.
As we know, Yamaha, TVS and Honda are already a part of the ‘One Make Race’ series in India, and now KTM has joined the crew to push the young racing talent forward via its Orange Cup. The Orange cup is a one-day event and is exclusively for RC390 and Duke 390 owners, it is scheduled to commence at 6.30 AM in the morning on 6th December this year. There are two separate classes of races for Duke 390 and RC 390 owners.
The race qualifying will be done based on the lap times of the participants. Interested 390 owners can contact their nearest KTM dealers for more details and registration for the event. This surely will be a great event for the orange machines owners to sharpen their track skills. Don’t forget to share your views in the comment section below.
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With Voyager Digital filing for bankruptcy, their deals in sports activities are put at risk. Many crypto-focused companies are on the verge of bankruptcy due to the decline in the cryptocurrency market. Previously collaborating to increase brand awareness and drive adoption of cryptocurrencies Voyager Digital had recently suspended withdrawals and filed for bankruptcy.
Voyager Digital, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, US National Women’s Soccer League Uncertainties about the deal with (NWSL) continue.
Voyager Bankruptcy Puts NWSL Footballers at Risk
The partnership, announced in December last year, was one of the largest in NWSL history and was intended to be a long-term agreement.
It is stated that players in the US National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) will not receive the payments promised in the settlement with Voyager after it went bankrupt.
In the agreement between the two companies; players would receive half of the payment in cash and the other half in crypto. Each athlete would be given a Voyager account to receive deposits and build their own crypto portfolio.
In a press release, NSWL said:
It is stated that there is no impact on players’ base salaries as a result of Voyager’s bankruptcy, and its effects are limited to the promised benefits of the sponsorship deal.


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BANGALORE: Small technology entrepreneurs have more support coming their way. Global software maker International Business Machines (IBM) said it would provide access to research, sales, marketing and technical skills to very early-stage companies, who register on the Global Entrepreneurship Programme.
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Entrepreneurs, who are building software in areas such as energy solutions, healthcare and efficient use of water, will have access to the IBM network of 40 innovation centres across the globe.
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How Midwestern companies benefit from doing business overseas
Playing on an international business field affords companies wider profit margins than those strictly working domestic markets, and that advantage looms greater for corporations based in the Midwest, says research from HSBC Bank USA.
Highly international companies based in the U.S. record average profit margins 5.1 percent higher than businesses deemed to be less global. But that advantage widens to 5.7 percent for companies rooted in the Midwest.
“It reinforced what we already knew,” said Steve Trepiccione, head of HSBC’s Midwest region. “Going international is good for business, and it’s a little more pronounced in the Midwest.”
The HSBC Spotlight on U.S. Trade study measured internationalism between 2007 and 2012 among 259 publicly held companies in health care, consumer goods, industrials and information and communications technologies. The report, compiled by researcher Economist Intelligence Unit, focused on the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast, as well as economic powerhouses California and Texas individually. Businesses deemed to be more globally focused include those with greater international sales and more operations outside the U.S.
HSBC did not identify all of the companies examined in the study, but it pointed to several Ohio names to illustrate the Midwest’s inroads at globalization. It noted that Dublin-based Cardinal Health Inc. has made an aggressive push into China, acquiring pharmacy supplier Yong Yu and establishing warehouses in Beijing and Shanghai.
Also, the Cleveland Clinic has embraced global growth, expanding its base of patients and adding sites outside the country.
“Midwesterners are aware (of) and understand globalization as much as anyone,” William Testa, chief economist for the Federal Reserve Board of Chicago, told the study’s researchers. “The companies that are here are pretty nimble and global.”
Evan Weese covers funding and capital for Columbus Business First.
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