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The future of basic medicine is starting to sound like science fiction: the tricorder from Star Trek has been brought to life by Scanadu, a startup at NASA’s Ames Research Center. Meanwhile, biotech companies are developing pills embedded with sensors to track how patients respond to medication–once they’ve swallowed them.
Wello is the latest in the line of health-gadget innovations. The handheld device is made from microelectronics and nanosensors and can measure vitals like temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen, and lung functions. The best thing about Wello: It lives in your iPhone’s case.
Wello isn’t the most sophisticated of these gadgets (indeed, that prestige may go to the sensor-laden pills), but it does offer a solution to the problem of user access, because, while only the rare hypochondriac might carry a thermometer or blood pressure monitor in his bag, none of us would ever leave home without our phone. To use Wello, simply hold the phone horizontally with two hands and place your index fingers over a couple of raised buttons on the side of the case. The device takes your vitals and in seconds transmits that data to an ultra-clean, gridded app, where measurements for everything are presented in simple, line-drawn graphics.
With that kind of ease of use, Wello’s founder, Hamish Patel, is also hoping to put the technology in the hands of millions of people around the world who self-manage diabetes and hypertension–and to wit, it’s already available in 43 countries. To do that, of course, would mean adapting the Wello to more flexible sizes and fits. The fact that Wello’s already squeezed an entire doctor’s visit into a few millimeters of plastic makes us think that’ll be the easy part.
Wello costs $199 and is available for pre-order here.


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The world's largest telecommunications-equipment company, China's Huawei, is suing the US government. But the suit isn't just about US law. It's part of Huawei's larger campaign to defend its role as a global provider of telecom gear amid fears that its technology is or could be used by the Chinese government for spying. In essence, Huawei is challenging the US government to prove its suspicions.
Last year President Donald Trump signed a defense spending bill that banned government agencies from buying gear from Huawei and fellow Chinese telecom giant ZTE, and from doing business with companies that use the two companies' technology. Government pressure had already effectively barred China from the US market over concerns that it could build backdoors into its products or hand over information about security bugs that China could use to attack US telecom networks. The US also has been pressuring its allies around the world to stop doing business with the company. Australia, for example, has effectively banned carriers from using Huawei's gear to build 5G networks, and other countries, including Japan, have also cracked down on the company.
In a press conference in January, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said the company has not and would not spy for the Chinese government. "I support the Communist Party of China, but I will never do anything to harm any other nation," he said, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Huawei filed suit against the US on Wednesday arguing that last year's defense bill unfairly bans only Huawei and ZTE, while other companies that manufacture their equipment in China are not. It also alleges that the ban violates the US Constitution's separation of powers and violates the company's rights of due process.
"They have a shot, but it's a longshot,” says Julian Ku, a professor of law at Hofstra University. "It's a very tough row to hoe to overcome Congress' management of who can get federal contracts."
But Huawei might not have to win the suit to benefit. The lawsuit is a way for it to push back against one of the core accusations against it. It's a chance for the company to defend its reputation in court and to challenge the US government to provide evidence of its suspicions.
"I think it's a PR move for them," says mobile industry analyst Chetan Sharma. "It's about signaling to other countries that might be on the fence about doing business with Huawei that Huawei is a safe partner."
The company's reputation has taken a beating over the past year. CFO Meng Wanzhou, Ren's daughter, was arrested in Canada over US allegations that the company violated US sanctions against Iran. The US Department of Justice announced charges against Meng and the company in January, and also indicated the company for stealing intellectual property from T-Mobile. A Huawei employee was also arrested in Poland on espionage charges.
Huawei has long had to contend with accusations that it could be used by China for espionage or sabotage, says Kevin Allison of the political risk-consulting firm Eurasia Group. "But those concerns have started to morph in recent weeks," he says. "The US government is now saying 'They steal intellectual property and flaunt US law.'"

domain: news


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Suzuki is working on inter-vehicle safety systems by developing a design for bike-mounted radar reflectors.
While manufacturers are still developing on-bike safety tech, stuff like leaning ABS, some OEMs are also working on vehicle-to-vehicle safety systems. These sorts of designs are already common in the car world; modern automobiles come loaded with blind spot warning buzzers and other systems to stop cars from inadvertent collisions. Some manufacturers, especially the ones who make both cars and motorcycles, are working on systems that are specifically designed to prevent motorcycle-car collisions. Using cameras or radar, they warn of impending crashes and intervene to prevent the the collision. Of course, systems like this are essential to self-driving car systems.
It’s important that companies work on these designs, as bike-car crashes make up a huge part of motorcycle fatality statistics. The “Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You” line isn’t just an urban legend. When you consider the move towards automated vehicles, the need for devices that enhance visibility is even greater.
So what exactly is Suzuki working on here? What we’ve got is a newly unearthed patent drawing showing Suzuki’s design for radar reflectors, designed to interact with a car’s onboard detection system. These reflectors would be mounted on the motorcycle, or possible even on the rider, to alert a nearby car of the bike’s presence. Sure, the bike should show up on radar systems anyway, but a cleverly designed reflector will encourage visibility, by aggressively disrupting radar waves.
This isn’t breaking-edge technology. Several companies are working on designs like this, and radar reflectors are common on other types of vehicles, like boats. However, it is encouraging to see Suzuki thinking ahead, as its technical developments haven’t exactly set the motorcycle world on fire in recent years. Although we see designs like the turbocharged Recursion concept bike at trade shows, it’s re-warmed SV650s and GSX-S1000s that show up on showroom floors. But with Suzuki’s all-new plant now producing bikes, maybe we’re about to see a shift towards the future from the company.


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Traditionally Qualcomm has this event in the first days of December, but the earlier date might indicate that the company plans to have Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 out even earlier. Last year Motorola and Xiaomi launched their Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 based products in late December, and the earlier event date might indicate that the Gen 2 might launch even sooner.
The secret sauce missing from China OEMs who want to lead in the performance market is the synchronized launch date worldwide. In the last two years, China-based OEMs first launched all of their flagship phones in China and followed roughly a quarter later with the rest of the world.
Qualcomm extended its leadership with its 4 nm TSMC-based Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ and increased performance leadership against its competitors. The mix of faster CPU, GPU, AI, modem, and leadership in camera made the secret sauce of success for Qualcomm. Gen 2 should increase leadership in all these areas. We will get some good official answers from Cristiano Amon, the CEO, and his skillful team in mid-November.


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Ford SA achieved an all-time sales record through the dealer channel and its third consecutive best-ever monthly sales, reaching a total of 6 889 units for March 2015. Volumes increased by 21.8% compared to March last year, and a 8.4% climb from February 2015.
Ford had three strong contenders in March’s overall Top 10 sales in the passenger car segment with EcoSport in fourth place, Figo fifth and Fiesta 10th.The locally-built Ford Ranger remains Ford’s star performer, recording its highest-ever sales on 3 107 and second best-selling LCV in March.
“The continued strong demand for Ford products matches the significant strides we have made in making our entire model range more competitive and compelling. Customers really love the design of the products we’ve recently launched, along with the technology and overall value for money,” says Mark Kaufman, Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Service, FMCSA.
“This is strengthened by the aggressive roll-out of exciting new all-new models, such as the Fusion and Tourneo Connect which recorded segment-leading shares in their first full sales month in March. We’re introducing 10 new products in South Africa this year. The recently launched Fusion and Transit Connect were quickly accepted by consumers achieving segment leadership in their respective segments.”
Once again the EcoSport led the compact SUV segment, having surpassed 1 000 sales for the third month in a row on a final tally of 1 036.


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Budget food price inflation outstrips premium brands
Own brand and budget lines have risen in price on average by as much as 18% year on year compared to 13% for premium own brands and 12% for branded food, according to research by consumer champion Which?.
Which? tracked the annual inflation of tens of thousands of food and drink items across seven months at Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose to see how inflation was impacting the price of everyday products.
The biggest budget price rises year on year were recorded for Tesco’s Creamfields soft cheese (200g) which increased by 72% from 49p to 84p and Sainsbury’s Simply muesli (1kg) which rose 70% from £1.20 to £2.03.
Also appearing in the 20 worst budget items for inflation across the supermarkets was Tesco’s Hearty Food Co. garlic chicken kievs and Growers Harvest orange juice rising more than 60% in price over the year.
Sainsbury’s Hubbard’s Foodstore two-litre bottles of sparkling and still waters, J James & Family Fresh British chicken breaded kievs with garlic butter and Mary Ann’s Dairy soft cheese 200g have increased by more than 50% over the 12-month period.
Budget food prices are soaring
The cost of mid-priced own-brand products have risen the most. Waitrose chocolate chip shortbread almost tripled in price going from 82p to £2.25 year-on-year, an increase of 175%. However, Waitrose had some of the lowest inflation overall.
The second biggest increase on a single mid-priced own-brand product was Asda’s chilli con carne ready meal that went from £1.20 to £2.79 – a 132% increase.
The worst supermarkets for overall inflation on food and drink year on year were Aldi with average price rises of 19.6% and Lidl at 19%.
Both discounters were still the cheapest of the big supermarket chains to shop in overall.
Sue Davies, Which? head of food policy, said: “Our inflation tracker lays bare the shocking scale of soaring food and drink prices – including on budget and own-brand products.
“We know the big supermarkets have the ability to take action and make a real difference to people struggling through the worst cost of living crisis in decades. That’s why we’re calling on them to ensure everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food lines at a store near them, can easily compare the price of products to get the best value and that promotions are targeted at supporting people most in need.”


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The main US business group in China said on Wednesday that a US-China travel fast-track program has been approved by relevant Chinese authorities and it was working to implement the program early next year, a move that is in line with consensus reached during a leaders’ summit last month.
“We are currently working with various local Foreign Affairs Offices (FAOs) in locations where our members are based to confirm and finalize invitation letter and visa details,” the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Wednesday, adding that the goal is to make it operational early in 2022.
During the China-US leaders’ summit in November, China agreed to upgrade a fast-track arrangement to make it more convenient for the US business community to travel to China, prompting a positive response from American business circles.
US delivery firm FedEx Corp told the Global Times on Wednesday that “we welcome the US-China travel fast-track program. We believe that this plan will help restore the normal flow and exchanges of business personnel between China and the US during the epidemic, and create favorable conditions for further promoting economic and trade exchanges between the two countries.”
The purpose of the fast-track arrangement is to provide a more efficient, predictable and reliable channel for essential US company executives, technical personnel and their dependent family members to come to China.
The program also ensures that those living in China who left the country for family or business reasons are eligible to return to China.
“Business travel restrictions have been a top priority for many of our members and AmCham China has therefore worked hard on this issue over the past two years to ease the challenges of international travel to and from China,” the chamber said.
AmCham China said that it is working together with AmCham Shanghai and the US-China Business Council (USCBC) on the program.
The statement also listed specific eligibility requirements for applying for the fast-track program, including that travelers must be an employee of both a US-registered company with a business license in China and a member of AmCham China, AmCham Shanghai or the USCBC.
Establishing a fast-track program can alleviate practical difficulties encountered by the two countries in investment and trade cooperation, and facilitate exchanges between Chinese and US businesspeople, and help boost the economic recovery of the two countries, Xu Chen, chairman of the China General Chamber of Commerce-USA, who’s also president and CEO of Bank of China USA, told the Global Times in an earlier interview.
Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang told a dinner hosted by the USCBC in early December that China will cut to no more than 10 days the time required for approval of travel by US business executives, and would work to make COVID-19 testing more convenient and allow executives to work during quarantine, according to a Reuters report.
As bilateral trade between China and the US remains on an upward trend despite the pandemic, a fast-track program is necessary for the exploration of business and cooperation arrangements, experts said.
The US remained China’s third-largest trade partner in November, with total bilateral trade reaching $72 billion, data released by China’s General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday.
Source: Global Times


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Today, Lyft announced that it's now providing over one million rides per day. The company announced the milestone in a blog post, which highlighted some of its other achievements as well. Lyft noted that for the last four years, it has shown 100 percent year over year growth and it has launched in 160 new cities so far this year. That brings the company's reach to 360 communities and 80 percent of the US population.
While the continued growth shows Lyft is holding its own, it still has a long way to go before it catches up with Uber. Founded three years before Lyft, Uber reached the one million rides per day mark in 2014 and as of a year ago was giving an average of 5.5 million rides a day. Uber just recently surpassed its five billionth ride. But Uber has taken a hit recently. Business Insider reported last month that Uber's market share fell from 84 percent earlier this year to 77 percent by the end of May and Lyft saw a substantial jump in activations in the week after the #DeleteUber campaign.
Lyft has continued to adjust its service in order to make its ride-sharing more convenient for customers. And like its rival, Lyft is also working on self-driving cars. The company said in a post, "Since day one, we've worked to embed hospitality in everything we do. As more and more people choose Lyft and we continue to grow, we'll remain focused on providing the best experience to our passengers and drivers."


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Absher is a kind of Saudi equivalent to China's Weibo, an all-in-one service that manages payments, interaction with government services, and, key to the Saudi system of sadistic, totalitarian medieval patriarchy, it lets men track the whereabouts of their wives, daughters, and employees, sending alerts to "guardians" when women use their passports.
Last month, Senator Ron Wyden [D-OR] publicly called on Google and Apple to remove the Absher app from their mobile app stores. Wyden and allies like Rep. Jackie Speier [D-CA] wrote to Apple and Google with the demand.
Google has announced that after reviewing the app, they found that it did not violate their policies.
Apple (whose terms of service ban apps that contribute to "systemic discrimination or marginalization") has not yet responded, saying that they are still reviewing Absher.
Rep. Speier and 13 colleagues in Congress wrote to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook on February 21, demanding that the app be removed.
They and gave a deadline of Thursday 28 February to explain why the app is hosted on Google Play.
The 14 — including Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Katherine Clark, and Jackie Speier — said that Google and Apple are "accomplices in the oppression of Saudi Arabian women" for hosting the app.
Google, siding with Saudi Arabia, refuses to remove widely-criticized government app which lets men track women and control their travel
[Bill Bostok/Business Insider]
(Thanks, Kathy Padilla!)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that his employees will work from home until at least next July, reports The Wall Street Journal. According to Reuters, “Google had earlier said it would begin reopening more offices globally as early as June this year, but most Google employees would likely work from home until the end of […]
Put it in your calendar. The CEOs of Facebook, Amazon.com Inc, Alphabet’s Google, and Apple, are all scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel on July 27.
“We have strict policies prohibiting hate speech on YouTube.”
Running a small business drops a lot on to the plate of just one person. And between juggling a dozen tasks that need to get handled daily, it’s no surprise that there are a dozen more equally vital tasks that can just as easily go overlooked. While posting to social channels and making web posts […]
The importance of reading is well documented. About half of America’s unemployed between 16 and 21 years old are functionally illiterate. And there’s an almost direct line between how much you read and your earning potential, with the richest Americans three times more likely to read than those with a household income below $30,000. However, […]
As the world has shifted the last few months, it’s very likely your assortment of EDC items has changed too. While you’re still looking to slim down the number of items you have to tote around every day, there’s a good chance you’re keeping an even tighter focus on how safe those items are and […]


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Local rice farmers at Fumbisi and Gbedembilisi in the Upper East Region have welcomed moves by the Ghana National Buffer Stock Company to assist them with a ready market for their produce.
After a Citi News report on how the lack of ready market for the commodity was threatening their investments, the Chief Executive Officer of the Buffer Stock Company, Hanan Abdul-Wahab, who visited the Fumbisi Rice Valleys assured farmers of ready market in two weeks.
But the farmers say they will treat such assurances as mere talk until they materialize.
“Next year by this time, we shouldn’t be talking about this again. We know the government can do it and the President is able.”
“We will be very happy when the assurances are put into practice. I will be permanently happy when they come round and assist us in carting the produce away from the farms.”
The Ghana National Buffer Stock Company has promised to unleash its licensed buying companies to mop-up all rice produce going bad over lack of buyers.
Buffer Stock CEO, Abdul-Wahab, who gave the assurance said it forms part of government’s long-term plans to increase rice consumption in the country as a means to ending importation of rice thus creating a ready market for rice farmers.
“We are going to unleash our licensed buying companies to immediately come to this rice valleys and mop-up the excess paddy rice grains here, so that they can take them to nearby mills, mill them and supply to a government institution. We have over 1,350 registered licensed buying companies under the Buffer Stock Company, but we term this situation as an emergency one, so we would have to carefully select those who are ready with resources to come immediately to buy, and we hope to mop-up all these rice out of the valleys within two weeks”, he said.
Project Coordinator of THE Savanna Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Project, Felix Darimani, also hinted that plans were in place to support rice farmers with farm equipment to boost rice production in the area.
But the farmers insist that these are mere promises until they have the buyers to purchase their rice which is getting rotten on the farms.
“It is good news, but until they do what they have said. Unless it is done, we will not be able to say much.”
“As they have assured us that in two weeks time, they will bring people to buy our produce, we are very happy.”
Plans are also far advanced to sign Memorandum of Understanding with government institutions such as the Ghana Police Service, the Prisons Service, government hospitals, and community development schools to supply them with Ghana rice.
The Chief Executive Officer of Citi FM and Citi TV, Samuel Attah-Mensah, who declared himself as an ambassador to push for the consumption of locally produced rice in Ghana, triggered a conversation on the subject as well as the response from government.
He subsequently initiated the Buy Made in Ghana rice campaign which as so far been accepted nationwide.


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HOSPITALITY and tourism professional Matthew Hurley is bringing more than 30 years of experience to his new consulting business Hurley Hospitality Creative.
Mr Hurley said the business would offer Australia-wide services across a range of industry expertise including management planning, asset management, feasibilities, marketing and social media planning and training.
Mr Hurley was named general manager of the year twice within Rydges Hotels and Resorts.
During his time at Rydges he planned and opened two successful hotels and oversaw the refurbishment of many, including the iconic Wentworth in Sydney in the lead up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
He has served as chairman of the Port Douglas Daintree Tourism Association and was a member of the advisory board for AFL Cape York House Cairns.


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A decade ago, a new handheld emerged to rival the DS and PSP. But the system didn't simply suck—the entire enterprise was utterly corrupt.
The Order: 1886 is over in no time at all, but that really wouldn't matter if the hyped PS4 exclusive was actually any good.
No Man's Sky is one of 2015's most anticipated video games - and its sound design is every bit as innovative as its gameplay.
It's the first big PlayStation 4 exclusive of 2015, but Ready at Dawn's steampunk-ish Victorian shooter will prove of select appeal.
Social gaming is a big deal now. But in an age where we are becoming fiercely protective of our right to privacy, why would we choose to invite anonymous strangers into our living rooms?
Everything you need to know about the hottest musical electronic device!
We talked to the cast and creators of The Interview – Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Evan Goldberg – two days before the world premiere of the film in Los Angeles.
While speculation grows about who hacked Sony Pictures and published tens of gigabytes of their confidential information, a hacker from the team responsible has claimed they're North Korean and told us to go fuck ourselves.
There's a case to be made for the involvement of Kim Jong-un's troops, given the regime's beef with the new James Franco-Seth Rogen buddy assassination drama The Interview.
In 1994, Sony came up with a system that managed to create its own market and wipe out all competitors.
Pornhub invited us on the set of rapper Hi-Rez's 'Pornhub' music video shoot, starring Eva Angeline, after the rapper tweeted at the porn company asking for a lifetime membership.
Your tweet ad sucks.


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Even before it's officially announced, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC has already been announced by a Chinese smartphone maker that will use the chip in its flagship launching next year. The 865 SoC is expected to succeed the Snapdragon 855+ which is found in phones like the ASUS ROG Phone 2 and the OnePlus 7T.
Chinese smartphone and luxury maker called 8848 has unveiled a smartphone called Titanium M6 5G that will be powered by the unannounced Snapdragon 865 SoC. Since the official announcement hasn’t occurred yet, the OEM was hush about what improvements the 865 SoC will bring to the table. The processor is expected to be announced before the end of the year and will only make it to smartphones around February-March next year.
Important to note is that even the Titanium M6 5G won’t be released before “Early 2020” and hence it might not actually be the first phone to hit the market with the Snapdragon 865 SoC. 8848 is only the first smartphone OEM to officially announce a phone with the upcoming flagship mobile processor from the house of Qualcomm.
A previous Geekbench leak of the processor claims that the chip’s codename as “Qualcomm Kona” and will apparently come in two versions, one of them with 5G integrated. Like the Snapdragon 855 and the Snapdragon 855+, it will also be based on a 7nm manufacturing process. The chip scored a boastful 4160 in single-core and 12946 in multi-core tests in the leaked benchmark.
As far as the phone is concerned, it is sprinkled with 12GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage. It has a 64MP camera that is capable of taking 100MP images. Being a luxury phone it comes with an assistant that is not backed by AI but will actually have real humans working behind providing the service. The phone is expected to cost a pretty penny. It is not expected to be available outside the borders of China.


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SAN FRANCISCO – Volkswagen Group of America Inc. wants to dispel the notion its vehicles are “cool” but too pricey with the new ’11 Jetta, which starts at $15,995, $1,740 less than the ’10 model. The auto maker is targeting top-selling cars such as the Toyota Corolla, which starts at $15,450, VWA’s top marketer says. “It’s priced in the sweet spot of the segment,” Tim Ellis, vice president-marketing, says at a media event here. “The quality, details and styling put it way ahead in its ...
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Among Us has just revealed its biggest map to date at the Game Awards. The Airship is now set for lift off in early 2021.
The Airship is far more elaborate than previous maps, equipped with ladders and elevators that players will need to use to access different areas of the ship. The new map also features new tasks and offers players multiple spawn points following a meeting, which allows players to avoid grouping up and being easy targets for imposters.
The new map was first teased last month on the official Among Us Twitter account as its first tweet.
From developer Innersloth, the game is free to play on the app store, and has all but taken over the Steam platform. Among Us is an interactive multiplayer experience set in outer space and has rapidly grown in popularity since the summer.
Although Among Us released in June 2018, it did not gain the immense popularity it has today until the summer of this year. It has over 86 million downloads on the app store and has left a big impact on social media, even striking the interest of US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who streamed the game on Twitch to raise money for charity.
Despite not releasing this year, the hit game walked away with two major awards tonight, including Best Multiplayer and Best Mobile Game.
Quite the eventful night for the crewmates over at Innersloth.


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Want to blow off steam at a show this summer? Apple's new concert-discovery features within Apple Music and Apple Maps are intended to make it easier to find local events.
Apple Music users can browse artists' upcoming shows and view setlists, while Maps now offers more than 40 curated guides highlighting local live music venues.
Look for Set Lists in Apple Music's Browse tab, which highlight a "selection of major tours" and invites audiences to listen to playlists and read about productions before attending a gig. "For the first time on the app, fans will also be able to browse artists' upcoming shows in their area by launching Shazam's concert discovery module," Apple says.
Apple acquired Shazam in 2017, and the concert discovery module is part of a suite of features launched last spring that leverage data from music website Bandsintown.
Promo materials show screenshots from Sam Smith's Gloria tour, which is currently making its way around Europe.
Apple Maps, meanwhile, now features more than 40 Guides, curated by Apple Music editors to highlight music venues—from Viennese symphony halls to techno clubs in Brooklyn and Tokyo. Apple tips more than a dozen cities, including Berlin, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Mexico City, Nashville, New York City, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, and Vienna.
Apple Music Set Lists and Apple Maps Guides are rolling out now globally.


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The annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue came out today and while it is a convenient excuse for sports sites (like this one) to publish photos of girls in bikinis, this story doesn't have anything to do with sports or sports journalism or even magazine publishing.
(Unless it's about the death of magazine publishing.)
The story today is how the Swimsuit Issue has turned into its own business and tech empire that, on its own, rivals the magazine that gave birth to it.
The women of the SI SI have taken over TV and the web today, with talk show appearances by models, back-to-back nights on the "Late Show with David Letterman," a Twitter hashtag, and a multimedia blitz to rival any Apple product launch.
The special magazine also has Android and iPad apps that have become part of a lucrative distribution model (and really the best way to view all the photos).
In fact, with the announcement on Friday that Sports Illustrated Regular will begin selling digital subscriptions in tandem with the paper magazine, it seems clear that the success of electronic swimwear led the way.
Regular Sports Illustrated has more than three million subscribers and is read by about 23 million people a week.
The swimsuit issue traditionally sells more than 1 million copies on newstands. This year, the magazine sells for $6.99 per copy.
(Via New York Post.)


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It may have been around for a decade, but thanks to continual updates, the Nissan GT-R is still one seriously quick car. In Nismo form, its 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 makes a muscular 600 horsepower, which works with Nissan's advanced all-wheel-drive system to launch the GT-R to 60 mph in less than three seconds. It'll also do the quarter-mile in 11.1 seconds at 125 mph.
But the Nissan GT-R featured in the video below is a whole different kind of quick. Built by Bahrain-based EKanoo Racing, it just did the quarter-mile in 7.168 seconds. That's effectively four seconds faster than a GT-R Nismo. It was also traveling way faster. In the seven seconds it took to run the quarter mile, the EKanoo Racing GT-R hit a whopping 209 mph.
We don't know much about the specs or modifications EKanoo made to the car, but the team claims this was a world-record run for the GT-R. What's even crazier is that the video claims that there's still performance potential left. So be on the lookout for an even-faster video soon.


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Integrated Biometrics partner Akiyama wins Brazil Federal Police contract
The Federal Police of Brazil have purchased 1,500 fingerprint scanners made by Integrated Biometrics after a recent bid. The order for the devices is fulfilled by Akiyama, the exclusive distributor for Integrated Biometrics hardware in Brazil.
The devices purchased are the Kojak model with four-finger scanning and will be used for enrolment for biometric passports, a spokesperson for Akiyama told Biometric Update.
The Federal Police of Brazil are responsible for immigration, border security and airports as well as tackling federal-level crime. The scanners will be distributed to state capitals for biometric passport enrolment appointments and used alongside cameras and electronic signature beds.
Akiyama is the exclusive distributor for Integrated Biometrics products and has extensive reach across the country after winning the 2015 bid to deliver a general election system based on 20,000 biometric voting kits.


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Plymouth Farmers Market set to open June 27
The City of Plymouth will kick off its annual outdoor Farmers Market Wednesday, June 27 at Parkers Lake Playfield parking lot, 15500 County Road 6. The market will be open 2:30-6:30 p.m. each Wednesday through Oct. 10.
Vendors sell fresh, locally grown produce and prepared food, including fruits, vegetables, fresh bread, oils and vinegars, nuts, ice cream, meats, sauces, flowers and more. Market visitors are encouraged to bring cash, as well as reusable bags to the market.
A variety of local musicians will be featured at the market. A weekly drawing for a Farmers Market reusable bag filled with market produce or prepared foods will be held at the information table. With the exception of service dogs, dogs are not allowed at the market.
Donations, Community Table
Donations for the Interfaith Outreach food shelf will be collected. Donations can be previously bought or purchased at the market.
A community table is available to charity and non-profit organizations for fundraising, promotional and educational purposes. To apply, call Recreation Supervisor Jessie Koch at 763-509-5223 or email firstname.lastname@example.org at least two weeks in advance. Community table applications are available at plymouthmn.gov/farmersmarket.
Sign Up for the Farmers Market Newsletter
A weekly newsletter is published online to spotlight vendors, provide news and upcoming events for the market, and offer a recipe featuring ingredients available at the market. Sign up: plymouthmn.gov/eNotify.
In observance of Independence Day, the Plymouth Farmers Market will not be held Wednesday, July 4.
For more information or to view the weekly newsletter, visit plymouthmn.gov/farmersmarket.


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Attendance was down 7 percent at this year’s Fall High Point Market, which took place Oct. 20-26.
Brian D. Casey, President and CEO of the High Point Market Authority, blamed the weak housing market for the drop in attendees.
“From the softened housing market to bloated inventories, tightening credit and the melt-down on Wall Street, home furnishings professionals across the industry have been struggling to cope with some of the most difficult business conditions they have ever encountered and Market registrations reflect this,” Casey said. “Across all categories and all facets of the business, we are seeing unprecedented change. Our industry is contracting and consolidating in ways never before experienced.”
The number of qualified buyers who attended the Fall 2008 Market fell 2,534 to 44,634, or about 6 percent, from the previous High Point Market. If you include registrations from sales personnel, students, the media and other industry members, the total number of registrations fell by about 7 percent.
To counteract the changing business trends, Casey said the High Point Market Authority has been focusing on attracting more interior designers to market, and he said that strategy seems to be working.
Casey said a total of 14,931 interior designers registered for this year’s market, including 3,023 who had never attended High Point before.
In addition, Casey said the High Point Market Authority has been trying to lure buyers who have not attended a market before or who haven’t been in a while.
Casey said 8,844 of the buyers who came to this year’s market were there for the first time, and 2,107 buyers returned to High Point after being gone for a year or more.


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Latest Allsport GPS Stories
SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer, AllSport GPS(TM), a popular mobile fitness app developed by Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB), will sponsor the Ben Davis "Do Life 5K Tour," an amazing 31-city tour to promote good health and exercise.
SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced today that it has acquired privately-held MyTopo(TM) based in Billings, Montana. MyTopo is a leading provider of print and digital maps for outdoor enthusiasts.
SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) released new versions of AllSport GPS(TM), its popular fitness apps for smartphones running Google Android(TM).
SUNNYVALE, Calif. and BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Feb.
- A person who stands up for something, as contrasted to a bystander who remains inactive.
- One of the upright handlebars on a traditional Inuit sled.


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The news broke at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in California this week, where CEO Elon Musk told those in attendance that there will be a special package you can purchase with the Model 3 that will come with unlimited supercharger access.
Free supercharging fundamentally has a cost. The obvious thing to do is decouple that from the cost of the Model 3. So it will still be very cheap, and far cheaper than gasoline, to drive long-distance with the Model 3, but it will not be free long distance for life unless you purchase that package.
Musk didn’t provide any details around what exactly this package includes or how much it will cost. Musk also wants to encourage Tesla owners to charge their car the same way they do the rest of their electronic devices. “The best thing to do is to charge your car where you charge your phone: at home and at work.”


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Yogurt was first positioned to Americans as a healthy breakfast option, achieving mainstream popularity once packaged in single serve cups with fruit forward flavors. But soon yogurt alone wasn’t enough, and consumers turned their attention to new, higher-protein options such as Greek yogurt and Icelandic yogurt, with the addition of indulgent options, snack packs and plant-based options also emerging.
Over the course of this Category Closeup: Expert Analysis, we’ll hear from experts about these changes to the yogurt set as well as how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted consumer behavior in the category. Our experts will also share their thoughts on the flavor trends, health benefits, innovation strategies and promotional plans a successful yogurt brand must embrace.
Our guests include:
Michael Barber, managing director and head of consumer and food & beverage investment banking, Meridian Capital
Kenny Hausman, Senior Category Manager for Dairy, Bulk and Frozen, Fresh Thyme Markets
Lu Ann Williams, co-founder and Global Insights Director, Innova Market Insights
Bart Adlam, CEO, Good Planet Foods and former CEO, Siggis,
Following our Expert Analysis panel, during a companion show to be released tomorrow, we’ll shift perspective to hear directly from the brands and entrepreneurs that are actively processing these major categories into innovation during our Product Showcase. Both shows are available live and for replay to BevNET and NOSH subscribers.
If you’d like to find out how to profitably dive into the yogurt category, as well as access our future Category Close-Up and Product Showcase shows, subscribe today.


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Allegations: Tavares Gooden
Tavares Gooden was one of dozens of Hurricanes players named by Nevin Shapiro in recorded interviews with federal agents. During those interviews, the booster admitted supplying benefits to an array of Miami players from 2002 to 2010. Shapiro alleges he provided multiple extra benefits to Gooden during his career with the Hurricanes. Among the benefits he claims to have provided:
• Entertainment on Shapiro’s $1.6 million yacht and jet skis.
• A $7,500 Jacob the Jeweler watch from Buchwald Jewelers. According to summary documents acquired by Yahoo! Sports, Shapiro told federal agents in taped interviews about the purchase of this watch.
• A suit and assorted clothing for Gooden to wear when traveling with the team. Shapiro said he brought both Gooden and teammate Devin Hester to Shelly Bloom’s Fashion Clothiers in August 2005 and paid for assorted clothing for both players.
• A job with the Miami Beach Police Athletic League.
• Personal training from Shapiro’s trainer.
• A studio apartment at the Mirador condominiums in Miami Beach which Shapiro owned and let Gooden use for approximately one to two months.
• Drinks and VIP access at nightclubs on multiple occasions.
• Meals at Miami-area restaurants on multiple occasions.
• Drinks and VIP access in nightclubs on multiple occasions including a May 2005 event at Mansion nightclub featuring Jay Z.
• Two sources corroborated Shapiro’s account of paying for drinks and VIP access for Gooden in nightclubs.
• Yahoo! Sports acquired a photo of Gooden in Japanese steakhouse Benihana, along with Shapiro and Devin Hester. Shapiro and a second source told Yahoo! Sports the photo was taken in October 2003 during a small birthday celebration for Gooden. Both Shapiro and the second source said the booster paid for the dinner.
• Yahoo! Sports also acquired a photo of Gooden on the back of the booster’s yacht, just prior to departure on a leisure trip that Shapiro said took place in the summer of 2004.
• Yahoo! Sports acquired Shapiro’s August 2005 Discover credit card statement, showing a $5,371.40 charge to Fashion Clothiers, on the date which Shapiro said he took Gooden and Hester to the retailer to purchase suits and other clothing.
• One source corroborated Shapiro entertaining Gooden with drinks and VIP access in nightclubs. One such incident included a May 2005 Mansion nightclub event featuring Jay Z. Yahoo! Sports also acquired Shapiro’s May 2005 credit card statement, showing a charge to Mansion nightclub on a day Jay Z performed at the club.
In Shapiro’s words
• “Tavares Gooden was one of my closest relationships over the course of nine years. He was one of my living scholarship players. We were always jet skiing. I bought him a $7,500 Jacob the Jeweler watch from Buchwald Jewelers.”
• “I took Tavares to Shelly Bloom’s Fashion Clothiers to get him some clothes to travel for the team. You know, traveling outfits. We remained friendly even when he went into the league. I also got him a job with the Miami Beach PAL [Police Athletic League]. … Tavares had a problem with his living arrangements. I gave him an apartment on Miami Beach to stay at for about a month, maybe two months at the Mirador.”
Nevin Shapiro’s cell phone providers condensed his calling records from 2002 to 2008 and deleted the booster’s text messaging records prior to 2009. Despite a significant portion of his records being expunged, Yahoo! Sports was able to identify 214 calls or texts between Shapiro and Tavares Gooden from 2004 to the booster’s incarceration in 2010. These are three pages showing communication between the booster and three phone numbers linked to Gooden. PDF file
This page from Shapiro’s August 2005 Discover credit card bill shows a charge of $5,371.40 to Fashion Clothiers, matching up with a date the booster says he took Devin Hester and Tavares Gooden to the shop to purchase suits and other assorted clothing. PDF file
This page from Shapiro’s May 2005 American Express black card statement shows a bill of $9,738 for Mansion nightclub on May 14, 2005. The booster identified the night as a Jay Z appearance at the nightclub, in which Shapiro hosted a large group of players in his VIP section and made “more than a dozen” bottles of champagne and multiple bottles of high-end liquor available in his section. One former Miami football player corroborated the event, including his attendance and that of several other players. Shapiro alleged a large contingent of Miami players partied in his VIP area, including Jon Beason, Tavares Gooden, Rocky McIntosh, Brian Monroe, James Bryant, Bryan Pata and Willie Williams. PDF file
Did not respond to phone messages.


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Authorities say 2,000 workers went on a rampage over a "personal dispute." Some workers, though, are saying the dispute relates to on-going tensions at the factory where products are made for Apple and other high-tech giants.
Tech companies like Google, Facebook and Zynga are on a shopping spree. They're buying small startups with innovative products and apps. But many times the buyers don't care about what the small companies were producing. They just want the engineers.
Everything in this year's presidential election is supersized, except for the number of swing states in play. That's forcing a bigger pot of money to be pumped into a smaller pool of states. "There is such focus on relatively few markets that the levels of advertising we're seeing are really uncharted waters," one media analyst says.
GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney insisted his campaign doesn't need a turnaround, despite serious missteps recently. President Obama defended his handling of the economy and the nation's worst recession in decades.
Village Voice Media Holdings, the company that publishes the newspaper of the same name, is breaking up with its controversial advertising service. Backpage.com has been accused of facilitating sex trafficking, and activists have been pressuring the Village Voice to shut down its adult classifieds service.
Starting Monday, Kraft Food will no longer be included in the Dow Jones industrial average. It's been replaced by health care company UnitedHealth. Those who run the average said the swap was prompted by Kraft's decision to spin off part of its business. The move makes the company too small to be include in the average.
When you give to WAMU, your tax-deductible membership gift helps make possible award-winning programs such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered, The Diane Rehm Show, The Kojo Nnamdi Show, and other favorites.


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A current record has declared that by the year 2014 we might be seeing the advancement of 3D ready mobile casino gaming. It has been approximated that 45% of 3D innovation gadgets will be smart devices and 60 million people worldwide will be using these by 2017. This will most definitely alter mobile betting for lots of people as it will give them a much better and more online experience.
The mobile has ended up being increasingly more progressed in recent times. Before this, they were big, unpleasant, large tools, which were just utilized for the standard message and making the call. Nevertheless, currently many thanks to modern-day cutting-edge modern technology they have several capacities. Nowadays, mobiles could be utilized to browse the web, enjoy films, as a mapping tool or a high-resolution camera and for mobile casino betting. For more news updates follow Arizona Daily Register and stay tuned for more updates.
Casino games in 3D style
Mobiles with 3D screens will be fantastic for the mobile casino betting market. The high quality of the mobile casino games will look so sophisticated, offering an incredibly sensible betting experience which will make people seem like they are in a genuine casino sites on https://casino.buzz/. People will have to appreciate blackjack, mobile poker, live roulette and all their other preferred casino games in 3D style.
Right now there are a variety of mobile bitcoin online casino websites that supply gamers an exceptional gaming experience with using innovative graphics and audio results. Nevertheless, when 3D modern technology enters activity the intricacy and quality of games will enhance significantly indicating that the entire experience for gamers will be more awesome.
An additional function that will be included benefit is that there will not have to put on unique 3D glasses to see the impacts. Typically, when watching 3D photos using 3D glasses is an inevitable component of the entire established. These are frequently uneasy and not specifically the best style device. With the new generation of 3D phones this will no more be a concern.


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How We Are Surviving Our Business During Pandemic Situation
A pandemic is a global outbreak of a disease. It is a situation that makes a complete country or the whole world steady for a long time. There are many pandemic situations that have occurred in the past.
At the initial stages, any pandemic is stated as an epidemic which is basically the rapid spread of a disease across a region. When the disease starts to spread from the region where it started to the other parts, it is declared as a pandemic.
The latest pandemic that is present all over the world is COVID-19 that is affecting businesses all over the world. Companies are being forced to make tough decisions on how to keep their business in line.
The biggest change that has been taken by the companies is to cut out the marketing departments which are saving their money. The budget can be cut by outsourcing marketing to a digital marketing agency so as to save money.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was first found in Wuhan, China. At that time, it was declared as an epidemic but was not controlled, and later on, it was converted to a pandemic situation. The test kits for this pandemic disease are now more readily available throughout the world but the number of cases is still increasing on a daily basis.
Various guidelines have been provided by the CDC (Centre for Disease Control) to stop the widespread of this disease and to control the number of increasing cases. The main steps that have been suggested by the CDC are to maintain social distancing, do not go out until an emergency. People are advised to follow these guidelines so as to control the pandemic situation.
If any community experiences an outbreak, local businesses will be the first to experience this. The regular customers are not coming out of their homes to avoid public places where the virus can spread through the transmission.
The effect has also been on the construction businesses, people are not coming out of their house which has led to a decrease in the sales for the homes and buildings.
The construction business includes the residential construction and commercial construction which is being provided by the H-Tex team during the pandemic. The H-Tex team is providing the best construction to the clients at a very low cost.
The people now are willing to have their own house rather than stay on rent. There are various reasons due to which around 50% of the population wants to buy their own homes whenever they are able to buy after the lockdown.
The major part which can make a company survive during this pandemic is digital marketing. Digital Marketing is a process that makes the users know about the company and get the details for the services being provided.
Digital Marketing is basically the process of promoting the product or service that is being provided by any company at the social media platforms through SEO and SMM technologies. SEO and SMM help you to get to know more about the company through social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and many more. These are the most widely used social media platforms on which the company can reach their customers easily.
Biorev is a company that is providing these services of SEO and SMM to their clients and helping their businesses to survive during this pandemic situation. These services are being provided by Biorev at a very low cost and in the best way with their best team helping their clients to survive in this situation.


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Consolidated Metco is announcing that it has now developed its own line of premium bearings.
PartsRiver, Inc. has launched a one-of-a-kind online parts marketplace called PartsRiver.com. It offers complete e-Commerce functionality for both parts buyers and sellers, working more like business-to-consumer marketing that traditional B2B marketing.
DieselMisers Inc., manufacturer of the popular Kodiak AeroCurtain trailer side skirts, has announced that they have begun full production and deliveries of two new trailer aero products – the Kodiak AirPlow and the Kodiak Bumper Bullet.
Motor Information Systems announced they have strengthened their services in the medium- and heavy-duty truck aftermarket with a soon to be released all makes medium- and heavy-duty truck service product, and will include it as part of the suite of transportation product offerings for its customers.
During a press conference held in conjunction with the Technology & Maintenance Council 2013 Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition, Phillips Industries presented their newest product designed to fight the harmful effects of corrosion build up in the electrical systems of commercial vehicles, the patented Sta-Dry QCMS2 (Quick Connect Modular System).


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MOBILE HANDSET MAKERS
Handset companies Lava, Micromax win in US-China trade war
In a first, US cos AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint place orders worth ?2,500 cr; Lava and Micromax to de-risk their business
How mobile manufacturing made the most of 'Make in India'
The industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the last five years and currently emp...
Samsung & Xiaomi join hands, unveil 108MP mobile image sensor
This is the fist ever image sensor to go beyond the resolution of a 100 million...
Backpack to work: Bag makers are innovating to meet the new demand
As offices become more mobile with laptops and assorted gadgetry (chargers, tabs, power banks and mobile phones), a backpack has become the go to workbag.
India sees record 36.9 million smartphone shipments in Q2
Chinese handset maker Xiaomi saw its shipment volume grow by 4.8 per cent in Q2 while Samsung registered a 16.6 percent growth.
250,000 and counting: Handsets sector sheds jobs to remain afloat
The cut of about 15% of the workforce comprised mainly of in-store brand promoters who were put out of work after thousands of small phone-retailing shops shut down.
Chinese handset maker Honor scales down India operations, cuts jobs
Move follows rapid fall in demand after US imposed trading curbs on parent Huawei.
CCI seeks third party data on India's smartphone base
The CCI has sought details from third parties on yearly smartphone sales and Internet usage in the country.
Iconic toy maker Lego in talks with the Indian government to prioritise play
The Lego Group's Rohan Mathur speaks about the toy industry, company’s India plans and its recent event in Delhi engaging the Indian government to prioritise play.
Copyright © 2019 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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The U.S. Supreme Court backed demand response as an energy conservation strategy in a 6-2 decision Monday, overturning an appeals court ruling that had barred the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from offering consumers incentives to reduce their energy use during periods of peak demand.
Demand response programs “help grid operators avoid blackouts and keep consumer costs down, reducing the need for generators to turn on older, dirtier power plants,” Politico explains. But “many power plant operators in electricity markets across the Northeast and parts of the Midwest have seen their profits shrink from lower energy prices, and they fear greater competition from demand response providers will further erode demand for electricity.”
Those utilities “had argued that the demand response rule had unfairly given FERC authority in the retail power markets, which have traditionally been governed by the states,” Dixon writes. But the Supreme Court “affirmed FERC’s ability to regulate those programs since they affect the wholesale power market, and it said the agency had properly assessed how much the businesses that cut their power consumption should be paid.”


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Silicon Valley Exec of the Year for 2013 is...
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Is there a Silicon Valley executive as good as LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner?
In 2012, there wasn't. But in 2013, there might be.
Let's start the discussion now. Who do you think the Executive of the Year for 2013 will be?
Sure, midway through January is way too early to make a truly informed decision. But it's never too early to make an educated guess, right?
There are at least three pools of potential executives of the year: the gifted, the challenged and the surprises.
The challenged include CEOs who may be in a situation that is the equivalent of saving the Titanic after it hits the iceberg. Think Reed Hastings at Netflix, Advanced Micro Devices' Rory Read, Meg Whitman at Hewlett-Packard or Marissa Mayer at Yahoo.
Then there is Mark Zuckerberg, whose alien manner defies categorization. He's gifted, challenged and could surprise us all in 2013 if he successfully figures out how to cash in on Facebook's billion-plus users.
So what do you think? Who would you choose for 2013? Let us know right here.
Cromwell Schubarth is the Senior Technology Reporter at the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
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Streetword has it that Porsche will ask more than 500.000 Euro for the Porsche 918 Spyder. And we still want one!
Having built 1,500 examples of the Carrera GT, Porsche will reportedly put the 918 Spyder into production with 1,000 firm orders in place. So if half those interested parties put their money where their proverbial mouths are, production looks like a distinct possibility. And just as the 918 Spyder is tipped to eclipse the Carrera GT’s performance (to say nothing of its environmental credentials), so is the 918 expected to trounce its predecessor’s price: at half a million euros (approximately $630,000), the production 918 Spyder would be the most expensive vehicle ever offered by Zuffenhausen.


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There's a reason healthy kitchens are usually stocked with nuts; they're a convenient snack full of protein, good fats, and fiber. Even better, a little goes a long way in keeping you satisfied until your next meal. A new study highlights an even more amazing benefit — people who eat nuts three times a week are less likely to die from cancer or heart disease.
The study, published in BMC Medicine, followed over 7,000 older people with high heart disease risk who were either on a Mediterranean diet (already shown to be one of the healthiest ways to eat) supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, or a low-fat diet. The participants were followed for a median of almost five years; researchers found that those who ate an ounce of nuts three times a week reduced their risk of dying from heart disease by 55 percent and cancer by 40 percent. There were also fewer people with Type 1 diabetes or hypertension in the nut-eating group. Nut eaters also had a 39 percent lower risk of dying overall than the rest; those who ate more walnuts fared the best, having a 45 percent lower risk of dying.
Other studies have already shown that people who eat nuts have a lower BMI, smaller waistline, are less likely to smoke, and are more physically active than those who don't eat nuts, so it seems choosing nuts as your snack might spur you to make healthier choices overall. Just remember nuts are high in calories, so don't go overboard and eat a whole can in one sitting. Learn just how many nuts are in an ounce here.


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30 Seconds for Feb. 11
Dover doesn’t needs a new fire station. It’s all monkey see, monkey do. New Philadelphia gets a new station, now Dover wants one. Tell the city of Dover no on their levy. Let’s worry about the schools first.
What a shame the Sears store is closing. Just remember, people, you helped close it by shopping out of town and shopping on so-called online shopping. More stores will be closing because of you not supporting local businesses.
I want to congratulate the four members of the Claymont Board of Education who made maybe an unpopular decision but I think one based on the welfare of Claymont’s kids. They did not try to win a popularity contest or worry about re-election.
As a former Twin City resident whose children attended Park School, I am saddened for your loss of a fine neighborhood school. It just proves that no matter how many signatures were collected or meetings were organized, the reorganization was already a done deal. Come on, school board, let’s step up to the plate and do what’s best for the families in your district.
What a beautiful story in Sunday’s Times-Reporter. Congratulations, Perla, on your wonderful 15th birthday celebration.
This is sad. Gov. Kasich made a statement that Steph Curry was his favorite basketball player. Wake up. Does he not know what LeBron James has done for Cleveland and the state of Ohio? It’s not very appreciative.
Have an opinion? An answering machine is on duty 24 hours a day. Call 330-364-1939 or email firstname.lastname@example.org. Callers should speak clearly and slowly after the beep. Personal attacks, obscenities, intolerant or biased messages are not acceptable.


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Blogger's kids say mints are out. So are pretzels, other healthy fare, and chewy things that don't mix with braces.
When I was a kid, I would come home from my annual after-dark Halloween trip around the neighborhood and empty the booty from my pillowcase to see what I had scored from my ghoulish trick-or-treating adventure.
Of course, most of my take was usually the typical Halloween fare, like miniature candy bars. Every year, though, I also got a few unexpected items; some were really awesome Halloween treats -- but others were not.
One year I even got a rock in my bag -- just like Charlie Brown. I'm not kidding.
It's a good thing I didn't see that rock go in my sack when it was handed out, or I promise you that bozo's front yard would have looked like a winter wonderland because I would have gone back and toilet-papered it later in the evening.
I recently surveyed my kids -- Matthew, 13, and Nina, 11 -- to find out some of the worst stuff well-meaning folks in my neighborhood have tossed in their Halloween bags.
High shipping fees, complex return policies and on-time delivery can make the process daunting.
I love online shopping for gifts. You get a wider selection, and you can use online wish lists to help you find just what someone wants. However, there are plenty of pitfalls associated with online holiday shopping. Make sure you understand the possible problems and prepare for them.
Here are five common pitfalls associated with online holiday shopping:
Is it the beginning of the end for Black Friday Midnight Madness?
This post comes from Melinda Fulmer of MSN Money.
One Massachusetts city has decided it wants none of the retail frenzy associated with Black Friday.
Voters at a town meeting in Dartmouth this week approved rigorous new restrictions for retailers who want to open their doors between midnight and 4 a.m. on the traditional holiday shopping kickoff on Nov. 26.
"We're not looking to interfere with business," Dartmouth police chief Timothy M. Lee told meeting members, according to SouthCoastToday.com.
Rather, he said they want to protect shoppers and employers from the frenzied stampedes of hundreds of bargain-crazy shoppers that have resulted in countless injuries and at least one fatality -- at a Long Island Wal-Mart in 2008.
Target gets flak for a commercial that makes fun of the Halloween outfit a mother made for her little boy.
Perhaps you have been living under a rock the last few weeks, as I have, and therefore are not aware of this serious Halloween scandal:
They should be ashamed! Actually, I think the 15-second spot is funny. It shows a mother taking pride in the Iron Man costume she has made for her young son, a costume that falls apart as soon as she goes to get her camera. Then Target shows a store-bought Iron Man costume, and the words "Life's a moving target" appear on the screen.
The video of the ad has had more than 102,000 views on YouTube.
While we find it hard to be outraged by the ad (sometimes a commercial is just a commercial), we don't necessarily agree with it. The homemade Iron Man costume is quite cute and would work fine if the mother found a better way to attach the light to the boy's chest. We LIKE homemade costumes.
More couples are cohabitating without the legal benefits of marriage. Here are some basics they need to know.
Here are some sobering statistics:
- 7.5 million opposite-sex couples are living together -- 13% more than this time last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
- Nearly half (47%) of adults in their 30s and 40s have lived with someone in a sexual relationship, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
- That same survey says 41% of couples living together don't really care about getting married.
I call these statistics sobering not because I'm passing moral judgment but because I suspect that many unmarried couples haven't properly considered the financial ramifications of living together. That's a mistake, because they're not afforded the same protections and advantages that married couples have.
- Buying a house together? Check mortgage rates near historic lows
Books, magazines and the Internet are full of financial advice for the newly engaged. (Money Talks News has provided advice for everything from wedding insurance and divorce insurance to money and marriage.) So here's some financial advice for the unmarried.
Facebook, Zynga accused of handing out user information.
Two class-action lawsuits target Facebook and the largest maker of Facebook applications, alleging that the companies breached consumers' privacy by illegally sharing their information with third parties, in violation of Facebook's own policies.
Both suits follow a Wall Street Journal article detailing a disturbing apparent data breach -- or, more accurately, "leak" -- of consumer information.
Here's what you need to know before jumping on one of these tempting offers.
This post comes from MSN Money's Liz Pulliam Weston.
Interest-free balance transfer offers started drying up more than two years ago with the beginnings of the credit crunch, as I wrote in my February 2008 column "The credit card party is officially over."
Now, as default rates fall and credit card issuers get bolder about winning market share, 0% offers have come roaring back.
"It's kind of shocking how aggressive some of these offers are, because of lot of experts thought these balance transfer offers were an endangered species," said Curtis Arnold, the founder of card-comparison site CardRatings.com. "I didn't think we'd see their extinction, but I never thought it would rebound as fast as it has."
Arnold points to the Citibank Platinum Select MasterCard as a prime example. Citi started the year offering a 0% balance transfer offer for 12 months. Then Citibank sweetened the term to extend to 15 months, then 18 months. Now, qualified applicants can get 0% for 21 months, with 0% on purchases for 12 months, and the fee has dropped from 5% of the balance to 3%.
In areas of the country where income has fallen, it often is.
Is your rent too high?
Super-long-shot New York state gubernatorial candidate Jimmy McMillan, of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, was the topic du jour after stealing the show at Monday night's debate. McMillan is such a tireless advocate for the renter that, during a cell phone conversation with Wall Street Journal reporter Erica Orden, he stopped a man on the street to ask if his rent was too high.
The question got us thinking.
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FITCHBURG -- Topps Liquor will have its liquor license suspended for four days after receiving a citation for allegedly selling beer to an 18-year-old with a false driver's license, according to a decision by the Alcohol Beverages Control Commission in Boston last week.
Following a hearing on April 11, the ABCC ruled to suspend the store's license for four days with one day served and three days held unless the store has a second violation within the next two years.
The store on 128 Water St. will be unable to sell alcohol on May 31, according to the suspension. However, the decision can be appealed within 30 days of the decision and the store has 20 days to offer to pay a fine in lieu of suspension, according to the ABCC.
A store manager or owner could not be reached through multiple phone calls on Tuesday or Wednesday.
According to a report, ABCC investigators were stationed outside the store on Sept. 22 of last year when they saw a "youthful appearing male," whose name was not released, exiting the store with an 18-pack of Bud Light.
When confronted, the man gave officers a Connecticut driver's license, which said he was 23 years old, the report said.
Investigators asked him if he was born in 1993 and he said he was actually 18 years old and produced a Massachusetts driver's license, according to the ABCC.
He clerk told investigators the picture on the Connecticut license looked just like the man.
The 18-year-old said he had used the false license to purchase alcohol at the store once before, according to the report.
Follow Elizabeth Dobbins on Twitter @DobbinsSentinel.


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Some of the most active companies traded Tuesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange:
Toronto Stock Exchange (15,842.71, up 34.08 points)
Cenovus Energy Inc. (TSX:CVE). Oil and gas. Up 41 cents, or 3.04 per cent, to $13.90 on 10.3 million shares.
Baytex Energy Corp. (TSX:BTE). Oil and gas. Up 20 cents, or 3.53 per cent, to $5.86 on 9.1 million shares.
Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB). Healthcare. Down 33 cents, or 4.07 per cent, to $7.78 on 7.1 million shares.
Encana Corp. (TSX:ECA). Oil and gas. Up 48 cents, or 2.83 per cent, to $17.43 on 6.5 million shares.
Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B). Aerospace, rail equipment. Down six cents, or 1.41 per cent, to $4.20 on 6.3 million shares.
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (TSX:CNQ). Oil and gas. Down 87 cents, or 1.92 per cent, to $44.43 on 6.2 million shares. Royal Dutch Shell is selling its stake in the company for about $4.3 billion. The sale of more than 97 million shares represents Shell’s entire interest in Canadian Natural, a roughly eight per cent stake in the company.
Companies reporting major news:
CGI Group Inc. (TSX:GIB.A). Application software. Up 58 cents, or 0.75 per cent, to $77.96 on 713,398 shares. The Montreal-based company says it has reached an agreement to pay $272.8 million to purchase more than 3.6 million of its shares held by the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec.
Shopify Inc. (TSX:SHOP). E-Commerce. Up $6.96, or 3.90 per cent, to $185.51 on 369,737 shares. The Ottawa-based company unveiled a host of new features and its first brick-and-mortar location in a bid to attract — and keep — more retailers on its e-commerce platform. Shopify revealed at it Unite conference in Toronto on Tuesday that the location that will act as a hub for its retailer clients to get support for growing their business will open in 2018, but did not say where.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (TSX:VRX). Pharmaceutical. Up $2.08, or 8.87 per cent, to $25.54 on 4.4 million shares. The company is changing its name to Bausch Health Companies Inc. as it works to move further past the issues that tarnished its reputation and sullied its brand. Valeant, which has been working to turn itself around in recent years after facing political and regulatory scrutiny for its relationship with a mail order company and large increases to drug prices, said the switch will come in July and also involves changing its stock market ticker symbol to BHC on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.
The Canadian Press


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Zhucheng Haotian Biotech Co., Ltd (ZCHT), the principal manufacturing partner of Nascent Health Sciences, recently announced its new corporate brand HOWTIAN®. The refresh of its corporate identity reflects the company’s expanded global footprint and commitment to the sustainable production of natural ingredients.
As part of efforts to consolidate and unify global business operations under the new brand, going forward Nascent Health Sciences will be operating as HOWTIAN LLC to best serve our customers in North America. HOWTIAN LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of ZCHT, will continue to offer our complete portfolio of ingredient solutions, including SoPure™ Stevia, PureQQ® Pyrroloquinoline Quinone, Inositol, Vitamin E and more.
Our leadership, personnel, and day-to-day operations are unaffected by these changes and there is no impact on the supply of our ingredients. Our promise to our customers stays the same — to provide the highest quality ingredient solutions to meet your product manufacturing and formulation needs. And we remain dedicated to partnering with food, beverage, nutrition, and personal care product manufacturers to promote health and wellness for consumers, to empower people to live better lives.
To accompany the launch of HOWTIAN LLC, a new website has been created along with updated email addresses — [name]@howtiangroup.com — for corporate staff members. Aside from that, working with us will be business as usual. If you’re a current customer, a company representative will be in touch with you to ensure there is no disruption to services and operations.
To learn more about HOWTIAN, its history and the exciting evolution of its business, visit https://howtiangroup.com/.


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While the build-up of European brand capacity continues, it is being offset somewhat by ships being moved out during the winter due to the lingering effects of the upheavals in Northern Africa and the Middle East and the downturn in the economies of several European countries, according to the 2012 Cruise Industry News Annual Report. And Royal Caribbean has so far announced it will have nine ships in Europe next year, compared to 12 this year. 2012 is going to be a trying year and 2013 may be even more so.
Barring any unforeseen changes, the European brands’ cruise capacity will be about 7 million passengers by 2016, in addition to another estimated 750,000 Europeans carried on European cruises by Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises, among the larger North American-based operators. By 2016, the total European passenger count may be in the range of 8 million.
Growth is rarely linear, however. This year is seeing some softening in demand, especially in Southern Europe, which is being attributed to the Costa Concordia incident, and to the soft economies of Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece. There is also some softening in the UK market with very low price offers.
Germany is reportedly going strong, but will have to absorb more new ships from AIDA in 2012 and 2013 and again in 2015 and 2016, plus a new TUI ship in 2014 and possibly another in 2015. In addition, more German tour operators are entering the market with second-hand tonnage positioning themselves as premium and niche products.
The two largest brands, Costa Crociere and MSC Cruises, are also continuing to grow with new ships either under construction or on the drawing boards.
And there are newcomers in the market, such as Viking Ocean, which pending completion of financing, has ordered two medium-sized ships for deliveries in 2014 and 2015. Other companies are also considering entering the market, according to financial sources.
In terms of passenger-carrying capacity, Carnival brands control more than 47 percent of the market in 2012 and will control nearly 50 percent by 2016, followed by MSC Cruises with more than 22 percent now and just short of 22 percent by 2016.
The Carnival brands are market leaders in most countries and market segments, whether contemporary, premium or budget markets. But it is notably not in the expedition market.
Ultimately, to achieve the 3.3 percent market penetration of North America, European markets must generate 13.5 million passengers – or about double the number of European passengers the cruise fleet carries today. That is not an inconceivable number, but there are two hurdles: In order to reach that passenger number, the industry must ramp up its building rate, as there simply are not enough ships to carry that many passengers. And secondly, ports will come up short if they have to accommodate twice as many passengers with their current facilities.
The Cruise Industry News Annual Report 2012 is the only information resource of its kind -- presenting the entire worldwide cruise industry in 350+ pages, from new ships on order to supply-and-demand scenarios from 1987 through 2016, including a future outlook through 2030, growth projections for each cruise line, and detailed ship deployment by region and market of all the cruise lines. Click here to order.


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Tempe, AZ – It started as a simple WordPress blog on January 8, 2018. Paul Liberatore, an attorney by day and avid golfer on weekends, started a blog where he talked about and reviewed golf equipment and gear in his attempt to become a better golfer. Three years later, that blog has evolved and grown exponentially to become a content rich, consumer friendly website, GolfersAuthority.com.
Golfers Authority provides golfers product reviews, buyer guides, tips, and advice that is designed to help players improve their game. The company’s scoring rubicon is based on innovation, performance, design/sound/feel and value. “I was tired of all of the noise in the golf industry and not being able to find products that helped my game,” said Liberatore.
Golfers Authority’s message resonated with the golf community and has taken off like a rocket:
- By September of 2018, Golfer’s Authority was generating over 31,000 unique visitors/monthly in organic traffic
- By August of 2019, they were getting 72,000 visitors/monthly
- By August of 2020, 175,000 visitors monthly
According to Liberatore, Golfers Authority treats everyone the same – big brand or small brand – it does not matter. The company doesn’t accept payment in order to give products a better review or to highlight it in one of its buyer guides. To date, the company has worked with more than 110 brands and has more than 600 articles on its site.
“We don’t make our interaction with a brand a transaction,” said Liberatore. “I look at golf brands more from the perspective of the decision-maker I am working with. It’s more about the relationship. I believe that’s what’s helped Golfers Authority establish credibility and grow so quickly.”
Golfers Authority has developed some unique and rich content including its Buyer Guides, What’s in the Bag, Product Reviews, Tips and more than 250 hours of video content. This has helped Golfers Authority establish a strong social media audience with more than 90,000 followers among its entire team on Instagram alone.
Despite COVID19 and the unexpected shut down in the golf industry, Golfers Authority continued to grow over the past months producing content for golfers starving for a way to stay connected to the game and the industry. In addition, the website was updated and redesigned to pull real-time pricing data in its buyers guide from 17 different retailers allowing consumers to always find the best price.
In May of 2020, Liberatore also released his Behind the Golf Brand Podcast, whereby Paul interviews his friends as he calls them, founders and decision makers, on how they started their golf brands. With only 15 episodes he is averaging between 100-150 downloads per episode. Golfers Authority will be expanding its original video content to feature product reviews, unboxing videos, top 10 videos, course vlogs, and more. The company is on track to hit one million-page views this year.
For more information visit golfersauthority.com, or contact Paul Liberatore, email@example.com.


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NHS trusts have managed to reduce the sales of sugary drinks sold on their premises, NHS England has announced.
NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens last year asked trusts to reduce the sale of sugary drinks to 10% or less of beverages bought on their premises.
NHS England now reports that trusts have gone above and beyond the target with ‘the proportion of drinks sold on NHS premises that contain added sugar dramatically cut, from 15.6% to 8.7%’.
A ban on the sale of sugary drinks could have been introduced from 1 July had the trusts failed to make progress, NHS England clarified.
10 million teaspoons of sugar
Data submitted by trusts and retailers between July 2017 and March 2018 showed that ‘ten million teaspoons of sugar have been removed from NHS canteens, shops and vending – the equivalent of 1.1 million cans of fizzy drink, roughly 39,000 kilos of sugar and over 160,000,000 fewer calories’, according to analysis by NHS England.
There are currently 201 NHS trusts (87%) signed up to the sugar reduction scheme.
Fourteen leading national retailers have committed to the scheme so far, with Boots joining the group on Saturday, NHS England said.
All trusts are expected to sign up to the sugar reduction scheme this autumn and those that do not sign up ‘will not be able to get a slice of this year’s national incentive scheme’, NHS England warned.
In a statement, NHS England said it ‘is proposing to make it [the sugar reduction scheme] mandatory as part of the standard contract from 1 April 2019, subject to consultation’.
Diabetes and its complications cost the healthcare system more than £6bn each year while nine in 10 people have Type 2 diabetes, which remains the main risk factor for obesity, according to NHS England.
NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said: ‘The NHS is now putting its own house in order in the fight against flab – with the vast majority of hospitals answering the call to action.
‘Obesity is one of the biggest long term challenges facing us as the NHS enters its eighth decade, so action now will avoid storing up a long list of preventable and expensive health problems for the years ahead.’


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Iowa Classroom Winners Selected in 2023 High Steaks! Beef Marketing Competition
West Des Moines, Iowa – Crispy beef coconut pancakes, beef stew, Wagu beef burger, and deep dish beef sliders were just a few of the delicious and nutritious beef recipes developed by Iowa students recently for the High Steaks! Beef Marketing Competition. Iowa students from across the state participated in the contest this spring in a bid to win judges over with their knowledge of beef products, beef production, and marketing savvy.
The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (IALF) hosts the annual High Steaks! Beef Marketing Competition in partnership with the Iowa Beef Industry Council. The experiential learning contest allows students to creatively develop a marketing strategy for a beef product of their choice, while learning about the variety of agricultural careers and skills it takes to develop and sell a product. Students in grades 3 through 12 were eligible to participate. Students learned about the beef production industry and beef nutrition as a result of participation. As a new component this year, classrooms were invited to several virtual events to learn about beef. Through these video chats, students learned about different areas of cattle such as breeds and genetics as well as cow/calf and feedlot operations.
“This competition provides an opportunity for Iowa’s teachers to bring agriculture into their classrooms, incorporating it into subjects they’re already teaching about like math, social studies, language arts, and science,” said Kelly Foss, executive director of the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation.
Student winners announced
A total of 50 entries were received from elementary, middle, and high schools across Iowa. IALF recognizes the following student winners in this cross-curricular program for elementary, middle, and high school students.
- 1st Prize: Des Moines Christian Elementary taught by Rhonda Osborn. The student team submitted a poster titled ‘Beefila’ and featured Wagu beef burgers.
- 2nd Prize: Des Moines Christian Elementary taught by Rhonda Osborn. The student team submitted a poster titled ‘It’s a Beefy Good Day” and featured beef steak and eggs.
- 3rd Prize: Des Moines Christian Elementary taught by Rhonda Osborn. The student team submitted a poster titled ‘Beef Buffet’ and featured beef steak.
Middle School Division:
- 1st Prize: Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School taught by Kristie Kuhse. The student created a marketing plan to sell ‘Deep Dish Dining’ and featured beef sliders.
- 2nd Prize: Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School taught by Kristie Kuhse. The student team created a marketing plan to sell ‘Crispy Beef Coconut Pancakes’ and featured a beef product by the same name.
- 3rd Prize: Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School taught by Kristie Kuhse. The student team created a marketing plan to sell ‘Gremlin Goulash’ and featured beef goulash.
High School Division:
- 1st Prize: English Valleys School taught by Kristen Fisch. The student team created a marketing plan to sell ‘Banging Birria Tacos’ and featured chuck roast, short ribs, and oxtail.
- 2nd Prize: Van Meter High School taught by Maura Ballagh. The student team created a marketing plan to sell ‘Chef Ballagh’s Beef Stew’ and featured beef product by the same name.
- 3rd Prize: Dubuque High School taught by Jennifer Gravel. The student team created a marketing plan to sell ‘Beef Please’ and featured a selection of beef cuts in a box.
Submissions were judged by a panel of industry experts, beef producers, and educators. Prizes include up to $200 and first place classrooms will have a BBQ lunch.
- Elementary students who participated in the contest selected a beef product and then worked together in teams or as a classroom to submit a poster that advertises the product or showcases the health benefits associated with eating beef.
- Middle school and high school students who participated worked together to submit a marketing plan of their selected beef-focused product. Their marketing plans included an introduction, product details, marketing tactics, a market analysis, and nutrition information.
- This year, classrooms experienced a new opportunity to through a FarmChat© with Hawkeye Breeders to explore the different cattle breeds, cattle genetics, reproduction, and seed stock. They also had an opportunity to learn more about cow/calf and feedlot operations through a second FarmChat© with Beringer Family Farms.
“This is a fun and experiential way teachers can engage their students while also learning about beef production in Iowa,” Foss added.
The High Steaks! Beef Marketing Competition opens annually in January and concludes in April of the same year. Interested teachers can sign up for the IALF quarterly newsletter at www.iowaagliteracy.org or follow the organization on our social media channels to be notified of the next competition. The program is funded in part by the Iowa Beef Checkoff.
About the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation
IALF serves as a central resource for educators and volunteers who want to teach Iowa’s students about agriculture. The mission is to educate Iowans, with a focus on youth, regarding the breadth and global significance of agriculture. Iowa is a leading producer of agricultural products that are essential to feed a growing world population, estimated to reach more than nine billion by 2050. IALF believes it is important for all Iowans to understand the essential role agriculture has in their lives. IALF supports existing agriculture education efforts such as FFA, 4-H and Ag in the Classroom. IALF was created through a joint effort of agricultural stakeholders, including the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Silos and Smokestacks Foundation, Corteva Agriscience, GROWMARK, and the Iowa Beef Industry Council. For more information visit IALF online at www.IowaAgLiteracy.org, on Facebook, and Twitter.


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The new owners of Hudson’s Bay Company have hired former Holt Renfrew top marketer Bonnie Brooks as president and CEO of the Bay.
Brooks was most recently president of the Lane Crawford Joyce Group based in Hong Kong, and before that was she was executive vice-president, general merchandise manager and senior vice-president of marketing at Holt Renfrew.
The move supports HBC’s stated intention to take its 94-store Bay chain upmarket.
“Her retail acumen will assist her as she elevates the Bay to a new position within the Canadian retail landscape,” said HBC president and CEO Jeffrey Sherman , in a release. “The Bay will be a premiere department store experience with better brands and service.”
The iconic HBC department store chain was bought last month from the widow of former owner Jerry Zucker by New York-based NRDC Equity Partners, the owner of Lord & Taylor and other retail companies.
Sherman is leading plans to rework the 338-year-old company’s operations from the bottom up.
It makes a lot of sense for HBC to take the Bay brand upmarket and, based on her experience, it seems Brooks would be a good fit to lead that move, said Ed Strapagiel, a retail expert and executive vice-president with Kubas Consultants, in Toronto.
“There really is more potential up market because the middle and the lower is terribly crowded,” he said.
The fashion retail market has changed in recent years with the introduction and expansion of low-cost high-fashion brands like H&M and Zara, he said.
“But there is a lot of market space between the Bay currently and higher end [brands] like Holt Renfrew,” he said. “If the Bay can manoeuvre into that space and move away from competing with Wal-Mart and Sears, that might not be a bad idea.”
Brooks’ most recent employer Lane Crawford Joyce Group has more than 500 locations in nine Asian countries and includes the Lane Crawford department stores and Joyce Boutiques. At Holt Renfrew, Brooks had responsibility for strategic planning, all marketing functions, all merchandise buying, and designer brand acquisition. Before that, she also served as editor-in-chief of fashion magazine Flare.
“The role to transform the Bay from its existing format to world class was too compelling to pass up,” said Brooks, in the statement. “Building exceptional retail destinations is not only my profession, it’s my passion. I look forward to working with Jeff and the leadership teams at the Bay and HBC to acquire new prestige brands, many of whom I have had strong partnerships with for several years.”
The announcement comes just days after HBC confirmed it hired Mark Foote to lead its discount chain Zellers.
Foote was most recently at Loblaw but made a retailing name for himself with the changes he made as president at Canadian Tire.
“[His] strength is in non-food categories,” said Strapagiel. “He is a good operator. Canadian Tire has been good at operations and Zellers could certainly use some of that.”
Making the two key hires so soon after taking over the company suggest the new owners have a clear vision for HBC, added Strapagiel.
“It does seem like they have a strategy in place already and have hired accordingly.”


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Vacancies at U.S. neighborhood and community shopping centers rose in the second quarter to a 13-year high, while vacancies at larger, regional malls were at their highest level since 2002, research firm Reis Inc. said.
Retailers often blamed the belt-tightening of shoppers for the closings, but Starbucks looked like a special case to several commercial real estate brokers who spoke to The New York Times. They blamed lax real estate decisions by a company that “has long been known in the world of commercial real estate for its expertise at selecting prime locations and its fearlessness in establishing almost comic ubiquity in some neighborhoods,” as Brad Stone wrote.
And Reuters reported today that some coffee fans are getting grim delight in the coffee chain’s woes, including these choice quotes:
“I’m so happy. I’m so not a Starbucks person,” said Melinda Vigliotti, sipping iced coffee at the Irving Farm Coffee House in New York. “I believe in supporting small businesses. Starbucks, bye-bye.”
“Amen,” chimed in Keith DiLauro, a local caterer. “They went too big, too fast.”
At least Starbucks was not alone when it came to schadenfreude. When Home Depot’s closings emerged earlier this year, some commenters celebrated on Huffington Post, as did a Vermont resident on NBC’s “Nightly News.”
“People are going, ‘Yes, yes, yes, we did it!’” he said. “Here’s a hometown True-Value that outlasted the big box store.”


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Amazon is likely to be planning to supply Prime subscribers a fairly vital perk: free cellular phone service. According to Bloomberg, the corporate is speaking with a number of US-based carriers about providing low cost — round $10 a month — and even free telephone service to Prime prospects. Proper now, Amazon is supposedly negotiating with the three main US carriers (Verizon, AT&T and T-Cellular) in addition to the Dish Community, although it appears like talks with AT&T have fallen off in current weeks.
It will possible be some time earlier than this potential providing launched, as Bloomberg says that talks have solely been ongoing for about six to eight weeks they usually may nonetheless be scrapped. However given how costly cell plans can get, this may very well be a probably fascinating supply for Amazon prospects. In fact, that will require an additional dedication to Amazon, which already has its fingers in a frankly absurd variety of totally different companies.
To this point, there isn’t any particulars on what Amazon’s service would possibly appear to be — whether or not it could supply the identical stage of service as you’d get going immediately by Verizon, T-Cellular or AT&T. Particularly, carriers have a tendency to supply extra knowledge at 5G speeds relying on what plan its customers select; there are additionally a ton of perks that carriers have a tendency to incorporate nowadays like Netflix from T-Moble or Apple Music or Disney+ on Verizon.
However it’s not laborious to think about that a variety of prospects would commerce a few of these perks and even much less high-speed knowledge to get cell service totally free. That is assuming they’re OK tying one more a part of their digital lives to Amazon — however for those who’re already hooked on Prime, this might make for a compelling new a part of Amazon’s subscription plan.


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Swiss brand Parmigiani Fleurier has offered an inside look into the creation of its 2017 Toric Chronomètre.
In a new report, the label has revealed the secrets behind the watch’s white grained finish, a complex process which ensures each dial is unique.
The grained effect is produced by rubbing silver powder onto a brass plate to create a textured surface.
The force and duration of the rubbing action and the properties of the silver mixture determine how pronounced and luminous the final grain is. Everything is done by hand with a horsehair brush.
Parmigiani Fleurier said the artisans who craft these dials are trained for years, adapting their technique and finding the ideal balance to create a perfect grained finish.
“It requires scarce and highly developed skill to create a captivating texture achieved by hand-brushing the surface of the dial with a silver powder mixture,” the brand said.