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The claim was filed by Apple in November last year, and saw the Spanish company's shipments from China seized, and its name temporarily placed on an EU-wide list of product pirates. Aside from the commercial dispute, Apple even brought criminal charges against NT-K, a move that Foss Patent's Florian Mueller called, "absolutely outrageous."
Now those claims have been dismissed, and it seems that the little company has lodged an antitrust complaint against Apple, and is suing for compensation for monetary damages, lost profits and "moral damages." NT-K's statement machine-translated from Spanish by 9to5Mac.
For more on this story, read Apple loses iPad lawsuit to tiny Spanish tablet maker on CNET UK Crave.


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More Americans are traveling this year than last year. Please remember to check the weather before you take your road trip and pack a backup map just in case your navigation in your car defaults or if you drive out of range of cell phone towers. Most importantly, please pack your “Patience” and take your time. Tell yourself before you get on the road to expect a lot of other travelers to be on the road with you. Therefore, don’t stress!
According to AAA’s latest projections (East Idaho News Staff (2019), a record 49 million Americans are expected to travel for a 4th of July celebration this year, with 263,000 Idahoans among them. High consumer confidence and low unemployment have generated additional spending money and more opportunities to travel. This year, the Independence Day holiday period is defined as the five days from Wednesday, July 3 to Sunday, July 7.
Gas prices are also lending a helping hand. Today, the national average is $2.66, which is 19 cents less than a month ago, and the same as a year ago. In Idaho, the average price for regular unleaded is $3.06, which is 15 cents less than a month ago, and 12 cents less than a year ago. Nearly two million more Americans will celebrate the nation’s birthday by taking a trip this year, with 1.7 million of them hitting the road (for a total of 41.4 million overall). That’s the most since AAA began tracking the data, and the sixth straight year of growth for this transportation mode.
Please designate a driver, if you plan to drink. Drive safe and enjoy your vacation.
Happy 4th of July!

domain: news


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Ford’s July 2021 sales indicate a drop in total sales from last year but set a record-high for SUV transaction pricing.
Ford truck sales totaled 72,574 in July. This is down 27% from total sales in July 2020. Trucks sales also saw a 34.5% drop in retail sales from last year. The company sold a total of 99,460 trucks in 2020.
Heavy trucks saw an increase in sales from last year. Sales increased 22.2% with 1,136 sold this year.
The data shows over 70% of Ford Bronco orders are coming from outside of Ford. The Bronco’s July sales totaled 3,277 SUVs, and Ford’s overall AWD/4WD mix of SUVs in July was over 68%.
This is a new record for Ford. Ford SUV transaction pricing in July hit a record of $42,000 per SUV. This is up $6,200 over 2020.
This year, F-150 Lightning reservations went over 120,000. With most orders coming from California, almost 80% of the fully electric Lightning truck customers are coming over from other brands. Reservations for the F-150 Lightning surpassed 100,000 in May.
Ford released new truck and SUV vehicle introductions. Sales of high-series trim SUVs were up 6.7% over July last year. Transaction prices are up approximately $8,400 at almost $50,000 per vehicle. July’s incentive spend as a percentage of transaction pricing was 3.5% per vehicle, down more than 7 ppts over a year ago and 1.4 ppts lower than the overall industry, according to the data.
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Fed rate hikes: What will and won't become more affordable?
- Fed rate hikes have triggered a stock sell-off and heightened the risk of recession.
- But they also aim to stop rising prices.
- Which prices could the hikes lower and which prices won't be affected?
The Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes this year have triggered a massive stock market sell-off and significantly increased the risk of recession all in the name of bringing down soaring inflation.
But will it work?
Rising rates increase consumer and business borrowing costs, which reduces demand for products and services broadly, leading suppliers to cut prices or stop raising them. But the immediate effect varies significantly across individual goods and services.
“When consumers start to feel those higher interest rates hitting wallets… and when their desire or ability to buy is diminished, you’ll start to see demand ease,” says Katie Thomas, who leads the Kearney Consumer Institute, a think tank that studies consumer behavior.
For instance, some prices, like food, continue to go up, in part, because demand is so strong, said John Cochrane, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. “People are paying those higher prices. If people weren’t paying those higher prices, the prices would go down.”
Hikes and your wallet::Fed raises interest rates by 0.75% again: Here's how it will hit your wallet and portfolio
What happens when the Fed raises interest rates?
Traditionally, higher interest rates have had the most profound effect on big-ticket purchases like houses, cars and appliances that rely heavily on consumer financing, says Laura Veldkamp, a professor of economics and finance at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business.
Where higher interest rates may help lower prices:
The Fed's actions should help lower the prices of appliances and furniture. Low and middle-income shoppers frequently finance purchases of living room sets or appliances with in-store financing at rates that can range from zero to upward of 30%.
As rates rise, some shoppers are likely to turn to less expensive models or forgo purchases altogether, Veldkamp says.
That softer demand should, at least on the margins, help nudge prices lower. But such impacts can take about two years to play out, Veldkamp says.
Home prices should continue to decline as a result of the hikes. The housing market already has significantly weakened because of the Fed’s hiking campaign. The average 30-year mortgage rate has shot up to more than 6% from 3.2% in January. That increases the monthly payment on a typical $312,000 mortgage by nearly $500.
A homebuyer's market?:Home prices decline at rates seen close to a decade ago
Inflation Reduction Act of 2022:Answering your common questions about the legislation.
Existing home sales are down 20% from a year ago as of August and median home prices are down 6% since reaching a record high in June, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Rent should go down as the central bank raises borrowing costs. Wages are up almost 7% compared with a year ago, according to the Atlanta Fed's Wage Growth Tracker. That’s the fastest rise in more than 20 years. That’s allowing producers to pass on more price increases to consumers.
To get inflation under control the Fed needs to slow wage growth, said Omair Sharif, founder of research firm Inflation Insights. The Fed can accomplish that by raising interest rates to a point where it causes employers to slow hiring or lay off workers. That’s already happening in the tech sector.
When hiring demand slows, the wages employers are willing to pay for workers go down and raises are harder to get.
Landlords typically base rental rates off renters’ incomes, which is often a requirement to disclose in a rental application. Last year when applicants’ incomes were higher than those in the prior year, landlords knew they could hike rent, Sharif said.
“If they see income going up 4%, they’re not going to raise rent by 6%,” he added.
Also, lower home prices should spur more renters to buy, easing demand and prices in the rental market, said Kathy Bostjancic, U.S. chief economist at Oxford Economics.
For the first time since December 2020, rents across the country fell by 0.1% in August, according to a report from property data company CoStar Group.
Airfares and hotels
Airfares and hotels should go down as rates go up.
Since these purchases are discretionary, higher credit card rates, along with higher prices, should prompt many consumers to put off expensive trips until rates and borrowing costs come down, Channel and Thomas say.
Where higher interest rates may not help lower prices:
For the most part, the increase or decrease in supplies of goods is outside the Fed’s control. Yet they’re playing a significant part in boosting prices. For instance, nationwide outbreaks of avian flu, which began in February and continue to spread, are causing farmers to kill flocks of chicken. As a result, a carton of eggs is costing consumers nearly 40% more than a year ago.
Here the Fed’s primary tool, raising interest rates, isn’t going to help.
In Cochrane’s view, lawmakers bear a significant amount of blame for the inflation we’re experiencing as a result of doling out $5 trillion in stimulus aid during the pandemic. The aid, which included stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment benefits, successfully gave consumers an appetite to spend money. But because of supply side problems, producers couldn’t accommodate the spike in demand leading to persistently higher prices, Cochrane argued.
“Congress put the gas pedal on the floor and now they're asking monetary policy to pull on the parking brake. That’s an imperfect way to run the economy.”
Fed rate hikes aren't likely to help lower the price of cars just yet.
New vehicle prices were up 10.1% annually in August, according to the consumer price index. Meanwhile, interest rates on auto loans are the highest in 12 years, according to Bankrate.
But that isn't deterring consumers from buying cars. Sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers rose by 2.8% in August on a monthly basis, according to retail sales data figures published by the Census Bureau.
Hate car shopping?:Here's how to navigate the current seller's market
Brace yourself:Winter bills will send shivers up your spine with energy prices set to rise
Historically, rate hikes have helped bring down car prices because so many consumers need to borrow money to buy a car, said Jacob Channel, senior economist at LendingTree.
But they’ve had a minimal impact on car prices lately since they’ve been overpowered by the effect of ongoing computer chip shortages which have constrained production and resulted in lower vehicle supplies and higher prices, he said..
Fed rate hikes should have a minimal effect on food prices.
Those prices, up 11.4% annually, largely have been propelled higher by supply chain bottlenecks, higher cost of labor, ingredients and fuel, unfavorable weather and Russia’s war in Ukraine, said William Snell, an agriculture economist at the University of Kentucky.
Consumers have already changed their buying habits as a result of high prices, opting for generic brands and fewer organic produce and meat alternatives, Snell said. But these switches aren’t significant enough to bring down prices, he added.
'Most expensive crop in decades':Farmers face higher stakes than ever with inflation
Cutting costs wherever possible:How farmers are managing sky-rocketing inflation
Many consumers, of course, do pay for groceries by credit card, whose rates are directly affected by Fed rate moves. Yet since food is a necessity, shoppers are unlikely to stop buying bread or milk because their credit card rate rises, Channel says.
Gas prices won't be very responsive to Fed hikes.
Gasoline prices are mostly determined by oil prices, which are set on a global market, Veldkamp says. Still, Americans have driven less since U.S. gas prices peaked at about $5 in June, helping lower pump prices by about 20%.
Like food, even though consumers often pay for gas with a credit card, rate increases aren’t likely to cause them to cut back on gas, Veldkamp says.


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A cell phone of my very own. Hello, crooks
ON THE EAST BAY
Updated 10:59 am, Tuesday, September 25, 2012
I don't buy new cars because they lose value too quickly. I don't own a single pair of square-toed shoes, and I like cuffed dress pants. Are they in style now? If not, I'm sure they'll make a comeback.
I lost my biggest battle to social peer pressure last week when sheer necessity forced my hand.
I ended a decade-long holdout and purchased a cell phone for personal use. The newspaper has provided me one since 1997, but I've driven Chronicle editors crazy with my reluctance to use it.
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A visit to my local cell phone store on Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland brought the frenzy connected to the rollout of each new generation of smartphones into stark focus.
In casual conversation, the sales clerk mentioned in passing that her store, a Sprint Store by Wireless Lifestyle, was robbed last year when its exterior wall was breached by a vehicle ramming into it. Robbers used the same entry method four times in a little over a month.
Is a phone call - or a convenient handheld Internet device - really worth all that?
Apparently so, because law enforcement agencies all over the Bay Area and around the nation are reporting rises in the theft of smartphones, iPods, laptops and electronic tablets - even as overall robberies in many cities have dropped.
It made me consider that carrying a smartphone around may not really be that smart after all.
Because the electronic gear that people wear like Batman's utility belt has become a necessary part of daily life - and made unsuspecting citizens even more attractive targets for crime.
The Oakland Police Department has reported more than 1,000 thefts of electronic devices this year - and it's no wonder.
The devices are portable, concealable and lightweight. Once pocketed, they're all but gone.
It's a scenario that has played out in cafes, restaurants, parks, public transportation and on all corners of Lake Merritt, the natural centerpiece and gathering spot for city residents.
The Oakland Police Department last week announced the arrest of 34 people suspected in dozens of street robberies involving the theft of iPhones, electronic gear, wallets and purses. Guns were used in some of the robberies, police said.
Oakland ranked No. 3 in cell phone thefts in U.S. cities in 2011, in a report according to a national cell phone security provider. Such news hardly comes as a surprise in Oakland, which posted among the highest robbery rates in the nation in 2011.
The rash of robberies has prompted local police agencies across the Bay Area to warn people to conceal electronic gear and avoid using expensive, enticing iPhones in public places - like parks, sidewalks, restaurants, cafes, public transit. The list seems to cover pretty much all the places you would be inclined to use a cell phone.
Some cities are trying to use technology to curb demand for phones on the black market.
In St. Louis, city officials have proposed a new dealers license requiring vital information from the seller, the phone identity number - and a thumbprint - in an effort to reduce illegal sales of stolen phones. The information would be shared in a database that allows law enforcement officials to track the sale of stolen goods.
So yeah, I guess I feel more connected to everyone since I patched into the digital world. I'm now equipped to talk until my tongue is numb and while the hours away tweeting about my day, my dinner plans and the 1966 Plymouth Valiant I saw the other day.
But the best connection remains the human one.
Creating community based on mutual respect starts with strangers who can look each other in the eye and say "hello."
I hope it will always be more important to acknowledge the human being right next to you, at the store, on the bus or on the sidewalk, than the one you know through the worldwide network.


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Following weeks of research it’s become clear that Loss Prevention departments across Europe are still struggling to shake off the perception that they are the company policemen, and become true partners to the business.
In an increasingly customer-centric and omni-channel retail environment, traditional loss prevention activities are no longer enough to ensure both bottom-line retention and top-line gain.
It is for this reason that IQPC’s premier discussion forum for loss prevention, supply chain and retail
Future Stores brings 150+ in-store innovators to share their first-hand experiences on driving in-store purchases using digital. If you’re serious about unlocking the full potential of your store, don’t miss this unique opportunity to benchmark your people, processes and technology
Retail Times is delighted to announce that it is the media partner for Mobile Shopping, a benchmarking opportunity for m-commerce executives at Europe's leading retailers.
The two-day event will be held on 8-9 February 2017 at the Victoria Park Plaza, London.
Some of the world’s biggest brands will take part in the first ever B2B conference on Muslim lifestyle - a sector worth trillions of pounds.
There is now just two days to go before MLE Connect brings together famous brands, businesses,
Retail Times has agreed a media partnership with Future Stores 2016, the event for in-store experience innovators, and is offering readers a 20% discount on the registration fee.
The two-day event takes place on 24-25 May 2016 at the Victoria Park
Senior retailers and industry experts will join delegates at the Food and Drink Federation’s Staying on Shelf event to discuss what the health debate means for keeping products on supermarket shelves. The event will take place in London on 25
The CBI has unveiled the line-up for its flagship annual conference which includes Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the UK’s most influential political and business leaders. This year’s conference theme is ‘Global Ambition: Britain Means Business. As the CBI celebrates its
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There is a positive outlook on the horizon with significant opportunities for the frozen food industry in the wake of a recovering economy according to speakers at British Frozen Food Federation’s annual business conference last week (3 March). In light of
Paul Crutchley, value added services director, digital commerce at the GSMA, highlights the innovations on show at next month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, 2-5 March 2015 “The brands and merchants that stand out this year will focus on providing consumers with
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The MetaPack Group, a leading provider of e-commerce technology for delivery services, has confirmed the agenda for the sixth annual Delivery Conference, taking place on 3 February 2015 at the Westminster Park Plaza in London. The event will showcase how retailers can use
Evolution within the wholesale sector will be the principal theme at the annual conference of the Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) at Crieff in June, with Booker Group’s chief executive, Charles Wilson, among the keynote speakers. With wholesalers building on the success
The MetaPack Group, a leading provider of e-commerce technology for delivery services, confirms that the biggest names in the world of retail will be lining up to speak at the next Delivery Conference, taking place on 3 February 2015 at the Westminster
Carsten Kraus, founder and CEO of a leading e-commerce search and navigation specialist FACT-Finder.com, has been appointed as chair of the second Cross Border eCommerce (Import) Conference, which takes place on 27 November 2014 in Shanghai, China. “I am honoured to be chosen as chairman
The MetaPack Group, a leading provider of e-commerce technology for delivery services, has announced the next Delivery Conference will take place on 3 February 2015 at the Westminster Park Plaza in London. The event, which attracts the top influencers from the retail
John Roberts, CEO & founder, ao.com; Simon Belsham, managing director, Grocery Home Shopping, Tesco.com; Catriona Marshall, CEO; Hobbycraft and Paul Coby, IT Director, John Lewis are lined up as keynote speakers at RBTE 2015. Key issues and challenges will be
ChannelAdvisor Corporation, a leading provider of cloud-based e-commerce solutions that enable retailers and manufacturers to increase global sales, today announced that its Catalyst Europe 2015 conference will take place on 23 April 2015 at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel. “Powering the E-Commerce Revolution” is the
Legend, the organisation behind RBTE and Essential Retail, has announced it is launching an educational and personalised business meetings event, Retail Business Exchange. On 12-13 November 2014 at the Runnymede on Thames Hotel, a limited number of handpicked and exclusively invited retailers
The UK is leading global innovation in online grocery shopping, according to Asda president and CEO Andy Clarke. Clarke was speaking at the Grand Départ Retail Innovation Summit, held to drive an enduring economic legacy following the launch of the Tour de France
A socially connected, collaborative digital shopping mirror that links shoppers to their friends via video link, buying products by just speaking, and smart barcodes with full product information are just a few of the innovations set to change the way
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One week today, CEOs from the biggest names in the global consumer goods and retail businesses will descend on Paris to discuss the future of their industries at the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2014. The Forum’s 2014 Global Summit promises to be


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How Agility and Flexibility in Marketing Works
“Agility” and “flexibility” in marketing sound like buzzwords and cliches because, well, they are.
But, like so many other cliches, they became cliches because they represent an underlying truth.
Maintaining flexibility and agility in your marketing is important. So is being able to turn on a dime, and a million other phrases that you’ve heard many times before.
Instead of simply filling the rest of this blog with more phrases, our full service agency of digital marketing found a great example of marketing flexibility in action.
The Beach in 2020
In early December, it’s nice to be able to think about warm, sunny beaches.
Unfortunately, in 2020, fewer people headed to the beaches than in previous years. A pandemic will do that.
Many of us may not think of Alabama as having a thriving beach scene, but it does. For example, as the article states, “in 2019, Baldwin County saw 7.9 million guesses visit (the) area… Since 2011, lodging and sales tax in Foley, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach have steadily increased, breaking records with each passing year.”
That all stopped in 2020.
Indeed, “while the numbers for 2020 have not yet been calculated, (experts) expect 2020 will be the lowest year the area has seen since the BP oil spill in 2010.”
The President and CEO of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism said “we stopped some of our big ads, but we wanted to continue to communicate with guests so they’d know we’re still alive and we’re still looking forward to the day they can come back.”
There’s an important lesson in that.
What We Can Learn
They altered their marketing campaign as circumstances changed.
So, “the department began a ‘stay healthy, stay safe’ campaign.” That was at the beginning of the pandemic. When businesses were closed, this was the message that went out to folks, letting them know to take care of themselves. Of course, it also tied the business to that empathetic message, too.
Many businesses may move back to that messaging, as it seems shutdowns will be necessary again in plenty of areas in the country.
Then, “once the beaches were reopened, the ‘we’re ready when you are’ campaign was pushed, letting visitors know they could return whenever they felt ready.”
Hopefully, that’s the kind of marketing you can incorporate into your business.
If you’ve made your in-store location as safe as possible, if you offer curbside, delivery, or even online services, you can incorporate plenty of that in your marketing.
But, unfortunately, the marketing folks had to change messages again on behalf of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism.
They were picking up steam, so to speak, as “September was going strong, until the arrival of Hurricane Sally.
Thus, began the ‘Preparing for brighter days ahead’ campaign as the Gulf Coast continues to recover from the aftermath of the storm.”
So, three different marketing campaigns, each different (in important ways) than the last. Moreover, each speaks to a different need for their customers.
Comfort and safety, followed by “let’s have a good time,” and finally “we’re all in this together.”
As their President and CEO said: ‘no matter what the crisis is, an oil spill, virus, or hurricane, this resilient community that we live in, we’re going to come back bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.”
Our full service agency for digital marketing is here to help your business bounce back better than ever before. For more: (888) 477-9540.
Be the first to start a conversation


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Google Checkout – Answer to Yahoo Paypal?
On the same day that Yahoo & eBay announced their PayPal and Yahoo Search Marketing oriented partnership, Google registered the domain GoogleCheckout.com, according to ZDNet’s Garett Rogers. Like any other Google domain registrations which make it to the top of the search engine blogs on a slow Memorial Day weekend, this domain registration is surrounded by mystery.
Garrett French (with an extra ‘r’) or Market Smart Interactive lends his detective work:
Is this more of a PayPal thing or a shopping cart add-on that will sync with Google Analytics?
date Yahoo + eBay went live: 2005-06-25
date DNStinations registered domain for Google: 2005-06-26
And back with Garett Rogers:
I think it will be a shopping cart system to help websites accept payment for their items online. The money site owners make will be deposited into a holding account at Google — just like AdSense works.
Isn’t this starting to sound a lot like PayPal? Who knows, they could even offer a Google branded Mastercard “debit card” like PayPal’s ATM/Debit Card — after all, the domain googlemastercard.com is registered to Google too.
If this is indeed what they are planning, it would make sense for Google Checkout to tie into Google Analytics so website owners can easily track with certainty how their AdWords campaign is directly affecting sales — right through the checkout process.
Rumors have been flying for years that Google would build a payment system which would be an alternative to PayPal, something they are testing with their Google Video Store and Google Base. Expansion into the webmaster cooridor would make perfect sense as a wrapped package with Analytics, AdWords, AdSense, Pages or Blogger (imagine the ability to launch a business blog with direct sales powered by Blogger/Google Checkout).
One aspect of the Yahoo eBay partnership which I feel is being overlooked is what the integration of PayPal means to the Yahoo Publisher Network. Under one umbrella, Yahoo may soon offer YPN Ads, Development Tools, Publisher Yahoo Maps & Y!Q, and Yahoo Stores powered by PayPal all under one roof. PayPal is the preferred online payment system among many online shoppers and site owners already, expanding to Yahoo’s Small Business and Yahoo Publisher Network is only going to build strength to both YPN & Paypal.
My opinion is that if Google does not introduce a checkout or payment system now, it might be too late. Not only would a Google Checkout ecommerce cart & payment system give publishers more reason to use Google Analytics, but Yahoo just might sweep the publisher rug directly from under Google’s feet with its own hosting. analytics, integrated PayPal payment systems, and a more relevant and publisher friendly contextual advertising system – which is something that Google cannot afford.


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to read report).
Nonfat dry milk production in May was 129,043,000 lbs, up 12% from May 2007, and output of skim milk powders was 45,511,000 lbs, up 250%.
Total dry whey production was 97,048,000 lbs, down 2% from last year’s levels. Production of lactose was 65,636,000 lbs, down 3% from last year, and total whey protein concentrate production was 36,533,000 lbs, up 9% from May 2007, the U.S.D.A. said. Dry buttermilk outturn was 7,085,000 lbs, up 4% from a year ago.
Stocks of nonfat dry milk at the end of May totaled 125,384,000 lbs, up 36% from a year earlier. Shipments of nonfat dry milk in May totaled 131,332,000 lbs, up 13% from May 2007.
Total manufacturers’ stocks of dry whey on May 31 were 67,278,000 lbs, up 46% from a year ago and included 63,120,000 lbs for human use, up 52%, and 4,158,000 lbs for animal use, down 11%. Whey protein concentrate stocks totaled 42,483,000 lbs, up 66% from a year ago. Total lactose stocks were 78,817,000 lbs, up 84% from a year ago. Stocks of dry buttermilk were 9,695,000 lbs, up 45% from last year.
Butter production in May was 143,582,000 lbs, which was 16% above May 2007 but down 4% from April 2008.
Cheese production in May totaled 828,410,000 lbs, up less than 1% from a year ago and up 2% from April 2008.
Production of regular hard ice cream in May was 80 million gallons, down 7% from the previous year. Low-fat ice cream production was 40 million gallons, up 1% from May 2007.


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Microsoft contractors have revealed they've listened to audio recordings by Xbox users.
As reported by Vice, the captured audio was being used to improve Xbox voice commands. However, some user interactions were created by mistake.
"Most of the Xbox related stuff I can recall doing was obviously unintentional activations with people telling Cortana 'No' as they were obviously in the middle of a game and doing normal game chat," a current contractor said.
Skype calls and Cortana audio on PC and mobile has also been listened to by Microsoft contractors.
Recently the company updated its privacy policies, giving greater clarity to consumers, informing them people may listen to the captured audio.
The company has begun to move on from the use of user interactions.
“We stopped reviewing any voice content taken through Xbox for product improvement purposes a number of months ago, as we no longer felt it was necessary, and we have no plans to re-start those reviews,” said a spokesperson.
“We’ve long been clear that we collect voice data to improve voice-enabled services and that this data is sometimes reviewed by vendors.”
A second spokesperson added: “We’ve recently updated our privacy statement to add greater clarity that people sometimes review this data as part of the product improvement process.
“We always get customer permission before collecting voice data, we take steps to de-identify voice snippets being reviewed to protect people’s privacy, and we require that handling of this data be held to the highest privacy standards in the law.”


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SinglePoint (OTC: SING), a full-service mobile technology and marketing provider, was recently featured on MoneyTV, an internationally syndicated television program about “money and what makes it happen.” In the interview, SinglePoint CEO Greg Lambrecht tells host Donald Baillargeon about the company’s ongoing efforts to become a fully reporting company and uplist to the OTCQB Venture Market. SinglePoint has already completed the required Form 10 and hopes to submit it to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and become a fully reporting company “within the next week or so.”
To view the full article, visit: http://nnw.fm/y7dFQ
About SinglePoint, Inc.
SinglePoint, Inc. is a full-service mobile technology and marketing provider. We provide solutions that allow our clients to conduct business transactions, accept donations, and engage in targeted communication through mobile devices. Our products connect small to mid-size companies to their target markets by providing innovative mobile technology at reasonable rates. SinglePoint recognized the strength in acquiring interest in undervalued subsidiaries in other markets, such as Daily Fantasy Sports, to create a diversified holding base. For more information visit www.SinglePoint.com
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Did anyone say FREE doughnut?? Krispy Kreme did and the crowds went (literally) wild!
The popular doughnut brand made the announcement yesterday:
“For all the Aussies with birthdays between 13th March – 13th July join us in store on Monday 13th July (it’s our 83rd Birthday!) to receive a free Original Glazed™ dozen*.
You read that right. It’s a FREE DOZEN! We’ll be giving away 350,000 Original Glazed doughnuts!!”
Stampede of Doughnut Lovers
This sugary-coated news was just the treat we needed to make up for those sad birthdays spent uncelebrated in isolation. But the doughnut company underestimated the demand for the free dozen and stores were stormed with crowds desperate for their celebratory compensation.
Despite the doughnut brand calling for fans to physical distance when in store, excited doughnut lovers stood shoulder to shoulder in snaking lines to get their hands on the glazed treats.
In some parts of the country, police were called in to control the crowds queueing outside the Krispy Kreme stores.
Many people lambasted Krispy Kreme for offering such a popular promotion in the middle of a pandemic.
“I think this was a stupid idea offering free donuts while there is a pandemic going on !! Attracting crowds for no good reason!” said one.
“Apparently free doughnuts are more important than their health,” another said.
“I understand this is a kind gesture, but I cannot stress how insensitive it is to run this promotion in a hotspot in Victoria, and force police to close the area due to the influx of people.”
— valour10 (@valour10) July 13, 2020
A Big Hole With No Dough
Within hours, all 36,000 packs of a dozen doughnuts were grabbed and thousands of fans were devastated to be left with the hole and no dough.
As each store’s stock was decimated, the company made an announcement on their Facebook page. Each post heaved with comments from angry fans that had missed out (and a smattering of happy ones who managed to grab their glazed dozen.)
Krispy Kreme finally made the announcement on their facebook page that all stores were sold out.
”ALL stores have now SOLD OUT!
We’ve received such a massive response to our Iso Bday celebration that all of our stores have now SOLD OUT of delicious Original Glazed dozens! March-July babies, give yourself a pat on the back – you sure love your doughnuts!
With this being said, some of our stores will close for the day shortly. We hate to turn people away, but we must stress that this offer was while stocks last (36,000 dozens).
We thank everyone who visited one of our stores today and waited patiently – another huge thanks for cooperating with our staff. Together, we made today special. We hope we’ve helped you reclaim some of your rightful birthday glory.”
While many fans were overjoyed with snagging their bday dozen, there were others who were not happy with the promotion.
“How disappointing, I had been waiting in the heavy traffic for over an hr in Penrith to receive some for my sons birthday but then get told that they have sold out, how am I going to explain that to my 7yr old son who never really got to celebrate his birthday. His extremely disappointed and doesn’t understand that they got sold out,” said one disappointed fan.
“Absolutely ridiculous in Penrith. Said they were sold out, but had a crapload of people in drive thru & certain people were allowed in. Don’t know how that works. Would’ve been better to offer certain months. Not just everyone come in the 1 day! 4 very disappointed kids,” said another disgruntled doughnut lover.
“Parramatta store sold out at 1.30 pm. People in line told by staff more was on the way, but no stock ever arrived. Very poor communication for the poor souls that waited for nothing. Don’t promise if you can’t deliver,” said another.
Krispy Kreme clearly thought it was a clever marketing ploy to reward those with iso-birthday but unfortunately, the promotion backfired bigtime and left many fans with a bad taste in their mouth.
As a reponse, Krispy Kreme has canned their next promotion. They announced this on their Facebook page today:
“To our amazing fans and customers,
We had planned to run a ‘Buy One, Gift One’ offer later this week to continue our initiative and help share some joy in a time where we all need it most. Due to the developing COVID-19 situation across Australia, Krispy Kreme Australia has made the decision to postpone our ‘Buy One Gift One’ offer to a later date.
We hope to provide an update on this offer in the near future.”
Did you manage to get your birthday Krispy Kreme doughnuts? Did you even try? Tell us in the comments below.


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What started 26 years ago as a day celebrated by university students without significant others has sinceturned into the biggest shopping day annually in China and around the world. Last year, 11/11, also known as Singles’ Day, generated $30.2 billion in sales across Alibaba’s various platforms in one day alone.
That number was a 27 per cent increase in sales over 2017, a year which saw a 39 per cent increase over the year before that.
Singles’ Day 2019 is poised to break its own previous records. One Chinese publication reported that Alibaba is vying to attract 500 million customers from around the world in 2019. For context, the population of the entire European Union is 512 million.
On top of working to expand their user base, platforms like Taobao and Tmall will add new brands and products to increase sales in an effort to continue making 11/11 the most lucrative shopping day on planet Earth.
When WPIC CEO Jacob Cooke was asked if he thought this year would see the biggest 11/11 ever during a recent episode of The Negotiation podcast, he foreshadowed the company’s determination to ensure the 2019 shopping bonanza’s success:
“There’s no doubt about it. I’m pretty sure [Alibaba] will do whatever it takes to make sure that’s true.”
But the company isn’t just focussed on jamming everything into one 24-hour period anymore. In an effort to spread out the rush of online traffic created by 11/11, Alibaba Group has begun kicking off the celebrations at the end of October or early November. Some e-commerce experts think this step will help alleviate some of the logistical difficulties that companies experience on Singles Day.
“It’s a lot better than [it all] happening in 24 hours, which, logistically, is pretty hard to run,” added Cooke. “I think that’s going to happen consistently now: it’s going to start that pre-sale on the first of the month and continue over the next eleven days.”
Pretty hard to run is putting it mildly. Almost a billion parcels were packed and shipped last year. If that wasn’t challenging enough, the nearly 200,000 brands participating in 11/11 also need to reckon with millions of returns they will receive (as is standard in any retail environment). Moreover, each of the delivery, return and payment processes all need to run smoothly to meet Chinese consumers expectations.
For brands that want to participate in Singles’ Day, on top of the transactional and logistical considerations, having the appropriate level of inventory is a must.
Logistics and inventory can be challenging under normal circumstances, but on a day referred to by Business Insider as “Black Friday on steroids”, it holds even greater importance. For brands trying to make a dent in the Chinese e-commerce market, having items run out of stock is simply unacceptable and won’t be soon forgotten by Chinese customers.
In order to avoid or mitigate these challenges, it’s important to plan well in advance – usually by mid-August. By then, your brand should have decided its strategy pertaining to:
- What specific SKUs to sell
- When, which and by how much to discount certain items
- Best projections of inventory
For companies who are serious about entering into China’s trillion-dollar USD e-commerce market, making your presence felt on Singles’ Day is absolutely mandatory. Doing so won’t be easy, but Jacob Cooke has some sage advice for companies looking to make the leap:
“You’ve got to make sure that your decisions for the market are based on real, accurate and up to date information. And potentially dynamic information that’s changing very fast over time.”
Listen to the entire episode to hear more about Jacob’s advice for brands looking to take advantage of the world’s biggest consumer holiday.
And if your organization is serious about making a play in the Chinese e-commerce market, contact firstname.lastname@example.org.


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The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) has emerged as a titan in the Canadian cannabis landscape, boasting a record of four consecutive years of profitability in the recreational cannabis market. However, this financial success story harbors a perplexing twist: not a single dividend has found its way to the Ontario government’s coffers during this period.
As the last fiscal year wrapped up, OCS’s coffers brimmed with an astonishing $459 million in accumulated profits. This raises a critical question: why isn’t this substantial sum being leveraged for public services or at least alleviating the financial pressures on the cannabis industry?
This oddity has come into sharper focus against the backdrop of financial disclosures from across the nation for the 2022-23 period. Notably, Quebec released its cannabis agency’s annual report on June 5, while Prince Edward Island trailed, publishing its statements only by November 6.
A Closer Look at Cannabis Taxes:
Cannabis taxation is a multi-tiered affair, involving excise taxes from producers and sales taxes from retailers. The federal government alone amassed approximately $455 million from cannabis in 2022-23, translating to about $11.50 per Canadian or eight percent of the nation’s recreational cannabis expenditure.
Ontario, however, eclipsed other provinces in tax collection, raking in a whopping $310 million in excise tax and an estimated $148 million in sales tax, totaling $458 million. This equates to about $29.80 per Ontarian, accounting for 22 percent of consumer spending in the province.
In contrast, Alberta, with the highest per-capita cannabis tax at $37.40, collected $172 million, thanks to its higher sales volume and excise tax rate.
Profitable Provincial Agencies:
The cannabis revenue stream extends beyond taxes, with many provinces earning through their cannabis agencies. Quebec, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, for instance, operate government-owned retail stores.
Ontario’s OCS, predominantly a wholesaler, procures products from national producers and resells them to over 1,700 private stores across the province. Though OCS doesn’t own physical stores, it earns 97 percent of its revenue from these sales, with a minor three percent coming from its online retail platform.
Remarkably, OCS stood as the most profitable cannabis agency in Canada, with a $234 million profit last year, dwarfing Quebec’s $95 million, New Brunswick’s $18 million, and Prince Edward Island’s $2.9 million.
The differences in population sizes partly explain this disparity in earnings. Per resident, Ontario’s agency profit was $15.22, surpassing Quebec’s but falling short of Prince Edward Island’s and New Brunswick’s figures.
Pricing Strategies and Their Impact:
Pricing tactics also played a role. OCS’s retail prices were 75 percent higher than its purchasing costs from producers. In contrast, retail markups in Prince Edward Island and Quebec were significantly lower, benefiting both the industry and consumers. New Brunswick’s higher markup rate of 108 percent stood out in this context.
The Debate Over OCS’s Profits:
While OCS’s profitability is commendable, it raises a question: why aren’t these profits benefiting its owner, the Ontario government? Other provinces, like Quebec and Prince Edward Island, received the full share of their agencies’ profits last year, while New Brunswick got 90 percent.
The lack of dividend payments from OCS to Ontario’s government is a pressing issue that demands attention. It’s senseless for OCS to charge high prices and accumulate profits if they aren’t utilized by the provincial government.
Policy Review: A Path Forward:
It’s high time for Ontario to reassess its cannabis policy. The federal government’s review of the Cannabis Act is underway, and other regions like Yukon and Manitoba are also revising their cannabis policies.
Ontario faces a critical decision: either deploy its cannabis profits for public good or reduce the financial burden on the cannabis industry. If choosing the former, the government could channel funds into addiction treatment, support for communities impacted by pre-legalization drug laws, or research and development in medical cannabis.
Alternatively, adopting a service-oriented approach would entail minimizing financial impositions on the industry, akin to Alberta’s model, where the agency’s markup is merely sufficient to cover operating costs.
In conclusion, Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives are at a crossroads. They can choose to be progressive by utilizing OCS profits for public benefit or conservative by reducing industry costs. Either choice should aim to prevent OCS from hoarding unused cash, a situation reminiscent of a modern-day Scrooge this Christmas Season.


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Uh-oh, Kylie Cosmetics has suffered a major data breach and is now alerting customers about what happened.
Partial credit card information, customer names, and addresses were all stolen in the breach. Kylie Cosmetics is built on Shopify, which had two staff members go “rogue” and steal information from more than 200 businesses.
Shopify addressed the incident on their website, saying, “Our investigation determined that two rogue members of our support team were engaged in a scheme to obtain customer transactional records of certain merchants.”
Instagram; pictured above is Kylie


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- 10 min ago Volkswagen Taigun Interiors Revealed Ahead Of India Launch: Here Are All Details
- 2 hrs ago Nissan Magnite Prices Hiked By Upto Rs 33,000: Third Price Increase In 2021 For The Magnite
- 16 hrs ago BYD e6 Electric MPV Spotted Testing In Chennai; To Be Launched By The End Of 2021
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Nissan India has confirmed that the bookings for the Magnite SUV have crossed the 40,000 units mark. The new milestone was achieved during the early weeks of February this year. The company has received an overwhelming response for the Magnite in the Indian market.
A recent report from carandbike also revealed that the company has increased the production of Magnite SUV catering to the growing demand. Nissan has started a third-shift to increase production at its manufacturing facility that employs over 1,000 of its workforce.
Mr Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan India speaking to the media publication confirmed the development and stated that the customers have appreciated the product. They have also liked the brand connect and they are willing to wait for their compact-SUV to arrive.
He further stated that most customers of the Magnite SUV are early adopters of the brand and the product. However, with the third shift in place, the company is expected to reduce the waiting time by a substantial margin. The waiting period is expected to be reduced between two to three months.
The Nissan Magnite was launched on December 2, 2020, and was offered with an introductory starting price of Rs 4.99 lakh, ex-showroom (India). This made Magnite the most affordable compact-SUV offerings in the country.
The company announced a price increase on the compact-SUV by Rs 50,000. However, only the price of the base-spec XE variant was increased. As a result, the Nissan Magnite now retails at a starting price of Rs 5.49 lakh, ex-showroom (India) — which is only Rs 4,000 costlier as compared to its Renault counterpart.
The all-new Nissan Magnite is offered in four variants: XE, XL, XV and XV Premium. The top-spec XV Premium variant of the Nissan Magnite retails at Rs 9.35 lakh, (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Magnite is offered in a total of eight colour options: 5 monotone and 3 dual-tone schemes.
The company is offering the Magnite compact-SUV in two petrol engine options. The naturally-aspirated unit produces a maximum of 71bhp and a peak torque of 96Nm and comes mated to a five-speed manual gearbox as standard.
On the other hand, the top-spec 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine churns out a maximum of 99bhp and a peak torque of 160Nm. The turbo-petrol engine is offered with either a five-speed manual or a CVT automatic transmission.
Thoughts About The Nissan Magnite Bookings Crossing 40,000 Units Mark
The Nissan Magnite is on a roll and could be on its way to become the best-selling model in its segment in the Indian market. The Nissan Magnite rival the Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Kia Sonet, Toyota Urban Cruiser and the list go on. However, its primary rival will be the new Renualt Kiger, which features a similar setup with a majority of features and mechanicals shared between both models.


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Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and RIM (NSDQ: RIMM) may be eating into its share of the smart phone market in developed markets, but Nokia (NYSE: NOK) is still king of the smart phone in China, where its third quarter share of sales reached an overwhelmingly dominant 69.3 percent, according to a new research report from China research group CCID Consultancy.
Nokia does especially well, CCID found, as the handset maker has a product offering that spans the low, mid, and high tiers of the market. There was also good news for the embattled Motorola (NYSE: MOT), which has the second largest share of the Chinese smartphone market, cornering 19.9 percent of Q3 sales. Motorola does best with the mid-range of the market. The combined share of the two companies accounts for nearly 90 percent of smartphone sales in China. In third place, was local handset maker Dopod (4.7 percent), followed by Korean electronics firm Samsung (2.5 percent).
As for the actual number of handsets sold, the figure was 7.474 million, staying mostly flat (up 0.6 percent from the second quarter). Sales revenues in the third quarter hit 18.17 billion yuan ($2.65 billion), up 4.5 percent from Q2. Smart phone sales accounted for 19.3 percent of total mobile phone sales in China.
CCID expects China


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Digital TV News: Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV
Vestel launches 97XX 4K UHD set-top box series
Sep 16, 2022 – Vestel has announced the launch of its 97XX series of 4K UHD set-top boxes. The series was created to deliver a home entertainment experience from within an ultra-compact, minimalist design.
News categories: Vestel, Barış Altınkaya, Digital TV, Europe, HbbTV, Semiconductor, Set Top Box
Switch Media provides technology for Freeview Australia HbbTV service
Apr 29, 2021 – Switch Media has announced that it has delivered Freeview Australia's new integrated HbbTV service. The new gateway provides viewers with a sophisticated and seamless integration between broadcast and VOD services.
News categories: Switch Media, Freeview Australia, Matt Moran, Bridget Fair, Apps, Australia, Content Distribution, Digital TV, HbbTV, Satellite, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Terrestrial, UX
Verance brings watermarking to HbbTV
Oct 1, 2019 – Verance has announced plans to bring its Aspect watermarking to HbbTV. Aspect uses Verance’s implementation of the watermarking technologies sanctioned by the HbbTV Association in their 'Application Discovery over Broadband' specification.
News categories: Verance, Joe Winograd, Content Identification, Digital TV, HbbTV, Worldwide
Intertrust and Vewd introduce content protection for HbbTV
Jun 6, 2019 – Intertrust and Vewd have announced pre-integration of Intertrust's ExpressPlay XCA with Vewd Core, for operator HbbTV deployments. Using the solution, device manufacturers are able to offer a more complete software stack of content protection and HbbTV support.
News categories: Vewd, Intertrust, Frode Hernes, Guido Cugi, Content Protection, Digital TV, HbbTV, Smart TV, Worldwide
Telecentras and LG to introduce HbbTV for Smart TVs in Lithuania
Apr 18, 2019 – The Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre (Telecentras) and LG Electronics have agreed a cooperation aimed at introducing HbbTV intended for smart TVs. The launch of HbbTV in Lithuania is scheduled for the first half of this year.
News categories: Telecentras, LG Electronics, Remigijus Šeris, Digital TV, HbbTV, Lithuania, Smart TV, Terrestrial
Verance and Fincons Group partner for Next Gen TV
Jan 22, 2019 – Verance has announced that it has partnered with Fincons Group. The partnership, targeting the U.S. and Europe, combines Fincons' expertise deploying HbbTV applications with Verance's watermark technology.
News categories: Verance, Fincons, Nil Shah, Francesco Moretti, ATSC 3, Content Identification, Digital TV, Europe, HbbTV, USA
BBC R&D shows content substitution at IBC with Vewd and Mediatek
Sep 15, 2018 – Together with Vewd and MediaTek, BBC R&D is showcasing the latest HbbTV advancements in content substitution at IBC. Vewd worked to optimize Vewd Core, its HTML5 SDK for smart TVs, as well as the Vewd Core HbbTV module, to support some of the BBC’s most advanced use cases.
News categories: Vewd, MediaTek, BBC, Frode Hernes, Content Distribution, Digital TV, HbbTV, HTML5, IBC2022, Semiconductor, Smart TV, UK
Samsung releases open source HbbTV media player
Sep 20, 2016 – Samsung has announced that its Hybrid broadcast broadband TV (HbbTV) media player will be available as an open source project named HbbPlayer on github, an open source developer community.
News categories: Samsung, Miyoung Yoo, Digital TV, HbbTV, Smart TV, Worldwide
ETSI publishes HbbTV spec for UK and Italy
Sep 6, 2016 – ETSI has published HbbTV 2.0.1 specification TS 102 796 V1.4.1 that will allow the United Kingdom and Italy to transition from MHEG and MHP to the new standard in 2017.
News categories: ETSI, Digital TV, DVB-MHP, HbbTV, Italy, MHEG-5, Set Top Box, Smart TV, UK
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- Breezeline Stream TV launches in Pennsylvania


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Hollywood's film studios enter the second week of holiday moviegoing with seafaring adventure "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" leading an armada of films that are expected to produce a strong season, box office watchers said Thursday.
Next to the summer, the holiday period that begins in early November and runs through year-end marks the second biggest season for theater owners and accounts for more than 20 percent of total annual ticket sales.
Major releases include "Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat" on Nov. 21 and the long Thanksgiving weekend's "The Haunted Mansion," "Bad Santa" and Oscar hopeful "The Missing." December big guns include Tom Cruise adventure "The Last Samurai" and the final chapter in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
Despite a flat box office based on higher ticket prices and lower admissions through October, industry experts believe the slew of major flicks will have box office registers ringing up sales ahead of the New Year.
"We think the strength of the holiday season films should help 2003 domestic box office meet or exceed the $9.4 billion record set in 2002," said veteran entertainment analyst Jeff Logsdon of investment firm Harris Nesbitt Gerard.
Theater chain of fools
That is good news for theater chains like No. 1 U.S. operator Regal Entertainment Group, No. 2 chain AMC Entertainment Inc., and Carmike Cinemas Inc..
The enthusiasm contrasts to the start of 2003 when box office watchers forecast flat to lower ticket sales after 2002's 13 percent increase in the United States and Canada.
Through October, the domestic box office was off around 2 percent, but last week's Christmas film "Elf" from Time Warner Inc. unit New Line Cinema turned in a strong $32 million and Walt Disney Co.'s family movie "Brother Bear" proved a solid draw in its second week.
Combined with a $50 million domestic debut for "The Matrix Revolutions" the third film in a trilogy from Time Warner's Warner Bros., ticket sales now stand off only 0.3 percent year-to-date at $7.77 billion versus $7.79 billion last year, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Inc.
This week, the gap could widen as "Master and Commander" compares against 2002 mega-hit "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," which spurred a weekend box office of $173 million for the third highest-grossing weekend of 2002, Logsdon said.
The holiday news is not all cheery, either. Higher box office figures have been built on a 4 percent rise in average ticket prices to $6.03 and a 4 percent drop in admissions to 1.28 billion, according to Exhibitor Relations.


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The new Henley Basket website has been launched today to provide a one-stop shop window for all our central Henley independent shops and hospitality businesses whilst they continue to be closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Prime Minister announced last night that shops would close until at least the start of June.
Customers can browse the range of products and services available in each store and can purchase via telephone or email using a card or BACS transfer. Each shop gives their details, how they accept payment and whether delivery or collection is offered.
So far 14 businesses have joined the Henley Basket including Stocks, Estilo, David Rodger Sharp jewellers, Machins and Henley Scan with lots more to follow this week.
The website is free to list on and Henley Town Council will create the shop’s listing initially and business owners can then update their gallery of products or services they offer themselves or they can get help with this.
Town & Community Manager, Helen Barnett said, “This initiative is working well in Princes Risborough and we hope it will do as well in Henley. The website has been funded by Oxfordshire County Council Covid-19 grant and money from Henley Town Council. The benefit of the website is three-fold. It will support the local retailers and businesses. It will help vulnerable people who aren’t able to leave their homes and it will encourage people to shop local rather than purchase from other online stores.”
To shop go to www.henleybasket.co.uk


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Snapchat is officially dropping the CHAT from its name.
The company has completely rebranded itself as just SNAP INC., as reported by The Wall Street Journal last night.
That’s not all, the company announced that this fall they will release video-recording sunglasses called Spectacles. The new glasses will retail at $129.99 and according to Snap Inc. will be able to record up to 30 seconds of video! For more, watch below and then let us know your thoughts about the re-brand and Spectacles:


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Obama Urges FCC to Shield Net Neutrality
In this video from the White House, President Obama urges the Federal Communications Commission to side with internet users by protecting net neutrality. Photo: Getty.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... hi everybody ... ever since the internet was created ... is organized around basic principles of openness ... fairness and three ... are no gatekeepers deciding which sites you get access ... no toll roads on the information superhighway ... this set of principles ... the idea of net neutrality ... has unleashed the power of the Internet ... and given innovators the chance to thrive ... abandoning these principles with friend and ... the Internet as we know it ... Swan layout plan to keep the Internet free and open ... that's why merging the Federal Communications Commission to do everything they can to protect ... net neutrality for every ... should make it clear that what they use a computer ... phone or tablet ... internet providers have the legal obligation ... not to block or limit your access cool website ... cable companies can't decide which online stores you can shop ... which streaming services you can use ... and they can't let any company pay for priority ... over its competitors ... to put these protections in place I'm asking the FCC to reclassify Internet service under title to a long known as the telecommunications Act ... in plain English I'm asking them to recognize that for most Americans ... the Internet has become an essential part of everyday communication ... in everyday life ... the FCC is an independent agents ... and ultimately this decision is there's a lot ... but the public is Ardi commented nearly four million times asking the FCC to make sure that consumers ... not the cable company ... gets to decide which cites the years ... Americans make their voices heard ... and standing up for principles that make the Internet a powerful force for change


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STATE TIMES NEWS
LUCKNOW: After the successful conduct of a series of events back home to revive the tourism sector in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the J&K Tourism Department has started focusing on promotional activities and road shows outside the Union Territory.In this regard the Department of Tourism has been participating in the India Tourism Mart which started here today. The three day B2B tourism event is also being attended by states like Utter Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat besides some renowned travel brands across the country.The event was inaugurated by Principal Secretary, Tourism & Culture, Uttar Pradesh, Mukesh Kumar Meshram.Notable representatives of tour and travel industry including National Advisor, Indian Association of Travel &Tourism Experts (IATTE), Subash Verma, Chairman, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) UP & UK Chapter, Prateek Hira, President Travel Trade Association of Uttar Pradesh (TTAUP), Vivek Pandey and Secretary, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Swati Dimri also addressed the inaugural function.Speakers on the occasion observed that the covid practices have brought into focus the significance and positive impact of domestic tourism and the need to tap and further promote it.The inaugural session marked presentation of short films prepared by J&K Tourism Department. The short films on varied tourism potential of J&K including Leisure, Nature, Pilgrimage, heritage, Adventure were deeply appreciated by the audience.The J&K stall also witnessed a good activity with visitors particularly tour operators and potential tourists evincing keen interest in the tourism infrastructure, logistic details and packages.Dy Director, Tourism, Kashmir, Mr. Ahsanul Haq Chishti and Deputy General Manager, JKTDC, Mr. Ashwini Gupta are representing the Department at the ITM.Earlier also, the Tourism Department had made an outreach to the tourist market of Kolkata, Maharashtra, Gujarat and other states for revival of the sector and in coming days the outreach shall be expanded further.The aim has been to boost and amplify and the confidence among the tourists, invite them while practicing all COVID-19 protocols and promoting the varied and diverse aspects of J&K’s tourism.
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Workday will tuck Platfora's tools into its HCM and Financials packages.
The semiconductor-maker once again saw a net loss for the quarter but expects revenue to keep building.
The Visa partnership will allow PayPal's digital wallet to be accepted in brick-and-mortar retail stores.
AT&T said it had 2.1 million wireless net additions and a US wireless postpaid churn of 0.97 percent. DirecTV had 342,000 net additions in the quarter.
In response to an Ovum report that said HFC networks rival fibre on performance, NBN has said it will deploy DOCSIS 3.1 technology before the end of next year.
Amazon getting into the banking business may be a bit of a stretch. Amazon getting into loan servicing and other customer service-based fields isn't.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 Active failed Consumer Reports and CNET dunk tests, revealing a manufacturing problem. Samsung will replace defective phones, but only if they fail for you.
The solar-powered aircraft flew for 90 minutes in its first full-scale test flight and should eventually fly for up to three months, Facebook says.
By resolving some of the major problems inherent in OLED panels, Ignis could transform the industry.
Microsoft is sharing more details about its cloud-hosted Dynamics 365 packaging and licensing plans ahead of the arrival of the first pieces of the service later this year.
The UK government's message about the use of end-to-end encryption still remains deeply unclear.
We looked for the fastest, most versatile wall chargers to charge your USB A and USB C devices. Here are the best we found.
Apple Watch shipments fell 55 percent in the second quarter, according to IDC. That fall brought down the category.
The deadline is approaching for the first industry award to celebrate the leaders and teams who successfully apply emerging and disruptive technologies for their organizations.
The first official cybercrime figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest one in 10 adults have been victims in last 12 months -- a much higher figure than previously thought.
Corning's next version of Gorilla Glass will soon be available to consumers and should offer protection for falls from selfie-taking height.
iOS 10 makes it very awkward to go directly from the lock screen to the Home screen. However, there's a buried setting that restores the ability to tap the Touch ID sensor to go directly to your apps.
George Matus Jr. is 18 years old and just graduated from his Utah high school. He created a drone company backed by $2.8 million in funding. His Teal drone can fly over 70 mph, but what's more impressive is his vision to launch an open API.


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Mango DSP and Steelbox Networks create analytic-enabled intelligent video networks Product News 3/28/2008 Post a comment Mango DSP, a provider of intelligent video servers for the CCTV, video surveillance and homeland security defense markets, and Steelbox Networks, developer of "the world's fastest media appliance", have signed a partnership agreement. The partnership will present the industry with a comprehensive intelligent video, processing, distribution, storage and management solution.
LGA socket operates up to 40 GHz Product News 3/28/2008 Post a comment The XG-LGA-7000 socket from Ironwood Electronics are designed for a 12-mm package size, and operate at bandwidths up to 40 GHz with less than 1dB of insertion loss.
Legend Silicon powers aigo's new USB HDTV receiver Product News 3/28/2008 Post a comment Legend Silicon has partnered with China's aigo to create a revolutionary new product for viewing high definition television anywhere at any time. The USB
Dongle will enable Chinese consumers to view
terrestrial high definition television being programmed by China Central Television.
MIT solar startup aims to beat coal on price News & Analysis 3/28/2008 1 comment Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Ely Sachs has said he plans for a startup company called 1366 Technologies (Lexington, Mass.) to develop an improved silicon-based solar cell that can beat coal on cost efficiency.
Continental to close French site, says report Product News 3/28/2008 Post a comment Four months after the acquisition of Siemens VDO, automotive supplier Continental AG announced its intention to close ex-Siemens VDO Automotive site in Sophia-Antipolis, on the French Riviera, according to French local news website SophiaNet.
Profinet controllers are IRT-enabled Product News 3/28/2008 Post a comment In recognition of the fact that an increasing number of Profinet industrial Ethernet installations uses high-speed Isochronous Realtime communication schemes, Siemens has equipped several Simatic controllers with the respective interfaces.
Researchers tout foldable, stretchable Si circuits Product News 3/28/2008 1 comment Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new form of stretchable silicon integrated circuit that can wrap around complex shapes such as spheres, body parts and aircraft wings, and can operate during stretching, compressing, folding and other types of extreme mechanical deformations, without a reduction in electrical performance.
Kill Qimonda, ST strike lead story ranking News & Analysis 3/28/2008 Post a comment Here are the top six online stories for the week beginning Sunday, March 23, as ranked by EE Times Europe readers, up to and including Friday, March 28. The ranking is based on the number of reader "views" or "hits" on a particular article.
Workers protest over site closures, jobcuts in Brittany News & Analysis 3/28/2008 Post a comment About 300 people gathered yesterday (March 27) in the streets of Douarnenez, in the French region of Brittany, France, to show their discontent over successive restructuring plans in the local electronics industry, according to French press reports.


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Canadians Support Cash Payments Over CBDCs: Report
Canadians are less enthusiastic about a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) opting for traditional payment methods despite wider awareness, a new survey shows.
The Digital Canadian Dollar Public Consultation Report published by the Bank of Canada highlighted the overall sentiments of consumers towards a CBDC in light of recent blockchain activities and future payment initiatives.
Generally, Canadians do not embrace the technology, as anticipated by pro-CBDC experts casting negative light on the current state of the technology.
According to the survey that took responses from 89,423 participants, 95% have heard about the CBDC or possess sufficient information on how the technology worked showing massive public awareness.
In most cases, massive public awareness of 95% is expected to trickle into a larger adoption but that might not be the case for a Canadian CBDC as consumers want other options.
Participants want laws to protect cash as a payment option
Per the study, a large portion of participants prefer cash transactions and push for laws to mandate merchants to accept cash during transactions despite the growing popularity of digital payments.
This sentiment has also been shared in the United Kingdom where the public consultation also revealed that users fear that digital payment systems may replace cash calling on authorities to protect the payment option.
However, financial authorities explained that a potential digital pound will not replace cash as a payment option but complement it as the jurisdiction seeks ways for faster and seamless cross-border settlements.
Over 82% of respondents said that the Bank of Canada should not research the capabilities of the CBDC as they chose their current payment methods. The respondents also noted that they didn’t expect the public survey to sway the bank’s drive toward the CBDC.
On the country’s cryptocurrency usage, 15% of the respondents hold digital assets with that demographic more open to support a state-backed digital currency.
Participants express their hope for widely accepted CBDC to benefit and lean towards privacy and security in the utility of the currency.
Consumers flagging privacy concerns has been the norm in recent weeks with users saying central banks should not gather additional details of their transactions in a bid to monitor their behaviour. Authorities have also dismissed this fear assuring users of anonymity.
Mixed feelings for the future
Although the reports of the survey show low expectations, pro-CBDC experts view the technology as a potential game changer in finance with a wider reach to disadvantaged users.
Furthermore, opinion surveys suggest that the government will do more to educate on the utility of the technology and not just a replacement for private cryptocurrencies. Canadian authorities have issued several regulations on the stablecoins and the larger crypto ecosystem citing investor protection concerns.
In August, a Bank of Canada report showed that citizens were not incentivized to use a CBDC as the majority of the population had good access to financial services.


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Parler, the social community popular among conservatives and other right-leaning users that was plunged into internet limbo this week, faces a technically complicated and expensive path to getting again on-line.
Amazon.com Inc. booted the company from its cloud-computing service Sunday night time, knocking Parler offline. To keep alive, the self-professed free-speech social platform should discover a new vendor keen to host its information after some of the app’s users stoked final week’s lethal assault on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters looking for to cease certification of the election outcomes. Alternatively, Parler might construct its personal community infrastructure, though that method could lead on to additional delays resuming its service.
Potential cloud operators aside from Amazon embrace Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. The search-giant declined to remark. Last week it pulled Parler from its app store, saying some customers’ content material incited violence—the identical argument Amazon made in withdrawing its service.
Parler was nonetheless utilizing Microsoft e-mail providers as of Monday. Microsoft stated it has had no contact with Parler about internet hosting its information and wouldn’t touch upon prospects utilizing its e-mail service.
Parler additionally wouldn’t run on Oracle Corp.’s rising cloud enterprise, an individual accustomed to the matter stated.
#Parler #Faces #Obstacles #Online


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Lindt & Sprüngli will be opening the doors to WA’s first Lindt Chocolate Shop in Watertown Brand Outlet Centre on Thursday, 7th September at 9am.
Hong Kong consumers will get a taste of the Southern Forests with a shipment of Granny Smith apples scheduled to arrive following dispatch from Manjimup.
The Fraser’s Group is expanding their operations to include catering as well combining their five iconic Perth venues under Fraser’s Events & Catering.
It’s all about meeting the locals at this years Entwined in the Valley, with over 50 unique events popping up around the Swan Valley from Thursday 12 – Sunday...
Margaret River’s Gourmet Escape will celebrate wine like never before this November, adding an extra day to the program to celebrate the famed wine region’s...
Come Spring, travellers seeking a taste of the good life will have the opportunity to meet genuine down-to-earth farmers of the Southern Forests.
A special dinner last week marked the official launch of WA Potatoes new campaign – Todatoes – aimed to shift consumer perception around fresh potatoes.
Celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge is back again as the headline chef for the 2017 Variety of Chefs on Friday, 21 July at the new Crown Towers Ballroom.
A special consignment of beetroot produced by budding young horticulturists is making its way to the Genuinely Southern Forests Allstates Farms market floor...
Award winning Margaret River winery, Xanadu Wines, is celebrating its 40th anniversary over the WA Day long weekend.
The Good Food & Wine Show presented by Citi return to Perth for 2017 with new features, experiences, masterclasses and first-time local exhibitors.
WA’s best known cooking competition is back with a twist, as four WA celebrities compete to have their dish crowned WA’s Celebrity Signature Dish for 2017.


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15 Nov 2017.
Bitcoin currently dominates the market but its leading position is challenged both by.
As of May 2017, the market capitalization is more than four times its value.
Conversely, figure 2b shows that the top 5 runners-up (see electronic.
2017 a change of regulation in China resulted in a $100 price drop .
Aren’t we all searching for a safe haven? Whether we mean literal shelter — four walls and a roof over our heads — or.
Bitcoin Is Now Larger Than Most Fiat Currencies In Europe cryptocurrencies, starting with the most basic description of cryptocurrency, A study by the European Financial and Administrative Authority in 2015 set out. currently considering a number of applications from blockchain firms that could. that the exchange of Bitcoin for fiat currency is a supply of services equivalent to. Don’t Miss This Deal On Kids Litecoin
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, has received the option to buy 1.7 million shares in the company at a price much lower than the.
Founder of Ethereum, took to his Twitter handle on June 2, 2020, to state categorically that fixing the global economy is no.
03/05/2019 · Bitcoin as a whole is now worth $100 billion for the first time this year as the cryptocurrency market continues its bull run that began in early April, spurring on ethereum, Ripple’s XRP, litecoin, bitcoin cash, and EOS. The bitcoin price has begun moving towards the psychological $6,000 mark after hovering around $5,500 for the last [.
Tesla’s market cap is now worth more than Bitcoin’s $310 million worth of Bitcoin moved to unknown wallet for only $0.32c Nintendo made $1.23 billion in profit over holiday 2019 quarter
Aed Currency Chart. Bitcoin To Emirati Dirham Rates BTC to AED (Bitcoin / United Arab Emirates Dirham) Exchange Rate Live. AED. AED 34,700.5. 2.92 % day. 11.24 % week. Learn the value of 1 Bitcoin (BTC) in United Arab Emirates Dirhams (AED) today, according to “Open Exchange Rates” and displays the information in a graph. convert 1 BTC to AED based on the
13/01/2018 · Cryptocurrencies and especially Bitcoin more than caught the attention of investors in 2017; they became infatuated with it. Bitcoin started the.
24 May 2019.
Today, with bitcoin's market cap hovering above $100 billion–up more than 1,000,000% in value since the time of Mt. Gox's launch as a bitcoin.
Elon Musk is driving all the way to the bank. Again. The controversial multi-billionaire and Tesla CEO can add nearly $770.
Speculators are buying up shares of Novavax, based on a vast market opportunity for its COVID-19 vaccine. But there’s even.
24 Dec 2017.
Bitcoin craze: Amitabh Bachchan gets over $100 million top-up; wiped out in days.
swings of Bitcoin prices added more than $100 million to megastar Amitabh.
Longfin got listed on Nasdaq last week with a market cap of $ 370 million,
Stampede now owns 37.14 per cent stake in Longfin, by virtue of.
Don’t Miss This Deal On Kids Litecoin Hodl 7 Feb 2018. Lamborghinis have become the favorite splurge of bitcoin millionaires. saw sales of the car spike as the price of bitcoin skyrocketed. Don't miss: 'HODL,' ' whale' and 5 other cryptocurrency slang terms explained. Like this. How To Invest In Bitcoin 2017 With Genesis Mining Day 37 Update And Ethereum Etf? The Bitcoin
Big Four firms and other leading brands are working with several crypto and blockchain firms on ways to combat.


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As a publisher of multi-touch books for the iPad, the prospective release next week of the Apple iPad Mini is a big deal; particularly for those of us who see the potential for this incredible technology having a positive impact on education in America and around the world. The iPad Mini, as it’s being unofficially called until it’s supposed announcement by Apple on Oct. 23, has the potential to expand the market reach into the educational arena.
And while some pundits are seeing this as a move by Apple to take on Amazon and it’s line of Kindles, such a viewpoint is really missing the bigger picture.
Essentially, this is a very strategic move to change how students of all ages learn around the world by making the platform to do it much more affordable. And while this may give Amazon a run, what it’s really going to do is make it easier to bring this technology to classrooms, which is where it trumps all the capabilities of the Kindle, Nook, Surface and traditional textbook, and so much more.
The iPad Mini–The MacBook of iPads
Making the iPad Mini is much akin to Apple’s strategy for it’s laptop computers. There’s the MacBook and then there’s the newer, sleaker, faster, MacBook Pro, which constantly is updated, has the top of the line features and is the thing that everyone wants. The MacBook Pro has the retina screen. It has the fastest processors. It’s the newest technology packed into a laptop made by Apple and is supported by a HUGE R&D budget.
The MacBook is basically the technology of a few years ago wrapped in what used to be a white case. It’s not pushed for the latest developments. In a way, you could say it’s technology that’s already been amortized. In other words, it doesn’t cost a lot to produce this version of the product. All the R&D already has been spent on it (when it was in a MacBook Pro a few years before) and because there is no need to spend lots of resources keeping it up-to-date, it’s cheaper to produce and then sell at an ever increasing margin because it costs less and less by the day to manufacture and support it.
Without having seen an iPad Mini, it is assumed this is the same strategy that will be used to develop an iPad Mini. Already rumors abound that support this premise. The rumor mill has clearly been saying that the iPad Mini isn’t going to have a retina screen like the version 3 iPads that came out earlier this year. The screen will be smaller. The processors likely are going to be iPad 2ish in speed because that’s probably what’s going to make up the guts of the unit.
And because of all this, Apple is going to be able to sell them for a price point that starts lower than the iPad generation 3. In other words, it is believed, and makes perfect sense, that the iPad Mini is about to become the MacBook of iPads.
HOW THIS HELPS PUBLIC EDUCATION
This is what is going to cause a boom in the field of educational technology. An old boss of mine and I were talking in June about what it would take to supply the 4 million public school students grades 3-12 in Texas with an iPad. At the $499 price point in a time of budget woes and the refusal to raise taxes of any form in Texas, that made the price tag almost seem ominous. And for the installation of an iPad into a public school classroom, a school district also has had to consider almost as much in costs for the infrastructure necessary to help them all talk to the Internet. That’s a steep price tag.
But what if the price of the units all of a sudden were significantly less and instead of running iPad 3 technology, there was a smaller unit available using a “MacBook” level of technology?
What if there was the iPad Mini?
This is how Apple makes it easier to expand the number of books, like the ones Claxton Creative, LLC makes with iBooks Author, into classrooms worldwide and do so at a much more cost-efficient rate for strapped school districts, while at the same time, making technology that isn’t available on the Kindle, Nook and one assumes, Microsoft Surface, available for broader use.
This means students will be able to use books that have 3-D images, muti-touch drawings and photos, hours of video files of real-life instructors teaching, in-chapter quizzes, etc., in short, things the competitive products CANNOT do, and they will be able to do it on a unit that doesn’t cost as much to produce, and doesn’t cost as much for school districts and parents to buy.
This means the opportunity exists to change how students learn because books made for the iPad also have the ability to ensure that a student has demonstrated proficiency in an area before being allowed to advance to a new area. In a traditional school today, the idea is that a student’s knowledge base expands throughout the year and they learn a core competency and then move on to the next one. But what if that core isn’t really learned and understood by every student in the class? Does a teacher wait for those lagging behind to catch up and not keep advancing?
With the technology of the iPad, a student can be compelled to demonstrate their competency and understanding of a concept before being allowed to advance, thereby ensuring that learning has taken place. This can be done at a student’s own pace. Remember, they can’t go on to the next thing until they’ve shown the iPad, and the teacher, they’re ready. Now which system would you rather have your children learning with?
So when you hear the pundits write/talk the next week or so about how this is a move to take on Amazon, Microsoft and Barnes & Noble in the sale of units, it’s only part of the picture. Apple is after the education market where its competitors simply cannot play, and to us, that’s the most exciting thing about the iPad Mini.
MacBook v MacBook Pro
Reduced Cost to Increase Role in Education


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Food is Medicine
Yiebo’s big “aha” moment came when she realized that eating vegetables was healthier than selling them.
Yiebo started a kitchen garden about five years ago when the community decided growing vegetables would alleviate their poverty.
But, for Yiebo, somehow more gardening didn’t translate into more food security. Why not? She had successful harvests of lettuce, cabbage, carrots, okra, and eggplant. The thing was, she took nearly all of it to the market to sell.
She says, “Every day the basic food of the family was millet porridge and millet paste. My goal was to sell and make money for household expenses.”
Meanwhile, her children were not growing properly and got sick often, and she learned at a prenatal consultation that she herself was anemic. “In the end, all of the income from my garden production went back into medical expenses for the family’s care,” she said.
The tide finally turned for Yiebo when the trainer from local partner SEL spoke about the importance of nutrition and eating a variety of foods for energy, health, and growth. She learned why it’s critical for everyone to eat nutritious food, particularly pregnant and nursing mothers and small children.
“I don’t know why I hadn’t made the connection before,” she said regretfully, “but I was very happy to already have all these types of food in my garden, and began including them in our meals. I now keep the majority of what I grow and only sell what we won’t use. With my earnings I buy fish and meat. Thanks to improved nutrition, I was much healthier during my last pregnancy, and that baby is growing fast! The other children, who were always weak, sick and anemic, are doing great. Our neighbors see the change and appreciate how much better my children are.”
Says Yiebo with satisfaction, “I don’t spend much money on medical expenses now: my garden is our medicine.”
West Africa Program
Led by World Renew and Local Partner Showing Everyone Love (SEL)


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In the dynamic realm of electric vehicles and autonomous driving technology, Tesla has emerged as a pioneering force, captivating the automotive industry and the public imagination. However, alongside its technological advancements, Tesla has also faced legal challenges, with multiple class action lawsuits being filed against the company in recent years. These lawsuits encompass a range of allegations, from false advertising and safety concerns to labor practices and privacy violations.
Delving into the Legal Claims
One of the most prominent class action lawsuits against Tesla focuses on the company’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems. Plaintiffs allege that Tesla has misled consumers about the capabilities of these systems, which they claim are not as advanced as the company has advertised. The lawsuit also raises concerns about the safety of these systems, citing instances of accidents and near-misses that have occurred while drivers were using Autopilot or FSD.
Another significant class action lawsuit against Tesla centers on the company’s alleged use of deceptive marketing practices. Plaintiffs allege that Tesla has exaggerated the range, performance, and environmental benefits of its electric vehicles. They also claim that the company has engaged in misleading advertising regarding the availability of charging stations and the effectiveness of its Supercharger network.
Labor practices have also been the subject of class action lawsuits against Tesla. Plaintiffs allege that the company has engaged in unfair labor practices, including racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation against employees who have spoken out about workplace concerns. They also claim that Tesla has failed to provide workers with adequate safety training and protective equipment, leading to injuries and illnesses.
Privacy violations have also emerged as a legal concern for Tesla. Plaintiffs allege that the company has collected and stored excessive amounts of data from its vehicles, including personal information about drivers and passengers. They also claim that Tesla has failed to adequately protect this data from unauthorized access or disclosure.
Navigating the Legal Complexities
These class action lawsuits against Tesla highlight the complex legal issues surrounding the development and deployment of new technologies. As companies like Tesla push the boundaries of innovation, they must also navigate a maze of regulations and legal considerations. Allegations of false advertising, safety concerns, and labor and privacy violations underscore the need for careful scrutiny and responsible practices in the automotive industry.
Impact on Tesla and the Automotive Industry
The ongoing class action lawsuits against Tesla have undoubtedly had an impact on the company, both in terms of reputation and financial resources. The legal battles have generated negative publicity, raised questions about the company’s practices, and potentially affected consumer confidence. Additionally, the costs of defending these lawsuits have placed a strain on Tesla’s finances.
The lawsuits have also had a broader impact on the automotive industry, prompting discussions about the ethical and legal implications of autonomous driving technology and the collection and use of data from vehicles. These discussions are likely to continue as the industry evolves and new technologies emerge.
Conclusion: A Balancing Act
The class action lawsuits against Tesla serve as a reminder of the delicate balance that companies must strike between innovation and responsibility. While the pursuit of technological advancements is essential for progress, it must be accompanied by a commitment to ethical practices, consumer safety, and respect for employee rights and privacy. As Tesla and other companies continue to push the boundaries of automotive technology, the legal landscape will remain a dynamic and evolving one, shaping the future of transportation.