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Australian Antarctic bases stage real-time video darts comp
USA to go on cyber-offence under new Trump policy
Adobe buys Marketo for $6.5 billion
Google loosens grip on mobile web
NBN Co to simplify network and IT architecture
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BHP relies on tech for growth in market slump
Plots more drone use, Queensland remote ops centre.
May 11 2016 9:03AM
Australia Post trials parcel delivery by drone
Bringing online shoppers their goods faster.
Apr 15 2016 11:27AM
Adelaide Uni researcher calls for drone wildlife code of practice
Investigation into the impact of UAVs on animals.
Apr 11 2016 6:12PM
Australia relaxes drone rules
No certification needed for sub-2kg commercial ops.
Mar 31 2016 2:44PM
Changes to Australian drone regulations due this year
CASA after a more nuanced approach.
Mar 30 2016 10:56AM
Inside NSW Police's drone experiment
Cops in the sky.
Mar 24 2016 6:14AM
Insurance drones speed claims for Victorian bushfire victims
IAG looks to expand use.
Jan 8 2016 4:32PM
Start-ups test small satellite launcher above Brisbane
Drone start-up builds and flies scale model.
Dec 28 2015 8:54AM
SA MP tries to outlaw flying drones over homes
Wants up to six months prison for those caught breaching privacy.
Nov 24 2015 12:59PM
US government to introduce drone registry
Aims to contain risks as flight numbers soar.
Oct 20 2015 7:00AM
Fortescue deploys survey drones at Cloudbreak mine
Removing staff from risky situations.
Aug 31 2015 6:54AM
Facebook finishes 42 metre internet delivery drone
Connecting the last 10 percent of the world's population.
Jul 31 2015 9:48AM
Amazon wants sky-high drone superhighway
Pushes for 200ft airspace to be allocated to delivery fleet.
Jul 29 2015 11:00AM
NASA plans air traffic control system for drones
'New era of aviation' requires management systems for safety, privacy.
Jun 15 2015 10:18AM
CASA prepares to introduce new drone rules
Despite opposition from airports.
Jun 9 2015 12:02PM
Melbourne Water sends drones into sewage
Saving workers from slips and falls in sludge.
May 11 2015 6:54AM
Sydney Uni researcher flies self-docking drone
With potential for autonomous fueling UAVs.
Apr 24 2015 6:50AM
Melbourne's fire brigade eyes new UAVs
Fully operational with budget.
Apr 22 2015 3:17PM
FBI, ATF wasted $2.7m on unusable drones
Dozens of machines never deployed.
Mar 30 2015 6:35AM
ABC, Telstra drones to capture NYE fireworks from 1000ft
Live-feed from above.
Dec 31 2014 12:23PM
Most popular tech stories
Telstra towers over rivals in war for NBN power
NSW transit officers can't check credit card tap-ons
ANZ digital chief Maile Carnegie frets over human obsolescence
Linus Torvalds apologises for 'hurtful' behavior, takes a break
Department of Home Affairs CIO quits
Google Australia appoints Melanie Silva as its new managing director
Here are 26 hot new storage products
Microsoft offers to manage your Windows devices for you
Sydney StorageCraft partners catch up
Secure Agility, Thomas Duryea nab Telstra 2018 partner awards ahead of Telstra Vantage
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Chinese smartphone maker Honor has secured a new round of multi-billion yuan strategic investment. This is its first known major strategic funding since conducting equity financing in December 2021, after it spun off from Chinese tech giant Huawei in November 2020.
According to public information, six new shareholders were added after the recent round, namely BOE, CICC Qizhi (Shanghai) Equity Investment (Limited Partnership), Rosy Fable Asia L.P., Zonggaigongying (Hangzhou) Equity Investment Fund Partnership (Limited Partnership), Guosen Capital and Shenzhen Baoan District Investment Group.
Some market participants are worried about whether Honor is facing financial pressure. Although there is no official answer to this question, the firm stated that this round of financing has little to do with the current operating conditions of the company. It added, “Honor’s current income, profit and operating cash flow are growing steadily. Diversified ownership structure has always been the development principle that the company adheres to. It has always adhered to the principles of openness and synergy, and is committed to uniting industrial chain partners to bring global users innovative products and better services.”
Judging from the recent speeches of Honor CEO George Zhao at public events, it can be seen that the firm has made clear adjustments to its future development strategy. This round of strategic financing will become a boost for it to achieve a series of new strategic goals.
Honor has shown good development momentum since it became independent from Huawei. According to market research firm Counterpoint, compared with 2020, the market share of Honor smartphones more than doubled in 2021, reaching 10% and becoming one of the top five smartphone makers in China. George Zhao said that in 2021, Honor got out of the predicament and ushered in a year of recovery.
Since 2022, Honor’s smartphone business has developed rapidly. Counterpoint’s data shows that Honor ranked second in China with a market share of 18.3% in the second quarter of 2022. Moreover, Honor’s sales doubled year-on-year. In the third quarter of 2022, only Honor, Apple and Huawei achieved growth in their smartphone market share, with Honor’s share reaching 17.2%.
After gaining a solid foothold in the Chinese market, Honor aims to accelerate its exploration of overseas markets in 2023. George Zhao pointed out that the firm will firmly explore the global market next year, and that it will also target the high-end sector.
On November 23, Honor will release a new generation of foldable smartphones, the Magic Vs, equipped with the latest MagicOS 7.0 technology.

domain: news


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A slew of quarterly earnings will hit Wall Street this week, as well as two key reports on inflation, as investors continue to wrestle with Fitch Ratings’ downgrade of U.S. credit worthiness last week and the potential fallout.
All three of the major indexes fell last week over 1%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped the most at 3% due to weakness in shares of Apple after forecasting a slowdown in revenue growth next quarter.
BUSINESSES LOOK TO SELF-REGULATE THE USE OF AI IN HIRING
Tyson Foods reports
Consumer credit data in the U.S. will be released to start the week’s economic reporting, while quarterly earnings from Tyson Foods, Lucid Motors, Beyond Meat and Paramount Global kick off earnings.
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SAUDI ARABIA TO EXTEND OIL PRODUCTION CUTS THROUGH SEPTEMBER, SIGNALING POTENTIAL RISE IN US GAS PRICES
In May, Tyson Foods announced the company would shut down two of its poultry plants and lay off nearly 1,700 workers as it tries to improve its chicken operations that produce about one-fifth of the U.S. supply.
NYC OUTDOOR DINING PERMANENT, BUT RESTAURANTS WILL BE FORCED TO REMOVE STRUCTURES IN WINTER
Duke Energy, Rivian Automotive, Lyft and UPS will report results Tuesday.
For the delivery giant, it will be the first quarter following the $30 billion contract inked with the Teamsters last month.
UPS AND TEAMSTERS STRIKE $30 BILLION CONTRACT
AMAZON-RIVIAN DEAL SENDS SHARES TO NEW HIGH
Meanwhile, Lyft reported a disappointing outlook in May and announced last month it would shutter its car rental business and lay off about 60 workers. Shares of rival Uber could also be active.
LYFT WILL IMPLEMENT MORE JOB CUTS
Disney CEO Bob Iger in the spotlight
The Walt Disney Company will showcase Wednesday’s list of quarterly earnings, alongside Honda and Lordstown Motors.
DESANTIS-BACKED BOARD ENDS DISNEY DISTRICT’S DEI AND RACE-BASED PROGRAMS: ‘ILLEGAL’ AND ‘UNAMERICAN’
Disney has been rocked in recent months by executive turnover, declining theme park attendance and legal battles with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Amid the turmoil, CEO Bob Iger is under pressure to formalize a succession plan.
Iger inked a two-year extension with Disney in early July, ensuring he held the chief executive position at the California-based entertainment giant until the end of 2026.
Disney shares are little changed this year compared to the S&P 500’s 16.6% gain.
Also on Wednesday, economic reporting will include data on gasoline inventories, crude oil imports and supply.
Over the last three months, the price of oil is up nearly 16% and is now roughly 2.72% higher on the year.
And GM’s Cadillac is expected to unveil a new version of its electric Escalade.
The consumer price index (CPI) for July is expected to show inflation continues to moderate. Economists expect a 3.1% rise down from June’s 3% increase, while core inflation is expected to hold at 4.8%. Both levels remain above the Federal Reserve’s 2% mandate.
ECONOMY ADDS 187,000 JOBS IN JULY, A SIGN THE FED’S RATE HIKES ARE WORKING
In earnings, China’s Alibaba is set to report, along with Ralph Lauren, a measure of luxury spending.
More inflation data
The producer price index (PPI) is expected to show a mixed bag. Annually, inflation is seen rising 0.7% above the prior month’s 0.1%, while core inflation is seen easing to 2.1% vs. 2.4%.


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Posted by Chirag Swadia on February 22, 2012 ·
Google has recently launched a strong authentication mechanism through which you will not have to type your login information each time to access your google account. This new experiment conducted by Google works on the principle of QR code scanner which is available as a mobile application (java based mobiles, android, iphone etc) on almost all smart phones. By enabling this authentication scheme [...]
Posted by Shweta Kohli on February 6, 2012 ·
Few years back when business owners were being told that they should also develop a website for their offline/online business, they might have asked this same question. Do they need a website & what value will it add to the business? But time changed and now each of the business owners has a website. No one can think of any business`s success without having a website.
Similarly, these days when [...]
Posted by Chirag Swadia on January 30, 2012 ·
Do you spend most of your time on your pc/laptop ? Own an Android phone or tablet ? If yes, then now you can easily control your android device via your computer without even touching your android phone.
Yes this is possible through an application known as AirDroid. It is a fast, free app that lets you wirelessly control your Android device from a web browser Over-The-Air. This application is being [...]
Posted by Admin on December 12, 2011 ·
Recently Google Announced that Android Market passed 10 Billion app downloads and to celebrate the milestone, Google is giving away 10 premium paid apps for .10 cents/each for 10 days.
Google also unveiled a nice Infographic providing detailed analysis of how the milestone has been reached with which countries downloading the most apps. It is a surprise to see top 3 slots were won by Asian countries [...]
Posted by Admin on December 7, 2011 ·
Google wallet may not have found it’s way into Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Verizon. But the technology behind it is being used by other applications in your Android phone.
Image you are at a friend’s place or a party and you met an old friend of yours. Now to keep in touch either you can exchange your contact information including your phone numbers or add each other to your facebook profiles. [...]
Posted by Admin on December 6, 2011 ·
There has been lot of rumors about Motorola going to release tablets under Droid Brand. Today Verizon and Motorola officially announced two new tablets under the name of DROID XYBOARD. The tablets will be available in two sizes of 10.1 and 8.2 inch high-definition (IPS) Display.
DROID XYBOARD 10.1 will be sold at a starting price of $529.99 for 16 GB models adding $100 for 32 GB & 64 GB respectively. [...]
Posted by Kevin Moor on November 17, 2011 ·
Recently, Amazon released the new tablet version of their incredibly popular Amazon Kindle e-reader. This new e-reader tablet had a lot of buzz built up, with some tech analysts even heralding this new device as a potential major competitor for the iPad 2. Now that the Amazon Kindle Fire has hit the marketplace, many may be wondering if this new device really lives up to its hype.
While there are [...]
Posted by Admin on November 14, 2011 ·
Few months back we compared iPad 2, Xoom, HP TouchPad & Blackberry Playbook. But things are changing so fast that the comparison is now almost obsolete with the announcement of Amazon Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9. But one thing which stays is Apple iPad, Even research from Forrester suggests, Competing tablets to the iPad 2 are poised to fail. But there are always some users who feel [...]
Posted by Admin on October 21, 2011 ·
Just after few days of Samsung and Apple releasing their Galaxy S II and iPhone 4S, Google unveiled the latest version of Android Operating system, Android 4.0 aka. Ice Cream Sandwich. During the release Google & Samsung also announced the next generation of Nexus devices called as Samsung Galaxy Nexus which will be the first phone to be powered by Android 4.0. Galaxy Nexus which will be be launched [...]
Posted by Admin on October 20, 2011 ·
Some recent studies including Gartner, during the first quarter of 2011 revealed that Google’s Android has become the most popular mobile operating system, leaving one time smartphone giants Blackberry and Nokia far behind.
Below is the Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Operating System in 1Q11 (Thousands of Units), prepared by Gartner Research.
Android mobile operating system was launched [...]


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Last October, the Bruery released a special, high-alcohol brew called Black Tuesday. Expecting perhaps a couple of hundred people from OC, LA and the 909, they opened the doors at 4:30 p.m. Hundreds and hundreds of people drove in from hundreds and hundreds of miles away; the line was absolutely epic.
This year, they've taken steps to avert the chaos.
This year, the Bruery will be hosting a ticketed party at their Tasting Room in Placentia on Tuesday, October 26th. There will be two sessions: one from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and one from 8 to 10 p.m. Your entrance will get you tickets for 5 beer samples, 3 “special” beer samples (any combination of Black Tuesday, Chocolate Rain and Cherry Chocolate Rain), cheese and chocolate pairing, a Bruery tulip glass, and the freedom from oppressive lines.
Tickets go on sale September 1, and they're nearly guaranteed to sell out the same day. To buy tickets (which cost $50, $80 or $110, depending on whether you want one, two or three bottles of Black Tuesday), log on to the Bruery Provisions website. Take a look at the full rules: they're going to be strict about ID checking, so no re-gifting tickets you can't use.


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Check out the new Suzuki SV650 Scrambler, which appears to be available only in France.
Sacre Bleu! Suzuki's SV650 Scrambler
Never one to jump into a trend too quickly (or, in some cases, ever), Suzuki has been one of the very few companies not to adapt a street scrambler from an existing model. Until now.
And if you aren't in France you may have to wait a while.
The Japanese manufacturer has released the SV650 Scrambler, but as best we can tell the model is only available for cheese-eating surrender monkeys. A video that surfaced this week shows a French chap magically transforming a standard SV650 using his Arrowverse-style metahuman powers of instant customization.
The video shows an unshrouded SV650 with higher, wider handlebars, enlarged footpegs, stubby front fender, a cosmetic headlight protector and small windscreen. Radiator side shields and Dunlop Mutant tires complete the package, all black-on-black but for the 50s-style brown tuck-and-roll seat.
The Scrambler is currently for sale in France for €7,999, about US $8,600, so in this case less is more (MSRP on a SV650 ABS is $7,499. Keep in mind, though, that in Europe tax is included in the price).
It would appear Suzuki is testing the waters in France – style capital of the world – and has not released plans to sell the SV650 Scrambler elsewhere. But we’re betting they will.
In the meantime, check out more images (and finally use your high school French) on Suzuki's France website.


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Earlier this month, we were notified that Silvercrest was under investigation for potential contamination of some retail products. At that time, they were approved to supply 100% Irish and British beef patties for Burger King restaurants in the UK, Ireland and Denmark.Despite assurances from them that our products were not implicated, we immediately launched our own internal investigation, which included scientific testing, inspection of the Silvercrest facility and scrutiny of traceability records.
Our independent DNA tests results on product taken from Burger King restaurants were negative for any equine DNA. However, four samples recently taken from the Silvercrest plant have shown the presence of very small trace levels of equine DNA. This product was never sold to our restaurants.
Within the last 36 hours, we have established that Silvercrest used a small percentage of beef imported from a non-approved supplier in Poland. They promised to deliver 100% British & Irish beef patties and have not done so.
More top news
This is now the fifth explosion in Texas in less than three weeks – four of which have taken place in the state capital, Austin.
The vernal equinox marks the first day of spring in the UK. Here is a short guide to why the event occurs and when the clocks go forward.
The world's last male northern white rhino has died in Kenya after "age-related complications", researchers have announced.


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Contactless payments sounds like the perfect solution where it is convenient and all users need to do is wave their card or phone against a reader and they’re good to go. However, a recent report from the New York Post is highlighting some potential issues with the system, where some users are now being accidentally charged.
One of the features of the new Apple Watch is its always-on display. This might seem like a drain on battery life, but Apple has managed to balance it out by using an LTPO display. The good news is that this year’s iPhones could also end up using similar technology, resulting in potentially better battery life.
Our smartwatches and fitness trackers these days come with built-in heart rate sensors. While these might be useful for tracking our workouts and maybe even saving our lives, they can also be used to solve crime. This is how police figured out that an alleged victim of an anti-semitic stabbing might have been lying about the attack.
We’ve seen how Apple has created (PRODUCT)RED devices before, like with the iPhone. However, according to a report from WatchGeneration.fr, they claim that Apple could have a new (PRODUCT)RED option for the Apple Watch Series 5 in the works that could be announced soon enough.
One of the newer features in the Apple Watch is the ability for it to check whether or not the user is experiencing Afib. This is thanks to the built-in ECG monitoring tool that according to reports, has saved quite a number of lives ever since it was introduced. However, it seems that not everyone is enamored by the feature.
When you think of Apple, what do you associate the company with? Depending on who you ask, the answer could be computers, smartphones, tablets, the iPod, and so on, but apparently that’s not necessarily the legacy that Apple’s CEO Tim Cook wants for the company. Instead, it seems that Cook is hoping that Apple’s legacy will be a more lofty one: health care.
If you’re trying to track a workout with your Apple Watch, you’ll have to manually select the activity from the watch itself. However, it seems that in the future, you may no longer have to. This is according to a recently discovered patent where it suggests that future Apple Watches might be able to tell if you’re indoors or outdoors.
Aluminum is a popular metal that is used in many tech products today. Apple is a company that uses the material extensively across its product lineup, like in the iPhones, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBooks, iMac, and so on. However, the manufacturing process of aluminum isn’t necessarily the most environmentally-friendly, but that has changed.
Heart rate sensors aren’t exactly new and we’ve seen them make their debut in fitness trackers in the past, where previously they would exist as separate standalone accessories. However, with the Apple Watch, heart rate sensors have evolved to be more than just a way to measure heart rate, and we have heard numerous stories of how the feature has saved many lives by alerting them to a higher than […]
The Apple Watch is capable of many things such as detecting when a user falls, or an irregular heart beat, and it seems that in the future, it could come with sensors where it could also be capable of detecting if a person may be exhibiting symptoms and signs that they could have Parkinson’s disease or some kind of tremor related health issue.
One of the features of the Apple Watch is the SOS feature, where it is similar to the SOS feature on the iPhone where users will be able to quickly call for help and reach emergency services. This is exactly what a couple of kayakers did when they found themselves stranded in the sea after their kayaks sank and they were not wearing lifejackets.
So Black Friday was last week which meant that there were a lot of great deals to be had. One man by the name of John Browne thought so when he came across an Amazon deal for the Apple Watch Series 4 where it was enjoying a £100 discount off its original price, where he only ended up paying £299 for it.
Due to the fact that more of our devices come with GPS built into them, tracking them down has become easier than ever. This means that should thieves ever decide to steal a smartphone or smartwatch, they better keep it turned off because leaving it on means that the GPS has been turned on as well.
Imagine giving a presentation, only to be halfway interrupted and potentially contradicted. How embarrassing would that be, right? Now imagine that happening live on TV where the interruption was not only unintentional, but also done in such a deadpan manner that you just can’t help but laugh.


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High Tech Bathrooms Include Home Steam Showers Says USA Today
Bathrooms are the new hub of high-tech activity says USA Today in Gotta go? Then go high-tech, incorporating home steam showers and "touch-free fixtures, spa-like appointments and the ability to allow your personal devices to follow you seamlessly from other parts of the house into the inner sanctum of privacy."
This high tech approach is something Mr. Steam believes strongly in - even if we hadn't been interviewed for the article!
(All you have to do is check out Mr. Steam's new iSteam home steam shower system to appreciate our commitment to design that makes feeling good high tech as well as high touch!)
The article explains that "Homeowners are more aware of options they can put into their homes. People want to integrate thoughtful design into their "digital dwellings," Lingafelter says. They don't just want technology for technology's sake.
To do that, they are willing to forgo the McMansions of the past, he adds, if they can get more customization in a smaller footprint. "They're looking at the life payback from the stuff they want to spend their money on."
This kind of high tech in the bathroom means enhancing cleanliness and wellness via smart functionality that integrates seamlessly with digital devices such as smartphones. The technology allows personalization and customization in an intuitive manner - from music to lighting to floor and water temperatures to aromatherapy at the touch of a screen - while also providing practical and cost-effective benefits.
Mr. Steam's Michael Pinkus in the article says,
"Mr. Steam is banking on that trend with its iSteam home steam shower system, which uses 1 to 2 gallons of water in a typical session, vs. 10 to 20 gallons for a typical shower and 30 to 50 gallons for a typical bath, says Michael Pinkus, president of Sussman-Automatic, which makes the steam shower systems. The energy cost for an average steam shower session is under $1, he says.
"The bathroom has been increasingly recognized as a refuge and sanctuary from life's chores and demands -- where people can be uninterrupted and alone," Pinkus says. "ISteam is the ultimate luxury that people once only associated with retreats and spa.""
Thank you, USA Today!
Definitely read the entire Gotta go? Then go high-tech article on USA Today. If you'd like to learn more about home steam showers and Mr. Steam's high tech approach to them, download the Buyers Guide to Home Steam Showers.
Let us know if you have any questions.


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If you've been looking for a way to spend some time with your kids, look no further. One of your favorite toy stores is hosting its annual National Teddy Bear celebration, and it's something that every teddy lover in your family will want to participate in. But this year, Build-A-Bear has teamed up with Walmart, hosting events that will span over three days and at many stores throughout the United States.
Build-A-Bear announced today, Aug. 29, that the company has partnered with Walmart for its annual Teddy Bear Day workshops. Next weekend — Sept. 7, 8 and 9, which is National Teddy Bear Day — you and your kids can each make a 2019 exclusive Teddy Bear Day Bear for just $6.50 at any participating Build-A-Bear workshop. Can't make it to the store? Well, the partnership with Walmart means that you can pick up a pre-made Teddy Bear Day Bear for the same price at one of the 2,000 stores throughout the United States that are participating. The only caveat is that there's a limit of six per guest, but that should suffice all of your teddy bear loving needs.
Additionally, the partnership has a philanthropic aspect as well, meaning that your weekend activity could do some social good, too.
Build-A-Bear says it's on a mission to share 50,000 teddy bears globally with children who might be in need of a comfort toy or even just something to play with. Through collaborations with United Way and the Boys & Girls Club of Canada, the company will be donating one teddy bear for every photo that participants post on social media.
To participate, you simply have to build a National Bear Day Bear, visit the store, and take a photo of yourself either making one or picking one up. Build-A-Bear also mentioned that Bearamy, the company's adorable mascot, will be appearing at stores around the country, which could be a great photo op as well. You then just have to tag the photo #NationalTeddyBearDay, and a bear will be donated to a child in need.
"We are pleased to once again lead the celebration of National Teddy Bear Day and honored to work with Walmart on our first-ever national collaboration to make this the biggest event yet," Sharon Price John, Build-A-Bear Workshop chief executive officer and president, shared in a press release.
"This year, the weekend will be filled with fun in-store activities including a special offer for a collectible furry friend designed especially for the occasion, appearances throughout the world by our huggable mascot, Bearemy, and in line with our mission to 'add a little more heart to life,' the donation of thousands of furry friends to multiple charities to help children in need."
So if you need a fun way to spend next weekend, this could be it. It bears repeating (pun intended) that the only items on discount for $6.50 are the exclusive Teddy Bear Day bears, and not all of the merchandise at the store, which might be a good reminder before little kids head in with their hopes up. Either way, it's a fun activity for a good cause.


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'Boycott Amazon' campaign launched
19.12.12 | Lisa Campbell
The Ethical Consumer magazine and campaign group has launched a campaign to persuade customers to choose high street alternatives to Amazon for their Christmas shopping, following revelations of the company's tax avoidance.
Amazon's low payment of corporation tax on its sales in the UK in 2011 has received high-profile press attention. Ethical Consumer is calling on customers to boycott the company and find high street tax-paying alternatives.
Recommended department stores to shop at which pay a fair amount of tax are Debenhams, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Next.
Ethical Consumer director Tim Hunt said: "We're launching the boycott of Amazon in response to the public's growing anger at the scale of Amazon'stax avoidance. By naming these tax-paying alternatives to Amazon we aim to mobilise consumer power to make Amazon pay a fair rate of tax. Shoppers maybenefit from Amazon's cheap shopping but these bargains come at the cost of reduced public services. Amazon's tax revenues could help fund the vital public services that are now being slashed."
Tax Justice campaigner Richard Murphy from Tax Research UK added: "Consumer action works. Starbucks is caving in. People denying their credit cards to Amazon is the sure way to make them pay their tax. The Wise Men celebrated the good news of the first Christmas with gifts they brought from afar. This year Wise People will celebrate Christmas by not buying gifts from Amazon."
Mark Constantine, m.d. and co-founder of Lush Cosmetics, has also added his name to the campaign, accusing Amazon of being "ruthless" in taking advantage of weaknesses in its interpretation of tax law. "This creates a financial advantage that they may use to discount any product and outcompete retailers who are making a contribution to British society," he said.
According to figures published by the Commons Public Accounts Committee in 2011 Amazon's UK sales were £2.9bn but the company only paid £1.8m in corporation tax.


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The DeLorean DMC-12 is a beloved sports car of the early ’80s, regardless of the obvious setbacks of its design and behaviour of its CEO. And since it became legend in the Back To The Future Franchise as Doctor Emmett Brown’s time machine, its place in pop culture is now permanent.
Last year, or even the year before that, we showed you a modern interpretation of the beloved DMC-12, and it quickly became one of our most popular articles. And now, on the car’s 40th birthday, there are talks of it being updated through a collaboration between DeLorean and Italdesign.
#DeLorean DMC-12 turns 40 this year! This picture was shot on the 21st January 1981, when the very first production model was released. What a better way to celebrate an icon of automotive history than a sneak peek of the (near) future?
Stay tuned for more… #visionbeyondtime!😉 pic.twitter.com/JKcHsMjgOy
— Italdesign (@italdesign) January 21, 2021
Italdesign posted the tweet above to its Twitter, teasing an all-new DMC-12 to mark the car’s 40th anniversary. As you can see, it shows the original car above, and below sits a more modern-looking silhouette of the car, still featuring its iconic gull wings and a similar shape.
Alongside these photos reads the caption: “What a better way to celebrate an icon of automotive history than a sneak peek of the (near) future?”.
Unfortunately, we’ve heard stories of the revival of this car many times. But with Italdesign being a trusted company that we trust, I’d expect the only issues that could push this reveal further back would stem from the current pandemic. Hopefully, we’ll see the car in full later this year, but while I’m incredibly excited for such a thing, I won’t be holding my breath.


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Meta, the corporate that owns Facebook and Instagram, has introduced plans to create its personal digital forex, which the workers have dubbed as “Zuck Bucks.”
The agency is engaged on varied digital merchandise to diversify its income and revitalise its consumer base, which is more and more flocking to newer rivals comparable to TikTookay.
Meta has plans to combine NFTs into its social media apps. “Social tokens” or “reputation tokens” are examples of merchandise that the corporate is taking a look at. These might be utilised as rewards by customers. It’s additionally taking a look at “creator coins” that influencers on Instagram can use.
However, “Zuck Bucks”, a nickname that refers to Meta founder, chairman, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, won’t be a blockchain-based cryptocurrency.
According to a report within the Financial Times, “Meta is leaning towards introducing in-app tokens that would be centrally controlled by the company, similar to those used in gaming apps such as the Robux currency in popular children’s games, Roblox.”
In May, the corporate will launch a pilot initiative to permit customers to add and share NFTs on Facebook. The subsequent step will probably be to check a characteristic on Facebook that may permit customers to affix NFT-owning and minting teams. Meta intends to monetise NFT gross sales on Facebook utilizing charges and/or adverts.
The plan to launch “Zuck Bucks” is not the primary time Facebook is pondering of dabbling in cryptocurrencies. In 2019, Facebook had proposed creating a worldwide cryptocurrency, dubbed Libra, solely to be slammed by politicians and central bankers who claimed the mission would undermine current currencies.
In late 2020, Facebook renamed Libra as Diem and tied the digital forex to the US greenback after a number of companions deserted the mission. However, the rebranding did not please regulators, and Diem was shelved earlier this yr due to regulatory considerations within the US.
Before that, in 2009, Facebook had thought of coming into the digital cash realm when it launched Facebook Credits to permit in-app purchases in then-popular video games like FarmVille.
Despite its preliminary reputation, Facebook shut down the service 4 years later because of prices related to international forex adjustments, which made the service unmanageable.


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Families across North Wales are preparing themselves for the festive season by putting up their Christmas trees.
From traditional trees to winter wonderland themed- we want to see your photos.
We want to know what's sitting at the top of your Christmas tree and why you have decided to decorate it that way.
Marie Walters, from Beaumaris, has a red, white and blue Christmas tree in honour of France and the USA.
If you're having trouble untangling your Christmas lights from last year, then Tesco in Wrexham has the UK's first ever official Christmas tree lights untangler to help you with all your frustrations.


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Most read in Funding
DIGITAL HEALTH BRIEFING: US telehealth restrictions loosened after Trump request — AI-powered health app raises $47 million — Polar opens API
The 30 startups whose value ballooned the most during the 'steroid era' of funding
Wish, the $3B startup challenging Amazon, is offering investors a sweet deal in a new round
The company that boycotts logos and makes 'the world's most comfortable shoes' just raised $17.5 million to open stores
Airbnb raises $1 billion in debt financing to create new travel services
*Copyright © 2016 Business Insider Inc / Bonnier Business Media Sweden AB. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Legal Fine Print.


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The ongoing coronavirus outbreak will dampen economic growth in China this year, but the scale of the impact remains uncertain and will depend on the duration and intensity of the health crisis, says Fitch Ratings.
Huge uncertainties remain over the impact of the coronavirus on China’s economy. We believe it is still too early to make definitive adjustments to our GDP forecasts at this stage and instead have examined some illustrative scenarios.
The SARS outbreak provides a useful benchmark, but there are significant differences between that epidemic and the latest one.
Notably, the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has spread faster than SARS, and official travel and workplace activity restrictions have been more aggressive.
These factors suggest that the impact of the current outbreak on economic activity on a daily basis may be more intense than SARS, but the impact on GDP will also depend on the length of time taken to contain the virus.
The novel coronavirus (Covid-19) will cause damage worth US$2.4-3.4 billion to Southeast Asian nations, the Kasikorn Research Center estimated.
The impact would result from the Covid-related economic slowdown of China that had close ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in terms of trade, investment and tourism, the center reported.
If Covid-19 outbreak is contained in 6 months, the Chinese economic growth may be at 4.7% this year, 1.0% lower than earlier expected. That would cut the ASEAN economic value by US$2.4-3.4 billion equivalent to 0.07-0.11% of ASEAN’s yearly gross domestic product. Damage in Thailand would be moderate at US$500-700 million or 0.09-0.13% of its annual GDP, the research center wrote.


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PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed diamond miner Lucapa has flagged plans for a possible listing on the London Aim exchange, as well as plans for further project acquisitions.
The company is looking to build on the success achieved at its Lulo mine, in Angola, where it recovered a 38.6 ct pink diamond this week, Lucapa CEO and MD Stephen Wetherall told delegates at the Africa Downunder conference in Perth, on Thursday.
He said Lucapa was in discussions with its joint venture partners at Lulo, State-owned Ediama and local partner Rosas & Petalas, to increase its current 40% interest in the mine, which earlier this year delivered Angola's largest-ever diamond.
In February, Lucapa announced the recovery of an exceptional 404 ct Type IIa D-colour diamond, which later sold for $16-million.
In the year-to-date, alluvial production at Lulo has generated more than $32-million in revenue from the sale of 10 200 ct.
Wetherall also said that Lucapa is considering an Aim admission to position itself for future growth, while exploring other diamond opportunities in Angola and the Central African Republic.


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> Telecom services provider Arbinet has added a "D" to its NASDAQ symbol this morning following a one-for-four reverse split of the company's common stock. News release.
> Most African countries have DSL services and access to international fiber bandwidth thanks to new submarine cables, says a new report from Research and Markets, but broadband growth is limited by poor geographical reach of fixed-line networks. News release.
> Adding to its recent purchase of 576 hybrid Chevy pickups and its deployment of five hybrid bucket trucks on Long Island, N.Y., Verizon has purchased 501 Ford Econoline vans that it will upfit with CNG (clean natural gas) engine packages to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.62 metric tons per year. News release.
> Sprint is tops among telecom providers and No. 3 among all industry sectors on the Everything Channel's VAR500 list of North America's top technology integrators for 2010. News release.
> Dilip Singh is taking over MRV Communications' CEO reins from Noam Lotan, who's stepping down after 20 years with the company. Singh is a 38-year telecom industry veteran. He's been appointed to a one-year term effective July 1. News release.
And finally... SureWest triple-play customers in the Sacramento region can view incoming phone call information on their TV screens thanks to the company's new Caller ID on TV. News release.


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It could be dismissed as mere saber rattling by the old guard protecting its turf. Still, when the CEO of a major vendor starts talking litigation, the threat has to be taken seriously.
In an interview with Fortune magazine last week, Seagate (NYSE: STX) CEO Bill Watkins first dismissed solid state drives (SSDs) as being too expensive to ever catch on, but then said if they become popular Seagate would consider filing patent infringement law suits.
Watkins argued that SSDs, hard drives built from flash memory, are just too expensive, and will be for a long time. He cited the ultra-thin MacBook Air as an example. The one with an 80GB standard hard drive is $1,800 while the same notebook with a 64 GB SSD runs for $3,100.
“Realistically, I just don’t see the flash notebook sell,” Watkins told Fortune. “We just don’t see the proposition.”
Watkins has been around long enough to know that no technology ever stays expensive, and that’s especially true with flash. The price of flash memory has plummeted so much that Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) was forced to warn that first quarter margins would suffer as a result. Intel CEO Paul Otellini made a promise to make the flash memory unit profitable one way or another, and Otellini’s track record suggests he will keep his word.
So if and when SSD drives become cheap enough to go mainstream, Watkins said he’d consider suing SSD makers like Samsung and Intel for patent infringement. Not for disk storage; SSD is memory cells instead of the magnetic platters used in standard hard drives. The case would be for the interface that connects the drive to the computer.
Seagate is a big company, well on its way to a $13 billion fiscal year, but does it really want a fight with Intel? Krishna Chander, senior analyst covering the storage market for iSuppli, doesn’t think so.
“I think they want to put out the trial balloon of a threat and see how the industry reacts,” he told InternetNews.com.
So far, the industry isn’t biting. SanDisk and Intel both declined to comment on the threat.
Seagate and Hitachi own a fairly large patent portfolio related to hard disk storage and engage in a lot of cross-licensing, said Chander. So he has no doubt Seagate has a healthy patent portfolio to bring to bear. However, Chander also doubts a company like Intel would be so foolish as to infringe on someone else’s patents.
However, they are also new to drive manufacturing and mistakes can happen. “They don’t have the deep experience hard drive makers have. [Hard drive makers] have had 30 years to learn, they understand the issues and problems, these guys are just coming on board,” he said.
The SSD drives use the serial ATA (SATA) interface, which is an open standard maintained by the I/O Forum. Each firm puts its own polish on the interface to add performance tweaks for a competitive edge, but the general format is available for anyone to license.
Chander thinks this is Seagate letting the new kids know who rules the playground. “Of course he’s getting their attention. He doesn’t want them to think it’s a cakewalk. He also doesn’t want them entering into the enterprise, either. It’s one thing to go into laptops, but he doesn’t want them going into the sacred, high margin areas any time soon,” he said.
Seagate has been non-committal on SSD drives, but if it does enter that space, it will want the lucrative enterprise storage market, not the price conscious consumer market, Chander argues.
“That’s what I think they are trying to do, is hold off until their own ducks are lined up,” he said. “They are buying time to get their own products out.”


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There is a new House of Dragon Funko Pops to be released and they are awesome! Despite the show ending, the merchandising for Game of Thrones has only just begun. The company behind the iconic Pop figures, Funko, is a retail powerhouse, and Game of Thrones has had its fair share of Funko Pop figures.
House of Dragon Funko Pops:
A new House of the Dragon line of Funko collectibles was just announced. Over half of the episodes for the second season of the Game of Thrones, prequel have been filmed. Funko also released a series of figures based on the first season of House of the Dragon, much to the delight of fans at the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con. Viserys, Rhaenyra, Syrax, Crabfeeder, and Aemond are among the new characters you can get!


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PETA’s Air Cruelty campaign has flown from success to success, and it’s still soaring—three top cargo shipping companies have joined the still-growing list of carriers that refuse to transport any animals to be burned, blinded, poisoned, and cut up alive in laboratories!
Compassion Takes Wing
As reported in Nature magazine, after talks with PETA, UPS adopted a worldwide ban on transporting animals destined for laboratory experiments. FedEx (already our hero for its role in helping Ben the bear get his freedom) and DHL have also confirmed to PETA that they have policies in place that ban the shipment of live animals to laboratories.
To give you an idea of how big a development this is, FedEx and UPS are the world’s top two largest cargo airlines, and DHL is close behind. They join the majority of major airlines—including Cathay Pacific, Korean Airlines, Qantas, and others—that won’t transport any animals destined for experiments.
What You Can Do
Animals aren’t safe from being caged, neglected, and tortured as long as even one airline will deliver them into experimenters’ hands. Please urge holdout airlines such as Air France and United to step up and refuse to ship primates to laboratories.


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New Delhi: Emerging from the economic slowdown, Indian Hotels Co. Ltd, owner of the Taj chain of premium hotels, is ramping up its business, opening hotels in countries such as Mexico, Morocco and other overseas markets, as it prepares for the first anniversary of the terrorist attack on its flagship Mumbai property.
The chain, which went into a cost cutting drive following the slowdown and the closure of Mumbai’s iconic Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, extensively damaged in the 26 November attack , is reviewing its freeze on recruitment, replacement hiring and salary increments that were to last until March 2010.
It will also partially open the heritage wing of the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel a day before the anniversary of the attack.
Back in business: Indian Hotels Co. MD Raymond Bickson. Rajkumar/Mint
“We are opening a hotel each in the British Virgin islands and Mexico while our Cape Town hotel will open in December 2009. Another two are underway in Morocco,” said Raymond N. Bickson, managing director and chief executive, Indian Hotels.
India’s largest hospitality chain, 25% of whose revenue accrues from its international operations, is exploring international markets although the slowdown has hit the progress of its new properties in West Asia, especially in Abu Dhabi and Ras-al-Khaimah, where construction is yet to start.
The thrust on foreign operations, Bickson said, is to protect the firm’s margins and market share, given that at least 30 hotel brands are eyeing entry into India. “Business is moving positively in Asia and even the Indian market appears to have bottomed out...While average room revenues and occupancies showed a 10% decline compared to last year, we expect to match the turnover of fiscal 2006-07.”
Indian Hotels’ gross revenue for 2008-09 declined to Rs1,706.52 crore from Rs1,823.16 crore in the previous year, and its net profit fell to Rs234.03 crore from Rs377.46 crore.
On reopening the heritage wing of its flagship hotel, which dates back to 1903, Bickson said, “We are planning to welcome our first guests on 25 November when we expect to reopen three of our restaurants—Golden Dragon, Wasabi and the Harbour Bar.”
The rooms and the remaining food and beverage outlets in the hotel, including the ball room, will be opened in phases, starting December until April, when the hotel expects to be completely operational.


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Xiaomi has long wanted to sell its smartphones in the US, but there has been something holding it back, always. Be it the overstretched resources or the challenges of making US-friendly devices, Xiaomi has found the hard way that entering the US smartphone space isn't easy. However, this might be the year when it finally launches smartphones stateside. Xiaomi's Chairman Lei Jun has revealed that the Chinese smartphone maker intends to sell its devices in the US market by the end of this year or early 2019.
He didn't outline any details at this early stage, however, he was aware that there could be hurdles to jump, which includes adapting to American regulations as well as accommodating customers' needs. Xiaomi already sells its fitness trackers as well as other accessories in the US, which means that some of the infrastructures will already be in place. After tasting success in emerging markets like India and Southeast Asia and expanding into western Europe, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is all set to enter the US market as early as this year, the Wall Street Journal reported.
"We've always been considering entering the US market," Xiaomi Chairman Lei Jun was quoted as saying.
"We plan to start entering the market by end 2018, or by early 2019," he added.
Xiaomi has grown exponentially in India, which recently overtook the US to become the world's second-largest smartphone market after China. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), Xiaomi shared the top slot with South Korea's Samsung in India, with a market share of 23.5 percent, in the third quarter of 2017. In the fourth quarter, Xiaomi emerged a clear leader with 26.8 percent market share, with Samsung second at 24.2 percent market share.
For the entire year, however, Samsung, with 24.7 percent share, was the leader and Xiaomi with 20.9 percent stood second. But the Beijing-based smartphone maker is fast catching up. Xiaomi already sells a number of products in the US, including its Android TV set-top box, Mi TV, at Walmart locations around the country, The Verge reported on Monday.
But its success in the US smartphone market will ultimately depend on carriers and it will also need to navigate potential concerns from US intelligence officials, the report said.
(with inputs from IANS)


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Bentley is open to adding plug-in hybrid drivetrains to its future models, engineering chief Rolf Frech has confirmed to Autocar.
Frech said that Bentley was monitoring the development work going on within the Volkswagen Group on hybrid drivetrains, and it was the plug-in technology that was of most interest to Bentley.
“Hybrids are appealing because of the great torque they provide,” said Frech. “Bentley is famous for its huge low-end torque so a plug-in hybrid system would fit. Of course, hybrids provide great efficiency, too.”
Bentley is looking to experiment further with new model lines and technologies in the next few years under the guidance of ex-Porsche man Wolfgang Durhemier, who took over at Bentley last year.
“We have to experiment,” said Frech, another former Porsche employee. “We did it at Porsche and there’s a possibility to do it at Bentley as well. We’re now in the second phase of growth, into new sectors and niches. We are creative.”


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New York Web Design Company Says New Google Maps API Allows For Greater Design Control
Leading Manhattan website design expert says that Googles new map functionality allows more control over Google maps integrated into business websites.
According to Peter Crisafi, Vice President of dzine it, Inc., a leading New York website design and development firm with clients throughout the United States, historically, the integration of Google Maps into a website had one major disadvantage the maps always looked like the ones placed in hundreds of thousands of other websites or applications, sporting the all-too-familiar standard grey and yellow design.
In response, Google recently introduced Styled Maps for the Google Maps API v3, which allows website developers more control over the style of base maps within Google Maps API implementations, says Crisafi. Styled Maps gives developers and website owners the ability to change and customize various features of the Google base map, like changing the color of water or removing roads altogether.
The new styling feature, Crisafi says, offers up full control to display and customize parts of the map, letting personal map data shine.
Over time, developers will be embarking on large implementations of this new Google Maps feature, especially for applications and websites that want to offer an immersive branding experience, says Crisafi.
According to Crisafi, Google Maps are a great way to offer additional interaction and information to a websites visitors.
In addition to showing users exactly where a business is located, Crisafi explains, they can use the Google Maps feature to measure a distance, get driving, biking and walking directions, get directions via text, and find nearby places.
Established in 2003, dzine it, inc. is a leader in Custom web development, programming and design solutions for small and large business, agencies. The company offers a wide range of business-centered visual communication solutions, including web-based content management, web design, graphic design, custom web software applications, ethical white hat search engine optimization (Organic SEO), Video Encoding, and print media solutions. For more information, call 718.336.2660 or visit www.dzineit.net.
Copyright 2010 dzine it, inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Lawsuit alleges $11bn merger between American Airlines and US Airways would mean higher fares and reduced service.The US Justice Department and several states have filed suit to block the $11bn merger between American Airlines and US Airways, saying it would cut competition in the industry.
The move on Tuesday effectively dragged to a halt the long-pending merger to create the world's largest airline as American Airlines and its parent AMR Corp exit bankruptcy restructuring.
The merger "would substantially lessen competition for commercial air travel in local markets throughout the United States and result in passengers paying higher airfares and receiving less service," the Justice Department said in a statement.
"Airline travel is vital to millions of American consumers who fly regularly for either business or pleasure," US Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.
"This transaction would result in consumers paying the price, in higher airfares, higher fees and fewer choices."
The suit was joined by justice officials of six states and Washington, DC.
It said that the two airlines compete head-to-head on more than 1,000 routes, and the merger would remove that competition.
"Eliminating this head-to-head competition would give the merged airline the incentive and ability to raise airfares," the department said.
It also said that the US airline industry was already "highly concentrated" and that after the merger four airlines would control more than 80 percent of the commercial air travel market.
US Airways and American Airlines said in a statement that they would fight the move and "mount a vigorous and strong defense" of the merger.
"We will mount a vigorous defense and pursue all legal options in order to achieve this merger and deliver the benefits of the new American to our customers and communities as soon as possible," they said. "We believe that the DOJ is wrong in its assessment of our merger, they said, referring to the Justice Department.


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In a move that would give Reliance JioMart a run for its money, global retail major Walmart is in early discussions with the Tata group for a large stake purchase in the proposed super app of the salt-to-software conglomerate, Mint reported on Tuesday. Walmart, which already has a significant stake in India's e-commerce space through its Flipkart acquisition, is looking for an investment of up to $25 billion in the Tata Group, the report said.
The news assumes significance as it signals rising interest in India's e-commerce sector by global majors. “Tata group is in talks with Walmart for a deal entailing a strategic investment by Walmart in the super app platform business. The Walmart investment could touch $20-25 billion eventually for a large stake in the proposed super app to be hosted under a Tata Sons subsidiary," the report said citing people on condition of anonymity.
If the deal fructifies, it will be the country’s largest deal in the retail space ever, eclipsing Walmart’s own May 2018 purchase of a 66 per cent stake in Flipkart for $16 billion. As per the ongoing discussions between Tata and Walmart, the super app, with an estimated valuation of around $50 -60 billion, could be launched as a joint venture between Tata and Walmart, which will enable leveraging on the synergies between Tata’s e-commerce business and Flipkart.
The super app may pave the way for Tata Group to power Flipkart, the leading online marketplace, against JioMart's rising clout in the India e-commerce space. The app would include Flipkart’s offerings from Walmart and the entire retail product franchise housed by the Tata group on one platform for retail customers.
According to the ongoing talks, the new digital platform business is proposed to be run by Tata-Walmart together, and there could be more foreign investors roped in as investors. The $113-billion coffee-to-cars conglomerate, is working with advisers to explore bringing in financial or strategic investors, including global technology companies, a Bloomberg report said. The group plans to bring together digital assets across various Tata businesses to create the new entity.
Tata Digital’s head Pratik Pal is in charge of building the all-in-one app and the group is preparing the new platform aimed for a December or January launch. Pal has three decades of experience at TCS, where he was global head of retail, and helped with the digital transformation of some of the world’s largest retail chains including Walmart, Tesco, Aldi, Target, Best Buy Co and Marks & Spencer Group Plc.
"We have a very big opportunity,” Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran told Financial Times earlier, adding that the app would eventually encompass services from food and grocery ordering to fashion, lifestyle, electronics, insurance, financial services, education, healthcare and bill payments.
Compared with Jio Platforms or Amazon, Tata group has the largest franchise of its own branded products, including Tata Cliq (electronics), StarQuick (e-grocery) and streaming options in Tata Sky, that are sold to retail customers.


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MapleStory – Rising Heroes: Tower of Oz Trailer
Challenge yourself in this new, 200 level Wizard of Oz themed dungeon.
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Apr 20, 2022
Consumer confidence declined 6.0 per cent last week, as headline inflation surged to 5.1 per cent y/y in Q1 2022. Among the major states, confidence dropped in NSW, Queensland and SA, while it increased in Victoria and WA.
• ‘Weekly inflation expectations’ rose 0.2ppt to 5.3 per cent, while its four-week moving average dropped 0.1ppt to 5.4 per cent.
• Four of the five confidence subindices registered losses. ‘Current financial conditions’ decreased by 5.2 per cent and ‘future financial conditions’ fell 5.3 per cent.
• ‘Current economic conditions’ dropped 10.4 per cent, offsetting all its gains from the past four weeks. ‘Future economic conditions’ bucked the trend by increasing 0.7 per cent.
• ‘Time to buy a major household item’ declined 10.3 per cent, after an 8.7 per cent rise over the previous four weeks.
"Consumer confidence plunged 6.0 per cent last week, its sharpest fall since the 7.6 per cent drop in mid-January due to the Omicron surge. The strong inflation result of 5.1 per cent y/y was likely the primary driver of the drop in confidence as it increases the prospect of interest rate hikes by the RBA in the near future." ANZ Head of Australian Economics, David Plank said.
"This is supported by the fact confidence dropped 9.6 per cent amongst people ‘paying off their home loan’, while for people who already own their home or are renting confidence dropped by 4.7 per cent and 4.2 per cent respectively.
Inflation expectations increased 0.2ppt to 5.3 per cent last week as average petrol prices rose nationally. This is the lowest level for consumer confidence at the start of a tightening cycle since the inflation targeting regime began in the early 1990s. This may see the RBA tighten more slowly than the market is pricing."
Apr 20, 2022
Apr 27, 2022


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Salad Product Recall Over E. Coli Bacteria Impacts Minnesota
SWEDESBORO, N.J. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says thousands of pounds of salad products are being recalled due to a possible E. coli contamination.
The department says Missa Bay, LLC from Swedesboro, New Jersey, is recalling more than 75,000 pounds (34,020 kilograms) of salad products that contain meat or poultry because the lettuce may be contaminated with a strain of E. coli.
The products were sold on Oct. 14 through Oct. 16 in several states including Minnesota -- at several locations including Aldi, Walmart, and Target. You can see affects product labels HERE.
Authorities say the Maryland Department of Health tested an unopened salad product with chicken and the lettuce came back positive for a strain of E. coli bacteria.
The Centers for Disease Control says E. coli often causes diarrhea and vomiting.


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Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) introduced new reporting features enabling Windows Phone 7 developer partners to track application performance data. Writing on the Windows Phone Developer Blog, Microsoft's senior director of Windows Phone product management Todd Brix said developers now can analyze two types of performance reports: Download Reports (graphical views of daily and cumulative downloads as well as raw data breakdowns), and Payout Reports (aggregated and detailed views of payouts for all Windows Phone Marketplace applications, including Windows Phone 6.x sales). "These reporting features include the ability for you to create custom views and apply filters, providing the flexibility to see app performance data the way you want to help make app development and business decisions," Brix said. "Reports can be filtered by date, country and application."
The reporting tools follow complaints from multiple Windows Phone 7 developers who said the absence of app performance data made it impossible to identify how their WP7 applications are faring, leaving them in the dark on how best to maintain and tweak their software. Another common gripe: In October, Microsoft said it would withhold developer payouts until February 2011. "We are pleased to now announce that the first payouts for Windows Phone 7 sales will be made in the fourth week of January 2011," Brix wrote. "This payout will include payment for all sales of Windows Phone 7 apps and games that occurred after the phones became available in October 2010 through the end of December 2010. After January 2011, developer payouts will be processed on a monthly basis for all combined sales of Windows Phone 6.x and Windows Phone 7 apps for those developers who meet the minimum payout threshold limits."
Microsoft also touted multiple app registration and submission fixes, including a streamlined App Hub workflow and smaller robustness, performance and usability enhancements. Brix adds that over the last month, 91 percent of Windows Phone 7 applications have been certified and published within two days of submission, with 86 percent of new developer accounts vetted and validated within 10 days.
- read this Windows Phone Developer Blog entry
Developers in the dark on Windows Phone app performance
Windows Phone Marketplace developer registration tops 12,000
Microsoft primps Windows Phone Marketplace for November launch
Windows Phone 7 released to manufacturers


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ISLAMABAD, Sep 17: An unprecedented auction of 102 vehicles Monday attracted large crowd of enthusiastic auto fans to the PM House, adding around Rs 200 million to the national kitty; however the most expensive lot of 21 luxury cars was postponed till correction of a tax anomaly.
Prime Minister Imran Khan in his first address to the nation on August 19, had announced the austerity drive and vowed to cut down on government expenses. He initiated the campaign by announcing auction of excess luxury and other vehicles used by the PM House. The federal cabinet later endorsed the decision of the prime minister and gave the formal go ahead.
The day-long auction on the rear grounds of the PM House, that once was used to as a polo ground, saw the sale of 61 vehicles including six protected vehicles. The auction of 21 armoured vehicles would be held at a later date owing to the higher rates of taxes imposed by the FBR. Around 20 low priced vehicles got a low bid and were not auctioned.
The buyers, hailing from all over Pakistan said though the prices of some vehicles were higher than the market value, still they were pleased to add in their share to the national cause. The authorities decided to auction the high value cars at a later date to adjust the rate of taxes imposed, after objections were raised by the buyers who said these were valued wrongly.
Muhammad Asif, the General Staff Officer of the Prime Minister Office said these vehicles would be offered again for auction, after re-evaluation of taxes and Prime Minister's approval. He said the vehicles that were auctioned were sold at a good price, some even fetched a price even higher than the market value.
Some of the top of the line protected cars have been placed at a price as high as over Rs 160 million, while the buyers insisted these could be acquired for Rs 110 million.
The protected vehicle line-up of black, white and sliver luxury cars included three 7600cc BMW 760Li cars (2014 model) and three 5000 cc X-5 SUVs (2016), two Maybach S-600 and two S-600L Mercedes 6000 cc (2016), ten S-300 Mercedes cars, jeeps and a stretched limousine (2005), besides seven Land Cruisers V-8 and Lexus (2005-2015).
The remaining non-protected vehicles included Honda Civic, City, Toyota Corolla, Mitsubishi, Cherokee and Nissan jeeps, Suzuki cars and a Hino bus. Three of the vehicles were of 1986 model, while nine, including BMW, Maybach and Mercedes are of 2016 model.
The buyers hailing from all over Pakistan were excited to be able to inspect and bid for vehicles used by several former prime ministers including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Shaukat Aziz and Mir Zafarullah Jamali. Many of the vehicles were also used for foreign dignitaries who visited Pakistan.
The official account of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in a Tweet about the auction said it was “A reminder that all this recovery will go back into serving the people of Pakistan under PM Austerity Drive. It is these efforts that will add up to a revolution in leadership mindset in Pakistan.”
One of the 2005 model armoured Mercedes Jeep fetched the government Rs 14.5 million, while another 4600 cc Land Cruiser V8, 2015 model brought Rs 27.4 million.
According to the terms for the auction the successful bidders had to pay 25% of the amount as earnest money and deposit rest of the amount within seven days. The successful buyers would have to get the vehicle registered in their name, while the delivery of the protected vehicles would be conditional to the No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Interior.


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Some of our latest articles on visual tech:
Shutterstock’s acquisition of 3D marketplace Turbo Squid is significant for a few reasons, some of which might not be obvious. The first and well-understood purchase trigger is that the microstock company is under pressure to expand its offering horizontally. There is a known ceiling to the paid licensed still images
Remember Framen? This German startup’s CEO, Dimitri Gärtner, did a Show & Tell presentation at Visual 1st two years ago, showing his company’s digital frame photo viewing solutions. To my surprise, I learned a few days before Christmas that a company no less than Axel Springer had just acquired the
2020 has made screens our primary interface to the world. While pre-pandemic, we were mostly physically interacting with the world, using all of our six senses, the past year has been essentially just visual. Except for our immediate family, it is via a digital representation, text, photos, or video that
According to a recent study, over 63% of Americans say they often come across fake images online. Whether those images are truly faked or perceived as such, the damage is done. We are rapidly losing trust in what we see, our evolutionary number source of information. If this trend continues,
A little less than a week before he takes the stage at the 2020 edition of the Visual 1st Summit, we sat down with Paul Kruszewski, founder, and CEO of wrnch.ai for a sneak preview of his talk on human-centric AI-enabled cameras. – A little about you, what is your
Some speculate that overall fake news could cost the economy $39 billion a year. Quite a market to grab for a savvy tech startup, even at 1%! But while fake news and in particular deep fakes have been accused of wreaking havoc on minds and economy, there is surprisingly only a minimal amount of companies offering tools to combat them. The reason?
The post The business of deepfakes, cheapfakes, and misleading manipulated media appeared first on Kaptur.
While damages are very real and can go far beyond a bruised reputation, companies and people are left unprotected against deepfakes and synthetic media. Only a handful of companies offer solutions to this growing threat. Deeptrace Labs, a startup based in the Netherlands, offers to change that. We discussed with co-founder and CEO Giorgio Patrini on how it works :
There are three types of fake photos and yet, no real net to catch them. For an industry built on illusion, it is not such a surprise.
For a long time, videos have been heralded as the Next Big Thing, the capture format that was going to replace still photography. But technology disruption often progresses more slowly than one might think. Or much faster than one might think. Or ends up stopping dead in its tracks. So where
Facebook's acquisition of the Gif search engine Giphy proves, once again, that whoever controls visual content also controls audiences.
6 months away from the full implementation of Article 17, it seems no one is ready. Working models have yet to be agreed upon, laws have yet to be passed, and platforms have yet to be ready. At least right holders of photographs can start to get ready. …
There is a reason for professional photographers. They document events with the most proximity to the truth. Denying them access to facts is denying a whole nation of citizens access to these facts and information. …


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Backupify, a leading backup provider for cloud application data, has announced that the company has opened the Backupify Developer Platform and API to SaaS application providers and developers. Earlier this year, ProgrammableWeb reported that Backupify had launched a private beta version of the program with five initial partners (Apptivo, Mavenlink, Nimble, Freshdesk, and Pipeline Deals).
Each week we see dozens of mashups added to our mashup directory and often these use and combine APIs that go beyond the typical Google Maps mashup of old. This past week three of the more innovative ones go beyond just maps by using APIs from Netflix, MyBlogLog and Flickr. Here's a quick overview:
Open Banking is aiming to give consumers access to real-time banking data through the use of APIs. The successful implementation of this type of system will change the way people save, borrow, spend and invest their money, as well as encourage healthy competition in the financial services industry.


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This Ford Escape crossover was washed for the first time in a yearNovember 14, 2020
The owners of this Ford Escape have not washed their car in over a year. Among other things, they constantly drove five dogs in their car …. as a result, “tons” of wool in the cabin.
The 2013 Ford Escape owner turned to a car cleaning specialist, The Detail Geek, who uploaded the entire crossover cleaning process to their YouTube channel for help. As expected, the situation was literally difficult given the fact that a pile of dog fur was found even in the deepest corners of the cabin.
The washing process, of course, started with the exterior.
With dirt, grime, and any other elements of dirt that could appear in this car in a year, you can assume it was not an easy job. The initial pressure washer was not sufficient to remove deep stains from the white paint.
The result of the detailing of the exterior was satisfactory, but with the interior the scope of work was much greater. As you might have guessed, interior detailing is impossible without removing the seats. It should be noted that the specialists had to wash the carpet twice with shampoo to remove the huge amount of stains that were there.
After a long and extremely tedious cleaning process, this old Ford Escape (aka Kuga) is really clean, almost returning to its original appearance. According to the detailed description in the posted video, the entire cleaning process took 11 hours, which is not surprising given the degree of contamination we saw in the video.
Not so long ago, AutoTimesNews wrote that sales of an inexpensive copy of the Ford F-150 pickup started. This is a pickup truck designed and manufactured by Foton. The car was named General G9.
- Peugeot entered the top 50 most beloved French companies
- Nissan Note 2021 showed from all sides before the premiere
- Almost nothing left: Tesla Model 3 after collision with a tree crumbled to pieces
- Hyundai will help British billionaire revive Defender
- Rivian has already sold out the first series of its electric vehicles


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However, four years after the announcement, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon will finally open in Miami August 28. Also, a new concept by Robuchon protégé Alain Verzeroli, Le Jardinier, will open August 16. The establishments, owned and operated by the New York-based Invest Hospitality, will be the first Robuchon restaurants to debut posthumously.
With the great chefs of our time aging, will their names live on in their restaurants the way fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent continue to function decades after the deaths of their founders?
Chef Christophe Bellanca says Robuchon's legacy must endure. As the culinary director for Joël Robuchon USA, including the L’Atelier brand in New York City and Miami, he is charged with carrying the chef's name forward. "Mr. Robuchon left us almost exactly one year ago. This is going to be the first restaurant after he passed, and the team and myself think about that every day. We need to respect Mr. Robuchon's legacy, and this is very important. We pay attention to every detail."
Bellanca says Robuchon approved of the Miami space and plans for the restaurant. "We were here with Mr. Robuchon for an event. We saw the space and spoke about what we wanted to do. We had a plan." For Bellanca, it was important to move forward with the restaurant even after the master chef's passing at the age of 73. "We believe Miami is a good city for us to be in."
The culinary director says L’Atelier will live on because it's more than just a restaurant. "For me, it's very simple. It's rare to create a concept, and Mr. Robuchon created the L’Atelier concept. He was a genius in the way he cooked and the way he thought." He says that with the opening of each location, the food progresses. "The more restaurants we open, the better they are. We opened New York two years ago, and the Miami restaurant is better. For me, it's a beautiful surprise. The kitchen and dining room are beautiful."
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, by the way, isn't considered fine dining, according to Bellanca. "It's not a tasting-menu restaurant — you can come here and have an appetizer and a glass of wine." The chef says regulars at the New York location come in three days a week for the restaurant's spaghetti with black truffles ($42). "It's a large portion, and people come in and share it, then get a dessert, for $18." He says he strives daily to prove that the restaurant isn't out of means for most people. "It is not too expensive. Look at the quality we give you for the price you pay."
A third concept will open in September. Frohzen will offer ice-cream cupcakes, macaron ice-cream sandwiches, and ice-cream “cakesicles.” The shop will be located directly across from Le Jardinier on the ground floor of Paradise Plaza.
Part of the pleasure of eating at a celebrity chef's restaurant is the excitement of perhaps seeing them pass through the kitchen even though they're probably a continent away. Bellanca hopes Robuchon's spirit can be felt at the Miami locations. "When we open in Miami, we're going to listen to people and listen to how they feel about the menu. Mr. Robuchon was the best chef in the world, but he was very humble. When we come here, we will come here with humility and do the best job we can."
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Le Jardiner. 141 NE 41st St., Miami; latelier-miami.com.


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US Customs and Border Protections agents in Louisville confiscate 5,000 fake IDs
A Louisville operations hub for the U.S. Customs and Border Protections confiscated around 5,000 fake IDs, it announced Monday.
According to a statement from CBP, six shipments originating in China and heading to New York contained 2,909 fake drivers licenses and 3,123 blank cards that are used to make counterfeit licenses from states including Florida, Michigan, Illinois, New Jersey and Ohio.
According to CBP, one of the confiscated shipments was headed to a person convicted of child rape in New York.
"It’s suspected that this consignee entices minors with alcohol and counterfeit IDs before engaging in illicit activity," the CBP statement said.
“Some of the major concerns as it relates to fraudulent identity documents is identity theft, worksite enforcement, critical infrastructure protection, fraud linked to immigration-related crimes," Thomas Mahn, the Louisville Port Director, said in a statement.
Those other crimes include "human smuggling and human trafficking," he said, "and these documents can be used by those individuals associated with terrorism to minimize scrutiny from travel screening measures.”
According to CBP, Louisville's Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) and Chicago's Tactical Analytical Unit have noticed "similarities" with other shipments and Homeland Security confirmed shipments were "interconnected."
In May, customs agents seized $1.3 million in counterfeit watches and scarves coming into Louisville with a declared value of $130.
When that happened, Mahn said, “Counterfeit and pirated goods pose a serious danger to America’s economic vitality and national security, and public safety. Our officers understand their critical role in protecting the U.S. from not only terrorist threats, and narcotics smuggling, but also safeguarding the American consumer and companies from counterfeit products that hurt our economy."
Customs agents in Memphis was able to confiscate 527 fake license, according to CBP, in connection with the Louisville shipments.
Reach breaking news reporter Sarah Ladd at firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow her on Twitter at @ladd_sarah. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.


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Good news for people who would like to pay a visit to Tibet.
From February 1 to April 30, all first-level scenic spots in Tibet Autonomous Region announced will be free of charge of the admission fee, the local government announced on Wednesday.
Tibet offers unprecedented preferential policies ranging from tourist attractions, star hotels, tourist vehicles, to airlines and railways and tourists groups to promote its “winter travel in Tibet, enjoy the third pole” event.
Room rates of all three-star and above tourist hotels should be no higher than 50 percent of the same time last year, Tibet Daily reported.
Tourist vehicles should charge no more than 50 percent of the tourist season.
The economy class of all flights to Tibet will have different packages of fare concessions based on market prices.
Chartered flights and trains will receive rewards starting from 100,000 yuan ($15,839) to 250,000 yuan ($39,597) for each flight or train.
China is working to build Tibet into a world tourist destination. The local tourism industry has achieved rapid development in recent years.
In 2017, the region received over 25.6 million tourists from home and abroad and achieved total tourism revenue of 37.94 billion yuan (about $6 billion), up by 10.6 percent and 14.7 percent, respectively, over the same period the previous year.
(Compiled by Du Mingming)


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News Corp's latest plan to make MySpace into a go-to destination for web surfers is to turn it into a gaming platform, according to News Corp digital head Jonathan Miller.
Miller told the Fortune Brainstorm: TECH conference in Pasadena, California that he wanted to expand the site's video game platform and offer developers the ability to launch their products on the site and mine user data to develop better games.
"MySpace is and will be more in the future a gaming platform, a space for people to meet and play games", he said. Currently, a range of basic flash games are on offer, similar to Yahoo!'s games portal. "If you look at the big activities online, games right now is number three," he said. "Communications, search, games. So it's clearly going to be a major focus", he said.
However, News Corp sees an opportunity not just for MySpace: "None of the traditional media conglomerates are also significant video game players, so to speak, and I think that that's the missing piece of the equation, particularly when you see how much time is spent playing games online", said Miller.
MySpace was bought by News Corp in 2005 for $580 million, but has struggled in recent years against competition from the likes of Facebook and Twitter.


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LiveU has always earned its reputation by delivering cutting-edge technology solutions and flawless performance in even the most testing of circumstances.
At this year’s FIFA World Cup Championship, LiveU managed to break all its previous records. LiveU released its live broadcasting figures for the FIFA World Cup™ in Russia with 485 units onsite used by customers from over 40 countries. The numbers have doubled, and even tripled, since the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ – including over 15,000 hours of live broadcasting, over 30,000 live sessions and 36TB of live transmission – with LiveU’s LU600 4K HEVC solution enabling customers to broadcast more hours with less data.
With numerous interviews of players, fans and spectators and exciting behind-the-scene captures, LiveU has successfully grasped the essence and atmosphere of this truly global event with daily live feeds.
One of the biggest sports broadcaster – ESPN India – was present in Moscow to catch all the live action of FIFA WC 2018 with the LU600 HEVC.
Live feeds captured on ground needed to be sent back to India to be broadcast live on Sony Pictures Networks India. Flexibility, mobility and signal reliability were the three main requirements and LiveU was able to pass with flying colours.
“We used LiveU units throughout the tournament to capture live feeds that were sent back to India to be broadcast live on Sony Pictures Networks India. Our experience was really good – even at crowded locations where there were issues of network congestion. Sending live feeds back to India was seamless with no technological glitches,” said Suketu Mehta, a Multimedia Producer with ESPN, India.
The other two features of the LU600 HEVC that were highlighted were its form-factor and cost effectiveness.
“There was a time when the live TV experience involved the use of heavy and bulky equipment and a huge crew. Now it has been replaced by this small, portable, easy-to-carry solution that fits in a backpack. The compact chassis is what makes it one of the most portable solutions. You can literally carry it anywhere,” Mehta said. “Thank you LiveU for your rock-solid support!”
LiveU was able to provide customers with bandwidth guarantees for superior connectivity in the 11 host cities. The offering provided a special add-on priority SIMs package for streaming high-quality live video, enabling customers to reach 20Mbps uplink and deliver HD live feeds even from the most crowded locations. LiveU had a dedicated technical team on site, managing the logistics and providing 24/7 support, with two designated distribution centers in Moscow and St Petersburg.
Video clip: Suketu Mehta, Multimedia Producer at ESPN India, speaking about his experience using LiveU during the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EoMyALQXhc&feature=youtu.be
LiveU is driving the live video revolution, providing live video streaming for TV, mobile, online and social media. Let your audience become part of your story with high-quality and flawless live video, transmitted from anywhere in the world, through the use of our patented bonding and video transport technology. LiveU creates a consistent bandwidth and a reliable connection so you can acquire, manage and distribute high quality remote live broadcasts over IP. Our broad portfolio of products sets the industry standard for live video production. From backpacks to smartphones, and satellite/cellular hybrid to external antenna solutions, LiveU offers a complete range of devices for live video coverage anytime, anywhere. In addition, LiveU offers extensive cloud-based management and video distribution solutions. With over 3,000 customers in 100+ countries, LiveU’s technology is the solution of choice for global broadcasters, online media, news agencies and social media. For more information, visit www.liveu.tv, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn or Instagram.


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Earlier this week, Mozilla released Firefox 9.0, the latest version of the popular web browser. However, that's not all the company released this week. Mozilla also launched a new version of its Android port of Firefox via the Android Marketplace. This new mobile version of Firefox now has been optimized to work on Android-based tablet products.
As explained in the release notes for Firefox for Android, the web browser now has support for full pages even when a tablet is in portrait mode. Browser tabs are shown on tablets as thumbnails on the left panel of the browser which should allow users to continue checking out a full web page while still being able to switch between tabs. There's also an Action Menu that lets tablet users access things like preferences, add-ons and more with a simple touch. You can see all of these tablet-based features at work in the video above.
In addition, the new version of Firefox for Android lets developers use HTML5-based tools to create web sites that can user the features of the Android-based web browser. For example, developers could create a site that would allow users to make use of a smartphone or tablet camera or to scan bar codes without needing a third party application.


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Video source: YouTube, CNBC Television
AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc (NYSE: AMC ) announced Monday it will soon have the technology in place to enable customers to buy movie tickets or concessions online using bitcoin.
During the company's second quarter earnings call, AMC’s chief executive officer Adam Aron said the chain will also offer support for Google Pay and Apple Pay at its theaters by the end of 2021.
He also told investors that the company was also “exploring how else AMC can participate in this new burgeoning cryptocurrency universe, and we’re quite intrigued by potentially lucrative business [opportunities].”
Aron cited his work on the board of Centricus Acquisition Corp — which is in the process of buying a blockchain technology startup — in helping him learn more about digital coin and decide whether or not to make it a payment option for theater-goers.
CNBC noted that the move brings together two highly speculative assets — bitcoin, which is known for its wild volatility, and AMC, which was one of the so-called “meme stocks” favored by retail traders on Reddit’s WallStreetBets forum.
A growing number of companies, including PayPal Holdings and Square Inc, have begun to take digital currency as a form of payment, bringing the asset closer to the mainstream.
Visa Inc, Mastercard Inc, Bank of New York Mellon Corp and BlackRock Inc have also started accepting cryptocurrency for certain payments.
Tesla Inc announced plans in March to accept bitcoin as a payment method for its cars, but halted purchases with the digital token in mid-May amid concerns over how mining contributes to climate change.
Tesla chief Elon Musk has said the EV maker would hold the bitcoin it owns to use “as soon as mining transitions to more sustainable energy” and will look into other cryptocurrencies that require less energy for transactions.
AMC’s announcement this week comes as the nation’s largest theater chain continues to welcome back guests after extended shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of the end of June, all of AMC’s 593 US theaters were open to the public and 335 of its international locations, about 95%, were operational.
Audiences are returning but have not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, AMC said. During the second quarter, AMC welcomed 22 million guests in its theaters, up from 7 million the prior quarter but far below the 97 million tickets sold during the second quarter of 2019.
For the second quarter of 2021, AMC posted a net loss of $344 million, or 71 cents per share, compared to a loss of $561.2 million, or $5.38 per share, a year ago. The chain reported revenue of $444.7 million, above the $382.1 million forecasted by analysts.
“We are not taking a victory lap … We are still losing money; we are still burning cash,” Aron said. “But we can see a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Source: Equities News


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The meaning of Netflix and Chill will completely change thanks to this new Galway hotel.
Goss.ie has learned that Residence Hotel – a new swanky boutique hotel is set to open smack bang in the middle of Galway city.
Residence will boast 20 uniquely designed bedrooms, but most importantly guests will enjoy Champagne on demand, Netflix in EVERY room plus a Nespresso in every room (if you’re off the bubbles).
And the Champers isn’t just any bottle of bubbles…no, this hotel is set to be all things luxurious, as they’ve teamed up with Belaire Champagne.
Set to open at the end of March, Residence Hotel will be on Quay Street, right in the heart of the city.
Rooms start at just €100, and we’re guessing it’s going to be booked up real fast.
To watch the swanky hotel come together, follow them right here on INSTAGRAM.


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IBO Indexes Trade Higher
First quarter US GDP was revised from an increase of 0.2% to a contraction of 0.7%. This divergence was attributed to a greater-than-expected trade imbalance as well as lower inventory growth and consumer spending. While early estimates suggest a rebound in second quarter GDP growth in the 3% range, weak consumer spending may constrain such growth. In May, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 gained 1.0% each and the NASDAQ advanced 2.6%. Year to date, the Dow, S&P 500 and NASDAQ are up 1.1%, 2.4% and 7.1%, respectively.
Laboratory Instruments and Products
Cellular Dynamics was removed from the Index following the proposed acquisition by Fujifilm (see IBO 4/31/15). In May, the Index gained 3.8% to 234.88 and has advanced 5.6% for the year. Most companies traded in positive territory, led by NanoString Technologies, which jumped 17.6% for the month. The company announced on May 7 that first quarter sales climbed 32%. But EPS loss widened at a higher-than-expected rate as a result of increased headcount. The company projected an operating loss of $43–$49 million in 2015. Shares traded higher after the earnings call and advanced on May 14 after the firm reported progress in achieving Medicare coverage for its Prosigna breast cancer assay.
Illumina was the only other company in the Index to advance in double digits for the month, climbing 11.8%. The company was upgraded by Morgan Stanley on May 21 from “Equal Weight” to “Overweight.” However, the investment bank lowered its price target from $190 to $162.
Several other companies—Bio-Rad Laboratories, Luminex, Mettler-Toledo, Pacific Biosciences and VWR—recorded solid gains due to first quarter financial results. Luminex beat both first quarter adjusted EPS and revenue expectations on May 4. It maintained its 2015 revenue guidance of $230–$236 million for growth of 1%–4%. Shares improved 8.1% for the month. Bio-Rad, which climbed 7.4% for the month, crushed adjusted EPS expectations on May 5 due to strong margin improvements. On the same day, Pacific Biosciences recorded first quarter revenue growth of 52%. The firm raised its full-year revenue growth outlook from at least 20% to at least 25%. Shares climbed 9.3%. On May 1, William Blair upgraded the firm from “Market Perform” to “Outperform.”
On May 7, Mettler-Toledo posted better-than-expected first quarter adjusted EPS of $2.25. Given the uncertainty in demand for certain markets and currency headwinds, the company raised the lower end of its 2015 adjusted EPS range by only $0.05 to $12.75–$12.90. Shares climbed 2.4% in May. VWR met first quarter adjusted EPS estimates on May 14 but beat revenue expectations. It confirmed its 2015 adjusted EPS outlook of $1.42–$1.50. Shares grew 2.8% for the month.
Becton, Dickinson beat analysts’ adjusted EPS consensus on May 7 because of lower operating expenses. For fiscal 2015, the company maintained its adjusted EPS guidance of $6.50–$6.57 for its legacy business and projected adjusted EPS of $7.00–$7.10, including the acquisition of CareFusion. Shares traded marginally lower.
On May 5, QIAGEN reported adjusted EPS in line with expectations but missed revenue projections due to currency headwinds. It reaffirmed its 2015 currency-neutral adjusted EPS outlook of $1.16–$1.18. Second quarter adjusted EPS are projected to be $0.26–$0.27 excluding currency. Bruker beat adjusted first quarter EPS expectations on May 6. Conversely, sales missed analysts’ consensus on account of currency and weak NMR demand. Bruker maintained its 2015 adjusted EPS guidance of roughly $0.75. On May 21, Bruker was downgraded by Mizuho from “Buy” to “Neutral” and by William Blair from “Outperform” to “Market Perform.”
Several firms reported disappointing quarterly results. On May 7, Fluidigm slumped 28.0% after reporting weak first quarter sales results. It lowered its full-year revenue range from $142–$149 million to $133–$143 million. While adjusted EPS loss of $0.39 was just above expectations, it was significantly wider than the previous year due to increased operating expenses. Mizuho downgraded the company on May 8 from “Buy” to “Neutral” and lowered its price target from $50 to $30. Shares contracted 36.9% for the month.
Bio-Techne was impacted by currency headwinds as sales and adjusted EPS fell below expectations on May 5. Yet shares advanced 5.5% in May as the company reiterated that the weakness was mostly temporary.
On May 18, Agilent Technologies missed both fiscal second quarter adjusted EPS and revenue consensus, primarily due to currency, but also due to timing of orders and shipping challenges. Due to its new efficiency program, Agilent maintained its fiscal 2015 adjusted EPS outlook of $1.67–$1.73. Fiscal third quarter adjusted EPS are projected to be $0.38–$0.42. On May 28, Agilent approved a $1.14 billion stock repurchase program beginning November 1 or upon completion of its existing buyback plan, which has $365 million remaining. The repurchase program is based on a new capital allocation policy to return more than 85% of free cash flow to shareholders. Shares slipped 0.4% for the month.
Diversified Instrumentation Stock Index
The Index climbed 3.6% in May to 187.14 and is up 1.7% year to date. Index growth was heightened by Danaher’s pro-posed acquisition of Pall (see IBO 5/15/15). Pall ended the month up 27.9%. It posted better-than-expected revenues and adjusted EPS for the fiscal third quarter ending April 30. Adjusted EPS jumped 32% excluding currency. Danaher also advanced as shares climbed 5.4% for the month.
International equity markets were mixed in May. Germany’s DAX slipped 0.4%, while the UK’s FTSE 100 improved 0.3%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 5.3%.
Shares for all Pacific Region firms in the IBO Stock Table expanded, except for JEOL, which slipped 0.7%. JEOL reported on May 27 that EPS fell 61% to ¥18.58 ($0.15) for fiscal 2015 ending March 31. Precision System Science recorded the strongest gain, climbing 26.7%. On May 15, the company reported EPS of ¥9.25 ($0.08) for the fiscal third quarter, com-pared to an EPS loss of ¥14.15 ($0.14), as sales grew 57%. It narrowed its fiscal 2015 EPS loss by 26% to ¥14.25 ($0.12).
Shimadzu shares also grew by double digits in May, rising 17.3%. Fiscal 2015 EPS rose 90% to ¥62.30 ($0.50). Fiscal 2016 net income is expected grow 8.4% to ¥20.0 billion ($165 million). HORIBA reported on May 11 that first quarter EPS soared 137.8% to ¥69.79 ($0.56) and projected 2015 EPS of to grow 9.5% to ¥272.94 ($2.27). On May 11, GL Sciences report-ed that fiscal 2015 EPS fell 19% to ¥123.34 ($1.00) and announced a two-for-one stock split effective June 30. On May 14, Techcomp first quarter EPS loss widened 6% to $0.36.
UK-based companies in the IBO Stock Table were led by Scientific Digital Imaging, which jumped 66.7%. In a May 14 trading update, the firm stated that pretax profit would fall in line with expectations. Exiqon grew 19.4%. On May 7, it reported slightly lower earnings and maintained its 2015 sales guidance of DKK 150–160 million ($23–$25 million) and EBITDA of DKK 5–10 million ($0.8–$1.5 million). On May 7, Datacolor EPS fell 27% to CHF 8.77 ($9.03) for the fiscal first half ending March 31. On May 19, Merck KGaA first quarter adjusted EPS slipped 3% to €1.12 ($1.20). It maintained its moderate 2015 projected EPS of €4.60-4.80 ($5.00-$5.22).