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Infiniti has released an image of its new Q Inspiration Concept ahead of its debut at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Taking centre stage on the Nissan stand at the North American International Auto Show, the Vmotion’s crisp, angular styling hints at a future design direction for the Japanese brand.
The 2017 Detroit Auto Show has seen Audi debut a near production-ready concept for its new entrant into the luxury SUV class – the Q8 – which will come to market in 2018.
Making its global premiere at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Infiniti QX50 Concept is said to showcase the brand’s vision for a next-generation mid-size premium SUV.
The Detroit Auto Show is to host the world debut of the fifth generation Lexus LS flagship saloon.
Set to debut at the Detroit Auto Show, Kia's new GT promises 0-100km/h acceleration in a shade over 5 seconds.
Kia has pulled the covers off its new Telluride SUV.
Revealed at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) the concept is a three-row, seven-passenger, luxury hybrid SUV featuring an upright shape, muscular stance, and state-of-the-art technology to care for its occupants. Based on an existing platform, the concept shows the brand’s interest in ‘potentially offering a premium SUV positioned above the current Sorento’.
The Telluride’s front doors and rear-hinged back doors swing open 90 degrees in opposing directions revealing four black-leather ‘captain’s seats’ that appear to float within the spacious cabin, in front of a folded third-row bench. The large cabin allows the middle seats to recline nearly flat and include large fold-away footrests for added comfort.
All four seats include a series of diamond-cut openings in the seatback, each embedded with Smart Sensors to capture a passenger’s vital health information. Once obtained, these vitals are displayed on the interior door panel screens, which then systematically synchronise with a Light Emitted Rejuvenation (LER) system. The LER system utilises a massive, wing-shaped LED panel mounted beneath the oversized sunroof that displays a pattern of therapeutic light to treat desynchronosis (jetlag) and improve the passengers’ energy levels.
Another new technology introduced in concept is Swipe Command – a thin, touch-sensitive, interactive band mounted to the second row centre console – which allows rear-seat passengers to quickly scroll and select desired media by simply swiping their hand. The selected media is then played either through the seven-speaker premium Harman Kardon audio system, or via a set of portable Harman Kardon headphones that wirelessly charge when stowed in the console. Up front, a compartment in the centre stack allows for wireless mobile phone charging, and Kia’s first use of 3D-printed components add a distinct, modern design element to the dashboard, door panels, and steering wheel.
The Telluride’s ‘modern and muscular’ appearance is accentuated by flared wheel arches stretching around huge 22-inch five-spoke wheels. A front fascia incorporates a much larger version of Kia’s tiger nose grille, as well as quad-LED headlamps, pronounced horizontal LED indicator lights, and a polished-metal skid plate below the bumper.
The concept is powered by an ‘extremely efficient’ PHEV powertrain, activated by a finger-print push-button start. Utilising a 3.5-litre petrol direct injected (GDI) V6 engine and powerful electric motor, the SUV’s transverse-mounted powertrain combines to produce 400 horsepower (270 horsepower from V6 and 130 horsepower from the electric motor) while achieving more than 30mpg on the motorway. Power is sent to all four wheels via an advanced all-wheel drive system.
While there are currently no plans to bring the Telluride to production, Kia says it has a history of delivering production vehicles that bear strong resemblance to a preceding concept.
Audi has pulled the covers off the h-tron quattro concept car at the NAIAS in Detroit
Described as the next step towards the long-term Audi goal of CO2-neutral mobility, the SUV concept is powered by a fuel cell with an output of up to 110 kW backed up by a further on-demand power boost of 100 kW from a lightweight lithium-ion battery.
Total system torque of 550 Nm equates to acceleration from 0-62 mph in under seven seconds and a 124 mph top speed.
It can be fully refuelled with hydrogen in around four minutes, and is then ready to drive for up to 372 miles (600 km). An extra energy boost comes from the fitment of the world’s largest in-car solar roof, offering up to 320 watts output or additional range of up to 620 miles (1,000km) per year
The h‑tron quattro concept is closely related to the fully electric e‑tron quattro concept SUV which made its debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Both cars are based on the second-generation modular longitudinal platform (MLB evo), sharing a virtually identical floor assembly despite their different technology.
The h‑tron quattro concept presents the fifth generation of fuel cell technology from Audi and Volkswagen, using lighter materials to reduce weight and improve performance, responsiveness, service life and efficiency.
With an efficiency rating in excess of 60 percent, Audi claims that the fuel cell now surpasses any combustion engine. The “stack”, comprising 330 individual cells, is housed in the forward structure.
The three hydrogen tanks are located beneath the passenger or luggage compartment. At a pressure of 700 bar, they store enough hydrogen for a range of up to 372 miles (600 km).
Every tank is made up of several layers – the inner tank from gas-tight polyamide is wrapped in carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP). Like a car with a combustion engine, refueling takes about four minutes.
Offering seating for four adults and 500 liitres of luggage space, the five-door Audi h‑tron quattro concept is 4.88 metres long and 1.93 metres wide but its relatively low height of 1.54 metres contributes to a drag coefficient of 0.27. Aerodynamic elements down the flanks, on the underbody and at the rear improve airflow around the car at higher speeds, while cameras take the place of exterior mirrors, to improve efficiency still further.
The h-tron’s headlights and tail lights utilise a combination of high-resolution Matrix laser technology and flat OLED (organic light emitting diode) elements which radiate a blue light to the sides and upwards.
The concept also comes equipped with all the Audi’s piloted driving technologies – radar sensors, a new kind of video camera, ultrasonic sensors and a laser scanner.
Audi says it will be taking this technology into production for the first time ever in 2017, with the next generation of its A8 Saloon.
Volvo has chosen the North American International Auto Show (or NAIAS) in Detroit to launch its new signature premium saloon - the S90.
This comes on the back of strong sales in the US, especially in the second half of 2015 where sales increased 24.3 per cent. “There are strong indications that Volvo is back on track in the US,” said Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President of the Americas at Volvo Car Group. “We expect this strong sales momentum to continue in 2016, helped by the new S90.”
The launch of the new S90 forms the second chapter in the ‘complete renewal’ of Volvo’s product range, which began in 2015 with the new XC90 SUV. The XC90 received around 88,000 pre-orders in 2015, surpassing expectations.
The S90 features a concave grille – itself a homage to the Volvo P1800 – and is home to Volvo’s new Iron Mark. The T-shaped ‘Thor’s Hammer’ lights deliver a ‘powerful sense’ of direction that makes the S90 unmistakable on the road. Power comes from a clean and powerful T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrain, delivering up to 410 hp and offers three different car experiences in one – Pure, Hybrid and Power.
Inside the low, four-door coupe, Volvo has taken cues from the success of its XC90 model and included what it describes as ‘stunning details’ on the new dashboard and instrument panel, including new air blades that stand vertically on each side of the Sensus user interface.
“We created our new flagship saloon, the Volvo S90, as a real game changer. It is classy and cool. The exterior is exceptionally well surfaced, with a fantastic stance and the sort of clean lines that are singularly appropriate of a Scandinavian design. The interior masters the art of blending innovative technology and natural materials into an elegant, welcoming and tasteful ambience – Swedishness at its best,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President, Design at Volvo Car Group.
The S90 will be launched with IntelliSafe Assist as standard. This includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Distance Alert, and the advanced semi-autonomous drive feature, Pilot Assist, which gives gentle steering input to keep the car properly aligned within lane markings up to motorway speeds of around 80 mph.
Kia will reveal a brand new concept car at the 2016 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.
Conceived at the Korean carmaker’s California design studio, the concept features advanced technology – including state-of-the-art health-and-wellness technology – and takes Kia’s design language in a new direction, hinting at the styling of a possible future premium large SUV in the brand’s line-up.
Kia says that there are currently no plans for the concept to enter immediate production and decisions on which markets may receive a future production version will be made in due course.
The Detroit Auto Show opens its doors on January 11, 2016.
Volvo has revealed its new S90 premium saloon, ahead of a North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) debut.
Volvo said the S90 'marks a giant step forward' for the brand better known for its SUVs and estates. Equipped with new technologies, ranging from 'cutting-edge' safety to cloud-based apps and services, the S90 also comes equipped with an advanced semi-autonomous drive feature, Pilot Assist. The system gives gentle steering inputs to keep the car properly aligned within lane markings up to motorway speeds of around 80mph, no longer needing to follow another car. Pilot Assist is another step towards full autonomous drive.
"With the launch of the XC90, we made a clear statement of intent. We are now clearly and firmly in the game. With $11 USD billion of investment over the past five years, we have not only reimagined what Volvo Cars can be - we are now delivering on our promise of a resurgent and relevant Volvo Cars brand" said Hakan Samuelsson, President & CEO, Volvo Car Group.
The S90 will be powered by a T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrain and come with 'one of the most luxuriously appointed interiors and connected infotainment systems in the large saloon segment', says Volvo.
"Our idea was to bring something entirely new to this rather conservative segment and deliver a visual expression that exudes leadership and confidence on the exterior. On the inside, we have taken the S90 to the next level, delivering a high-end luxury experience that promises comfort and control" said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Car Group.
The S90 also introduces a world-first function to City Safety - large animal detection - a system capable of detecting large animals such as elk, horses or moose, night or day. The technology offers an intuitive warning and brake support to help avoid a collision.
The Volvo S90 is set to be publicly unveiled at the NAIAS in Detroit in January.


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VR Becomes Mainstream – Google’s Headset Dubbed ‘Cardboard’
Being in another world – not just looking at a place on a computer screen, but actually experiencing it, as if you’re standing there.
That’s the magic of virtual reality (VR).
Till now, it’s largely been the province of clunky hardware, powered by high-strength processors. Expensive, and unattainable.
With a new app from Google that lets Android users transform their phones into VR headsets, this looks set to change.
You’ll need to; but, more of that later.
Google’s system, codenamed ‘Cardboard’, was a hit at the recent Google I/O 2014 developers’ conference. It’s so named, because the visor component which houses the phone can be constructed from simple materials. The aim is to create a low-cost platform users can assemble on their own.read more

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Mobile Payment App Complaints are Surging as More Americans Go Cashless -
"Top complaints include trouble with digital wallets, scams and customer service issues."
Why this is important: Roughly four in five Americans already were using digital payment apps prior to the pandemic, according to this report, and the demand for cashless payments has only increased in the past year. These cashless payment systems, however, do not have the same fraud protection under federal law. While complaints continue to funnel in (this report indicates more than 9,000 complaints were filed in the past four years), businesses that rely on these systems must brace themselves, not only for a slew of legal challenges under existing laws, but also for attempts to introduce new legislation to address the gaps in the law.
Please see full Newsletter below for more information.


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Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Apple Leak Confirms New iOS Version
Five versions of iOS 8 have now been released and major update ‘iOS 8.2’ has also been seen on video ahead of its expected launch early next year. But in the meantime a significant number of iPhone and iPad owners are still affected by WiFi, Bluetooth and battery issues. But it appears Apple AAPL -0.46% has a pleasant surprise in store: an unexpected new iOS release.
The predominantly reliable MacRumours has detected Apple devices running ‘iOS 8.1.3’ visiting its website. It explains:
“The number of hits from iOS 8.1.3 remains low, numbering just a few dozen in total from Apple’s networks. A view of overall traffic from iOS 8.1.3 devices shows a clearer upward trend aside from a weekend dip, based on a much larger sample size. While there are more likely to be faked identifiers in the general pool of web visitors, the clear trend of increasing usage and visits coming from Apple’s own networks have historically been reliable indicators of Apple’s development work.”
At this stage it is unknown what iOS 8.1.3 might contain or when it will arrive and given the time of year it seems unlikely it would appear before January. That said numerically iOS 8.1.3 would arrive ahead of iOS 8.2 which Apple has already said is due for release in late January/February.
Unlike iOS 8.2, iOS 8.1.3 has yet to be seeded with developers for testing but this should not come as a surprise. Apple very rarely seeds minor point releases with developers, instead pushing them out to address specific bugs or performance issues. Larger releases require more testing with iOS 8.2 notably paving the way for Apple Watch apps as it contains the new Watch API.
Whatever the end result, however, users will be hoping for a more significant release than iOS 8.1.2 which merely addressed a ringtone bug while also deleting any ringtones users had purchased outside the Apple store. Given the ongoing problems experienced by many users this wasn’t the update they had hoped for.


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In 2009, the winners of the 'Most Desirable' title was Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. Based on a heady mix of popularity, personality, sex-appeal, beauty and most of all desirability, the sought-after list this year boasts of hotties like Kareena.Finally, only 50 Most Desired celebrities will make it to the coveted list.
Bollywood beauty Kareena Kapoor is looking forward to launch her fitness trainer Rujuta Diwakar's new book titled 'Women and the Weight Loss Tamasha'. Rujuta's close friend and client Kareena will reportedly fly from Switzerland to Mumbai especially for the launch of the book, scheduled on January 15, 2011.
Kareena Kapoor looks serene during a photoshoot. Source: www.gulte.com
Catfight is on.It's Bebo's turn.But the fact remains that Piggy and Bebo do not have very strong issues co-starring with each other.
Back to back: Kareena, Saif reportedly shot an aesthetic lovemaking sequence in Karan Johar's 'Qurbaan' that involves more physical exposure and intimacy than perhaps the actress’ censorship instincts allow.


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New filtered images of the OnePlus 6 show how the design of the new “flagship killer” of the Chinese company, of course, OnePlus would continue to be inspired by the device of the tech giant Apple, of course, the iPhone X, as shown by its new filtered live images.
OnePlus 6 Leaks In Real-Life Image With iPhone X-Like Notch
Although it was only expected in June, everything points to OnePlus 6 being anticipated and leaving earlier this month. Once we know its price and some of its features, we get an image of the front.
Although not the largest Chinese smartphone brand, OnePlus is considered one of the best known in Asia. Following the success of OnePlus One, the brand has garnered a great following of fans who remain faithful to it till today.
Four years after the launch of the first model, the Chinese brand continues to maintain a strong bet on performance, although prices are slightly higher. This year, the OnePlus 6, a model expected only in June, is expected to be released this month.
According to rumours, the new flagship will come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6/8 GB of RAM and 64/128/256 GB of internal storage.
The photo should also be one of the focuses of this new smartphone after its fans ask for more care in this chapter. The OnePlus 6 should feature a dual 20 MP + 16 MP main camera with f/1.7 aperture and a 16 MP front camera.
As for the screen, the OnePlus 6 should bring a 6.28″ OLED panel with FullHD+ resolution and with the presence of the usual notch.
Once we know the hardware that comes with this smartphone, simply we need to know its design. Recently a new real image has appeared on the front panel of the OnePlus 6 that shows what the look of this new smartphone looks like.
In addition to the front, the rear panel is already known after being displayed on two different links.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) March 27, 2019
However, according to the rumours and reports, the upcoming flagship of OnePlus, of course, the OnePlus 6 can then arrive this month in an event where you can also meet the new wireless earbuds and other new features.
So, what do you think about this? Simply share all your views and thoughts in the comment section below.


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On Thursday morning, shares of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) were trading at a discount of up to 2.4% shortly after the market opened. However, as of 10:48 a.m. Eastern Time, the stock has given up only 0.23% of those gains and has regained the majority of those losses.
The company’s management reported its near-term demand trends on Wednesday at an investor conference, which may have contributed to the stock’s downward trend. In this context, Samsung Electronics has issued a grim warning that the semiconductor market may not recover much even in 2023.
The price of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) stock has been moving steadily lower during the year. The Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) shares price have decreased by 41% this year, with most of those losses occurring in only the most recent few months. Would it be possible for the stock to recover from these lows? The management suggested that demand would level out in the fourth quarter.
As 2022 began, Intel possessed the optimistic outlook that the demand it had witnessed in 2021 would continue. However, consumer PC demand has plummeted, and the slump has only worsened since the beginning of the second quarter.
The enterprise sector has also begun to experience some of the downturns that have been sweeping the economy. In the second quarter, Intel reported a decrease in non-GAAP (adjusted) revenue of 17% year over year, with the data center and artificial intelligence segment showing a fall of 16%.
Pat Gelsinger, the CEO of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), stated on Wednesday that the demand for semiconductors has been lower than initially anticipated while speaking at the Evercore TMT conference. In Intel’s projection for the third quarter, revenue was expected to land between $15 billion to $16 billion, a decrease from the $17.3 billion it generated in the third quarter of 2021. During the conference, Gelsinger cautioned the investors by stating that revenue has been trending toward the lower end of that range in the current quarter. He remarked that the environment was quite dangerous.
To look on the good side, Gelsinger stated that the company is now shipping less volume than the demand in the market, which indicates that inventory channels are likely to become light very soon and will need to be replenished. Gelsinger pointed out that this should contribute to better growth beginning in the fourth quarter.
When Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is still suffering market share declines relative to its competitors, it is tough to say that the stock is a genuine bargain.
Featured Image – Megapixl © Servickuz


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Vietnam is piloting a new customs bond model that is seen to speed up clearance of traded goods and boost the country’s competitiveness.
Experts told a recent conference on trade facilitation in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam that the customs bond system is meant to streamline import processing, with the bond being an agreement that ensures an importer, who will buy a custom bond from an approved surety company, will pay all fees and taxes as well as comply with laws and regulations.
The surety company will act as a third party who will pay the customs agency if an importer is unable to fulfill its obligations, before seeking reimbursement from the importer.
Customs bonds will thus help speed up goods clearance. The model is expected to be piloted in 2020, said a report from Vietnam News Agency.
The customs bond project was jointly launched in Vietnam by the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF) and Vietnam Private Sector Forum (VPSF) on September 1, 2017 to help modernize the country’s import and export administrative procedures. GATF will work with local government agencies and monitor the Vietnam Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System (VNACCS) and Vietnam Customs Information System (VCIS) to assist in implementing the new system.
Vietnam is the first country in Asia and the first developing country in the world to be selected by donor countries in the World Trade Organization (WTO) to receive technical assistance under the agreement on WTO Trade Facilitation, in effect since February 22, 2017 when 112 countries ratified it, said the report.
Customs clearance procedures in Vietnam reportedly account for 72% of the total time it takes goods to be released from the border, said a report from Vietnam Briefing. Customs bonds will significantly reduce the customs clearance timeline for importers and exporters, and act as a contract to ensure that importers oblige with duties, taxes, and fees owed to the government.
In addition, the system will lead to an increase in trade volumes, effective trade monitoring, government revenues, and overall economic growth.
Nestor Scherbey, senior policy advisor to the GATF in Vietnam, said during the conference that a large portion of trade costs stems from economic policies and regulations, especially administrative procedures for border management. And according to a World Bank study of 126 countries, around 75% of delays are due to administrative hurdles such as certification, inspections, and other custom procedures as opposed to physical infrastructure.
“Outdated trade regulations combine with burdensome and non-transparent administrative procedures to inflict a burden on economic growth through trade that is the equivalent of a 164.25% ‘Invisible Tariff or Tax’,” he said.
The invisible tax is the most significant non-tariff or technical barrier to Vietnam’s exports, and is especially challenging for small to medium-sized businesses, which most of Vietnam’s businesses are, since they lack the resources to overcome it, he added.
Reducing export clearance time by a day can increase annual exports by around 1%, which is around US$2.13 billion, Scherbey said.


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Spanish content powerhouse Vertice 360 announced Friday it has acquired 50% of American production house Powwow Media Partners, giving it a strategic foothold in the Latin American and U.S. Spanish-speaking markets.
Powwow partners Daniel Gutman, Marcela Campos and Leopoldo Lavazza will head the minority shareholders that comprise 50% in the joint venture, 360Powwow.
With offices in Miami, Los Angeles and Buenos Aires, Powwow holds local rights for international formats like "Survivor," "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and "Temptation Island."
The new company has been called 360Powwow and will be based in Miami. The new company is also working on American versions of Spanish formats (in both languages English and Spanish) to reach the Latin American market and the Hispanic market in the US.
The move marks the second tactical move since Vertice president Jose Maria Irisarri said in March the company would expand through the acquisition of companies. Vertice aims to grow revenues to €240 million ($310.8 million) by 2012.
The deal comes two months after Vertice announced the acquisition of production and post-production company Lavinia, with offices in Barcelona, Madrid and Brussels.
Vertice took 92.2% of Lavinia shares and Lavinia 15% of the new merged company.
The Vertice-Lavinia merger will boost annual sales from $142.45 million in 2009 to $246 million this year, according to local reports.


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Chief information officers (CIOs) and chief marketing officers (CMOs) are not collaborating well enough, something that could prevent consumers from accessing the best possible advertising and engagement, it has been claimed.
According to a study from Accenture based on as survey of marketers and IT experts in ten countries, only one in 10 executives feel that co-operation between the two groups is currently at the right level.
As technology plays an ever-larger part in many marketing campaigns, with m-commerce and other cultural shifts changing how ads are disseminated, it seems natural that both groups would come closer together.
However, this kind of organisational change can often take a long time to come about organically, especially in large companies where marketers and their counterparts in IT are used to a certain way of doing things.
Brian Whipple, global managing director of Accenture Interactive, said: "With today’s multichannel consumer seeking highly relevant experiences and with digital and analytics platforms emerging to help companies respond, marketing and IT executives must work more closely together."
At the moment, CIOs appear to be more committed to the concept than their marketing counterparts - 77 per cent agree further engagement is important, compared to just 57 per cent of CMOs.
However, only 45 per cent of IT executives placed this increased collaboration at the top of their priorities.
Mr Whipple suggested that the dilemma faced by business leaders is that CIOs and CMOs currently have a disparate set of aims and goals, something that must be resolved if they are to work together effectively.
Dealing with this can "turn a company's digital marketing capabilities into a platform for market differentiation, business growth, and profitability", he argued.
Accenture argued businesses need to work towards a greater skills mix, whereby marketing staff become more aware of technology and CIOs accept the importance of agility and reacting to consumer demand.
Both teams need to agree on key metrics and areas to focus on going forward if collaboration is going to be fruitful, the report concluded.


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When Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) hit theaters in 2016, fans were surprised that it managed to capture the magic of the Harry Potter films while also delivering its own ensemble of fun characters, and were left excited for what the four planned sequels would bring.
Six years later, and there’s trouble in the Wizarding World — and no, we’re not talking about dark wizards and Death Eaters. Recently, it was reported that Warner Bros. might be planning to scrap the two remaining Fantastic Beasts sequels, which comes off the back of poor critical and box office receptions, and a lot of controversy.
Now, following the performance of the last two movies, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) and this year’s Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022), Warner Bros. might be looking to hit the reset button on the Wizarding World franchise in a major way.
Their decision — which is yet to actually be confirmed — is likely also fuelled by all the controversy surrounding the films, largely relating to Wizarding World creator JK Rowling, as well as Gellert Grindelwald actor Johnny Depp, who was fired after the second film, and Credence Barebone actor Ezra Miller, who, like Depp, has also faced allegations of abuse.
Fortunately, not all is doom and gloom, as there’s another major Harry Potter installment just around the corner. The open-world game Hogwarts Legacy (2023) will be hitting shelves in February next year, and promises to be an epic addition to the Wizarding World franchise.
However, for a tiny portion of fans, the game isn’t positive news, and they’ve even threatened to boycott it upon its release. This is most likely due to all the hot air surrounding JK Rowling, who upset members of the trans community in recent years with tweets regarding gender identity.
But is JK Rowling involved with Hogwarts Legacy? In response to the questions “What is JK Rowling’s involvement with the game? Is this a new story from JK Rowling?“ the official website for the game states the following on its Frequently Asked Questions page:
JK Rowling is not involved in the creation of the game, but as creator of the Wizarding World and one of the world’s greatest storytellers, her extraordinary body of writing is the foundation of all projects in the Wizarding World. This is not a new story from JK Rowling, however we have collaborated closely with her team on all aspects of the game to ensure it remains in line with the magical experiences fans expect.
So, JK Rowling isn’t directly involved with Hogwarts Legacy, but she has definitely been involved to some degree. Who knows — she might even end up buying a copy! But let’s just hope it doesn’t inspire another Wizarding World movie…
As per the official Hogwarts Legacy website, here’s the synopsis for the game:
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. For the first time, experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Now you can take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it.
Hogwarts Legacy is one of many upcoming open-world titles based on major blockbuster franchises. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (TBA) is due out some time next year (possibly 2024), and there’s even an open-world Star Wars video game in the works.
Hogwarts Legacy will be released on February 10, 2023, on all major gaming platforms — Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The Nintendo Switch version release date, however, “will be revealed soon” according to Portkey Games.
Do you think Hogwarts Legacy will make a great addition to the Wizarding World? Let us know in the comments down below!


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Golborne-based Wetherby Building Systems, the UK’s leading manufacturer and distributor of external wall insulation (EWI) systems, is benefitting from the government’s new energy efficiency schemes as it sees turnover rocket by 232%.
The company has just released its 2012 figures, which reveal an increase in its annual turnover from £18.4m to £61m, with profits rising by 342% during the same period. The latest sales figures come on the back of three previous years of steady growth, with the company’s annual turnover now six times the £9.3m it achieved in 2009.
The dramatic increase in sales can be attributed to the government’s energy efficiency schemes CESP and CERT, as EWI solutions are one of the primary energy-saving measures included under the schemes, creating huge demand for effective EWI systems.
Wetherby is also seeing huge demand for its systems to be installed under ECO, the government’s latest energy efficiency scheme launched at the beginning of the year. Involved in some of the largest ECO schemes in the country, Wetherby has recently been selected to provide EWI solutions for a £20m project to renovate 4,700 homes for Watford Community Housing Trust, which is currently the largest ECO project in the UK.
Wetherby has also secured new supply chain deals with major energy companies and building contractors that have ECO contracts agreed, increasing demand for the company’s EWI systems.
To ensure it can meet market demand and continue to offer customers the best possible service, Wetherby is extending its distribution operation at Golborne to cater for the increased demand for its products. It has also invested heavily in a new purpose-built training facility in Haydock, to ensure there are enough skilled EWI labourers to cater for the demand.
Commenting on the exceptional sales performance, Wetherby managing director Bob Deane said: “It is fantastic for an independent company like Wetherby to be achieving such staggering growth. The ECO scheme has generated a huge demand for EWI systems and as a company that has successfully provided solutions for over 20 years, we are at the top of the list for many of the major projects.
“The ECO scheme is running until 2015, so the requirement for EWI solutions is only set to grow over the next two years. It is important we continue to offer the high levels of service we are known for, so we are investing heavily in our staff, training and facilities to ensure we can meet the continued demand.”
Wetherby Building Systems Ltd is the UK’s market leader in the manufacture and distribution of a wide range of external wall insulation (EWI) systems, polymer modified renders, silicone & acrylic thin-coat renders & brick slip systems for the retrofit market. Wetherby’s insulated render systems offer environmentally sympathetic external façade solutions that have been successfully installed on many domestic refurbishment projects, new build schemes, commercial buildings and educational establishments for over 20 years.
For further information on any products within the Wetherby Building Systems portfolio please log onto www.wbs-ltd.co.uk or call 01942 717100.


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Morgan is launching a batch of 20 uniquely specified Plus Four roadsters — priced at £60,995 each — to mark both the 70th anniversary of the model’s 1950 debut and the fact that the steel ladder chassis it has always used will be superseded this year by the new CX bonded aluminium platform, already launched in the Plus Six.
The 20 cars, officially dubbed Plus Four 70th Anniversary and painted platinum metallic in honour of their “platinum” anniversary, have already found homes. Each car will also have its chassis painted gold, with a motorsport inspired front valance and an exterior black-pack, and will roll on Satin Grey wire wheels.
Inside, each car will carry an individual numbered dashboard plaque. Heated “performance” seats will be trimmed in black leather (with monogrammed head restraints) and fascias will be finished in Ravenwood, a wood so dark that design boss Jon Wells describes it as “almost piano black”.
The 70th anniversary cars will come with a special engine map configured by Morgan’s in-house performance arm, Aero Racing, and a new exhaust from the same source. These lift power from the standard 154bhp to 180bhp, shaving around a second off the 0-62mph time, now “under seven seconds”. More important than the stopwatch time, Morgan experts say, is the fact that the engine revs much more freely.
Morgan bosses expect to begin building cars in February and have the whole batch ready for delivery during April. By then, they are also likely to have announced the specification of a new four-cylinder turbo model to succeed the Plus Four.


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Microsoft Corp. unveiled its new tablet, called Surface, at a media event at Milk Studios in Los Angeles on Monday. It will compete with Apple Inc.’s iPad and Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle Fire.
TechFlash reports the new Microsoft Surface tablet will have a built-in keyboard and trackpad as part of the tablet's cover and will have Microsoft Office software built in. The tablet will be 10.6 inches wide and 9.3 mm thick, with a full 16:9 high definition display and micro-SD and USB 2.0.
The New York Times reports that the Surface will utilize Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) upcoming Windows 8 software and the tablet will only be sold at Microsoft's existing 20 retail stores, as well as its online store. Microsoft currently has stores in Seattle's University Village shopping center and Bellevue Square Mall in Bellevue.


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More info on Fashion Valley San Diego
Fashion Valley San Diego - BingNews Search results
San Diego Lags Behind State and Country in Job Recovery, Labor Market Report Says
San Diego County's labor market has lagged behind the rest of the state and nation, even with the loosening of pandemic restrictions, according to a report released Monday.
Onward to Victor(y)! Padres Walk it Off on San Diego's Opening Day
The perfect formula for this return to 40,000-plus would be San Diego native Joe Musgrove making a great start and adopted San Diegan Fernando Tatis Jr. hitting another home run. Oh, and having ...
Prolific LA-Based Ramen Chain Landing at Fashion Valley
Its next wave of expansion includes San Diego, where Silverlake Ramen will open a restaurant at the Fashion Valley mall in the space that formerly housed Korean fast-casual concept Bibigo Kitchen.
Griffis Residential Snags San Diego-Area Property for $156M
They include Kearny Mesa, downtown San Diego and UTC. The Fashion Valley Mall is walking distance. As well, the University of San Diego is a five-minute drive away. San Diego State University and ...
Animal Rights Activists Protest at Fashion Valley Mall
Activists protested the sale of fur at the crowded Fashion Valley mall on the afternoon of November 26, designated “Fur Free Friday” by more than one animal-rights group. Groups of activists ...
San Diego Reader Fun issue
San Diego River Bike Path Ocean Beach/Mission ... the riverside trail resumes on the southeast side of Fashion Valley Mall. Explore Lake Wohlford Escondido If you have ever driven north to any ...
Zero Waste Fair coming Saturday via live webinar
Zero Waste Fair will be presented as a virtual event this year from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 12, hosted by nonprofit I Love A Clean San Diego County and the city of Encinitas. Highlights ...
Many San Diego businesses would no longer have to provide parking under policy proposal
Many businesses in San Diego would no longer need to provide ... That’s in contrast to regional commercial centers, like Fashion Valley mall, and general commercial areas and industrial areas.
UCLA Forecasts Rapid Economic Recovery from Pandemic in California
Outdoor patrons pack Blanco Tacos Tequila on the second floor of Fashion Valley ... the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage ...
Hello Kitty Cafe Truck West San Diego
Hello San Diego! The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is returning to Fashion Valley on Saturday 7/1! Visit us near the AMC Theater between 10am-8pm and pick up some supercute treats, while supplies last.
Fashion Valley Mall
Fashion Valley Mall has earned the reputation of being the Rodeo Drive of San Diego, with the utmost of sophistication and style. With designer boutiques like Hermes and Henry Bendel joining the ...


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Destiny 2: Lightfall is all set to get a brand new trailer during The Game Awards 2022, which will be taking place this Friday.
Gameplay has been revealed as a new vehicle for the next expansion of Condition 2—Understanding-will make its debut during the show. The announcement was made on Twitter, and little else in the way of information has been revealed. The Prize Game will be held on December 8th at 4:30pm PDT.
Detailed at the beginning of this year, Outcome 2: Understanding is set for release on February 28. The most important expansion is the addition of a new class Dark-Strand – as well as the addition of a new zone in the form of Neptune’s Neomuna.
According to the story, the expansion will revolve around the discovery of a new human colony that was hidden from the Solar System for a long time, that survived the Fall. The main antagonist of the story – The Witness – joins the previously introduced Calus and his new Shadow Legion as they attack Neomuna, while the player and other Guardians try to save the colony.
Outcome 2: Understanding will also see the return of the difficulty Information System for its campaign, which provides a higher level of challenges compared to its normal difficulty in exchange for better rewards.
Outcome 2: Understanding will be coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
– The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 7, 2022


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Brain Kwon, the former head of LG's TV unit who was tasked with reviving its mobile arm late last year, made the announcement at a press conference in Seoul on Friday. "We have reviewed releasing the foldable smartphone when launching 5G smartphone but decided not to produce it," said Kwon. "LG's main issue in smartphone business is to regain its market position. Considering this situation, it is too early for LG to launch a foldable smartphone."
Reports of the device first surfaced in Korean media in 2017. After a period of silence, the company's trademark applications for the "Foldi" and "Duplex" brand names reignited rumors last November. It was widely expected that LG would launch the device at CES last month, though all we got in the end was its rollable TV.
The fabled phone was tipped to support an optional "second screen" attachment, described as a sort of case with a display. It's still unclear how far along in its development the device was. Its future, and the fate of LG's mobile unit, now likely hinges on the success of LG's upcoming batch of handsets.


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EIB Global Commits $30 Million
Seedstars Africa Ventures, a Paris and Nairobi-based venture capital fund, has secured a substantial commitment of $30 million from EIB Global, a subsidiary of the European Investment Bank. This funding injection follows an $8 million investment from French private equity firm LBO France, the anchor investor for the venture capital fund.
Paving the Way for African Entrepreneurs
Positioning itself as a pivotal player in the African startup ecosystem, Seedstars Africa Ventures aims to bridge funding gaps, especially in regions beyond the prominent four – Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Collaborating with the Seedstars Group, a prominent emerging markets accelerator in Africa, the VC firm leverages the accelerator’s infrastructure and market access to tap into the vast potential of the African market.
Strategic Focus: From Seed to Series B
The fund targets early-stage startups in their seed and series A stages, providing essential follow-on funding up to Series B. Unlike traditional acceleration programs, Seedstars Africa Ventures emphasizes the need for a more extensive capital pool. The fund, aspiring to close between $80 million and $100 million, is strategically positioned to meet the diverse capital requirements of African entrepreneurs.
Diverse Support Beyond Financial Backing
Led by partners Maxime Bouan, Tamim El Zein, and Bruce Nsereko Lule, Seedstars Africa Ventures offers more than just financial support. Initial investments range from $250,000 to $2 million, with follow-on funding reaching up to $5 million for up to 30 startups. Entrepreneurs gain access to Seedstars’ extensive tools, networks, and visibility, enriching their journey beyond monetary contributions.
Sector-Agnostic Approach with a Unique Focus
While remaining sector-agnostic, Seedstars Africa Ventures expresses particular interest in startups addressing fundamental needs such as education, healthcare, and utilities. The fund welcomes tech startups and innovative brick-and-mortar businesses gaining advantages through digitalization. A unique approach involves allocating up to 50% of the fund to Francophone Africa, recognizing the untapped potential in this region.
A Commitment to African Growth
The investment, backed by the EU’s ACP Trust Fund and Boost Africa program, underscores the importance of supporting funds in Africa to nurture startup ecosystems and contribute to economic growth. Seedstars Africa Ventures has already made significant investments in businesses like Kenya’s Poa Internet, Nigeria’s Beacon, Shamba Pride in agritech, and Bizao in payments. With the additional funding from EIB Global, the VC firm is poised to accelerate its investments, making a lasting impact on the African startup landscape.
Transformative Journey in African Entrepreneurship
Beyond this pan-African fund, the broader Seedstars Group, with investments in 26 companies through its Seedstars International Ventures Funds I and II, demonstrates its commitment to African startups. As these investments unfold, a transformative journey in African entrepreneurship is underway, driven by strategic partnerships and substantial capital commitments.


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[Guide]: 6 tips to unwrap the holiday season consumer buying journey
It feels like the holidays start earlier every year, which means retail brands need to set their holiday marketing strategies now to help shoppers make crucial buying decisions. That’s why Mindstream put together this collection of holiday shopping trends and tips.
Download our guide to learn:
- Six tips to help retail brands make the most out of their marketing efforts this holiday season.
- The new holiday season buying journey – including the impact of digital devices on holiday shopping habits.
- The growing role of e-commerce in the holiday shopping experience.
Did you know?
- 54 percent of consumers start their holiday shopping research in October or earlier.
- One-third of consumers start making holiday shopping purchases before November.
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Have you tried everything to lose weight without success? If you’re ready to give up on reaching your ideal body, you may be interested in a new study that suggests that weight counseling by phone and by the internet can increase the chances of successfully losing weight.
This study carried out by Dutch researchers may give hope to women who have difficulty losing weight on their own, yet can’t afford the expense of a high priced weight loss counselor or dietician. The participants in this study were all given similar weight loss literature and self-help materials but two of the groups received weight counseling by phone and by the internet respectively. The third control group received no counseling, only self-help material. The phone and internet counselors encouraged the participants to follow a healthy diet plan and urged them to increase their level of physical activity.
At the end of a six month period, it was found that the two experimental groups who received phone or internet counseling lost more weight and lowered their fat intake to a great extent than did the control group who received only self-help diet literature. The participants in the phone counseling group also had greater increases in physical activity.
A meta-analysis of 46 trials published in the Annals of Internal Medicine also came to the conclusion that weight counseling is effective for weight loss with more frequent counseling sessions being more beneficial than less frequent ones. Unfortunately, by the end of the three year period, half of the people had regained the weight, and at five years, none of the subjects had retained their weight loss.
Although the researchers didn’t offer an explanation as to why the groups who received weight counseling by phone or by the internet, lost more weight, it would seem that such contact would provide more structure and accountability for the person attempting to lose weight. Such accountability can play a big role in whether or not a person succeeds with their weight loss goals. Phone and internet support provide an easy way for an overweight person to receive counseling without the time constraints and potential embarrassment of meeting with a counselor face to face.
The bottom line? Phone or internet weight counseling provides a good support system that can make weight loss success more likely. Unfortunately, because most people don’t retain their weight loss long term, periodic follow up counseling may be needed to encourage exercise and healthy eating habits.


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Although the next development of Team Ninja will be included in Game Pass, the team doesn’t see much chance of Nioh games coming to Xbox.
Both Team Ninja and Microsoft have collapsed spectacularly regarding Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, after all, the development has already been presented at the Xbox demo, and it was also revealed that the material will also be included in the Game Pass demo. Unfortunately, this hot relationship doesn’t mean that Nioh games originally released for PlayStation and then PC will also hit Xbox consoles.
Director Nioh Fumihiko Yasuda talked about this in a to VGC in a particular interview. The gentleman did not comment in detail on the matter, but stated that players should not wait for potential ports to appear: “At the moment, there is not much chance that Nioh will be available on Xbox consoles, but we hope that Xbox fans will enjoy Wo Long [a játék demója vasárnapig volt elérhető – a szerk.], waiting for its release. That’s all we can say for now.”
At the same time, Yasuda is very excited about their current collaboration with Microsoft, especially support for Game Pass, as Wo Long can reach many players in this way: this will likely help grow the online community and allow more users to play multiplayer. “
Yasuda also noted that although Nintendo is still dominant in Japan, in this generation of consoles Microsoft is significantly more represented in the island country, to which Game Pass also contributes.
“Communicator. Total coffee buff. Tv fan. Passionate twitter aficionado. Amateur bacon geek. Devoted internet expert. Avid analyst.”


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Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: India’s private sector activity rose to an eight-month high in March, helped by a pick-up in growth at goods producers and buoyant demand that prompted aggregate sales rising sharply.
The HSBC Flash India Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 61.3 in March, compared with a downward revised figure of 60.6 in February, according to the third flash results released by the company.
The PMI Index measuring the month-on-month change in the combined output of India’s manufacturing and service sectors was inside growth territory for the 32nd consecutive month. This upturn was led by the manufacturing industry with the fastest expansions in factory orders and production in nearly three-and-a-half years.
“Service providers noted a sharp increase in business activity that was broadly similar to February, while manufacturers recorded the strongest upturn in production since October 2020, ” said the survey.


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It looks like the crossover event we never expected has finally happened this year. The world of Mobile Suit Gundam and Hello Kitty will be colliding in celebration of their 40th and 45th Anniversaries respectively.
Details are scarce at the moment but according to CrunchyRoll, this “showdown project” will pit both popular franchises against one another both online and in real life:
Although the full details of “Gundam vs. Hello Kitty” have not yet been revealed, it is known that the project involves a LINE campaign where fans can vote for their favorite characters from each franchise and earn prizes, real-life promotions with restaurants and retail stores featuring this new rivalry, a “real mystery solving game” sponsored by SCRAP that is scheduled for Summer of 2019, and an animated preview video in which Kitty and the Gundam crew meet.
Yonk is a geek who is fortunate enough to have an equally geeky Star Wars fan for a wife, who owns a LEGO Millennium Falcon encased in a glass coffee table as their home’s centre-piece.


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By Gary Stoller, USA TODAY
A study being released Tuesday by a business travel group shows that travelers and company budgets are hit hard by taxes.
The study commissioned by the National Business Travel Association reveals that travelers not only pay a local sales tax, but they also spend 33% to 189% more in taxes aimed at visitors each day they stay at a hotel, dine and rent a car.
Taxes targeting travel-related services can cost a Fortune 500 company up to $50 million a year, says Bill Connors, executive director of the NBTA, which represents more than 4,000 corporate travel managers and suppliers.
The business travel industry is "increasingly concerned about the negative impact of taxes targeting travel-related services such as lodging, car rentals and restaurant bills," the study concludes. It points out that the taxes also lighten the wallets of local residents who use the services.
Taxes paid by travelers may include those of more than one municipality and can vary at an airport or a city center. At a hotel in Cleveland, for example, taxes include a 3% city bed tax, a 3% Cuyahoga County bed tax, a 1.5% tax to pay off the bonds for building the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a 7.75% sales tax.
Uses for taxes
Tax proceeds may go into a city's general fund or may be used for a non-travel purpose. For example, a 1.5% lodging tax in New Orleans is used to fund the school system, and a 0.5% lodging tax in Tampa is used to aid the homeless, says the American Economics Group, which conducted the study. The Washington, D.C., consulting company specializes in tax analysis.
The study looked at taxes at the 50 U.S. airports with the most passengers and found that a traveler pays $45.92 a day in taxes at the Cleveland airport — more than at any other airport studied. The $45.92 is comprised of $20.33 in sales tax, plus $25.59 in taxes aimed at travelers.
Such a finding isn't that important, says Dennis Roche, president of Cleveland's convention and visitors bureau. He says it costs less to visit Cleveland than Chicago and many other big cities, because lodging, meals and other expenditures are cheaper.
"What matters most to travelers is the overall cost," Roche says.
On the other end of the spectrum, the study shows that travelers at the Honolulu airport pay the least amount of travel-related taxes — $21.45.
To calculate how much taxes a traveler pays daily at each airport, the study assumed a room rate of $103.70 at an airport-area hotel, a $76.60 rental car rate and $82.03 for three meals at the airport. Those are average industry rates, according to the American Economics Group.
The study also looked at non-airport taxes aimed at travelers in cities. Based on the rates above, it found that a traveler pays more travel-related taxes — $22.83 — in Portland, Ore., than in 49 other big cities. Portland has no sales tax, though, so the total amount paid there is lower than in Chicago, where a traveler pays $18.83 in travel-related taxes plus $23.61 in sales tax.
Frequent business traveler Randy Jones, the CEO of a small consulting company in Marietta, Ga., has felt the pain of paying taxes in many cities.
"I personally feel that sometimes the taxes are excessive, but the businessman in me understands why they are necessary," he says. "Municipalities have made huge expenditures to provide services for their own citizens and visitors, so travelers should have some responsibility to pay for these services."
But some other business travelers may be more in line with British statesman Winston Churchill, who once said, "There is no such thing as a good tax."
Frequent-flier Peter Calcandy, a sales manager who lives in Huntington, N.Y., says, "You feel ripped off — especially the fees tacked onto car rentals — but what can you do? Life's little annoyances, I guess."
Richard Boyd of Beverly Hills says he hates paying the "obscene" taxes he is charged while traveling. "The taxes on hotel rooms and car rentals have become a way for cities to tax non-voters to pay for stadiums and other projects," says Boyd, who works in the entertainment industry. "It is particularly onerous on car rentals," where fees can tack on an additional 50%.
The NBTA's Connors says, "the general perception" is that travel-related taxes "only hit out-of-towners." But they also hit local companies and citizens who rent cars and hotel rooms and eat at local restaurants, he says.
"State and local officials are increasingly faced with the challenge of funding important initiatives with inadequate resources," says Connors, adding that the NBTA and other companies should consider "tax implications" before selecting a city for meetings. "But targeting one group of consumers to foot the bill is not the answer."
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Attention Disney+ subscribers: Mark your calendars for November 12.
That’s when the Walt Disney Company will host its first-ever Disney+ Day. The global celebration will feature a ton of new content releases, along with specials and sneak peeks on what’s to come for the streaming platform.
“The inaugural Disney+ Day will be a grand-scale celebration of our subscribers across the entire company,” said Bob Chapek, Disney CEO. “This day of appreciation brings to life our mission to entertain, inform, and inspire fans and families around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, and will become an annual tentpole event to be amplified across our global businesses.”
The content rolling out on Disney+ Day will feature premieres across all its popular brands, from Marvel and Star Wars to Pixar and National Geographic. Check out the full list of premieres, specials, and events below.
Disney+ Day Special Content
- The streaming premiere of Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings”
- The beloved Disney family-friendly adventure film “Jungle Cruise,” available to all subscribers
- The new Disney+ Original movie “Home Sweet Home Alone,” a reimagining of the popular holiday franchise
- An all-new original series of shorts from Walt Disney Animation Studios called “Olaf Presents,” which sees Frozen’s beloved snowman retelling several classic Disney tales as only he can
- The domestic Disney+ streaming debut of fan favorite shorts from Walt Disney Animation Studios, including “Frozen Fever“; Oscar®-winning shorts “Feast” and ”Paperman”; Oscar-nominated Mickey Mouse short, “Get A Horse!” and more
- An animated short film “Ciao Alberto” from Pixar, featuring characters from this summer’s animated hit breakout film “Luca”
- A new short from The Simpsons that pays tribute to Disney+’s marquee brands
- The first five episodes from season 2 of “The World According to Jeff Goldblum” from National Geographic
- A special celebrating the origins and legacy of Star Wars’ legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett
- A special celebrating the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+ with an exciting look towards the future
- “Dopesick,” an original series starring Michael Keaton, which will be released in international markets as part of the Star general entertainment content offering
Additional Launch News
Disney+ Day will also mark a significant expansion for the streaming platform. Disney+ will launch in South Korea and Taiwan on November 12, then in Hong Kong November 16.
More premieres, news, and offers will be announced for Disney+ Day as the November draws nearer, so check back to THS for more updates.


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The 82nd Geneva Motor Show is open to the public from March 8 to 18. In the days leading up to the public event, carmakers will be revealing their new products to the press. So what’s new for Renault and Dacia?
Unveiled as a concept car at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Twizy is now a reality, joining Fluence Z.E. and Kangoo Z.E. in Renault’s electric vehicle range. Ready for an urban mobility concept as safe as it is agile and fun to drive?
For the fifth year running, Renault was an official partner of the César film awards, held this year on February 24. Highlights included the triumph of The Artist, the breakthrough of Omar Sy and the success of L’Exercice de l’Etat.
The 2012 Formula 1 season starts in just a few weeks in Melbourne! Renault Sport F1 is once again focusing on its role as engine manufacturer, equipping four partner teams with a V8 powerplant, the RS27 – 2012. Renault is supplying engines to one-third of the teams competing in the 2012 F1 season (compared with 25% last year).


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A Summerville manufacturer hit with a six-figure legal judgment over its tankless water heaters filed for bankruptcy protection Friday, just as lawyers were preparing to appoint a receiver to take over the company.
In a court document filed in Columbia, Eccotemp Systems LLC identified the $757,000 jury award as its only debt.
An Upstate plumbing company, Amo, sued after installing 75 Eccotemp-made tankless units in new homes in Richland and Lexington counties.
Eric Bland, an attorney representing Amo, said that around 2008 the water heaters began failing once the outside temperatures dropped. About 70 percent of the purchased units froze, causing pipes to burst in some of the homes, he said.
A Dorchester County jury sided with Amo on a breach of warranty claim and awarded the plumbing company $125,000 on March 1. The jurors also agreed with Amo on a breach of contract claim, awarding $158,000 and $158,000 under the S.C. Unfair Trade Practice Act.
The jury then determined that Eccotemp’s actions were willful, tripling the Unfair Trade Practice Act damages, according to the verdict.
Mike Elrod, the founder and owner of Eccotemp, told The Post and Courier this month that he didn’t think his Industrial Road company was at fault.
Elrod did not respond to telephone and email messages left at Eccotemp on Friday.
Amo attorney Bland said he was preparing to ask a judge Friday to approve attorney’s fees and to appoint a receiver to run the company. Eccotemp’s filing thwarted that plan.
“We tried to settle it over the last three weeks, but we just didn’t get close enough,” he said. “They think they’re better off in bankruptcy.”
The filing essentially freezes all efforts by creditors to collect money from the company. The case is classified as a reorganization, not a liquidation. Day-to-day operations typically are not affected in those type of business bankruptcies.
On its website, Eccotemp’s said its products are sold at more than 2,000 retailers in North America, Europe and the Middle East.
Bland questioned the wisdom of putting a financially sound company with no other debt into bankruptcy.
“It’s going to hurt their brand once it goes out over the web,” he said.
Bland also said he plans to ask that Eccotemp’s filing be dismissed.
“I don’t think the Bankruptcy Court is going to allow them to stay in bankruptcy,” he said.
The first hearing is scheduled for April 26 in Charleston.


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Movistar unveiled a new kit for the 2018 season today, which shows a radical departure from its blue and neon green color scheme, which has been a signature for the Spanish team for last few years.
Instead, Movistar will don a light-blue and black kit, sticking with the same Scottish apparel brand and sponsor, Endura.
“The shorts conserve the dark shade of previous years and serves to contrast with the striking blue of the new jersey, in accordance with the updated Movistar logo,” says the team’s statement.
“Another of the reasons behind the change of color was to improve visibility of cyclists, both professional and recreational, who wear the brand on the road, as part of the #RodamosJuntos [we ride together] campaign put in place during the Vuelta a España.”
In addition, Movistar also confirmed that they will launch a new women’s team for the 2018 season, with both men’s and women’s team competing in the same new kit.
The Spanish team will become the sixth WorldTour team to have a connected women’s set-up after Team Sunweb, Orica-Scott, FDJ, Astana, and Lotto-Soudal.
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Gattefossé has broken ground on its first North American manufacturing facility in Lufkin city, Texas.
The $50m plant, which will manufacture lipid-based specialty ingredients for the personal care and pharmaceutical industries, is due online in 2024.
The 140-year-old French company produces lipid-based ingredients for the beauty and health care industries worldwide. The Lufkin facility will be the first of its kind built by Gattefossé in North America.
The company first expanded to the US with the establishment of a liaison’s office in Yonkers, New York followed by the opening of its Technical Center of Excellence in 2017 in New Jersey.
“The obvious next step in the company’s growth was to offer US manufactured products to its US customers”, said Eric Brun (pictured, left), president and CEO of Gattefossé North America.
“The facility will ultimately be a hub not just for North America, but worldwide”, said Eduardo de Purgly (pictured, centre), Gattefossé Group CEO.


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It’s been a mixed year thus far for the Restaurant industry group, with several quick-service names rallying near all-time highs while casual dining names have struggled to stay in positive territory for the year.
The underperformance of the latter group can be attributed to weaker traffic trends in the casual dining space relative to quick-service.
This is not surprising given that we are seeing a pullback in spending from some consumers and quick-service is a trade-down option relative to casual dining, with consumers able to treat themselves with convenience with pizzas, burgers, and fries without breaking the bank at a casual dining restaurant where average checks are closer to $20.00.
However, while we’ve seen Yum Brands (YUM) and McDonald’s (MCD) continue to make new highs with both up 15% and 25% from their pre-COVID-19 highs, a couple of names remain well below their all-time highs and continue to trade at attractive valuations.
This is despite these two companies having iconic brands similar to McDonald’s, and KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut (Yum Brands), and despite them having some of the better growth profiles sector-wide.
In this update, we’ll dig into these two companies and highlight why they could be outperformers after a period of underperformance in Dominos Pizza’s (DPZ) case, and years of underperformance in the case of Restaurant Brands International (QSR).
Restaurant Brands International (QSR)
Restaurant Brands International is a $21.2 billion franchisor in the Restaurant industry group with four iconic brands under its umbrella: Burger King, Popeye’s Chicken, Firehouse Subs, and Tim Hortons.
The three latter brands were acquired by Restaurant Brands International over the past decade and they currently make up roughly one-third of its system-wide stores which are spread across over 100 countries.
The largest of its brands is Burger King with ~19,000 restaurants, with Tim Hortons just behind at ~5,600 restaurants, Popeye’s Chicken having ~4,000 restaurants, and Firehouse Subs, the smallest brand, having roughly 1,200 restaurants and operating solely in North America. Continue reading "These 2 Restaurant Stocks Could Be Outperformers"


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Profits quadruple at Asos thanks to lockdown order boom
Strong sales during lockdown and fewer returns have helped profits surge at Asos (ASC.L).
The online fashion retailer said on Wednesday that pre-tax profit in the year to 31 August rose 329% to £142.1m ($182m).
Asos said the jump in profits — which was ahead of forecasts — was driven by improvements in the underlying efficiency of the business and a decline in returns, which offset rising costs due to COVID-19.
“Last year the company made heavy investment into IT and spent significant amounts sorting out operational problems at its warehouses, which ate into profits,” said Susannah Streeter, a senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
“But that spending meant the company was in a much better position to profit from the lockdown shopping surge.”
Revenue rose 19% in the period to £3.26bn. Asos recorded double digit percentage sales growth in all its markets and signed up 3.1m new customers during the year.
“After a record first half which saw us make progress in addressing the performance issues of the previous financial year, the second half will always be defined by our response to Covid-19,” chief executive Nick Beighton said in a statement.
“I am proud of the way Asos met this challenge head on, putting our duty to act as a responsible business at the heart of our approach and working to balance our performance in that context.
“As well as protecting staff, suppliers and customers, we've driven efficiency and have emerged a stronger, more resilient and agile business whilst delivering strong profit and cash generation.”
Sherri Malek, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said Asos’s performance was “impressive.”
Asos struck a more cautious tone when it came to future trading. The company said it was “well-set for peak trading” over Christmas but was “retaining caution... whilst economic prospects and lifestyles of 20-somethings remain disrupted.”
“With venues forced to close at 10pm and the Christmas party season cancelled, profits from party wear will be thin,” Streeter said.
“Job prospects are uncertain for its core group of customers in their 20s and so the company will have to be very choosy about the ranges and prices it offers to maintain demand and stop returns being a major headache once again.”
Shares in Asos fell 5% at the open.
“The shares have had a good run into these results – up 16% over the last month and up 70% over the last three months,” Greg Lawless and Clive Black, retail analysts at Shore Capital, wrote in a note. “Given the share price run, high valuation metrics and an uncertain consumer outlook, the shares look up with events.”
WATCH: What is a V-shaped economic recovery?


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ASTANA – International online merchant service provider Fondy Global has entered the Kazakh market. The local partner company bought its franchise at the end of last month.
“We received several requests for cooperation from Kazakhstan. In addition, we very positively assess the dynamics of the growth of the e-commerce market in the short and medium term. Thus, relying on these factors at the beginning of this year, we decided to start working with one of the partners with whom we already had joint projects. The peculiarity of our business model in Kazakhstan is that we usually cooperate in such formats as an affiliate programme or white label, but in this case we decided to try the franchise model,” said Fondy Global CEO Andrey Voronin, reported Kapital.kz.
According to company representatives, the Kazakh e-commerce market is the most promising in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The average check in 2016 compared to 2015 increased 31 percent, while in Russia and Ukraine the growth was only 6 percent and in Belarus it decreased 5 percent.
“The active growth of the e-commerce market in Kazakhstan entails the emergence of needs in both new technological and financial solutions. First of all, the advantages of Fondy are high technology and reliability of payment technologies. In 2016, our customers on average grew 1.5-2 times faster than their country’s market thanks to the active use of our know-how and this tells us that we are on the right track. Fondy will also provide assistance to online entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan in the integration into the international markets of Europe and Asia,” said Voronin.
Fondy has offices in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
The local e-commerce market is expected to grow rapidly, said Voronin.
“In Kazakhstan, only 11-12 percent of users make purchases online, despite the significant amount of card issuance and a wide range of other payment methods, such as electronic wallets and transfers. Also, the share of e-commerce in the retail structure is only about 1 percent, while, for example, in Germany it is about 12 percent and in the United Kingdom it is 15 percent. Therefore, we expect an active growth of the audience of Internet buyers in Kazakhstan in the coming years. I think that your e-commerce market can grow four-five times from the current in the next three-five years,” he added.
The financial technology industry has been developing dynamically in Kazakhstan over the last two-three years.
“We plan to actively involve the players of the fintech market, including those who previously worked only in offline mode,” said Voronin.
Fondy Global is working for the third year in the CIS market.
“Within this business model, the partner is responsible for registering a legal entity and buying a domain name, negotiating with banks for further contracting for the organisation of processing, ensuring organisational work (attracting customers, signing contracts, opening accounts) and marketing. In their turn, our experts provide a technical platform, integrate with banks, set up financial processes in the backoffice for settlements with customers and support clients,” said Fondy Global CIO Maxim Kozenko.


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Fiat Panda NEWS
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV: Comment on FCA's November Sales in Italy
- The Wall Street Transcript
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) posted November sales in Italy of more than 35,000 vehicles. Market share was 24.1%, compared with 23.4% for the previous month. The three best-selling models in Italy in November were the Fiat Panda
, Lancia Ypsilon and ...
Fiat Chrysler sharpens focus on South African market
The Jeep brand has experienced a 67% year-on-year increase in European sales, the Fiat Panda
500 continues to dominate the region's A-segment, and globally Alfa Romeo sales are up 7.6%.Unsurprisingly, FCA is looking to be a lot more aggressive in the ...
Fiat to start producing a small SUV in Kragujevac
- Serbina Monitor in English
The new model – a small SUV – dubbed “Panda on steroids”, will resemble Fiat Panda
Cross, a small off-road vehicle produced in Italy. However, the new model will be much larger, at 4.1 meters in length. It will also have a larger trunk, with a capacity ...
Fiat Panda 100HP (2006-2010) - review, history, prices and specs
The Fiat Panda
is perhaps still best known in its original Giorgetto Giugiaro-penned form. What you may not have known is that Fiat continued producing the little box right up until 2003 – when it was replaced by the second-generation car, built in ...
Fiat Chrysler to spend 5 bln euros on new models, engines in Italy
... focused on the development of electric and hybrid engines. A new Fiat 500 electric model will be produced at FCA's Mirafiori plant in Turin, while its plant in Pomigliano, southern Italy, will churn out a mild-hybrid version of its popular Fiat ...
FCA Reveals Plans For Tiny Jeep Targeted For Italy
According to Automotive News, the Baby Jeep is going to be made in the same factory that currently makes the Fiat Panda
in Pomigliano, Italy. The Panda is a top seller for Fiat in Europe, which lends credence to the theory that the new Baby Jeep will ...
Italian plant will reportedly build sub-Renegade sized Jeep model
- Motor Authority
Automotive News (subscription required) reported Monday that the Pomigliano factory near Naples will be home to the unnamed Jeep model. The facility currently builds the Fiat Panda
, and we surmised earlier this year the new Jeep could share quite a bit ...
Fiat Panda Videos
Fiat Panda Images
2019 Fiat Panda Rear Image | Auto Car Rumors
Fiat Panda Cross 2014 pictures | Auto Express
Fiat Panda 100HP: buying checkpoints | Evo
Fiat Panda City Cross e Panda 4×4 2017: al via gli ordini ...
home - FCA Importers - Fiat
Prezzo auto usate Fiat Panda 2009 quotazione eurotax
Fiat Punto relays fusebox - YouTube
Fiat Panda City Cross 2017, foto (Foto) | AllaGuida
Toyota Aygo 1.0 Fire A/C first UK drive
Fiat Nuova Multipla 2017 : le foto spia inedite! - MdM Italia
Fiat Panda WebSites
Fiat Panda Wiki
The Fiat Panda is a city car manufactured and marketed by Fiat, now in its third generation. The first generation Fiat Panda was introduced in 1980, and was produced until 1986, receiving a face lift for1986-2003.The second generation, launched in 2003, was the European Car of the Year in 2004. The third generation debuted at Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011 and is assembled in Italy at Pomigliano d'Arco.In 37 years Fiat has sold over 7.5 million Pandas globally, with about 4.5 million being the first series' sales.
The FinReviewer Some Historical LH News: 25/04/2018 â Laboratory Corporation Bd Authorized an Increase in Total Shr Repurchase Program to Total of $1B; 30/04/2018 â LabCorp : Deal With Eurofins Is All-Cash Transaction; 25/04/2018 â Laboratory Corporation: Seessauer danfoss
KYMA Yuma County Sheriffs Office confirmed Monday that the victims were known the suspect who is now behind barsandy Munoz and the female victim were in a relationship previously, according to YCSOunoz rammed into the victims vehicle after followingarm wrestling
Worthing Herald With the strength of his namesake, an arm wrestler named after cinemas most famous gorilla has been crowned king of the sportaniel Tutt, also known as Kong Tutt, won the right arm heavyweight division of the British Armwrestling Federations
omni air international
FinancialNews (blog) Air Transport Services Group, IncNASDAQ: ATSG) has announced the acquisition of passenger ACMI and charter services provider Omni Air International LLC (Omni Air), along with related entities, for USD 845 million, the company saidn contemplation Chuck E Cheeses
PureWow On a recent episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the 51-year-old actress revealed that she used to work for a pizza parlorâironically called âShowbiz Pizza(Think Pizza Hut meets Chuck E Cheeses Roberts discussed her former role, which included
Sonic Drive In
Flecha 123 (press release) Sonic Corpperates and franchises a chain of quick-service drive-in restaurants in the United Stateshe company has market cap of $1 billions of August 31, 2016, the firm operated 3,557 Sonic Drive-Ins in 45 states, of which 345 were owned water polo


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Calling all Apple fans -- your newest object of obsession is about to arrive.
The company is hosting a media event today in San Francisco and, though officials are characteristically mum, industry watchers widely believe that Apple plans to take the wraps off of its much-anticipated iPad 2.
The unveiling of Apple's second-generation tablet computer will likely not be as dramatic as the debut of its first iPad last year. But Silicon Valley's rumor mill has still been buzzing about the device -- and the CEO behind it -- for months.
As chatter about the latest iPad has grown louder, so has speculation about the health of Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs, who has been out of the public eye since announcing in January that he would take a medical leave from the company.
On Tuesday, tongues wagged even more when a prominent tech blog reported that Jobs may make a rare appearance at today's event.
Citing several sources, All Things Digital's Kara Swisher said that Jobs is "definitely considering" showing his face at the iPad 2 launch. If he did appear, he would briefly take the stage with other Apple executives to showcase the company's newest product, she said.
But analysts say that though it's possible that Jobs, who said he would remain involved with the company while on leave, could make an appearance, it's unlikely.
"Steve is still chairman... If he feels good enough, it's in the realm of possibility that he could be there. But he has never made an appearance in public when he was on medical leave. Which is why it's doubtful," said Tim Bajarin, an analyst with the Silicon Valley-based technology firm Creative Strategies.
Still, although tabloid photos of a frail-looking Jobs have surfaced online, he apparently felt well enough to dine last week with President Obama and other technology luminaries at a private gathering.
Whether or not Jobs does make an appearance, Swisher said she hopes that media coverage focuses on the product itself and not the person.
"What would be a welcome change in the coverage of Jobs's personal struggles would be to show a level of respect to him by paying more attention to what bells and whistles the iPad 2 has rather than to how his jeans are fitting," she wrote.
When Jobs announced the original iPad last year, Apple was the only company with a tablet-style computer ready for public consumption. But, this year, the landscape looks very different.
Motorola, Samsung, Hewlett-Packard and Research In Motion (which makes BlackBerrys) are all expected to unveil competitive tablets later this year.
Apple may have a significant lead over its rivals, but Bajarin said, "The consumer is going to have a plethora of choices by the end of the year."
At Apple's event today, Bajarin expects the company to announce a more refined iPad.
"That's their their typical approach," he said. "They'll bring out a product and they'll get feedback from customers and then they'll add new features."
A front-facing camera for video chats and a thinner, lighter case were two key wishes customers had, and Bajarin said he expects the company to address both issues.


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Hillary Clinton In Blog Ads Flap
To promote a series of podcasts, her campaign had purchased ads on conservative blogs, including Powerline, HughHewitt.com, Wizbang.com, and Captain's Quarters, as well as more liberal blogs. But after the podcast series ended Wednesday, her campaign requested that the right-wing blogs remove the ads. The campaign promised to continue paying for the ad space--in effect paying the blogs to not run the ads. At the same time, the campaign expanded to encompass more left-wing blogs.
The campaign's inclusion of right-wing blog ads drew ire from both sides of the blogosphere aisle. Matt Stoller, an author at MyDD.com, wrote: "Why do people like [Clinton], no matter how often it becomes clear that wingnuts hate us, seek approval from wingnuts?"
Another left-wing blogger, Taylor Marsh, criticized Clinton for omitting her blog in the original buy, pointing out that former Senator John Edwards had made a broader buy. "I appreciated Edwards' ad immensely, as did my readers, no doubt, because the more ads I get the less I have to run fundraisers," she wrote. "Edwards knows small businesses count and puts his BlogAds on our sites."
But Eric Porres, co-founder of online political advertising firm Pericles Consulting, which mainly deals with right-wing candidates, said that the exposure and experience the Clinton campaign got from the blog ads buy outweighs the negative press. "A lot of digital ink has been spilled on this, and the learning alone that the Clinton campaign got from such a small buy far outweighs any of the ensuing scuttlebutt about X being left in while Y was left out of the first buy," he said. "Most importantly, that any of the campaigns are turning to the Web so early for online advertising of any kind is encouraging for us all."


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The sports bar in downtown Sacramento is next to the Golden 1 Center, which is scheduled to open in 2021.
Sacramento, CA — A new sports bar is coming downtown Sacramento DOCO.
The state-of-the-art sports bar, Tom’s Watch Bar, will appear next to the Golden 1 Center in 2021.Next to Pressed Juicery and Polanco Cantina.
The new bar and restaurant has both an indoor bar and an outdoor bar with a “spacious outdoor patio” in an area of over 6,000 feet.This will be the 7th Tom’s Watch Bar Other locations are in Los Angeles, Denver, Las Vegas, Washington and Connecticut.
According to a press release, Tom’s Watchbar promises “all-the-sports, all-the-time” and introduces sports from college, professional and international sports to large-scale events, battles and “emerging vague and ridiculous sports”. doing.
The bar has hundreds of screens for watching different games and events, allowing customers to hear the live sound or play-by-play of the game they choose to watch. In addition to “a wide selection of domestic, imported and craft beers,” we also offer cocktails, wines and classic sports bar food.
A new sports bar experience coming to DOCO in Sacramento
Tom’s Watch Bar plans to open more locations in 2021. They still don’t have a date planning to open a DOCO location.
See more from : California loosens rules for youth sports during a pandemic
According to new guidance released on Friday, counties with a COVID-19 case rate of 14 per 100,000 or less can resume all outdoor sports.
Tom’s Watch Bar coming to DOCO Source link Tom’s Watch Bar coming to DOCO


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Business big shot: Derek Carter
Derek Carter is not your typical media executive. The man responsible for developing Emap’s lucrative business-to-business operations is not at all flamboyant, more an old-fasioned suit-and-tie type of man.
Mr Carter, 58, who has worked for the company since 1978, was announced yesterday as Emap’s new chief executive, after the agreement to sell the consumer magazines and radio businesses.
He has led the business-to-business arm, which brings together business magazines, trade exhibitions, conferences and information products, for more than ten years, after 12 years as managing director of Emap Maclaren.
Under Mr Carter’s guidance since 1997, the business-to-business division has grown, with strong brands in retailing, construction, public sector, media and car sectors.
It was Mr Carter who decided to develop the conferencing business by


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Despite one of the worst launch receptions we’ve ever seen for an MMO, a year being free to play and a ground-up re-engineering has made way for Square Enix’s announcement that plans to port Final Fantasy XIV over to the PS3 are still on track. The latest batch of fixes and patches, a “Final Fantasy XIV Online Version 2.0”, is expected to be released sometime in Q4 2012. Square will offer another free trial for the game on PC (which will restart on monthly subscriptions next month) and a closed beta on the PS3 during this “reboot phase”.
“Among our new plans is the fundamental reworking of in-game maps,” FF14 producer/director Naoki Yoshida said. “As part of this process, there will be a period required for switching over to a new client and new servers, after which there will be a large transfer of data when service is brought back online.
Yoshida continued, “After the new client is completed, new software for the PC version will be distributed online, and can be acquired free of charge. Character data and progress for players already playing the PC version will also be preserved, allowing those players to continue using their in-game avatars…Another announcement will be made in the future as the day on which the new Final Fantasy 14 software will become available for download draws near, and the PlayStation 3 system version officially released.”
There is no official release date for Final Fantasy XIV on PS3, with the earliest estimates placing it sometime after January 2013.


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TRAVERSE CITY — To gauge consumer demand for electric vehicles, most analysts focus on the cost and range of vehicle battery packs.
But Auburn Hills-based Continental AG believes market interest is more dependent on battery charging systems.
According to Continental, the problem with demand is that public charging stations are a patchwork of incompatible technologies, said Kregg Wiggins, Continental's senior vice president of North American powertrains.
Some stations might have slow AC chargers, while others might have high-speed DC chargers for which some vehicle are not equipped. These disparate charging systems may scare off potential customers who have with range anxiety, Wiggins said Tuesday at the seminars.
To solve the problem, Continental has designed an onboard charging system that can accommodate a single-phase AC charger, a three-phase AC charger or a high-speed DC charger, Wiggins said. The system creates a new function for an EV electric motor and inverter. With the addition of a DC/DC converter, these components can be programmed to handle charging as well.
The system will allow any EV to plug into a DC or AC charger, and it will allow the motorist to use the vehicle to recharge other electrical devices such as laptops, electric tools or refrigerators.
Continental's research and development work on charging systems comes as the U.S. EV market is beginning to gain momentum. By 2025, Continental expects EVs to account for 10 percent of sales, up from about 1 percent today.
But the U.S. recharging network isn't ready for mass-market EVs. Today, the U.S. has about 823,000 charging systems — mostly AC chargers for household use. By 2023, Wiggins expects 5.5 million charging systems.
The problem, Wiggins notes, is that EVs are often incompatible with public charging systems. "It's like having a gas station that can refuel BMWs but not Toyotas," Wiggins said. "That's why we feel compatibility is so important."


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Huawei getting a new software update for the Huawei P20 series. The new software update brings the january security patch update.
The latest update bugs fix and Also, the update improves the operation prompts on a certain screen. It improved call experience too. The software version of the update is 188.8.131.52(C636E7R1P13) and its size is 387MB.


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If you’ve ever pondered how many 3-meter squares would cover the entire globe, the answer is around 57 trillion. And as of 2013, each of those 57 trillion squares has been assigned a three-word address.
The square from which you’re reading this has its own unique address, perhaps it’s “///livery.coalition.quartet.” Your home, office, and children’s school have multiple addresses as well. Is this the makings of a worldwide parlor game, or a revolution in mapping, addressing, and geo-location?
Regarding the latter, more than 75% of the world’s 7.4 billion people don’t have a reliable address. The London-based company that created the algorithm to convert GPS coordinates into unique three-word addresses, what3words, is working with global partners in diverse applications from postal services, tourism, and emergency services to disaster relief, infrastructure, and logistics & deliveries.
The applications are not limited to the third world, but expand to developed countries with well-defined addresses — and those working in fleet.
For instance, a new delivery driver given the street address of Bobit Business Media’s headquarters in Torrance, Calif. might attempt to drop a package at the front entrance instead of the loading dock at the back of the building. Using what3word’s assigned address for the loading dock (“///dinner.part.pounds”) the driver would’ve saved a few minutes.
Now imagine the time lost trying to find the right door on a much larger corporate campus, drop equipment at a vast construction site, or deliver a client to a meeting point — and then multiply that by thousands of occurrences.
“Technology has driven huge improvements in mapping and navigation in recent years,” says Ashley Marie Cashion, vice president, USA for what3words. “That’s given businesses and fleets a clearer picture of where their drivers and customers are, but the central part of this experience — identifying a specific location — remains a serious issue.”
Cashion references and estimate from UPS — the company famous for routing its trucks to avoid left turns — that saving each of their drivers one mile would recoup $50 million a year for the business.
“Having to search for the right drop-off location not only adds up to lost time and extra costs for e-commerce, delivery and logistics companies, but also creates a poor experience for customers and consignees, who spend time having to give lengthy directions to couriers over the phone,” she says.
Last year, Mercedes-Benz became the first automaker to integrate what3words by installing it in the infotainment system of the 2018 Mercedes A-Class, with a wider rollout this year. The system is specifically designed for voice input, eliminating one of the frustrations of using voice to enter traditional street addresses, Cashion says.
The integration allows drivers to navigate to any precise point in the entire world, including parks, beaches, parking lots, temporary sites, or a landmark in a forest.
Route optimization systems, ride-hailing apps, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software companies have integrated what3words, with more partnerships planned, Cashion says. The company is set to open an office in San Francisco to serve the U.S.
Cashion will present the seminar “New Global Location Technology and the Potential for Fleets and Logistics” at the 2018 Fleet Forward Conference, convening Oct. 8-10 in San Francisco.
“We’re working to make what3words the new standard in global addressing,” she says. “And we’re looking forward to sharing our plans, including actual case studies and specific systems integrations, with fleet audiences at the Fleet Forward event.”
Originally posted on Business Fleet


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According to IntoMobile, Google has recently launched the Latitude application for the iPhone. This service enables users to track their friends’ movements provided their friends have this service running on their iPhones and allow users to track their movements. The Latitude application has been available for BlackBerry and Android users for a long time now. This new application from Google gives insight into the possible future of smartphone apps from the company.
Latitude from Google for the iPhone is a browser-based web application as opposed to the standalone Google Latitude applications on the BlackBerry and Android smartphones. Google decided to develop a web-app that works exclusively for the iPhone Safari browser as they believe that the future of mobile application is the web-app. They have in effect displayed that mobile app developers do not require the App Store. Moreover, Apple has made the iPhone APIs available to enable web services to tap into the device’s hardware.
Infact, Google says that it was Apple who wanted Latitude as a web app for the iPhone. According to Google, “We worked closely with Apple to bring Latitude to the iPhone in a way Apple thought would be best for iPhone users. After we developed a Latitude application for the iPhone, Apple requested we release Latitude as a web application in order to avoid confusion with Maps on the iPhone, which uses Google to serve maps tiles.”
Therefore, the real reason why Google has released the Latitude application as a web-app maybe because of Apple.


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Cisco suing Chinese over 'copying'
COMPUTER networking giant Cisco has launched a legal action against one of China's largest equipment makers, claiming the company has illegally copied its operating software. Cisco filed the lawsuit in the US, alleging Huawei Technologies and two of its US-based subsidiaries infringed at least five Cisco patents.
It said Huawei copied its operating system source code, technical documentation and an interface. It is asking the court to stop the production and marketing of Huawei routers and switches, and is seeking unspecified damages.
'Cisco does not take any legal action lightly,' said Mark Chandler, the company's lawyer. 'However, Huawei has unlawfully copied Cisco's intellectual property and refused Cisco's numerous attempts to resolve these issues.'
Huawei was formed in 1988 by a former officer from the People's Liberation Army and has been aggressively undercutting Cisco in the corporate telecoms market. Huawei's sales have been on the upswing, with the company predicting a 25% boost to US$3bn (£1.85bn) sales this year on the back of its exports.
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Barnes & Noble Inc., the largest U.S. bookstore chain, tumbled the most in 10 years after projecting a loss for fiscal 2012 that was wider than analysts projected.
Barnes & Noble declined 29 percent to $9.65 at 9:35 a.m. in New York, the biggest intraday decline since Nov. 8, 2001. The shares rose 2.3 percent last year.
The full-year loss may be as much as $1.40 a share, the New York-based company said today in a statement, after previously projecting a loss of a maximum of 50 cents a share. Analysts predicted a loss as wide as 59 cents a share, the average of six estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Barnes & Noble also said it may spin off its Nook e-reader business. Sales of its Nook Simple Touch trailed its estimates during the holiday shopping season. The company has sacrificed profits to invest in transitioning into a digital-content provider through its Nook and tablet computers as more consumers read electronic books.
Discussions are being held with publishers, retailers and technology companies in international markets that may lead to expansion of the Nook business overseas, the company said in the statement.
Total sales of Nook devices surged 70 percent during the holiday-shopping period, according to the statement. Sales on a comparable basis in the Nook business, including digital content and hardware devices and accessories, rose 43 percent to $448 during the holiday sales period.
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