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Ham Holiday 2015 . . .
ARRL Complains about Home Depot Ballasts . . .
Amateur Radio Newsline . . .
Ham College Episode 4 . . .
K7RA Solar Update . . .
Officers, and odd-links . . .
Upcoming Hamfests within 250 miles _…_._
Ham Holiday 2015
Ham Holiday is THIS WEEK. You won’t have to drive 100 or 200 miles to go to a great HamFest. Here is info, schedules, and more.
Friday July 24:
Ham Holiday open from 3pm to 7pm
Banquet – 7:30pm
Saturday July 25:
Ham Holiday 9:00am
VE Testing 9:00am
ARRL Forum 9:30am
Radio Merit Badge 10:00am
Digital Mobile Radio 11:00am
ARES Forum 12:00pm
Intro To FLDIGI 12:00pm
[Click image below to make larger]
More information at the Ham Holiday webpage:
http://hamholiday.com/ [click to go there]
Don’t just skim this article! This MAY VERY WELL be the cause of some of your HF noise!!!
ARRL Complains to FCC About The Home Depot’s Marketing of RF Lighting Devices
The ARRL has filed a formal complaint with the FCC, alleging that The Home Depot home improvement chain has been illegally marketing certain RF-ballast lighting devices in violation of FCC Part 18 rules. Accompanying the League’s July 14 letter to FCC Enforcement Bureau Spectrum Enforcement Division Chief Bruce Jacobs and Office of Engineering and Technology Laboratory Division Chief Rashmi Doshi was a 20-page report prepared by the ARRL Laboratory’s Mike Gruber, W1MG. His report outlines four instances in which The Home Depot sold non-consumer-rated RF lighting devices having far greater emission limits and intended for commercial use to consumers who specifically voiced an intention to use the devices in residential settings. In some cases, information included with devices sold to consumers indicated that they were for commercial use only, but not all products sold included such a notice.
“Clearly Home Depot’s marketing and sale of non-consumer ballasts is not adequate to ensure compliance with FCC Part 18 requirements,” Gruber’s report concluded. The ARRL asked the FCC to “investigate and commence and enforcement proceeding” regarding The Home Depot’s retail marketing and sale of RF lighting devices in the US.
In its letter, the League noted that it has received numerous complaints from the Amateur Radio community of “significant noise” in the bands between 1.8 and 30 MHz from so-called “grow light” ballasts and other RF lighting devices regulated under FCC Part 15 and Part 18 rules.
“These devices are easily capable of emitting RF noise sufficient to preclude Amateur Radio MF and HF communications (and as well, AM broadcast station reception) throughout entire communities and at distances of up to ½ mile from the device,” the ARRL said. According to the League, its investigations in several states revealed an alarming number of instances of retail sale of electronic lighting ballasts, in which non-consumer-rated ballasts were mixed in with consumer ballasts and other consumer products. Gruber’s report noted that the conducted emission limit for consumer-rated devices are 22 dB lower than their commercial counterparts for all amateur bands below 30 MHz.
“In most of the stores surveyed, unsuspecting consumers have no way of knowing the significance of consumer vs. non-consumer ballasts,” the League said. “In some cases, ‘commercial’ grade ballasts, with their associated non-consumer emission limits, appeared to be a heavier duty or superior product. The display signage typically used implies, therefore, that commercial ballasts are also a product upgrade for home use.” The ARRL said that store display signage typically did not mention or adequately address applicable FCC Part 18 requirements, as they pertain to interference in a residential environment.
The League said that in the four instances where actual purchases of RF lighting devices were made at The Home Depot retail outlets, purchasers “specifically asked about residential deployment of non-consumer RF lighting ballasts.” The ARRL said it’s apparent that The Home Depot — and, by inference, other similar retail stores — is “actively and knowingly engaged” in selling commercial RF lighting products to customers for use in residential environments.
“If this activity is left unchecked the Commission will continue to note a deterioration in ambient noise levels and preclusive interfering signals for both AM broadcasters and Amateur Radio licensees in the entirety of the high-frequency bands,” the League’s complaint said.
The ARRL asked the Commission to “take appropriate action” with respect to The Home Depot and other retail outlets marketing such RF lighting devices “without delay.”
A copy of the letter was sent to The Home Depot’s Atlanta, Georgia, Store Support Center.
via ARRL Complains to FCC About The Home Depot’s Marketing of RF Lighting Devices. [click to go there]
Amateur Radio Newsline
Amateur Radio Newsline continues in good hands. Here is this week’s episode:
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1968 July 17, 2015
BREAKING: FCC Closures
Packed House at Hamvention
Yukon Station shows remote possibilities
An Alternate Satellite Frequency
Stalking the latest Cubesat
Report from Camp Courage
New Balloting for Kosovo
The World of DX
Young Ham of the Year
[Script and Audio stream at the link below]
Ham College, Episode 5
In episode 5 we talk about Current. What it is, who named it, how to and how not to measure it. More questions and answers from the Technical class question pool.
Episode 4 – http://www.amateurlogic.tv/blog/?p=748 [click to go there]
K7RA Solar Update – 07/17/2015
Average daily sunspot numbers dropped from 109.1 on July 2-8 to 73.7 in the past week, July 9-15. Average daily solar flux dropped from 123.2 to 114.8 over the same two periods. Geomagnetic indices were more active, with average daily planetary A index increasing from 10 to 13.7, and average mid-latitude A index going from 8.9 to 12.3.
The geomagnetic field was active on July 11 when the mid-latitude A index, the high latitude college A index, and planetary A index were 20, 44 and 23. Activity was greater on July 13 when the three indices were 22, 45 and 32.
The July 11 activity was a G1 class geomagnetic storm caused by a high-speed solar wind stream, and similar events caused the July 13 activity. Currently there is very little chance of solar flares or geomagnetic storms over the next few days.
Predicted planetary A index is 8 on July 17-18, 10 on July 19-20, 5 on July 21-30, 18 on July 31, 25 on August 1, and 12 on August 2. On August 3-5 the planetary A index is predicted at 5, then 20 and 25 on August 6-7, and 8 on August 8-10. On August 11 and beyond the planetary A index prediction is 5.
Predicted solar flux is 100 on July 17-19, 95 on July 20-21, 100 on July 22-23, 105 on July 24, 110 on July 25, 115 on July 26, 120 on July 27-31, and 115 on August 1-4. Solar flux is expected to rise to 120 again after August 22.
Recently there have been only a few new sunspot groups, one each on July 7, 8, 10 and 12 and two on July 16.
via The K7RA Solar Update. [click to go there]
For those who have not yet found the officers on the webpage, here is the list:
President: Phil Sinnett, KD5UGO
President-Elect-VP: Harold Black, W5IFN
Treasurer: Doug Forsyth, WX5DF
Secretary: Chris Pape, KE5JZN
Past President: Bill Lockett, AE5F
Director at Large: Bill Baker, WG5T (appointment)
Trustee: Peter Laws, N5UWY (appointment)
Assistant Trustee: Gary Skaggs, WB5ULK (appointment)
Also, some of you have asked about the site I use personally to track real-time lightning data. That site can be found here:
Upcoming Hamfests within 250 miles
Link below lists all the ARRL-related hamfests within a 250 mile drive of Norman for about the next 5 months. Lots of good ones close to Norman.
As always…Nets, Links, Other Stuff in the link at the top AND in the sidebar. Have a great week!
73 de Gary, WB5ULK …_._


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11 July, 2016
Flow Launches Innovative New Programming With Premier League Pack
Premier Pack delivers an unmatchable level of value, choice, and control for sports fans Experience the very best of the Premier League, only with Flow
Sports broadcasting in the Caribbean has stepped up to a whole new level with the announcement today by Flow – the region-leading quad-play communications and entertainment provider – that it has launched its eagerly awaited Flow Sports Premier Pack. The Premier Pack is a ground-breaking bundle that brings customers new and exclusive sports TV content, including unbeatable coverage of Premier League football, as well as leading edge new services to enhance how fans experience their favourite sporting action.
Stuffed with value, the Premier Pack gives Flow customers up to 14 channels including the new Flow Sports Premier network and dedicated Premier League game channels making it by far the biggest and best sports offering on the market. The innovative bundle lets viewers access any game of live Premier League football, via multiple preview screens or ‘mosaic’; get all the Match highlights, live goals from multiple games and a wide range of top notch commentary on the new ‘Goals Rush’ channel; as well as get exclusive behind the scenes coverage from the Manchester United TV and Chelsea TV networks.
“No one comes close to Flow when it comes to sports programming” said James Tooke, SVP Media & Content at Cable & Wireless Communications. “In less than a year we have transformed the market; starting with the region’s first Caribbean-based HD sports network, and now with a hugely innovative, new and exclusive product that gives customers total control. For too long sports viewers haven’t been able to follow their team, or watch the game they really wanted to see. All that changes with the Premier Pack. Exclusively to Flow, the Premier Pack puts football fans in full charge of their Premier League viewing, and represents an absolutely unrivalled offer”.
With Flow’s new TV service, fans can record, rewind and replay to ensure they never miss a moment of all the action. Additionally the Premier Pack allows customers to stream games to their PCs, tablets or mobile devices through a new Flow Sports app, as well as through the market-leading Flow To Go application, meaning that no matter where they are, fans can always follow the action. The Company is also launching a Flow Sports website – www.flowsports.co – which in addition to live streaming, will bring the latest news, stats, and stories from the Premier League, as well as unrivalled coverage of other key Flow Sports properties such as IPL cricket, the NFL, and the FA Cup.
“With the Premier Pack we are introducing an unmatchable level of value, choice, and control for sports fans that will enable them to experience the excitement like never before. We are hugely proud to be leading such unrivalled innovation, and can’t wait for the new season of the Premier League to start. Experience the very best of the Premier League, only with Flow”, Tooke said.
Flow subscribers can visit discoverflow.co/PremierLeague for more information, or contact their customer service and retail outlet
25 July, 2023
Women remain vastly underrepresented, comprising only a small fraction of the cybersecurity workforce.
18 July, 2023
Aventura, Florida (July 18th, 2023) – The 38th Annual CANTO Trade and Exhibition Conference kicked off…
8 July, 2023
Since 1963, the tournament has been hosted every four years by World Netball and will kick…
7 July, 2023
The 2023 conference will be held under the theme of “Fostering a Resilient Datasphere for All”…
7 March, 2023
This year’s theme: ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’

domain: news


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Friday, September 08, 2006
Looks healthy enough to us
But the Spaniards want to put some meat on her bones:
MADRID — Skinny models are to be banned from Madrid Fashion Week for the first time, the city council said on Friday.
Almost a third of the models who were to take part in the Pasarela Cibeles later this month have been rejected after they did not meet strict body mass index (bmi) rules.
....Spain's best-known model Esther Canadas does not qualify under the new rules which were brought in by Madrid city council.
The rules stipulate models who are 1.75 metres tall must weigh a minimum of 56 kilogrammes.
....Concha Guerra, of Madrid city council which sponsors Madrid Fashion Week to the tune of EUR 400,000 each year, said a nutritional expert would check all the models who took part.
Models whose bmi is below 16 would receive health treatment.


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Former Amadeus airline division marketing executive Stephan Druet has joined Dublin-based Mobile Travel Technologies.
He assumes the role of sales and business development director for the provider of mobile solutions.
Company founder and executive director Gerry Samuels said Druet brought “unique experience” from both travel technology and the mobile industry to MTT.
“Mobile travel is really taking off and MTT is scaling up to manage its strong growth following our successful launch of innovative mobile channels for blue-chip customers,” said Samuels.
Druet said: “Like internet 10 years ago, mobile travel is revolutionising the travel industry and will radically change the customer experience.”


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Some Google Wallet users running the app on rooted NFC phones are now seeing a message pointing out that their phone is an unsuppported device. Clicking on a ‘learn more’ link, Droid Life reports, provides a warning that gaining root access can disable important security mechanisms and “we strongly discourage doing so if you plan to use Google Wallet”.
- Apple Pay glitch charges customers twice
- Apple builds NFC tech into iPad Air 2
- Bell ID offers tokenization management software
- YesTap tests NFC shopping wall in Amsterdam
- Core Jewels offers diamond rings with NFC


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QUAKERTOWN, Pa. - A popular quick-serve restaurant chain that specializes in Cajun-seasoned fried chicken will open its first Lehigh Valley area location – and just second in Pennsylvania, officials say.
A restaurant building taking shape at 85 S. West End Blvd. (Route 309), Quakertown, will be a Bojangles, according to Ganaway Contracting, which is building the structure.
The site – across the road and slightly south of John’s Plain and Fancy Diner – previously held another building that was home to various restaurants over the years, including, most recently, Tom’s All American BBQ which opened in 2019.
The nearest Bojangles location is more than 35 miles away, at 3215 N. 5th St., in Muhlenberg Twp. That’s the chain’s only other Pennsylvania location, according to its website.
Ganaway said construction started on March 16, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 1.
Quakertown Building and Zoning Officer Doug Wilhelm said the project was approved about two years ago.
Bojangles was founded in 1977 in Charlotte, N.C., and has 780 locations.
Its menu is topped by hand-breaded bone-in chicken, boneless chicken offerings, fried and grilled chicken sandwiches and Cajun chicken filet served between biscuits.
It also is famous for its made-from-scratch biscuit breakfast sandwiches and fixins, or sides, seasoned fries, dirty rice, Cajun pinto beans, green beans, macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes and gravy.
It also serves salads, home-style chicken tender combos and family meals, and for dessert Bo-berry and cinnamon biscuits.
The chain even sells breakfast offerings all day. They include Cajun filet, bacon, egg and cheese, and Pimento cheese biscuits and Southern gravy biscuit combos.


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What is the fastest electric car on the market?
The new Tesla Model S Plaid is clearly the fastest production EV in the world. But there are some very fast (and expensive) electric hypercars out there, too. This $2.44 million speed demon from Croatia does 0 to 60 mph in 1.85 seconds. While only 150 of the electric cars will be made, there’s no set delivery time.
Is anything faster than a Tesla?
Surprise, surprise, a Lamborghini is quicker than an all-electric Tesla in a straight line.
Are electric cars the future?
With battery prices reportedly falling 73% since 2010, electric cars are expected to be as cheap as fuel-powered cars in the foreseeable future. The International Energy Agency cites that by 2020 up to 20 million electric vehicles will ply the road, a number that is expected to go up to 70 million by 2025.
Why do electric cars have low top speed?
This is because most manufacturers of electric cars limit the top speed to preserve battery charge. … This is why most EVs are designed with just one fixed ratio for the purpose of reducing the electric motor speed, which is usually between 8000 and 10,000rpm, before it is transmitted to the wheels.
Is a Tesla faster than an Audi?
So, technically, the Audi RS6 Avant is faster than the Tesla Model 3 Performance on a track. But out on real streets? The EV actually has the advantage. And it’s about half the price.
Is Tesla faster than Bugatti?
The new Tesla Roadster has a lower top speed when compared to a Bugatti Chiron, but it accelerates much faster and boasts a considerably higher maximum range. It isn’t just faster, but much more affordable and subjectively better-looking.


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When I was growing up in the Okanagan, we used to visit the Summerland Research Station. They had a cow with a glass stomach there. I kid you not. In addition to turning cows into circus acts, the scientists developed plants that were adaptable to local conditions. But in the mid 1990s, they abdicated their role as seed researchers and preservers to big business. They closed some of their agricultural stations across the country and two of the most important gene banks.
The Canadian government still funds nineteen research stations across the country, including the one in Summerland, now called the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre. I’ve walked through their beautiful native plant garden in recent years. I had heard they were doing a lot of work with genetic modification, but I must admit I was shocked to hear that they are partnering with a biotech company, innocuously named Okanagan Specialty Fruits, to engineer an apple that won’t brown after cutting. The Arctic apple as it is called, presumably to emphasize its perpetual whiteness, is a whole new circus trick. The technology suppresses a gene in the fruit that controls the enzyme (a polyphenol) that induces browning. No foreign DNA has been introduced, so no fish or scorpions this time.
While browsing the Okanagan Specialty Fruits web site, I learned it’s not just apples they are collaborating on with the research station. They are working with them to harness “the latest advancements in biotechnology to produce new tree fruit varieties.” The Okanagan has over 800 local growers of pears, cherries, apricots, peaches, prune plums and nectarines, as well as grapes and blueberries, so a lot of harnessing potential there. The site emphasizes the company’s strong industry and government partnerships.
The biotech company says they are filling a need because fresh slices have become a hot item in children’s lunch boxes. They mean the pre-packaged store bought slices, not the slices mom can cut at home and sprinkle with lemon juice to keep them from browning in the Tupperware. And what exactly is the problem with eating an apple whole?
We could question the ludicrousness of inventing such a thing, but in this prime apple growing region, shouldn’t there be grave concerns about cross-pollination? After fourteen years of field trials with genetically modified organisms, we know that is a reality. It has put entire sectors at risk. Canadian flax for example is now contaminated with Triffid, even though the GM seed was deregistered and ordered destroyed in 2001 because of the wary European market. Triffid had a weed gene added to it that allowed it to grow in herbicide-drenched soil. All Canadian shipments to Europe are now stopped. The Europeans buy seventy percent of our flax, so a $320 million industry is potentially destroyed.
Okanagan Specialty Fruits is seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for domestic growing and marketing of the apple. But it seems that the Arctic is getting a chilly response from US growers and shippers. It can take years for a product to be approved and even then, there are other mountains to climb, including a frigid public reception. It makes my teeth chatter just to think about it.


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WETHERSPOON'S customers can now order food and drink to their table via a new free app.
Pub-goers can order their meal or drink and pay for it from the comfort of their seat, and it will be delivered directly to their table by a member of staff.
The app - called Order & Pay - launched this week and is free to download on iTunes or Google Play now.
It can be used in all 903 Wetherspoon pubs in the UK, and customers can use it just to order drinks.
The popular pub chain says the app is perfect for those with youngsters, as parents won't need to leave kids unattended to order food or drink.
It's also useful for those on their own who don't want to lose their table, for those who aren't mobile and might struggle to walk and stand at the bar, or for customers who simply don't want to carry a large round of drinks back to their table through a packed pub, the firm said.
Once downloaded, customers can use the app to give their table number, order food and drinks and then pay by card, Apple Pay, Android Pay or PayPal.
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But the app has received a mixed reception from Wetherspoons customers.
It has an average rating of 3.1 out of five stars on Google Play's website.
One pub-goer, who rated the app five stars, said: "Pub was really busy. But from sitting down at a table to beer in my hand was less than three mins. Including entering my details and using PayPal. Awesome! I've been waiting for an app like this for years."
But another less impressed user, who gave the app just one star, said: "I'm fuming! It said there was an error with payment but it took money. No food came and staff said no order came through.
"Rang bank and they said it had charged my account three times!! Staff refused to do anything even with proof from the bank. This is theft!"
A two star rater said: "Doesn't include all drink options! Specially annoying when it's the drink you prefer! Also would be better if when choosing the food and drink deals, there is an option when booking and not have to go to drinks menu separately and wait for discount to be applied on ordering."
Customers must be over the age of 17 to download the app.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at email@example.com or call 0207 782 4094


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PGP Universal mail encryption gateway adds antivirus capability.
PGP Corp. and Symantec Corp. this week announced a partnership under which they will deliver the encryption companys PGP Universal mail encryption gateway with Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine built into it. PGP Universal is a network product that encrypts emails using key pairs stored on behalf of the end user. Now firms will be able scan mail for viruses immediately before encryption and after decryption.
Read the full story at Computer Business Review


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The government has announced that the grant scheme for zero-emission vehicles has been updated to target less expensive models, allowing the scheme’s funding to go further and to help more people make the switch to an electric vehicle (EV).
The plug-in grant scheme, which has supported nearly half a million vehicles over a decade, has helped kickstart a market that is now moving forward at pace with over one in 10 cars sold in 2021 – over 150,000 – having a plug.
EVs are becoming more affordable as the market has expanded and demand is increasing.
From 15 December, the government will provide grants of up to £1,500 for electric cars priced under £32,000, with currently around 20 models on the market, ensuring taxpayers’ money makes the most difference – and ensuring as many people as possible can benefit.
Support for wheelchair accessible vehicles is being prioritised, with these retaining the £2,500 grant and a higher £35,000 price cap. Government’s total investment in the EV transition remains unchanged.
Meanwhile the government is also setting out that it will introduce new rules next year that will increase confidence in our EV charging infrastructure.
These rules will mandate a minimum payment method – such as contactless payment – for new 7.1 kW and above chargepoints, including rapids.
Motorists will soon be able to compare costs across networks which will be in a recognisable format similar to pence per litre for fuel and there will be new standards to ensure reliable charging for electric vehicle drivers.
Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said: “The market is charging ahead in the switch to electric vehicles. This, together with the increasing choice of new vehicles and growing demand from customers, means that we are refocusing our vehicle grants on the more affordable vehicles and reducing grant rates to allow more people to benefit, and enable taxpayers’ money to go further.
“We want as many people as possible to be able to make the switch to an electric vehicle, which is why we will also be introducing new rules to make it easier to find and pay at chargepoints.
“This will ensure drivers have confidence in our charging infrastructure, as we look to reduce our carbon emissions, create green jobs and level up right across the UK.”


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Stardew Valley 1.54 Patch Notes – Console Version Released
Stardew Valley 1.54 update is now live on consoles.
The brand new Stardew Valley 1.54 update is now live on all console versions of the game. The patch was already launched for PC and it includes tons of fixes along with some significant changes to the gameplay. Probably the biggest new feature coming with Stardew Valley 1.54 update is the ability to play split-screen co-op. Below, you can check out all the new gameplay changes. Be aware that this part of the patch notes might have some spoilers:
- Adjusted the logic for checking for Perfection so that it accounts for games where the farm switched to the Joja route partway through a Community Center playthrough.
- Lucky Rings no longer lose their luck bonus overnight.
- Fixed an issue where fishing with multiple rods in your inventory after catching a treasure could cause your character to softlock when casting from a different rod. This was the cause of the fishing rod softlock next to Willy’s house and during the Festival of Ice.
- Pam no longer visits the Island Resort on Sandy’s birthday.
- Fixed a rare crash that could occur when watching an event in multiplayer as the clock hits midnight/1:00 AM.
- The sound of fiber crops being harvested can no longer be heard if you are in another area.
- The Stardew Valley Fair shop no longer sells multiples of the randomly chosen items. Tea Sapling has also been replaced by Triple Shot Espresso.
- Qi Challenge and Special Order related items are now properly removed from both Marlon’s Item Recovery Service, and items requested to be recovered are now removed from the mailbox once the quest expires.
- Fixed an exploit where entering the Skull Caves would immediately unlock all 120 floors on the elevator.
- Fixed a rare instance where a charged Hoe could dislodge a nonempty chest and destroying its contents if it was placed in a specific configuration next to other chests.
- Fixed an issue where the buttons in the Calico Jack and Calico Spin minigames wouldn’t respond to controller input if the UI Scale setting didn’t match Zoom Level setting.
- Bombing certain floor tiles in the Quarry mine area no longer spawns items.
- You can no longer collect Golden Coconuts from Palm Trees in the Desert.
- You can no longer interact with objects while warping using the Scepter of Return.
- You can no longer place and retrieve certain wallpapers in chests to obtain a Lost Book.
- Trees no longer grow on top of placed furniture items.
- Fixed a minor graphical inconsistency with the quality indicator on procedurally colored objects such as flowers.
- Fixed a formatting issue with Leo’s first event in the Korean localization, preventing the event from completing.
- The Special Order board is no longer invisible during summer in the Korean localization.
- Various localization corrections.
In terms of new content, update 1.54 brings Dwarvish forge, Special Orders, new fishing TV channel, new crops and trees, new craftable items and machines, new food items, new fertilizers, and more.


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Many successful Canadian business owners go it alone. Many more, however, seek guidance and expertise to reach their business potential.
To help, The Globe and Mail is proud to produce Small Business Advisor; a special report series designed to help SMBs grow and prosper.
- This opportunity has passed.
Small Business Advisor
Ad Close: Tuesday December 26, 2017 Materials due: Tuesday January 2, 2018 Publication: Tuesday January 16, 2018
Platforms: Digital, Newspaper
All opportunities close at 5pm on the day indicated


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Keith Rabois, formerly COO of payment firm Square and now working with Khosla Ventures, led a $1.5 million investment round in a US firm whose first service is designed to help the country’s low-income workers better manage their finances using a mobile app, according to Techcrunch.
The firm, which is called Even, was also backed by other investors including VC firms Homebrew, Red Swan and Slow Ventures, as well as Instagram CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom and payments firm Venmo co-founder Andrew Kortina.
Even’s strategy is to offer low-income workers a steady income every week by setting aside a little bit of their money in a good week. It offers interest-free credit when an individual is having a bad week.
The firm, which is aiming for a commercial launch later in 2015, is setting itself up as an alternative to payday loans for the low paid.
It makes money by charging users $5 per week for the service. It is also looking to partner with enterprises.
However, the business model presupposes the low-paid earn enough in a good week to set aside income for leaner times. And that they are willing to have an outside entity have control over their finances.
Rabois left Square two years ago.


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Beginning on Feb. 20, Rossland will have a taxi service based within the city for people needing transport or deliveries. Creston Cab Company (CCC) will have a seven-seater taxi with winter tires based in Rossland every Friday afternoon and Saturday.
In July 2014, Ken Parker and his business partner purchased CCC based out of Creston. In September when Champion Cabs closed, CCC expanded into Castlegar and Trail. The Trail license extends to the Rossland area, and up until Friday, were only an on-call service for Rossland. Now the cabs will be stationed here over the weekend making it quicker and more convenient for people to catch a cab from Rossland.
The Rossland cab has its own dedicated number — 250-921-7788. A cab can be called (and will come up to Rossland from Trail) anytime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and not just for getting from A to B. CCC will come out and give you a boost if you have a flat battery or they can make deliveries on your behalf. The company also has all-wheel drive vehicles so if Rossland is fortunate enough to receive more snow, the winter tire two-wheel drive vehicle can be switched for a four-wheel drive as needed.
Parker hopes to employ people in Rossland and have a car stationed there full time. The weekend service will act as a trial to determine demand.
“We would love to give Rossland a cab service…we are trying to rebuild the service and we are malleable,” said Parker.
Parker sought the advice of Mayor Kathy Moore and Deanne Steven of Tourism Rossland before announcing the new dedicated service for Rossland. “It’s time for Rossland — they need it,” said Parker of the new service.
CCC will be operating the Rossland based vehicle at a loss initially in order to build up visibility and awareness for the service. To begin with, a driver will be paid an hourly wage to be stationed in Rossland.
It can take several months for a license to be issued and when Parker was made aware of the Champion Cabs closure last fall, he placed an urgent request so the people of Castlegar and Trail would not be without a taxi service.
“When we realized there wasn’t going to be a cab company in Trail and Castlegar, we put in an urgent request to be licensed,” he said.
Parker wants to see Rossland’s elderly citizens benefit from CCC’s service but asserts the company is here for everyone and even offers group trips and pre-booked event transfers.


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Yuga Labs, the blockchain startup behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) Non-Fungible Token (NFT) mission, has raised the sum of $450 million in funding from traders led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).
The funding information was completely broken by The Verge who additionally claimed that the spherical enjoined participation from sport studio Animoca Brands and crypto corporations Coinbase and MoonPay, amongst others.
The fund successfully positioned Yuga Labs at a $4 billion valuation and the workforce aimed to inject the funds into constructing a media empire that can predominantly function NFTs. The empire will likely be kickstarted with a sport and a metaverse mission is unveiled a couple of days in the past dubbed the “Otherside.”
The workforce is notably collaborating with a slew of different tasks to create “an interoperable world” that’s “gamified” and “completely decentralized,” says Wylie Aronow, a co-founder of Bored Ape Yacht Club who goes by the pseudonym Gordon Goner. “We think the real Ready Player One experience will be player run.”
The caliber of traders the mission drew which helped it increase the most important funds of any NFT mission to date is proof that the mission’s prospect is being acknowledged by many.
“To me, Yuga Labs, combined with these other emergings [Web3] companies, are an important counterweight to companies like Meta,” Chris Dixon, who leads Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto arm, tells The Verge. “There’s a dystopian future where Meta is this kind of dominant digital experience provider, and all of the money and control goes to that company.”
Yuga Labs not too long ago acquired the IP rights to the CryptoPunks and Meebits NFT collections, a transfer that offers them unique entry to the business’s most prestigious digital artwork collections. Besides Yuga Labs, different famend Web3.0 tasks have additionally pulled big funds from traders with the NFT buying and selling market hitting $13.3 billion valuations following its $300 million funding spherical again in January.
Image supply: Shutterstock


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KUORI developing biodegradable plastics
The Basel-based cleantech company KUORI GmbH develops alternative materials for conventional plastics. The aim is to reduce the accumulation of microplastics caused by friction. Since being founded in spring 2022, the startup has secured financing in the amount of 2.3 million euros.
Product cycle according to KUORI (illustration taken from KUORI homepage)
According to a recent press release, the Basel-based cleantech startup KUORI is developing innovative materials from food waste, such as banana skins and nut shells. The first results of the developments are elastic, bio-based and biodegradable materials that can be used in the soles of shoes. Due to friction, the soles of our shoes constantly deposit microplastics when we walk. “We want to use our bio-based, biodegradable and elastic materials where they bring the greatest benefit for the environment”, comments Sarah Harbarth, founder and CEO of KUORI. “Unlike conventional plastics, which take hundreds of years to degrade in nature, our materials are industrially compostable”, she adds.
Founded in 2022, the company has closed 2.3 million euros in financing since being launched last March. This funding is to be used to facilitate the rapid market launch of the new materials in the first half of this year, in addition to being put towards the search for competent industrial partners and the expansion of the market chain.
Five Basel startups in the Circular Economy Incubator
Investors include the Eurostars program of the European Union, the Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse, the innovation fund of the Alternative Bank Switzerland and the Gebert Rüf Foundation, in addition to private investors. KUORI is also supported by Venture Monitoring from the investment and innovation promotion agency Basel Area Business & Innovation. In addition, the startup has made it into the Circular Economy Incubator 2022-2023 from the Circular Economy Transition. Alongside KUORI, other Basel-based startups such as GreenUp, Glacé Löööv, Food Factory and Happie will receive financial backing from this platform.
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General Motors' review of its budget for creative advertising work on Chevrolet is aimed at whittling the number of outside agencies from more than 50 worldwide to "a handful," global marketing chief Joel Ewanick said.
GM believes it can save "real money" while enhancing Chevy's marketing by stitching together campaigns from various countries around the globe, Ewanick told Automotive News at the Los Angeles Auto Show. He said GM will complete the Chevy review next month.
The creative review is running concurrently with a review of GM's $3 billion media-buying budget, which includes more than 40 agencies worldwide.
Asked whether the combined reviews could save tens of millions of dollars, Ewanick replied: "More than that. It's real money."
Ewanick said there are more than 2,000 people working on Chevy accounts at creative ad agencies globally. "That's a lot," he said.
GM has studied the agency networks of other big companies, inside and outside the auto industry. Ewanick said some companies have pared their agency count moderately, only to return for more consolidation.
He made it clear that GM plans big changes.
"We're able to leapfrog all that," Ewanick said. "We're going to go to what is probably the next evolution in how these kinds of agency formulas and business models will work for a global brand like ours."
The overhaul of GM's ad-agency portfolio is part of a broader effort spearheaded by CEO Dan Akerson to cut costs companywide. For example, GM is consolidating the number of vehicle and engine platforms it uses to slash engineering and manufacturing costs.


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If you owned one of the strongest trademarks in the world, like, oh, I don’t know, Tylenol, and you received multiple reports that the product had an odd chemical odor, wouldn’t you look into it pronto? How about if the trademark had been through turmoil in the 1980’s due to a poisoning that resulted in a huge recall of Tylenol which ironically created on the the most trusted brands in the over-the-counter analgesic category of products. Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to recalling everything on the shelves to protect consumers created a trust level in Tylenol that has been unsurpassed. “Doing the right thing” by J&J was a fantastic investment in creating brand loyalty. It took only six days to recall all the Tylenol in the U.S. So why risk the brand’s reputation now?
A few years ago, in the Ethics Follies 2007, we lampooned J&J for about ten different big headline ethics and fraud issues featured in Ethicsphere Magazine. They had inventors leaving due to cover ups about cardiac stents and sexual harrasment problems. It was amazing how the culture had changed at J&J, with managers appearing to be irresponsible with the reputation of the company and only focused on the highest possible sales numbers. The recent events with the recall of Tylenol and other products that have caused illness in consumers is unfortunate. But combined with the fact that federal prosecutors in Boston recently made a statement to the press that Johnson & Johnson paid tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks so nursing homes would put more patients on its blockbuster schizophrenia drug creates a hightened alert for the management of the J&J corporation. There appears to be a return of ethical collapse that haunted the company just a few years ago. The ethical tone should be set at the top and it appears that this isn’t being done.
Here’s more on the recall from the websites Associated Content and Yahoo.com:
Yahoo.com: Johnson & Johnson issued a massive recall Friday of over-the-counter drugs including Tylenol, Motrin and St. Joseph’s aspirin because of a moldy smell that has made people sick. It was the second recall in less than a month because of the smell, which regulators said was first reported to McNeil in 2008. Federal regulators criticized the company, saying it didn’t respond to the complaints quickly enough, wasn’t thorough in how it handled the problem and didn’t inform the Food and Drug Administration quickly.
The recall includes some batches of regular and extra-strength Tylenol, children’s Tylenol, eight-hour Tylenol, Tylenol arthritis, Tylenol PM, children’s Motrin, Motrin IB, Benadryl Rolaids, Simply Sleep, and St. Joseph’s aspirin.
The FDA and Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare Products said they did not know the number of bottles recalled. It included caplet and geltab products sold in the Americas, the United Arab Emirates, and Fiji.
Consumers should check the full list at to identify the recalled batches.
The Tylenol recall 2010 is an astronomically expensive endeavor for Johnson & Johnson. Not only is the recall expensive, it’s also inconvenient and has caused many consumers to lose faith in the drug manufacturer. As the Tylenol recall has been expanded more than once, there are those
Tylenol Recall 2010: Astronomically Expensive, Inconvenient, and More
The 2010 recall has been compared to the one that happened in 1982. In 1982 an individual was responsible for tampering with the containers and placing deadly poison inside the medication bottles. The end result was that Johnson & Johnson had to deal with fatalities. It is because of that incident that we now have the tamper evident packaging on all medications.
In 1982 it only took the company 6 days to respond to consumer complaints. This time around it has taken them – get this – 20 months. Yep. That’s right! Consumers have been complaining about a musty smell coming from the medicine for almost two years now. While the effects aren’t said to be fatal, there are many who have gotten sick from taking the drugs.
The FDA is not too happy with the response from the company. In fact, CNN money reports that Johnson & Johnson has received a warning letter from the FDA. This means that the company has 15 days to respond to the letter and outline how they will keep the same thing from happening again. In addition the government can “withhold approval of requests for export certificates or approval of pending new drug applications” from the company if they aren’t happy with the response.
The FDA said about 70 people have been either sickened by the odor — including nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea — or noticed it.
The smell is caused by small amounts of a chemical associated with the treatment of wooden pallets, Johnson & Johnson said. The FDA said the chemical can leach into the air, and traced it to a facility in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico.
The New Brunswick, N.J., company said it is investigating the issue and will stop shipping products with the same materials on wooden pallets. It has asked suppliers to do so as well.
The FDA said McNeil knew of the problem in early 2008 but made only a limited investigation.
“McNeil should have acted faster,” said Deborah Autor, the director of the FDA’s Office of Compliance of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “When something smells bad, literally or figuratively, companies must aggressively investigate and take all necessary action to solve the problem.”
The FDA sent McNeil a warning letter for violating manufacturing standards and failing to report and investigate the problem in a timely way, Autor said.
Johnson & Johnson has 15 days to respond. The FDA says it wants an explanation as to why the problem was not made public sooner.
In November, McNeil recalled some Tylenol Arthritis Caplets due to the smell. Almost three weeks ago, the company expanded its recall to include more batches of Tylenol Arthritis Caplets.
There have been no reports of nausea related to the most recent recall, the company said. McNeil, however, said the expanded recall includes product lots that could be affected by the same problems of nausea.
The company said it is working with the FDA.
Also on Friday, federal prosecutors in Boston said Johnson & Johnson paid tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks so nursing homes would put more patients on its blockbuster schizophrenia drug.
The government’s complaint states that J&J gave special rebates to Omnicare Inc., the country’s biggest dispenser of prescription drugs to nursing homes, in return for recommendations from its pharmacists that patients be given Risperdal, in many cases when it was inappropriate.
J&J said in a statement it “will address the government’s lawsuit in court” and believes its rebates were “lawful and appropriate.”


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Microsoft on Tuesdayof its search engine Bing, complete with ChatGPT-like technology that can answer complex questions and help users make decisions.
The push is part of Microsoft’s effort to transform an internet service that now trails far behind Google into a new way of communicating. Revamping Bing, the second-place search engine, could give the software giant a head start against other technology companies in capitalizing on the worldwide excitement surrounding ChatGPT, a tool that’s reachedin just two months of public release.
The “race starts today, and we’re going to move and move fast,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on Tuesday during the unveiling at its Redmond, Washington, headquarters. Microsoft said it would gradually roll out the new Bing globally, but didn’t say when users would start to see it.
“We are basically taking the next generation of the model — that today powers ChatGPT — and building it in right into Bing,” Nadella told CBS Mornings host Tony Dokoupil before the announcement.
On stage, executives from Microsoft and OpenAI demonstrated ways that the enhanced search tool would create a faster, more seamless experience. For example, a user could request a list of events happening in a specific city during the Super Bowl; ask for the best cordless vacuum models or whether an Ikea love seat will fit into a minivan. In response to the latter question, Bing can find the dimensions of the love seat and the car, and answer if it fits.
The “new Bing,” as Microsoft is calling the search function, can also offer more advanced help with travel plans, said Yusuf Mehdi, who leads Microsoft’s consumer business.
“With the new Bing, I don’t have to start with something that’s dumbed down, like ‘Mexico City Travel Tips,'” Mehdi said. Instead, he typed in, “create an itinerary for a five-day trip for me and my family.”
“Isn’t this just so much better as a starting point?” Mehdi said.
Search and create
Other capabilities include asking the tool to summarize a PDF of a company’s financial results and compare the financial performance of different companies.
In addition to giving advanced answers to a broad range of questions, the chatbot will be able to “write” on behalf of the user, according to Microsoft’s demonstration. An executive asked the AI tool to draft a post for LinkedIn, the business networking site Microsoft owns, with options allowing someone to put in the topic of the post and choose among different tone and format options.
“Oh my god, he’s having the robot write a LinkedIn post. The corporate singularity is here,” Nilay Patel, editor in chief of technology website The Verge, quipped in a blog.
Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI has been four years in development — starting with a $1 billion investment from Microsoft in 2019 that led to the creation of a powerful supercomputer built to OpenAI’s models.
While it’s not always factual or logical, ChatGPT’s mastery of language and grammar comes from having ingested a huge trove of digitized books, Wikipedia entries, instruction manuals, newspapers and other online writings.
The shift to making search engines more conversational — able to confidently answer questions rather than offering links to other websites — could change the advertising-fueled search business, but also pose risks if the AI systems don’t get their facts right. Their opaqueness also makes it hard to source back to the original human-made images and texts they’ve effectively memorized.
ChatGPT can’t answer questions about current events, for instance, noting that the database on which it was trained ends in 2021.
Bing’s new features could seriously challenge Google in the web search field, Wall Street analysts say.
“With new and attractive features for its users on the Bing search engine, [Microsoft’s] AI-driven strategy is set to challenge the web search market by grabbing market share as users see increased benefits and a new user experience,” analysts at Wedbush said in a research note Tuesday.
Google playing catch up
In response to pressure over ChatGPT’s popularity, Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Monday announcedthat will be available exclusively to a group of “trusted testers” before being widely released later this year.
Google’s chatbot is supposed to be able to explain complex subjects such as outer space discoveries in terms simple enough for a child to understand. It also claims the service will perform more mundane tasks — such as providing party-planning tips, or lunch ideas based on what food is left in a refrigerator. Other tech rivals such as Facebook parent Meta and Amazon also worked on similar technology, but Microsoft’s latest moves aim to position it at the center of the ChatGPT zeitgeist.
Microsoft disclosed in January that it was pouringinto OpenAI as it looks to fuse the technology behind ChatGPT, the image-generator DALL-E and other OpenAI innovations into an array of Microsoft products tied to its cloud computing platform and its Office suite of workplace products.
The most surprising might be the integration with Bing, which is the second-place search engine in many markets but has never come close to challenging Google’s dominant position.
Bing launched in 2009 as a rebranding of Microsoft’s earlier search engines and was run for a time by Nadella, years before he took over as CEO. Its significance was boosted when Yahoo and Microsoft signed a deal for Bing to power Yahoo’s search engine, giving Microsoft access to Yahoo’s greater search share. Similar deals infused Bing into the search features for devices made by other companies, though users wouldn’t necessarily know that Microsoft was powering their searches.
By making it a destination for ChatGPT-like conversations, Microsoft could invite more users to give Bing a try.
On the surface, at least, a Bing integration seems far different from what OpenAI has in mind for its technology.
OpenAI has long voiced an ambitious vision for safely guiding what’s known as AGI, or artificial general intelligence, a not-yet-realized concept that harkens back to ideas from science fiction about human-like machines. OpenAI’s website describes AGI as “highly autonomous systems that outperform humans at the most economically valuable work.”
OpenAI started out as a nonprofit research laboratory when it was launched in December 2015 with backing from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and others. Its stated aims were to “advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial returns.”
That changed in 2018 when it incorporated a for-profit business Open AI LP, and shifted nearly all of its staff into the business, not long after releasing its first generation of the GPT model for generating human-like paragraphs of readable text.
OpenAI’s other products include thefirst released in 2021, the computer programming assistant Codex and the speech recognition tool Whisper.
CBS News’ Irina Ivanova contributed reporting.


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Shares in Japan’s Nintendo Co. rallied on Thursday following its announcement of a new mobile game featuring the iconic Mario character, though broader stocks performance across Asia was mixed.
As the Nikkei Stock Average NIK, +1.66% fell 0.3% as the yen USDJPY, +0.01% continued to strengthen against the U.S. dollar, while a speech by a senior Bank of Japan official failed to clear uncertainty over the central bank’s future policy direction. All eyes will now be on the BOJ’s next meeting on Sept. 20-21.
Bank of Japan Deputy Gov. Hiroshi Nakaso on Thursday said it wasn’t right to take negative rate reductions off the table, just because of their potential harm to bank profits, suggesting his openness to further rate cuts. But analysts were skeptical.
Putting rates further into negative territory is difficult to implement amid a lack of public support, said Katsunori Kitakura, strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. “They didn’t expect that much backlash from the government or the public,” he said, noting that monetary policy is fast approaching the limits of its effectiveness.
Nintendo 7974, +0.08% was among the best-performing big-cap stocks in the region on Thursday, closing up 13% and reversing some of the late-July pullback seen after shares surged following the release of “Pokémon Go.” However, broader equity weakness in Japan came on the BOJ uncertainties, as well as a revised economic report that showed inflation slowing and wage growth stagnant.
Overnight, Nintendo 7974, +0.08% unveiled “Super Mario Run,” the latest push into mobile gaming for a company that has long stayed out of the sector. The game will launch in December on smartphone platforms beginning with Apple Inc.’s AAPL, +2.35% iOS. Analysts forecast a greater financial boost to Nintendo from the coming release than from “Pokémon Go.”
“Earnings contribution was said to be limited from ‘Pokemon Go,’ but Mario is Nintendo’s content...We can expect earnings improvement,” said Hideyuki Ishiguro, senior strategist at Daiwa Securities.
Apple, meanwhile, unveiled the iPhone 7 to mixed reviews. While its stock rose slightly in the U.S. on Wednesday, the tech firm’s Midas touch didn’t extend to Taiwan, where shares of key manufacturing suppliers — Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. 2317, +1.05% , Wistron Corp. 3231, -0.21% and Compal Electronics Inc. 2324, +0.25% — were down modestly. Taiwan’s benchmark Taiex ended up 0.1%.
On Thursday, the release of China’s August trade data made few ripples as liquidity has stayed tight and the country’s foreign-exchange reserves hit a five-year low. Still, the smaller-than-expected drop in China’s exports last month and a surprise increase in imports — the first growth in nearly two years — helped drive Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index HSI, +2.40% up 0.7%, while the Shanghai Composite Index SHCOMP, +1.50% closed up just 0.1%.
In Australia, institutional selling and a recalibration of expectations surrounding rates in the country following the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged pressured stocks.
“The financials are taking the big points out of our market today,” said Chris Weston, chief market analyst at IG Market Ltd.
Also, rising oil prices CLV26, -49.48% offered little support to Australia’s commodity-reliant market, with shares of key producers down. Santos Ltd. STO, +1.96% dropped 2.9%, while Woodside Petroleum WPL, +2.31% shed 1.6%. Brent UK:LCOX6 , the global crude-oil benchmark, was recently up 1.3% at $48.61 a barrel.
Looking ahead, the market will be watching for the European Central Bank’s announcement on interest rates and for the release of U.S. initial jobless claims data later on Thursday. The latter will likely be seen as further ammunition in the case for a rate increase by the U.S. Federal Reserve if the number beats the consensus figure of 265,000.


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Cohn & Wolfe conducts butter tart campaign
Cohn & Wolfe of Toronto has begun a campaign called "I Heart Butter Tarts," tied to the 150th anniversary of Canada. According to the agency, the aim of the effort is to make the butter tart the official national dessert of Canada. Consumers are encouraged to visit a website at <http://www.iheartbuttertarts.com> to sign a petition and vote for their favourite kind of tart. After gathering sufficient names, the agency will deliver the petition to Parliament. The site is accompanied by an online video and social media activities.
"Butter tarts are the quintessential treat for Canadians young and old, and its origin is a source of pride," said Caroline Verboon, senior vice-president at Cohn & Wolfe. "Whether you love them traditional and gooey or chock full of plump raisins, butter tarts are uniquely Canadian, an essential component of our heritage and one more reason to celebrate Canada 150."


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Verizon and Qualcomm on Tuesday announced they are forming a new joint-venture company designed to support so-called machine-to-machine wireless services.
In their most basic form, machine-to-machine systems automatically transmit data between a device and a network. An example is a water meter in a home that sends data about water usage back to the water company. But more recently, devices like Amazon's Kindle have been lumped into the category, because the Kindle wirelessly downloads books and transmits other data to and from Amazon, without the end-users directly paying for the connection or explicitly knowing that they are using the wireless connection.
The joint venture, yet to be named and equally owned by Verizon and Qualcomm, will aim to make it easier for product and application developers to bring their offerings to market, executives from both companies said.
"It has been a niche space that has been fragmented," said Steve Pazol, who will head the new company and previously served as president of Global Smart Services at Qualcomm. "This partnership with Verizon, we believe, will bring us to the next level."
The new company will deliver middleware and application programming interfaces to ease development; offer device performance services to protect devices from malware; help providers provision, manage and activate devices; and offer application services.
Despite Verizon's stake in the new company, the joint venture will support services that run on any network around the world, Pazol said.
"If you're a large enterprise and you try to bring a solution globally, you're dealing with different carriers with different rates and different coverage in each region, so it's complex," Pazol said. The venture will aim to simplify that process for customers, he said.
The new company may have some hurdles, however, because of competitive issues facing both companies. Qualcomm has traditionally met with resistance in Europe, where operators settled on GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) rather than Qualcomm's competing CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) mobile technology. Operators in the U.S. may be reluctant to use a service developed by a competitor.
In addition, the executives acknowledged that it will be a challenge to make the business model work. "When we thought of this venture, we recognized that the economics are different," said Tony Lewis, vice president of open development at Verizon Wireless.
But costs have dropped for chips and for transmitting data over networks, said Pazol. "And with these [machine-to-machine] apps, they typically don't churn," he said. For example, a tractor in use in the field for 20 years might only send data infrequently, but over that time it is very unlikely that the tractor would switch to a different wireless network.
In addition, Verizon has laid the groundwork for making it easier for developers to attach their devices to its wireless network. "If we didn't make it simple for device manufacturers to certify devices on our network, this would never succeed," Lewis said. Last year, Verizon launched its Open Network Initiative in an effort to streamline the process for approving new devices that can run on the company's network.
Verizon is aiming for the new services to run on its LTE (Long Term Evolution) network, which the company plans to begin rolling out next year.
Pazol said that one of the strongest components of the venture will be the access to Verizon's existing sales force to sell products and services to its customer base, including banks, utilities, health-care organizations and essentially any other kind of company. The venture has not yet targeted specific verticals, Lewis said.
Analysts expect the market for machine-to-machine communications to grow. Shipments of the radio units used in machine-to-machine products will total nearly 80 million modules in 2013, analysts at ABI Research predict.


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Using a mobile web proxy to surf the web could reveal your mobile phone number. That's the warning from Collin Mulliner, a security researcher and PhD student at Berlin's Technische Universitat, who was speaking at last week's CanSecWest conference.
Some mobile networks use proxy servers to reformat web pages to fit on the smaller screens of 'non-smartphones'. The operator intercepts the customer's internet data, identifies the web site they want and then provides a 'friendlier' version of the chosen web site.
However, Mr Mulliner says a number of mobile operators are adding information that could reveal the customer's identity to the web site owner. Based on mobile web traffic to his own site, he says the SIM identity number, customer account numbers and mobile phone numbers have all been sent by network operators on some occasions. [Sources: Mulliner.org; PCWorld.com]


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The smartphone/tablet hybrid Samsung Galaxy Note, the American version of which was recently priced and dated, will be receiving an upgrade to Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich, by the end of the first quarter of 2012.
The announcement about the upgrade to ICS came via Samsung Norway’s Facebook page, where the company stated that the Galaxy S II will also be receiving the update in the same time window. As such, it seems likely that Norwegian customers will be among the first to receive the ICS update on their devices, with the rest of the world to hopefully follow shortly thereafter.
The American version of the Samsung Galaxy Note, which will be available on AT&T’s 4G LTE network, was revealed at CES 2012 last month and will be going on sale for $299.99 on February 5 (online purchases will be delivered February 17). At the time of shipment, the Galaxy Note will run Android 2.3, aka Gingerbread, so the ICS update will be coming to customers post-launch.


text: HeiQ, the Swiss high-tech company producing high performance sustainable effects for textiles, is launching a new umbrella branding strategy, which covers all the technologies under the HeiQ parent brand. All the new technology names include the HeiQ brand so as to allow the end consumer to immediately identify the technology they are going to use. The new explicit branding strategy is also meant to increase business at point of sales. HeiQ will be present at Ispo Munich on Jan. 24-27, in hall C3 at booth 401. HeiQ was founded in 2005 as a spin-off company of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.


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Ramu's much-hyped latest release PHOONK has turned out a sure-shot winner at Box-office. With its impressive collections everywhere the film is being touted as a runaway success for RGV after a bit downer CONTRACT.
Considering the outstanding performance of the movie among the various circuits and its fantastic response looks like the makers are highly enthused by it. And accordingly have announced a sequel to the newly released scary outing PHOONK. Not only this, the makers have even designed a contest for the same.
In a statement on the official website of PHOONK www.phoonk.in, Producer Azam Khan (of One More Thought Entertainment) has stated "One More Thought proudly announces PHOONK 2, the sequel to PHOONK. And the one who will provide a satisfying way forward to the storyline for the sequel will be rewarded with an amount of Rs. 10 Lakh."


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A collection of news and information related to Sergio Marchionne published by this site and its partners.
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Displaying items 89-89
Blog | Jun 3, 2011Chrysler plans to offer all-wheel drive on its minivans when the redesigned vans go on sale sometime in 2014, according to the Detroit News. The new minivan platform will spawn both a traditional-looking (read: boxy with sliding doors) minivan and......


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London-based BP said it had agreed to sell its southern African forecourt network to international commodities trader Trafigura for $296 million, echoing a trend of big oil companies exiting fuel retail.
BP said it would will sell interests in forecourts and supply businesses in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi to Puma Energy, a unit of Netherlands-based Trafigura.
Europe’s second-largest oil company by market value is in the process of raising $25 billion to $30 billion by the end of 2011 to help pay for its Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Oil traders such as Trafigura have not historically involved themselves in fuel retail businesses, although the deal follows the sale by Royal Dutch Shell of 1 300 retail sites across Africa to Vitol, the world’s largest independent energy trader in July.
Analysts said owning supply networks could help oil traders to play arbitrage opportunities in energy markets.
The deal must be approved by local regulators.
Trafigura’s checquered past in Africa could be a barrier to this.
A Dutch court fined Trafigura €1 million ($1,3 million) in July for illegally exporting toxic waste to Ivory Coast which ended up being dumped in the open air.
Trafigura agreed in 2007 to pay a $198 million settlement to the Ivory Coast government which exempted it from legal proceedings in the West African country, but it denied responsibility for the dumping or any wrongdoing.


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Report: Xiaomi 13 Ultra will be available globally
After the acclaimed Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra-mobile launched in 2021 last year, everyone was waiting for the 12 Ultra-mobile. But when the Xiaomi company announced its 12S Ultra Mobile, they decided not to release the mobile phone globally, assuming that the shortage of mobile phone chips will be faced by everyone worldwide in 2022.
Although this year, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra mobile is tipped to reach the global market. From a leaked information we got, the same report also revealed that Oppo’s flagship Find X6 Pro mobile will not be manufactured outside of China.
As everyone would expect, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra Mobile is going to be a real camera powerhouse and we all have a rough idea of what the mobile phone could end up looking like.


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The Narendra Modi Government sought to give a marked thrust to the rural sector in this year’s Union Budget, its last full-year budget before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, with the central ministries getting an allocation of Rs 14.34 lakh crore for creation of livelihood and infrastructure in rural areas.
India Inc on Thursday said the announcements were in line with expectations with emphasis on sectors like agriculture, health and infrastructure.
Anis Chakravarty, Partner and Lead Economist, Deloitte India said: “The latest budget represents prudent management as the focus clearly is on enhancing the health and overall status of the workforce. The stress on creating a budget that enables broader participation of the public has continued by giving a push to rural infrastructure along with trying to ensure that farmers get the right price for their produce. The focus on infrastructure creation continues and bodes well for the overall growth momentum in the economy. The decision to give higher MSPs (minimum support price) is clearly a positive for the agriculture sector though it could lead to some inflationary pressures building up in the system.”
The Budget has delivered on the BJP government’s development agenda of enhancing the rural economy and doubling the farmer’s income. This boost to the underprivileged – providing higher income for farmers – will bode well for consumer goods companies.
Vivek Gambhir, Managing Director and CEO, Godrej Consumer Products Limited said: “This aam aadmi rural focused budget to build ‘New India’, reinforces the Government’s pro-inclusivity, pro-growth, pro-reform agenda. It is largely positive for FMCG; proactive efforts to drive demand and increase consumption should revive growth. Over the last couple of months, as GST implementation is settling down, we are seeing FMCG growth come back on track and these initiatives will provide an additional fillip, especially to rural. However, the need of the hour is to ensure that these initiatives get translated into tangible results through faster implementation and better on-ground execution.”
“Improving income of agriculturists through initiatives such as MSP at 1.5 times the cost of produce, and Kisan Credit Cards for fisheries and animal husbandry, will help put more money in the hands of people in rural areas. Accelerating rural infrastructure projects will improve connectivity and thereby FMCG distribution networks. We hope to see much-needed job creation from increased infrastructure investments of 50 lakh crore rupees, boost to MSME and focus on skilling and education. Investments in women and child development and the potentially transformative introduction of a flagship National Health Protection Scheme will drive more inclusive growth. The standard deduction of 40,000 rupees for salaried tax payers will increase disposable income for the middle class and drive demand for mass products,” he added.
Last year, Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej had said that the rural demand for FMCG will likely to have a double-digit growth with a good monsoon.
He had added that demand in rural areas for FMCG products has been quite good over the last year and that with inputs costs being reasonably under control, he did not see much price increase in the FMCG sector, which would bolster demand in the hinterland.
Apart from this, there seems to be not much of an immediate impact on the retail sector – positive or negative.
Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India said: “Agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare and rural development seem to be the key focus areas of the Budget 2018. We do not expect any immediate impact on consumption, either negative or positive. There is no real additional money in the hands of the middle class with which consumption can improve. However, the basic necessities of the poor in the country will be met because of the various schemes announced. The proposed reduction in corporate tax to 25 percent for MSME (medium, small & micro enterprises) companies with turnover up to Rs 250 crore is a welcome move, which will benefit a large number of retailers. They will be able to save on taxes that they would have otherwise paid at a higher rate. Overall, the budget is pro-poor, and one with a long-term impact with no immediate benefits for retail sector.”
(With inputs from IANS)


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Bitcoin- and blockchain-related job postings saw the highest surge in 2021 among all tech-related roles, LinkedIn says in its latest report. The sector also saw diversification in roles and industries as blockchain grew past financial services.
In a recent post, LinkedIn revealed that job postings containing terms like Bitcoin, blockchain, and other digital asset-related roles shot up 395% in 2021 in the U.S. from a year prior. This was the highest growth in the technology industry, outpacing the entire industry by 4x with its 98% rise.
The highest number of job postings on the job-oriented social networking service related to the blockchain space were in finance and software, the two sectors that have dominated blockchain jobs for the past five years. Blockchain developers and engineers were among the most popular roles.
However, in 2021, other sectors saw a bigger share of the pie compared to previous years as more industries adopted blockchain and digital assets. These include computer hardware sectors, accounting, consulting, and staffing.
The rise in blockchain jobs came during a year when investment into blockchain startups hit a new high. According to data by capital market research and data platform PitchBook, the industry received about $30 billion from investors across the world. This influx of capital allowed the startups to expand aggressively and increase their staff numbers.
It’s not just in the U.S. that blockchain jobs have shot up. As CoinGeek reported in October, job postings related to digital assets shot up by 37% in India, according to data from employment platform Indeed.
Not only are blockchain jobs among the fastest growing in the world, they are also among the best paying in the tech world.
According to the Blockchain Council, blockchain engineers, UX designers, product managers, analysts, and legal experts are among the highest-paying jobs in the space.
And now, with Bitcoin Association’s job board, finding a job in the lucrative sector has never been easier. The jobs board launched in early 2021, and since then, it has gone on to list some of the most highly-coveted positions in the industry, connecting talent with the most impactful companies in the Bitcoin space.
Interested? Check out other available roles on Bitcoin Association’s Job board.
Also read the latest ebook, BSV Blockchain as an Enterprise Cybersecurity Framework.
New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeek’s Bitcoin for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoin—as originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto—and blockchain.


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Aladdin Disney+ Release Date Revealed
Disney has announced that the 2019 version of Aladdin, will be coming to Disney+ on Wednesday 8th January in the US, Canada and Australia. It will be released on December 29th in the Netherlands and January 18th in New Zealand.
From Disney comes the thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of the animated classic Aladdin, the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, Aladdin features an all-star cast including Will Smith as the larger-than-life Genie, Mena Massoud as the clever scoundrel Aladdin and Naomi Scott as Jasmine, the beautiful, courageous princess of Agrabah.
Are you looking forward to the new version of Aladdin hitting Disney+ in January?


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Drinks for sampling
The Balmoral at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, promises to house Baccuss, the god if drink between December 1 and 3 when it will host the first ever International Drinks Festival.
The three-day event also being organised by the Balmoral, is expected to attract over 25000 people to witness the transformation that two friends, Ezekiel Adamu and Akin Eso are bringing to the Nigerian drinks industry, with an estimated value of $40 billion.
The festival is expected to be a huge market place where drinks will be sold at prices far less than regular. This is why the organisers chose December, when people tend to buy more drinks for the year end festivities. The three-day event kicks off on December 1 and will run through till December 3.
Both men are very familiar with the industry. Akin Eso is the convener of the popular wedding exhibition known as Wed Expo while Adamu is the Chief Executive Officer of the popular Balmoral, known for its cozy venues. The two friends have always had a symbiotic relationship which is now elevated to a new level. With the new working relationship, Balmoral has become a 360 events solution company spearheaded by three executives: Akin Eso who is the Chief Operating Officer, Goke Obembe, an Executive Director and Ezekiel Adamu who still retains his position as the Chief Executive Officer.
With their vast resources and knowledge, they are united in their quest to take Balmoral to a greater height. Together, they have brought some outstanding and far-reaching changes to the brand. Some of the changes that are visible include Balmoral Life which is the strategic thinking, marketing and ideas arm; Balmoral Exhibitions, Balmoral venues and Balmoral Hospitality.
“We intend to create own events and we will also partner with people to develop their own ideas. Our major concern is to create innovative platforms that are tailor-fit for specific sectors of the economy. The International Drinks Festival is the flagship brand that we are launching. We are going to have several other brands under the Balmoral group next year. What we pride ourselves on now is creating platforms for industries.” says Eso.
“With the International Drinks Festival, we are creating platforms whereby we have the drinks summit, which is where the business of drinks is being discussed. We have the exhibition, where the real brands will be able to showcase and also meet consumers as well as the hotel owners, club owners and the general public, then we also have the beer village which is more like an entertainment hub, whereby you have food and soft drinks. On the last day, we have the concert.”
A major entertainment offering at the festival is the Flair Bartending Show, where the performers will display astonishing bottle juggling skills. An appetizing teaser of things to come at the main event was showcased last August. Having a mini-show four months ahead in itself was a never-before-seen novelty in Nigeria. It was all they needed to convince brands and other participants that the main event was going to be a different experience.
However, with so much entertainment surrounding the event, Eso is quick to point out that the festival is more than just having fun.
“We are not just having an entertainment event. What happened in the past was just an entertainment event, everybody comes to drink and have fun. We have that as a small part of what we are doing in total. The beer part of it is the entertainment part. We still have the B2B part, where the general managers of hotels, the owners of clubs, top level management in drinks companies, government agencies like NAFDAC, Customs, SON are coming to and discuss how to take the drinks industry forward. Customs is going to be talking on importation, We have SON to talk on standards. NAFDAC will talk on how brands that want to come into Nigeria or even the small brands that want to register because you have a lot of people now making smoothies and different kinds of drinks. NAFDAC will be there to discuss how to get your NAFDAC certification and the right steps to take. All these agencies will exhibit their services.”
Adamu added: “This is the first event you are going to be seeing a Diageo opposite a Remy Martins; a Nigerian Breweries beside Guinness, Coke beside Pepsi, It is good for the consumers. A lot of people drink wine in this country, they don’t even know what they are drinking. There are a lot of people who don’t have a choice of drink, they just take whatever they see. With proper education, which is why we have the Masterclasses you will be able to understand; from tasting of wine to food pairing- don’t expect to be have Amala with wine. The experts will teach what goes with Amala; and what goes with other wine things.”
Among the things the Balmoral big wigs hope the International Drinks Festival will achieve for Nigeria is the collation of reliable and verifiable statistics. A lot of figures are being touted about Nigeria being one of the biggest consumers of beer and champagne. “Yes, Euro Monitor has contacted on their desire to conduct a survey because this is the only time they can meet every body they need to talk to in one place. We are also going to run our individual survey as people come in.”


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Sony Computer Entertainment America announced today a three-year, $20 million dollar investment plan to support the development of PlayStation Network exclusive games across its network of first-party studios as well as financial support for the Pub Fund, a unique program for independent developers.
The Pub Fund was originally announced at the Game Developers Conference in 2009, providing an additional development budget for developers who create innovative, exclusive titles for PlayStation Network. SCEA helps with game design and marketing plans but allows the developer to own the game’s intellectual property, publish the title and set the price. The first game developed and released under this model was Burn, Zombie, Burn!,
“PlayStation Network is poised to deliver an enviable line-up of exclusive and imaginative games this year, with highly anticipated first-party titles like thatgamecompany’s Journey and PixelJunk Sidescroller,” said Brandon Stander, director of PlayStation Network marketing, SCEA. “We’re doubling down on PlayStation Network software, and under this additional investment over the next three years, we anticipate a steady flow of high-quality titles that can’t be found anywhere else.”
Upcoming PlayStation Network exclusive titles that are a part of this innovative portfolio include, Eufloria, Okabu, PayDay and Papo & Yo.
Its create to see Sony’s continued support for innovative titles on its network, hopefully this will act as an inspiration to other publishers also.


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From CCN.com: With well over 200 million users around the world, few video games have such a large following as Fortnite. The Freemium game is so popular that developer Epic Games raised $ 3 billion in 201
How Fortnite V-Bucks Wash Money
According to researchers, hackers use stolen credit cards to buy V-Bucks. From there, the purchased V-Bucks are resold to the players at a discount rate to "clean up" the currency. The cyber security firm Sixgill first discovered these activities. The company's agents reportedly uncovered the operations by pretending to be potential customers and engaging in transactions with some of the criminals.
Benjamin Preminger, chief intelligence analyst at Sixgill, said:
Criminals carry out card fraud and receive money and out of the Fortnite system with relative impunity.
It is not clear how much money the fraudsters could make with these operations. However, Sixgill also noted that the amount of money flowing around Fortnite had grown exponentially as the game became more popular.
A Practical Cheat for the Dark Net
Fighting fraud makes a lot of sense. Since its release, the online Battle Royale game has been a huge success, attracting hundreds of millions of players. Most of these players are children and adolescents who are impressive and often easily betrayed.
The dark web, the secluded part of the Internet that can only be accessed through specialized software, is one of the many criminal online activities to be conducted. While the money laundering carried out by Fortnite's V-Bucks can also be found on other aspects of the Internet (such as social media platforms), these activities are reportedly carried out on a much larger scale in the dark web.
Are V-Bucks the New Bitcoin?
While Bitcoin has increasingly been used as a means of exchange and value in some areas, it has also angered as a supposed tool for criminal activity. From January 2009 to September 2018, criminals have laundered more than $ 2.5 billion worth of Bitcoin, according to cryptanalyst CipherTrace.
Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, intends to eradicate the V-Buck wash before this scale is reached. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, a company spokesperson said:
Epic Games is taking these issues seriously, as chargebacks and fraud are putting our players and businesses at risk. As always, we encourage players to protect their accounts by enabling two-factor authentication, not re-using passwords, using strong passwords, and sharing account information with others.
The lawsuit & # 39; Milly Rock & # 39;
This New Procedure The report is only the latest in a growing list of battles for Fortnite and its producers. In addition to the allegations of money laundering, Epic Games faces a lawsuit by rapper 2 Milly over embezzling the developers of the Milly Rock dance. The lawsuit was filed last month. The dance, featured in a 2014 video for "Milly Rock" (a song bearing the same name as the dance), was added by Epic Games to Fortnite's fifth season, albeit under the nickname "Swipe It."
Selected image from Shutterstock


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The stamp duty holiday “caught Bellway and its competitors napping”, the former Bellway manager said. “They weren’t expecting that move and I think they also weren’t expecting the demand that suddenly, I think exploded would be a good word, into the market, the demand for properties.”
This surge in demand has sent prices soaring. Until June 2021, prices were inflated by up to 13% and although this tailed off to just over 10% through October, demand for properties is drastically outstripping supply across the industry. Indeed, “we’re still seeing gazumping going on, multiple viewings and final bids, closed bids, crazy things that were happening in 2005-2006”, the specialist said.
A slowdown was forecast when the stamp duty holiday ended in September, but in reality there was no sign of any real cooling. “The second-hand market, partly… because of lack of stock, is, in the right locations, absolutely flying,” the expert added. Experts are surprised by the continued growth in sales prices, although, as they noted, there are stark regional variances. The industry as a whole logged 10% growth through end-November 2021, but only 5.1% in London compared with 12.9% in the southwest. Price growth strongly correlates with the house price to earnings ratio, which we were told is an important number to monitor.
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As the number of electric cars on the road in the United States slowly continues to grow, there are many people who are wary of the new technology and are waiting until the prices of electric vehicles come down a bit and their use becomes more widespread before they throw down any cash. Electric cars still cost significantly more than similarly equipped petroleum powered vehicles and there are simply not enough charging stations in North America to make cross-country cruising a viable option yet either. Earn the money and get yourself an electric car. Play simple and interactive casino games at 먹튀 검증.
The Nissan Leaf is one of the new breed of all-electric cars that seems to be getting a lot of attention lately and the performance of the new 2012 model is said to be improved over the prior year’s models although it does cost a bit more as well. The base price of $32,750 for the 2011 Leaf SV has risen to $35,200 for the 2012 model. Some buyers will qualify for a federal tax credits on their Leaf purchases, which will help reduce the impact of the purchase. The three-year leasing rate for the Leaf is a still fairly high at $379 a month, although the number is only $30 higher than the lease rate for the 2011 model.
One of the biggest obstacles to widespread electric vehicle acceptance continues to be powering them up. At some point in the distant future, the nation will probably have as many electric vehicle charging stations as there are gas stations today, but for now, Leaf buyers will have to be content with installing a charging station at home. A true, commercial quick charge station is powered by a 480-volt circuit that is just not practical of affordable at home.
To overcome the charging hurdles, Nissan is now offering Level 2 home charging equipment built by AeroVironment as a package deal when you buy or lease a new Leaf. The cost of the home charging dock can be added to your loan or lease price at the time of purchase, but it will require installation of a dedicated 220/240V 40 amp circuit connected to a separate breaker that is hard-wired directly to the circuit. This means 99% of Leaf drivers will need an electrician to install the home charging dock that Nissan estimates will cost an average of $2,000 plus tax and license fees.
There are also other charging station companies like ECOtality, General Electric and Leviton getting into the game, but the Nissan-sponsored AeroVironment home charging dock is already widely available anyplace the Leaf is sold.
The AeroVironment dock is fully weatherproof and allows programming the car to charge on the schedule you choose like during non-peak hours which can help owners save on demand costs.
The best news however, is that the Leaf delivers the equivalent of 99 miles per gallon and has an estimated annual electric charging cost of only $560 when the numbers are crunched.
Nissan arrived at those figures by basing the use of the Leaf on 15,000 annual miles driven and an electric rate of $0.11/kWh. Individual owners’ exact costs will vary a bit die to local electricity rates and the number of miles actually driven, but any figures close to 100 miles per gallon and $500 in annual electricity costs are quite attractive compared to the cost of dumping $3-plus per gallon gasoline into a car that gets 25 miles per gallon. The significant difference in operating costs will continue to get even farther apart as gas prices continue to go up and the purchase prices of electric vehicles continue to go down.


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Asda recall paper shredders after customers complain about receiving electric shocks
Supermarket giant Asda today recalled scores of paper shredders after customers complained they were getting electric shocks.
The chain, which is owned by American company Wal-Mart, asked customers to return the Asda eight sheet diamond cut shredder when tests showed there may be a fault in the plug.
Vickie North, a spokeswoman for Asda, said they were recalling the product, which sold for £19.97, as a precaution.
Asda have recalled scores of paper shredders after customers complained they were getting electric shocks
She said: 'A handful of customers experienced a small shock but there have been no injuries.
'This is not potentially fatal and is not causing injuries, it is more of a precaution.'
Ms North said she did not know how many shredders had been sold in the six months they were available but added: 'I assume it has had a reasonable amount of sales.'
A statement from the supermarket said: 'We have become aware of a potential safety issue with this paper shredder.
'Testing shows there may be a fault in the plug that could cause an electric shock.
'If you have bought this shredder, please could you stop using it immediately and return it to your nearest Asda store for a full refund.
'Of course, we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.'
Customers requiring further information are told to call their customer relations number on 0500 100 055.
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Hempel inaugurates new Chinese production facilities to meet coating solution demands
(WO) – Responding to increasing demands for innovative coating solutions, Hempel’s new state-of-the-art production facilities in Zhangjiagang substantially enhance capacity to better serve marine, energy and infrastructure customers.
Three years after announcing plans to invest in two new production facilities in China, Hempel brings the Zhangjiagang site online to begin servicing customers in the region.
The inauguration ceremony included participation from Jiangsu province government officials, representatives from the Danish General Consulate in Shanghai, as well as customers, suppliers and members of Hempel’s senior management.
With the majority of the world’s marine newbuild business located in China, and over 50% of Chinese shipyards located in a 200 km radius around Zhangjiagang, antifouling coatings are in high demand. Shipowners and charterers around the world are in constant pursuit of fuel efficiency, which has resulted in an exponential growth in sales of silicone-based, antifouling coatings like Hempel’s Hempaguard.
The Zhangjiagang factory will gradually increase capacity to reach 100 million liters annually in 2025, with the potential to further increase production to meet future demand.