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Uruguay had very good rainfall throughout the country at the end of September. In two to three days most places got 70 to 100 ml. This was very important for crops. New significant rainfall is expected for October 20 which will be very important again for winter crops. Temperatures are rising and the risk of frost at night seems to have left.
Market Update October 2020
Monthly market update providing objective information about crops, cattle, forestry and other diverse farming business in Uruguay.
An increase of milk prices was announced by Conaprole. The new price is now 30 dollar cents per liter. This implies a rise of 4%. In general, milk production in 2020 was at record high due to good grass growth in winter and early spring. This year milk production is nearly 6% higher than a year ago. In addition, the export prices and volumes are positive, mainly to Brazil and Algeria. Fewer dairy cows are slaughtered and a new flux of export of living dairy cows to China has strated. This brings in more cash flow for dairy farmers.
End of September and start of October is the time of year when bull auctions are held. Over 2000 bulls were sold with a total value of nearly 7 M USD. Prices in USD in 2020 were slightly below prices last year. Mostly sold are Angus(55%) and Hereford (30%). Best breeding ranches in Uruguay consolidated their position with the best prices.
The export of high quality beef to the EU, Hilton quota, is going rapidly. In the first three months of the new period that started in July, exports of this cut already took 32%. Export of beef to the US has almost filled the quota at three months before closing this export regime. The grain-fed quota to the EU, 481 is falling behind in numbers. 15% less than a year ago. The Uruguay quota to Canada however is 9% up as compared to a year ago.
The expected quality and yields of winter crops such as wheat, barley and canola look very promising as climatic conditions were very positive so far. Hopes are that this will continue throughout spring and that crop farmers will have some good revenues in this cycle. Seeding of summer crops such as rice and corn started in September and soy beans will follow in October. Prices for these crops are better than a year ago, but climatic conditions for coming summer are a bit complicated with an expected La Niña dry spell.
The EU-Mercosur trade agreement will not be ratified by the EU Parliament and hence not enter into effect. The trade agreement dealt with many sectors and would have had an important impact on agricultural trade with South American beef having slightly better access to the EU and for example, EU dairy products better chances to compete in the MERCOSUR countries, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The reason to justify this non-ratification is the environmental concern regarding deforestation in the Amazon. The lobby group COPA-COGECA representing European farming industry is extremely strong and it made a strong case not to ratify this trade agreement.
Another issue is that the EU Commission negotiated this trade agreement without a specific mandate from the EU Council which they would never have gotten in the first place as both France and Ireland were strongly against a trade agreement with the South American bloc.
The Uruguayan government now focuses on trade agreements with China, USA, Japan and South Korea in order to have a level playing field with the ´competing´ countries Australia, New Zealand and Canada.


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Copyright © 2015
Softbank this week revealed plans to give its iPhone 1Seg TV tuner an official iPhone app. The upcoming TV Mobile app will let those with an iPhone 3G or 3GS watch over-the-air TV from the tuner without having to keep the peripheral near the Apple device as they do today. Rather than create a short-range connection over Wi-Fi, the app can be set to stream TV from the tuner over the Internet to a distant iPhone, using a local Wi-Fi router to give the 1Seg add-on its connection.
Acer on the last day of 2009 acted quickly to hush rumors by confirming details of its first Aspire One netbook to use Intel's Pine Trail platform for the Atom chip. The 532h gets the slightly faster 1.66GHz N450 but is most notable for its increase in battery life: the more efficient Atom and a more efficient 10-inch LED-lit display should net it up to 10 hours of usefulness on a high-end 6-cell battery and 8 hours on a regular 6-cell pack. The keyboard and trackpad have also grown in size versus the 531h, with the former now equivalent to 93 percent of a full-size keyboard and the trackpad having a larger area to better suit its multi-touch input.
SmartQ has launched its V5 mobile Internet device (MID) in China recently. The V5 has a 4.3-inch resistive touchscreen with 800x480 resolution and can play back 3D graphics and video thanks to its hardware acceleration, though exactly what type isn't being specified. The company does reveal, however, that the device is powered by a 600MHz ARM11 CPU which can be overclocked to 800MHz thanks to a firmware update. Most interestingly, the V5 ships with Android, Ubuntu Linux and Windows CE 6.0 preloaded.
Apple has maintained a level of secrecy surrounding its tablet project not seen since the iPhone about three years ago, John Gruber says. Referencing sources at Apple, the historically accurate technology writer reiterates that a Get Smart-like "cone of silence" exists surrounding those developing the tablet and virtually no information comes from those directly involved. Many of those involved are the same who developed apps like Calendar, Mail and Safari for the iPhone and underwent a similar routine in late 2006.
Foxconn has responded to a Wednesday rumor by filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange to deny that it has received orders for manufacturing Android-powered handsets from UK wireless provider Orange. The company said it does not intend to compete directly with its existing clients. The unnamed sources of the rumors are maintaining their story, saying the Foxconn and Orange deal was done through a third sales party.
An unofficial port of Doom for the Palm Pre has further indicated that the handset and the Pixi will soon get hardware accelerated graphics. The game requires that users update their handsets to the recently-released webOS 1.3.5 and confirms that OpenGL is built-in. The functionality is now known to come thanks to Simple Directmedia Layer (SDL), a cross-platform software library that allows for low-level hardware access and is also included in the new webOS build.
In an attempt to help users get a better night's sleep, a company called WakeMate has introduced a product that will pair with the iPhone and other Bluetooth handsets to detect a user's sleep patterns and wake them up within a 20 minute window that is said to be the most efficient and healthy for the body. The wrist band is an actigraph and will infer the wearer's sleep pattern and circadian rhythms based on motions.
Orange UK today said it would be one of the first carriers to upgrade its call quality with plans to launch "high definition" calls. The HD Voice service will use a new speech transmission format known as Wideband Adaptive Multi-Rate (WB-AMR) that allocates multiple times more bandwidth to a call than normal 3G voice without increasing the amount of data used. Orange expects calls to sound as good as if the other caller was "actually in the same room" if both are using the same technology.
LG today provided full details of its first Mobile DTV device for the US after this week's previous teaser. The DP570MH behaves superficially like a portable DVD player and can play these movies from its 7-inch, 480x234 screen but has a tuner for the new mobile digital TV standard to pick up live TV, even when traveling at speeds that would thwart regular digital TV signals. It can alternately load JPEG photos and WMA audio from a USB port.
Most of Apple's networking peripherals sold only adequately during 2009, according to data from the NPD Group. The firm notes that Apple TV sales were up less than 10 percent in 2009, continuing a lethargic trend that emerged in 2008. The product has not been helped materially by the release of the Apple TV 3.0 firmware -- adding features like Internet radio -- or a price cut down to $229.
To close out 2009, Apple's online store has cut prices on a variety of refurbished Mac models starting at $899 for the 2.0GHz aluminum MacBook with 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. For $100 more upgrade to the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.26GHz processor 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. If it is an iMac you are after, the 21.5-inch iMac with a 3.06GHz processor 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive is available for only $999.
Samsung has unveiled a new handset for its China market and only its third Android phone, the i899. The device is being made especially for China Telecom, the country's third biggest carrier and will support CDMA/EVDO networks. Like the Galaxy, it centers on a 3.2-inch AMOLED display but uses an older, less costly resistive touchscreen instead of the capacitive found on the Galaxy and Behold II.
Acer's first netbook based on Intel's Pine Trail platform, the Aspire One 532h, has finally been spotted in photos ahead of a likely release next week. The 10-inch system should be visually similar to its existing predecessors on the outside but is at once subtler and more stylized, having dropped the chrome-like accents on the side but gaining the newer keyboard of more recent Aspires as well as a larger trackpad.
Despite shutting down its traditional ultraportable line worldwide in favor of netbooks like the VAIO P, W and X, Sony today quietly resurrected the VAIO TT in its home country. The new model reflects the modern reality and uses significantly less expensive Intel CULV-based processors across most of the line. Customers can go to as basic a chip as the 1.2GHz Celeron as well as 1.4GHz and 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo models.
A newly-published patent application may suggest that Apple has been seriously contemplating a major upgrade of the Apple TV. Originally submitted on May 1st of last year, the filing depicts a remote specifically interacting with an updated Apple TV interface. The interface would support commands from a new remote, capable of recognizing motion gestures in addition to regular button presses.
Motorola may be developing an even higher end Android phone if a Chinese leak today translates to reality. Nicknamed either the Mirage or the Shadow, it would graduate from the Droid's 3.7-inch screen to a larger still 4.3 inches, albeit at the same 854x480 resolution. Performance, however, would be the greatest jump as the phone is rumored to support 1080p video and would have native HDMI output.
Owners of the Palm Pre and Pixi discovered on Thursday that the Palm App Catalog is nearing the 1,000 app mark. As of the morning, the portal had 946 titles and is likely to cross 1,000 by or shortly after the smartphone creator's CES keynote. Some apps may also be unlisted as some apps are device-specific and may only work for the Pre or Pixi.
ASUS is considering closing the groups that produce its Eee Stick Wii-like controller as well as its desktop and TV LCDs, a rumor insists today. Industry contacts for DigiTimes allege that ASUS isn't satisfied with either the shipment numbers or the profits associated with any of the three divisions and that the Eee Stick group is particularly hard hit, having lost 80 percent of its staff to include just 20 workers. The LCD groups still have orders but are facing tough outside competition.

domain: news


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Need To Know The ‘Black Friday’ Death And Injury Toll? There’s A Website For That
Black Friday is traditionally a survival of the fittest type of shoppers world, and with Black Friday turning into Black Thursday things might get even more violent.
Through the present day, the actual deaths on Black Friday have been fairly low, but a lot of people are angry about stores decisions to ignore Thanksgiving.
Shoppers will no doubt have higher stress levels this year, and that could lead to an even bigger parking space argument.
If you're curious about the history of Black Friday incidents, there is a site built just for you. BlackFridayDeathCount.com is devoted to keeping track of those things, and it updates real time so you can click the picture below to see if anything crazy happens this year.


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IT’S gone but not forgotten.
A big gap exists in Gateshead town centre where the Get Carter car park dominated the skyline for 40 years.
It was demolished last month, but now Gateshead technical whiz Mike Pinchin has immortalised the cement giant in the world of virtual reality.
Mike develops virtual 3D environments and thought the multi-storey - which shot to fame in Michael Caine movie Get Carter - was the ideal location for one of his games.
Anyone missing the structure, designed by Owen Luder, can go online and take a trip down memory lane.
Through a virtual driving game, available to play on a website, and downloadable as the first North East-themed app for the iPhone and iPad, folk can drive in and around Gateshead town centre, up and down the famous car park and experience a virtual 3D tour of the town.
Mike, a lecturer at Sunderland University teaching new media production, created what is believed to be the first 3D iPhone app of any university in the UK.
He said: “I created a 3D model about four years ago for use in my teaching. I started off creating a 3D computer model of the university buildings and over the years I kept adding more detail, a project which then led me on to develop a 3D virtual Sunderland and then Newcastle and Gateshead, featuring Gateshead’s Owen Luder-designed car park.”
People can go on a virtual race around the car park and in another game battle monsters that haunt it.
“I thought the car park was pretty from a distance but for five or six years I have been living in Bensham and saw it regularly and thought it wasn’t as pretty close up,” the designer said.
“The most downloads of the car park have been by Americans but there’s been a bike spike from Indonesia. This has had me baffled. I’m guessing that Luder is like an Indonesian word, otherwise I don’t have a clue.”
Players can download the game from the website for free but it costs 50p to download onto a phone.” To take a spin around the car park or take on the monsters, visit: www.fogonthetyne.co.uk


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In today’s world, success is not a given. Companies that have been profitable for decades are fighting to remain relevant as the business environment changes dynamically around them.
If we look around, we will notice that innovation management systems have fundamentally changed the way we work. Globalisation and the integration of technologies like cloud, mobile and social are encouraging more rapid innovation cycles and product innovations.
In fact, Tesla was voted one of the most innovative companies by Forbes this year for its product innovations.
Cloud and mobile will continue to be major forces of tech change for at least the next three years.
Mobile is also predicted to have the strongest influence on consumer markets, while cloud is regarded as the most effective force for enterprise markets.
The convergence of these two powerhouses is driving even more tech disruptions.
Social media has not yet played out its full potential as several geographic markets highlight its coming impact for the consumer and business sectors. Here in the UAE, new technologies, new sales channels and new business models are presenting opportunities for entrepreneurial companies.
To grow and be sustainable, companies need to recognise the complexities of doing business and alter their strategies and thinking accordingly.
With lower oil prices persist- ing, the business environment has changed significantly.
Organisations also face a market of constant instability and disruption because of significant changes in customer behaviours, technology, regulation and demographics.
This actually presents an opportunity to find new ways to grow and also demands an innovative response from organisations, or they risk losing market position and revenue to more forward-thinking and agile competitors.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched Innovation Week to encourage inventors and businesses to generate ideas.
This is an apt time to encourage innovation and get organisations to cultivate and sustain a business transformation – if they have not already done so. Innovation is not a new concept for the UAE. However, successful innovation lies not just in generating ideas but in understanding the disruptions.
It requires building an innovative culture with effective execution. This needs to be supported by a well-designed process to ensure the right ideas are uncovered and successfully brought to the table.
In a recently published study by KPMG International and Oxford Economics, the UAE emerged No 5 in the KPMG 2015 Change Readiness Index behind Singapore, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Norway in terms of its enterprise capability, government capability and people and civil society capability, fiscal, regulatory and security aspects and people and civil society capability, including civil society institutions, education, health and technology access.
The index ranked 127 countries for their capacity to prepare for and respond to accelerating change brought about by natural disasters, economic and political shocks, demographics and new technologies.
These are relevant metrics to evaluate a country’s performance.
Increasingly, we are seeing that IoT [internet of things] is also playing a transformative role in business, and we expect that as small and medium companies begin to rely on automated products and solutions, their profits will grow.
In Dubai, the opportunity to capitalise on IoT is huge, especially with the move to become a “smart city”.
Globally, while all businesses tend to be affected by technological advances, we expect that the effects will be visible in business-to-consumer organisations first.
Consumers tend to adopt new technologies quickly, so businesses that serve them will have to keep up.
Tech companies, of course, will be at the forefront, but other business-to-consumer (B2C) sectors like retail will need to quickly catch up. In the UAE, IoT will offer retailers a wider platform to successfully use captured customer data.
CEOs today are trying to understand how these trends can affect their businesses and what they need to do to mitigate any impact on their organisation, from more traditional risks (regulatory environment, geopolitical risks) to emerging risks (disruptive technologies).
Businesses that innovate effectively will have a greater opportunity to increase their profitability, productivity and develop a sustainable competitive advantage.
Very simply put – they are more likely to employ, export and generate new products and services.
Vikas Papriwal is the head of markets at KPMG Lower Gulf.
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goMoxie New Mobile Chat And Survey Findings: Men Take Holiday Shopping Mobile
Today, we announced our mobile chat product that was designed to drive sales and engage customers across their digital journey. The new product supports mobile best practices, enhancing the chat experience for users across all devices – desktops, tablets and smartphones. You can check all the new product features on our press release.
To support goMoxie’s mobile chat launch, we’ve conducted a study that surveyed more than 2,100 U.S. residents about their online and mobile shopping habits, and identified the rising trend of live online chat for sales and support assistance. With the growth of mobile, expected to represent 25 percent of retail commerce by 2017*, goMoxie Mobile Chat fills a market void, as 75 percent of US consumers prefer to live chat with brands on mobile devices.
goMoxie’s study provided great insights about consumers’ mobile shopping habits, especially men and their impact this upcoming holiday shopping season. Against popular belief, men shop online more often than women. In the infographic, Men Take Holiday Shopping Mobile, we compiled the key findings of the study on how men are using their mobile devices to become new power shoppers.
*eMarketer, Retail Ecommerce Set to Keep a Strong Pace Through 2017, April 2013.


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How can farmers’ markets survive the SNAP software SNAFU? Ask the state that didn’t have one
iStock / simonkr
iStock / simonkr
On July 9, a story co-published by The Washington Post and the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN) revealed dire news on the food access front: Farmers’ markets were about to lose a key piece of the digital infrastructure needed to take payments from people who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) benefits to buy groceries.
The Austin, Texas-based Novo Dia Group makes a “Mobile Market+” technology that allows farmers’ market vendors and other non-traditional retailers to accept SNAP benefits and process the transactions on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The group handles around 40 percent of those transactions at farmers’ markets across the nation, servicing 1,700 of the 7,000 total markets that are authorized to accept SNAP. But in early July, with little advance warning, Nova Dia said it would discontinue its services beginning July 31. The announcement left markets from coast to coast bracing for the possibility that they’d no longer be able to accept SNAP dollars. It was a scenario that threatened to bar thousands of people from accessing an important source of fresh food—and deprive markets themselves of critical income.
That flurry of developments followed an impassioned letter Cuomo wrote to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, claiming that USDA’s “failure” to maintain the partnership demonstrates “the worst of government ineptitude and is a rejection of your agency’s core principles.”
Earlier this year, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the branch of USDA that manages the SNAP program, contracted Financial Transactions Management (FTM)—a company less than a year old—to oversee the distribution of processing equipment to farmers’ markets nationwide. FTM decided to cut ties with Novo Dia and work instead with First Data, an Atlanta-based financial services giant, and others. According to FERN’s story, the decision delivered a serious blow to Novo Dia, whose mobile application had been a favorite of farmer’s market vendors for its ease of use and because it eliminated third-party fees related to processing SNAP transactions.
Josh Wiles, Novo Dia’s founder, told FERN and the Post that the company can no longer “remain financially viable” without the federal contract. Wiles had hoped to offset the high cost of doing business through eventual economies of scale. (SNAP transactions require more costly security measures than standard credit card purchases, and yet payments are generally for low dollar amounts—a hard bargain for any financial services company.) Without continued access to new markets and customers, Wiles said, Novo Dia can’t afford to keep running.
But Novo Dia’s product may prove difficult to replace, and its predicament leaves markets in the lurch—not to mention a significant portion of the 41 million Americans who rely on SNAP to feed themselves and their families.
In theory, using SNAP benefits to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets should be a simple proposition for program participants. Since 2004, all 50 states have used the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card system to replace physical food stamps, allowing easy transfer of government benefits between users and SNAP-authorized retailers. At its best, EBT works just like a debit card. In most markets, it’s only a little more complicated: A customer swipes their SNAP EBT card at a centrally located point-of-sale (POS) device, which debits a requested amount from the card. In exchange for the swipe, customers can “purchase” food items with a paper scrip or tokens worth the deducted value. Farmers are paid once they submit the tokens and scrips they received to the market’s management.
Currently, there are two types of EBT devices available on the market. Wired POS devices are the more complicated variety, as they require an electrical outlet and an analog telephone line or wired internet access to function. Wireless POS devices like Novo Dia’s, on the other hand, need only cellular service to connect to the state’s EBT system. That makes them particularly popular at farmers’ markets, since wired devices can be tough to operate in informal settings, like parking lots and outdoor parks.
Some POS devices (namely, the wired kind) are solid pieces of hardware, like the boxy credit card readers you frequently see at the mall or in a traditional grocery store. Others, like cloud-based POS devices, need only internet access to work; their compatibility with pre-existing POS hardware or devices like the iPad means a lot more flexibility for retailers.
Because farmers’ markets vary in size, scope, location, and resources, that flexibility is crucial. And it’s why Novo Dia’s Mobile Market+ software was so widely used. Requiring only an internet connection and compatible with Apple iOS devices, the software served as a one-stop shop that could process SNAP benefits, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) transactions, and standard credit and debit purchases, too. Forty percent of the 7,000 SNAP-authorized markets in the country use it exclusively to serve customers who rely on benefits.
So far, the new service providers revealed by FTM to replace Novo Dia don’t seem to be as flexible. Electronic Commerce and Merchants Bancard Network are respectively offering the “Exadigm G3” terminal and the “MIURA Shuttle M006,” both of which require a specific piece of physical hardware to fully function. That may be a disappointment to the 400 markets and farmer-vendors currently on a waitlist for SNAP processing equipment, according to FNS.
But ease of use isn’t the only problem. Markets that relied on Novo Dia, and now find themselves without a way to take SNAP dollars, won’t even receive a free upgrade to these more cumbersome systems.
Why? Because markets that previously used Novo Dia’s software are not eligible to receive new equipment from the state. An official USDA statement on SNAP access released on July 14 said markets that had been “equipped” under previous contracts—which include those that used Novo Dia’s Mobile Market+ software—will not be supported by FTM.
With replacement equipment typically requiring an investment of between $600 and $900, the service gap leaves farmers’ markets—many of which already struggle to sustain themselves—in a difficult position.
“A lot of farmers’ markets are community-based,” says Lily Kesselman, director of the South Bronx Farmers’ Market based in New York City. “They don’t have a budget for staff. They don’t have bookkeepers and all that to do the paperwork. They don’t have the money to pay for equipment, you know?”
For SNAP beneficiaries, the inability to purchase fresh food using their benefits comes with a compounding issue: it prevents them from accessing other beneficial programs directly linked to their SNAP purchases.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), for instance, runs a “Health Bucks” program that provides “additional purchasing power” to New Yorkers who shop with their benefits. For every $5 recipients spend at a farmers’ market, they receive $2 in “Health Bucks,” which they can use to extend their fresh-food budgets. Other states offer similar incentive programs. In Michigan, for example, Detroit’s “Double Up Food Bucks” model has benefitted more than 300,000 families since it began in 2009.
“If we can’t run SNAP transactions, these people can’t get health bucks either,” says Kesselman. “That would be a secondary impact. These health bucks provide a 40-percent increase in buying power for our EBT shoppers, and that’s a huge thing.
“Families here really rely on SNAP to put food on their table.”
Some farmers’ markets, however, have completely avoided falling victim to crippling—albeit simple—technology shifts like the Novo Dia SNAFU. Their method? Creating a system partially, if not fully, independent of the federal program.
“[The state has] ensured that farmers’ markets will have the equipment, and that there will be no charge, by writing into their contract with the vendor that the vendor must provide the wireless technology as part of their contract,” says Carle Brinkman, the Ecology Center’s Food & Farming program director. “That’s part of the beauty of the California model—that the state is leveraging the power that they have with the vendor that provides the POS devices, to ensure that farmers’ markets will have access.”
“If you look at the broader landscape,” she says, “I’d say it didn’t necessarily impact us.”
“It didn’t impact us, because California is so wonderful at protecting farmers’ markets to make sure that this EBT processing capability is available,” says Kate Creps, executive director of Heart of the City Farmers’ Market in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, of Novo Dia’s decision to withdraw its services.
“We get our processing equipment through the state, which is able to create some sort of contract that does not need to go through Novo Dia.”
Several other states have adopted similar programs that offer easy, no-cost-equipment solutions. Michigan is one such example, where the Michigan Farmers’ Market Association (MIFMA) advocated for the state’s 2018 fiscal year budget to include funding for “no-cost, wireless POS devices to farmers’ markets and direct-marketing farmers,” according to Amanda Shreve, the executive director at MIFMA.
“The one-time budget allocation is considered part of the administrative cost of implementing SNAP in our state and is therefore eligible to be split 50/50 between our state and FNS,” Shreve wrote in an email. “This funding is independent of the FNS SNAP equipment funding.”
In states like Montana, non-profit groups also play a large role in local equipment programs. Most markets in Montana opt to use a “basic” wireless processing machine that is “not on a smartphone or tablet,” says Tammy Howard, a program specialist at the not-for-profit National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) based in Butte, Montana. NCAT advises markets to avoid using tablets or smartphones because doing so would render them responsible to pay data charges, which “can be quite high.”
“Most of the market managers in Montana are volunteers and use their personal cell phone for market business, but paying for extra data [isn’t] in the market budget,” says Howard. “The exception to this has been with some of the newer markets and the farms that are authorized to accept SNAP, and they have been impacted by the Novo Dia Group shutdown.”
However, unlike the CalFresh program, NCAT does not have the capacity to offer no-cost POS devices to markets. “NCAT has had a very small grant from the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services to fund equipment for a limited number of markets,” says Howard.
If the CalFresh system—and several other locally-driven systems—is exempt from the tech-fail blowback, why can’t more farmers’ markets adopt a similarly state-based model?
Brinkman, from the Ecology Center, has a similar response.
“That’s a really good question,” she says. “In some states, it might not feel like a priority to the decision makers, but that would be a guess; in other states, perhaps there is someone who is a champion [of farmers’ markets] and is particularly passionate—that might have something to do with it.”
So, what’s next?
In the midst of the Novo Dia shutdown, farmers’ markets nationwide are still struggling to find a solution.
The situation doesn’t just compromise access for SNAP users. It “can really hurt our farmers,” says Kesselman. Although her market will continue using the current software through the end of the season—thanks to Cuomo’s agreement with Novo Dia—it will still have to find another solution once this one runs out. “I don’t know if our farmers will continue to come and sell without this. It’s a huge part of their income.
“We’re dedicated to do whatever we have to do to keep running.”


text: When Christian Senger started holycitysinner.com two-and-a-half years ago, we had no idea who was behind it or what his motives were. Turns out he's just a dude who loves Charleston and wants to spread the love. "My goal has always been to promote Charleston's people, events, charities, and businesses in a far-reaching format," Senger says. "There's far more to the city than just the high-profile restaurants and standard tourist destinations." Today, the website features everything from local news aggregation to an extensive events calendar to a near-comprehensive list of every Top 100 list Charleston has made since 2010.


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staudt's gun shop booth.JPG
Joe Novak Jr. and his son Joey, of Liverpool, talk guns with Scott Petrasic, right, at the Staudt's Gun Shop booth in the Shooting Sports Hall at the Great American Outdoor Show.
(MARCUS SCHNECK, email@example.com)
The Great American Outdoor Show - a reorganized and, according to many, revitalized replacement for the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show – closes at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, to reactions ranging mostly from general approval to rousing applause.
The National Rifle Association organized and ran the show for the first time this year, after Reed Exhibitions canceled the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show last year in response to hundreds of exhibitors pulling out in protest over a Reed decision to ban modern tactical rifles from the show.
The new show, including the Shooting Sports Hall, which is filled with the top-level national exhibitions from major gun and accessory manufacturers as well as several local gun shops, did not become a gun show, with hundreds of guns sold and going out the door, as some had feared.
"Someone can go and buy a gun there," explained Chris O'Hara, show manager for the NRA. "But they can't walk out of the building with it."
NRA shows, like the show the organization runs in concert with its annual convention at various locations around the country, do not allow exhibitors to pass guns directly to the customers at the show.
Scott Petrasic, a salesman with Staudt's Gun Shop in Harrisburg, noted that the sale of guns at the show "wasn't really our concern. It was the gunsmithing and refinishing side of the business. We wanted to get the name out there."
In a mission accomplished assessment, he noted, "The crowds have been more than I've seen at any of the other outdoor shows. It's better than it's ever been.
The shop did sell a few guns to show attendees, including a limited edition 1976 Pennsylvania Centennial flintlock rifle, but that really wasn't the shop's targeted measure of success.
And, a success it was, according to Petrasic, who noted the shop has already signed up for the 2015 show and would like to double its 10-by-10 booth space.
That may be a difficult maneuver for the local shop, as much of Shooting Sports Hall is packed with the top-level displays of the major gun and accessory manufacturers, the same displays they generally employ at the biggest national shows, like the National Shooting Sports Foundation's Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show, the annual industry and media show.
Vicki McDowell, who worked for Reed at the old show and this year worked for the NRA at the now show, observed, "This is way over Reed's head. We never had anything like a mini-SHOT Show. The public's never been exposed to that."
"Many of them were shipped from SHOT to here," said O'Hara, who previously was show manager for Reed's Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show. "The shooting hall is also a mini-NRA show. It's exactly what we wanted."
Petrasic noted that show attendees seemed to appreciate the elevated level of exhibitors this year. "I've heard not complaints here," he said. "They have a very nice set up. Nothing's just thrown together.
"The way they did it, if all you have an interest in is archery, just go to the Archery Hall. If you have no interest in boats, just skip the Boats Hall. You can really focus on your interests."
Seeing those with no serious interest in boats skip their hall was not a problem for Tom Cooke, part of the family behind Ducky's Boats in Middletown.
Similarly, he had not concerns over the creation of the tightly themed layout for the show and the subsequent moving of many long-time exhibitors at the old show into new locations, such as boat dealers, which were moved from a combined Fishing and Boating Hall at the old show into their own Boats Hall in a different part of the complex this year.
"The set-up is nicer than ever," he said. "We're getting more people who are seriously looking for boats."
He added, "We're selling as much as ever."
Todd Gainer also saw his booth for Leland's Lure, a manufacturer of soft-bodied trout and crappie fishing lures and long-time regular at the show, moved this year, and he was happy with the results.
With the Fishing Hall located near the middle of the complex, about as far from any public entrance as was possible this year, he noted, "it takes them about 45 minutes to get here, but once they're here, they're here for a long while.
"It's been good. The traffic has been solid. It's a more consistent crowd."
According to Gainer, icy and snowy weather on Monday and Wednesday of the show, cut into the number of attendees, but "other than that, the days have been up. You can move some inventory."
The stronger departmentalization of the show, with all exhibitors of a similar sport focus like fishing or shooting grouped into the same hall of the State Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, has been one of the most commented on changes in the new show.
Improved traffic flow through the show, generated by widening aisles throughout the complex and tweaking corner booth locations; seating areas throughout the show, including at food vendor locations; and the exclusion of most vendors of marginally associated, As Seen On TV type products, also have gotten high marks from many.
"We've seen an amazing reaction form the exhibitors, and the same from attendees," said O'Hara.
Denny Fillmore, a volunteer in the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs in the Shooting Sports Hall, agreed, "I've heard no major complaints. Everybody's pretty impressed with it."
He noted that the federation's show-raffle for a modern tactical rifle had sold a satisfyingly large number of tickets to show attendees.
Ben Bode, assistant store manager at Elizabethtown-based Trop Gun Shop, ran another gun shop booth in the Shooting Sports Hall that also wasn't emphasizing direct gun sales at the show.
"We only brought up a small sampling of all the guns we carry at the store," he said. But, even that was enough to see "a lot of people going from here right to the store."
Meanwhile, he explained, "we are selling a lot of clothing, survival supplies, optics" and other shooting and outdoor gear directly at the show.
"It's typical of an industry show and any NRA show. It's not a gun show. It's more of a showcasing and providing information."
The array of top manufacturer exhibits at the show "showcases a lot of what's on the markets and sends them to the shop."
Nevertheless, said O'Hara, "we've identified a lot of things to tweak and fix. We don't need to change it back (to the old Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show), but we need to tweak it a bit."
Among the changes he's hoping for next year is the entrance into the show of additional national manufacturers, some which send representatives to tour the show this year. Among those manufacturers are Honda, Sig, Glock and Ruger.
O'Hara said the show staff also is working with the Archery Trade Association to attract additional national archery manufacturers to future shows.
Corin Teeters exhibited the work of his Halifax-based Teeters' Taxidermy Studio Inc. at its first Harrisburg show this year and was excited about the results.
"We made up with lots of good contacts," he explained. "We hooked up with a couple outfitters, who will be sending us deer and turkey work. And, a couple guys want to apprentice with us."
Serge Danis, owner of Le Domaine Shannon hunting and fishing outfitter in Quebec that has exhibited at the Harrisburg show for more than 40 years, agree with Teeters' upbeat assessment.
"There have been a lot of people," he noted, but cautioned that he won't have an true feeling for the return on his investment in the booth until a few weeks after the show, when many clients get around to making decisions based on what they saw and heard at the show and begin booking their hunting and fishing trips. That's typical of shows in the past 10 years or so.
While many exhibitors and attendees commented on the apparent large, and possibly enlarged, crowds at this year's show.
Unlike Reed Exhibitions, which never revealed detailed numbers to the public, the NRA plans to reveal a count of attendees at some point in the next few days.


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One of this year’s most anticipated games is id Software’s Doom Eternal, the long-awaited follow-up to its hit 2016 reboot. But as its March release date grows closer, Bethesda is readying a new look at what’s to come from our latest journey into Hell.
The company confirmed on the official Doom Twitter channel today that a new trailer for Doom Eternal is ready to drop tomorrow. Though it didn’t indicate what’s on hand for it, fans can see some new footage — and probably a whole lot of carnage.
Watch the teaser below. It gives a glimpse of your character as he prepares to walk through a portal, probably into an area overrun with demons.
Official Trailer 2 for DOOM Eternal arrives tomorrow at 12:30pm ET.
— Bethesda (@bethesda) January 13, 2020
The reveal is set to take place on Jan. 14, at 12:30PM EDT. Before then, a countdown will begin on Bethesda’s Twitch channel starting at 11:00AM EDT. Fans can tune in and chat with one another while waiting for the showcase.
During QuakeCon 2018, the developers had a huge reveal of the game, complete with new weapons, new monsters, and a glimpse at a powerful sword. Hopefully, we’ll see more of that in action. In case you missed it, you can check out that gameplay below.
Doom Eternal is set to arrive on Mar. 20, 2020, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Google Stadia. Remember, fans that pre-order the game will be able to download the classic Doom 64 to their platform of choice as a bonus.


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STOCKHOLM: A Swedish appeals court on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling barring Chinese telecommunications company Huawei from selling 5G equipment in the Nordic country.
In 2020, Swedish telecommunications regulator PTS unexpectedly banned Huawei from supplying 5G equipment to Swedish mobile companies due to security concerns raised by Swedish security service SAPO, a decision the Chinese company contested. before the tribunal.
Last year, a lower court upheld that ruling, and Wednesday’s decision is another blow to Huawei’s hopes of arranging a return to Sweden.
Huawei’s Swedish unit said in a statement that it was disappointed with the verdict of the Stockholm Administrative Court of Appeal.
“We will analyze the decision and assess our next steps, including further legal remedies under Swedish and European law, in order to continue to protect our legitimate rights and interests,” Huawei wrote.


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9/30 "MUJI 500 ATRE VIE MITAKA" Opened Under New Retail Concept
“MUJI 500 ATRE VIE MITAKA” launched today in JR Mitaka Station under a new retail concept “MUJI 500” where product lineup heavily comprises daily necessities under 500 yen.
■What is “MUJI 500”?
Approximately 70% of the product lineup at “MUJI 500” comprises daily necessities under 500 yen. The sales floor space is more compact than that of a regular MUJI store, and stores will be opened in areas where customers can easily visit daily, such as stations near residential areas as well as downtown and uptown.
"Our goal is to create a store with products that are useful in daily life, so that customers who visit our stores once a month would want to visit once a week”, explained Takuo Nagahara, Executive Officer and Head of Store Management Department during the store launch ceremony. “MUJI provides genuine quality goods at affordable prices even as inflation hits products fundamental to daily life. Over a period of several months, we sold mainly daily necessities at ‘MUJIcom ATRE VIE MITAKA’, analyzing customer trends and examining what products and services are necessary for daily life, which led to the start of this new business model”, he added.
■About MUJI 500 ATRE VIE MITAKA
Located in JR Mitaka Station, a residential area used by 200,000 passengers daily, "MUJI 500 ATRE VIE MITAKA" is designed to serve as a store of daily necessities so that customers who use the station every day can conveniently visit the store before work or on their way home from school. To add to the convenience, online orders can be picked up right at the store.
●Lineup of Items Fundamental to Daily Life
"MUJI 500 ATRE VIE MITAKA" will sell approximately 2,000 items of daily necessities priced at 500 yen or less, for a total of approximately 3,000 items. Specific items include: detergents, cleaning products, kitchenware, paper products such as kitchen paper, toiletries such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, skincare products such as facial toner, shampoo and conditioner*, underwear and socks, stationery such as notebooks and pens, food such as soup, curry, and snacks.
*Skin care products, shampoos, and other items will also be sold at prices of 500 yen or more.
■The Road Ahead
We plan to expand our lineup of daily necessities under 500 yen by approximately 100 items in spring/summer of 2023 and plan to launch 30 "MUJI 500" stores, mainly in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka at stations near residential areas as well as downtown and uptown by the end of February 2023, then 20 additional stores per annual after that.


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Disney Parks has previously made announcements that new destinations would be coming to Star Tours at various Disney locations, with today seeing the announcement that fans can expect to visit those new planets starting on April 5, 2024 in honor of Season of the Force. While Season of the Force will only run through June, fans can likely expect to see the additions to Star Tours stick around a bit longer, or potentially be revived during subsequent promotional events. Disney Parks confirmed earlier this year that Star Wars: Ahsoka would be honored during Star Tours, though it’s currently unclear which planet from the Disney+ series will be incorporated or if this location will be the only destination included in the experience. Season of the Force runs from April 5 through June 2, 2024.
StarWars.com announced of Season of the Force, “Season of the Force will arrive at Disneyland Park in California next year, it was announced today. A celebration of the Star Wars saga, Season of the Force will see the iconic attraction Space Mountain transformed into Hyperspace Mountain, along with specially themed food and beverage, merchandise, and more, running from April 5 – June 2, 2024.”
“Debuting during the celebration, guests can embark on new adventures aboard Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will provide fresh perspective on the fireworks above Disneyland Park, with galactic music sweeping through the spires. We would be honored if you would join us.”
Fans still have a number of questions about the upcoming updates, such as whether Ahsoka will be the only new location included at the parks, if all new locations will be available at all Disney parks, or if these new destinations will be permanent fixtures.
“Since it debuted at Disneyland in 1987 as the first Star Wars attraction in a Disney park, Star Tours has traveled to new places as this galaxy of stories expanded,” Walt Disney Imagineering’s Scott Trowbridge wrote in the announcement when the updates were announced during Star Wars Celebration in April. “We’re looking forward to continuing that tradition next year with all new adventures … but I can’t reveal just where we’re going yet – or those we may meet along the way – because … well … some surprises are best experienced as part of the upcoming Star Wars content also announced this weekend. Here’s hoping C-3PO’s piloting skills have improved!”
Season of the Force runs from April 5 through June 2, 2024.


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Mina Cvetkovic walked the runway for several top designers during the fashion show season but it was her appearance in the Valentino show wearing a sheer outfit which left fashionistas stunned and confirmed her status as one of the models showing 'elite' form.
What is so impressive about her performance and look at the Valentino S/S fashion show (Instagram - Oct. 1) is that it occurred almost one month ago at the end of September and fashion fans, bloggers and social media entertainment observers are still talking about it. This is the type of impression that the top models in the fashion industry are able to leave when they are photographed or appear in a fashion show and it is major reason why fashion fans are so excited about her.
She has always had the attention of fashion fans because of her sensational body but the confidence, focus and sensual look on her face while wearing the sheer through dress has shown a model who not only looks but is posing like an elite model.
The fashion show season is often a time when models emerge and that seems to be the situation with this Serbian beauty. She was spectacular at the Valentino fashion show but that was not her only superb showing of the fashion show season.
The beautiful model throughout the fashion show season had fashionistas and social media fashion observers also talking about her impressive appearance at the Balmain S/S 2015 show in a striking black and white striped dress which showed off her defined cheekbones and at the Francesco Scognamiglio S/S 15 where she showed her fit body in a sheer black dress.
Mina Cvetkovic has arrived as more than a potential elite model. She is an 'elite' model and it looks like the fashion industry is ready to officially anoint this Serbian model as one of the new 'elite' models if she is able to continue her fantastic form til the end of 2014.


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Sephora recently launched same-day delivery for its shoppers’ beauty needs as the holiday season gears up. To support this, the beauty retailer has strategically tapped into a scalable shipping and delivery ecosystem with Delivery Solutions, powering the retailer’s e-commerce platform with a future-proof fulfillment strategy instead of a single provider solution.
“At Sephora, our priority is to deliver a seamless experience to all of our clients, and this partnership with Delivery Solutions was the natural next step in the evolution of maximizing efficiencies in the purchasing power of our shoppers,” said Sree Sreedhararaj, chief technology officer for Sephora Americas. “With the ease and strength of Delivery Solutions’ ecosystem, Sephora can look forward to expanding our reach and new client acquisition, while continuing to service our existing clients with a more streamlined way to receive their beauty essentials the same day they need them.”
Sephora now has access to all the best-in-class delivery providers and can leverage the combined power of their capacity and capabilities, enabling Sephora to optimize its overall operating efficiencies. The end-to-end white-label solution includes everything from e-commerce delivery intelligence while the consumer is browsing, to post-purchase tracking, visibility and communication.
“Sephora’s absolute dedication to customer-centricity is what makes it one of the biggest beauty retailers in fulfillment. With our expertise in enabling same-day delivery across all verticals of retail, we’re helping Sephora gain an even bigger competitive edge and maintain its position as the beauty industry’s leading retail innovator,” said Manil Uppal, founder of Delivery Solutions.
“We are proud that our partnership helps Sephora implement an omnichannel strategy that is both scalable and sustainable,” he added. “Our future-proof e-commerce business model is the key to avoiding constant re-platforming, reducing overall tech debt and inefficiencies, and setting businesses up for continued success as they grow and evolve. We remain committed to preparing for and solving the challenges of accelerated delivery for leading, forward-thinking customers like Sephora.”


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Sony's Xperia XA Ultra puts the focus on the front camera with a 16MP stabilized imager. Read more
Articles tagged "android"
Huawei's Honor V8 comes with a very similar dual-camera setup to the P9 that includes two 12MP main cameras, but it does without the Leica branding. Read more
The Padcaster Verse offers an adjustable mount, making it suitable for a large range of mobile devices.
After some confusion around Leica's involvement in the P9 camera development Huawei has today issued a statement.
Nikon's SnapBridge utilizes BLE connectivity between compatible cameras and mobile devices.
The manufacturer of the Huawei P9 camera module has been revealed.
With a 5.2-inch screen the PRO 6 is one of the more compact offerings in the Meizu high-end line-up.
The HTC 10 is the first smartphone to feature optical image stabilization in the front camera.
Huawei's new flagship smartphones are first products coming out of a collaboration with camera maker Leica.
The latest version of Google Photos allows you to revert changes on edited images.
See how a significant update impacts Adobe's Lightroom for Android app.
The Spro Plus could be used for showing your portfolio in large format on the go.
Oppo claims its new sensor-based IS for smartphones is more precise and power efficient than lens-based systems.
Samsung's Gear 360 camera is meant to be used with the Korean manufacturer's latest smartphone models.
An update for Adobe's Lightroom app for Android introduces Raw image capture within the application.
The LG G5 comes with a range of interesting new camera features.
The latest Samsung Galaxy S generation is water-repellent and comes with an improved camera.
Raw editing app Photo Mate for Android has received a comprehensive update.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM10 dispenses with the phone functionality to concentrate on being a camera.
Huawei's new 10-inch tablet puts the focus on sound and camera specs.
Flickr says more virtual reality features will be introduced soon.
As a followup to its Cardboard headset and Cardboard app, Google has launched a new VR content creation tool for Android called Cardboard Camera.
The Asus Zenfone Zoom uses a number of mirrors and lenses to offer a 3x optical zoom in a thin body.
The new Samsung A-series models come with very solid camera specifications.
The Mate 8 is Huawei's latest 6-inch high-end smartphone.


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Always wanted to go to Thailand, but couldn't afford the hefty airfare? You're in luck. CNNMoney reports that AirAsia, a Malaysian budget airline, has just received clearance from the U.S. government to fly in and out of American airports. It's the first time an airline like theirs has received the OK.
At this point, AirAsia is considering flights to Hawaii and other U.S. states. Once you take a long-haul AirAsia X flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, you can then transfer to shorter flights throughout Asia without passing through immigration or moving your luggage, the company said in a statement.
The reason airfare is so cheap is because there are very few frills. Each plane has 365 economy seats and 12 "premium flatbeds" which cost more. If you want a meal, or want to check a bag, for example, you'll also have to pay up. Intriguingly, some AirAsia flights have slightly pricier Quiet Zones, which don't allow kids under 10, have soft lighting, and forbid excessive noise. It's unclear how low the fares will be in the States, but the airline is currently advertising flights from Sydney to Bangkok starting at $434 U.S.
But there is, of course, a catch. AirAsia's Indonesia airline has a pretty low safety rating, and in 2014, an AirAsia plane crashed into the Java Sea because of how pilots responded to a technical error. But AirAsia X, its long-haul division that would operate to and from the U.S., actually rates better in safety than airlines like Southwest.
So if you don't mind bringing your own food and cramming into a small seat—plus assuring your worried parents that yes, it's going to be safe—then get excited for some actually affordable trips to Asia soon.


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Megan Thee Stallion is versatile, particularly when it comes to her hair. She wore red curls that extended past her shoulders for her new album, Good News. Back in November, she rocked a long blonde wig while promoting her merch. And a few days later, she showed off a side-parted blunt cut to play Mileena from Mortal Kombat in a short clip before the game's release.
Now, Meg is showing off her natural hair in a video of her dancing to her song, "Movie". After fans and celebrities praised her look in the comments, Meg posted another video of hairstylist Kellon Deryck shaking her wet hair to reveal her bouncy curls. "All that natural hair y’all be having 😍😍😍 " wrote content creator Charlie Xile. After asking her fans for suggestions on natural hair products from Black-owned brands, Tracee Ellis Ross and Gabrielle Union chimed in suggesting she try theirs.
Meg showing her pride for her natural hair is the kind of transparency and confidence fans have come to love her for. We want to see how our favorite public figures take care of their hair and what their hair looks like after countless photo and video shoots featuring wigs and braided styles. By posting about her natural hair, Meg breaks the myth that Black women can't grow their hair long or healthy, two stereotypes that are perpetuated in many Facebook and Black Twitter conversations.
For Black women to feel publicly proud of their natural hair and the work they put into keeping it healthy is no small feat. In 2020, it is still legal to discriminate against natural hair in the majority of the U.S. Our hair is delicate and there are so many horror stories of women losing their hair to tight braids at the hands of stylists, wig glue, and conditions like alopecia. While some might say their hair does not form the foundation of their identity, we should respect those that do hold a part of themselves in their hair.
A couple days later, Meg posted a sun-kissed selfie with a low-key makeup look showing off her straightened mid-back length hair. Taking a break from the bold eyeshadow looks and full-face glam her fans have grown accustomed to seeing her in, it was yet another reflection of her versatility.
Meg has proven she's unafraid to speak out and stand up for women like her. She can dance and rap with rainbow-bright hair and eye-catching makeup looks, but she also celebrates herself with no makeup on and her natural hair in a bun — proving that her "hot girl" status comes in every iteration.
This post has been updated.


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A system for farmers to submit agricultural products stored in warehouses in the country has been officially launched in the country to enable farmers to store their produce and be given receipts confirming the move.
Receipts issued to farmers who submit their crops can be sold or used to raise cash and agricultural inputs.
Agriculture Minister Peter Munya said the system would help reduce post-harvest losses from the current 40 percent to 10 percent and boost farmers’ incomes.
The Food and Agriculture Council (HC) has approved and registered 45 warehouses under the system.
Warehouses of the National Cereals and Crops Council in Kitale, Eldoret, Meru, Nakuru and Nairobi have started receiving farmers’ produce.
Plans are under way to include potatoes and coffee in the new system which now only deals with cereals, and which aims to deal with brokers who exploit farmers.
The country’s investment council hopes to set up an investment guide for potential investors in the field.


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Glanbia announced “late-stage” plans for its third cheese operation in the US, involving a $400m (€373m) joint-venture plant in Michigan.
It already operates in Idaho and New Mexico. While it will own a 50% stake in the new operation, Glanbia, through debt management, may only have to contribute as little as $100m in cash upfront, said analysts.
The operation involves the Dairy Farmers of America, Michigan Milk Producers Association, and Foremost Farms. The new cheese plant will process 3.6m litres of milk a day.
It’s a “capital light” way of securing an additional source of supply, said Jason Molins, analyst at Goodbody Stockbrokers.
Glanbia shares ended slightly higher, by 0.3%, on the day.
“Although we estimate that the cost of this project will be circa $400m, we believe that it would require a substantially less investment by Glanbia of circa €100m in equity and the balance will be funded by off balance sheet debt,” said analysts at Merrion Capital.
Meanwhile, Tesco agreed a surprise £3.7bn takeover of food supplier Booker, increasing its exposure to the fast-growing catering sector.
Tesco shares rose 9% and Booker shares climbed almost 17%.
The planned cash and shares takeover shows the supermarket chain’s renewed confidence after two years of gradual recovery under chief executive Dave Lewis after an accounting scandal.
The group also said it would restart paying dividends for the 2017-18 financial year, having not paid one since the second half of its 2014-15 year when it was mired in the worst crisis in its history.
Mr Lewis joined in September 2014 when Tesco was rapidly losing market share to German discount rivals and has also had to deal with the fallout from the accounting scandal. The former Unilever executive has simplified operations, revitalising its core grocery business, while cutting costs and selling assets including its South Korean business.
Yesterday’s move marked a dramatic change of gear. “It’s the next evolution of our strategy... We think it’s the right time,” said Mr Lewis, adding the deal was compelling in its own right and not a reaction to a tougher competitive environment. He said the two firms had been talking for more than a year.
However, analysts said the deal could face close regulatory scrutiny, particularly because of its impact on customers at smaller convenience stores and food industry suppliers. Investors welcomed the transaction, which will see Booker chief executive Charles Wilson join the Tesco board.
“We were surprised, pleasantly,” said Richard Marwood, of Royal London Asset Management, a top ten Booker shareholder.
“Wilson has been a very well respected manager at Booker... Many people would see it as being a bit of coup having him go and work in Tesco.”
Tesco will gain exposure to the 120,000 independent retailers, 107,000 small businesses, and 450,000 caterers Booker serves. Booker clients include chains such as Wagamama and Carluccio’s, as well as celebrity chef Rick Stein.


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A study by Roy Morgan Research has revealed that the proportion of Australians who say they would be more likely to buy items made in Australia has increased over the last two years, from 85.6% in 2013 to 89.2% last year.
But while Australia remains consumers’ hands-down preference, several other countries of origin found increased favour over the same time period.
Growing numbers of consumers said they’d be more likely to buy goods made in Canada (51.5%, up from 42.6% in 2013), Sweden (44.1%, from 36.3%), France (40.9%, from 32.5%) and Spain (27.8%, from 21.3%).
While these nations saw the biggest growth in public approval, traditionally less well-regarded nations such as India (15.8%, up from 12.8%), South Africa (21.1%, from 16.5%) and Chile (13.5%, from 9.6%) are also being seen in a more positive light by Australian shoppers.
Meanwhile, the United States (58.7%, up from 53.9%), the United Kingdom (57.6%, from 51.8%) and New Zealand (56.9%, from 50.3%) bounced back from temporary dips in popularity during 2013, to reach their highest approval ratings in years.
However, the nation’s top trading partner, China, was one of the few countries to lose support over the last couple of years years; likewise Japan, even though Tokyo signed a free-trade agreement with Australia in 2014.
Australians’ redoubled preference for home-grown shopping is even more striking when specific product categories are assessed.
Compared with with 2013, increased proportions of the population say they’d be more likely to buy clothes, food, electrical goods, sporting goods and wine if they were labelled “Made in Australia”.
“Alongside our renewed enthusiasm for Australian-made goods, we are becoming increasingly open to, and comfortable with, the idea of buying foreign-made products,” said Michele Levine, chief executive of Roy Morgan Research.
“Online shopping has broadened our retail horizons, enabling us to purchase items made in all corners of the globe, though it’s worth remembering that the majority of online shoppers in most product categories still buy from local sites.
“International retailers with a bricks-and-mortar presence in Australia have also boosted our perception of foreign-made products.”


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Bandai Namco's upcoming action RPG Code Vein will indeed feature multiplayer support.
The studio shared the news on Twitter, noting, "you can explore the world of Vein with other players and you can send a request in an area that you need help in." Accompanying the post are a few new screenshots, which you can check out in the gallery below:
Until now, Bandai Namco has remained tight-lipped as to whether or not the game would have multiplayer. When we asked the studio about the possibility of multiplayer as part of our IGN First Code Vein coverage last year, we were told details would come sometime in the future.
For more on Bandai Namco's Dark Souls-inspired action game, which launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC later this year, check out this batch of stunning Code Vein screenshots.
Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @alexcosborn.


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The opening of a new innovation centre and the success of local start-ups highlights the continued centrality of Dubai Internet City (DIC) to the emirate’s ICT and innovation sector. The free zone, which opened in 2000, began its operations by attracting many of the world’s most significant technology multinationals – including IBM, Cisco, Oracle and Microsoft – to establish their regional headquarters in the DIC. Between 2000 and 2018 the DIC attracted a total of Dh7.8bn ($2.1bn) in investment, and this figure has since continued to grow. As of late 2019 the DIC hosted over 1600 companies and more than 24,000 tech professionals. Firms operating in the free zone included such global players as Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, together with a broad ecosystem of tech start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and freelancers.
The most recent start-up success story to emerge from the DIC came in September 2019, when local artificial intelligence-enabled voice-to-text start-up Wrappup was purchased by US tech giant Cisco. The start-up had developed through the DIC-based IN5 incubator programme and was initially purchased by fellow voice-to-text software company Voicea in 2018. Earlier in 2019 the DIC celebrated its largest start-up acquisition to date; the purchase by US tech giant Uber of Dubai-based ride-hailing platform Careem for $3.1bn in March. According to Uber, the purchase became the largest-ever tech industry transaction to take place in the Middle East. Another major exit took place the same month, with the purchase of online classifieds portal Dubizzle by the South Africa-based investor Naspers, for $190m. Naspers had previously purchased a 51% controlling stake in the company in 2013 for $120m.
The Uber deal was the largest since 2017, when Amazon purchased Dubai-based e-commerce platform Souq.com for $580m. This was preceded by the sale of the advertisement tech start-up Media.net to Chinese conglomerate Miteno Communication Technology for $900m; and earlier by the acquisition in 2009 by US search engine giant Yahoo of Maktoob.com – then one of the Arab world’s largest online portals – for $85m.
The DIC hosts 10 sites for nurturing new technology ideas and products, including facilities operated by Mastercard, Microsoft and 3M. The most recent of these is the Cisco Innovation and Experience Centre, which opened in November 2017. Work is under way on the Innovation Hub, a 488,000-sq-metre commercial complex valued at Dh4.5bn ($1.2bn), which was earmarked for completion by the end of 2019. The first phase of the Innovation Hub was launched in October 2018, with US multinational Hewlett Packard becoming the first company to begin operations in the facility. Phil Davis, president of Hybrid IT and chief sales officer at Hewlett Packard, told local media that the decision to commit to the new project was motivated by the UAE’s “unique perspective on public-private partnerships and their efficacy in mining the power of artificial intelligence”.
The project is being developed by the TECOM Group, a unit of the Dubai Holding sovereign investment vehicle. The completed Innovation Hub will consist of 11 low-rise office buildings and is expected to add at least 15,000 further qualified industry professionals to the DIC. While the focus of the project will be to foster an innovation ecosystem to explore new ideas in technology, media, education and sciences, it will also contain retail offerings and hospitality developments.
As part of a broader effort to attract increased foreign investment, the DIC has recently signed a number of agreements with emerging innovation markets. In October 2018 the free zone signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Russian Export Centre to launch the new Russian Centre of Digital Innovation and ICT. The same month the DIC signed an MoU with the Indian ICT industry body, National Association of Software and Services Companies, to encourage Indian SMEs to establish business operations in the emirate.


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The sale, announced in partnership with Royalty Exchange, will encompass 1.5% of sound recording royalties from the group's first five albums.
Following on its announcement earlier this month that it would allow rightsholders to sell off their royalty streams as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), online music royalties marketplace Royalty Exchange announced it will auction off a 1.5% share of the sound recording royalties from A Tribe Called Quest’s first five studio albums. The share to be auctioned off is owned by a third party; A Tribe Called Quest was not involved in the deal.
The starting price for the NFT will be listed at $35,000 with a 10% royalty upon any resale, which will be split evenly between Royalty Exchange and the initial seller. The highest bidder will collect royalties derived from sales, streaming, sync, satellite radio, digital downloads, CD sales, TV/film/commercial placements, samples and more.
The 24-hour auction kicks off Wednesday at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET. It can be accessed here.


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A culture of innovation and the incredible efforts of our engineers and designers are two of the most important factors driving the development of Xperia smartphones. Our blog series ‘The people behind the Xperia series’ will introduce you to the individuals who are pushing the boundaries of smartphone technology and give you an insight into …
Nobuyuki Matsushita is a Sony Mobile Camera engineer and the man behind Xperia Z3’s recent camera update. We caught up with him to talk about low-light photography and shaky videos.
You will have no doubt seen that earlier in the week we launched our Xperia Photo Academy – a collaboration with three talented photographers who took our Xperia™ Z3 and Xperia™ Z3 Compact, to create some truly stunning photos.
As if saving New York City wasn’t enough, Spiderman has turned his attentions to protecting the world’s environment and inspiring everyone else to do the same. Yesterday, in a world first, Spiderman was announced as the first-ever super hero ambassador for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)’s annual lights-out event, Earth Hour. Watch the …
A fortnight ago, Yasu Nomura (Xperia Camera UX and Product & Portfolio Planning) answered your questions on our #XperiaZ1chat. When we did that interview we also asked Yasu if he could come up with the top five most amazing Xperia Z1 camera facts, and these are his answers:
Happy Friday guys – Here’s something that could be useful this weekend – five cool things you might not have known about the camera on your Sony Xperia smartphone.


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Slumping sales and falling stock prices have plagued Chipotle in the weeks since the Mexican food chain began battling a multi-state outbreak of the E. Coli bug. The outbreak began in late October and has been blamed for sickening 52 people in nine states.
Chipotle closed a Boston location in Cleveland Circle on Tuesday after about 80 students from Boston College reported symptoms after eating there. Chipotle executives have said they believe the illnesses were the result of an isolated case of norovirus, not the E. Coli outbreak. Students were being tested for both.
While acknowledging the concerns, Chipotle executives also said the media and CDC are adding extra hype to the issue through their reporting methods.
"It's been fueled by the sort of unusual and even unorthodox way the CDC has chosen to announce cases related to the original outbreak in the Northwest," the executive said.
The CDC, said the unidentified executive, has not announced new cases, but cases that were reported to the CDC by other reporting agencies.
"We are not doing anything unusual or out of the ordinary when it comes to reporting this particular outbreak," said CDC spokesman, Tom Skinner. "Our main mission at the CDC is to protect the public's health. Whenever we investigate an outbreak like we are doing with this one, our mission is to provide information to the public so they can do what is necessary to protect their health."
Skinner explained that there is a two to three week lag in reporting of E. Coli cases to the CDC. For example, someone may eat at a restaurant and then go through an incubation period, which is three to four days for E. coli. It takes several more days to go to the doctor and get a stool culture to test for the infecting bacteria.
"By the time the case gets reported to the state health department and the bacteria is characterized and uploaded into our database so we can compare this bacteria to others that may be circulating, it takes on average about two to three weeks. That is why we are just now seeing cases being reported that occurred on or around Nov. 10," Skinner said.
The Chipotle executive went on to say that news reports make it seem as if the outbreak is growing when the E. coli cases occurred during a window from Oct. 24 to early November.
"Because the media likes to write sensational headlines you'll probably see, you know, when somebody sneezes … 'Ah, it's E. coli from Chipotle' for a little bit of time," he added.
Company executives said once the CDC allows them to, they will use open letters in newspapers, interviews, traditional marketing (including coupons) and social media to let consumers know it is safe to eat at the restaurants.
According to the Ad Age story, Chipotle has already instituted new food safety methods including sanitizing and hermetically sealing produce that has been prepared in commissaries instead of the restaurants.
There has been much talk in the past year about Chipotle's increased prices due to higher beef costs, but Chipotle execs said they would not increase prices to offset higher food safety costs.


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An investigative report by “60 Minutes” accuses Lumber Liquidators of selling Chinese-made laminate flooring with illegal levels of formaldehyde, a toxic cancer-causing chemicals.
Get Your Floors Tested
Customers who have laminate floors from Lumber Liquidators can see if they qualify for a free test kit by visiting the website http://www.lumberliquidators.com/ll/testkit and filing out a questionnaire. However, this test kit is not comprehensive because it does not check formaldehyde in the flooring itself — only in the air 4 feet above the floor.
UPDATE: Lumber Liquidators Stock Drops on Regulatory Concerns
August 5, 2015 — Lumber Liquidators stock has plunged another 27% after the company announced impending action by state regulators and posted an unexpected loss for the quarter. Click here to read more.
July 17, 2015 — Lumber Liquidators is facing a growing number of shareholder lawsuits after the stock price plummeted from $117 to $20 and three top executives left the company. Click here to read more.
June 16, 2015 — More than 100 lawsuits accusing Lumber Liquidators of selling Chinese laminate floors with toxic levels of formaldehyde have been centralized (PDF) in one federal court in Virginia. Click here to read more.
June 8, 2015 — The EPA is questioning the usefulness of at-home air testing kits Lumber Liquidators provided to about 26,000 customers who were concerned about formaldehyde emissions. Click here to read more.
June 2, 2015 — At least 118 class action lawsuits have been filed in 30 states against Lumber Liquidators, and a woman from West Virginia has become the latest plaintiff to file a lawsuit (PDF) accusing the company of selling Chinese laminate floors with toxic levels of formaldehyde. Click here to read more.
May 21, 2015 — Lumber Liquidators said today that CEO Robert Lynch has “unexpectedly” resigned. Click here to read more.
May 12, 2015 —Lumber Liquidators has sued its insurers for refusing to provide coverage as it faces a growing number of legal headaches, including class actions and over 100 lawsuits. Click here to read more. Click here to read more.
May 7, 2015 — More than two months after concerns were raised about toxic levels of formaldehyde, Lumber Liquidators said it will pull all of its Chinese laminate flooring off the market until it completes a “sourcing compliance program.” Click here to read more.
May 1, 2015 — Some Chinese-made laminate wood flooring sold by Lowe’s may have a similar issues with formaldehyde levels as flooring sold by Lumber Liquidators, according to a new analysis published by Seeking Alpha. Click here to read more.
April 29, 2015 — The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Lumber Liquidators for selling illegally-harvested wood in violation of the Lacey Act. Click here to read more.
April 27, 2015 — A panel of federal judges will meet on May 28 to decide whether to centralize at least 10 class action lawsuits against Lumber Liquidators into one district court in California. Click here to read more.
April 24, 2015 — A growing number of consumers in California say they do not trust home-testing kits provided by Lumber Liquidators for flooring that might contain toxic levels of formaldehyde. Click here to read more.
April 20, 2014 — Lumber Liquidators has been hit with a federal lawsuit in California accusing them of selling at-home testing kits that are not evaluated by an “independent” lab with accreditation for formaldehyde. Click here to read more.
April 15, 2015 — Attorneys representing members of a class action against Lumber Liquidators have filed a motion for injunction to stop the company from providing “unreliable” do-it-yourself test kits for formaldehyde that mislead customers about the safety of their floors. Click here to read more.
April 14, 2015 — Shareholders in Virginia have filed a lawsuit against Lumber Liquidators, accusing them of harming the company by selling laminate floors with dangerous levels of formaldehyde and using illegally harvested wood. Click here to read more.
April 8, 2015 — A couple from Michigan have joined a class action lawsuit accusing Lumber Liquidators of selling unreliable at-home test kits and covering up that the kits do not come from an independent third party, but the company itself. Click here to read more.
April 6, 2015 — Lumber Liquidators has been hit with a lawsuit accusing them of providing free home test kits that do not reliably check formaldehyde emissions from laminate floors. Click here to read more.
March 30, 2015 — A woman from South Carolina believes toxic flooring from Lumber Liquidators is responsible for making her family sick for the last three years. Click here to read more.
March 27, 2015 — A federal class action lawsuit has been filed by four New Yorkers accusing Lumber Liquidators of selling Chinese-made laminate wood floors with dangerous levels of formaldehyde. Click here to read more.
March 25, 2015 — The CPSC has confirmed that they will investigating Lumber Liquidators flooring, but they will not be using “deconstructive” testing methods that found toxic levels of formaldehyde gas emissions. Click here to read more.
March 23, 2015 — Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) has asked the CPSC, FTC, and other government safety agencies to investigate formaldehyde emissions from Chinese-made laminate wood floors sold by Lumber Liquidators. Click here to read more.
March 20, 2015 — Several class action lawsuits have been filed in Nevada against Lumber Liquidators, accusing the company of selling Chinese-made laminate floors with dangerous levels of formaldehyde. Click here to read more.
March 18, 2015 — Lumber Liquidators is offering customers a free at-home test kit to check formaldehyde emissions from flooring, and may replace floors that emit toxic levels of the cancer-causing chemical. Click here to read more.
March 16, 2015 — As new lawsuits continue to be filed against Lumber Liquidators, one attorney in California has asked a panel of federal judges to consolidate 10 class actions into a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in one federal court. Click here to read more.
March 9, 2015 — The founder of Lumber Liquidators says accusations about toxic levels of formaldehyde in their Chinese-made laminate wood products are based on improper tests. Click here to read more.
March 5, 2015 — Lumber Liquidators’ stock cratered by 50% after “60 Minutes” aired a report on toxic formaldehyde flooring, based on a 25 year-old kid’s investigation in 2013. If you bought common stock on or after January 1, 2011 and you continue to be a shareholder, you may be eligible to join a class action. Click here to read more.
What is the problem?
Experts believe tens of thousands of households in California have installed Lumber Liquidators laminate that fails to meet strict health and safety standards set by the state. Nationwide, potentially hundreds of thousands of homes may be affected.
Investigation Finds Toxic Formaldehyde in Lumber Liquidators Flooring
March 2015 — The CBS News report highlights the work of Denny Larson, a non-profit executive director, and Richard Drury, an environmental attorney, who want Lumber Liquidators to pay to remove and replace every single board.
The men are involved in a class action lawsuit against Lumber Liquidators, bankrolled by hedge-fund managers who are short-selling the stock. The stock price has dropped 40% since last week.
Larson and Drury bought more than 100 boxes of the laminate in California and sent them to three labs for testing. Laminate flooring from Home Depot and Lowe’s had acceptable levels of formaldehyde, as well as Lumber Liquidators’ American-made laminates.
However, every single sample of Chinese-made laminate from Lumber Liquidators failed to meet California’s emission standards — including some products that were close to 20-times higher.
Tests Find Illegal Levels of Formaldehyde
CBS News collected 31 samples from Lumber Liquidators locations throughout the United States and had them tested at two labs. Only one sample was compliant with California’s formaldehyde emission standards, and some were 13-times over the limit.
Chinese Mills Falsely Label Laminate Flooring
Posing as potential buyers, 60 Minutes sent an undercover team to a factory in China, where they spoke with factory managers who said the boards were falsely labeled:
“Employees at the mills openly admitted that they used core boards with higher levels of formaldehyde to make Lumber Liquidators laminates, saving the company 10-15% on the price. At all three mills, they also admitted falsely labeling the company’s laminate flooring as CARB-2, meaning it meets California formaldehyde emissions standards and the new U.S. federal law.”
Hazardous Levels of Formaldehyde
Experts quoted on 60 Minutes warned about long-term health effects, such as chronic respiratory irritation and asthma, which could be even more serious in young children because they crawl on the ground.
Formaldehyde is an ingredient used in cheap glue that is used in laminate flooring and other pressed-wood products. After installation, the “core” of the flooring can release formaldehyde as a gas. Long-term exposure to formaldehyde gas is known to increase the risk of cancer.
CPSC Investigates Lumber Liquidators
The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) opened an investigation into Lumber Liquidators in March 2015. If the federal government finds dangerous levels of formaldehyde in the flooring, they can issue recalls. However, the product must pose a “substantial hazard” to health or safety. Click here to read more.
Symptoms of Formaldehyde Exposure
Formaldehyde poisoning can occur when levels exceed 40 micrograms per day. Short-term symptoms typically include burning eyes, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, coughing, and skin irritation. Exposure to high levels of formaldehyde, or low levels over a long period of time, can lead to cancer, permanent neurological deficits, and more.
According to a report (PDF) by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), symptoms and side effects of formaldehyde exposure include:
- Eyes: Stinging, burning, itching, watery or excessing tearing
- Nose or Throat: Stinging, burning, itching, sore throat, runny nose, blocked sinuses, sneezing, cancer
- Lungs: Chest tightness, wheezing, asthma
- Skin: Allergic contact dermatitis, skin rash, blisters, and flaky dry skin
- Neurological: Headaches, mood changes, depression, irritability, insomnia, attention deficit, nausea, impaired dexterity, memory, and equilibrium
Proposition 65 is a law in California that requires products containing toxic, cancer-causing chemicals to have warning labels. None of the products sold by Lumber Liquidators has a warning label on the bod.
Another Chinese Drywall?
The litigation may ultimately resemble one involving Chinese drywall, which emitted a toxic sulfur compound that corroded metal and caused health problems. It was used in 60,000-100,000 homes, mainly in Florida and Louisiana, from approximately 2001-2007.
In May 2014, the CDC confirmed that the drywall could cause headaches, chronic fatigue, respiratory problems, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Thousands of lawsuits and a number of class actions were eventually filed.


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Apple said to be adding 500,000 new iTunes accounts every day, revenue still impressive
Apple loves to bring its iTunes statistics out to parties, because they are often quite impressive. At WWDC, Apple announced that iTunes had 575 million users, and that the App Store had paid out $10 billion to developers, with $1.5 billion of that coming in just the last year. Now, Asymco is saying that iTunes is adding about 500,000 new accounts every day.
Assuming this is true, and Apple can keep up the pace, iTunes should hit 675 million users by the end of the year. What's probably more impressive though is that the revenue per user rates haven't dropped all that much. According to Asymco, back in 2009 when iTunes only had 100 million users, the average yearly gross revenue per user was somewhere around $73. Now, despite having nearly 6 times as many users, that number has dropped to about $39 per year per user.
Unfortunately, we can't really put these numbers in much context, because neither Google nor Microsoft release similar statistics for Google Play or the Windows/Windows Phone Store.


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Annual Wisconsin Holstein Showcase Sale to be Held April 8
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 04/01/2013
The Wisconsin Holstein Showcase Sale returns to the Great Northern Sales Arena in Fond du Lac next week. Coordinators say a tremendous group of young cows, fancy show prospects and high genomic animals will sell during the April 8 auction, which kicks-off at 11:00 a.m.
The Showcase Sale will offer a variety within their 89 lots, including 24 calves, 16 yearlings, 10 bred heifers and 37 cows that include seven Excellent cows and a great group of recently fresh two-year-olds. Of the 89 lots, five are red Holsteins, seven are Red Carriers and two are polled.
Buyers are allowed to enter their purchases into the 2013 Midwest National Spring Show the day of the sale at normal show entry rates. Spring Show will take place in Jefferson on April 20.
A complimentary continental breakfast will be provided at 9:30 a.m. and concessions will be available during the entire sale.
For more information or to receive a sales catalog, call 800-223-4269.


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The XV Valencia Fashion Week, an edition of records, which has generated more excitement than ever thanks to the efforts of the media and the quality of the 31 participating designers.
Spain. This Saturday was ending the fifteenth edition of Valencia Fashion Week confirming its position and endorsing it as one of the most important platforms that fashion design has in Europe, specializing in showing emerging designers of Spain.
Despite institutional cuts, this edition continues to maintain its standards in terms of number of participating designers, collaborating firms and number of media, consolidating the event as one of the alternatives that young designers can have.
The official edition was opened by designer Alexander Resta on Thursday, with assistance and support from the political world. The event closes on Saturday, Miguel Vizcaino showed his Mediterranean designs.
Now, enjoy this video with Anel Yaos fashion designs at the XV Valencia Fashion Week.


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- Acer Starbreeze, HTC take part in global VR association, GVRA
- Qisda to cooperate with Intel to promote IoT
- Macroblock 2016 EPS to reach NT$6.50-7
- Kinsus, Nanya PCB November revenues down
- Foxconn involved in several lawsuits against employees
- Prices of 12-inch blank wafers to rise 10-20% in 1Q17
- Chunghwa Telecom to appoint new chairman
- Ennoconn denies reports about seeking full ownership of Germany-based S&T
- E Ink Holdings expects to ship 30-40 million smart tags in 2016
- Holtek, Sonix November revenues increase
- China PV installation capacity in 2017 may reach 25-30GWp, says CPIA
- LED players see November revenues up
- Delta Electronics to tap Taiwan market for data centers used by financial organizations
- Chipbond set to report record 4Q16 revenues
- Chip orders for entry-level smartphones going down
- AUO November revenues up on year
- TPK Holding sees decreased November revenues
- D-Link cooperates with Alpha Networks, Aviacomm for Super Wi-Fi application
- Digitimes Research: China smartphone industry enjoys shipment growth in 3Q16 thanks to overseas demand
- Inventec to close AIO PC subsidiary TPV-Inventa in 2017, says paper
- Chicony Power November revenues hit record
- UMC November revenues up, VIS down
- Chin-Poon sees November revenues rise
- Tripod reports increased revenues for November
- Quanta revenues rise in November
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text: The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday it sent warning letters to three unidentified companies, that it is illegal to advertise that their products infused with CBD (cannabidiol) can act as treatments for diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis. The FTC noted the claims were made without "competent and reliable scientific evidence" to support the claims. In April, the Food and Drug Administration had warned three companies--Relievus, Nutra Pure and PotNetwork Holdings--to stop making "unsubstantiated advertising claims" about their products' abilities to treat or cure cancer and Alzheimer's. On Tuesday, the FTC said it selling CBD products without substantiation could result in legal action, that could lead to an injunction or an order to return money to customers. "The letters instruct the companies to notify the FTC within 15 days of the specific actions they have taken to address the agency's concern," the FTC said.


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Casio’s new Exilim EX-H20G is the world’s first Hybrid GPS Camera. That means that it is the first camera to be able to geotag photos indoors. The camera ...On September 20, 2010 / By Helena Stone
Every company has at-least one answer to the Flip nowadays, so why shouldn’t HP. Their new V5020u Digital Camcorder offers full 1080p HD recording with electronic image stabilization ...On September 17, 2010 / By Helena Stone
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Loving Father. Caring Husband. Secret Octopus. Young Horses announced today that the highly-anticipated Octodad: Dadliest Catch will release on January 30 for PC, Mac, and Linux. While the original Octodad game began as a student..
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Project Rain World launched its Kickstarter today, racking in almost 60% funding in its first 24 hours. The two-man development team has earned $15,000 in pledges towards their $25,000 base-funding goal which will help them..
Drinkbox Studios has released the Guacamelee Bundle Fantástico which includes game DLC and more. Available now on the Playstation Network in North America, the bundle supports Playstation Vita cross-buy and will give access to the El Diablo’s..
The first Act of Doublefine Productions’ Broken Age is set launch on Steam January 28th for Windows, Mac and Linux. The second act will launch as a free update later in the year when it is complete..
After a successful Greenlight campaign, independent game localization company Fruitbat Factory has released War of the Human Tanks on Steam. The strategy/adventure game was developed by Japanese team Yakiniku Banzai! and is the first installment..
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The 709.48 carats diamond found in the Tankoro Chiefdom, Kono district is expected to be bought by prominent Koidu based diamond magnate, Mr. Kassim Basma.
The diamond which was discovered by an artisanal diamond miner, Mr. Emmanuel Momoh alias Pastor was handed over to Mr. Jihad Basma (the eldest son of Mr. Kassim Basma) in Koidu City on Tuesday for safe keeping.
According to a Mines Monitoring Officer (MMO) in Koidu, Mr. Momoh insisted that, the Paramount Chief of Tankoro Chiefdom, PC Paul N. Saquee V must be involved in the sale of the diamond to Mr. Basma.
Chief Saquee visited the Basma home in Koidu and asked that the diamond be escorted to Freetown for the attention of the Government.
Mr. Jihad Basma, who had kept the diamond for almost thirty six hours, travelled with Chief Saquee and Emmanuel A. Momoh alias Pastor to Freetown. They met with the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray who escorted them to State House to meet with the President on Wednesday.
Mr. Kassim Basma, who was in Belgium, hurriedly arrived in Freetown last night to confirm to the government that he is willing and able to buy the stone, since Pastor had insisted that he, must be given the first option to buy it.
Senior Mines Ministry officials in Kono have confirmed that, Pastor is a licensed diamond miner in the district. Chief Paul Saquee is making frantic efforts to claim the diamond since it was discovered in his chiefdom.
Meanwhile, President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has ordered that, the stone be kept at the Bank of Sierra Leone vault until a suitable buyer is found. The President has insisted that, the diamond must be bought by a resident diamond exporter in Sierra Leone.
The diamond is expected to fetch millions of United States dollars, according to GGDO officials in Freetown.