text: 2021 Toyota Prado Redesign, Specs, Release Date & Pricing, 2021 Toyota Prado Redesign, Specs, Release Date & Pricing Pictures, 32 Best SUV Lease Deals Right Now | Hottest Crossover Deals 2020, 2022 Toyota Tacoma Redesign, Release Date & Price, 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Redesign, Specs, Price & Release Date, 2022 Toyota Highlander Redesign, Interior, Price & Release Date, 2022 Toyota GR86 Preview: Specs, Price, Design & Release Date, 2022 Toyota Camry Refresh: Specs, Interior, Price & Release Date. There’s an extra 20 kW on offer, peak power is 150 kW at 3 400 rpm, this is Toyota’s most powerful diesel engine to date. Still, we don’t have too many clues about the SUV. LC Prado is using 4- and 6-cylinder units in the combination with an all-wheel drive. Also, it is going to be the most favorite unit for the upcoming 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Much like the 300 series, Prado might also get its very first hybrid installation. ReddIt. Since there are no major changes, this upcoming Prado will presumably show up in the next season. We have some clues about the new Land Cruiser and experts believe the Prado is going the same way. And road-sign assist is new; it’ll reset the cruise control when it picks up a change in official speed. The 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is a new model in Hybrid automobiles. Although we have seen serious connectivity upgrades from Toyota South Africa in the new Corolla, and the myToyota app. Breaking news from the world of Toyota Australia is details for the new 2021 Toyota Landcruiser Prado. Prado’s sibling in the largest market in the world is GX. The 2022 Toyota Tacoma is a redesign version of the previous Toyota Tacoma. Of course, the new look will draw the most attention. We should wait for the official statement from the automaker about the exact time. The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado could start the new series, especially if the LC 300 hits the market as well. This famous flagship is known for its off-road ability and stunning performance. The Kakadu is their range-topping Prado which gets paddle-shifters and extra comfy features. Linkedin. Copyright © 2020 Automotive Car News All Rights Reserved. 2022 – 2023 Future Luxury SUVs [Confirmed for production! For the price, it should remain the same. Although bigger, it is not more capable. Facebook. Looks-wise the 2021 Prado hasn’t changed judging from the Australian Prado, and why fix it if it’s not broken. The new version will improve the infotainment system, with the Entune probably entering the new generation. It should be around $80,000 for the base version. There, the closest sibling is the Lexus GX, also Toyota’s premium SUV. The crossover SUV is a lighter version of the popular luxury model, which could also bring the new styling. Hilux is already using it. The Toyota Prado will be a brawnier, more powerful machine when an upgraded version of the popular large SUV arrives in Australian showrooms in October.. The overall exterior makes it an outstanding vehicle on the road. The 300 Series of the legendary SUV is the priority and this move will cause changes on the Prado edition. WhatsApp. It is time for the big update of the 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Our local Hilux with the same engine and gearbox is only rated to tow 2 750kg. It is paired with a 7-speed smart transmission. The Australian market will only be getting a 6-speed auto transmission, which is big news for us. Toyota hinted that developers are testing Level 4, but it won’t be available so soon. It is expected t be more accessible than before and the front-end must be modified. A big change is the power unit; their 2021 Prado will be powered by a new diesel engine, which we’re familiar with in our current Hilux. According to Toyota AU the “extra performance is due to updates including a new ball-bearing turbocharger with a larger turbine and impeller, and improved engine rigidity and cooling, and better fuel economy through optimised pistons and piston rings, changes to the cylinder block and head, higher fuel-injection flow rate and the adoption of high-performance materials for the exhaust manifold.”.


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Crypto Exchange Accounts Being Sold for Thousands of Dollars
January 9, 2018
As cryptocurrencies continue their seemingly non-stop growth, more and more investors want to invest their money in digital currencies. Cryptocurrency exchanges has faced such an influx of new customers that many of them were forced to disable registration of new users. In response to that, some entrepreneurial people began to sell their existing accounts for thousands of dollars.
Popular exchanges, such as Binance, Bittrex, Bitfinex and Cryptopia, have decided to disable the creation of new accounts while they are working on expanding their infrastructure. Although these restrictions are temporary, some impatient investors are willing to pay a considerable amount of money in the hope of gaining immediate access to the best and most popular cryptocurrency exchanges.
For example, average price for a Binance account is between 0.1 BTC and 0.3 BTC. The exchange itself said that it strongly advises against buying or selling accounts, as it carries serious security risks. Moreover, no one would compensate potentional losses incurred as a result of such a trade. However, the exchange authorities did not mention any potential fines for accounts which were sold and their owners.
It is noteworthy, that today some rumors began to spread over the Internet said that actually cryptocurrency exchanges disabled registration for a reason. Some insiders claim that the authorities of the largest crypto exchanges considering to implement paid registrations for new users.

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Approximately 17% of American shoppers plan to open a store credit card to purchase a holiday gift this year. Overall shoppers anticipate spending $757.57 this year on holiday shopping, up from $721.96 last year.
TSYS announced the redesign and new online format for n>genuity journal (www.ngenuityjournal.com), the thought leadership journal of the global payments industry published by TSYS for executive level and other payments industry professionals. The site provides new user-friendly features, a crisp, modern design and intuitive navigation and sorting features. In addition to becoming a more sustainable publication, the paperless format will result in more frequent publishing of payments news, commentary and all-new research from leading experts in the industry.
Gabi Gregg has won the “Follow Me: The Search for the first MTV TJ”
competition from “ZYNC” from American Express and MTV. Named the first
MTV TJ “Twitter Jockey” after a nationwide vote Gregg will be based at
MTV’s global headquarters in New York City. The three month long job
search featured 20 candidates battling it out in a series of Twitter
challenges.Gabi Gregg founded the popular blog “Young, Fat and Fabulous,”
has since been interviewed by The New York Times and Good Morning America,
and has been featured in the fashion magazines French Glamour and Vogue
Among Americans, 77% report the economic recession has significantly changed their outlook on life; 58% of reevaluated their approach on life; and 52% have become less hopeful about the future since the recession began. Additionally, 49% realized they would probably fall short of their personal or professional goals; 42% have become more easily angry or emotional since the recession began; 41% have become more depressed; and 33% raise their voice more frequently since the recession began. This, according to a recent survey conducted by StrategyOne, also shows 15% sought out assistance for mental health problems since the recession began; 19% started drinking or smoking more and 6% started using illegal drugs or used them more often. Moreover, 27% of women 18-34 years old will delay having a baby or child; 21% of Americans 55 years or older will postpone retirement; 18% of single Americans to postpone getting married or engaged; and 9% of married Americans to put off getting a divorce.
Among Canadian small business owners, 25% are not taking a raise; 23%
are refusing a bonus and 16% are taking a pay cut in order to recognize
employees and clients. Nevertheless, 12% fewer small business owners
will be giving their employees bonuses this holiday season Y/Y to 33%;
7% fewer intend to give to charity (33%); 5% less will give employee
gifts (37%) and 4% less will give client gifts (31%). This, according to
the American Express Small Business Holiday Monitor, are showing many
business owners are making up for it with 50% planning to treat their
employees to a party or dinner while 43% are planning to give employees
extra time off. Cost savings has become a priority, with 75% having
introduced some form of cost reduction policies in the last year; 48% of
whom having instituted longer working hours, 47% instituting pay
freezes, 45% reducing spending allowances and 23% having introduced pay
cuts in the past year. Additionally, 67% are “optimistic” for
improvement in the coming year.
First Data has appointed Chip Swearngan senior VP of Communications.
Responsible for global public relations, executive communications,
employee communications and industry analyst relations, Swearngan brings
to First Data vast experience in the payments industry. Most recently
with the Metavante Corporation, Chip oversaw the Company’s public
relations, corporate and employee communications, advertising, branding
and web channel functions for 10-years. Prior to this, he worked at
Edelman Public Relations New York to lead the reputation management
campaign for the Ericsson Corporation and directed agency-based investor
relations programs for 35 biotechnology.
HSBC – North America announced that Thomas P. Nicholson has been appointed vice president of public affairs. Before joining HSBC, Nicholson was with Sears, Roebuck and Co. as a director of public relations. Prior to Sears, he was a senior executive at several public relations and consulting firms. Nicholson is a graduate of Bradley University.
Ace Hardware is deploying Global ePoint’s “Digital Video Recorder Surveillance System” with a point-of-sale interface. The system provides companies the ability to record and archive high resolution images embedded with all transaction detail spanning many months at a time. Key benefits of DVRs with point of sale interface are that it allows the user to quickly search for transaction information – such as search parameters for time, date, camera, merchandise, credit card number, and cash amount of sale. Global ePoint’s Perpetual Digital Division is a solutions provider to the commercial and industrial markets providing a full line of advanced DVRs that fully integrate with access control, alarm, biometrics and POS/ATM systems.
Household’s private label credit card unit has received Best Buy’s top partnership award. Winners were selected from criteria including year over year revenue growth, gross margin return on inventory, share of Best Buy’s business within the category, shipping performance, cost control and return on investment.
Cubic Transportation Systems Australia, a subsidiary of San Diego-based Cubic
Corp., has won the prestigious Western Sydney Industry Award for Product
Innovation for its “world-class upgrade” of CityRail’s ticketing system.
With its state-of-the-art touchscreen technology in CityRail ticketing
and successful integration of locally developed software into the existing
system, Cubic is delighted with being the co-winner of the Product Innovation
Receiving his award from New South Wales Premier Bob Carr, Cubic Australia
managing director Tom Walker said “The Product Innovation Award not only
highlights Cubic Australia’s world class upgrade of CityRail’s ticketing
but also the real benefit and strength that Western Sydney can offer
suppliers and integrators when they choose to work from here.”
“Western Sydney provides Cubic with the people, the skills, and a wealth of
local suppliers, which greatly contributes to the success of our company. The
NSW (New South Wales) government is truly providing top class infrastructure
and training for local industry, and together with CityRail, we have been able
to pass those benefits onto the travelling public,” Walker said.
“The integration of updated and new technology into the CityRail ticketing
system prolongs the life of the existing machines, reduces government spending
on machine replacement and maintenance, and makes Sydney train travel simpler
and faster for commuters.”
It has involved the successful marriage of new technology to the existing
system, an important requirement for successful implementation of ticketing
systems. The software also allows for easy enhancement in the future.
“By choosing Cubic’s flexible system back in the early 90s, CityRail not only
saves tax payers money today — it’s more cost effective to upgrade than to
replace such technology — but also leaves open future options, such as the
of smartcards and other improvements in years to come,” Walker said.
“Coming on top of our ticketing system’s performance during the Olympic peak
period last year — CityRail showed more than 99 percent availability — and
our successful delivery of the Airport Link ticketing system, we are very
pleased and honored with this award and the recognition it brings to
Walker said the Premier, Minister for Western Sydney Kim Yeadon, the state
government, other award sponsors, and Auburn local member Peter Nagle should
also be congratulated for highlighting the very real strengths of working in
Cubic Australia was also a finalist in the Information Technology category of
the Western Sydney Industry Awards.
The Western Sydney Industry Awards, run by the New South Wales Government’s
Office of Western Sydney, are the most strategic set of regional awards in
Australia. The Awards acknowledge and promote the importance of key industries
integral to the future growth and development of the nation, articulate key
drivers of growth for the region, and give vital recognition to the region’s
most innovative businesses.
Cubic already plays a major role in Sydney’s transport network as the group
behind CityRail’s ticketing system, which processes more than half a billion
ticketing transactions a year across the greater Sydney metropolitan area and
is relied upon by nearly a million commuters daily.
Cubic is a key member of the SMARTPOS consortium, which is bidding to
integrated, smartcard-based mass transit ticketing systems for Sydney and
Brisbane, Australia covering rail, bus and ferries. The members of SMARTPOS
include fellow industry leaders, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, EDS
Australia and Philips Australia.
In Australia, contact Taras Misko, Edelman Public Relations Worldwide (02)
9291 3303 0402 038 459
Cubic Transportation Systems is the world’s largest supplier of automated
ticketing systems and services. A world leader in innovation, Cubic was first
to introduce transit contactless smartcards in the late 1980s. Cubic’s
Australian subsidiary has been operating in NSW for 10 years, where its
CityRail solution supports close to a million journeys daily.
Cubic’s Defense Group provides instrumented training systems for military
forces, data links, avionics systems, product logistical support, battle
command training, radio communications systems, and field service operation
SMARTPOS represents a consortium of companies with a rich history of providing
world-class transport technology and financial transaction processing
solutions. The consortium consists of Cubic Transportation Systems (Australia)
Pty Ltd, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, EDS (Australia) Pty Ltd and
Philips Electronics Australia Ltd.
SMARTPOS brings together the experience and expertise necessary to introduce
and integrate a new smartcard-based, user-friendly payment system for public
The global initiative to unleash the potential of wireless e-commerce added sixteen new members Tuesday including VISA and MasterCard. Radicchio members now include 28 companies committed to promoting ‘Public Key Infrastructure’ or ‘PKI’ solutions for secure transactions over wireless networks. Launched last Sept., Radicchio’s most recent members include Across Wireless AB, Baltimore Technologies, CYLINK Corp., Entrust Technologies, Gray Cell Inc., iD2 Technologies, Lucent Technologies, MasterCard International, Mobile Telephone Networks, NTT DATA Corp., Saraide, Synamic Limited, VeriSign Inc., Virgin Mobile, VISA International and Vodafone Airtouch. Initial members included Sonera SmartTrust, Gemplus and EDS. Radicchio is the also exclusive sponsor of the conference “Wireless E-Commerce – Clearing the Road for Global Expansion,” which gets underway tomorrow at the Olympia Conference Centre in London.
First Data Corporation announced Thursday that Joan Edelman Spero has been named a board member of the Company, a leading provider of electronic payment services worldwide.
Mrs. Spero was named president of the Doris Duke Charitable foundation in January of 1997. As president, she is responsible for establishing and directing the activities of the more than $1.3 billion foundation, which is dedicated to supporting a variety of charitable causes, including the performing arts, environmental preservation and the advancement of medical research.
Mrs. Spero was formerly Undersecretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, a position to which she was appointed by President Clinton in 1993. As Undersecretary, she played a central role in formulating the Clinton Administration’s foreign economic policy. She advised Secretary of State Warren Christopher, and led the work of the State Department on issues ranging from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Uruguay Round Agreements, to the work of U.S. embassies around the world in promoting U.S. exports and investments. She also served as a top advisor on the G7 Economic Summits.
“Joan’s broad knowledge base, with experience in both international affairs and the financial services industry, will help us achieve our goal of establishing First Data as the leader in making electronic payments the payment method of choice worldwide,” said Ric Duques, president of First Data Corporation.
Mrs. Spero was an assistant professor at Columbia University from 1973 to 1979. She is the author of The Politics of Economic Relations and The Failure of the Franklin National Bank Challenge to the International Banking System. >From 1980 to 1981, during the Carter Administration, she served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. From 1981 to 1993, she was an executive at the American Express Company, where her last position was Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications.
Mrs. Spero graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Wisconsin. She holds a Master’s degree in international affairs and a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University. She also studied at the Institute d’Etudes Politiques in Paris and is fluent in French.
Active in professional associations in foreign affairs and economics, Mrs. Spero is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Council of American Ambassadors. She serves as a trustee of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the Brookings Institution.
Hackensack, N.J.-based First Data Corporation is a global leader in payment systems, electronic commerce and information management products and services. First Data and its principal operating units process the information that allows millions of consumers to pay for goods and services by credit, debit or smart card at the point of sale or over the Internet; by check or wire money. For further information about First Data, please visit the Company on the Internet at .


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Monday, January 30, 2017by staff
Earlier today, we posted about the new information that the adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Black/Red would be releasing on February 11th in both adult and toddler sizes. Now we have some official photos courtesy of adidas Originals and some new info: the toddler sizes of the Primeknit and Boost Kanye West creation will be $140 while adult sizes will be the usual $220.
The adidas Confirmed App will open reservations in the United States, Belgium, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and the UK. Each will be readily available at a number of global retailers too, so stay tuned for where you can buy the adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Black/Red in the future right here on nitro:licious!
Photos courtesy of adidas Originals


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Released more than seven years ago for the Xbox 360 and PS3, GTA V was an instant hit, attracting millions of gamers to the latest saga told by the creative minds of Rockstar Games. The success of the game prompted the developer to release enhanced ports for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, securing millions of additional sales and earning an impressive amount of cash.
Even today, GTA V will surface from time to time on the list of weekly best-selling games, as new content patches for GTA Online and season discounts continue to attract gamers.
A massive juggernaut
With more than 100 million copies sold across all platforms, it is easy to call GTA V a worldwide phenomenon, as the title managed to introduce new changes that led to great long-time improvements for the open-world video games genre.
Since the game is so popular and continues to earn a sizable revenue from sales and GTA Online micro-transactions, some fans worry that a long time will pass until GTA 6 will be released as Rockstar and parent company Take-Two interactive don’t want to lose a steady cash flow.
Shrouded in mystery
Straus Zelnick, Take-Two CEO, received a few questions related to the future of the GTA series at a recent investors conference. He refused to offer any details about an upcoming GTA game but argued that the company had faced similar situations in the past, offering the example of NBA 2K Online.
NBA 2K Online was released in China, and it was based on an older version of the NBA 2K engine. At one point, it was deemed that the game needed a massive overhaul, and the company decided to release NBA 2K Online 2. Despite some initial worries, the new game was popular while the older one continued to enjoy loyal fans, so both games are available. This anecdote may infer that a new GTA game could be released when Take-Two decides that the time is right.


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Sales of desktop PCs n the UK for 1996 were 10% up on 1995's figures at 3.2m units, according to research company IDC. This outstripped PC sales across western Europe which grew at just 8.9%, down 2% on...
Microsoft will continue to issue updates and patches for now, although the long term future is unclear
Lack of support for 32-bit games in future versions of Ubuntu means many Steam games will no longer run
LockerGoga ransomware attack in March saw a return to pen-and paper drawings and fax communications between offices
'The greatest mistake ever is whatever mismanagement I engaged in that caused Microsoft not to be what Android is' - Gates


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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Sprinkles Cupcakes plans to open its first Florida location this spring. The popular chain will open its Hyde Park Village shop in April, the company said.
“Sprinkles Cupcakes are handcrafted from the finest ingredients and are available in more than 50 different flavors, including banana, chai latte, dark chocolate, strawberry and the classic favorite, red velvet,” the company explained.
The store will feature a cupcake ATM. The Sprinkles company says it introduced the first such ATM in 2012. Tampa will be the 11th city to receive one of the ATM machines, “which dispenses freshly baked cupcakes 24 hours a day and can hold up to 400 cupcakes at a time.”
“The machine is constantly restocked throughout the day to ensure freshness,” thecompany said.
If you love sweets but don’t crave cupcakes, don’t worry. The new shop will also serve waffle cones, ice cream sandwiches, sundaes and cookies, in addition to other desserts.
Sprinkles is also opening in Disney Springs this year.
Meanwhile, the cupcake shop isn’t the only new business coming to Hyde Park. Buddy Brew Coffee, Goody Goody, On Swann, Kendra Scott, Suitsupply, The Shade Store and Vineyard Vines are all scheduled to open in the village this spring.
“Since our first day, our number one goal has been to create a truly unique experience at the village. The addition of Sprinkles does exactly that – bringing L.A.’s favorite tasty treats to the city and offering a fun and exciting dessert option to our customers,” Hyde Park’s marketing director Gabby Soriano said.
THE STORIES OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON:
- Three middle school students accused of poisoning teacher
- WATCH: Pasco deputy’s bodycam video shows bloody arrest of shoplifting suspect
- Woman almost dies after leaving tampon in for 9 days
- Skimmers found at the following Tampa Bay area gas stations
- Hundreds of rodent droppings found at Tampa Bay area restaurant
- Cops: Parents lied about stolen car with son, 3, in the back
- Blind man nearly falls in the street because sidewalk near home ends


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Macau, China, 2 Sept – Macau’s balance of trade posted a deficit of 29.39 billion patacas (US$3.67 billion) in the period from January to July, which was a rise of 47.8 percent against the same period of 2010, the region’s Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) said.
The worsening of the deficit was due to increased imports that in the period rose by 38.8 percent to 33.38 billion patacas and a drop in exports that fell 6.1 percent year-on-year to 3.99 billion patacas.
As a result fo these figures, the rate of coverage of imports by exports at the end of July was 11.9 percent, a drop of 5.7 percentage points against the rate seen in July, 2010.
In the first seven months of the year exports to Hong Kong, china and the United States totalled 1.69 billion, 673 million, and 349 million patacas, respectively, and year-on-year decreases of 8.8 percent, 0.8 percent and 30.2 percent, respectively.
Macau imported goods from mainland China and the European Union (EU) worth 10.26 billion patacas and 8.34 billion patacas, respectively, with year-on-year rises of 36.5 percent and 58.8 percent, respectively.
In July, exports from Macau fell 4.6 percent to 585 million patacas and imports rose 46.3 percent to 5.54 billion patacas, generating a trade deficit of 4.96 billion patacas. (macauhub)


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After Vivo V20 Pro we now got the recently unvieled Vivo Y1s is launching in India next. Previously we saw Vivo announcing the Vivo Y1s in Thailand and now its hitting Indian shores soon. The new Vivo budget phone aka Vivo Y1s might be unveiled along with Vivo V20 Pro in India.
As per the source, the new Vivo Y1s will no partner with major Indian telecom operator Jio to launch with Lock-in device. Yes, finally we might see the carrier locked smartphones hitting Indian shores with Vivo Y1s. According to the source, the new Vivo Y1s will cost around Rs.8000/- in India.
The tipster also revealed that one can opt-out of the lock-in network by paying nominal administration fee of Rs.974/- before six-months, Rs.754 between 7-12 months, 13-18 months its Rs.618, Rs.398 for 19-24 months and Rs 220 during or after 30 months. GST will be extra.
The lock-in benefits includes Shopping benefits worth Rs 4,550 by recharging Rs.250/- plan, 10% up to Rs.799 benefits, Shemaroo subscription for 90 days at Rs 99, One time screen replacement by One Assist at Rs 149, free three month Lenskart Gold subscription worth Rs 650, 10% off up to Rs.500/-) on Myntra app for purchase min of 999 INR, flat Rs 150 off on a minimum spend of Rs 799 on Fern and Petals & Flat Rs 350 off on online consultation on Mfine and Rs 350 off on Rs 999 on Project Eve.


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Amazon became an OTT distributor in India, with the launch of “Prime Video Channels”. The existence of the platform now means that Amazon has a video content marketplace for Prime members, streaming content from eight OTT players: Lionsgate Play, Discovery Plus, DocuBay, Eros Now, MUBI, Shorts TV, Hoichoi and Manorama Max.
These names in the OTT space now have access to Amazon Prime customer base. Amazon believes that a single platform for multiple video streamers gives customers the convenience of not having to switch between apps and handle multiple payment cycles.
“What we’re creating is a marketplace for entertainment video content, where customers can watch multiple services on Prime Video itself,” said Gaurav Gandhi, Country Manager (India), Amazon Prime Video, speaking to CNBC -TV18. “The problem we’re solving is to have unified content discovery that customers can now get into, using their Prime membership and login, and get it as an add-on,” he said. Explain.
India now becomes the last market for Prime Video Channels, which is a proven model in 11 other countries. Amazon has so far partnered with 350 OTT partners around the world to integrate Prime Video Channels. Only eight names, however, are on the platform in India.
“We are happy to continue to engage with many services and are confident that we will increase the selection for our clients,” said Gandhi, adding: “Six of our eight partners in India have also worked with us outside of the India, and the fact that they chose to go here is that they realize the value that we bring with this proposition.
With launch, 10,000 additional titles will be available to Prime members, according to Amazon. The rates for individual streaming services range from Rs 299 / year as in the case of Discovery Plus, to Rs 1,999 / year (MUBI). Amazon has confirmed that its partners offer introductory offers to those who subscribe to Prime Video Channels, and that customers will not be tied to any packages or bundles when they subscribe.
The launch of Prime Video Channels could not have come at a better time, given the growth shown by the pan-Indian Prime Video.
Three-fold growth in two years for Amazon Prime Video
“In three to five years, there will be as many people streaming video as there will be people watching TV,” Gandhi said. “In the last two years, we have increased threefold in terms of listening hours in India. The country is among the fastest growing markets not only for watching video content, but also for subscribing to content, choosing to pay for it, ”he added.
Amazon Prime Video has made headlines for its original critically acclaimed content in India, with titles like Paatal Lok, Mirzapur, Family Man and Mumbai Diaries doing well on the platform. The company claims that much of its regional content is watched by audiences outside of the target regions.
“Over the past year and a half, we have launched a lot of regional language theaters and have noticed that Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films have seen 50% of audiences watch from outside their home country. “Gandhi said. “There is a strong demand for content that has not been met in the past due to barriers to distribution, but is now being exploited.”


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The 50th Anniversary Touring Exhibition of RADO Swiss Radar Hard-wearing Watch Chongqing Jiefangbei Station was recently unveiled. The design of RADO Swiss radar watch shows continuous breakthrough and innovation in high-tech materials and technology. In 1962, Radar launched the world’s first hard-wearing watch made of tungsten and titanium, the DiaStar diamond star series. Since then, Swiss Radar has pioneered the high-tech materials and innovative design of watches.
In the 50 years from 2012, Swiss radars created countless firsts, including the world’s first high-tech ceramic watch, and established its leading position in the watch market. In 2012, the Swiss radar came to the Jiefangbei Square in Chongqing. Through lively exhibitions at the event and a number of precious historical models transported by air from the Swiss headquarters, the Swiss radar continued its 50-year dream, creation and breakthrough. , Active in front of you.


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Purported iPad 5 photos show off new space gray finish
Some high quality photos of what's purportedly the next-generation iPad 5 have surfaced, and they show off the same space gray finish Apple introduced with the iPhone 5s back in September. The photos, including the above image, were posted by Sonny Dickson:
They match the design iMore reported back in January, and what we expect to see on October 22, along with a new iPad mini and new Macs, including the newly designed Mac Pro.
Source: Sonny Dickson
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Our news, reviews, opinions, and easy to follow guides can turn any iPhone owner into an Apple aficionado
Joseph Keller is the former Editor in Chief of iMore. An Apple user for almost 20 years, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.


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>Share this post<
da Michelle McSweeney
Aprile 04, 2018
So what’s it all about? Well, essentially this means that because of the way the tax rules currently exist, large digital corporations haven’t been subject to paying tax in the EU Member States that they trade-in. And that’s about to change.
Who are these large corporations, you ask? Well, they are digital-based companies that fill one or more of the following criteria:
- Make over €7 million in annual revenues in a Member State
- Have more than 100,000 users in a Member State in a taxable year
- Have over 3,000 business contracts for digital services created between the company and business users in a taxable year.
The Key PlayersSo we’re not talking about retailers here. We’re talking about the biggest fish in the digital world – Spotify, Netflix, Facebook, Apple, Google… you get the gist. And while the Commission works on the long-term tax solution of reforming corporate tax rules, they are suggesting an interim tax to cover the main digital activities that currently aren’t being taxed in the EU. This includes revenue created from selling online advertising space, the sale of user data, and digital intermediation, proposed at a levy of 3% of a company’s annual turnover.
But is this a good thing or a bad thing? That’s the million-dollar question (or 5 billion euro question, in this case!) When it comes to other trending topics relating to EU regulations, such as geoblocking and GDPR, digital tax sits on the same wavelength in that yes, in theory, it’s a positive move. There’s no doubt about it. But it’s also anything but straightforward as far as execution is concerned.
The PracticalitiesTake another look at the criteria a company needs to fulfil in order to be subject to digital taxation. All fairly straightforward measures. But who is actually going to be doing all of this measuring, we beg the question? Are corporations really going to start handing over their Google Analytics credentials to watchdogs to prove how many users are coming to their website from each member state? In order for these new rules to actually have an effect, we are relying on this kind of information to be shared, and without proper and strict enforcement, is it possible that we’re looking at a tax solution that’s leaning heavily on the honour system?
The FutureAlthough it’s clear that there is still some work to do in terms of fleshing out the regulations around digital taxation, we can’t help but think that this is a solid start towards putting certain boundaries in place for EU member states. Not only are we seeing the competitive advantage scales start to weigh a little less on EU companies, but it’s also high time that we start to plan for the future impact of digital on society as we know it.
Sure, flying cars aren’t as mainstream as ‘Back to the Future’ once predicted, but we’re not far off it either. AI is dominating digital, and digital is the key driver of society. So what’s going to happen when cars drive themselves, and couriers are replaced by robots, and you can walk in and out of a convenience store with your items without having to interact with a human or deal a checkout for that matter? Wait – all of this is already happening!
So as we prepare for AI to take over the world, are we doing anything to prepare for the consequences of these technological marvels? Like growing unemployment rates as machines replace humans, for example. Of course, the argument can be made that there are some jobs that are always going to need humans at the helm, but there’s no arguing that there are certain jobs that will without question be automated in the next couple of years. In fact, it’s reported that up to 800 million global workers will lose their jobs by 2030. So if AI is going to drive digital, it really only makes sense for it to also play a part in driving taxation too, right?
What are your thoughts on the new Digital Tax proposal? Is it a step in the right direction, or just a pipe dream? Let us know! Follow Kooomo on Twitter and tweet us using the hashtag #EUDigitalTax now!
In the next few years, we are foreseeing an impressive increase for the global retail industry. While this can be beneficial for the global eCommerce industry, it also means that there will be more competition, as well.
European Data Protection rules were launched back in 2018, to protect the confidentiality of our personal data but even four years later, there is still a lack of understanding among companies and consumers about how to comply with the best practices. Big tech companies, like Google or Amazon, usually refer to the acronym GDPR, to explain the rules that verify the data, so it is not used inappropriately, but to add details to create confusion.


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Low level of innovation among Swedish food producers: new research will strengthen competitive edge
A new research project from Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) ‘Innovation in the food supply chain’, shows that innovation systems are not built to meet the needs of smaller companies working with food production.
Just over 1,300 companies were interviewed about innovation, collaboration, and the need for support in innovation and business development. The project is led by researchers Sara Johansson and Lina Bjerke who are active at CEnSE (Center for Entrepreneurship and Spatial Economics) at JIBS.
Both have extensive experience in data collection with a focus on innovation in small companies within various industries. Innovation research has traditionally focused on big cities and large companies. CEnSE has been a pioneer in leading research on the innovation process of smaller companies.
The food industry is an excellent example of an industry that is made of up many small companies.
“99% of companies in the food chain have fewer than 10 employees, and the majority of companies are located in the Swedish countryside,” says Sara Johansson, who has previously worked at the Swedish Board of Agriculture on food-related issues, including follow-up work on the national food strategy.
And it is precisely the national food strategy that is the origin of the research project, she explains.
“The project is funded by the Tillväxtverket (the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth), which has the government’s task of working with knowledge and competence supply in the food supply chain. An increased level of education in the food supply chain is a necessity to achieve the goals of the food strategy, but also to strengthen companies’ ability to absorb new knowledge and research results. This is something that we are studying in more detail in a research project that deals with the importance of knowledge and competence for innovation and development in small companies. This research is funded by Tillväxtverket and the project tis run by the collaboration of food industry stakeholders, Sweden Food Arena.”
Results reported to the government
The data collection took place via a survey directed at companies working in the entire food supply chain.
The intention is to identify the extent to which small businesses are innovative and how this differs in different parts of the food supply chain. The food supply chain is interesting because it consists almost exclusively of so-called micro-enterprises, that is, enterprises with fewer than 10 employees. This type of company is not very well researched when it comes to innovation. The survey also seeks to find gaps in the innovation system and facilitate support for small businesses. The results will be reported via Tillväxtverket to
the government as a basis for the upcoming budget.
Appealing to consumers
The ultimate goal of the food strategy is to strengthen the competitiveness of Swedish food production. Production costs in Sweden are expensive, says Sara Johansson.
"We cannot compete with other countries when it comes to food prices."
“We cannot compete with other countries when it comes to the price of food. Therefore, Swedish producers need to add value to their products so that consumers are willing to pay extra for them."
As a good example, she mentions Wapnö farm outside Halmstad, which has developed its brand in a way that appeals to consumers. About fifteen years ago, the farm marketed its milk with the argument that, being locally produced, it was fresher and gave longer life. Today, the focus is on the sustainability aspect. Operations and production methods have also been developed to give new added value to the products; the farm also produces its own meat as well as biogas and wind power.
Lower media attention
An early conclusion from the project is that the degree of innovation is in fact not lower in the food chain than in other parts of the business community.
“We can however see that only a small proportion of companies in the food supply chain who make innovations get media attention, the level of innovation is not on a high scale. Most innovations that are made are not very ground-breaking but are based on minor changes,” says Sara Johansson.
One explanation for the innovations not being so high is that few of the companies conduct their own research and development. The activities are usually far from private and public research environments. The most common partner in innovation development is instead another company.
Adaptation of systems
The innovation and promotion systems we have today in innovation and business development are often closely linked to universities and Science Parks. In the agricultural sector, many of the entrepreneurs have no academic background at all and have no connection to these actors. The probability that a Småland farmer goes to Science Park in Jönköping to talk about innovation around milking is very small," says Sara Johansson:
“The knowledge and research that exists about innovation and innovation processes is largely based on information about larger companies and preferably those located in larger cities. Thus, we can also assume that the innovation systems are not very well adapted to the specific needs that exist in small companies,” says Sara Johansson and points out that this is in no way unique in Sweden.
“This is what it looks like in many countries. One could say that the system is unknowingly focused on the big companies. As far as Sweden is concerned, this is because the existing statistics have poor coverage for rural areas and smaller companies.”
But, she emphasizes: innovation is not just about new patents – patents are, after all, quite rare. Smaller innovations are also important because, step by step, they can lead to greater breakthroughs.
Innovation in the food supply chain is part of Sweden Food Arena's investment in strengthening the ability to innovate in the entire food supply chain and is financed by Tillväxtverket (the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth).


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On October 1st, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services in India. Jio and Airtel have already announced their plans to roll out 5G in select cities. In addition, OEMs have to push OTA updates to enable 5G support to Android/iOS smartphones so users can enjoy 5G services. A few Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, Vivo, and OPPO phones have already received support. On Airtel’s official website, Motorola was not listed.
According to Motorola, it is now one of the smartphone manufacturers in India with the highest percentage of 5G devices. All 8 Sub 6GHz 5G bands that have been announced in India are supported by the company’s smartphones across categories. In addition, it provided a timeline for the software’s availability.
On Motorola devices, the OTA update will enable 5G across both SA (Reliance Jio) and NSA (Airtel and Vi) modes simultaneously.
Motorola Edge 30 Ultra and Edge 30 Fusion is already receiving the OTA update. According to the company, completion is expected by the first week of November 2022. Below is the list of devices that will receive the 5G support OTA update.
Moto G62, Moto G71, Moto G82 & Motorola Edge 30 will receive the update on 25/10/2022 in India. The second list of devices includes Motorola Edge 30 Pro, Moto G51 5G, Moto Edge 20 Pro, Moto Edge 20 & Moto Edge 20 Fusion will get updated on 05/11/2022.


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Lighting and lighting control according to needs
Carrus Delta Oy, a finnish company manufacturing busses, has been Easy LED’s customer since 2006.
In October 2012, Mooseksenhovi housing company, located in Jyväskylä, Finland, changed outdoor lighting to LED luminaires provided by Easy LED Oy.
During winter 2012 shopping center Linjuri, located in Salo, southern Finland, parking garage lights were changed to Easy LED light fixtures.
In 2010 six kilometers of cross country skiing tracks got new Easy LED Starium Dragon 60 UP lighting fixtures.
During the year 2013 Turku will install about 2600 new LED lighting fixtures.


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By MICHELLE JAMES, The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) — Tyler Hicks was just looking to splash some cash when he and a friend started detailing classmates’ cars at Shady Spring High School.
“We both had part-time jobs, but we wanted a little extra money,” he explained.
They even came up with a name for their side business, detailing cars as Broke Guys.
“Most high school kids are broke,” Hicks said with a laugh.
One year from graduation, Hicks is still just a teenager.
And at 19, he is also a business manager.
Broke Guys Detailing celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting on October 29, 2021 in downtown Beckley.
Technically, he’s just a guy these days, because Hicks’ friend took a different route.
Hicks always thought he would go in another direction as well.
“Throughout my studies, I wanted to do computer science,” he said, adding that he had received certification to work in computers. “That’s all I wanted to do.”
Something about the satisfaction of a well-cleaned car, however, shifted his focus.
“At first we were just doing our own vehicles, but our friends were so happy when we cleaned their cars and it kind of sparked a spark,” he said.
Even in the beginning, Hicks did more than just “wash” cars.
“We just kept learning,” he said. “We researched the best things to use and I would buy tools and products.
“I discovered that you can take a vehicle from dirtiest to cleanest with the right tools and the right products.”
And when he made the decision to make it his profession, he learned even more by training at the King Automotive Detailing Institute in Pittsburgh.
“I learned everything from how to wash a proper exterior and clean an interior to how to polish and remove scratches from vehicles,” he said.
Broke Guys customers can choose from three packages when detailing their automobiles.
Package 1, Hicks said, offers “good hand washing,” wheel and tire cleaning, interior vacuuming, and window cleaning and towel drying.
“It kind of goes up from there,” Hicks said, explaining that Packages 2 and 3 offer everything from the previous package and a bit more.
“Package 2 offers a 3-month wax and clay bar service,” he said, explaining the process of removing micro-contaminants from paint.
“Like when you wash a vehicle and run your hand over the paint, it still looks like sand,” he said. “We’re taking that back.”
The intermediate package also includes an interior shampoo.
Customers who choose Package 3 receive a 6-month wax and iron decontamination wash plus a headliner scrub and scent bomb that leaves the interior smelling fresh for two weeks.
Although most people wash their cars regularly or at least once in a while, Hicks said proper cleanings are recommended to increase a car’s lifespan and even its trade-in value.
“The details really help extend the life of your car,” he said. “And if you wash it (regularly) and avoid salt, you can keep your vehicle in good shape and have it longer.”
Although it has been open for just over 5 months, Hicks said he was encouraged by the response.
“It’s going well,” he said, noting December as a “great” month. “It was kind of a blessing for us and we’re picking up now since we have a better time.”
He said he expects this trend to continue through the summer months as more and more people come.
“I’ve had a lot of people who just want a good wash and want to keep their cars protected in the summer months,” he said.
And while he does well, he credits much of his success to his parents, Matt Hicks, who owns his own gas station, and Melanie, who looks after the Broke Guys books.
“Without my parents and (building owner) Rob Dunlap, I couldn’t be here now,” he said.
Broke Guys Detailing is located at 345 Prince St. in Beckley. Call 681-222-4499 or visit Broke Guys Detailing on Facebook to schedule an appointment.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Oakridge Global Energy Solutions
Lithium-ion smart energy cells manufacturer Oakridge Global Energy Solutions has established a joint venture with a Japanese firm to make battery management systems.
The US based company, which makes cells for military, civilian and medical applications, will work with Toyo-System to design and manufacture BMSs for its Generation 2 Smart Energy Cell.
US cell manufacturer Oakridge Global Energy Solutions has bought a bespoke state-of the-art lithium-ion battery making machine to help with its research and development programme.
The $1.2 million advanced electrode coating and drying machine was designed for lithium-ion battery manufacturing by Screen Finetech Solutions Co, Ltd. of Japan.
Lithium-ion cell maker Oakridge Global Energy Solutions has announced it has created a new corporate logo for its emerging Japanese operations.
The US based manufacturer for military, civilian, and medical applications, unveiled the distinctive new Oakridge Japan logo's design aims to symbolise the highest quality cutting edge of Japanese energy technology, combined with the unique Oakridge blue metallic sheen which represents unsurpassed performance and reliability.
Oakridge is in the process of building on its previously announced Japanese strategic relationships so as to integrate the latest in lithium-ion technology from Japan into its second generation range of products which combine cutting edge technology with the unique Oakridge "design DNA," which together immediately set Oakridge apart from its competition.
Oakridge will continue to deepen its Japan presence and relationships during the balance of this year, and will be announcing further details of these exciting developments in the coming months.
US lithium battery manufacturer Oakridge Global Energy Solutions has launched an aggressive new era after 18 months of restructuring process.
The epoch includes investing $270 million in its Florida facilities, appointing a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), buying shares in a rival firm and launching a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong.


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Rana Munawwar Muhammad Khan, President Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Croatia
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Croatia had the opportunity to participate in a book fair, Interliber, organised in Zagreb, Croatia from 9 to 14 November.
Interliber is the largest literary event in Croatia and Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Croatia has been able to display literature on Islam at Interliber since 2014. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the book fair was not held last year. This year, as previous years, visitors showed great interest in our display which included the Holy Quran, its translations done by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and other literature published by the Jamaat.


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By Morning Picker
Melania Trump wears Coco Chanel as she heads for G7 Summit in France. The First Lady, Melania Trump has always brought her A-level fashion game, and this time also, it wasn’t any different when she headed for G7 Summit in France with the American President, Donald Trump sporting a gorgeous ou
tfit from Coco Chanel. Tribute to Coco Chanel? The G7 summit is being held at the beautiful seaside city of France, Biarritz. In 1915, Coco Chanel opened her first design studio in Biarritz after falling in love with the region’s stylish aesthetic and founded her couture residence in the city.


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A new bill in Congress would require law enforcement agencies to get court-ordered warrants before targeting U.S. residents in searches of electronic communications collected by the National Security Agency.
A U.S. Congress committee has overwhelmingly approved legislation designed to stop the bulk collection of U.S. phone records by the National Security Agency.
U.S. lawmakers want their counterparts in the European Parliament to back away from a resolution that would split up Google by separating search engines from other online services.
U.S. lawmakers got a report card on Friday: they've been graded by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other groups on whether they are effectively reining in the National Security Agency's surveillance programs.
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to limit the National Security Agency's ability to search U.S. records, after a similar provision was stripped out of a bill intended to rein in the agency.
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill that would limit the National Security Agency's bulk collection of domestic phone records, even as several civil liberties and tech groups withdrew their support after last-minute changes.
A U.S. House of Representatives committee has taken a major step toward outlawing the NSA's controversial bulk collection of telephone and other business records generated by U.S. residents.
The freedom and openness of the Internet are at stake after the U.S. government announced plans to end its contractual oversight of ICANN, some critics said Thursday.
Some former supporters of a mobile phone unlocking bill in the U.S. Congress have withdrawn their support for the legislation because of a new provision added to it as it heads to the House of Representatives floor for a vote.
A group of Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives to restore net neutrality rules at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
New patent reform legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday aims to make it more difficult for so-called patent trolls to file infringement lawsuits.
The U.S. Congress must act quickly on legislation that would make electronic data collection efforts by the U.S. National Security Agency more public, a group of tech firms, civil liberties groups and other organizations said Monday.
Two U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bill that would prevent the Department of Justice from prosecuting people for violating terms of service for Web-based products, website notices or employment agreements under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFA...
Three U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bill to provide more protection from government surveillance for people who store data in the cloud.
New legislation in the U.S. Congress would establish a government task force to monitor domestic and overseas policy proposals that could threaten Internet freedom.
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Ubisoft has released another Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood diary, this time discussing Ezio's nemesis, Cesare Borgia.
The video is posted below, courtesy of Gamespot, and it shows the development team dressed in monk robes again. They have a lot of fun doing these we bet.
US PS subscribers can now get in on the multiplayer beta for Brotherhood , where it was previously only open to a select number of subs and those who pre-ordered.
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood releases on November 16 in the US and November 19 in the UK for PS3 and 360.


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Saturday, May 19, 2018
APA NASIB LEBUHRAYA BORNEO SELEPAS INI...
The Bustari-owned company, Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd, is the project delivery partner for the *RM27 billion Pan Borneo Highway*.
The Star said in a July 4, 2015 report that LBU stands to earn RM1.3 billion from the highway.
The above mega-project was awarded directly from former PM Najib to Bustari at a huge difference in pricing that benefits Bustari the brother of Fadillah Yusof(Federal Minister of Works JKR)In the local news, it was announced that the mega-project will cost only 12.5 billion. However, LBU was awarded a larger sum of 27 billion for the project instead. This is a conflict of interest and is proof of corruption.
The MACC is currently investigating the matter. In light of that, the Ministry of Finance will not only temporarily halt payments to LBU pending the investigation, all payment for awarded government projects without tender will also be temporarily frozen.
Before the election, Bustari claimed 4 billion from the MOF but all the sub-contractors under his company did not receive a single cent. The company even gave the sub-contractors all sort of excuses to prevent them from receiving payment.
Hopefully the truth will prevail and the sub-contractors will receive payment for their hard work.
After BN lost the election, it was discovered that Tan Sri Bustari could not be contacted. The sub-contractors are all looking to locate him to collect the payment he owes them.
at May 19, 2018
Harga emas rendah atau harga emas naik tinggi - di dalam kedua dua keadaan itu ada untung/pasif income - dah rahsianya adalah ilmu dan ist...
Sangat pelik dan terlalu pelik kalau terus langsung dianggap dan dijamin najib selamat dan pasti menang di Pekan (?) Apakah kita menidakan...


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Orange County keeps gas pumps honest
All stations are inspected once each year
TOWN OF WALLKILL — Andy Brozdowski parks his truck at the Exxon station on Bloomingburg Road and wheels two 5-gallon canisters toward one of its gas pumps for inspection.
Brozdowski has been an Orange County Department of Weights and Measures inspector for 26 years. He inspects scales at stores to make sure items are weighed accurately, consumer packages to make sure the weights listed are correct. And gas pumps?
"Basically, when you pay for a gallon of gas, you're getting a gallon," Brozdowski says.
That statement means a lot more in these days of high-priced fuel.
Each of Orange County's 165 gas stations is randomly inspected once a year. Inspectors also probe any gas-related complaints reported to the county's consumer affairs department. "We get complaints whenever gas prices spike," he says.
Brozdowski places the canisters in front of the pump, removes the nozzle and hits 93 octane, $4.189 a gallon.
He's not just checking whether the pumps are pumping accurately. He also checks if the pump display is working properly, or if that 93 octane you're pumping is really 93 octane.
Brozdowski's seen his share of station shenanigans over the years, like when a station attendant rigged a pump so customers would be charged $1 or $2 for gas they never received.
But he says most faulty pumps actually end up giving the customer too much gas, not too little.
The display on the Exxon pump reads 10.002 gallons — $41.90 — when Brozdowski removes the nozzle from his second canister.
He checks a liquid leveler in each canister; pumps are allowed a slight variance — the equivalent of a splatter. The gas is virtually level. Five gallons in each canister. The pump passes.
About 5 percent of stations fail inspection each year, Brozdowki says, and most failures are visual: broken displays, unreadable octane stickers.
Orange County Weights and Measures director Fred Kirby says his department can order faulty pumps shut down until they're repaired.
Kirby says gas-related complaints generally die down after Labor Day. But his department is bracing for another run of inspections and complaint investigations: trucks that deliver home heating oil.
"That's going to be much bigger than measuring gas," Kirby says. "People complain about spending $50 to fill up their cars, but it's a lot different spending a few hundred dollars to heat your home."
If you think you've been shortchanged at an Orange County gas pump, call the county Department of Weights and Measures at 294-2100. Here's helpful information you can provide: • A copy of your receipt. • The name and location of the service station, including the pump number.


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2010 Ford Ranger from CarMax Costs More Than a New Ford Maverick
There’s a small pickup surge across the entire automotive industry. From the Hyundai Santa Cruz to the Ford Maverick, easy-to-drive, affordable, compact pickups are all the wave. Before its revival a few years ago, the Ford Ranger was much smaller. Now competing in the midsize pickup truck segment, the Ranger of old was a tiny, popular pickup with some spunk. You’d be surprised at how popular these old models remain today. So popular that CarMax is charging more for a 2010 Ford Ranger than the price of a brand new Ford Maverick.
CarMax is charging how much for a 2010 Ford Ranger?
CarMax is putting a hefty upcharge on many vehicles like dealerships and private sellers everywhere. No different is a 2010 Ford Ranger pickup truck. Usually, well-kept, low mileage older models will sell for a pretty penny; that’s nothing new. While this Ranger is low mileage, it isn’t tremendously low, and we don’t think it’s worth this much. A 2010 Ford Ranger with 83,452 on the odometer is listed for $22,998.
A base model 2022 Ford Maverick costs $21,490, while an upgraded XLT model with a few extras is $23,855. We’re used to seeing markups and outrageous prices in 2022 with the current market, but really CarMax? Whichever lucky person decides to buy the 2010 Ranger will effectively pay more for a 12-year-old pickup with over 83,000 miles than if they would have purchased a brand new Maverick.
What’s so good about the 2010 Ford Ranger?
One of the most interesting parts about the pricing choice is that it’s a fairly basic Ranger. This model is an XLT with a four-cylinder engine, cloth interior seats, and an aftermarket head unit. The Drive highlighted its ‘luxury’ features as cruise control, air conditioning, and alloy wheels. That’s not enough to get us excited in 2010, let alone 2022.
The 2010 Ford Ranger is an excellent pickup truck that a niche group of people absolutely love. That’s part of the reason CarMax knows it can list this model for such a high price. To put it into perspective, it doesn’t just cost more than a new Ford Maverick; it costs more than it did in 2010 from a dealership lot. With two-wheel drive, this particular model started around $21,000 brand new. Additionally, it uses an automatic transmission, which is the opposite of what most people buying these trucks want.
CarMax isn’t the only seller charging more for used than new
This specific instance is outrageous and is enough to make your blood boil. However, it isn’t entirely out of the ordinary. Dealerships, private sellers, and just about anyone else you can buy a car from are charging similarly. While most vehicles will still be more reasonably priced, rare, highly in-demand cars will always be tremendously overpriced. In rare cases, new cars are even being marked up if there’s enough demand.
In conclusion, it isn’t a great time to buy a car. If you have to buy one anyway, try to avoid rare and highly in-demand vehicles like this low mileage 2010 Ford Ranger. CarMax is charging more for the used Ranger than the cost of a brand new Ford Maverick. That doesn’t sit right with us.


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‘Facebook’, the brainchild of a young entrepreneur, Mark Zuckerberg, has now become equivalent to food for its users. The first thing done by young adults and teenagers when they open their eyes early in the morning is to scroll through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter, etc. It’s a long list. Facebook is not the only one to blame, it’s one of the many to be blamed. Even after getting control of almost eighty percent of teenagers’ lives, Zuckerberg was still hungry for attention. Consequently, he went and bought Instagram and WhatsApp in 2012 and 2014, respectively. These sites are not selling any product, they are selling the users’ attention. Us, the consumers have become mere products in the hands of these the internet. Doesn’t it surprise you, how suddenly your Instagram or Facebook feed page is full of advertisements of some particular products of which you have been surfing on other websites like Myntra, or maybe Amazon? It is not a coincidence. Everything is being recorded. We are under a constant watch by these predators of attention. Humans have become mere puppets in the hands of computers and their algorithms. Today, more decisions are made by computers than by humans.
As stated by The Wall Street Journal, “Facebook Inc. knows, in acute detail, that its platforms are idled with flaws that cause harm, often in ways only the company fully understands.” The internal documents leaked by Frances Haugen, a former product manager at Facebook, popularly now known as ‘whistleblower’, have vividly stated the wounding effects of these predators on adolescents and the fact that Facebook has been aware of its harmful and unhealthy effects. Facebook since the beginning has been making profits and minting money at the cost of its consumers’ mental health which includes a sizable amount of teenagers, especially girls. In Haugen's words, “Facebook consistently resolved those conflicts in favour of its profits. The result has been more division, more harm, more lies, more threats, and more combat.”
Quoting from an article from The News Minute about Frances Haugen, “She anonymously filed complaints with US federal law enforcement that Facebook’s research shows how it magnifies hate and misinformation, leads to increased polarization and that Instagram, specifically, can harm the mental health of teenage girls.” Haugen also revealed how Facebook, especially Instagram is feeding on people’s emotions. It is a proven fact that it is easier to instigate anger than any other emotion. This is the strategy that Facebook’s algorithm has been using to mint money when it tweaked its encryption model in 2018. The algorithm cherry-picks posts that inspire rage in its consumers to gather maximum engagement on the platform.
Following the documents ousted by Haugen, Congress and regulators have begun to investigate the million-dollar company. What we need is greater transparency on social media platforms. These platforms have been recurrently called ‘addictive’ and ‘toxic’. These sites are themselves morally bankrupt and have turned their consumers into the same. The photo-posting site, Instagram, has developed a sense of insecurity among teenage girls that relates to body-image issues. Young girls have become uncomfortable in their bodies because of the constant reminder by Instagram that to have a good number of followers, one needs to have a modellike body. Followers are nothing but the mere attention of a set of people. Teenagers on this site have a constant pressure of keeping up with the trends and the “pressure to be perfect” just so they can keep their so-called ‘followers’ entertained without realizing that it is happening at their expense. This badgering has led to eating disorders and mental trauma at such tender ages. This is nothing but toxic.
Although Mr. Zuckerberg invented this platform to keep everyone connected from miles away, there is a clear conflict of interest between what is good for people and what is good for Facebook. As said by Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, “Big tech companies have gotten away with abusing consumers for too long”. The crux of the issue is that Facebook is in control of hundred percent of the algorithms. When Haugen was asked for a solution, she suggested that content be shared based on the chronological ranking with a reduction in spam.
Facebook is still ravenous for data. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, on September 27th, 2021, said that they are building a new platform called “Instagram Kids” but are pausing the work for now to strengthen parental supervision tools on the current application. In his words, “We started this project to address an important problem seen across our industry: kids are getting phones younger and younger, misrepresenting their age, and downloading apps that are meant for those 13 or older.” To address this issue, Instagram has decided that it is best to provide a new platform for children under 13 for an Instagram experience. A conflict of interest is seen again between what is good for the consumers and what is good for Facebook. This platform is another way for Facebook to exploit children, now under the age of 13. As Haugen said, “They have to make sure that the next generation is just as engaged with Instagram as the current one, and the way they’ll do that is by making sure that children establish habits before they have good self-regulation.”
To conclude, there is enough and more evidence to prove that Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Snapchat, and many more are just feeding on our attention and selling us as products. The negative effects of these platforms have overruled the motive behind their invention. The main objective was to keep people connected from across the globe. But more than achieving its main goal, it has become a predator of our conscience destroying the productivity of multiple lives, especially teenagers.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Brief Bulletin.


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Apple has debuted their new service, Apple Music, with a free trial offer for consumers. This sparked an outcry from popular artists, including Taylor Swift, who demanded the artists still continue to gain revenue while customers are free from paying for the service during the trial period.
The new service will stream music and is offered free for three months, in an effort to gain momentum and popularity says CCMP Capital
. Artists are finding it more and more difficult to stake their claim on their royalties, as CD sales and iTunes sales are at the lowest we have ever seen. The ease of streaming music and radio apps are causing the entertainers we know and love to speak up and demand their fair share. As technology moves at the speed of light it is difficult to keep tabs on how and where their music is being shared, social media seems to be the platform on which artists are going to in search of support.
You can read Taylor’s tweets here, http://www.buzzfeed.com/brendanklinkenberg/apple-now-says-it-will-pay-artists-during-customer-free-tria#.gk6eG05Ry


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- Back to all Speakers
- Peter Levesque
Managing Flow Through The Port Complex
COVID-19 has led to three waves of Supply “Change” Management that Ports America President Peter Levesque, the former CEO of Modern Terminals Ltd. in Hong Kong, will describe in a big-picture presentation at #TPM21. They are:
• The diversification of retail sourcing away from China and to Southeast Asia, near-shoring to Mexico and elsewhere in the Caribbean and Latin America, and reshoring of personal protective equipment, pharma, and medical equipment for national security.
• The rapid expansion of retail e-commerce in the US and how that led to a global shortage of air cargo capacity, growth in premium and fast-ship carrier services, omnichannel logistics models that include ocean and the opportunity niche ports to thrive
• And the rapid adoption of digitization across the supply chain, including visibility and predictive analytics; and technology as a backbone of e-commerce supply chains, all of which will put pressure on ports and other supply chain participants as demand for efficiency grows.


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IPO on the Horizon for Park Systems
- 15 Jan 2016
- Volume 6
- NanoScientific Magazine, Spring 2016
Park Systems, world-leader in atomic force microscopy (AFM) officially announced 1 million shares for its initial public offering on December 17th at KOSDAQ, which is a Korean version of NASDAQ, established in 1996 to be a capital supplier of venture and small and medium-sized businesses. The underwriter of the company is KB Investment & Securities Co. Ltd.
Park Systems received “AA” from two separate rating agencies on advanced technologies, becoming the first company that will be listed on the KOSDAQ in 2015 through the special technologies IPO program. Dr. Sang-il Park CEO and founder of Park Systems worked as an integral part of the group at Stanford University that first developed AFM technology and created the first commercial AFM in 1988.
Park Systems is a knowledge-intensive business with a strong focus on R & D,” comments Dr. Sang-il Park, “This IPO demonstrates our ambition to take a quantum leap forward as a premier nano-measurement company, based on our technological competitiveness and a uniquely differentiated product line.” “We have a long history of providing accuracy and unmatched superiority in AFM technology, which has been the hallmark for our sustained growth,” adds Dr. Park.
Park Systems, founded in 1997, is a global market leader in the AFM industry. Park Systemsholds 32 patents related to AFM technology, including True Non-Contact Mode™ using decoupled XY and Z scanners, PTR measurements of HDD application, NX-Bio technology using Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) on live cell, 3D AFM, Full automation AFM operation software (SmartScan™). Park System’s major customers include thousands of prestigious universities and international research agencies worldwide and they are the premier supplier of AFM to all of the leading semiconductor and HDD manufacturers including Seagate and IBM. Park’s exclusive product line has evolved from a research tool to an industrial system for cutting edge technology companies where unmatched performance has resulted in user-customized product lines at leading manufacturers world-wide.
Additional accelerated revenue growth is projected thru a partnership announced earlier this year with IMEC, a worldwide nano-electronics research center, for the next generation of nano-instrumentation for inline atomic force microscopy technology development. This partnership extends to a wide-ranging customer base from the global semiconductor consortium members and major institutions in the future.
Investments in Korean companies are on the rise with strong growth prospects expected, demonstrated by the significant increase in market capitalization from KRW 32 trillion at the end of 2004 to 203 trillion at the end of the first half of 2015, and the average daily trading value which has grown from KRW 0.6 trillion to 3.5 trillion in the same periods.


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Marketplace Morning Report for Friday August 15, 2014
Episode Teaser Image
Ever wonder how the price of silver is set? For more than a hundred years, silver prices have been set globally in something called a silver fix. But that's about to change. Plus, Samsung recently did a little home shopping The South Korean electronics giant snapped up a start-up called "Smart Things" for around $200 million. It's a U.S. company that specializes in smart-home controllers. But Samsung isn't the only one seeing profit potential in the so-called internet of things. Hackers see it, too. And they're worried that if companies specializing in smart devices don't take the time to install proper security, hackers with bad intentions will use the internet of things to invade entire households.
SWAT teams, frequent flier miles, and a high tech football stadium.
Posted In: police, riots, Ferguson
Since the 1960s, more local police departments have added their own SWAT team.
Music from this show
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According to a report by Shareaholic, the percentage of website traffic coming from Facebook has already declined drastically in the second half of 2017.
Research has suggested that only about 1 in 10 teen Snapchat users are unique to the platform and not also using Instagram. But to what extent do Snapchat users use other social platforms on a given day?
This infographic from DCI highlights statistics that illustrate the appeal of influencer marketing.
Google and Facebook accounted for about 63% of US digital ad revenues in
2017. With the duopoly taking in almost two-thirds of US digital ad revenues, that leaves around a third of the market for every other firm to compete for.
Amazon’s US advertising revenue was expected to reach $1.65 billion in 2017 before almost doubling to $3.2 billion by 2019, at which point its ad revenues are expected to be as large as Snapchat and Twitter, combined. New survey results demonstrate that B2C marketers are taking note of Amazon’s potential in the advertising business, and that a sizable share are already advertising with the eCommerce giant.
A Pew Research Center survey of US social media users found that more are turning to Twitter, YouTube—and even Tumblr—to get news.
This infographic illustrates just how much data media platforms ranging from Twitter and YouTube to Netflix and Spotify generate by the minute.
This infographic from Scribewise illustrates the B2B technology buying cycle.
More respondents turn to Google (85%) than to Amazon (72%) to help them find product ideas and information before making a purchase.
41% of respondents ages 18 to 29 having at least a somewhat positive reaction to the change, and just 14% expressing reservations.


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Jay-Z goes into the legal weed business
Billionaire rapper Jay-Z is entering the fast-growing cannabis industry, taking a role with California company Caliva as a strategist.
High times over for Swaziland cannabis farmers?
The decriminalization of cannabis in South Africa means the market there is set to explode. Growers in Swaziland, who depend on huge South African demand, are expected to lose out.
Western Marine Customs intercepts 1,286 wraps of Canabis
The Western Marine Customs Command has intercepted 1,286 Wraps Of Cannabis sativa smuggled through the nation's sea borders.
First legal cannabis shop opens in Toronto
The owner of one of the first cannabis stores to open in Ontario speaks with BNN Bloomberg's David George-Cosh about the challenges and opportunities his retail store will have in the still-nascent cannabis market.
North America will drive the growth of cannabis
Bloomberg Intelligence's Ken Shea discusses the long term growth prospects for the cannabis industry.
Small farmers priced out of California's cannabis market
In the US state of California, the recreational use of cannabis has been legal since January. With 40 million inhabitants, the Golden State is the world's largest cannabis market. But now that farmers have to submit to strict environmental, sanitation and traceability rules, licences are difficult - and expensive - to obtain.
Up in smoke: Cannabis industry hit hard by California wildfires
Over the past few weeks, Northern California has suffered its worst ever wildfires, which have left 42 people dead and 100,000 hectares up in smoke.
Drugs on the streets
Cannabis is the most commonly used drug at the global level, with an estimated 183 million people have used the drug in 2014.


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As the Pool stage of the Rugby World Cup 2015 is now in full swing, chances are you’re looking for more fixes of one of your favorite sports. Or if you’re a new fan, you probably want to know more about the sport or even actually play it. Well if you’re talking about digitally playing it, then you’re in luck as Rugby Nations 16, the newest edition in the game series, is now out for Android devices, just in time for World Cup fever.
You get to pick which of the 20 countries available, which are also the 20 that qualified for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, you get to play in the game. You get the entire tournament feel, complete with the actual rules and mechanics, plus the atmosphere with the crowds and all, and even authentic commentary. You get to play “live games” as you try and get your team to the finals. There are even goal celebrations and scoring animations to keep you entertained, aside from the game itself.
The newest edition of the game also has much improved touch controls where you can easily master how to control the players and the gameplay itself. It doesn’t matter if you’re just a newbie player or already a veteran of rugby mobile gaming, as long as you master the touch controls, you’re already on the same page.
You can download Rugby Nations 16 from the Google Play Store for free. There are in-app purchases available once you’ve mastered the basic and want to enhance your gaming experience more.
Majority of the Android community may be grateful to Google for all the products and services that company has introduced or will still announce but admit it or not, not everyone trusts it nor is happy about its huge success all over the world. No doubt about it, Google is the world’s biggest search engine and the Android platform dominates the mobile industry in terms of market share, closely followed by Apple’s iOS.
Aside from the antitrust case against Google and the Android platform filed by the EU in Europe, Google is facing a new antitrust investigation, this time in the United States. The issue is not really new since there was a similar inquiry a couple of years ago.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Justice Department have recently partnered to start an investigation to check if Google is really giving priorities to own services on Android. That’s probably an expected behaviour but Google is said to be restricting others, giving them a hard time to thrive within the mobile industry. Nothing has been confirmed yet but Bloomberg reports the information came from anonymous sources.
This Google favoring its services and products to be available on Android is believed to be violating antitrust laws as it dominates a market or industry and then customers are forced to pay or use. Since both the Justice Department and the FTC are mandated to enforce antitrust laws, the two are also expected to work on the issue and investigate but only one group must lead the investigation this time.
Google was previously questioned about its practices in Internet search and unfair practices, causing other competitors and consumers to be harmed in different ways. FTC and Google reached settlement on antitrust investigation that the search company would changes their ways to show that they are not prioritizing some search results and that Google would remove online ad restrictions.
We have yet to know if this antitrust matter is final and official but we’re not considering this as just a rumor. Google and Android dominate an industry so it’s normal that business practices are questioned. As to whether they are in violation of the consumers and antitrusts laws, investigations must continue.
The desktop version of Facebook went down Monday – the social network’s second outage in less than a week.
SAN FRANCISCO—The first thing you notice when you pick up the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus is that both models are almost indistinguishable from the current iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Developers know by now that they should beware of the wrath of the annoyed Android users, as they can easily make or break you with their Google Play comments. If they like you, they really really like you, as popular photo gallery app QuickPic understands since they’ve been the darling of apps in their product line. But if they hate a certain developer, and it’s a hate that isn’t unfounded, then they will really hate you, as QuickPic quickly found out when they were sold to one of the most unpopular and widely hated developers out there.
When fans found out that Cheetah Mobile bought QuickPic, negative comments lambasting the move, the new owner and even the app which they previously loved, flooded its Google Play Store page. Take note that nothing has changed yet for the app, as far as we can tell, and yet people are already hating on it. Why, you ask? If you’re not aware yet of who Cheetah Mobile is, then we’d be glad to enlighten you, and this will explain why a lot of Android users are already prejudging the app under new management.
If you’ve ever downloaded an app that seemed very similar to some popular apps only to find out that it was kind of an imitation app that is “dripping with adware”, then more than likely, this has come from a developer like Cheetah Mobile. A lot of the ones that they churn out are duplicates of features of most Android phones, fooling some users into thinking this might be an improved product, only to find it useless, pointless, and it even slows down your device.
So you may understand why users are up in digital arms, so to speak. Maybe this time Cheetah is trying to have a sense of respectability by buying a legit app that is loved by many. But given their business practices, it’s highly unlikely they will leave the app alone. Let’s wait and see, but don’t get your hopes up.
VIA: Android Police


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Facebook has unveiled a new platform in which it provides its users' data to advertisers so that they can place their ads more effectively on third-party sites.
Ireland appears to be granting Apple illegal tax rebates that may have to be recouped, the E.U.'s competition watchdog said Tuesday as it pressed on with an inquiry into the iPhone maker's overseas tax practices.
The Los Angeles Dodgers led the major leagues in attendance by drawing 3.78 million fans to Chavez Ravine.
There is growing expectation a European Commission investigation will find that Apple benefited from billions of euro in illegal state aid from the Irish government.
Intel will pay up to $1.5 billion for a 20 percent state in a Chinese venture that will design and make Intel-branded chips for mobile phones and other electronics.
Apple's largest iPhone is selling for $100 more than its other new model, but a new report says it costs Apple only $15.50 more to make the more expensive version.
With investors now able to buy directly into Alibaba, Yahoo may be losing its appeal to some investors
Alibaba shares opened at $92.70, later dipping to $90.
Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce powerhouse named after a poor woodsman who discovers a thieves' den full of treasures, priced its initial public offering at the top end of the expected price range.
As Alibaba readies what could be the biggest initial public offering ever on the New York Stock Exchange, it is quietly hinting at plans to expand into the U.S. Amazon and eBay need to watch their backs.
China's Alibaba Group is seeking to raise up to $24.3 billion in its upcoming IPO, the most ever raised by a company heading into its stock market debut, with an initial market value of $163 billion.
Amazon.com says its chief financial officer, Thomas Szkutak, will retire after 12 years on the job in June 2015.
Private equity firm Thoma Bravo is spending about $2.5 billion to buy Compuware and take the software developer private.
Hewlett-Packard's fiscal third-quarter earnings fell 29 percent as the personal computer and printer maker absorbed the costs of employee layoffs and past acquisitions.
Apple's stock touched a new high Wednesday, reflecting investors' renewed faith in CEO Tim Cook's ability to outwit the competition and expand the technological hit factory built by the late Steve Jobs.


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According to Slotegrator, advances in technology, economic development, and smartphone penetration are three main factors for growth across the country, making Africa the next land of opportunity for the igaming industry. Africa has a peculiar collection of circumstances that will undoubtedly result in the online gaming market rapidly expanding in the coming years.
Many developing economies call it home. Although the current pandemic has stifled inflation, the gross domestic product of Sub-Saharan African countries has shrunk at a much slower pace than that of most other countries. Prior to the start of Covid-19, the region’s GDP was expected to increase by 3.6 percent in 2020, which, to put it in context, would have been three times the Eurozone’s expected growth for the same year. In any case, recovery is on the way, with GDP growth for 2021 expected to be above 3% for the first time.
Years of uninterrupted economic growth have resulted in a growing middle class with increasing purchasing power, which serves as a stimulus for global investment and further economic development. Africa is now on track to become the only continent with higher-than-replacement-level birth rates and a positive demographic dividend (the ratio of working-age people to their dependents). The demographic dividend will be a further blessing to the region because, if local economies can scale up to accommodate the growing active population, increased productivity can rise.
Technology advancements are the last piece of the puzzle that makes the area so appealing. Though African countries are still catching up in terms of internet adoption, things are quickly improving thanks to modern infrastructures that are making mobile broadband access more accessible. Around 2014 and 2019, the number of people using mobile broadband more than doubled, and penetration is rapidly expanding. Three-quarters of Sub-Saharan Africans have at least 3G broadband, and half have connections to 4G speeds. In the past five years, the cost of using the internet and using handheld devices has almost halved.
From the viewpoint of iGaming industry investors involved in the field, the picture is rosy: a developing populace with increasingly rising disposable income and inexpensive high-speed internet access. These markets aren’t completely untapped, but they’re still not completely saturated. Kenya and South Africa are undoubtedly the most successful, but other heavyweights such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania provide enticing opportunities for operators with small marketing budgets. Furthermore, saturation is limited to the sports betting side of the market, which is Africa’s most common type of online gambling. Due to this fact, Nigerian online crypto casinos failed to gain momentum in the area due to a history of low internet coverage and high data costs. Because of the above technical advances and operators’ increasing understanding of the need to include lightweight, mobile-friendly games specially designed to deal with the limitations currently in place, the segment is expected to expand steadily in the future.
The most popular gambling brands in Africa are currently local, despite the fact that they are backed by international investors. It is critical to recognize that gambling goods, like any other service, must be tailored to the needs of the local market. This entails adapting not only the style and content of marketing material but also the product itself, particularly as the competition grows.
We’ve already discussed the need for casino games that cater to African markets’ infrastructural constraints, and sportsbooks are no exception. It’s understandable that nations with diverse sporting histories will have punters with equally diverse betting tastes. In South Africa, for example, bookmakers must prioritize rugby and cricket events, while in Nigeria, football takes precedence. Offering competitive odds on the events that matter most to local audiences is likely the most effective way to increase customer acquisition and retention, particularly in markets where savvy bettors are keen to check out the best offers possible, such as Nigeria or Kenya.
The status of regulatory mechanisms in the area is something to think about before entering the African market. Just a few nations, mostly in the continent’s north, have outright bans on gaming, and only a few have robust laws in effect. This is set to improve in the not-too-distant future, with extensive industry control undoubtedly on the horizon in most of Africa. Thanks to technical advances, blanket prohibition is becoming almost difficult to maintain.
As a result of national lockdowns, players have been moving from physical to online gaming venues, exacerbating the problem. Meanwhile, local policymakers are motivated by the need to monitor the cash flows associated with the industry: because of the region’s unique characteristics, authorities are particularly concerned about the potential for money laundering and terrorist funding. We should anticipate regulatory frameworks based on internationally recognized public practice, but tailored to each local jurisdiction, resulting in a fragmented market in the future.


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Vietnam has extended until the end of the year the period in which traders may import gold to try to bring local prices back into line with the global market, according to the Vietnam Gold Traders Association.
About 10 traders may import the metal from Nov. 24 to Dec. 31, with allowances of 300 kilograms to 1,000 kilograms, Vice Chairman Nguyen Thanh Truc said Thursday. Previously, a central- bank directive permitted imports only for the 14 days to Nov. 23, according to a Nov. 9 statement from the State Bank of Vietnam.
Local prices have climbed to more than international levels as three devaluations of the dong in the past year, slumping stock prices and faster inflation boosted demand. The government has suspended gold imports in the past to help support the dong, which investors sell to buy dollars and gold. Vietnam consumes more gold per head than India, the biggest overall user.
"Although local prices have eased" after imports were allowed, they are still sometimes higher than world prices, Truc said by phone. One tael is about 1.2 ounces.
Local gold traded at VND35.8 million per tael in Hanoi Thursday, according to a phone-information service run by Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications. That compares with Thursday's global spot price of $1,372 an ounce, which is equivalent to about VND32.1 million per tael, according to Bloomberg calculations using the official exchange rate for the Vietnamese currency.
Central bank policy
The central-bank decision on Nov. 9 to allow imports for 14 days was meant to "continue stabilizing" the local gold market, according to that day's statement. Central bank Governor Nguyen Van Giau wasn't immediately available for comment Thursday on the extended import period.
Global gold prices surged to a record this month as weaker currencies and Europe's sovereign-debt concerns boosted demand. Immediate-delivery gold peaked at $1,424.60 an ounce on Nov. 9, while Vietnam's prices climbed to a record VND38.2 million per tael the same day.
Rising domestic gold prices contributed to inflation, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told delegates at the National Assembly in Hanoi Wednesday. Inflation accelerated in November to 11.09 percent, the highest rate since March 2009.
The dong traded at 19,495 per dollar Thursday, according to Bloomberg data, and has weakened 5.5 percent this year.
Vietnam imported 6.86 tons of gold in the first nine months of 2010, the Vietnam News newspaper reported yesterday, citing data from the State Bank of Vietnam.