text:
November 30, 2006
November 29, 2006
“I can’t imagine them selling anything other than Spam,” says Jeff Lieberman in a Wall Street Journal article by Steven Gray (11/29/06). “Just the name elicits that image of the blue label on the square tin with that loaf of horrendous looking meat.” In some ways, it’s hard to imagine why Hormel would even try to sell anything other than Spam, “which it introduced in 1937 and is essentially ground pig shoulder meat, salt, water, modified potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrite, all of which is baked in a seven-story oven inside Hormel’s factory in Austin, MN.” Spam is indeed “a surprise star of the packaged-food industry,” having cornered the market of “middle-age, blue-collar men who place a premium on hearty foods that are affordable and easy to make.”
For the more adventuresome, Hormel has even come up with innovative line-extensions such as “single-serve packets and new flavors such as Stinky French Garlic.” And that goes over big: “Today, the 115-year-old company, founded by George A. Hormel, the son of German immigrants, has a market value of about $5.2 billion” and its stock price has more than tripled over the last decade. But that isn’t good enough for Hormel’s ceo, Jeffrey M. Ettinger, who won’t rest easy until Hormel is found on the shelves at Whole Foods. And he has just the product to do it: Hormel Natural Choice, “a line of preservative-free deli-style meats” that eliminate additives using a process called High Pressure Pasteurization (in which “87,000 pounds of water pressure per inch kills bacteria”).
“We thought it’d be icing on the cake if Whole Foods wanted to take it …” says Scott Weisenbeck, a Hormel group product manager. They didn’t — although Wal-Mart and Kroger did. Meanwhile, Hormel has also appointed Dan Hernandez as director of innovation, in a bid to get “Middle Americans to try ethnic fare.” (it owns a number of ethnic brands, and also the licensing for Chi-Chi’s products). In addition, “Hormel this month kicked off its most ambitious advertising campaign in years,” via BBDO Minneapolis, featuring “a svelte, cocoa-toned woman raving about using Hormel’s chili to make penne pasta.” Then again, there’s always Hormel Microwavable Trays, a line of “‘shelf stable’ entrees that can sit on a shelf for at least 18 months and can be heated up in just 90 seconds.” It’s “now the fastest-growing product in Hormel’s grocery segment,” accounting for $846.5 million in sales. ~ Tim Manners, editor
November 28, 2006
The guy at Microsoft who’s in charge of toppling the iPod not only uses an Apple G5 computer, but also keeps a picture of Steve Jobs on his desk, reports Jay Greene in BusinessWeek (12/4/06). That guy, J Allard, owns nine iPods, too. And he’s been known to quote Mr. Jobs: “The only problem with Microsoft is that they have no taste … They have absolutely no taste.” (YouTube clip here). Maybe that’s why, when it came time to pick a color for Microsoft’s iPod — the Zune — J (the technogeek formerly known as James) chose … white. Or brown. Maybe that’s why, when it came time to design the Zune, J chose to prove Steve Jobs wrong by proving him right — with a device and a business model that is right off Apple’s blueprint.
Maybe. Maybe not. Yes, Microsoft built its own device (like Apple) and offers “its own music-selling service” (like Apple). But J Allard did one thing — perhaps the most important thing — that Apple did not do. Zune comes with wi-fi. That means you can “beam songs” to your friends’ Zunes. And he convinced record labels “to let consumers share music in a tolerable way; Zune includes technology that limits beamed songs to three plays or three days, whichever comes first.” As J explains his pitch to the record companies: “My customer becomes your street team.” The model in this case is not Apple; it’s Microsoft’s own Xbox, which also arrived with wi-fi, putting it in just the right place “when online gaming took off.”
What J Allard is doing with Zune — and what has already happened with Xbox — may, in fact, be the cultural change that Steve Jobs implied wasn’t possible at Microsoft. It could represent a shift away from a culture that said software comes in boxes and hardware is made by someone else. It could be that the very thing Microsoft thought limited Apple’s growth (“creating both proprietary hardware and software”) will prove to be its own growth engine, ultimately powered by the coming wi-fi “cloud" –where internet connectivity is everywhere. J Allard says the real mistake is focusing on the device rather than the experience. And the lesson for Microsoft is simply to look ahead: "Apply too much of the wisdom and knowledge that got us here, and you end up right where you started," he says. "Take a fresh look from a new perspective, and get a new result." ~ Tim Manners, editor
November 27, 2006
As Jeff Bezos sees it, what the internet did for content it could also do for products, reports Kevin Many in USA Today (11/22/06). “I haven’t figured out a way to explain this very well yet,” Jeff admits. His idea is premised on the concept of excess capacity — both online at companies like Amazon and offline at companies like General Motors. In a nutshell, if you wanted to start your own company, Amazon could rent you the space you need on its computers, “its transaction capabilities to sell things and collect money and its distribution system to store and ship items.” Says Jeff: “We can take all the things that used to be fixed costs and let people pay by the drink” (whatever he’s drinking, I’ll buy a case, please).
What Amazon is providing, basically, is a sales and distribution platform. If General Motors, meanwhile, were to apply the same thinking to create a manufacturing platform, it “could enable the creation of dozens of new niche-market car companies, all using GM to make … their designs.” Comments Kevin: “If you tease out Bezos’ plan, you get to a point where a high school cheerleader sitting at home with a laptop could theoretically harness computing power, design capabilities, manufacturing and distribution from around the world, and make a market a cute little pink hot rod …”
As Kevin points out, the concept is "not that far afield from today’s contract manufacturers in Asia, which make batches of cellphones or toys or shoes on demand. Except Amazon’s concept suggests a new level of sophistication and ease-of-use. Point, click and make a product to sell to the world." As Jeff Bezos says, "It’s letting people create a business by remote control." Just as "blogs, videos, music, animation and websites form individuals and small companies constantly challenge traditional media companies … that same scenario" could plow "through one consumer segment after another: food, clothing, cosmetics, sporting goods, musical instruments and so on," says Kevin. "It could be a wonderful, vibrant, scary chaos." ~ Tim Manners, editor
November 22, 2006
To walk through the front door of Sigrid Olsen’s new fashion boutique in SoHo is to walk through the back door of her own home in Hamilton, Massachusetts, reports Claire Wilson in The New York Times (11/19/06). “I want my customers to feel as comfortable in my store as they would be visiting their best friend’s home,” Sigrid explains. “I want them to feel as though they’ve entered a work in progress, as most homes are.” The space, designed by Pompei A.D., consists of “a loose configuration of roomlike settings.” For example, fitting rooms surround a “luxurious bedroom suite.” The cash desk is in the kitchen (because the kitchen is where everybody congregates).
Because Sigrid began her career as an artist, the space is accented with artifacts including “an easel, a stool and some well-used paintbrushes.” Some of her artwork graces the walls and the coffee table in the “living-seating area” is “strewn with design magazines and art books.” Says Ingrid: “Just like my house … but without the fireplace” (here are some pictures) But the idea, says Ron Pompei, the designer, is not so much a celebration of Sigrid’s lifestyle as it is an open door to the shopper’s own sense of self, and artistry. “Rather than ask customers to take on the value of the brand … we created a retail space that encourages them to express themselves in new ways,” says Ron.
He adds: “We try to create a landscape where people will meander, make a circle, discover the stairs and look for more … Sigrid is saying to the customer, ‘You are a complex woman, with many different aspects to your life’.” Ron also color-coded the different rooms: “The different blocks of color … is a signal that you turned a page,” he explains. The Sigrid Olsen label is a Liz Claiborne division, and it sold through some 55 stores, catering to older (i.e., over 30) , suburban women. This new 3,500 square foot location, on West Broadway between Prince and Spring Streets, is Sigrid Olsen’s first store in New York City. ~ Tim Manners, editor
November 21, 2006
Orange is the color of money for Blue Moon beer, reports Joseph T. Hallianan in The Wall Street Journal (11/20/06). Or make that oranges. Keith Villa of Molson Coors came up with the idea to merchandise Blue Moon — a Belgian-style wheat beer — as the one beer to have with a slice of orange. That worked. “When people saw a beer with an orange slice on it, it piqued their interest,” says Jim Doney of Chicago Beverage Systems. Once that idea caught on in bars, Monarch Beverages carried it through in stores: “Wherever there’s an orange, there ought to be a stack of Blue Moon,” says Jim Zerons of Monarch Beverages. That worked, too.
“Last month alone, his distributorship sold 16,500 cases of Blue Moon … and Blue Moon is now his third-largest-selling draft beer, behind Miller Lite and Coors Lite.” But while consumers now know that Blue Moon is to be garnished by oranges, few know that it is manufactured by Molson Coors. It looks like a craft beer, and Molson Coors has carefully cultivated that impression by “playing down the beer’s connection to its corporate parent; avoiding TV ads; using distributors who know how to sell smaller brands; and targeting key markets and accounts.” The only agency involved is Omnicom’s Integer Group, which creates point-of-sale materials.
The result is, Blue Moon is expected to “sell between 400,000 and 500,000 barrels … this year,” making it “the third- or fourth-largest craft brewer in the U.S., behind … Boston Beer … Sierra Nevada Brewing … and New Belgium Brewing.” And although it is made by Molson Coors, its production level, at “fewer than two million barrels of beer a year” technically qualifies it as a “craft beer.” Molson Coors’s accomplishment is one that both Anheuser Busch and Miller would like to replicate — in fact, Miller has introduced Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat beer, which, “for all practical purposes is a clone of Blue Moon.” They may have a long road ahead: “Blue Moon’s success … has been a slow process, taking more than a decade” to earn “respect.” Plus, by most accounts, the beer tastes really good. ~ Tim Manners, editor
November 20, 2006
“Chinese and Western specialists approach pharmacology from very different angles,” but Novartis is hoping to find new cures by encouraging Sino-American collaborations, reports Nichcolas Zamiska in The Wall Street Journal (11/15/06). “For centuries, Chinese doctors have tinkered with different mixtures of medicines, guided in part by trial-and-error, to see which ones are the most effective. Working with that body of knowledge, they operate on the assumption that the traditional remedies work, even if by Western scientific standards it’s not completely clear why.” So, they know the cure works, but they don’t know which “target it hits.”
Western researchers, meanwhile, “often begin the search for a drug by identifying a target, and then looking for a chemical compound that has the desired effect. If they do find a drug that works, they usually understand the mechanisms behind it. That helps in refining the compound to make it more effective and in convincing regulatory authorities … that the medicine is safe and effective.” So, Novartis has hired a botanist named Shen Jingui of the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica to venture into remote regions in areas such as China’s Xinjiang province, “to ferret out rare plants and herbs traditionally used in treatments for ailments ranging from aches and pains to cancer.”
Novartis hopes that if it can “isolate the particular compounds active in the Chinese traditional medicines by testing the raw extracts from the plants” Shen Jingui collects, the result will be “a new generation of blockbusters to fight diseases such as Alzheimer’s.” So far, Jingui “has provided around 1,000 natural products.” Of those, a total of nine “have shown particular promise against specific disease targets and two have been selected for further study.” Dr. Paul Herrling of Novartis says that hit rate is actually pretty good as compared to traditional research methods. The cost involved is also relatively small. He comments: "China has thousands of years’ experience of using plants in Chinese traditional medicines … why not use the Chinese experience as a kind of filter?" ~ Tim Manners, editor
November 17, 2006
” … Science is supposed to consider all reasonable ideas,” writes Sharon Begley in The Wall Street Journal, “but Alzheimer’s disease is not your normal field of science.” (11/17/06). Ever since Alois Alzheimer wrote a report — 100 years ago — about a senile patient, Auguste D., the scientific community has fixated on the “globs of beta-amyloid,” Dr. Alzheimer observed on his patient’s brain. The assumption was that the resulting “plaque” was the cause of the disease. But for the last 20 years, at least, there have been doubters who have suspected that these “plaques might be innocent bystanders to the real, ‘upstream’ culprit. If so, targeting the plaques … would do nothing to help the 4.5 million Americans who suffer from Alzheimer’s.”
Until now, these doubters couldn’t even get their papers published in mainstream journals. “Among the major journals and funding agencies, the attitude was, ‘if it isn’t amyloid, it isn’t AD,” says Mark Smith of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.” But in October, a different kind of paper — one that considered the possibility “that amyloid plaques don’t cause Alzheimer’s” — was published in a journal called Alzheimer’s & Dementia. In fact, this paper looks at the possibility that the plaques may actually be “a response (and maybe a therapeutic one), not a cause. If so, ridding the brain of plaques could cause harm.”
Sharon Begley observes: “… Concluding that beta-amyloid and plaques cause Alzheimer’s is like believing a scab on your knee causes pain. The scab is the body’s response to an earlier injury. Similarly, there is evidence that amyloid plaques don’t cause Alzheimer’s.” John Trojanowski of the University of Pennsylvania points out: ” … The field was lulled into a false sense of confidence that beta-amyloid was the culprit. But there is great deal of uncertainty that the beta-amyloid hypothesis will be validated … We need to have a balanced portfolio of targets.” And Robert Mahley of the J. David Gladstone Institutes comments: "I definitely think it’s time to think along other lines of treatment … Big pharma has had all its eggs in the [amyloid] basket, and is starting to worry about that." ~ Tim Manners, editor
November 16, 2006
“A particular kind of cinematic language began to atrophy when the screen’s silence was broken,” writes A.O. Scott in The New York Times Magazine (11/12/06). That language would be the language of the “sight gag” as perfected by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Mack Sennett, Harold Lloyd and Harry Langdon. It is, in short, a language of “gestures and camera placements” versus a language of “double entendres and stinging comebacks … Physical comedy did not exactly die with the rise of the talkies, as any fan of The Three Stooges, Jerry Lewis or Jim Carrey will attest. But it did suffer a loss of prestige; what … was the highest form of laughter is frequently seen as the lowest, fit for the amusement of children or French people.” So says A.O.
With a nod to a 1949 essay by film critic James Agee, he continues: “However much we enjoy them, pratfalls and sight gags tend to be viewed as juvenile or vulgar — mere slapstick, lacking in cerebral stimulation or satirical bite. This is in part the residue of an old cultural hierarchy: dialogue-based film comedy had its roots in the legitimate theater, while the banana-peel buffoonery of the silent clowns always carried a disreputable whiff of vaudeville. Polite opinion likes it best when funny keeps company with smart. Humor that is mute — or that deals with nothing more refined than the laws of gravity or the problems of digestion — often seems dumb: either childish, or implicitly, lower class.” Of course, that is exactly what gave silent-screen comedy its appeal.
“The genius of a well-executed gag is that getting it requires neither schooling nor explanation,” A.O. writes. “And the laughter that results … overrides our sensibilities and sensitivities, our politics and our better judgment, disables our intellectual capacities and leaves us speechless.” In other words, it makes us laugh — really laugh — as opposed to just giggle or smirk. Which brings us, inevitably, to Borat. As a movie, says A.O., it didn’t even seem like a movie — it wasn’t even really television; it was YouTube, at best. Until, that is, the scene where the tall-and-thin Borat chases the short-and-fat Azmat — both starkers — “through hallways, elevators and a crowded banquet room. “It was dumber than dumb, but, says A.O., it was moment when the movie “achieves the condition of cinema, climbing the ladder from titter to yowl, past belly laugh and into the wordless Utopian realm of the boffo.” ~ Tim Manners, editor
November 15, 2006
Jerry Lee says he knows why radio ads work better than television ads, and his track record at WBEB-FM in Philadelphia suggests we’d do well to listen to him, as reported by Robert Strauss in The New York Times (11/15/06). Jerry started running WBEB fresh out of college, in 1963. At the time, the F.C.C. was pretty much giving away FM frequencies because at the time, only about a third of homes in Philly even had an FM radio and cars didn’t have them at all. WBEB was snapped up by a fellow named David Kurtz, who was working as an engineer at Philco at the time. It was the last frequency left on the FM band and David hired Jerry to figure out how to make money with it.
WBEB entered the market as WDVR, it was competing against “four other FM stations in Philadelphia that played what was called ‘beautiful music.'” You know, “instrumentals, lush orchestras.” Jerry noticed that only about 6 of 10 songs in that format were familiar to most listeners, so he figured he’d make it 10 out of 10. He also noticed that the other four stations shut down at midnight, so Jerry thought, hey — “Why don’t we go on 24 hours and pick up listeners little by little?” Within “four and a half months” Jerry had propelled the station to number-one in its market, “and by 1968 … he was billing $1 million in ads annually, more than any station in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles … let alone Philadelphia.”
When the Telecommunications Act of 1996 kicked in, triggering radio station consolidation, Jerry and David not only didn’t sell out to the corporate giants, they increased their promotions budgets — precisely because the big guns were cutting theirs. Jerry put together a creative group to make spots for advertisers and invested in more market research among the women who are the station’s primary listeners. He also put more money into TV spots, which is a little bit ironic because Jerry thinks radio has it all over TV as an ad medium. As Jerry explains it: “On radio … your ear gets a customized version of a commercial … You conjure up your own image.” David Kurtz died last year and Jerry Lee now owns the station all by himself. WBEB today plays “adult contemporary” music, is “rated in the top 3 in Philadelphia” and is “appraised at $185 million.” ~ Tim Manners, editor
“In one of the more unlikely collaborations of modern medicine, Britain’s largest children’s hospital has revamped its patient handoff techniques by copying the choreographed pit stops of Italy’s Formula One Ferrari Racing team,” reports Gutam Naik in The Wall Street Journal (11/14/06). The idea came to Dr. Allan Goldman, “head of the pediatric intensive care unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital,” a racing fan, while watching a Formula One race on tee-vee. He and a colleague, Dr. Martin Elliott, “noticed striking similarities between patient handovers at their hospital and the interchange of tasks at a racing pit stop.”
What they noticed was how well the pit crew handled its handovers — switching the tires, cleaning the air vents, adjusting the front wing, and sending the car on its way — in just seven seconds. Hospital handoffs “seemed downright clunky by comparison.” So, Drs. Goldman and Elliott “invited members of McLaren, a British team that fields race cars in Formula One contests, to provide insights into pit-stop maneuvers. Their interest was more in improving accuracy than improving speed, per se. Their primary discovery was this: “…. Pit-stop handovers were successful … because of an obsession with tiny mistakes.”
Everybody knows what the big problems are; it’s the cumulative effect of the small problems that nobody notices that can add up to “bad outcomes.” They also found that “each member of the Ferrari crew is required to do a specific job, in a specific sequence, and usually in silence. By contrast … the hospital handover was often chaotic." The doctors came up with a new, Ferrari-style protocol, and then compared a total of 50 handovers — half of which occurred before the Ferrari principles were applied and half after. The result: "… The average number of technical errors per handover fell 42 percent and information handover errors fell 49 percent." ~ Tim Manners, editor


text:
SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — A so-called “open banking” service, which allows users to withdraw and transfer money from multiple bank accounts using just one mobile application, will be put into operation on a trial basis.
Ten major South Korean banks, including KB Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank, began piloting open banking at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Open banking refers to a system under which a bank discloses its payment functions and customer data to a third party.
Accordingly, consumers can conveniently conduct banking transactions by registering all of their bank accounts in one bank app.
Until now, individuals doing online banking had to make use of different apps for accounts at separate institutions.
In the future, however, one app will suffice for transactions at all of the major banks.
In addition to transfers, including deposits and withdrawals, and inquiries, including balance, account details, account name and remittance information services, loans, asset management, and financial instruments will be available for purchase via one application.
However, deposits into virtual accounts that are used for e-commerce purposes will be restricted as only accounts for deposits and withdrawals are free to use on the app.
The financial authorities plan to resolve the issue of limiting deposits in virtual accounts through computation development.
Furthermore, authorities also plan to work on strengthening security against fraud, such as hacking and voice phishing, and develop additional methods to protect consumers.
Kevin Lee (firstname.lastname@example.org)

domain: news


text:
In an effort to cut costs for the 2020 Olympic Games, the City of Tokyo is turning unwanted mobile phones into medals. The campaign launched this week, and the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee hopes to collect up to eight tonnes of metal from mobile phones and electronic appliances to make the needed 5,000 Olympic and Paralympic medals.
Reuters has more details:
Members of the Japanese public lined up to donate unwanted mobile phones that will be recycled into medals for the 2020 Olympic Games, as a project aimed at promoting sustainability was launched on Thursday.
The campaign kicked off at Tokyo's Metropolitan Government building where more than 100 people dropped the used handsets into a box that displayed the number of donations.


text:
Lady Gaga is ready to top the charts again. The pop star has announced the US release of her hit international album of remixes. Lady Gaga — The Remix is set for release next month, Interscope Records said Thursday.
The album, scheduled to drop stateside in Aug. 3, was released internationally earlier this year and has already sold over 500,000 albums since topping the charts in the United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada.
The US version of The Remix will featured reworked editions of 10 songs first featured on Gaga’s platinum-selling albums The Fame and The Fame Monster, including hits such as “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “LoveGame,” “Paparazzi,” “Bad Romance,” “Telephone” and “Alejandro.”


text:
The UK has joined the EU’s ‘Chips Joint Undertaking’ giving the semiconductor sector enhanced access to a €1.3bn Horizon Europe fund for research up to 2027.
British semiconductor researchers and businesses have enhanced access to research funding backed by the UK government and Horizon Europe, now that the UK has joined the EU’s ‘Chips Joint Undertaking’.
- Semiconductor sector to benefit from up to £35 million, plus European funds, in a boost to British leadership in research of cutting-edge chip technology
- UK joins European initiative to access €1.3 billion Horizon Europe funding pot for collaborative semiconductor research projects
- Boost to help push the boundary of semiconductor design, improving tech used in all digital devices and advances the government’s plan to secure long-term growth
About Chips Joint Undertaking
Chips Joint Undertaking supports research, development, innovation, and future manufacturing capacities in the European semiconductor ecosystem. Launched by the European Union Council Regulation No 2021/1085 and amended in September 2023 as part of the Chips for Europe Initiative, it addresses semiconductor shortages and strengthens Europe’s digital autonomy, engaging a significant EU, national/regional and private industry funding of nearly €11 billion. The Chips JU is funded by the European Union, Chips JU Participating States and the Private Members.
Further information is available on the CHIPS JU website


text:
The over 50s are increasingly turning to the internet to make their holiday bookings, it has been claimed.
Over 50s looking for a more affordable holiday option this year could benefit from considerable savings through savvy shopping.
Over 50s looking for a cost-effective holiday option may be turning to cruise holidays, according to new research.
Over 50s seeking an economical holiday destination may wish to look closer to home, according to new research.
Over 50s looking for an affordable holiday alternative have been advised that by taking a caravan break, they could also be doing their bit for the ...
Stressed over 50s are looking to utilise their holiday time to relax as cost-effectively as possible, according to new research.
Strengthening pound is 'good news' for British tourists
Absent-minded over 50s who but items on holiday to replace those that they forgot to pack may be costing themselves more money than they realise, ...
Over 50s looking for a stress-free holiday have been reminded that purchasing travel insurance should be an essential part of their preparations.
Homebase is the UK’s second largest home improvement retailer and is recognised for choice, style ...
Silver Travel Advisor
Have your say and you could win a Greek Island villa holiday. If you like holidays and ...
For some of the most talked-about TV, get Sky TV. In all, we've 100+ digital entertainment ...
Make a Will Online
Make a Solicitor checked Will Online with Gloss Legal
All-inclusive holidays 'offer value for money'
Recession 'causing problems for over 50s abroad'
Online dating 'can give over 50s another chance at love'
We Luv Sweets


text:
On Monday, Pivotal analyst Brian Wieser informed investors he will begin covering Criteo and The Trade Desk as his first ad tech stocks. Wieser covers large entities across the media and marketing sectors. His smallest previously was Interpublic Group, which has a $10 billion market cap. But when investors began asking him more about ad
The post Analyst Brian Wieser Takes On Ad Tech’s ‘Big Two,’ Criteo And The Trade Desk appeared first on AdExchanger.


text:
[STYLE] Feather Pendants Celebrate Halloween With A Limited Edition Drop
London’s favourite street jewellery brand unveils a limited edition, limited release, Crystal Skull necklace to celebrate the ghostly holiday of Halloween this October 2019. Hallowing from aery walls of Hatton Garden, London, Feather Pendants releases a very special, exclusive Quartz Crystal Necklace to commemorate Halloween. The brands first attempt at conceptualising an intricate piece consisting of Black Pumice Stones, Quartz Crystals finished with a fine 925 Silver clasp. Limited to just 4pcs worldwide, commonly known as ‘FP’, Designer Kush Shah felt urged to take a tongue-in-cheek approach to Halloween in an expected FP fashion. Since launching an exclusive line of Feather Pendants’s famous ‘Resin’ jewellery in Oxford Street’s championing Selfridges store, FP carries the resin into ghostly wrath for this new release which is available online now at www.featherpendants.com
“Making accessible, modern jewellery aimed at men — that was Feather Pendants’ simple goal when it was founded in 2015 at the peak of the London streetwear scene. Since then the label’s been on a huge journey, and it continues with this necklace, which fastens with a metallic lobster clasp at the top and has a working padlock hanging from the chunky resin chain, with a key to open it” – Selfridges
Born in 2015 and out of frustration from the previously lacking high quality, affordable jewellery which flourished amongst a striving streetwear scene in London. Commonly known as FP, The true diamond in the rough brand now provides premium standards to a rapidly growing scene allowing customers to accessories and complete there perfectly curated outfits. The exclusive Halloween Crystal Skull is now available online at www.featherpendants.com
Feather Pendants – Crystal Skull Necklace [Limited Edition] 2019
£65 – www.featherpendants.com
Stay connected with the latest style and fashion news by tuning into our social platforms, follow @vipermagazine & @viperstyle now!


text:
Jan 5, 2016. Facebook wanted a contingency plan in case the app was taken off of Google Play. Instead, the app would come preloaded on Android phones.
Jan 22, 2018. Google says it will fix Android Auto disconnects with February update. also fix " service crashing, Bluetooth and USB connectivity problems".
Original story below:. Google has fixed an annoying issue that was brought along by the Android 8.1 update. The problem in question prevented apps from accessing the Internet through WiFi during an active VPN connection.
We haven’t heard of this kind of issue about Android Oreo so you may have an isolated. Problem #3: Galaxy S8 Google Photos app keeps crashing after.
As of about 4:45 p.m. Pacific, Facebook for Android became useless. The app started crashing and showing users a generic “Facebook has stopped” error message. If you’re seeing this problem, we recommend firing up Google Play and trying to update the.
If you are regularly seeing the “Whoa! Google Chrome has crashed” message, there is likely a problem on your system. An occasional crash can happen, but regular crashes are probably caused by something you can fix.
The new report reviews various Android. history of OS update speeds and crash rates. The report also reveals device fragmentation by usage as well as a regional breakdown of that fragmentation. “The previous two reports, “Google I/O May 2016 Edition.
Firebase is Google’s mobile platform that helps you quickly develop high-quality apps and grow your business.
Updated for 2017 instructions on how to install Google Play Services (GAPPS) on Microsoft’s Visual Studio Android Emulators to allow you to use Google Maps.
In a recent tweet by Android Police’s Artem Russakovskii, it seems that the Settings app keeps crashing following the update. but just an annoying one that hopefully Google will address in future updates to the platform.
Feb 19, 2017 · A recent update to the Google Play services makes it crash, regardless of Android version. This is how i fixed it: Requirements: Root A root file explorer…
A crash. latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. For the latest news visit cambridge-news.co.uk/news/ You can also download.
Nov 29, 2016. Android Nougat may not be on a huge number of handsets right now, but if you. The factory images are available direct from Google for Pixel and Nexus devices if you want to take that route. Unstable or crashing apps. and wait for a fix to come through an official update, do a factory reset through the.
Image: Working Friendly Chat app. Welcome to the Friendly Chat codelab. In this codelab, you’ll learn how to use the Firebase platform to create Android applications.
Sep 27, 2016. As the title states, running on a device with an old version of Google Services (for instance I am running a phone with Google Play services.
. essentially causing every app on their Nexus 6 to crash. Google has issued a statement regarding this update and how to fix it. Google’s statement reads, “There was a recent OTA update for Android 7.0 that is causing confusion for some.
Tesla battery reignited twice after crash. Tue, Jun 26, 2018 – (1:59). Mexican fans bring cardboard cut-out of friend to World Cup Mexican fans bring cardboard.
UPDATE. by Google (@madebygoogle) June 27, 2018 It’s unclear what’s causing the issue. Some users have speculated that it could be a recent software patch sent out to Chromecast devices. Another possibility is that.
Jun 13, 2018 · Android Auto is your smart driving companion. With a simplified interface, large buttons, and powerful voice actions, Android Auto is designed to make it easier to use apps from your phone while you’re on the road.Just say “Ok Google” to.•
While the tablet section of Android.com. course of the year, the Google app gained more tabs, including a Recents feature and Search shortcut, and a.
Google unveils Android update and AI assistant for. Kim Kardashian crashes the MTV Movie Awards in sizzling silver skirt and white tube top as she leads the glamor.
Potools Blog Home of the Expert blogs. Pro Tools Expert, Logic Pro Expert, Studio One Expert and Synth Expert. Click below link to Play the Video Tutorial for Agent Portal May 10, 2016. Photo source: sapost.blogspot. Here are the five things you need to know about the Atal Pension Yojana: Anyone in the age group 16-40 can.
While it’s unclear whether this is intentional or not on HMD Global’s part, many users on the Android P beta program received an update claiming to include.
Learn how to update Kodi on Android TV Box quickly by using Google Play Store which is a free solution and best of all, it works.
Yoast Seo Breadcrumbs Review Milan provided much more attacking intent than they did at the San Siro, but it wasn’t enough as Arsenal beat them 3-1 at the Emirates. Andre Silva hit the side netting in the first minute, when he arrived in the box unmarked off a pull-back. However, if you are more of an advanced user, than
Jul 30, 2015. The latest Android bug is similar to the Stagefright issue seen earlier this week in. Google listed the flaw as "low priority" which means that it could be. As always, we'll keep you update on this story as it develops as well as.
9 hours ago. Sheen's old Beverly Hills home, but she's putting some of her own touches on the crib, so this could be her crash pad in the meantime.
Apr 29, 2016. Here's what to do if the Play Store on your phone or tablet just keeps crashing. “Force Stop,” “Disable,” and possibly even one that reads “Uninstall updates. Install the Newest Version of the Google Play Store. can be used on essentially anything that's installed on your Android device, which comes in.
May 08, 2018 · Firebase App Indexing gets your app into Google Search. If users have your app installed, they can launch your app and go.
You must use the In-app Billing API to implement Google Play Billing using native code. The In-app Billing API is a Android Interface Definition Language (AIDL) API defining interface to the In-app Billing service.
Oh no. It looks like yet another Google Play Music update has introduced yet another bug that makes it unusable for some. This time, it seems to crash if you happen to be using it to play your tunes over Bluetooth. Thankfully, the fix for that one is easy.
Google Play is a digital store for apps and content on the Android mobile. there's an update in the play store that fixes it, if you have the crashing issue.
Jun 2, 2018. Next time you visit Google's official Android website, you might notice a tiny but important change. The tablet. NTSB: Model S battery caught fire twice after Florida crash. Update: The Android website's tablet section is back!
Mar 3, 2016. The mail app crashes whenever I try and reply to a email on my phone. This is likely due to an update that was applied to your Android phone.
Ect Blog I am currently getting ECT, and I could have written your blog! reply; I wonder?? Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 12 September, 2008 – 08:37. During Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), the patient is asleep and receives a brief jolt of electricity. Cory gets the therapy three times a week for about five seconds, of which
Some Twitter users were saying that after they updated the app on their Android devices the app began crashing. They’re always releasing updates for bugs or glitches so a quick check in the App Store or on Google Play may offer a quick fix.
May 18, 2018. Google Play Services update has borked some Huawei and Honor. Other users have complained that Google Pay is also crashing, The issue can impact any Android app on a Huawei device which renders a Google map.
Google issued an update to Android System Webview, which is a core component of Android that allows the platform to display web content. Unfortunately, it looks like this latest build has some issues that are causing frequent application.
lightbulb_outline Help shape the future of the Google Play Console, Android. Push an update;. When an app crashes, Android terminates the app’s.
Early adopters of Google’s latest Android operating system are warning others of problems with the software. Issues include the update causing Nexus 7 tablets to run slowly and repeatedly crash, with several users complaining they had become "unusable". The code also appears to remove apps built.
A/B updates require changes to both the client and the system. The OTA package server, however, should not require changes: update packages are still served over HTTPS. For devices using Google’s OTA infrastructure, the system changes are all in AOSP, and the client code is provided by Google Play.
As soon as Android P was announced at the Google I/O 2018 developer conference. users claim that their phones are crashing frequently and.
Many of the users, who have installed the 4.4 KitKat on their Nexus 7 (2013), are complaining that several apps crashing after 4.4 KitKat update on Nexus 7.
Apple Music 2.4.1 for Android includes a fix for crashing and improved reliability for music playback: This update resolves an issue that may cause Apple Music to unexpectedly quit when opening Library. It also includes updates that make.
170 update, which arrived on Android phones on June 13 and on iPhone around 15 hours ago. According to affected.
Official Google Chrome Help Center where you can find tips and tutorials on using Google Chrome and other answers to frequently asked questions.
. essentially causing every app on their Nexus 6 to crash. Google has issued a statement regarding this update and how to fix it. Google’s statement reads, “There was a recent OTA update for Android 7.0 that is causing confusion for some Nexus 6 users.
Before we proceed, we want to remind you that if you are looking for solutions to.
Jun 25, 2015. Fix for Android Clock App Crashing after Lollipop Update. A few Google searches turned up other users who'd had this issue. Most of the.
7 hours ago. The latest Android and Google Play news and tips for app and game. updates and introduced the new Google Play Developer Publishing API Version 3. support, such as better diagnostics support, more sensible crashes,
A/B (Seamless) System Updates. (such as the UI in a crash loop). www.android.com Google Mobile Services
Jun 28, 2017. As we reported earlier, the version 7.9.4920 update of Google Play Music for Android brought along an issue that was causing the app to crash.


text:
Sanibel library’s building temporarily closes
The Sanibel Public Library has announced an immediate closure of the building to the public.
On Aug. 6, officials reported that the temporary closure is due to safety concerns.
“Out of concern for staff and public, we are conducting a deep sanitizing and need to temporarily close the facility for public use,” Executive Director Margaret Mohundro said. “The library facility is physically closed for now, but open for digital borrowing.”
Staff will continue to offer phone and e-mail support to the public on Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library’s eShelf and all online services will remain available 24/7. All user fees have been waived during the closure, and there will be no overdue fines assessed.
In addition, the contact-less curbside service will continue on weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. in the parking garage. Call or go online to place a hold on items; patrons will be notified when their items are ready for pick up. Holds will be maintained during the closure if patrons cannot pick up their holds.
Watch the library’s Website at www.sanlib.org and social media for updates.
Questions and comments can be directed to email@example.com.
To access online services, choose “eShelf” from www.sanlib.org; your PIN is the last four digits of your library card. The library offers over 6,000 eBooks and audiobooks via the OverDrive Libby app. The “eShelf” use has grown as library patrons continue to read, view and listen to online resources.
To add more choices of OverDrive eBooks to borrow, you can add additional library collections ie: SWFLN (Southwest Florida Library Network). Tap on the “Add a Library” from within the Libby app. When borrowing eBooks from SWFLN, use your library card number in the Libby app. Your PIN should be the last four digits of your library card number.
The Hoopla Digital app also allows users to stream movies, TV shows, comics and music. With Hoopla, all material can be accessed simultaneously – no holds.
Downloadable magazines, including Prevention, Star, Reader’s Digest, Harper’s Bazaar, and Food Network Magazine, are available through the RB digital app.
Library cardholders can stream from Kanopy, which showcases over 30,000 titles, including award-winning documentaries, hard-to-find films, indies and classics.
The Freegal music app offers access to about 3 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of legendary artists.
Check out “how to” videos created by staffers by visiting “News Blog” at sanlib.org/blog.
Library cards are available to residents of Sanibel and Lee County at no charge.
Visitor library cards are available for a $10 annual fee.
For more information, call 239-472-2483 or visit online at www.sanlib.org.
The Sanibel Public Library is at 770 Dunlop Road.


text:
Call Now Lines Open Mon- Fri 9am-6pm
Skoda are planning the grand launch of their brand new seven seater SUV named the 'Snowman' which is expected to make its grand debut mid way through the course of next year. However we now have a little more information on the new model which confirms to us that the car will use Volkswagen's all new MQB platform. The news has also been confirmed that both five and seven seater variants will also be put on offer with the car. Another piece of information which has also surfaced shows that there will be selections of both diesel and petrol engines available with the new SUV model but the news concerning how much fuel the engines will carry or power output has not been confirmed by the Czech firm as of yet. We do expect to hear more on this closer to the vehicles time of launch next year. Engines are expected to be similar to that currently used in the brands Octavia range. We are certainly looking forward to hearing more about this new 'Snowman' SUV model.
McLaren confirm a UK debut for the 570S
The McLaren brand have confirmed that their brand new 570S model is going to make its grand debut here in the United Kingdom on the 6th of June this year. The car will be revealed in full to an audience at the Wilton classic and Supercar show. Information has also come out early regarding the engine that will also come along with the car. The confirmation of a 562 brake horse power deliverance from the cars 3.8 litre, V8 twin turbocharged engine. We have already seen an image of what we expect the new car to look like and this was revealed in a Silver paint scheme with what looks to be Black Carbon inserts around the front end of the car and along the door panels. The image also reveals what looks to be a tan finish for both the seating and dashboard of the car too. We will know a lot more about this car next month which is when we will bring the latest information to you. One thing we do know however is the price tag that will come along with the new 570S. This has been confirmed to come in with a purchase price of £143.250.
Mercedes new car sales increase in Europe
Mercedes have announced that here in Europe they have seen a huge climb in the number of new car sales with a statistic of an eleven percent climb in sales being reported. 11.3 percent to be exact. The brands new C Class model has been given a lot of credit for being one of the most sold vehicles from the firms line up. For the month of April alone, Mercedes Benz seen reported the sales of 148,072 new cars delivered to customers. However for the entire year up until April, 251,268 sales were revealed. Mercedes will look to continue with this level of success throughout the duration of this year as they prepare to launch their new Maybach S600 model.


text:
Dark Horse is proud to announce its selection of exclusive merchandise available at NYCC! We have two new gorgeous convention exclusive variant covers set to debut: The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #1 and Stranger Things #1! Dark Horse will also reveal a new American Gods: Sweeney’s Coin Replica. Please note, there will be a fixed number of exclusives set aside for each day of the convention.
Catch all the latest news from NYCC 2018 on the Dark Horse Comics newsfeed!
From Rebellion this week are the latest stories from the pages of 2000 AD – Prog 2259 UK and DIGITAL: 24 November £3.25 NORTH AMERICA: 22 December $26.50 (per pack) DIAMOND: SEP211702 COVER: TAZIO BETTIN Judge Dredd: The Musical! by Rob […]


text:
Texas-based Birch Plastics recently worked with a third-party auditor to verify its recycling process, a step more reclaimers and compounders are considering as end users look for certainty in their feedstock.
Recycled-plastic decking manufacturers are responding to strong markets for their products by expanding production capacity, including UFP buying reclaimer Cedar Poly and Fiberon breaking ground on a facility in Tennessee.
Brand owners and other private and public entities are investing millions of dollars into a plastic reclaimer’s project to build a 170,000-square-foot film recycling facility in the Upper Midwest.
PET recycling startup Loop Industries agreed to pay millions of dollars to settle a lawsuit from investors, and regulators have ended their investigation of PP recycling startup PureCycle Technologies without taking further action.
East Jordan Plastics, one of the largest horticultural container manufacturers in North America, announced it will build a $44 million facility in Lyons, Ga.


text:
News of an upcoming title for the Wii U designed to show off the WiiPad.
Jonathan Slaczka, creative director behind Scribblenauts, has plenty of great ideas for the Wii U’s groundbreaking controller.
Ken Levine, creative mind behind the BioShock series, recently shared his thoughts on Nintendo’s new home console, the Wii U.
Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada isn’t sure if the Wii U version of the latest Tekken title will be a port,
Satoru Iwata, global president of Nintendo, recently talked about analysts that have misunderstood the Wii U and writers that haven’t
Martin Good, boss of THQ’s casual division, claims that they thought of the Wii U controller 18 months ago.


text:
China Business Daily/China Business Network (Reporter Jiao Likun/Picture) Before the chip supply cut off on September 15 , Huawei has launched a series of blockbuster measures, calling on developers around the world, especially Chinese developers, to unite to build a full-scenario smart ecology of the Internet of Everything, and solve the long-standing”rootless pain” of China’s mobile application industry. This is regarded by the outside world as Huawei’s Jedi counterattack.
In this”marathon” of ecological construction, which is destined to be tragic and hard but has no choice, hardware devices, operating systems, and application systems are indispensable. With a huge user base, Hongmeng System 2.0 has released open source road signs, HMS (Huawei Mobile Services Huawei mobile phone service) how to stand firm has become one of the focuses of the industry. What does HMS rely on to break out of the siege and challenge Google GMS (Google Mobile Services) to become a truly global and reliable ecological platform?
Three points of the world
The first year of HMS has achieved outstanding results
From September 10th to 12th, the Huawei Developer Conference 2020 was held at Huawei’s Songshan Lake base in Dongguan, Shenzhen.
Huawei Consumer Business Cloud Services President Zhang Pingan announced the latest development of HMS at the conference:The number of HMS registered developers worldwide has reached 1.8 million, almost double the 910,000 during the developer conference last year. At present, there are 96,000 applications that integrate HMS Core globally; the number of overseas boutique applications on the Huawei AppGallery has jumped from 6,000 last year to 73,000 now. Huawei’s application market has accumulated worldwide in the first eight months of this year. Distributed applications 261 billion times.
Undoubtedly, HMS has made its debut and has become the world’s third largest mobile application ecological platform, second only to Apple iOS and Google GMS. And, since then, there are only two mobile phones in the Android camp:HMS mobile phones and GMS mobile phones.”Our HMS mobile phone sales have grown rapidly since May this year, which represents overseas users’ love of Huawei mobile phones and recognition of the HMS ecology.” Zhang Ping An said.
It is understood that Huawei HMS has covered more than 170 countries and regions, supports more than 50 languages, comprehensively covers applications, news, videos, pictures, shopping and other categories, and has new categories such as localized search The way of information access is supported.
Zhang Pingan said frankly that Huawei has fought countless battles since its establishment, but no one is sure that the HMS ecological battle can be won. After all, many companies wanted to build a mobile ecosystem before, but they all came back.”Whether Huawei’s ecology can be made, we are actually drumming.” But he now thinks,”We really have a chance to build such an HMS ecosystem.”
At the conference, Huawei asked development The developers have released greater sincerity and opened up the five major service engines including maps, search, payment, browsing, and advertising, as well as seven areas of application services, graphics, artificial intelligence, media, systems, security, and smart terminals. Core technical capabilities. Among them, the”root service engine” is the first time that Huawei has proposed to the outside world.
Huawei has no retreat
HMS is on the rise and has initially demonstrated its potential to become a fertile ground for mobile application innovation, but the bright numbers are all saddened. The ban by the United States and the cut-off of confessions by Google have become the best choice for Huawei without a choice, so let’s find a way out. In order to cope with the dilemma caused by the lack of GMS, HMS was quickly pushed to the front in 2019.
It is reported that in the past year, Huawei has engaged in a”Songhu Battle” for HMS ecological construction. This is the most challenging battle with the highest specifications, the largest number of participants, and thousands of The engineers are working hard, and it is not an exaggeration to say that the whole company will build this new ecology.
“Huawei people are like this. The more difficult and difficult the situation, the less they will not give up.” Zhang Pingan said,”We just want to build an ecosystem that does not depend on others.”
Wang Yanmin, president of Huawei’s Consumer Business Global Ecological Development Department, said at the conference that in the year since HMS was launched, Huawei has initially realized that its mobile phones are basically usable without GMS services.
In the eyes of the industry,”basically usable” means that HMS can replace GMS. On the consumer side, HMS has already gained initial approval.
It is understood that currently HMS runs on the architecture of Android, but in the future it will be compatible with Android and Hongmeng systems. This also means that later applications developed on HMS can run on the Hongmeng system. And, unlike GMS, HMS faces a wider range of terminals, including various smart devices such as mobile phones, computers, bracelets, and automobiles.
“Huawei is sincerely willing to open up all capabilities and support developers to build applications on HMS.” Zhang Ping An handed out an olive branch to developers.
Voice of developers
HMS needs more help for its growth , Every developer is a”single fire”.
Many partners come to the HMS platform. As the first batch of collaborators, Zhang Chaoyang, Chairman and CEO of Sohu’s Board of Directors, said that Sohu Video and News have cooperated with HMS. Whether it is text, pictures, video or live broadcast information, it can be very good at the operating system layer. Optimization, which is very important to improve user experience.
Ximalaya founder and co-CEO Yu Jianjun believes that today’s HMS is more like a multi-lane highway.
As a representative of China’s Internet applications going overseas, Li Tao, chairman of APUS Group, told a reporter from China Business Daily that Huawei HMS can have greater ambitions-“becoming the world’s largest mobile ecological platform.” In his view, whether it is Google’s GMS or Apple’s iOS, its success has benefited from the efforts of Chinese developers to a considerable extent. However, in recent years, apps from Chinese developers have been frequently suppressed overseas, and several apps under the APUS Group were previously blocked by India. This reality makes developers including Li Tao a strong desire for a powerful, truly healthy and stable overseas platform from China.
However, it is understood that some developers still hold a wait-and-see attitude. In this regard, Li Tao believes that at present, only Huawei can challenge Google and Apple’s mobile ecosystem globally. Chinese developers must unite to support Huawei, because we have no choice.
We need to get through the closed loop of revenue as soon as possible
It is worth mentioning that, During the conference, Huawei changed the name of “PPS Paid Display Service” to “HUAWEI Ads” and launched a new brand identity. It will upgrade from a platform that focuses on advertising exposure to a platform that integrates insight, creativity, technology, content, and media. Link’s marketing platform will be open to developers. From the perspective of the industry, Huawei’s move is intended to strengthen its liquidity capabilities.
According to our understanding, the advertising engine is one of the five HMS service engines opened this time. With the help of a series of capabilities such as advertising engines, developers will be able to realize faster and better monetization.
Li Tao believes that if Huawei wants to make HMS well and attract more developers, it first needs to give enough confidence to explain clearly what HMS is and its relationship with the Hongmeng system; Make it clear where the ecological boundary is, what can be done and what can’t be done; third, the monetization model needs to be designed clearly,”You only have to let me know how I make money, so I dare to spend money with you”; fourth, there must be Wealth effect.
In his view, Huawei’s current long-board is the user, while the short-board is the liquidity ability. It is necessary to build a closed-loop revenue as soon as possible.”Huawei has to ensure that its long board will not be cut short by others, and at the same time it has to do its own short board. This is very important.”
Competing with time
How to engage in overseas markets
Senior telecom industry expert Xiang Ligang told a reporter from China Business Daily that the biggest challenge for HMS now is time. It takes time to grow.
In fact, many application vendors that have joined HMS currently value Huawei’s overseas capabilities. It is understood that Huawei’s mobile phones and tablets have used HMS in China for a long time, but the overseas market is very important for HMS to truly achieve one-third of the world.
“For so many years, our hardware has been working for the ecology of the United States.” Zhang Pingan said that China’s Internet is so prosperous, but there are not many companies going out. Huawei is willing to build a global platform to help more Chinese companies go overseas and bring China’s innovative Internet applications to a wider overseas market.
It is understood that Huawei will continue to promote the”Yaoxing Pilot Program” through online traffic, domestic Yaoxing traffic coupons, developer cash subsidies, integrated service provider franchise platforms, full coverage of first-tier cities, The “6+1” incentive support policy with station-based technical support and consumer feedback as the core content, and localized technology and operational support services provided by HMS, DIGIX Innovation Studio, and Huawei Developers Alliance enable more Internet innovation to move forward global.
There is no doubt that HMS is still a long way from the true three-point world. And this road is destined to be full of thorns.


text:
LPR People's Council adopts Republican development program for 2018
LUGANSK, April 4 (Lugansk Media Centre) – The LPR People's Council has adopted the Republican development program for 2018.
The program is based on key social and economic development figures for 2017, deputy minister of economic development Svetlana Podlipayeva said.
"The program provides for priority development vectors and events. The main objectives are to raise living standards, put economy on the rails of a stable and dynamic development by reviving industrial and investment opportunities in the Republic," she said.
This year the LPR shall focus on raising sales of processing industries.
"Steel industry is to raise sales four times due to Alchevsk Steel stable performance, Stakhanov Ferrous Alloy Plant re-launch and Lutugino Factory of Casting Rolls production boost."
Other LPR major enterprises are to boost sales, production or range of products.
The Program-2018 also envisages foreign economic relationships promotion, 17 percent foreign trade increase is anticipated.
LuganskMediaCentre — 04 April — Lugansk


text:
Nasser, 40, was charged Wednesday with selling counterfeit CD’s and DVD’s after police spotted customers walking away from his Jack and Jill truck with hot bootlegs instead of cool treats, according to cops.
An officer patrolling the Edgemoor Gardens, Del. area on foot saw several customers walking away from the ice cream truck carrying what was certainly not ice cream. A customer told the officer that they purchased a DVD copy of a movie that was still in theaters, police said.
The officer pulled over Nasser's truck and immediately noticed a box of CD’s and DVD’s on display, he said. Further investigation showed that Nasser was selling the bootlegged CD’s and DVD’s to neighborhood customers, said police.
Authorities confiscated about 275 counterfeit discs as well as more than $380, reports stated.
Nasser was arrested and charged with two counts of improper labeling of a trademarked item and two counts of distributing counterfeited goods, cops said.
He was arraigned on the charges and is free after posting $4,000 bail.


text:
If you have a passion for tinkering with cars and are contemplating entrepreneurship, a business investment in one of the automotive franchise opportunities may be the key to achieving your dreams. There are many different types of auto repair and they don’t all involve working under the hood of a car.
The aftermarket automotive franchise industry is booming. Globally, the aftermarket auto industry is on track to generate $529.25 billion by 2028, according to Research and Markets, a market research firm. Technological advancements, like electric cars and hybrid vehicles, and stringent emissions standards are helping propel the industry and providing more opportunities for savvy entrepreneurs.
Following the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, new car prices soared as dealerships suffered from production delays and supply chain issues. The average new car price reached a new high of $47,077 in December 2021, up $6,220 from the same period a year ago, Kelly Blue Book reported. Spending time at home and government subsidies allowed many Americans to plump up their savings accounts. As people got vaccinated and stopped quarantining at home, they were willing to open their wallets and invest in luxury vehicles, which helped send new car costs skyward.
While demand for new cars is on the rise, high prices are prompting many Americans to hold on to their vehicles for longer. The average age of cars on the road in the United States rose to 12.1 years, creating an increased demand for repair services.
CCI Provides Unique Investment Alternative
The automotive franchise industry has a wide variety of options, from oil change franchises to co-branded repair shops with high ticket prices. While these opportunities can be profitable, high startup costs make them unattainable for many potential entrepreneurs. Creative Colors International is the mobile leader in leather and vinyl repair. Owning a mobile franchise gives car aficionados the opportunity to run a business in the lucrative aftermarket auto industry for a fraction of the cost. Here are some of the advantages of owning a mobile franchise business.
Low Investment. Mobile franchise owners have everything they need to service customers in their vans. They do not need a brick-and-mortar location to be successful, which keeps investment costs low. In addition, they can take care of back-office administrative tasks from a home office. While an oil change franchise requires a high-traffic, eye-catching location to generate sales, CCI’s mobile vans act as a billboard for their business. The total initial investment is between $86,980 and $102,100, including the down payment cost of your van, van setup, pre-opening travel, insurance, office supplies, working capital, and other expenses.
Scalable Opportunity. Starting any new venture can be daunting. CCI’s business model is scalable. Our franchise owners can choose a single or multi-territory deal, giving them the option of starting small and expanding as they begin to generate profits.
Cover a Large Region. Having a mobile van gives franchise owners unlimited earnings potential. By traveling to customers, they are not limited to servicing a single community. Adding additional vans is also cost-effective and will help them increase profits.
B2B Opportunity. While most automotive franchise opportunities are limited to providing their services to car owners, CCI has the ability to capture business-to-consumer and business-to-business markets. Many CCI franchisees have service contracts with automobile dealerships or rental car companies. Service technicians fix rips, tears, burns, cuts, and fading on used cars before they are listed for sale.
Rental cars see a lot of wear and tear and need regular service to keep them in superior condition. A CCI mobile van comes to businesses to provide service, enabling faster turnaround times. Having multiple revenue streams helps generate higher profits. Our franchisees provide leather repair and restoration services in the automotive, airplane, marine, furniture, commercial, and residential markets.
Learn More About CCI Franchise Opportunities
If you’re ready to research automotive franchise opportunities in the flourishing aftermarket auto industry, visit CCI to request franchise information and learn more about joining the CCI family.


text:
By Colleen Reynolds
As a reporter, there were many times I was away from home and family for the traditional Thanksgiving meal. So, I found alternatives. I’ve eaten at a hotel buffet, a local restaurant, tried cooking my own once, and I opted for a grocery store pre-made meal. These days, I’m lucky enough to have a tradition with friends (former reporters) who invite me to their home for a great meal every Turkey Day. But, it turns out restaurants staying open on Thanksgiving is prompting many people to give thanks. (Have you seen that one someone’s Facebook list yet?)
The National Restaurant Association says more than one in 10 (11 percent) celebrate Thanksgiving by dining in a restaurant and an additional 16 million will use restaurant takeout to supplement a meal at their own or someone else’s home.“In today’s activity-rich, time-poor society, restaurants play an important role in bringing friends and family together to share a holiday meal for Thanksgiving,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the National Restaurant Association. The group’s survey found more than half of consumers – 53 percent – use restaurant-prepared takeout items for all or part of their Thanksgiving Day meals.
Bob Evans on Veterans Parkway in Bloomington is not open Thanksgiving but they are making pre-prepared meals to go. The Thanksgiving meal is one of their Farmhouse Feasts and you can serve 10 people for about 100 dollars. “People don’t’ want to cook anymore. You have to take care of guests. You don’t want to get stuck in the kitchen,” said Manager Jesse Rosales. In fact, Rosales says with an estimated 200-250 pre-made meals expected to be sold by 9 p.m. Wednesday, the Bob Evans on Veterans Parkway will lead the state in the number of Farmhouse Feasts sold for Thanksgiving
Lots of restaurants that are open will close earlier than usual. Famous Dave’s will be open for the second year in a row but General Manager Brian Forrest says they learned their lesson last year. Things really slowed down after 3 p.m. so now they’ll be open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. They’ll have their traditional menu plus smoked turkey as an additional entrée. Forrest says it’s a 50/50 split of people ordering regular entreés and the turkey.
The Ozark House just last year decided to open for Thanksgiving. Owner Connie Weaver says, “The buffets and brunches are very popular. Last year we had so many calls asking for us to be open on Thanksgiving so we decided to have a traditional buffet and it went over very well.” But, Weaver is very conscious of the importance of family time so the restaurant will close at 3 p.m. According to Weaver, “We did it so that our employees can spend late afternoon and evening with their families.” Weaver was making stuffing as we spoke and said it’s a hectic day because many items are prepared fresh that day so her kitchen manager will begin his day at 5 a.m.
Jesse’s Grill at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center will haave a buffet from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and reservations are required and Manager Brent Parker told me, “They’re filling up fast.” However, other full-service hotels are opting not to do Thanksgiving. The Double Tree Hotel and Conference Center staff says the meals are not money-makers and it’s a way to give a break to employees, many of whom get stuck working other holidays. The Chateau, which had hosted Thanksgiving in the past, is also not offering the traditional meal.
At Swinger’s Grill, there’s a brunch buffet with traditional Thanksgiving items but as of Tuesday night, reservations were at such a premium the hostess told me only the manager could approve any additional slots.
If you find yourself at Denny’s Restaurant for Thanksgiving, (I won’t ask why), you will be able to get turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce plus two sides for $8.99. Manager Craig Deuel at the Denny’s on north Main Street in Normal says, “It’s just a regular Thursday.” They don’t take reservations but there’s usually not a line out the door. The turkey meal is actually on the menu from early November through January. “When it’s on the menu, it’s usually our top seller. It’s really good,” he said.
Even some restaurants with non-traditional Thanksgiving fare will be open on Thanksgiving, including Stolfa’s Pizza and Herradura Mexican Restaurant in Bloomington. Why open? “We want to make some money,” said Herradura owner Armando Martinez. The restaurant has been open for three years. “We’ve never been open before on Thanksgiving but a lot of other people are closed so we want to see if we will be busy.” The restaurant will have regular menu items but will feature half-price margaritas.
Longhorn Smokehouse is closed for Thanksgiving except for people picking up turkeys that the restaurant will smoke for you. They also took pre-orders for take-out of smoked meats to be picked up Thanksgiving Day but those orders were cut off as of Tuesday night. Bandana's Barbeque also smokes meats in advance for customers.
Cracker Barrel does a big Thanksgiving business. In fact, I spent a Thanksgiving there once when I was dating someone whose family liked to let someone else do the cooking. Manager Scott Baity says the restaurant will be open from 6 a.m-10 p.m. and will begin serving Thanksgiving items at 10 a.m. He also expects to sell about 60 pre-packaged meals with turkey and ham, three vegetables, cranberry and various breads. The meal must be ordered 24 hours in advance and cost $54.99. That deal is available through November 25.
Here is the complete list of B-N Restaurants open on Thanksgiving:
Restaurant Closing Note: The Red Oak Comfort Food and Pie Company has closed its doors. In a note on the company's Facebook page owner Trish Nusbaum writes, in part, “The Red Oak was in operation for over forty year, mostly in Bishop Hill, Illinois. Other locations included Eureka and Peoria. We had great expectations for downtown Bloomington. However a series of prior business decisions and bad timing
has forced us to shut our doors. We had many lovely and wonderful customers over the years and I will miss them all. The loss of the Red Oak is painful, after all, it has been my life work for over the 17 years I have owned and operated it."


text:
Courts Archives - Inside Retail Singapore
Takeover target Courts Asia had a forgettable third quarter, reporting a net loss of S$171,000 – a stark contrast to the $3.51 million profit for the same period a year earlier.
Japanese electronics retailer Nojima Corp has launched a conditional takeover bid for Courts Asia.
Courts Asia is to close one of its Indonesian megastores.
Singaporean electronics and furniture retailer Courts Asia has posted a net loss of SG$3.1 million (US$2.25 million) in its second quarter.
Home electronics, IT and furniture goods retailer Courts has relaunched its Ang Mo Kio outlet as a megastore.
Retailers Best Denki, Courts, Gain City and Harvey Norman have joined DHL, StarHub and Tes’ Renew to encourage e-waste recycling in Singapore.
After launching its online store, Google Singapore has introduced its smart speaker Google Home to Southeast Asia.
Courts Singapore has relaunched its website and reopened its Tampines megastore after transforming it to offer an omni-channel experience.
Courts Singapore has redesigned its Tampines flagship megastore, offering an immersive experience for customers.
The GoSpree mobile phone app will be launched to support The Great Singapore Sale.
The range of goods sold by Courts online has doubled as part of a revamp of its e-commerce business.
Singapore’s Jurong Point shopping centre has been put up for sale with a price tag exceeding S$2 billion.


text:
In line with a prepare to action up use of third-celebration delivery, Albertsons Cos. has tapped DoorDash to present final-mile grocery shipping from pretty much 2,000 outlets.
San Francisco-based DoorDash explained Monday that, underneath the partnership, Albertsons will market extra than 40,000 merchandise for supply through the DoorDash online marketplace and application, including refreshing and prepared foodstuff, grocery, floral and convenience things from collaborating retailers. In chosen marketplaces, shoppers also will be ready to order groceries via their neighborhood Albertsons Cos. store’s web page for exact same-day shipping by DoorDash Drive, DoorDash’s white-label achievement system that allows direct delivery for corporations.
Overall, Boise, Idaho-dependent Albertsons Cos. operates 2,277 outlets in 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 retail banners, this sort of as Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Foods Marketplaces and Balducci’s Food Fans Industry.
“We are committed to increasing our delivery working experience in get to meet up with our customers’ needs anytime, where ever and having said that they want,” Chris Rupp, main buyer and electronic officer at Albertsons Cos., claimed in a statement. “Our partnership with DoorDash is the up coming action in our digital transformation to help make our customers’ lives much easier and assist respond to the perennial problem, ‘What’s for supper tonight?’”
DoorDash and Albertsons also are featuring In The Bag, a digital movie sport that lets users perform for a opportunity to win cost savings on future grocery orders.
Albertsons Cos. customers can now buy groceries and everyday essentials for shipping and delivery in an hour with no time slot, queues or minimum amount buy measurement required, according to DoorDash. All Albertsons retailers will be obtainable on DashPass, DoorDash’s membership software that presents associates unrestricted cost-free delivery and lessened company fees on qualified orders of $25 or extra, including from Albertsons and thousands of other grocery and comfort merchants and dining places nationwide.
In assist of the partnership, DoorDash is giving Albertsons Cos. clients 40% off (up to $40) their very first grocery get from a person of the retailer’s supermarkets by way of June 30 when they use the code “GROCERY” at checkout.
“Consumers’ motivation to get every little thing in their neighborhood on-demand from customers has amplified drastically,” mentioned Fuad Hannon, head of new verticals at DoorDash. “We are thrilled to husband or wife with Albertsons, a single of the greatest foodstuff and drug retailers in the environment, as they increase their presently potent neighborhood footprint beyond their four partitions to offer individuals easy entry to on-demand from customers grocery shipping.”
The Albertsons/DoorDash partnership involves rapid and extended-time period initiatives, which include the growth of Albertsons’ 1st-party grocery shipping business enterprise with DoorDash Drive, the launch of a custom made loyalty plan and extended supply several hours, alongside with an improved solution choice which includes specialty objects, organized meals, food kits and new concepts, DoorDash said.
DoorDash and Albertsons, far too, are offering what they connect with a “first-ever” digital gaming encounter that gives buyers the possibility to participate in and score price savings on long run grocery orders. People can now participate in In The Bag, an interactive online video activity that prompts buyers to put as lots of clean grocery objects — these types of as apples, asparagus, milk and avocados — as feasible into a virtual DoorDash grocery bag in advance of reaching the prime and functioning out of area. The extra groceries that are in shape into the bag, the extra customers preserve by means of promotions for each tiered rating. The top scorer wins a $5,000 credit score (provided as a result of 10 $500 DoorDash gift cards) toward buys on DoorDash.
“Leveraging our extensive logistics community and Albertsons’ vast range of fresh new groceries, we are making a one particular-prevent store for buyers to access any of the essentials they will need, shipped to their doorstep inside of an hour,” Hannon included.
DoorDash, which went public final November, famous that the Albertsons partnership reflects its expansion further than dining places and into grocery and categories past meals, together with ease retail, pet care and pharmacy supply.
For Albertsons, DoorDash offers a different key supply spouse. Albertsons has been increasing on the web grocery supply throughout its retail banners, with Instacart delivery accessible by way of extra than 90% of its retailers and some banners also functioning with Shipt and Uber Eats for grocery and/or food stuff supply provider.
In January, Albertsons explained it was shutting down its personal online grocery shipping and delivery procedure — provided at about 65% of its stores — in some of its current market regions and shifting completely to third-get together delivery providers. Albertsons discontinued the use of its house shipping and delivery truck fleet in 10 states as of Feb. 27.
Digital revenue surged 258% at Albertsons for its 2020 fiscal year, ended Feb. 27, and the grocer has Travel Up & Go (DUG) curbside pickup sites at more than 1,420 shops. The firm reported it expects to have DUG at about 2,000 suppliers by the close of fiscal 2021 — higher than its former concentrate on of around 1,800 merchants — with 98% coverage.


text:
Rolls-Royce Phantom VII rolls off into the sunset
02 February 2017
The last Rolls-Royce Phantom rolled off the line in Goodwood, West Sussex, bringing the curtain down a milestone chapter in the luxury car maker's history.
The seventh-generation Phantom had been relaunched under BMW ownership since January 2003 - and set the stage for modern models.
The last limo of this era was an extended-wheelbase limo and was styled on the pattern of 1930s ocean liner.
It sported powder blue leather trim, maritime-inspired clocks and also a special lambswool carpet with a hand-cut wake effect.
The new Phantom VIII will sport a new aluminium architecture that would power the next generation of Rolls-Royces, including a shock new SUV.
The Phantom VII was decommissioned at the end of last year and will be replaced by an eighth generation of the Rolls-Royce car by owner BMW.
The "New Phantom" or Phantom I which was launched in 1925 had such a secret design that lead engineer Ernest Hives had armoured plating around the factory to substantiate the project's codename "Eastern Armoured Car".
Production ran over six generations, and was only halted due to Second World War until 1991. The seventh version, the first iteration under owner BMW, was launched in 2003.
''From its introduction a little over 90 years ago, every motor car that has borne the title Phantom has reset the standard by which all other luxury goods are judged,'' said Torsten Muller-Otvos, chief executive officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, cityam.com reported.
In June last year Rolls-Royce revealed its driverless car concept, dispensed with the front seat and in its place included a sofa-style lounger. The six metre long vehicle featured a canopy-style roof allowing passengers to stand up before they get out of the car.
The Vision Next 100 would also sport covered wheels and a curved rear end but, according to Rolls-Royce it might take 25 years to hit the road.


text:
NBC’s Peacock streaming service will set itself apart from competitors by offering live video and tiered pricing structure including limited-advertising version that will cost about $5 per month and an advertising-free version that will cost about $10 per month, according to sources for CNBC.
NBC is adding the live TV feature, as well as looking into options for pricing, as a way to stand out among the competition from services like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max.
According to the source, different versions of the streaming service are being beta tested ahead of the April 2020 launch. It’s possible that subscribers will find a live stream of NBC News Now within the app.
NBC announced the upcoming launch of Peacock back in September. At that time, we learned that Peacock will include both existing NBC content and originals, totaling over 15,000 hours of content. Originals will include Dr. Death, based on a true crime podcast; a Saved by the Bell reboot; and a Saturday Night Live docuseries called Who Wrote That, among other titles.
Sources say that both paid tiers of the Peacock pricing structure will include the full content library. The $5 version will come with limited ads, while the $10 tier will be ad-free. It was also reported that a free version will be available with limited content. One source told CNBC that the free version will not include all episodes of The Office.
Comcast customers will reportedly have access to the limited ad version of Peacock, giving them access to the full suite of content.
Did you know we have a YouTube Channel? Every week we have a live Cord Cutting Q&A, and weekly Cord Cutting recap shows exclusively on our YouTube Channel!


text:
By Emmanuel Omona
The Chairman LC III for Patiko sub County in Gulu district has called on residents to avoid selling their lands saying that it is one of the causes of land wrangles in the sub County.
Otika told Uganda Picks that many residents prefer to sell their lands to buy Bajaj motorcycles.
“You know they want to own a motorcycle and they end up selling their lands without the rest of the family members agreeing”, Otika explained.
He also called on the local residents to engage on Agriculture instead of selling their lands.


text:
A jewelry company that most people have never heard of is somehow crushing its competition. What the heck? Jim Cramer was intrigued enough to find out what prompted a little-known stock like Signet Jewelers to have such an impressive run.
Signet is behind jewelry store chains such as Kay Jewelers, Zales and Jared, among others. And while most people can recognize its advertisements, they don't know the company involved.
Yet, it has been quietly working its way higher, with a monster 25 percent move since its late-August lows, powered by the fact that it reported a great quarter that month. It is the largest specialty jewelry chain in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
"Since Signet reported at the end of August, the stock has been absolutely screaming, and I can't blame any of the buyers who are crowding into this one, because the company has a lot going for it," Cramer said.
Read More Cramer: Diamond investing—Portfolio's best friend?
The entire health care sector has been crushed lately, even the companies that have little or nothing to do with drug-price controversy associated with the group.
One of those stocks is Ventas, a health care real estate investment trust that owns more than 1,200 properties across the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. Assets include senior housing, medical office buildings, hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, though the company recently spun off most of the skilled nursing properties.
So, while Ventas is an owner of real estate and is not a health-care provider, the stock has been slammed along with everything health care related.
Could this stock be at levels that are too attractive to ignore? To learn more, Cramer spoke with Ventas Chairwoman and CEO Debra Cafaro.
The CEO commented on the abundance of deals in the industry: "Our pipeline is incredible. We probably have looked at $40 billion in deals this year. And our biggest issue is to remain disciplined, be a good capital allocator, try to buy early-cycle investments in all of our different segments. So, we can find deals, no question about that."
In the Lightning Round, Cramer gave his take on a few caller-favorite stocks:
Home Depot: "I would buy half my position now and then wait to see if it comes in. I think they are having a terrific quarter."
SunEdison: "No. Remember we did a piece saying listen that one is not going to work. We thought it would work initially. It came down, forget about it."
Read MoreLightning Round: It's overdone on the down side


text:
Several vendors are recasting security applications in ways that they say will give their ideas more appeal to bankers that passed on them in the past.
The security technology market received a big boost from a Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council mandate requiring financial companies to implement stronger authentication measures for online transactions by the start of last year. During the run-up to that deadline, bankers evaluated numerous methods of safeguarding deposits, including biometrics and one-time password tokens, but most institutions chose to implement less costly measures that operated behind the scenes.
Vendors have continued to work on some of their ideas, and now they say their efforts to tweak the way some are delivered or to offer them to slightly different markets — not to mention fraudsters' ongoing efforts to beat tools widely used today — will earn them a second look from bankers.
Vasco Data Security International Inc. says it hopes the emergence of mobile banking will make its password-generating software more appealing. The software typically runs now on keychain tokens, but Vasco is talking to mobile banking vendors about incorporating it into their software.
"We haven't really had an alternative to offer" in the past, said Adam Dolby, Vasco's director of strategic alliances. "It's either 'Here's this plastic thing you can throw on your keychain' or no."
Putting the Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., company's software on a phone is "a logical extension of mobile banking," he said.
The success of this pairing in the United States will be "contingent upon how widely adopted mobile is in general" for banking, Mr. Dolby said.
There has been more interest to date from banks outside the United States in linking mobile phones and password tokens, he said, but some U.S. banks have deployed the system with a handful of executives who did not want to carry around a keychain fob.
Another technology being cast in a new way is voice recognition.
Long been pitched as an authentication tool for call centers, the the application has faced concerns about privacy and accuracy, according to Tony Rajakumar, the founder and chief executive of the startup Victrio Inc.
"I was always thinking about why voiceprinting never took off, and the problem was there was no real business case," he said. Recasting it as a fraud detection tool "would have a lot more impact" in helping banks cut fraud losses.
The key difference with the Mountain View, Calif., company's technology is that suspected fraudsters — not all customers — are the ones whose voiceprints are catalogued, he said. Call centers will send their calls through Victrio's system, which will keep recordings of calls flagged for various security concerns. Subsequent calls will be compared to the database to create a risk score, based on the likelihood that a caller's voice belongs to a known fraudster.
"What we do is we zoom in on the most likely fraudsters," he said. The fact that multiple banks can use the database is helpful, because criminals often "take an identity and milk it as much as they can" at as many companies as possible.
Victrio, which was founded in May, is in discussions with "one major credit card issuer" but has no financial services customers. It tested the technology with an e-commerce company that Mr. Rajakumar said might deploy the system next year, but he would not name either potential customer.
Since the system focuses on locking out fraudsters instead of recognizing legitimate customers, there is no need to persuade customers to enroll, he said — a step that would likely prove a hurdle for any banks considering voice biometrics to authenticate users.
Nice Systems Ltd.'s Actimize is also trying to recast voice technology to help banks cut fraud losses, but the Israeli company's New York unit is using technology that was not originally intended for fraud detection.
Before buying Actimize last year, Nice developed a system for detecting emotion in voice on marketing calls. The system can alert call center employees when a customer's emotional state requires the call to be passed to someone else — a more experienced service representative, for example.
Amir Orad, an executive vice president and the chief marketing officer of Actimize, said the typical bank customer has a different emotional state than fraudsters do when interacting with the call center. By adapting the Nice technology to pick up on these deviations, Actimize can determine whether the caller's emotional state is a risk factor for fraud, he said.
The system is meant to be used with other transaction monitoring systems, he said, and it can pick up on words and phrases that are typical of fraudulent transactions but atypical for legitimate customer interactions.
Actimize has no bank customers using the emotion-detection system for fraud detection, but Nice has some that are using the marketing version; Mr. Orad said he could not name them.
The Actimize system is meant to overcome the training hurdles of call centers, which typically have high levels of stress and turnover, he said. "It's almost impossible to train" the employees "to be good detectives … [when] all we're interested in is a high-quality, short phone call."
Avivah Litan, a vice president and research director at the market research company Gartner Inc., said there is an audience for recast voice recognition technology.
"There have definitely been card issuers very seriously interested in this technology," she said. "I'm pretty bullish about voice for the future. It's really the friendliest biometric out there, and I'm also bullish about telephony for security," including Vasco's password-generating application.
The benefit of the Actimize and Victrio system is that neither informs customers that they are being screened, so it harder for fraudsters to overcome the technology, Ms. Litan said. "It's better for everyone if you're not publicly telling people you're recording their voice."
The main issue the vendors face is the budget constraints brought on by the financial crisis, she said. "Nothing's cheap. Everything has resources attached to it."


text:
The transaction is expected to be completed by the beginning of next month. Post the acquisition, Zomato and Gastronauci will work on building and rolling out an integrated product in the coming months.
This is Zomato’s fourth acquisition in three months. In August, it snapped online restaurant search service providers Czech Republic-based Lunchtime.cz and Slovakia-based Obedovat.sk for a total of $3.25 million. A month earlier, it had bought New Zealand-based restaurant discovery service MenuMania.
“Both Zomato and Gastronauci are committed towards building a platform to connect users and the restaurant industry. We will be building an integrated product combining our technology with Gastronauci’s reach in Poland,” said Deepinder Goyal, founder and CEO of Zomato.
According to Pramod Rao, director (international operations) at Zomato, the firm is planning to expand into multiple geographies in the immediate future, and expansion in Europe is one of its key focus areas.
Started in 2007, Gastronauci is a restaurant discovery and reviews site. The firm also offers mobile apps that enable users in Poland to look for places to dine out or order food from a database of over 26,000 restaurants across the country.
“We have had great success in building a strong and engaging user-base for Gastronauci in Poland since launch. We look forward to working with Zomato and use their technology and product expertise to bring a new enhanced experience for both consumers and merchants,” said Ola Lazar, founder and CEO of Gastronauci.
Zomato was founded in 2008 by IIT Delhi alumni and ex-Bain employees Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah. An online and mobile restaurant discovery service, Zomato provides information such as menus, directions, contact details, pictures and user reviews for over 260,000 restaurants. The firm is present in over 100 cities across 16 countries, including India, the UK, the Czech Republic, the UAE, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Qatar.
The services are available on the web, and on mobile for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry platforms. Zomato claims that it is currently seeing over 25 million monthly visits globally across its web and mobile platforms.
Last week, the firm updated its iOS app with iOS 8 features to make the service more social (for more on this click here). Earlier this month, it appointed Rameet Arora as its chief marketing officer (CMO), replacing Alok Jain who had quit in July this year.
To date, Zomato has secured $53.5 million in funding, the latest one being $37 million that it had raised from Sequoia Capital and existing investor Info Edge India Ltd, owner of Naukri.com and 99acres.com. According to Techcircle.in estimates, Sequoia picked around 17.2 per cent stake as part of the latest investment, giving Zomato a post-money valuation of around Rs 1,000 crore or around $158 million.
For the full year ended March 31, 2014, Zomato reported around 2.6x growth in its operating revenues at Rs 30.6 crore compared with Rs 11.38 crore a year ago. The operating EBITDA loss also widened to Rs 41.28 crore from Rs 10.03 crore last year.
(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)


text:
The color of food is an important factor in the sensory quality of food. People often use a food additive-food coloring when making food. Food coloring has two categories: natural food coloring and synthetic food coloring. Nowadays, most people demand that food ingredients return to nature and food
It is reported that at the recent China Feed Development Forum, Feng Zhongwu, director of the Veterinary Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, stated that all medical feed additives will be withdrawn in 2020. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announce
With the improvement of economic level, especially in recent years, people have higher and higher requirements for health, and more and more cases of using natural pigments in the production process of food. Natural pigments are of great help to people's health and can prevent the occurrence of dise
Depression is a huge problem in modern society. Whether it is celebrities or ordinary people, more and more people are suffering from depression. Depression not only plagues patients and the people around them, but also because they are difficult to get safe and Effective treatment is getting worse.