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BAY CITY, MI - One of Michigan’s traditional industries is facing a changing tide during the COVID-19 crisis. Commercial fishing operations like the Bay Port Fish Co. are seeing a dramatic decrease in wholesale demand, leading them to have to adjust their strategy this season.
Lakon Williams of Bay Port Fish Co. said the fall off is due to restrictions on restaurants under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders.
“What happened with Michigan and the restaurants kind of stopped us in our tracks,” said Williams. "When Whitmer shut them down for safety, it put us in a position to evaluate whether or not we could even open and be profitable.”
About 60% of the company’s catch is bought by restaurants, wholesaler processors and universities, according to Williams. Those customers are now only buying 10% of what they normally buy, she said.
“I got told by most of my wholesalers in Chicago in April that because the restaurants were shut down they were doing their retail of course, but whitefish, our biggest catch, is traditionally more of a restaurant fish," said Wiliams.
To deal with the decrease in demand, William’s crew is going down to fishing with only one to two nets, a substantial drop from their regular normal number of 16 nets.
Another problem for Bay Port Fishing Co. is that they are set up in a old-school manner. Fish are normally hand filleted at their facility in a close-quarters workspace.
“We don’t have the modernization that a lot of these places have. They can have two employees on one fillet machine and fillet 5,000 pounds in a day,” said Williams. "It’s social distancing perfect, one person at this end, one person at the other. The problem that we have is usually there’s 10 or 12 of us around an 8-foot table processing, bumping elbows.”
Williams also stated that she is working with a reduced 5-man crew on the payroll as the business works to balance its workflow.
As for the idea of stocking fish in the freezer and waiting for things to change? Williams said that that’s a no-go because restaurants favor fresh fish instead of frozen and will tend to gobble up the fresh supplies first when they’re available.
“So what happens to the frozen that you put away 6, maybe 8 months ago? You’re sitting on it longer. Frozen only sells when there’s no fresh available," she said.
The strain from the COVID-19 pandemic comes at a time when Michigan’s commercial fishing industry is already navigating through uncertain times.
A trio of state bills that aim increase regulations on the commercial fishing industry would ban commercial fishing of yellow perch, reserving them for recreational anglers. The bills have yet to make it to discussion at the Senate after being approved by the House on Thursday, Feb. 6 and previously making out of the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Committee during the Oct. 8 session.
“‘The week that (Whitmer) shut down everything was the week that they were supposed to take up the bills for discussion,” said Williams. “We’re just kind of on hold waiting and hoping they don’t try to sneak something through during this time, that’s a worry, too.”
Bay Port Fish Co. is planning to open up for retail purchases on May 20. Staff will be taking and preparing phone orders on Wednesdays and Thursdays and orders will be available to be picked up curbside on Fridays and Saturdays.
Williams said that the move to curbside was done to keep customers safe.
William said that she is hearing from others in Michigan’s commercial fishing industry that the retail side of business is booming.
“I know the other fisheries that are open for retail say that they are as busy as they’ve ever been, which is awesome. But it’s got some negatives being that busy in retail. Most of us are wholesalers, most our income comes from wholesaling fish,” she said.
Bay Port Fish Company normally sells fish at farmers markets at places like Ann Arbor. However, Williams made the decision that it wasn’t worth the risk to send staff to farmers markets.


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The new Vauxhall VXR8 will be available to order later this month and will arrive in UK showrooms in March. The new Vauxhall VXR8 is now based on HSV’s E3 GTS model which has just been launched in Australia. Plenty of new technology will enhance its appeal to drivers in search of one of the last, rear drive V8 super saloons.
The exterior of the Vauxhall VXR8 has a new ‘shockwave’ grille, LED daytime running lights and new wing vents at the front, the rear features a new ‘superflow’ rear spoiler, LED tail lamps and twin exhaust tips. The interior of the Vauxhall VXR8 has a new cabin with full leather trim as standard. A new instrument cluster and surround, centre stack and switchgear provide a more integrated look. Standard equipment includes Aux-in/USB inputs, iPod support and Bluetooth with phone book display and touch screen dialling.
The Vauxhall VXR8 is capable of 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds and can achieve a top speed of 155mph. The car is priced at £49,500 which includes the 20 % VAT increase. Befitting its exclusivity, the Vauxhall VXR8 is now available through just six highly specialist VXR dealers in the UK, though a total of 34 VXR outlets will be authorised to maintain the model.

domain: news


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The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has unveiled its newly launched design for the $20 note that will begin circulating around the country in October despite the relative importance of cash as a payment method falling.
The RBA released the new design to the House of Representatives' standing committee on economics on Friday morning.
"Cash is no longer king but it's still a long way from being the court jester," said RBA assistant governor of business services Lindsay Boulton in an interview prior to the committee hearing.
Mr Boulton said while the relative importance of cash as a payment method had declined and would continue to decline, its absolute importance, as the second most popular means of paying, remained and ensuring its security was important.
The new $20 note follows the lead of the release of revamped $5, $10 and $50 notes since 2016. Similar to these notes, the $20 note will include a transparent strip of clear plastic as one of its key security upgrades, featured on this strip will be a flying kookaburra that moves its wings and changes colour as the note is moved laterally in the light.
For the visually impaired, three small bumps at the edge of the note indicate which currency denomination it is.
There are 174 million $20 bank notes in circulation and the central bank will have 125 million of the new notes ready to progressively release later this year when they begin to enter the wallets of Australians. It is expected over time the RBA will release around 50 million more new notes to match current circulation as old $20 notes are taken out of the system.
"We would start prepositioning the bank notes roughly a month before the release date," said Mr Boulton.
He predicted the new notes will be bought by two of the major banks around September and then will begin to be loaded into ATMs and teller booths in preparation for the October release date.
Test notes have been distributed to manufacturers of machines that need to be able to authenticate notes, in order for them to be upgraded to deal with the new $20 note when it goes into circulation.
What are banknotes used for?
Research from the RBA released in December showed that over the last three decades the share of banknotes used in transactions had fallen by one to 1.5 per cent each year.
Half to three quarters of all physical money in circulation was hoarded, signalling that much of peoples affinity for cash is as a store of value rather than as a means of payment.
Advantages of polymer notes
Mr Boulton said as the old $20 notes are collected, they will be returned to the central bank and sent to their processing facility in Craigieburn, Victoria where some are stored for contingency and others are recycled.
One of the advantages of the polymer notes Australia uses is they can be turned into small, plastic pellets which can then be used to produce compost bins, plumbing fittings and building components.
The same two Australians remain featured on the $20 note, convict turned businesswoman Mary Reibey and founder of what is now known as the Royal Flying Doctor service, John Flynn.
A new $100 note is expected to be issued in 2020.
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GLOBAL 2016: Health concerns shift from calories to ingredients
Health remains a prime consumer concern, but the nature of the concern is changing. In the past, the perceived health benefit came from low calories or low sugar content. More and more consumers want the health benefit to come from more natural ingredients. That change has implications regarding the kind of sweetener that is added, and consumers favor natural over artificial. The urgency varies by country or region and we’re seeing the concern not only among moms, but also teenagers.
Senior Vice President
The Futures Company Gemma.Francino@thefuturescompany.com


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A fight broke out in the aisles of office-supply stores last year, costing the maker of Sharpie markers and Paper Mate pens millions of dollars in lost sales.
The battle began when Newell Brands Inc. sporadically stopped shipping the markers and other writing utensils to Office Depot Inc., because it believed the retailer wasn’t spending what the two had agreed on for showcasing and marketing Sharpies and other Newell products, according to people familiar with the situation. Newell also sells Elmer’s glue and Coleman tents.
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Experts say cost will undermine government's attempts to encourage homeowners to invest in energy efficiency upgrades
Upfront charges of up to £150 are likely to put householders off the government's flagship plan to improve the energy efficiency of 14 million homes, MPs and consumer groups have warned. Launching this...
It has been a week of turmoil in Westminster, but where do recent events leave a UK clean energy policy landscape that was already in flux?
Long-term partnership aims to respond to customer demand and slash the environmental impact of average Brit's shopping basket
BusinessGreen brings you this week's green business news from around the world
Environment Secretary decides to stay on in current job after reportedly turning down role of Brexit Secretary


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Covid safety measures could hurt pharmacyâ€™s flu jab advantage says Dukes
Covid-19 safety measures may undermine community pharmaciesâ€™ unique selling point over GPs in providing flu jabs, PSNC chief Simon Dukes has said.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Mr Dukes said that in most years community pharmacies have the advantage of offering a convenient walk-in service to patients, compared to GPs where booking is typically required. â€œItâ€™s a very clear USP we have compared with the GP business model,â€ he said.
However, â€œthat USP has its challenges in a Covid world where the pharmacist has to don PPE to vaccinate patients then take it off to perform his or her other duties, and then re-garb again to perform another vaccination,â€ he said.
Noting that demand will â€œinevitablyâ€ be higher than usual this year â€œbecause of the awareness of how communicable illnesses can affect society,â€ Mr Dukes said â€œweâ€™ve got to think about our model and how we as community pharmacy can vaccinate at scale in order to make sure that we participate as fully as we canâ€.
This is currently â€œon the minds of [PSNCâ€™s] committee,â€ he added.
No update on paused services
Mr Dukes said no update was yet available on the services that were suspended or postponed to free up pharmacy teams during the pandemic, such as the Pharmacy Quality Scheme. These were paused in the middle of March with a view to revisiting the decision three months later.
He spoke of ongoing feasibility concerns around resuming these services due to capacity constraints, adding that PSNC â€œmust align our priorities with our customersâ€ in deciding which services are most needed during the pandemic.
Mr Dukes confirmed that PSNC is exploring the possibility pharmacies may be contracted to perform Covid-19 antibody tests or eventually administer Covid-19 vaccines. Asked if this might add to the strain on teams, he acknowledged the â€œpressures and resource restraintsâ€ pharmacies are currently dealing with.
â€œWeâ€™re looking at it, weâ€™re not going to ignore it. Weâ€™re going to try and see the ways the sector might be able to help butâ€¦.any service needs to be fairly funded and that is absolutely paramount.â€
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2018 concept motorcycles – what chance of them making production?
The recent motorcycle shows have seen a fair flurry of concept bikes that range from the outrageous to the much more production ready.
We’ve taken a closer look at what was shown and cast a critical eye over the chances of the bikes making production in the near to medium term.
Let’s start with some of the wilder concept bikes that have been seen recently.
Arc Vector electric motorcycle
The ARC Vector is typical of the sort of crazy concept bikes that appear every now and again and at first glance it’s easy to dismiss it as merely a flight of fancy but this project has got some serious financial muscle behind it.
ARC is being backed by the investment arm of the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) company and ARC was founded by Mark Trueman who is the man who used to head a JLR company called White Space which aimed to think of new ideas.
The Vector is aiming to have serious superbike performance, an official quoted range of over 300miles, charge up in just 45 minutes and produce over 130bhp and a massive 292ft lb of torque.
Not only is serious performance promised but ARC also claims the finished bike will come with linked riding gear with a crash helmet that has a head-up display and working Human Machine Interface (HMI).
There’s even mention of a jacket with a haptic function that can warn the rider of a vehicle approaching by ‘tapping’ them on the shoulder.
Clearly there’s a lot of work ahead before this bike gets anywhere near production and a quick glance at the concept bike shows up issues like the footrests leave no room for any rider to put their feet on them.
But actual production reality is not something that necessarily concerns those people making a concept bike as this is the sort of thing that changes as the bike gets developed for production.
The technical and financial backing behind this project are promising but I wouldn’t be expecting to see it on sale soon as there is a lot of work to be done.
KYMO Supernex sportsbike concept
The Kymco SuperNEX was perhaps one of the biggest shocks of the Milan motorcycle show but the intentions behind putting it into production are deadly serious.
Kymco is investing heavily in fully electric scooters and motorcycles and the SuperNEX is just the latest in a string of both production and concepts using fully electric power.
The SuperNEX is a sportsbike concept that has one very surprising addition for an electric bike and that’s the fitment of a six-speed gearbox.
The gearbox is, according to Kymco, a way of preserving the interesting riding experience expected of a sportsbike and works around the way electric motors deliver a surge of torque from nothing but tend to then peak very easily with power and acceleration dropping off.
Kymco is already at the testing phase with this bike but that can still mean the bike is a long way from a showroom and new bike projects can still be cancelled if further work is done and the financial case changes.
With the might of Kymco behind it, however, the SuperNEX has more chance than many of succeeding.
Royal Enfield concept KX
Indian manufacturer Royal Enfield is making no bones about the fact the Concept KX is merely that; a concept that may well lend a styling trend for forthcoming models and was done to give the Royal Enfield design team an interesting project to work on.
The Concept KX was built as a modern tribute to an older model that was originally built in the 1930s and features a new 838cc V-twin engine, swept back bobber styling with a modern feel.
While Royal Enfield has officially said this bike isn’t going to make it into production, it only takes a quick glance over the bike presented at the recent Milan motorcycle show to realise there are an awful lot of design and build elements that look production ready.
However, this is a fairly radical looking bike so the best guess would be a bike based around the general styling of this bike might well materialise in the next 12 to 18 months with the 838cc V-twin featured in the concept, but it will look a fair bit less dramatic.
Aprilia RS 660 concept
Aprilia has taken half of the V4 engine layout from the RSV1100 V4 superbike and slotted it into a new frame, super-aerodynamic bodywork and aimed this concept at gauging public reaction towards a lightweight and sporty road bike that can still do the occasional trackday.
The RS 660 has been specifically aimed at younger riders and those in areas like Asia where the market is developing around riders who are generally younger than those in markets like Europe.
The engine was already under development by Aprilia engineers and was chosen because of the compact nature of parallel-twin motors and their ability to create nice power that can be used by less experienced riders.
If the market response is good enough, looking at the finished state of the bike it would make perfect sense for this bike to be brought to market.
Honda CB125X and CB125M concepts
The Honda CB125X and CB125M Concepts appeared as complete surprises at the recent Milan motorcycle show and they could well signal two new bikes that are very close to production if Honda’s previous show concept timeline remains the same.
Honda has been making a habit of bringing concept bikes out in public for many years but the most recent have generally been between 18 and 24 months ahead of confirmed production.
Honda is the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and while the main headquarters of the company is based in Japan, what some may not know is there is a very big design department based in Rome, Italy.
These two 125cc concept bikes have been designed in Rome to appeal to European tastes and both have been based on the new Honda CB125R platform.
The CB125M is the red supermoto-style bike which is a futuristic design aimed at appealing to younger riders.
The CB125X is the all-white machine and is clearly aimed at being a more adventure-focussed bike that will sit underneath the likes of the Honda CRF250 Rally and shares the three front light design with the recently revealed Honda CRF450L Rally.
Looking back over the most recent of Honda’s concept bikes reveals the timeline between bikes like this being shown for the first time and them appearing as production bikes is around two years.
Honda CRF450L Rally concept
Honda not only showed the two CB125-based concepts but also the hardcore CRF450 Rally concept which is another bike that’s about 99.9% sure to be on sale in a short time.
Ever since the Honda CRF450L was launched in early 2017 there have been rumours of a more extreme Rally version that would be a bigger brother to the CRF250L Rally.
Now this concept would suggest that is not very far from happening for real and the finished state of many of the components on the bike would add further weight to that.
To add to the long distance capability of the CRF450L is a twin-fuel tank with a 20 litre total capacity, taller screen with headlights hidden behind a protective screen and a full-colour dashboard.
The biggest issue the CRF450L Rally would previously have faced was extending the service intervals between oil and major maintenance checks on the 450cc single-cylinder competition engine.
With the production CRF450L already addressing these issues by detuning the engine for it to last longer between services, this is now sorted.
Yamaha 3CT concept
Yamaha’s three wheel 3CT concept scooter is even nearer to a production state than anything else shown at the recent events and it’s impossible to look at the detail and not expect to see it for sale within a year or so.
Strip off some of the more showy parts like the LED strips lights running down the bodywork and what you have is a fully-functioning three wheel 300cc scooter that is 100% going to be going into production in the very near future.
Don’t be confused between this 300cc scooter and the slightly bonkers Yamaha Niken that was launched earlier this year; apart from having three wheels, they share almost nothing.
What Yamaha is attempting to do with the 3CT is tap into the large European market for leaning three-wheeler scooters in the midsize engine capacity segment.
Unlike the Niken, this scooter has a lock-out function on the leaning section of the scooter which means the rider can lock the scooter upright when rolling to a halt and thereby doesn’t need to put their feet down.


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The three-day event, held in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, featured a fenced-off cannabis consumption area known as Grass Lands. This area, which was only accessible to adults over 21, offered dozens of legal cannabis vendors, exhibits designed to educate festival-goers about the weed industry, and plenty of places to chill.
Weed and music festivals go hand-in-hand, so it's no surprise that Grass Lands was a huge success. The festival’s organizers were unable to share the exact sales figures at this time, but confirmed that sales topped $1 million. While alcohol and food vendors inflated their prices, as is common at music events, weed vendors kept their prices on par with products sold at local dispensaries.
The event showcased a wide range of cannabis vendors, but local sellers were under-represented. Out of all 28 vendors, only 4 — Flower to the People, Green Door, Lady Chatterley Delivery, and Posh Green Collective — were local San Francisco businesses.
Posh Green, the first California dispensary to be solely owned by an African-American woman, was the only San Francisco equity vendor at the event. “If we don’t have equity representation, then we shouldn’t have anybody,” said owner Reese Benton, to SFist. “We want everyone to be able to play on a level platform.”
Posh Green also offered some of the cheapest weed wares at the event, selling two mini pre-rolls called “Selfies” for $5. Kiva Confections also offered a $5 deal for a pair of wild berry gummies. Other vendors stuck to more traditional pricing schemes, selling $15 full-size pre-rolls, $40 Maui Wowie vape carts, or an eighth of flower for $75.
Gallery — 420-Friendly Festival Looks:
In addition to learning that selling weed at a music festival is a great way to make a million bucks, the festival's organizers also discovered that tokers are way more chill than drunks. Anti-cannabis lobbyists tried to argue that allowing legal weed at the festival would lead to health issues and rowdy behavior, but those fears proved to be unwarranted. Neither medical personnel nor law enforcement needed to be called to the Grass Lands area during the entire festival.
Alcohol was strictly prohibited within the fenced-in cannabis area, although Lagunitas did have their Hi-Fi Hops — a non-alcoholic beer with 10mg of THC — on tap. Security were also directed to bar any visibly intoxicated individuals from entering Grass Lands.
By the end of the weekend, Grass Lands was far less littered with trash than the alcohol area. “The vibe is really chill and it’s very respectful,” said Marisa Rodriguez, San Francisco's Office of Cannabis director to SFist. “It’s not only respectful to the people, it’s respectful to the park.”


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A Missouri company says it made several tries at a friendly takeover of Canada’s RuggedCom before making an unsolicited $280 million offer this week for the industrial networking equipment manufacturer.
“Belden’s preference was to work towards a friendly transaction thorough constructive dialogue with RuggedCom’s management and board,” Belden CEO John Stroup told financial analysts Tuesday.
“Over the past 18 months Belden has made several attempts to engage RuggedCom’s management to discuss a potential combination,” he said.
But “given our inability to reach a mutually acceptable agreement” Belden is making what it calls a “compelling” offer of $22 a share to RuggedCom shareholders. That represents a 62 per cent premium over the $13.61 a share the stock was trading at last Friday, he said.
Stroup didn’t detail what price he offered RuggedCom’s board earlier or any reasons the Concord, Ont.-based company gave for not agreeing to a deal.
Both Belden [NYSE: BDC] and RuggedCom [TSX: RCM] are publicly-traded companies.
RuggedCom CEO Pozzuoli couldn’t be reached Tuesday for comment on Stroup’s remarks. The company referred all questions to a public relations firm, which said there would be no comment from RuggedCom beyond what was made in a Monday press release. That statement it said a special committee of its board had been formed to ponder the offer. The committee has also made a preliminary finding that Belden’s offer “clearly undervalues” the Canadian company.
Belden, a significantly larger company, makes Ethernet industrial networking equipment for industry and transportation systems as well as networking cables and connectors. RuggedCom makes Ethernet networking switches and routers for harsh environments such as outdoor electrical grids, factories and transportation systems.


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Mobile Money Summit 2010: Partnership Acknowledgement Required Says Nokia VP
Nokia’s Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, Olivier Cognet, during the Mobile Money Summit has stated that if mobile money partnerships are to succeed they need to acknowledge which of the partners brings in new customers.
According to an article over on Mobile Business Briefing, Cognet stated that the partner which originally draws a new customer should be “adequately compensated” for bringing in a new user, and that “There needs to be respect for customer ownership.”
Nokia believes such partnerships are necessary to deliver critical mass which will lead to a global mobile money services success, and is eager to participate in such partnerships and envisages banks and mobile operators also becoming involved.
Cognet also said that there needs to be respect for “the brand sensitivities of all the partners,” and added that there is a need for network and device interoperability to “enable new services to become ubiquitous.”
Nokia is a major partner in the mobile money market and has launched the Nokia Money service in India where Nokia commands a powerful presence.


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Xiaomi has recently announced that it will use Micron’s LPDDR5 RAM in upcoming smartphones most probably Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro. After announcing the technological breakthrough in RAM the company has now exposed a poster on Weibo which brings more good news for users.
According to the details on the Poster, Xiaomi Mi 10 will sport 108MP camera with 50x zoom and 8K movie recording. Mi 10 Pro will feature four cameras at the rear vertically aligned on the upper left corner.
The screen is said to be hyperboloid 6.39-inch with a punch-hole design on the upper left corner, the screen will also support HDR10 and 120 Hz refresh rate but these specs are not confirmed yet. The phone will also be carrying Snapdragon 865 5G SoC under the hood.
According to Lei Jun, Xiaomi Mi 10 will offer 8GB RAM and 128GB Storage version no 6G + 128GB and 8GB + 64GB confirmed, secondly and the top configuration in pro version would be12GB RAM and 512GB storage. Both the versions will have Micron LPDDR5 memory. As far as price is concerned the Xiaomi Mi 10 series would be over 3500 Yuan, Xiaomi is expected to release Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro on February 13.
Digital marketing enthusiast and industry professional in Digital technologies, Technology News, Mobile phones, software, gadgets with vast experience in the tech industry, I have a keen interest in technology, News breaking.


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Google said it is mortified after people working on a project in Kenya were found to have stolen the details of a competitor’s customers and used them to sell its own products.
A business directory in Kenya, known as Mocality, said workers involved in Google’s Getting Kenyan Businesses Online (GKBO) project have accessed its database to gain access to its customer details and have attempted to sell competitor products to them.
Stefan Magdalinski, CEO at Mocality, revealed this in a blogpost. “Since October, Google’s GKBO appears to have been systematically accessing Mocality’s database and attempting to sell their competing product to our business owners. They have been telling untruths about their relationship with us, and about our business practices, in order to do so.”
Magdalinski revealed that about 30% of its customers had been contacted. The Google representatives were accused of calling Mocality customers, claiming that Google was partnering the firm, and then trying to sell competing products.
A Google spokesman confirmed the incident and said Google would be investigating further. “We were mortified to learn that a team of people working on a Google project improperly used Mocality’s data and misrepresented our relationship with Mocality to encourage customers to create new websites. We’ve already unreservedly apologised to Mocality. We’re still investigating exactly how this happened, and as soon as we have all the facts, we’ll be taking the appropriate action with the people involved.”


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Bank of America said that the United States will soon establish its own central bank digital currency (CBDC).
According to a Bloomberg report, Bank of America crypto strategists Andrew Moss and Alkesh Shah wrote in a Jan. 24 note that CBDCs “are an inevitable evolution of today’s electronic currencies.” The analysts stated:
“We expect stablecoin adoption and use for payments to increase significantly over the next several years as financial institutions explore digital asset custody and trading solutions and as payments companies incorporate blockchain technology into their platforms.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco released a Jan. 20 article entitled “Money and Payments: The U.S. Dollar in the Age of Digital Transformation” that assessed the benefits and drawbacks of a CBDC being implemented in the United States (FRB).
CBDC: Safer and faster
The Payments Strategy Board also considered whether a CBDC might “improve the safe and efficient domestic payments system” as “the payments system continues to develop,” resulting in “faster payment options between countries.”
Meanwhile, Shah and Moss said that the use of private company-issued digital currencies is likely to expand. The liability for existing types of digital currency, such as internet bank accounts and payment applications, now lies with private companies, such as commercial banks.
However, because the CBDC would be held by a central bank such as the Federal Reserve, it would be distinct in this regard, according to the FRB.
The Fed also addressed common concerns including maintaining financial stability, safeguarding user privacy, and combating illicit transactions. These issues have been put on the table for public debate until May 20.
What is CBDC?
A CBDC is a digital version of a country’s fiat currency, such as the US dollar. They began to receive attention during 2020, when The Bahamas launched the world’s first CBDC, the “Sand Dollar.”
Meanwhile, China’s central bank is working on a digital yuan wallet as it pushes forward with its plan to introduce a digital currency. Sweden’s central bank completed the first stage of its “e-krona” digital currency test in April 2021.


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15:50 | 03/08/2016 Society
The Vietnam Association of Mechanical Industry (VAMI) has sent a document to the finance ministry, reporting that several auto importers have evaded tax by declaring incorrect imported car prices.
The Ben Chassis HoWo 8x4 model — Photo thunganauto.com
VAMI said the businesses, which import cars from China, had reported lower prices of imported cars.
The Ben Chassis HoWo 8x4 model, for instance, which has an import price of US$40,900, was declared to be worth between $21,865 and $24,740 to the taxman, a difference of $16,160 to $19,035.
"Therefore, it's estimated that the state lost $4,040 to $4,759 per car," VAMI said.
It said the importers' misleading declaration about car prices not only caused losses to the State's budget, but also created unfair competition between firms that assembled cars locally and the importers.
The association asked the ministry to tighten rules for relevant agencies to conduct stricter examination and supervision of car import declarations at border gates.
It also asked relevant sectors to inspect car importers suspected of violating laws to save tax.
The ministry should have sanction to strictly punish the businesses found to have declared incorrect imported car prices, in order to create a fair business environment and trust among firms that assemble vehicles locally./.


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Firework 'risk' costs newsagent £10,000
A NEWSAGENT with a chain of shops in Weston was ordered to pay almost £7,000 after flouting safety rules for storing fireworks. Guljinder Hayer pleaded guilty to five charges of failing to store fireworks properly at his shop in Locking Road. North Somer
A NEWSAGENT with a chain of shops in Weston was ordered to pay almost £7,000 after flouting safety rules for storing fireworks. Guljinder Hayer pleaded guilty to five charges of failing to store fireworks properly at his shop in Locking Road.North Somerset Council trading standard officers were so concerned they seized scores of them from the shop just days before Guy Fawkes Night. Loose fireworks were found hanging on a wall and stacked behind the counter next to matches and lighter fluid.But Hayer, who owns four convenience stores in the town, has criticised the council for driving three loads of explosives across town in an open-back pick up truck.Emma White, prosecuting at North Somerset Magistrates Court, said a trading standards officer Alison Fletcher had warned Hayer about a number of breaches at his shop in Nightingale Court in Mead Vale on October 24. He was told further inspections would take place.But when Miss Fletcher inspected the Locking Road shop on November 2 she discovered Hayer was again not following safety rules, said Mrs White.She said: "Rockets were hanging on a wall and fireworks were being stored loosely in a box on the floor."They were also stacked behind the counter next to cigarettes, matches and lighter fluid."Other fireworks were stored against an electric extension cable, some in a disused ice-cream freezer while more were found in the staff toilet with bare wires dangling above them. Storage cabinets holding an array of fireworks were not 'fully enclosed' as the regulations demanded.Miss Fletcher immediately called in officers to seize the pyrotechnics which contained more than 40kg of explosives and were worth £2,880.Stewart Angelinetta, defending, said Hayer had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had never been charged with any previous offences.He said that Hayer had been in business in the town for 20 years and had been selling fireworks for the whole of that time.Mr Angelinetta said: "The risk was more apparent than real."The fireworks were taken away by the council in an open pick up truck by local rangers. It was a wet day and transporting of them could have caused an adverse chemical reaction."Magistrates fined Hayer £4,650 and ordered him to pay £2,040 costs.Speaking after the hearing Hayer said: "We have just been made an example of. We are hard-working citizens and do our best to keep on the right side of the law. What the council did in transporting the fireworks in open trucks was dangerous. What if they had been involved in an accident?"Trading standards manager Derek Wilkins said: "The most immediate risk was leaving the fireworks in the shop where there could have been customers smoking cigarettes.


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Biogen Inc. (BIIB) reported revenue and earnings that surpassed market expectations for the fourth quarter of 2018. The stock was up 1.16% in morning trade on Tuesday.
Total revenues grew 7% year-over-year to $3.53 billion, helped by a 4% increase in total product revenues.
On a GAAP basis, the company swung to a profit during the quarter, reporting a net income of $947 million, or $4.73 per share, versus a net loss of $297 million, or $1.40 per share, in the same period last year. Adjusted net income grew 25% to $1.4 billion while adjusted EPS rose 33% to $6.99.
In multiple sclerosis, TECFIDERA registered a 3% growth in revenues while TYSABRI remained flat compared to the year-ago period. Channel inventory levels in the US grew by around $115 million for TECFIDERA, AVONEX, PLEGRIDY and TYSABRI combined.
In spinal muscular atrophy, SPINRAZA revenues grew 30% year-over-year to $470 million. On a sequential basis, the number of commercial patients receiving SPINRAZA grew around 9% in the US and around 18% internationally. In other product revenues, biosimilars posted a 28% growth on a year-over-year basis.
Michel Vounatsos, Biogen’s CEO said, “We have shown strong momentum in building depth in our core growth areas beyond Alzheimer’s disease, as we continue to build multiple franchises within neuroscience. The positive data for BIIB067 in SOD1 ALS highlight the potential to leverage groundbreaking science to address previously untreatable diseases and exemplifies our strategy to build depth in neuromuscular diseases and movement disorders. Over the next 12-18 months, we expect to have several important data readouts across clinical programs in multiple sclerosis, progressive supranuclear palsy, and Alzheimer’s disease.”
For the full year of 2019, Biogen expects revenue to be approx. $13.6 billion to $13.8 billion. GAAP EPS is expected to be $26.65 to $27.65 while adjusted EPS is expected to be $28-29.
Home furnishing retailer Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY) has reported a net loss for the first quarter of 2022 when the company’s revenues declined by 25%. Net earnings, adjusted
Shares of Mattel Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) have gained 1% year-to-date and 6% over the past 12 months. The company delivered double-digit growth in sales and improved profitability for its most
The ripples of the COVID-driven e-commerce boom are being felt beyond the retail industry, and the other sectors influenced by it include transportation and real estate. The high demand for


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Girl Scouts offers innovative programs, events, and camps for girls of all ages and interests.
Girl Scouts ofrece programas innovadores, eventos y campamentos para niñas de todas edades e intereses.
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Troop hosts baby shower to benefit Cradles to Crayons
November 15, 2011
Several months ago, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Troop 65012 earned their Bronze award by helping other kids not as fortunate.
Read the Littleton Independent article.
12 Saugus Girl Scouts Earn Bronze Award
November 9, 2011
Twelve Saugus Girl Scouts from Troop 60555 were honored for earning the highest award in Junior Girl Scouting, the Bronze award. Read the Daily Evening Item.
Girl Scouts redesign badges for new century
November 8, 2011
As Girl Scouts prepare for the 100th anniversary, they give the badge lineup a revamp. Read the Boston Globe article.
Girl Scouts on NECN News IQ
November 7, 2011
Ruth N. Bramson, CEO, Girl Scouts Eastern of Eastern Mass. competed in a News IQ show on New England Cable News and discussed cookies and the 100th.
Watch the clip
Chelmsford Girl Scouts make the school yard beautiful
November 4, 2011
Chelmsford Girl Scout Troop 63112 planted a tree at the Center Elementary School to help the school yard become more beautiful. The troop took turns digging a hole and planting a small maple tree.
Ipswich Girl Scouts Kick-off the 100th
October 31, 2011
Ipswich Girl Scouts from Junior Troop 60628 created a 100th Anniversary display with pumpkins for the Topsfield Fair. The pumpkins are decorated to reflect the changing Girl Scout uniform styles throughout the years.
Not your Typical Girl
October 31, 2011
Dorchester resident, Treajour Abrams is not your typical girl. She's cultured, athletic, outgoing and has a contagious smile--she's a Girl Scout.
Read the Dorchester Argus Citizen.
Girl Scouts invite Cape Codders to eat cake
October 28, 2011
Dennis\Yarmouth Girl Scouts are celebrating the 100th by building a float for the St. Patrick's day parade, and plan on putting a huge cake on it as a centerpiece. Vote Nov. 6 on which cake will ride the float.
Read the article in The Register.
Leading Women Awardees are making headlines
October 24, 2011
Ever evolving Girl Scout badges
October 13, 2011
Top cookie seller Shannon Leary alongside Ruth N. Bramson, CEO, Girl Scouts of Eastern Mass. discuss new badges.
Watch the Fox 25 News clip.


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Finserve Africa Ltd (backed by Equity Bank) is among the 3 companies awarded licenses to operate as MVNO’s. At KShs 100,000 a pop, these licenses drive down the costs and time it takes to setup as a telecommunications provider. The new carriers will make use of excess capacity on existing networks to deliver their services to the market. A range of services are expected to be offered by these carriers once they begin the process of customer acquisition. E-commerce will be the major area where these firms are expected to concentrate as per industry analysts. And since both the 3 MVNO’s have been in business for a while in the country, the recent developments go to give them greater access to the market than they had before.
Having played a big role in financial inclusion in the country, Equity Bank has made definitive moves both in banking and mobile money. The bank rolled out an ambitious plan to reach the unbanked through its agent system, creating a customer base of 10 million. In anticipation of the move to cashless payments by the PSV industry, Equity has partnered with several matatu Sacco’s who will utilize the solution. Zioncell Ltd and Tangazo are the other 2 carriers entering the market, both have been serving special market segments with their mobile payments solutions. This is the one differentiator that all MVNOs are counting on – the niche market.
This will make a real difference. Our SIM card is connected to all banks and customers can thus do all transactions including payments. We already have an ATM card and we’ll roll out point of sale systems and we are going NFC to enable one to just tap and pay. […] Our focus will not necessarily put us in direct collision with others – all we need is just enough of market share to keep us going and growing.
– Gichane Muraguri, a director at Mobile Pay Ltd as quoted on allAfrica.
Tangaza was licensed by the CBK back in 2010 as a mobile money platform under its parent company Mobile Pay. Services offered by Tangaza allow customers to transfer money across all the carriers in the Kenyan market. Oscar Ikinu, Tangazo MD, setup the mobile transaction service to offer customers a faster way to access money without the barriers imposed by being on different mobile networks. Zioncell on the hand was set up by MoDe (Mobile Decisioning) as a solution that originally targetted Christian institutions. MoDe has previously been recognized by the IBM with a global Entrepreneur of the Year Award after they pitched the business model of emergency airtime to a global audience. The firm has a long-standing partnership with Airtel over whose network they run the emergency airtime and Zioncell solutions.
Tangaza holds the second spot after MPesa in handling the country’s mobile money transactions. Some of the business pains exprienced in delivering its solutions including protectionist policies by mobile carriers. As for MoDe, the firm reports 200 million transactions across 5 countries in 2013. Through Zioncell, MoDe feels they can provide unique solutions (such as the idea of nano-credit) to the youth, farmers and religious institutions. “The smaller companies have the latitude to address these groups more intimately. This is where we come in,” says Julian Kyuna.
Airtel Kenya will be leasing their mobile network for use to all 3 MVNOs. The carrier had earlier presented a joint proposal together with Safaricom to acquire yuMobile’s assets and subscribers. A conditional approval from the CAK (Communications Authority of Kenya) came too late when Safaricom had already made its mind to pull out of the deal. Even so, Safcom disagreed with the CAK on the conditions to be met before the deal could be closed. On the other hand, Airtel withdrew for consultations and although they will not be mucking around with yuMobile’s business any time soon, they have openned up their networks to the new entrants in the telecom market.
The CAK’s conditions to Safcom and Airtel Kenya had required that they both open up their networks to new players in the mobile telecommunications market. Acting on the fact that the dominance of Safaricom in the Kenyan market had resulted in a battle of attrition for the rest of the operators, the regulator saw it necessary to strongly intervene in order to reduce Safcom’s market power. Since the digesting of yuMobile is yet to happen, this was never effected. However, CAK is preparing draft regulations with the explicit requirment that existing providers open up their network infrastructure to new carriers in the market. The goal is to uphold competition in the market by creating an environment where operators can charge each other for providing infrastructure or agent network. This will also have direct benefits for the customers as mobile roaming allows them to use the most efficient network available.
More than a few industry stakeholders have observed that CAK is engaging in over-regulation of the market. And Orange Kenya nods in agreement. According to Mikael Ghossein the firm’s CEO, licensing MVNOs plays down the huge investments made on infrastructure by the existing carriers. This says the Orange CEO gives MVNOs undue advantage. On a blogpost at Kachwanya, these sentiments are expressly articulated on the commentards ball:
CCK is being stupid here and acting like Kenya is some communist state or something. Since when did it become a responsibility of a state agency to dictate if private entities should or should not enter into partnerships?
I mean, Orange Kenya leases it’s infrastructure to other operators, especially the fiber but this has always been between Orange Kenya and those operators. The terms have never been dictated by CCK. Why is this different?
If Equity and Tangaza want to enter the game, they should get their own infrastructure or seek partnership with operators who do, without using CCK to blackmail existing operators with stupid threats like “we’ll not renew your license if you don’t share infrastructure”
If anything, should it not be a government responsibility to set up infrastructure for operators to plug into?
But I think even with forced partnerships, existing operators still have the arsenal to mess up those virtual operators. Lol
All MVNOs will be subjected to the regulator’s quality of service guidelines and according to the CAK boss, safeguards are in place to ensure that QoS targets are met. It is expected that a price war or two could soon ensue on the Kenyan market as incumbents mark their turf and the new entrants engage the market. As for Airtel, the provider now has a new source of revenue and maybe a chance to regain the birthright (there’s Kencell’s glory for you) it lost several incarnations ago.


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The Flipkart Big Saving Days 2020 sales return this week with hundreds of offers on mobile phones, laptops, TVs, speakers and other electronic devices. If you’ve been missing out on this year’s biggest holiday sales or are looking for a great New Year’s Eve gift for someone, this sale could be a good opportunity to buy something at a discounted price. Flipkart has entered into a contract with SBI cards to offer an immediate 10% discount (up to Rs. 1,500 per card) during the sale. We have selected some of the best deals and offers available during today’s Flipkart Big Saving Days 2020 sale.
Flipkart Big Saving Days Sale December 2020 – Best Deals on Mobile Phones
Little X3 (Rs. 15,999)
Little X3 dropped to Rs. 15,999 (MRP Rs. 19,999) during Flipkart’s Big Saving Days sale this week. The Walmart-owned company also offers an additional instant discount of up to Rs. 13,200 if you replace an old smartphone with your purchase. The Poco X3 features a 6.67-inch full-HD + display and a huge 6,000mAh battery. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 732G SoC, supported by 6GB of RAM. SBI cardholders can also take advantage of an additional 10% immediate discount.
Buy Now At: Rs. 15,999 (RRP Rs. 19,999)
Apple iPhone XR (Rs. 38,999)
In case you missed the rush to the holiday season sales, Apple’s iPhone XR is available again at a discounted price of Rs. 38,999 (MRP Rs. 47,900) during the sale of Flipkart Big Saving Days at this time. You can also replace an old smartphone and receive another instant discount of up to Rs. 13,200. iPhone XR features a 6.1-inch display and is powered by Apple’s A12 Bionic chipset. It comes with a single 12-megapixel rear camera and a 7-megapixel front camera.
Buy Now At: Rs. 38,999 (RRP Rs. 47,900)
iPhone 11 Pro (Rs. 79,999)
Another bargain that comes back to the holiday season selling price is the discount on Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro. Flipkart is selling the iPhone 11 Pro (64GB) for Rs. 79,999 (MRP Rs. 1,06,600) during its Big Saving Days 2020 sale. The iPhone 11 Pro comes with a bundled exchange offer that can help further sweeten the deal down to Rs. 13,200. SBI cardholders can take advantage of an additional 10 percent immediate discount.
Buy Now At: Rs. 79,999 (RRP Rs. 1,06,600)
LG G8X (Rs. 25,990)
The LG G8X dual screen phone has again dropped to Rs. 25,990 (MRP Rs. 70,000) on Flipkart during this week’s big sale. It’s not the lowest price we’ve seen this year, but it’s definitely a good deal in case you missed all previous sales. The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 SoC, backed by 6GB of RAM. It comes with a dual rear camera and a 32 megapixel front camera.
Buy Now At: Rs. 25,990 (recommended price Rs. 70,000)
Asus ROG Phone 3 (Rs. 44,999)
Asus’ ROG Phone 3 gaming smartphone is currently on sale at a discounted price of Rs. 44,999 (MRP Rs. 55,999) on Flipkart during the Big Saving Days sale. That’s about Rs. 5,000 less than the normal online selling price. Flipkart also offers a bundled exchange offer that can get another Rs off the ground. 13,200 (maximum) from the discounted price. ROG Phone 3 features a triple rear camera setup and a 24 megapixel front camera. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ SoC, backed by 8GB of RAM.
Buy Now At: Rs. 44,999 (RRP Rs. 55,999)
LG Velvet Dual Screen (Rs. 39,990)
The recently launched LG Velvet Dual Screen can be purchased for an actual price of Rs. 39,990 if you pay online using any debit or credit card on Flipkart during the Big Saving Days 2020 clearance sale. Consider the bundled exchange offer and the additional 10 percent discount for SBI cards and you can end up with a pretty decent global deal . LG Velvet Dual Screen is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, supported by 6GB of RAM. The phone comes with a 4,300mAh battery.
Buy Now At: Rs. 39,990 (recommended price Rs. 55,000)
Sale Flipkart Big Saving Days 2020 – The best deals on electronics
Apple HomePod (Rs. 16,900)
Apple’s HomePod smart speaker dropped to Rs. 16,900 (MRP Rs. 19,900) during Flipkart’s Big Saving Days sale this week. In case you missed previous sales, this is a good chance to grab one at a discounted price. HomePod supports AirPlay 2 and is a great speaker in case you’ve already invested heavily in the Apple ecosystem.
Buy Now At: Rs. 16,900 (RRP Rs.19,900)
Asus VivoBook 14 (Rs. 40,990)
Asus’ thin and light VivoBook 14 laptop is currently available at Rs. 40,990 (MRP Rs. 54,990) on Flipkart. The laptop is powered by AMD’s quad-core Ryzen 5 CPU, backed by 8GB of RAM. It comes with a 512GB SSD and works with Windows 10 Home out of the box. The 14-inch display supports native Full HD resolution and up to 200 nits of maximum brightness.
Buy Now At: Rs. 40,990 (RRP Rs. 54,990)
Samsung 55-inch 4K Smart LED TV (Rs. 62,590)
If you’re watching a big screen TV, Samsung’s 55-inch smart LED TV (UA55TU8000KXXL) retails for a discounted price of Rs. 62,590 (MRP Rs. 86,900) during the sale of Flipkart Big Saving Days 2020 this week. SBI cardholders can take advantage of an additional 10% discount (up to Rs. 1,500). The TV works with the Tizen operating system and comes pre-installed with Netflix, Disney + Hotter, YouTube and other streaming apps.
Buy Now At: Rs. 62,590 (RRP Rs. 86,900)
15.6-inch MSI GF63 gaming laptop (Rs. 54,990)
Looking for a new gaming laptop? The MSI GF63 gaming laptop dropped to Rs. 54,990 (MRP Rs. 94,990) on Flipkart during this week’s big sales. The laptop is powered by a 9th generation Intel Core i5 processor, supported by 8GB of RAM. It comes with a 512GB SSD and works with Windows 10 Home out of the box. For graphics, there is an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 card, supported by 4GB of GDDR6 RAM.
Buy Now At: Rs. 54,990 (RRP Rs. 94,990)


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Not to be outdone by fellow Grammy-winners Linkin Park, Maroon5 will be stopping in this weekend to the Apple Store SoHo to record its own live set for iTunes. But this isn't a measly six songs. No, the band is recording the entire It Won't Be Soon Before Long album. Live! Electric! Front to back! Gratuitous exclamation points!
The set will be released as part of the iTunes LIVE from SoHo series, which has seen past sets from actually talented, non-Grammy winners like Simian Mobile Disco, The Decemberists, Asobi Seksu and The Rapture. It's not clear whether this set will also be videotaped or not. The band encourages fans to "come be a part of history!" but also warned, "Get their EARLY this one will be PACKED!" So, you know, better start camping out in front of the store now!


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President Bush is urging the Congress to take strong steps now to boost the American economy.
The appeal comes amidst a flurry of bad economic news.
Shortly after the government released troubling new economic figures, President Bush issued a call for action. "Today there is some news out on our economy and it confirms the events of September 11 have really shocked the nation, affected our work force and affected our business base," the president said.
In a speech to business leaders, the president said the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington made a bad economic situation even worse. He said it is no surprise that consumer confidence in the economy is falling. "People are having tough times in America. People are losing their jobs and I am deeply concerned about that and I know you are as well. Consumer confidence is down. After all, we are at war," Mr. Bush said. The latest statistics on the nation's output of goods and services show the economy shrank by .4 between July and September. It is the biggest drop in the gross domestic product since early 1991, when the country was in the midst of a recession.
President Bush was wrapping up an early morning meeting with congressional leaders when the figures became public. He urged them in private to pass a massive package of tax cuts and other incentives to boost the economy. When he went before the National Association of Manufacturers, he made the same appeal in public: "...and so my call to Congress is get to work and get something done. The American people expect us to do just that."
The president said he wants an economic stimulus package to clear Congress by the end of November. Despite pledges of cooperation from Capitol Hill, there are differences over the extent of government aid for unemployed workers.


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- 2 min read
Samsung to hire 1,000 engineers from India's top tech colleges
This placement season, Samsung has already hired R&D talent across the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and other premier institutes such as BITS University.
This is in line with the company's proposal to hire 2,500 engineers for R&D by 2020, a move aimed at strengthening its market position by developing new solutions and services for its products in the face of increasing competition from rivals like Xiaomi.
"The new recruits will work on cutting-edge technology at our three R&D centres in Bengaluru, Noida and Delhi, which have evolved as centres of expertise," Sameer Wadhawan, head of human resources at Samsung India, told ET. "Artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing analytics, biometrics, 5G are among the areas where we will add research talent as we continue our commitment to make a strong research base in India."
Samsung hired 1,000 engineers from campuses from the class of 2018.
This placement season, Samsung has already hired R&D talent across the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and other premier institutes such as BITS University. It has rolled out pre-placement offers at the older IITs and will be part of final placements at these institutes, which start on December 1. About one-third of the total hires will be from the IITs.
The company will be expanding its base from the traditional top IITs at Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Guwahati, Roorkee and BHU to new IITs at Dhanbad, Indore and Gandhinagar to enhance its talent base in more colleges, added Wadhawan.
Samsung's R&D centres in India work on cutting-edge technology to develop innovations that are centred on Indian customers' preferences and also contribute significantly to global products. The Bengaluru centre-Samsung's largest overseas facility outside of Korea-works on technology around communications protocol, AI, web payments, web services, memory network etc. Noida is focused on multimedia applications, system and communications protocol, localisation of global products while the Delhi centre focuses on high-end smart TVs, LED, digital media products and customisation of digital home appliances, among other areas.
Over 8,000 people are employed at these three centres. "The strategy of setting up manufacturing and research together has worked for us. R&D has been our key differentiator. We continue to leverage India's intellectual capital, and rapidly grow our reputation as the most innovative company in the areas we operate," said Wadhawan.
Students will be hired across streams such as computer science, electronics and communications, electrical engineering, information technology as well as from mathematics and computing and instrumentation backgrounds.


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January 8/15, 2018: Volume 33, Issue 15
By Ken Ryan
What if you’re a flooring retailer and you wake up tomorrow with the news that Amazon has entered your space. It’s an unlikely event, but not completely far-fetched—not the way things are going for the online giant.
Amazon has been shaking up the retail landscape over the last few years and may not be done. Besides Whole Foods, which it bought for more than $13 billion in 2017, Amazon now has 13 bookstores, dozens of pop-up stores and partnerships to put products in stores run by Kohl’s and Safeway.
According to The New York Times, Amazon also may open stores that sell furniture and household products. Just two days into the New Year, venture capitalist and tech analyst Gene Munster predicted that in 2018 Amazon would acquire discounter Target.
That may be speculation but this is not: For the first time Amazon includes a “physical stores” breakout in its net sales financial data. Observers say this is evidence of the company’s growing ambitions for brick-and-mortar retail. For the third quarter of 2017, for example, Amazon reported $1.27 billion in physical store sales, compared with $26.4 billion in quarterly online sales. Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky said during last month’s earnings call that physical retail is here to stay. “You will see more expansion from us,” he said. “It’s still early, so those plans will develop over time.”
What’s to stop Amazon from getting into, say, the flooring retail world? Would specialty dealers put up “For Sale” signs and head for the hills? Hardly. In fact, the sense from many dealers is they would welcome the online mega-star.
“I would welcome them, I would,” said Phil Koufidakis, president of Baker Bros., with multiple stores in the Phoenix market. “I think they will realize that brick and mortar is far more difficult than they could imagine.”
Koufidakis recalled the case of iFLOOR.com, which had been a highly successful online flooring retailer. It ventured into brick-and-mortar stores but did not have the same success. In 2009, after closing 38 stores, it filed for bankruptcy.
Similarly, Empire Today, the shop-at-home giant, opened three physical locations in 2015, and then in 2016 collaborated with JCPenney to open store-within-a-store formats inside select JCPenney locations. In 2017, Empire Today closed all physical locations. Noting the failures of iFLOOR and Empire, Koufidakis said, “Obviously Amazon is more formidable than those companies … but let’s see.”
While Amazon’s physical footprint is growing, it hasn’t made any foray into flooring retail just yet. If it did, retailers say Amazon would encounter an environment unlike anything it has experienced, that is an industry heavily influenced by the flooring dealer’s ability to offer and manage the installation aspect of the business especially in the commercial, builder and property management segments.
“The question I have is: Are they going to offer installation?” asked Missy Montgomery, showroom manager with Montgomery’s CarpetsPlus ColorTile, Venice, Fla. “If not, then I really am not worried about it. Installers worth anything are very hard to find. My father has a saying—anyone can sell flooring but it is the installation and follow-up that has our customers coming back.”
Other flooring dealers expressed disdain that even a giant of Amazon’s ilk could ever successfully encroach on their turf. “Amazon’s presence is real, yet our products must be touched and felt,” said Billy Ward, owner of Artistic Carpet One Floor & Home, Lancaster, Calif. “Many items may be bought with the faceless purchase approach, but when expertise or service is needed, the consumer is the loser.”
Kevin Frazier, owner of Frazier’s Carpet One, Knoxville, Tenn., said he is not concerned about Amazon expanding into physical retail space, or for that matter any national competition, expansion or aggressive marketing they might be engaged in. “Which is to say my real thought is a strategy and not a fear or a concern. The more Amazon anchors itself to the physical world as a sales device the less they are capable of exploiting the loopholes an e-commerce retailer even has to begin with.”
As a retail entity—online or not—the magnitude of Amazon has to be respected for what it can do should it desire to force its will on a market. Some suggest that while Amazon does pose a threat, those most vulnerable are big box stores and cash and carry retailers. “Those types of retailers have been holding the same consumer percentage of the market for the past 10 years without growth, so I feel that consumer is already defined,” said Anthony Maye, general manager of Sparx Flooring, Lubbock, Texas.
According to Mike Foulk, owner of Foulk’s Flooring America, Meadville, Pa., Amazon would have the same problems all of the large retailers have had venturing into floor covering. “And that is quality installation that you can control,” he said. “At the same time, flooring dealers should always be conscious of the change going on around them.”
And that’s a key point other flooring dealers acknowledged. That while Amazon may play a bigger part in flooring at some point, independent dealers must adapt accordingly to combat new threats such as those Floor & Décor and Internet players could pose.


text: …but we’re not out of the woods yet. Let’s keep up the pressure to protect access to the supplements you need to stay healthy. Action Alert! Last week, Congressional leaders reached an agreement for the reauthorization of FDA user fees—and the package does not include mandatory product listing for supplements, a regulation we’ve been writing about for the better part of a year that would bring us closer to a system in which quality supplements are regulated out of existence. Read more.


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Italian IT company Societ Interbancaria per l’Automazione (SIA) has opened an operation in Bucharest. SIA says the new office is intended to enable the company to offer its experience and consultancy to other Eastern European countries.
SIA has also worked for the last 18 months with the National Bank of Romania to create and develop the Romanian interbank payment system, a requirement for Romania to become a member of the European Union. Its accession is scheduled for 2007.
“Our task here in Bucharest aims at modernizing and developing the Romanian financial system,” says Roberto Mori, SIA President. “It is for this reason that we need a real home in Bucharest. Not just a sales office or a service centre, but a proper head office, a meeting place, a think-tank to share our experience and gain advantage of the planning skills learned in Italy.”
The system will be based on the standards needed for Romania to adopt the euro in 2009 – 2010. The project is worth Euros 75 million.
“SIA experience in realizing the global interbanking payment system for the Central Bank has been recognized by the Romanian Government: this is a successful achievement which makes very proud the Italian Government, and the Ministry I represent,” said Adolfo Urso, Italian Minister for Foreign Trade, at the opening ceremony today.
“As a Minister responsible for the Romanian Foreign Trade I am convinced that the new payment system will allow banks and corporations to guarantee the security of transaction in conformity with the European standards,” added Romanian Minister Delegate for Commerce, Juliu Winkler.
SIA’ s new office will be based in the Romanian Stock Exchange premises, and will employ mainly Romanians.
“The decision to invest in Romania comes from the belief this country will play a strategic role in Europe,” says Renzo Vanetti, CEO of SIA. “Starting with an innovative payment system and proceeding with the automation of other services, it will be pushing other countries to accelerate on competitiveness. The result will be a healthy and efficient financial Eastern European market.”
SIA sees Eastern Europe as a natural market for its retail and gross payment systems (RTGS, ACH), and its securities settlement and custody (Clearimpact) and trading systems (TradeImpact).
SIA created, implemented and is maintaining the Italian interbank network, and manages the clearing and pre-settlement platforms for the Italian banking industry. It also supplied technology to the European Banking Association (EBA) cross-border euro payments services.


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Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd (OTCPK: GELYY) (OTCPK: GELYF) on Tuesday reported yearly earnings, snapping four consecutive years of profit decline, owing to better sales.
What Happened: Geely Auto posted yearly revenue of RMB147.96 billion ($21.51 billion), a 46% jump year-on-year. Profit attributable to shareholders rose 9% to RMB5.26 billion.
The group sold a total of 1.43 million units of vehicles during the period, an 8% increase from a year ago. Export wholesale volume surged 72% to 198,242 units. Geely’s new energy vehicle sales, meanwhile, saw a 300% jump year-on-year to 328,727 units.
See Also:Â Best Electric Vehicle Stocks
“Impacts brought by the surging cost of batteries, chips and other parts and components as well as the significant investment we made into our new business Zeekr during its early development stage put pressure on the profitability of the Group during the period,” the company said.
Further, China’s automobile market experienced a more challenging supply chain in 2022 as compared to 2021.
For 2023, the company has set a sales volume target of 1.65 million vehicles, a 15% increase from the sales volume achieved in 2022.
Geely is looking to upscale the promotion of new energy products for the year ahead while also launching a more advanced autonomous driving solution.
Read More: Aramco Invests In Renault & Geely’s Powertrain Tech Company – What’s On The Cards?


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| Jun 13, 2013
| 8:55 AM
Do you like to cook fish, but have no idea what to look for when you buy it at the market?
If you don't cook fish that often, the thought of hitting a fish market (or even cruising your local seafood aisle) when shopping for a recipe can be a bit...
| Jun 19, 2013
| 3:30 AM
There's new help on the way for what used to be the Chesapeake Bay's most important fish, though how much good it will do remains to be seen.
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has enacted a first-ever cap on how many American shad and...
| Jan 8, 2013
| 11:25 AM
At a historic meeting in Baltimore recently, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the fisheries management body representing 15 states along the Eastern Seaboard, resolved to cap the harvest of menhaden at 20 percent less than the...
| Jan 27, 2013
| 12:55 PM
Michael Mina's name is familiar to Baltimore restaurant-goers from the suite of restaurants he developed for the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore - Wit & Wisdom, Pabu and Lamill Coffee.
But Mina's base of operations is in San Francisco, and the Michelin-...
| Jan 24, 2013
| 10:56 AM
McDonald’s, one of the largest single buyers of fish in the country, said all of its Filet-O-Fish sandwiches and Fish McBites snacks will be made of Alaskan Pollack sustainably fished in the wild.
And the company is willing to pay to prove it....
| Jan 24, 2013
| 4:25 PM
This week's column should be titled "Eelgrass for Dummies" — because the topic has been a sticking point around the harbor for years, and we all have to understand it better if we ever want to obtain dredging permits for our docks.
In my column...
| Dec 13, 2012
| 3:24 PM
From Virginia, New Jersey and points in between, busloads of fishermen are coming to Baltimore for a showdown Friday over how much to curb the industrial-scale harvest of a small, oily fish that figures prominently in the seafood industry, though no one...
| Dec 14, 2012
| 5:52 PM
In a move hailed by conservationists, East Coast regulators ordered Friday a 20 percent reduction in the commercial catch of Atlantic menhaden, despite warnings that the cutback would cost some fishermen their jobs and may affect crabbers in the...
| Dec 18, 2012
| 4:30 AM
With catch limits on Atlantic menhaden being tightened to end overfishing, a new study is getting under way to look at just how many of the little oily fish need to be left in the water to maintain the health of other fish in the Chesapeake Bay and...
| Dec 24, 2012
| 10:24 AM
Call it manifest restaurant destiny. In 2012, Baltimore-based restaurateurs set about expanding their empires, or at least their brands.
Clementine opened a second location in the Creative Alliance in Highlandtown, the team behind Langermann's in...
| Dec 27, 2012
| 1:26 PM
While the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay requires attention from all the half-dozen states in the 64,000-square-mile watershed, there is one step that must be taken almost entirely by one state alone. When the Virginia Assembly reconvenes for its...


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WASHINGTON — A waiter who prosecutors say used stolen credit card numbers to buy diamond jewelry and expensive works of art has been sentenced to more than three years in prison.
Forty-eight-year-old Kevin T. Washington of Gaithersburg, Md., was also ordered to pay $39,000 to businesses and banks that were defrauded at sentencing Thursday in federal court in the district.
Washington pleaded guilty in August to credit card fraud and other offenses.
According to his plea agreement, Washington stole credit card numbers while working as a waiter at a Georgetown restaurant. Prosecutors say he bought artwork totaling about $46,000 from an art gallery, including two Pablo Picasso etchings.
Authorities say Washington also bought jewelry, including diamond stud earrings, from a store in northwest.
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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“This is the Real Meaning of ‘Bipartisanship’”
Yes, so no tax internet shopping harms some local retailers. The solution? Harm the internet retailers too. That’s government in one lesson. Hobble everyone.
After his 20-year old son overdosed on drugs, Mike Stollings decided to post a photo of his body at the funeral home on Facebook out of grief and guilt. The...Read More
Associate Professor of Economics, North Carolina State Univ.
Plan has to be put in quotations, of course, because a) we haven’t actually seen it yet, b) we’ll probably
I have been missing from the site for several days and I’d like to explain why. I attended the State


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A partnership made in fuel-cell heaven ahead of the 99th Vancouver International Auto Show
Partnership that will see two 2019 Hyundai Nexo fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) enter the car-sharing company’s fleet in the coming weeks.
The province’s original car-sharing co-operative has teamed with a Korean automaker to offer hydrogen-powered vehicles to its membership.
On Monday night, on the eve of the 99th Vancouver International Auto Show, Modo and Hyundai Canada announced a partnership that will see two 2019 Hyundai Nexo fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) enter the car-sharing company’s fleet in the coming weeks.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“We’ve thought for some time that Modo would be a great platform to get people to experience fuel-cell vehicles,” said Modo CEO Patrick Nangle.
But with no public hydrogen fuelling stations, the concept was a non-starter. That changed when last year Shell, working with the B.C. government, opened one of Canada’s first public fuelling stations in Vancouver’s Marpole community.
Modo then began discussions with Hyundai Canada about providing fuel-cell vehicles to its fleet, and the all-new Nexo proved the perfect fit. One will be located near the Shell station in Marpole and one downtown.
Hyundai Canada sees the partnership as not just a marketing tool, but also as a way of educating the public about hydrogen-powered vehicles, which are essentially electric vehicles that instead of plugging in to recharge, you fill with hydrogen gas.
“Our initial idea was to do some kind of car-sharing, and we knew Vancouver would be the market we wanted to do it in,” noted Don Romano, president and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. “But it had to be the right kind of company, and we found the entrepreneurial spirit was alive and well in (Modo).
“Our goal was to get as many people educated (about fuel-cell vehicles) as possible.”
Romano said his company hopes to pursue other such partnerships with other car-sharing companies in other Canadian cities, citing Montreal as the next logical one after Vancouver.
The Nexo crossover, with a range of 570 kilometres, made its Canadian debut in Vancouver last summer, underscoring the West Coast city’s importance to automakers that are beginning to bring FCEVs to market. Hyundai is the only automotive manufacturer in Canada to offer a second-generation fuel cell vehicle — the first being the Tucson Fuel Cell, which launched in 2015.
Proponents of FCEVs cite the quick refuelling time compared with the charging time of an electric vehicle — the former five minutes, the latter a minimum of 40 minutes with current technology — and the superior range conservation in cold climates compared with other battery-electric powertrains.
However, hydrogen-powered vehicles also have their issues.
First, the dire lack of fuelling stations. One of Canada’s only public refuelling stations is in Marpole, and while a handful of other stations are said to be coming online soon to the Lower Mainland, a lack of fuelling infrastructure is a big problem hurting FCEV growth.
Second, unlike electricity with its established cross-country grid, hydrogen gas needs to be transported by truck and stored at stations, creating a carbon footprint. Likewise, the North American production of hydrogen gas — using electricity in a process called electrolysis — is typically powered by fossil fuels, specifically natural gas and coal.
FCEVs are also expensive. The Nexo sells for $72,000, so the idea of sharing the vehicle among many people makes a lot of sense.
Modo started in 1997 as the first and only car-share co-operative in B.C., and today has more than 22,000 members across the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Okanagan and Squamish.
And while the two Nexos represent a very small percentage of the 700 cars, trucks, SUVs and vans in the Modo fleet, they’ll give Modo members a chance to experience what it’s like to drive a hydrogen-powered vehicle.
Even if you’re not a Modo member, you can drive a Nexo at the public EV test-drive event at the auto show through Sunday.


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Educators around the world have a new resource for connecting, problem-solving, innovating and sharing best practices in flipped learning. Launched today, the International Flipped Learning Innovation Center is an online platform designed to support collaboration and innovation among flipped learning practitioners worldwide.
From augmented reality to the Trump presidency, here's what was trending on our website last month.
Credo today announced that it is contributing reporting, learning outcomes tracking and analytics features to Open edX, the open source learning management system originally developed for edX's online courses and MOOCs.
Students at Suffolk University are crowdfunding their business school projects as part of a new entrepreneurship course.
A new study examines the affordances, or benefits, and constraints of instituting bring your own device (BYOD) policies in schools.
National American University has partnered with a private company to offer a 10-week coding bootcamp at its Lewisville campus.
Apple is offering free Hour of Code workshops at all of its 487 retail stores worldwide from Dec. 5-11, in celebration of Computer Science Education Week. Registration opened today.
Electronic portfolio experts from colleges and universities across the country offer their key considerations for choosing a campuswide e-portfolio system.
When the 2015 Union Cycliste Internationale Road World Championships came to the Virginia Commonwealth University campus, the university embarked on a networked, multimedia, trans-disciplinary exploration of the event — creating a unique learning experience for students.
Contents include a database of 900 Supreme Court cases dealing with First Amendment issues, which will expand as the court continues taking case.


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If you're looking for inexpensive phone service with unlimited data, and no contract to sign, you might want to head on over to U.S. Cellular.
The regional carrier on Friday unveiled a new no-contract promotional plan offering unlimited voice, messaging, and data for $50 per month. The major caveat is that U.S. Cellular will begin throttling data speeds after you consume the first 500MB.
U.S. Cellular is offering a range of phones to go along with the new plan, including the budget-friendly ZTE Director for just $50. If you're looking for 4G LTE, the company is also offering the Kyocera Hydro XTRM and Samsung Axiom for $130, as well as the Motorola Moto X for $300 with rebates.
Additional 4G LTE devices are available with the plan, though U.S. Cellular did not elaborate. At this point, almost 90 percent of U.S. Cellular customers have access to 4G LTE speeds, the company said.
The promotional plan is available online and in-store beginning today. U.S. Cellular said it is "ideal for customers who want to save money, never want to receive an overage charge for their use, and who want the freedom and simplicity of a no contract plan paired with a great device."
If you're looking to take advantage of this offer, you better not wait too long. There's no word as to when the plan will expire, though U.S. Cellular said it's a limited-time offer.
Other features of the plan include: voicemail, call waiting, three-way calling, nationwide long distance, international dialing, and international text messaging.
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Hyundai Motor Company and INEOS have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to explore new opportunities to accelerate the global hydrogen economy. Hyundai and INEOS will jointly investigate opportunities for the production and supply of hydrogen as well as the worldwide deployment of hydrogen applications and technologies. Both companies will initially seek to
Now in its 22nd year, the Wards 10 Best Engines competition recognizes outstanding engines and electrified propulsion systems, as well as the technology and engineering behind them. Winners were announced Thursday, December 10.
Available in the U.S. for the Veloster Turbo passenger car, the turbocharged engine features a maximum output of 150 kW (204 HP), an increase of 46 percent compared with Hyundai’s standard 1.6-liter GDI engine BorgWarner supplies its leading turbocharging technology for Hyundai’s new 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline direct injection (T-GDI) engine. Available in the U.S. for the Veloster Turbo passenger


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LAUNCHub Ventures, an early-stage European VC which concentrates mainly on Central Eastern (CEE) and South-Eastern Europe (SEE), has completed the first closing of its new fund at €44 million ($53.5M), with an aspiration to reach a target size of €70 million. A final close is expected by Q2 2021.
Its principal backer is the European Investment Fund, corporates and a number of Bulgarian tech founders and investors.
With this new fund, LAUNCHub aims to invest in 25 startups in the next 4 years. The initial investment range will be between €500K and €2M in verticals such as B2B SaaS, Fintech, Proptech, Big Data, AI, Marketplaces, Digital Health. The fund will also actively invest in the Web 3.0 / Blockchain space, as it has done so since 2014.
LAUNCHub has also achieved a 50:50 gender split in its team, with Irina Dimitrova being promoted to operating partner while Raya Yunakova who joins as an Investor, previously working for PiLabs in London and Mirela Yordanova joins as an Associate, previously leading the startup community at Google for Startups Campus in London.
The investor is mining a rich view of highly skilled developers in the CEE countries where there are approximately 1.3 developers for every 100 people in the workforce. “Central and Eastern Europe’s rapid economic growth has caught the attention of Western investors searching for the next unicorn. The region has huge and still untapped potential with more and more local success stories, paving the way for the next generation of CEE tech founders.” said Todor Breshkov, Founding Partner at LAUNCHub Ventures .
LAUNCHub Ventures competes with other investors like Earlybird in the region, but they tend to invest at a later stage and is more typically a co-investor with LAUNCHub. Nearby Greece also features Greek funds such as Venture Friends and Marathon, but these tend to focus on their core country and diaspora entrepreneurs. Others include Speedinvest (usually focused on DACH) and Credo Ventures, more focused on the Czech Republic and CEE.
LAUNCHub partner and cofounder Stefan Grantchev told me: “Our strategy is to be regional, not to focus specifically on Bulgaria – but to look at all the opportunities in the region of South-Eastern Europe.”
LAUNCHub Ventures has backed companies including:
Giraffe360 (Robotic camera for real estate listing automation, co-investment with Hoxton Ventures and HCVC)
Fite (Premium direct to consumer digital live streaming for sports, followed-on by Earlybird)
GTMHub (The world’s leading and most intuitive OKR software, followed-on by CRV)
FintechOS (Banking and Insurance middleware for automation and digital innovation acceleration, followed-on by Earlybird and OTB)
Cleanshelf (Enterprise SaaS management and optimization platform, followed-on by Dawn Capital)
Office RnD (Co-working and flexible office space management, followed-on by Flashpoint Ventures)
Ferryhopper (Ferry ticketing platform for Southern Europe, co-investment with Metavallon)
Marathon Venture Capital in Athens, Greece has completed the first closing of its second fund, reaching the €40m / $47M mark. Backing the new fund is the European Investment Fund, HDBI, as well as corporates, family offices and HNWIs around the world (plus many Greek founders). It plans to invest in Seed-stage startups from €1m to 1.5m initial tickets for 15-20% of equity.
Marathon’s most prominent portfolio company is Netdata, which last year raised a $17 million Series A led by Bain Capital, and later raised another $14m from Bessemer. On the success side, Uber’s pending $1.4B+ acquisition of BMW/Daimler’s mobility group was in part driven by a Marathon-backed startup, Taxibeat, which was earlier acquired by Daimler.
Highlights of Fund One’s investments include:
Tziralis tells me the majority of its next ten companies have already raised a Series A round.
Tziralis and Papadopoulos have been key players in the Greek startups scene, backing many of the first startups to emerge from the country over 13 years ago. And they were enthusiastic backers of our TechCrunch Athens meetup many years ago.
Three years ago, they launched Marathon Venture Capital to take their efforts to the next level. Fund I invested in 10 companies with the first fund, and most have raised a Series A. The portfolio as a whole has raised 4x their total invested amount and maintains an estimated total enterprise value of $350 million.
They’ve also been running the “Greeks in Tech” meetups all over the world – Berlin to London to New York to San Francisco, and many more locations in between, connecting with Greek founders.
Ride Vision, an Israeli startup that is building an AI-driven safety system to prevent motorcycle collisions, today announced that it has raised a $7 million Series A round led by crowdsourcing platform OurCrowd. YL Ventures, which typically specializes in cybersecurity startups but also led the company’s $2.5 million seed round in 2018, Mobilion VC and motorcycle mirror manufacturer Metagal also participated in this round. The company has now raised a total of $10 million.
In addition to this new funding round, Ride Vision also today announced a new partnership with automotive parts manufacturer Continental .
“As motorcycle enthusiasts, we at Ride Vision are excited at the prospect of our international launch and our partnership with Continental,” Uri Lavi, CEO and co-founder of Ride Vision, said in today’s announcement. “This moment is a major milestone, as we stride toward our dream of empowering bikers to feel truly safe while they enjoy the ride.”
The general idea here is pretty straightforward and comparable with the blind-spot monitoring system in your car. Using computer vision, Ride Vision’s system, the Ride Vision 1, analyzes the traffic around a rider in real time. It provides forward collision alerts and monitors your blind spot, but it can also tell you when you’re following another rider or car too closely. It can also simply record your ride and, coming soon, it’ll be able to make emergency calls on your behalf when things go awry.
As the company argues, the number of motorcycles (and other motorized two-wheeled vehicles) has only increased during the pandemic, as people started avoiding public transport and looked for relatively affordable alternatives. In Europe, sales of two-wheeled vehicles increased by 30% during the pandemic.
The hardware on the motorcycle itself is pretty straightforward. It includes two wide-angle cameras at the front and rear, as well as alert indicators on the mirrors, as well as the main computing unit. Ride Vision has patents on its human-machine warning interface and vision algorithms.
It’s worth noting that there are some blind-spot monitoring solutions for motorcycles on the market already, including those from Innovv and Senzar. Honda also has patents on similar technologies. These do not provide the kind of 360-degree view that Ride Vision is aiming for.
Ride Vision says its products will be available in Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, France, Greece, Israel and the U.K. in early 2021, with the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Australia, Japan, India, China and others following later.


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Criminal Drug Distribution Ringleader Taught Dealers How To Use With Bitcoin
Drug Dealer Taught Distributors How To Deal With Bitcoin
Nathaniel Hagan has been considered guilty for running a drug distribution ring that had control of several markets. According to a recent report released by The Block, the individual explained to distributors how to deal with the most popular digital asset in the space.
Drug Dealer Accepts Bitcoin
It is known that there are several dealers that have been working and accepting digital currencies as a payment method. This is due to the fact that digital assets work with pseudonymous and provide more privacy than other payment methods. At the same time, they are fast and transactions can be processed without problems.
This time, according to The Block, Mr. Hagan had a larger role in the drug distribution ring. The report explains that he bragged about his ability to “move 20 grand of product” and how to launder money. He has also mentioned how to purchase Bitcoin.
According to the Court, Hagan’s apartment was also important to the drug enterprise he conducted. The Court looked at several factors to understand and determine whether Hagan organized or just led the criminal activity that involved other participants.
Mr. Hagan has been dealing with MDMA, LSD, DMT, mushrooms and also marijuana. As per the report, he has been selling these substances and products for over a year to seven different customers, at least.
Bitcoin is the largest digital asset in the space and it has been used by several criminals to hide their activities. The virtual currency provides enhanced privacy, speed, and reliability compared to other means of payment. In the future, regulatory agencies will have to deal with more cases that include virtual currencies.


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African Caribbean Chamber of Commerce Issues Statement on Civil Unrest State of Race Relations In America
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- As a civic organization committed to racial and economic justice, the sustained outpouring of grief, anger and civil unrest sweeping our country and the globe serve as a stark reminder of not only America's promises and ideals, but also its legacy injustices and shortcomings. Championing equality, diversity and inclusion, the African Caribbean Chamber of Commerce (ACCC) joins the global chorus of those sickened and appalled by the inhumanity we have witnessed.
Michigan Chronicle and TCF Bank to Invest $100K in Detroit Students and Educators with Fifth Annual SWAG Awards
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- TCF Bank announced today that it will renew its partnership with the Michigan Chronicle to provide scholarships to Detroit high school seniors through the Michigan Chronicle/TCF Bank S.W.A.G. (Students Wired for Achievement and Greatness) Scholarship Awards. For 2020, the bank will award scholarships between $5,000 and $20,000 per student to 15 awardees.
Registration Open For Second Annual Detroit Truck Pull Fundraiser supporting Move For Hunger is again presented by Kroger
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- Move For Hunger announced today that registration is open for the second annual Detroit Truck Pull, presented by Kroger. The event, in which teams of 5-10 will compete to see who can pull a moving truck 100 feet in the fastest time, will be held at Founders Brewing Company on Saturday, August 10, 2019 from Noon - 4 p.m.
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- Ask many boating enthusiasts which deep cycle batteries they prefer for their crafts, and they'll name one of two brands: Deka, or Trojan USA, says Batteries Shack. They're top-of-the-line batteries made in the USA; Deka through a company called East Penn Manufacturing. Both are known for having longer life spans and higher power outputs than competing brands.
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- A new theatre education program will be offered by Arts Detroit for students on the Autism Spectrum and with Aspergers inside of their performing arts studio at PARC-Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex. Spectra will be a course to help students on the Autism Spectrum learn theatre techniques that can help them develop life skills as well.
Baha’i Faith: Baha’is of Detroit Tri-County Area to mark the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- Baha'is of the Detroit Tri-County Area (Wayne, Macomb and Oakland Counties) are preparing to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith, on Oct. 22, 2017 at 3 p.m. at the Flagstar Strand Theatre for the Performing Arts in downtown Pontiac.
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- StartMyLine, a website specializing in fashion business tools, fashion design software and help articles, officially launches today with the goal to empower beginners and aspiring fashion designers with total DIY solutions to help them successfully break into the fashion industry.
DayStarBooks New Portal to Keep Michigan Gardeners Informed on Tips and Tricks to Reduce Gardening Prices
eNewsChannels NEWS: (DETROIT, Mich.) -- DayStar Books has launched a new website and companion eBook offering lesser known tips and techniques to consumers on factors affecting gardening prices entitled "Eastern Market Flower Deals."
Hundreds of Detroit High Schools Pledge to ‘Drive Safe’ for Chance to Win $10K Courtesy of Genthe Chevrolet
eNewsChannels NEWS: (DETROIT, Mich.) -- Dick Genthe Chevrolet recently announced it was giving local Detroit high schools the chance to win $10,000 by asking parents and teens to sign the Drive Safe Detroit, Teen Driver Pledge and obtain the most pledges; over 270 schools came aboard.
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