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Early last year, multinational conglomerate Honeywell turned to Appirio for help creating a mobile app in order to modernize their customer engagement. Thanks to Appirio’s talented global crowd, Honeywell had a working prototype of a mobile app for its cloud-based facility monitoring and management service just 10 weeks later. Ultimately, Honeywell was able to drive engagement internally and externally with a mobile app — something user-friendly that could seamlessly transform data into actionable feedback.
Two of the greatest perks of a mobile app are the ability to leverage internal talent from anywhere and the ability to accelerate speed to market. Forrester report Secure And Protect Mobile Moments describes the current global shift toward mobile as happening “not only with powerful customers who have incredibly high expectations, but with the empowered employees of your enterprise who demand to use any mobile app or cloud service to better serve them.” Here we’ll explore the role of mobility in engaging today’s workforce and why mobile apps are taking priority.
Mobile apps do more than replace legacy technology
The Forrester report Build Mobile Apps That Drive Engagement explains that although nearly 2 billion people will have smartphones and tablets by the end of 2015, “mobility is not simply another device for developers to support via a shrunken website or a screen-scraped SAP application.” Mobile has become a part of everyday life — the preferred way for people to not only communicate with friends, but also with businesses — and organizations need systems that provide a mobile-first approach.
The move to mobile is bigger than our primary device changing from computer to smartphone/tablet; Forrester says that the shift to mobile is “like the move from mainframes to client/server or from client/server to the Web. Development leaders need to understand how customer adoption of mobile computing is changing business models and requiring a new class of software: systems of engagement.” These systems of engagement help businesses provide their customers, partners, and employees with more control — all with the development of context-aware apps and smart products.
Employee-centric systems save time and money
It’s simple: workers want technology that makes working easier and more enjoyable. And organizations want technological solutions that work, but don’t cost a fortune. Fortunately, opting for cloud-based systems can save your organization money because you’re not paying to install, run, or maintain servers or software. And employees benefit from app-based systems that can connect them to anyone or any data within the organization in just a few clicks.
By employing technology based on employees’ needs, you get happier, more productive employees. Just as mobile apps on smartphones and tablets have helped make shopping and communicating more efficient on a consumer level, portals on portable devices help employees work more efficiently and stay connected anytime, anywhere.
When the mobile movement began, it was about streamlining the usual HR and admin functions (like accessing email and requesting PTO). But while mobile development is still focused on increasing efficiency and empowering end-users, employees now require mobile access to CRM systems and other business-specific apps to succeed at work. Today when we talk about the importance of mobility, we’re really talking about the importance of mobile apps — for employees and the customers they serve.


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Last year, Scoggin-Dickey celebrated its 90th year as an automobile dealership. This photo dates from 1949, and the angled parking indicates this location was in downtown Lubbock. The dealership itself began in 1929 when A.L. Scoggin and J. Ray Dickey teamed up to sell cars. Today, Scoggin-Dickey is Lubbock’s oldest family-owned General Motors dealership and one of the oldest such dealerships in the country.
The business is now in its fourth generation of family operators, who manage Chevrolet-Buick, Subaru and pre-owned dealerships in Lubbock, along with another in Levelland.

domain: news


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One of Hull’s best-loved restaurants is closing its doors for good.
Operetta has been serving the people of Hull since 1992, forming loyal customers throughout the past 28 years thanks to the authentic Italian menu.
Customers have visited the restaurant for almost three decades, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and more, and it is a landmark venue in the city serving some of the best Italian food in the region.
The family restaurant, located inside the K2 building in Bond Street, went up for sale in August 2019, but has continued operating since.
Now, owners have announced the doors will be closing for good next weekend as they enter retirement.
In a statement to customers, owners Carol and Nicola said: “As some of our customers know we are not reopening for sit-down meals.
“Next weekend we will be closing the doors of the Operetta permanently after 28 fabulous years.
“We are still opening for takeaways tonight and next weekend.
“We would like to thank our loyal customers who have supported us through the past 28 years through the good times, and also the past six difficult months. Ciao and all the best.”
It is not yet known if anyone will be taking over the unit.


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Pixit Media unveils new kit at IBC.
The company is using IBC to debut what it claims are significant new features to its PixStor storage platform including new secure container services aligned to audit-compliant standards and automated deployment to Cloud market-places.
The Secure container services feature unlocks “true” multi-tenancy from a single storage fabric to enable broadcasters, studios and post-production houses to deploy secure data environments, aligned to industry security standards – “without crippling productivity and creativity,” says Pixit Media.
The appliance can expand your workflows into the cloud with fully-automated deployment to cloud marketplaces, enabling hybrid workflows for burst render and cloud-first workflows. PixStor will be available in early September in both Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services.
Using the latest machine learning and AI cloud-based tools to drive media indexing and search capabilities, PixStor users can perform content searches across the entire global namespace.
Visitors to IBC will see PixStor in action across a range of broadcast, post-production and VFX workflows based on recent customer use-cases.
One live demo will connect the company’s booth to its HQ in High Wycombe UK, where a complete production environment has been created featuring technologies, including NetApp E-series storage and Mellanox networking. The team will showcase management of the content lifecycle from ingest via Google Cloud to multi-tenancy secure containers, enhanced search and global collaboration powered by Ngenea, Pixit Media’s data traffic mechanism.
Ben Leaver, Pixit Media’s CEO and co-founder explains, “This latest upgrade to PixStor shows our continued leadership in delivering customer-focused solutions that enable media workflows to thrive – without vendor lock-in or any compromise in performance.”
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Once upon a time, the cause of data corruption would be accidental. A dropout on a tape or interference picked up on a cable would damage a few bits. Error correction was designed to deal with that.


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A few weeks back Nokia announced the re-release of the iconic 3310 handset. The reinvented mobile phone starts rolling out in stores as of Monday and you can get it for under 100 bucks.
The point of difference is that doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a smartphone, but that's the appeal. It's perfect for those who just want to text or make calls (remember those days!?) -- it has up to six and a half hours of talk time and an impressive 27 days of standby time so battery anxiety need not apply.
Fans of the retro handset are most hyped about the return on Snake -- the game we all used to play to pass time before we had social media in our hands.
"Our re-imagining of the Nokia 3310 has been a global and cultural phenomenon. In a world dominated by smartphones, the mix of nostalgia and a beautiful phone that just keeps going has captured people's imagination," Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer of HMD Global said in a brand statement.
"Our fans around the world have been asking for this iconic phone to support 3G. Fans asked, we listened, and today welcome the Nokia 3310 3G."
The Nokia 3310 3G is available in Australia in two colours -- Azure and Charcoal -- and you can get it from JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman or on prepaid through Vodafone and Optus.


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Viacoin (VIA) looks set to test the all-time high against bitcoin at 0.0008599, the peak achieved in June 2017. The altcoin has a promising roadmap and will become a contender in the privacy space with styx, a zero-knowledge proof protocol that enables unlinkable atomic payments for for VIA.
As one of the pioneers of atomic swaps and the Lightning Network, along with Decred, Viacoin has one of the strongest technical foundations for a cryptocurrency. With the lead developer, known as Romano, having contributed to both bitcoin and litecoin, viacoin is one project that has a bright future.Fundamentals
BTCManager reported on the altcoin’s implementation of atomic swaps in October 2017 and the new roadmap for 2018 will be released soon. Moreover, the altcoin is certain to get more attention as it is expected to be rolled out across bitcoin ATM’s in the near future.Privacy Enhancements
In 2018, we can expect the release of Viacoin Core 0.15, which should implement the MAST protocol upgrade, improving transaction sizes and bringing smart contracts to the blockchain network. Styx, the layer on top of viacoin that will allow for anonymous atomic swaps, will be based on TumbleBit. With masternodes acting as tumblers, the development ported over to viacoin could mean that users will be able to stake their VIA to receive payments for tumbling transactions.Wider Support for VIA
Finally, we should see a wider array of wallets for the altcoin; most notably, Ledger and Trezor are anticipated to support VIA soon, and there are plans for a Lightning Network-enabled wallet based on Jack Maller’s Zap and a Java-based wallet based on the popular bitcoin wallet Samourai.Technicals
Since we have gone over some of the fundamentals of viacoin, we now look at the technical picture.Weekly Price Action
The chart below shows the weekly timeframe for VIA-BTC, illustrating that a downtrend was in place from October 2017 to De...


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Amazon targets 2024 launch of first Kuiper internet satellites
Amazon plans to start launching its first service-ready internet satellites to space in the first half of 2024 and offer initial commercial tests shortly after, the company said Tuesday. "We'll definitely be beta testing with commercial customers in 2024," Dave Limp, head of Amazon devices, said at a conference in Washington.
Amazon will begin mass-producing the satellites later this year, after it first launches a pair of prototypes in roughly the next month.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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A manufacturer is shining a light on new job opportunities as it looks to treble its workforce next year following expansion into a new unit.
BSS LED Ltd manufactures state-of-the-art commercial and industrial LED lighting systems in Ashington, Northumberland, and currently has 17 full-time staff including three technical apprentices on the books.
Now founder and managing director Steve Bell is looking to create 35 new jobs in 2016, after Arch, the Northumberland Development Company, helped the Ashwood Business Park-based firm expand its manufacturing operations.
Arch has helped Mr Bell to accelerate the expansion by finding and arranging the lease on a new 4,000sqft industrial unit at Grasmere Way in Blyth.
The company manufactures commercial and industrial LED lighting systems which use up to 65% less energy than regular lighting and feature reduced heat output and zero lamp maintenance.
Mr Bell said: “We are the only company in the North East designing and manufacturing commercial and industrial lighting and one of three in the UK.
“The LED lighting industry is very fast-paced, driven by the need to develop and deliver high-quality products.
“Demand for cutting-edge, energy saving, LED lighting systems is increasing exponentially as businesses continually seek to reduce their energy costs.
“In order to meet our growing order book I had to invest quickly in another site to house thousands of pounds worth of new plant technology including a CNC press break, CNC punch press and a powder coating line.
“Arch has an extensive commercial property portfolio and offer competitive terms and rents. They understood the needs of the business and within one week we had secured the lease on the Ashington unit and got to work kitting it out. I can’t recommend them highly enough.”
BSS LED Ltd started trading six years ago when Mr Bell saw an opportunity in the market to compete against manufacturers in China, a chance which combined with a personal desire to bring highly skilled manufacturing jobs back to the UK.
To date he has invested close to £2m in developing the business.
Arch Group chairman and deputy leader of Northumberland County Council, Coun Dave Ledger, said: “Northumberland has a long manufacturing tradition which is maintained by a diverse and ambitious group of outstanding businesses like BSS LED Ltd.
“A major part of our mission to enhance the economic growth of Northumberland is to maximise the opportunities available for these companies. A key element of this is our growing property portfolio of speculative business space and the expertise within Arch to readily assist businesses like BSS to grow and expand their operations in the county.”
The Arch commercial property portfolio consists of industrial workshop and warehouse units, office buildings, suites, business parks and managed workspace which range from around 500sqft to 40,000sqft.
Arch was established by Northumberland County Council in 2011 as a private-sector development company to drive capital economic development, physical regeneration projects and business growth across the county.


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#9 Chung Eui-Sun
As of 9/27/16
- $2.9 Billion
- Source Of Wealth
- Seoul, South Korea
- South Korea
- Marital Status
- Bachelor of Arts / Science, Korea University; Master of Business Administration, University of San Francisco
Chung Eui-Sun on Forbes Lists
The only son of Hyundai Motor Co. Chairman Chung Mong-Koo (No. 5), Chung Eui-Sun suffered the same fate as his father, losing $1 billion in a year with a fortune that's tied to Hyundai Motor. Shares in logistics outfit Glovis, an affiliate and a major customer of Hyundai, make up nearly half his wealth; they fell over the past year by 18%. In 2009 Eui-Sun became vice chairman of Hyundai Motor. He was appointed to the company's board in 2010, bringing him a step closer to becoming the third generation of his family to lead Hyundai.
More On Forbes
Koreas say, “Blowing a horn thanks to a county magistrate,” referring to situations where someone benefits from the actions of another. To Hyundai Glovis, Hyundai Motor is the dependable county magistrate.
Glovis is Hyundai Motor’s logistics arm and it is growing faster than any competitor in South Korea. Kyobo Securities projects that read »
The most basic thing that economics tries to teach us all is that incentives matter. Grasp that and you’ve grasped 50% of the real world implications of the whole subject (grasp opportunity costs too and you’re pretty much there). If we do manage to grasp this point that incentives truly do matter then we can start to design policies that read »
UPDATED, 5:50 P.M.
One may wonder why Alphabet Inc. (Google), one of the premier tech companies in the world, would choose Fiat Chrysler Automobiles as its partner to develop autonomous vehicles.
After all, FCA is struggling with basic build quality. And its chief executive officer, Sergio Marchionne, is not read »
Who’s to blame for pollution in South Korea — huge factories and refineries that power the Korean economy or Chinese industry plus yellow dust blowing in from the Gobi dessert? Koreans often accuse the Chinese, especially when ill winds create smog-like conditions and people go around with face masks shielding them from this assault on their read »
Five Indian cars failed crash tests conducted on them and scored zero stars, according to the Global NCAP, a vehicle safety assessor in the U.K., which called some of the cars “sub-standard”.
The cars that were tested include Renault India Pvt. Ltd’s new Kwid hatchback, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd’s Celerio hatchback and Eeco van, read »
Hold on to your hat. Kia Motors has scored the highest on J.D. Power and Associates’ Initial Quality Survey, vanquishing not only other mass-market rivals like Toyota and Hyundai, but luxury brands like Porsche and Lexus as well.
It is the first time in 27 years that a non-luxury brand has topped the survey, the results of which read »
Automakers have labored mightily for five years to ratchet up fuel efficiency in the face of U.S. rules that require individual vehicles to get 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. That’s a tall order. More efficient engines, hybrid-electric powertrains, improved aerodynamics and lighter metals and components are pumping up mpg, but there’s a read »
The following is a guest post written by author and journalist Donald Kirk. Opinions expressed by guest writers are their own.
It’s rare for a foreigner to hold a managerial position with Hyundai Motor — and rarer still for one who served in such a post with any Korean company to share his experiences in print after it’s all read »
The new Genesis brand of luxury vehicles has been launched with Hyundai-esque speed!
Finally, Hyundai Launches a Luxury Brand
After years of deliberation, argument, and negotiation, Hyundai has launched the new Genesis brand after announcing the brand in November 2015. Erwin Raphael was appointed read »
Non-luxury large sedans used to be a staple of the U.S. auto market. Once ubiquitous on American highways across the land, the segment has been in decline over decades. Even so, large sedans still comprised 7.3% of the total light vehicle market ten years ago in 2006, selling over 1.2 million units. However, industry forecaster AutoPacific read »


text: It’s hard to believe that Pokemon Go released 2 years ago but today Niantic Labs finally confirmed a much-requested mode will be launching this month. Today, Niantic Labs finally revealed that PvP mode for Pokemon Go will come this month. Here’s your first official look at what’s to come in Pokémon GO Trainer Battles❗ From Trainer Battle Leagues to an additional Charged Attack, there are lots of features to read up on in this preview! https://t.co/E7wXCHahUM #GOBattle pic.twitter.com/0N5i26BhY3 — Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) December 4, 2018 The first reveal confirmed the existence of 3 leagues that players can participate in and the 2nd announcement went into depth about combat. Players can take part in Great, Ultra, and Master Leagues, with players only to compete in their bracket. Battles can be accepted from nearby players using a Battle Code but Best Friends and Ultra Friends can battle from any location. Battles will be real-time and revolve around players tapping skills along with the strength of their Pokemon. Players can use stardust and candies for stronger attacks. Pokemon Go is now available for iOS and Android devices.


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Comment: Google just couldn’t leave Apple out of its iPhone competitor keynote
Google’s keynote today was knocked by some observers for having a similar style to Apple keynotes: a funny video to start things off, an intro from the CEO to set the stage, and product leaders announcing new products that they work on. I don’t really buy into that as a critique. Apple usually does an impressive keynote; they use a format that other companies should copy.
Something else that stood out is Google’s habit of using subtle references to Apple critiques to pitch its products. That’s just not very Apple. There was a reference to ‘bumping phones’ a few years ago when Apple introduced AirDrop, but Apple tastefully avoided any combustion jokes when it introduced the iPhone 7 last month. Google, on the other hand, just couldn’t leave Apple out of its keynote.
Filed under: Apple


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An exchange of documents for a Licensing and Technical Assistance Agreement between Proton Holding and Al-Haj Automotive Private Limited was conducted today, the 26th of April 2019.
Both companies were represented by their senior executives. Dr Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton Holdings, and Mr Bilal Khan Afridi, Managing Director of the Al-Haj Group.
The exchange of document follows the previous announcement by Proton Holdings and Al-Haj Automotive Private Limited to develop a manufacturing facility for Proton vehicles based in Karachi, Pakistan. A symbolic ground breaking ceremony was conducted on the 22nd March 2019 in Islamabad, Pakistan and was presided by the most honorable Dr Mahathir Mohammad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, as well as the most honorable Mr Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan.
The manufacturing plant will sit on a 55 acre site in the port city of Karachi. Its construction requires an initial investment within USD 30 million. The facility will be ready for production by June 2020 and would have an annual capacity of 25,000 units.
The manufacturing plant would allow provide Proton with improved access to the growing Pakistan automotive market. The plant would also directly create 2,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs through other areas such as local vendors.
Proton Holdings is a joint venture between DRB Hicom and the Zhejiang Geely Group. Al-Haj Automotive Private Limited is a subsidiary of the Al-Haj Group, a conglomerate with diverse business interests such as automotive, oil & gas, logistics and estate businesses. Al-Haj has been associated with different Chinese and Korean Automobile companies since 2006 and has established a reputable name with vast experience in Assembly and distribution of Automotive products in Pakistan.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com


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Having long kept a low profile in the UK, mammoth Taiwanese manufacturing group Foxconn is looking to expand its British presence with a two-pronged approach, taking in both its branded products and a new white-label scheme it is preparing to unleash.
Having reorganised its operations – a hiatus that led to rumours that the company was preparing to pull out of the UK market – Foxconn has been able to organise a “flexible and focused” new approach to the market, and is keen to support lower-level system integrators and resellers.
To do so, it is offering a range of products that aim to take the hassle out of building PCs from the ground up, while maintaining a high level of quality to reduce after-sales service costs.
“What we’re now looking to do is provide the barebone products for channel customers,” Foxconn’s UK managing director Stephen Ling told PCR. “Foxconn won’t brand any finished product, so what we’re trying to do is provide a range of barebone products that people can then turn in to their own solutions and brand it themselves.
“Resellers and independent system builders need the solutions to compete with the tier ones. At the end of the day everyone wants to make sure there’s a healthy channel there.”
The first of these white box products to hit the UK is the NT330 net-top box, which will initially be branded and sold by Maplin. The vendor is also looking to boost the presence of its branded motherboards and cases in the UK as it continues to raise the profile of its own brand.
“We’re here to stay,” said Ling. “Foxconn never really went away, we’ve just been a little bit quiet.”
Fancy taking part in PCR’s Channel Survey? To have your say about the issues affecting retailers and resellers, click here.


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OSAKA – Panasonic Corp. is planning to raise the pay scale for its employees at this spring’s labor-management wage talks for the first time since 2008, sources said Tuesday.
The electronics-maker took into consideration commodity price rises and the imminent sales tax hike, which will likely put a greater burden on households, they said.
The labor union is seeking a monthly wage-scale rise of more than ¥4,000, but management remains reluctant to accede to the request in full.
Management at first balked altogether at a wage hike, citing poor business conditions that have forced the company to carry out structural reforms in sectors including its flagging television business.
But Panasonic is now expected to post a group net profit for the current business year through March, returning to the black for the first time in three years. As a result, management took into account the union’s claim that spurring consumer spending through a basic wage increase would help end the nation’s deflation, the sources said.
Panasonic will provide a lump-sum payment, or bonus, in accordance with the company’s business performance — an amount likely to exceed last year’s.
After incurring a massive group net loss for the second straight year in fiscal 2012, which ended in March 2013, Panasonic restructured its mainstay businesses, including its television and semiconductor operations, in fiscal 2013.


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The automobile experience is undergoing drastic changes as improved safety, performance and entertainment options explode. Remember the jealousy of seeing your friend’s minivan with the DVD player? Now, streaming Netflix and playing video games are entering the market to assuage the boredom of rear-seat passengers. As cars become “smarter” and collect more data from users, many fear our privacy will be infringed, which could lead to audits and litigation.
“As more devices and tools become connected, smart cars, crop communication, machinery, etc. will be further developed by innovators to maximize incoming data.” Read on as we assess how 5G will impact businesses around the world and affect the subsequent influx of litigation surrounding this new technology.


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Chick-Fil-A Under Attack for Same-Sex Marriage Views
Would you stop eating from your favorite restaurant if they didn't support your views?
Same-sex activists across the country have started a campaign to boycott the popular restaurant Chick-fil-A because of their views on marriage. Recently, Dan Cathy, president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, condemned same-sex marriage saying that it "inviting God's judgment on our nation."
"We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage," said Cathy. "I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is all about.
It has been reported that Chick-fil-A donated nearly $2 million in 2010 to anti-gay groups.
Gay activitsts, outraged, have created websites and Facebook page publicizing the fast food chain's stance on gay marriage. Jim Henson Co. has since pulled its Muppet toys from kids' meals.
A gay rights supporter has organized a "National Same Sex Kiss Day" at Chick- fil -A's around the country on Aug. 3
And now, political figures are jumping into the debate.
"Chick-fil-A's values are not Chicago values, Emanuel told the Chicago Sun-Times. "They're not respectful of our residents, our neighbors and our family members. And if you're gonna be part of the Chicago community, you should reflect Chicago values."
However, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a supporter of same-sex marriage, said it is not the government's business to interfere with Chic-fil-A's stance. New York City has one Chick-fil-A restaurant. .
Former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee took to his Facebook page to weigh in. He has declared Aug. 1 as Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.
If Chick fil-A forced its customers to sign an oath stating they are heterosexual before they could buy a chicken sandwich, the angry critics would not only have a point, but I would join them," he wrote. "I think it is great that Chick-fil-A is run by people with a Biblical world view and they operate it based on Biblical values, but there is a bigger issue. The company sells chicken and doesn't force a view on its customers or employees, but the owners shouldn't be disenfranchised from their citizenship and rights of free speech, nor should they be kept from operating their business in cities across the country because a few "wanna be tyrants" disagree with their beliefs."
Also using social media to show his support, Rick Santorum, the former Republican presidential candidate, took to Twitter and encouraged his more than 200,000 followers to support the restaurant.
"With two of my boys, Enjoying chick-in-strips and an awesome peach shake at Chick-fil-A," he wrote. "See you here next Wednesday!"
Chick-fil-A, makes about $4 billion a year and restaurant and marketing experts say the restaurant could see as much as a 1 percent to 2 percent drop in sales if the controversy lasts a month or two.


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Clothing Manufacturers Association of India
Textiles | On 27th May 2017
To support the textile sector in Pakistan, finance minister Mohammad...
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Vidhyaa Shankar. S
A Ganapathi Chettiar
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Everflow Petrofils Ltd
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Balavigna Weaving Mills Pvt Ltd
The biggest challenge that the weaving industry faces is high price
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Schlegel und Partner
Silke Brand-Kirsch, executive partner of Schlegel und Partner, a leading...
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Gildan Activewear SRL
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Apparel/Garments | On 26th May 2017


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Starbreeze Mikael Nermark resigns as CEO due to personal reasons
October 26, 2020 | 22:15 CEST
Mikael Nermark has resigned as CEO of Starbreeze AB with immediate effect due to personal reasons. The Board of Directors has decided to appoint Tobias Sjögren as acting CEO and to initiate a search process.
"I would like to thank Mikael for his efforts during many years at Starbreeze. Mikael has had a big role in the company's development and today Starbreeze stands stronger with a full focus on PAYDAY " says Torgny Hellström, Chairman of the Board
Tobias Sjögren is today a member of Starbreeze Board of Directors and has extensive background in the gaming industry. Among previous positions, Sjögren was DICE's Studio Manager in Stockholm when the first edition of Battlefield was launched. Other previous assignments also include EVP Business Development at Paradox and CEO of its subsidiary White Wolf.


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'Coffee producers of the world, unite'
Like OPEC, Colombia proposes grouping of coffee producing nations to influence supply and prices
Colombia has proposed setting up of a grouping of coffee producing nations, on the lines of petroleum exporting countries, to influence markets to fetch good prices.
At the second Global Coffee Producers Forum in the city of Campinas in southeast of Brazil, Director of Colombia’s Coffee Federation, Eugenio Velez, asked coffee producing nations to unite and decide market prices.
He also recommended to impose supply limitations like the OPEC does on petroleum products, in a bid to increase coffee prices in the world market. The Forum held that the coffee prices have reached to lowest levels in over a decade.
Participants from Latin and Central America, Asia, Africa and Asia, said they were unable to recover production costs.
Organizers of the Forum said they will take the proposal to presidents of producing countries.
The Colombian proposal, however, may hit legal road block, as the EU and the Mercosur – the South American trade bloc – are committed to a free trade agreement (FTA).
The EU recently inked a historic FTA with the four founding members of Mercosur -- Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay -- as part of a biregional association trade deal.
The parties agreed on a comprehensive trade agreement, covering issues such as tariffs, rules of origin, technical barriers to trade and intellectual property among others.


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Instagram is getting a brand new Security Check characteristic for customers whose accounts could have been hacked up to now. The new characteristic, aimed toward making consumer accounts safer, will information customers by way of the steps required to maintain their accounts safe. The steps embrace checking login exercise, reviewing profile data, confirming accounts with shared login data, and updating account restoration contact data. Instagram can be testing a brand new ‘reshare’ sticker in tales to make sharing pictures, IGTV, reels, and movies on tales simpler.
Detailing the Security Check characteristic on its weblog, Instagram stated: “Security Checkup will information individuals, whose accounts could have been hacked, by way of the steps wanted to safe them.” Users whose accounts have been compromised up to now will get a immediate at login asking them to run a safety test. It will take them by way of the steps wanted to safe their accounts. The social media platform has additionally talked about extra methods by way of which customers can hold their accounts safe.
One of the really useful methods to safe an account is by enabling two-factor authentication. Instagram mentions that customers in sure international locations will be capable of safe their Instagram accounts utilizing their WhatsApp accounts. Users may also activate two-factor authentication utilizing their telephone numbers or by way of authentication apps like Duo Mobile or Google Authenticator. The social media platform has detailed its two-factor authentication on its assist web page.
Instagram additionally talked about that customers ought to guarantee their linked cell quantity and e mail id are up to date regularly. The contact particulars are for the social media platform to contact customers in case there may be suspicious exercise on their account. It mentions on its assist web page how this step helps in securing an account.
One of the issues Instagram emphasised on when it comes to account security is that it could by no means ship any consumer Direct Messages (DMs). The social media platform stated that a lot of experiences have claimed that Instagram DM’ed them to vary their password. It is to be famous that Instagram only sends a message below the ‘Email from Instagram’ tab in settings.
Users are additionally suggested to report malicious content material and accounts they see on the platform. The social media platform stated customers can report content material by “tapping the three dots above a put up, holding on a message, or by visiting an account and reporting immediately from the profile.” Instagram has additionally detailed the reporting course of.
The weblog put up stated that customers ought to report suspicious login exercise as they’ll obtain notifications once they or another person tries to log in to their account. Users may also view the checklist of units which have just lately logged in below Settings > Security > Login exercise. Users can discover out extra information on this on the Instagram assist web site.
Apart from security-related updates, the social media platform is testing a brand new characteristic that lets customers share the latest posts they’ve considered, saved, appreciated, or posted from a “just lately considered” tab. This tab will seem then the ‘reshare’ sticker is chosen to put up a narrative. Additionally, customers can insert IGTV, reels, and feed video content material. The new characteristic was first spotted by The Verge.


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Dundee has been dealt another jobs blow after it emerged an electric battery company is to close its factory in the city with the loss of around 60 jobs.
Staff at Johnson Matthey BatterySystems (JMBS), which makes electric batteries for vehicles, were told that the company is relocating to the Midlands in a bid to tap into the area’s automobile industry.
One worker also claimed the company said it is unable to attract the right“talent” in Dundee.
All workers at JMBS were placed on a notice of redundancy last month after Coventry-based parent group Johnson Matthey decided to cut spending.
Now staff have been told that thefactory formerly known as Axeon is likely to close by June although most jobs will be lost before then.
Initial redundancies will be decided by December 11. Seven staff are being retained to stockpile electric batteries for the McLaren P1 hypercar.
One worker, who asked not to be named, said: “We were told during the last consultation meeting.
“They (management) had up until then given the impression that they were prepared to listen to the employeerepresentatives’ alternatives.
“However, it became clear during the meeting that they had not evenconsidered our proposals and then finally admitted that they will be moving from Dundee in the hope of attracting orders from the automotive industry in the Midlands.
“This despite the fact that the entire management team are already based in Coventry.
“We find this difficult to understand why this should make a difference when it will be the same people in charge.
“They feel that they cannot attract thetalent that they need while based inScotland and in particular Dundee.”
He added: “The mood of the workers is obviously one of anger and betrayal considering we have been consistently told that JMBS had a 10-year plan for the Dundee facility.”
Johnson Matthey bought Axeon in 2012 and said its new battery division would work on projects for major car manufacturers.
The parent company had not expected the Dundee operation to make a profit in the first few years because of the nature of its business.
A spokeswoman told The Courier in August the company was expecting the factory to break even this financial year.
However, the company revealed in October it was considering shutting the factory as part of a restructuringprogramme that would see it shed 200 jobs in total.
The company, the world’s biggest manufacturer of metal catalysts used to control car emissions, operates in 30 countries but has said it wants to cut costs by around £30 million a year.
Earlier this month it said this would be achieved through restructuring and the loss of around 200 jobs.
A Johnson Matthey spokeswoman said: “The consultation in Dundee is ongoing and there will be a relocation element to it.”


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U.S. PPI for final demand increases 0.3 percent in March
Final demand prices rose 0.2 percent in February and 0.4 percent in January. On an unadjusted basis, the final demand index increased 3.0 percent for the 12 months ended in March.
In March, the rise in final demand prices is attributable to a 0.3-percent advance in the index for final demand services. The index for final demand goods also climbed 0.3 percent.
The index for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services, rose 0.4 percent in March, the same as in both January and February. For the 12 months ending in March, prices for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services, increased 2.9 percent, the largest rise since 12-month percent change data were available in August 2014.
Prices for final demand services moved up 0.3 percent in March, the same as in January and February.
Most of the March advance can be traced to the index for final demand services less trade, transportation, and warehousing, which climbed 0.3 percent. Prices for final demand transportation and warehousing services also moved higher, rising 0.6 percent.
Prices for final demand goods moved up 0.3 percent in March after edging down 0.1 percent in February. In March, Most of the increase can be traced to prices for final demand foods, which advanced 2.2 percent.
The index for final demand goods less foods and energy climbed 0.3 percent. Conversely, prices for final demand energy declined 2.1 percent. ■


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He expects Snap to
lose $1.5 billion next year as it invests to grow the user base.
DECELERATING TRENDS: On Thursday, Evercore ISI analyst Anthony DiClemente lowered his price target for Snap to
$7 from $9 given decelerating trends, management turnover, and competitive threats.
USDA also provided funding to incentivize participants in SNAP to
purchase more healthy fruits and vegetables through the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program, increased farmers market participation in SNAP to
improve access to fresh and nutritious food, and proposed updated SNAP retailer standards to include different varieties of healthy qualifying foods.
Michael Pachter, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, expressed some optimism about Snap to
The analyst noted that since October 2017, Snap's stock has lost over half its value but he does not believe "the pain is over." Meanwhile, his peer at Citi lowered his price target on Snap to
$8, saying he now sees less likelihood of a near-term takeover due to the company's recent operational challenges.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 10 states have been selected to take part in SNAP to
Skills, a first-of-its-kind, peer-to-peer effort to help state agencies design improved employment and training programs for adults participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in order to help them find employment and ultimately move off the SNAP program.
All he had to do was make a low, easy snap to
the right or left, whichever the play called for.


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Filed under: PS2
Posted by Allison on January 27, 2005 10:37 AM
Earlier today, during Sony's conference call
discussing its third quarter earnings, a few somewhat cryptic comments were made regarding the Playstation 3. First, it was announced that Sony will be making a major PS3-related announcement at the end of March (we'll be counting the days until then). Second, it was announced that the PS3 will, indeed, make an appearance at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Sony states the console will be in some "playable" form, but left it at that. With this news, it seems all three next-gen consoles will be at E3. These are exciting times!
Continue Article ↓


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Celebrated singer Lizzo known best for her song ‘Juice’ and her phenomenal flute playing skills has openly talked to Vogue magazine about her thoughts surrounding the body positivity movement and how it has become a trend in social media.
Her message is relevant right now in the UK as well. Boris Johnson has been particularly vocal about the implications of being overweight, especially in regards to the coronavirus and its higher risk for people that are obese.
Lizzo is a modern advocate for people of any race, size and gender to love and accept their body. She is currently on the cover of Vogue and is the first “big black woman” to be the cover model for the magazine.
The flute player and Grammy Awards winner has asserted her dominance in the music industry as well as on social media. She hopes to use her platform to normalise bigger bodies and inspire those who struggle to identify with influencers and figures in the media to love and normalise their figures.
However, as with most trends in the media, Lizzo believes what began as the body positivity movement has been changed by the media.
“Girls with back fat, girls with bellies that hang, girls with thighs that aren’t separated, that overlap,” she said. “Girls with stretch marks. You know, girls who are in the 18-plus club.”
“They need to be benefiting from… the mainstream effect of body positivity now. But with everything that goes mainstream, it gets changed. It gets – you know, it gets made acceptable.”
According to Lizzo, all bodies should be viewed as normal in the media – she wants those who are plus-sized to be treated like others rather than categorised as brave, confident, and body positive.
Fast fashion brands have faced criticism for not having a diverse variety of models on websites and advertising campaigns but Missguided, a Manchester-based fast fashion brand, has recently partnered with charity Models of Diversity which strives to give inspirational and diverse women a place in the media.
Tallulah Guard, UoM feminist collective’s LGBTQ+ Rep, echoed Lizzo’s opinion: “It’s clear that the original bodies this movement was for have been pushed out by mainly white, sub size 16 women. There’s too much posed/unposed and bloated/unbloated and not enough real, bigger bodies of a range of shapes.
“Shape normalisation is a massive area that needs exploring, for bodies of all sizes. And we need women who’ve had mastectomies, women with stoma bags, intersex people. There’s so much to be done.”


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The International Motorcycling Federation released a provisional list of the teams and riders competing in the 2015 MotoGP World Championship. The list includes 23 confirmed riders with another two to be confirmed and incoming manufacturers Aprilia and Suzuki joining the returning three of Ducati, Honda and Yamaha. The initial roster includes 16 factory entries and […]
Bear Eats (Parts of) Suzuki Boulevard C50 Cruiser
What’s left of the C50′s seat and saddlebags after a bear attacked the bike. Image courtesy erstarnews.com
According to a post on Elk River Star News.com (erstarnews.com) a bear did some serious damage to a Suzuki Boulevard C50 before realizing the cruiser wasn’t as tasty as maybe it first appeared.
The Star News reports that Tammy Luukkonen’s damaged Boulevard was discovered by her husband Roy Luukkonen. The cruiser’s saddlebags as well as the rider’s portion of the saddle were shredded to bits. According to the article Mrs. Luukkonen stated that the rear tire had bite marks and the bike had been dragged three feet, leaving skid marks on their concrete drive. Interestingly, Mr. Luukkonen’s larger Suzuki Boulevard, a C90, was untouched. Mrs. Luukkonen said she’s never stored food in the bike’s saddlebags.
Read the full article on erstarnews.com


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Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will reportedly have better Super slow-mo feature as compared to the Galaxy S9 series. According to a report from SamsungMobile.News, the upcoming Galaxy Note 9 will be able to record slow-mo videos at 960fps for 0.4 seconds which is twice as long as seen on the Galaxy S9.
“#GalaxyNote9 can shoot in 960fps for 0.4 seconds. 0.2 seconds more than the #GalaxyS9,” SamsungMobile.News tweet reads.
— SamsungMobile.News | Max (@Samsung_News_) July 27, 2018
To recall, Samsung announced the Super Slow-mo mode alongside the debut of its flagship smartphones, Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in February this year. The mode basically allows users to capture slow-mo 960fps video at a 720p resolution. While the report suggests that the Galaxy Note 9 could offer 2x longer slow-mo videos as Galaxy S9, it is still unclear whether the upcoming Samsung smartphone will be able to record footage up to the resolution of 1080p.
Samsung is expected to unveil the next flagship for the year, the Galaxy Note 9 at its Unpacked Event which is scheduled to take place on August 9 in New York. Rumours and leaks have already given a fair sketch of what to expect from the new Galaxy Note 9 smartphone. Reports suggest that the phone could come with a 6.3-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED display. It is said to be powered by either Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or in-house Exynos 9810 processor depending on the region. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is tipped to feature dual camera setup as the previous iteration. However, the fingerprint sensor is said to re-positioned and placed below the rear cameras. The phone is expected to have 12MP dual rear cameras and an 8MP camera up front.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is anticipated to pack massive upgrades in terms battery and storage. The phone is said to carry a huge 4000mAh battery. One of the variants is tipped to offer 512GB storage and may be priced at $1,460. The Galaxy Note 9 is also expected to arrive with an enhanced S-Pen stylus. As per reports, the new S-Pen stylus is said to offer Bluetooth connectivity. As for the pricing, 91Mobiles reports that the upcoming Galaxy Note 9 could be priced between Rs 70,000 to Rs 75,000 for the base variant.


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After 25 years, it’s studio-lights-out for DPReview.com.
The venerable photography site (DP stands for Digital Photography) announced it will close on 10 April 2023, at which point its content will be “available in read-only mode for a limited period afterwards.” That content includes deep-dive reviews of camera bodies and lenses, plus articles covering all aspects of the field of photography. It’s an unmatched resource of photo information.
Why now? Unlike most sites, DPReview didn’t rely on scores of ads to survive. Amazon acquired DPReview in 2007 and largely left it as an independent outfit, to the point where many people weren’t aware of its corporate ownership. In addition to a few ads, DPReview received affiliate income when someone purchased products (even though DPReview and Amazon were under the same umbrella), and the site also occasionally featured sponsored content, such as videos about new cameras. Bucking trends, all third-party content was always clearly marked and above-board.
Unfortunately, being owned by Amazon is what ultimately killed DPReview. The day before the announcement, Amazon revealed it was laying off 9,000 employees on top of the 18,000 let go since November 2022. The retailer is also shedding other services to cut expenses, such as its Kindle Newsstand online and print magazine subscription service. DPReview wrote, “This difficult decision is part of the annual operating plan review that our parent company shared earlier this year.”
DPReview also boasts an enormous discussion forum where readers have formed a thriving community with over 47 million posts in upwards of 4 million threads. Forum members can request to download any photos or text they’ve uploaded, but only until 6 April 2023, which is fast approaching.
The wording of the announcement suggests that the site’s content and forums will be deleted at some point after the “limited period” following the April 10th shutdown; when I reached out to verify that interpretation, a source I spoke with at the company didn’t know what would happen. A separate source told me that the site’s engineers have been working to make the site exportable and coordinating with the Internet Archive to preserve the content. According to a post on Reddit, the Internet Archive’s Archive team is actively working on archiving the site. We hope they succeed in capturing everything.
Another casualty of the shutdown is the popular DPReview TV YouTube channel featuring Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake. However, a few hours after the DPR news dropped, PetaPixel announced that it would serve as the new home for the duo beginning in May.
This is all disappointing news for many reasons, not just because I’ve been a contributor since 2017. My most recent piece, Pete Souza: In the West Wing and Beyond, was an interview with noted White House photographer Pete Souza when he was on a book tour.
DPReview was one of the Web’s few definitive resources. If you were in the market for a new camera or lens, or were looking to buy an older model, you could find exhaustive, objective, well-tested information about it. Online retailers (particularly parent company Amazon) include scores of reviews of dubious accuracy and provenance, and search engines are next to useless for trying to find reliable information. DPReview has been so good on this front that many photo sites opted not to publish in-depth gear reviews because they knew DPReview would have it covered.
I honestly can’t suggest an alternative site that even approaches DPReview’s level of detail about photography. It’s a loss for consumers and for the communities that spring up around photography. It’s also a stark reminder that corporate ownership, far from being a safe haven, may increase the likelihood of a popular site disappearing. As longtime online publisher Derek Powazek wrote on Mastodon, “Moral of the story: don’t sell your site to a tech behemoth that will only ever see you as an annoying line item.”


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Amazon could take on cellphone networks by offering its own service in tie up with Dish
- Two firms are mulling a partnership that would enter the wireless business
- Would allow Amazon's smart gadgets from the Echo to Dash buttons to connect
- Consumers coulod also be offered cellphone service as part of Prime package
Dish Network Corp Chief Executive Charlie Ergen and Amazon.com Inc head Jeff Bezos have discussed a partnership to enter the wireless business, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Amazon could help bankroll a network Dish is building focused on the 'Internet of Things', and could possibly offer its Prime members an option to pay a little more per month for a connectivity or phone plan, the Journal said, citing one person.
Amazon could also offer a one-way broadcast signal for its Prime video on Dish's airwaves, the paper said, citing a person close to Dish's plans.
Dish Network Corp Chief Executive Charlie Ergen and Amazon.com Inc head Jeff Bezos (pictured) have discussed a partnership to enter the wireless business, the Wall Street Journal claims
WHAT IT COULD DO
A new network could be an attractive option for Amazon.
It would allow the firm to do everything from controlling a network of drones to providing better connections to its Amazon Alexa and Dash devices.
It would also allow them to offer to an enhanced signal for Amazon Prime video, and even offer discounted rates to Prime members
Dish has been buying up spectrum, or radio frequencies that carry the data flowing through devices, making it a potential acquisition target for U.S. wireless carriers such as Verizon Communications Inc, according to industry analysts.
Under the new deal, Amazon could help finance a network Dish is building focused on the 'Internet of Things', the WSJ says.
Another idea being discussed is that that Amazon, as a founding partner of Dish's new wireless network, could offer an option for Prime members to pay a little more a month for a connectivity or phone plan, one of the people said.
An acquisition of Dish by Amazon is highly unlikely, the WSJ report added.
It says Amazon founder Bezos and Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen have grown closer in recent months, sharing interests in space and robotics.
The two met at a recent satellite conference, and Bezos also recently entertained Ergen in May in Seattle.
Amazon and Dish were not immediately available for comment.
Thje new network would allow the firm to do everything from controlling a network of drones to providing better connections to its Amazon Alexa and Dash devices
In May, Dish and Amazon announced that Dish DVRs would get Amazon Alexa integration.
A new network could be an attractive option for Amazon, allowing it to do everything from controlling a network of drones to providing better connections to its Amazon Alexa and Dash devices to an enhanced signal for Amazon Prime video.
Analysts have said that the telecoms and cable sectors are primed for a wave of deal activity, and executives have openly talked about potential mergers.
U.S. wireless company Sprint Corp was reportedly holding talks with peer T-Mobile US Inc, before putting those plans on ice to explore a wireless partnership with Charter Communications Inc and Comcast Corp.
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Just as the late, great Johnny Cash once sang about having traveled every road in the land, those 66 tons of ground beef recalled on Sept. 20 by Cargill Meat Solutions after a deadly E. coli O26 outbreak also went “everywhere” or pretty close to it.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service(FSIS) on Sept. 23 came out with a list of retailers that received the recalled product. It includes every Safeway, Meijer, and Sam’s Club store in the nation along with some others.
FSIS says it has “reason to believe” the beef contaminated with O26 went to the retail stores on the list, but the agency cautions that other unnamed outlets might also have received the recalled ground beef.
Here’s the list as FSIS has been able to determine currently:
▪ Safeway — All stores nationwide.
▪ Meijer — All stores nationwide.
▪ Sam’s Club — All stores nationwide.
▪ Target — All stores in Florida; Iowa; California; and the Denton, TX, Target store at 5452 Corbin Way; and the West Jefferson, OH, Target store at 4 Walker Way.
▪ Central Meat & Provision Co. — 1603 National Ave., San Diego
▪ Save Mart — 9999 Niblick Dr., Roseville, CA.
▪ Canal Fulton Provision — 2014 Locust St., Canal Fulton, OH
USDA is the only federal food safety agency that routinely tells the public where sales of recalled food occurred. FSIS adopted the practice during the administration of President George W. Bush when Dr. Richard Raymond was USDA’s Under Secretary for Food Safety.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not provide the public with retail lists, saying it would breach the right of food manufacturers to protect proprietary information.
Cargill Meat Solutions recalled the beef produced by its troubled Fort Morgan, CO, plant after the four-state outbreak of E. coli O26 involving 18 illnesses and one death, which also promoted a Food Safety Alert by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
FSIS associated the 66 tons of ground beef with the July 5-25 outbreak that, except for three cases, was centered on Florida.
CDC said the outbreak now appears to be over, but it did not end before causing one death in Flordia and causing kidney failure in another victim who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
FSIS says consumers are still at risk if they earlier purchased the recalled ground beef and stored it in a freezer for future use. Consumers who may have purchased ground beef for their fridge or deep freeze from retailers on the list are urged to make sure it wasn’t a recalled product. Food Safety News previously published the entire recall list here.
The ground beef items listed on the Cargill Sept. 20 recall were produced and packaged on June 21. The recalled products bear the establishment number “EST. 86R” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
A month earlier, on Aug. 23, Cargill recalled 12.64 tons of ground beef also produced at the Fort Morgan, CO, because of potential E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Presumptive positive tests for the pathogen was the reason for that earlier recall.
Cargill Meat Solutions, a unit of Minneapolis-based Cargill Corp., agreed earlier this month to pay $1.5 million to 138 former Somali employees over the company’s pray-break policy for Muslims.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)


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Potandon Produce's Ralph Schwartz and Wada Farms' Eric Beck Discuss the Potato Market
UNITED STATES – As the industry moves through summer holidays, I decided to take a look in on the potato market as consumers look to highlight the commodity with grilling and potato salad favorites.
As Ralph Schwartz, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Innovation at Potandon Produce recently told me, the company is currently in the tail end of storage season in nearly every state.
“Yellow potatoes have been shining stars this year,” Ralph says as we talk different varieties of potatoes. “We’ve got about three weeks left in Arizona before we ship to Washington, but so far they’ve been high quality with the best appearance.”
Ralph continues into the mini potato variety, stating that Potandon has just planted several new varieties which is encouraging in terms of the long-term for the segment. “They’ve just been knock your socks off beautiful,” says Ralph.
Volume for the year has been typical when compared to last, but size profiles have been the biggest conversation piece for Potandon and Ralph. “Idaho and Russett have been seeing good quality for the end of season, but demand across the country has been higher than supply.”
Ralph says that market should remain steady throughout the season, with prices picking up on the bigger side of potatoes but still remaining mostly steady. Ralph expects volume and demand to also remain consistent with the company’s expectations, with added bumps from summer holidays and good demand for colored and variety potatoes.
Potandon has seen a bit more cooler days than anticipated, but Ralph says the company has most likely dodged a bullet from the high heat which could slow down development. “It could change in time, but we’re encouraged by our current state and progress,” says Ralph.
Keep an eye on Potandon Produce as the company looks to launch several new products, details which can’t yet be disclosed but Potandon is excited to release later in the year.
“We’re looking at extensions to traditional lines, and adding more options for consumers as far as pack sizes. This is all based on consumer research,” finishes Ralph. “We’re looking to really dial in on consumer demand.”
Eric Beck, Marketing Director at Wada Farms, is also expecting a consistent market through the season.
“Consumer demand remains to hold a steady course,” Eric tells me. “We are seeing a little movement in the carton market, with hopes of holding firm as the season plays out.”
Planting for Wada Farms’ next season has already been completed, and the company expects volume to remain comparable to the last year’s although it remains in the early stages of growing.
“We have the majority of summer to get through, but things are looking great so far,” says Eric.
Wada Farms is also keeping a close eye on the organic market as it moves through the season. “We expect the organic market to continue strengthening as consumer demand continues to grow and become more mainstream for this particular pack,” finishes Eric.
As the season progresses, keep up with AndNowUKnow for any changes, dips, or surges in the potato market.


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The video-streaming platform Netflix saw its shares fall as much as 11% in after-hours trading yesterday after reporting only 3.98 million new global subscribers last quarter, a far cry from the 6.2 million additions anticipated by Wall Street analysts. The company also said that it expects only 1 million new subscribers over the next quarter.
Netflix has blamed this slowdown in subscribers on the Coronavirus pandemic, attributing the production delays of its big-ticket movies and TV shows to COVID-19.
“We believe paid membership growth slowed due to the big Covid-19 pull forward in 2020 and a lighter content slate in the first half of this year, due to Covid-19 production delays,” said Netflix in a letter to its shareholders.
Analysts believe that Netflix is facing increasing competition in the video streaming market, especially in the U.S., with Disney’s Disney+ and Hulu, AT&T’s HBO Max, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, and Comcast NBCUniversal’s Peacock all competing for subscribers. However, the company has denied this factor in its report, saying that it doesn’t believe competition played a factor in the below-par subscriber numbers.
“We don’t believe competitive intensity materially changed in the quarter or was a material factor in the variance as the over-forecast was across all of our regions,” said Netflix.
The streaming giant expects to bounce back in the second half of 2021, with content delayed due to Covid-19 delays slated to return.
“As we’ve noted previously, the production delays from Covid-19 in 2020 will lead to a 2021 slate that is more heavily second-half weighted with a large number of returning franchises,” the company added.
The company said that production has resumed and running in nearly all of its major markets. Netflix said that it expects to spend more than $17 billion in cash on content this year.


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Key Market Indicators
Greek hotel occupancy rate dropped to 18.2 percent in November 2021, down from 43.03 percent in October 2021, compared to the same month a year earlier, according to data from the Greek National Tourism Organization. Available hotel rooms in Greece are expected to reach 323,380 bedrooms by 2026, down from 311,570 bedrooms in 2021, with an average annual decline of 1.1 percent. Since 1999, the supply of hotel rooms in the country has decreased by an average of 5.5 percent each year. In 2021, Greece was the sixth largest hotel market in Europe, behind France (311,570 bedrooms). The United Kingdom, Germany and Spain followed in second, third and fourth place, respectively.


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SoftBank Group Corp founder Masayoshi Son's dream of a global tech empire is unravelling, with the coronavirus crisis compounding losses at his $100 billion Vision Fund and distress at his big bets portending more pain.
Senator Edward Markey, a Democrat and online privacy advocate, said in a letter released Wednesday that any digital coronavirus contact tracing should be voluntary, transparent and collect only the information needed to identify who might be at risk of contracting the respiratory ailment that has killed more than 45,000 people in the United States.
Xilinx Inc on Wednesday forecast first-quarter revenue below estimates and refrained from providing an annual outlook, citing the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
Facebook is set to spend $5.7 billion to buy a 9.99% stake in Reliance Industries' digital arm, as it looks to roll out services for India's grocers and small businesses by capitalizing on WhatsApp's extensive reach in the country.
The Swiss government will keep current safety standards for fifth-generation (5G) mobile frequency emissions, it said on Wednesday, settling a debate that has delayed the rollout of the new technology.
Facebook will spend $5.7 billion to take just under 10% of Reliance Industries' digital unit, seeking to roll out services for India's grocers and other small businesses by capitalising upon WhatsApp's already extensive reach within the country.
Ericsson posted better than expected quarterly earnings on strong demand for 5G network equipment even as the coronavirus wreaked havoc, lifting the Swedish telecoms company's shares 5% in early trade.
Facebook will spend $5.7 billion for 10% of Reliance Industries's digital business, as the social media firm looks to leverage its popular WhatsApp messenger to offer digital payment services to small grocers in India.
Facebook Inc announced a $5.7 billion investment in Reliance Industries Ltd's telecom unit on Wednesday, making it the largest minority shareholder in Jio Platforms Limited.
Blockchain firm Ripple sued Alphabet Inc's YouTube on Tuesday, alleging the video-sharing platform failed to protect consumers from cryptocurrency "giveaway" scams that use fake social media profiles to dupe victims into sending money.


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After the appearance of information that Apple will increase the prices of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max smartphones, users began to make angry comments on the network.
Here are just a few Weibo quotes from GadgetTendency:
- “They are [айфоны] keep going up in price whether you want to buy it or not”;
- “This is a real extortion”;
- “It seems that Cook feels there is less and less money and he wants everyone to save more.”
However, for those who are engaged in the resale of smartphones in the first days and weeks after their release, this information has not become bad. On the contrary, one of the speculators in an interview with a Chinese publication said that he is looking forward to the release of the iPhone 14.
“The next step is to wait for the release of the iPhone 14 in September. The best time of the year to make money will come soon,” explains the anonymous source, adding that last year he earned more than $44,000 (~2.6 million rubles at the exchange rate) in two months reselling the iPhone 13.
The analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said this earlier the average price of Pro/Pro Max models will increase by 15%. At the same time, there is information that the base smartphone of the new line will be sold at the price of its predecessor.
iPhone 14: what else is known about the new series
- The usual “bangs” in Pro models will be replaced by an i-cut;
- The main camera of the Pro models will receive a new sensor with a resolution of 48 megapixels;
- The new model with a large screen will replace the “baby” iPhone mini;
- RAM will increase to 6 GB;
- Pro models will get the latest Apple A16 chip;
- There will be support for satellite communications for emergency calls.
Read more details in the Hi-Tech Mail.ru review.


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Computer networking company Cisco has announced the launch of a video-on-demand web television show designed to reach customers throughout the Middle East.
The show – Cisco on Tuesday – will provide a cost-effective marketing medium and allow the firm to interact with clients in a timely manner while monitoring results and feedback.
The weekly 30-minute programme will feature business-related videos and case studies focused on the needs and issues of various industry sectors including small and medium-sized businesses, large enterprises and the public sector.
Viewers will be able to interact with the company’s experts to obtain information on issues related to information and communications technology. A rerun of the programme will be available on demand.
“The Cisco on Tuesday initiative will allow us to deliver an online event featuring the latest in technology solutions and videos to our customers’ desktops every week,” said Fadi Kachkouche, Marketing Manager for Cisco Gulf and Pakistan.
“Through the viewers’ feedback we will be able to understand the business needs of our stakeholders and support them accordingly.”
Viewers will be able to watch and download streaming videos, save them on their desktops or media players, share them with friends, evaluate them, add comments and ask questions that will be answered by Cisco experts.
The Cisco initiative will allow users to create private accounts that track their activities and indicate whether they have finished viewing specific video content, as well as encouraging pre-registration for upcoming web events.
Cisco starts web show


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Both Uber and Didi Kuaidi have been hailing their deal as a landmark moment for their companies. Travis Kalanick has called it a victory for Uber, and Didi has been pleased attaining a near monopoly in the cab hailing market. Investors have termed it a good result for their respective companies, and Chinese regulators are presumably happy that a Chinese company controls what’s a vital part of the economy.
The only people who’re not celebrating are Uber’s customers.
Days after the announcement, Uber has cut back on its subsidies and discounts in China. Chinese customers have taken to Weibo, a popular social network, to voice their concerns about how Uber fares have risen sharply.
“My ride nearly doubled in price,” said a user named Longdidongruirui. Another said that while one Uber journey in Beijing that has regularly cost Rmb10 ($1.50) for the past year cost Rmb19 on Tuesday morning, as the normal discount was not applied.
While Uber prices haven’t changed, several discounts and promotions appear to have been scrapped. “There are no Uber discounts today,” said Weibo user await_autumn in a post.
Both Uber and Didi had been trying to woo users with attractive discounts as they fought over a piece of China’s lucrative cab hailing market. This had meant that cab prices for Chinese consumers, at times, were comparable to bus rides. But with Didi buying Uber, the party seems to be finally over for the Chinese consumer.


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It seems potential buyers aren't worried about looking like a bit of a plank by holding up a camera the size of a Beano annual. And they want more space for movies, music, photos and apps, as well as even better battery life, in the iPad 3 or iPad HD, whatever it ends up being called. 4G is also a high priority, despite the fact that it's not really a thing here in Britain yet. Siri is less of a priority, possibly it because it still doesn't have proper location-based features yet, so is another feature that can't reach full potential in Blighty.
Here's the full wish list, Discount site and regular survey-takers MyVoucherCodes.co.uk asked 918 people about what they wanted to see in the next iPad, which they refer to as the iPad HD, Thankfully there's no sign of gimmicky silliness like mountain morning iphone case 3D, However you feel about the size of the survey group or about these sorts of surveys, it does give an interesting insight into the priorities of the people who are actually buying these gadgets, A tech-savvy person -- such as you or I, dear reader -- might get all excited about features like a higher resolution screen, a faster processor, or fancy new-fangled features like NFC, But it seems that many just want the basics to be improved: bigger, brighter, thinner..
Hit play below for our take on some of the more outlandish predictions for the new iPad 3. What would you like to see in the iPad 3? Would you like to see an incremental improvement on the basics, or a radical new direction? We'll find out tomorrow, so check back after 6pm on Wednesday for all the up-to-the-minute iPad news -- but in the meantime tell me what you're crosssing your fingers for in the comments or on our Facebook page. iPad 3 fans want an improved camera, battery life and 4G, according to new research.
And the fact that your co-workers are still gossiping about the mountain morning iphone case time you got everyone lost during that carpool ride because the freeway exit came before your navigation app could load directions? Pfft, they'll be talking about something else soon enough, Or what about that letter you got last week from AT&T that stated your 2G phone "might not be able to make or receive calls" and "may experience degradation of your wireless service in certain areas"? Who car--OK, wait, That may be a pretty good reason..
Last week, AT&T sent out letters to residents living in the New York metro area encouraging customers to swap out their old 2G devices in favor of newer 3G and 4G phones. According to The Wall Street Journal, Mark Siegel, a spokesperson for AT&T, said the company was simply urging customers "to upgrade to a new device if they want to."Siegel also noted that phones operating on the 2G 1900-megahertz band will eventually lose all service. With Verizon being the leader in all things 4G LTE, it's no surprise that AT&T wants to drop the slow weight and concentrate all its efforts on providing and structuring a faster network. But is it right to tell customers to ditch their 2G, especially since AT&T barely has its feet in the 4G water?.
Copyright © 2021 www.ormatorino.it. All Rights Reserved


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(Yicai Global) April 24 -- One of Volkswagen AG’s China joint ventures is planning to take over the automotive industrial park which was abandoned by embattled conglomerate Leshi Holding Beijing Co. last year.
FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co. is in talks to acquire the project on Mount Mogan, a popular tourist destination in Zhejiang province, online news outlet Tencent Finance reported, citing an insider at the park. Staff from the China-Germany joint venture have been frequenting the area, but Leshi staff barely show up, the source added.
The park’s owner Leshi Eco-Car Zhejiang Co. won land use rights to the project in 2016 and 2017 after paying CNY420 million (USD66.5 million) for around 1.35 square kilometers of land, which it could use to build a vehicle factory and ecological experience park.
The mountainous terrain required a large amount of blasting work to flatten it out. Leshi carried out most of that work before suspending development in July, when the conglomerate plunged into debt trying to extend its reach into a bunch of different sectors. The new owner will need to finish off the remaining blasting before leveling and excavating the land.
FAW-Volkswagen is one of several firms that have looked into taking over the park, including China’s largest private carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., the largest shareholder in German carmaker Daimler AG and owner of the Volvo car brand. Local government workers have been unable to disclose information on negotiations for confidentiality reasons.


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Jun 11, 2021 10:47 AM (GMT+8)
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos's blue origin space exploration company's official website shows that as of Thursday, bids for tickets to the new Shepard spacecraft had reached $4 million. At present, blue origin is auctioning one of the six seats of the new Shepard spacecraft. The spacecraft is expected to launch on July 20, with a total journey of 11 minutes. This will be the first space travel flight of blue origin. Bezos announced on Monday that he would board the spaceship with his brother Mark Bezos.
This text is a result of machine translation.


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Vietnam’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) recommended more milk, yoghurt and cheese in the diet of Vietnamese in order to improve their bone health.
Le Bach Mai, deputy director of the National Institute of Nutrition, presented at the seminar
At the “Dairy Recommendations for Vietnamese” seminar held today, the institute officially introduced the diary recommendations for Vietnamese of varying ages and physical conditions.
Participants to the event, which included representatives of the ministries and government agencies, hospitals, universities, preventive health centres and many schools in Hanoi, also discussed the current status of nutrition and impacts of calcium deficiency to the health of people in Vietnam.
According to NIN’s studies covering 35 years (1985-2010) the calcium intake of Vietnamese has changed little, essentially because Vietnamese are not consuming enough milk, dairy products and seafood. At present, calcium is only meeting 50 per cent of daily recommendations.
Researchers have shown that, calcium from milk and dairy products will help bones grow stronger than medicinal calcium supplements. Results from some studies have proven that milk and dairy product usage will help reduce the risk of Osteoporosis and bone fracture in pre-menopausal women
The official dairy recommendations aim to contribute to the deployment of objectives of the National Strategy on Nutrition in 2011 – 2020 and the general programme to develop the Vietnamese people in 2011-2030 in terms of stature, physical strength and intelligence (Programme 641).
Many countries around the world including France, the US, Japan, and Australia have built and issued “Recommendation for usage of dairy products” reports to guide their citizens on the importance of dairy products, milk, cheese, yogurt to provide calcium and nutrients for daily intake.


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Juicing is kind of a big deal these days.
What was once a tenet of a wellness lifestyle on the fringe of eating and drinking society, is now popping up all over the place.
And it's not just the booming yoga scene that is consuming the brightly colored liquids, regular (unfit) people are starting to realize the benefits of drinking the nutrient-dense drinks.
South Florida has just received yet another cold-pressed juice delivery option, Spajuicebar.
Developed by Sonia Terboss after winning her battle with breast cancer, the company is all about encouraging customers to "find their light" through vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes.
Earlier this month, Terboss introduced the Spajuice website, which offers a variety of cold-pressed juices (squeezed with a Norwalk juicer) available for home and office delivery. Each one is delivered in thermally insulated packaging.
The Fort Lauderdale-based company sells an assortment of individual juices and cleanse programs aimed at targeting specific lifestyles and health problems.
Cleanses start at around $64.99 for a one-day. Individual juices are $11 a piece.
The juices are currently 100 percent organic, with a large focus on sourcing local ingredients. Terboss buys some produce from Marando and Alderman Farms. She is working on launching products based on readily available local fruit, such as star fruit, bitter orange, and guava, eventually.
Terboss does warn that in the future, some products may not be completely organic, due to availability; however, if that is the case, she fully intends to include notes on the labels indicating the presence of non-organic ingredients. She promised that no matter what the cost, the dirty dozen will always be organic.


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The hype has started and Samsung Mobile has posted a count down clock.
With the coming press event scheduled for May 3rd in London for the Next Galaxy”, we are starting to see a lot more things showing up. Some are leaks and others seem to be more like a tease to what is coming. It would appear that Samsung is working to generate as much excitement for the coming Galaxy S3 as possible with various items showing up on the web. One of the latest items is from the Facebook page of Samsung Denmark where they are showing what can be considered as a tease for the May 3rd 2012 date for the “Next Galaxy” press event at 8:00 PM.
This gets your interest, but does not tell you very much. But, Samsung Mobile has come up with another one which should create some interest. It is a count down clock pointing to noon tomorrow in London. Exactly what we are going to see or hear about is unknown at the moment. Hopefully we get some information as to what is going to be taking place on May 3rd. But then again, it may be for some other product which they have. It could be to talk about Samsung’s participation in the Olympics as the official phone sponsor. All of this is speculation and we do not know what is in store for tomorrow, but we do not have long to wait.
The count down clock is coming from tgeltaayehxnx.com which is an anagram for “The Next Galaxy”. Interesting how they came up with that. If you do a WhoIs on the domain, it is owned by The Upper Storey and are located in Singapore. They are a marketing firm and more than likely are working with Samsung. This was was probably in the works for a while and is part of the plans for a phenomenal roll out for the Galaxy S3 and possibly other products at the same time. In 16 hours, you will get more information which hopefully points to what Samsung has planned for May 3rd.


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By James Cox
A new Irish “Passport Card” will be available from mid 2015. The new card will be €35 and available to everyone over 18 who already possesses a passport. Speaking at the launch for the new card, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan said, “The new card will be particularly useful for frequent travellers as it will allow people to travel within Europe while their passport book is with an embassy as part of a visa application process. The new card will also provide a useful backup travel document within Europe in the event that someone loses their passport while travelling.”
Initial reaction was very mixed particularly on Facebook and Twitter with many people labelling the card as nothing more than a money racket. However, consider your average student. Who hasn’t stuffed their passport into a back pocket for I.D. whilst queuing to get into Diceys or Copperface Jacks? For some its worse when a drink gets spilled on it making that cheap night out very expensive after all. With the new card students can say goodbye to battered and lost passports sacrificed in the name of a good night out.
At thirty five euro this seems a bargain. Of course I.D. is not the only function of the new cards. Everyone has experienced the panic of misplacing a passport just before a trip. For the most part it turns out to be a false alarm but sometimes this is not the case. That leaves two options: if there is enough time, a stressful wait for hours to secure an emergency passport or the second and worst case scenario; no holiday. This card cuts out the unnecessary panic as you can keep it in your wallet with your bank cards. Valid to travel anywhere in Europe, the card will become a frequent sight in Dublin airport on hopefully stress free trips.
photo: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade


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LG K30 Series Proliferates on US Carriers
LG's entry-level K30 2019 model has launched in several different versions, under a variety of names, at AT&T, T-Mobile, and Cricket in recent weeks. Cricket launched the phone as the Escape Plus a few weeks ago, and sells it for $80. Since then, AT&T Prepaid has launched the same phone as the Arena 2 for $120, and LG now sells it unlocked as the K30 2019 for $140. Also, a slightly higher-end version with a fingerprint reader and better camera (13 megapixel instead of 8) is now available as the Prime 2 on AT&T (also $120) and Aristo 4+ on T-Mobile for $162.50. Those two models also differ: the Prime 2 has NFC, while the Aristo 4+ has dual-band Wi-Fi instead. Unusually, the Prime 2 and Aristo 4+ have only 16 GB of storage, while the otherwise lower-end Escape Plus and Arena 2 have 32 GB. All versions in the series have a tall HD display, 3,000 mAh battery, dedicated Google Assistant button, 5-megapixel selfie camera, 3.5mm headset jack, and a memory card slot.
Sep 8, 2019
Cricket is now selling the LG Escape Plus, a new phone with basic specs for $120. Its best feature is a 5.5-inch LCD display with and tall 2:1 aspect ratio and HD+ (720 x 1440 pixel) resolution.
Jan 8, 2021
Motorola today unveiled a full lineup of four new affordable phones, including three g-series models ranging from $169 – $299 and one 5G model for $399. All four feature large batteries (4,000 – 5,000 mAh) and large displays (6.5 – 6.8 inches).
Oct 29, 2020
LG today unveiled the K92 5G, its entry into the growing surge of phones designed to bring 5G to more affordable price points. The K92 5G will be sold by AT&T, Cricket, and US Cellular starting at just $359, breaking the $399 barrier for the first time.
Sep 1, 2020
Samsung has revealed new details of its Galaxy Z Fold2 foldable phone, the successor to last year's pioneering Galaxy Fold. While Samsung has improved or refined most aspects of the design — including the hinge — the much larger outer display stands out, having grown from 4.6 to 6.2 inches, and now protected by Gorilla Glass Victus.
Sep 23, 2020
Samsung has a new, more affordable Galaxy S20 phone that starts at $699 while keeping the S20 specs and features that Samsung says surveyed users cared about most. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (abbreviated "FE") keeps flagship-level specs in many areas.
5.5" display 720 x 1440 pixels
Snapdragon 425 processor 2 GB RAM
3,000 mAh battery
Memory Card Slot, Headphone Jack (3.5mm)


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Elior India managing director Sanjay Kumar said the company has outpaced industry growth in food services, and that it plans to touch sales of $100 million in India by 2020.
GSK and Pfizer said on Wednesday they will merge their consumer healthcare businesses, which have combined sales of $12 billion, by creating a JV with GSK owning 68% and Pfizer 32%.
The move comes ahead of merger of 21st Century Fox’ assets that may see reshuffle at the top level.
Pfizer isn't the only route to solving Reckett's growth problem. Some are less obvious, but that's not an issue for Kapoor as he has a habit of doing the unexpected.
Pfizer and Abbott and domestic companies including Alkem, Ipca and MacLeods, and is likely to be contested by companies, sources say.
Reckitt Benckiser Group would consider acquiring Pfizer's consumer-health unit were it to come up for sale in the wake of the Viagra maker's merger with Allergan.
Implementation of a new drug policy has lead to de-stocking by companies and retailers.


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"Although at this juncture we do not anticipate any job losses, we cannot guarantee that this may not change should the market worsen materially and require us to review our current response plans"- Bonyongo.
Debswana has been forced to close down operations at Damtshaa mine, and scale down production at Orapa No.1 mine for the next three years due to continuing deterioration of the diamond market, which has become even more serious. The announcement was made by Debswana Managing Director, Balisi Bonyongo, in a confidential memo to all employees on Tuesday afternoon with the subject matter "market update". Bonyongo said although Debswana reduced production by three million carats to match demand during 2015, the demand for rough diamonds has continued to be weak. Consequently, Debswana has not been able to achieve their planned sales target for 2015. "The collapse of the diamond market has resulted in an unprecedented slow movement of diamond stocks throughout the entire pipeline which has negatively affected sales by producers throughout most of this year," said Bonyongo.
The primary drivers for the deterioration of the diamond market have been:
Bonyongo told employees that it is difficult to determine with certainty the length of time it will take before the market situation stabilises and the current best view suggests a period of up to 18 months. During 2015, Debswana's efforts have been centred on aligning production to demand and the preservation of cash by reducing operational and capital expenditure. "In view of this year’s sales trends and medium term outlook, as well as the amount of unsold inventory that we currently hold, we have had to review our mitigation plans in order to protect our business going forward. The Debswana Board has approved a business plan for the period 2016 – 2018 which maintains diamond output at 20 million carats per annum to match expected levels of demand for rough diamonds," he said.
To achieve the business plan Debswana will produce more from Jwaneng Mine, which is the highest revenue and lowest cost operation while reducing production from Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines (OLDM) which offers the most optimal production flexibility options. Jwaneng Mine will produce an average 12 million carats per year while production at OLDM will average 8 million carats per year for the 3-year period. Delivering the sad news Bonyongo explained that to achieve the lower production at OLDM, Damtshaa Mine will go into a care and maintenance programme for up to three years. "In addition, Orapa No. 1 Plant’s output will be reduced to approximately one million carats per year in order to maintain plant readiness for a quick production ramp-up should this opportunity present itself," said Bonyongo, adding that employees will be re-deployed to other parts of business while optimistic that the market will recover at some point.