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DENVER, Colo. — The year began with stronger markets for lamb and wool, which helped provide a positive attitude to industry participants at the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) National Lamb Feeders Association Convention in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 20-23.
Cull-ewe prices are the highest seen in years, wool markets are expected to be active, pelt prices are up this winter and lamb meat export numbers are strikingly higher indicating additional interest being shown around the world for U.S. lamb products.
In an effort to quantify the nontraditional lamb market in the U.S., it became apparent that sheep inventory numbers may be larger than previously reported by the USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS).
In 2008, as many as 1.2 million head of sheep were channeled outside the traditional pipeline and into ethnic markets or were sold direct to consumers off the farm. Therefore, a portion of American lambs do not show up in the federally inspected slaughter numbers and it is also likely that many ewe flocks are not accounted for in national reports.
The actual number of lambs processed in this country could be as high as 3.5 million.
Glen Fisher, ASI president, said the report showed the U.S. has more sheep than estimated in recent years. Knowing more about how many lambs are being sold in the nontraditional market and something about where they are going provides opportunities to the trade and good information to the American Lamb Board as they design promotion and merchandizing programs.
Chris Wilcox, wool and livestock economist from Australia, stressed that wool prices are inventory driven but that demand is having an effect as well.
Some of the drivers of falling wool production include climatic conditions, lower wool-income returns compared with other enterprises, a shift to sheep for meat production, predators and pessimism about wool.
Wilcox was encouraging, however, for the 2010 wool market. He expects that there will be better consumer demand for natural fibers in 2010 and that the tight supply of apparel wool — with little prospect to increase the supply — will have an effect.
A 2010 budget amendment approved by the board of directors will facilitate one of the most significant advancements in wool product development in the United States in years. ASI investigated introducing equipment in the United States to manufacture washable/shrink proof wool products and may have the opportunity to make this happen this year.
Brandon Willis, USDA Farm Service Agency deputy administrator, communicated the details of the new disaster assistance program which compensates livestock producers for losses related to adverse weather. Millions of dollars in payments were made to sheep producers from Texas to North Dakota due to blizzards and spring storms that killed sheep in 2008 and 2009.
ASI strongly supported the creation of these programs in the last farm bill.
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This sounds heavenly.
North Main Street is one of those areas where you can find everything and anything from a tea set to a wig, excellent charity shops, a trip to the movies, or just a tasty pint.
Now, the bustling street is about to gain its very own regular weekend craft and vintage market, hosted in the gorgeous surrounds of St Peter’s Church.
The newly established Hibiscus Market, organised by a team of multidisciplinary artists, recently put a call out to vendors looking to take up a spot… and they received a tonne of applications from local artists and curators.
“We were really impressed by the quality and volume of applications, and we can’t wait to showcase the work of so many amazing artists, crafters, and vintage curators,” said the organisers on Instagram.
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Among the stallholders already confirmed are Saltwater Design, textured, thoughtful jewellery created in Cork by Megan Williams, French illustrator Justine Lepage, fashion accessory brand INAKSY, Mink enamel pins and prints, Sachiko paper crafts and artist Deirdre Kelly.
The first market is set to take place on Saturday, July 15th, and Sunday, July 16th. Keep an eye on their social media for more details.

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Walmart has taken additional steps to ensure the health and safety of its employees and customers during the COVID-19 crisis.
The retailer is limiting the number of customers who can be in a store at any one time. No more than five customers for each 1,000 sq. ft. can be in a store at a given time, which is roughly 20% of a store’s capacity. The new policy went into effect Saturday, April 4.
To manage the restriction, employees at a store will mark a queue at a single-entry door (in most cases the grocery entrance) and direct arriving customers there, where they will be admitted one-by-one and counted. Associates and signage will remind customers of the importance of social distancing while they’re waiting to enter a store – especially before it opens in the morning. Once a store reaches its capacity, customers will be admitted inside on a “1-out-1-in” basis.
Additionally, the retail giant plans to institute one-way aisle traffic starting next week in a number of its stores, using floor markers and direction from employees.
Walmart said it will continue to put signage in stores to remind customers of the need to maintain social distancing – especially in lines. And once customers check out, they will be directed to exit through a different door than they entered, which should help lessen the instances of people closely passing each other, according to the company.
The new measures follow other steps the retailer has taken in recent weeks, including installing sneeze guards and social distance in stores, closing stores overnight for cleaning and restocking, beginning employee temperature checks and making gloves and facial masks available to employees who want them.
“We always want people to feel welcome at Walmart, and we know that in ordinary times a store is a gathering place for members of a community to connect and socialize,” stated Dacona Smith, executive VP and COO, Walmart U.S. “We look forward to the time when that is again the case; however, we now want to prioritize health and safety by encouraging customers to do their shopping at a distance from others, then head home.”
Smith noted that many Walmart customers have been following the advice of the medical community regarding social distancing and safety, but the company has been “concerned to still see some behaviors in our stores that put undue risk on our people.”
“We want to encourage customers to bring the fewest number of people per family necessary to shop, allow for space with other customers while shopping, and practice social distancing while waiting in lines,” she said. “We’re also seeing states and municipalities set varying policies regarding crowd control – which has created some confusion regarding shopping.”


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The company announced new gaming desktops, all-in-ones, and convertibles with Windows 10 at IFA 2017. The devices include Predator Orion 9000 desktop, Predator X35, and Switch7 Black Edition.
Windows 11 build 23545 fixes a number of File Explorer bugs and more
windows 11 insider preview
Acer has announced the Nitro 5 Spin, one of the first products to feature Intel's 8th-gen processors. The 2-in-1 device has a claimed 10-hour battery life and is intended for casual gaming.
HP's EliteBook x360 is packed with features, such as two different forms of Windows Hello, HP SureStart, active pen support, and much more. Here's our review of the new convertible PC for businesses.
Microsoft has opened UK pre-orders for the Porsche Design Book One, calling it "the convertible of your dreams", and saying it's "every bit as sleek and refined as the sports cars that share its DNA".
Google today announced a renewed initiative for promoting the use of Chromebooks in education settings, with an increased emphasis on flexible form factors and the use of styli.
Best Buy has listed a new convertible Samsung Chromebook with touchscreen and stylus-ready, in a seemingly undesired leak. If confirmed, it may be a push for touchscreen-enabled Chrome OS devices.
Samsung has unveiled the 'Notebook 7 spin', a new Windows 10 convertible available in two sizes, which goes on sale this week, and is aimed at those who enjoy consuming content and surfing the web.
Dell has unveiled a number of new 2-in-1 devices aimed at all price points. Perhaps the splashiest device is the 17-inch Inspiron 7000 convertible, featuring a Skylake Core CPU and an infrared camera.
Ahead of the Computex expo, Asus has unveiled a number of new tablets, inspired by Microsoft's Surface line. The Asus Transformer 3 tablets claim to offer style and power in an affordable package.
The latest data coming from Western Europe shows that convertible devices and detachable tablets have a bright future ahead, even as the overall PC market continues to decline.
Acer's new 2-in-1 brings a Core M processor, 7.85mm aluminum chassis, the ability to drive two external 4K displays, and compatibility with a graphics-boosting dock.
At CES, HP just announced a new version of its Spectre x360 convertible. The new device features a 15.6-inch 4K screen, while the older 13-inch model also got a refresh with new internals.
Microsoft thought we'd fall in love with touch on our PCs with Windows 8, but many new Windows 10 notebooks and desktops still lack touchscreen support today. How much does this feature matter to you?
HP's new high-end Windows notebook features a 360-degree hinge, 13.3-inch display with Quad HD resolution, 8GB RAM, and up to 512GB storage with a Core i7 processor, and is expected to launch soon.
Starting at just 1.72 lbs., the Lenovo LaVie becomes the current featherweight champion for PC convertibles that doesn't compromise on performance in its quest to be thin and light.
The ASUS Transformer Book Flip 15 is available for just $299 today, including a 15.6-inch display that folds over 360 degrees, turning the notebook into a large (albeit rather heavy) tablet.
According to inside sources, LG is looking to launch a new tablet that will double as a laptop thanks to a detachable keyboard. Essentially LG wants to compete with Microsoft's Surface lineup.
Toshiba has unveiled the Satellite Radius 11, a low-cost notebook-style PC with a touchscreen that folds over 360-degrees for 'tablet-style' usage, along with up to 4GB RAM, 32GB SSD and full HDMI.
On stage at Computex, Microsoft showed off a number of recently launched Windows devices as well as some we hadn't seen before. Among these a HP 2-in-1 device and a 7-inch tablet from Toshiba.
Dell has taken the wraps off a new portable all-in-one machine called the XPS 18, which packs an 18.4-inch 1080p display in a body that can be transported around thanks to the included battery
Asus' first Windows RT tablet, the Asus Vivo Tab RT, will retail for $599.99, or $799.99 if you choose to get it with the keyboard dock. The tablet includes a Tegra 3 chipset and 10.1-inch display.
This month is going to see a slew of tablet news, and the gates are now beginning to open. Lenovo today is on a roll, and has announced the Lynx and Twist convertible tablets featuring Windows 8.
We have another leaked slide from Dell but this one is not as pretty as the previous one we posted. Coming in late 2012, Dell looks to be reviving the Duo format for Windows 8.
With Windows 8's launch fast approaching, interest is growing in the devices that will run the new OS. A source claims that the first Intel-based Windows 8 tablets will be in stores in November.


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LG, after launching its Magna smartphone on Tuesday, has now made its LG Watch Urbane up for purchase on Google Store in the US. The firm announced the global rollout of its Android Wear-based smartwatch via the Google portal last week.
Priced at $349 (roughly Rs. 22,000), the LG Watch Urbane for now is available in the US. Sporting two variants - silver and gold, the smartwatch will start shipping on May 8. While announcing the global rollout last week LG said the smartwatch would be made available to buy in countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States starting this month. There is no word on the smartwatch's LTE-based model, which runs on WebOS and is currently available in South Korea for $608, as per the Verge.
Notably, Google last week while introducing a major update to Android Wear announced that the LG Watch Urbane will be the first one to receive the updated OS with new features.
(Also see: LG Watch Urbane First Impressions: Continuing Evolution)
The $349 price tag of LG Watch Urbane makes the piece of wearable fall with the likes of Apple Watch (Sports Edition) and the Huawei Watch, which was recently tipped tipped to cost EUR 349. The launch however comes at the time when the firm is all set to launch its flagship handset, the LG G4.
The LG Watch Urbane is inspired by the company's first circular smartwatch, the G Watch R, and sports an "all metal" design. It also features LG Call and LG Pulse functionality for easy calling and measuring the heart rate of the wearer.
The LG Watch Urbane features a 1.3-inch circular Plastic OLED (P-OLED) display with a resolution of 320x320 pixels and a pixel density of 245ppi. Other specifications include a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.2GHz coupled with 512MB of RAM (LPDDR2). It comes with 4GB (eMMC) of inbuilt storage. The LG Watch Urbane measures 45.5x52.2x10.9mm and will be available in Gold and Silver colours. It is backed by a 410mAh battery. It features Photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor to track heartbeat, a 9-axis (gyro/ accelerometer/ compass), and a barometer. It comes with IP67 certification that makes it dust and water resistant.


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A Village of Collier woman will have to answer in court after the alleged theft of clothing she needed for an upcoming “family trip.”
Billie Jo Tyrrell, 61, on the afternoon of Sept. 13 entered Belk at La Plaza Grande in The Villages and took several items of clothing into a fitting room, according to an arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department. When she exited the fitting room, she had one of the items tucked in her purse.
Tyrrell then went to the store’s Crown and Ivy department and selected more clothing and went back into a fitting room. When she left, a second item had been concealed in her handbag. She attempted to leave the store, but was stopped by a loss prevention officer.
When a police officer arrived, Tyrrell admitted she had a blue pullover jacket valued at $59.50 and a leopard print turtleneck valued at $36 concealed in her purse.
“Billie stated that she had stolen the items because she had a family trip coming up and was in need of clothes,” the officer wrote in the arrest report.
She was issued a notice to appear Oct. 2 in Lake County Court to answer to a charge of theft.
Tyrrell was in the news last year after her son was shot dead by her husband in the Marianna Villas.


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Tesco shares have fallen by nearly 7 per cent this morning after the supermarket issued a profit warning.
Britain's biggest grocery retailer now expects annual profits to be £400 million lower at £2.4 billion.
Tesco says "challenging trading conditions and ongoing investment...continued to impact the expected financial performance of the Group".
More top news
The Islamic centre where the Manchester suicide bomber is thought to have prayed says the attack "has no place in Islam or any religion".
German chancellor Angela Merkel and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi among those to praise "great spirit" of Manchester people.
The bomber's identity has been confirmed by Greater Manchester Police.


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Goldman Sachs has entered into a new partnership to enable companies carry out business transactions through SAP’s Ariba Network.
The collaboration will make Goldman Sachs’ cross-border Global Payments capabilities available in select SAP Ariba solutions.
Subsequently, buyers can pay foreign suppliers in local currencies at a reduced cost. The integration is also expected to improve operational efficiency with swift reconciliation of payments.
Additionally, it will support real-time payment tracking, reducing risks and minimising related inquiries.
Goldman Sachs Transaction Banking global head Hari Moorthy said: “We put clients at the centre of this product to create a frictionless payment experience and provide competitive and transparent pricing.
“We are proud to partner with SAP to introduce this innovative yet simplified approach to making payments across the globe on Ariba Network.”
The partnership will utilise Goldman Sachs’ machine learning techniques to optimise payment routing.
With more than 4.6 million customers connected to it, Ariba Network supports more than $3.2trn in commercial transactions every year.
SAP Procurement Solutions Network and Ecosystem executive vice-president Sean Thompson said: “We continue to expand our portfolio of ecosystem partners to add more value for customers.
“Partnering with Goldman Sachs Transaction Banking allows us to deliver more innovative financial solutions, starting with these cross-border payment capabilities, which is critically important for so many of our customers on Ariba Network doing business in the global economy today.”


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The term “data company” is certainly broad. It could easily include giant social networks like Meta. The company has perhaps one of the world’s most valuable data sets, which includes about 2.94 billion monthly active users (MAUs). Meta also has many of the world’s elite data scientists on its staff.
But for purposes of this article, the term will be narrower. The focus will be on those operators that build platforms and tools to leverage data – one of the most important technologies in enterprises these days.
Yet even this category still has many companies. For example, if you do a search for data analytics on G2, you will see results for over 2,200 products.
So when coming up with a list of top data companies, it will be, well, imperfect. Regardless, there are companies that are really in a league of their own, from established names to fast-growing startups, publicly traded and privately held. Let’s take a look at five of them.
Also see out picks for Top Data Startups.
In 2012, a group of computer scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, created the open source project, Apache Spark. The goal was to develop a distributed system for data over a cluster of machines.
From the start, the project saw lots of traction, as there was a huge demand for sophisticated applications like deep learning. The project’s founders would then go on to create a company called Databricks.
The platform combines a data warehouse and data lakes, which are natively in the cloud. This allows for much more powerful analytics and artificial intelligence applications. There are more than 7,000 paying customers, such as H&M Group, Regeneron and Shell. Last summer, the ARR (annual recurring revenue) hit $600 million.
About the same time, Databricks raised $1.6 billion in a Series H funding and the valuation was set at a stunning $38 billion. Some of the investors included Andreessen Horowitz, Franklin Templeton and T. Rowe Price Associates. An IPO is expected at some point, but even before the current tech stock downturn, the company seemed in no hurry to test the public markets.
SAS (Statistical Analysis System), long a private company, is one of the pioneers of data analytics. The origins of the company actually go back to 1966 at North Carolina State University. Professors created a program that performed statistical functions using the IBM System/360 mainframe. But when government funding dried up, SAS would become a company.
It was certainly a good move. SAS would go on to become the gold standard for data analytics. Its platform allows for AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, risk management, data quality and fraud management.
SAS is one of the world’s largest privately-held software companies. Last summer, SAS was in talks to sell to Broadcom for $15 billion to $20 billion. But the co-founders decided to stay independent and despite having remained private since the company’s 1976 founding, are planning an IPO by 2024.
It should surprise absolutely no one that SAS made our list of the top data analytics products.
Snowflake, which operates a cloud-based data platform, pulled off the largest IPO for a software company in late 2020. It raised a whopping $3.4 billion. The offering price was $120 and it surged to $254 on the first day of trading, bringing the market value to over $70 billion. Not bad for a company that was about eight years old.
Snowflake stock would eventually go above $350. But of course, with the plunge in tech stocks, the company’s stock price would also come under extreme pressure. It would hit a low of $110 a few weeks ago.
Despite all this, Snowflake continues to grow at a blistering pace. In the latest quarter, the company reported an 85% spike in revenues to $422.4 million and the net retention rate was an impressive 174%. The customer base, which was over 6,300, had 206 companies with capacity arrangements that led to more than $1 million in product revenue in the past 12 months.
Snowflake started as a data warehouse. But the company has since expanded on its offerings to include data lakes, cybersecurity, collaboration, and data science applications. Snowflake has also been moving into on-premises storage, such as querying S3-compatible systems without moving data.
Snowflake is actually in the early stages of the opportunity. According to its latest investor presentation, the total addressable market is about $248 billion.
Like Databricks, Snowflake made our lists of the best DataOps and Big Data Storage tools.
Founded in 2003, Splunk is the pioneer in collecting and analyzing large amounts of machine-generated data. This makes it possible to create highly useful reports and dashboards.
A key to the success of Splunk is its vibrant ecosystem, which includes more than 2,400 partners. There is also a marketplace that has over 2,400 apps.
A good part of the focus for Splunk has been on cybersecurity. By using real-time log analysis, a company can detect outliers or unusual activities.
Yet the Splunk platform has shown success in many other categories. For example, the technology helps with cloud migration, application modernization, and IT modernization.
In March, Splunk announced a new CEO, Gary Steele. Prior to this, he was CEO of Proofpoint, a fast-growing cloud-based security company.
On Steele’s first earnings report, he said: “Splunk is a system of record that’s deeply embedded within customers’ businesses and provides the foundation for security and resilience so that they can innovate with speed and agility. All of this translated to a massive, untapped, unique opportunity, from which I believe we can drive long-term durable growth while progressively increasing operating margins and cash flow.”
While there is a secular change towards the cloud, the reality is that many large enterprises still have significant on-premises footprints. A key reason for this is compliance. There is a need to have much more control over data because of privacy requirements.
But there are other areas where data fragmentation is inevitable. This is the case for edge devices and streaming from third parties and partners.
For Cloudera, the company has built a platform that is for the hybrid data strategy.This means that customers can take full advantage of their data everywhere.
“The cloud hyperscalers are providing jalopies — vehicles of mismatched components, slapped together in haphazard fashion — while Cloudera is offering an elegant, a well-engineered vehicle, which we could liken to a luxury sedan, a sports car or both,” said Andrew Brust, founder and CEO of Blue Badge Insights.
Last year, Cloudera reported revenues over $1 billion. Among its thousands of customers, they include over 400 governments, the top ten global telcos and nine of the top ten healthcare companies.


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Since McDonald's is now serving waffle fries in many of its Canadian locations plenty of us American's want to move up north! Until we find a…
Starbucks is issuing a last call for alcohol at some of its stores.
Forget the microbreweries because small-batch artisanal hot sauces are what's in this year. Vic Clinco owns the largest privately owned…
"Best by" and "Sell by" dates stamped on food can be confusing and intimidating. Are you wasting good food?
Tired of the boring soups like chicken noodle or cheddar broccoli? Here's a new option: Pickle soup. Yes, you read that correctly.
Reddi-wip, among other brands, are facing a shortage of canned whipped cream.
A man wants $5 million from Krispy Kreme because the company's fruit doughnuts don't contain real fruit.
Thanksgiving can be stressful with the prepping, cooking, leftovers and not to mention those pesky in-laws that invited themselves over.…
Don't let your Thanksgiving dinner preparation gobble up your time. Brian Corsetti has five fun hacks making your turkey dinner easier this…
McDonald's locations in Italy are in for a real treat - Nutella burgers.
McDonald's has added bigger — and smaller — versions of its most classic sandwich.
As part of the company's “Steal a Base, Steal a Taco” promotion, Taco Bell will be giving away free…


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Stressfree Marine launches watersports rope winch
New wakechaser winch designed for on-the-water rope length adjustments.
Local winch manufacturer Stressfree Marine used last week's Melbourne Boat Show to launch its latest winch product, the wakechaser, a remote-controlled winch for on-the-water rope adjustments in seconds.
Suitable for professional and recreational wakeboarders, water-skiers and water sport enthusiasts, the wakechaser is designed to optimise finding and riding the sweet-spot of the wake.
“Applying our innovative marine anchor winch technology into the design of a watersports centred winch has been something we have been working on for over three years,” said Dean Forster, company founder and lead designer. “The inability to make on-the-water adjustments had been a plague of the sport for years – this just felt like logical solution using our proven tech.”
Typically wakeboarders, water skiers and tubers will manually adjust and tie-off rope onto a tower while docked. Adjusting rope lengths for different users can be a time-consuming and frustrating activity for the boat operators and riders. With the new wakechaser, adjustments can be made on-the-water to suit any rider, making it easier to change riders and change rope length when individual riders are chasing a wake or perfecting a trick.
“Wakeboard riders are particularly enjoying the wakechaser, as its drum capacity can store up to 100 feet of rope,” said Jay Forster, manager. “Advanced riders often use longer lines – around 85 feet - for better tricks and manoeuvrability, while we’re also seeing beginners and intermediate riders optimising shorter rope lengths, and then adjusting as they build confidence.
“It’s great to be behind a tool that works for pros and recreational users.”
The wakechaser is also designed to solve another problem in watersports, the issue of manual rope pull-in and tangled rope in the boat while on the water. The fully automated remote-controlled winch mechanism simplifies this task for riders, boat operators and observers.
According to Stressfree Marine, boat builders are already considering integrating the wakechaser into future builds while the the product is also adaptable for retrofitting to older boats too.
“I’m paraphrasing here, but I think it was Peter Drucker who famously said something along the lines of ‘innovate or die’” said Dean Forster. “As a proud Australian manufacturer, we remind ourselves of this constantly to ensure we stay competitive and relevant in constantly changing local and global markets.”


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Trade is, indubitably, an all-important economic lever for many countries across the world. Whether advanced or developing, international trade enables countries to access markets and services that may not have been available domestically, thereby causing a boost in revenue for all participating nations.
The World Bank confirms that countries that embrace international trade tend to grow faster, innovate rapidly, provide higher income, and create more opportunities for their people.
For Nigeria, trade is critical to the national economic makeup. In 2021, Nigeria exported $57.7 billion of goods, making it the world’s 52nd most exporting country. Nigeria’s top export during this period was crude oil which netted the government $41.8 billion. While Nigeria remains a modest exporter of goods, the country still has a lot of potential to fulfill concerning trade exports.
It has been reported that existential trade-related challenges like lack of access to foreign exchange, high cost of doing business, the vast gulf in the shortage of essential trade infrastructure, the threat of crime and persistent security lacunae, corruption, and many other minor challenges continue to deprive Nigeria of its full export potentials.
The consortium of trade constraints affecting Nigeria’s export processes means that Nigeria’s non-oil exports need to catch up to reach the level of many of its African peers. However, regardless of the dire nature of the situation, there remains a glimmer of hope within Nigeria’s export industry.
In January 2023, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) reported that Nigeria generated $4.82 billion from non-oil exports in 2022, a 39.91% increase in non-export revenues from 2021. This trade statistic shows that Nigeria’s trade industry can reach greater heights if the country’s non-oil export base is fully harnessed.
These are some of the methods I believe Nigeria can use to secure its export base and supercharge its economy in a way that will lift millions of Nigerians out of multidimensional poverty.
1. We need to reduce the cost of doing business
The exorbitant cost of manufacturing goods in Nigeria remains a reason Nigeria’s trade export has not grown to higher levels. In a survey conducted by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), between 2018-2021, it was discovered that close to 400 big businesses collapsed in Nigeria because of rising business costs. Further, in recent research conducted by BusinessDay, it was found that manufacturing firms listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange expended more than N207 billion naira as energy costs within the first half of 2022 alone..
If we look at it deeply, we find that the two primary reasons that contribute to the rising business costs include the volatile exchange rate in Nigeria and the skyrocketing energy prices. For instance, BusinessDay noted that the price of diesel, which traded at N288.09 per liter on average in January 2022, rose to N774.38 per liter in July. This alone represents a 168.8 percent surge in the price of diesel.
The Nigerian government must address the general economic issues at the source to boost Nigerian exports by stemming the rising cost of doing business for Nigerian manufacturers.
2. We need to improve market access for Nigerian exports
In a report by the Africa International Trade and Commerce Research (AITCR) conducted in partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, it was reported that Nigerian shea butter and ginger have significant export potential in various international markets across Asia, Europe, and the United States.
To improve market access for Nigerian goods, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has tasked Nigerian exporters to embrace food safety systems that enable their products to gain market access to many export domains worldwide. The NEPC has sounded the alarm that with the coming of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA, it has become imperative for non-oil exporters in Nigeria to acquire additional certifications to enable them to compete effectively in global markets.
3. We need to harmonize trade policies at all levels
PwC maintains that inconsistent government policies wreak far-reaching havoc on export activities in Nigeria. Indeed, we have seen incongruent government policies like the closure of the Nigerian border in 2029, the restrictions of FX for milk and corn importation and many more that have had adverse effects on manufacturers in Nigeria.
I call on the government at all levels to assiduously harmonize its policies to enhance Nigeria’s trade and manufacturing industry. Only then can trade exports in Nigeria receive a massive boost.
I believe that the provisions above will significantly boost Nigerian trade exports. If we can create an environment that attracts investment, provide support through adequate amenities, improved market access to Nigerian exporters, and well-aligned policies, Nigerian exports can advance and become valuable export goods in the global market.


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Most Americans Don't Know They Can Report Bad Reactions to FDA Safety Program
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new Consumer Reports poll shows that one in six Americans who have ever taken a prescription drug experienced a side effect serious enough to send them to the doctor or hospital, but the majority of consumers don't know they can report these side effects to the FDA, which is responsible for tracking drug safety problems.
To help make the public aware of the FDA's reporting program for drug side effects -- known as MedWatch -- Consumers Union today gave the FDA a petition signed by nearly 56,000 consumers asking that a toll-free number and website be included in all TV drug ads so people can easily report their serious side effects to the agency. CU is the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.
"You can't turn on a TV today without seeing a drug ad, but those ads never mention that consumers should be reporting serious drug side effects to the FDA," said Liz Foley, campaign coordinator with Consumers Union. "What better way for the FDA to let consumers know how to report serious problems with their medications than putting a toll-free number and website in all those drug ads we're bombarded by each day?"
Congress required the MedWatch reporting information in all print drug ads when it approved a major overhaul of drug safety laws last fall, and called for an FDA study to determine if it was appropriate to include the information in TV advertisements. But that study -- due at the end of March -- has not been completed.
"As someone who lost a loved one from an adverse drug reaction but didn't know where to turn, the FDA should make it as easy as possible for people to report serious side effects," said Kim Witczak, founder of the drug safety advocacy group WoodyMatters, named after her husband.
Witczak worked with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and others to get the
|SOURCE Consumers Union|
Copyright©2008 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved


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Pictured left to right: Toe Su Aung, Senior Policy Adviso ICC BASCAPand Director, Elipe Limited; Meena Sayal, Global Brand Protection Director, Unilever; Laurent Audaz, Head of P&I Insurance, Legal & Claims, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, a global leader in transportation and logistics, highlighted a range of cargo declaration issues at Europe’s top conference for shippers and freight forwarders.
“We continue to advocate for more transparency and detail in cargo declarations, in order to minimize risks to ship operators and protect our customers’ interests,” Laurent Audaz, Head of P&I Insurance, Legal and Claims for MSC, said at the Journal of Commerce Container Trade Europe conference in Hamburg, Germany.
Speaking on a panel about tackling the movement of counterfeit goods, Audaz said that customs and other enforcement authorities need more resources in order to lead that fight successfully. Shipping lines and logistics companies have a supportive role to play in terms of sharing knowledge and experience, he said.
The international trade of fake goods amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars a year. It undermines the revenues of some of the world’s top consumer brands and wipes out millions of legitimate jobs.
MSC has installed best-practice measures such as detailed bills of lading and stringent KYC (know-your-customer) processes and is a regular participant in initiatives to raise awareness of the issue, including Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) and STOP PIRACY.
Audaz widened the debate to other major issues around inaccurate and false cargo declarations, mentioning ship accidents and fires and the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking.
MSC was a leading proponent of the 2016 VGM safety standard on cargo weight disclosures and has also signed the Buckingham Palace Declaration, a commitment to tackle the illicit transportation of wildlife.
In recent years, shipping lines have suffered from incidents at sea which caused vessel damage and even losses of seafarers’ lives, as a result of mis-declared cargo.
“Whether we’re discussing what to do about counterfeiting, smuggling, or accidents at sea, the shadow of mis-declared cargo is always present in the background. We all need to engage together on these issues and unite with governments to discuss the problems,” Audaz said.


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iPhone 4 Proximity Sensor Fix Is Included in iOS 4.1
Not too long ago the word was that Apple wasn’t going to push out a fix for the proximity sensor problem when they release the new iOS 4.1, you can read the article (here); however it appears that that particular new was way off the mark and completely wrong.
According to an article over on TiPb, and numerous other reports, Steve Jobs started the Apple special event yesterday by listing bug fixes coming with iOS 4.1 and low and behold right there was a fix for the proximity sensor.
iOS 4.1 which is apparently scheduled to hit sometime next week will also carry bug fixes for Bluetooth and the performance problems with the iPhone 3G along with the proximity sensor fix, so is good news .
Just goes to show that sometimes we reporters do get it wrong occasionally but then mostly we can only report what the news doing the rounds is, so Apple can gloat for a short while knowing that said earlier reports fell by the wayside.


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Falken EUROALL SEASON AS210 rated ‘Good’ in the AUTO BILD all-season tyre test
“All-round talent with good driving characteristics in all weather conditions, balanced steering behaviour and short snow braking distances”
This year, Falken will once again be looking to win big in the Eifel – the tyre brand is sponsoring the ADAC TOTAL 24-Hour Race, which will take place at the Nürburgring from 20th to 23rd June 2019. Falken first joined the event as a partner in 1999 and, since then, has consistently upped its involvement.
More than 400 tyre retailers and almost 50 journalists from all key European markets will be hosted by a range of hospitality providers and can look forward to experiencing a thrilling weekend of racing at the "Grüne Hölle", the oldest and most famous part of the Nürburgring racetrack. At the trade fair stand in the ring°boulevard, in addition to viewing the latest tyre products, fans and guests will also have the chance to take part in an autograph-signing session with the drivers, as well as in many more activities. The race will also be broadcast live onto a large screen at the trade fair stand. On Saturday and Sunday, a range of Falken merchandise will be on sale in the paddock. Here, fans will have the opportunity to buy products such as models of the racing cars, bath towels, puzzles or Falken caps. The Falken Drift Show, which will take place in the historic paddock, as well as the Falken grid girls on the starting grid, are yet more of the fixed items which will be on the tyre brand’s agenda during the 24-hour race.
This season, the Falken team will be making use of a tried-and-tested line-up when it comes to drivers. What’s more, they will once again be taking their places on the starting grid in two iconic racing cars: the Porsche 911 GT3R (991.2) will be driven by the Austrians Martin Ragginger and Klaus Bachler, who will be supported by the Porsche factory drivers Dirk Werner (D) and Jörg Bergmeister (D). At the wheel of the BMW M6 GT3, Falken drivers Peter Dumbreck (GB) and Alexandre Imperatori (CH) will be taking turns with the two BMW factory drivers Stef Dusseldorp (NL) and Jens Klingmann (D).
Last year, the 24-hour race came to a close with both Falken racing cars having secured spots in the top 15. The Falken Porsche finished in 9th place and the Falken BMW finished in 15th place.
During the race, multiple film teams will be producing comprehensive moving image content and streaming live from the cockpits, as well as from other locations, at both http://www.24hlive.falkentyre.com and on Falken’s Facebook page. The events can be extensively followed on FALKEN’s Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels, as well as on the FALKEN website falkentyre.com, just some of the measures being taken to activate the fan base.
“We have been rising to the challenge of the Nürburgring since 1999”, said Markus Bögner, COO, President and Managing Director of Falken Tyre Europe GmbH, with regard to the tyre brand’s commitment to motorsports. “Back then, we started with our Ford Cosworth and our Nissan Skyline, which has since reached legendary status. The Nissan Skyline quickly became an audience favourite. The experience which we have gathered since then has made us confident that we will perform well yet again this year, and that we will also be able to provide our guests with an unforgettable weekend of racing”.


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Renaissance’s chief executive officer Richard Webb has resigned, the company has announced.
According to a statement, Webb has resigned to “focus on his technology incubation businesses”.
“Rick has steered Renaissance through an extremely difficult 2011 financial year. He has overseen the introduction of a second Apple distributor and had to deal with the significant impacts of the Christchurch earthquake on the company. Rick also rebranded all the non-distribution activities of the company under the one brand – Yoobee,” chairman Colin Giffney said in a statement issued today.
“The board acknowledges Rick’s strategic direction through an extremely challenging period in the company’s history. The board believes a base has been established on which the company can grow,” Giffney added.
The news comes shortly after the announcement of Warwick Grey’s departure from the company, amid rumours of instability within Renaissance.
More to come.


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Government allows local shops to open amidst Covid-19 lockdown, malls remain excluded
In a much needed relief to the public at large, on Friday the government allowed the opening of local and independent small shops within the societal complexes within municipal areas, but at a 50% strength and after imposing necessary restrictions.
However, it was made very clear by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, that shops located in marketplaces, multi-brand and single-brand malls will continue to remain closed till the lockdown period is over.
In an amendment of the order issued on April 15, the Union Home Ministry said “all shops, including neighbourhood shops and standalone shops, shops in residential complexes, within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, registered under the the Shops and Establishment Act of the respective State and UT” will be allowed to open during the lockdown.”
It is compulsory for the shops to have a 50 per cent employee strength and all employees have to wear masks and practice the norms of social distancing.
The order that comes on the eve of the commencement of Ramzan is being touted as a big relief to people under lockdown.
Shops in registered market places outside municipal areas can also open up shops after strictly adhering to the guidelines and restrictions.
However, single and multi brands shall continue to remain shut down to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
These exemptions however will not be applicable in hotspots and containment areas.


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New year, new fashion! The 2021 fashion release calendar is looking a little different in light of COVID-19, here are January’s noteworthy releases


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Into the New Year
By Mike Lauterborn
(for Westport News)
Westport, CT – Ahh, there’s nothing like the smell of a new space. In this case, it was a blend of latex paint fumes being used for touch-up and the aroma of decorative poinsettias in the entry hall of Westport’s new post office in the Playhouse Square Shopping Center, 245 Post Road East.
The facility had its soft opening to the public first thing Tuesday morning, to the delight of the majority of customers. Dennis Kassimis, Postmaster for Westport and Weston, was on hand to welcome customers, who dropped in to visit their new boxes, mail letters and conduct retail transactions. An official grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held in the coming weeks.
Since 1935, the Postal Service had conducted local mail operations down the block, at 154 Post Road East. After moving local mail-sorting services to a facility in Norwalk, however, the USPS determined that the 10,000-square-foot site was too large for its retail operations.
“There was a lot of unutilized space there,” said Kassimis. “For our current operational needs, it made sense to open a smaller facility.”
The 245 Post Road East office, which encompasses 2,700 square feet and was formerly occupied by the Derma Clinic European Day Spa, will accommodate only retail services. This includes regular retail needs, post office boxes, passport application, and parcel lockers for large package pick-up. Westport customers with P.O. boxes will not need to change those addresses, but will need to pick up new box keys.
Kassimis, who has been with the USPS for 26 years since beginning as a letter carrier in Stamford, said the move was a bittersweet one for him. “It’s sad to leave the old place, but nice to be in the new,” he said. “I just have to get used to it. We’ve been putting in a lot of hours getting things moved over and situated for opening day. New year, new beginning.”
Most of the first customers, like Westporter Kathleen Carey, were pleased with the new office. “I’m excited about this,” she said. “The parking situation is better, and it’s nice to have a new facility for a service we really rely on in town.”
Hannah Lissette, who was visiting her new P.O. box, agreed with Carey’s assessment and added, “The postal service in town in general is great. I usually stop in early and they always have my mail ready for me.”
Local plastic surgeon Ellen Mahoney commented that it’s just “great to still have a post office in Wesport” and she “would hate to lose it.” She added, “The people are friendly, patient and courteous… and the new office is near Organic Food Market and other shops, so I can get a few more things done.”
Charmian Valante brought in her daughters Olivia, 9, and Kate, 6, deciding it would be fun for them to see the new place. “We also came to mail thank you notes from Kate’s birthday party,” she said.
The only dissenter in the crowd of early visitors seemed to be Morley Boyd. “This is grim, sort of prison-like,” he said about the appearance of the new space, trimmed in blue and white. “I feel like I’m out on parole. It’s sterile and ahistoric. The old facility was wonderful, though undermaintained.”
But even Boyd, in his grumpy New Year’s demeanor, had to agree that parking was more efficient.
Westport’s new downtown post office will be open 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday, and 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The facility is closed on Sunday and Federal holidays.


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The bull market in gold investment demand is directly linked to inflation fears...
WE ARE WITNESSING a once-in-a-generation bull market in all types of natural resources, meaning energy, food, base and precious metals including gold. This boom in commodities is largely due to supply and demand imbalances, plus an ongoing monetary inflation which is only adding fuel to the fire.
The world's various central banks continue to pump money and credit into the system today. Combine this with the rising per-capita consumption levels in Asia and Latin America, and you can begin to understand why the prices of commodities are at record-highs.
For sure, the commodities sector has already risen considerably in this bull market, but I suspect that the uptrend will continue for several more years.
First, back in 2001, natural resources were the cheapest they had ever been in the history of capitalism. This advance, therefore, has commenced from a very depressed level.
Second, when adjusted for inflation – even via the bogus official CPI data which understates the inflation menace in the United States – commodities remain extremely cheap today.
Some analysts are now claiming that this bull market in commodities is solely due to monetary inflation and that supply and demand imbalances have no influence whatsoever. I tend to disagree with their assessment, because constant monetary inflation has been our reality since the early 1970s, back when gold was removed from the monetary system. Yet the price of commodities – energy, food and metals including gold – declined significantly between 1980 and 2001. So it is clear that the debasement of currencies alone is not responsible for the ongoing surge in the prices of commodities.
In order to have a lasting bull market in any sector, supply and demand must be out of whack. In the case of natural resources today, demand is rising ferociously in China and India whilst supply is struggling. Consider the energy market as an example: At the beginning of this decade, China and India combined used to consume roughly 8% of the world's oil and today they consume over 11%. Now, to illustrate my point that supply and demand are important factors, I would add that this rising demand (regardless of monetary inflation) would not have translated into a higher oil price IF there was an endless supply of oil.
In the current scenario however, the oil price is rising because supplies are extremely tight when compared to demand. In fact, I would argue that humanity is staring "Peak Oil" in the face.
Today the average Chinese person consumes less that two barrels of oil per year and the average Indian consumes less than a barrel of oil per year. The average American, in contrast, consumes 25 barrels per year. You don't therefore have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that Asian demand for energy can only rise in the future. Unless we can find a way to increase supply, the price of oil will continue to appreciate.
If you have invested in commodities, you will be thrilled to learn that apart from energy, the inventory levels of other resources such as base metals and food are also extremely depleted. These stockpiles are low due to the sudden and unexpected surge in demand brought about by the rapid industrialization and urbanization of China, India and parts of Latin America.
A growing percentage of the three billion people in the "emerging" economies are now putting immense pressure on the planet's resources as consumers, and the scramble to find more commodities is on. Exploration activity, whether for metals or energy, is at multi-year highs and I suspect that billions of dollars will be spent in the years ahead as nations desperately look for additional resources to feed demand.
It is interesting to note that after the brutal correction in commodities last year, energy, food and base metals have recovered, yet the precious metals have failed to rally.
Moreover, if you compare the performance of the various commodities over the past five years, you will realize that industrial commodities (meaning base metals and energy) have outperformed the precious metals by a wide margin. This was to be expected, as the economic activity has been very strong recently, and gold is a counter-cyclical asset. No doubt, it has been frustrating for investors who chose to Buy Gold to watch their gold holdings drift lower for a year, but despite the recent underperformance, I continue to believe that gold is also in a gigantic bull-market, which has a long way to run.
You must understand that in the case of base metals (copper, lead, zinc, nickel and tin), changes in industrial demand, and physical supply cause prices to rise or fall. However, when it comes to gold, investment demand alone is the single most important factor that can make or break a bull market. And the investment demand for gold is directly linked to the public's inflation expectations.
If the masses are worried about future inflation, they tend to convert their cash to gold as a store of value. On the other hand, when the public is calm about inflation, the reverse takes place.
Banks are in the business of lending paper currencies, so it is absolutely vital for their survival that the public's confidence in the monetary system remains high and that inflation expectations remain under control. Every central banker knows that if the public really understood the inflation problem, the monetary system would come under strain. So far, the central banks have done a fabulous job of managing the public's inflation expectations. However, I am of the opinion that this is about to change. As soon as the public realizes that inflation is much higher than the official CPI data, we could see a stampede towards Gold Investment.
Recently, precious metals have drifted lower which is typical at this time of the year. In fact, the wonderful summer sale is on!
Remember, corrections during a bull-market are opportunities rather than a problem. Once this consolidation is complete this summer, I expect precious metals – including the Price of Gold Bullion – to soar towards the end of this year.


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Generations of sweating architects and designers have been at work for hundreds of years, pulling inspiration from different sources, to give the biggest, most iconic cities in the world their unique looks. The result is a Paris that isn't the same as New York and a Barcelona that isn't the same as Tokyo. We can pick up on the subtle differences, and now new software can, too.
The potential of tablets to transform the way we learn is pretty extraordinary. The first really "wow" app we saw for the iPad was a re-imagining of the periodic table. Wonders of the Universe, a new app from the BBC, HarperCollins, and Professor Brian Cox, takes you zooming through our universe, from a broad view at multiple galaxies all the way down to a look at subatomic particles--with more than a film's worth of videos, a staggering amount of gorgeous space photos, and hundreds of interesting articles as well. It takes the idea of an interactive textbook far beyond what we've seen before.
Our buddies over at Pop Photo just posted their first impressions of the newest beta version of Photoshop, CS6. Looks like a pretty big update to CS5, both in front of and behind the scenes--it's got a healthy charcoal background, plus a lot of features that might make Photoshop less threatening to the beginner, like an improved auto mode, more work in content-aware tech, some basic drag-and-drop video editing capabilities, and some nice lens blur effects (like a tilt-shift simulation). And all of that comes with a healthy boost in speed. Read more about it at Pop Photo.
How comfortable are you with some minor hacking that will almost certainly void your warranty but can vastly improve your phone?
By Howard WenPosted 03.06.2012 at 5:19 pm 6 Comments
Manufacturers of Android smartphones often won't provide an updated, custom version of the operating system for models they no longer sell, so users can't take advantage of new features. For older phones, there's a workaround: CyanogenMod, a free OS built from the source code for the latest versions of Android that Google releases to developers. CyanogenMod is very similar to the official Android platform, but it includes a few extra features, such as Wi-Fi tethering, a screenshot tool, and more security and power-management settings.
News regarding Carrier IQ, a third-party service loaded on certain smartphones that's capable of tracking users and even recording keystrokes, has been spreading rapidly in the past few days, though the original discovery happened back in March. The world is still learning more about what the service specifically does, but the latest news is that references to Carrier IQ were found in Apple's iOS, the operating system used by the iPhone and iPad. Here's what you need to know.
This morning the news came over the internet: Dennis Ritchie has died.
Dr. Ritchie doesn't have the mainstream adoring following of Steve Jobs, but he can take considerably more credit for the creation, and even the aesthetics, of the computer world we live in. It's almost impossible to find a personal computing product or paradigm that doesn't owe a direct debt to Ritchie.
Our first review of Microsoft's Windows Phone noted that the basics were all in place: a stylish and innovative interface, smooth and fast operation, and a tight integration of Microsoft services like Xbox and Zune. But it was the first version of a major OS, and as we all know, those are never really great--just look at how far iOS and Android have come--so here we are again, taking a look at Microsoft's first major update, known as Mango, which was released this week. It solves lots of the problems with had with version 1.0--though some still remain.
Windows Phone 7.5, known as Mango, is a massive upgrade to the already impressive Windows Phone platform, including major additions like multitasking, fast app switching (along with threaded conversations, an idea taken from the deceased WebOS), a totally new browser, apps integrated into search, augmented reality, and way more. It's the biggest update since the platform's original release, and we're really looking forward to seeing the next wave of hardware that really takes advantage of it.
My enduring dream of being able to watch The African Queen with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Hepburn role just got a step closer!
Kyle MacDonald and Arturo Castro, a pair of programmer/artists, have created a real-time video face tracking and modifying application, which can overlay a famous face from a photo onto a moving face in a video, dynamically, in creepy, creepy real time. Just watch.
The New York Times took a look at start-up Narrative Science today, a company that has developed what is a pretty cool step forward for artificial intelligence, and a pretty frightening step towards human labor's eventual replacement by machines, a piece of software that takes data (sports statistics, financial reports, etc.) and turns it into news articles.


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Garen Meguerian of Phoenixville, Penn., was the lead plaintiff in the class action lawsuit.
Apple's proposed settlement, which can be viewed here on Scribd, will give parents who were victimized by so-called bait apps -- apps that are free, but then require content to be unlocked with an in-app purchase -- an out.
For parents who claim that their kids went hog wild on in-app purchases, Apple will offer the following:
- If the amount is less than $5, a $5 iTunes credit
- If the amount is between $5 and $30, an iTunes credit for the amount
- If the amount is above $30, a cash refund.
The proposed settlement requires Apple to send an email to “over 23 million iTunes account holders who made a Game Currency purchase in one or more Qualified Apps (meaning apps at issue in the lawsuit).” However, it's unclear how much Apple will pay in total, as it's unknown how many of those purchases are valid and how many were made by under-age children snared by a "bait app."
The settlement is still in the proposal phase. It must receive preliminary approval from a federal judge. Assuming that occurs (which typically happens in class action lawsuits), the notification period will begin and Apple will begin accepting claims.
After the claims have been received, a judge will approve the final settlement and Apple will begin making payments. Based on historical timing, it would likely be late this year or early in 2014 before payments begin being issued.


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CNET News.com reports that Zhao Jing's blog was removed from Microsoft's MSN Spaces site Dec. 31, according to investigative journalist and former CNN reporter Rebecca Mackinnon.
A Microsoft representative told ZDNet UK yesterday it blocked the blog to make sure its service complied with laws in the communist country.
But CNET News.com says questions remain as to why a site hosted in the United States must comply with Chinese law.
Responding to futher questions, Microsoft stated the company is "a multinational business and, as such, needs to manage the reality of operating in countries around the world."
In June 2005, Microsoft acknowledged it was employing a filter that censored words such as "freedom" and "democracy" from its US based Chinese MSN internet portal.
Most countries, a Microsoft spokesman said, "have laws and practices that require companies providing online services to make the Internet safe for local users. Occasionally, as in China, local laws and practices require consideration of unique elements."
Welcome to the international future.


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During a recent presentation, Intel CTO and GM of Technology Development Dr. Mike Mayberry shed some light on what’s in the pipeline for the company – and it’s got a lot to do with nanoribbon/nanowire. The full presentation on ‘The Future of...
Windows 10 May 2020 Update looks like it’s still on schedule for being released in late May, with the upgrade now rolling out to developers on MSDN. This is the final part of the pre-release deployment process, following the May 2020 Update being delivered to testers...
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2020 is a year that we will all remember but not in a very positive way. The COVID-19 pandemic really had its effect throughout the previous year. Our lifestyle changed in almost every way possible.
2020 is also a very challenging year for cybersecurity. The rapid adoption of work from home and the rise of online stores and delivery services opened a lot of open doors for cyber attackers to wreak havoc. The rush of changing operating systems for businesses resulted in a lack of attention to security. It’s quite understandable because most firms are trying to survive.
But what do we expect this 2021 in terms of cybersecurity? Will there be any significant changes? Or will it remain the same?
In a post in Threatpost.com, cybersecurity experts predict that there will be a great focus on cybersecurity this 2021 especially for remote businesses and work from home. They say that homes will be targets of more attacks because they know that some important business information and assets can be accessed through a remote device in a household. An office workstation moved to the employee’s home is vulnerable to compromise because instead of being connected to a secured local office network, it connects through the internet where traffic can be intercepted by attackers if the security is weak.
Also, cloud services will also be targets of attack. Because of remote business, dependence on cloud storage in saving and moving data soared up high. Cloud service is both practical and convenient. Top tech companies like Google and Apple promote cloud services to their users. Even smartphone manufacturers have their own cloud service for their users to enjoy. This mass adoption of cloud storage poses a great challenge to cybersecurity experts.
2021 is also seen to be a year of great technological advancement in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Self-driving cars, AI assistants are now a thing. AI assistants like Google, Siri, and Alexa store user inputs for future references, and these are precious data. Remember Jarvis? Tony Stark’s super AI in Marvel movies? He has access to everything about Tony. Imagine Jarvis being hacked. Tony can lose everything in a day.
Attacks on mobile devices will be more rampant this year. Mobile security will be a focal point for cybersecurity experts this year.
Fortunately, 2021 will also be a glorious year for cybersecurity technology. Firms are now more aware of how important cybersecurity is and are now allotting bigger budgets for it.
Despite all the possible threats, experts believe that security can keep up as long as more people become aware.


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NEW DELHI: After facing outrage over seeming to capitulate to a bigoted customer on Monday, Airtel
today sought to do damage control again by saying what happened was "just one colleague responding on behalf of another" who had logged out.
On the day this happened, Airtel took as long as nine hours to tell the offensive customer that that they "don't differentiate between customers, employees and partners." Outraged customers on Twitter, including former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said they were going to cancel their Airtel connections.
Following its lukewarm response as long as nine hours after the offensive customer tweet came to light, Airtel today again sought to absolve itself.
The cellular service provider said its customer service representative were just following best practices to resolve a customer complaint. It also painted the whole episode as distressing and a "harsh lesson" for the two service representatives involved, that "their religious identity
Airtel said in a statement today that Shoaib
, the customer service representative whom a customer didn't want to deal with because he's Muslim, had logged off, and his colleague, Gaganjot
, merely responded to be able to "minimize the time taken to resolve any customer query". Gaganjot, said Airtel, "didn't check his colleague's religious identity before taking up the case".
"For us, Monday was simply a case of two dedicated professionals, Shoaib and Gaganjot, following a dutiful course in their regular work shift...So when a customer writes in and one advisor is busy, it gets assigned to next available advisor automatically. Which is exactly what happened with Shoaib and Gaganjot," said Airtel in a statement it tweeted today.
Airtel insisted it didn't capitulate to discrimination.
"We are still trying to wrap our head around how one colleague responding on behalf of another is being misconstrued as our 'acceptance of discrimination'. We did not and we repeat, DID NOT change the advisor because of the unfathomable request from said customer. At Airtel, we never have and never will succumb to differentiating on the basis of religion, ethnicity of caste," it said further.
a customer tweeted saying she didn't want a Muslim customer service representative helping her because she doubted his "work ethic".
Below is the offensive customer tweet and Airtel's response from Monday.
Below is Airtel's earlier tweet saying it doesn't differentiate based on religion.


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iPhone 5 release date will go ahead as planned, despite a shortage of quality batteries available to build the handset, claims industry analyst
The iPhone 5’s release date may not be affected by a suspected battery dilemma – specifically, the handset’s official battery provider is reportedly struggling to churn out enough energy packs that are up to Apple’s strict standards.
And even if the battery issue turns out to be accurate, Apple is likely to conjure up a plan to avoid any disruption to the mooted handset’s launch later this year, an expert has claimed.
According to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, the unnamed manufacturer has only fulfilled 30 per cent of the orders placed by Apple, which is worryingly low considering the iPhone 5 is expected to land either in September or October, rumours suggest.
He wrote: "If there is a battery challenge, we trust that Apple will be able to figure it out in time for a September launch."
According to AppleInsider's Neil Hughes, the anonymous battery vendor is purported to be "working to solve the problem".
"Last year, the iPhone 4S launched in mid-October, and some industry watchers expect Apple will wait about a year before launching a new handset."
Apple claims to be extremely picky when it comes to the quality of their devices – fanboys may well remember that the late Steve Jobs stalled the launch of the white iPhone 4 by nine months due to a lack of UV protection.
However, with Jobs no longer at the helm, it remains to be seen whether Apple's new head, Tim Cook, will follow precedent or find a speedy solution to launch the device on time


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A vast survey of just about 18,000 drivers has uncovered just about fifty percent are contemplating an electric powered car or truck when it is time to replace their present-day vehicle.
The survey, executed by the AA and ITV’s Tonight present-day affairs programme, uncovered forty seven for every cent of drivers will take into account an electric powered vehicle for their future car or truck, with women of all ages (49 for every cent) a bit more very likely to be mulling in excess of an EV than men (forty six for every cent).
All those living in London had been most very likely to say they would appear at EVs (56 for every cent), even though 54 for every cent of all those in social teams A and B (described as upper-middle and middle-middle class) had been also more very likely to take into account a person. Individuals aged 18 to 24 had been most very likely to take into account going electric powered (60 for every cent), with 56 for every cent of aged 35 to forty four, and forty eight for every cent of all those aged 55 to 64 stating the very same.
The survey benefits will encourage all those in govt pushing for a ban on the sale of new autos with an inner combustion motor, which was at first slated for 2040, but now appears established to be coming in 2035, if not earlier.
For all those who mentioned they would not take into account an EV for their future car or truck, a lack of public charging details was the major concern, with sixty nine for every cent stating this would put them off electric powered motoring. This is echoed by a the latest report that uncovered the United kingdom only has 5 for every cent of the public EV chargers it will will need by 2030, even though our inaugural Driver Electricity chargepoint survey uncovered some vendors will need to make significant enhancements to their networks.
Electrical autos staying far too costly, in the meantime, was cited as staying problematic by sixty seven for every cent of all those responding to the survey, even though fears relating to jogging out of electrical power or not possessing charge to get to their vacation spot (also known as array nervousness) was a fret for 63 for every cent of respondents. United kingdom drivers address just in excess of 7,000 miles a yr on ordinary, equivalent to all over 20 miles a working day, nonetheless, that means many EVs would not will need to be charged more than at the time a week or so – though problems continue being relating to how all those with out off-avenue parking will best up their autos.
Some 63 for every cent of all those responding to the poll, in the meantime, agreed that they had been involved the UK’s electric power network would not be equipped to cope if all drivers switched to electric powered autos. The National Grid has formerly mentioned, nonetheless, that intelligent charging (which would routinely regulate EV charging through peak hours, for instance) and infrastructure enhancements really should necessarily mean this is not the concern many had been at the time involved it would be.
Some 72 for every cent of AA associates, in the meantime, agreed that charging EVs usually takes far too extended.
Commenting on the survey, the AA’s president, Edmund King, mentioned the United kingdom is going through a “radical transition”, and he considers that there is a will need to “help drivers prevail over perceived myths about EVs and charging. It is incredibly encouraging that just about fifty percent of drivers will take into account an EV for their future car or truck.”
Type extra: “Our AA breakdown details also shows that EVs are more dependable, but when breakdowns take place they are similar to breakdowns on traditional autos with tyres, wheels and the 12-volt battery accounting for about a person third of issues.”
Test out our list of the greatest electric powered autos to acquire now…
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Ways To Choose The Motorcycle Insurance And Car Warranties


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Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Russia’s largest wireless operator by subscribers, has announced that it has launched commercial 4.5G services, using the ‘LTE-Advanced Pro’ name. The network, which aggregates frequencies in the 1800MHz and 2600MHz bands, has gone live in the cities of Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Ufa and Yakutsk. Theoretical download speeds of 700Mbps are available to end-users, while compatible handsets are expected to be made available by major vendors from early 2017.
Andrey Ushatskiy, Vice President for Technology and IT and Chief Technology Officer of MTS, commented: ‘MTS is committed to maintaining its leadership in telecoms technology in Russia and is laying the groundwork to evolve its networks to a 5G standard. Today, on the eve of the introduction of devices supporting 4.5G, we are launching the first commercial LTE-Advanced Pro network in Russia.’


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Canowindra winery Windowrie Wines has won a gold medal at the Sydney Royal Wine Show. The well-known local vineyard, which produces and sells most wines including Sauvignon Blancs, Merlots, Pinot Noirs, and Shirazes, took out the gold medal in the Pinot Noir category at the Wine Show. The Wine Show ran throughout all of last month, and award winners were announced last Thursday night, with Windowrie coming up trumps for Pinot Noirs for the first time in the event.
Windowrie Wines has won gold medals in the past at the event, as well as other major events including wine shows in Melbourne, Adelaide and London, and at this year’s Sydney event, they also took out a bronze and a silver medal. They were awarded silver in the Shiraz category, and bronze in the Sauvignon Blanc category.
Windowrie Wines founder David O’Dea said it was great for his business to now have a gold medal for its Pinot Noirs. “It’s a true reflection of the dedication we have to our wine making, and while we have won gold medals at wine shows in the past, this was the first time we had won it for our Pinot Noirs,” he said.
The Sydney Royal Wine Show uses experienced wine judges in the industry, and the judging process is overseen by a Chair of Judges, and includes six separate judging panels. Each panel consists of one Panel Chair, two Senior Judges and two Associate Judges. Medals are determined by the Judges using a points scale, with 95 points getting a gold medal, 90 – 94 getting silver and 85 – 89 getting bronze.
By Joshua Matic


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WikiLeaks has released the specific area of over 100 of Amazon’s information centers for the very first time on Thursday. Formerly, just the basic location of these information centers was understood for security factors.
WikiLeaks reports that to keep these areas deceptive, Amazon utilizes different pseudonyms for each center.
Most significantly, at its IAD77 information center in Manassas, Virginia, Amazon is referred to as “Vandelay Industries”– a nod to George Costanza and his extraordinary shenanigans at the joblessness workplace in Season 3 of Seinfeld.
According to the WikiLeaks report, all Amazon staff members at the IAD77 information center wear Vandelay Market badges and utilize the Costanza-imagined business name in all correspondence with the structure supervisor.
There are 38 information centers situated in Virginia alone and a number of in the Bay Location and near Seattle, according to the dripped report. Amazon has actually centers spread out around the world in Europe, Asia, South America, Australia too.
WikiLeaks released a map determining the exact area of Amazon’s determined information centers in addition to the report.
The WikiLeaks report keeps in mind that Amazon is the biggest cloud service provider for United States intelligence neighborhood and is presently bidding on a $10 billion agreement to develop a personal cloud for the Department of Defense. The quotes for that agreement are due on Friday.
Amazon did not right away return an ask for remark.


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NutraIngredients is on the hunt for entrepreneurial consumer-facing, science- or technology-based start-ups to join our Probiota community and present their company in Copenhagen. Do you have what it takes? If so, there are just a few days left to apply!
Speakers addressing the opportunities in the live biotherapeutics/ pharmabiotics space, postbiotics, and artificial intelligence are just some of the experts confirmed for the upcoming Probiota in Copenhagen.
Consumer trends, technological advancements and business strategies are causing the pharma and nutra markets to merge and this opens opportunities for the players in both industries to cater to consumers looking for the ultimate wellness solutions.
Consumers are increasingly aware of the detrimental effects of not getting enough sleep, and emerging links between the gut microbiota and sleep could create opportunities for prebiotics and probiotics in the booming natural sleep aid category.
NZMP, the ingredient-solutions brand of global dairy company Fonterra, and Sun Genomics, one of the world’s first, made-to-order probiotic companies, have established a partnership to undertake consumer studies to better understand the various health...
A trial funded by Nestle has found that infant formula enriched with milk-derived oligosaccharides (MOS), a prebiotic, has helped to improve gut microbiota in babies, such as increasing the abundance of Bifidobacterium.
Ear infections are typically treated with antibiotics, which could compromise the gut microbiome and reduce the ability of immune cells to kill bacteria. Now, fresh research indicates there could be a promising new approach to this relatively common childhood...
Are you researching the latest state-of-the-art developments related to prebiotic, probiotic and microbiome science relevant to human health, well-being, consumers and industry? If so, we would like to hear from you!
New product launches over the last couple of weeks include a new line of jelly bean supplements for adults and kids, a 'powerful' antioxidant ingredient, and an excipient said to improve the efficacy of probiotic products.
Delegate registration is now open for Probiota in Copenhagen, with speakers already confirmed covering topics including postbiotics, live biotherapeutics/ pharmabiotics, the skin microbiome, and much more.
By Vicky Davies, global marketing director, performance and active nutrition, FrieslandCampina Ingredients
It’s a well-known truth in the health and nutrition industry that today’s consumers are more health conscious than ever. Increasingly, they’re taking preventative measures to tackle a variety of health issues to improve feelings of overall well-being.
Exclusive findings on microbiome research centred around vaccine immunogenicity and gut microbiota changes in COVID-19 patients were revealed at the first edition of our Probiota Asia digital summit for 2021.
A new study analysing the impact of a probiotic on the symptoms of children with Tourette syndrome has concluded that probiotics do not have tic-reducing effects but may have benefits on comorbidities such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder...
The fallout from the pandemic has pulled probiotics sharply into focus as firms attempt to navigate ever shifting health positioning and price points to satisfy a surge in gut and immune health interest.
Our latest round-up features on new innovations from a2 milk, an infant formula containing novel lipid structure by Danone, to new omega-3 and probiotics launches targeted at infants and young children.
UK skin health specialist SkinBioTherapeutics has developed a probiotic powder targeting psoriasis – a product that centres on exciting advances in the gut-skin axis and holds wider promise for industry, its CEO says.
Probi has made available details of its new probiotic formulation, which appears to positively influence the infant microbiome early on by increasing gut diversity, according to the firm’s researchers.
A specific strain of Akkermansia muciniphila may reverse the detrimental cognitive effects of a high-fat, high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet, including for measures of working memory and recognition, says a new study in rats.
Daily consumption of a BB-12 probiotic yogurt drink alongside antibiotics significantly reduces the antibiotics' impact on Short Chain Fatty Acid (SCFA) levels and aid a more stable gut microbiota over time, according to new research.
Our everyday habits and behaviors have dramatically shifted in the past two years and they continue to do so—including our dietary supplements routine. So what trends will be left in 2021 and what will roll over into 2022?
A study using a new approach to investigating the fate of probiotics within the human body has become the first of its kind to directly show the germination of a specific spore-forming probiotic strain inside the small intestine.


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Don't-Miss Web & social Stories
Pinterest is tweaking its service to make it easier for users to plan trips and locate content with location-based pins
"Keep calm while we steal your data!" the gear cries, below a Chrome logo. Keep it classy, Microsoft.
Compared to 2011, nearly 20 percent fewer teenagers and people in their early 20s said in the survey that it was OK for them and their friends to use discriminatory language.
After months of waiting, Windows Phone 8 users have an official Instagram app to use. Too bad all you can is upload and view photos.
Twitter is a constant flood, but AuthorBee aims to stem the tide with a new storytelling platform.
Firefox is ditching its Windows 7-esque design in favor of a more Chrome-like experience.
Wikimedia Foundation has asked editing services firm Wiki-PR to cease and desist editing Wikipedia for pay and passing articles off as unbiased.
A Tuesday update for Twitter's iOS and Android apps let you search for and find just about anything on the social network.
Uber has bigger aims than just conquering America, where credit cards are king. International expansion requires more payment options.
The social networking platform has removed an option to let followers send you direct messages without a follow-back.
With the arrival of Yahoo Screen and PBS on the Apple TV, Apple continues to expand its content partnerships for its set-top box.
Bitcoin, twerk, and schmeat put in a good showing, but even the Oxford Dictionary can't resist the allure of duck face.
A brief YouTube outage on Monday was the one of the biggest recent glitches for the popular video site, according to a company that uses complaints on Twitter and other sources to measure the impact of online outages.
You can take it with you–your reading list, that is. Here's how to get up and running with Pocket in only a few minutes.
By March, Yahoo users will have the option to encrypt all data flow to and from the Web company's services.


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New car registrations fell by more than 6% in August compared to last year, with private buyers shying away from showrooms and diesel cars continuing to have a disastrous time, according to results released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Private sales were 10% down on the same time last year, while fleet sales recorded a more moderate 3% drop (although this will include a lot of self-registered cars, as manufacturers and dealers tend to register more vehicles to themselves when demand drops). Business sales were down 14% but this is a much smaller sector, with less impact on the overall picture.
The woes for new diesel car sales continued in August, with registration numbers down more than 21% on last year. Diesel cars made up less than 40% of the market, an historic low, while petrol sales were up by just under 4%, to an overall 55% of the market, as buyers continue to switch from diesel to petrol power.
Hybrids and electric cars continue to show improvement, up 58% on last year. Almost 4,000 ‘alternatively-fuelled’ cars were registered in August, and the sector again accounted for more than 5% of the overall market.
Within the broader picture are other interesting details. SUVs continue to grow in popularity, with an 8% increase compared to the same month last year. Large family cars were also up marginally, which is something of a surprise, and executive cars also improved slightly. Hatchbacks, people movers and other types of car all decreased.
For SMMT bingo fans it was a disappointing month. There were no mentions of “Brexit” or “the single market” anywhere in the press release, nor any pleas for the government to do something to protect the automotive sector.
Volkswagen Golf is back on top
It was another good run for the Volkswagen Golf, returning to the top of the charts in August. The new Ford Fiesta improved to second place, and is generally expected to resume its traditional place at the top of the charts once supply of the all-new model is up to speed.
The Vauxhall Mokka X vaulted into the Top 10, ending up in third place, ahead of usual suspects like the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Polo, Vauxhall Corsa and so on. It was also a good month for the Ford Kuga, appearing in fifth place, while the Nissan Qashqai slipped from third back to tenth as supplies of the old model ran out and the new model started to arrive.
Hopes pinned on scrappage schemes and aggressive offers
August is always a slow month for new car sales, with private buyers, in particular, hanging back for the number plate change in September. With a number of manufacturers now offering aggressive scrappage schemes and other offers, the hope will be that they can claw back the losses from the middle of the year and salvage a decent yearly result by December.


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The fact that Twitter is in trouble, should surprise nobody by now. However that trouble took a whole new turn this week with the announcement that 300 people will be laid off and that videoservice Vine will close.
I think nobody in the tech industry had a boring week. Twitter announced it would get rid of Vine, and fire a bunch of people. Then the pornsite Pornhub announced it was more than willing to buy Vine. Six seconds is enough, apparently. Then there were announcements from the big two: Microsoft and Apple.
The tech giant from Cupertino was due to give the Macbook pro lineup a spruce. And it did so in a big way. First it pretty much killed the Macbook Air. In its place a new 13 inch Macbook pro was launched at the event. And yes, they launched their top models with the new touchscreen replacing the function keys.
Some tech journalists think that the new iteration of the Macbook lacks innovation. The touchbar seems to be somewhat inspired by the oled keyboard that studio Art Lebedev created a few years back. The rather expensive keyboard gave flexibility in assigning icons and functions to keys.
The new Macbooks Pro can be pre-ordered now and will set you back between $1500 and $2800 depending on the model and specs of your choice.
The Verge made a summary of the Apple event so you can watch it in all its Powerpointy glory:
The ‘other’ announcement was from Microsoft. This was less of a product launch and more of a general update on the things the ‘other’ tech giant was working on. Now don’t think there weren’t a lot of nice new goodies to hold you over the holidays. Among other things there is a new update of Windows 10 coming and there are some new VR headsets for something similar to Googles’ Daydream and a Twitch alternative by Microsoft.
Microsoft renewed it’s Surface line of products and added an all-in-one that follows a design that is akin to the iMac.
Again The Verge made a supercut:
Movies & Series
Boy did Hello Games have a bad week. Well, maybe year. The Twitter of the studio was hacked and ‘defaced’. Defaced was in quotes because well, the hacker was telling the truth. However fans of the game came to it’s defense as is evidenced by this screenshot made by Polygon. It took a while for the web to catch up to the hack, as several media reported the tweet as being real.
Also, you can get your games on the cheap again. This time through the Steam Halloween sale.
For now, watch this teaser of the new Hearthstone expansion made by Polygon.
I am going to make an extra geek this week about Blizzcon and it’s many esports events. Be sure to check that out on Sunday. In the mean time: check the schedule here.


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Mobile operator O2 has announced that it will be trialling 4G networks in London with over 1,000 individuals expected to take part. Starting today, the trial is an extension of an ongoing trial that...
New rules from Ofcom require broadband, mobile phone and pay TV providers to notify residential and business customers when their deals are drawing to a close
The spread of the disease made it impossible for MWC to proceed, says event organiser GSMA
China warns that shutting out Huawei from EU networks could affect Nokia and Ericsson in China
'Secure inbound email' advise the experts. Computing speaks to luminaries from end user and vendor organisations, and learns that it's not about 'patch management'
The OnePlus X could be getting a sequel


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New EMC study confirms massive worldwide shortage of data scientists
Earlier this year, a McKinsey study found an alarming shortage of analytics talent required to help companies deal with Big Data.
In fact, the report states that by 2018, “the United States alone could face a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 people with deep analytical skills as well as 1.5 million managers and analysts with the know-how to use the analysis of big data to make effective decisions.”
Well, last week, EMC Corporation announced the results of its own study – which found the same results:
“EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) today unveiled the findings of the largest-ever global survey of the data science community. Spanning the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India and China, the EMC Data Science Study reveals and quantifies a rampant scarcity across the globe for the prerequisite skills necessary for a company to capitalize on the opportunities found at the intersection of Big Data and data analytics. Only one-third of companies are able to effectively use new data to assist their business decision-making, gain competitive advantage, drive productivity growth, yield innovation and reveal customer insights.”
This doesn’t surprise us, because clients tell us on a daily basis how hard it is for them to find, recruit and retain analytics talent. The very few people they do find tend to take jobs in the financial sector (read: hedge funds), where they feel the rewards are richer. One of our clients – a senior executive for a national retail chain – told me that at one point his company had ten openings in its analytics group, and that in one year of serious effort he was able to fill only one position.
This trend has been a key driver for Mu Sigma’s swift growth – many companies are finding that it’s faster to simply outsource advanced analytics to Mu Sigma than to spend years trying to build up an in-house team.


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New community market in Gravenhurst aiming to provide outlet for local vendors
BARRIE, ONT. -- A group of entrepreneurs are the driving force behind a new community market in Gravenhurst.
Aptly called the Gravenhurst Community Market, Chantal Belcourt started the idea after she was unable to secure a spot in the already existing farmers market in the cottage country community.
"I put out a post on social media asking if there was a need within the community, and there was quite a bit of positive feedback in regards to it; vendors needing an outlet to sell their products," Belcourt says to CTV News.
The already-existing market runs on a weekday, so after polling those interested potential vendors, Belcourt realized there was a desire for it on the weekend.
"For those that work during the week, that work a Monday to Friday workweek, they are able to come out on a Sunday," says Belcourt. "It gives people something to do and look forward to."
There is a mixture of vendors available, with many artisans now having a proper outlet to display their products.
"This opportunity is just great because I know a lot of vendors can't get into the local farmers' markets; they are very full," says Brooke Morrow of Kigons Creations. "So this is just a great opportunity for smaller vendors, people who want to get their work out there in the community."
On day one, Gravenhurst mayor Paul Kelly was in attendance, voicing his support for the new initiative.
"Having this on a weekend because we have a lot of our seasonal residents coming up on weekends and also the tourism trade is certainly attracted to this kind of opportunity," says Kelly.
The market will run on Sundays at the Muskoka Drive-In from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.