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It keeps getting bigger…
In a new development, the French authorities are turning the heat up on Renault, after a probe into vehicles emissions revealed that a number of their cars may be fitted with some sort of regulation defrauding device. This comes after a report was published by esteemed morning daily Le Figaro, which claimed that French regulators said that the implications of this development likened the marque to Volkswagen.
In the report, it claimed that early investigations by the relevant French regulators showed that some of Renault’s models were emitting as much at 10-times the permitted limit. Responding to these claims, Renault says the findings reported were “noted,” but has otherwise rubbished the claim that their cars are fitted with emissions cheating hardware. This makes the firm’s (alleged) approach different from the one taken by Volkswagen, which came with emissions-beating software.
The Le Figaro report went on to say that it may not just be Renault in the crosshairs, with a total of 52 models from Citroen, Peugeot, Toyota, Ford, and DS on the list of emissions-cheaters that preliminary investigations have revealed. Going back to Renault, this isn’t the first time that the company has been hit with allegations of this nature: In 2016, independent environmental lobbyists DUH claimed that their wildly-popular Espace MPV was chucking out as much as 25-times the legal amount of noxious gasses, though Renault returned the punch by saying that DUH’s testing did not fit federal standards, rendering the group’s emissions probe results worthless.
In an earlier report, Italian automaker Fiat and its brethren under the FCA umbrella were accused of fitting devices designed to dupe emissions regulators, with the 2.0-litre turbodiesel in the 500X crossover and the 3.0-litre turbodiesel in the Jeep Grand Cherokee (among others) coming under fire. These allegations were on two fronts, where the smaller oil-burner got flak from Germany, while the bigger engine was targeted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
As for Volkswagen, the German automaker plead guilty to no less than three criminal charges, ranging from deception to fraud, as a result of the Dieselgate scandal. Six executives were also charged by the FBI in the process, while a US$4.3bil fine was handed to the company.
For more information on any of the above manufacturers, check out our Showroom.


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Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Aime has responded to their poor E3 2012 press conference, and in doing so has labeled gamers' constant demands and wants as "insatiable".
The executive stated that no matter what they do to please the fans and their requests, they always want more, apparently.
"One of the things that, on one hand, I love and, on the other hand, that troubles me tremendously about not only our fanbase but about the gaming community at large is that, whenever you share information, the perspective is, ‘Thank you, but I want more.’ ‘Thank you, but give me more.’ I mean, it is insatiable.
"And so for years this community has been asking, ‘Where’s Pikmin?’ ‘Where’s Pikmin?’ ‘Where’s Pikmin?’ We give them Pikmin. And then they say, ‘What else?’ For years, this community have said, ‘Damnit Reggie, when you launch, you better launch with a Mario game.’ So we launch with a Mario game, and they say, ‘So what’s more?’
"I have heard people say, ‘You know, you’ve got these fantastic franchises, beyond what you’re doing in Smash Bros., isn’t there a way to leverage all these franchises?’ So we create Nintendo Land and they say, ‘Ho-hum, give me more.’ So it’s an interesting challenge."
Fils-Aime referred to Wii Fit as an example of a game that didn't receive "good reaction" from consumers, but managed to sell over 43 million copies.
"It’s a phenomenon, and so I would argue that the gaming community actually is unable to differentiate between a phenomenon and something that is ‘ho-hum.’ [That is] Until they play it. Until they experience it. Until their friends and their non-gaming associates say, ‘Hey, have you seen X?"
The dissatisfaction of gamers stemming from Nintendo's E3 press conference is justified in several ways; not only was there a lack of announcements for the Wii U's larger titles (why announce Platinum Games' Project P-100 after the presser?), but Nintendo decided to not announce the release date and price for the next-gen platform during the biggest stage in gaming.

domain: news


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Shortage pushes Europe’s ABS markets to multi-year highs
Uptrend enters 8th month
The uptrend that has been in place since early June entered its 8th month, ChemOrbis data showed. Bullish rally gained momentum as of January, with prices rising at a faster speed with the support from both strong upstream markets and shortage of material.
According to ChemOrbis Price Index, the weekly averages of ABS extrusion and injection prices in Italy and Northwest Europe currently stand at their highest levels seen since March 2018. The weekly average of spot ABS inj. prices reached €2060/ton FD threshold in Italy and €2115/ton in Northwest Europe.
Regional suppliers issued hikes of up to €300
Sellers initially sought large increases of around €210-250/ton or €300/ton in some cases, while Trinseo announced a larger increase of €400/ton on its list prices. January hikes were larger when compared to the €108/ton hike in styrene and €55/ton hike in butadiene contracts.
Producers approached the market with noteworthy increases due to the fact that overall demand outpaced supply levels.
Converters long for prompt cargos
Suppliers failed to meet increased inquiries from irregular customers and mostly remained committed to the contractual obligations, not to mention trimmed allocations due to low stock levels. A player argued, “European suppliers struggle to meet incoming orders. There is no availability for extra volumes.”
A distributor also commented, “Our supplier only provided 50% of our regular volumes due to feedstock related production issues.”
Even if export offers out of Asia turn back up in the upcoming days, transit times are too long for these cargoes to bring an immediate relief to the supply levels. Soaring freight rates also deter players from engaging in import material. According to some participants, import flow may not return to normal until the end of Q1. That is to say, supply-demand may continue to give an upper hand to suppliers inside Europe.
Meanwhile, Europe’s ABS markets have been unfazed by a softening trend in Asia so far as a result of supply constraints as well as strong purchasing activity.
Overall ABS demand has been reportedly strong amid comments that buyers are accepting extremely high prices. Demand in the automotive industry is stable when compared to November and December, while buying interest for white goods and small appliances remained robust.
February hints at further hikes, sizes under discussion
ABS prices are expected to retain their strength in February, supported by logistics issues that may prevail until late Q1. Meanwhile, logistical hurdles are also being experienced within the bloc due to a lack of truck drivers. Delivery delays may continue to keep prices elevated.
There remains the question of to what extent prices can go up further, considering quite high levels prices reached. If demand subsides in response to sharp hikes, this is likely to keep possible increases in check.
Spot styrene increases by $130 from late Dec
Spot styrene prices rose in response to the earlier gains in the benzene market. This has paved the way for increase expectations for the next monomer settlement, although there is still a long way to go until that time.
According to ChemOrbis Price Wizard, spot styrene prices on FOB NWE basis have risen by $130/ton since late December to stand at $1055/ton.
More free plastics newsPlastic resin (PP, LDPE, LLDPE ,HDPE, PVC, GPS; HIPS, PET, ABS) prices, polymer market trends, and more...
- Vietnam’s polymer markets buckle under an influx of Chinese cargoes
- Divergence grows between Egypt’s import and local PP, PE markets
- PP markets in China, Vietnam hit 3-year lows, readying to test new lows
- African PE, PP markets extend slide into May
- Asian PS, ABS markets at 2½-3-year lows amid Chinese oversupply
- India’s Q1 PVC imports hit record-high; did buyers rush to stock up before expected restrictions?
- LDPE prices move below LLDPE, HDPE on global lethargy
- Slide deepens in Middle Eastern PP, PE markets through May
- Oil prices down for fourth straight week, delicate balance ahead
- European ABS under pressure from aggressive imports, PS holds firm


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Keensburg will become the temporary tiny-home capital of Colorado this weekend, when 25 homes go on display for those curious about downsizing and living off the grid.
Bob Kamtz and his son Luke, who have a combined 30 years of experience in custom-home and custom-cabinetry building, started their family tiny-home business in Johnstown a year ago. After two months and thousands of hours, they put the final touches on their $120,000 prototype Sunday and drove the tiny home to the festival grounds northeast of Denver.
“I love the creativeness and being able to build for the wants and needs of people’s lives,” Kamtz said.
The 360-square-foot home features two bedrooms, a bathroom, living room, kitchen, two televisions and even a doggie door that leads out to a doggie deck. They believe the home could comfortably house two or three people — and, for shorter periods, up to six.
“It’s move-in ready — just bring your personal belongings,” Luke said.
The Colorado Tiny Homes Festival runs Friday through Sunday at The Wild Animal Sanctuary. Most of the builders are from Colorado, but some are from as far away as New Mexico and Alabama. Seventeen other companies, as well as educational speakers, will be on hand to help consumers learn all the ins and outs about the process of going tiny. Part of the proceeds will benefit the sanctuary, and attendees will also get a discount on entrance to the park.
Tiny homes are gaining in popularity as more people seek ways to reduce their impact on the environment while living more economically, organizers said. Although the idea is about living more eco-friendly and downsizing, what consumers lose in square footage they gain in flair.
“This is still so new, but it’s getting harder to afford traditional housing, and more and more people are interested in tiny living,” said Elisabeth Monaghan, a marketer for the festival.
The consensus on what’s tiny is 400 square feet or less. But Art Loubach, co-founder of the festival and owner of Einstyne Tiny Homes, said the newest trend in tiny homes is to build them all the way up to 600 square feet. This is still a far cry from the average home size of 2,000 to 3,000 square feet.
Loubach said people most interested in tiny homes are millennials, empty-nesters and seekers of an inexpensive vacation home that can double as a short-term rental.
“This is not just an event for builders and lookie-loos,” Loubach said. “Here, people want to learn about, buy and build tiny homes.”
Bryan Booth, of Harmony Tiny Homes in Oxford, Ala., has been building homes since 1999 and jumped into the tiny-home business last year.
“I’ve been fascinated with small structures for a long time. I’ve wanted to do tiny building because it’s creative and inventive,” Booth said. “You have to think 3-D, cubically, instead of 2-D. Things have two to three uses that way.”


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Posted by Dale Buss on February 18, 2015 04:52 PM
US consumers are less and less enamored of brick-and-mortar physical retailers but gaining satisfaction with online retailers such as Amazon, according to the new retail report by the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
The news from the survey of 70,000 US customers is especially bad for Walmart, which was named America's "most-hated" retail brand in the report, and a handful of other stalwart traditional-retail brands. But it's especially good for Nordstrom.
The researchers noted that "with the exception of internet retail, all retail categories show weakening or flat customer satisfaction" for its latest retail temperature check. Factors cited include higher prices, especially by discounters, while department stores and specialty retailers were relatively unscathed.Continue reading...
detroit auto show
Posted by Dale Buss on January 13, 2015 05:07 PM
Ford is the only auto company with a resident futurist on staff, and Sheryl Connelly's crystal ball certainly gets a fierce workout as her company tries to figure out how to invest billions of dollars a year in big bets on technology, features and services to better connect with consumers—and stand out in an industry that arguably has more moving pieces, and is more affected by trends, than any other.
And as she continues to advise colleagues and annually publish a trends-to-watch outlook of her considered prognostications for the year ahead, Connelly's renown outside the industry is growing. She recently brainstormed with the World Economic Forum for topics and themes for the agenda at WEF's upcoming annual meeting in Davos.
Ford looks to Connelly not only to help shape its own priorities and investments, such as the mobility vision outlined last week at CES 2015, but to share insights into trends with the industry at large.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on November 12, 2014 03:06 PM
eBay is partnering with tech-savvy fashion brand Rebecca Minkoff to bring immersive digital technology to the designer's foray into brick-and-mortar stores.
The first of four high-tech boutiques will open on Saturday in New York's Soho area, followed by a San Francisco store (in the Pacific Heights neighborhood) that will open shortly thereafter and stores in Los Angeles (on Melrose Avenue) and Tokyo next year.
While the stores are permanent, eBay has signed on for a one-year (minimum) partnership to bring its e-commerce prowess to Minkoff's first stores, powering touch screen interactive displays and digital fitting rooms designed with her customers—omnichannel-savvy, sophisticated and fashion-forward shoppers—in mind.Continue reading...
Posted by Mark J. Miller on July 23, 2014 01:49 PM
Whoever tries to hack into Target’s data next is going to have a lot more to dig through. The retailer's new app, In a Snap, aims at improving its foothold in the mobile shopping space by allowing users to take pictures of Target products in print (magazines, catalogs and newspapers) and then simply click to buy.
The free app, which uses advanced image recognition technology, allows consumers to have their product shipped or held for them at a local store—all part of Target's big push to ramp up e-commerce and click-and-collect efforts as it continues to feel the pressure from Amazon, Walmart, and fast-fashion retailers. In a Snap joins Target's other app, Cartwheel, which serves as a coupon-serving shopping companion.
“It’s a single-purpose app that will appeal to Millennials and college students or anyone not averse to downloading an app,” Target spokesman Eddie Baeb told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The app's launch is timed to Target advertising running in Real Simple and Domino magazines, part of the brand's back to school campaign for college-aged consumers with a new registry and web video series, Best Year Ever, that features YouTube stars helping students with dorm room makeovers.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on May 5, 2014 11:14 AM
Mirror, mirror on Selfridges’ wall, you are the fairest of them all! The so-iconic-there's-a-TV-show-about-its-founder British retailer Selfridges is known for upending tradition. Case in point: its groundbreaking (if headscratching to some) unbranded "No Noise" shopping experiment last year.
Fast forward to 2014, and the cheeky retailer is at it again. Its flagship store on London's famed Oxford Street—the second biggest store in the U.K. after Harrods—is trouncing traditional mores about how to define beauty in this era of selfies with The Beauty Project, its biggest campaign this year, and one that seeks to redefine how we define—or if we should forget defining and just celebrate—beauty. Given its socially-savvy approach, consider this a Selfieridges campaign and an effort to challenge consumers to open their minds. It's another radical approach from the brand, considering that most retailers just want consumers to open their wallets.
The massive in-store and marketing effort puts the spotlight on diversity and features curated “talks, interactive debates and immersive beauty experiences” inside-and-out, across digital, out of home, social media, and in local events. Launched May 1 and running through June 12, it’s Selfridges’s largest marketing investment of the year, and bears attention from other brands for its savvy use of social media—in particular, video and Google+.Continue reading...
Posted by Barry Silverstein on October 16, 2013 03:02 PM
In little more than a year, some retail shelves may actually be able to identify consumers who are most likely to purchase certain snacks, thanks to Mondelez International. The $35 billion global foods giant, which spun off from Kraft Foods just over a year ago with a name intended to evoke "delicious world," markets such snack brands as Cadbury, Certs, Oreo, and Trident.
In 2015, the company plans to introduce "smart shelves" with sensors designed to detect the age and sex of consumers. Then, advanced analytics will associate the right type of snack product with each consumer, and a video display will target consumers with appropriate ads and promotions.
Mondelez wants to place its smart shelves as close as possible to the point of sale—right near the checkout aisles to track and possibly encourage last-minute impulse buys. Mark Dajani, the CIO of Mondelez, told the Wall Street Journal, "When people walk by, it's a missed opportunity. We must know how the consumer behaves in the store. ...Knowing that a consumer is showing interest in the product gives us the opportunity to engage with them in real-time."Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on September 9, 2013 06:45 PM
Checking out with the scan of a finger? Having farm fresh produce delivered to your doorstep? These are no longer futuristic ideas but real tech being applied to life's most mundane task: grocery shopping.
The latest in-aisle innovations include digital price signs, real-time promotions based on the time of day, smart shopping carts and bar code scanners on mobile devices, many of which are already being utilized by some of the world's biggest retailers like Walmart, Target and Tesco.
"You have an industry that's been kind of stuck in time," Scott Mushkin, an analyst at Wolfe Research, told the Los Angeles Times. "Grocers have to invest. Their business models have been under so much pressure, they're fighting for their lives."
And investing they are. The $518 billion grocery industry has essentially been the last retail sector to take advantage of technological innovations that have come along with the surge of mobile usage. With smarter and more informed customers, grocers are constantly being pushed to be a step ahead, offering more intuitive service and better values.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on April 16, 2013 10:47 AM
Social Shopper pioneer Collective Bias has iterated marketing messaging to new heights with a community of 1,400 influencers doing the heavy-lifting for brands.
“We believe that social shopper marketing is the evolution of shopper media, and supplants tired traditional media like FSI’s, retail circulars and digital display advertising,” said John Andrews, co-founder and CEO of Collective Bias. The company, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Arkansas, just received $10.5 million in funding led by Updata Partners to grow its platform where brands such as Tyson, Nestle and Smart & Final pay for their products to be covered by relevant bloggers who push that content across social media.
Named one of America's Most Promising Companies in 2013 by Forbes, their proprietary Social Fabric community of shopping-centric influencers has an aggregate reach of over 50 million, as the company claims its bloggers have an average reach of 40,000.Continue reading...


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Engine: The Lexus ES comes in two variants- Standard and hybrid. The Lexus ES comes with a 3.5L, V6 engine that churns out maximum power output of 268HP and maximum torque of 248 @ 4,700rpm, mated to a six-speed sequential-shift automatic ECT.
Toyota India is getting ready for a major launch in March. According to reports, Toyota will launch the all new Corolla Altis in India most likely by March. This will be the same Corolla Altis that the company launched in Taiwan last year. Toyota will look to reclaim their spot in the premium sedan segment with the launch of the all new Corolla Altis, which … Continue reading 2017 Toyota Corolla Altis India launch slated for March?
The Toyota Innova has carved a name for itself in the Indian market, its bullet proof reliability setting a benchmark in the industry. It has ruled for over a decade and no other manufacturer has managed to even come close to the sales the Innova posted, each month. Elegant New Grille Automatic LED Projector Headlamps Sophisticated Alloy Wheels Electrically Adjustable and Retracting Chrome Finished ORVM … Continue reading Showcasing Innova Crysta Luxury Meets Power at Orion Mall
Toyota Kirloskar, which failed to make major inroads in the small car space, is banking on the integration work between Daihatsu and Toyota which will start in full swing, to target the Indian A and B segment car space.
Lexus will challenge BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz in India with the RX and ES. Lexus will initially open dealerships in Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi. However, the Lexus vehicles will come with the CBU kit and hence will be expensive to the pocket. Continue reading Lexus set to enter India by March 2017
Toyota will be introducing hybrid versions of the Innova Crysta and Fortuner, Managing Director of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Akito Tachibana confirmed. Although, a date for the launch has not been settled upon yet. Continue reading Toyota Fortuner Hybrid, Toyota Innova Crysta Hybrid to be Launched Soon
Japanese carmaker Toyota has launched the all new Fortuner in India. Prices for the popular SUV begin at Rs 25.92 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi) while the top-of-the-line variant will cost Rs 31.12 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi). Continue reading Toyota launches all new Fortuner; prices begin from Rs 25.92 lakh
Toyota Motor Corp is looking at mass-producing long-range electric vehicles (EVs) that would hit the market around 2020, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday, in what would be a dramatic reversal in strategy for the world’s top-selling automaker. Continue reading Toyota is looking to mass-produce long-range electric cars by 2020: Nikkei


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Solar Cell Prices Stabilize at US$ 0.50 per Watt
Taiwan-based solar cell manufacturers have expressed difficulty making a profit, even with prices stabilizing at US$ 0.50 to 0.55 per Watt.
Even amid snows affecting installations among European customers, Taiwan-based solar firm producers report an increase in orders, forecast to peak this February. Still, demand is still limited at this time, compared with manufacturers’ capacity.
According to sources cited by DigiTimes, manufacturers offer a wholesale price of US$ 0.48 per Watt for bulk orders. For Taiwan firms, the stabilizing prices are still too low to make solid profits. The same trend is evident in China, with prices of higher-output solar cells priced at US$ 0.57 per Watt.
Elsewhere, solar-related businesses are likewise feeling the pinch. Japanese firm Sharp has recently announced results of its fiscal third quarter 2011 financial performance, and cites a 33.5% decline in revenue due to price drops.
- Mahindra: 2025 could be tipping point for EV adoption in India
- Singtel a paragon for 5G in Singapore
- China, India are poised to lead the global data center growth in APAC
- BlackBerry software embedded in over 215 million vehicles
- Chip shortage: The lack of “chips to make chips” is exacerbating the shortage by another 2 years


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THE Federal Government has ordered a wide-ranging review of media classifications as a row over access to adult video games continues.
Attorney-General Robert McClelland, announcing the review today, said advances in technology meant the whole system of classification needed to be considered.
The draft terms of reference for the year-long Australian Law Reform Commission review suggest the classification categories themselves may be changed.
The review is set to look at a host of issues including the impact of classifications on the community and the Government's desire for a strong content and distribution industry.
Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said when the classification scheme began, content and the way it was delivered to consumers was relatively static.
"Today, films can be watched in a cinema, on DVD, on TV or downloaded," he said.
"Many video games include significant film segments to tell stories, and some films have interactive content."
Comments on the terms of reference will be taken until January 28, 2011 with a full report from the commission due on December 9.
The review has been announced in the midst of a continuing debate about legalising the sale of violent video games previously unavailable in retail outlets.
A meeting of the country's attorneys-general in Canberra earlier this month failed to endorse an R18+ classification for games.
Mr O'Connor also today announced a shake-up of the Classification Board, with the introduction of a new deputy director, senior classifier and five new members.
"From early next year, the Classification Board will undergo a period of renewal," Mr O'Connor said.
"Refreshing the board is a healthy thing for classification decision-making in this country.
"The board now has an age range from 25 to 72, a variety of personal and professional backgrounds and representation from every state."
Originally published asReview of classifications after R18+ fizzle


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Online music-streaming service Spotify yesterday launched a free music service for smart phones and tablets, as it tries to hook a fast-growing group of users keen to stream tunes on their mobile devices. Spotify offers free music on desktop computers with advertising, but customers previously had to pay for on-demand connection on their mobile devices. Its new service will allow listeners to choose the tracks they want to hear for free - with commercial interruptions - in the hope that people will upgrade to subscriptions.
Spotify has about 24 million active users around the world of which 6 million pay to listen to music without advertising.
As smartphones and tablets mushroom, they have become choice devices to listen to music, even in the home. Streaming music has soared in popularity, but competition is fierce with rival Pandora, Apple's iTunes Radio, Sirius XM, Rdio and a handful of smaller players all battling it out for listeners.
Revenues from mobile advertising at Pandora, which dominates U.S. music streaming, have been rising as more people tune in on their smartphones. Spotify plans to air an ad every three or four songs, similar to the frequency of advertising spots on Spotify's free desktop service.


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Lincoln shoppers will be encouraged to hand back packaging at supermarket tills to highlight what campaigners call “unnecessary wrapping”.
Plastic Free Lincoln will join other groups around the country to raise awareness of throwaway plastic being sold at shops.
Campaigners will host their first “mass unwrap” on Saturday, July 13 at Waitrose on Searby Road after the supermarket agreed to support the demonstration.
The “mass unwrap” will be a friendly two-hour session from 2pm where customers can shop as normal, but when they move away from the till they can leave the plastic with a volunteer.
All plastic will be counted and then either disposed of or recycled.
Louise Brown, the lead volunteer at the event, said: “People in Lincoln are recognising that there is too much plastic in their everyday lives and they are finding their voice to say ‘Enough is enough’.
“Through this event, we want to empower citizens to tell the brands that we want them to do more about plastic packaging and offer more choice to shoppers.
“We hope that shoppers buy into the spirit of the event and that this spreads the message about our work on single-use plastic to a wider audience.”
Campaigners also point to research by Greenpeace which revealed how 59 billion pieces of plastic packaging are distributed every year.


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The free, family friendly event will feature 19 food vendors, beer trucks, cooking demos with free tastes, nearly 40 craft vendors, live music, gambling, a bourbon raffle, dunk tank and two eating contests.
Some of the other garlic-inspired food at the festival includes garlic chicken strips, garlic cheeseburgers, roasted corn with garlic butter, garlic parmesan fries, garlic sticky ribs, garlic herb pizza, garlic lo mein, garlic bread, garlic kettle corn and much more.
“I’m looking forward to the tapping of the garlic keg and also to see the huge array of foods. It’s a great place for people to enjoy that,” Milano said.
The Garlic Fest is from 1 to 10 p.m. at 4524 Linden Ave. in Dayton. Air conditioned seating will be available.
Schedule of events:
1:30 to 3 p.m. - The Lacey Jane Band classic rock and roll music
2 p.m. - Garlic beer keg tapping Branch and Bone Artisan Ales
3 p.m. - Mamma DiSalvo’s meatball eating contest
4 p.m. - Chef Summer Key cooks black garlic and wild mushroom risotto topped with bay scallop piccata
4:30 p.m. - Stephanie Ehring cooks. Dish to be announced day of festival.
5 to 7 p.m. - Junior and Guitar Mike acoustic rock and roll, country music
7 p.m. - Melanie Cedargren, owner of The Spicy Olive in Oakwood, cooks with her garlic olive oil and pesto olive oil
7:30 p.m. - Garlic clove eating contest: Winner receives $100 cash prize
8 p.m. - 2022 Dayton Garlic Hall of Fame Induction
To sign up for the eating contests or for more information, visit www.garlicfestdayton.com.


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CABOT, Arkansas — With Halloween just five days away, many families are preparing for what is going to be a very different holiday.
Cabot mom Brandy Bullock decided to think outside the box with a new and safe way to still give kids their treats.
It's becoming a pretty popular way for families to still take part in trick-or-treating, but with safety at the heart of it all.
Bullock said that "safety element" is why she decided to start making the candy chutes.
"I think it's important to make sure we have something familiar for our kids," she said.
According to Bullock, all it takes is just three simple materials.
"All of this is actually just PBC pipes, spray paint and connectors," she said.
Bullock is bringing familiarity to her neighborhood streets by delivering that sweetness everyone craves on the 31st of October, but in a whole new way.
"All you have to do, basically, is put in candy in the tube at the end there and then it just shoots out down here," she said.
Just like that, the goodies fall right into the bucket for, what Bullock described, as an easy contactless trick-or-treating.
"There's also going to be a remote control doorbell, so whenever the kids come up they can hit that without having to come up to the door," she said.
The idea sparked at the beginning of the month when one of Bullock's friends reached out and asked if she could make one of these chutes because several of her family members are immunocompromised.
"We just wanted to have an option so people could still be involved in Halloween and kind of make it fun for the kids," she said.
No matter the color, design, or size, Bullock will put it together so that her community can have a safe Halloween and kids can celebrate a holiday with some sense of routine.
"It makes them feel special and it's something that's not normal, but at least it still celebrates that thing," she said.
You can reach out to Brandy Bullock on Facebook to order a candy chute. She will be taking orders until Friday morning. Prices vary by customization.


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Small-business owners nationwide speak out on the tax reforms they need to grow and prosper. They hope Trump and the GOP are listening. » Read More
By: Natalie Kitroeff
Vast warehouses are being built, fueling a demand for lower-skilled workers and reviving areas that once relied on manufacturing, N.Y. Times reports. » Read More
By: John Harwood
Congress is speeding toward a budget plan that lets the government collect $1.5 trillion less revenue for the next 10 years. » Read More
By: Larry Summers
The idea that corporate tax cuts could generate a $4000 to $9000 raise for workers is indefensible, says Larry Summers. » Read More
Manufacturing in New York state shrank for the first time in seven months in May, as new orders fell and shipments grew more slowly.
Consumer prices rebounded moderately in April as energy prices climbed back up after a sharp decline in March.
It would depend on China complying with U.S. standards, the Commerce secretary tells CNBC.
Zillow looked at five metrics to determine which housing markets would serve first-time buyers best. Here's what it found.
Mnuchin emphasized the Trump administration's excitement after the U.S. and China announced a series of trade measures.
Americans stepped up their spending at auto dealers, hardware stores and e-commerce outlets as retail sales rebounded from two sluggish months.
President Trump believes that the growth generated from reforms will help spur business out of its post-Great Recession funk.
Trump's "phenomenal" tax overhaul plan is falling short of expectations, Vanity Fair reports.
Inflation at the wholesale level jumped in April by the largest amount in three months, fueled by rising prices of food and energy.
First-time claims for state unemployment benefits were expected to total 245,000 in the most recent week, up from the 238,000 claims reported for the week earlier.
The takeaway for the stock markets: don't bet on any quick legislation around trade, the budget, health care or infrastructure.
McCain and Sasse said they would vote against President Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. trade representative, Robert Lighthizer.
President Trump has suggested he may release his tax returns on leaving the White House, according to an interview with The Economist.
New York Fed President William Dudley's remarks come at a time when open borders have come under increasing criticism.
Prices increased more than expected in April amid rising costs for petroleum products and a range of other goods, which could help boost domestic inflation.
The gains are slow and small, but mortgage volume is beginning to improve again, as more homebuyers sign on the dotted line.
The number of openings was at 5.7 million on the last business day of the month, the monthly JOLTs report said.
Since the crisis, the economy has never been called robust, but it may be in the longest expansion on record, with more years to go.
The Fed has now met its employment goal and is nearing its inflation goal, despite some weak recent economic data, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said.
Continued strong demand for safe assets along with sluggish growth in the U.S. workforce will hold down U.S. interest rates for the foreseeable future, Bullard said.
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Upstart attracted attention because it challenged credit reporting services by analyzing a wide range of non-traditional factors -- including a person's education, GPA, standardized test scores, and work history -- to approve loans for customers with limited credit histories.
Affirm's attention came because it challenged credit card companies with a "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) service which enabled customers to split large purchases into smaller installments. That approach, which approved "microloans" for every purchase, also targeted customers with flawed or limited credit histories who couldn't get approved for traditional credit cards.
Both companies attracted a stampede of bulls during the growth stock rally last year. Upstart's stock closed at a record high of $390 last October, while Affirm's stock skyrocketed to its all-time high of $168.52 the following month. But as of this writing, Upstart and Affirm stocks trade at about $23 and $17 per share, respectively. Let's see why both stocks crashed, and if either one is worth buying as a turnaround play in this tough market for growth stocks.
Upstart gets squeezed by rising interest rates
Upstart features loans on its website, but those loans are primarily funded by its partnered banks, credit unions, and auto dealerships. It charges those partners fees for accessing its platform and servicing its worthy loan applicants.
This business model works well when interest rates are low, because low rates encourage consumers to take out more loans. Lenders also generally have access to more liquidity and face fewer macro headwinds in a low-interest-rate environment, so they're willing to approve more of those loans.
But when interest rates rise sharply, as they did over the past year, this business model is not nearly as appealing. Consumers become reluctant to take out loans at higher rates, while macro headwinds cause lenders to take a more cautious approach to approving loans. That's why Upstart, which had previously tasked its partners with fulfilling all of its loans, finally started temporarily funding some of its loans off its own balance sheet earlier this year.
Upstart's revenue rose 42% in 2020, driven by its 40% growth in bank-originated loans, then surged 264% to $849 million in 2021 as its originated loans soared 338% to 1.3 million. But this year, it expects its revenue to decline 1%-3% as rising rates squeeze its core business. As its growth grinds to a halt, its operating expenses and leverage are climbing as it funds more of its own loans. It ended the third quarter of 2022 with a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.7, compared to a ratio of 1.2 a year earlier. It also posted a net loss of $53 million in the first nine months of 2022, compared to net profit of $76 million a year earlier, and analysts expect it to remain unprofitable through at least 2024.
Affirm gets hit by inflation and subprime concerns
Affirm's BNPL platform might initially seem resistant to inflation because it helps lower-income customers pay for large purchases in smaller installments. However, that business model only works if inflation and other macro headwinds don't cause its delinquency rates to rise.
Only 2.7% of Affirm's accounts were delinquent by more than 30 days at in the first quarter of fiscal 2023 (which ended on Sept. 30), but that percentage could rise sharply if inflation and higher interest rates drive the economy into a full-blown recession. That glaring weakness reinforces the notion that Affirm is essentially a subprime lender which funds smaller purchases, and its elevated debt-to-equity ratio of 1.8 doesn't leave it much room to raise fresh cash.
On the bright side, Affirm is still growing rapidly. Its revenue surged 71% in fiscal 2021, which ended last June, and its total active consumers grew 97% to 7.1 million. Its revenue rose another 55% to $1.3 billion in fiscal 2022, while its active customers increased 96% to 14 million. For fiscal 2023, it expects its revenue to rise 23%-29%.
But Affirm is also deeply unprofitable. Its net loss widened from $441 million in fiscal 2021 to $707 million in fiscal 2022, and analysts expect an even wider loss of $1.01 billion in fiscal 2023. Affirm could potentially raise its merchant fees or interest rates (which are often negotiated on a case-by-case basis) to stabilize those losses, but doing so would narrow its moat against aggressive BNPL competitors like Block's Afterpay and PayPal's Pay in 4.
The valuations and verdict
Upstart and Affirm both trade at about 2 times next year's sales, which suggests their downside potential might be limited. However, neither stock will likely rally until the macro headwinds wane. Therefore, I wouldn't rush to buy either of these out-of-favor fintech stocks in this challenging environment.
But if I had to pick one over the other, Upstart looks more appealing than Affirm because it had previously generated stable profits in a lower-interest rate environment. Once inflation is reined in and interest rates decline, its prospects could quickly improve and buy it more time to scale up its business. Meanwhile, Affirm hasn't actually proven that its BNPL business model is sustainable yet -- and there's no guarantee that its outlook will improve even if interest rates cool off.


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One Briton in eight has hacked into an online account
Email accounts are considered 'skeleton keys' to other online accounts owing to the large amount of storage they offer
Wednesday 07 September 2011
One in eight British people have hacked into someone else's online accounts, according to a research published today.
Nearly one-third of so-called "casual hackers" said they did it "just for fun", while a similar number admitted they were snooping on a partner. A further 8 per cent said they accessed email and other accounts to keep tabs on work colleagues, while around 2 per cent said they accessed information for financial gain.
Most common among the online accounts accessed were personal and work emails, money-transaction portals such as PayPal and online banking sites, according to the study. About 16 per cent of the 2,005 people surveyed said someone had accessed their accounts online without permission, with one in 10 claiming to have had money or a loan taken out in their name.
Graham Cluley, an online security specialist with the IT firm Sophos, said: "If you have permission, it is not illegal. However, if you access someone's accounts without permission, that would be a crime under the Computer Misuse Act. And, according to the law, reading someone's emails is worse than reading their diary."
Mr Cluley added that email accounts, because of the amount of storage they offer and their users' propensity to retain messages for years, are the "skeleton keys" to many other online accounts.
He said: "When people sign up to things online, they do so using their email. Usually, any login details and password reminders are sent there so, once someone gets in to your email, they can potentially get into just about everything else."
CPP, the insurance firm that conducted the research, advised people to change their passwords regularly, leave any website where they noticed strange behaviour and avoid transmitting sensitive data over public Wi-Fi.
The firm said that people worried about online security should also only join trusted Wi-Fi networks.
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Disgruntled RBS worker writes hilarious open letter to Russell Brand after anti-capitalist publicity stunt leaves him hungry
Shock poll shows voters believe Ukip is to the left of the Tories
Nigel Farage's approval rating hits 'record low' as popularity suffers in wake of Ukip sex scandal
Nigel Farage defends Kerry Smith 'ch***y' comment: 'If you are going for a Chinese, what do you say you’re going for?'
Ukip candidate jokes about 'shooting peasants' in racist and homophobic rant
Pakistan school attack live: Taliban kill at least 132 children in 'horrifying' massacre
- 1 Nigel Farage: Me vs Russell Brand on Question Time – he's got the chest hair but where are his ideas?
- 2 Harry Potter fans can apply to the Hogwarts-inspired College of Wizardry
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iJobs Gadgets & Tech
£50000 per annum + 26 days holiday,pension: Ashdown Group: A highly successful...
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20th National Conference on Economy and Entrepreneurship
Croatian Minister of entrepreneurship and crafts, Mr Darko Horvat held an opening speech and stated that entrepreneurship is very important in our developing society and that Croatian government did some serious steps to boost entrepreneurship. He also pointed out that in recent months more than 2,500 businesses were started as a result of entrepreneurial incentive in our Region.
SEECEL's Director, Ms Efka Heder held a presentation regarding the role and importance of entrepreneurial learning in the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, highlighting that the human capital is the most important potential of any economy in creating sustainable growth and SMEs are the core of economic growth, innovations, employment and social integration.
The conference gathered many distinguished guests such as entrepreneurs, businessmen, representatives of local and regional governments, as well as representatives of other institutions, agencies and professional associations to exchange experiences and good practices and also to discuss the current economic problems and highlight the opportunities and possibilities for the development of entrepreneurship and economy.
SEECEL representative was Ms Efka Heder, Director.


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Amazon released the Alexa Knowledge Skills voice app option to developers in the U.S. on Wednesday, 16 months after it..
Tag Archives: AI
The Indian government has chosen conversational AI startup Senseforth to build voice assistants and chatbots for the nation’s official app..
Apple’s Siri voice assistant will include two new English voice options and won’t use the current female voice as the..
Video creation startup InVideo has debuted a voice assistant for its platform just five months after closing a $15 million..
Intel is developing a new voice AI tool to filter out offensive and abusive language during in-game voice chats...
Google Assistant is testing out a new feature to remember everything on your behalf called Memory, according to a report..
Microsoft has released an AI tool to improve how people run PowerPoint presentations to all platforms that run PowerPoint. The..
Google Chrome can now transcribe any audio played in the browser in real-time. The Live Captions feature, previously limited to..
Modev’s VOICE Talks Presented by Google Assistant will showcase some of the women leading the voice tech and AI industry..


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ForwardAI Joins the BC Tech Association
ForwardAI is pleased to announce its membership in the BC Tech Association, a nonprofit organization focused on growing the next generation of tech companies in British Columbia. BC Tech’s priorities include helping tech companies grow and scale, accelerating technology adoption, and growing the talent pool in BC.
“As an innovative AI-driven Fintech company, we are thrilled to have ForwardAI joining our BC Tech community. BC Tech is passionate about helping startups turn into scaleups, and we are looking forward to being a part of ForwardAI’s journey,” said Erika Borgerson, VP of BC Tech.
As a company with a strong corporate presence in British Columbia, joining the BC Tech Association is considered an essential step in the growth of ForwardAI.
“British Columbia has been my home for decades,” said Nick Chandi, CEO & Co-Founder of ForwardAI. “BC Tech’s strategic goals align perfectly with ForwardAI’s. Our team is looking forward to giving back to the community by participating in local tech events and helping non-tech companies adopt new technologies.”
Small business lenders or financial advisors currently relying on manually-driven paperwork and KPIs can try ForwardAI Access, a partner portal that helps accelerate small business lending and allows for unintrusive ongoing financial monitoring of small business clients.
Small business owners and accountants currently relying on manual cash flow calculations can try ForwardAI Predict, a free cash flow forecasting and management portal. Predict is a perfect first step to utilizing AI in your day-to-day business with rolling cash flow forecasts, scenario planning, and financial reports.


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Sainsbury's insists that when it comes to price comparisons whether a product is Fairtrade and where it comes from matters to customers - and it is willing to go to court to make its case
Do supermarket customers care about a product's green credentials? Are they bothered whether a product has a Fairtrade label or superior animal welfare standards? Many within the green economy will instinctively...
The initial headline-grabbing pledges to phase out single use plastic may have become old news, but the new normal is seeing hundreds of companies quietly advance their plastic reduction strategies
Progress on protecting life on land has been agonisingly slow, as deforestation and habitat loss has accelerated, but hopes remain that a step change in global land management can yet be engineered
Drinks giant developed new policy in partnership with the Rainforest Action Network and the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) In bid to guard against deforestation and labour rights abuses
Mining giant unveils strategy for 'climate neutral' growth over the next 10 years as it invests in developing zero carbon aluminium


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As experts in the tech industry, Kemp & Kjær were interviewed by Kommunikationsforum about what it means for Google that the launch of their artificial intelligence, Bard, offered failures in the first attempt during the demonstration.
It meant big drops in Google’s share price, because Google feels pressure on its existence by ChatGPT. Not least because Microsoft is in the process of integrating ChatGPT in their own search engine, Bing, which Google fears will result in user churn.
Google’s “Nokia moment”?
Bing’s global market share is 9 percent. Google sits on 84 percent – but everyone also thought Nokia was untouchable back in 2007, before Apple and the iPhone turned it all upside down.
“Google’s users will forgive them for the mistake and the share price may return. But it will probably require them to either improve Bard so that it makes significantly fewer mistakes, or launch an innovative alternative that keeps users on Google,” says Mark Benfeldt Kjær, partner at Kemp & Kjær.
Read the full interview on Kforum: Google lost $700 billion on AI flop launch:


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Notes on iPods, Power Macs, Apple alliancesiPod mini
Independent of recent reports circulating around the web, AppleInsider sources are confirming Apple plans to reduce the price of the new iPod mini by approximately $50 (US), as soon as humanly possible. While some reports have speculated that the reduction could take place sometime in the coming year, sources expect the miniatures to shed the cost in-time for Summer.
Power Mac G5
Meanwhile, updates to the company's flagship line of professional desktops are nearing release, with the sources citing January 20th or later as a potential time-frame. Recent reports on the subject have been crossed with mumblings of project 'q38'; a tracking name which is rumored to pertain to the desktop revision itself or the new series of 90-nanometer PowerPC G5 chips that will power them.
During the week of Macworld Expo, sources were vouching for the completion of the q38 project and claimed that the units were ready for introduction. "We were kind of expecting them," one source said excitedly, "I don't know what the hold up is... they're done. Maybe they're attempting to distance announcements or have yet to build up a consistent supply of the microprocessors."
Believe it or not, Apple's newly formed alliance with HP may become one of potentially numerous agreements based around the same terms, sources said recently. The computer maker is rumored to have several potential partnerships in-line that would extend the iPod's dominance in the music industry by allowing Apple to manufacture the players for third parties. However, no specific details on likely contenders are yet available.
And to the relief of iPod fanatics, Wired New's Leander Kahney has confirmed the lack of substance to reports that suggested HP would be helping Apple to implement WMA support into the iPod as part of the agreement between the two computer manufacturers.
On Topic: General
- Review: Bose's SoundLink Mini is an exceptional Bluetooth speaker
- First look: Fitbit Charge HR fitness band with real-time heart rate sensor
- Google announces 40 new third-party integrations for Siri competitor Google Now
- Apple's new Chongqing store shown off in photos ahead of Saturday opening
- AppleInsider's official podcast kicks off with analysis of the week's top Apple stories


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Sprint Forges Ahead With Xohm
The WiMax service from Sprint called Xohm picked up an award at CTIA, as the initiative continues to progress in its development.
Though at one point thought to be in jeopardy as Sprint’s upper management undertook changes, the high-speed WiMax network for wireless data regained a place in the company’s strategy. As of the CTIA show in Las Vegas this week, Xohm appears on track.
Sprint touted picking up a Frost & Sullivan United States Technology Leadership Award for its efforts with WiMax, an occasion that looked unlikely last fall when Gary Forsee got knocked out of the CEO post. Forsee had been a big WiMax booster, despite a price tag estimated for it in the neighborhood of $5 billion.
However, Sprint announced a handful of WiMax-oriented initiatives, aimed at getting the network up and sprinting (ha ha) forward:
- A XOHM Application Developer Program anticipated for May 2008 to provide the global WiMAX developer community with the tools and process required to create and introduce innovative products for XOHM’s customer base. The program features an open environment, thorough documentation and requisite tools.
- The Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition will be available during the first half of 2008 for use in XOHM service areas.
- Samsung announced at CTIA the mid-year availability of the Samsung E100 PC Card, and the availability in the fall of the Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium Mobile PC. The devices will operate exclusively on Sprint’s XOHM mobile broadband Internet network.
- Brightpoint and Nokia Siemens both announced support initiatives for various back-end processes of the Xohm network
Sprint said deploying Xohm over its 2.5GHz spectrum will allow it to bring WiMax to 75 percent of households in the top 100 US markets. That’s much more optimistic than the apparent shutdown Xohm faced back in October 2007.


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The former Massey Energy CEO is now on trial for negligence in the worst mine disaster in modern American history. It's about time Don Blankenship is put in the hot seat for putting money above everything else.
Martin Winterkorn, VW’s disgraced CEO, was forced to resign after the auto maker's eco-friendly diesel cars actually polluted the air more than allowed by law. Finally, a CEO must pay the consequences for betraying consumers and the environment?
While corporate crimes produce horrible injuries, illnesses and deaths, they are almost always settled by fines and payoffs. Why is it that criminal corporate executives are always given a “Get Out of Jail Free” card?


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A few months ago, IKEA launched this commercial over the internet and it went viral because of its similarity to Apple’s ad campaign.
IKEA is taking a different approach this year when launching its campaign ad for its 2015 catalogue. They’re doing it something similar to what Apple has done before with its Apple iPad ad campaign.
IKEA calls it the bookbook with a trademark.
At only 8mm thin, and weighing in at less than 400g, the 2015 IKEA Catalogue comes pre-installed with thousands of home furnishing ideas.
In reality, there’s nothing “electronic” about this bookbook. Simply put, it’s just their catalogue but marketed in a very creative way.
Have a look at the video below and share in the comments section below of what you think!


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Cyber security has become one of the most talked about issues in recent times due to the massive amounts of hacking stories. With billions of hackable devices using outdated security technology, coupled with a lack of consumer and business awareness, the IoT is the world’s greatest cyber security threat. The pervasiveness of IoT comes with its own set of cyber security challenges. This article explores how IoT is changing the cyber security landscape.
Learn more about how T&VS help address cyber security challenges proactively to ensure success with outsourced IoT initiatives.


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Read about the digital transformation of commercial payments and how to automate your enterprise cash cycle.
The Future of Payments is Here With the Paystand Bank Network
Jan 26, 2023 by Zazil Martinez
A significant indicator of business success is customer satisfaction. Companies can achieve it by listening and attending to their needs. One of these needs is offering different payment methods.
Optimize Your Revenue with a Zero-Fee Payment Strategy
Jan 25, 2023 by Kelsey Banerjee
Credit card processing fees and other transaction costs cut deep into business revenue—in 2021 alone, U.S. merchants paid $137.83 billion in fees. And that’s just for accepting credit card payments.
All Blog Posts
5 Tips to Make the Most Out of Paystand's NetSuite Integration
Jul 6, 2022 by Kelsey Banerjee
When it comes to optimizing Oracle NetSuite for accounts receivable, more and more businesses are turning to the Paystand SuiteApp for AR automation and complete transparency. But integration success goes beyond implementation, and accounting automation only takes you so far.
Managing Accounts Payable
Jun 28, 2022 by Kelsey Banerjee
Managing accounts payable (AP) efficiently takes more effort and resources than ever. In an era of uncertainty and supply chain shortages, AP staff are the front line of maintaining positive relationships with suppliers and vendors.
What You Need to Know About Payment Verification
Jun 14, 2022 by Kelsey Banerjee
Whether you’re getting paid or paying someone else, payment verification is essential for preventing fraud and securing payments. While you may not need to verify your client's bank accounts, having a PCI and AML complaint portal that validates accounts is a great way to reduce risk and paperwork down the road.
How Automation Makes Month-end Accounting Less Stressful
May 31, 2022 by Kelsey Banerjee
How stressed are accountants? A recent study by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales found that 80% of accountants struggled with general stress, and 56% said they were on the verge of burnout.
How to Increase Solar Revenue (Without Changing Your Business Model)
May 24, 2022 by Kelsey Banerjee
Even before the pandemic brought the supply chain to a grinding halt, the renewable energy sector had been feeling the squeeze. While the cost of installation has dropped by a whopping 60% in the past ten years, the economics around pricing solar energy has been a trickier process.
5 Best Billing Software
May 19, 2022 by Kelsey Banerjee
Let's be honest: Sound billing software is more than sending reoccurring invoices or scheduling a payment reminder. Finance professionals must juggle compatibility with multiple payment gateways, gauge the payment processing time, evaluate cash flow forecasting visualizations, review the customizable invoices options, and pursue expense tracking features.
Calculating Accounts Receivable: Cash Method vs. Accrual Method
May 17, 2022 by Kelsey Banerjee
When it comes to financial management, knowing how your business will record payments and expenses is the cornerstone of every transaction. Without this essential bit of information, you can kiss even partially-accurate cash flow projections goodbye.
4 Common Accounts Receivable Challenges and How to Solve Them
May 3, 2022 by Kelsey Banerjee
Most companies have an accounts receivable (AR) policy for when and how much to bill and when to collect. But research shows that not all businesses execute that policy effectively. In fact, the average US business has up to 24% of its monthly revenue tied up in overdue invoices.
How Does ACH Work?
Apr 28, 2022 by Kelsey Banerjee
While ACH has been around for decades, more and more businesses are shifting away from credit cards and bank wires in favor of this payment method. In 2021, same-day ACH grew by 74%, with B2B payments specifically being up 20.4%.


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TECH BYTE: Changes Coming to iTunes
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Apple is making some big changes.
Not just with a new computer, but with the way we download music.
Apple recently made the announcement at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
While the company didn’t reveal the latest iPhone just yet, they did announce changes to iTunes.
It will be replaced with three different apps – one for music, one for podcasts, and one for movies and TV shows.
You’ll be able to get these apps on Apple phones, tablets and desktops on a new operating system out this fall – macOS Catalina.
Speaking of desktops, Apple also showed off their new Mac Pro computer at the conference.
It’s a first in that line in six years, and will be available starting this fall.
Apple even announced new features available with the iOS 13 update coming later this year.
Highlights include a dark mode color scheme, and changes to Apple Maps.
Dark mode makes it easier on your eyes with a darker background on your phone.
It’s also easy to turn on manually, or have it set to automatically turn on at night.
In the Apple Maps upgrade, you’ll be able to explore cities using a 3D experience.
You’ll also be able to make a list of your favorite spots, and places you want to visit.
For more on what you can expect with the iTunes changes and some of these other new features, go to apple.com.


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Rumors circulated back in November 2018, of a new disc-less, cost-efficient Xbox One S model for players to buy, with an alleged availability date sometime in 2019 for a price below $200 USD.It is reported that Microsoft will be revealing their next-gen hardware, Scarlet, at E3 2019, alongside Halo Infinite, with both being rumored to launch sometime in 2020.For more on Microsoft and E3 2019, read about how April's Inside Xbox is said to tease what Microsoft has in store this year for E3, and make sure to tune into IGN for all coverage of Xbox's monthly livestream, which will return on Tuesday, April 16 at 2pm PT.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to email@example.com.
Jessie Wade is a news writer for IGN and really likes her disc drive. Chat with her on Twitter @jessieannwade.
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Published: March 19, 2016 | Louisville, KY
The new 2017 ESCAPE SUV becomes the first Ford’s vehicle to support all three infotainment platforms viz. SYNC3, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The vehicle has been developed at the Louisville assembly plant and set to hit the dealership this May.
With CarPlay and Android Auto, drivers will have native access to their smartphone platform’s phone, messaging, music, and map apps, in addition to several third-party services like Spotify. Ford notes that Apple users will be able to interact with CarPlay via Siri voice commands, or with the Escape’s built-in steering wheel controls.
Back in January, Ford revealed that all of its 2017 vehicles that come running Sync 3 would support CarPlay, however this is the first mention of which vehicle it will debut on. If you happen to drive a 2016 Ford that runs Sync 3, the company says forthcoming software update will add CarPlay and Android Auto support.
Workers at Louisville Assembly have been manufacturing Escape since 2012. Since then, production has steadily increased to meet growing demand for the No. 1-selling Ford Motor Company SUV. In 2015, Louisville Assembly built 306,492 units all while maintaining a high standard of quality that put 2015 Escape as Highest-Ranked Compact SUV by J.D. Power in Initial Quality.
CarPlay will finally be available on certain cars under the Chrysler umbrella, including Dodge and Jeep in the coming months. This will make over 100 new models from 2016 and 2017 to feature CarPlay support, from a number of carmakers worldwide, including Acura, Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Porsche, Peugeot, Suzuki, Volkswagen, Volvo, and more.


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Since the start of 2013, the U.S. IPO market has seen 410 companies go public. And some of the most successful stocks from that huge group have been Chinese companies.
But following the much-anticipated Alibaba IPO, BABA stock may trump them all.
According to research by Bloomberg, the 10 largest Chinese companies to hold IPOs in the last year have seen an average return of 44% since they went public. In the same time, U.S. stocks holding IPOs of at least $100 million have averaged a gain of just 25% since hitting the market.
Chinese online classified company 58.com Inc. (NYSE ADR: WUBA) has been the biggest winner so far. On WUBA's first day of trading in October, the stock climbed 42%. WUBA stock opened today at $49.22 - a gain of 189% from its offer price.
Chinese automobile information website Autohome Inc. (NYSE ADR: ATHM) returned 77% on its first day in December, and 126% overall. JD.com Inc. (Nasdaq ADR: JD), a Chinese online direct-sales company, is up 47% since going public in May. JD had a first day "pop" of 10%. Online retailer Jumei International Holding Ltd. (NYSE ADR: JMEI) is up 42% since its May IPO, including a first-day return of 10%.
"There is a lot of investor excitement around the group, especially ahead of Alibaba," Susquehanna Financial Group LLP's technology, media, and telecom analyst Kurt Ayling told Bloomberg in June. "Investors generally feel they need some sort of exposure in China once again."
The main reason these Chinese stocks are hitting the ground running is the explosive growth of China's Internet and e-commerce industries. And investors want in on the action...Profiting from the World's Largest E-Commerce Market
"The number of consumers and business folks connected to the Internet in China - whether you're talking about computers, tablets, or smartphones - is bigger than the entire U.S. population," Money Morning's Executive Editor Bill Patalon said. "And the government there is actually pushing growth. Beijing has mandated that 1.2 million folks - 85% of its population - will have broadband connections (3G or 4G) by 2020."
That Internet growth goes hand-in-hand with e-commerce growth. This year, China supplanted the United States to become the largest e-commerce market in the world.
And it shows no signs of slowing down...
"Online-shopping spending in China reached $298 billion last year, easily surpassing U.S. sales of $263 billion," Patalon said. "According to German research firm yStats, China's consumer e-commerce market soared more than 60% in 2013."
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) is by far the largest e-commerce company in China, and roughly 80% of all online transactions that take place in the country happen on its network of sites. It's positioned perfectly...
"Alibaba is the dominant e-commerce player in a marketplace in China," Patalon continued. "According to the research I've seen, e-commerce in China is projected to hit $540 billion by 2015, and that's just for starters. By 2020, China's e-commerce market will be worth more than the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and France combined. So we know that growth is coming... and we know that Alibaba is the No. 1 gun."
Alibaba already handles more online transactions than Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN)and eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY)combined.
In 2013, Alibaba's most popular site, Taobao, handled $177 billion in transactions. Approximately $70 billion exchanged hands over Alibaba's second-largest site, Tmall, during the same time. Amazon and eBay accounted for$100 million and $54 billion, respectively.
The effects of the market's growth, and increasing investor interest in the sector have brought double-digit gains to JD and JMEI stock in just three months. WUBA and ATHM have seen triple digit gains in less than a year.
Given Alibaba's size and command of the market, it very well could trump all of those stocks.
"Despite the torrid growth, China is still very much an online market in development - meaning the profit opportunities are huge," said Patalon.
But investors don't have to wait until the Alibaba IPO date to begin playing this IPO. You can profit now. The best news about this looming IPO is that it has created a major profit opportunity that most investors haven't yet noticed... It's happening now, weeks before Alibaba hits the market...
In fact, this could be your one and only chance to make the kind of gains normally reserved for the high-net-worth investors and bankers. And there are three ways to play. You can learn more about this Alibaba profit opportunity here.
Share this Story on Twitter @moneymorning and @KyleAndersonMM using #Alibaba.
The post Why the Alibaba IPO Will Trump China’s Soaring New Stocks appeared first on Money Morning - Only the News You Can Profit From.


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Our very own Rob Donnell rose early this morning to talk with Bloomberg Television’s “Market Makers” about the risks and potential for big pay-offs with brand marketing campaigns that involve movie tie-ins. Click HERE to watch Rob’s interview.
Odds are you’ve seen at least one of the 70 comedy-driven ads that Rob talked about on the show. Chrysler released the series last month, starring Will Ferrell as his Anchorman character, Ron Burgundy, to promote the new Dodge Durango. If you haven’t seen them, you can watch one of our favorite spots below, which already has 1,635,375 views on Dodge’s official YouTube page.
According to TIME Magazine, Chrysler’s sales are up 11 percent since the Will Ferrell ad campaign began, with Durango sales up 59 percent. Not surprisingly, the ads already have over seven million combined hits on YouTube, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. What’s even more interesting, is that Chrysler didn’t pay Ferrell a dime to do the ads, since the jointly created spots by Wieden+Kennedy and Ferrell’s FunnyorDie.com team, also promote his new movie, Anchorman 2, out Dec. 20, according to Automotive News.
Rob also told Bloomberg TV that while he sees a lot of value in online content marketing campaigns like this one, he does urge marketers looking to cash in on similar opportunities to remember that while Chrysler may not have paid Ferrell to star in the spots, they’re still footing the airtime bill to broadcast them on TV.


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Uzbekistan, which is the most populous country in Central Asia. India and Uzbekistan enjoy a close strategic partnership. PM Modi will hold talks with President Islam Karimov and ink key agreements to strengthen cooperation between both the nations. There are over 3000 Indians in living in Uzbekistan.
Here are some important facts need to know about India and Uzbekistan
- The founder of the Mughal dynasty, Babur, came from Uzbekistan.
- Indian movies have traditionally been popular in Uzbekistan.
- Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited Uzbekistan in 1955 and 1961 (then USSR).
- Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri visited Uzbekistan (then USSR) in January 1966 and died in Tashkent.
- His name has been commemorated in Tashkent - a street and school are named after him and there is also a statue and a bust in his memory in the city.
- Consulate General of India in Tashkent was formally inaugurated on 7th April 1987.
- Prime Minister Narasimha Rao visited Uzbekistan in 1993 and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 25-26 April, 2006.
- President Karimov paid State visits to India in 1994, 2000, 2005, he paid his last to India in May 2011.
- Uzbekistan and India have signed agreements, MOUs, protocols and Joint Statements in areas such as trade, investment, education, civil aviation, science & technology, telecommunications, agriculture and IT.
- Uzbekistan supported India's candidature for the non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for 2011-2012, and has been publicly supporting India's inclusion as permanent member of the UNSC.
- Trade relations between India and Uzbekistan are governed by the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation signed in May 1993.
- India's main mainly exports drugs, other pharmaceutical products, paper, wood products, machinery, garments & fabrics, tea, plastic items, chemicals, surgical items and consumer goods to Uzbekistan.
- Beans, chemicals and non-ferrous metals constitute the largest item of Indian imports from Uzbekistan apart from machinery, silver, raw cotton & silk, pulses & services.
- Six Uzbek educational institutions, nationwide, promote studies of Indian languages, particularly Hindi, from primary to post-graduate level.
- Uzbek Radio has completed 50 years of Hindi broadcasting in 2012. Uzbek TV channels have more than once telecast the Ramayan and Mahabharat serials.


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Windsor business owners want to see more retailers and more shoppers in the city.
Mayor Eddie Francis promised a retail development corporation in his State of the City address in April, but it's not complete.
The city's chief administrative officer said a draft plan is in the works but it's slow going.
In the meantime, some Windsor retailers are offering their own ideas of what they want to happen.
Paul Boyko owns Visions of Canada on Park Street and wants to see more people of all ages cruising the streets of downtown Windsor.
"If I had an opportunity I would like to bring something where a family, a husband and wife and two kids would say I want to come to downtown Windsor because there's a destination," said Boyko.
Danielle Perry co-owns Priced Green, a clothing store in Pillette Village.
She said she welcomes the idea of an entity to help retail shops in the city.
"In terms of our business we're actually opening up a children's section. So I think for us, if there was a retail development corporation, I could access them for information and help," said Perry.
"I think Pillette Village is growing and I think anything that can help in that direction is going to be good for the city," she said.
City staff are working on a report to present to the community first and then to council later this year.


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Every year, thousands of people from all around the world pack up and leave their home countries in search of a new life abroad.
According to estimates by the World Bank, remittances are expected to exceed $436 billion to developing countries in 2014.
Buying property abroad is becoming increasingly popular, especially among Brits.
No matter what you’re looking to buy, whether it’s a new washing machine, holiday or even a service such as car insurance.
For most people, simply keeping track of and managing to pay their bills in their own country is enough of a task in itself.
If you’re looking to send money to a family member, friend, colleague or even a stranger who doesn’t live local to you.
If you’re planning a holiday or weekend away, you’re sure to have a ton of things to think about & plan your flights, accommodation.
Every day, billions of pounds worth of foreign exchange transactions are carried out on the international foreign exchange market.
Whether you’re looking to purchase a holiday home in the sun, send financial gifts to friends or family members living abroad.


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Further to our December 7th article explaining the discussions in Winnipeg regarding what types of specialty pets citizens should be allowed to care for, the Winnipeg Protection, Community Services and Parks Committee met on December 7th. The Committee granted an extension to Animal Services for submitting recommendations to update the Responsible Pet Ownership Proposal. An […]
About Susan Dankert
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Entries by Susan Dankert
PIJAC Canada’s annual general meeting took place on Monday, officially welcoming three new directors and thanking two long-term departing directors. We are pleased to present your Board of Directors for 2022. Departures Mike Campbell of MarCam Pet Nutrition (Ontario) has completed his final term this year after 8 years on the Board. Thorough out his […]
Winnipeg Families Unite – Protect All Pets Winnipeg Animal Services is considering instituting the most restrictive pet owning legislation the city has ever seen. This would make Winnipeg the least pet friendly community in the country. 1. Go to page 13: winnipeg.ca/RPObylaw to see if your pet will be banned. 2. Tell your councillor how […]
Animal welfare is everyone’s business™ We applaud the animal and human welfare safety issues outlined in the three main political party platforms (Liberal, Conservative and NDP). As the voice for the Canadian pet industry since 1988, we have spent the last 3 decades engaged in these issues. We truly appreciate your interest in this topic […]
OTTAWA, ON – August 20, 2021 – PIJAC Canada applauds the City of Winnipeg’s proposed bylaw change regarding previously banned dog breeds, however as the voice of Canada’s pet industry, we have serious concerns about the proposed changes to laws concerning specialty pets. A primary concern is the proposed ‘Allowed Animal’ list excludes common […]
MARKHAM, ON, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ – Pet Valu Holdings Ltd. (“Pet Valu” or the “Company“), the leading Canadian specialty retailer of pet food and pet-related supplies, today announced that it has filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, and obtained a receipt for, a preliminary base PREP prospectus (the […]
Tuesday we were made aware that new Captive Wildlife In Saskatchewan regulations were enacted as of June 1st 2021. These regulations severely restrict the sale and ownership of many speciality species that, until May 31st, were available through pet stores. To our knowledge, there was no outreach to the hobby groups and business owners of the province […]
Congratulations to the 2021 western region Pet Community Awards Winners. We had an amazing group of nominees this spring, inspiring over 2600 people to vote. Public recognition is something pet community professionals do not often receive. Highlighting the hard work of these trailblazers tells our story as an industry and inspires others to follow their […]
Pet Food Security for Ontario’s Animals PETITON LINK #FoodSecurity for Ontario’s Pets Ontario pet families need access to proper nutrition for their pets. There are 9.3 million pet owners in Ontario, 55% of those own a dog or cat and 45% own other types of pets. The tightened restrictions announced in April 2021 which excluded […]
Premier Doug Ford announced new lockdown measures for Ontario which leaves pet stores off the essential businesses list and relegated to curbside pick up and delivery, while big box stores with grocery components are allowed to operate at 25% capacity. This turn of events is a departure from previous COVID restrictions implemented by the […]
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Sears in Bid for Restoration Hardware
New York, Sears Holdings Corp has proposed buying Restoration Hardware Inc. for $6.75 per share, according to a regulatory filing on Monday.
The offer—made in a Nov. 23 letter to Restoration which Sears included in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing—would top a management-led buyout valued at $6.70 a share, or $267 million, that Restoration agreed to earlier this month.
Sears Holdings last week disclosed it owns a 13.7% stake in Restoration and had initially proposed a $4-a-share bid after being informed in late October that Restoration was weighing a management buyout.
Sears asked a special committee of Restoration’s board for confidential information to submit a binding proposal for it, which was denied, according to the letter to the special panel of Restoration’s board attached to the SEC filing.
The proposed $6.75 per-share tender offer, therefore, was based solely on publicly available information, Sears executive VP William C. Crowley said in the letter.
Restoration announced on Nov. 8 that it agreed to a buyout in a deal that includes private-equity firm Catterton Partners. It is soliciting competing proposals from third parties during a 35-day period that ends Dec.13.
A representative for Restoration Hardware and a spokesman for Sears Holdings both declined to comment.
BJ’s reports 8% net sales increase
NATICK, Mass. BJ’s Wholesale Club on Tuesday reported a net income of $22.7 million for its third quarter, a 24% jump over the prior year’s period.
The wholesaler, who experienced a $1.4 million loss in 2006 because of post-tax and discontinued operations of the company’s ProFoods Restaurant Supply clubs, is seeing nothing but green this year.
Net sales for the third quarter were approximately $2.1 billion, an increase of 8% over the third quarter of 2006, while comparable-club sales grew by 3.4%.
According to the company, strong categories included televisions, small appliances, cheese, coffee, dairy, frozen produce, juices, meat, milk, office supplies, produce, soda and water. Weaker categories over last year included apparel, automotive and tools, cigarettes, pre-recorded video, residential furniture and tires.
BJ’s ceo Herb Zarkin said sales of perishable foods rose 8%—a product category carrying high profit margins that also lifted second quarter results. “Perishable foods represent our greatest opportunity to capture market share from supermarkets,” he noted.
Ross Stores names Froman to board
PLEASANTON, Calif. Ross Stores announced on Wednesday that John W. Froman has been elected to its board of directors, effective immediately.
Froman served as president and ceo of NAMCO Pool & Patio from 2005 to 2007. Prior to that, he spent almost 20 years in various management roles at Circuit City, eventually serving as its evp and coo. He began his retail career over 30 years ago at Avon Products, Inc.
“We are delighted to have John Froman join our board of directors,” said vice chairman, president and ceo Michael Balmuth. “We believe that his extensive business knowledge and in-depth retail management experience will make him a valuable resource for the Company and its stockholders.”


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YouTube said on Thursday that over 100 million users had joined up for YouTube Music and Premium.
According to a blog post by Adam Smith, vice president of product management at YouTube, the service is now accessible in more than 100 countries.
The achievement highlights YouTube’s progress as the biggest streaming platform in the United States, surpassing Netflix and other competitors by a wide margin. The data indicates that many consumers are willing to pay a premium to remove advertisements and gain access to offline downloads, even though the great majority of viewers still watch the experience with commercials. The 2015 introduction of the service received a boost when YouTube combined its own new app, YouTube Music, with the main Premium service.
The CEO of Alphabet, which owns YouTube and Google, Sundar Pichai, stated on Tuesday that the company’s subscription business has risen steadily and now generates $15 billion in revenue annually. At the time, he said that YouTube Premium and Music had demonstrated “real momentum.”
Smith celebrated the services’ advancements on Thursday, highlighting new generative AI research and the addition of features including improved 1080p HD content viewing.
The global president of YouTube Music, Lyor Cohen, praised the updated experience of the app, saying it is “unrecognizable from its first launch.” Cohen also highlighted other new capabilities, such as the option to make your own playlists with custom cover art created by generative AI or the opportunity to establish your own radio station.


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TAG Heuer is a very recognizable name on the watch market. The company is famous for their luxury accessories and also smartwatches. For example, November of 2015 saw the release of a very interesting smartwatch – TAG Heuer Connected. This device became one of the most expensive ones on Android Wear. $1500 seemed too steep, even compared to smartwatches from other brands. Despite the price, the watch turned out to be quite popular, the demand on it is still high. That’s why TAG Heuer is preparing another version for a later release in 2017.
According to Android Headlines, the second generation of TAG Heuer Connected will be unveiled in May. The device will feature the upcoming Android Wear 2.0 which will definitely be new trend after Google and LG launch their smartwatches.
Flash Sale Direct Discount
Tag Heuer Men’s Formula 1 Swiss Quartz
Stainless Steel Dress Watch
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Among improvements, we will see a better display and more advanced software as well as better signal reception, bigger battery and NFC. The watch will reportedly be able to determine user’s location with one-meter accuracy. Besides, TAG Heuer cooperated with Intel, so the new smartwatch will be powered on an Intel processor which is a rare thing for Android Wear devices.
As a reminder, since the release of TAG Heuer Connected, 56 thousand of these watches have been sold. The total income is easily calculated – around $80 mill., which is an impressive result for the company. If everything goes right, a new luxury smartwatch may bring even more. We’ll be waiting for more news or official announcements.


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The company will be showcasing its products at G2E Las Vegas next month.
US.- TransAct Technologies Incorporated, a global leader in software-driven technology and printing solutions for high-growth markets, announced today that the first deployment of Epicentral SE, TransAct’s new systems edition of its Epicentral promotion and bonusing print system, is now live at a U.S. commercial casino. Installed in connection with the existing slot management system and TransAct Epic 950 printers in use at the property, Epicentral SE is powering the delivery of printed offers, including free play vouchers, delivered directly to players which they can redeem while playing.
Bart C. Shuldman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TransAct Technologies, commented, “We are excited that Epicentral SE is now powering new bonusing opportunities at a U.S. casino for the first time. In what has become a highly competitive industry environment, TransAct believes that the real-time delivery of bonuses via a printed voucher is a differentiated way for operators to drive increased visitation and play among their patrons. The ability to print playable vouchers, redeemable at the game, is an unrivaled feature of our Epicentral SE system, an easy-to-implement add-on to slot management systems that transforms the bonus environment on casino floors. We look forward to working with this customer as they fully leverage the capabilities of Epicentral SE.”
Epicentral is the industry’s only enterprise-level promotion and bonusing software suite, providing for the real-time delivery of targeted promotions to customers directly at slot machines and electronic table games. TransAct’s new systems edition of Epicentral, Epicentral SE, allows operators to use the existing bonusing capabilities of their slot management systems to offer bonuses to players as a printed coupon by leveraging Epicentral’s Print Manager and Design Center modules. These real-time printed bonuses have been proven to drive increased time on device and, ultimately, increased revenue for the casino operator.


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Here’s the UC mobile tablet ad Spot-On likes so much:
It’s pretty, it’s informative and it’s on Flipboard.
It lands on a special magazine Cal’s PR department has created just for Flipboard called Fiat Lux.
Smile! Voters respond better to ads carrying a face. Ads with people – usually the candidate – drive more traffic to your campaign site.
Local news sites say that more than 90% of their regular readers are voters.Spot-On Ads puts your ads on sites where voters spend time.


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Parfums des Iles commits to the fight against COVID 19 in Martinique
MEDIA RELEASE 5.13.20: OECS-Chamber of Commerce of Martinique Joint
Multiple private sector stakeholders are mobilising efforts in response to the growing need for sanitising solutions – which are critical to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Martinique-based company Parfums des Iles has also joined the fight against the virus.
Parfums des I les is one of the beneficiaries of the INTERREG Trade Enhancement for the Eastern Caribbean (TEECA) project, which is coordinated by the Chamber of Commerce of Martinique (CCI Martinique) along with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique and the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export).
The first two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Martinique on March 5, 2020. In consultation with the French government, the popular perfume company took the initiative to begin manufacturing hydro-alcoholic sanitisers in order to support and supply healthcare facilities. The General Manager of Parfums des Iles, Véronicka Cormouls-Houles, explained that this decision sought to address the emergency situation faced by healthcare professionals in the French overseas territory.
We have been manufacturing perfumes for over 20 years and our expertise has enabled us to respond to the urgency of the situation. As a result, we successfully delivered 50 liters of hydro-alcoholic solutions to the Mangot Vulcin hospital,” Cormouls-Houles said.
The General Manager of Parfums des Iles reaffirmed her commitment to the fight against COVID-19 and her will to pursue this initiative on the condition that the supply of raw materials, which remain essential for the manufacture of hydro-alcoholic solutions, is guaranteed. Véronicka Cormouls-Houles further indicated that the company had to implement adaptation measures in response to the COVID-19 restrictions and the closure of physical outlets. A ‘click & collect’ system enables the general public to purchase products on the Parfums des Iles website and retrieve the orders. She also mentioned that the company continues to deliver products to Martinique, mainland France and international markets.
About the INTERREG TEECA Project
The Trade Enhancement for the Eastern Caribbean (TEECA) project is co-funded by INTERREG Caraïbes and led by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Martinique (CCIM), in partnership with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), and the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique (CTM). The INTERREG TEECA project was launched in 2018. The programme aims to accelerate trade within OECS Member States by providing assistance to companies based in Martinique and the English-speaking countries of the OECS which wish to access to other markets. The INTERREG TEECA project fosters forging win-win partnerships within the entrepreneurship ecosystem of the region. Hence, 29 companies which were selected at the end of the call for projects are currently benefiting from a two-year tailor-made support programme to enable the export of their products and services to other markets. This programme also aims to promote entrepreneurship among young people in the OECS Member States through the TECCA Caribbean Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge.


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SEATTLE (CBS.MW) -- Amazon.com AMZN, +2.01% added a feature Wednesday that lets visitors browse more than 25,000 books that the online retailer offers for sale.
"We've created an even better way to showcase books online," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO. "Flipping through a book's pages online is a unique, powerful way that our customers can find and discover books they'd like to buy." Visitors can see a book's table of contents, illustrations, dozens of pages of text and page layout and design.
E-shoppers are stores' best customers
Consumers who make purchases in stores, online, and through catalogs are a retailer's best customers, according to research conducted by the J.C. Williams Group and Bizrate.com. Shoppers who use all three of these channels also tend to spend more and be more loyal. Shoppers who bought online (from the same retailer) spend an average of $600 more annually in-store than typical store shoppers of that retailer, and customers who use all three channels represent 34 percent of online shoppers (among those shopping at a tri-channel retailer). In addition, the study reported that reaching the "super" multi-channel customer is primary to a retailer's success. These shoppers are more likely to be customers of all three channels and purchase four times more frequently online than the average online buyer. Super shoppers also purchase from a retailer's store 70 percent more frequently than the average store customer and 110 percent more often from the retailer's catalog. Microsoft's MSFT, +1.05% MSN Eshop and R.R. Donnelley DNY, +0.00% underwrote the study.
RealNetworks debuts online game rental
RealNetworks RNWK, -5.53% is hoping online gamers will pay $14.99 a month for access to all the games on its new site, RealArcade.com. The rental area of the new site includes almost a dozen games, which can be played after users download software for entry to the site. RealArcade.com also offers free demos of games, which can be purchased online.
House set to extend Net sales tax ban
An additional five-year ban on taxing Web services and product sales over the Internet is expected to be approved Wednesday by the House Judiciary Committee. H.R. 1522 is set for consideration at 2 p.m. Eastern. The current moratorium on Net sales taxes is due to expire Oct. 21.
Egghead.com deal cracked
The on-again, off-again sale of Egghead.com is off again. San Francisco-based Fry's Electronics has called off its deal to buy the online retailer for $10 million, according to the Associated Press. The bankrupt online retailer revealed Fry's withdrawal as part of a lawsuit, in which Egghead said Fry's did not make its intentions clear, the better to weaken the e-tailer's chances for survival while Fry's pursued the purchase of competitor Cyberian Outpost COOL An attorney for Egghead said, "Without new financing, Egghead will be forced to close its doors within a matter of days," the AP report added.
Music file swapping hits high notes
The number of people using digital "music sharing" applications other than Napster grew 492 percent. Jupiter Media Metrix JMXI estimated U.S. at-home users increased from 1.2 million in March 2001 to 6.9 million in August 2001. Users of the Napster application, which still can be used for organizing and playing music files, decreased 49 percent over the same period. Napster had 10.8 million unique users in March 2001 and 5.5 million in August 2001. Almost one-third of file-swappers are age 17 or under, the researchers said.
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Small World Christmas 2021
The Christmas season is the perfect time to explore new places and create new holiday memories that will last a lifetime. It’s an exciting time of year filled with cheer, goodwill, and an extra Flippa, the #1 global online marketplace to buy and sell online businesses, Amazon stores, apps, websites, and other digital real estate, announced the results of a new survey of small business owners Samples from three patients from Illinois, and one each from Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Massachusetts collected in the first three months in 2020 were positive for the virus.
The new study is the largest to date to suggest that a handful of cases popped up in the U.S. weeks before the virus was recognized by health officials. A wave of brief internet outages has hit the websites and apps of dozens of financial institutions, airlines and other companies across the globe.
Assuming the PS5 shortage has eased up a little bit, it looks like Sony’s PSVR 2 could be the most requested gift under the Christmas tree in 2022. | Trusted Reviews The stars of Hallmark’s “Picture Perfect Mysteries” series, Alexa and Carlos PenaVega, are married in real life.
Small World Christmas 2021 : Award winning author Jody Sharpe has announced the upcoming release of her latest book, ‘Town Of Angels Christmas, A Tale of Love and Animal Rescue’. She also announced that one of her previous works, Pearlie Newton, 76, is a retired English teacher and guidance counselor from Bearden, Arkansas. Here, she discusses going back to school while raising children, cultivating a loving marriage, and the Michael McDougall, an ace entrepreneur, began his highly decorated career over 14 years ago at the young age of 23. His passion for the business led him to accomplish the Rookie of The Year Award, and