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On December 15, according to official sources. OneOf, a music NFT platform based on the Tezos chain, announced that Demo NFT, an unreleased song recorded by the well-known American female singer Whitney Houston at the age of 17, was sold for $999,999.
Previously reported, November 18. Music NFT platform OneOf auctions demos of unreleased songs recorded by Whitney Houston at the age of 17 in the form of NFT. In addition, the NFT collection will include Dian Sinclair’s artwork and rare photos from the early days of Houston’s career. The NFT series will be on sale during Miami Art Week starting on December 1.


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Embezzlement leads the way in Mingtiandi’s roundup of Asia real estate headlines today with the news that the chairman of SRE Group, who was detained in January, has now been formally charged with embezzlement, along with an executive director of the real estate unit of China Minsheng Investment Group, with both former company officials now detained in Shanghai.
In other news around the region, a US hotel operator’s China business is down 90 percent in February, while a co-working giant’s Indian affiliate is promising to become profitable by October. Elsewhere, a mainland developer ups its support for tenants by offering to delay payments on rent and property management fees.
The chairman of a real estate unit owned by China’s largest privately owned financial services group, along with an executive director of the same company, have detained by Shanghai police on embezzlement charges.
Peng Xinkuang, the chairman and former chief executive of SRE Group Limited, has been approved for arrest under the embezzlement charge, according to a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange, where the real estate developer’s shares are listed. Read more>>
Talk of coronavirus overshadowed Hyatt Hotel’s strong finish to the year during Thursday’s quarterly earnings call.
CEO Mark Hoplamazian began by acknowledging the company’s staff in the Asia Pacific region, which he said is operating in “extraordinary circumstances and demonstrating a profound commitment to care for their families, for our guests and our customers, for our hotel owners and for the communities in which our hotels operate that have been hard hit by the reduction in travel associated with COVID-19.” Read more>>
UK retailer Sainsbury’s has teamed up with Far East Consortium (FEC) to redevelop the site of its store in Whitechapel in East London.
The redevelopment of Whitechapel Square will include new homes, retail spaces for local businesses and public space alongside a new flagship Sainsbury’s supermarket. Read more>>
WeWork India is planning to go slower on its investments than previously planned and is looking to turn profitable by October this year.
The local affiliate of the global co-working venture started operations a little more than three years ago. Read more>>
Chinese commercial property giant Dalian Wanda Commercial Management Group has decided to ramp up support for its over 60,000 merchant partners to tide over the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Merchants in the company’s expansive and popular retail complex network Wanda Plazas can apply for delayed payments of rent and property management fees for March and April, the company said in a circular. Read more>>
The German sportswear maker warned that business activity in the country has plunged 85 percent year-over-year in the period since the Lunar New Year holiday on 25 January.
It cited a “material negative impact” as a result of the outbreak, which has led the firm to shutter a “significant” number of stores as well as see a “pronounced traffic reduction” at the locations that remain open. Read more>>
Property group OUE made a net profit of S$255.2 million ($182 million) in 2019, up from the S$10 million it made in 2018, it said on Thursday.
Revenue in the 12 months ended 31 December 2019 rose 44.8 percent to S$930 million, led by a S$283.7 million jump in income from development properties to S$350 million. Read more>>

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The Food and Drug Administration is punishing a number of companies that disperse and make kratom, a supplement with psychedelic and pain-relieving qualities that's been connected to a current salmonella break out.
In a letter launched on Tuesday, FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb gotten in touch with 3 business in different states to stop selling unapproved kratom products with unproven health claims. In a statement, Gottlieb said the companies were engaged in "health fraud scams" that "pose serious health risks."
Derived from a plant native to Southeast Asia, kratom is often offered as tablets, powder, or tea in the United States. Supporters say it helps curb the symptoms of opioid withdrawal, which has led individuals to flock to kratom recently as a method of stepping down from more effective drugs like Vicodin.
Due to the fact that kratom is classified as a supplement and has not been developed as a drug, it's not subject to much federal guideline. That suggests tainted kratom pills and powders can easily make their method to keep shelves-- which appears to have actually taken place in a recent outbreak of salmonella that has actually up until now sickened more than 130 people throughout several states.
Outlandish claims and little clinical research study
The FDA's recent crackdown seems the newest step in a growing divide in between advocates and regulatory companies concerning making use of kratom The business the company has called are Front Range Kratom of Aurora, Colorado; Kratom Spot of Irvine, California and Revibe, Inc., of Kansas City, Missouri.
The claims these three business have made consist of marketing the supplement as "very reliable against cancer" and recommending that their products could help in reducing the symptoms of opioid addiction.
There are few existing clinical studies to back up those claims. Research study on kratom has actually found, however, that the drug use some of the exact same brain receptors as opioids do. That stimulated the FDA to classify it as an opioid in February.
Professionals say that since of this, it makes good sense that people with opioid use disorder are relying on kratom as a means of abating their symptoms and stepping down from more powerful drugs like Vicodin.
Taking any supplement that hasn't been tested for safety by medical experts can be hazardous.
The threats of taking kratom.
Previous FDA screening discovered that numerous products dispersed by Revibe-- one of the three companies named in the FDA letter-- navigate to this website were tainted with salmonella. Last month, as part of a request from the agency, Revibe ruined a number of tainted products still at its facility, but the business has yet to confirm that it recalled products that had actually currently delivered to shops.
Last month, the FDA provided its first-ever necessary recall of kratom items after those produced by Las Vegas-based Triangle Pharmanaturals were found to be polluted with salmonella.
As of April 5, a total of 132 people throughout 38 states had actually been sickened with the germs, which can trigger diarrhea and abdominal pain lasting up to a week.
Dealing with the threat that kratom products could bring hazardous bacteria, those who take the supplement have no dependable method to figure out the correct dose. It's likewise hard to discover a verify kratom supplement's complete active ingredient list or represent potentially damaging interactions with other drugs or medications.
Kratom is presently banned in Australia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and numerous US states (Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Tennessee, and Wisconsin). Across the US, numerous reports of deaths and addiction led the Drug Enforcement Administration to position kratom on its list of "drugs and chemicals of concern." In 2016, the DEA proposed a restriction on kratom but backtracked under pressure from some members of Congress and an outcry from kratom supporters.


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Here are some helpful tips to keep costs down while enjoying a safe and enjoyable trip over the Labor Day weekend.
You probably know the offerings at your favorite fast-food joints inside and out, but did you know that many of them have a secret menu?
Starbucks Tuesday raised its prices on some of its drinks by 5 cents to 20 cents.
Starbucks announced a program Monday intended to help its baristas earn an online college degree.
Coffee giant’s La Boulange brand opened its first restaurant Thursday in Los Angeles with a new all-day dining scene.
The coffee-chain giant, which has nearly 1,000 locations in Southern California, is looking to hire 400 new employees, with fifteen percent of the open positions at management level.
The coffee chain will open La Boulange, a new restaurant on South La Brea in the mid-Wilshire area, in June.
SKY9’s Stu Mundel reports a parent and a small child were apparently seen running on foot from the crash at Birch Street and MacArthur Court.
It was a caffeine-charged Hollywood whodunit: Just whose bright idea was the “Dumb Starbucks” coffee shop that popped up and started serving free drinks from the corner of an otherwise uncelebrated strip mall.
A mysterious shop named “Dumb Starbucks” is serving coffee again in Los Angeles after drawing weekend crowds that waited in a line two blocks long.
Can a store call itself “Dumb Starbucks” without getting into legal trouble?
Los Angeles, a notorious hub for setting trends, has some of the best outlet shopping in which to find chain store and Rodeo Drive treasures all in one spot.
Forty-four-year-old Alvin Mingczech Yee, of Mission Viejo, was sentenced to 135 months in prison Thursday.
A 24-year-old Cypress man is behind bars after he allegedly robbed and kidnapped a female acquaintance.
The world’s biggest coffee chain said Thursday that it will ask customers and businesses to sign a petition calling for an end to the partial government shutdown that has forced hundreds of thousands of federal workers off the job.


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Costs of medications drop for the first time in 20 years
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- For the first time in 20 years, the cost of medicine for common conditions has gone done.
Cheaper generic drugs in 2012 brought down spending on treatments for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. People who have prescription drug coverage saw the cost of those medicines drop by one and a half percent, but a rise in spending on specialty drug treatments offset that decline and drove total U.S. payments for prescription drugs up 2.7 percent
One drug that won’t be going generic any time soon is Celebrex. U.S. regulators have granted Pfizer, Inc. a reissued patent on its multi-billion dollar pain drug that extends its marketing exclusively until early December 2015.
That will give Pfizer an additional 1.5 years of selling a drug that had U.S. sales of more than $1.7 billion in 2012, before cheaper generic versions begin to hit the market at the end of 2015.
Copyright 2013 9wsyr.com Nexstar Broadcasting, All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Pune-headquartered DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations has received an overwhelming response from the bidders, clocking an oversubscription of 262 times on the last day of its public issue aggregating Rs 6,016.78 crore.
The drone startup’s initial public offer (IPO) opened for subscription on the BSE SME IPO platform on December 13, 2022. As per the official release, the retail portion was subscribed by 330.75 times at 69.19 crore shares against 20.92 lakh shares on offer.
Of the two other categories, the release added the Non-Institutional Investor category (NII) was subscribed 388.71 times, accounting for over 34.90 crore shares against 8.98 lakh shares on offer. Finally, the Qualified Institutional Buyer (QIB) category was subscribed 46.21 times, representing 5.51 crore shares against 11.94 lakh shares on offer.
Founded by the Indian drone Industry veteran Prateek Srivastava in 2017, DroneAcharya AI is offering a total of 62.90 lakh shares (Rs 10/- paid up) through the book-building process in the price band of Rs 52-Rs 54 per share. As per the company, of the 62.90 shares offered, 8.98 lakh shares are reserved for HNIs, 11.94 lakh are reserved for QIBs (qualified institutional buyers), and 20.92 lakh shares will be offered to retail investors.
The company will use the funds to purchase and manufacture drones, sensors, and processing infrastructure, as well as plans to open 12 training centres by March 2023.
DroneAcharya AI claims to be one of the first private players to receive a DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) certified RPTO (Remote Pilot Training Organisation) license in 2022.
For the first quarter of FY 2022-23, DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations reported a total revenue of Rs 308.96 lakh and a net profit of Rs 72.06 lakh.
Since March 2022, the company claims to have trained more than 180 drone pilots. Further, it plans to enter the manufacture of customised 100% indigenous drones and land and underwater surveying services.


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Gadgets articles published in September 2012
Browse published articles by month:
September 21, 2012
Wal-Mart to Stop Selling the Amazon Kindle
Retailer Wal-Mart have announced they will no longer sell the Amazon Kindle.
NFC: Have Apple Dropped the Ball?
Has Apple made a mistake by omitting NFC from the iPhone 5?
September 16, 2012
KDan Mobile Software Releases Animation Desk for Mac
iOS and Mac Users Can Unleash Their Creativity Using Animation Desk
September 12, 2012
Wood and Brushed Metal: iPhone 5 Reignites Debate on Skeuomorphism
The iPhone 5, despite its plenitude of new features, is still filled with archaic constructs. When will we drop the skeuomorphisms?
September 5, 2012
Review: BRAVEN 600 Wireless Speaker Bluetooth
Awesome wireless sound quality, speaker phone, and battery charger suited for any on-the-go needs.


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updated 06:45 pm EDT, Tue August 19, 2008
WaveMaker instant web apps
The folks at WaveMaker think big, calling their Visual Ajax Studio 4.0 web app development tool "a fundamental breakthrough" -- and they may just be right. In a demonstration for MacNN it took about three minutes to build a simple database web app -- something that traditionally takes a team of developers to manage the complex weaving of web and server functions. This could be especially good news for the growing number of Mac Developers, since WaveMaker is browser-based. The company says it works just as well on Safari as it does on Microsoft Internet Explorer -- in fact it works better on Safari.
"This is the democratization of Web Computing," said WaveMaker CEO Chris Keene. "Web Developers can use our Visual Studio to build point-and-click web applications without having to know a single Web 2.0 acronym," he said. The company is targeting individual developers and small-to-medium businesses looking for lower-cost alternatives to the traditional development process.
WaveMaker VIsual Studio is an open-source application and Keene says his team built it using other open source tools including MySql and Dojo. The idea was to create a simple, fast way to create Web apps -- in much the same way FileMaker has been used for years to create conventional database applications.
The company says it has seen a sharp increase in downloads since announcing support for the Mac earlier this year. At mid-day on Tuesday, the company said it had about 2800 downloads so far that day -- of which about 2500 were for the Mac. Keene says there appears to be a "pent-up demand" for web app development software for the Mac, and his company hopes to meet it.
Version 4.0 includes one-click data-aware forms for database creation, a built-in "oops button" for undoing mistakes, and auto-discovery of web services to simplify work with WSDL. Wavemaker's MVC and Binding interfaces are similar to Apple's Xcode. Developers can choose to install either the PostgreSQL open source database or EnterpriseDB's Postgres Plus distribution when they install Wavemaker.
The company promises true WYSIWYG Web 2.0 development -- with drag-and-drop assembly of Ajax widgets, web services and databases. The application comes with built-in Java and web server. Specially designed interface skins using the Dojo toolkit give applications a "mac-like" look. Sample applications are also included.
Wavemaker Visual Ajax Studio 4.0 is available as a free download for the open source license version. Commercial versions range in price from $600-$8000, depending on configuration. The application requires an Intel Mac running OS X 10.5 or higher, Safari 3.1 or Firefox 2.0 or higher, and also runs on many Windows machines.


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With China's Internet growth slowing, the country is opening up the broadband provider market to private enterprises as part of government sponsored trial.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has no public timeline for voting on proposed net neutrality rules, despite pressure from President Barack Obama and some net neutrality advocates.
A proposed US$0.16 fee increase on your telephone bill would go toward improving Internet access for kids in school and libraries.
U.S. President Barack Obama's call for the Federal Communications Commission to pass net neutrality rules by reclassifying broadband as a regulated public utility is a bad idea that could raise broadband prices by 16 percent or more, a parade of Repu...
U.S. President Barack Obama, in a strong net neutrality policy statement, has given the Federal Communications Commission the political cover it needs to move ahead with new rules by reclassifying broadband as a regulated utility.
U.S. President Barack Obama has made his strongest statement on net neutrality to date, calling on the Federal Communications Commission to reclassify broadband as a regulated utility, and to prohibit broadband providers from charging Web content pro...
In the fractious debate over net neutrality, efforts to strike a compromise don't seem to be working. A proposal reportedly favored by a top U.S. regulator is drawing fire from groups on both sides of the issue, with 70 pro-net neutrality groups spea...
A controversial U.S. Federal Communications Commission program that subsidizes telephone or mobile service for poor people needs to move into the 21st century by expanding into broadband, a broadband advocacy group said.
Verizon Communications seems to be softening its stance against net neutrality rules, suggesting it could live with a basic set of regulations.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said Friday that it remains open to a range of options for new net neutrality rules, following a news report saying it is leaning toward a controversial approach that regulates one piece of broadband service...
Business relationships between major broadband providers and Internet backbone providers appear to be the cause of major drags on performance from early 2013 to early this year, according to a new study from a think tank advocating for strong net neu...
A partnership that lets Wi-Fi users get on free public networks in San Francisco and San Jose, California, with a one-time joining process now also covers a hotspot along the River Thames in London.
After a spate of news stories about alleged "astroturf" advocacy in a contentious U.S. net neutrality debate, the IDG News Service looked into the funding transparency of several think tanks and advocacy groups involved in the issue. Several disclose...
A spate of recent news stories have revealed that a wide variety of lobby groups have financial ties to broadband carriers and trade associations, accusing them of faking grassroots opposition to strong net neutrality rules.
The contentious debate about net neutrality in the U.S. has sparked controversy over a lack of funding transparency for advocacy groups and think tanks, which critics say subverts the political process.
Lexar® JumpDrive® S57 USB 3.0 flash drive
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Epson EcoTank Expression ET-2500
Samsung portable 1TB T3 drive
UE Boom 2 Bluetooth speaker
Everki ContemPRO Roll Top Laptop Backpack
Smart LED Bulb LB130
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Lexar® Portable SSD
Surface Pro 4
Dell Inspiron 5000 series 2-in-1
Lexar® Professional 1800x microSDHC™/microSDXC™ UHS-II cards
Blade 28 backpack by Arc’teryx
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HD Pan/Tilt Wi-Fi Camera with Night Vision NC450
Garmin Fenix Chronos smartwatch
Audio-Technica ATH-ANC70 Noise Cancelling Headphones
HP Pavilion x360 13”
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Since its foundation, Almac has always been committed to providing tailor-made solutions, mainly targeting the Swiss watch market. Although its integration into the Tornos group has enabled it to develop internationally, its potential has remained largely untapped. The company is now turning a new corner by implementing a real strategy to enable German customers to benefit from the same advantages as Swiss watchmakers.
Mr. Devanthéry, the Director of Almac, explains, by way of introduction: “Almac is a fairly new brand on the German market. The brand is not yet very widely known and customers do not immediately think of Almac when it comes to precision milling and micro milling.” We have yet to build our reputation there.
Tried and tested machines
And this is the paradox currently faced by Almac outside the Swiss market: the company finds itself positioned like a newcomer to the market, even though the solutions it is offering have been validated by one of the most demanding and most dynamic business sectors in the world. With over 1000 machines installed, the company is a renowned player in the “micro precision” sectors; these not only include watchmaking, of course, but also jewellery, medical and micromechanics in general.
Pleasantly surprised customers
Customers who have seen the new Almac machines, and their eye-catching design, have been pleasantly surprised. […] Mr. Devanthéry adds: “We must not forget that our expertise lies in our unique experience in the Swiss watchmaking market with its highly sophisticated constraints.”
What upcoming customer events will Almac be attending in Germany?
Upcoming events which Almac will be attending include the AMB in Stuttgart (September), Prodex in Basel (November) and the Turning Days in Villingen-Schwenningen (April 2015).
…brought to you by Eurotec-Online.com


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E3 pode voltar em 2009 ao velho formato espetacular e gigantesco
Ah, a E3! O que já foi uma completa bagunça de irresistíveis estandes gigantescos, barulheira infernal e modelos em trajes mínimos paga para tolerar as barrigas gordas da imprensa de games transformou-se, nos últimos anos, em uma tediosa série de reuniões em locais inconvenientes. Não mais! De 2 a 4 de junho do ano que vem, a grande e ridícula baderna que era a velha E3 estará de volta.
Ela volta ao Los Angeles Convention Center, o que significa grandes estandes, mas não se sabe se as garotas para povoarem esses estandes serão permitidas. O que não será mesmo permitido será o público geral. Mas não se preocupe. Nós estaremos lá para cobrir todas as notícias de games, e conferir tudo aqui será a melhor alternativa possível para quem não puder ir.
Entertainment Software Association Announces 2009 E3 Expo
Los Angeles to Host Video Game Industry Event in June
Washington, DC – October 22, 2008 – The 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) will take place from June 2-4, 2009, at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today. The expanded E3 will welcome all qualified computer and video game industry audiences, including international and U.S.-based media, analysts, retailers, developers and business partners to preview the latest in interactive entertainment and technology.
“Video games are the fastest growing and most compelling sector of the entertainment industry. And, this upgraded event will reflect the growth, innovation and excitement of our industry,” said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA, which represents US computer and video game publishers and organizes the annual event. “The breadth, scope and quality of the changes made to the show will make E3 the must-attend event of the year.”
“The E3 Expo will be the pre-eminent North American gaming show next year. The new, larger event is better for industry leaders and for serious gamers,” commented John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts.
After conducting both qualitative and quantitative research, ESA officials stated changes were necessary to better meet the needs of both exhibitors and attendees— these changes include increased booth sizes, increased qualified audiences, and an intensified focus on reinforcing the high-octane growth, innovation, and captivating entertainment that are driving the computer and video game industry.
"The video game business will be twice as big in 2009 as it was in 2006 when we had the last real E3 Expo – so get ready for some fireworks!" said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America. "The changes made will ensure that the 2009 E3 Expo conveys the best of what makes us proud as entertainment leaders."
ESA also said IDG World Expo, whose principals have operated E3 since its inception in 1995, will produce the event with the ESA.
The event will be open to ESA members and non-members alike. Organizers noted they are expanding the list of companies eligible to participate. Companies involved in console, PC, online, and mobile game publishing and developing, qualified business partners, as well as makers of video game hardware and peripherals can exhibit.
Additional details, including registration, hotel and travel accommodations, and media credentialing, will be forthcoming in the next few weeks and will be available at www.e3expo.com.
The Entertainment Software Association is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. The ESA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, owning the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), business and consumer research, federal and state government relations, First Amendment and intellectual property protection efforts. For more information, please visit www.theESA.com.


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In The New York Times on Tuesday, Andrew Martin writes about the market for television sets, where prices have continued to fall, to the delight of consumers and the chagrin of manufacturers. There is little money to be made in televisions, in part because companies like Sony and Samsung ramped up production capacity for flat-screen sets just before the economic downturn, causing a glut. Online retailers and low-cost set makers have also put pressure on profit margins.
Sony took steps on Monday to reduce its losses in this business, announcing that it was selling its stake in a joint venture with Samsung that makes LCD panels. Samsung is buying the stake for about $935 million. Sony said it “aims to secure a flexible and steady supply of LCD panels from Samsung, based on market prices and without the responsibility and costs of operating a manufacturing facility.” The television market is just one of many electronics businesses where Samsung has taken over from Sony as the dominant brand.
As for consumers? David Ogul wrote on Twitter that the article “makes me want to go out and buy a new television set.” Robbin Simmons said the trend was “music to a TV lover’s ears.” And YouTube has plenty of documentation of the sheer consumer glee that getting a new TV for Christmas can generate.


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Microsoft’s recent changes to its cloud contracts aren’t going down well with other tech behemoths.
Microsoft has decided to amend the terms of its licensing deals, making it easier for customers to run Microsoft software on cloud platforms beyond its own Azure. According to Microsoft, the changes “will enable new scenarios for how they can license and run workloads with infrastructure outsourcers” and are due to go into effect starting Oct. 1.
The new flexible virtualization benefits, which are meant to benefit smaller EU-based cloud service providers, exclude certain “listed providers” such as Alibaba, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft itself.
Amazon and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, criticized Microsoft’s cloud computing changes, saying they “limit competition and discourage customers from switching to rival cloud service providers,” Reuters reported.
But Microsoft likely doesn’t care what its rivals think—the plans aim to win over EU antitrust regulators. They are yet to react.
On Feb. 1, 2010, when Microsoft launched Azure, it was among the trailblazers in the sector. Amazon Web Services (AWS) debuted much later in 2006, and Google Clouds in 2008.
While 95% of Fortune 500 companies use Azure, maintaining a stronghold hasn’t been easy for the service. AWS has quickly climbed to the top of the chart.
Complicating matters further, Microsoft has been hit with a litany of complaints in Europe. In 2019, EU antitrust regulators launched a probe into the Washington-based firm after several smaller European competitors complained that Microsoft’s licensing terms made it prohibitively more expensive to run Microsoft software such as Office on cloud platforms other than its own Azure.
Microsoft’s move is meant to appease these critics, but drew ires from other tech giants.


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The John Lewis Partnership is searching for a new chairman after Sir Charlie Mayfield said he would step down in 2020.
The departure comes at a challenging time for the partnership, which posted a 99% fall in half-year profits in September.
A replacement for Sir Charlie is not expected to be announced in the second half of 2019.
He said he was giving notice now to allow time for a successor to be found.
Sir Charlie said: "Although my departure is still a considerable way off, the appointment of my successor is a key responsibility.
"It is for this reason I have decided to lay out the timetable now to enable an open and thorough process to select the next chairman of the partnership."
Both internal and external candidates for the job will be considered.
Sir Charlie became chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose supermarkets as well as the department store chain, in 2007.
He has been at the helm over many years of growth, but more recently it has struggled to cope with rising costs, higher business rates and a weaker pound.
Its most recent financial results showed profits for the six months to 28 July fell to just £1.2m, down from £95m for the same period last year.
At the time Sir Charlie blamed stiff competition, saying it was facing down the most promotional market for nearly a decade.
The department store pledges to be "never knowingly undersold" - cutting prices to match those of competitors, which have also been discounting.
"This year there has been twice as many extravaganza days as there were a year ago and actually the discounts have been even deeper," he told the BBC in September.
"We're never knowingly undersold at John Lewis, so of course we are matching that, and that affects margins."
It was an "extremely valuable" promise, Sir Charlie added.


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CiCi is a flight attendant who shares packing tips and tricks on TikTok.
She told Insider the biggest mistakes passengers make when packing a carry-on.
Travelers make a lot of common errors.
CiCi told Insider that after four years as a flight attendant, she has a newfound love for the sky and packing suitcases.
CiCi told Insider that her job as a flight attendant has changed the way she packs. cici_inthesky shares some of the tips she has learned about flying on her TikTok account.
Insider was asked to remove her full name and the airline she works for for privacy reasons. She worked in real estate before she became a flight attendant. Insider was able to confirm CiCi's employment as a flight attendant.
CiCi told Insider that she has loved it and that it is a completely different lifestyle than what she has lived for the last 20 years.
She shared seven mistakes she sees passengers make when packing their suitcases. Take a look at the mistakes CiCi sees.
The biggest mistake CiCi has seen is when travelers pack their bags so full that they can not lift them into overhead bins.
CiCi said she sees passengers who can't pick up their carry-on bags and have to ask for help from other passengers or a flight attendant. Lifting suitcases is not part of her job.
CiCi doesn't want to hurt herself by lifting someone else's bag. If a flight attendant gets injured while helping with suitcases, they may not receive worker's compensation because airlines can make lifting passengers' suitcases against their policy.
CiCi said passengers should be comfortable lifting their luggage.
According to US News and World Report, Frontier Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have carry-on weight limits that are different from other airlines. If your bag is too heavy, you might have to check it out at the gate. CiCi said that this can add time to your travel plans.
She said passengers should not bring more than two bags on the plane.
CiCi said she sees people who are flying with a roller suitcase, a backpack, and a purse. Gate agents often ask passengers to consolidate their belongings into two bags because of airline rules that require one too many carry-on bags.
According to USA Today, most airlines allow passengers to have one item in the overhead bin and one personal item below the seat in front of them.
Some airlines charge extra for carry-on suitcases, which can range from $10 to $75, and CiCi said passengers should make sure they are able to fit their belongings into the allotted amount of bags.
Another mistake is when essentials aren't easily accessible, which can cause delays.
Passengers who need to access their carry-on suitcases can cause delays. Passengers are told to pack their personal items with their luggage.
She said that people put things that they need on the plane, like their book and their earbuds, inside their suitcase.
If a passenger has to sift through their belongings during the boarding process, this can cause delays and block other passengers from their seats.
If turbulence shifted the bags in the overhead bin, they could fall and hurt someone.
CiCi said to make sure your personal item is within reach during the flight, and to make sure all your flight essentials are in your personal item.
Many passengers do not pack their liquids correctly.
The changing altitudes that an airplane experiences cause gas and air to expand. According to The Points Guy, this can cause leaks in your carry-on from everything from toiletries to water bottles.
CiCi told Insider that in her experience, people's stuff leaks all over the place. CiCi said she has a few tips.
As soon as possible, squeeze as much air out of the bottle as possible. She said that this will help prevent expansion.
She said to choose travel-sized containers wisely. CiCi said she has tried dozens of different travel-sized containers that were designed to not leak, but the ones she has had the most success with have screw-on caps instead of snap-on tops.
She believes that these create a tighter seal, which helps prevent leaking.
Passengers don't pack a water bottle.
CiCi said staying hydrated is one of the most important things to do on a flight.
Travelers should drink 8 ounces of water per hour on an airplane to stay hydrated.
CiCi said that you can bring a frozen water bottle or an empty water bottle if you want to. According to the Transportation Security Administration, frozen liquids are allowed through security as long as they are completely frozen.
Some travelers forget to pack their own snacks.
During the summer season turbulence can get intense. The summer months bring high heat, which causes more convective turbulence in the sky. Flight attendants are sometimes required to be seated for an entire flight when there is a lot of turbulence.
Passengers don't get snacks or beverages if flight attendants can't get up. According to The Points Guy, some airlines like Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air have stopped offering complimentary snacks and instead offer drinks and snacks for sale.
Passengers should have their own snacks. She said she always has a few bags of nuts in her luggage.
CiCi said she sometimes sees passengers packing heavy items instead of wearing their clothes on the plane.
CiCi said packing heavy items instead of wearing them onboard the plane is a mistake if you are flying with just a carry-on.
CiCi said she is sometimes shocked to speak to passengers who are traveling far distances with just a carry-on.
That is not what CiCi does. Even though she was flying out of Florida, CiCi made sure to wear her bulky rain boots, sweater, and jacket. She said that this saved her a lot of space in her carry-on and allowed her to pack more outfits for her trip.
The original article can be found on Insider.


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Five Trends in 2023 That are Shaping the IoT Industry
The Internet of Things (aka IoT) is defined as the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing Internet infrastructure,” explain the researchers. The ‘things’ are smart devices with some kind of sensor and network communication functionality and can include anything from webcams and microphones to environmental gas sensors, medical diagnostics devices and infamously the smart refrigerator.
The IoT has experienced rapid growth in recent years, transforming industries and opening up new opportunities for innovation. Here we share 5 trends that are determining the course of one of the most important and influential industries, not only for the world of technology but also for the evolution of modern society in general.
The Rise of No-Code Automated Machine Learning
The integration of machine learning (ML) into IoT systems has opened up a world of possibilities for smarter, more efficient applications. In fact, recently we cannot get away from groundbreaking AI headlines on a daily basis.
One of the emerging trends in this space is the rise of no-code automated machine learning. This technology allows users without programming expertise to develop ML models, significantly lowering the barriers to entry and democratizing access to ML capabilities. As a result, businesses can harness the power of ML for their IoT solutions with greater ease, making data-driven decision-making more accessible and widespread.
Consulting and further investment into IoT development
Despite the rise of no-code development, security is a growing concern as IoT becomes popular, meaning that professionally developed IoT is relied upon for better security.
Suchsolutions incorporate cutting-edge technologies like blockchain, AI, and ML, ensuring seamless integration with IoT systems. Using an IOT software development company enables businesses to securely and efficiently manage their IoT devices. Such outsourcing is conducive to scalability and interoperability. It can be a cost-effective way to have integrated analytics tools; IoT is increasingly revolving around valuable insights to improve operational efficiency.
The Growth of Smart Cities
IoT is playing a crucial role in the development of smart cities, where connected devices, sensors, and data analytics are used to optimize urban infrastructure and enhance the quality of life for citizens. As the urban population grows, the demand for sustainable and efficient solutions is too.
IoT technology is ideal for improving traffic management, waste disposal, energy consumption, and public safety – most can benefit from real-time data, among other data. The smart city trend is driving software development services to create innovative IoT solutions that address urban challenges and improve city living.
This comes atthe same time that the 15-minute City initiative is growing traction; the idea that people-friendly streets and transport should be core to a city. This means it’s easier to walk to the shops, get public transport, and a more green inner city. Of course, the rise of IoT is timely with the implementation of new city designs as it helps make them all the more efficient.
The Focus on Security in IoT
With the proliferation of IoT devices comes an increased risk of cyberattacks, making security a top priority for IoT stakeholders. To address this concern, there is a growing focus on implementing robust security measures, such as encryption, secure boot, and secure device onboarding.
Here are the main security concerns:
Device diversity: IoT devices vary in hardware, software, protocols, and standards, complicating uniform security policies and regular updates.
Resource constraints: Limited processing power, memory, battery life, and bandwidth in IoT devices restrict the implementation of complex security algorithms.
Scalability: Managing and monitoring security for large-scale IoT networks with vast data generation is challenging.
Privacy: IoT devices collect and share sensitive data, raising privacy concerns and necessitating compliance with data protection regulations.
The solutions that are increasingly important in 2023 include:
- Secure device design: Incorporating security features like secure hardware, encryption, authentication, and firmware updates from the design phase.
- Secure network communication: Using secure network protocols with encryption, integrity, and authentication.
- Secure cloud platform: Connecting IoT devices to a secure cloud platform with access control, encryption, firewall, IDS/IPS, and security audits.
Secure lifecycle management: Monitoring IoT devices from deployment to decommissioning, including performance, threat detection, software updates, and secure data disposal.
Software development services are adapting to this trend by offering comprehensive security solutions that address vulnerabilities and protect IoT systems from potential threats. Otherwise, DIY and amateur-ly implemented IoT become be a growing concern.
IoT’s Applications in the Metaverse and Virtual World
The Metaverse and virtual worlds are gaining traction, albeit slowly, and IoT technology is poised to play a significant role in their development. IoT devices can be integrated into virtual environments, allowing for enhanced interactivity and immersive experiences. This includes applications like virtual reality gaming and social spaces, where connected devices can be used to track movement and user actions, or smart homes, where IoT-enabled appliances can be controlled from within the virtual world.
The IoT landscape is constantly evolving. Most of this comes from a democratization of technology, as ordering cheap electronics from China is accessible now to everyone. It’s cheap, but the steaks for business applications are high, which is why the hype around IoT is matched with security concerns.


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Fashion sales at John Lewis have climbed 1.5% for the week to 24 June compared to the same period in 2016, according to the department store chain’s latest weekly sales figures.
Swimwear and nightwear sales soared by 26.5% during the week, as customers prepared for the summer holidays. Men’s and women’s casualwear also saw double digit growth.
However, total sales for the week for the department store dipped to £96.2m, slightly down by 0.5% compared with the same period last year. John Lewis said the later fall of clearance this year caused the shift in sales.


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Cotton prices slid in February, dipping below $0.57 per pound for the first time in more than a year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The seven-market U.S. average cotton spot price, which ended 2015 at $0.6262 per pound, plunged by almost 11 percent in the first two months of 2016, $0.56. The low for the year, just over $0.56, was reached in late January. The high of almost $0.65 happened in June.
Soft cotton prices are expected to continue as reductions in both supply and demand grip the world market. The USDA has decreased its forecasts for both global production and consumption in each of the past six months.
In the latest month, the estimate for the world cotton crop was reduced by 172,000 bales, to 101.4 million, down from 119.2 million in the prior year season.
The largest country-level reductions for production have been for India, Brazil and several African countries.
The most current estimate for the world’s consumption was reduced by 1.3 million bales, to 109.6 million. The largest reductions in consumption have been for China, largely because of lack of information about sales of its huge cotton reserves.
The ending stock estimate for the current season is now 104.1 million, a sizable drop from 2014/2015’s 112.2 million bales.
At the rate that technology is changing, today's skills will soon be yesterday's news so companies must address the need for ongoing employee education.Read more
The latest sourcing country to see its wage rates rise is Mauritius, where garment workers will take home more than double their previous pay starting in January.Read more
The global economy will expand in 2018, matching the rate of growth achieved in 2017 and marking the first time since 2011 that global growth topped 3 percent, according to an annual forecast by business information provider IHS Markit.Read more
Mozambique is working with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) to take its domestic cotton sector to the next level with additional environmental efforts.Read more
Consumers are spending more and shopping earlier this holiday season, providing hope for a strong performance throughout the balance of the shopping period.Read more
Terry Lundgren, Macy’s executive chairman, is retiring from the company’s board, plus Nike added two new executives to elevate its digital and retail teams.Read more
Omnichannel is more than just a buzzword—it's a necessary strategy for survival but too many retailers are struggling amid the current retail turmoil to keep up with consumer demands for a seamless experience.Read more


text: HeadlinesMaritime Business Nigeria ratifies AfCFTA 16 months after presidential assent By maritimemag November 12, 2020 ShareTweet 0 – as treaty comes into force January 2021 Chinazor Megbolu | The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has announced the ratification of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), 16 months after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the agreement. The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo made the announcement in a tweet after the FEC meeting on Wednesday, stating that the FEC has just approved the AFCFTA ratification. According to Adebayo; “AfCFTA creates a single continental market for goods and services, free movement of business persons and investments, expands intra-African trade and aims to enhance competitiveness for our industries and MSMEs”. He explained that December 5, 2020 is deadline for ratification as the AfCFTA agreement comes into effect on January 1, 2021. Adebayo added that implementation had initially been scheduled for July 1, 2020. Meanwhile, the AfCFTA Secretary-General, Mr. Wamkele Mene noted that it had to be postponed due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that led total lockdown of the nation’s economy. He noted that AfCFTA is a trade agreement between African Union (AU) member States with the aim of creating a single market followed by free movement and a single-currency union. Mene noted that President Buhari signed it at the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union on AfCFTA and the first mid-year coordination meeting of the AU and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) that took place in Niamey, Niger Republic in July 2019. He pointed out that the free-trade zone would be the largest in the world since the creation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995 © 2020, maritimemag. All rights reserved.


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Toyota Motor North America, a subsidiary of Japan's Toyota, even flew workers to Washington for a rally this week in front of the U.S. Capitol.
Jul 21, 2018
E-commerce giant Amazon's market cap touched $900 billion following the success of its Prime Day sale. Headed by Jeff-Bezos, the company now looks at dislodging Apple as the most valuable company in the USA.
Jul 19, 2018


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In a gentlemanly and gracious gesture, Apple CEO Tim Cook welcomed Microsoft Office to the iPad today in a tweet.
Opinions about this move by Microsoft are all over the map. Those who don't care for Microsoft see the move as far too late. Those who are neutral to positive are pleased to see Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella taking an aggressive position with a Microsoft enterprise strategy that focuses on a cloud and mobile strategy and the needs of its users on all platforms.
In any case, this tweet by Mr. Cook comes from a position of stregth and confidence by Apple and also reminds us that Mr. Cook is a man with strong personal values. It should be taken at face value.


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Drive Type: auto
Trim: MONZA SPYDER,
Goldsboro, North Carolina, United States
Debate ensued last week around the Autoblog offices when we first heard rumors that Maserati was bringing a new sports car concept to the Geneva Motor Show this year. Could there be any truth to the rumors? Did the timing make any sense? Does Maserati even need a two-door halo car to help it move examples of the new Ghibli, Quattroporte and upcoming Levante?
Well, we still don't have any official answer, but Maserati has indeed confirmed a new concept car to debut this week at the Swiss expo. The Modenese automaker hasn't indicated what form the concept will take, but assuming it's not doing another sedan or crossover, and unless it's planning a wagon concept like Touring's Bellagio Fastback or StudioTorino's Cinqueporte (both based on the previous Quattroporte), we feel it's more likely than not that we'll be looking at a two-door (be it a coupe, convertible or something in between).
Of course, we also don't know at this point just what size and segment Maserati is pursuing with this concept car (initial rumors had it going after the Jaguar F-Type) or for that matter whether it will presage a production version to follow or simply stand as a design study. But Maserati doesn't typically do many of the latter: the Kubang concepts of 2011 and 2003 previewed the Levante (albeit several years in advance), and the Birdcage was really more of a Pininfarina project, despite the Trident on the nose. With the exception of a couple production-based show cars (which themselves previewed production versions to follow), those are pretty much the only concepts Maserati has done in recent memory.
We're not expecting to see a production version of the coming mid-engined Maserati coupe, expected to be named GranSport, for another few years; however, we might see it in concept form in just a few weeks at the Paris Motor Show. Australian site Car Advice got hold of an e-mail Maserati sent to friends of the Trident, and the first of the six cars mentioned is a "world premiere of a car that opens up new frontiers in terms of exclusiveness, performance and style."
Car Advice says it has been told that this will be a concept form of the GranSport, the GranTurismo replacement set to take on the Porsche 911 with ample use of carbon fiber and a 1,200-kilogram (2,600-pound) curb weight or thereabouts. The GranTurismo's 4.7-liter V8 hasn't been ruled out of the engine bay yet according to reports, but rumors persist that it will use the Ferrari-sourced twin-turbo V6 with 442 horsepower running power to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and have a 0-60 time of something like four seconds.
We can't see the full content of the e-mail, but among the other five cars that have been announced for the stand are the GranTurismo Sport and GranTurismo MC Stradale. With the 2014 Quattroporte not appearing until the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, the Kubang concept said to be retired before the debut of the production version at the 2014 Detroit show and the Levante still just a wee mule, guesses for the three remaining three would be variations on current models. Not that there's anything wrong with that when it's Maserati we're talking about...
The best look we've had at the next Maserati Quattroporte so far was found in patent drawings that could have substituted for a whole lot of other cars. But seen here is a more useful glimpse, courtesy of someone on the lookout in Italy who caught a prototype in a skin-hugging wrap.
Maserati has apparently gone with the Charles Eames philosophy on the redesign: "The details are not details. They make the design." The overall line is familiar - not such a bad thing even on this 10-year-old sedan - but the detailing appears to have been refined and made sleeker. The taillights themselves should make for an especially interesting feature if the camo'ed car can be trusted.
The next Quattroporte is predicted to be roughly 450 pounds lighter than the current car, and underhood grunt is expected to come from a 520-horsepower, 5.2-liter turbocharged V8 at launch, followed by a 420-hp, supercharged V6 supplied by Ferrari, both working through an eight-speed ZF transmission.


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Spotify tests an AI-driven playlist creation feature.
Users can craft playlists using AI technology and prompts.
The feature is accessible in the “Your Library” tab.
Prompts include options like focusing on work or exploring niche genres.
Spotify remains tight-lipped about the technology and launch date.
The platform has been actively investing in AI, including an AI DJ.
CEO Daniel Ek envisions AI in music creation and podcast summarization.
Main AI News:
In a recent development, Spotify has taken a bold step into the world of AI-driven playlist creation. The music streaming giant is conducting a test to gauge user response to this innovative feature, allowing subscribers to craft playlists using artificial intelligence and prompts. While details about the underlying technology and a definitive launch date remain undisclosed, Spotify is evidently pushing the boundaries of its offerings.
The AI playlists feature, which was initially discovered in a TikTok video by user @robdad_, is accessible through the “Your Library” tab in Spotify’s app. A simple tap on the plus (+) button at the top right corner of the screen unveils a pop-up menu. Here, the AI playlist feature emerges as a fresh option alongside the existing “Playlist” and “Blend” choices.
The feature’s description invites users to “Turn your ideas into playlists using AI” and is currently available exclusively in English. Upon selection, users are presented with a screen where they can either input their prompts into an AI chatbot-style box or peruse a list of suggested prompts. Prompts such as “get focused at work with instrumental electronica,” “fill in the silence with background café music,” “get pumped up with fun, upbeat, and positive songs,” and “explore a niche genre like Witch House” spark creativity.
Once a prompt is chosen, the AI chatbot gets to work with a reassuring “Processing your request…” message, eventually presenting a sample playlist. Users can further refine the playlist by swiping left to remove any songs that do not align with their preferences.
References to this intriguing AI feature first surfaced when tech veteran Chris Messina unearthed screenshots revealing a feature that would generate “playlists based on your prompts.” Despite initial speculation, Spotify declined to confirm its plans for AI playlists at that time, leaving users in suspense.
Even as curiosity and expectations around AI playlists mount, Spotify remains cautious in its approach. A spokesperson stated, “We routinely conduct a number of tests. Some of those tests end up paving the path for our broader experience, and others serve only as an important learning.” For now, the company is not divulging any further details.
While Spotify hesitates to commit to the full-scale launch of AI playlists, the platform has been making significant investments in AI. Earlier this year, it introduced an AI DJ that curates personalized playlists and delivers commentary in an AI-generated voice. This initiative, which was launched globally in August, reflects Spotify’s commitment to enhancing user experiences through AI.
Spotify’s head of Personalization, Ziad Sultan, emphasized the company’s dedication to exploring the vast potential of AI. He highlighted their “large research team that is understanding all the possibilities across Large Language Models, across generative voice, [and] across personalization,” underlining Spotify’s ambition to establish itself as an AI expert.
CEO Daniel Ek hinted at additional AI applications, including the potential use of generative AI to summarize podcasts and create automatic audio ads. He also envisioned artists harnessing AI tools in their creative processes. Spotify’s AI-powered personalization technologies and its pursuit of lifelike host-read podcast ads further demonstrate the platform’s enthusiasm for AI adoption.
Spotify’s experiment with AI-driven playlists signifies the company’s commitment to innovation and enhancing user experiences. This move reflects the growing influence of AI in the music streaming industry, as it seeks to offer more personalized and engaging content to its subscribers. As Spotify continues to invest in AI, it may pave the way for a new era of music curation and content creation, setting a benchmark for the market’s future development.


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India falling in Coffee Production?
Where does India come globally in coffee production?
There has been a little flurry of news stories recently as there has been something of a shuffle around in terms of the global hierarchy of coffee producers.
One noticeable change in the list is the position of India.
What do you think?
Has the country gone up or down the list?
In fact, as reported by news services such as NVO news, India has actually gone down the ‘charts’ to seventh position for the period 2011-2012.
Various reasons have been ascribed to the downward movement.
There are some new countries which are performing very well, such Indonesia (currently fourth in the charts) or Vietnam (currently second).
Another reason can be the geological advantages of other countries, for instance particularly rich volcanic soils, or favourable climates.
Similarly, some countries benefit from state incentives, increased funding and training for instance, which can make a difference.
The Indian experts also worry that the costs of coffee production in India are higher, such as increasing overheads and obligatory social costs, such as healthcare and housing.
It has been noted, however, that India is still relatively positive about matters. There has been an increased demand for its coffee beans. Perhaps a change in fortune is on the wind.
You might be wondering who is top of the production listings? The answer is the South American country of Brazil. This country produced 4.35 million bags of coffee last year.
Released On 1st Oct 2015


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BRITAIN'S 31.4million credit card holders have spending limits worth a total of £176.9billion, according to research.
The most common, with 11 per cent of holders, is between £2501 and £5000, says financial website moneysupermarket.com.
Nearly one in 10 people have a credit limit of £20,000, helping to push the average to £5630.
But the website added that most people had used up less than half of their limit, with the average outstanding debt at just £2060.
Rob Kenley, head of credit cards at money supermarket, said: "Our findings are worrying, yet encouraging at the same time.
"Almost four million cardholders could each get into over £20,000 of credit card debt.
"Yet the average outstanding balance for all cardholders is £2060, suggesting consumers could be getting savvier about the perils of too much borrowing on plastic."
However, he warned that if everybody ran up the maximum level of debt, Britons would collectively owe nearly £177billion.


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Soyuz Launches GPS Rival. A re-engineered Russian Soyuz took off from French Guiana, launching the first two satellites of the European Galileo navigation system. It’s the first time a Soyuz rocket has launched outside Russia. The Galileo system is regarded as a prime rival to the GPS network, owned by the U.S. —NS
Google Movies For Rent On Android UK. Android users in the U.S. and Canada were able to rent movies on Android devices using Google’s Android Market. Starting today, this service is open to users in the U.K. too. The U.K. launch is consistent with Google’s steady expansion of its product offerings outside the U.S. —NS
BlackBerry Popularity Drops At Enterprises. A new report from Enterprise Management Associates is estimating that 30% of users in big companies, BlackBerry’s biggest fans, will switch to a different platform in 2012. This report comes soon after RIM server issues left users cut off from BlackBerry communication, and RIM initially clueless, then apologetic about the global outage. —NS
–Updated 7:50 a.m. EST
This colorful Doodle is Google’s tribute to late Disney artist Mary Blair. In her decade at Disney, Blair worked on animated hits like Cinderella, Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland.
Free iPhone 3GS A Boon For AT&T. When Apple announced their iPhone 4S this month, they also repriced their older model phones, offering the iPhone 3GS and older models for free when customers signed on for a two year contract with AT&T. Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO of AT&T Mobility, has said on the company’s Q3 conference call that the price-drop has affected sales of AT&T iPhones, and that “we’re getting more new subscribers coming on the 3GS on the average than other devices.” With the increased demand, he added that AT&T had sold out their inventory of the 3GS. —NS
RIM’s “BBX” May Be Taken Already. The name of RIM’s latest operating system may be their latest tribulation. At this week’s BlackBerry developer conference, RIM announced that “BBX” would be their new tablet and smarphone-friendly operating system. Now a New Mexico firm called Basis International is claiming that they’ve trademarked “BBx” for their custom tools. Basis’ CEO told Reuters that they company had issued a cease and desist letter to RIM, which RIM said it had yet to receive. —NS
New Details About Jobs’ Life, Cancer Fight. Reporting from an advance copy of Walter Isaacson’s biography of Apple’s co-founder, the New York Times has published new details about Steve Jobs’ battle with cancer, like his choice to try state-of-the-art medical treatment, including having a sequencing anaylsis conducted. Reluctant to have surgery in his last few years, he betted instead on acupuncture and nutrition choices and experimental treatments. —NS
–Updated 6:00 a.m. EST
Yesterday’s Fast Feed: Groupon’s $12 Billion Valuation, Google Wallet Comes To Jersey (Transit), Nokia’s Losses Beat Expectations, and more.


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An announcement last week by locally based Cosmic Circuits that it has shipped 12 million ICs so far didn’t garner a lot of attention internationally, but made waves here because it marks the first time an Indian chip company has attained such numbers.
Cosmic’s two main areas of focus are sensor ASIC (analogue companion chips for sensor applications) and PMASIC (custom power management solutions for portable electronics).
“I cannot think of any other Indian semiconductor product company that has shipped so many ICs,” said Ganesh Ramamoorthy, a research director at Gartner Inc. According to Ramamoorthy, Cosmic’s success is rare in India because it requires understanding what the market wants, developing a product that addresses a market need, and addressing a niche market need. Cosmic’s MEMS-based ICs, which are comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, help OEMs and chip vendors reduce system cost, he said.
Cosmic’s CEO Ganapathy Subramaniam, a former Texas Instruments engineer, expects the company to ship another 4 million ICs in the next four months.
“In our case, three out of five ICs we have in production are used in tablets, cell phones and MP4 players,” Subramaniam said. “Once the products get qualified, it is natural to expect volumes go high as the markets for these are big. Our solutions in all cases are differentiated and solves a specific problem and so, their adoption rate is high.”


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Xbox news recap: better social media support on Scorpio, transcribing voice chat and more
Jon Washbourn @John washbourn
Better social media support being worked on, likely by Scorpio’s release
A Twitter user has come to Xbox’s Mike Ybarra on Twitter with some issues regarding the console’s social media sharing – something he wants to “Get straight before Scorpio.” Ybarra responded by saying that he knows social media on Xbox is “bad” now, and that they’re working on it. Judging from their response, it looks like we’ll be seeing an overhauled social media experience on Xbox. Whether the change comes with the release of Scorpio or before that is yet to be seen, but we’ve got something of a time frame now.
Voice chat transcription being introduced to Xbox
Some excellent news for hearing-impaired gamers: voice-to-text functionality is being added to voice chat on Xbox. The first game to be supported by the feature will be Halo Wars 2, which seems to be a fairly good first option. Both voice-to-text and text-to-voice will be supported by the new feature, so you’ll be able to tweak your voice chat experience in whatever way works best for you.


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Starcraft release now late January
Beta likely to be sacrificed as company gives Starcraft one last push out the door.
Blizzard Entertainment announced on Wednesday that its role-playing strategy title Starcraft would not make its December release date and would instead likely make its way to retailers by late January.
Today the company said that even though the decision to delay the title's release was made this past Monday, the development team was asking itself up until yesterday if just maybe it could get the title to duplication in time to meet a Christmas release date.
"We were not trying to keep people in the dark, and up until yesterday we still felt we had a chance to get it out but there isn't an exact science to developing games," Blizzard's Bill Roper said. The title is 90 percent complete, according to Roper.
The Starcraft team will concentrate on polishing the single-player campaigns and "playing with the AI." Roper said the title was already "a lot of fun, but we're dedicated to not sacrificing our product quality" merely to make a Q4 release.
The company can take heart that its previous title, Diablo, suffered no apparent loss in sales when it missed its targeted Christmas 1996 release. That title hit stores the first week in January 1997 and went on to become a massively successful title for Blizzard. Talk of Blizzard trying to pull another Diablo out of its hat and intentionally delaying the Starcraft release was calmly discounted by Roper.
"This wasn't a marketing decision it was a decision driven by development and an intention to make the game better, nothing more," Roper said.
Roper said that while a beta test was still planned, it isn't definite. Roper said the development team was "focused on the product" and would be concentrating on bringing the product to market without incurring any additional delays. He said Blizzard "will try" to conduct the beta, but made no guarantees.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email email@example.com


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Last ranked: 57
Couch has kept his cool amid challenging conditions in the UK compounded by a WHO report in October linking cancer to processed meats. But with sales up 5% in Q4 it’s exports that are all-important. Up 18%, and 31% in the Far East, Couch plans to invest £35m in Cranswick’s processing facilities this year to capitalise on booming global demand for pork.
The Grocer's Power List 2016 reflects a sector in upheaval
- Currently reading
Adam Couch, CEO, Cranswick (57)


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Navistar International Corp., which has been locked in a bitter feud with Ford Motor Co. over a long-running diesel-engine supply contract, said Tuesday that the two companies have agreed to end their legal dispute -- and to terminate Navistar's supply contract three years early.
Warrenville-based Navistar's contract to supply diesel engines for Ford's heavy-duty pickup trucks had been slated to expire at the end of 2012, but the companies said that the contract will end Dec. 31.
The two companies "benefited from a successful partnership that provided value to both companies for nearly three decades," said Navistar Chairman and Chief Executive Daniel Ustian. "However," he added, "it's in our best interests to resolve our conflict and continue our relationship with each other in other areas."
The two companies emphasized that they will continue to collaborate on other initiatives, including their existing Blue Diamond joint venture, which makes medium trucks on Navistar designs and sells them under the Ford F-650 and F-750 nameplate. As part of the accord, Navistar said it will boost its existing stake in the Blue Diamond venture, as well as in a second Blue Diamond joint venture that makes truck parts.
Navistar will continue to supply Ford with pickup-truck diesel engines in South America after the contract ends in North America.
The agreement with Navistar "is in the best interest of both companies," said Mark Fields, president of the Americas for Ford.
Ford is also to make an undisclosed payment to Navistar, the two companies said. Neither company offered any guidance as to the financial impact of what they called the "agreement to restructure their ongoing business relationship and settle all existing litigation between the companies."
Navistar is known as a maker of medium and heavy-duty trucks. But it also makes engines, and for nearly 30 years it has been the sole provider of the diesel engines Ford uses in its heavy-duty trucks. When pickup sales were booming, the contract was a key profit driver for Navistar.
The once-close relationship between supplier and key customer soured over the past two years, however. Ford filed a breach-of-contract suit against Navistar over the price the supplier was charging for a new-generation engine and refused to pay for the engines. After the payments Ford had declined to hand over reached $160 million, Navistar responded by suspending production, threatening Ford's ability to produce pickups until Ford persuaded a court to force Navistar to resume shipments.
Navistar and Ford have continued their battle, and Navistar at one point threatened to seek $2 billion or more in damages if Ford tried to end the current purchase contract before its 2012 expiration. As Ford's financial problems have deepened, and as demand for pickup trucks plunged last year, the contract fight lost some of its prominence.


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Clinton location among OfficeMax stores closing
The OfficeMax location in Clinton, Iowa is expected to close by the end of June 2013.
The Clinton Herald reports the store, which employs 16 people, is slated to shut down June 29, 2013. Fixtures from the store will be sold at a separate sale, tentatively set for July 10 and 11.
The Clinton store is one of about 20 OfficeMax locations in the U.S. that will close this year. ImPress printing customers will have to transfer their accounts to the Davenport, Iowa location or the store in Moline, Illinois.
OfficeMax closed 46 locations in the U.S. in 2012.
In its May 7 first quarter financial results report, OfficeMax company officials confirmed the plan to close 15 to 20 stores, and relocate or downsize others as it works toward a concept of stores occupying smaller square footage locations. Retail sales for OfficeMax were down more than 7% in first quarter 2013 compared to the same period in 2012.
Daily Finance.com reports the company announced plans to close 15 to 20 stores every year starting in 2012 and continuing through 2016.
OfficeMax, which is headquartered in Naperville, Illinois, announced in February 2013 plans to merge with Office Depot. That merger is still under Federal Trade Commission review, and the company expected to complete the deal by the end of the year.


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Calcium is undoubtedly extremely important for the health of your bones, but apparently, magnesium, not so much calcium, is the most important tool for creating sound bones during the period of adolescence, as found in a new research introduced at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) yearly group in the USA.
Calcium has been used to strengthen bones for a long time, and calcium supplementation is believed to lead to solid bones and teeth. Yet, is calcium supplementation really that viable?
Researchers in 2004 showed that individuals with excess calcium in their coronary artery, who take statins, have a 17-fold higher risk of heart attacks than those with lower blood vessel calcium levels.
They believed that the two most authoritative pointers of heart attacks were LDL levels and calcium accumulation.
However, a 2007 research showed that calcium from dietary sources has better effects for bone wellbeing than calcium from supplements in postmenopausal women.
Plus, another 2008 study showed that calcium supplements are linked to a more noteworthy number of heart attacks in postmenopausal women.
Moreover, another 2010 meta-analysis confirmed that calcium supplements (without coadministered vitamin D) are linked to a higher risk for heart attacks.
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), food will be the best calcium source: “People who get the recommended amount of calcium from foods do not need to take a calcium supplement.
These individuals still may need to take a vitamin D supplement. Getting too much calcium from supplements may increase the risk of kidney stones and other health problems.”
The team of analysts, headed by Professor Sabine Rohrmann, from Zurich University’s foundation of social and preventive medicine, claims that “Calcium supplements have been widely embraced by doctors and the public, on the grounds that they are a natural and therefore safe way of preventing osteoporotic fractures.
It is now becoming clear that taking this micronutrient in one or two daily [doses] is not natural, in that it does not reproduce the same metabolic effects as calcium in food. “
Most supplements these days have calcium carbonate which is a secondary type of calcium and manufacturers add a basic chelating agent such as citrus extract to make it more absorbable.
Yet, the final item is second-rate compared to other calcium supplements, like calcium orotate, which is the main calcium manifestation which can properly enter the layers of cells.
Moreover, the dairy business also imposes a myth that the consumption of pasteurized dairy items, for example, milk or cheese, increases the levels of calcium.
However, this is untrue as the purification preparation creates calcium carbonate, which cannot enter the cells without a chelating agent.
As a result, the body forces the calcium from the bones and different tissues in order to cushion the calcium carbonate in the blood. This, in fact, leads to osteoporosis.
On the other hand, Professor Steven Abrams and his partners at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston discovered that admission and ingestion of magnesium by young people are key indicators of aggregate bone mineral substance and bone thickness – which was not the case with the admission of calcium.
“Dietary magnesium intake may be an important, relatively unrecognized, factor in bone mineral accretion in children. Lots of nutrients are key for children to have healthy bones.
One of these appears to be magnesium. Calcium is important, but, except for those children and adolescents with very low intakes, may not be more important than magnesium.”
They maintain that parents are advised to give their children a decent admission of calcium so as to help build solid and sound bones, but they should soon start to guarantee that their kids consume enough magnesium, too.
Research has shown that magnesium admission leads to a higher bone mineral thickness (BMD) in men and ladies. There is a surmised 2% increment in entire body BMD for each 100-milligram daily increment in magnesium.
Dr. Kathryn M. Ryder, of the University of Tennessee, Memphis, reports that:
“Osteoporotic fractures are a critical wellbeing issue in aging adults. Given the high pervasiveness of low BMD and fracture, little changes in BMD may have a huge general wellbeing impact.”
Her team also maintains that:
“Magnesium is a “less-examined” part of the bone that may assume a part in calcium digestion system and bone quality. ”
For numerous years, the proportion of calcium to magnesium in the eating methodology was 1:1, and even a 2:1 ratio is satisfactory. However, nowadays, weight control plans contain a normal of 10 times more calcium than magnesium.
Magnesium can have many structures. Magnesium oxide or chloride, as well as chelated magnesium, are extremely beneficial. Containers normally contain 250-500 mg of magnesium.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 350-400 mg, but the body might need twice the sum in order to function ideally.
For best effects, take magnesium in isolated measurements for the duration of the day with meals or on an empty stomach.
You will benefit a lot from Epsom salts baths as well. The skin absorbs magnesium easily and you will restore its proper levels. If these level drop, the blood contains 1% of the magnesium in the body, and the bones and tissues will use it.
Yet, the richest sources of magnesium remain among the foods. Therefore, you should increase the intake of green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and cacao.


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Fashion has a sustainability problem. The industry is responsible for one-tenth of global carbon emissions and its business model relies on us discarding old clothes and buying new ones. Now a digital innovation aims to change all that.
One of the greatest hindrances to creating a circular fashion economy has been product identification. That pre-owned item looks like a designer brand, but is it? When was it made and what’s it made of?
The fashion industry emits more CO2 than aviation and shipping combined.
But attempts to create a fashion circular economy are stalling because of product identification issues.
Now a New York start-up has developed a digital passport for clothing.
It can track the entire lifecycle of a garment, helping to reduce waste.
Eon is a member of The Circulars Accelerators Cohort 2021 on Uplink.
New York start-up Eon says it can answer all those questions. Major fashion brands are currently uploading data about their products to Eon’s Connected Products platform, an Internet of Things (IoT) solution that tracks fashion items throughout their lifecycle.


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GM and Chrysler got tough love from Barack Obama today, with the president declaring that they haven't made substantial enough changes to justify another federal bailout, and decrying the “failure of leadership” to come up with viable restructuring plans. Obama said the companies would have to regroup radically to survive on their own, not as “wards of the state.” GM will get 60 days worth of federal financing, and Chrysler 30; if they don't have a credible plan in place by then, the government may make them restructure through bankruptcy.
“We cannot continue to excuse poor decisions,” Obama said, after forcing out GM CEO Rick Wagoner and most of the GM board. “And we cannot make the survival of our auto industry dependent on an unending flow of tax dollars.” Obama reiterated that he is committed to the industry’s survival—but on terms that will allow it to compete internationally. The government will guarantee warranties on GM and Chrysler cars, to give consumers confidence in the restructuring giants.


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The online multiplayer first-person shooter video game "Guns of Boom" marked its first anniversary last month.
The game developer, Game Insight, used the anniversary to announce the game's first esports season. A prize pool of c£150,000 will see both North American and European teams initially compete through open cups.
Guns of Boom reached nearly 50 million players during its first year. To mark the anniversary and new competition, a London taxi campaign is launched with images taken alongside landmarks in the capital.Back


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In yet another cost-cutting move, the DePuy Synthes medical device unit of Johnson & Johnson is eliminating all travel – except for its sales force – for the rest of the year in hopes of lowering such costs by 25% and meeting 2014 financial goals, according to an internal memo. At the same time, all consulting contracts valued at more than $50,000 must now obtain top-level approval.
“Despite our progress in so many areas, DePuy Synthes faces short-term challenges to deliver on our 2014 financial commitments and to position us well for 2015,” Pete Batesko III, the unit’s vice president of finance and chief financial officer, wrote in the July 14 memo. “In particular, our travel and meetings expenses are growing at an unacceptable and unsustainable rate relative to our revenue growth.”
A spokeswoman sent us this note: “Careful control of expenses is good business management. DePuy Synthes employees were reminded that they should manage spending with the approval of their supervisors.”
This is the second time in recent weeks that DePuy Synthes, which represents the largest portion of the $7.2 billion J&J device business, has cut costs. Late last month, the unit eliminated about 400 jobs, or less than 2% of its global workforce of 23,000 employees, as part of a reorganization.
At the time, a J&J executive said the reorganization was in response to “seismic shifts” in the health care business. As previously noted, device makers are grappling with the rising costs and risks associated with developing new products, increased pricing pressure, a lagging number of procedures and hospital admissions and cost-cutting hurdles posed by hospitals as a result of the U.S. Affordable Care Act.
Indeed, the J&J medical device business has been sluggish. Second-quarter sales were $7.2 billion, a 0.7% increase, while the pharmaceutical segment jumped 21% to $8.5 billion and the consumer products unit, which includes the troubled over-the-counter business that experienced quality control issues and numerous recalls, saw sales rise 2.45 to $3.7 billion.
The device business has had an additional challenge – digesting Synthes, which J&J purchased two years ago for $21.3 billion. The deal was made to grab a commanding lead in the global market for surgical devices that are used to treat traumatic injuries and fractures, which is one of the biggest markets for device makers.
The DePuy Synthes unit generated nearly $2.5 billion in sales in the second quarter, which amounted to 34% of all device sales. On a global basis, sales rose 3.5% during this period, but in the U.S., sales increased a meager 1.6%. In discussing earnings yesterday, Alex Gorsky, the J&J chief executive, said the Synthes integration is nearly complete. Perhaps the cost cutting will speed that along.


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Fashion Designer Marc Jacobs Returns To The Runway
Debuting the Fall 2021 ready-to-wear collection.
Since his last show in February of last year, the designer has been away from the runway taking time to re-evaluate his relationship with fashion.
The collection appeared to be inspired by the Space era of the 1960s with models wearing wide-legged trousers, roll-neck sweaters and oversized coats.
There were also extremely oversized jackets worn by some of the models accompanied by sequined skirts, ski trousers, chunky wool snoods and headscarves.
The show was live-streamed on Instagram and can be viewed on the official Marc Jacobs YouTube page. A further post from Marc Jacobs on his Instagram page announced his partnership with the Bergdorf Goodman department store, and that they will be the official retailers of Runway Marc Jacobs collections in September.
I think it is safe to say Marc Jacobs is back and ready to conquer the fashion world once again.


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How can you tell if you are a true MSP or a mere mouse? A mouse is afraid of the Boogeyman and MSPs aren’t. And, in the channel, the Boogeyman happens to be Dell (NASDAQ: DELL). That is what resellers called the vendor years ago when it was still pushing PC boxes to gain entrance into corporate accounts. It’s the truth: Dell haunted the channel back then, and fear can be a pretty good motivator.
Elliot Markowitz is a veteran in channel publishing. He served as an editor at CRN for 11 years, was editorial director of webcasts and events at Ziff Davis, and also built the webcast group as editorial director at Nielsen Business Media. He's served in senior leadership roles across several channel brands.
Recent articles by Elliot Markowitz
- May 25, 2012
Say goodbye to the first half of 2012. I, for one, cannot believe the year is already half over. And since archaeologists recently uncovered secret Mayan artifacts pointing to calendars extending beyond 2012, it appears as though the world is not coming to an end Dec. 21, 2012, after all.
- May 17, 2012
Solution providers are businesspeople at their core. Yes, some are technology titans, virtualization virtuosos, security sharpshooters, mobile mavens and application artists (you get the drift), but at their very core, they are business owners and operators, and in addition to staying one step ahead of the ever-changing tech industry, they have companies to run.
- May 9, 2012
Distributors and their role in cloud services: it’s the pink elephant in the room that nobody seems to want to talk about. I mean really talk about.
- May 2, 2012
The way people interact is rapidly changing. The way businesses get their messages out to the market is rapidly changing. And the way customers want to interact with suppliers is rapidly changing. All thanks to the explosion of social media platforms. And changes in technology and the way organizations do business always spell opportunity for the channel.
- April 25, 2012
Why am I still writing columns about making the transition to managed services? Because, according to various polls I’ve seen, 20 percent to 25 percent of solution providers still are not offering any type of managed services, and about 70 percent of the ones that do admit it is not the bulk of their business.
- April 22, 2012
As Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) prepares to announce quarterly results on Tuesday, April 24, here’s a question designed more for The VAR Guy’s audience: Is Apple a friend to solution providers or an enemy? Take your time. There’s no rush. Think about it.
- April 11, 2012
Going over the news of the last week or so I found a plethora of items I could wax poetically about and drill down to what it means to the channel.
- April 4, 2012
Well, it’s not quite the same as Mohammad Ali’s return to the ring, but it is a return nonetheless. I have been involved in the channel on and off for the past 22-plus years, and just when I think I’ve escaped, they pull me back in. The VAR Guy can be quite persuasive, especially after a glass of the local Applebee’s finest red wine swill.


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Why do boards and NEDs “keep getting got” by digital technology? It’s time to wake up to the strategic opportunities it presents.
With the digital revolution about to present “the greatest disruption to both leadership and governance in the entire history of business”, there are ways that boards can prepare for the new digital economy and not be left behind.
The world is going digital and fast. Former Barclays CEO Antony Jenkins, now a digital entrepreneur, argues that if we make the right choices now, technology needn’t lead us down the road to “dystopia”.
Technology is an increasingly crucial element of business models. Nick Elverston and Amanda Hale of law firm Ashurst explore key questions when preparing a digital strategy.
Google announces new measures and tightened rules after advertisers complain that content on YouTube was positioned alongside hate videos.
Leaders seeking to capture value and gain a competitive edge in the digital age need to expect the unexpected.


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E-mobility is gaining importance in India22. January 2019
In recent years, the Indian automotive industry has been able to present numerous innovations and is on the upswing. The industry has the potential to generate over $ 300 billion in revenue by 2026, create 65 million additional jobs, and contribute over 12 percent to India’s GDP. But the population of India is constantly growing and by the year 2031 approximately 600 million people will live in India’s cities. As a result of this consolidation, the subject of intelligent mobility and e-mobility is also gaining in importance, and the Indian automotive industry would like to make an important contribution to this.
As early as 2017, former Indian Energy Minister Piyush Goyal announced that he plans not to sell cars with combustion engines in the country by 2030. While global sales of electric vehicles, with the exception of China, still play a minor role, certain factors and examples from other countries may increase India’s market share of electric vehicles. Many countries promote the production of electric cars and provide incentives for both manufacturers and customers. The technology for electric vehicles is constantly evolving, especially the capacity of the battery and range could be increased. In addition, the necessary infrastructure of the power grid and charging stations must be present in order to be able to charge the vehicles anytime, anywhere. The demand for electric vehicles needs to be boosted. According to McKinsey, the current high price of alternative drive vehicles is one of the main reasons for the reluctance of potential buyers.
The Indian government and automotive industry have recognized this trend and the need for environmentally friendly vehicles. Last year, numerous models were introduced, many of which are developed or produced in India. The portfolio ranges from electric scooters and motorcycles to tricycles to full-blown SUVs. This development will have a significant impact on manufacturers and suppliers in the automotive industry and could lead to change and shifts in the current market.
Please contact us regarding the AIS certification.


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By Dimitra DeFotis
Shares of Alibaba Group Holdings (BABA) are up 23% in 2017 and up 40% over the past 12 months, prompting CFRA Research to boost its 12-month price target Monday.
But CFRA is playing catch-up. It only raised its price target by $9 to $115, implying upside of 6% to a recent price of $108.31. A majority of analysts have Buy ratings on Alibaba shares, and the average price target is roughly $127, implying upside of 17%.
CFRA Analyst Scott Kessler has a Hold rating on shares of Alibaba. He upgraded the stock to Buy in late December 2016, and then downgraded to Hold in late January after the stock returned roughly 15%. Kessler wrote the following in a note today:
” … Global peers have a median calendar year 2017 P/E of 26.2X and a P/E-to-growth of 1.1. Applying these multiples and averaging the outputs results in our target. We also raise our per-ADS profit estimates for fiscal 2017 (March) to $3.47 per share from $3.34 and fiscal 2018 to $4.32 from $4.18. We see positive momentum for BABA, noting mobile and cloud as tailwinds. However, we continue to see risks related to the Chinese economy, an SEC inquiry announced in May 2016, more competitive challenges, and continuing substantial investments in non-core areas …”
With President Donald J. Trump meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Florida later this week to discuss trade, we asked Kessler about the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry into Alibaba accounting. Here is what Kessler noted:
“I find it unusual that substantive updates have not been provided by the SEC or Alibaba. I would have expected something at this point. The new SEC chairman was involved in the Alibaba initial public offering, and some believe that the likeihood of an enforcement action is lower given that. I would point out though, to demonstrate objectivity, it makes sense for the inquiry to be completed.”
The iShares China Large-Cap exchange-traded fund (FXI) was up 0.5% today. The fund is up more than 11% this year.
See our posts on Alibaba including Alibaba: 25% Upside, Pacific Crest Says and China’s Alibaba: 50% Upside In U.S. Tech Cloud Boom? Alibaba executive Chairman Jack Ma visited Trump before the inauguration. Also see Alibaba’s Ma At Davos: Avoid US-China Trade War.