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China Paradigm interviewed Carlo Dragonetti, head of digital and communication at The Italian Trade Agency, to learn more about how to promote Italian brands in China, the reputation of Made in Italy and the surprising story of Carlo as a foreign KOL in China.
Carlo Dragonetti, an entrepreneur in China and Italy ambassador on TMall Global
Carlo Dragonetti’s story with China is quite unusual. Arriving in China to study Chinese he had begun to learn in Italy, Carlo fell in love with the culture and language and wanted to continue his studies in Shanghai, thanks to scholarships from the Chinese government.
Carlo Dragonetti became famous in the country thanks to the graduation speech he gave in Chinese to 8,000 students. In this speech, he makes fun, with elegance, of the benefits of hot water in China. A friend posted this video on her Weibo account, followed by millions of Chinese, and the video became viral very quickly. This is how Carlo Dragonetti became a foreign KOL in China and discovered this world of influence. He was approached by many media at that time, Italian, Chinese, but also from all over the world and began to understand that he could leverage these subscribers wisely.
Today he works for the Italian Trade Agency, particularly on KOL marketing campaigns to promote Italian brands in China. That’s how he became an Italian ambassador on Tmall Global.
“The most interesting part of having had the chance to be famous for a long while has been that I had the chance to get in contact with important people in the sector in China and Italy.”
He is therefore in charge of e-commerce and online communications for this company, which is a governmental agency that supports the business development of Italian brands in China and abroad and promotes the attraction of foreign investment in Italy. The agency does support Made in Italy, organizing promotional activities such as roadshow for a Chinese company to Italy or organizing groups of Italian companies in China.
How to promote Italian brands in China through e-commerce?
For the online promotion of Italian brands in China, the Italian Trade Agency uses the brand hub, Alibaba’s marketing tool. This is a platform that focuses not on sales, but on content. It means that it is a question of communication and values and not only revenue.
« We decided to come up with the Brand Hub because the Italian Trade Agency cannot sell products. So, we couldn’t have created a platform – let’s say, a page on Alibaba under our name to sell Italian products. »
So they decided to invest in this virtual hub on Tmall Global, which is called HelloITA. HelloITA has more than 100 Italian brands in China in different categories, from lifestyle to Italian food in China to fashion.
This tool helps them to organize communication campaigns based on content, working with Alimama, which is a company from Alibaba that sells all the advertisements. Today HelloITA has 70,000 followers and more than 20 million impressions.
The biggest challenge in working with a brand hub on Tmall to promote Italian brands in China is to measure the campaign’s success because it’s mostly communication and not marketing. Indeed, they are trying to spread Italy’s values in China without appearing condescending or superior.
« We are trying to make it clear that if the Chinese want to buy Italian, they can have a whole pavilion where of where to find a lot of Italian products, of high quality and certified. »
The success of Italian food in China
Thanks to their collaboration with Hema, their Italian brands in China are not only present on supermarket shelves but also create real events. They invite Italian chefs who organize impressive cuisine shows and KOLs to talk about Italian food in China. The challenge is to merge online and offline communication to get a bigger impact.
« No matter you scan QR codes to become a follower, but you have to think of a promotion that can be brought together online and offline to get the best out of it. »
The second important thing when promoting Italian food in China is to convey the country’s identity with powerful products. In addition to Italian pasta and pizza, the ITA also tries to promote other Italian products of very high quality such as balsamic vinegar or Made in Italy milk. What can be difficult is to find the right balance between what the Chinese think of Italian food and what Italian food really is.
« Pineapple pizza is always a big deal between Italians and international friends. That is just an example to say that you have to fight what sounds Italian and what is Italian. »
Finally, they also work with Slow Food, which is a cooking association with strong values of fair and healthy food. Their collaboration consists of organizing activities and workshops to teach cooking enthusiasts in China how to recognize and use qualitative Italian ingredients and how to perfectly mix Chinese and Italian food.
Listen to this episode here:


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Ad agencies are rushing out artificial intelligence services
AI basically gives machines the ability to think like humans. A simple example: You can have a one-on-one conversation with another person, but AI can talk to 500 people at the same time and make decisions based on real-time data to learn what’s going on in each conversation, explained Dave Meeker, vp of Isobar’s U.S. operations.
In the context of advertising and marketing, AI theoretically means more personalized and interactive consumer experience, including targeted programmatic ad buys, identification of site visitors’ decision-making patterns, conversational commerce like bots, as well as smarter search and recommendation engines on websites, according to six agency executives interviewed for this article.
At the moment, with the help of AI developed by big tech companies, agencies are able to serve cognitive ads and integrate voice-activated assistants in their campaigns. For instance, in September, GroupM’s MEC worked with IBM in a cognitive campaign for Campbell’s Soup, where Watson created personalized recipes as display ads for the brand on The Weather Company’s website based on a user’s location, what the weather is like in the area and the user’s ingredient preference.
In the same month, agency CP+B helped Domino’s release a Facebook Messenger ordering bot, and back in February, the agency added pizza-ordering support from Domino’s to Amazon Alexa, where users could ask the virtual assistant to place an order and track their order.
“The most applicable things in AI right now are chatbot and natural-language processing,” said Joe Corr, executive creative technology director for CP+B’s Boulder office. “Utility chatbot is an easy first step. We are looking to experiment with chatbot that can reflect a brand’s voice and offer entertaining experience.”
Of course, another important pillar of AI is creative. Saatchi & Saatchi’s Team One brought a short film that was created, concepted, directed and edited by machines to Cannes back in June of this year. While this may look like a PR stunt, it just shows that agencies are looking to learn more about the language of AI and inject creativity into AI implementation.
“At some point, AI could even create a better ad than a creative director,” said Meeker.
Sure, why not? The thing about AI is that, like “big data,” it is affixed to lots of things. The AI market is estimated to reach $5.1 billion worldwide by 2020, up 54 percent from last year. And the media and advertising sector is expected to take the largest share of the overall AI market, according to research firm Markets and Markets. Agencies see that kind of money and smell opportunity, even though much of the AI market right now is not squarely in the services most agencies provide.
MDC Media Partners officially debuted an agency called Born on Wednesday that is focused on AI. Partner of MDC’s investment arm KBS Ventures, Mike Nicholas found that the problem with agencies is that they are not well-versed in AI but they understand brands, while startups have intensive AI knowledge but they don’t know the commercial applications of their technology. So Born is created to examine every existing framework from different technology companies and stay on top of all emerging AI platforms from the startups. Then the agency can negotiate the ins and outs of the technology based on a brand’s needs.
“If we cannot bridge the gap between agencies’ media knowledge and startups’ technical understanding of AI, we cannot succeed,” said Nicholas.
As Nicholas described, the design process in AI is based on characters and user experiences rather than on graphics or visuals. And creative character development is focused on vocabulary, diction and syntax. For instance, a creative may write copy for a brand in response to everything someone is going to say. The voice has to be reflective of the brand, not robotic. This type of character development is more like writing for a video game development or movie script development, and less like a copy treatment for an ad, he explained.
“We are an agency that literally delivers ‘brand-as-service’ instead of brand as message,” he said.
Born only has four full-time employees at the moment, but it will hire more staff as needed, according to Nicholas.
Huge, on the other hand, developed a virtual assistant called Dakota around two months ago as a use case, letting employees have conversations with AI. Dakota exists as a phone number, and it already started helping manage administrative tasks at the agency’s headquarters in Brooklyn.
For instance, a person can ask Dakota, “Who is the expert on retail?” Dakota may answer “Emily.” If the person wants to set up a meeting with Emily, Dakota can pull her schedule and further book a meeting.
“We’ve learned from Dakota that it’s important to narrow the context in conversation with a chatbot,” said Bernardo Rodriguez, the agency’s managing director for business strategy. “So a brand may not be able to manage general complaints with a single bot, but it can develop a bot to specifically handle billing complaints, for instance.”
MDC and Huge aside, Team One assembled an in-house team of six to focus on AI, where they work with clients and partners like IBM Waston and Google, and address AI at industry conferences. This framework is reminiscent of the agency’s virtual reality lab that was developed back in April of this year. The lab model proves efficient for Team One as it allows the agency to prototype, pull partners and in-house talent who are passionate about a specific topic, according to W. Joe DeMiero, management director of digital for Team One.
“Our VR lab started by two people in the closet, and now it’s a 500-person team,” he said. “I think AI will be the same.”
Of course, not every agency plans to set up a separate entity or an in-house team to implement AI. GroupM and Isobar have run a few AI campaigns for brands like Google and Campbell’s Soup, but the technology doesn’t affect any internal structural changes at the two agencies.
“We fundamentally believe the tactics that AI brings to the table are already integrated into the work we do,” said Cary Tilds, chief innovation officer for GroupM. “All of our teams must understand AI. We don’t need to form a separate group to show that we are invested in it.”
More in Marketing
The New York Times is not becoming a gaming company. But as it continues to diversify its editorial offerings for the digital era, the Times has embraced puzzle gamers as one of its core captive audiences, and it is taking ample advantage of its advantageous positioning in the space in 2024.
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The NBA’s star athletes are its greatest marketing asset.

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Articles by date
01 December 2019
People in China are now required to have their faces scanned when registering new mobile phone services, as the authorities seek to verify the identities of the country's hundreds of millions of internet users.
With an “optimised technical procedure”, newly registered .de domain names are now live within 5 minutes from registration DENIC has announced. The changes also apply to changes to domain name registrant data.
Internet and Jurisdiction Global Status Report 2019 (European Commission)
The Internet and Jurisdiction Policy Network released their first-ever Global Status Report in Berlin on 27 November 2019.
Roaming market review: use of mobile phones abroad has surged since end of EU roaming charges (European Commission)
The Commission has published today the first full review of the roaming market, showing that travellers across the EU have benefitted a lot from the end of roaming charges in June 2017. The use of mobile data while travelling in the EU has increased tenfold compared to the year before roam-like-at-home, with a peak of 12 times higher use of mobile data abroad during the holiday period.
30 November 2019
Global efforts need to be stepped up to address an increase in cross-border cyberattacks, hate speech and security breaches, according to the more than 6,000 delegates that took part in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) that concluded today in Berlin.
29 November 2019
New research published by the European Union Intellectual Property Office shows that, in the EU, pirate IPTV services generate close to a billion euros in annual revenue. Illegal IPTV services are most popular in the Netherlands and Sweden, while UK subscribers bring in the most money.
When done right, internet use among children can increase learning opportunities and build digital skills (London School of Economics and Political Science)
Blanket restrictions on children’s internet use prevent them from taking advantage of critical learning and skills development opportunities, according to a new report, launched today at the Internet Governance Forum in Berlin.
Verisign has made available their paper analysing the KSK Root Rollover last year. Titled Roll, Roll, Roll Your Root: A Comprehensive Analysis of the First Ever DNSSEC Root KSK Rollover, it provides an in-depth analysis of events occurring before, during and after the 2018 KSK rollover from multiple perspectives, to include that of root operators, resolver operators and end users.
27 November 2019
Scammers are getting ready for the holiday season with Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up in the next week, and Christmas shopping starting in earnest. And there are websites and social media accounts hoping to take advantage of internet users and holiday shoppers that are seeking a bargain, or just looking for their desired products online. And research by ZeroFOX has found online shopping and electronics are the number one targets for suspicious domain names.
Today [Monday] InternetNZ is launching our #ShopSafeNZ campaign hoping to raise awareness about safer online shopping experiences for Kiwis. We’ll be campaigning in the lead up to the holiday season and retail sales from 25 November – 1 January 2020.
More than 64m unnecessary emails are sent in Britain every day. Along with clogging up our inboxes they are also damaging the environment
A 17-year-old posted to TikTok about China’s detention camps. She was locked out of her account (New York Times)
Feroza Aziz started her TikTok video like a typical makeup tutorial, telling viewers she would show them how to get long eyelashes. Then the 17-year-old stopped abruptly, calling instead on viewers to start researching the harrowing conditions facing Muslims in China’s detention camps.
In the face of increasing digital divides and cyberattacks, UN Chief calls for transforming the Internet as a powerful force for good (United Nations)
Calling for collective responsibility to face the challenges of nefarious use of digital technology, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the fourteenth Internet Governance Forum in Berlin, Germany, that the growing frequency and severity of cyber-attacks are undermining trust and encouraging States to adopt offensive postures for the hostile use of cyberspace.
26 November 2019
Yesterday it happened. The RIPE NCC ran out of IPv4 addresses. It’s been anticipated for some time and on 25 November 2019, RIPE made their final /22 IPv4 allocation from the last remaining addresses in their available pool.
Tim Berners-Lee unveils global plan to save the web: calls on governments and firms to safeguard it from abuse and ensure it benefits humanity (The Guardian)
Sir Tim Berners-Lee has launched a global action plan to save the web from political manipulation, fake news, privacy violations and other malign forces that threaten to plunge the world into a “digital dystopia”.
My parents were mathematicians. My mother helped code one of the first stored-program computers — the Manchester Mark 1. They taught me that when you program a computer, what you can do is limited only by your imagination. That excitement for experimentation and change helped me build the World Wide Web.
25 November 2019
The announcement in mid-November that Ethos Capital, a private equity company, had bought Public Interest Registry from the Internet Society has caused some outrage from sections of the internet community over possible conflicts of interest and concerns the registry fee for .org domain names could rise significantly. To address these concerns Public Interest Registry put out a statement over the weekend addressing some frequently asked questions about the transaction with responses that they believe should provide additional clarity.
EURid has won the “Domains” award at the 18th eco://awards for their Domain Name Registration Abuse Prevention System it was announced Thursday. The system prevents abuse through machine learning, identifying whether a newly registered domain name is likely to be used abusively. And the day before, EURid was handing out their own awards at the .eu Gala Awards.
Nominet suspended 28,937 .uk domain names between 1 November 2018 and 31 October 2019, a small reduction year on year a – down from 32,813 in the previous year. This represents around 0.22% of the more than 13 million .uk domains currently registered.
Internet Companies Prepare to Fight the 'Deepfake' Future (New York Times)
Several months ago, Google hired dozens of actors to sit at a table, stand in a hallway and walk down a street while talking into a video camera.
Mobile Divides in Emerging Economies (Pew Internet)
Some still do not have mobile phones, and even phone owners struggle with connectivity and costs; they also face security issues
How Iran Turned Off the Internet: Cutting off internet access isn't as easy as flipping a switch. (Slate)
Ten years ago, a Senate bill proposed by Sens. John Rockefeller and Olympia Snowe spurred considerable controversy. The bill, which never even came up for a vote, would have made it possible for the U.S. government to build an “internet kill switch” that would allow it to shut off the internet in the event of an emergency. The proposal drew significant criticism, and U.S. politicians backed off relatively quickly, but in other countries around the world, the kill switch model was—and is—very real, as Iran’s government has just demonstrated. On Nov. 16, amid widespread political protest, most of the country was cut off from the global internet. After five days of isolation, the government announced Thursday that access would be “gradually restored.”
24 November 2019
Without the inspiration and innovation of two disabled individuals, the digital world likely wouldn’t be what it is today. Yet that same world so summarily excludes disabled individuals today that we’re eliminating the very people we will need to solve the web’s future problems.
Global 5G deal poses significant threat to weather forecast accuracy, experts warn (Washington Post)
A long-awaited international deal governing how the world’s technology companies should roll out 5G technology poses serious risks to weather forecast accuracy, according to data from federal agencies and the World Meteorological Organization.
Why Everyone Is Angry at Facebook Over Its Political Ads Policy (New York Times)
After Google announced restrictions on political advertising this week, campaign strategists in Washington quickly turned their attention to a different company: Facebook.


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RESEARCH FIRM Ipsos Mori has been accused of shopping around identifying details for 27 million EE mobile phone users, although the network has debunked the reports.
Pirate Party UK leader Loz Kaye found reports of the death of the deal rather hard to swallow.
"It's tempting to think that EE have taken their name Everything Everywhere too literally. Ipsos Mori seem to want to have it both ways. Given the well documented problems with anonymisation, while Ben Page's statements are welcome, they are not entirely reassuring. It's difficult to square these promises with Ipsos Mori's announcement to the markets back in April that the deal will give 'the ability to access EE's entire database', he said.


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But in April, Fed officials began to shift their view, expressed in speeches and other public comments, on how quickly interest rates will have to rise to get inflation under control, and Wall Street’s economic projections shifted too. In the futures market, where traders bet on how high interest rates could go, the predominant view now is that the Fed’s benchmark rate will climb to around 2 percent by July — something that seemed unimaginable even a month ago.
For that to happen, the central bank would have to raise its policy rate by half a percentage point at each of its next three meetings, and the fear is that such aggressive increases will trigger an economic slump, rather than just cooling things down enough to slow inflation but keep the economy growing.
“Every time the Fed has spoken, markets have taken it fairly negatively,” said Saira Malik, chief investment officer at Nuveen, a global investment manager. “Investors are concerned that with these multiple rate hikes, the Fed is going to cause a recession rather than a soft landing.”
Higher interest rates will hit consumer demand. Mortgage rates, for example, have already jumped to above 5 percent from 3.2 percent at the start of the year, eating up new home buyers’ budgets. Other borrowing costs, everything from consumer loans to corporate debt, will rise as the Fed pushes its benchmark rate higher.
For now, many companies — from United Airlines to PepsiCo — are passing on rising costs and reporting that sales continue to rise.
Economists are wondering how long this will continue.
“There’s going to be a natural slowdown in spending, maybe before interest rates increase, as costs increase,” said Jean Boivin, head of the BlackRock Investment Institute. “The central bank will need to monitor that very carefully because, if it happens naturally and then you add interest rate increases, this is how you get to a recession scenario.”
Broadly speaking, earnings reports this week have shows that profit growth continues. About 80 percent of companies in the S&P 500 to report results through Thursday have done better than expected, data from FactSet shows.
But other companies have only added to the downdraft. Netflix plunged after it said last week it expected to lose subscribers — 200,000 in the first three months of the year, and an additional two million in the current quarter. The stock is down more than 46 percent for the month.
On Friday, Amazon slid 12 percent one day after the e-commerce giant reported its first quarterly loss since 2015, citing rising fuel and labor costs and warning that sales would slow. Its shares are down 22 percent this month.
General Electric on Tuesday warned that the economic fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would weigh on its results. Its shares fell 10 percent that day and are down about 16 percent for the month.


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That’s right, even the restaurant synonymous with fatty, caloric, stereotypical cheat day grub is eager to cash in on the health food craze, even though it’s hard to imagine very many vegans being interested in eating at McDonald’s, even with designated food options.
For the first time in fast food history, the word “McDonalds” and the word “vegan” have cause to be uttered in the same breath. Yes, the chain is currently testing a vegan burger, aptly named the “McVegan”, at a location in Finland, People reports. The soy patty will be available from October 4 through November 21, and if enough Finns (or hungry tourists) like it, it could come to the U.S. and other locations.
After all, strict vegans and vegetarians might not be eager to consume food prepared in a facility that’s mostly used to cook meat. And while McDonald’s claims the french fries in its Finnish locations are vegan, the company was sued earlier this year for failing to disclose that they use a small amount of beef for flavoring purposes in french fries in the U.S.
Then again, the sandwich, which features all of the accouterments of your average McDonald’s burger (including vegan McFeast sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and a sesame seed bun), minus the cheese, could be a welcome alternative when you feel a Mac Attack coming on but don’t want to consume the questionable ingredients that go into those beef patties.
Many Finns who have tried the burgers have taken to social media to praise them, Bon Appetit reports. “Who would’ve believed? McD selling vegan burger,” one patron wrote on Instagram. “Quite good to my taste.” There you have it, folks. The vegan burgers at McDonald’s are a hit. What a time to be alive!


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Procter & Gamble Co. helped develop a technique being tested in China to gather iPhone data for targeted ads, a step intended to give companies a way around Apple Inc.’s new privacy tools, according to people familiar with the matter.
The move is part of a broader effort by the consumer-goods giant to prepare for an era in which new rules and consumer preferences limit the amount of data available to marketers. P&> —among the world’s largest advertisers, with brands such as Gillette razors and Charmin toilet paper—is the biggest Western company involved in the effort, the people said.
The company has joined forces with dozens of Chinese trade groups and tech firms working with the state-backed China Advertising Association to develop the new technique, which would use technology called device fingerprinting, the people said. Dubbed CAID, the advertising method is being tested through apps and gathers iPhone user data. Through the use of an algorithm, it can track users for purposes of targeting ads in a way that Apple is seeking to prevent.
Apple is planning a software update in coming weeks that will require app users to choose whether they want their activity to be tracked across other companies’ apps and websites. Apple has touted the new software as an important step for putting privacy controls in users’ hands. Device fingerprinting runs afoul of Apple’s rules, and the tech company has said it would ban any app that violates its policies.
“The App Store terms and guidelines apply equally to all developers around the world, including Apple,” an Apple spokesman said. “We believe strongly that users should be asked for their permission before being tracked. Apps that are found to disregard the user’s choice will be rejected.”


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BlackBerry Offers Up BB10 Demo for iOS, Android Users
April 2, 2013 11:53 AM
comment(s) - last by
It can be accessed right from their browsers
BlackBerry is giving Android and Apple users a sneak peek at what its new BlackBerry 10 (BB10) operating system can do -- right through their mobile browser.
BlackBerry wants to do more than just tell the world about BB10. It wants to
it why the new OS is comeback-worthy for the struggling company, and maybe convince a few iOS and Android users to switch along the way.
All iOS and Android users have to do is go to
and an interactive walkthrough of BB10 will appear.
It's not a free-for-all allowing users to poke through all the ins and outs of BB10, but rather a walkthrough of the features that requires a quick tap or swipe now and then. It shows off features like Screen Share, Time Shift, Hub and predictive keyboard.
BlackBerry may have had a rough year or so with a huge service blackout in 2011 and market share loss to Apple and Android ever since, but things are turning around for the BB10 maker.
It introduced the BB10 OS in January and recently released its first BB10-powered device --
revealed that many new BB10 devices will roll out this year, including tablets and phablets. So of course BlackBerry wants to show everyone why they should switch to the BB10 OS.
Just last week, BlackBerry reported
a surprise profit
for the fourth quarter of 2012.
BlackBerry reported an income of $94 million (18 cents per share).
Excluding some costs, adjusted income came in at $114 million (22 cents per share). This beat analyst expectations of losing 29 cents per share.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
4/3/2013 5:04:29 AM
Such demos have been done for years by the likes of Sony with their feature phones... With even simulated physical buttons.
Yes, it would be great if blackberry was a healthier company. They still have a chance, they don't have any room for screw ups. They already messed up by spending 3 years to make BB10. There is little reason to take this long.
Let us know how those z10s are.
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A new regulation just went into effect allowing stores and restaurants to charge customers who use plastic a credit card surcharge checkout fee. Not many stores are passing the fee along to customers yet, but experts say that could change.
Even the idea of a checkout fee is certain to generate a certain emotion from customers.
“I’m really irritated by the whole thing,” said Julie Kleiman of Indianapolis. “Especially since the taxes have gone up. You know the economy is in a crunch now anyway. I don’t see how this is going to help anybody.”
Checkout fees are now possible because of a settlement with credit card companies that gave retailers the ability to pass on credit card processing fees to customers. The fees typically range from 1.5 to 3 percent.
“We have discussed the settlement with many, many merchants, and not a single merchant we have spoken to plans to surcharge,” Craig Shearman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation (NRF), said in a statement. “The bottom line is that very few retailers would be able to surcharge under the settlement, and that the vast majority don’t want to surcharge even if they could.”
Still, retailers have the dilemma in choosing whether to take the burden upon themselves or charge customers the new tax.
Worse yet, others are afraid retailers will begin to charge consumers twice for the fee, since typically merchants build in costs into their regular pricing.
There are a few exceptions to this rule. The surcharge can’t be applied in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, or Texas. It also won’t apply to anyone using an American Express card regardless of where you are in the US. And the surcharge is limited to credit cards, so you can pay with a debit card or cash to avoid it.
“We’re always evaluating our credit card expenses,” said Sam Carpenter, Executive Director of Global Gifts in Indianapolis. “You know, trying to negotiate those down, whatever we can do to do that.”
But even though retailers like Global Gifts spend a lot on processing fees, don’t look for them to pass them on to you any time soon. Customers here use credit cards about 85 percent of the time and they don’t want to scare off that business.
“It’s a quick and easy decision for Global Gifts that we would not do something like that,” Carpenter said.
Fox59 News found that retailers throughout Indianapolis said the same thing. Checkout fees don’t make sense in the short-term.
Businesses that do decide to charge the checkout fee are required to post a notice either on the door or in the store. The charge is also required to be posted on each receipt, so you can see it for yourself.
“I think businesses will be slow to react to this because they don’t want to be the first one to look cheap,” said financial expert Peter Dunn, also known as Pete the Planner.
According to the National Retail Federation the checkout fees won’t be implemented by major national stores either, but Dunn says all it takes is a few businesses to start.
“I would look for restaurants and very small gift shops to start,” Dunn said. “I think once it happens there potentially you could see like a chain restaurant react or national business.”
As a Fair Trade store Sam says the charge doesn’t fit with Global Gifts’ philosophy.
“We like to be fair to our customers all up and down the line, from the artisan to the customer,” Carpenter said.
If that thinking changes at Global Gifts or any other stores, Kleiman said her habits will likely change too.
“Just look for another way to cut back,” she said. “If there is a another way to cut back.”
If business do begin charging the fees, customers can avoid them by paying with cash or debit card.
Below is a list of states that will allow the new credit card surcharge “checkout” fee for credit card transactions.
22. New Hampshire
23. New Jersey
24. New Mexico
25. North Carolina
26. North Dakota
30. Rhode Island
31. South Carolina
32. South Dakota
38. West Virginia
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May 17, 2007 – STMicroelectronics and the SAES Getters Group say they will integrate SAES’ PageWafer getter thin-film technology, used in high-vacuums in wafer-level packaged MEMS devices, into ST’s next-generation MEMS gyroscopes, targeting consumer devices, gaming, and navigation devices.
The devices will be produced at ST’s 200mm fabrication line in Agrate, Italy (near Milan), which was upgraded late last year. ST has already begun pilot production and qualification for its first-generation gyroscopes, with a production ramp planned for 1H08.
The new gyroscopes will complement ST’s existing two- and three-axis MEMS accelerometers to create a complete inertial sensor platform, ST noted in a press release. The company is eyeing what analysts say will be big business for MEMS gyroscopes — tripling in size to >$1.2 billion market by 2012 — mainly for consumer devices such as motion-user interfaces, and image stabilizers in digital cameras/camcorders.
“The market for MEMS motion sensors in consumer electronics is one of our most challenging targets and the integration of PageWafer technology into STMicroelectronics’ advanced MEMS gyroscopes surely represents an important qualification of our getter film products for use in these MEMS applications,” stated Marco Moraja, getters for MEMS business development manager at SAES Getters.
In the same statement, Benedetto Vigna, GM of STMicroelectronics’ MEMS product division, noted that the integration of SAES’ getter process into ST’s MEMS device production “offers a significant opportunity for ST to further expand its fast growing MEMS business.”


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updateSINGAPORE--Mobile payment platform Swiff, which allows merchants to accept credit card payments on their mobile devices, comes out of beta. Company has plans to expand globally, say company executives.
In a media briefing Thursday, Jerome Cle, CEO of SCCP Payment Services which developed the mobile point-of-sale (POS) platform, said any mobile device can be adapted into a payment platform by plugging in a special credit card reader dongle. Swiff can work on various mobile operating systems such as Apple iOS, Google Android and Research in Motion's BlackBerry. The version for Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 will soon be available, he noted.
Mobile payment platform Swiff
Swiff has been trialed by several merchants in Singapore since June 2011 and about US$500,000 in transactions have been processed to date, he said.
Etienne Van den Bogaert, COO of SCCP, said the service rolls out first in Singapore and Malaysia and will soon be launched in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The company has plans to expand its reach worldwide, he added.
Instead of working directly with merchants, SCCP said it would partner financial services companies such as MasterCard and Visa as well as banks, who would take a "small cut" of the transaction amount.
SCCP hopes to expand its service to more payment service providers, mobile operators and tech partners such as handset manufacturers to incorporate its payments platform. He noted that Samsung will be including Swiff in a tablet targeted at the food and beverage industry.
According to Cle, data sent is encrypted and nothing will be stored on the mobile device. Besides the mobile credit card processing ability, a peer-to-peer fund transfer functionality is in the pipeline and the company hopes to release it within the year, he said.
However, Cle pointed out that Swiff differed from PayPal as it partnered banks instead of competing with them for payments services. He was not able to share how much merchants would need to pay to use Swiff as the transaction charges would be determined by the banks. Paypal charges a 2.7 percent fee for each transaction.
Cle expects Swiff to pick up even in developing markets where cash is still king. He explained that as there was less legacy payment processing infrastructure in those countries, it would be much easier for Swiff to take root, he said. He added that the debit card and prepaid card market in developing markets was also growing so banks would be able to adopt Swiff to cash in on the boom.


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New service partnership agreement with Anchor Infra Solutions, India
We are pleased to announce that M&J Recycling and Anchor Infra Solutions in India have agreed to a new service partnership agreement that will support the Indian M&J shredder service market.
For several years, Anchor Infra Solution has been a trusted M&J Service Partner with knowledge about the Indian service market and high-level M&J service know-how to meet the demands of our customers.
The new agreement means that Anchor Infra Solution will continue to deliver professional and high-quality service deliveries to M&J customers within 1st level support, as well as preventive and predictive maintenance. They will also continue to act as our distribution partner of OEM spare & wear parts to the local market to enhance performance in delivery.
As a new addition, Onkar Singh, who is both founder and Director of Product Support & Parts Administration at Anchor Infra Solutions, has now been accredited to conduct commissioning of M&J Recycling shredders.
With the new accreditation, Anchor Infra Solution can deliver, install, and make M&J shredders operational at the customer’s site – something that will especially benefit the Indian market.
During his visit to Anchor Infra Solutions’ office in Dehli in week 40, our Head of Global Service, Ole Brandt, handed over the proof of achieved authority to conduct commissioning to Director Onkar Singh.
“Cooperation is key in order to deliver great service, and we are pleased that the great partnership with Anchor Infra Solution will continue for years to come,“ says Ole Brandt.
For more information about Anchor Infra Solution, please visit anchorinfrasolutions.com.


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Cebu Pacific (CEB) has launched its 3.3 seat sale this March in honour of its 28th anniversary.
From 3-7 March, CEB passengers can book flights to Manila for as low as $189 from Melbourne and $199 from Sydney for a one-way all-in fare.
The travel period will run from August 1, 2024, to September 30, 2024, allowing guests to book their flights in advance and discover the different natural gems that the Philippines has to offer.
What’s more, CEB is also offering up to 28 per cent off on its GO Easy and GO Flexi bundles for the whole month to further offer the best value to travellers planning to go on budget trips.
From Manila, international passengers can fly to 29 other local destinations.
CEB flew its maiden flight on March 8, 1996, from Manila to Cebu. Since then, over 200 million passengers have been serviced by the airline. CEB is offering its 3.3 seat sale as a way to thank its passengers for their unwavering support to the airline for the past 28 years.
With CEB’s inter-island connectivity, guests no longer need to transfer to another airport terminal to explore the airline’s wide domestic network.
Passengers may use their existing Travel Funds to book flights and avail themselves of add-ons. CEB also offers multiple payment options, including payment centres, credit or debit cards, and e-wallets.
CEB currently flies to 35 domestic and 24 international destinations spread across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.
Featured Image: A Cebu Pacific Airbus A330 at Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport – iStock/SCM Jeans


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OK, this might be the most badass baby monitor ever built. At CES 2019, Los Angeles-based smart home startup Miku unveiled its signature Miku Baby Monitor, a technological marvel that uses artificial intelligence (A.I.) and machine-learning technology to create a highly detailed health portrait of their new kid.
It’s the brainchild of co-founder and CEO Eric White, who decided to build a more technically advanced and flexible baby monitor as he waited for his first child to born. Using his personal experience building things like, oh, counter-remote controlled improvised explosive devices (Counter-RCIED) and dabbling in things like electronic warfare, White created a device that combines cutting-edge video and audio technologies with proprietary software backed by the National Science Foundation.
“The Miku Baby Monitor is only the beginning for us,” said White in a release. “As a new father, I know there is a huge need for this level of technology and sophistication in a product people entrust to help care for their loved ones. The applications for Miku’s technology are limitless.”
It looks like he’s on the right track, since Miku’s innovative new gizmo won both the Baby Sleep category and the Audience Favorite at the Annual Best of BabyTech Awards at CES 2019 last week.
It really is a pretty marvelous device. First, the Miku Baby Monitor can keep an eye on breathing, motion, sounds, and sleeping patterns as well as other factors like temperature and humidity levels to make sure the baby’s room is comfortable. A fistful of quad-core processors from the likes of Qualcomm provide the engine for the device, while an embedded, tamper-resistant crypto chip keeps the data secure.
Next, we have the app (there’s always an app). Available on iOS and Android, the MikuMind app enables parents to view sleep reports, read health tips by pediatric experts, and scroll through an archive of photos and videos shot by the company’s high-definition 1080p camera that also includes a high-quality night vision mode.
Like more traditional baby monitors Miku’s device also enables two-way talk through the monitor’s dual Ole Wolff speakers as well as sleep sounds and playlists that can be activated through the MikuMind app. In the future, the company anticipates using the data collected by the Miku Baby Monitor to make health recommendations like check-up reminders or push alerts when a baby’s vitals, such as heart rate or breathing, change.
“We’ve invented a technology that cares as much about your baby as you do,” said Colt Seman, CMO and co-founder of Miku. “We’re honored to be a winner in the Best of BabyTech Awards and hope to set a new standard for the industry that raises expectations for something as core to care as a baby monitor.”
No word on what cloud service or app subscription rates will add up to for new parents — Miku says the baby monitor comes with a 30-day MikuMind subscription and the company is currently running a special that includes a year of MikuMind (valued at $120) and free shipping. For new parents who want the best for their new baby, the Miku is available for order now at a cost of $399.
- Nanit Breathing Wear works with crib cam to track your baby’s breathing motion
- Lack of regulation means wearables aren’t held accountable for health claims
- Aluminum, ultrawide, and sleek. These are the best monitors of CES 2019
- Omron HeartGuide brings blood pressure monitoring to your wrist
- This USB C monitor is as thin as paper and can go almost anywhere


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We’re Whole Foods aka Amazon Employees:
Amazon’s Collaboration with ICE Must Be Stopped
We’re a group of current and former Whole Foods employees, known as Whole Worker, attempting to organize and unionize under the dystopian rule of Amazon. Now we’re here to show solidarity with our undocumented sisters, brothers, and siblings.
Recently we leaked Amazon’s union-busting training video which was just featured on Last Week Tonight. Clips and variations of the video have been viewed by many, exposing Amazon’s disturbingly authoritarian views on our rights as workers attempting to unionize. Amazon’s treatment of workers throughout the company is a reflection of its other business practices. Namely, its continued work with the company Palantir.
Palantir provides software that helps ICE in the deportation of undocumented people. Undocumented people must be welcomed with compassion and treated like the political and economic asylum seekers they are. Many it must be added, are fleeing from conditions created by destructive U.S policies, making it the responsibility of the U.S to welcome them. It also must be said that Palantir, in 2011, was involved in a plan to spy on labor unions and activists. As workers and activists actively organizing and unionizing, we see this as further proof that Amazon has no plans on respecting the rights of workers.
We as Whole Worker stand with our co-workers inside Amazon AWS demanding Jeff Bezos cease all business with Palantir and any other company involved in the continued oppression of marginalized groups. We also stand firmly with our co-workers in calling for Amazon to end the sale of its facial recognition software, Rekognition, to law enforcement. The software has already been proven to be racially biased, and the last thing an increasingly fascistic law enforcement culture needs are further tools for mass surveillance.
We recognize that expecting a company built on the exploitation of marginalized people and the working class to cease its collaboration with ICE’s deportation machine by way of moral condemnations isn’t enough. Just as the rich and powerful will never allow you to vote away their wealth and power, an amoral misery machine will never be shamed into doing what’s right. Workers that control the levers inside Amazon must make this machine stop and turn in another direction. Bodies inside this machine are being mangled as it tramples on our homes, destroying families and communities. If you have your hand on one of those levers, ask yourself what can you to stop it? What will your children think? What will that child separated from their parents think? Peace to you, if you’re willing to fight for it.
Do it. Si se puede!
En solidaridad — In solidarity
Whole Worker Organizing Committee


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India’s first “sport-scooterbike” – Aprilia SR 150 is available at an introductory price of Rs 65,000 (ex-showroom, Pune).
The Aprilia SR 150 shares its engine with Vespa 150 - i.e. 154.4cc, single-cylinder carbureted with 3-valves and air cooling system.
Piaggio India has finally started the deliveries of the powerful Aprilia SR 150 in the country. Launched on August 22, the SR 150 is called the sports crossover bike. Bookings for the scooter began almost a month before the launch of the scooter. It is the first automatic scooter launched by the Italian two-wheeler maker in India. The deliveries of the scooter have started in limited cities including Pune, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kerala and Chennai. Developed at Piaggio’s Baramati Maharashtra plant, the SR 150 will be retailed via Vespa showrooms across India. Priced at Rs 65,000 (ex-showroom, Pune), the SR 150 scooter is being manufactured with 90 per cent localisation. Initially, Aprilia aims to produce 180 units/day of the scooter that will be increased to 500 units in near future.
Touted as India’s first “sport-scooterbike”, the SR 150 was put up on display at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo in early February. This scooterbike has been designed and developed in Italy. The Italian Marquee also plans to launch more scooters under the SR moniker, and the next model is expected to be launched in 2017. It will be Aprilia’s first ever moto scooter in the country. The company is also selling the RSV 4 and the Tuono superbikes. Powering the moto scooter is a 150cc engine that generates power worth 11.4bhp against 11.5Nm of torque.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Aprilia SR 150 in 5 quick points –
|Ex-showroom, Pune||Rs 65,000|
The Italian two-wheeler maker introduced the new Aprilia 150cc scooter at an introductory price of Rs 65,000 (ex-showroom, Pune).
|Engine||154.4cc, single-cylinder air-cooled carbureted|
|Maximum Power||11.4bhp @ 7,000rpm|
|Maximum Torque||11.5Nm @ 5,500rpm|
Since the Aprilia SR 150 shares its engine with the Vespa 150, it will be as fuel efficient as its sibling. With a carbureted engine, this scooter returns mileage between 40kmpl – 45kmpl.
The new Aprilia scooter has very neat and clean design. This sport-scooterbike carries a twin headlight with two air inlets, 14-inch black alloy wheels, performance tyres, sporty body graphics and a twin-pod instrument cluster. Braking system of the scooter consists of a 220 mm front disc and 140mm rear drum brake. Under its dual-tone seat, the scooter has a fuel tank with a capacity of 7 litres. The SR 1500cc comes in a choice of two colour options – Black and White.
The new Aprilia SR 150 scooter is powered by a 154.4cc, single-cylinder carbureted engine with 3-valves and air cooling system. It’s the same engine that does duty in the Vespa 150. This power mill is belts out a maximum power of 11.4bhp at 7,000rpm against a peak torque of 11.5Nm at 5,500rpm. Power is transmitted to the wheels via a CVT gearbox.


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Now & Next: The Cultural Forces Shaping Connect
Now & Next: The Cultural Forces Shaping Connect
People traditionally being thought of as Outsiders or Other being brought into and becoming part of the norm presents an opportunity for brands. Brands can create new ideologies, give a voice to subcultures, change what is considered valuable – and become a new generation icon. Bust myths. Question common sense. Look for the next taboo to be shattered.
• While many consider it controversial to think of 50.8% of the US population as “other”, until now only 1% of health care research and innovation has gone to women’s health conditions (outside cancer). The FemTech industry is set to grow to $65.3B by 2027.
• The Federal Reserve is exploring a digital currency, among the benefits: helping the 5%+ of American households that are unbanked with no way of using digital payments. Experts estimate it’ll take 5-10 years to launch.
Because of technological advancement in virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality media, it is now easier to experience reality from different perspectives, resulting in experiences that allow audiences to see the world through other people’s eyes.
• TV Documentary Uses Virtual Reality to Reunite People With Loved-Ones Who Have Passed Away (News)
• OVR Technology is bringing smell to virtual reality with new climate change experience
How do you make your brand a sought-after ingredient? As systems become more interconnected, consumers are hyperaware of how changes to one aspect of life can cascade throughout the ecosystem, which is providing opportunities for brands that take an ecosystem approach to market – intentionally leveraging efficiencies in one category to exploit inefficiencies in another market.
• In this edition: Five Questions with Matter, Time Magazine’s Innovation of 2021.
• In this edition: Five Questions with Liberty Global, the $11.98bn telco partnering to bring energy to customers.
As technology continues to expand its role within people’s personal and professional lives its negative impacts including decreased focus, disrupted sleep and depressive symptoms are also growing. This is leading to an emerging industry of products and services designed to counteract tech’s effects (e.g., blue light glasses) as well as increased scrutiny on the responsibility technology companies have to the people impacted by their products.
• The Dark Patterns website helps gamers choose games that are not designed to be addictive.
• Wordle exploded in popularity between November 2021 and April 2022 – from 90 to over 2 million players. In contrast to most other games, Wordle is not designed to be addictive, and is an enriching and mildly competitive way to stay connected to your community. So far, at least, the game has declined to monetize its place in the attention economy.
• In this edition: Positive Human Energy, the key insights from our co-creation deep-dive with consumers.
Because of the proliferation of network-based communications, from forums to social media and more, likeminded people can self-identify and form groups around common mindsets, resulting in the amplification of tribal and fandom behaviours as well as in the more sophisticated coordination of time, messaging and activities.
• BookTok, a TikTok community often involving members discussing books in physical bookstores, has led to a spike in sales at Barnes & Noble. B&N says 2022 sales are on pace to beat 2021 and 2019. The BookTok hashtag has been viewed 43B times.
• Adidas launched a paid affiliate program that will allow the 50k+ student athletes at Adidas-sponsored D1 universities to be paid brand ambassadors.
As technology becomes more integrated with our lives and AI bots and assistants become more ubiquitous, consumers are seeking design that bridges the gap between the technical and the natural worlds. Whether that means technology that adds warmth through natural materials or voice assistants that share a sense of humour, consumers are looking for technology that reflects back their humanity.
• Soft robotics: Meta said it’s spending ~$10B this year on VR, AR, and hardware related to the metaverse, including a warm tech glove that reproduces sensations and replaces bulky haptic tech.
• In this edition: “Technologists want Star Trek, People want a Mother” Innovating the Future of Connect at Telefonica.
Because of the radical increase in the novelty and complexity of global issues like climate change, pandemics, civil rights, biodata rights, and others, there is an increase in the uncertainty as to which organization or sector of society is ultimately accountable, leading to an increasingly large number of issues where citizens expect both private and public sectors to demonstrate leadership and actively create solutions.
• In this edition: Brand Ethics: The New Frontier of Relevance.
Because of radical changes in the media landscape that make marketing to consumers difficult at best, brands and corporations are extending corporate responsibility tactics to more visible areas like infrastructure, education, and healthcare, aiming to win the goodwill and attention of consumers – resulting in pizza delivery brands fixing potholes, companies paving paths and tech giants solving disease.
• By 2030, there could be 26 million electric cars in the U.S., which means we’ll need more than 10 times as many EV chargers. Starbucks, with its 15,000 locations across the country, thinks that it could help fill part of the gap. In a 2022 pilot, Starbucks is installing EV chargers in its parking lots along a 1,350-mile route from Denver to Seattle, with stops available roughly every 100 miles. This route goes through several federal “opportunity zones”, economically distressed communities. The company intends to bring charging to those underserved markets to open them up to electric vehicles.
Whether through remote working, robotics or something entirely unexpected, distance will become a defining experience. What will create cultural unity, fruitful collaboration and emotional alignment in the absence of physical proximity? Can a brand become the permanent connective tissue of an organisation?
• Remote work: Data scientists predict that 25% of all professional jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022 and demand will continue to grow. At this rate, within a generation or two, the 40-hour workweek and workplace practices of the 20th century will be relics of the past.
Because of increased advancement in AI and the expanding sphere of data collection and personalized experiences, entrepreneurs and technologists are investing in technologies that are able to read human emotion and use that data for a variety of uses across product selection and sales, mood management and optimization, and interactions with bots or assistants.
• After Coors (successfully) attempted to “shape and compel [the] subconscious” into dreaming about beer, a number of large global airlines are working with MIT on “Targeted Dream Incubation” (TDI) for help with commercially driven dream-incubation projects.
Culture evolves, customer expectation shifts.
Someone is already rethinking your category.


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Aarogya Setu is not suitable with the new contact tracing conventional developed collectively by Apple and alsoGoogle India's COVID-19 contact tracing application Aarogya Setu has actually been signed up over 10 crore times, however several of its functions imply that it might not deal with Google and also Apple's personal privacy protecting option to quit the spread of coronavirus.
The digital system can also make it simple to track contact with strangers as digital contact tracing does not rely on a person's memory.
The state told WAAY31 it began considering using technology to help trace the coronaviurs because they now have about 130 contact tracers who are tracing on top of their other work duties at the department of public health. "What we've built is not an app-rather public health agencies will incorporate the API into their own apps that people install".
Now, both companies have released public software updates to introduce their latest project, the Exposure Notification System. Google and Apple made sure that even when individuals are traveling across countries, the system still works despite the different apps offered in different countries. If a user or contact is confirmed to be positive, it will send notifications to everybody on that list, advising them to self-isolate.
Public health officials can now contact exposed individuals directly and provide them with the safety measures they should take based on the voluntarily submitted user data they have provided. Instead, it is created to supplement and enhance them. Apple and Google have assured that privacy is an utmost consideration by making various improvements during the API's development.
A spokesperson from the Ministry for Government Services told ChannelNews: "The DTA and the Department of Health have been working with Apple and Google to understand and test the Exposure Notification Framework since it was released to see how it can be applied in Australia".
Apple and Google have banned authorities using their technology from collecting Global Positioning System location data or requiring users to enter personal data.
Additionally, it is up to anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 to report that information in their country's public health app.
The app can't be used for commercial purposes and only one app per country is permitted to ensure that there is no competition involved.
"User adoption is key to success, and we believe that these strong privacy protections are also the best way to encourage use of these apps", Apple and Google said in a statement.


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Balenciaga is banking on jodhpurs being a big part of fall fashion, but is this a trend better left to the horse set?
Can a Pizza really prevent wrinkles? Chalk it up to the pie’s high amount of antioxidant-rich ingredients, fiber, magnesium and iron.
Counterfeit bags are a huge black market product. Watch a video on how they are being sneaked into the U.S.
Are the Muppets really the new fashion icons? Check out whowhatweardaily.com to see comparisons.
Sure you may think they’re comfortable, but flip-flops are actually detrimental to your health and quite dangerous to walk around in.
New York Fashion Week is open to the public! American Express Gold, Platinum and Centurion card holders will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to see a runway show.
Project Runway judge, Nina Garcia has released a book called
Little Black Book of Style
. Check it out for tips on how to fine-tune your wardrobe.


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Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg today announced that starting next month, his office will begin accepting bitcoin and bitcoin cash for payment for various services including tax payments, making the Seminole office the first in the country to do so.
Greenberg hailed the bitcoin cryptocurrency paradigm as being transparent, fraud-resistant, accurate, efficient, and free of the kinds of third-party fees and risks of identity theft that come with credit or debit card payments. He said the decision for Seminole County to use it brings the tax collector’s office services “into the 21st century.”
An official at BitPay, the nation’s largest bitcoin transaction processing company, stated in a news release issued by Greenberg’s office that Seminole County will become the nation’s first government agency to accept bitcoin and bitcoin cash through their service.
“We live in a world where technology has made access to services on demand, with same-day delivery and the expectation of highly efficient customer service and we should expect the same from our government,” Greenberg stated in the news release. “The aim of my tenure in office is to make our customer experience faster, smarter, and more efficient, and to bring government services from the 18th century into the 21st century and one way is the addition of cryptocurrency to our payment options.”
Bitcoin was introduced worldwide in 2011 as a decentralized, international, digital currency, backed by blockchain programming code that public records transactions in chains of data and assures unique, verifiable possessions of bitcoin units. Bitcoin cash is a spinoff digital currency that works the same way.
The Seminole County Tax Collector’s Office will use BitPay, which charges a 1 percent processing fee, for bitcoin or bitcoin cash payments made for property taxes, driver’s license and ID card fees, tags and titles. BitPay will convert the currency to U.S. dollars within a business day for Seminole County. The service will begin in June.
“BitPay was started because we recognized the potential for blockchain to revolutionize the financial industry, making payments faster, more secure, and less expensive on a global scale,” Jeremie Beaudry, head of compliance at BitPay, stated in the news release. “With the Seminole County Tax Collector’s Office, we have engaged our first government agency to accept bitcoin and bitcoin cash by making it easy and seamless for them.”


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Sometimes-rivals Apple, Google and Samsung have banded together in Europe in hopes of bringing patent trolls and their abuse of the court system under control. 19 companies have signed a letter asking the European Union to take action to limit the ability of companies that hold patents as their sole source of income from using the legal system to essentially extort money out of other businesses.
Tech companies ask EU to curb patent troll powers
The companies are asking the EU to create guidance for the member state's courts so they're prepared to know when injunctions are appropriate, and how to better determine a patent's validity. "Without this guidance, the potential exists for a court to order an injunction prohibiting the importation and sale of goods even though the patent may ultimately be found invalid," the companies said in their letter, according to Bloomberg.
Patent trolls are companies that collect patents so they can then use their portfolios to generate revenue. They typically demand money from companies over patent infringement claims and often file lawsuits in hopes of pressuring a payout.
Apple is involved in a series of mobile device patent infringement lawsuits against Samsung, and is indirectly targeting Google's Android OS in the process. Despite the court room friction between the companies, they all see the value in finding a way to cut down on the frivolous lawsuits patent trolls file.
Currently, there isn't much to stop patent trolls from filing lawsuits to pressure licensing payouts on questionable patents. The cases not only bog down court dockets, but also cost companies millions of dollars regardless of whether or not they actually end up in front of a judge.
The EU is looking into creating a patent-specific court as part of a move to a unified patent system for all the member states, which should make it easier to manage patent cases across borders. Assuming Apple, Samsung, Google and the other companies pushing for changes get what they want, the EU patent system will likely make it easier to identify companies abusing the system and cut down on the threat of injunctions issued for patents that are ultimately deemed invalid.


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Urban Outfitters under fire for yet another offensive T-shirt
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For the second time in less than a month, Urban Outfitters has come under fire for an offensive article of clothing. This time it was a women's T-shirt depicting the word "Depression."
It comes on the heels (no pun intended) of a firestorm over socks featuring the Hindu deity Ganesh.
In both cases people flocked to Twitter to express their disgust with the retailer for being insensitive. And in both cases, the company removed the articles of clothing from its store and website.
Many on Twitter compared the "Depression" T-shirt to an Urban Outfitters women's T-shirt that said simply "Eat Less." That too was pulled from the shelves a while back.
"Hey everyone, we hear you and we are taking the shirt down from the site," the Philadelphia-based global retailer said on Twitter on Sunday. It later tweeted: "For those asking, the tee was designed by a small brand named Depression."
Urban Outfitters is hardly a stranger to controversial fashion. It came under fire for T-shirts that changed the Irish-pride statement Erin Go Bragh to "Erin Go F Yourself," and who could forget the shirt that came in the color "Obama/Black"?
When will urban outfitters stop making mental illnesses a fashion statement? pic.twitter.com/0Gk0ARYDyf— Eduardo (@EndBullyinNow) January 5, 2014
Hey everyone, we hear you and we are taking the shirt down from the site.— Urban Outfitters (@UrbanOutfitters) January 5, 2014
For those asking, the tee was designed by a small brand named Depression and we are no longer selling it on our site. http://t.co/my3AKjV0D5— Urban Outfitters (@UrbanOutfitters) January 5, 2014
Urban Outfitters have made a depression t-shirt. Well done, you've made it even harder for people genuinely suffering to be taken seriously.— chloe (@yeshomo_) January 5, 2014
Lost all respect for @UrbanOutfitters for even thinking about & creating the depression designed shirt. Lost some valued customers with that— han † (@Oh_HeyHannah) January 6, 2014
Jared Shelly is the digital producer of the Philadelphia Business Journal.
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Nanobubbles -- yes, that's teeny tiny bubbles, can boost indoor farming and aquaculture yields, can be used in water treatment, preventing dangerous algal blooms and can aid waste and filtration systems as well as other industries like mining.
The FDA could take years to settle its official position on CBD including any formal regulations limiting production and sale, according to Ecofibre’s chief science officer Alex Capano, leaving consumers with few assurances about product quality in the meantime.
As lawmakers, court battles, and consumer demand continue to push conventional chemical inputs out of the picture, a major market opportunity for bio-based inputs has developed. However, many farmers are struggling to understand an entirely new production methodology, argues biologicals veteran Pam Marrone.
Every accelerator participant will receive a convertible note of €100k for participating in the program, and Rockstart can invest up-to €2 million in those it supports into later stage alongside investor partners.
Telesense, which counts major international shipping outfit Maersk Growth among its investors, says its acquisition of Webstech gives it the largest remote-sensed dataset for grain storage in the world.
With the largest population in the world and as one of the largest agricultural economies in the world, China represents a major opportunity for startups and investors alike.
Chinese agrifood startups raised $5.8 billion of investment across 283 deals with 318 participating investors during 2018, according to the 2018 China AgriFood Startup Investing Report released by AgFunder in collaboration with Chinese food tech VC Bits x Bites.


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HP Inc reiterated its commitment to enable better learning outcomes for more than 100 million people between 2015-2025 at the 2017 Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg, Germany. The Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg falls on the eve of the G20 Summit, where leaders of the world’s most powerful countries are congregating to address inequalities and promote sustainable development.
HP’s pledge supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal and aligns with the company’s goal to improve access to quality education and lifelong learning for all in the classroom and beyond, as outlined in the recently release HP 2016 Sustainability Report.
HP’s support is targeting the hundreds of millions of people across the globe who are not currently learning basic literacy and numeracy skills, which will help them in breaking the cycle of poverty. HP is reinventing the classroom in ways that engage students, empower educators, and build strong and vibrant communities. Furthermore, HP is bringing these classrooms directly to students who otherwise may not have access to a quality education.
“HP’s efforts to advance quality learning and to support the sustainable development goals are expanding social and economic opportunities for people all over the world,” say Nate Hurst, chief sustainability and social impact officer at HP. “I’m proud to work for a company that creates and invests in technology that can help teachers teach and students learn while building the skills needed for future success.”
To increase the reach of HP’s education initiatives by 2025, the company will expand programmes like HP World on Wheels, which brings digital literacy to rural India through mobile learning labs. HP will also continue to provide refugees in the Middle East with access to personalised, blended learning experiences through six HP Learning Studios, equipped with hardware, software, and teacher training services that together inspires instructional innovation and next-generation learning experiences.
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The once powerful department stores that anchored malls and streets around the


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Beloved Dublin burger joint BuJo has announced a team-up with the food delivery platform Deliveroo to bring their burgers to the homes of Dubs.
The mega-popular burger restaurant, which was ranked the 17th best burger in Europe by Big 7 Travel, grew a huge fanbase of burger lovers in the city since it first opened in 2017.
BuJo has a small menu, specialising in what they do best: good burgers. As well as great taste, they also focus on sustainability, sourcing local grass-fed beef and brioche buns from a Kildare bakery.
Popular dishes served up at BuJo include their 'Kai Stun Bun Hun’, BuJo’s Buttermilk Fillet Strips and of course, the BuJo Burger.
Speaking about the partnership between BuJo and Deliveroo, Culinary Director at BuJo Burger Gráinne O’Keefe said, "I am super excited to launch BuJo home delivery with Deliveroo. As the only burger-focussed restaurant in Ireland and the UK to hold a 3 star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association, we have multiple initiatives covering sourcing, society and the environment. We don’t wish to just serve incredible burgers, our aim is to do so as sustainably as possible...and now, through Deliveroo, we can bring them to you."
Meanwhile, Paddy Quinlan, Senior Growth Manager at Deliveroo said, “We know our new delivery partnership with BuJo will be music to the ears of our Dublin customers and we’re just as excited. Since launching BuJo have completely changed the game when it comes to quality and produce - you’ll struggle to find a better burger in Dublin.”
To celebrate the new partnership, Deliveroo is offering 25% off the full BuJo menu this week from 17th-19th September. You can now order from their restaurants in Castleknock and Sandymount.
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BERLIN — Continental reported an adjusted profit margin of 5% in 2022, preliminary figures released on Tuesday.
Suppliers had expected to hit the upper end of their adjusted earnings forecasts in November, but warned of a highly volatile business environment.
Continental also warned that it expects to pass on more energy and labor costs to customers next year.
After a turbulent first half amid lockdowns in China and war in Ukraine, the automotive sector began to show recovery in the third quarter, with an adjusted margin of -0.2% for the full year, but the fourth quarter. was stronger at 2.1%. margin.
In the tire division, the company reported an annual profit margin of 13.1%, while the fourth quarter profit margin was slightly lower at 10.3%.
Rising production costs and restrictions in China due to COVID-19 reduced the ContiTech Group division’s profit margin to 4.7% for the year, below the forecast of 6% to 7%.
The company said that cash flow was lower than expected, resulting in adjusted free cash flow of around €200 million, far below the €600-800 million forecast.
Continental will release full results for the year on March 8th.
Continental ranked 8th car news europe A list of the world’s top 100 suppliers, with $22.4 billion in sales to automakers in 2021.
This article was optimized by the SEO Team at Clickworks SEO


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Acer has just launched the Iconia Tab 10 for Education with an asking price of just $299. As the name aptly puts it, the tablet is targeted towards educational institutions and will be available for purchase in the U.S. and Europe starting next month. In European markets the pricing of the tablet has been set at €299.
Acer has joined the Google Education ecosystem to ensure that educational institutions get more out of this new device. Here are a few important points mentioned by Acer in the press release:
- Acer is working with Google to join the Google Education ecosystem, bringing accessible technology and richer resources to classrooms.
- Equipped with NFC for setup and sharing capabilities; set up a whole classroom of tablets in minutes.
- Durable Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4 panel with reinforced mechanical design to withstand daily classroom use.
- Crisp Full HD 10.1-inch Display with Zero Air Gap technology for better sunlight visibility, ideal for learning anywhere.
- Acer Precision Plus for greater accuracy for writing, sketching.
- Powered by an Intel® Atom™ processer, the tablet offers long battery life and performance to meet students’ demanding needs.
The Iconia Tab 10 comes with a 10.1 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution display, 2GB of RAM, 16/32/64GB of storage options, an Intel Atom processor and Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Via: Android Central


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Drive Wire: Camp With a Rooftop Tent
In gear news, you might want to consider our new favorite piece of camping gear, the Treeline Outdoors Rooftop Tent. It’s in its second generation, so the kinks have been worked out of what’s basically a condo for the top of your rig. The tent comes with a comfy foam mattress, accommodates solar panels, and starts around $1700.
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Yahoo’s latest online ad hire brings it closer to integrating its display and search offerings. The company hired former Microsoft ad sales director Seth Dallaire to head up Yahoo’s search and display ad sales teams serving mid-market advertisers.
Until now, Yahoo’s mid-market search and display sales departments were separate. Now, the heads of those teams will report to Dallaire, according to a Yahoo spokesperson. Dallaire started with Yahoo October 1.
While the firm’s mid-market salespeople do have contact with their accounts, their approach to their market differs from that of Yahoo’s more hands-on field sales team. The mid-market reps serve large advertisers that do much of their search ad buying and management on their own through Yahoo’s automated system; these clients tend to be direct response advertisers.
“These advertisers don’t need the field sales rep, the face-to-face rep working with them,” the spokesperson told ClickZ News.
The field sales team, on the other hand, deals directly with large brand advertisers. “Brand advertisers have a different set of needs,” added the spokesperson.
Yahoo has made moves to break down the walls between display and search in the past few years. In 2007, the firm announced it would combine its separate display and search advertising departments into one holistic operation, the goal being to make it easier for advertisers to place integrated search and display campaigns. Clearly Yahoo still had some work to do to achieve its promised sales force consolidation.
The company also has indicated it wants to enable search and display ad buys through a single platform. It is unclear how far along Yahoo is in that pursuit.
A class action lawsuit against an internet-connected pleasure device highlights the potential pitfalls a growing number of companies will face as they embrace ... read more
Google sparked a small firestorm last week as reports surfaced that its intelligent assistant device Google Home delivered an unsolicited advertisement to unsuspecting owners.
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The rise of YouTube and digital video generally has a lot to do with the rise of the internet and the abundance of digital video content. But YouTube's ascendency is also the result of Google's savvy use of algorithms.


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You read that right, Virgin Voyages has just announced that the Scarlet Lady will sail to Havana, Cuba! This is the first destination announcement from Virgin Voyages. Cuba is one of the most sought-after destinations from millennials to baby boomers as United States citizens were unable to visit until recently. With the embargo lifted, U.S. citizens are doing everything they can to visit Cuba to explore the diverse culture that has been kept under wraps for so long. Virgin Voyages plans on staying overnight in Cuba to give guests as much time to experience this diverse culture!
Virgin Voyages will debut its first ship, Scarlet Lady, in 2020 sailing from Miami. This cruise ship will be an 18+ cruise experience featuring an onboard tattoo parlor, cooking classes, and no single-use plastic! Virgin Voyages is truly the cruise line of the future!


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Bitcoin Forks [BCH and BSV] Transfer More Spam Than Litecoin, Argues David Schwartz
While Bitcoin [BTC] continues to strengthen as a Store of Value, the high fees continue to be a worrying signal for adoption. As the original idea of currency is moving to second layer solutions with Liquid and Lightning Network, the case for payment-based cryptocurrencies grows stronger.
The volume of value transfers on a blockchain can be used to filter the monetary transactions from the noise (Send messages or transfer data via the blockchain). The mean value of transfers in the last four years reflects a severe downtrend in Bitcoin SV [BSV]. Moreover, the transactions on Litecoin seem to be following an oscillating pattern, while Bitcoin Cash [BCH] is slowly converging in the range of 1,000-3,000 USD daily value around LTC.
Junk on the Blockchain
Furthermore, the percentage of non-monetary transactions on these cryptocurrencies paints a further grim picture for the hard-forks of Bitcoin. David Schwartz, the Project Director of the Litecoin Foundation tweeted,
Non-monetary inputs are an important indicator of actual usage on a blockchain.
He finds that the percentage of NMO for Litecoin is comparable to that of Bitcoin (less than 2%). However, the NMO percentage for Bitcoin Cash [BCH] and Bitcoin SV [BSV] is 8% and 25-50% respectively. He notes,
# uses trx’s from # & weather apps to fill the blockchain with spam (621,767 trx’s in 24 hrs). People pay > $185 per coin for almost half of it’s blockchain to transport weather info & social media posts. Further, on BCH, he added,
# had decreased to only 8% NMO% as of the past few days, but over the course of it’s existence the average is 20-50% non-monetary trx’s as well.
Which is Payment Cryptocurrency is Worthy?
Apart from being used as a medium of payment, there is another component of digital scarcity which makes a cryptocurrency lucrative. Bitcoin’s primary usage is SoV. Hence, it continues to build on bullish sentiments, despite high transaction fees. The supply schedule of Bitcoin [BCH] and Bitcoin SV [BSV] is comparable to Bitcoin.
The circulating supply of Litecoin is 3.5 times more than of BCH and BSV. While. the price ratio of BCH/LTC and BSV/LTC is 5.33 and 4.28, respectively.
Furthermore, security, immutability and liquidity of these cryptocurrencies will be a critical growth factor for these cryptocurrencies. The Litecoin Foundation is pursuing its focus on privacy and fungibility, while BCH and BSV offer larger blocks as a fork of Bitcoin.
Do you think the cryptocurrencies are correctly priced? Please share your views on which is more likely to succeed.
Original Source: Coin GApe Bitcoin Forks [BCH and BSV] Transfer More Spam Than Litecoin, Argues David Schwartz


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Today only, 6th Avenue Electronics offers the Panasonic 42" 1080p Widescreen LED-Backlit LCD HD Television, model no. TC-L42D2, for $823. Coupon code "AFL4COUPON" cuts it to $790.08. With free shipping, that's a $50 drop since our mention two weeks ago and the lowest total price we've seen. (It's a current price low by $70.) This edge-lit LED LCD features a native resolution of 1920x1080 (1080p), 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, iPod dock, SD card slot, three HDMI inputs, VGA input, and component and other video inputs.
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As of January 21, 2020, there have been 60 confirmed deaths on account of the outbreak. However, the outbreak is strongly associated with THC vapes, notably those from “informal sources,” and the chemical additive vitamin E acetate. On January 2, 2020 the FDA announced that it was banning all flavored vape cartridges, aside from tobacco and menthol flavors. The ban additionally applies to any vape product focused at minors or whose producer fails to take “adequate measures to forestall minors’ entry” to the product. Even so, deleting its social media accounts can only achieve this a lot. According to firm officials, more than 99% of all social media content material associated to Juul is generated from third-get together users and companies.
If you are a social smoker, disposable e-cigs could also be the most suitable choice for you, whereas if you’re a smoker that enjoys smoking on your own as well, a chargeable and refillable electronic product would possibly suit your needs better. Veppo is the only firm that provides a full line of vaping supplies from newbie prime quality e-cigarette kits to more advanced vaporizers and a full line of e-cigars and e-liquid. E-cigarettes are not FDA-permitted smoking quitting aids, and they don’t seem to be proved to help individuals give up. Free quitting medicines and counseling can be found to all Minnesotans by visiting Quit Partner or by calling QUIT-NOW ( ). California Prop fifty six tax in your products has not been paid for vapor merchandise purchased via this web site.
The influencer program was formally suspended ended on Oct. 31, 2018. According to a Wall Street Journal report, in 2018 the Federal Trade Commission started investigating whether the startup used influencers and different marketing to attraction to minors. In addition to this, the Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether e-cigarettes may cause seizures and three reports cited allegedly involve Juul use. There have been 134 reports of e-cigarette batteries overheating, catching fire, or exploding between 2009 and January 2016, based on Michael Felberbaum, an FDA spokesperson. The new rules will enable FDA to review the protection of batteries and ultimately take action to guard the general public. Vaping labored in a month, and she’s been off cigarettes for more than two years. “I’m respiration, sleeping, and consuming significantly better since I started vaping. My ‘smoker’s laugh’ went away, and I no longer scent like an ashtray.”
What Is Vaping?
Electronic Cigarette Definitions
On Dec. 17, 2018, an investigation by CNN found that Juul had paid social media influencers to evaluation the product on Instagram and Youtube. Juul has since clarified that the paid influence program was “brief-lived” and concerned “fewer than 10 paid influencers,” who have been collectively paid less than $10,000.
That figure is controversial and may be somewhat excessive, says Kenneth Warner, a tobacco policy researcher on the University of Michigan. But, he provides, “The worst critics of e-cigarettes would probably argue they are a half to 2-thirds less dangerous. But from a sensible view, they’re in all probability on the order of eighty% to eighty five% much less dangerous, at least.”
- This is because if individuals start smoking in their teenagers, when their brains are nonetheless developing, they’re particularly susceptible to the addictive effects of nicotine .
- Thanks to our technology, users can have an actual smoking expertise and fewer restrictions since you aren’t burning tobacco.
- With FIN digital cigarettes, there isn’t a smoke, only vapor.
- Nine out of 10 adult people who smoke started smoking tobacco cigarettes before age 18.
- Which means vapinger.com no smell, no second-hand smoke and no cause not to enjoy your FIN, anytime, anywhere.
Consumers, retailers and distributors in California are liable for paying the tax directly to the state. You have the freedom to mix and match batteries, tanks, e-liquids, and atomizers. And as a result of all our products are centered on high quality, you may be positive you’ll find yourself with a vaporizer product that’s constructed to last. Our starter kits also include refillable tanks that allow the vaping newcomers to benefit from the merchandise for a while earlier than they need to refill carious parts. For those that are starting their vaping journey, VaporFi provides complete e-cig starter kits that supply every thing they should get started.
These merchandise are on the market to adults age 18 (21 years in some areas). Veppo stock only the highest high quality of e cigarettes for sale, making it straightforward to search out the most effective digital cigarette on your way of life. Disposable e-cigarettes are the easiest approach to transition to another form of tobacco, into something that’s nonetheless easy to share and dispose of.


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3dfx Interactive recently announced that their Voodoo 5 5500 series of next generation video cards will be included in PC manufacturer Falcon Northwest's newest systems. For those unfamiliar with Falcon, to put it simply, they make simply unholy gaming rigs designed to make players drool at the mere sight of the specs. Much like several of their manufacturers and distributors nowadays, Falcon includes the option for "Build to Order" systems where buyers can stipulate precisely what they want in their new setup. Reportedly, the Voodoo 5 5500 will be the card that is included in such systems by default.
This announcement furthers what 3dfx hopes is the ongoing belief that this latest upgrade to their line of graphics cards is the one of choice for gamers around the world. Falcon Northwest is a respected company, and 3dfx is understandably pleased to have their product included by default in all of Falcon's high end gaming configurations. According to Richard Burns, Senior VP of Sales at 3dfx, "Falcon's decision to include the Voodoo5 5500 AGP as a standard graphics accelerator card for their high-end computer configurations demonstrates the power of the 3dfx technology. It also validates just how pervasive the Voodoo brand is in the minds of consumers within this highly competitive, high volume PC graphics market."
Competitive is certainly the correct word for it. With all of the new GTS cards being released as of late, and even some preliminary rumors on Nvidia's next baby coming around the bend, 3dfx has a lot cut out for them in the coming months. However, with a high quality product like the 5500 and the backing of companies like Falcon Northwest, the future certainly appears to be bright.
-- IGN Staff


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Car sales in China hit a monthly record of 1.11 million vehicles in March, exceeding U.S. sales for the third month in a row. According to industry figures, tax cuts and rebates for small car purchases are said to have lured buyers back into showrooms.
The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said sales rose 5 percent in March from a year earlier, when they totaled 1.06 million. The data confirmed that sales remained robust in China, the world’s second biggest car market, despite deteriorating conditions in most major markets.
According to Autodata, Americans bought 857,735 new vehicles in March, down 37 percent from the 1.36 million sold in the same month a year earlier but a 25 percent jump in U.S. sales from February has raised hopes that the worst may be over for an industry battered by global economic malaise and financial catastrophe.
China is bound to eventually overtake the U.S. as the world’s largest auto market, and recent developments have accelerated that trend.
To counter a slowdown late last year, the government halved taxes on purchases of small autos and is spending 5 billion yuan (about $730 million) on subsidies for purchases of light trucks and minivans in the countryside, where most of China’s 1.3 billion people live. Sales of small vehicles with engines of 1.6 liters or less accounted for about 70 percent of the total cars sold.
Trucks and buses make up a larger share of China’s sales than those of the United States or Japan. Some observers say that makes direct comparisons misleading. But many rural Chinese do use such commercial vehicles for everyday family driving.
The larger sales figures for China also obscure the fact that most of its dozens of automakers are small manufacturers serving mainly regional markets.
So far, none of the domestic car manufacturers have managed to meet rigorous U.S. safety standards, and most Chinese vehicle exports go to other developing markets in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.
But China’s automakers are investing heavily in new technology and tie-ups with foreign market leaders while also launching electric and other alternative fuel vehicles. Meanwhile, they face ever intensifying competition from foreign automakers that are zeroing in on the China market for lack of strong alternatives elsewhere.
Source: Associated Press