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It seems that the last two studio's(NBC Universal and Paramount) that support HD-DVD have decide to end there exclusive agreement with Toshiba. The move by Warner Brothers earlier this week has started a slide that Toshiba may not be able to recover from.
On the music front, Amazon has announced that they will be the first to sell DRM free songs from all four major music companies in the MP3 format. This is thanks to Sony BMG trying to boost there records which saw a 15% drop in 2007. Sony BMG is the second largest music company in the world, and they have money makers like Beyonce and Celine Dion on the label. Music lovers are becoming tired of all the security and the inability to transfer music between devices. All though Amazon will be the first to sell Sony's music, Sony is also the last of the four major music labels to make this decision.
In another move from Sony it announced that it is discontinuing the 20 and 60GB PS3 in Japan. There Focus has shifted from backwards-compatibility to the more cost effective 40GB PS3. So if you have been on the fence about buying the PS3, and still want to be able to play your PS2 games I would grab one now!


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Boy Scout Christmas tree sales start Nov. 25
Hopkinton Boy Scout Troup 1 is selling fresh cut Christmas trees again this year. The tree lot behind Colella's Supermarket opens the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 25 at noon.
The trees are the fragrant traditional New England Balsam Fir ( 4 feet to 11 feet.) and the dark green, low-shedding, sturdy-branched Fraser Fir (5 feet to 12 feet).
The scouts will be selling trees until they are gone.
Hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Each year Troop 1 makes a special order to their vendor for the largest tree they can find to donate to the town. The Boy Scouts will be installing the tree on the Town Common on Saturday, Nov. 26. Then the Girl Scouts will decorate the tree in time for the annual tree lighting event on Dec.r 3. Along with each tree comes information on how to recycle the tree at the end of the season. Read more at http://www.troop1hopkinton.org/.

domain: news


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By Staff writer
Deyaar also says revenue for first quarter rises on back of strong sales at flagship projects
Dubai developer Deyaar has announced a 37 percent slump in net profit for the first quarter of 2017 despite an increase in revenue.
The company said in a statement that net profit fell from AED51 million in Q1 2016 to AED32 million, adding that the year-earlier period included a write-back of provision for impairment of investment in an associate.
Deyaar reported a year-on-year increase in revenues to AED142 million from AED60 million for the three months ending March 31, with the rise down to particularly strong growth in property revenues following progress in flagship projects, including The Atria and Mont Rose.
The company added that expenses fell to AED41 million for the first three months of 2017, down from AED48 million.
Saeed Al Qatami, CEO of Deyaar, said: “The first three months of 2017 have seen Deyaar continue to make steady progress in our existing projects, while closely controlling our cost base and expanding our pipeline of future developments.
"Two key focus areas in the coming months will be the commencement of work on the Midtown master development, and the implementation of our ambitious plans for the hospitality sector, both of which are central to Deyaar’s long-term strategy for sustainable growth.”
Deyaar began 2017 by establishing a joint venture with Dubai South to develop a mixed-use project comprising residential property, retail and hospitality facilities on a location adjoining the Expo 2020 Dubai site.


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Pork prices in China fell for the fourth consecutive week during the week from Aug. 27 to Sept. 2 amid government efforts to increase supply, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Wholesale prices of pork dropped 2.8 percent from a week earlier, forcing down prices of edible farm products in the country by 0.3 percent.
Among the 31 major cities monitored by the ministry, 19 saw pork prices decline, while seven reported continued price hikes, with prices in Hefei, Changchun and Hohhot surging more than 10 percent.
Pork prices were unlikely to drop drastically for the rest of the year due to rising demand and mounting production costs, predicted the ministry.
Egg prices will probably go up as the Mid-Autumn Day and National Day holidays approach.
In the past one year pork prices almost doubled, pushing up the consumer price index, China's key inflation indicator to a 33-month high of 5.6 percent in July.
The index might be even higher in August, said Bi Jingquan, vice minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission, though he believed the inflation was still under control and the factors leading to the recent price hikes were temporary.
During the week ended Sept. 2, egg prices dipped 0.3 percent from the previous week, aquatic products fell 0.6 percent, while vegetables declined 0.5 percent.
Prices of beef and mutton, however, rose 0.3 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively. Prices of edible oil and grain continued to climb as market demand remained strong.
(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2007)


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Super Nintendo World, a theme segment of Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan, will be expanded. The new part of the amusement park will be completely dedicated to Donkey Kong, Nintendo reports Tuesday.
The area will be given a new roller coaster and “interactive experiences”. It also sells Donkey Kong merchandise and food. According to Nintendo, visitors can”take a stroll through the lush jungles where Donkey Kong and his friends live”.
There have been rumors for some time that Super Nintendo World would be expanded, because construction started some time ago. The new area should be opened in 2024.
Super Nintendo World opened its doors in March, after the opening was delayed several times due to the coronavirus. The current section is completely dedicated to Super Mario.


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On Thursday 30th January, a fashion-forward crowd gathered in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens for the 2014 Royal Botanic Runway Show, writes Ruth Cooper.
The event celebrated the talent of four leading Australian designers: Aurelio Costarella, Collette Dinnigan, Martin Grant and Akira Isogawa. As the Official Hair Partner, the L’Oréal Professional Products Division played an integral role in creating the looks.
Each designer collaborated with a L’Oréal Professional Products Division brand and a leading hair director to create a hair look that perfectly complemented their collection. Backstage, the Hair Directors shared their inspiration behind the looks.
L’Oréal Professionnel for Aurelio Costarella
Styled by L’Oréal Professionnel Hair Director Jamie Furlan, the look for Aurelio Costarella involved a deep side part with hair pulled back into a twisted bun at the nape of the neck. The look was “very fashion forward without being too complex,” explained Furlan. “It’s very clean, classy and sophisticated.”
Shu Uemura Art of Hair for Akira
Shu Uemura Art of Hair Hair Director Stavros Tavrou created a Japanese inspired look for Akira, mimicking origami folding techniques to create a traditional yet modern up-style. “I drew heavily on Japanese culture for inspiration,” said Tavrou. “The bun is a creative take on the sumo knot while the texture of the hair is very organic and free which gives a beautiful softness.”
Redken 5th Avenue NYC for Collette Dinnigan
For Collette Dinnigan, Redken 5th Avenue NYC Hair Director Mark Thompson kept hair looking natural with a strong centre part and low braid, which was then twisted and folded into a low bun. The ethereal style was meant to be “a modern take on a Grecian goddess look with a little 70s inspiration,” said Thompson, while the key to the look was the “natural, wispy and soft texture.”
Matrix for Martin Grant
The look for Martin Grant was created by Matrix Hair Director Andrea De Deugd, who gave the models a sleek “couture ponytail” with a strong centre part. The inspiration for the look came from Martin Grant himself who “wanted something that would complement all his designs,” according to De Deudg.
Aside from celebrating Australian fashion, the Royal Botanic Runway also raised money for a drought-proof plan to protect the gardens.
For more information about the L’Oréal Professional Products Division visit www.loreal.com.au.
Click here for Styleicons|TV.


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Bitcoin (BTC) is inches away from getting the same boost that helped it hit $12,500 earlier this month, data shows.
The United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority, has given the go-ahead to Visa’s acquisition of fintech startup Plaid following
Leading cryptocurrency payments platform Crypto.com announced that it has received regulatory approval for its Visa card program in Canada, and will soon be rolling out MCO Visa …
Liechtenstein-based international cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex Global has rolled out credit and debit card support for 125 more countries.
Joining the program will enable the app to launch a new Visa co-branded card, which continues the offer of Bitcoin rewards for purchases made at retailers.
Canadian cryptocurrency payments provider, NetCents, has completed the technical integration of its consumer credit card into its proprietary ecosystem.
Coinbase is now a principal member of Visa, according to a Feb. 19 announcement. This will allow it to issue debit cards without relying on third parties.
Bitcoin (BTC) is already processing 1% of the world’s GDP and the number is growing by “an order of magnitude” every halving cycle. According to …
Cryptocurrency businesses worldwide are continuing to integrate fiat onramps into their operations in an effort to make it easier for customers to jump into crypto.
MoneyGram recently announced FastSend, a new service that allows its customers to send money in real-time to a phone number via a dedicated website or mobile application


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The head of Iran-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce told Afghanistan’s Ghazanfar Bank could not open a branch in Chabahar Port, as a result of Iran being put on FATF's blacklist.
Speaking to ILNA news agency, the Iranian official Hossein Salimi said “A basic license has been issued for Ghazanfar bank to operate in Iran but for reasons such as the banking laws of the two countries and the fact that Iran is not a member of the FATF, Ghazanfar Bank could not have a branch in Iran.”
Ghazanfar Bank started off its operation from Kabul, Afghanistan, and is offering key financial services both under conventional and Islamic. Ghazanfar Bank, a full-fledged licensed commercial Bank, commenced its operations in March 2009. The Share Holders of the Bank belongs to one of the leading business groups of Afghanistan.
Referring to the decline in trade between Iran and Afghanistan, he said: "Iran exports $ 3.2 billion a year to Afghanistan, which this year will probably reach $ 2.9 billion due to coronavirus epidemic."
The Iranian official pointed to the impact of Chabahar port in increasing Iran-Afghanistan trade relations, and stated: "In previous years, this port was almost closed, but today some of the goods needed by Afghans are exported through this port.”
“We are currently witnessing an increase in China's trade with Afghanistan, and recently the Turks have entered the Afghan market.”
He confirmed that Iran has started investing in Afghanistan's mines; adding “Afghanistan has rich and pristine mines that can increase Afghan incomes by investing in these areas.”
Chabahar is considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with Central Asian countries, besides ramping up three-way commerce in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to India.


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Palm have announced their Q4 and full-year 2009 financial results [pdf link], covering the period up to the end of May 29th. Palm chairman and CEO Jon Rubinstein revealed full-year revenues of $735.9m and gross profit of $159.8m; he went on to describe the launch of the Palm Pre and webOS shortly after the period finished as when the company “officially reentered the race”. That’s good news, because while smartphone shipments in Q4 rose 6-percent from Q3, year-over-year decline for the quarter was a huge 62-percent.
In Q4 2009, then, Palm report total revenues of $86.8m, with gross profit of $20.1m and a gross margin of 23.1-percent. That amounts to a net loss to common shareholders of $105m, or $0.78 per diluted common share; that’s more than twice the net loss in fiscal-year 2008.
Rubinstein remained positive, however, suggesting that the Pre was a “major milestone in Palm’s transformation” and pointing to “a large group of developers waiting to build great applications for Palm webOS”. He also tipped “a new product pipeline” which is presumed to include the Palm Eos, also based on webOS.


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Motive Studios is developing a remake of the first Dead Space game and they just released the first look at what the gameplay will be like with a new trailer. Modern horror fans are eager to see just how it shapes up compared to the original and what changes and improvements it will have given the technological advancements in gaming.
You can view the Dead Space remake official gameplay trailer here:
The original Dead Space was released back in 2008 and is considered to be one of the greatest horror gaming experiences ever made. The concept of being a lone engineer navigating the abandoned corridors of a spaceship trying to fight through hordes of monsters was a massive hit that terrified gamers.
Motive Studios’ remake is looking to be a faithful reimagining of the unfortunate adventures of gaming’s unluckiest engineer, Isaac Clarke in the USG Ishimura. All the familiar mechanics are present: gross monsters, stasis abilities, anti-gravity movement, laser weapons, and a haunting space atmosphere.
One of the biggest changes is easily the addition of voice acting for Isaac who was initially a silent protagonist in the original release. Gunner Wright proceeded to voice Isaac for the rest of the sequels in the original trilogy and did a great job at it. I’m happy to report that he will be reprising his role in the remake.
As a massive fan of the original games (yes, even the third), I’m definitely looking forward to this. I was initially worried when I found out that EA was greenlighting a remake without the original developers but this gameplay trailer did its job at telling me that the IP is in good hands.
Dead Space will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Microsoft Windows on January 27, 2023.
To know more, visit the game’s official website.


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In early September, the International Live Events Association launched Experience, an online “content hub” delivering news and trends, commentary, and feature articles by and for the live events community.
Wondering what exactly a content hub is? “Consider Experience the ILEA community’s dynamic epicenter of intelligence—an online resource designed to deliver timely and relevant news, trends, and insight that’s updated all the time and available from anywhere on any device,” said Ande Leslie, ILEA marketing and communications manager.
Content for Experience is managed by an editorial staff with input, and contributions from ILEA members and industry experts. Recent articles cover such subjects as quantifying what creativity is worth to the world economy, or information on trends such as how millennials look to live events to form connections, and more.
Hosted separately from the association’s ileahub.com member site, Experience has its own look and feel, while still aligning with the core message and branding associated with the ILEA website. Previously ILEA offered a digital magazine known as LIVE! “The organization had a great response to the content in this magazine, but content consumption has changed, and the need for something much more visual and dynamic became obvious,” says Leslie.
In addition to content generated by members and experts, the site posts sponsored content and offers advertising opportunities.
Upcoming ILEA Live conferences will take place August 16-18, 2018, in Denver, Colo., and, just announced, August 8-10, 2019, in Minneapolis, Minn. To learn more, visit ilealive.com.


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A joint venture between The & Partnership and WPP’s Group M, M/SIX led the fight for Sainsbury’s because Mindshare, a Group M agency and the incumbent on the estimated £40m Argos account for 14 years, looks after Marks & Spencer.
A Sainsbury’s spokesman declined to comment on whether M/SIX had won the contest but multiple industry sources confirmed the decision.
Campaign learned earlier this week that Sainsbury’s had put its media planning and buying up for review in conditions of high secrecy, following its £1.4bn acquisition of Argos-owner Home Retail Group last year.
A Sainsbury’s spokesman said it was "conducting a closed pitch process" to "realise synergies" and ensure Sainsbury’s and Argos "are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible".
CHI & Partners, M/SIX’s sister creative agency, already handles advertising for Argos.
PHD had held the estimated £60m Sainsbury’s account for 22 years and successfully defended the business in a review that concluded in 2015.
But the supermarket stunned the ad industry last year when it dropped PHD's sister creative shop Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO after 35 years in favour of Wieden & Kennedy.
Industry insiders speculated that Sainsbury’s review may have been driven chiefly by price. The enlarged FTSE 100 company has promised to find £500m in cost savings over three years and has shaken up its marketing.
Sarah Warby, the marketing director of Sainsbury’s, and Stephen Vowles, marketing director of Argos, have both stepped down in the last two months.
Last month, Sainsbury’s announced a "step change" in its advertising. The first work by Wieden & Kennedy shows people dancing in kitchens.


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A full-fledged fashion show, complete with professional models and a runway, nabbed the attention of the scientific community in Toronto over the summer. Attendees at the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing were treated to a fashion display that included garments from top designers, including Halston, Oscar de la Renta and Stephen Burrows. The occasion for a fashion runway at a technical conference was to show off the biodegradable Ingeo fabric, which is spun from polylactide, a biopolymer made from dextrose corn sugar.
The fashion show highlighted the diversity of bio-based products made with industrial biotechnology currently available to customers, including plastics, food ingredients and fuels. Brent Erickson, EVP of the biotechnology industry's Industrial Environmental Section, opened the fashion show saying, "From the streets to the runway, industrial biotechnology is beginning to transform the fashion industry." He went on to note, "We talk a lot about biofuels, but industrial biotechnology is really about much more than that."
Models show off clothing made with biodegradable fabrics at the recent World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing
What should be the perception of a product’s real-world performance with regard to the published spec sheet? While it is easy to assume that the product will operate according to spec, what variables should be considered, and is that a designer obligation or a customer responsibility? Or both?
Biomimicry has already found its way into the development of robots and new materials, with researchers studying animals and nature to come up with new innovations. Now thanks to researchers in Boston, biomimicry could even inform the future of electrical networks for next-generation displays.
Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.


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Pindrop, a global technology company that delivers security, identity and intelligence for every voice, announced that VeriCall Technology, a solution offered by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Next Caller, is now the leading ANI validation and detection platform. ‘spoofing, available on Amazon Marketplace for Amazon Connect, a cloud-based contact center service platform.
This offering will improve call verification and identity theft detection, while enabling businesses to personalize the customer experience, encourage self-service and reduce the need for frustrating and time-consuming authentication methods. , such as knowledge-based questions and one-time access codes.
During the second quarter of 2020, call volumes for some call centers increased by more than 800%, and 57% of fraud detection and prevention decision makers surveyed reported that fraud attacks against the center calls had increased through October 2020, according to Pindrop’s 2021 Voice Intelligence. and safety report.
This has created an increased need for call center technology that can help reduce call times and authenticate calls, while providing customers with a personalized experience, to help businesses of all sizes stay competitive. .
Access to ANI validation technology
We’re thrilled with this announcement as it helps level the playing field for contact centers of all sizes. “
Collin Davis, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Pindrop, said: “We’re excited about this announcement as it helps level the playing field for contact centers of all sizes. For the first time, companies running cloud-based contact centers on Amazon Connect have access to enterprise-grade ANI validation technology rarely available outside of traditional infrastructures.“
Collin Davis adds: “VeriCall technology allows businesses to passively authenticate calls in a way that improves security, while removing experience friction caused by security questions and one-time passcodes. This can translate into shorter processing times and higher self-service rates which lower the cost per call.“
Identity theft and call manipulation detection
VeriCall Technology uses machine learning to analyze the metadata of an incoming call and assign it a risk score in less than 60 milliseconds. The score is then transmitted to the interactive voice response (IVR).
VeriCall Technology also detects identity theft and other forms of call manipulation, to protect against telephone fraud. A lightweight, preconfigured API allows Amazon Connect users to quickly and easily access the capabilities of VeriCall technology through seamless integration into existing call flows with no tuning required.
VeriCall Technology has served corporate clients in the financial services, insurance, healthcare and telecommunications industries, analyzing more than two billion calls to date.


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Samsung this week released its findings on the exploding batteries of the Note 7, but is ready to move on, writes ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK.
It was one of the best smartphones ever made. And it was one of the most disastrous products ever launched.
That is the maddening ambiguity behind the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which saw 3-million units recalled after batteries began malfunctioning. This week Samsung released its findings on what went wrong. Tellingly, however, the revelation was limited to the technical flaws, and did not delve into the strategic story. That, it appears, will remain an internal autopsy.
Koh Dong-jin, President of the Mobile Communications Business division of Samsung Electronics, announced the results of the investigation. He was joined on stage by executives from three independent industry groups that had conducted their own investigations into the malfunctions, namely Exponent, UL and TUV Rheinland. There was to be no cover-up.
They agreed that a design flaw had led to the first batch of phones catching alight: The battery’s external casing was too small for its components, leading to pinching of the top corner of the battery by the pouch that held it. This caused a short-circuit and, inevitably, ignition.
To make matters worse, according to UL, when things did go wrong, the high energy density of the battery design meant they went badly wrong.
The Note 7 could have survived the initial recall, but the batteries provided by a second supplier introduced a new flaw. Not only did it have defects in the welding, or what a Samsung YouTube video described as “an abnormal weld spot” that led to an internal short circuit, but some came without protective tape.
Guess which supplier won’t be invited back in a hurry?
Koh expressed his sincere apology and gratitude to customers, operators and partners, and unveiled new measures Samsung has taken to respond to the incidents.
“Based on what the company learned from the investigation, Samsung has implemented a broad range of internal quality and safety processes to further enhance product safety,” it said in a statement released on Monday. “These include additional protocols, such as multi-layer safety measures and an Eight-Point Battery Safety Check.”
Samsung also announced a Battery Advisory Group made up of external advisers “to ensure it maintains a clear and objective perspective on battery safety and innovation”. Members include a professor of chemistry from the University of Cambridge and professors of materials science and engineering from Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley.
Koh added: “The lessons of the past several months are now deeply reflected in our processes and culture. Samsung Electronics will be working hard to regain consumer trust.”
The announcement came as a relief to local executives, who had to keep the media in a holding pattern, not only to explain the Note 7, but also to build anticipation for the forthcoming Galaxy S8.
“We are pleased that the reasons for the Galaxy Note7 incident have finally been clarified,” said Craige Fleischer, director of Integrated Mobility at Samsung South Africa. “Samsung is a company that learns from our experiences and we are committed to incorporate the learnings to evolve. Samsung’s heritage and commitment to innovation will continue.
And that brings us back – or rather, forward – to the phone that Samung hopes will make all the monsters of poor public relations go away. The Galaxy S8 was due to be released at about the same time as Mobile World Congress opens in Barcelona at the end of February. Traditionally, that has been both the time and venue for the new Samsung flagship phone for the past few years. This time, Samsung will give the MWC launch a miss.
This is also a tacit admission that Samsung had been moving too fast.
The Note 7 would have been regarded as a technological marvel had everything held together. Waterproof devices despite earphone and charger sockets, iris recognition technology that heralded the next generation of biometric identification, and the fastest-charging battery on a flagship phone, put Samsung on a different planet from its rival-in-chief, Apple.
The latter would later struggle to convince the market that the new iPhone 7 was a signifcant step forward from the previous version. But when the Note 7 phone and image blew up, the wannabe Samsung converts flocked back to Apple.
Fortunately for Samsung, the S7 edge launched in Bacelona last February remained one of the most desirable phones in the world. It had been launched six months before the iPhone 7, but was probably still six months ahead of it in terms of innovation. Its camera remained in a different league, while its curved edge design made it one of the few standout handsets on the market from an aesthetic point of view.
Samsung was this week expected to report record profits for the fourth quarter of 2016, which would cement its reputation as a broad-based company that could innovate profitably acrosss all consumer electronics categories. It supplies many of the microchips and display screens not only for its own appliances and handsets, but also for those of some of its competitors.
This makes it all the more puzzling that Samsung pushed the technology edge of the Note 7 so hard. It suggests that it may have expected Apple to take the iPhone 7’s innovation much further than it did. It also suggests that Samsung may backpedal a little in attempting to cram too much of the future into its next handset.
It says it deployed 700 researchers, working with 200 000 devices and 30 000 batteries, to uncover the flaws in the Note 7. Their job done, that army of professional fault-finders must be swarming all over any new devices being brewed in the lab.
Chances are, the next devices from Samsung will combine serious innovation with serious safety.
Low-cost wireless sport earphones get a kickstart
Wireless earphone brands are common, but not crowdfunded brands. BRYAN TURNER takes the K Sport Wireless for a run.
As wireless technology becomes better, Bluetooth earphones have become popular in the consumer market. KuaiFit aspires to make them even more accessible to more people through a cheaper, quality product, by selling the K Sport Wireless Earphones directly from its Kickstarter page
KuaiFit has an app by the same name which offers voice-guided personal training services in almost every type of exercise, from cardio to weight-lifting. A vast range of connectivity to third-party sensors is available, like heart rate sensors and GPS devices, which work well with guided coaching.
The app starts off with selecting a fitness level: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Thereafter, one has the ability to connect with real personal trainers via a subscription to its paid service. The subscription comes free for 6 months with the earphones, and R30 per month thereafter.
The box includes a manual, a USB to two USB Type B connectors, different sized soft plastic eartips and the two earphone units. Each earphone is wireless and connects to the other independently of wires. This puts the K Sport Wireless in the realm of the Apple Earpods in terms of connection style.
The earphones are just over 2cm wide and 2cm high. The set is black with a light blue KuaiFit logo on the earphone’s button.
The button functions as an on/off switch when long-pressed and a play/pause button when quick-pressed. The dual-button set-up is convenient in everyday use, allowing for playback control depending on which hand is free. Two connectivity modes are available, single earphone mode or dual earphone mode. The dual earphone mode intelligently connects the second earphone and syncs stereo audio a few seconds after powering on.
In terms of connectivity, the earphones are Bluetooth 4.1 with a massive 10-meter range, provided there are no obstacles between the device and the earphones. While it’s not Bluetooth 5, it still falls into the Bluetooth Low Energy connection category, meaning that the smartphone’s battery won’t be drastically affected by a consistent connection to the earphones. The batteries within the earphones aren’t specifically listed but last anywhere between 3 and 6 hours, depending on the mode.
Audio quality is surprisingly good for earphones at this price point. The headset style is restricted to in-ear due to its small design and probable usage in movement-intensive activities. As a result, one has to be very careful how one puts these earphones, in because bass has the potential of getting reduced from an incorrect in-ear placement. In-ear earphones are usually notorious for ear discomfort and suction pain after extended usage. These earphones are one of the very few in this price range that are comfortable and don’t cause discomfort. The good quality of the soft plastic ear tip is definitely a factor in the high level of comfort of the in-ear earphone experience.
Overall, the K Sport Wireless earphones are great considering the sound quality and the low price: US$30 on Kickstarter.
Find them on Kickstarter here.
Taxify enters Google Maps
A recent update to Taxify now uses Google Maps which allows users to identify their drivers, find public transport and search for billing options.
People planning their travel routes using Google Maps will now see a Taxify icon in the app, in addition to the familiar car, public transport, walking and billing options.
Taxify started operating in South Africa in 2016 and as of October 2018 operates in seven South African cities – Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Polokwane.
Once riders have searched for their destination and asked the app for directions, Google Maps shares the proximity of cars on the Taxify platform, as well as an estimated fare for the trip.
If users see that taking the Taxify option is their best bet, they can simply tap on the ‘Open app’ icon, to complete the process of booking the ride. Customers without the app on their device will be prompted to install Taxify first.
This integration makes it possible for users to evaluate which of the private, public or e-hailing modes of transport are most time-efficient and cost-effective.
“This integration with Google Maps makes it so much easier for users to choose the best way to move around their city,” says Gareth Taylor, Taxify’s country manager for South Africa. “They’ll have quick comparisons between estimated arrival times for the different modes of transport, as well as fares they can expect to pay, which will help save both time and money,” he added.
Taxify rides in Google Maps are rolling out globally today and will be available in more than 15 countries, with South Africa being one of the first countries to benefit from this convenient service.


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August 24, 2016
Card Networks Propose Global Tokenization Standard
March 13, 2014
Last fall, three of the four major American card networks made news when they proposed a partnership to formulate a tokenization standard to protect consumer payment information during digital transactions. Many processors have substituted “tokens” for actual consumer card account numbers during transactions for some time so that fewer parties have to store payment account details. But, the networks said, a standard for the technology would enable interoperability.
On Tuesday, EMVco, the company formed by six major global card networks (the big three above plus Discover, JCB and UnionPay) to standardize EMV technology around the world released proposed technical specifications for a tokenization standard. EMVco said the new specification will provide a “consistent, secure and globally interoperable environment to make digital payments when using a mobile handset, tablet, personal computer or other smart device.” A standard, they said, will make protecting digital transactions more efficient.
There are a variety of tokenization systems in existence already,” noted Christina Hulka, chair of EMVCo’s board of managers. “Within EMVCo’s role to facilitate global interoperability and acceptance of secure payment transactions, our specification work will aim to provide a globally aligned technical framework for payment tokens.”


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AVG has sent along some tips to protecting small and medium sized businesses from online threats as well as offering up some simple guidelines on developing an IT security policy.
While big corporate have all the IT security and usage policies they could ever need, AVG reckons that the smaller businesses among us have no policies in place.
Lloyd Borrett, Security Evangelist at AVG, said, “Do all users have guidelines for distribution of inappropriate content? Do all users know when their Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Firewall settings need to be updated? Do all users know what the company policy is regarding the use of personal devices from PDAs and smartphones to USB sticks and media players on company premises with company equipment?”
If your answer’s no, then take a look at these steps to protecting yourself:
How serious does your company take IT security?


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Federal medical authorities have linked some cases of listeriosis in California and 10 other states to prepackaged caramel-coated apples distributed by a processing plant in Bakersfield.
The company has initiated a voluntary recall of all Bidart Bros. Granny Smith and Gala apples still available in the marketplace.
"The results are devastating to the Bidart family," Leonard Bidart, president of Bidart Bros., said in a prepared statement. "As a family-owned grower operating in California since the 1930s, we place safety at the forefront of everything we do."
Listeria involving caramel apples has been implicated in three deaths and more than two dozen hospitalizations.
Among the deaths is an 81-year-old California woman who bought caramel apples from a Safeway store in Felton, according to a lawsuit filed by her family. Shirlee Jean Frey died Dec. 2, the same day Bidart Bros. stopped shipping caramel apples.


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Smooth communication with freight forwarders and parcel services is now possible with ASSIST4 Carrier Integration, the latest solution by AEB, one of Europe’s leading providers of global trade and supply chain management solutions.
Tachosys have been at the forefront in developing high quality and efficient Digital Tachograph download peripherals since their introduction in 2006. In recent years digiDL has led the field in terms of Remote Download options proving to be the most reliable and flexible solution with over 10,000 units installed already. Reflecting this digiDL is now supported by all of the key UK and European online Tachograph analysis bureaux and is standard equipment for Stoneridge Tachograph.
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) and Multimodal are teaming up to launch new awards categories and more seminars at next year’s show – Multimodal 2016 takes place on 10th-12th May at the NEC Birmingham.
Purchasing transport services is a critical factor when it comes to saving costs, increasing supply chain efficiency, and delivering better service.
A new energy and drive that focuses on delivering unprecedented levels of service and value for members and the road transport industry, underpins the new Road Haulage Association (RHA) on Stand 5G40 at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show (CV Show).


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Burger King is joining a number of other fast food chains in launching meat-free options – a move food awareness non-governmental organisation ProVeg says is eerily similar to their existing products.
“Burger King’s new products are so similar to their existing products that consumers who try them won’t even know the difference, even though they’re healthier and more sustainable and at a great price,” said ProVeg South Africa director Donovan Will.
The lack of taste sacrifice is a definitive motivating factor in getting meat eaters to try food always thought to be reserved for vegetarians and vegans.
South Africa is quite slow on the uptake when it comes to plant-based and vegan diets, compared to the rest of the world.
This is because of a lack of quality offerings in the fast-food space, and the absence of an internationally recognised vegan accreditation for local companies.
The introduction of Europe’s largest vegan accreditation programme, V-Label, hopes to change that.
“The V-Label symbol is going to increase awareness of veganism, and make it easier for consumers to identify vegan options and trust that they are truly vegan,” Will said.
Burger King follows in the footsteps of Steers, McDonalds, Nando’s and Wimpy, who all have vegetarian options.
Those who have not taken up the juicy offer in South Africa yet, despite them having vegan and vegetarian options internationally, are KFC and Pizza Hut.
What are Burger King’s vegan options?
Burger King will now have a plant-based Whopper burger, a Vegan Royale and Vegan Nuggets.
CEO of Burger King South Africa, Juan Klopper, says the fast-food chain aims to become a global leader in plant-based alternatives in the quick-serving restaurant space.
“Our aim is to offer vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based alternatives that do not compromise on flavour or price. Why should it? By working with The Vegetarian Butcher and V-Label, we know we can create the industry’s leading vegan and vegetarian recipes,” Klopper enthused.
V-Label said it hoped working with Burger King would inspire South African consumers to embrace the world of vegan and vegetarian options.
After all, it is easier on the gut, and better for the planet.


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Apple’s HomePod is off to a slow and disappointing start, which surprises no one
After a multi-month delay, Apple's HomePod finally hit store shelves in early February to generally rave reviews. It's worth noting that Apple, in the weeks and months preceding the HomePod release, made a point of noting that its main objective with the device was to release a smart speaker with unrivaled acoustic performance.
"We think one thing that was missing from this market was a quality audio experience, a very immersive audio experience," Apple CEO Tim Cook said earlier this year. "Music deserves that kind of quality as opposed to some kind of squeaky sound."
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- New study has a theory for why we haven’t found aliens yet, and it makes a whole lot of sense
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Apple’s HomePod is off to a slow and disappointing start, which surprises no one originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 12 Apr 2018 at 06:50:44 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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As the holidays near, investors face a crucial question: Do they believe last week's bad earnings news from retailers, or are they banking on the generally solid economic data that normally points to a stronger season and might have shown up in some stronger retail earnings reports on Tuesday morning?
That question has raced through Wall Street since last week, as retailers such as Nordstrom and Macy's missed third-quarter profit forecasts and, more importantly, trimmed guidance for the holiday season when retailers can make the lion's share of their annual profit. The fears abated slightly when Wal-Mart Stores announced third-quarter results on Tuesday morning that modestly missed forecasts, though the forecasts had been revised lower when the world's largest retailer cut its own forecast last month.
Investors have been hating on many retail stocks — the S&P retail sector was down close to 9 percent last week — but Wal-Mart, Home Depot and TJX Companies were all rising on Tuesday morning on upbeat results.
If low prices and the dollar are primary culprits in holding down reported numbers from retailers, does Tuesday's trading action suggest the beaten-up retail sector could be the biggest early discount of the holiday season?


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by Internet Retailing Australia
Original article: Alibaba breaks Singles Day sales record from Internet Retailing, November 2017
Chinese consumers spent more than $33 billion (RMB 168.2 billion) on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms during its 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, breaking last year’s record of $23.3 billion (RMB 120.7 billion).
More than 140,000 merchants and brands participated in the Singles Day sales event, China’s much larger answer to Black Friday in the US, including major Australian retailers, such as Chemist Warehouse.
Australian sellers ranked third in terms of the combined GMV they generated during the event, behind Japan and the US, while the top imported brand was Swisse.
Azoya, a company that helps retailers and brands sell to Chinese consumers, said its top-selling Australian customer experienced a 300 per cent increase in average daily sales during the event, compared to the preceding days. This is in line with last year.
“This year the competition was far more fierce for Australian retailers than it was in 2016. Major marketplaces such as JD.com, Amazon.cn, VIP, Tmall, Suning, etc, stored hot selling products from Australia (Swisse, Blackmores, A2, Bellamy, Aptamil), in advance in free trade zones or near-shore warehouses before the holiday sales, with prices very competitive and low,” said a statement from Azoya.
“This made it much more difficult for Australian retailers to fight against, especially given the double eleven shoppers are extremely price sensitive.”
Azoya also said that the main competition on Singles Day revolves around Chinese brands and retailers, rather than overseas products.
At its peak, Alibaba Cloud processed 325,000 orders per second, and its logistics arm, Cainiao Network processed 812 million total delivery orders. The first delivery arrived 12 minutes and 18 seconds after the event kicked off at midnight on 11 November.
Key highlights from the 2017 11.11 Global Shopping Festival
Total GMV settled through Alipay was RMB168.2 billion (US$25.3 billion), an increase of 39 per cent compared to 2016
Total mobile GMV settled through Alipay was approximately 90 per cent of total GMV, compared to 82 per cent last year
Alipay processed 1.48 billion total payment transactions, up 41 per cent from 2016, and processed 256,000 transactions per second at peak
Globalisation: Power of the Chinese consumer
60,000 international brands and merchants available to Chinese consumers
225 countries and regions with completed transactions
167 merchants each generated more than RMB100 million (US$15.1 million) in sales, 17 merchants surpassed RMB500 million (US$75.4 million) in sales, and 6 merchants surpassed RMB1 billion (US$150.9 million) in sales
Top countries selling to China include: Japan, United States, Australia, Germany, South Korea


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McDonald’s will soon be offering yet another twist on their signature McFlurry with the debut of the new Peanut Butter Crunch McFlurry starting next month.
The new and much-anticipated frozen dessert will land on McDonald’s menus nationwide on August 9, 2023, according to the brand’s USA Menu Spotter.
The Peanut Butter Crunch McFlurry takes the chain’s creamy vanilla soft serve and blends it with crispy cereal mix and chocolatey peanut butter cookie pieces.
Pricing hasn’t been revealed yet, but you can expect to snag an 8-oz snack size McFlurry for about $3.29 and a regular 12-oz McFlurry for about $4.69 (may vary).
You can find the new Peanut Butter Crunch McFlurry at participating McDonald’s locations nationwide for a limited time, while supplies last starting August 9, 2023.


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Most of the Asian markets rose in the week as investor sentiment was lifted after the euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund reached a deal on financing the next tranche of the bailout package to Greece.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.5 percent and closed at 22030.39. China's Shanghai Composite Index dropped 2 percent and closed at 1980.12.
At its meeting in Brussels Monday, the Eurogroup agreed on a debt reduction of 40 billion euros for Greece. Accordingly, the country will receive 44 billion euros ($57 billion) commencing Dec 13.
On the economic front, report on the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) came in better than expected. According to the report released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Thursday, the second estimate of the third quarter GDP showed that the economy expanded 2.7 percent in that period, an upward revision from the 2.0 percent gain the department initially reported last month.
Investor sentiment was also supported by optimism on avoiding the fiscal cliff. Market players expected that President Barack Obama and the congressional leaders were making advances towards reaching an agreement to avert the fiscal cliff.
Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 0.9 percent and closed at 9446.01. South Korea's Kospi Index rose 1.1 percent and closed at 1932.90.
Japan’s industrial output rose in October over the previous month, which could give the much needed support to the faltering economy.
According to the data released Friday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan’s industrial production, which measures the total inflation-adjusted value of output from manufacturers, mines, and utilities, rose 1.8 percent in October compared to that in September while it declined 4.1 percent in September. Analysts had expected a decrease of 2.2 percent.
However, Japan’s manufacturing activity contracted to a 19-month low in November, increasing the concerns about a slowdown.
According to the data released by Markit/JMMA Friday, the headline Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 46.5 in November, down from 46.9 in October. Any number below 50 indicates an economic contraction. The continued shrinking of the manufacturing activity would increase the likelihood of a sharp contraction in the economy.
Japan reported earlier this week that retail sales fell in October compared to those in the same month last year. The data released Thursday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed that Japan’s retail sales, which measure the total value of inflation-adjusted sales at the retail level, fell 1.2 percent in October from those in the same month a year earlier, down from a 0.4 percent rise in September.
India's BSE Sensex was up 4.5 percent and closed at 19339.90.
The Sensex climbed as investor confidence was lifted following the reaffirmation by Moody’s that India’s rating outlook was stable.
Market sentiment was also lifted as Goldman Sachs upgraded the Indian stocks to an "overweight" rating from a "market weight" rating citing a recovery in growth, a decline in inflation and the potential for continued policy reforms.
Meanwhile, according to the data released Friday by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, India’s GDP rose 5.3 percent in the quarter ending September compared to that in the same period the earlier year, down from 5.5 percent in the previous quarter. The fall in economic growth raised investors’ hope that the Reserve Bank of India would announce a monetary easing policy soon.
Major gainers: Shares of Nippon Sheet Glass advanced 7 percent. Shares of Hitachi rose 5.1 percent and those of Li & Fung Ltd gained 2.9 percent.


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"When I first saw this amazing piece of equipment," Noble explains, "I knew it was revolutionary! Today's savviest consumers are deciding to invest in their health while they're still healthy to find the smartest ways to stay at the top of their game. This is the kind of effective, cutting-edge piece of equipment that clients expect top-of-the-line trainers to bring to them."
D1's founder, Bob Hallam, who built his 30-year-old company around a theme of innovation and "wellness in your backyard," says the AFS goes beyond a typical swimspa. "This is the first time a spa company has brought together the best-of-the-best to create not only a safe, energy-efficient piece of equipment for underwater workouts, but also the applied science of the world's best minds in water fitness.
"We know our customers," he adds. "Baby boomers are the most health & lifestyle conscious group of people in history. They spend more on working out, plastic surgery, healthcare and vacations than any other generation. And now with options like the AFS and our new workout program, they can achieve wellness efficiently in a personal, underwater home fitness center that's safe and effective!"
About D1 Spas: With high tech and design innovations reminiscent of
each year's developments in the automobile industry, this award-winning,
California-based hot tub company holds over 30 patents, more than any other
hot tub manufacturer. The family-owned, $60 milli
|SOURCE D1 Spas|
Copyright©2008 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved


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The Big Apple poised to take on Silicon Valley
The Big Apple may be poised to beat out longtime technology hotbed Silicon Valley as the epicentre of technology enterprise, according to a recent report from CB Insights.
Deal activity was strong, with 81 of New York's tech companies receiving venture funding in the first quarter of 2012, up from 73 the previous quarter and 72 a year earlier, according to the report .
And that prompted a piece in Forbes to proclaim that New York "could develop into a fertile greenhouse for tech startups equal to anything on the left coast."
Firms in the Empire State are aided and abetted by the fact that there simply aren't as many tech firms as in Silicon Valley, and that means fewer firms fighting over the money pot, according to Avi Muchnick, chief executive officer of Manhattan-based Aviary, an embedded photo editing tool startup, as quoted in the Forbes piece. Mr. Munchnick expects that the startup scene will continue to blossom in New York in the coming years.
"New York will probably be the number two, if not number one technology hub over the next 30 years," he told Forbes.
However, there continue to be difficulties in setting up a new epicentre for the technology industry, according to Mr. Muchnick and other entrepreneurs, quoted in Forbes. The expensive cost of living and prices of commercial real estate create a high price of admission, and with the current brain trust in Silicon Valley being across the continent, there is a dearth of mentors on hand.
"It seems necessary for a tech startup founder to make the extra effort to go out and get to know the right people in the tech community in order to find a mentor or support network," Mike Liu, founder of LibraryMixer, a New York-based file sharing service, told Forbes. "Hopefully when there are more successful startups from NYC, this aspect would become easier."
For another look at hot startup activity in New Yok, Time Inc. recently unveiled its second annual list of the 10 most promising tech startups in the Big Apple to watch this year.
Google Ventures invests in CustomMade
Artisinal U.S. custom goods site CustomMade can now count Google Ventures among its investors, as the refocused site raised a further $4-million to bolster its coffers to $8-million, reports TechCrunch. The site, which was founded in 1996. has seen a resurgence since 2009, when co-founder Mike Salguero and Seth Rosen pushed for more high-quality craftspeople to join the platform.
In contrast to Etsy, where premade goods are sold, CustomMade focuses on connecting craftspeople with customers who want bespoke items, allowing them to order exactly what they're looking for. The site currently counts more than 3,000 craftspeople among its numbers; more than half a milion dollars worth of project requests flow through the site every week, and transaction volume is growing at about 50 per cent a month, TechCrunch reported.
The new funding has been earmarked for expanding the site's technology infrastrusture, according to CustomMade.
Small business optimism hits four-year high
Small business owners are more optimistic than they've been since 2008, a new Wells Fargo/Gallup poll shows, mirroring the overall economic confidence numbers that Gallup collects.
Small business owners predicted their operating conditions over the next 12 months were more promising than at any other time in the past four years. They cited expected modest improvements inr revenues, cash flow and credit availability. This is the second consecutive quarter that small business owners have grown more optimistic, according to the poll, possibly indicating a sustained rise in optimism about the state of small business affairs.
The polls, which have been collected since 2003, are designed to survey small business owners on their current and projected perceptions of their financial situation. This year's survey was based on telephone interviews with 603 small business owners, conducted from April 2 to April 6, with a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
EVENTS AND KEY DATES
PACE Yourself E-Marketing Workshop
This one-day intensive workshop aims to help small-business owners improve their business-to-business networking skills and funnel higher volumes of sales leads based on online marketing. It kicks off Thursday in Burnaby, B.C., and promises to offer resources relating to inbound marketing sysems and real-time tracking and business analytics. To register or find out more about the event, visit the event listing.
Toronto Talks presents Jumpstart Your Sales
In the latest in this series of workshops featuring industry experts, Toronto Talks will be joined by internation business speaker and trainer Eric Lofholm on May 8. Mr. Lofholm will be speaking about a number of business topics, including networking and ways to generate and convert leads. Tickets are $35 in advance, and $45 at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Toronto Talks website.
EDITOR'S PICKS FROM REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS
How to keep staff absences from being unexpected
Unexpected employee absences can leave small business owners in a bind, but there are ways to minimize the number of times your employees leave you high and dry, writes columnist Chris Griffiths.
FROM THE ROSB ARCHIVES
Burgers go from Burnaby to Bangkok
When B.C.-based White Spot Restaurants began its expansion into Asia, plenty of eyebrows were raised. The chain had built a strong regional base in Western Canada, but began to notice a trend towards mushroom burgers, driven by the Asian ex-pat community. White Spot president Warren Erhart took to the Globe and Mail website to answer readers questions about the expansion in this Oct. 29, 2009, story.
Got a tip on news, events or other timely information related to the small-business community? E-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.org
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US drinks maker Coca-Cola Co said it would invest $1.2 billion in Russia over the next 3 to 5 years as it bets sales of the carbonated drink will increase during the economic crisis.
“The company can afford to have aggressive positions in Russia,” Coca-Cola’s Russia, Ukraine and Belarussian head Zoran Vucinic told a news conference on Wednesday. “The market of non-alcoholic beverages is growing during (the) crisis and we want to continue investing in the Russian market.”
“The crisis will allow us to increase the range of products and sell coca-cola, energy drinks and (Russian beverage) kvas to a network comprising small kiosks and hypermarkets,” he said.
Russian vodka producers have said they believe they are poised for the biggest gains from the crisis as many Russians will switch back to cheap vodka after a few years of relative prosperity when they showed taste for wine and beer.
Coca-Cola has bigger international exposure than its rival PepsiCo Inc. Both have a large presence in Russia although PepsiCo has a stronger position in the juice segment through the country’s biggest juice producer Lebedyansky.
Juice is more expensive than carbonated drinks, and any advance on carbonated beverages could weaken the position of PepsiCo, which owns Russia’s biggest juice producer, in the soft drinks market.
Global demand for beverages and bottled water has suffered in the past months as consumers cut back in a contracting economy and retailers close shops. Many global retailers are now seeking ways to cope with problems in mature markets and are expanding to Eastern European countries.
Some cheap restaurant chains have shown strong resilience during the crisis, such as McDonald’s Corp which posted better-than-expected results as diners sought out lower-priced fare. (Reuters)


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Update (April 25, 2019):
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cleared Wing Aviation, an offshoot of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, to start delivering goods by drones in Virginia later this year. Marking the first time the FAA has given a company US air carrier certification.
“This is an important step forward for the safe testing and integration of drones into our economy. Safety continues to be our No. 1 priority as this technology continues to develop and realize its full potential,” said US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in a press release.
The certification means Wing can begin delivering goods commercially in flights beyond the visual line of sight and over people, the FAA said in an announcement Tuesday.
Wing has recently begun commercial air delivery service in Australia, which the FAA says has demonstrated that its operations met the agency’s safety requirements.
With Wing planning to begin commercial package delivery in Blacksburg, Virginia later this year, it seems the sky is the limit for other companies hoping to do the same.
Originally published on March 12, 2018:
The concept of drones flying to customer houses to deliver e-commerce goods may seem like a sci-fi fantasy but drone delivery might become a common occurrence in the UK by 2019, and in the US in the near future. On Monday, the UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the country’s leading air traffic services provider, and traffic management solutions company Altitude Angel, announced their partnership in creating a foundation for drone delivery systems to be successfully integrated in the UK.
“It is vital that the UK puts in place the right infrastructure to enable this country to be at the forefront of this exciting industry whilst protecting the safety of conventional aviation. The increasing popularity of commercial drone operations and the growing number of drone-related incidents makes it essential that we take steps now to help make this happen and this new partnership will get the UK’s unmanned traffic industry off to a safe, flying start. We are excited to be partnering with Altitude Angel in this innovative venture” said David Harrison, NATS Director of Safety in a press release.
The concept of drone delivery became popular in the e-commerce industry after Amazon dazzled the world with their first successful Amazon Prime Air delivery – the company’s new drone delivery service –to a customer in the UK in 2016. In December of that year, the company used one of their autonomous drones to deliver an Amazon Fire TV and a bag of popcorn to a customer in Cambridge and according to the company, the drone delivery took just 13 minutes from the time the customer clicked the “order” button.
This delivery system was not able to go mainstream because the drones fly outside of a human’s line of sight which is illegal in the UK. There was also an increase of drone related air traffic incidents which had manned aircraft professionals concerned about the safety aspect of drone delivery. The new partnership between NATS and Altitude Angel will lay a foundation for a future in which lower level airspace access can be granted to drone users digitally. This, in turn, would fully integrate drone delivery systems with existing manned aircrafts.
“Altitude Angel’s platform offers the level of safety and accuracy needed to enable regulators and ANSPs to feel confident that drone operations can be integrated safely, not just into our skies, but into existing aviation systems,” said Richard Parker, Founder and CEO of Altitude Angel.
The two partners believe that drone delivery systems could be put in place in the UK by as early as 2019.
However, this new delivery format will not just be exclusive to the UK for long. Google parent company Alphabet has been investing in their own drone delivery platform called Project Wing along with a traffic management system that could satisfy the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – the US airspace regulator. Currently, Project Wing’s drones are being tested within a pilot’s line of sight.
“We’re continuing to work hard to make UAS delivery a reality, transporting goods through the sky in a way that’s inexpensive, fast, and environmentally sensitive,” wrote James Ryan Burgess, Co-Lead of Project Wing in a company post.
Amazon is also working on implementing their Prime Air service in the US. In February of last year, the US Patent and Trademark Office granted a patent to Amazon for their new drone delivery method involving the use of parachutes in landing their packages. The patent will allow Amazon to keep their delivery drones high above consumer homes which would save time and energy compared to landing drones on the ground. In addition, keeping the drones in the sky will prevent dangerous collisions between the machine and people, children, pets or objects in a customer’s yard.
In order to prevent a package from blowing into a tree, power line or balcony, Amazon will be using a series of magnets, parachutes or spring coils to target their deliveries while in mid-flight. The drone will also monitor the descending package as soon as it is released to ensure proper landing. Depending on the environmental conditions, the drones will use radio communication to deploy a parachute, compressed air canister or landing flap to direct an off-course package.
However, similar to the UK, drone delivery’s biggest hurdle in the US is that automated flying machines without human supervision are illegal. This makes it unclear as to when this innovative delivery system will become a mainstream occurrence in the West.


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By 2025, the government will require an average fuel economy of 54.5 m.p.g. for cars and trucks sold in the U.S. To meet that requirement, automakers must focus on more efficient, technologically sophisticated cars that cost more upfront to build — and whose costs are ultimately passed along to consumers. How much more will these cars cost? And how many Americans will be priced out of owning a car as a result?
These subjects are up for debate, and there’s no shortage of projections.
Last summer, when officials were discussing the possibility of raising fuel-economy standards as high as 62 m.p.g., studies were released (by automaker interests) projecting that the price of a new car would cost nearly $10,000 more by 2025, after adjusting for inflation. Recently, USA Today, the Detroit News and others have cited data released by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), but they’re reporting a wide range of forecasts as to how much new-car prices are expected to increase.
USA Today — and the New York Post and other outlets — give NADA data stating that car prices will be boosted by $2,937 in order to meet 2025 mileage requirements, and that the cheapest new car would cost about $15,700. (The Nissan Versa sedan, which gets 36 m.p.g. on the highway with a manual transmission, holds the current title of Cheapest Car Sold in the U.S., with a starting price of $10,990.) Such a price increase would make a new car unaffordable for 4.2 million low-income Americans — college students, working families — who would no longer qualify for financing.
The NADA-commissioned study offers a range of price increases, though. In a worst-case scenario, new-car prices could be hiked by as much as $12,349, which would result in 14.9 million households not being able to afford a car.
The Detroit News story, meanwhile, focuses on the numbers indicating that upcoming mileage requirements will increase car prices by about $1,000 by 2016, then another $2,000 by 2025, and that as many as 7 million Americans would be priced out of car ownership. Also noted here: the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — the two entities that are deciding on m.p.g. rules — state that the new requirements will ultimately save drivers money:
“With these standards, passenger cars and trucks are expected to save consumers an average of up to $6,600 in fuel costs over the lifetime of a model year 2025 vehicle for a net lifetime savings of $4,400 after factoring in related increases in vehicle cost. This progress was made with the help of the auto industry, labor, the environmental community, and consumer groups, and it will benefit our nation’s health, environment and the economy for years to come.”
But the fuel-cost savings would be realized only by drivers who could afford the new cars and their higher prices. Many consumers will be scared off by the high upfront costs, rather than seeing the benefit of the lower cost of ownership in the long term. Those priced out of the new-car market would do what they’ve always done and look to used cars. As a result of increased demand for “previously loved” cars, the NADA study says, used-car prices would soar.
How much more expensive would used cars become? And how many households would be unable to afford even a used car as a result of the price increases? There are ways to come up with estimates, but the truth is that no one really knows.
Among the moving pieces that’ll affect the future prices of new and used cars are the global prices and demand for gasoline, taxes on gasoline and other power sources, technological innovation in the automotive and other industries, and advances in lithium batteries and recharging stations that could make electric cars more feasible for the mainstream. What’ll happen on these and other fronts? We could guess, but that’s all it would be: guesswork.


text: NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: US Wood & Competitive Decking Market http://www.reportlinker.com/p0117972/US-Wood--Competitive-Decking-Market.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Wood US demand to rise 2.4% annually through 2016 US demand for decking is forecast to rise 2.4 percent per year to 3.3 billion lineal feet in 2016, valued at $5.7 billion. This is a rebound from the declines registered between 2006 and 2011, when housing completions plummeted and residential improvement and repair expenditures contracted from their elevated 2006 base. Through 2016, decking demand will be driven by an expected advance in housing completions and continuing consumer interest in decks as a way to increase outdoor space for leisure activities and family gatherings. Wood-plastic composite, plastic lumber to exhibit double-digit advances Wood-plastic composite and plastic lumber decking materials are expected to experience double-digit annual gains in demand through 2016. Plastic decking will experience the most rapid growth. Consumers will opt for the material because of its durability and minimal maintenance requirements. Moreover, increasing availability of cellular PVC decking that more closely resembles natural wood will promote advances among residential consumers. Composite decking demand will be supported by its favorable performance properties and reputation as an environmentally friendly product that utilizes recycled materials. Because wood scraps are a key component, composite decking looks more like wood decking than many plastic lumber varieties, a feature that will aid in demand. Wood decking will continue to account for the majority of decking demand in volume and value terms. However, demand for wood decking is forecast to rise less than one percent annually to 2.7 billion lineal feet in 2016. Gains will be checked by competition from composite and plastic decking, which promise lower maintenance. Among wood decking materials, tropical hardwoods will exhibit the fastest growth, as consumers prefer these materials because of their favorable aesthetic and performance characteristics.


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New research has shown many Britons are unwilling to budget that bit better to save more cash in their Isas.
When it comes to managing money, earning, spending and borrowing are three major areas of concern for consumers and rightly so. After all, how much people are paid, how much things cost and both the availability and expense of credit are everyday financial concerns.
But it can be very easy to consider these issues to the exclusion of saving. For some people, being hard-up means it is difficult to put any money away and the unemployed and those on low pay are among the people in such a situation, alongside individuals and households struggling with debt.
For others, however there is potential to save quite well, but often consumers will not do so.
After all, putting money away for the future means not spending it now and new research has suggested many consumers are unwilling to make that choice.
Price comparison site uSwitch.com has found Britons are collectively missing out on £182 billion of tax free savings by not using their full Isa allowance, with only 50 per cent prepared to pay into a cash Isa and a quarter unwilling to make any sacrifices to save.
Only 16 per cent would give up their holiday to save more, while 22 per cent would cut down on some little luxuries.
And 26 per cent of people planning to withdraw money from an Isa in April will use the money to pay off debt.
However, there are plenty who identify using the full cash Isa allowance as a priority, with 42 per cent of those polled saying this is important.
For those who want to manage their finances to help build up their savings, a budget planner may be ideal. It can help people identify things they can cut back on to ensure there is more money to be set aside for saving.
Also, careful budgeting could enable people to avoid building up debt, meaning they will be less likely to feel compelled to withdraw cash from their savings to pay it off.
Earlier this month, a poll by HSBC found 29 per cent of consumers are saving nothing at all. But with better budgeting, many will find that they have more scope to set cash aside than they thought.


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Bandai Namco shared a new trailer for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 this week, just in time for E3. You can get a good feel for how battles play out in the video, which has Future Gohan duking it out with Turles. Check it out after the jump.
Bandai Namco recently counted down to a new Dragon Ball game announcement, and now that it's over, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 has officially been revealed. The sequel is currently in the works at Osaka-based developer DIMPS, with a 2016 launch planned for Japan, the Americas, and Europe. More after the jump.
A third DLC pack for Dragon Ball Xenoverse is scheduled for release this April, and one of the major additions is Gold Frieza from the upcoming Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection of F movie. Hit the jump for more.
It seems like Dragon Ball XenoVerse might really have it all: new villains, time travel, and an original story that gives you a whole new look at DBZ's timeless tale. But even with all that, is the formula still staying strong, or changing at all? Hit the jump to find out all about what this new title has to offer!


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NZ garden chain was 'cornerstone' of marijuana industry
To most keen gardeners, a trip to the local garden centre means little more than the purchase of some bedding plants, a bag of potting mix and perhaps some gardening tips.
But when undercover police called in at Switched on Gardener, a New Zealand chain of garden supply shops, the advice they were given had nothing to do with rose blight. Instead, they were allegedly given tips on how to cultivate cannabis, and were able to buy cannabis plants and other drugs over the counter.
The 16-store chain, described by police as forming part of the backbone of the country's $800 million cannabis industry, has now been closed down after one of the country's biggest ever anti-drugs crackdowns.
During a two-year operation police also raided


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One of Scotland’s leading salmon producers has reported record earnings for the first quarter of 2017 despite industry-wide “biological challenges”.
The Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) said yesterday it expected to benefit from continued strong global demand throughout this year and into 2018.
It also revealed it aims to be harvesting an extra 2,000tonnes of fish from a site in Portree by late 2019.
SSC, which employs about 500 people across operations in the Hebrides and its head office in Edinburgh, announced a huge jump in first quarter earnings before interest and taxes (ebit) to £9.5million, from £2million a year ago.
On a measure of ebit per pound fish weight, earnings reached a new high for the company as operating revenue surged by £6million to £35.1million, driven by factors including “further development of the export market” and “consistently higher” market prices.
Exports accounted for 47% of the total first quarter sales value, up from 43% in Q1 2016.
SSC said it continued to target overseas markets, with sales of its Label Rouge salmon and Native Hebridean salmon a key driver of export growth.
The company recently secured the necessary consent for increasing harvesting capacity at a site at Portree.
Annual output from the fish farm is expected to rise to about 4,000 tonnes, from 2,000currently. Smolt releases will start in September 2018.
Chief executive Craig Anderson said: “We remain firmly focused on our long-term growth strategy and new site development is an integral part.
“The development of the site at Portree demonstrates this and complements our existing Hebridean operations.”
A total of 5,685tonnes of fish were harvested by SSC during the first three months of 2017, down from 6,741 a year earlier as the firm battled disease.
Sea-lice, a major scourge of salmon farms globally, is costing Scottish farmers millions of pounds in lost output and expensive treatments.
Some of SSC’s sites have also suffered outbreaks of pancreas disease, leading to increased mortalities and smaller fish.
Mr Anderson said: “We have made positive steps to address the biological challenges introducing new initiatives including the commissioning of a hydrolicer (a new weapon in the war against lice) and an additional well boat to increase operational efficiencies and increase flexibility.
“The global salmon market remains strong and prices are forecast to remain firm.
“Demand at home and overseas for Scottish salmon as a premium food product continues.
“Our aim remains to capitalise on this with our continued drive on exports, together with a focus on developing long term customer partnerships.”


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To showcase the global appeal of their new Fall 2018 collection, Furla, an international brand, chose six social media personalities from six different countries including conscientious fashion blogger Vanessa Hong known for her clean aesthetic and sustainable lifestyle.
Other influencers joining Vanessa Hong (Canada) include model Jon Kortajarena (Spain), Sonya Esman (Russia), Stefanie Giesinger (Germany), Rocky Barnes (USA) and Keisuke Asano (Japan).
These six social media personalities — who have more than 9.1 million Instagram followers between them — take part in a new advertising campaign called “The Furla Society.”
The cast is filmed and photographed individually as guests in a grand Italian hotel before each receiving an invitation for a secret rendezvous that brings them all together. The video is directed by Andrew Rothschild with photography by Stas May.
The Furla Fall 2018 campaign will debut across each influencer’s social media platform. We were told to expect Rocky Barnes to debut her story in early September and others to follow. The full campaign will run on Furla’s core social media channels.
In addition to campaign content on Instagram, Instagram Stories and Facebook, a Chinese market-specific campaign will also be launched on WeChat.


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This is the fifth year of the tour, which spans across five continents as the largest traveling car show in the world. Each stop provides custom car builders with a platform to showcase their passion projects with other automotive enthusiasts.
The next stop in the tour is on July 9 in Detroit, which is a legendary hub for American automotive culture and history. The stop will feature everything from classic hot rods and American muscle to exceptional imports and modified exotics. Fans will also be able to check out Hot Wheels Garage of Legends life-size vehicles and access limited-edition collectibles.
All competition entrants will have their custom cars evaluated based on creativity, authenticity, and garage spirit. A select panel of judges made up of local automotive legends and Hot Wheels designers will select the Detroit winner. The winner of the event will then advance in the competition for a chance to compete in the Global Grand Finale later in the year. The 2022 champion will have their one-of-a-kind-car immortalized as a 1:64-scale official Hot Wheels die-cast car and sold around the globe.
The Detroit event will take place at Walmart Livonia from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on July 9. For more information about the tour and later stops, visit hotwheels.com/legends.


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Nestle Ghana Ltd has unveiled a GH¢175.4 million state-of-the-art plant located in Tema.
The new factory is expected to increase the production capacity of CERELAC by 6,700 tons.
The factory will be the primary hub for producing and supplying infant cereals in Ghana and 24 other countries in Central and West Africa.
The new factory will seek to;
(I) Increase production to about 13,700 tons annually.
(II) Provide additional job and income/cash opportunities for local farmers and suppliers in Ghana.
(III) Ghana stands to earn more foreign exchange through exports to Central and West African markets.


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MUSKEGON, MI – A new food processing incubator space aims to be an economic driver for small businesses and local farmers in the Muskegon region.
The Food, Agriculture, Research, Manufacturing Center (FARM) was built on Muskegon Community College’s campus to provide space for food entrepreneurs creating products from fruits and vegetables.
Marty Gerencer, executive director for the West Michigan Food Processing Association, said FARM is targeting small businesses that have been operating for a couple of years and are looking to grow beyond a home kitchen.
“It’s a good stepping stone,” Gerencer said.
Short-term rentals are also available for larger companies looking to test new products or use additional space temporarily.
The FARM facility is operated by the West Michigan Food Processing Association with support from Greater Muskegon Economic Development, Muskegon Community College, the Community Foundation for Muskegon County and Michigan State University.
A $2 million grant from the state of Michigan assisted the construction of the 8,000-square-foot building, 1945 Stebbins Road. The facility has three bays, each equipped with an office, a supply area to clean produce, processing space and walk-in coolers and freezers.
“It’s designed to be very flexible,” said Gerencer.
Muskegon-based Lively Up Kombucha is the first tenant of the FARM incubator. Owner Zack Smith started selling fermented tea at the Muskegon Farmers Market four years ago, and his business now distributes to 80 stores around Michigan.
“This is going to help incubate us through our middle ground period,” Smith said. “We’re bigger than what we can handle in our space but we’re not ready to take on our own space.”
Smith currently makes his product out of a kitchen in Roosevelt Park and partners with local farms. He plans to be fully operational at the FARM space by June.
“Zack is exactly the type of entrepreneur we wanted to attract. He’s interested in healthy, he’s interested in sustainable and he’s interested in growing his business,” Gerencer said.
Smith hopes the incubator facilitates the growth of his company and eventually paves the way for Lively Up Kombucha to open a retail tap room.
With over 5,000 farms in West Michigan, Greater Muskegon Economic Development considers food processing and agribusiness a key industry to the region. Statewide, the agriculture and food processing industry accounts for over $100 billion in economic activity, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Gerencer says helping Muskegon County food businesses expand has a “multiplier effect” on local farms.
The Stage 2 food processing business accelerator is the only one of its kind in West Michigan, joining one at Michigan State University’s Okemos campus and one in Traverse City. Gerencer calls it a corridor along the West Michigan shoreline that “cuts through fruit and vegetable land.”
FARM is also in the beginning stages of developing educational programs for high school and MCC students to learn more about the industry. It is equipped to welcome the MSU Mobile Food Processing Lab, which provides hand-on experiences for students.
The West Michigan Food Processing Association is focused on using the facility to promote healthy food, sustainable business practices and bring women and minorities into the industry.
“It is really triple bottom line: economic, environmental and social impacts,” Gerencer said.
Businesses interested in long-term or short-term rentals at FARM can contact Gerencer at 231-638-2981 or email email@example.com. A pricing model for leasing is still being determined.
An official ribbon cutting for the facility will be held later this year.
More on MLive:


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Gas prices continued to climb higher, rising for a fifth consecutive day and coming closer to $3 a gallon.
The average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline rose slightly on Sunday to $2.747, from $2.743 the day before, according to motorist group AAA. Nationwide, gas prices have increased eight cents over the last five days.
Prices were highest in the state of Alaska, at $3.373 a gallon, AAA reported. They were cheapest in Wyoming, at an average $2.494 a gallon.
The national average gas price is now higher than it was at any point in 2009. But prices are still down $1.45, or 35%, from the record high price of $4.114 that AAA reported on July 17, 2008.
Gas prices have been rising recently as the price of crude oil has pushed higher. Last week, oil averaged about $82.30 a barrel, barely below a 14-month high.
Oil prices have been supported by frigid temperatures across much of North America and Europe, which has increased demand for heating fuels. Some analysts say pump prices could top $3 a gallon in the weeks ahead if crude prices rise near $90 a barrel.
Uber isn't going head-to-head with FexEx, but it is claiming a piece of the delivery market. More
Pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus caused Apple's online store to be down intermittently. More
An extended time off from work can give you renewed energy for the job you have or give you time to figure out what you really want to do. Here are 8 lessons learned. More


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Last season, the University of Maryland football team made quite the fashion statement with their...interesting uniforms (lest we forget those state flag-inspired helmets from last year's season opener).
The Terps, however, are not done experimenting with new jersey designs and unveiled their 2012 home and road uniforms during Monday's Media Day.
Photos courtesy of WNST:
Well, at least Maryland thinks outside the box? Maybe a bit too far outside the box...
Unlike last year's set, these jerseys will feature players' last names, so anonymity be damned.
What do you think of these uniforms?
The Terps open their 2012 season September 1 against William & Mary.
Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.


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retailer in Poland has received a hefty fine under the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) after failing to protect the data collected from 2.2 million
customers through the company’s nine websites.
The European Union last year passed the General Data Protection Regulation, a law that makes organizations more responsible in collecting and processing their customers’ personal data. While not enforcing a particular set of technological tools and processes, the GDPR imposes a minimum threshold that organizations must consider to ensure compliance. For Polish retailer Morele.net, this was sadly not the case.
reportedly became aware of a breach on its systems in November 2018, when
customers reported receiving SMS messages demanding additional payments to
complete an order. The SMS scam contained a link to a fake electronic payment
gateway controlled by the hackers.
Morele.net took steps to remedy the situation following the breach, Poland’s
Personal Data Protection Office (UODO) this week decided to fine the company PLN
2.8 million, or €645,000 for “insufficient organizational and technical
President of UODO stated that Morele.net, “by not using sufficient technical
means of data protection, violated, among others specified in art. 5
paragraph 1 letter f GDPR, the principle of confidentiality.”
According to itgovernance.eu, for most of the affected customers, the leaked data included names, telephone numbers, email addresses and delivery addresses. Of the 2.2 million customers affected, 35,000 had additional information leaked, including their payment instalment information (including Personal ID number), education, source of income and net income, household maintenance costs and marital status, according to the report.
with mid-2019, data protection authorities across the EU have switched from an educative
stance to a more corrective attitude, dealing the first fines under the newly
adopted regulation. Among the highest-reported penalties this year are those
incurred by British Airways (205$ million euros), hotel chain Marriott (111
million euros) and Google (50 million euros).


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MIDDLETOWN, PA — Pennsylvania Lottery officials today announced that the Lottery generated a profit of nearly $1.2 billion to benefit older Pennsylvanians during the 2021-22 fiscal year. This is the 11th consecutive year the Lottery has generated more than $1 billion for senior programs, which include property tax and rent rebates, free and reduced-fare transportation, prescription assistance, and more.
The profit was driven by the Lottery selling a total of $5 billion in traditional games, which include Scratch-Off tickets and Draw Games, such as Powerball® and Mega Millions®. Meanwhile, the Lottery generated $746.5 million in sales from its online games. The Lottery’s online games continue to be very popular with players since their launch in May 2018
“This fiscal year was the second-best for sales and second-best for profits in the Lottery’s 50- year history,” said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “That means Pennsylvania seniors will continue to have access to free and reduced-fare transportation, prescription assistance, free meals, rent and property tax rebates and a host of other programs and services that are funded by the Lottery. We are extremely proud of our commitment and mission to continue funding the programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians.”
The 2021-22 fiscal year followed the all-time record fiscal year of 2020-21, when an extraordinary 20 percent growth rate greatly eclipsed the Lottery’s projections. As a result, it was anticipated that sales and profit for the 2021-2022 fiscal year would decline slightly. Here are some overall highlights from the fiscal year that ran from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022:
- Sales of Scratch-Off games totaled more than $3.5 billion, down by $244.5 million, or 6.5 percent, from the previous year. These games account for 70 percent of total traditional sales.
- Sales of Draw Games in-store and online totaled more than $1.3 billion for the fiscal year, down by $48.9 million, or 3.6 percent, from the previous year’s total. Draw Games currently available for purchase online include Powerball®, Mega Millions®, Treasure Hunt, Cash4Life®, PICK games and Match 6 Lotto.
- The Lottery totaled more than $746.5 million in online play, down $140.4 million, or 15.8 percent from the prior fiscal year.
- Sales of Fast Play games totaled more than $149.1 million, an increase of more than $5.2 million, or 3.6 percent, from the previous fiscal year.
- Sales of Monitor Games, which include Keno and Xpress Sports games, totaled an estimated $55.7 million this fiscal year, an increase of more than $800,000, or 1.5 percent, from the previous fiscal year.
- Traditional game prizes paid to winners were more than $3.3 billion. A total of 76 winning tickets of $1 million or more were paid to players during the 2021-22 fiscal year.
- More than $655 million in prizes were paid out to winners of online eInstant games and to winners who purchased Draw Games online.
- More than 10,000 licensed Lottery retailers statewide, many of them small and familyowned businesses, earned an estimated $286.4 million in sales commissions.
- One Lucky Ticket: Philly ShopRite Sells Jackpot-Winning Lottery Ticket Worth Over $200K!
- Philadelphia Shopper Strikes Gold! $375,710 Lottery Prize Won at Local ACME Market
- Pennsylvania Powerball Players Strike Gold: Four Tickets Worth a Combined $3.2 Million!
- Bucks County Celebrates as Local Scoops $2.7 Million Pennsylvania Lottery Jackpot
- Chester County Player Strikes Gold with $139,283.90 Premier Jackpot Win


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With more capable and "smarter" phones, bigger and faster wireless networks, and more varied and flexible plans, you might think consumers would be getting happier with their cell-phone service. Instead, a survey of Consumer Reports readers shows no such trend.
In our annual survey conducted this fall by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, only 54 percent of respondents were completely or very satisfied with their cell-phone service. That's a tepid showing compared with most other services we rate. Almost two-thirds of readers had at least one major complaint about service.
Here's what else our survey showed:
Verizon, now the nation's largest wireless carrier after its acquisition of Alltel last year, had the top score in our overall summary Ratings and was a high scorer in a majority of the 26 cities we surveyed. (See our city-by-city Ratings.)
About one in five readers cited high cost as their top complaint about cellular. That's more than for any other annoyance.
Almost 70 percent of readers said they sent and received text messages. That compares with 55 percent in 2007. About 20 percent of the 2009 group reported pecking out 10 or more messages per day. Roughly 40 percent said they accessed the Internet with their phone, up from 23 percent two years ago, and more than 35 percent sent and received e-mail on their phone. Some 19 percent used Web-based cell-phone applications.
This year, for the first time, we asked readers about their experiences with text messaging and surfing the Web. The verdict was mixed. Only 24 percent of data-service users rated their Web and e-mail experience as excellent. Among Web users, 37 percent said that Web access was slower than expected on at least one occasion in the week prior to the survey. Eighteen percent of e-mail users cited the inability to send or receive e-mail as a problem.
The fairly small percentage of our readers who used prepaid service were generally happy with it. In our first Ratings of the service, prepaid specialist TracFone received the highest score, followed by prepaid service from T-Mobile; Virgin Mobile, another prepaid specialist; and prepaid service from Verizon. AT&T's prepaid service rated better than its contract service, but it was the worst prepaid provider.
A separate new survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center on cell-phone buying provides interesting data as the Federal Communications Commission considers whether to regulate deals that make phones exclusively available from certain carriers. Thirty-eight percent of respondents who had switched carriers in the past two years did so because it was required to get the phone they wanted. And 27 percent of all respondents went shopping with a specific phone in mind.


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eFootball PES 2021 MOBILE REACHES 350 MILLION DOWNLOADS
Konami Digital Entertainment, B.V. today announced that eFootball PES 2021 Mobile has been downloaded more than 350 million times. To commemorate the milestone, along with this year being the franchise’s 25th anniversary, KONAMI will be running three in-game campaigns starting from today.
Between November 12th – November 19th, users who log in will receive three Special Agents for Juventus Iconic Moments. One week later, between November 19th – November 26th, users who log in will receive three Special Agents for Manchester United Iconic Moments.
During the campaign period, November 12th – November 30th, mobile and console users will also receive the following items as a reward as each total goal milestone is reached:
- 50M – Black Ball x1
- 100M – Black Ball x3
- 150M – Contract renewal ticket x35
- 200M – Level trainer (Big) x35
- 250M – myClub Coin x350
- 350M – Legends: Worldwide Clubs x1
KONAMI has also announced the introduction of Player Packs for Mobile – purchasable packs focusing on one individual superstar player. Each pack comes with their Iconic Moment variant, myClub Coins, an original menu theme and Special Agents. Only one Player Pack can be purchased per account, costing €17.99 / £15.99 each. The three available packs are as follows:
- “The Kiss” Messi Pack
- “High-Flying” C.Ronaldo Pack
- “Step and Fire” Rashford Pack
Finally, KONAMI has announced a new loyalty scheme for the eFootball PES series, starting with PES 2021 – eFootball Points*. This cross-platform reward system gives players additional ways to earn amazing bonuses by engaging with core titles in the PES franchise. Playing these core titles allows players to rack up eFootball Points and then redeem them for various in-game items and bonuses.
eFootball Points can be earned in a variety of different ways and will carry over across all platforms. This means that users can play PES Mobile to earn points, then use those same points to unlock bonuses on console! The eFootball Points scheme will be implemented from December 7th, 2020 with more information available here – LINK
For all the latest news on eFootball PES 2021 Mobile and for further information, please follow:
*Important Notice for Residents of the USA
Unfortunately, the eFootball Point program will not be available to users who select the United States of America as their place of residence when playing PES for the first time. We are currently in the process of organising an alternative where these users will be able to get in-game items in place of eFootball Points.
“e-Football” and “eFootball logo” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. in Japan and other countries or regions.


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The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC) has been one of the nation's foremost competitions for the past 18 years.
It's here that a panel of nearly 70 renowned wine experts come together to evaluate wines and identify those that are truly exceptional.
In 2018, Chaddsford Winery has been awarded three silver medals - two for dry white varietals and one for a dry red blend.
SFCWC is one of the largest annual competitions of American wines, and Chaddsford is honored to have three Pennsylvania-made wines recognized on a national level.
To learn more about the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, click here.
To shop Chaddsford wines, click here.