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A legendary restaurant in Los Angeles broke its all-time sales record on Thanksgiving, and it's all about the pies!
If you aren't from Southern California and ever plan to visit, you should make time to eat at one of its finest establishments -- The Apple Pan -- which has been open for business since 1947. If you are from here, get there as soon as possible.
'The Apple Pan' Sells Thousands Of Pies On Thanksgiving
The Hollywood hotspot is known for its excellent burgers and sandwiches, but it is all about making mouthwatering pies during the holidays. We're told Apple Pan sold over TWO THOUSAND pies this Thanksgiving, a new record, and it's not just one flavor. The choices include apple, pumpkin, and boysenberry cream -- but real insiders go for the legendary banana cream pie. Also, if you are hoping to get one of these amazing pies, they are available for pre-order now through November 20th until they sell out!
Many celebrities have frequented the joint including Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner, the Jonas Brothers, and Drew Barrymore. Plus, if you are hoping to get a celebrity sighting on your next trip, Harry Styles was in the restaurant just last week!
Harry Styles Drops Into 'The Apple Pan' For Its Amazing Grub!
Several years ago, Apple Pan added a little more celebrity firepower after Irving and Shelli Azoff purchased the business.
The Azoffs were huge fans of the restaurant, often visiting after Hollywood awards shows, and concerts at the Forum. Shelli Azoff first visited the hotspot around thirty years ago and loved everything about it. Of course, the previous owners wanted to make sure the integrity of the restaurant would remain intact, which is exactly what the Azoffs wanted too. The family wasn’t interested in changing anything about The Apple Pan.
The Legendary Banana Cream Pie
If you have been living under a rock, Irving Azoff is a legendary music mogul and his wife is almost more famous than him. The couple previously owned the 'Five Guys' burger chain and has plenty of experience in the restaurant business. Plus, as the managing partner of the Forum, one of Shelli's responsibilities was "finding the food service partners, which includes Loteria Grill, Boo’s Philly Cheesesteaks, Carney’s, and Pink’s Hot Dogs."
"The restaurant is ours to keep and protect what they built," Shelli said. Adding, "We didn’t buy the restaurant because we were motivated by finances. Having this institution in our family was important because it’s always been a part of our life. Plus we think it’s really good. We made a promise that we intend to keep. We’d like to keep the small family business alive, and maintain what Sunny and her family spent a lifetime building."
Now, make sure you order your pie next year.


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Epic Games Founder And Microsoft Butt Heads Over PC Storefront Policies
Epic Games' founder Tim Sweeney recently wrote an editorial for The Guardian openly speaking out against Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform, and even making a call to other developers and publishers to fight against the new distribution platform. Sweeney, as the founder of the studio that created Gears of War, has had a longstanding relationship with Microsoft, and continues to do so with many of Microsoft's games being built using Epic's Unreal technology.
In short, Sweeney is not a fan of Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform initiative. You can find the full editorial here, where Sweeney complains about its closed-off nature. "My criticism is limited to Microsoft structuring its operating system to advantage its own store while unfairly disadvantaging competing app stores, as well as developers and publishers who distribute games directly to their customers," Sweeney writes. In the editorial he outlines the changes he would like to see to the platform to make it more open, and thanks Microsoft for listening to his feedback up to this point. "They listened very patiently, I hoped and believed that Microsoft would do the right thing, but here we are. Microsoft’s consumer launch and PR around UWP are in full swing, and this side of the story must be told," Sweeney writes.
The big issue for Sweeney is that Microsoft is implementing difficult-to-bypass hurdles that he says unnecessarily close off the platform. He relates it to the Android platform, which he says similarly (but to a lesser degree) makes it difficult for users to download software that isn't placed in front of them by Google. Sweeney fears a future where users and developers will struggle to download and release games on the platform, and maybe even close it off entirely in the future.
Kevin Gallo, corporate vice president of Windows at Microsoft, offered a follow-up response to The Guardian defending its platform. "The Universal Windows Platform is a fully open ecosystem, available to every developer, that can be supported by any store. We continue to make improvements for developers," Gallo said. “We want to make Windows the best development platform regardless of technologies used." Gallo also addressed one of Sweeney's main concerns about the difficulty of "side-loading" apps, which is the process of installing third-party Microsodt apps. Sweeney wrote that the process is needlessly difficult, to which Gallo replied, "In the Windows 10 November Update, we enabled people to easily side-load apps by default, with no UX required." Head of Xbox Phil Spencer also reiterated Gallo's comment in a recent tweet seen below. You can find Gallo's full comments here.
UWP is a fully open ecosystem, available to every developer, and can be supported by any store. Broad range of tools https://t.co/LqPcjRFzu9— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) March 4, 2016
We recently spoke with head of Xbox Phil Spencer about the Universal Windows Platform, who said in his presentation, "You’ll actually see us come out with new hardware capability during a generation and allowing the same games to run backward and forward compatible because we have the Universal Windows Application running on top of the Universal Windows Platform that allows us to focus more on hardware innovation without invalidating the games that run on that platform." You can find that full feature and interview here.
Sweeney certainly brings up some solid points here, and seems to be coming from a place of long-term concern for PC gamers, rather than just bashing a platform he doesn't like.

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Now, the market focus shifts to the upcoming events in the United States
The Japanese yen remains on the defensive to start the week even as the US dollar retreats from fresh 2021 peaks seen last week. The greenback corrects lower nearly across the market as traders take profit after a strong rally triggered by unexpectedly high inflation figures that could make the Federal Reserve start hiking interest rates earlier than anticipated.
Peaked at 114.30 on Friday before retreating below 114.00 eventually. Today, the prices are oscillating around this level, struggling for direction ahead of the opening bell in Europe. Earlier today, Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda said he doesn’t see the current weak yen as particularly negative for Japan’s economy. Yen fall pushes up raw material import costs, but boosts the value of exports, profits of Japanese firms’ overseas subsidiaries, he added.
Fresh economic data out of Japan showed on Monday that the country’s GDP contracted 0.8% in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter. However, the economy grew by 1.4% compared to July-September 2020. Following the report, Kuroda noted that today’s weak GDP was likely due to a consumption slump in September when a spike in infections hit eating-out and travel.
Now, the market focus shifts to the upcoming events in the United States. On Tuesday, US retail sales could push the greenback higher if the report reveals a jump in sales. As such, USDJPY may get back above the 114.00 figure to extend the ascent to the 114.45 area, followed by the 114.70 region.
From the technical point of view, the pair needs to hold above the 20-DMA (today at 113.80) in the short term in order to stay afloat and resume the advance to the mentioned highs. On the downside, the key support is expected around 112.70 where last week’s lows arrive.


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Responding to the Opposition’s cost that inflation, poverty and unemployment continued to rise regardless of the government‘s claims of a booming economic system, Sitharaman, throughout a dialogue on the Interim Funds 2024-25 in Lok Sabha, stated retail inflation has declined from a mean of 6.8% in April-December 2022 to five.5% within the corresponding interval of 2023. Retail inflation primarily based on the Shopper Worth Index (CPI) stood at 5.7% in December 2023.
She detailed the measures unleashed by govt to verify volatility in costs of onions and stated govt has progressively elevated its buffer dimension from one lakh metric tonnes (LMT) in 2020-21 to 7 lakh tonnes in 2023-24. She additionally stated govt launched ‘Bharat dal’ to make pulses accessible at concessional charges throughout retails markets, and chana dal is now accessible at Rs 60 per kilo in a single pack and at Rs 55 per kilo for a 30kg pack.
Lok Sabha on Wednesday authorised the Rs 47.7 lakh crore Interim Funds with a voice vote. A finances of Rs 1.8 lakh crore for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir was authorised and the Finance Invoice was additionally cleared late night, finishing the finances train.
Throughout her reply, FM asserted that employment within the nation was additionally trying up, with the workforce strengthening and unemployment price declining considerably. She stated variety of folks enrolled in EPFO has elevated considerably, labour drive grew by over 8% in 2022-23, and unemployment decreased from 6.2% in 2017-18 to three.2% in 2022-23. The minister stated whereas girls’s participation within the labour drive was rising, youth participation additionally grew by 6.3% in 2022-23.
Sitharaman stated Efficiency Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes created 7 lakh direct and oblique employment to this point. “Fourteen sectors benefit from the PLI Schemes brought by our government. Manufacturing locations are coming up in 24 states and more than 150 districts. Govt has committed nearly Rs 1.97 lakh crore over five years starting 2021-22. Rs 1.07 lakh crore worth of investment has been committed under the PLI Schemes,” she stated.
The FM additionally stated Opposition’s bid to match per capita incomes of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as defective, saying that “just comparing per capita GDP does not give a clear picture” and that India had carried out a lot better than each neighbours in “real GDP” phrases. Replying to the controversy, the minister stated the fiscal deficit of the central authorities is proposed to be introduced down to five.1% of the GDP throughout 2024-25.


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If there's a more vilified electric car than the Reva G-Wiz, we're not aware of it. The Indian electric quadricycle has been the butt of jokes for years, with everything from its poor performance, circus clown car looks and concerns over safety coming in for criticism. Nothing lasts forever, and Reva owners Mahindra are set to launch its successor, the NXR, in the home Indian market later this year. The NXR has been on the drawing board for a few years and should cure many of the G-Wiz's ills, including the styling--though as you can see, it's still no looker. Reva has hopefully taken steps...
Fatal G-Wiz Crash: Victim Was On Phone, Not Using Seatbelt
We brought you news last year of a horrific accident, in which a woman was killed when her G-Wiz neighborhood electric vehicle, a model not sold in the United States, was struck by another vehicle. An inquest into the accident has now ended and the verdict has been given as accidental death. Last...Antony Ingram
EXCLUSIVE: What Killed The Electric Car? For G-Wiz, Other Electric Cars
It’s been a mainstay of British eco-chic for nearly a decade, but the little Indian four-wheel ‘car’ which can be found buzzing around the streets of London will no longer be sold in the U.K. In an email earlier on today addressed to all G-Wiz owners Rudi Schogger, MD of...Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Our Popular Stories of 2010: LEAF, Recharging, Myth Busting
We’re just two days away from 2011, the year many industry experts are terming the year of the electric car, but 2010 hasn’t been a slow year for electric cars. We’ve seen new models launched, records broken and even the Pope show an interest in going electric. But over the course...Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield


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Today, the company “Realme”, which specializes in the production of smartphones, made a statement regarding the price and specifications of its new phone Realme c25y, which is expected to be released in the Indian markets this month. , and Chinese company Realme launched the Realme C21Y phone in India last month, to reveal the price and specs of the Realme C25y, which previously came as a new version of the C21 phone with a processor difference.
Performance and features of the new realme c25y
Helio G70 octa-core processor.
Developed with 12 nano technology.
64GB of storage.
In addition to the phone’s dependency on 4GB of RAM.
And a triple camera of “48+2+2” megabytes on the back.
The first of these comes with a single 8GB capacity.
As for the screen, it is 6.5 inches in HD+ resolution.
There is a small notch on the screen.
The phone is based on the Android 11 operating system.
In addition to a huge battery with a capacity of 6000 mAh.
The star of Realme has risen significantly in the recent period especially after the launch of the Realme 8i phone and Realme 8s phone in India and will launch a new smartphone with tremendous features, but the specs mentioned in the report were not mentioned. It will come with the next phone.
Additional Features on Realme C25y
The new Realme c25y phone has a wide range of features: It comes with a Type-C charger, supports 18W fast charging technology and the phone will support MicroSD external memory card and include a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone will run with the Realme UI 2.0 user interface. It is based on the Android 11 operating system and realme is expected to make an official announcement about the technical specifications and official launch date of realme c25y. It is estimated that the price will change between 3 and 4 thousand liras later this month.


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European bourses closed lower on Wednesday as optimism over earnings failed to offset concerns over trade tensions.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed provisionally down 0.45 percent with the different sectors moving mostly lower. Automotive stocks led the losses, down 2.37 percent, and basic resources were among the worst performers, off by 1.61 percent, after reports that the Trump administration could slap a 25 percent tariff on $200 billion of imported Chinese goods.
Looking across the benchmark, Telenet Group rose 6.61 percent, after proposing a gross dividend of about 5.2 euros per share. Air France-KLM also jumped 4.17 percent after posting results above expectations despite several workers' strikes during the quarter.
BBA Aviation was near the bottom of the index, off by 11.429 percent, after reporting a drop of 11 percent on pretax profit.
Stateside, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose Wednesday as shares of Apple soared on strong quarterly results. Traders are speculating whether Apple could be the first big tech giant to reach a $1 trillion market cap. The U.S. Federal Reserve is to release its decision on interests rates for the world's largest economy at 2 p.m. E.D.T.
French bank BNP Paribas published a 53 percent increase in net income in its second-quarter earnings report from the previous quarter. Shares were marginally lower. Rio Tinto reported a rise in first-half profit for 2018 of 12 percent year-on-year, and announced an additional share buyback and dividend hike. The stock nonetheless was off by 3.396 percent.
Data showed Wednesday that euro zone manufacturing growth remained subdued in July. The IHS Markit manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index came in at 55.1, after hitting 54.9 in June — a reading is positive if above 50. Trade tensions, tariffs and higher inflation were the main drivers of the lackluster performance.


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EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon Ducks will have a new look for Saturday’s game against Washington State, a little pop of color with a powerful meaning.
There always seems to be anticipation over what the Ducks will wear come game day. But the latest uniform has already gone viral in a way that the team is hoping could not only get people excited but change lives.
It’s not the typical color scheme we typically see sported at Autzen Stadium.
“It’s going to look great on television, but it’s even going to look better in person,” said Craig Pintens, Senior Associate Athletic Director.
This week, the Oregon Ducks are pretty passionate about pink. Hints of hot pink on the gloves, socks and cleats. But it’s the headpiece that’s getting head turns.
“If anyone is going to do it first, it’s going to be the University of Oregon,” Pintens said.
A bright pink shimmery helmet is what everyone is talking about.
“To have an actual pink helmet is going to make quite a statement, and again, for such a great cause,” Pintens said.
“All I could say was just, ‘Wow!’ It’s an awesome helmet. It’s an awesome uniform design,” said Sue Donohoe, Kay Yow Fun Executive Director.
The hope is this fashion-forward thinking will further Kay Yow Cancer Fund‘s mission of spreading awareness and raising money to prevent all cancers that affect women. Kay Yow was the former head coach of the women’s basketball team at North Carolina State University. She died of breast cancer back in 2009. Yow was a part of the Nike family.
So at kickoff on Saturday, the helmets will be auctioned off–five of them each day for five consecutive days.
“What a meaningful partnership between us and the University of Oregon, since we announced the initiative this morning, 9 a.m. Eastern time, it’s been non-stop craziness. The best kind of craziness you could imagine,” Donohoe said.
You can get a piece of the pink. An untraditional Oregon color, but one worn with pride.
“(I) think it’s such a great tribute to breast cancer survivors all across the country,” Donohoe said.
At kickoff you can go to www.kayyow.com/ducks to start bidding. The helmets will start at $14 and go up in increments of $14. That was Coach Yow’s number.
Some of the helmets will also be signed by Coach Helfrich, Phil Knight and some other Oregon legends. All of the proceeds will go to cancer research.


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Fintech leaders favor a consumer-centric approach
Alan Chang, a Revolut executive, discussed the neobank’s expansion strategy during a webinar with Miami Herbert Business School.
Alan Chang, chief revenue officer of Revolut, a British fintech company, touted a customer-centric approach and a “faster, cheaper, better” mantra as keys to the company’s emerging success as a neobank operating exclusively on the Internet.
For the February 15 Knight Venture Leader Series virtual conference, Chang participated in a Q&A with John Quelch, Dean of the University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School, and Robert Gregory, Associate Professor of Business Technology who recently joined the school. .
“It’s all about the product,” Chang said. “Customers come first, then we determine the business, revenue and cost later. Innovation is our business model.
The model includes growing a huge global customer base and then offering an unlimited range of services at lower prices, possible due to the high volume of customers, Chang explained.
He cited the company’s initial service offering – a digital platform to exchange and transfer global currencies without the traditionally high surcharges charged by intermediaries – as an example.
“It’s so easy. You enter the amount you want to redeem, and it happens in real time,” he said. “It’s as easy as boarding Uber, as easy as n Any consumer should expect it: it’s faster, cheaper, better.”
Revolut was launched in 2015 and now provides services ranging from credit cards to personal loans to hotel stays to 18 million customers and 500,000 businesses in 38 countries, according to Chang. He said there were no limits to the company’s potential for expansion.
Quelch questioned the sustainability of this cross-selling approach and the profitability for potential shareholders.
“We can afford to make each product 10 times cheaper. And, mathematically, as long as you sell 10 or more, you can make the same profit margin,” Chang noted. “With the discount, you will attract more customers and the profit margin per customer can stay the same. And because we do it cheaper and better, we attract more customers.
Gregory asked why startups seem to have an advantage over incumbents, especially in the rapidly changing global economy.
“It’s all about the people, whatever company you’re in,” Chang replied. “We are able to attract the smartest and most ambitious people because they are the ones who want more responsibility and want to have the biggest impact,” he added. “By working at a small business or a startup, you’re much more likely to have an impact and take on more responsibility.”
Although he never got an MBA, Chang said he always wanted to get into business and used the “first principles” approach – breaking down complex problems into building blocks and then breaking them down. reassemble from scratch – learned when studying physics. basis of his expertise.
Chang pointed out that universities have an important role to play in promoting entrepreneurship.
“Entrepreneurship cannot be forced, but it can be encouraged by showing it as a possible path,” he said. “In my education, there was no encouragement to pursue entrepreneurship. There is nothing wrong with following a traditional path into business or another field, but universities can do a better job of showing the startups as a possible route or career path.
The business executive said his company was diving into cryptocurrency and there was a “load of opportunity” there, although at the moment the system was complicated and cumbersome.
“Right now it’s a pain, an absolute pain. You have to go through so many steps and pay a lot of fees – worse than in traditional finance,” Chang said, adding “although once you get there, it’s actually pretty good.
Gregory wondered if the crypto market system would benefit from a back-end revolution, suggesting that Revolut could provide a remedy.
“That’s how we see it,” Chang said. “In crypto, the application of infrastructure is not very good. Of course, we see a similar opportunity in crypto, just as we have seen in traditional finance.


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The representatives of the New Zealand Embassy to Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) of Vietnam and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of Vietnam signed an agreement to establish an electronic certificate (e-Cert) for food and agricultural products via Vietnam’s National Single Window, which is the first e-Cert for food and agriculture products between the two countries.
e-Cert is the direct digital transfer of agreed information between government agencies in different countries to facilitate the border clearance of agri-food products. Complex global supply chains trade, especially during the COVID-19 era, and advances in technology have facilitate transfer of information via electronic means, which reduce costs, increase reliability and transparency, and reduce potential for falsification in agri-food trade.
New Zealand has been a world leader in electronic certification for over 20 years. New Zealand has successfully implemented e-Cert with several trade partners, with an increasing focus on the ASEAN. This year, New Zealand and Vietnam celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations. Since the establishment of New Zealand’s Comprehensive Partnership with Vietnam in 2009, there has been steady growth in bilateral trade, especially since the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) came into force in 2010.
(Source: Vietnam Investment Review)


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The art of balancing costs, quality and value can be challenging. Designing your menu is the fun part, but creating a menu and price points that will enable you to maximize profitability, satisfy diners and grow requires a diligent focus on the bottom line.
To get a better handle on costs, more operators are using Menu Profitbuilder Pro (MPP), a proprietary, computer-based analytics program that calculates the cost of recipes and menu items in minutes. The program is free for US Foods customers and can link their point-of-sale (POS) systems with their US Foods account to ensure calculations are based on up-to-the-minute food price and ordering information. MPP also allows operators to focus on those key factors driving the menu that are often overlooked but can make a significant difference in the profitability of restaurants and other food service operation.
“Instead of guessing, MPP gives operators a quick snapshot of the real costs of every item on their menu,” said Mark Smoler, territory manager, US Foods. “It’s an amazing tool for customers because numbers don’t lie.”
One of Smoler’s customers having great success with MPP is Epic Burger, an all-natural, eco-friendly restaurant with six locations in the Chicago area and a seventh under construction. (Click here for more on Epic Burger.)
“Before MPP the process of getting numbers was brutal and never felt super accurate because we were never sure we were capturing all of the nuances of fluctuating prices,” said Brian Walsh, director of operations and training, Epic Burger. “Now we import a file and get more accurate weekly reports to verify exactly where we’re at. We have better, truer numbers to operate our business.”
With just a few clicks, Walsh can also use MPP to run profitability scenarios on menu items and recipes if, for example, an ingredient is added or eliminated, or a portion size is increased or reduced.
“MPP allows us to take the theoretical and turn it into actual numbers we can use to make more informed decisions about pricing and inventory,” Walsh said. “We now capture everything that goes on the burger, everything that goes in a shake and know exactly where we stand on everything.”
Smoler said another benefit of MPP for Epic Burger is that it reduced the number of databases and spreadsheets executives must review from four to two—and he’s working on cutting that to just one comprehensive, easy-to-understand spreadsheet that details costs, sales, inventory, profitability and other financial issues.
“MPP is a more organized way to do business and Epic Burger now has tighter control of costs for each of their menu items,” Smoler said. “There are $4,000 and $5,000 software systems out there that will do similar things, but MPP is a value-added service US Foods provides to customers at absolutely no cost.”
US Foods customers can contact their territory manager to get Menu Profitbuilder Pro at no cost. A US Foods specialist will visit to install the system and provide training.
“MPP is great for anyone who needs to get control of menu costs,” said Frank Mire, territory manager, US Foods. “It’s especially effective for multi-unit operations because it gives owners and managers a broad yet detailed look at costs and areas where they can become more profitable.”
As important, Smoler said MPP also strengthens the relationship TMs have with customers.
“It really opens up the line of communication and level of trust between the operator and territory manager because MPP provides such important information so quickly,” he said. “You are empowering the customer and for that, they trust you even more."


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J.C. Penney is one of the most hotly debated stocks on Wall Street. The bullish argument is that customers are slowly returning to J.C. Penney stores and CEO Mike Ullman has the company headed in the right direction. The bearish argument is that too much damage has been done, the brand has been tarnished, and a sustainable recovery is a near impossibility. After looking at some key numbers and trends, the answer seems to be somewhere in the middle.
In the second quarter, net sales came in at $2.66 billion, moderately lower than the $3.02 billion delivered in the year-ago quarter. Comps declined 11.9% year over year, mostly due to failed merchandising and promotions, markdowns, renovations, and an ineffective remerchandising of the Home department. The bears would be smiling right about now, but a positive trend also exists.
For instance, comps increased 470 basis points sequentially, and overall sales improved in each month of the second quarter. J.C. Penney expects this trend to continue in the second half. Therefore, it's possible that CEO Mike Ullman's fixes are in motion.
Retailers and consumers go hand in hand. If the consumer is weak, then there's little hope for most retailers. J.C. Penney could limit the damage with promotions, which may attract value-conscious consumers, but industry trends are still more powerful than any promotion. Currently, there are several issues to worry about.
The housing market plays a big role in consumer confidence. When housing prices appreciate, homeowners feel wealthier and they spend more. Housing prices only appreciate when demand is high. Over the past few years, extremely low supply and historically low mortgage rates have driven demand higher. Currently, however, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate stands at 4.69%, considerably higher than the 3.53% rate in January. As mortgage rates continue to creep higher, fewer people purchase homes, and home prices retreat. This, in turn, leads to a weaker consumer, a headwind for J.C. Penney and retail in general.
Then there's underemployment. The economy added 169,000 jobs in August, and the unemployment rate fell to 7.3%. However, what most people don't pay attention to is that the July number for jobs added was revised down to 104,000 versus the original report of 162,000. And, as you might already know, labor force participation continues to decline. Once again, this will negatively impact the consumer, which will then limit potential for J.C. Penney. In addition to these headwinds, consumers must contend with high gas prices and a 2% increase in the payroll tax.
J.C. Penney vs. Peers
Given these headwinds, let's see how J.C. Penney stacks up against its peers.
J.C. Penney is like Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) in that it offers a broad array of brands and products at discounted prices. However, J.C. Penney is more often brought up in conversation with Macy's (NYSE: M), which had been a Wall Street darling up until about one month ago.
Macy's is known as a top-notch retailer because of its strong fundamentals and its ability to appeal to almost every consumer. But it recently missed earnings expectations for the first time in six years. This, combined with Wal-Mart's warning of a weakening consumer is concerning for retail as a whole. Macy's stock has paid the price, depreciating 8% over the past month, at a time when J.C. Penney's stock appreciated nearly 10% on turnaround hopes. This is the complete opposite of what took place over the past five years.
If you're beginning to favor J.C. Penney over Macy's, don't get too excited just yet. While J.C. Penney has more upside potential on a turnaround, it's not nearly as stable as its peers.
Earnings trends haven't impressed either:
Also, J.C. Penney has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.51 versus much healthier debt-to-equity ratios of 0.76 and 1.18 for Kohl's and Macy's, respectively. These healthier fiscal positions also allow Kohl's and Macy's to pay dividends. They currently yield 2.7% and 2%, respectively, whereas J.C. Penney doesn't offer any yield.
J.C. Penney is likely to improve, but not enough to consistently grow during such a difficult macroeconomic environment. Expect a lot of ups and downs. If you want to roll the dice, it can be looked at as a good speculative play. If you're looking to invest in more financially stable operations and like to collect dividend payments, then Kohl's and Macy's will be better options. That said, none of these names may be resilient if the consumer weakens.
Looking for Businesses That Are Resilient?
The retail space is in the midst of the biggest paradigm shift since mail order took off at the turn of last century. Only those most forward-looking and capable companies will survive, and they'll handsomely reward those investors who understand the landscape. You can read about the 3 Companies Ready to Rule Retail in The Motley Fool's special report. Uncovering these top picks is free today; just click here to read more.
The article J.C. Penney Is Turning Itself Around, but Stiff Headwinds Exist originally appeared on Fool.com.
Dan Moskowitz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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In the course of the Digital Arts earnings name at this time, administration shared an replace on the corporate’s stance on supporting the Nintendo Swap. To date, EA has solely launched 5 video games on Swap, together with FIFA 18, FIFA 19, FIFA 20, Unravel Two, and Fe. However trying forward, can followers anticipate extra releases on Swap.
EA CFO Blake Jorgensen stated EA has been “more than happy” with “how effectively Nintendo has executed with the Swap.” Nintendo only in the near past introduced that the Swap has handed 52.48 million items bought, which is a really robust begin for the system that launched in 2017.
The manager stated EA is “all the time” discussing concepts with Nintendo for future sport help. “Because the platform grows, our curiosity in growing for it grows,” Jorgsensen stated.
Jorgensen went on to say that EA has been cautious to this point with supporting the Swap as a result of the platform’s best-selling video games are made by Nintendo. That being stated, with greater than 52 million consoles bought, it appears the Swap has reached a important mass for EA.
The manager teased, “You’ll hear some extra issues” sooner or later about EA’s plans to help the Swap.
For extra on EA’s earnings report at this time, try the tales under.


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Bothwell Cheese has shut down its plant in New Bothwell after recalling some shredded cheese products for possible Listeria contamination.
Mike Raftis, director of sales and marketing, says they believe the contamination could stem from a newly installed piece of equipment. He notes that equipment has already been decommissioned and removed from the plant.
Raftis adds the shredded cheese is the only product which ran on that particular line. But he says they are also being proactive and sanitizing the entire plant from the top down.
Raftis expects they will go back into production Wednesday or Thursday.
He says this is the first time ever the plant has had a contamination scare and adds it's embarrassing.
Raftis says most of the cheese affected by the recall was sold in Manitoba although some also went to Quebec and Saskatchewan.


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European data regulators issued EUR2.92 billion (USD3.10 billion / GBP2.54 billion) in GDPR fines last year – a 168% increase on the previous year – according to global law firm DLA Piper
Global law firm DLA Piper publishes the 2023 edition of its annual GDPR and Data Breach survey revealing total fines issued for a wide range of GDPR infringements and the league table of fines issued by country since January 28th 2022. The survey covers all 27 Member States of the European Union, plus the UK, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
- European data protection supervisory authorities have issued EUR2.92 billion (USD3.10 billion / GBP2.54 billion)* since 28 January 2022, a 168% increase against the previous year
- Significant penalties levied against Meta IE by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) place a spotlight on the “grand bargain” between consumers and online service providers: “free” services in exchange for consumers’ personal data which can then be used to create lucrative advertising profiles. The fines attack the cornerstone of this “grand bargain”
- This year’s highest fine of EUR 405 million (USD429 million / GBP352 million) was imposed by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner against Meta Platforms Ireland Limited relating to Instagram for various alleged failures to protect children’s personal data.
- The average number of notified data breaches per day fell slightly from 328 notifications per day to 300 notifications per day** suggesting that organisations might be becoming warier of notifying breaches for fear of investigations, fines and compensation claims. The Netherlands remains at the top of the table for the number of breach notifications made per 100,000 capita
- Luxembourg remains at the top of the country league table for the highest GDPR fine imposed since 25 May 2018: a fine of EUR 746 million (USD790 million / GBP649 million). But Ireland is catching up, taking the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th places in the country fines league table after a very busy year for the DPC
- With so many technology firms based in Ireland or Luxembourg and the continued focus of European data regulators on this sector, DLA Piper foresees Ireland and Luxembourg likely remaining at the top of the league table for years to come
Global law firm DLA Piper has today published the findings of its annual GDPR and Data Breach Survey. The Europe-wide*** survey has revealed another record year with a 168% year on year increase in the total value of fines issued across Europe.
Among the largest fines levied were those against Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. (Meta) demonstrating that social media, and its reliance on extensive processing of personal data, have been a particular focus of regulatory action. Several of the largest fines imposed against Meta this year by the Irish DPC relate to Facebook and Instagram’s behavioral profiling of users and whether the lawful basis of “contract necessity” can be used to legitimise the mass harvesting of personal data. While the Irish DPC originally concluded that this was possible, the influential European Data Protection Board disagreed. The resulting fines raise serious questions about the grand bargain struck between consumers and service providers, and how “free” online services will be funded going forward. Given what is at stake, DLA Piper expects these decisions to be appealed and years of subsequent litigation.
The survey also reveals a year which saw the volume of data breaches notified to supervisory authorities decrease slightly against the previous year’s total. The average daily total dropped from 328 notifications per day to 300 per day this year. This may in part be a sign that organisations are becoming more wary of notifying data breaches to regulators for fear of investigations, fines and compensation claims.
While personal data issues around advertising and social media have dominated headlines this year, there is a growing focus on Artificial Intelligence, and the role of personal data used to train AI. Most prominently this year multiple investigations into facial recognition company Clearview AI took place following complaints by digital rights organisations, including Max Schrems’s organisation My Privacy is None of your Business (NOYB) with several fines issued. As AI and machine learning platforms continue to become more ubiquitous, the survey predicts more regulatory investigations and enforcement for the year ahead with a focus on both providers and users of AI.
The survey also reports some notable decisions made by data protection supervisory authorities this year considering the application of the Schrems II and Chapter V GDPR requirements to specific international transfers of personal data. Data protection supervisory authorities have argued that it is not possible to adopt a risk-based approach when assessing transfers of personal data to “third countries”, in essence arguing that transfers are prohibited if the mere possibility of foreign governmental access gives rise to any risk of harm (however trivial and however unlikely).
Commenting on the survey, Ewa Kurowska-Tober, Global Co-Chair Data Protection and Cybersecurity at DLA Piper said: “A proportionate, risk based approach to the interpretation of GDPR’s restrictions on international transfers of personal data is not just permitted but, in our view, legally required. Adopting an “absolutist” approach to transfer restrictions and effectively outlawing any transfer of personal data, however trivial the risk of harm, risks real lasting harm to consumers. Transfers have many benefits for consumers and for society, by ensuring the rapid development and roll-out of vaccines, by enabling effective oversight and regulation of business and by providing access to online services enjoyed by billions of people. We hope that supervisory authorities reconsider the absolutist approach adopted in these early enforcement decisions.”
Ross McKean, Chair of the UK Data Protection and Cybersecurity Group added: “The spate of Irish Data Protection Commissioner fines targeting the behavioral advertising practices of social media platforms this year have the potential to be every bit as profound for the future of the “grand bargain” at the heart of today’s “free” internet, as Schrems II has been for international data transfers. Given what is at stake, we can expect years of appeals and litigation. The law is very far from settled on these issues.”
* The DLA Piper survey uses the following exchange rate: EUR 1 = USD 1.06 / GBP 0.87.
** Not all the countries covered by this report make breach notification statistics publicly available and many provided data for only part of the period covered by this report. We have, therefore, had to extrapolate the data to cover the full period. It is also possible that some of the breaches reported relate to the regime before GDPR. As a number of data protection supervisory authorities have now issued annual reports for 2021, some figures in last year’s report that were previously extrapolated have been updated in this report.


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Swizz Beatz and Timbaland sold their Verzuz webcast series to the video-sharing social network Triller back in 2021. However, they have since filed to sue the app for $28 million.
The classic hip hop duo claim that Triller has been negligent with due payments in 2022 and when they have made requests to the company, it has refused to respond, leaving them no other course of action available other than to pursue the matter legally.
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have claimed that they received payments in January and April 2021, however, Triller has since defaulted on payments that were due in 2022. A new payment plan was then agreed upon, but these have also been defaulted on.
This isn’t the first time the streaming service has landed in hot water. Back in 2021, Universal Music Group pulled its back catalogue from the app over a royalty payment dispute.
The issue with Swizz Beatz and Timbaland is exacerbated further still because of the fact that all contributing artists to Verzuz are owed equity for its sale to Triller. This means that D’Angelo, DMX, Alicia Keys, 2 Chainz, Rick Ross, Gucci Mane, Jeezy, RZA, Nelly, Brandy, Monica, Gladys Knight, T-Pain, Lil Jon, Erykah Badu and more, have also been short-changed.
As of yet, Triller are yet to comment on the matter. However, further details are expected the emerge in the coming weeks.


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Police: Stolen RV recovered with about 10 dogs still inside
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - Police in western Washington state say they've recovered a stolen motor home and reunited its owner with about 10 dogs that were inside.
Authorities tell KING-TV that police in Lacey on Saturday also took into custody one person in connection with the case.
Officials say someone stole the Winnebago on Friday evening from the parking lot of a Federal Way sporting goods store. That's about 35 miles from where police in Lacey recovered the vehicle.
Police say surveillance video shows a young man with black hair and a red, white and black backpack stealing the RV.
Police say the show and service dogs include a Doberman pinscher, five toy fox terrier puppies, three miniature pinschers and a poodle.
Desktop NewsClick to open Continuous News in a sidebar that updates in real-time.
Deputies arrest alleged Amazon package thief in Ascension Parish
One transported after pedestrian hit on Thomas H. Delpit Drive
Virgina College's Baton Rouge campus to hold las day of classes today
NFL player from Baton Rouge buys out Burlington Coat Factory layaways
Some Baton Rouge area Amazon customers still report delivery issues


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What is in this article?:
- Regulatory expert talks Dannon settlement, food safety and tainted supplements
- Food safety bill emphasizes need for better science
- Two clinical studies not the de facto substantiation requirement
- Criminal liability
Recent actions by the FDA and FTC all point to a growing need for better science to support food and dietary supplement products, says attorney James Prochnow.
Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have been coming down fast and furious on food, beverage and dietary supplement companies in recent years.
The FDA is focused on eliminating unsafe or adulterated products from the market, as was reflected in the agency’s announcement yesterday that it is stepping up actions to eradicate tainted supplement products from U.S. market. Meanwhile, the FTC is focused on ensuring companies no longer market or label their products with unsubstantiated health claims. The agency’s latest victory in this effort also came yesterday, when the Dannon Company agreed to pay a $21 million settlement with the FTC and individual state agencies over charges of deceptive advertising for its Activia and DanActive products.
NewHope360.com spoke today with longtime food and dietary supplement legal expert James Prochnow, an attorney with the law firm Greenberg Traurig, about these and other recent regulatory-related events. Below is an edited transcript of our conversation.
Dannon’s $21 million settlement is the largest of its kind involving alleged deceptive claims by a food company. What does this settlement mean for Dannon and its products?
James Prochnow: Dannon has been involved in a lot of litigation over the last year. I don’t know if this will be its last settlement, but it is another significant step in the company’s efforts to put behind it the controversy surrounding its lack of scientific support for the claims that it has made for Activia and DanActive.
Dannon maintains that it did nothing wrong regarding its DanActive claims. Why do think the company settled on everything rather than attempting to take on the FTC as POM Wonderful is doing?
JP:I think POM Wonderful reacted too quickly by filing its lawsuit against the FTC.
All of this is part of what has been to me a very obvious effort by the government agencies over the last three years to give a strong push toward both food and dietary supplement companies to get more science behind their claims. I have been advising clients for five years to do this, and every month it becomes more obvious that good science—not marginal or trick science—is absolutely necessary to sell products that people are being asked to put into their bodies. This latest Dannon-FTC consent decree is the latest punctuation mark in the call for better science. And it’s not just the government making the call—it’s also the responsible trade associations and responsible companies.


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The latest edition of Apple’s iOS operating system, unveiled at WWDC this week, will provide a way for apps relevant to a user’s location to be promoted on their iPhone home screen, MacRumours reports. Using Location Services, apps like the Apple Store and Starbucks are appearing when users are near one of their stores. Other users say they have seen apps they haven’t yet installed appear. Swiping on these take users to the location’s App Store page.
- NFC mobile payments roll out in Saudi Arabia
- VTB switches on Huawei Pay at retail outlets across Russia
- P2P payments gain acceptance across all US age groups
- Malibu adds NFC tags to 300,000 bottles for ‘Because Summer’ campaign
- Mastercard and Worldpay to let merchants accept payments direct from customers’ bank accounts


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The inaugural edition of Vizag Fintech Festival 2018, an initiative by Government of Andhra Pradesh and organized by Fintech Valley Vizag was held from 22nd – 26th October 2018 at Hotel Novotel, Vizag.
VizagFintech Festival was a one-of-its-kind in the fintech domain, as the most comprehensive and reputed global platform where India’s key industry players of the Financial and Start-up ecosystem came together to discuss industry trends, challenges and market insights including the Indian regulatory framework. The event also showcased product launches, innovations, and augmented the forethought through the exhibition and a conference platform.
The Vizag Fintech Festival was a 5-day event which saw more than 75 start-ups as exhibitors and over 2,500 delegates and visitors from around 20 countries.
The festival saw the presence of dignitaries like N. Chandra Babu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Nara Lokesh, Hon’ble IT Minister, Sri. Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Hon’ble Minister for Education, Sri. JA Chaudhary, IT Advisor to Govt. of AP, Sri. K. Vijayanand, IAS, Principal Secretary ITE&C Dept., and Sri. Anoop Singh, IFS, Special Secretary – ITE&C Dept.
VizagFintech Festival 2018 also featured a series of exciting events including CXO Golf Tournament, CXO Roundtable, Networking Reception, Comic Relief, Re-Imagine Tour, Demo Day and Awards, and Site Tours.
The VFF 2018 conference program included various industry discussions, new insights pertaining to the sector and industry best practices. The conference themes included ankTech, InsurTech, GovTech, Financial Inclusion and EmergeTech. A few topics for the speaker sessions and panel discussions included ‘Future of banking’, ‘Social Impact through Fintech’, ‘Fintech Landscape in India and Rest of the World’ and ‘InsureTech Trends’.
VFF 2018 hosted eight keynotes along with panel discussions, case study presentation & fireside chats that brought together stakeholders of the industry on a single platform, allowing exchange of ideas that added value to Indian Fintech ecosystem at large.
VFF 2018 also launched a white paper on KPMG Blockchain – Thought Leadership. The white paper was launched by Mr. Kunal Pandey, Head - Financial Services in Risk Consulting, KPMG, Shri. Vijayanand, IAS, Principal Secretary- ITE &C, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh and Shri. JA Chowdary, IT Advisor to CM of Andhra Pradesh.
The third day witnessed the unveiling of the world’s first humanoid citizen robot, Sophia. Sophia is a highly sought-after speaker in business and has showed her prowess and great potential across many industries. She has appeared on-stage as a panel member and a presenter in high-level conferences, covering how robotics and artificial intelligence will become a prevalent part of people’s lives. Her reputation extends beyond business into the global and social arena. She was named the world’s first United Nation Innovation Champion by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and will have an official role in working with UNDP to promote sustainable development and safeguard human rights and equality.
The following day saw the most exciting session of the festival with Sophia engaging in an intriguing interaction with the Hon’ble IT Minister, Sri. Nara Lokesh, and the audience.
The $1Mn Challenge was being conducted worldwide enabling startups to showcase their products and solutions. With roadshows in 8 major cities (Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Paris, London, Hong Kong and Bangalore) around the globe, the challenge culminated in Vizag with 37 finalists from around the world pitching on Demo Day. The Government of Andhra Pradesh, in strategic collaboration with its challenge partners, DCF Ventures and Bizofit selected two startups each from Fintech, Agritech and Emergetech, as winners of the first ever 1 Million $ Global Startup Challenge as the grand finale of the 5 day festival.
All the 37 startups had an opportunity to exhibit at the VizagFintech Festival 2018 to more than 1500 global delegates comprising of VCs, angel investors and corporate partners. All the winners and finalists were awarded prizes by the Hon’ble IT Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Sri. Nara Lokesh.
Vizag, with its remarkable technology ecosystem, is now the most attractive destination for innovation driven Fintech players. Not only Indian marquee companies but also several foreign companies have pledged to invest in the city, generating jobs in the near future. Vishakhapatnam is being developed as the most preferred global destination for Fintech and other emerging technology companies around the world, to start their operations and to drive innovation.
About Fintech Valley Vizag:
The Fintech Valley in Vizag is a self-sustainable global Fintech Ecosystem promoted by Government of Andhra Pradesh. It focuses on converging finance and technology to create large avenues of growth through industry-enablers, world-class infrastructure, entrepreneurship and innovation.
About SingEx India:
SingEx Exhibitions is a subsidiary of SingEx Holdings, and is wholly owned by Singapore’s investment company, Temasek Holdings. The company harnesses insights and its strategic networks to organise and manage a series of trade exhibitions and conferences in various industries including automotive, education, environment, e-commerce and logistics, technology, healthcare and lifestyle. These events aim to connect businesses in Asia and globally, and facilitate business matching opportunities and knowledge sharing.


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By Cecilia Butini
Merck KgaA said Wednesday that it is going to invest 20 million euros ($23.6 million) to expand its manufacturing capacity of organic light-emitting diodes, or OLED, in Korea and China.
OLED materials are used in panel and display production.
The German pharmaceutical and chemicals company said the expansion--which builds on its Performance Materials segment--will be at its sites in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, and Shanghai, China.
The EUR20 million investment will be used to build a new modular production system which is set to facilitate the installation of sublimation units in line with market requirements, Merck said.
Sublimation is a chemical process which OLED materials need to go through in order to guarantee their performance when used in displays.
"As new form factors enabled by OLED technology - such as foldable and rollable displays - continue to penetrate the market, Merck is expanding its OLED manufacturing capacities in Asia to meet the increasing demand for high-purity OLED materials", the company said.
Write to Cecilia Butini at email@example.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires


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Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is a wildly popular branch of fintech that lets a consumer take immediate possession of a pair of $200 sunglasses and feel like they only paid $50. Truth bomb? They will have to fork over the remaining $150 eventually (through installments). And they may pay some stiff late fee if they pay late or miss a payment.
BNPL has become controversial for a couple of reasons. One is that many just see it as a bad business. Investors are no longer super eager to pour money into BNPL platforms that are losing money and drawing negative attention from regulators around the world. Notably, BNPL platforms are starting to realize the acronym is getting toxic and have begun referring to themselves as part of the “flexible payment industry.” I think we will stick with “buy now, pay later”, for now at least.
This leads us to the second source of controversy. Those regulators are coming after BNPL (in the UK, Australia, and elsewhere) largely because it is seen as helping to inflate a consumer debt bubble. In particular among younger consumers who really love BNPL. See the above example of the $200 sunglasses to understand why GenZs love BNPL so much.
More Tailwinds Than Headwinds
Yet the more we write about how BNPL has attracted intense criticism — both as a business and as a consumer trend — the more it seems that BNPL grows. And again, this is true both as a business and a consumer trend.
Here are a few recent examples that help illustrate why BNPL still seems to have quite a bit of life left in it.
First, inflation, the cost of living crisis, or whatever term you care to use to describe this year’s global surge in prices, seems to have been a tailwind (positive force) for BNPL.
Citing a variety of surveys, Yahoo Money reported this week that American consumers leaned more heavily on BNPL for often ordinary purchases this year. And inflation was the lead motivator for this behavioral shift.
On the first episode of Localogy’s This Week in Local podcast, I remarked that inflation is a likely tailwind for BNPL because it allows the consumer to buy an item at today’s price and pay for it in installments. This hedge against inflation may well motivate some consumers, especially if they fear the price of a larger ticket item will rise before they finish paying it off.
Rising interest rates are a double-edged sword for BNPL. The rising cost of money adds significant cost to BNPL players’ books. Yet it may also push more consumers to use BNPL. The cost blade feels sharper to us. And we won’t be surprised if it fells some weaker BNPL players in the new year.
BNPL’s Verticalization Continues
Another trend we’ve followed this year, the verticalization of BNPL, also seems to be continuing apace. Remember “Gas Now, Pay Later”? This provides more support for the view that the growing controversies over BNPL’s popularity have failed to blunt BNPL’s progress.
For example, the U.S. BNPL platform Sezzle announced this week that it was bringing the BNPL concept to college books. And any parent of college-age children will attest to the high cost of books.
Sezzle is among the more challenged players in BNPL. In February, the Australian BNPL player ZipCo agreed to acquire Sezzle, a deal that rescued Sezzle from the prospects of competing with much bigger BNPL players. However, by July, ZipCo had called off the acquisition, citing a tough macroeconomic environment for fintech (rising interest rates, etc.) ZipCo had to pay Sezzle an $11 million termination fee.
And finally, we saw another announcement this week involving the application of BNPL to travel. “Fly now, pay later” has been in the fintech lexicon for a little while now. And it looks like it isn’t going away any time soon.
In fact, there is an actual company that goes by the name Fly Now, Pay Later. And it has forged a partnership with travel company Worldline to integrate FNPL into Worldline’s travel payments solution TravelHub. The company cites research showing that “flexible payment” (i.e., BNPL) options lead to higher spending on travel. Go figure.


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The ProPak team are very excited to announce the launch of a series of webinars, in collaboration with the World Packaging Organisation (WPO), we will be running over the coming months
Yangon – With ProPak Myanmar ending in success, the contributions of the exhibition continue to fuel growth among local manufacturing sectors amidst the uncertainty of the global economy.
Yangon – ProPak Myanmar 2019, Myanmar’s largest industry event of its kind, will return for its 6th edition for manufacturers to interact with the latest technologies and industry professionals
From second left Daw Tin Su Hlaing (Secretary of Myanmar Retailer Association), U Aye Win (Chairman, Myanmar Food Processors & Exporters Association), Daw Nyein Nyein Aye (Event Director of UBM Myanmar)
Yangon, the 6th edition of ProPak Myanmar is held for manufacturers and those involved in processing, packaging, filling, quality assurance, testing and measurement sectors, and their related fields of automation, transportation, storage


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There may be no other furniture store as associated with its distinct concessions than IKEA. Some even flock to the store moreso for their iconic Swedish meatballs than they do for the actual furniture. Perhaps that’s why it’s not a a complete surprise that IKEA, which just celebrated its 80th anniversary, also noted in its Annual Summary that American customers ate over 54 million meatballs during 2023, country-wide.
Developed in 1985 by Swedish chef Severin Sjöstedt, the meatball has been sold to hordes of fans ever since. During the early days of the pandemic, IKEA even released a recipe so meatball lovers could make the meatballs at home. Did you know that Ikea has also tapped into the plant-based sector? They sold over 4 million “plant balls” in 2023 alone. They also have chicken, vegetarian and salmon variations, too.
In a video on an IKEA food site, Sjöstedt himself talks about how the recipe came about, working on it and developing (and developing) the meatball for about 10 months before landing on the ideal version. “For me, the meatball is so much the IKEA culture,” he said. “It’s convenient, it’s Swedish and pretty much for everybody. And it’s still served in all of the restaurants in IKEA stores in the world, joined by a whole family of different kinds of meatballs.”


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“Waiving visas is inevitable because the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand is really big,” said Vichit Prakobgosol, honorary director for the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association and chairman of CCT Group, a travel service consultancy.
Neither Thai nor Chinese tourist operators were surprised at the two governments’ decision to discuss waiving visas for both sides’ visitors on Friday.
Lower costs and more convenience will encourage more Chinese tourists and investors to visit Thailand, said Vichit, whose company estimates it will receive 300,000 Chinese tourists this year.
Vichit said he believed about 5 million Chinese will visit Thailand next year if such a policy can take effect in 2014.
China is now the biggest source of tourists to Thailand, with about 3.22 million Chinese visiting in the first eight months of 2013, up 88.42 percent over the same period of 2012, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
If 2 million Chinese tourists come to Thailand per year on a 15-day visa that costs $25, Thailand could earn more than 1 billion baht ($32 million) a year in visa fees alone, according to the Bangkok-based TTR Weekly.
Wang Dong, a Chinese businessman in Bangkok, said what’s more important than saving money is the time saved, with better scope for business.
“The Thai visa is not as difficult or expensive to get as many other countries, but for a frequent visitor who lives in a small city, I have to hire a travel agency to help me mail my documents to the consulate in Shanghai. It’s troublesome,” said Wang.
Currently, only the Thai embassy in Beijing and consulates in seven other big cities including Shanghai and Guangzhou can process visa applications in China.
The young generation nowadays enjoy spontaneous and independent trips. A visa exemption will give them another excuse to do this, said Zhang Guangrui, director of the tourism research center with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.


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Motorola’s don’ts for Razr foldable phone: Avoid sharp objects, screen protector, and more
Motorola in its instructional video explains how users can take care of the Razr foldable phone.
Motorola's first-ever foldable phone 'Motorola Razr' is finally ready for the commercial launch. Even as the company has started accepting pre-orders, Motorola has released a new video which aims to educate users on how to take care of the foldable phone.
In its video, Motorola says the screen is made to bend therefore "bumps and lumps" are normal. The company also asks users to avoid sharp objects and not use any screen protector. Motorola adds Razr is water repellent and users can wipe water with a dry cloth if wet.
Motorola's tips for taking care of the Razr foldable phone aren't very surprising. The foldable phones are still at a nascent stage and haven't fared well in terms of durability. Take Samsung's Galaxy Fold for example. The phone was delayed for multiple months due to critical and design issues.
When Samsung launched the Galaxy Fold, it had released a similar instructional video on how to take care of the foldable phone. The company, however, had a longer list of instructions ranging from keeping the foldable free of water and dust to avoid keeping the phone close to items such as keys, medical devices or credit cards.
As far as Motorola Razr goes, the phone recently went up for pre-order in the US. Scheduled to go on sale early February, the foldable phone is scheduled to launch in India as well.
To recap, Motorola Razr comes with a 6.2-inch pOLED foldable display (fully opened) and a secondary 2.7-inch OLED touchscreen. It runs on Snapdragon 710 processor with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The phone has a 16-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel selfie camera. Other important features of the phone include USB Type-C, fingerprint sensor, and 2,510mAh battery.
Follow HT Tech for the latest tech news and reviews , also keep up with us on Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.


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Gloucester MP Richard Graham and City Council Leader Paul James joined forces today with business associations to push for a new Enterprise Zone in Gloucester's Railway Triangle as part of a bid by Gloucestershire's Local Enterprise Partmership.
Gloucester FSB Chairman Mark Owen added the support of his 700 members: 'Yes this would be good news for Gloucester. We badly need more jobs in the city, and the Railway Triangle has the scale and potential to provide them. An Enterprise Zone should attract some decent sized businesses with supply chain and sub contracting opportunities for smaller businesses in Gloucester'.
One question raised is whether an Enterprise Zone would have ny knock on impact on city centre shopping. Gloucester Chamber of Trade and Commerce President Mark Boyce is reassured that 'although I understand Morrisons has committed to the area, the point of an EZ is manufacturing and related activity like training, not a retail park, so I back this bid which is complimentary to the city centre - and in fact 1,000 new jobs should bring more shoppers into the city'.
The bid also has the backing of Gloucester's largest city centre business, Ecclesiastical, as well as county businesses like Kier Moss, Hazlewoods and Rickerbys.
Richard Graham said 'one of the bidding criteria is showing the degree of business support, and Paul and I have just written to fifty of the major employers in and around Gloucester to do just that. This is all about Gloucester pulling together to make the business regeneration of the Railway Triangle a success. Let's turn 20 years of failure into something for the city to be proud of.'
And Paul James added 'the Triangle is one of our great regeneration challenges, and I believe EZ status would be a great help in transforming it. So let us know if you back our push and help us to make our bid as strongly as we can'


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- The Korean won's strong performance over the last six months is leading a growing number of analysts to worry Samsung's (SSNLF, SSNGY) Q4 results will miss estimates.
- The company's chip business is especially vulnerable to forex swings, since it relies on dollars for order settlement. BNP Paribas estimates every 1% change in the won/dollar exchange rate hurts the op. profit of Samsung's chip division by 4%.
- Citing exchange rates and (to a lesser extent) margin pressure for Samsung's OLED display business, IBK Investment is now expecting the electronics/display/chip giant to post a Q4 op. profit of KWT9.5T ($9.04B), below a KWT10.3T Thomson Reuters consensus.
- Korean automakers Hyundai (HYMLF -5.1%) and Kia (KIMTF -6.1%) also fell hard in Seoul overnight. South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index fell 2.2%.
- Korean ETFs: EWY, FKO, KORU, KORZ, DXKW
Samsung drops 4.6% in Seoul amid forex worries
Jan 2 2014, 10:40 ET


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Our team is excited to announce that DesignHammer has been recognized by international B2B agency review platform Clutch as the fifth top-performing B2B agency in all of North Carolina.
Cary-based video game company Epic Games, creator of Fortnite and the Unreal Engine, recently initiated a public attack on Apple’s brand image over the 30% fee taken from in-app purchases made through the iOS Store; sparking an intense legal debate that has garnered a lot of attention in the past months.
Eager to satisfy our need to connect as humans, WRAL interviewed five of NC’s largest networking member groups to see how they felt about returning to in-person events. Here’s what CED (Council of Entrepreneurial Development) had to say.
Inclusivity has become a high priority in Gen Z’s marketing expectations from their favorite brands. Here is why every industry needs to ensure inclusion and diversity are important elements in their content marketing strategy, even the tech industry.
Today is World Usability Day, an annual reminder to “promote the values of usability, usability engineering, user-centered design, universal usability, and every user's responsibility to ask for things that work better.” This year’s theme is Human-Centered AI, and hopefully not the murder-death-kill machine variety of Artificial Intelligence.
Brazil is joining California and the European Union with its own "LGPD" personal data privacy legislation. Here's everything you need to know about the new law, including who will be protected by it and which organizations will be impacted by it.
The future of computing is in “the cloud,” but could we soon find the cloud is actually at the bottom of the sea? Microsoft is experimenting with undersea data centers to overcome common terrestrial computing problems. But does the idea hold water?
The future of marketing is funny, deal with it. Internet culture is evolving rapidly and content marketing strategies are evolving with it. Premium brands have noticed over time that laughter sells and are finding creative ways to capitalize on that.
Less than a month after schools in rural North Carolina areas were faced with the impact of lack of access to high-speed internet in the face of new virtual learning guidelines, the state is providing solutions.
Changes are on the horizon for European Union data privacy and organizations that use or want to use EU citizen's private data need to be aware of these significant changes.


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Thank to the might social media! In the next 2 weeks from my post, I have managed to get in touch with a few major potential leads from Major bike sharing companies, liquidators, recycling factory and government authority.
On 15th March, I took a flight from Yangon to Beijing to visit the first bicycle junkyard in China. There are thousands of bicycles lying around waiting to be dismantled and then sent to recycling plant. Bicycle which cost USD 400-500 to make are now only worth USD 10. Energy and resources went into the making of these bicycles and more energy will now be wasted to recycle them. I need to allocate these bikes to needy ones!
After my trip to Beijing, i started working on the logistics costs and the refurbishing process to turn these waste into opportunity for the poor students.
Around last week of March, one of my close contact has brought me probably the best news in my life. After the withdrawal of bicycle sharing companies in the region, there are many brand news bikes at warehousing across Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia for sales! These brand news bikes are in perfect condition and it will only cost me less than a fraction of its original price! I immediately started to work on this lead and started my process of importing the first 10,000 brand news bikes into Myanmar for the students!


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Law enforcement officials have reported the death of fashion designer, Kate Spade.
According to TMZ, she was found at 10:20 AM ET and had hanged herself in her Park Avenue home.
The designer was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kate was 55.
Kate Valentine, formerly known as Kate Spade was an American fashion designer and businesswoman.
In 1993, Kate and Andy Spade launched the New York-based design company “kate spade handbags.”
In 2006, Kate sold the last of her shares in that company and launched a new fashion called Frances Valentine with her partners.
More to come.
I've always wanted to be the modern-day Carrie Bradshaw :) Fashion and beauty is something I'm obsessed with and my goal is deliver the latest trends within the industry, in a super conversational and digestible way.


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Why Germany’s shoemakers are also on the sneaker hunt – and the survey results published today by the German Consumer Protection Association underscore the importance of footwear repair
Joint press release of the Round Table Repair and the Central Association of the Shoemaking Trade
The results of a consumer survey published today on the subject of shoe repair prove how difficult Germany’s shoemakers have it with shoe repair. 64 percent of those surveyed gave as their reason that many shoes cannot be repaired at all. But this is wrong. Most shoes can be repaired or even retreaded. In fact, however, many consumers feel that shoe repair is too expensive – compared to the purchase price.
The fact that 47 percent of those surveyed cannot find a repair shop nearby is understandable, however. After all, the declining demand for repairs has led to more and more shoemakers having to give up.
This must change! So it’s all the more gratifying that these days, the topic of throwaway shoes is getting more and more attention. For example, in the broadcast format “Sneaker Hunt”. Sneaker Hunt is an exciting and well-done format to make greenwashing, especially by the big shoe brands, an issue. Because the truth behind the green promises and collection campaigns is – as this research proves – anything but sustainable.
There are many reasons why textiles and shoes have become disposable items. Exploitation of workers in shoe factories worldwide and in Europe. Shoes that are so poorly made that they look outdated and used up after a short time and break.
There is a system behind this. Rapid wear and tear is intended to fuel new purchases just as much as the “sustainability lie” surrounding recycling, which manufacturers now use to redeem themselves. All this is also highly damaging to the environment and climate: textiles and shoes have a larger ecological footprint than air travel.
This doesn’t have to be the case: on the one hand, there are now also small brands that really take sustainability seriously, and secondly, there are shoemakers who can repair and “retread” many old-looking shoes so that they look “almost like new” – or better.
The National Association of Shoemakers has been working with the Repair Round Table since the beginning of the year to bring shoe repair to people’s attention and to make it easier and more attractive. To this end, a network of scientists, suppliers and manufacturers as well as shoe designers is being formed. The result of the project, which is co-financed by the Federal Environment Agency as part of its funding of associations, will be a roadmap showing what needs to be done to ensure that more shoes are repaired and worn for longer in the future.
After all, the only truly sustainable shoe is one that is either not produced in the first place or one that is worn, cared for and repaired for a long time.
That’s why the Central Association of the German Shoemaking Trade is offering the show creators of “Sneakerjagd” to repair a pair of shoes of their choice for all participating celebrities who don’t want to throw them away. We are sure: This attempt will convince them that going to the shoemaker is worth it.
The barriers to shoe repair are currently still high. The number of shoe repair shops – as a result of falling demand – has been steadily declining for decades. Many consumers no longer even know where to find a shoemaker.
Secondly, most consumers are not aware that there is hardly a shoe that cannot be repaired. This applies not only to high-quality leather shoes, but also to sneakers. Because even sneakers deserve better than a collection garbage can. Especially if you can win election campaigns with them – like Kevin Kühnert. Shoemakers can clean, repair and “retread” sneakers so that they (almost) “look like new” and once again serve their purpose for a long time and give pleasure.
–> Consumers survey on the topic of shoes
Contacts for queries
Zentralverband des Schuhmacherhandwerks
Johannes-Flintrop-Straße 29, 40822 Mettmann
Tel.: 0176 2866 4387


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This Western-themed roguelike has style to spare, but falls short on ideas.
MSI and EK team up to cool the CPU and power delivery on its MPG Z490 Carbon board
What's the best way to evaluate a game about dismantling spaceships? Break it down.
Massive performance increase promised.
Galaxy S4 brain to hit the open market soon.
Merrifield heading to production 2H13.
Prepare for dual-processor, eight-core smartphones.
Quad-core Cortex-A15, 72-core GeForce.
Cortex-A15 SoC to get CES or MWC launch.
AppliedMicro has announced the first 64-bit ARM-based 'server on a chip,' complete with full LAMP stack.
ARM has unveiled its first 28nm-based Cortex-A15 hard macro, in a move designed to give Intel cause for concern.
The Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona has seen a whole host of new processors announced.
Nvidia announces its intentions to enter the desktop CPU market, while Microsoft confirms ARM version of Windows.
ARM has announced its first Midgard GPU, the Mali-T604, offering a five-fold performance boost.
ARM has confirmed that future chip designs will feature HyperThreading-like technology.
ARM has revealed details of the Eagle, now known as the Cortex A15, application processor.
July 1 2020 | 17:34
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Krispy Kreme is coming back to Houston.
According to a press release Monday, the company signed a development agreement with Dulce Restaurants, LLC, to open a whopping 10 new Krispy Kreme locations in Houston over the next five years.
Soon their donuts will once again go head-to-head with local heavyweight Shipley Do-Nuts and newcomer Dunkin' Donuts, which has been attempting to make inroads in the Houston area this year with three locations.
Dulce also plans on opening 15 shops in Dallas by 2018.
Krispy Kreme closed all of its Houston locations seven years ago, citing a disagreement with franchisees and the company itself.
Currently, you can find prepackaged Krispy Kreme offerings at certain grocery stores and mini-marts, but anyone who has had one of their treats right out off the line knows that that is just not the same.


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HTC is the last of the big mobile phone manufacturers (other than Nokia) not to have announced any plans to build and launch an iPad rival.
However, Chinese-language news outlet Economic Daily reports that HTC may release a 7-inch Android tablet in March with the likely official release date scheduled for next week during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The tablet will probably feature the new HTC Sense user interface overlaid on Google's Android 2.3 (AKA Gingerbread) although Honeycomb shouldn't be discounted.
Other tablets that have reportedly readied by HTC include the Flyer and the Scribe, which could be the two tablets refered to by Economic Daily in the same report as sporting Honeycomb.
However, the fact that we haven't even got a glimpse of either leave us slightly dubious given how frequently past HTC products and prototypes have leaked.
Amongst the other rival tablets expected to come within months are the Motorola Xoom, the RIM Playbook, the Apple iPad 2, The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, the LG Optimus Pad and a number of Android tablets from Huawei, Viewsonic and Archos.


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(Reuters) – Video-streaming device maker Roku Inc said on Friday it had acquired the global distribution rights to Quibi’s content library, nearly three months after the short-form video streaming app was shut down following an unsuccessful run.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Roku, popularly known for its devices used to stream services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, is pushing aggressively into content with its own app, Roku Channel, that offers films and shows produced by other companies.
More than 75 shows and documentaries on Quibi will be available this year on Roku’s free, ad-supported channel.
The Quibi deal marks the company’s entry into the crowded market of original content production.
Quibi, which …
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PAULL’S, LIME TREE AND STITCHERY WIN MAJOR HIGH STREET AWARDS!
Paull’s Fruit & Veg has won the category for the best independent grocer/speciality foods for the THIRD year running in this year’s Elmbridge Retailer of the Year Awards 2016. Plus Lime Tree scooped first prize for the SECOND year running in the best restaurant or café category. And that’s not all.
Stitchery gifts won in the speciality products/ gifts category for the FIRST time which makes a trio of winners for Thames Ditton High Street in these extremely prestigious awards. Now in its fourth year, the Elmbridge Retailer of the Year awards help to celebrate and showcase the fantastic range of shops and services in Elmbridge.
Commenting on these fantastic achievements, Councillor Stuart Selleck, Leader of Elmbridge Council Stuart Selleck said: ‘The awards are going from strength to strengthwith individual categories attracting support for up to 95 different businesses. I would like to thank everyone who voted for their favourite shop, café or restaurant and hope our residents will continue to back their local independents.'


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Berlin’s Android PIT clocked over one million registered users last week, making it the world’s largest independent Android online platform, with plans to reach three million by the end of 2012.
Android PIT started in 2009 as a German-language blog and forum, and quickly expanded to English, Spanish, Russian, French and Portuguese versions. It now provides a wide range of Android-related news and content, servicing fans (and presumably foes) of the operating service worldwide.
A press release on Thursday makes the company’s future growth plans plain: add two additional languages in May 2012, top 10 million unique visitors by the end of the year (up from 1.5 million in March 2011), and make about 30 hires in coming months to reach a total 70 employees.
Android PIT also manages the Android PIT App Centre, one of the five largest independent stores of its kind.
What’s behind Android PIT’s success?
Android PIT’s Yan Matusevich attributes the platform’s growth to good timing – the first Android-related website in the German-speaking blogosphere – and its ambitions to expand. The company plans to roll out another four languages in coming months.


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Mitsubishi Motors says it has found evidence its employees falsified fuel consumption test data for several models of vehicles.
The maker of the eK wagon and Outlander sports-utility vehicle said on Wednesday that the inaccurate tests involved 157,000 of its own brand light passenger cars and 468,000 vehicles produced for Nissan Motor.
Company President Tetsuro Aikawa said the misconduct was reported to the transportation ministry.
The problem was found after Nissan pointed out inconsistencies in emissions data. Mitsubishi conducted an internal probe and data was falsified.
Mitsubishi Motors is suspected of manipulating the load placed on the tires of four different models in order to make their fuel economy performance appear better, Kyodo news reported, citing an unidentified person.
The company's manipulation of tests would further intensify scrutiny of the auto industry after Volkswagen AG's admission last year that it rigged diesel models with software to meet US emissions standards.
"This may be different from Volkswagen's issue, but the market has become very sensitive to such kind of news," Seiji Sugiura, an analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Center, said by phone. "It may have a similar impact in terms of sales and the company's reputation."
Mitsubishi Motors struggled for years to win back consumer trust after a car defects scandal in the early 2000s over cover-ups of problems such as failing brakes, faulty clutches and fuel tanks prone to falling off.
Mitsubishi Motors's disclosure risks doing further damage to consumers' trust in car companies' fuel economy claims. Hyundai Motors and Kia Motors agreed to pay fines and forfeit emissions credits in late 2014 to settle claims they overstated mileage ratings.
Ford lowered ratings for hybrid models in both 2014 and 2013.
The Japanese automaker has been seeking to restore confidence in its vehicles for more than a decade after a series of scandals more than a decade ago led the carmaker to seek multiple bailouts from Mitsubishi group companies. Mitsubishi Motors had covered up defects involving flawed axles that could lead wheels to detach.
"It's again bad for the company's image," Sugiura said.
It's not the first time for Mitsubishi to have this kind of issue, and this definitely won't help them rebuild their reputation.Seiji Sugiura
"It's not the first time for Mitsubishi to have this kind of issue, and this definitely won't help them rebuild their reputation."


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Apple has reportedly "terminated" development of its widely rumored augmented reality glasses project, according to...
Apple may be gearing up to slim down and then completely remove the notch from iPhones over the next two years.
Both iPad 7 (10.2”) and the new iPad (10.5”, non-Pro) are coming. But not at the same time.
They are buggy, they are crash-prone, and they do lose data.
Google says that few people controlled their Nest thermostat with a smartwatch.
Rene Ritchie tells Yahoo Finance’s YFi AM the tech giant has been “misunderstood by the Street for years.
Apple has informed repair staff that the two new MacBook models are eligible for its Keyboard Service program offering...
Apple is expanding availability of its Siri-enabled HomePod speaker this summer with an upcoming launch in Japan, a...
Apple plans to release third-generation AirPods with water resistance in late 2019.
The iOS 12.4 beta 6 has been released, without the support of Apple card yet.
The student deal is back.
Apple Releases Second Public Betas of iOS 13 and iPadOS.
The iPhone 11R is rumored to feature the biggest single-cell battery.
There are tentative rumors that Apple may release new iPhones with Touch ID and not Face ID, for cost reasons.
Texas Hold'Em is available now on the App Store.
How would the future of the iPhone be?
They are likely to be released on Friday, September 20th, 2019.
Apple is working on a new iPad with a foldable display to be launched as soon as 2020.
Apple is trying out a new sign-in process for iCloud on the web.
Bill Gates praised Jobs’ design sensibility and how he was Apple to save Apple from collapsing.
Your iMessage might brick your phone.
There are plenty of rumors that Apple is planning to drop FaceID. To do so would be a mistake.
Apple responded earlier this year, accepting that it was in a powerful position, but denying that the arrangement was...
Apple will use New Scissor-Switch Keyboard in future MacBooks, starting with 2019 MacBook Air Refresh.


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Malaysia Airlines’ loyalty programme, Enrich, is offering members a chance to enjoy up to 50% off flight redemptions from Malaysia to Greater China. The campaign is called "Wo Ai Ni" and is exclusive to the Enrich members.
MAS has also collaborated with Rocketmiles, its lifestyle partner, to further enhance their travel plans to China. Enrich members can utilise their Enrich Miles to redeem for flight tickets.
Malaysia Airlines’ head of loyalty, Khairul Nisa Ismail said Greater China has always been the favourite destination for its loyal members.
"With the Enrich ‘Wo Ai Ni’ campaign, we are strengthening our strong relationship with our members and repaying their loyalty by offering great redemption discounts with up to 50% off for them to enjoy on their next trip to China, Taiwan and Hong Kong from as low as 7,000 Enrich miles,” he added.


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Throughout much of the past year, GM has been grappling with defective battery packs in its Chevy Bolt EVs. The faulty battery packs, which can cause fires in some cases, have been at the center of two recalls and even a pause in Bolt EV production. Now, GM has announced that it has reached an agreement with LG Electronics in regards to covering the cost of these recalls, and it looks like LG is going to be on the hook for much of it.
In its announcement today, GM said that LG will reimburse it “for costs and expenses associated with the recall of Chevrolet Bolt EVs and EUVs due to manufacturing defects in battery modules supplied by LG.” LG’s reimbursement will cover $1.9 billion of the $2 billion GM anticipates paying in relation to the recall, so LG is definitely shouldering the vast proportion of these charges.
GM’s announcement today was short and to the point, with GM VP of global purchasing and supply chain Shilpan Amin saying, “LG is a valued and respected supplier to GM, and we are pleased to reach this agreement. Our engineering and manufacturing teams continue to collaborate to accelerate production of new battery modules and we expect to begin repairing customer vehicles this month.” LG, perhaps unsurprisingly, did not issue a statement as part of today’s announcement.
In any case, it appears that those battery replacements have already begun. Most of the cost associated with these recalls is down to those repairs, with GM first targeting Bolt EVs and EUVs built during specific timeframes before moving onto others. The replacement batteries will be covered by an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty after being installed.
So, with a cause identified and GM and LG hashing out the matter of who’s on the hook for these repair costs, it looks like we’re finally entering the resolution to this year-long odyssey for Bolt EV and EUV owners. Here’s hoping it doesn’t take too long to get all of those defective batteries replaced.


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It probably wasn`t arson, say officials
WELLINGTON – Local and state fire officials began searching for clues in the smoldering rubble of a downtown warehouse Tuesday, a day after the two-story brick structure was leveled by fire.
|BRUCE BISHOP / CHRONICLE
|Fire investigators sort through the rubble left from Monday’s blaze.|
Assistant Wellington Fire Chief Mike Wetherbee said the investigation is far from over and could take more than a week before the blaze`s cause is determined.
“We`ve just been able to get in there and look around,” he said. “At this point, we`re still looking for clues and interviewing employees.”
The 20,000-square-foot building was built in 1895 and served as a storage facility for Hemlock Cottage Furniture and housed a small packaging company, Will-Do Packaging.
Wellington fire Lt. Bill Brown said the old wooden-beam construction of the building contributed to the ferocity of the blaze which started about 1 p.m. on Monday.
Brown said investigators will focus on the common area between the busin esses.
While arson hasn`t been ruled out, Wetherbee said it doesn`t appear to be likely.
There were five employees working inside the packaging portion of the warehouse and possibly two working in the furniture storage section when the fire began.
Everyone was outside when fire crews arrived, and no one was hurt.
Brown was unsure of the amount of overall damage caused by the blaze, but said Hemlock Cottage Furniture had an insurance policy in excess of $250,000 that covered the contents of the products it stored inside the facility.
The building was worth about $150,000, according to the county auditor`s Web site, and was up to code, Brown said.
Blair Hodgson, owner of the warehouse and Hemlock Cottage Furniture, said Monday that he suspected the fire may have started from an electrical problem within the building. He couldn`t be reached for comment Tuesday.
The fire comes just three months after another fire caused major damage to the Wager/POV Products store on Depot Street, which is just two blocks from the warehouse that burned Monday. The cause of that fire has not been determined.
Contact Stephen Szucs at 336-4016 or online firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Intercard recently completed the following installations for its customers:
Sky High Sports of Tigard, Oregon (www.por.skyhighsports.com)
Entrepreneur and owner Elizabeth Kramer bought her trampoline park in 2015 and this year significantly upgraded the arcade. Sky High Sports’ arcade has more than 40 games and they are using Intercard’s iReader II Eclipse readers, an iTeller II kiosk and a Redemption POS system. Specialty Coin Products installed the arcade games and Ryan Muller of Intercard installed the system and all required networking equipment in March 2017.
Kramer is especially happy about Intercard’s reporting system and the features that allow her to analyze revenue by game and monitor employee fraud. “Amber Collier of Intercard jumped right on it and helped me figure out how to fix a fraud issue,” she says. “It’s nice to be able to share with a new customer the tools they can use to increase profits,” says Amber Collier of Intercard’s North America sales group.
Schulman’s Movie Bowl Grille in Bay City, Texas baycity.moviebowlgrille.com/
The new Schulman’s Movie Bowl Grille opened in May 2017 and is the veteran movie chain’s second iteration of its innovative FEC concept. MBG is a hybrid family entertainment center with 8 movie screens, 12 lanes of bowling, an arcade with 42 games, a redemption center and a full-service restaurant.
Jonathan Wilson of Intercard handled the installation, which includes 60 iReader Eclipse readers, iTeller automated tellers and a redemption station that interfaces with the FEC’s Ready Theatre Systems POS system. Customers can use the same debit card for games, redemption, movie tickets and concessions.
“Intercard had the features we wanted for our arcade and redemption room. Their system integrated seamlessly with our facility and other systems” says owner Mark Schulman. “The iTellers are EMV-certified and also work with mobile payments platforms from Apple, Android and Samsung, ” says Jason Mitchell of Intercard’s North America sales group.


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I kind of hate the whole line of reasoning that there has to be a “console war” every time there is more than one new console on the market, but this is sadly the world that we live in. If you check out videogame message boards and news sites you’ll see fans bickering over framerates, resolutions and other minutiae because clearly one has to be better than the other, especially when the PS4 and Xbox One sell at $400 and $500 price tags, respectively. While the fact that developers are having an easier time developing games with a slight edge on the PlayStation 4 is important, to the average consumer it probably isn’t going to be that huge of a deal. It’s all about the games, right?
What should be seen as a big deal would have to be PlayStation’s PlayStation Plus service, which has been around for a while now, but has set Sony apart from Microsoft since PlayStation 4’s launch back in November. There has been a distinct lack of new games to really sink your teeth into on either console since launch, but what is interesting to note is that most of the newer releases on the PlayStation 4 have been ports of well-received PC games from the past year and that they have launched for free on PlayStation Plus. PlayStation Plus on the PlayStation 4 has given the following games to PlayStation 4 owners; Contrast, Resogun, Don’t Starve and now Outlast, with the games varying in quality (Contrast isn’t very good while Resogun is amazing), they are still games that sell for at least $15 on their own and are going for free.
What is happening is that PlayStation 4 owners are being treated to monthly doses of free, quality games while Xbox One owners have been left with a rather barren set of offerings after the Xbox One’s launch. Now, honestly, both systems aren’t really seeing much going on at the moment, with Tomb Raider and the upcoming Thief being the biggest releases of this winter on both consoles, but at least on PS4 there is something happening and it is happening entirely for free.
If you have both Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus services and have for a while you’ll probably notice the disparity between the two, as Xbox Live Gold is needed to run entertainment apps like Netflix and HBO Go, while PlayStation Plus is only for free games and cloud services on the PS3 and serves as a paywall for [some] multiplayer games on the PS4. PlayStation Plus has been offering free games as a part of the service for a while now, with Microsoft playing catch-up with the “Games with Gold” initiative, but sadly, that initiative feels a bit like an insult.
On PlayStation 3 last month gamers were treated to Borderlands 2, BioShock Infinite and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. This month’s game on PS3 is last year’s fantastic Metro: Last Light and on PS4 is the brand new Outlast. Last month on Games with Gold was 2012’s Sleeping Dogs and 2010’s Lara Croft and the Guardians of Light, while this month’s game is 2011’s Dead Island. To me, at least, the disparity seems to be that Sony is offering quality games that gamers would actually buy, while Microsoft seems to be shoveling out games that aren’t selling very well with a free price tag in hopes of not being left behind.
Microsoft is starting to feel the pressure as they will soon launch “Games with Gold” on the Xbox One, but has yet to give any concrete details on it. The truth is, this is becoming a standard now, to give games away to consumers willing to subscribe to these gaming networks. As of right now Sony has done a much better job of offering quality games for free, especially on the PlayStation 4, during what is a rather slow time for both new consoles. One of the biggest talking points for Sony’s PlayStation 4 that gamers have used to favor it over the Xbox One has been Sony’s desire to do right by gamers and the offerings on PlayStation Plus right now, on top of the free-to-play offerings is just proving that point.