text:
She was credited with turning around the North American operations of cosmetics major Avon in the '90s. Today, as President & CEO of Colorado-headquartered $5.3-billion Western Union, Christina A. Gold, 62, has her task cut out:
She was credited with turning around the North American operations of cosmetics major Avon in the '90s. Today, as President & CEO of Colorado-headquartered $5.3-billion Western Union, Christina A. Gold, 62, has her task cut out: To grow the core customer to customer (C2C) business hit by the slowdown, and to scale up new promising businesses—electronic channels and business to business (B2B). In an interaction with BT's Anand Adhikari, she talks about all these and much more, including the company's prospects, especially in India and China. Excerpts:
India and China are the two biggest recipients of remittances. How well are you doing here?
India is the largest recipient market in the world. If you go back 7-8 years, we had about 3,000 locations in India. Today, we have 56,000 locations. We have a strong brand awareness here and we are seeing tremendous growth in business, market share and customer loyalty. We did a million transactions in 2004 and now are close to hitting the 10-million mark.
Today, our Indian business is larger than China's, which has about 25,000 locations. China has seen good growth, but India is the jewel in terms of performance.
How big are India and China in terms of revenue?
Together, they contribute about 6-7 per cent to our business. But there is a large potential to grow if you look at India as the largest remittances market in the world. Asia contributes about 20 per cent to the remittances market and about 8 per cent of our business. I've no fear in asking the Indian team to triple our business— there are lots of opportunities to grow. In 2009, we grew by 22 per cent in terms of transactions and revenues were up by 11 per cent.
The global remittances market shrank by 5-6 per cent in 2009 and unemployment is still high in the US and other developed countries. How are you navigating this challenging business environment?
I wouldn't say shrinking, but it has slowed down a bit compared to the earlier growth periods. Over the last five years, remittances were growing at about 8 per cent globally. If you look at our business, we continue to grow. We grew our revenues by about 2 per cent last year. We also have a very strong cash flow of $1.2 billion. This year, we are expecting a modest to relatively flat growth. That's also the projections of the World Bank, which has pegged remittances growth at 1 per cent. However, we could see a marked improvement in 2011.
How are the big 'send' countries behaving in these tough times?
One of the most challenging markets is the Gulf countries. It's still growing, but not in the double digits of the last five years. The remittances market has a direct relationship with the housing crisis and the construction industry. We are, however, seeing encouraging signs in the domestic money transfer business in the US, the biggest "send"country. Russia is also holding up strongly.
Does political rhetoric like jobs for the locals in the US or the backlash against foreign workers, especially Indians in Australia and the UK, threaten your business model?
We always analyse these (political) developments by looking at what types of jobs are impacted. Clearly, there have been discussions about immigration reforms in the US. The world's biggest economy continues to attract talent. We see some retractions in Mexico and South America because of the debacle in the housing and construction industry. There is also some push back on immigration reforms because of the high rate of unemployment. I think these things are temporary and migration will return as economies resume normal growth.
What kind of transactions are you doing through the mobile network?
If you look at the 5 billion mobile phones, there are very few—just 30-50 million—with M-wallet capability. Over time, in many of the emerging markets, the brick and mortar infrastructure won't be there. But mobile will be there. We could be a meaningful player in the mobile space over a five-year period. But a lot depends on customer acceptance. Today, the transaction size is very small. There are also regulatory issues involved.
Will electronic channels transform the remittances industry?
I don't see it that way. I think it just changes the delivery mechanism. Mobile transfer offers cost efficiencies.
Will it translate into lower fees for customers?
Not necessary. If you look at the principal amount, money transfers are very small in size because of regulatory issues. People are also not sending much through this medium.
Which are the countries where mobile transfer holds promise?
In the UK we have activated about 10, 000 locations, which are able to do mobile transactions. By the end of the year, we will have 75,000 locations under mobile coverage. Kenya is one of the few places in the world to hold promise for mobile transfers as it has a very robust intra-country money transfer business. South Africa and the Philippines are other countries.
What are you doing to encourage domestic money transfer in India?
It may be difficult for us to be able to do that because of rules in terms of the number of transactions a customer can do. This is something I discuss with policy makers every time I come to India. Every country has different rules and we work with the regulators to see how we can help our customers.
There are a lot of expatriates working in India today. Do you see a reverse flow of remittances?
You see that happening in different countries. Look at Russia 10 years ago when it was a "receive" market . But during the high growth period of the last five years, Russia turned into a "send" market. Workers were migrating to Russia to work. Today, it is a mixed market.
How do you plan to scale up the B2B side of the business?
We had acquired a company Custom House two years ago to facilitate money transfers from company to company and conduct business to business transactions. It operates in about seven countries and we are expanding to other countries. We want to scale it up step by step as we are very clear about maintaining customer service and margins.


text:
GOOGLE 6 PRO
Google rolls out January update to all supported Pixels
"The rollout will continue over the next week in phases depending on carrier and device. We will provide an update to this post once it is available. We encourage you to check your Android version and update to receive the latest software," the company said in a statement.

domain: news


text:
Starbucks customers in the UK will soon be able to pay for their Hazelnut Latte or Strawberry Frappuccino using their iPhone. This is made possible by utilising the smartphone's camera to scan a barcode which then requests the required amount from the user's Starbucks prepaid card.
The iPhone payment system is quicker than using a regular credit or debit card, as the customer won't have to enter a pin number to pay for items. Starbucks (opens in new tab) customers in the United States might already be familiar with this system, which was introduced in 8,000 stores from the beginning of this year. Since then, over 20 million iPhone payments have been made, with both Apple and the Seattle-based global coffee shop chain hailing the pilot as a success.
The app, which has recently been made available to Android users in America, also allows customers to check the credit on their Starbucks card, as well as top it up and check the level of their reward points.
The technology is expected to be rolled out at the 700 coffee shops across the UK from January 5th next year.
Meanwhile, analysts believe that Apple is likely to integrate NFC in the iPhone 5 next year, which would see the introduction of an 'i-Wallet' feature for mobile payments.


text:
Watchdog to act against cartels
THE OFFICE of Fair Trading is mounting a new campaign against cartels, after fresh research showing that anti-competitive practices, such as price-fixing and delaying payments, are damaging a quarter of small and medium-sized firms. The OFT estimates that such behaviour could be costing the sector hundreds of millions of pounds every year.
Mike Ricketts, of the OFT, said: “We want to hear about anti-competitive behaviour and cartels. The message is not just that we are looking into it, we are going after you.”
The report, by David Storey, director of the Centre for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and Associate Dean of Warwick Business School, revealed that one in four businesses felt that their trade had been damaged by anti-competitive measures. Companies found guilty of


text:
Sami Al-Ansari is once again recognised for his commitment to diversifying the Middle East’s hotel sector through investment into the InterContinental Hotels Group limited-service brand, Holiday Inn Express.
Ishraq and IHG have four Holiday Inn Express hotels in Dubai, including the 381-room Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport which opened last year, becoming the largest Holiday Inn Express in the EMEA region by a number of rooms.
The company is set to open its first hotel in Bahrain in the fourth quarter this year, Holiday Inn Express Manama, Bahrain, despite this year’s earlier unrest in the country.
Upcoming properties are also signed for Dubai Studio City (300 rooms) and Fujairah (220 rooms), while several other locations in the UAE including hotels in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain are planned, as well as Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan according to the Ishraq website.
Headquartered in Dubai, Ishraq is the exclusive developer of the Express by Holiday Inn hotels brand in the GCC (except Saudi Arabia) and has several other sites which are under various stages of development in Oman, Doha and the UAE. The target is 20-plus hotels within a six-year roll-out plan.
Prior to joining Ishraq as CEO at its inception in 2005, Al-Ansari was the country general manager for Radisson in Jordan for three years. He has also held numerous executive positions in hospitality, including general manager with Holiday Inn Hotels for five years.


text:
Google’s video conferencing tool Google Meet – previously known as Hangouts Meet, has hit 50 million downloads on Google Play Store. The increased adoption comes after the software giant made the service free for everyone with a Google account to use.
As per AppBrain’s data, Google Meet was at a relatively lower 5 million downloads at the beginning of March. AppBrain notes that the service gradually made a jump to 10 million downloads on the 24th of March.
The service now stands at 50 million downloads as of Sunday. The increased user adoption is a clear sign that Google Meet has now evolved to be a potential Zoom alternative.
Google Meet was previously restricted to enterprise users, which made user adoption significantly low. However, with a change in plans, the company has started being more flexible than it used to be before. As a step to make it convenient for users to access Google Meet, Google started rolling out a Google Meet integration with Gmail last month. With this integration, users can easily access Google Meet from the left side pane present in Gmail.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus situation, Google Meet is available to use with no restrictions. However, starting from the 30th of September, Google Meet will be limited at 60 minutes per session. The change, however, will not be applicable to G-Suite users.


text:
First Minister Mark Drakeford is asking budding young artists to put their creative hats on and enter this year's Christmas card competition.
The First Minister will choose a winning design, which will be used as his official Christmas card this year.
The First Minister sends his Christmas card to thousands of people around the world, including to His Majesty the King, to the President of the United States Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The competition is open to children in years five and six of primary schools across Wales.
The theme for this year's competition is A Christmas Welcome'.
Wales has welcomed thousands of people from Ukraine this year as they have fled the war in their homeland, as well as people from other countries around world seeking sanctuary and safety.
First Minister Mark Drakeford yesterday said:
It was great to see all the cards from children all over Wales who entered the competition last year. This year, I'm looking forward to seeing my desk once again covered in brightly-coloured festive designs.
I hope the theme A Christmas Welcome' will help children think about the part we can all play to welcome people, who need a safe place to live, to Wales.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the results of their imaginations in my post bag.
The closing date is midday November 28.
Email your entries to email@example.com


text:
Venmo, a PayPal payment app, is under investigation by U.S. consumer watchdog
Venmo, a mobile payment service owned by PayPal, is under investigation by U.S. consumer watchdog for unauthorized fund transfers and collections processes, according to a report from Reuters.
On Friday, PayPal Holdings Inc announced that it received a civil investigative demand from the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau related to its app Venmo’s alleged unauthorized fund transfers and collections processes. The payment giant said it’s cooperating with the organization.
Venmo became part of PayPal after the payment giant acquired Braintree in 2013 for $800 million. In 2012, Venmo was bought by Braintree, and then in 2013 Braintree was acquired by PayPal. Venmo is a popular mobile app for person-to-person payments in the United States. In the fourth quarter, Venmo processed about $47 billion in total payments volume, up 60% from last year.
Venmo started out in 2009 as a way for founders Andrew Kortina and Iqram Magdon-Ismail to pay each other without having to exchange cash or write a cheque. The app uses peer-to-peer technology to send money online, but it isn’t a holding account. Users connect a debit or credit card to the app, which it can use to send and withdraw money from Venmo.
Venmo, a competitor to apps like Cash, is restricted to personal use and exists partly as a digital wallet, and partly a social media feed. Venmo account holders can transfer funds to others via a mobile phone app; both the sender and receiver have to live in the U.S.


text:
Digital TV News: SDC
Turner Brasil using Witbe to monitor its OTT streams
Jul 25, 2017 – Witbe (Euronext Growth – FR0013143872 – ALWIT) and its Brazilian partner SDC Engenharia, have been selected by Turner Brasil to test and control the performance, availability and integrity of their OTT streams.
News categories: Witbe, Turner Brasil, SDC, Marie-Véronique Lacaze, Flavio Menna, Brazil, Digital TV, OTT, QoE
ARRIS and Conax to demo DASH repackaging and multi-DRM encryption at NAB
Apr 10, 2015 – ARRIS (NASDAQ: ARRS) and Conax have announced that they will be demonstrating the joint capabilities of ARRIS's DASH repackaging and Conax's multi-DRM encryption at the annual NAB Show on April 13-16 in Las Vegas.
News categories: ARRIS Group, Conax, UXP Systems, Brian Collie, Tom Jahr, Content Distribution, DRM, IPTV, NABShow, OTT, Worldwide
Ultra HD TV panels hit 1 million in shipments for first time
May 15, 2014 – The market for ultra-high-definition (UHD) TV panels reached a significant new benchmark in March when global shipments exceeded 1 million units for the first time, according to IHS Technology (NYSE: IHS).
News categories: IHS Technology, Linda Lin, Digital TV, Korea, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide
Samsung releases new SDKs for smartphones, tablets and Smart TVs
Oct 28, 2013 – Samsung has released five new and improved software development kits (SDKs) for creating consumer and enterprise apps on its smartphones, tablets and Smart TVs at the Samsung Developers Conference (#SDC13).
News categories: Samsung, Dr. Won-Pyo Hong, Apps, Middleware, Smart TV, Smartphone, Tablet
ENSPERT Reveals Mobile TV Offering at International CES 2011
Jan 9, 2011 – ENSPERT announced at CES that the company will be entering the global mobile TV chip-set and solutions market based on Google's Android operating system in 2011.
News categories: ENSPERT, CES2021, Digital TV, Mobile, Tablet
Transparent Video Systems Announces TVS SmartStream Digital Bridge™ Which Eliminates Set-Top Boxes for Delivering Cable Services
Feb 23, 2009 – Transparent Video Systems has announced TVS SmartStream Digital Bridge™ System. The RF to USB Digital Bridge integrates TV's, PC's, Mac's, Mobile Devices and Media Storage Devices directly to a cable source without the need of a set-top box (STB).
News categories: Transparent Video Systems, Cable TV, Conditional Access, CPE, Digital TV, Peripherals / Accessories, Portable, Set Top Box, USA
- MediaKind first to deploy latest You.i TV video experience SDK
- TVSquared and Blockgraph partner on TV and cross-channel measurement
- PlayStation 5 launches this November
- BrightLine launches connected TV ad solution
- FIH and NAGRA launch Watch.Hockey app
- Gracenote enables cross-platform search and discovery for sports content
- VR headset market expected to grow despite short-term decline
- Pay TV in Portugal grows 4.1% YoY in 1H 2020
- Liberty Puerto Rico launches Hub TV powered by TiVo
- Verizon Media offers header bidding-like solution for OTT publishers
- Watch Brasil launches SVOD Smart TV app with Accedo
- ViacomCBS global streaming service to be called Paramount+
- TV3 to trial 5G immersive sport at Superbike World Championship
- Finns prefer to watch streaming services on the TV
- Proximus Pickx Android TV service goes live with 3SS
- Disney+ launches in eight more European countries
- Orange delivers 1.75bn multi-DRM licenses with Viaccess-Orca
- Dotscreen renews metadata deal with Red Bee Media
- Broadpeak powers NPVR service for Orange France
- ZEASN announces Smart TV App Store v3.0


text:
Japan's Toyota Motor on Monday said it planned to create a private social networking service that will let cars "tweet" their drivers when they need servicing.
The Japanese automaker said it would work in conjunction with U.S. cloud computing firm Salesforce.com to create the "Toyota Friend" service for owners of electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles to be introduced next year.
Toyota will invest 442 million yen ($5.4 million) and Salesforce.com will spend 223 million yen on Toyota Media Service Co., a Toyota subsidiary providing data services to drivers.
Microsoft Corporation, which in April announced a strategic partnership with Toyota to build a global platform for next-generation communications services, will invest 335 million yen.
Toyota described the service as "a private social network that connects Toyota customers with their cars, their dealership, and with Toyota."
The service will be accessible through smart phones, tablet PCs, and other advanced mobile devices.
Cars will be able to send tweet-like alerts reminding drivers to recharge their batteries, Toyota said.
"Social networking services are transforming human interaction and modes of communication," said Toyota President Akio Toyoda.
"The automobile needs to evolve in step with that transformation."
Copyright by Agence France-Presse, 2011


text:
30 July 2016, New Delhi, PTI The government on Friday expressed confidence that hydro power generation may go up this year on the... ...http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=309257
New Delhi, Jul 29 () Government has fixed higher rice procurement target of 33 million tonnes for the 2016-17 marketing year starting October while... ...http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Govt-sets-higher-price-procurment-taget-at-33-MT-for-2016-17/articleshow/53453289.cms
The article below represents a preview only and is not meant for reuse or republishing. India, July 29 -- ArcelorMittal (MT), the world's leading... ...http://www.htsyndication.com/htsportal/article/ArcelorMittal-Q2-Profit-Rises%3B-Sales-Down-12.7percent---Quick-Facts/14751436
State-run Steel Authority of India (SAIL) is looking for coking coal asset acquisitions abroad to reduce its dependence on imports, the company... ...http://www.financialexpress.com/industry/companies/sail-seeks-to-acquire-coking-coal-assets-overseas/332294/
Chinese global consumer electronics brand TCL Corp on Thursday launched TCL 562 smartphone, and four new TV models. Two of these models are in the... ...http://m.gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/tcl-562-smartphone-4-tcl-televisions-launched-in-india-866521
Sarva Foam is a flexible PU-Foam...


text:
According to a recent survey conducted by NAHB and McGraw Hill Construction, there has been a 20 percent increase since last year in builders dedicated to green building issues.Â The number is expected to rise by another 30 percent in 2007 to 64 percent of builders either heavily or moderately involved in green building projects, the survey said.
Choosing green will have to be, in my opinion, a financial decision. Witness the recent rise in people using public transit and buying bikes.
Is the perfect gasoline storm upon us? I like some of these predictions:
– All locally produced goods, and especially food, will become increasingly cost competitive.
– Bicycle sales and related services will skyrocket.
– Motor cycle and scooter use will become more common during the warm months.
– Developers will gravitate to the higher density “live/work/play” planned community models.
– Traffic congestion will be mitigated as carpooling and errand sharing become more commonplace.
– Cynicism toward alternative designs and life styles will be reduced.
Start with supply. … That ensures a steadier stream of production, which will make prices more predictable and will kick-start some economies of scale. Over time, increased demand and decreased production costs will lure additional players, which helps create still greater efficiencies, boosting output and lowering costs.
It’s about the economy, stupid. Some early adopters will certainly buy into the green movement because it’s the “right thing to do.” Most will not until they see the direct impact on their pocket books. Simple as that.


text:
In a decision that will significantly impact Colorado taxpayers who buy goods from online retailers, on February 22, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (“Appellate Court”) reversed the district court’s summary judgment, finding that the state of Colorado’s notice and reporting requirements did not unduly burden or discriminate against interstate commerce.
In 2010, the state of Colorado imposed notice and reporting obligations on out-of-state retailers, who are not obligated to collect sales tax. These obligations include:
- Sending a “transactional notice” to purchasers informing them that they may be subject to Colorado use tax;
- Sending purchasers who buy goods from the retailer totaling more than $500 an “annual purchase summary,” which includes the dates, categories, and purchase amounts and reminds purchasers of their obligation to pay use tax; and
- Sending the Colorado Department of Revenue (“Department”) an annual “customer information report” listing customers’ names, addresses, and total amounts spent.
Direct Marketing Association (DMA) challenged the law, arguing it was unconstitutional because it unduly burdened and discriminated against interstate commerce. The district court agreed with DMA and permanently enjoined the Department from enforcing the law. The Department appealed. This reversal by the appellate court removes the district court’s injunction and allows the Department to enforce the aforementioned notice and reporting requirements. Please see Direct Marketing Association v. Brohl, No. 12-1175 (10th Cir. 2016) for the full opinion.
When it comes to sales and use taxes, the e-commerce industry has proven to be a complex and challenging issue for states. As such, it is not surprising that states have taken steps to close the loop on tax collection and remittance. What is worth noting, however, is the uniqueness of Colorado’s approach. While other states have chosen to address this issue by passing “click-thru” or “affiliate” nexus laws, which impose tax collection obligations on remote sellers who enter into agreements through which customer traffic is directed to them via links on resident’s websites, Colorado has instead chosen to require remote sellers to provide the state with purchaser information on qualifying sales as set out above. The state has indicated it plans on enforcing this decision and will require retailers to send information to the state and, in turn, may use this information to send use tax notices to Colorado purchasers. Colorado’s law impacts both remote sellers and Colorado purchasers. It results in an additional administrative burden for remote sellers and possibly privacy implications to consumers. Ryan will continue to monitor this development to see if any other states choose this course of action in seeking sales or uses taxes on e-commerce sales.


text:
Telepath Tactics Status Update, New Demo, New Video
6:00 AM | Cord Kruse | Comment on this story
Sinister Design has posted a new blog article about development on Telepath Tactics, revealing information about a variety of new features as well as an updated demo and a new video. Set in the world of the Telepath RPG universe, the turn-based multiplayer tactics game will feature support for up to six players in hotseat mode, a new art style, redesigned UI, and a new combat engine.
Here are a handful of updates listed in the post:
Telepath Tactics now supports branching, scripted dialog: which means the game now also supports branching campaigns.Click on the link below to read the rest of the update on the game's progress.
Telepath Tactics January Update
By far the biggest undertaking this past month has been improving enemy AI in Telepath Tactics. There are already a number of noticeable upgrades–among them:
I’ve implemented Rally, a feature that simultaneously auto-moves all of your characters toward a point on the battlefield that you specify. (This massively speeds up turns where you’re too far away to engage with any enemy units!)
- AI characters now grab item sacks lying within reach, then continue their turns;
- AI characters now intelligently use items sitting in their inventory;
- AI characters with non-turn-ending attacks now continue moving after attacking; and
- badly injured AI characters now flee in the direction of a friendly healer if they can reach one.
Recent Mac Games News
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Search for other Mac games news stories or browse our Mac Games News Archive.


text:
Search For "flipkart"
Updated : 4 months, 2 weeks ago IST
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 15 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday signed an MoU with Flipkart to provide an online platform for showcasing and facilitating the local artisans/craftsmen/weavers to reach customers across the globe, said Jammu and Kashmir Lieuten
New Delhi [India], October 15 (ANI/PRNewswire): With the onset of the festive season, MSI is all set to make Diwali even more exciting with great offers and huge discounts up to 35 per cent on its product range.
New Delhi [India], October 14 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Smitch, one of India's leading consumer IoT brands, today announced the launch of their two new-age Wi-Fi enabled security cameras on Flipkart.
New Delhi [India], October 13 (ANI): The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that show-cause notices were issued to Flipkart and others for closure of their operation and for levying of Environment Compensation for non-compliance of provision
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 13 (ANI): Walmart and the Flipkart Group have announced a fresh round of investment in Ninjacart, the startup disrupting India's fresh produce market with its business-to-business (B2B) supply chain infrastructure and technology solutions.
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 10 (ANI): E-commerce marketplace Flipkart has introduced an internship programme for undergraduate students from tier two cities and beyond to offer an opportunity to work in its supply chain ahead of the festive season.
Updated : 5 months ago IST
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], Sep 29 (ANI): E-commerce marketplace Flipkart and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company have come together to offer solutions for customers who want to cover themselves against financial losses caused as a result of cyber-attacks, cyber frauds or other such m
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 24 (ANI): Flipkart Wholesale, the digital B2B marketplace of homegrown Flipkart Group, on Thursday announced the expansion of its operations into 12 new cities, enabling a one-stop digital marketplace solution for the retail ecosystem.
Updated : 5 months, 1 week ago IST
New Delhi [India], September 17 (ANI/PRNewswire): Gagan Dhawan created 'The New Me' health kit to monitor, guide, and transform one's mind, body, and soul.
Updated : 5 months, 2 weeks ago IST
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], Sep 15 (ANI): E-commerce marketplace Flipkart said on Tuesday it is strengthening its focus on business customers by enabling them to get their Goods and Service Tax Identification Number (GSTIN) on their invoices, thereby allowing them to claim input tax credi
New Delhi [India], September 12 (ANI): The National Green Tribunal has held that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) can consider ordering environmental audit against the concerned entities -- Amazon, Flipkart and others -- and assess and recover compensation for violation of environm
Updated : 5 months, 3 weeks ago IST
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 9 (ANI): E-commerce marketplace Flipkart said on Wednesday it has onboarded more than 50,000 'kiranas' to make deliveries to customers in more than 850 cities during the upcoming festive season.


text:
LAKELAND, Fla. — The state of Georgia has selected 139 Publix pharmacies to receive doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. While the total number of Georgia pharmacy locations is growing, not all of the previously announced 108 pharmacies will receive additional vaccines at this time. However, those pharmacies might receive more vaccines in the future.
LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix Pharmacy recently filled its 100 millionth free prescription as part of its free medication program. “We are proud to provide a service that helps our customers afford their medications,” said Publix vice president of Pharmacy Dain Rusk. “As the cost of health care continues to rise, this program has become even
LAKELAND and CLEARWATER, Fla. — Publix Super Markets Inc. and BayCare Health System have opened the first two of more than two dozen telehealth clinics at Publix pharmacies. Called Walk-In Care Provided by BayCare, the clinics feature a private room with an interactive kiosk that enables Publix customers to receive non-urgent medical care from board-certified physicians
Publix Super Markets Inc. has reached a milepost with the opening of its 1,000th pharmacy. The pharmacy is inside Publix’s new store at the Arcadia Crossings Shopping Center in Arcadia, Fla., located outside Port Charlotte about midway between Bradenton-Sarasota and Lake Okeechobee. Overall, employee-owned Publix operates 1,147 supermarkets in Florida (which has 773 of the
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. — AmerisourceBergen Corp. has inked a long-term distribution deal with Publix Super Markets Inc. for branded and generic pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter products. The agreement also enables Publix’s more than 980 pharmacies across the Southeast to expand patient access to specialty medications. “Publix continues to push the boundaries of how our pharmacy business


text:
Coretronic Corp (中強光電), which makes backlight modules for flat panels, yesterday forecast that shipments would increase 20 percent sequentially this quarter as inventory correction eases.
The company’s projection suggests an average monthly shipment of between 75,000 and 80,000 units this year, with demand from tablet and TV makers poised to rise sharply, despite flattish or weak demand from notebook and monitor makers, Coretronic president Sarah Lin (林惠姿) told an investors’ conference.
The Hsinchu-based company also reported that first-quarter net profit reached NT$353 million (US$11.88 million), up 38 percent from the preceding quarter and 81 percent from a year earlier. That translated into earnings of NT$0.49 per share.
Consolidated earnings in the first quarter increased 38 percent quarter-on-quarter and 81 percent year-on-year to NT$385 billion on revenue of NT$15.75 billion, company data showed.
Gross margin improved from 13.7 percent to 14.4 percent during the January-to-March period, thanks to lower operating expenses of NT$1.82 billion, Coretronic chief financial officer Ann Wu (吳秀蕙) said.
However, operating expenses are forecast to rise modestly this quarter to between NT$1.9 billion and NT$2 billion due to the launch of new products, Wu said.
Coretronic expects shipments of backlight modules used in televisions to jump more than 50 percent in the current quarter as larger-screen models become more popular, Lin said.
“We see rapid growth in demand for larger TVs with higher resolution,” Lin said, adding that demand for backlight modules for ultra-high-definition 4K2K TVs could grow by more than 250 percent sequentially this quarter, with most orders coming from branded customers in Japan and South Korea.
Televisions with 42-inch or 46-inch displays are increasingly replacing 32-inch models as the mainstream products after suppliers cut prices and refined technologies, a strategy that has won over consumers, Chen said.
As for tablets, Coretronic is looking at a triple business growth this year after shipments surged 55 percent in the first quarter, Chen said, but added that shipments might fall more 30 percent this quarter ahead of the launch of new models next quarter.
“Demand in the first quarter was not high, and 7-inch tablets may see sharp competition from 6-inch smartphones this quarter,” Chen said, adding that “consumers keep pushing for lower costs.”
Coretronic expects flat monitor shipments this quarter in the absence of major catalysts, she said.
Demand for laptops is likely to stall this year after a 27 percent drop last quarter, but may recover by 15 to 20 percent this quarter, Chen said.
The company announced earlier this week that it would distribute cash dividends of NT$1 per share, implying a dividend yield of 4.4 percent based on its closing price of NT$22.75 on the GRETAI Securities Market.


text:
With sales of medicinal marijuana being allowed in Missouri starting in 2020, elected officials in communities like Owensville are determining how sales and manufacturing of cannabis products can be …
With sales of medicinal marijuana being allowed in Missouri starting in 2020, elected officials in communities like Owensville are determining how sales and manufacturing of cannabis products can be regulated within city limits.
Travis Hernandez, the city’s contract engineer through Archer-Elgin, told Planning and Zoning Commission members and several Board of Aldermen members that the state is “quickly proceeding with its regulations” ahead of the voter-approved sales of medical marijuana and related products which will begin in January 2020.
“The city is going to have to make a decision on where they would allow those facilities,” Hernandez told the planners and elected officials at the June 24 P&Z meeting.
He noted city officials could create their own restrictions on issues like distances from schools, churches and day care facilities or follow regulations already established for business such as package liquor stores and taverns.
These established restrictions typically follow state statutes such as 1,000 feet from a school.
“We’re fastly approaching the deadline to begin,” Hernandez said. “I know we’ve had a few inquiries.”
He noted the state would begin issuing dispensary licenses as of Dec. 31 —180 days after state law authorized by voter approval goes into effect.
Peggy Farrell, the city’s deputy clerk who keeps minutes for the planning commission, said there have inquiries made at City Hall from persons interested in operating dispensaries as a “store-front type business.”
And, she asked, “Do you allow people to grow here?”
Mayor John Kamler chimed in that he believed a local pharmacy would “probably apply if we allow it.”
Tom Lahmeyer, chairman of the P&Z group, added that if the city allowed dispensaries to operate in the city, “at least Owensville would get some taxation..”
Along with local sales taxes, medical marijuana and related cannabis-infused edible products will also be taxed an additional 4 percent which is designated for the Missouri Veterans’ Health and Care Fund established through voter approval of Amendment 2 in November 2018.
The Missouri Municipal League provided its member cities a list of talking points to assist planning commissions and elected officials address the immediate concerns related to this new industry.
Hernandez told Owensville officials that St. Clair’s governing board dropped the 1,000-foot restriction down to 750 feet. Sullivan was also scheduled for a “big discussion on distances,” he told the group based on what he had been told.
Sullivan officials were planning to hold a public hearing on the subject last night (Tuesday).
Hernandez said cities are typically addressing zoning classifications for the growing of marijuana plants and production of edible products through M-1 (manufacturing) designations. Sales of finished products are typically allowed in areas zoned as general commercial districts.
Allowances for these types of production and sales would also require approval of conditional use permits, officials on both boards were informed.
Hernandez was tasked with preparing a map of these zoning district’s which reflect locations of schools, churches and day cares.
He did not attend the city’s Board of Aldermen meeting on Monday and the topic was not discussed by the elected officials.
Farrell said she had forwarded the city’s attorney the information received from the MML.
“I just wanted to get this in front of the board,” said Hernandez at the P&Z session.


text:
THE ROYAL Canadian Legion here is taking a new approach to providing for the veterans and their families.
Part of the poppy campaign around Remembrance Day, includes giving businesses the chance to buy a wreath to display as a show of support for veterans.
Not much money is made off the wreath sales, only about $8 for each wreath, so the local legion branch has come up with the idea of redesigning display cards which can then be placed in windows or on counter tops.
But businesses can still purchase a wreath if they wish.
“Some of them still want the wreath,” said Peter Crompton, poppy campaign chairman for Branch 13. “We’re not turning that down, we don’t want to order 8,000 wreaths and then have them sit in the storeroom [if they’re not wanted].”
The display cards have been offered in the past but is now being redesigned which could be a cost saving to some businesses while bringing in more money to help out veterans.
“If we were to put the [wreath] prices up to make some money people wouldn’t buy them,” said Crompton, adding that the display cards can be put on the doors of a business. “It just wasn’t worth the effort. All the work goes into it was not making any sense,” he said about the wreaths in past years.
Two different styles of wreaths will still be available for purchase and a large wreath with business cards from those who purchased a display card will be placed at the cenotaph.
About 200 letters announcing the change have been sent out to businesses now as Crompton wants to know how many still want wreaths so he knows how many to order.
Some have already sent in money but Crompton says money doesn’t need to be sent in now as legion members will still go to businesses in mid-October to collect payment for either the display card or wreaths. Businesses just need to send back the letter stating if they want a wreath or a display card, and any comments they have.
“We’re not canvassing for money at this moment. It’s just we want to get a grasp of what people’s feelings are and we’ve asked for comments and have had some good comments,” said Crompton, adding the branch is looking forward to input from businesses.
Of the replies he has received so far from businesses, 90 per cent want a display card.
Crompton stresses that the money from the poppy campaign and the sales of wreaths and display cards goes to help veterans and their families, and does not go to the operation of the branch or the upkeep of the branch building.
And in keeping with tradition, wreaths will still be available for service clubs, the mayor and dignitaries to lay at the cenotaph, he said.


text:
In the absence of a specific health condition, the decision to opt for “free from” products—fat-free, sugar-free, salt-free, gluten-free, and so on—can be viewed as a lifestyle choice by consumers who increasingly place a high priority on healthy living. Packaged Facts’ research showed the rate of U.S. consumers who claim they are watching their diet remained at an average of 52% between 2006 and 2013, compared to only 28% of Americans in 2004.
“Consumers avoid certain foods or food ingredients for preventive health reasons that may be for their own personal health, the health of their children, and, among pregnant women, as a factor in prenatal health,” said David Sprinkle, research director of Packaged Facts. “This is not about dealing with specific allergies but rather a matter of optimizing health and also about seeking to create a quality of life based on eliminating negatives, with the point being not to make oneself sick.”
Food manufacturers, recognizing the opportunity to appeal to concerned consumers who also tend to be trendsetters for other consumers, are extremely accommodating to this shift toward food avoidances, reformulating products to eliminate those ingredients that are being shunned. Of course, food manufacturers have been reformulating their products for decades, especially products in which the fat, sugar or salt contents needed to be reduced or eliminated in order to appeal to more health-conscious consumers. But Packaged Facts predicted there remains an opportunity for major food and beverage companies to become more active in producing “free from” products.


text:
Plum Organics’ quest to do good poses legal risk to Campbell Soup
Days after completing the biggest deal of his life, Neil Grimmer was about to ask his new employer to do something that could expose it to shareholder lawsuits.
It was June 2013 and food giant Campbell Soup Co. had just paid millions of dollars to buy Plum Organics in Emeryville, the healthy baby food maker founded and led by Grimmer. In his first sit-down with Mark Alexander, president of Campbell North America, Grimmer made his unexpected request.
“I was nervous,” Grimmer recalled. “He was, after all, my new boss.”
Would Campbell allow Plum to change its legal status to a benefit corporation, also known as a B corp? The new designation meant the company would legally be required to offer a benefit to society in addition to generating profits for investors. In theory, at least, shareholders could sue the board of directors and management if they failed to meet these requirements.
Socially conscious firms
Plum is certainly not the first company to try to integrate social good with profits.
California is home to a number of these socially conscious firms, including Clif Bar & Co. in Emeryville and apparel maker Patagonia in Ventura — both of which have adopted B corp designation.
When Grimmer, a former vice president of strategy and innovation for Clif Bar, started Plum Organics in 2007, he wanted to create a company with a commitment to healthy foods and environmental sustainability. But he also wanted to enshrine those ideals into the business’ very being.
“It was really clear to create a true health product, you needed to build a foundation for a healthy company,” Grimmer said.
In 2012, Plum and other like-minded companies started to lobby lawmakers in Delaware — a traditional corporate hub due to its business-friendly laws — to create B corps.
B corps pay taxes just like other for-profit enterprises. But such a designation also legally requires B corps to produce profits and a “positive” benefit to society, such as providing goods and services to low-income neighborhoods, protecting the environment or promoting arts and sciences.
“Having B corps allow investors and officers to create a contract to how the business will be carried out, that company will not prioritize making money over the public benefit,” said Heidi Christianson, an attorney with Nilan Johnson Lewis law firm in Minneapolis. As chairwoman of the Minnesota Bar Association’s business law section, Nilan helped write Minnesota’s version of B corps.
In some ways, the B corp is meant to legally protect the board of directors and officers from shareholders who might want to sue the company for pursuing a social agenda instead of making money for investors, Christianson said.
On the flip side, shareholders can also sue those companies if they fail to provide those social benefits. But how courts will manage such lawsuits remains an open question.
“As yet, there is no case law addressing the obligations of benefit corporations, and the statutes do not speak to how courts should analyze such claims,” according to a recent article published in the Wake Forest Law Review.
4th largest baby food maker
As Delaware debated B corps, Plum Organics continued to flourish. The company grew into the fourth largest maker of baby food in the United States with gross sales of $93 million in fiscal 2012. Plum’s success attracted the notice of Campbell, which agreed to the buy the company for an undisclosed sum.
But in May 2013, three weeks before the deal was scheduled to close, Grimmer got word that Delaware approved legislation establishing B corps.
Grimmer had not mentioned anything about B corps to Campbell. But after the deal closed, Grimmer decided to immediately broach the subject with Alexander at their first meeting.
“That sounds like something Plum would do,” Grimmer recalled Alexander saying.
Alexander took Grimmer’s request to Campbell CEO Denise Morrison. Three weeks later, Campbell gave him the go-ahead to establish a B corp.
“Campbell was supportive of Plum reincorporating as a Public Benefit Corporation, as their mission-driven business is one of the many attributes that we liked and that we believe made Plum a great match with Campbell,” company spokeswoman Carla Burigatto wrote in an e-mail. “Plus, we’re both consumer-centric companies with deep social responsibility commitments.”
Such a move carries enormous risk for Campbell. Should Plum fail to live up to its obligations as a B corp, shareholders can theoretically sue Campbell. And investors might question why Campbell would operate an arm that doesn’t necessarily put profits first.
“The public benefit commitment and requirement exist along with the business priorities — a Benefit Corporation balances economic interests of shareholders and the public benefit that it names,” Burigatto said.
That said, analysts say B corps can provide a boost to reputation, softening capitalism’s otherwise sharp edges.
Campbell didn’t exactly broadcast the news of Plum’s new structure. But Grimm thinks the move will ultimately pay for both companies.


text:
Although Mafia III may have had its shortcomings, 2K Games’ crime series is still pretty great. Now, amid rumours of a Mafia II remaster and a full-budget sequel, the series Twitter account posted a tweet simply saying: “Family.”
Earlier in the year, 2K Games confirmed that a new Mafia from developer Hanger 13 would be revealed this year, while various ratings for Mafia II: Definitive Edition leaked last month.
Would you rather have a new Mafia IV or Mafia II: Definitive Edition? Let me know below.


text:
EBay reported third-quarter earnings results after the bell on Wednesday. The company brought in revenue of $2.22 billion, narrowly beating estimates of $2.19 billionand up 6 percentyear-over-year.Adjusted earnings per share came in at 45 cents, slightly above the analyst consensus of 44 cents.
While its financials were up, the stock still fell more than 7 percent in early after-hours trading. Some investors weredisappointed by gross merchandise volume, which came in at $20.1 billion, instead of the expected $20.3 billion. Adjusted netincome was also down from the same period in the year before, assales and marketing and other costs increased.
The company has been doubling down on its marketplace business since spinning off PayPal last year. In particular, eBay has become more Amazon-esque, says James Cakmak, analyst at Monness Crespi Hardt. They have expanded their fixed-price merchandise business to offset their shrinking auctions section.
EBay owes some of its recent growth to its structured data initiative, which basically means they are tagging keywords to items to improve search engine optimization and make things easier to find on the website.
We continued to transform the shopping experience on eBay, delivered more personalization capabilities and began to activate our updated brand messaging, said CEO Devin Wenig, in a statement.
Theyve also been expanding StubHub, their platform for sports and concert tickets. With $1.1 billion in GMV, a 23 percent year-over-year increase, StubHub is the biggest growth engine for the company, notedCakmak.
EBay shares closed Wednesday at $32.52, with a market cap of $36.6 billion. The stock has gone up about 34 percent in the past six months as it has continued to exceed analyst expectations.
The company also repurchased about $500 million in shares this quarter. EBay raised their full-year revenue outlook to somewhere between $8.95 billion and $9.0 billion.


text:
Brooks Automation Inc. (NSDQ:BRKS) boosted its top line and slashed losses during the first quarter.
Revenues for the Chelmsford, Mass.-based semiconductor imaging components maker neared $106.2 million for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2009, compared to revenues of $73.4 million during the same period last year. Compared with the fourth quarter last year, sales rose 65.7 percent from $64.1 million.
Brooks pared its Q1 net losses to $2.8 million, or 4 cents per diluted share, from $35.1 million, or 56 cents per diluted share, during Q1 2009. Net losses were also down sequentially from $14.5 million during Q4 2009.
President and CEO Robert Lepofsky said the company’s customers are projecting strong demand for the next several quarters, saying in prepared remarks that "we believe that trend will translate into excellent financial performance for Brooks in the quarters ahead."


text:
Youtube just held its annual Brandcast event, where it dropped some major bombs.
CEO Susan Wojcicki announced they would be axing its “Originals” program, and instead, they have a new focus on live shopping.
YouTube showcased a demo where two creators could join the same live stream and co-host events.
Creators are incentivized to host these events because they get exposed to a new audience while at the same time doubling the potential draw for each event. Smart move.
Viewers will be able to purchase the items shown in the events by tapping on a built-in “view Items” button.
In addition to these features, YouTube will add a “shopping” section to its menu, which will allow people to find these live events.
I found this GIF on their blog showcasing this.
The Rise Of Shopping Influencers
Ad rates are down for media companies like Youtube and Facebook because of the Apple IOS updates and the move by all companies towards privacy.
Live Commerce could be a completely new source of revenue for media giants, which is why you see them all rushing to make this happen. TikTok released its live shopping feature last year with mixed success.
In China, Live commerce drives a massive amount of sales.
Li Jiaqi is a Chinese influencer who sold over 1.9 billion dollars of goods in 12 hours on Taobao during a live commerce event.
Yes, you heard me right, 1.9 BILLION.
They call him the King of Lipstick.
Yea, Id probably slap on some lipstick too, if I could sell 1.9 billion dollars in 12 hours.
Will it work?
Well, it’s defiantly already working in China, but the real question is will it work in the U.S.
While nothing has gained significant traction yet, I believe it will happen.
If you go look in the “Live” tab on youtube, you will see quite a few streams that have over 30k viewers at a time, so YouTube has a good chance
Big media is incentivized more now than ever to make this work, with down ad rates.
If Live Commerce doesn’t work, I think integrating e-commerce natively into these platforms will still become a popular feature.


text:
A new Call of Duty Warzone update 1.45 is now rolling out on PS4, PC and Xbox One. According to the official COD Warzone 1.45 patch notes, the latest update brings various bug fixes and gameplay changes. Apart from this, today’s Warzone version 1.45 also includes stability and performance improvements.
Previously, a big update added a new map, a new Operator, four new weapons, and more.
Unfortunately, since the last patch, players are experiencing a number of issues while playing the game. Today’s cod Warzone patch 1.43 will fix a few of these issues. Check out more details below.
All players who pre-purchased the game digitally on Battle.net can preload the title so they’re ready to play the moment the game goes live.
Preloading for PC begins on November 2 at 10 AM PT. If you purchased a digital version of the game but it does not download during the preload period, find Vanguard under “Partner Games” in the Battle.net Launcher and follow the prompts to begin the download.
Minimum: Windows 10 64-bit (latest update)
Recommended/Competitive/Ultra 4K: Windows 10 64-bit (latest update) or Windows 11 64-bit (latest update)
Minimum: Intel Core i3-4340 or AMD FX-6300
Recommended: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
Competitive: Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 7 1800X
Ultra 4K: Intel Core i9-9900K or AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
Minimum: 8 GB
Recommended: 12 GB
Competitive/Ultra 4K: 16 GB
Minimum: 36 GB at launch (Multiplayer and Zombies only)
Recommended/Competitive/Ultra 4K: 61 GB at launch
Minimum/Recommended/Competitive: Up to 32 GB
Ultra 4K: Up to 64 GB
Hi-Rez Assets Cache is optional disk space that can be used to stream high-resolution assets. That option can be turned off in the game’s settings.
Minimum: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon RX 470
Recommended: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580
Competitive: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070/RTX 3060 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 5700XT
Ultra 4K: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
Minimum: 2 GB
Recommended: 4 GB
Competitive: 8 GB
Ultra 4K: 10 GB
Download free Warzone update 1.45 on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.


text:
Kim Kardashian’s KKW Beauty is set to launch a new range of beauty
Kim Kardashian poses in nude lingerie to promote her new makeup line
Kim Kardashian poses in nude lingerie to promote her new makeup line..Kim Kardashian shared a series of behind-the-scenes clips to her Instagram stories from a recent shoot with photographer Ellen von Unwerth.
The SKIMS mogul, 40, was seen in various neutral silk outfits from her new Silks line in the clips, as she struck sultry poses for Ellen.That snippet was followed by one which saw the middle Kardashian sister lying back on the mattress, bathed in pale pink and white petals that she played with.Her dark hair was perfectly coiffed as she exuded flawless beauty and playfulness.
Kim Kardashian’s KKW Beauty is set to launch a new range of beauty products in the shades Matte Mauve and Matte Honey.
The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star took to Instagram to share a series of campaign images from the shoot for the new range. The 40-year-old siren was in a nude lingerie set with a garter belt as her hair was pulled back and she had on light brown makeup.
And there was a pictures of the mauve products, such as a eyeshadow palette, blushes and lipsticks and liners. The new collection will launch on February 12, exclusively at KKWBEAUTY.com Photo Courtsey Kim Kardashian Instagramm


text:
India wants to woo Apple suppliers into opening factories in the country. To that end, it may offer attractive subsidized loans to make it more appealing.
The proposals by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology may be part of a new federal budget for February. Alongside the subsidized loans for opening factories, it would also cover “industrial zones equipped with taxation and customs clearance.”
India wants to be making $190 billion of mobile phones by 2025. Right now it makes around $24 billion worth of handsets. Subsidized loans could help make India more attractive to suppliers.
Apple supplier Foxconn is an early success in this area. It currently operates two factories in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It makes devices for a number of companies, including Apple, Xiaomi, and Nokia.
Apple is reportedly preparing to increase iPhone assembly in India. Late last year, Ravi Shankar Prasad, India’s information technology minister, confirmed the move will create around 10,000 new jobs over the next five years.
Subsidized loans to win business in India
Making iPhones in India carries several potential benefits for Apple. It reduces reliance on China at a time when trade disputes with the United States have not entirely been resolved. It also allows for the local manufacture of certain iPhone models, which can then be sold more cheaply to local consumers.
Apple’s ambitions for India as a manufacturing hub got a boost last year when the government loosened restrictions on local sourcing. This helped pave the way for Apple to open its first retail store in India.
A subsidized loans scheme will make India even more attractive as part of Apple’s supply chain. We’ve only got a couple of weeks to wait — until February 1 — to find out!


text:
The current indicator level is the second lowest since December 2003.
In an article published in prensalibre.com, Leonel Díaz wrote that "85.7 percent of the analysts felt that the economy would not improve in six months, and 57.1 percent believe it is a bad time to invest in the country."
Given the current economic climate, distrust and pessimism has taken over Central American Business.
El Salvador published on its website: "While there are very particular circumstances in each country, a very promising future is not foreseen. One of the things that hinder economic development is the decline in credit and sales which has resulted in job losses.
The Ninth Edition of the Deloitte Business Barometer shows a deterioration in view of the economic situation of the country for the next 12 months.
From a statement issued by Deloitte:
Summary of results
Recent macroeconomic performance and prospects
According to data collected during the ninth edition of Deloitte Business Barometer conducted in October and November, the results show a deterioration in the vision of entrepreneurs regarding the economy compared to May-14 survey.
63% of 141 surveyed companies expect to generate more revenue in 2010 than they did in 2009.
This figure was one of the results of a business survey conducted by Cciap, the Panamanian Chamber of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, in the first quarter of 2010.
“58% of the surveyed companies were more optimistic regarding the local economy, and 52% believe that the country will attract more foreign investment, thanks to an improved economic climate”, reported Prensa.com.
Receive more news about Economic outlook
Suscribe FOR FREE to CentralAmericaDATA EXPRESS.
The most important news of Central America, every day.


text:
IVC: Traffic in cashew nuts from Côte d'Ivoire to other countries has not increased, according to producers
February 25, 2017
The president of the Côte d'Ivoire cotton and cashew nut council, AdamaCoulibaly, said Friday in Abidjan that the Ivorian cashew nut trade, which is the world's largest exporter with more than 602,000 tons, Not increased as the media say, at a salon. "The phenomenon, which is not new, has not been amplified, as the media report at this time," said Mr. Coulibaly, for whom "it is necessary to relativize".
On 17 February, AbdoulayeSanogo, the secretary of the National Federation of Buyers of cashew nuts and cashew cooperatives from Côte d'Ivoire (FENACACI), denounced the release of "a large quantity" of nuts before the official opening of countryside. "All the authorities are working to secure the borders so that Côte d'Ivoire does not know more leakage of products compared to the quantity already released," reassured AdamaCoulibaly, during the first edition of the days National exporters of cashews.
The president of the Côte d'Ivoire exporters' association, DiabyAboubacar, however, drew the government's attention to the risks of fraudulent "exits" of cashew nuts at land borders. For him, if measures are not taken, this could affect "qualitatively and quantitatively" the performance of the sector.
The 2017 season opened in mid-February with an indicative price of CFAF 440 / kg compared to CFAF 350 / kg in 2016, an increase of 90 FCFA. These days, with the theme: "emergence of the cashew sector in Côte d'Ivoire and challenges related to external marketing" should end on Saturday.


text:
The shortage of gas reserves will continue to lead to rising prices, and many customers are likely to have to make substantial additional payments. But consumer advocates are also observing free-rider effects among suppliers. In order to avoid shocks, the head of the network agency proposes lowering the minimum temperature in rented apartments.
The President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, wants to increase the pressure on private households and companies to save gas. "There are specifications in tenancy law according to which the landlord must adjust the heating system during the heating period so that a minimum temperature of between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius is reached. The state could temporarily lower the heating specifications for landlords. We are discussing this with politicians." , said Müller of the "Rheinische Post".
It is important to save as much gas as possible to get through the next winter. Companies should be encouraged to save gas with bonuses: "We want to establish mechanisms to reward companies that voluntarily give up gas quotas with a bonus. It's always better if adjustments are made through prices than through dirigiste specifications," Müller continued.
The head of the Netzagentur expects gas prices to continue to rise and substantial additional payments: "The gas prices for private households have already multiplied compared to the pre-war period. Tenants can be in for a nasty surprise when high additional payments are due. That can quickly amount to more than a thousand Euro, shock waves will go through the country. Banks will ramp up their business with installment loans, ailing companies are threatened with bankruptcy."
According to information from consumer protection groups and the tenants' association, energy suppliers are already passing on the sharply increased costs to consumers. "Many customers are currently experiencing enormous price increases for oil, gas and electricity," said Melanie Weber-Moritz, federal director of the German Tenants' Association, of the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung". Whether discounts or tariffs - a wave of price increases is coming to households, said Udo Sieverding from the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia. Municipal utilities have also increased gas prices by 100 percent or more.
"In our opinion, not a few providers achieve free-rider effects," said Sieverding. He called on the antitrust authorities to investigate utilities "to send signals to the industry to keep price increases moderate". In addition, politicians must initiate additional relief.
The tenants' association also called for additional help from politicians. "Instead of one-off payments, we need permanent relief for heating costs, at least for the time of the energy crisis," said Weber-Moritz. "In addition, it must be ensured that tenants cannot be given notice of termination if they cannot pay their high additional payment within 30 days of receiving the utility bill." The tenants' association also believes that landlords have a duty: due to the principle of economic efficiency, they are required to obtain comparative offers, i.e. to look for the cheapest providers of gas or heating oil.


text:
(Bloomberg) -- Motive, the technology company formerly known as KeepTruckin, said it reached a $2.85 billion valuation after raising $150 million in equity funding.
Most Read from Bloomberg
The transaction, co-led by Insight Partners and Kleiner Perkins, represents a step up from the $2.3 billion mark the maker of fleet-management software secured last June.
“Our business is really thriving and given there’s uncertainty in the market, we wanted to make sure we’re capitalized to see through any economic headwinds and can continue to invest,” Motive co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Shoaib Makani said in an interview. The company plans to invest in its artificial-intelligence capabilities, expand in spend management and broaden its enterprise client base, he said.
Motive’s annual recurring revenue exceeds $250 million and it’s growing at an annualized rate of roughly 70%, Makani said, citing demand from clients seeking to combat inflation. For instance, its artificial-intelligence dash cam identifies unsafe driving behavior and can reduce the likelihood of accidents. Motive’s technology can also promote fuel efficiency by identifying excessive speeding or idling, he said.
“In many ways, it’s the early innings for Motive,” said Ilya Fushman, a general partner at Kleiner Perkins, referencing the more than 120,000 businesses that the startup currently serves. “The potential is millions over time,” added Fushman, who oversaw Index Ventures’ investment into Motive in 2015 and believes the company’s technology will be embraced within other “physical economy” sectors such as construction and oil and gas.
Both Fushman and Insight’s Teddie Wardi said they supported Motive’s foray into financial services, which to date has focused on spend management. The startup introduced a corporate card that’s integrated with its fleet-management platform, which it says may help customers detect fraud or misuse.
Read more: KeepTruckin Raises Fresh Funds Valuing Startup at $2.3 Billion
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.


text:
The latest salvo in the US government’s war on technology is contained in a House bill with the Orwellian title of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which would eliminate the federal tax credit for EV purchases.
There’s good reason to believe that killing the tax credit could cripple America’s nascent EV industry. In Denmark, when EV tax incentives were eliminated, sales dropped to almost zero. When the state of Georgia eliminated incentives in 2015, EV sales crashed from around 3,000 per year to around 200. Michael Arbuckle, Nissan’s Senior Manager of EV Sales and Marketing Strategy, recently told Charged that LEAF sales in Georgia plummeted from 80% of the national total to 7%.
Faced with the potential for job losses and a further erosion of the US’s competitive position, the EV industry is marshalling its forces to fight the proposed repeal. Tesla and GM, the two main US EV-makers, have each issued a statement in support of the tax credit. “Because General Motors believes in an all-electric future, we will work with Congress to explore ways to maintain this incentive,” the Detroit automaker told Electrek.
EV advocacy groups are mobilizing to defend the tax credit.
“The credit…created with bipartisan support in Congress, is needed to continue US innovation in electric vehicle components and infrastructure at a time when other countries, such as China, have announced plans to dominate this market,” said the Electric Drive Transportation Association. “Abolishing the plug-in credit will hurt consumers who want electric options and threaten the economic potential of the electric drive industry, which already employs more than 215,000 Americans. Prematurely terminating the credit…will consign the US to be an ‘also-ran’ in the global electric drive marketplace that America built.”
Plug In America believes that “abruptly ending the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs will significantly hurt the electric vehicle market. The organization has created a call to action that makes it easy to send a message to your Representative and Senators, telling them to leave the federal tax credit alone. Click here to send a message to your elected officials in support of the existing tax credit, or here to find contact info for your Representative and Senators.


text:
The takeaway war hots up as Deliveroo launches a new delivery concept for restaurants that don't have presence in areas
- The sites are so restaurants can deliver to areas where they don't have presence
- They will allow eateries to push into new areas without the set-up costs
- The sites - called Edition's - are funded by Deliveroo, with cooks from the outlets
Deliveroo is expanding its network of 'super kitchens' across the UK as it takes the fight to its bigger rival Just Eat.
The food delivery firm, which is based in London, is rolling out the Editions sites so restaurants can deliver to areas where they don't have a presence.
It has 15 in Britain and nine abroad.
Deliveroo is expanding its network of 'super kitchens' across the UK as it takes the fight to its bigger rival Just Eat
They act as delivery-only staging posts for restaurants, letting them push into new areas without the cost of setting up their own premises.
The sites – some hosting 16 eateries – are funded by Deliveroo, with cooks from each restaurant working out of separate kitchens, using the same recipes and ingredients as their high street branches.
The kitchens have also become launch pads for restaurateurs who do not have premises.
Kabab owner Phil Hinitt, 39, has kitchens in two Editions sites. He said: 'Support from Deliveroo has been awesome.'
Most watched Money videos
- 'Become an Avios Master and save money?' British Airways explains
- How to invest around the world and try to dodge crashes
- Skoda advert for the latest version of its bestselling Octavia
- KIA introduces new Cee'd 1.4 T-GDi First Edition in promo video
- Aston Martin showcase the epic DBS Superleggera
- The new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera makes its debut
- Aston Martin's Cygnet city car with a 430bhp V8 engine
- Has England's World Cup run really boosted the economy?
- Supermarket Aldi advert reveals 30% savings on household brands
- Why do women invest less then men?
- Hyundai advert for the latest generation of its i10 city car
- The Pru (Prudential) literally put an elephant in the room in ad.


text:
|Accueil | Créer un blog | Imprimer | Au hasard | Rechercher | Chat | | Jeux | Manager|
|Yunnan coffee beans regain their autonomy
◎The "pricing power" of Yunnan coffee beans is a "knot" that has been hovering in the hearts of local practitioners for many years. In order to gain greater autonomy, facing the wave of specialty coffee, a new generation of coffee farmers and coffee companies embarked on a journey. A generation has a mission for a generation. The different processing methods of coffee beans by the new generation of practitioners have significantly improved the quality, and the pricing power has gradually returned to their own hands.To get more news about yunnan arabica coffee, you can visit shine news official website.|
Under the trend of specialty coffee, the number of buyers of Yunnan coffee beans has increased significantly. Not long ago, the high-profile Blue Bottle Coffee, which opened its first domestic store in Shanghai, announced that it has officially launched the first single-origin coffee beans from Pu'er, Yunnan, in mainland China. It is reported that this is the first time that Blue Bottle Coffee has purchased green coffee beans from China.
Before Blue Bottle Coffee, emerging local coffee brands including Manner Coffee and Luckin Coffee had already added "Yunnan coffee beans" to their daily menus. Sandunban, Yingji and countless independent cafes in the streets and alleys also spare no effort to promote the "Yunnan Coffee Bean" related products. Recently, even Hema has launched its own brand "Box Coffee" series. There are 3 flavors in the box of coffee, including "Tibetan Fragrant Yunnan" which is made from Yunnan coffee beans.
Looking for beans in Yunnan, directly picking coffee beans, the endless stream of bean hunters have spread their footprints all over the "South of Caiyun".Torch Coffee Lab, located in Pu'er, Yunnan, recently reached a cooperation with Blue Bottle Coffee. Torch Coffee is also a partner of local brands such as Luckin Coffee and Post Office Coffee. As early as 2015, Torch Coffee established its first laboratory in Pu'er.
Saya, Deputy General Manager of Torch Point, has experienced the whole process of Yunnan coffee beans from being popular to market darlings. "Four or five years ago, buyers in first-tier cities began to buy our coffee beans sporadically online; from the year before last, some relatively large-scale partners began to appear, and they began to have formal procurement behaviors one after another." Saya told the "Daily Economic News" reporter.
Behind the simple words is the opportunity that Yunnan coffee industry has been waiting for for many years. Compared with the past, Yunnan coffee farmers and coffee companies have obtained higher autonomy.
Before these new buyers set foot on Yunnan land, the Yunnan coffee industry was deeply tied to Nestlé. In 1988, Nestlé decided to support the development of the coffee industry in Yunnan and introduced Katim to be widely planted in Yunnan. Since then, for a long time, Yunnan coffee beans have been used as raw materials for instant coffee, and the right to speak is not high, and it is difficult for coffee farmers. With bargaining power, it is completely exposed to market fluctuations, and it is difficult to move forward.
The advent of the opportunity period is inseparable from the efforts of local coffee farmers and coffee companies in Yunnan to seek living space. Recently, a reporter from "Daily Economic News" conducted in-depth interviews and investigations with a number of front-line practitioners in the Yunnan coffee industry.
Several local farm owners in Yunnan told reporters that since 2015, driven by various factors, the cultivation and processing of Yunnan coffee beans has changed from quantity to quality, which has brought them greater profit margins. Li Fusheng, the head of Zhiguang Coffee Manor, was born in 1996 and is a "second generation coffee". After his military discharge, he returned to Yunnan and is committed to transforming into specialty coffee.
|Poster un Commentaire|
|Entry 572 of 2331|
|Précédent | Suivant|


text:
Seeing as how I had a big glass of V8 Spicy Hot Vegetable juice only a few hours ago, this news is pretty disheartening. Health.com has posted a fascinating article on the 25 Surprisingly Salty Processed Foods. What's the surprise, you say? Well, it's that so many of them are supposed to be healthy options, such as a Lean Cuisine frozen entree, light salad dressing, a meatless black bean burger and low-fat cottage cheese.
The average person in the U.S. consumes 3,500 milligrams of sodium a day. That’s equivalent to almost 9 grams of salt, or nearly 2 teaspoonfuls, which is way more than the 2,300 milligrams per day suggested by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
But the majority of excess salt, or 77 percent, isn’t spooned into food...it comes from processed foods. The FDA recently announced a plan to gradually scale back on salt in processed foods, which may be the end of the line for super salty products.
Until then, I guess I won't be digging into a bowl of Raisin Bran anytime soon!


text:
FAYETTEVILLE -- Business owners and entrepreneurs have benefited from having one-on-one interactions with the two entities with whom the city contracts to spur economic development, according to presentations from representatives of both groups Tuesday.
The City Council heard from Jeff Amerine, founder of Startup Junkie, and Chung Tan, chief economic development officer with the Chamber of Commerce, during its agenda session. The two made presentations as part of an agreement with the city to implement the Fayetteville First economic development strategy.
The council agreed in October 2016 to pay Startup Junkie, a local entrepreneurial consulting service, $300,000 over two years. The nonprofit organization's primary responsibilities are to help startups get off the ground and help them grow and become sustainable.
The second part of the contract was with the chamber, paying $360,000, also over two years, to focus on retail and retaining business in the city.
Both entities are required to give semi-annual updates to the council showing progress on meeting the city's economic goals.
The chamber measured outcomes from October to March. Startup Junkie reported activity from December to May.
Between the two, about 600 entrepreneurs or business owners received one-on-one consultation.
"We're a welcoming operation," Amerine said. "Anyone who walks in the door, contacts us, emails us -- we'll meet with to see if we can help them on the entrepreneurial journey regardless of what type of business or what sector. We cover all of it."
Lunch & Learn
Startup Junkie and the University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship & Innovation will host “Opportunity Zones in Arkansas” as part of its Lunch & Learn series. Mary Beth Brooks of The Strategy Consulting and Leslie Lane with Arkansas Capital will speak.
When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 21
Where: Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, 123 W. Mountain St.
Source: Staff report
Startup Junkie held 36 events, including NWA Startup Weekend in March. Several prospective companies pitched ideas and one, ModBot, which aims to provide cost-effective robotics to school districts, has formed and is raising money, Amerine said.
A new angle the chamber has taken on is housing. A talented workforce needs to be able to live in the city, Tan said.
By the chamber's measure, new residential construction in Fayetteville costs roughly $159 per square foot. Resale residential costs $151 per square foot. Both rates are the highest in Northwest Arkansas, the chamber's numbers suggest.
The combination of people wanting to live in the city, land getting gobbled up and low unemployment with higher wages has its unintended flipside, Tan said. More mixed-use, higher-density development may serve as a way to get the supply to meet the demand, she said.
"The economy is chugging along. The new jobs are being created, and that creates the demand for new housing," Tan said. "But the types of housing, the trend, is changing."
Unemployment in the city hovered around 2½ to 3 percent from September to March, according to a chamber graphic.
New businesses include Altitude Trampoline Park, Juice Palm and Fairfield Inn & Suites Fayetteville. One 100,000-square-foot building and one 80,000-square-foot warehouse have space to lease, Tan said.
NWA Startup Weekend likely will become an annual event, with more entrepreneurial events on the way. Amerine said Startup Junkie runs about 200 events a year with 18 people.
Tan and Economic Vitality Director Devin Howland also were the sole representatives of Northwest Arkansas at RECon, the global retail real estate convention, held at the end of May in Las Vegas. Creating the economic vitality director position and hiring Howland last year also serve as part of the city's economic initiative.
The event gave Fayetteville exposure to the national market and a chance to invite outside developers to invest in the city, he said.
"It really is stepping up our recruitment efforts to begin playing offense instead of defense," Howland said.
NW News on 06/13/2018
Print Headline: Economic plan bearing fruit


text:
Foursquare on Wednesday announced it has expanded recommendations to include suggestions from your Facebook friends. If you link the two services together, you’ll see the difference immediately when you search for something on Foursquare.com, as well as via the service’s Android and iPhone apps.
So, what great things will you see on Foursquare from your Facebook friends? Essentially, any public recommendation that Foursquare can put on a map will show up when you search in the Explore tab: writing a tip, Liking a place, sharing a photo, and so on.
Don’t worry though: this functionality is only available to those who connect their Facebook account to Foursquare; everyone else will still see the same experience. Furthermore, your check-in privacy remains the same (your Facebook friends will never see them unless you friend them on Foursquare as well), and Foursquare promises it will never post to your Facebook Timeline without your permission.
Foursquare calls new feature “the power of personalization” – something that sounds like it came straight out of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s mouth. Zuck constantly talks about how everything is better when it’s social, especially when that social ingredient is Facebook. Foursquare seems to agree, and it’s hardly the first company to do so (in fact, today’s Foursquare update reminds us a lot of what Bing is doing).
We should have seen this addition coming. Last month, Foursquare started giving 1-10 ratings for locations, which we noted made it a Yelp competitor, and also began letting Foursquare users mention Facebook friends who aren’t on the service.
Facebook and Foursquare, better together? On paper, it looks good, but we’ll see soon enough how users react. Foursquare will need to work hard to ensure Facebook doesn’t drag it into a privacy disaster.
Image credit: Andrew Beierle


text:
XM Halts FM-Enabled Radio Sales Due to FCC Probe
May 28, 2006 11:08 PM
comment(s) - last by
The TAO TXM1020 XM Radio is one of the offending devices
XM Satellite FM Radios have been removed from online stores due to poor FCC test results
facing problems with the FCC
in regards to some of its portable XM tuners that ship with regular FM modulators. The devices from XM have been said to not meet radio device requirements set by the FCC that all consumer FM transmitters must meet. Many XM radios rebroadcast the XM feed over a low FM station so that inexpensive FM radios can play the audio stream.
According to an official statement from XM's director of retail marketing, XM has pulled off all offending devices from its kiosk and online store shelves. However, other retailers carrying the devices are not bound by the same rules and are not required to remove the devices until the FCC makes a final decision.
The recall apparently does not affect the Inno brand of FM players because XM can update the firmware on the devices to comply with transmission standards.
XM Satellite has faced a fair amount of problems recently. Competition from satellite radio company Sirius is not helping XM either. Just this week,
XM's deal to acquire WCS Wireless to expand its service fell through
because of financial issues and poor stock performance.
previously reported that XM was facing legal problems with the RIAA because some of its portable XM players allowed users to save tunes that they listen to. The RIAA said that this was a breach of music copyright laws and demanded that
XM hand over $150,000 per tune downloaded by users
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Why even deal with XM ?
5/29/2006 7:21:24 AM
I've dumped XM for Sirius. Why deal with the issues ?
Bad customer service, pulled units with possible recalls, falling stock has lost 60%, FTC issues about lax refunding, FCC issues, Class action suits pending.
Panero sells his 11 million bucks while the stock is high and leaves listeners stranded. Fuck Panaro if you want to fuck anybody.
Who needs XM ?
"A politician stumbles over himself... Then they pick it out. They edit it. He runs the clip, and then he makes a funny face, and the whole audience has a Pavlovian response." -- Joe Scarborough on John Stewart over Jim Cramer
More Problems for XM
May 24, 2006, 11:08 PM
RIAA Sues XM Satellite Radio
May 18, 2006, 12:01 AM
D-Link Offers Lower Priced Wi-Fi Smart Plug to Remotely Power On/Off Your Devices
September 16, 2014, 2:22 PM
Microsoft Hopes Android, iOS Users Will Check Out Its Mobile Universal Keyboard
September 16, 2014, 1:51 PM
China Mobile Looks to iPhone, Galaxy Smartphone Subsidies, Will Push Cheap 4G Phones
September 16, 2014, 11:24 AM
Quick Note: NVIDIA Offers Up 32GB, LTE-equipped SHIELD Tablet for Pre-order
September 16, 2014, 10:22 AM
PayPal Takes Potshot at Apple Pay, Mentioning iCloud Breach in New Ad
September 16, 2014, 7:24 AM
Quick Note: New "Windows" Branding for Microsoft's Smartphones is Leaked
September 15, 2014, 2:00 PM
Most Popular Articles
Dell Announces "World's Thinnest" Tablet: The Venue 8 7000 Series
September 11, 2014, 8:51 AM
Apple Announces Its Smartwatch: The $349 Apple Watch
September 9, 2014, 2:09 PM
Quick Note: Buy an Xbox One Sept 7-13, Get a Free Game
September 4, 2014, 10:42 AM
Quick Note: Microsoft to Ditch Windows Phone, Nokia Branding
September 10, 2014, 2:14 PM
Apple Announces 4.7" iPhone 6, 5.5" iPhone 6 Plus
September 9, 2014, 1:45 PM
Latest Blog Posts
Space Terrorism is a Looming Threat For the United States
Apr 23, 2014, 7:47 PM
Facebook Aims to Provide Internet to "Every Person in the World" with Drones, Satellites
Apr 1, 2014, 10:20 AM
Retail Mobile Sites Experience Outages in Light of Simplexity's Bankruptcy
Mar 14, 2014, 8:48 AM
Tesla vs. BMW: Who Has the Safer EV?
Feb 1, 2014, 2:56 PM
Justice Leaks Details of Next HTC One Two Flagship Phone
Dec 5, 2013, 4:04 PM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2014 DailyTech LLC. -
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information


text:
The battery in your iPhone or Apple Watch is a precious resource, and it becomes more precious as your devices age and their batteries begin to lose capacity. One solution to this problem is to buy an aftermarket replacement battery, look up an iFixit guide, and crack your phone or tablet open yourself. If you've paid for the AppleCare and AppleCare+ extended warranty programs, though, we've got good news.
Apple will now replace any battery covered by AppleCare+ once it drops below 80 percent of its original capacity, as outlined in refreshed AppleCare+ documents spotted by MacRumors late last week and reported on other sites today. Previously, a battery had to drop to 50 percent of its original capacity to be eligible for replacement under AppleCare+, limiting its helpfulness to all but the heaviest users and those with defective batteries. Macs covered by the standard AppleCare agreement can also have their batteries replaced if they drop below 80 percent of their original capacity, as outlined in a footnote here.
AppleCare+ can be added to an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Apple Watch at purchase or within 60 days of the purchase date. AppleCare for Macs can be purchased at any point during the computer's standard one-year warranty term.
reader comments35 with
Share this story


text:
Oxfordshire residents can now dispose of limited amounts of DIY waste for free at the county’s household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) by using an online booking system.
Residents can dispose of up to five standard DIY items for free, or one plasterboard sheet, once every seven days. Examples of DIY waste include baths, sinks, toilets, cisterns, and a 20 litre bag of rubble or tiles. Five of these items would make up a household’s free seven-day allocation.
Residents will need to register their address, vehicle registration number, email address, and the date they wish to visit, along with the site they want to use, via the Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) website.
They will then receive an email confirmation of their booking, which must be shown to the site team on arrival.
There is more information on the OCC News website.


text:
State-owned China Telecom, the country's third biggest mobile phone operator by subscribers, said Wednesday that profit grew in the first half of the year as revenue from iPhone sales kicked in. Beijing-based China Telecom, also the world's biggest fixed-line telephone operator...
China's wireless subscriber base swelled to 841.94 million in December, the country's top three...
Motorola Monday launched three new Ming series Android smartphones for China Telcom, China Unicom...
Companies in the News: Qualcomm, Thumbplay, Cricket Communications, Leap Wireless International, QuickPlay, MetroPCS, Third Screen Media
Cricket Communications announced a $5 monthly service for unlimited mobile video downloads.
Cricket Communications, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leap Wireless, announced the addition of Motorola’s RAZR V3s tri-band device to its expanding lineup.
No-contract provider Cricket Communications recently began offering over-the-air data backup services from Asurion, the companies said today.
Leap Wireless International announced it will begin offering its Cricket unlimited wireless services in the greater St. Louis area starting today.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on its Website this week posted a recall notice about Cricket Communications’ EZ cell phones.
Leap Wireless International subsidiary Cricket Communications has updated its flat-rate, unlimited service plan offerings.
Pay-as-you-go provider Leap Communications is updating the core IP network for its Cricket Communications subsidiary, according to company officials.
So those $99.99 flat-rate voice plans are “revolutionary”? Don’t tell that to Leap Wireless International, aka Cricket.
Leap Wireless International, parent company of Cricket Communications announced that Cricket will launch its unlimited wireless services in Oklahoma City beginning April 8.
No contract carrier Cricket Wireless has announced another unlimited offer, but this one is not for voice and its far less than the national carriers’ $99-a-month plans.


text:
Uber ride-sharing company needs licence, City of Ottawa says
The ride-sharing service Uber needs to be licensed to run in the City of Ottawa, officials said on Monday after a meeting on how the popular transportation app might work in the capital region.
Uber's business model has been to employ part-time drivers using their own vehicles to shuttle passengers around.
But it has modified that approach depending on the jurisdiction, and in Toronto and Montreal the service uses only licensed drivers and relies on traditional fare meters.
But they face stiff resistance from Ottawa's taxi companies.
"It's going to be a long battle of attrition with Uber and Uber is not going to win here," said taxi cab company Coventry Connections president Hanif Patni.
Susan Jones, who oversees the city's taxi licensing program, said she was glad to hear the company's pitch, but added it will need to be licensed.
Jones said Uber would have to comply with all the rules that apply to other cab companies and govern everything from driver training to vehicle inspections.
Since launching in 2010, San Francisco-based Uber has expanded to over 100 cities around the world, including Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.
Pushback from cab companies and regulators in Vancouver and Calgary forced Uber to abandon expansion plans there, and the service has been banned in New Orleans, Miami and Brussels, among other cities.
Frankfurt state court has also barred Uber from operating in Germany, though the company has vowed to appeal.


text:
Saber Interactive attempts to innovate the increasingly crowded third-person cover shooter genre with a unique gravity shifting gameplay mechanic in Inversion. Does Inversion succeed in turning third-person shooting on its head? Let’s take a look:
Namco Bandai teaches a lesson in poor release timing with the recent launch of Inversion. Saber Interactive’s latest original IP quietly landed on store shelves earlier this month, right smack in the middle of E3, a time in the gaming year when most gamers briefly forget about current games to look forward to the gaming innovations and experiences of the future. For a game that’s been in development as long as Inversion (it was announced in 2009 and originally was planned to launch in 2010), it’s a shame its release came and went with such little attention, because despite some gaping flaws and a prevailing air of blandness, it pulls out some clever game design tricks that deserve commendation.
The story of Inversion begins in the near-future city of Vanguard, once a peaceful place now overrun by the Lutadore, a race of enemies armed with gravity-manipulating technology that rises up out of nowhere and begins slaughtering and enslaving the human population, adults and children alike. A pair of lame buddy cop wannabes heads the charge to overthrow this sudden threat, Davis Russel in the leading role as a father and husband who discovers his wife dead and his daughter kidnapped by the ruthless invaders, with his partner Leo Delgado riding shotgun on this post-apocalyptic sci-fi mission to save one little girl.