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DISAPPOINTMENT over the closure of two popular restaurants in Bantry’s town centre has been replaced with optimism following the relocation of The Bakehouse to what was formerly DeBarra’s Restaurant.
According to the chairman of Bantry Business Association, Diarmaid Murphy, ‘it is sad, at any time, to see a business close but locals are delighted that now at least one of these popular restaurants – The Bakehouse, which had come to the end of its lease – will continue to serve the community and provide a welcoming, but socially distancing place, for people to meet.’
The business association chairman explained that New Street is an important hub in Bantry town.
‘The loss of two restaurants would have been devastating,’ he said, ‘so it’s great to see DeBarra’s getting a new lease of life and to see New Street opening up again.’
The chairman confirmed that the delightfully quirky gift shop, Forest and Flock, will be re-opening this weekend.
He added: ‘There’s even more good news with the plan to open a music school in New Street in the next few weeks, as well as a new tenant moving into the commercial development, which was formerly Vickery’s Hotel.’
Diarmaid outlined another exciting development in New Street, the opening of The Crow’s Nest by Adrian Cronin. It is a meeting room that comes fully equipped with office facilities and wifi for people who need a temporary office or meeting space.
Also, in New Street, construction is ongoing in what was formerly McCarthy’s Bar, and Diarmaid said the fully refurbished premises is expected to open in 2021.
Responding to the government’s announcement that pubs will not reopen in this phase, the business association chairman said: ‘It is disappointing to see pubs and nightclubs classed together.
‘Rural pubs are important in local communities as a meeting place and social outlet, and there is nothing to suggest that they cannot be run on the social distancing model. It’s just downright wrong to equate a rural pub with a city nightclub – they are light years apart.’


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The company has announced "a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to modded consoles connecting to Live".
Users attempting to connect to the online service with a banned console receive an error message with the status code Z: 8015 - 190D.
Gamers modify consoles for a variety of reasons, very few of them with legitimate intentions.
The most common use is to allow the playing of copied games, usually pirated versions, although some argue that the ability to copy games allows them to use backup versions and keep the original version stored safely elsewhere.
People also modify consoles to allow the running of other operating systems and applications or to circumvent cheat prevention systems.
Microsoft is not banning the users' accounts, but rather the systems themselves. Users will not be automatically banned from Live, but will no longer be able to access the service from the modified console.
The move is to help prevent "inappropriate behaviour like hacking or cheating ", according to Microsoft. The company will "continue to enforce this rule to ensure the integrity of the service and protect our partners and users".
The announcement has prompted a huge response with hundreds of replies on the official Xbox Live blog.
Most of the comments praise the move but there are several people claiming that their genuine unmodded consoles have been banned.
Other commentators have pointed out the potential problem of sites such as eBay being flooded with consoles that have been banned or people deliberately overheating their banned consoles in order to get a replacement under warranty.
Microsoft bans modded Xbox 360s from Live
By Staff Writers on May 22, 2007 10:15AM

domain: news


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Johannesburg: The much awaited Apple Watch is all set to arrive on 24th April 2015 and can be yours for a price starting from $349. But the thing is people are thinking that whether it’s worth buying an Apple Watch? Does it help smart watches to take off or it’s just another wearable that costs too much but does very little. There are certain things you need to know about Apple Watch. Later, you can decide whether to spend your hard earned money for it.
Johannesburg: It looks like 2015 is going to be a big year for mobile payments with Apple Pay gaining rapid adoption and Samsung making its way to this game. And now, Google has also decided to ramp up its efforts in this space with Android Pay. Google is now teaming up with T-Mobile and Verizon to preload its mobile payment applications on new Android devices and is also creating a new framework to power payments across its OS. Read more about Android Pay is Geared Up to Take over Apple Pay and Samsung Pay!
Johannesburg: Today in the world of modern technology, people are going mobile and are being much dependant on their smartphones for everything. They want all the information right on their fingertip. But the thing is, they are still in dilemma when it comes for buying a smartphone. While both Android and iPhones are patting their back and boasting themselves in their own ways, people are in such a situation where they are not able to decide between an Android and iOS. But here are a few good reasons to say that Android is much better than iPhone. Read more about 5 Credible Reasons to Say Android is better than iPhone
Johannesburg: Ever since the introduction of Apple Maps two years ago, Apple has made continuing efforts to improve the maps service and catch it up to its major competitor, Google Maps. The company’s subsequent move to develop Apple Maps is to crowdsource data on local businesses from business owners themselves, employing a new portal that started on quietly in the last week of October.


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Some individuals hail vaping as being a safer substitute for cigarettes, arguing that there’s no tobacco smoke, so it’s got to be safer. It remains to be seen if that’s true, and there is some evidence how the stuff inside vapes and e-cigs is toxic. But beyond that, there’s the actual fact these items occasionally blow up.
You hadn’t heard about this? Some pretty gruesome reports are beginning to accumulate. In November, a person in Colorado broke his neck, lost some teeth, and suffered burns and facial fractures when his e-cigarette exploded. A 15-year-old California boy lost half a dozen teeth inside a similar mishap recently. In Tennessee, another teen is dealing with the severe burns caused each time a vape pen starter kit no nicotine caught fire in his pocket a few weeks ago.
Statistics outlining just how prevalent this is remain thin, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency, of all the things, identified 25 cases of e-cigarette explosions in the usa between 2009-2014. However, that list is based only on incidents reported through the media. Considering that vaping’s seen a surge in popularity ever since then-last year, the CDC reported a 3-fold increase among middle- and school students alone-the quantity certainly is rising. A quick Search on the internet shows at the very least 12 explosions in 2015 alone.
As an alternative to burning tobacco, vape pens and e-cigs make use of a small lithium-ion battery to heat an aerosol cartridge to discharge a vapor that’s inhaled. Like any device which uses lithium-ion batteries, it is possible to run into problems when the battery is damaged or subjected to extremes in temperature. A quick circuit may cause the battery to overheat, catch fire, and even explode. These issues have a tendency to appear in cheap consumer gadgets which can be quickly churned from factories. In general, it’s relatively rare, but obviously it happens-recently, in hoverboard scooters.
“With lithium-ion batteries in general, whenever you operate one outside its safety window, there’s a tendency where things will go wrong,” says Venkat Viswanathan, who teaches mechanical engineering Carnegie Mellon University. That window is startlingly small: Viswanathan says batteries are best kept between 50 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s February, and but four US states are averaging temperatures below 50 today.
In some instances, the thing is compounded by cheap lithium-ion batteries that “don’t possess the luxury of using sophisticated management systems,” Viswanathan says. That can result in dangerously over- or under-charged batteries. Dendrite can be another potential problem. Dendrite can be a conductive filament that could form during the period of boxmmod charge/discharge cycles, particularly if the battery is rapidly charged. This stuff can spread such as a weed, eventually bridging the electrodes and creating a short circuit. “You have basically something equal to gasoline inside your lithium-ion battery,” Viswanathan says, “and so immediately it catches fire.”
Lithium-ion batteries power a whole lot of gadgets needless to say, and sometimes do it without trouble. But things like mobile phones and laptops and electric vehicles typically are produced to exacting specifications and rigorously tested, both from the company and outside experts. The Smoke-Free Alternative Trade Association, which represents for vape-makers, stated it “cannot speak with user error or with respect to a manufacturer for device” and, “If you find truly a challenge having a specific device, similar to a lap top or mobile phone manufacturer, that company should use the appropriate action.”
And to be fair, it’s not unusual for users to change their box mod vape, and numerous websites offer easy methods to do just that. The market trade group duly notes that hacked and modded devices can pose a safety risk.
All of these begs the question what, if something, is being done concerning this. Most regulatory discussions about e-cigarettes and vapes pinpoint the Food and Drug Administration’s critique from the chemicals in the devices. The FDA is about to introduce rules regulating the industry, a move which could classify e cigarettes and vaping products just like tobacco. Products would carry warning labels, sales to minors would be banned, and you’d see restrictions on things like offering free samples. But little has been said in regards to the safety of your devices.
The Smoke-Free Alternative Trade Association says it supports “reasonable science-based regulations,” but opposes everything that might “stifle innovation.” Nevertheless it argues “e-cigs and vapor goods are technology products, separate and distinct from combustible tobacco.” They liken these to electronic products.
That’s where things get tricky. Asked if it has any safety concerns about the devices, the buyer Products Safety Commission deferred on the FDA, saying this is basically the federal regulator in control there. The FDA does claim responsibility for ensuring the security of your parts from the devices that are employed in the consumption of tobacco products. But there aren’t a great deal of safety rules for manufacturers to follow along with, and the FDA is encouraging people to report any problems.
Viswanathan includes a recommendation for companies making what is vaping? and also other gadgets that utilize lithium-ion batteries: Crib from automakers making electric cars. They’ve developed sophisticated systems for minimizing the risks of problems. “Lithium-ion batteries fundamentally are given to catching fire,” he says, “and car makers have realized efficient methods to create zones where these batteries are secure to work.”
Granted, the odds that your vape pen will blow up such as an exploding cigar are slim. Yet it is possible, so the best option is to find a high quality vape pen from the reputable manufacturer. Look at the parts-should they look and feel cheap, they probably are. Viswanathan suggests ensuring that it’s got some sort of battery management system to prevent shorts and thermal runaway. Make sure you’re making use of the right battery and charger, and don’t modify anything.


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On July 14th, the fourth meeting of “Symposium on Enhancing RCEP National Industrial Cooperation” was held. Xu Ningning, executive chairman of the China-ASEAN Business Council and chairman of the RCEP Industrial Cooperation Committee, said that the industries of RCEP countries are highly complementary, and the prospects for enhancing cooperation are promising. From January to June this year, China’s trade volume with RCEP’s trading partners and ASEAN increased by 22.7% and 27.8% in RMB terms, respectively. China and ASEAN remain each other’s largest trading partners.
At the meeting, Xu Ningning analyzed the main features of RCEP:
One is the large scale. RCEP is a free trade zone with the largest population, the largest economy, the most diverse member structure, and the greatest development potential in the world, covering about 30% of the world’s population, 30% of the total economic volume and 30% of foreign trade.
Second, RCEP has opened more fields and degrees than WTO. Within the RCEP framework, China, Japan, Japan and South Korea have reached a breakthrough in free trade consensus.
The third is to have a foundation. RCEP is integrated and upgraded on the basis of the 10+1 free trade agreement implemented by ASEAN with China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, and has a corresponding free trade foundation. The 10+1 strategic partnerships in the region have promoted a series of cooperation between the two parties in the past ten years.
Fourth, ASEAN dominates. Characteristics of East Asia-RCEP is initiated and led by ASEAN, which is mainly composed of developing countries.
Fifth, after 8 years of negotiation, RCEP has fully brewed the changes brought about by the open market.
Sixth, RCEP countries have close trade and investment relations, and industries are highly complementary. The construction of RCEP is not only conducive to the expansion of trade scale and mutual investment among member countries, and brings more trade creation, but also conducive to RCEP member countries to attract more investment from enterprises outside the region.
Seventh, the demand for cooperation has risen. RCEP countries have an increasing demand for cooperative development of regional development potential, cooperating to cope with sluggish world economic growth for many years and the current severe decline, and to cope with the rising demand for international trade protectionism.
Xu Ningning said that from January to June this year, the trade volume between China and ASEAN reached US$41.76 billion, a year-on-year increase of 38.2%. The trade volume between China and ASEAN is US$22.55 billion more than the trade volume between China and the EU, the second largest trading partner. China-ASEAN trade accounted for 14.7% of China’s total foreign trade value, which was the same as the same period last year.
From January to June this year, China’s exports to ASEAN reached US$225.83 billion, a year-on-year increase of 38.3%; China’s imports from ASEAN reached US$184.92 billion, a year-on-year increase of 38.1%; China had a surplus of US$40.91 billion, a year-on-year increase of 26.2%. Among the ten trade between China and ASEAN countries, China and Vietnam had the largest trade surplus of US$25.28 billion, accounting for 61.8% of the total surplus between China and ASEAN; China and Malaysia had the largest trade deficit of US$13.89 billion.
From January to June this year, the trade volume between China and Japan reached US$181.29 billion, a year-on-year increase of 23.7%; the trade volume between China and South Korea reached US$168.88 billion, a year-on-year increase of 28.5%; the trade volume between China and Australia reached US$1074.2, a year-on-year increase of 35. %; The trade volume between China and New Zealand reached US$12 billion, a year-on-year increase of 36.1%.


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Kanye West recent fashion show at Madison Square Garden cost a whopping $2 million, RadarOnline.com has learned. And despite his reported $53 million debt, he picked up the check!
The Yeezus 3 fashion show was held at MSG at his insistence, an insider told Radar. "Adidas had offered other venues that would have cost substantially less. Those venues were turned down," the source claimed. "Kanye wanted it to be over-the-top, and he got what he wanted. The rental fee was astronomical and Kanye had to have elaborate cat walks made too."
"The cost exploded because of all of the overtime that had to be done to prepare for the show," said the source. "Kanye constantly changed his mind about how the stage would be set up right up until the last moment."
The rapper's strange demands during his controversial Yeezy 3 fashion show were revealed after a model Snapchatted what appeared to be a Dos and Don'ts list from the event.
The outlandish instructions included statements like "No eye contact!" and "No sexy posing!"
- Odell Beckham Jr. Partied at Star-Studded Strip Club Bash With 'Ton of Girls' Hours Before Date With Kim Kardashian
- 'Eat the Rich': Kim Kardashian Faces Backlash Over TikTok Video Flaunting SKKN Office's Tanning Bed, 3-D Models and Luxury Amenities
- 'White Lotus' Star Lukas Gage Asks Court Not to Award Spousal Support to Ex Chris Appleton
Behind the scenes, the source said, "The show was just a total s**t show of chaos and anger. The vibe was just off."


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One of the few good house gadgets to supply full-on Cortana integration is dropping it in favor of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Owners of Johnson Controls’ GLAS Smart Thermostat realized this week by way of electronic mail that an upcoming software program replace for the glossy gadget, which is powered by Microsoft’s Windows 10 IoT working system, is slated to deactivate its Cortana support.
The transfer means folks utilizing the snazzy-looking thermostat might want to swap to Alexa or Google Assistant in the event that they wish to management it with voice instructions.
In our evaluation of the GLAS Smart Thermostat final fall, reviewer Jason D’Aprile referred to as his expertise in utilizing Cortana to regulate the gadget “decidedly odd,” with Cortana failing to grasp a few of our most elementary cooling requests.
“Johnson Controls was wise to make the GLAS compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant as well as Cortana, so you ultimately don’t need to worry if Cortana is up to par,” D’Aprile concluded.
While the lack of Cortana would possibly rankle GLAS homeowners who purchased the thermostat particularly due to its Cortana integration, the news doesn’t come as a lot of a shock.
Indeed, Cortana’s future has appeared unsure over the previous a number of months, significantly after the departure of a key Cortana product lead and feedback from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella hinting that Cortana is perhaps “better off” as merely a “valuable skill” for customers of Alexa or Google Assistant.
Meanwhile, a latest Windows 10 Insider Preview Build allowed customers to speak to Alexa on their Windows 10 lock screens reasonably than Cortana.


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Although CBD oil and CBD edibles are legal in most parts of the country, a recent opinion by the Indiana attorney general has called into question the legality of CBD in the state. The only exception for use of CBD seems to be for seizure disorders that are resistant to traditional treatments, at least according to [...]
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More than just a runny nose and the itchy eyes, allergies place a significant burden on the lives of those that suffer from the Allergens, like pollen, dust, and dander, are often a trigger for far more severe health issues than only red eyes, considering roughly 30 per cent of individuals with the allergies in [...]


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Volvo and Uber are collaborating on a fully self-driving vehicle that should be in ride-sharing company's Pittsburgh fleet by the end of the year.
It's an announcement that blows Ford's claim, earlier this week, that it would launch an autonomous urban vehicle by 2021. Boy, that escalated quickly.
Uber and Volvo have signed an agreement wherein both companies will share a $300 million investment in fully autonomous vehicle development. The fruit of this effort will be built on Volvo's SPA chassis, currently used for the, and V90. Volvo will build the cars, and Uber will add its own autonomous driving systems to it.
Uber told Bloomberg that these vehicles should enter its Pittsburgh fleet as early as the end of August. In an effort to sweeten the deal, or perhaps just to assuage Luddites, when an autonomous vehicle shows up at your door, the ride will be free. The cars will be sent out at random, so you can't specifically request self-driving cars for the free ride, you mooch.
While there is a partnership, there's still a clear separation between the two companies' efforts. Even though Volvo will give some of these vehicles to Uber, it intends to build its own autonomous systems in-house, as well. Uber will also continue its partnerships with other companies, including Ford and Toyota.


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The U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit Monday to stop the acquisition of the National Beef Packing Company by Brazilian company JBS
"We are disappointed that the DOJ does not recognize that this transaction is pro competitive and we plan to vigorously contest the DOJ's attempt to block it," said Steve Hunt, Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Premium Beef, the owner of National Beef.
The proposed acquisition of National Beef was announced in early March. The deal is for $560 million plus the assumption of National Beef's debt. According to the Justice Department, JBS's acquisition of National would substantially restructure the beef packing industry, eliminating a competitively significant packer and placing more than 80% of domestic fed cattle packing capacity in the hands of three firms: JBS, Tyson Foods Inc., and Cargill Inc.


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The government says they are fully within the parameters of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff
For example, a review of the common external tariffs
is under way.
More than two years after the signing of the Sharm-el-Sheikh Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) agreement in June 2015--which brought together member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)--trade ministers from all of Africa's 54 countries, including those of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which already have a common external tariff
, met in Niamey, the capital of Niger, in early December last year to agree final terms for the African Union's Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA).
When we're expelled The Chamber urges politicians to tell us now what they secretly know that's going to stop us facing the Common External Tariff
when we leave the EU in 2019.
Brexiteers want the UK to leave the EU customs union, where all states have a common external tariff
, in order to strike trade deals outside the EU.
In the prime minister's own words, this would allow for "tariff-free trade with Europe and cross-border trade that is as frictionless as possible," while leaving the common commercial policy and no longer being tied to the common external tariff
, thus permitting the UK to pursue its own trade agreements.
Prof Rhys said: "As the Common External Tariff
on parts, components and systems is only 3.8 per cent, efficient UK-based supplier should be alarmed by eventual Brexit.
currently doesn't have its own tariff schedule because it is a member of the EU's customs union, which applies a common external tariff
across all 28 member states.
In his study, the Professor takes into account monetary issues which are only possible outside of the EU, such as: reduced regulation; lower energy prices; removing the Common External Tariff
; setting up our own trade deals around the world (something we can not do as a member of the EU as it is not allowed by the Treaty of Rome).
The alternative would be for UK exporters to accept the EU's common external tariff
, and for the UK to create its own import tariff, applied to all imports, including from the EU.
The free trade agreement alternative: A fourth option would be for the UK to trade with the EU under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, which are subject to the EU's common external tariff
. Alternatively, it could negotiate a separate free trade agreement with the EU, under which tariffs would be lower than WTO tariffs, an arrangement recently concluded by Canada which is scheduled to come


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The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill catalyzed the hemp and cannabidiol industries, which have seen explosive growth by being able to sell any hemp-derived product with less than 0.3% THC, and the whirlwind of innovations in products and delivery methods has been nonstop.
How CBD will be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the future remains in a state of limbo.
Last year, the federal government gave FDA a 60-day time frame to provide updates on its regulatory approach to CBD, which was due in a report last month. The agency released the report on March 5.
FDA provided a rundown of safety concerns regarding the use of CBD, sourced from a variety of scientific journals. Additionally, the agency voiced concern over providing consumers information on the degree to which it has the authority to regulate or oversee the marketing and quality of CBD products under its auspices.
FDA has approved only one CBD drug, Epidiolex, which is used to treat two life-threatening seizure disorders in children. The agency currently takes the position that CBD should not be marketed as a food ingredient or dietary supplement. Aside from companies making egregious health claims about CBD, or committing serious violations of good manufacturing practices, the agency has not taken any administrative action against less-than-reputable companies selling or producing CBD in a problematic way.
Since the 2018 Farm Bill passed, the onus has been on companies to monitor the quality, safety, and efficacy of their own products. Meanwhile, CBD manufacturers and companies are coming online at a rate which can be followed on a day-to-day basis.
Among other things we’ve learned from the latest FDA report, the agency may be taking steps toward providing the public with a risk-based enforcement policy ahead of any tentative enforcement decisions. The risk-based enforcement policy would highlight the agency’s key goals that it hopes to accomplish in a regulatory structure it has not made yet.
FDA also provided a rundown of the health risks it has identified thus far based on the body of research the agency is utilizing.
“CBD is not a risk-free substance,” FDA said in its report. “As evidenced in the public clinical development data for Epidiolex and in the publicly available published scientific literature, CBD is associated with risks including liver injury, drug-drug interactions, drowsiness that may affect driving, and the possibility of male reproductive toxicity.
The agency tallied off a number of potential risks that it hopes to address by assessing more research. Those risks include the health effects of daily CBD use for sustained periods of time, what intake levels trigger known CBD risks, how different methods of exposure affect intake, the effect of CBD on the developing brains of children, CBD’s impact on pregnancy and breastfeeding, CBD’s interaction with other herbs and botanicals, whether male reproductive toxicity occurs in humans as it did in a study on animals, and whether CBD forms residues within the edible tissues of food-producing mammals.
FDA believes there are shortcomings in regulating CBD the same as any other dietary supplement, and perceives these shortcomings as a roadblock to swift action. Companies might not be required to provide “sufficient” information on what products they are making and selling to consumers. FDA is also concerned that expanding its own responsibilities to provide unique rules for CBD would adversely impact the agency’s overall workload.
FDA pointed out particular concerns over CBD vape products.
“FDA is concerned that CBD vapes pose public health risks in that vaping CBD raises toxicity concerns—both inherent to the substance and due to potential contaminants—and could attract children and adolescents, which are vulnerable populations,” the agency wrote.
On labeling concerns, FDA reported that it wants to establish labeling guidelines for CBD products claiming to be “full spectrum” or “broad spectrum.”
“We are actively seeking information from individual manufacturers, trade groups, and others regarding the processes by which ‘full spectrum’ and ‘broad spectrum’ hemp extracts are derived, what the content of such extracts is, and how these products may compare to CBD isolate products,” the agency said.
Lastly, CBD researchers should know that FDA will reopen a docket from its May 2019 public meeting on CBD in order to establish a centralized, publicly-accessible place for researchers to provide new data related to safety information.
In the meantime, FDA’s focus is to ensure the public understands that CBD production is essentially unregulated by any government agency at this point, and there are many unknowns in regard to its benefits and risks.
“We are concerned that some people wrongly think that the myriad of CBD products on the market have been evaluated by the FDA and determined to be safe, or that using CBD ‘can’t hurt,’” The agency said in a statement.
Too Little, Too Late
Industry trade groups believe that FDA should have developed a comprehensive regulatory plan at least a year ago, lambasted the latest update as all talk, with no regulatory oversight of CBD coming any time soon. They believe that regulations on par with other dietary supplements are more worthwhile than further debate with no foreseeable end.
“The time for ‘active consideration and evaluation’ has long since passed,” the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) said in a statement in response to the report. “As we’ve said before, the time for action was more than a year ago, but we will settle for now. Today’s report amounts to more bureaucratic can-kicking, and Congress should recognize it as such and take action now to declare CBD a lawful dietary ingredient. That will direct FDA to allow CBD in dietary supplements and impose that significant regulatory framework on these products.”
CRN said that CBD’s safety as a standalone ingredient should no longer be on the table when the FDA could enable itself to reduce the tangential public risks.
“Every day, more CBD products come to market, some from responsible manufacturers, and some from less reputable companies,” CRN continued. “By not enforcing the full range of dietary supplement regulations on this category, FDA is essentially an absentee regulator and the public is at risk. As several recent risk assessments have demonstrated, the safety of CBD as an ingredient itself is no longer an issue. However, as long as FDA ‘actively’ continues to drag its feet, the public is at risk from CBD products that may be poorly manufactured or illegally marketed. The best way to protect public health and promote market clarity is to give industry a clear pathway to market.”
Daniel Fabricant, the president and CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA) echoed the sentiment that passing CBD through as a dietary ingredient is the only way to ensure safe products.
“This is more of the same from the FDA: all words and no action,” Fabricant said. “The longer FDA waits to regulate the CBD industry the greater chance we have of risking another public health crisis. Setting a safe level of consumption for CBD products is the best way to move forward with this promising new product while protecting consumers.”


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Tired of paying more for the same product in Canada that sells for less in the U.S.? Don’t point the finger at retailers. Blame Ottawa instead.
At least that’s the takeaway from a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute, which says government policy is driving the Canada-U.S. price gap.
“While a rising Canadian dollar was clearly the catalyst for increased purchasing power by Canadians in the U.S., consumers naturally wonder how the same goods can exhibit such large price gaps across countries despite small distances and a relatively open border,” says the report titled, “Sticker Shock: The Causes and Consequences of the Canada-U.S. Price Differential” and written by University of Toronto economist Nicholas Li.
The Senate has studied the price-gap issue looking at causes such as tariffs, market size, business costs, retail competition and so-called “country pricing,” which is basically price discrimination. Ottawa also said in the 2014 budget that it would empower the Competition Bureau to look into the matter.
But Li says there’s a simpler solution to the problem – and Ottawa alone has the power to fix it.
“The easiest thing Canadian governments can do if they want to reduce the Canada-U.S. wholesale price gap is to eliminate existing tariffs and supply management policies that are responsible for the largest price gaps,” the report.
“In many cases, ill-advised government tariffs and policies such as supply management are responsible for the Canada-US price gap.”
It also says Ottawa should continue to increase duty-free exemptions for travellers and postal shipments, while also consider certain taxes and regulations that might be making it more expensive for manufacturers, distributors and retailers to do business in Canada.
“If the federal government is serious about reducing prices for Canadians, it might want to first look at some of its own policies before tasking the Competition Bureau with investigating companies charging higher prices in Canada relative to the U.S.,” the report says.
To come up with the findings, Li compared prices from a major grocery retailer operating in both the U.S. and Canada. He found gaps in wholesale prices played a much greater role in the price difference than retail margins.
Looking at rising wholesales prices between 2004 and 2007 period, Li says they are more associated with government regulation such as high tariffs and supply management, and not with competition in Canada.
Based on his findings, there are actually one-third fewer major brands in Canada versus the U.S. His study shows Canada has 10,000 products at the average retail store compared with 14,000 in the U.S.
The price gap has been widening since about mid-2000, thanks to the rising value of the Canadian dollar, the report notes.
According to Li’s research, a B.C. resident that went shopping in 2004 for items such as seafood snacks, diapers or chocolate bars in nearby Washington state would have paid the same price, in Canadian dollars. However, in 2007, the seafood snack would have cost 3 per cent more, the diapers 16 per cent more and the chocolate 25 per cent more under the same scenario.
“Since the Canadian dollar appreciated during those years, boosting Canadians’ purchasing power in US stores, many have wondered why the same products became relatively more expensive in Canada,” he says.
By 2012, the report says prices for a typical basket of goods were 27 per cent higher in Canadian stores, and 57 per cent higher for food.
"As Canadian policymakers turn their attention to the relative prices of similar goods on each side of the border, they should understand why prices for many goods are higher in Canada than in the US,” Li says.


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It is understood that the latest data from the Malaysian Rubber Board show that the export value of Malaysian rubber products this year is expected to reach US$6 billion, an increase of 11.4% year-on-year.
DatoDr Zairossani Mohd Nor, Director-General of the Malaysian Rubber Bureau, said that rubber has been significantly affected by the epidemic, with low rubber prices and stagnant global demand. It is expected that production will fall by 14% this year and exports will drop by about 10%. However, Malaysia, as the world's largest producer of natural rubber gloves, has benefited from this, so that the overall export of the Malaysian rubber industry has not been greatly affected. He expects the rubber glove industry to grow by about 15% this year. The export value of the rubber products industry in Malaysia will reach about 26 billion ringgit, an increase of about 3 billion ringgit from 2019. Malaysia has changed from a producer of natural rubber to a consumer of natural rubber.
It is said that Malaysia's consumption in 2019 was 974,000 metric tons and the output was 640,000 tons. The annual output this year is expected to fall by 14% to about 550,000 tons.
Last year, the planting area of smallholders in Malaysia reached 1 million hectares, and the planting area of rubber plantations reached 73,000 hectares. Since 1990, the average annual decline has been 1.3% and 5.2%.


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Undisguised Audi A1 spotted
Just yesterday we told you that Justin Timberlake will be Audi’s next big spokesperson, and as part of his latest career choice he gets to hang out around cool cars that most enthusiasts would kill for. The singer/actor will play the leading role in an exceptional Audi A1 Internet campaign that is set to be launched in the spring of 2010, reasonable explanation why he was spotted next to the future premium compact city car from Audi.
Next spring the German automaker will launch their online advertising campaign to introduce the world to the new A1. Hence the shoot with Mr. Timberlake, who had this to say: “Audi has always been at the forefront of engineering and technology... and I am very excited to be a part of the next evolution conscience with Audi and the A1“. The photo shows a three door version of the ultra compact, but according to Audi there will also be a Sportback, Cabriolet and a Crossover variations of the smallest auto to wear the four ring logo. The new Audi A1’s official debut will be made at the Geneva Motor Show and sales will begin in Europe later on in 2010.


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MasterCard launches new credit card with LCD screen, keyboard, http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/11/09/mastercard-launches-new-credit-card-with-lcd-screen-keyboard/ – Sent via the FOX News Android App.
AT&T is done with its copper telephone network and copper DSL business, according to its CEO and chairman Randall Stephenson, who spoke Wednesday at an analyst conference in New York City. The company believes that an all-IP network is the path to more profitable future. Given the millions of subscribers that are dependent on the copper telephone lines and copper DSL products, AT&T has offered a $14 billion fringe benefit for those customers and the regulators who will likely balk at the idea of AT&T stopping its investment in copper.
AT&T said it will invest $14 billion in its networks over the next three years, with those dollars going into wireless, business services and the fiber-to-the-node U-verse product. Those three product lines make up 81 percent of AT&T’s revenue and collectively are growing at 6 percent a year. AT&T expects to spend $8 billion for wireless initiatives and $6 billion for…
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With many of iOS 6’s (s AAPL)new features such as Passbook and turn-by-turn directions, many of us need to print less stuff than ever. However, the post-paper era hasn’t quite caught up with the post-PC era: we still need paper to print some boarding passes or a complex map. Newer printers support AirPrint out of the box and software solutions such as Printopia can use your Mac as a print server. Lantronix has a another solution to enable “the rest of us” to print from iOS and the product works well — with some minor annoyances.
How it works
The xPrinterServer has two variations: a Home edition and Network edition. The Home Edition ($99.95) supports USB printers as well up to five network-based printers. The Network Edition ($149.95) only supports network-based printers but supports an unlimited number of them. For that price, you could, in theory, simply buy…
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The Holley NMRA Ford Nationals is excited to announce the return of the All-Female True Street category to the upcoming Ohio event.
The Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport will run as-scheduled at Atlanta Dragway April 8-11, 2021.
The Holley NMRA Ford Nationals and NMCA Muscle Car Nationals, the leaders in the street-legal drag racing market, are proud to announce the new home of the Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing is World Wide Technology Raceway (Madison, IL).
It wasn’t a smooth go for the Racers of the Chevrolet Performance Challenge Series after waiting out the rain to go wheels up at the Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl presented by HPJ Performance, July 30-August 2 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois.
With the NFL’s season in question, we do know one Superbowl that WILL happen. The World Wide Technology Raceway (Madison, IL) will be the setting to settle the burning rivalry between the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals and the NMCA Muscle Car Nationals.
The Holley NMRA Ford Nationals and NMCA Muscle Car Nationals started out with a bang , but the COVID-19 pandemic forced these series to slam on the brakes.
ProMedia Events and Publishing, parent company of the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals and NMCA Muscle Car Nationals, in association with Atlanta Dragway’s parent company NHRA, have decided to postpone the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals in response to growing restrictions on group gatherings and travel due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Check out this video for the McLeod Clutches 12th Annual NMRA Ford Super Nationals at Summit Motorsports park.
The NMRA gets cookin’ with the first two races of the season.
“Bad” Bart Tobener clinches 2014 Edelbrock Renegade Class Championship after an incredible year.


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The release revealed that cybercrimes have cost Canadians $3 billion over the last 12 months.
According to the latest Norton Report regarding mobile security, cybercrime in Canada has cost $3 billion over the last year, which is an increase of more than double over the $1.4 billion that had been recorded over the previous year.
The software security maker, Symantec, reported that more than 7 million people have been victims.
The U.S. based company shared in its 2013 security report that more than 7 million people in Canada have been cybercrime victims in the last 12 months, alone. The average cost per victim of these various types of digital crime is approximately $380 percent.
The cost of mobile security crimes per victim has also increased for victims globally.
It has risen to $113 (USD) over the last 12 months, which means that it cost each victim just over $300. The authors of the report conducted a survey of more than 13,000 people in approximately 24 countries around the world. What it determined was that mobile security, cyber attacks, and the sharing of sensitive information are becoming increasingly common.
This increase in cybercrime is occurring throughout many different channels. It involves issues such as mobile security breaches, unauthorized computer access, open Wi-Fi networks issues and identity theft. The report attributes the rapid growth rate to the rise in the use of smartphones and tablets particularly over open Wi-Fi networks.
According to Lynn Hargrove, the director of consumer Solutions at Symantec Canada, “The move to mobile is really one of the core findings that we’ve seen and as people have tablets and smartphones, that’s where the cybercriminals are going.” She also pointed out that people just don’t seem to be taking this mobile security risk as seriously as it really is. She stated that people aren’t securing their smartphones and tablets as widely as they do their desktops and laptops. Computers are far more likely to have antivirus programs than smartphones.
The online and mobile security report indicated that 60 percent of device users in Canada don’t even realize that there are security programs that are designed for use by their tablets and smartphones. Only one in four smartphone users have some level of free security software and 32 percent of them have experienced a cybercrime in the last year.


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news source: Daily Mail: News
news section: Latest News
published: 11/03/2014 14:07:53
Bananagrams turned me from a struggling single mother to a millionaire! Mum invents Amazons best-selling board game EVER at her kitchen table
Seven years ago, 51-year-old Rena Nathanson from London struggled to pay bills. Then her game, Bananagrams, sold over six million units worldwide. ...


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How Microsoft is shifting the Office trains into high gear
Microsoft's Office team has an ambitious plan. But can a team of 5,000 engineers move from delivering product releases every two or three years to every quarter -- or even faster?
Mary Jo Foley
Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 30 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008). She also is the cohost of the "Windows Weekly" podcast on the TWiT network.
Microsoft's Office team has run like clockwork for at least the past decade. The 5,000 or so Office engineers delivered a new version of Office every two and a half to three years without fail.
But these days, two or three years between new product releases is considered an eternity. While it's all well and good for the trains to run on time, the trains need to run a lot faster. In addition, the various Office client, server, and services trains don't all need to be on the same schedule these days.
Microsoft's Office team is well aware of the new reality. The team is believed to be on track to release the first upgrade to Office 2013 with the Office Blue release, codenamed "Gemini," this fall -- which will be almost exactly a year since the company released to manufacturing its most recent Office client product, Office 2013. But even before then, the Office unit is looking to update the subscription versions of its Office client and server products with new features around June or July of this year.
(A quick but important note on Microsoft's Office parlance: "Upgrades" are new versions of an existing product or service, while "updates" are collections of new features designed to be added to an existing product or serve.)
I've heard from a number of users and developers who are doubtful that Microsoft can pull off this ambitious schedule. Can a division as set in its ways as Office turn things around in such a relatively short window?
Microsoft quietly laid much of the groundwork for this more rapid delivery schedule months, if not years, ago, company officials say.
"We've been gearing up for this (cadence shift) for two years," said Jeff Teper, corporate vice president of Office Servers and Services.
The team started readying for this shift by putting in place new management, planning, and engineering processes.
In the past, everyone on the Office team used to be on the same schedule. There were three internal Office milestones, followed by three Office betas, leading up to Microsoft shipping a new version, Teper said. He noted that the team really had this rhythm down. With Office 2013, he said, "we RTM'd on the exact date (10/11/12) that we picked two years before. Things were extremely predictable."
These days, however, different teams within Office are on different schedules. While some products like Outlook and Exchange are likely to be linked in terms of deliverables because of their interdependence, other teams are not. Office RT and anti-spam for Exchange, for example have no need to be on the exact same schedule.
That said, on the Office 365/services side of the house, Microsoft already is reorganized in a way that Exchange Online and SharePoint Online are designed and built together. (The Lync Server/Online team is now part of the Skype division, but still works closely with this integrated Office 365 unit.)
"We think of Exchange, SharePoint, and Yammer now as one product," said Teper. "This makes decision-making a lot faster."
Teper said the Office team expects to launch a number of new features -- some in Office itself, and some designed to connect with Windows Azure, Microsoft Dynamics, and Windows Intune -- by June or July. Not too surprisingly, he declined to divulge specifics. But further Yammer integration into SharePoint is likely part of this set of updates.
The challenge: Not too fast, not too slow
One challenge the Office unit -- and most of rest of Microsoft -- has around product timing is that its business customers have gotten accustomed to a gradual refresh pace and have planned rollouts and purchases around it. So if Microsoft's product teams go too fast, they'll risk leaving business users sitting at the station.
"Part of our challenge is that consumers and IT couldn't digest new technology releases more than every couple of years," Teper said. ""That's why people were skipping releases" and adopting every second or third new version of Office or Exchange.
With the cloud, users can and are often interested in getting their hands on new features more quickly. When Microsoft launched Office 365 in June 2011, its cloud services were playing catch-up to the features it already had made available in the 2010 releases of SharePoint, Exchange, and Lync. Microsoft improved its speed a bit with Office 2013, by releasing its servers and its cloud services simultaneously. (The rollout of its services to existing users is still behind, however, with the latest versions of SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Lync Online still in the midst being delivered to most users.)
Going forward, however, the team has committed to making new features available to those using the subscription/cloud versions of its Office and Office server releases ahead of when they'd be available to those running on-premises/local versions of Office client and servers. It also has committed to delivering updates for its on-premises software more quickly, too, but so far hasn't made a public commitment on timing on this front.
The public promise is that Office services will be released before Office servers and "some features may be only available in the service," Teper said.
"We'd rather be ahead of our customers than behind them. The idea is the cloud is where you get your best experience," Teper added. The Microsoft guidance is those customers not ready or willing to move to this more rapid delivery cadence may want to stick with the on-premises versions of Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, and Office for now.
The reality is the Office team is surprisingly ahead of its public commitment here. Though Microsoft hasn't widely advertised the fact, it has been providing quarterly, if not monthly updates to its Office services for a while now. The idea was to keep this fact relatively low key, giving Microsoft a chance to build its cloud-development muscle, Teper said.
Exchange and SharePoint (both on-premises and online) are now one team inside the company, Teper said. But that doesn't mean Microsoft plans to keep the local and cloud versions of these servers in lockstep. It's not feasible or in most business users' interests to ship a new version of server software every quarter, he said. Many business users aren't even sure if they want Microsoft to include new features (or fixes only) in service packs for these products.
Yammer: When quarterly isn't fast enough
While the Office team is working to prevent alienating business customers with its new faster delivery model, the Yammer team is influencing Office from the other side to become even more agile.
"At the time of the acquisition, many assumed we needed to stay standalone and remain independent," recalled Adam Pisoni, Yammer's co-founder and chief technology officer. "But we started reaching out to Office. We saw we were both driving toward one product."
"We caught Microsoft at the perfect moment," Pisoni added. "There was a lot of open-mindedness." The Office team was wrapping up work on the Wave 15/Office 2013 products and was thinking even more deeply about how to increase speed, while maintaining scale.
While the Office team was starting to deliver quarterly releases of services in the cloud, the Yammer team was of the opinion they could and should accelerate beyond that pace in the cloud.
"You need to be there faster than that for some audiences. Sometimes, you need even weekly releases," Pisoni said.
The key is to convince customers that speed doesn't have to come at the expense of quality. How does Yammer -- and Microsoft -- plan to pull off that feat?
All will be answered in Part 2 of this post, coming Tuesday. Also coming in Part 2: What's Azure (and Corporate VP Scott Guthrie) got to do with all this? The short answer: Plenty.
This story originally appeared as "How Microsoft is speeding up the Office trains" on ZDNet.


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The development appreciated the creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli
Artist Carol Sugalski that specializiruetsya on digital art, revealed its first filter mask for Instagram-storis. The inspiration for it was the unusual makeup with lashes-feathers, created by makeup artist Pat McGrath used to display the latest couture collection of Valentino.
The mask already estimated the creative Director of Italian brand Pierpaolo Piccioli, who thanked the author and offered to “try on” its employees and the employees of the Atelier home. How it looks can be found in the official instagram account Valentino.
About five of the most futuristic masks for Instagram-storis read here.


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Chicago Construction News staff writer
Ferrero North America has announced a $214.4 million expansion at its chocolate processing and product manufacturing plant in Bloomington. The 169,000-sq. ft. addition will be dedicated to producing Kinder Bueno, a premium chocolate bar in Europe that launched in the U.S. in 2019.
Construction is expected to start by Fall 2022 and create up to 200 new jobs over a four-year period. The expansion will be one of the largest production lines built by Ferrero outside of Europe.
“The investments we’re making in Bloomington are fueling continued growth for Ferrero in North America and are also creating important job opportunities in the community,” said Todd Siwak, president and chief business officer of Ferrero North America.
“We are thrilled to continue growing here with the invaluable support of the City of Bloomington, McLean County, and the State of Illinois.”
The announcement comes a few months after Ferrero broke ground on a chocolate processing facility at the same location, which is set to begin operating in 2023.
“Just months after Ferrero broke ground on its first-ever U.S. chocolate processing facility in Illinois, the establishment of the Kinder Bueno production line is a testament to Illinois’ talented workforce and reputation on the global stage,” said Gov. Pritzker. “We thank Ferrero for its vote of confidence in Illinois and for bringing more opportunity and jobs to the Bloomington-Normal region.”
The new line – which will manufacture Kinder Bueno bars and minis – represents the first time Kinder products will be made in North America. First launched in the market in 2019, Kinder Bueno is now a $167 million brand in North America, growing more than 51% over the past year.
Ferrero has made significant investments in North America, including the expansion of its North American headquarters in New Jersey and establishing new distribution centers in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia. Last fall in Bloomington, the company broke ground on its first ever chocolate processing facility outside Europe, and earlier this year announced an expansion of operations at its plant in Brantford, Ontario.
“We’re excited to see our relationship with Ferrero North America continue to grow, along with the company’s footprint here in Bloomington,” said Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe. “Increasing the Ferrero labor force with our homegrown talent truly shows the company’s commitment to central Illinois.”
The new facility is set to open in 2024.


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After 13 years as owners of beloved local bakery, Little Bread Co., Hannah Withers and Ben Gitchel are ready to pass the torch.
The couple is set to sell the bakery next month to employee Chloe Reese and former Nomad’s Natural Plate owners, Mitchell Owen and Eric Gallemore.
Withers said she and Gitchel are ready to explore some of their other passions, travel a little bit (something that’s tough to do as a small business owner), spend some time with family, and maybe, sleep in every once in a while for a change.
She does believe, however, that the bakery she and Gitchel started in Eureka Springs and later relocated to Fayetteville will be in good hands.
“It’s very bittersweet for us,” she said. “We’ve worked very hard for 13 years, and this bakery is a personal extension of who we are, and our relationship with Fayetteville.
“But we are thrilled to see what Eric, Mitchell, and Chloe can do with a fresh perspective on a place that is such a big part of our lives.”
Reese should be a familiar face for regulars at the bakery. She has been a fixture at the counter for more than two years.
“I can walk into any place in Fayetteville and tell you how at least five people like their coffee, their name, what they like on their bagels, and whether they just got back from vacation,” Reese joked. “And I like it that way.”
Gallemore and Owen may also be familiar to downtown locals from their time as owners of popular local food truck, Nomad’s Natural Plate. The partners sold the truck to an employee earlier this summer, and were set to move outside the area to open their own restaurant when they heard about the opportunity at Little Bread Co.
The chance to be a part of the community created around the restaurant on Block Avenue, they said, was too good to pass up.
“It’s cool being a part of part of something that’s so central to Fayetteville,” Owen said. “It’s just really special here, and being a part of something like that seems way more appealing than moving. We didn’t really want to leave.”
The new owners plan to keep the core menu of the restaurant exactly the same, but are excited to add items and specials from time to time.
“I want people to know that it’s still going to be the same Little Bread that they love,” Gallemore said.
The staff, they said, will also remain intact, including longtime pastry chef Cody Ezell, who worked for years under Gitchel in the kitchen and who is returning to the company after graduating from culinary school.
Reese said she feels the pressure to live up to the high standards that Gitchel and Withers have created, but it’s a challenge that she embraces.
“We have big shoes to fill,” Reese said. “But I’ve worked here for long enough that I know what everything is supposed to look like, and how big it’s supposed to be. We’re going to try to be like Hannah as much as we can.”
The sale is set to be finalized on Aug. 1, though the new owners have been actively managing the restaurant for several weeks now.
Withers and Gitchel said other than a much needed vacation, they’re not positive what’s next for them in Fayetteville. And they’re okay with that.
“We don’t know exactly what we’re doing,” Withers said. “And that’s kind of exciting for us.”


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Bigben Interactive has released the reveal trailer for FlatOut 4: Total Insanity. The racing game was first announced last December.
In the new reveal trailer the first gameplay footage is shown. The game is currently in development at Kylotonn Racing Games, known for its involvement in the development of WRC 5 and WRC 6.
The new title is the fourth installment in the FlatOut franchise and will be releasing on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in March 2017. A PC version has been announced but a release date has not yet been given.


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Latest figures from UK Finance have shown that consumer credit card spending on some services slowed during March.
Lockdown restrictions implemented towards the end of March resulted in a sharp drop in “non-essential” retail activity, travel and entertainment spending.
The figures showed that there were 1.6 billion transactions on debit cards made by UK cardholders both in the UK and overseas in March 2020, 4.9 per cent more than in March 2019, according to the association’s Card Spending Update for March.
This reflected a total spend of £52.1 billion, 2.2 per cent more than in the same period in 2019.
Meanwhile there were 272 million transactions on credit cards in March, 1.1 per cent fewer than in March 2019. Total credit card spending was £14.5 billion in March, 12.3 per cent less than in the same period a year earlier. This coincides with the implementation of lockdown.
The annual growth rate of outstanding balances on credit cards contracted by 2.2 per cent in March 2020, the first time it has shrunk since October 2012. The impact of the introduction of payment deferrals on 9 April 2020 will be more apparent in future months.
Eric Leenders, Managing Director of Personal Finance, UK Finance, said “The reduction in credit card transactions and the fall in outstanding balances coincides with the implementation of the Covid-19 lockdown from 23rd March, with opportunities to spend much reduced. We expect that this pattern of reduced spending will be reflected throughout the lockdown period. Meanwhile, spending on debit cards in March continued on the upward trend seen in previous months.”
“The banking and finance industry has a plan to help their customers at this difficult time. Anyone who is experiencing financial difficulty should contact their credit card company to discuss the help available to them, including repayment holidays to provide customers with short-term support. It’s important to remember that interest will normally continue to be charged during a payment holiday and the amount owed will not reduce, so customers should carefully consider whether it is the best option for them before proceeding.”


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TELECOMS companies are introducing new technologies to boost their revenues and win customer loyalty with a series of new product announcements this week.
Virgin Mobile has become the first network in SA to offer its customers protection from cellphone viruses. While mobile viruses are still in their infancy, there have been a few attacks on sophisticated smartphones that run similar software to computers.
Virgin Mobile is working with Dubai-based company Lighthouse to offer Norton software that blocks bugs transmitted via e-mail, multimedia messages, downloads from memory cards or by Bluetooth or infrared connections.
Virgin Mobile customers could download the software for R15 a month and were the first in Africa to have access to this software, said CEO Peter Boyd.
In contrast, Vodacom has opted for a new service likely to appeal to most cellphone users, rather than the elite smartphone set.
Its offering will convert voice mail into text messages, so subscribers can read their messages instead of having to dial the voicemail service.
The move makes Vodacom the first operator in Africa to offer a voicemail to-text service, using technology from UK company SpinVox. SpinVox was founded by Christina Domecq when she received 14 voice mails that she could not access during a meeting.
Customers would find it a simple yet immensely valuable way of improving their daily communications, Domecq said.
The service works with English, French, German and Spanish messages, with no plans yet to adapt it to translate any of SA’s other languages.
Last week Vodacom also launched a system to deliver advertisements to its users. While customers may not actually want adverts on their handsets, they will receive text adverts when they receive a “Please Call Me” message, and banner adverts will run on Vodacom’s internet portals when users download mobile content such as music and wallpapers.
Vodacom was entering the media space under its strategy to evolve into a multimedia company, said its commercial executive director, Romeo Kumalo.
The value of diversification has been highlighted by BT, the British player that now enjoys its fastest growth for “new-wave services”. Those innovative broadband, broadcasting and advertising initiatives have grown 30% in the past two years.


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The crowd rushed to the shop smashing barriers.
People looked forward to the opening of a new store in Brest. Ruki Vverkh group was expected to sing and local officials were expected to attend the opening ceremony, which took place on the City Day. The advertising campaign seems to have been successful: hundreds of people gathered near the store at the appointed time, Interfax reports.
After a symbolic green ribbon was cut by a boy and a girl, who, at first sight, were randomly picked from the crowd, people rushed to the shop smashing the barriers. Eyewitnesses say no one even tried to take baskets because it was too many people.
Security workers didn't allow the whole crowd to enter the shop at once, otherwise people would damage shelves or the store would find some of the goods missing.
It's worth noting that gifts were offered to customers. Only some taste tests were organised. The most active and, perhaps, competent tasters were children and pensioners.


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In Apple’s Mind, The Enemy of My Enemy is a Friend
The World Wide Developers Conference kicked off this week and among the revelations from developers, one of the most curious came from Apple upon the unveiling of its new iOS 7. The upgrade for iOS on Apple’s mobile devices has received mostly impressive reviews and represents the biggest change to its mobile OS since its development. Despite all the positive reviews, there was considerable confusion over one move from Apple.
When iOS 7 launches, its popular personal assistant SIRI will no longer conduct searches using Google’s search engine, but instead switches to an old enemy of Apple. In a move that is confusing to say the least, Apple switched the default search engine for SIRI from Google to Microsoft’s Bing. The move pushes one enemy away while embracing another with open arms, and is very thought provoking.
Why it Makes Sense
It is really no surprise to see Apple push Google to the side as its default search engine on iOS 7; after all it’s not the first time this has happened. Last year, when Apple launched iOS 6 for iPhone and iPad devices the operating system no longer featured Google Maps as the default mapping service.
Instead, users were treated to Apple’s own new mapping services known as Apple Maps. Aside from the maps showdown, there is the fierce competition between the two in the smartphone and tablet marketplace where the iPhone and iPad square off against Android devices. Additionally, the two companies have tangled in the court of law over patent violations several times over the years.
Given their long track record as foes, it should come as no surprise that Apple would snub their biggest mobile rival in favor of another search service. Unlike previous searches, the SIRI app will now show the results of a search inside the app powered by Bing. Previously, SIRI would show results of a search in the Safari web browser powered by Google.
Why it is Utterly Confusing
In pushing Google aside, Apple is embracing another enemy with whom it has tangled for decades. Bing is the brainchild of Microsoft, a company that Apple has battled with from its inception over three decades ago. The two companies have battled for years in the desktop, laptop, and handheld device marketplace.
Seeing the two competitors’ team up together now seems odd, especially given Microsoft’s entrance into the smartphone race. When the smartphone race was kicked off by Apple with the iPhone in 2007, Microsoft was by all accounts a bit player with outdated PDAs at best. However, in the last three years Microsoft has re-emerged as a player in the smartphone race.
The latest Windows Phone operating software is gaining notoriety and popularity among consumers. Windows Phone 8, along with a stable of sleek and powerful phones, has placed Windows Phone devices in third place in the market (behind Google and Apple) with the chance to make a serious run at Apple for second.
From a search engine standpoint, the debate remains about which service is actually better. Without question, Google remains the top choice by Americans and most others around the globe. Bing has launched a renewed Bing it On challenge recently, but regardless of the commercials it would seem consumers still prefer Google.
The May 2013 figures for search data in the U.S. were recently released by comScore, and Google remains at the top in overall search. While Google came in stagnant at 66.7% (66.5 in April, 66.7 May 2012), Bing jumped to 17.4% from 15.4% in May 2012. However, many of those gains on the part of Bing are coming at the expense of Yahoo and not Google. Yahoo’s command of search fell from 13.4% in May 2012 to 11.9% in May 2013.
When it comes to mobile search, Google’s dominance is even more staggering. Although it previously commanded 95% of search on mobile devices, Google still claims an astounding 84% compared to 11% for Yahoo and a paltry 5% for Bing. (See below)
The two enemies might be working together to achieve a common goal that would serve both in different sectors. By teaming with Apple on iOS 7 capable devices, Microsoft can position Bing to starting chipping away at Google’s mobile search dominance. Additionally, if Bing sways mobile customers perhaps those same individuals will start using Bing more frequently on other devices.
For Apple, embracing Bing over Google may show mobile customers that there are flaws in Google’s ability and perhaps some will be less impressed by Android powered devices. Any dent Apple can make in Android’s market share is a good dent.
However, this common goal has pitfalls for both sides. If Bing proves itself on iOS 7, that doesn’t mean consumers would necessarily flock to Microsoft desktops or laptops that compete directly against Mac devices from Apple. For Apple, a good showing from Bing could boost Windows Phone devices in the minds of consumers, threatening its status as the number two in the market place.
At the end of the day, many of the possibilities above could be unfounded concerns for both sides. As long as iOS 7 users get useful search results, they are not likely to care all that much which search engine provided them. It is worth noting as well, that the Safari web browser on iOS 7 will still use Google as the default search engine.


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“Methods for jailbreaking the iPad 2 have been out there almost since the device’s release in the spring,” Eric Mack reports for CNET. “Now, with the official release of JailbreakMe 3.0, jailbreaking the Apple tablet can be done in minutes from a Safari browser window via the JailbreakMe Web site.”
“Comex, the Apple hacker behind the jailbreak, initially broke into the iPad 2 in March, and has apparently been working to polish the JailbreakMe Web app ever since,” Mack reports. “The key is a vulnerability in iOS 4.3 tied to how the system displays PDF files.”
Read more in the full article here.


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"We are very excited about the opportunity to bring this truly innovative anti-infective compound to patients in Russia, other former Soviet Union states, and Turkey and will use our clinical, regulatory and commercial capabilities to ensure speedy registration and successful launch," said Vasily G. Ignatiev, CEO of R-Pharm.
Dr. Ming-Chu Hsu, President and Chief Executive Officer of TaiGen, said, "We are very impressed with the R-Pharm's experience and their commitment to infectious diseases. The Russian Federation and Turkey are among the world's top twenty pharmaceutical markets and their growth in the next five years will outpace the U.S., EU and Japan, according to IMS. Both countries also have a very high incidence of drug-resistance bacterial infections.Together we can bring innovative medicines such as nemonoxacin to these areas where the medical need is very high."
R-Pharm is a leading Russian pharmaceutical company with commercial operations in the Russian Federation, CIS, and Turkey. In 2013, it has over 2,800 employees with sales revenue of US$1.8 billion. Key business areas of R-Pharm include manufacturing, sales and marketing of prescription drugs, laboratory diagnostics, medical equipment, and venture investment.
About TaiGen Biotechnology
TaiGen Biotechnology is a leading research-based and product-driven biotechnology company in Taiwan with a wholly-owned subsidiary in Beijing, China. In addition to nemon
|SOURCE TaiGen Biotechnology Co., Ltd.|
Copyright©2012 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved


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Tesla CEO Elon Musk and fellow executives talked up the potential for Tesla Energy to reach “roughly the same size” as the company’s automotive business in an earnings call with analysts held yesterday.
The company behind what looks set to be Norway’s first gigawatt-scale manufacturing facility for lithium-ion battery cells has secured pre-construction financing of NOK130 million (US$13.85 million) which it said will “enable rapid development” of the plant.
What will the impact of COVID-19 be on the energy storage market? And how best to learn to adapt to whatever the 'next normal' will be? Florian Mayr at cleantech advisory and consultancy group Apricum examines the bigger picture of “energy storage vs the virus”.
A key committee of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) has voted overwhelmingly to thrust energy storage into the heart of the continent’s decarbonisation agenda, while trade group EASE has urged the EU to raise its targets on 2030 emissions reduction.
News in brief from around the world in energy storage.
When most people think of the metals that power today’s energy storage systems, vanadium and lithium are at front of mind. Ron MacDonald, president and CEO of Zinc8, argues the case for another metal playing an important role.
“This next phase we’ve entered is a large number of projects in a lot of places," Fluence VP for marketing and strategy, Brian Perusse, tells Energy-Storage.news.
Tesla’s just-released sustainability report for 2019 asserts the belief that “the notion that a sustainable future is not economically feasible is no longer valid”.
Climate-smart principles must steer the global search for the minerals and metals required by the green energy boom to make sure the process remains sustainable, according to the World Bank.
After we reported earlier this month that despite the impact of COVID-19, progress continues to be made on nearly every one of more than 70 projects underway by energy storage technology provider Fluence, here’s the full interview with Fluence’s chief operating officer John Zahurancik that that news story came from.
Fluence has been able to keep working on “all but two or three” of 73 utility-scale battery projects, with battery energy storage increasingly considered an essential part of grid infrastructure in many parts of the world.
There exist opportunities for flow batteries to target areas of the market lithium-ion “can’t provide in an economically justifiable way,” the chief commercial officer of Invinity Energy Systems has said.
“We are happy about the Italian government's decision that allows us to fully resume business operations in Italy,” Manz AG CEO Martin Drasch has said, following a ruling that deems lithium-ion battery production to be of ‘strategic importance’ for the European country.
Powin Energy has launched a set of three battery storage system products using CATL’s large form factor lithium-ion cells, including a system solution capable of 4+ hour duration and backed by a 20-year warranty.
The COVID-19 crisis is bringing into the public eye the US’ dependency on importing goods, particularly batteries for advanced energy storage and electric vehicles, the CEO of a battery materials startup has said.
"We work hard every day to continue to push forward to the best of our ability, as we believe that we must do all that we can do to keep our projects on track and support the greater economy.”
A survey of COVID-19 impacts on China Energy Storage Alliance (CNESA) members has underscored their faith in recovery, despite the worries over income and liquidity reported by nearly 80% of respondents.
Production of commercial energy storage systems has begun at Tesvolt’s new 255MWh annual capacity factory in Wittenberg, Germany, with staff working in isolation due to the risk of COVID-19 infection.
US-headquartered energy storage manufacturing startup KORE Power has said that its supply partner in China has resumed operations “and is presently working to meet KORE Power’s customer orders”.
The energy storage industry in the US is experiencing delays and could be staring in the face of potential job losses, according to a poll conducted by the national Energy Storage Association (ESA).
Dimitrios Pappas, analyst at new energy consultancy Delta-EE, considers the impact the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) could have on the energy transition, particularly for batteries used in EVs and ESS, while Energy-Storage.news editor Andy Colthorpe adds his own take.
Multinational chemicals company BASF has furthered its interest in the energy storage industry, partnering on the development of ‘metal-free’ flow battery electrolytes with German startup JenaBatteries.
An energy storage system made up of ‘second life’ batteries previously used in Renault’s electric vehicle (EV) has been deployed for Umicore, a multinational materials technology company headquartered in Belgium.
Canada-headquartered start-up Li-Cycle has claimed a victory in commercialising its lithium battery recycling processes, with a shipment sent to a customer just before the end of last year.
The 10 most popular blogs on Energy-Storage.news during 2019 offer a fairly strong indication of the overall topics leading industry thinking during the year - so without further ado, here they are:
Flow batteries have so far, failed to live up to the disruptive potential they promise, a new report says, but authors Alex Eller and William Tokash at Navigant Research have identified 12 leading vendors in the nascent field, based on metrics of strategy and execution.
Lead acid batteries are “the most recycled” consumer product used in the US today, according to National Recycling Rate Study, a new biennial report from the Battery Council International (BCI).
While recycling of lithium and other materials such as cobalt from batteries will greatly increase in the coming years, the potential availability of second life batteries should not be underestimated, according to new research and data.
Australia’s strong and ongoing potential for energy storage paired with solar PV has seen international and domestically-headquartered companies race to gain market share.
GE Renewable Energy, an arm of the US engineering giant, will supply 100MWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to three projects being developed by Convergent Energy + Power in California.


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Imperial Brands PLC (IMB.L)
8 Dec 2017
* IN OCT 2017 PALMER & HARVEY ENTERED A PERIOD OF EXCLUSIVITY WITH CARLYLE GROUP WITH INTENTION OF SECURING SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL INVESTMENT
LONDON, Nov 7 Imperial Brands announced a step-up in its vaping strategy on Tuesday, including tests of tobacco-heating products, as the British tobacco firm tries to keep pace with larger rivals.
* Imperial brands ceo says going into trial w/ a number of platforms in heated tobacco
Nov 7 Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening up 14 points on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures up 0.14 percent ahead of the cash market open.
LONDON, Nov 7 Imperial Brands reported full-year sales roughly in line with expectations on Tuesday, helped by an improvement in the second half, and announced it would expand its efforts in the vaping market.
LONDON Imperial Brands is buying Nerudia, a UK maker of nicotine liquids for e-cigarettes, as the British tobacco company seeks to expand its portfolio of cigarette alternatives.
LONDON, Nov 1 Imperial Brands is buying UK vaping company Nerudia, as the British tobacco company seeks to expand its portfolio of cigarette alternatives.
Oct 27 Tobacco group Swedish Match reported on Friday a higher-than-expected third-quarter profit as higher prices in Sweden on its wet snuff Snus compensated for a slower growth in cigar volume in the United States.
LONDON, Sept 28 Enthusiasm about U.S. tax reforms and rate hikes dissipated on Thursday, taking the wind out of the sails of Britain's banking stocks after earlier gains, and leaving the main share index modestly up on the day. The FTSE 100 index was up 0.1 percent, in line with a broadly flat European market.
LONDON, Sept 28 British tobacco group Imperial Brands said on Thursday it would meet profit expectations for the year ended on Sept. 30 after its volumes outperformed the industry in the second half.


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Polar's latest watches know if you're maximizing your workouts
They also tout more accurate heart rates and measure your running power.
Polar fitness data exposes homes of soldiers and intelligence agents
It's another instance of loose privacy putting people at risk.
Polar unveils an affordable heart rate tracking armband
The $79.95 wearable can store 200 hours of heart rate data.
Polar's new fitness tracker constantly monitors your heart rate
The A370 tracks sleep and activity for less than its predecessor.
Polar's next fitness wearable is a smart shirt
The Team Pro Shirt will attempt to best competing garments from Hexoskin and OMSignal.
Polar thinks there's room for another Android Wear smartwatch
The company describes it as a "sport optimized smartwatch."
Polar launches its very own smart scale
The $99.95 Balance pairs with Polar wearables to help you lose weight.
Polar finally has a fitness tracker that can monitor your heart
Polar, fresh from launching the Loop 2, has launched another activity tracking wristband.
Polar's new Loop activity tracker sends stats to more apps
If you've been mourning the demise of Nike's Fuelband and want a bare-bones activity tracker, then...


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Wednesday, 22. May 2013
This Memorial Day weekend is a big weekend at Barrel Oak Winery in Northern Virginia. They will be celebrating their 5th anniversary of their opening. At the same time they will be supporting the Red Cross in its efforts to help Oklahoma victims.
We first met Brian and Sharon Roeder, the owners of Barrel Oak Winery, before the winery was built. We’ve enjoyed watching the progress of the winery and vineyards from the very beginning.
They chose an ideal location for the winery just off of frequently traveled Interstate 66. This makes it easy to stop by while traveling or easy to get to and spend the day. After five years the winery has acres of vineyards surrounding the beautiful facility.
In celebration of their 5th Anniversary they have several groups providing live music.
Friday: Michael Stephenson 5:30-8:30pm
Saturday: The Folsom Prisoners 5:30-8:30pm
Sunday: The Electeds 1-5pm
Sunday: The Karl Stoll Power Trio 5:30-8:30pm
Monday: Steve Hudson: 1-5pm
In addition, wine lovers are welcome to bring picnic baskets, children, grandparents and dogs. Wine tasting experiences at the John Marshall Tasting Experience will be 25 percent off.
In light of the tragic tornado in Oklahoma, Barrel Oak Winery is donating two percent of its gross proceeds from wine sales over Memorial Day Weekend, from Friday thru Monday, to the Red Cross to help the victims of the devastating tornado.
Support of charities is nothing new for Barrel Oak Winery. Throughout the year they have a variety of special events for a variety of charities.
When visiting Barrel Oak Winery this weekend be sure to buy a bottle of wine to help support Oklahoma.


text: Meng Jing and Sarah Dai’s article reports on China’s digital divide that has caused the country’s internet penetration rate to settle at “55.8 [percent]” (para. 8). The internet penetration rate, a percentage of the population that uses the internet, illustrates that nearly half of China’s population lacks internet access. These divisions can be attributed to the split in China between urban and rural citizens. While the urban Chinese “see the internet as part of their daily life” (para. 7), rural citizens have only recently begun to obtain access to the internet for use in their lives. In 2015, Beijing revealed its “Internet Plus strategy” (para. 10), which aimed to develop e-commerce and internet banking which later received “strong government support” (para. 10). As a result, China was able to push out changes that allowed an additional “7.93 million people” from rural China to become internet users in 2017 (para. 6). However, this number only represents a small portion of China’s rural areas because there still exist “huge untapped opportunities for the country’s internet companies” (para. 14). While “73 [percent] of China’s urban population” already has consistent internet access (para. 13), large companies like Alibaba and JD.com have started “setting up service [centers]” to help balance the numbers (para. 18). These centers aim to advertise their online businesses and train locals to help teach “users who have zero knowledge of online shopping” (para. 18). Although these companies seek profits, as seen in their desired expansion toward countries like “India and Indonesia” (para. 19), their efforts have managed to help some rural areas become familiar with technology and the internet. In fact, the article includes anecdotes from rural residents that reveal how more people may become interested in obtaining internet access. Hu Guizhi, a rural farmer, expresses her satisfaction with the internet through her ability to conveniently send “red packets,” or small gifts of money, to friends and family, and “pay utility bills with just a touch,” showing that the internet can even integrate smoothly into the lives of the more traditional Chinese (para. 2).


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- There's less than two months until Christmas morning, and we know many of you are scrambling for gift ideas -- we are too. Our annual holiday gift guide is due to be published by mid-November, and while that should help you find items for your friends and family, we want to give you an opportunity to tell the world what you'd like for Christmas this year as well...
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Renault India has admitted that the Indian market is tough to operate in and they will have another go in the domestic market with the launch of Triber MPV
Renault, the largest French automaker globally, has been in India for a while now and tasted its first success with the Duster SUV. Realizing the potential of SUV market in India, Renault launched the SUV inspired small and entry level hatchback Kwid and as expected, it also turned out to be a great success. But that was all about the company’s winning streak in the domestic market.
Both the Duster and Kwid are facing hardship in India owing to a market slump and increasing competition. Also, the product line-up is not as diverse, with only a few cars in the portfolio like Lodgy MPV, that goes against successful Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Mahindra Marazzo. Then there’s the Captur premium SUV that goes against the Tata Harrier and Hyundai Creta, both of which overpower the Captur.
However, Renault has some new plans for India and as per the management during the Triber’s global unveiling, ‘Renault has made some mistakes in India’ and they want to ‘give a second go at the important market like India’. Their go to car for the revival plans in the domestic car market is the Triber MPV. Apart from Triber, there are other products planned for future launches.
Here’s a look at the top 5 upcoming Renault cars in India-
1. Renault Triber
The first car to launch under new-found Renault Aspirations is called Triber, a global sub-4 metre MPV Made-in-India. Unveiled recently at a global premiere held in New Delhi, the Triber is called India’s first modular MPV with the option to remove bench-type third-row seats. With a 5-seat configuration, the boot space becomes industry best 625 litres.
There are also 100 ways in which seats can be altered as per passenger needs. While Renault has not revealed the specs of the Triber, it will be powered by a 3-cylinder 1.0-litre engine and being a sub-4 metre MPV will give it a price advantage. Various media reports suggest that the Triber will be priced under Rs 5 Lakh (ex-showroom) in India.
2. Renault Duster Facelift
India’s first small SUV to offer a 4×4 system, making it the only proper off-road capable small SUV in India will be receiving a facelift soon. The Duster is often credited for starting Renault’s innings in India and for long held this title after being introduced back in 2012. The design and rugged built quality worked in favour of Renault.
However, with growing competition, Duster somewhere suffered a huge sales setback in the domestic market. To revive moniker and poster boy of Renault, the French-company will soon update the Duster with more sporty looks, added features and since Renault has already announced to scrape the diesel engine, a possible small petrol engine.
3. Renault Sub-4 Metre SUV (Unnamed)
To cater to the price-conscious SUV lover market, Renault will launch a sub-4 metre compact SUV, the hottest segment in India currently. However the product is yet to get a name and there’s no timeline put to the SUV. Like Triber, the new SUV will be based on the Kwid on the company’s CMF-A platform.
Being a sub-4 metre compact SUV also means it will be priced highly competitively to attract the buyers. Since Hyundai Venue and Tata Nexon are currently the benchmark for compact SUV segment in terms of pricing (both starts at Rs 6.50 Lakh approx), expect Renault to match the same.
4. Renault Kwid Facelift
The car holding the baton for Renault in India is the Kwid compact hatchback. Launched back in 2015 in a segment dominated by Maruti Suzuki Alto, which also happens to be the largest selling car in India, Renault Kwid did manage to shake the ground of Alto and carve a niche for itself.
However, it’s been long since Kwid received a proper update and with the Alto based S-Presso confirmed for launch, Renault will have to give the Kwid more appeal for the domestic budget car buyers. Expect a more SUVish design, more features like added safety tech and more refined engine.
5. Renault Captur Facelift
Last on our list is the Renault Capture premium SUV, that didn’t receive as much traction as Renault initially predicted. Reason being, the Captur didn’t have that SUV stance and price tag most Indians look for. Now that competition has intensified and Renault has decided to revamp Indian operations, Captur will be given a proper facelift to suit the taste of Indian buyers.


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The world's largest cell-phone manufacturer said on Thursday that it is adding more resources for its Mobile Search service, allowing users to find more of what they are looking for, despite location.
Finnish-based Nokia added search services for Canada, Denmark and German mobile markets, teaming up with local directory companies to enable precise local searches.
You can get lost in many parts of the world now, but connect to Mobile Search and you're soon on the way to your destination, whether it's a restaurant, business or other local destination. We're thrilled to be adding so many new local search providers to our Mobile Search offering, it certainly reinforces our dedication to provide local Internet services directly to your pocket, said Ralph Eric Kunz, vice president, Multimedia Experiences, at Nokia.
Nokia's mobile search application lets users find phone numbers and services in their area, and once the required destination has been located, the application can direct users to the right location with the aid of a digital map.
Mobile Search has already seen a tremendous increase in users across Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, the company said.
The Nokia N80 Internet Edition, Nokia N73, Nokia N93, Nokia N70, Nokia N71, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6680, and Nokia 6681 all support the search service.
More on the Web:


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The shivering situation of Apple subcontract factory making "iPhone 6" and the latest "iPad" revealed
While smartphones and tablets debut newly from one to the next are attracting people's attention, on the site where they make products, work is carried out under harsh environments, the fact that local workers are being sacrificed It is being exposed to the bottom of the white day. In a newly announced report, despite a factory promising safety measures, the situation that the situation did not improve even two years ago has rather deteriorated has been revealed.
U.S. watchdogs accuse Chinese Apple supplier of unsafe work conditions | Reuters
Based in the United StatesChina Labor Watch(CLW: Chinese craftsmanship observation) andGreen AmericaAccording to a survey conducted around July 2014, China's Jiangsu ProvinceSuqianAt the factory of Catcher Technology Co Ltd, which manufactures Apple products at the plant, work is done in the situation where flammable aluminum · magnesium alloy powder is scattered on the floor, and evacuation windows and doors are locked I know that it was the situation that I was there. A comment from Apple that it took measures on the problem after investigation has been issued.
A 25-page report entitled "Two Years of Broken Promises" states that the current situation that employees are not undertaking adequate safety education and that protective equipment There are reports of the present condition that it is exposed to harmful chemical substances because it is not prepared when it is necessary.
Even when CLW visited the same factory in 2013, multiple violations were found and Apple was committed to improving the working environment through Catcher, but even after about two years have passed It is not executed and it is as it is. In the report, the survey team says, "In the survey we conducted in 2014, new violation matters that had not existed at the time of the previous survey have been found.The conventional problems have not been solved, It can be said that the working environment is getting worse. "
Catcher said in an e-mail statement: "We are very concerned about CLW survey results and we take it strictly.We will act in accordance with Apple's supplier code (code of conduct required for subcontractors) Apple will also carry out a thorough investigation. "One Apple also said," Even during the last fire protection criteria survey, Catcher reported the repair of incomplete fire extinguishing equipment and the status of evacuation route reservation We have completed necessary measures, including improvement of the lack of evacuation guidance light, which was short of the day, on the day ", and we are issuing a statement to evaluate that it meets international safety standards.
In the report, problems such as incompleteness of education, security incapacitation, compulsion of non-wage labor, etc. are listed without exchanging an employment contract saying "Employees receive safety education" It is being done.
The figure of an employee who came to the factory on commuting. Because of the large number of people, it seems that they are gathering in a place without a roof. Because there are things like stalls, maybe you are having breakfast.
The cafeteria in the premises and the employee's appearance taking a nap by the machine inside the factory.
In the cafeteria, food is sold at a higher price than the market, but the employees of the factory say "Catcher is taking a high rent for the store and there is nothing else to go to buy, so the price rises It is said. "
A dormitory where employees live. The dormitory fee is 60 yuan (about 1000 yen) per 30 days, and the room will be shared with several roommates in the room. The water utility cost is 45 yuan per room (about 770 yen). A bus and a toilet are in use for each floor, so it seems that tap water is inappropriate for drinking.
The appearance of the aluminum magnesium alloy scraps left in processing. There is a danger of causing health damage and fire by scattering.
It also contains the appearance that the waste liquid from the processing time is being dripped as it is.
The emergency escape mouth was said to have been locked.
In the same Jiangsu Province in August another factoryExplosion accident that brings more than 70 deathsAlthough it has just happened, the cause of this time is also attributed to iron scraps that were left in a dangerous state. In response to the accident, the government issued an order to stop operation at more than 200 factories in the province, and confirmed safety measures.
In fact, however, similar dangerous situations are left, and in the report, "There was no sign that a government survey was conducted, but there was no evidence that new criteria were created to enhance safety thereafter" I clarify the problem.
in Note, Posted by darkhorse_log


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Sandy has caused large-scale damage, with more possibly to come.
Your gym membership can wait.
Emma Morano’s singular achievement in life may have been perseverance. She lived for 117 years, crediting her longevity to raw eggs and her lack of a husband. She died on April 15.
In 2012, Google introduced Google Glass, a computer you can wear on your face. Someone wearing the glasses can be walking down the street or doing any everyday task while simultaneously seeing an overlay of calendar appointments, messages, and subway alerts. They can make video calls and even upload live videos to the Internet while on the move, without ever needing to use their hands. Google Glass might be cool, it might be new, it might be revolutionary, but it's definitely not the first pair of wearable computer glasses.