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Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MietY) in collaboration with ICEA has released a 5-year roadmap and Vision Document for the electronics sector titled “$300 bn Sustainable Electronics Manufacturing & Exports by 2026.
This is the second volume of a two-part Vision Document – the first of which titled “Increasing India’s Electronics Exports and Share in GVCs” was released last year in November.
The report gives a year-wise break-up and production projections for multiple products to boost India’s transformation into a US$300 billion electronics manufacturing powerhouse, from the current US$75 billion.
Mobile phones, IT hardware (laptops, tablets), Consumer electronics (TV and audio), Industrial electronics, Auto electronics, Electronic components, LED Lighting, Strategic electronics, PCBA, Wearables and hearables, and Telecom equipment are among the key products that are expected to lead India’s growth in electronics manufacturing.
Here, Mobile manufacturing that is expected to cross US$100 billion annual production – up from the current US$30 billion – is expected to constitute nearly 40% of this ambitious growth.
A Call to Action for Broadening & deepening electronics manufacturing
The electronics industry is one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in the world. The global electronics industry is estimated at US$ 2.9 trillion in 2020. The global value of the electronics industry is almost equal to the economic size of India, which currently stands at US$ 2.9 trillion.
The approach and the entire strategy of the Government to develop the electronic manufacturing industry has undergone a change in 2022. Till 2011, India was a major manufacturing and export hub for mobile phones, however, the pace of exports reduced significantly post-shutdown of Nokia’s manufacturing facility in 2014. As a result, domestic manufacturing also suffered tremendously wherein imports grew and India’s mobile industry became largely import-dependent.
The government has changed gears since 2019, with National Policy for Electronics (NEP 2019). NPE was launched with a vision to position India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) by creating an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally amongst others.
The change can be perceived from PMP (import substitution) to the Production Linked incentive (PLI) approach aimed at transforming India into a global hub for mobile and electronics manufacturing.
In his address to the Heads of Indian Missions on August 6 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a clarion call to focus on export-led policies from India to increase the country’s share in global value chains.
Currently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is undertaking a major restructuring exercise to support India’s outlook towards exports and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The trade policy is exploring half a dozen new bilateral FTAs with UAE, UK, Australia, Canada and EU in 2022. It has also launched a revitalised India-US Trade Policy Forum in November 2021.
Beyond the vision of import substitution to “Make in India for the World”
At the launch of Vision Document Volume 2, Minister of State, Electronics & IT and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar iterated that Ministry is focusing on broadening and deepening of the electronics industry in India in line with PM Modi’s recent statement at World Economic Forum, where he said that India is emerging as a reliable and trusted partner in value chains.
By importing components and assembling them in China for the world, China created jobs at an unprecedented scale. Similarly, by integrating “Assemble in India for the world” into Make in India, the nation can raise its export market share to about 3.5 per cent by 2025 and 6 per cent by 2030.
“In the process, India would create about 4 crore well-paid jobs by 2025 and about 8 crore by 2030,” – Vision Document Volume 2
The incremental value added in the economy from the target level of exports of network products, which is expected to equal $248 billion in 2025, would make up about one-quarter of the increase required for making India a $5 trillion economy by 2025.
Objective of Vision Document Volume-2
The roadmap in the second phase focuses upon New markets, new customers, and making India a major player in the Global Value Chain (GVC). There is a real opportunity in the electronics sector, driven by 2 factors, i.e growth of digital consumption and growth and diversification of global value chains.
The government has committed nearly US$17 billion over the next 6 years across four PLI Schemes – Semiconductor and Design, Smartphones, IT Hardware and Components. With this,
As India transitions from its current position to one that is ready to compete with China and Vietnam, the Vision Document makes a strong suggestion to focus on aggregate local value addition in the electronics sector. It also emphasises the critical role that Indian champions would play alongside global firms, both of whom are already members of the PLI Schemes.
To put India on the path to US$300 billion in electronics manufacturing, the research calls for a competitive tariff structure on electronic components and the removal of all regulatory ambiguity.
It recommends a “winner takes all” strategy backed by economies of scale and global competitiveness, new and revised incentive schemes for some sectors, and the need to address issues of sustainability and ease of doing business.


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A man sues over mashed potatoes after he says that he broke two teeth while eating them. On Feb. 19, MSN reported that the man is suing the Outback Steakhouse restaurant in Portland, Oregon, claiming that there were pieces of "broken porcelain" in the mashed potatoes he ordered that caused two of his molars to crack while he was chewing.
"A managing partner of the Evergreen Restaurant Group that owns the franchise, Jason Bender, told The Oregonian he couldn't speak in detail about the case, but hadn't heard of any other customers with a similar complaint. He says safety is very important to the restaurant," reports MSN.
When a man sues over mashed potatoes, it's pretty serious. Sometimes you never know what sort of foreign objects can accidentally (or sometimes purposely) fall into food items when you're eating out at a restaurant. Chances are there could have been a mishap in the kitchen that caused this unfortunate incident -- but it sounds like this is being taken seriously.
Interestingly enough, Roger Branstetter says that this happened to him in February 2012. Why it has taken two years for this story to surface is unclear and might hurt his case in the long run. However, Mr. Branstetter says that he spoke to a manager when the incident occurred and he was told that bits of a broken plate did indeed fall into the potatoes. Uhm, oops?
The man suing over the mashed potatoes incident is seeking unspecified damages. The company will likely offer to pay his dental fees but who knows what they will be willing to do beyond that?
© Effie Orfanides 2014

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Elon Musk warns of major layoffs at Tesla
Tesla owner and CEO Elon Musk plans to cut 10% of the company’s workforce due to a “super bad feeling” he has about the economy, Reuters reported on Friday, citing an email form Musk to executives titled “pause all hiring worldwide.”
The company has not yet commented on the plan, but the email came two days after Musk issued a warning to his employees, saying they should spend a minimum of 40 hours in the office per week or leave the company, as manufacturing “the most exciting and meaningful products of any company on Earth... will not happen by phoning it in.”
Like many companies worldwide, Tesla has allowed remote work for every position where possible ever since the Covid-19 pandemic erupted in early 2020. However, as the pandemic subsides, firms have been reevaluating their policies, and Tesla appears to have decided that its future depends on employees actually being in the office.
As for the ‘bad feeling’ Musk has about the economy, it may refer to his warnings of an imminent recession. Earlier this week, he tweeted that “recessions serve a vital economic cleansing function,” commenting on a tweet from Australian tech billionaire Scott Farquhar, who criticized Musk’s call for staff to return to the office and suggested that Tesla employees should look into remote work positions elsewhere.
Last month, when a Twitter user asked Musk whether the economy was approaching a recession, Musk wrote, “yes, but this is actually a good thing. It has been raining money on fools for too long. Some bankruptcies need to happen.” However, his directives to Tesla regarding hiring and office hours indicate that Musk does not want this to happen to his own company, and plans to avoid problems with the new policies.
Tesla employed around 100,000 people at the end of 2021, according to its annual SEC filing. Despite concerns of a recession, demand for Tesla cars remains strong and shows no sign of a downturn. The company reported better-than-expected first-quarter results, and sources say it is already sold out for the quarter despite supply-chain challenges and production troubles in China due to lingering Covid-19 lockdowns.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section


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|By PR Newswire||
|March 6, 2014 10:00 AM EST||
SANTIAGO, Chile, March 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading Chilean entrepreneurs will gather at SXSW Interactive 2014 to promote the advances of Latin America's innovation hub, urging businesses to "Innovate! Go South, but Really South. "This will be Chile's second year attending the conference and its first year hosting a panel. In addition, the Chile Pavilion, along with CORFO's initiative Start-Up Chile and ProChile's initiative CONTACTChile will facilitate a number of events throughout the festival designed to encourage networking and collaboration and share the spirit of Chilean ingenuity.
Chile has just finished its "Year of Innovation," a commitment to raise public awareness and support of entrepreneurship. The government has invested more than US$1 billion in programs and incentives to encourage a positive business environment, including an initiative that allows entrepreneurs to start a business through an entirely electronic process at zero cost and in the space of one day. In addition, Chile passed the Law of Tax Incentive to encourage companies to invest in areas of research and development.
"Chile consistently ranks as one of the most important destinations for innovation and entrepreneurship in the world," stated Francisco Correa, Coordinator of ProChile in North America. "We have worked hard to actively create an environment that allows for businesses to develop and succeed with minimal barriers. Chile believes that innovation will be a key factor in growing our competitiveness as a nation, from products to people."
Between 2013 and 2014, Chile was recognized by organizations around the world as the top country in Latin America for economic freedom, global competitiveness, trade enabling, ease of doing business, human development and more. Likewise, Santiago was recently identified as a leading global hub for innovation.
A number of other initiatives from Chile have been highly successful at launching domestic and international business. Plan C: Crowdfunding Chile, for example, is the world's first government-driven program to support new products and services by raising funds. Similarly, CONTACTChile helps Chile-based companies to enter the international marketplace. Finally, the world-renowned program Start-Up Chile offers aspiring entrepreneurs US$40,000 in equity-free funds and a year-long visa to get their business of the ground.
From March 9th through the 12th, 2014, the SXSW Chile Pavilion will provide an area for entrepreneurs to display the exciting businesses and products coming from Santiago and beyond, informing attendees about the opportunities that Chile offers for entrepreneurs and innovation. Notable Chilean tech start-ups such as Prey Project, First Job, Betazeta Networks and Revstr will all be present to showcase the best of the country's ingenuity.
Also on March 9th, Chile will host a panel entitled Hacking Entrepreneurship through Government, from 3:30 – 4:30 pm CT at the Holiday Inn Town Lake. Leo Prieto, Co-Founder & CEO of Betazeta, Paolo Privitera, CEO of pick1.com, and Maitetxu Larraechea, Director of Communication and PR for Start-Up Chile, will present how the government's dynamic public policies have helped to cut down on the red tape that inhibits innovation in other nations. The session will be followed by a cocktail hour featuring Chilean wine at the Chile Pavilion.
On March 11th, three exciting events will conclude Chile's participation in SXSW: at 4:00 pm, festival-goers can stop by the Pavilion for some Chilean wine while learning about the innovation opportunities in the country. Later, from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, the country will host a networking event at Parkside restaurant, inviting innovators from around the world to "Come and Join the Real South Fiesta". As a part of this event, the 2014 International Social Innovation Festival (FIIS) will be launched, the largest social innovation festival in South America, located in Chile. FIIS will emphasize Chile's focus on importing and exporting talent around the globe, attracting some of the best minds in technology while sharing Chile's rising stars with the world. The event will also serve as the opening of the 10th round of applications for Start-Up Chile.
Finally, starting at 8:00 pm, festival attendees can also experience a Night of Chilean music, featuring popular Chilean bands.
SXSW Trade Show
Chilean Booth (1213-1215- 1312- 1314)
Austin Convention Center
500 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701
March 9-12, 2014
Attendees and interested innovators can keep up with all of the SXSW ProChile action by following the hashtag #SXSWChile. ProChile, the Chilean government agency in charge of promoting exports of goods and services, will also be tweeting from the event at @ProChile_US.
ProChile is the agency within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile responsible for promoting exports of goods and services. ProChile also contributes to encourage foreign investments and tourism through a network of over 50 trade offices worldwide and 15 regional offices throughout the country, with specialized teams that contribute to positioning Chile's strengths in international markets. ProChile also provides first-class information and diverse tools to exporters for better business management abroad and detects business opportunities for importers as well. In the U.S., ProChile has representatives strategically located in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Washington D.C.
CONTACTChile is a ProChile program that aims to internationalize Chilean innovation, creating a comprehensive program focused on promoting national projects throughout the rest of the world.
About Start-Up Chile
Start-Up Chile seeks to convert Chile into the innovation and entrepreneurship hub of Latin America attracting high-potential domestic and foreign entrepreneurs who will use the country as a platform to collaborate and innovate across the world. Following a rigorous application process, startups are given US$40,000 equity-free funding and a work visa to develop their project. All participants are required to engage in social impact activities to share their knowledge and experiences.
"We are the public cloud providers. We are currently providing 50% of the resources they need for doing e-commerce business in China and we are hosting about 60% of mobile gaming in China," explained Yi Zheng, CPO and VP of Engineering at CDS Global Cloud, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 19th Cloud Expo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 7, 2016 05:45 PM EST Reads: 1,081
Businesses and business units of all sizes can benefit from cloud computing, but many don't want the cost, performance and security concerns of public cloud nor the complexity of building their own private clouds. Today, some cloud vendors are using artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify cloud deployment and management. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Ajay Gulati, Co-founder and CEO of ZeroStack, will discuss how AI can simplify cloud operations. He will cover the following topics: why clou...
Dec. 7, 2016 05:15 PM EST Reads: 923
"We are a custom software development, engineering firm. We specialize in cloud applications from helping customers that have on-premise applications migrating to the cloud, to helping customers design brand new apps in the cloud. And we specialize in mobile apps," explained Peter Di Stefano, Vice President of Marketing at Impiger Technologies, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 19th Cloud Expo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 7, 2016 05:15 PM EST Reads: 285
IoT solutions exploit operational data generated by Internet-connected smart “things” for the purpose of gaining operational insight and producing “better outcomes” (for example, create new business models, eliminate unscheduled maintenance, etc.). The explosive proliferation of IoT solutions will result in an exponential growth in the volume of IoT data, precipitating significant Information Governance issues: who owns the IoT data, what are the rights/duties of IoT solutions adopters towards t...
Dec. 7, 2016 05:15 PM EST Reads: 227
As data explodes in quantity, importance and from new sources, the need for managing and protecting data residing across physical, virtual, and cloud environments grow with it. Managing data includes protecting it, indexing and classifying it for true, long-term management, compliance and E-Discovery. Commvault can ensure this with a single pane of glass solution – whether in a private cloud, a Service Provider delivered public cloud or a hybrid cloud environment – across the heterogeneous enter...
Dec. 7, 2016 05:15 PM EST Reads: 1,733
@DevOpsSummit taking place June 6-8, 2017 at Javits Center, New York City, is co-located with the 20th International Cloud Expo and will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. @DevOpsSummit at Cloud Expo New York Call for Papers is now open.
Dec. 7, 2016 05:00 PM EST Reads: 1,911
Everyone knows that truly innovative companies learn as they go along, pushing boundaries in response to market changes and demands. What's more of a mystery is how to balance innovation on a fresh platform built from scratch with the legacy tech stack, product suite and customers that continue to serve as the business' foundation. In his General Session at 19th Cloud Expo, Michael Chambliss, Head of Engineering at ReadyTalk, discussed why and how ReadyTalk diverted from healthy revenue and mor...
Dec. 7, 2016 04:30 PM EST Reads: 1,671
The many IoT deployments around the world are busy integrating smart devices and sensors into their enterprise IT infrastructures. Yet all of this technology – and there are an amazing number of choices – is of no use without the software to gather, communicate, and analyze the new data flows. Without software, there is no IT. In this power panel at @ThingsExpo, moderated by Conference Chair Roger Strukhoff, Dave McCarthy, Director of Products at Bsquare Corporation; Alan Williamson, Principal...
Dec. 7, 2016 04:15 PM EST Reads: 321
"Qosmos has launched L7Viewer, a network traffic analysis tool, so it analyzes all the traffic between the virtual machine and the data center and the virtual machine and the external world," stated Sebastien Synold, Product Line Manager at Qosmos, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 19th Cloud Expo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 7, 2016 04:15 PM EST Reads: 779
President Obama recently announced the launch of a new national awareness campaign to "encourage more Americans to move beyond passwords – adding an extra layer of security like a fingerprint or codes sent to your cellphone." The shift from single passwords to multi-factor authentication couldn’t be timelier or more strategic. This session will focus on why passwords alone are no longer effective, and why the time to act is now. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Chris Webber, security strateg...
Dec. 7, 2016 04:15 PM EST Reads: 313
Effectively SMBs and government programs must address compounded regulatory compliance requirements. The most recent are Controlled Unclassified Information and the EU's GDPR have Board Level implications. Managing sensitive data protection will likely result in acquisition criteria, demonstration requests and new requirements. Developers, as part of the pre-planning process and the associated supply chain, could benefit from updating their code libraries and design by incorporating changes. In...
Dec. 7, 2016 04:00 PM EST Reads: 1,270
In his session at Cloud Expo, Robert Cohen, an economist and senior fellow at the Economic Strategy Institute, provideed economic scenarios that describe how the rapid adoption of software-defined everything including cloud services, SDDC and open networking will change GDP, industry growth, productivity and jobs. This session also included a drill down for several industries such as finance, social media, cloud service providers and pharmaceuticals.
Dec. 7, 2016 03:48 PM EST Reads: 234
The 20th International Cloud Expo has announced that its Call for Papers is open. Cloud Expo, to be held June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, brings together Cloud Computing, Big Data, Internet of Things, DevOps, Containers, Microservices and WebRTC to one location. With cloud computing driving a higher percentage of enterprise IT budgets every year, it becomes increasingly important to plant your flag in this fast-expanding business opportunity. Submit your speaking proposal ...
Dec. 7, 2016 03:45 PM EST Reads: 2,245
You have great SaaS business app ideas. You want to turn your idea quickly into a functional and engaging proof of concept. You need to be able to modify it to meet customers' needs, and you need to deliver a complete and secure SaaS application. How could you achieve all the above and yet avoid unforeseen IT requirements that add unnecessary cost and complexity? You also want your app to be responsive in any device at any time. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Mark Allen, General Manager of...
Dec. 7, 2016 03:30 PM EST Reads: 1,768
"IoT is going to be a huge industry with a lot of value for end users, for industries, for consumers, for manufacturers. How can we use cloud to effectively manage IoT applications," stated Ian Khan, Innovation & Marketing Manager at Solgeniakhela, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 7, 2016 02:30 PM EST Reads: 4,309


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Earlier today (19th February 2021), the official Weibo account, a Chinese microblogging website, of Redmi shared a new teaser image poster of the K40 Pro. In this, the company teased the higher end variant’s triple camera module on the rear. The series is set to be launched on 25th February 2021.
EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung Galaxy F62 launched - Price, Specifications
The Redmi K40 series will be announced via a live stream online on February 25. Additionally, the Redmi executive calls it a “dual flagship” launch, which suggests that the Redmi K40 Pro will also launch alongside the vanilla model. Redmi K40 price in China and specifications have been tipped in the past and here’s what we know.
As per the teaser image, the Redmi K40 has a rectangular rear camera module that is made up of glass. The module will house three camera sensors and an LED flash. We see two large camera sensors, which suggests the company may be going with a 64MP or 108MP camera. The smartphone will seemingly come with a glass rear panel that is in pure black colour.


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Is There a Fad for Marijuana Farms?
Marijuana farmers are increasingly becoming associated with the farming and also production of the plant. As a result of new and innovative methods of growing cannabis plants, cannabis ranches are being developed to fit this new company market. In the last several years, the state of The golden state has actually ended up being the leading tourist and clinical state in the country, generating numerous numerous dollars annually. The state has actually become so depending on the earnings of cannabis that it has implemented strict cannabis policies that need cannabis services to acquire a certificate as well as abide by many state and also federal legislations. As shown by the state’s laws, marijuana companies need to beware to not just cultivate marijuana plants making use of quality tools, yet likewise to procedure as well as distribute the plant in a reliable manner. Both interior and outside growing and processing of the marijuana plant are required by the state’s marijuana industry regulations. Just like any kind of other crop, cannabis firms must likewise adhere to federal regulation concerning marijuana belongings, farming, circulation, and also investment.
Those who grow marijuana plants and also cultivate or distribute the plant for profit are purely forbidden by federal law from joining state-regulated markets, paying tax obligations, or having their assets seized. An expanding trend amongst marijuana farmers is developing seed banks to grow high-quality marijuana. By growing marijuana seeds from seed startings extracted from certified farmers, farmers are ensured of a regular premium plant. Additionally, seed banks normally maintain a close eye on plant conditions to make sure that farmers can stay clear of disease or pests that can damage a marijuana crop. There are presently over 400 marijuana ranches located throughout California’s cannabis sector. One more pattern developing within the marijuana sector is the formation of cannabis farms devoted exclusively to premium, specific niche pressures of marijuana. These cannabis farms are established to generate a specific type of cannabis, usually one that is not commonly located outside of a marijuana company. Some examples of these types of marijuana ranches include Thai Ball, Diesel, Blackbird, as well as Cheese Wheel. Many marijuana firms are explore brand-new marijuana stress and also creating plants that are especially targeted to treat a specific disease or signs and symptom of a particular condition.
A final pattern developing within the cannabis sector is the existence of multitude of tiny marijuana ranches. These marijuana farms are normally run by single proprietors or little groups of people. These operations are generally established in rural areas, such as hilly areas, where marijuana can be expanded close to consumers and also services without significant trouble. Smaller marijuana companies normally count on local agriculture to supply most of the marijuana plants called for to generate a regular supply. Oftentimes, small marijuana ranches are operated by families who expand and harvest marijuana plants as a household business. As the cannabis sector continues to develop and becomes a multi-billion buck sector, cannabis farmers will certainly continue to forge ahead as well as develop new crossbreed strains of cannabis that specify to their location.
The next time you go to a Starbucks or a coffeehouse, ask the barista what they are serving and opportunities are they’ll claim they are getting it from a high altitude, indoor, greenhouse cannabis farm. The marijuana industry is on its road to full legalisation. Nonetheless, for now, marijuana farmers are developing the demand for a lawful alternative.


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Now we know the secret ingredient in McDonald's Corp.'s remarkable success over the past decade: moribund competition.
McDonald's did a lot of things right as it reeled off 18 percent compound annual profit growth from 2004 through 2011. But archrivals Burger King and Wendy's did just about everything wrong at the same time. “McDonald's had the market to itself for a long time,” says analyst Sara Seratore of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York.
That changed this year, as competitors rose from the mat and cold-cocked the long-reigning burger champ. A few weeks ago, McDonald's acknowledged that increasing competition in the U.S. played a big role in its first monthly sales decline in nine years.
While Wendy's, Burger King and Taco Bell improved in important ways, they also got a hand from McDonald's itself. The Oak Brook-based chain drifted from its core strengths in recent years, shifting the fast-food battle to turf where rivals can compete more effectively.
McDonald's essential competitive advantage is its ability to attract millions of customers with simple fare at low prices competitors can't match. It's a volume game, and McDonald's has the size and scope to play it better than anyone else. “Nobody can compete with McDonald's on value,” says Steve West, a restaurant analyst in St. Louis at Investment Technology Group.
The company gets in trouble when it strays from this strategy, as it did with the ill-fated side ventures of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Sales took off again in 2004 when it returned to the basic formula perfected by Ray Kroc.
Lately, though, McDonald's has wandered again. It introduced pricier items, like espresso drinks and premium burgers. It de-emphasized the popular Dollar Menu in favor of an Extra Value Menu with less compelling deals. The thinking behind this is that McDonald's can boost sales with higher prices as it gets harder to stoke traffic growth in mature markets like the U.S. There's a lot of talk about boosting the size of the average customer transaction.


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Well, that went well. The recent move from developers Fatshark to make Warhammer Vermintide 2 free-to-own for a limited time was a smashing success. Once the news dropped that the Vermintide series would be celebrating its 7th anniversary by making the second game in the series free, eager players rushed to Steam to download their copy.
According to the developers, 10 million new users downloaded the game, which reached an all-time high for concurrent players on the platform. Over 100,000 people logged into the game concurrently through Steam, according to SteamDB, showing that bloodlust from killing hordes of rats is still alive and strong.
In a stuttering economy with so many video game options, players are keener than ever to look for good deals. The sudden overnight success of Vermintide 2 may be good news for the developers, Fatshark, as the next game in their flagship franchise, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, is set to release at $40 for the base game later this month, on November 30, 2022.
Only time will tell whether the free-to-own promotion will help boost sales in a competitive holiday landscape. What we can say, however, is we got some time to play in the closed beta of the game, and it was certainly a blast.
Improving on a lot of the mechanics and drawbacks of previous entries, Darktide is a new–but familiar take on the series. Instead of rats this time, you’ll be decimating hordes of the undead from the demonic Chaos factions.
The visuals and graphic fidelity stand up against other AAA titles, and the gameplay is fun and frantic–exactly what you’d expect from the successor of the Vermintide series. Gamers can head to the Steam Store to wishlist or preorder the game.
For more news, see our News Section.


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This story appears in the August/September 2023 issue of Forbes Magazine. Subscribe
Members of the secretive management team behind the billion Tether stablecoin have literally minted their own fortunes.
By Steven Ehrlich and Nina Bambysheva, Forbes Staff
Crypto is struggling. Under attack from regulators, the overall value of cryptocurrencies is down approximately 60% from its 2021 highs. But one digital asset company is thriving: stablecoin maker Tether. The secretive British Virgin Islands–based outfit has created a digital dollar with an $83 billion market value, up from about $65 billion just a year ago. In the first three months of 2023, Tether, which is responsible for more than 50% of the entire crypto market’s liquidity, says it posted a $1.5 billion profit.
It employs a simple, low-risk profitmaking model: Customers give the company U.S. dollars in exchange for a blockchain-based token it mints known as USDT (the “T” stands for Tether). Tether holds collateral mostly in the form of Treasury bills, money market funds, bitcoin and secured loans, and earns a market return on these “reserves.” USDTs are always supposed to be redeemable for $1 (ostensibly putting the “stable” in stablecoin) and redeemable on-demand, but Tether customers receive no interest on their holdings.
In March Tether benefited from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank after it was revealed that its biggest competitor, Boston-based Circle, held more than $3 billion in uninsured deposits at SVB. Circle’s dollar-pegged stablecoin briefly dropped to as low as 88 cents—far enough to send nearly $10 billion worth of assets fleeing to Tether.
USDC’s Pain Was USDT’s Gain
Circle’s USDC saw billion in outflows because of exposure to Silicon Valley Bank. Much of it went to Tether’s USDT.
Given its resilience and market dominance, Forbes estimates that the company—if its financials are indeed what it claims—might fetch as much as $9 billion if sold. That’s enough to make its top four executives billionaires. By Forbes’ calculations, chief financial officer Giancarlo Devasini owns more than 40%, a stake worth $4 billion.
Devasini, the company’s mastermind according to multiple sources, seems an unlikely crypto billionaire. His official biography on the Bitfinex website (Tether’s sister crypto exchange) paints the picture of a successful pioneer in the semiconductors market, whose business grew to 113 million euros in revenues annually before he sold it shortly before the 2008 financial crisis.
But a July 2021 Financial Times investigation found that in 2007, Devasini’s business empire had just 12 million euros in sales and went into liquidation the following June. Additionally, a Devasini company called Acme was the subject of a patent infringement suit brought by Toshiba over DVD format specifications. (Tether says the lawsuit was meritless and resulted in no adverse finding.)
Meanwhile, Tether CEO Jan Ludovicus van der Velde operates as more of a figurehead responsible for maintaining high-level strategic relationships with banks and regulators. Both Devasini and Van der Velde like to stay in the background and let Paolo Ardoino, the chief technology officer, serve as the company’s public face. Van der Velde and Ardoino each hold shares worth $1.8 billion. The company’s general counsel, Stuart Hoegner, has a stake worth $1.2 billion. Tether did not respond to a request for comment.
The company is riding high now, but if Congress passes stablecoin regulations, as the European Union did in May, it could give a leg up to a more compliant Circle, or to new entrants like banks. “Typically regulation entrenches incumbents, but that may not be the case here. If it becomes profitable to have a stablecoin, why wouldn’t banks enter that space?” says one Democratic congressperson who requested anonymity.
Another headwind could stir if USDT holders start demanding money market returns, which right now are between 4-5%. Forbes has learned of at least one U.S. company looking to create a regulated stablecoin that would pay money-market-esque returns starting this year. When Tether kicked the money-printing machine back into overdrive during the covid-driven boom, yields were close to 0%. It is a different world now. Tether’s founders have gotten rich on a free lunch served up by its customers. At some point the bill may come due.
MORE FROM FORBES
MORE FROM FORBESInside Tether, Crypto's (So Far) Unbreakable BuckBy Steven EhrlichMORE FROM FORBESThis Health AI Startup Aims To Keep Doctors Up To Date On The Latest ScienceBy Katie JenningsMORE FROM FORBESTikTok Has Pushed Chinese Propaganda Ads To Millions Across EuropeBy Iain MartinMORE FROM FORBESAI Chatbots Are The New Job InterviewersBy Rashi ShrivastavaMORE FROM FORBESDesperately Faking Riches: Inside A Hong Kong Businessman's Outlandish Efforts To Get On The Forbes Billionaire ListBy Robert Olsen


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Naeem Aslam, ThinkMarkets Chief Market Analyst, said that Bitcoin (BTC) could rally to over $10,700 if Facebook launches its virtual currency called GlobalCoin. In general, May is a very positive month for Bitcoin, and indeed, the digital currency behaved very positively this year.
Can Bitcoin reach $10,000 in the near future?
The crypto analyst explained that Bitcoin strong monthly performance is expected to behave in a similar way as the 5-year average trailing percentage gain at 21.03%. The trailing high for that period of time is 70.86 percent. May remains as the best 5-year trailing average percentage month for Bitcoin.
The analyst explained that the RSI needs o match the ascending trend of Bitcoin’s price action having a look at the daily chart. If the RSI goes below the trend line, traders shouldn’t be worried because oversold conditions would attract more buyers.
Bitcoin’s market structure shows that the digital currency could move upwards and reach $10,712 in just two weeks. That would represent a price increase of 35% in just a few days. This would happen due to the fact that Facebook is expected to unveil the so-called GlobalCoin.
There are several rumours regarding Facebook’s intentions and what the company wants to do with this virtual currency. Apparently, users will be able to transact funds in the social network and other applications connected to it, including WhatsApp, Messenger and even Instagram.
At the same time, employees would be able to receive payments for their work at the company with the digital asset launched by Facebook. Although this seems positive for the virtual currency, there are also several individuals that criticize it. One of the main complains is related to Facebook gathering information about users’ financial transactions.
Aslam considers that GlobalCoin is going to help virtual currencies reach mass adoption that will come through Facebook’s GlobalCoin usage. Individuals from different countries will have access to financial services where before they didn’t and they will be able to be connected with the entire world in just a few steps.
Bitcoin is currently being traded close to $7,900 and it has a market capitalization of $140 billion, according to CoinMarkeCap. In the last 24 hours, the virtual currency lost 1.24% of its value. What will happen with GlobaCoin is still unknown.
Try Out Binance Today
For over two years, UseTheBitcoin has done the research, covered the news, and helped readers find the best blockchain projects. The one thing we keep coming back to is Binance.


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Kroger announced today that it would close the store its operated for 38 years at the intersection of Harrison and McHenry avenues in Westwood.
The 35,000-square-foot store has lost $2.6 million since 2003, despite Kroger’s efforts to tailor its merchandise to shoppers and upgrade equipment and shelving, said Reuben Shaffer, vice president of operations for Kroger’s Cincinnati/Dayton division.
Its final date of operation will be May 8. All 110 of the workers there will be given jobs at other Kroger stores.
The news comes nearly a year after Kroger closed another small, inner-city store in Roselawn, citing declining traffic and losses over nearly a decade. The retailer has warned of similar issues at its stores on McMillan Avenue in Walnut Hills and on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine. Kroger’s newest stores typically span 100,000-square-feet or larger.
Shaffer said that loyalty card data showed that 60 percent of people who live around the Westwood store shop at other Kroger stores in the region. The grocer operates nine stores within an 18-minute drive of the store and has spent $60 million in recent years renovating, upgrading or replacing stores nearby.
The store’s closing has also been timed with the May 5 grand re-opening of the Kroger store 2 miles away on Ferguson Road, also in Westwood. Closed since March, Kroger has completed a $4 million wall-to-wall renovation there, adding new services, products and updated decor.
The grocer will also make $8 million in upgrades to its Delhi Township store on Delhi Pike, adding 30,000 square feet and creating 40 new jobs.
Posted in: Retail


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Videos by OutKick
Hey Chipotle, don’t mess with an NFL player’s food!
Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl defensive end J.J. Watt went on Twitter to call out Chipotle for skimping on their burrito sizes. The 6-foot-5, 288 pounds star is willing to even have a conversation with the restaurant chain, and I suggest that they do.
Ever have a hungry NFL player pissed off at you? Me neither, but I doubt it’s a good thing.
Watt then included a photo of his hand to compare the smaller size of the burrito.
The Pro Bowl player is echoing what has become a growing sentiment across social media that Chipotle has been making its burritos smaller.
IS CHIPOTLE GIVING PEOPLE LESS FOOD FOR THE SAME PRICE?!
Some have argued that since the pandemic changed people’s eating habits – with many now ordering online, that workers may not feel pressured to include more food when the customer isn’t right in front of them. I definitely can see that – people always do things differently when there isn’t a watchful eye over them.
However, earlier this year a TikTok video went viral showing a Chipotle worker barely adding any additional steak even when the customer requested it.
To be fair, it’s not just Chipotle that may be cutting down on their portion sizes.
“Shrinkflation” is a term being used all the time now where food items are downsized in size or quantity. For example, if you’re wondering why you finished that bag of Doritos so quickly – it’s not that you’re fat (although you could be) it’s because there were less chips in the actual package.
More companies are using inflation and supply chain issues as an excuse to charge the same, if not more of the same price, while reducing the amount actually received.
It reminds me of all the Uber surcharges that came up during the pandemic. Once prices go up, it’s very hard to ever see them go back down again. Suddenly the “new norm,” is where the market sets the value at. Rarely do we see prices go back down.
THE PEOPLE WILL LOVE J.J. WATT
Hopefully J.J. Watt gets Chipotle’s attention. So far they haven’t responded. But if Watt can suddenly make Chipotle burritos great again, he will become a hero. People LOVE food and they especially love their Chipotle (despite how expensive it’s becoming). Watt will receive a standing ovation in every stadium for his successes. Hell, if I’m Chipotle I immediately make a change in my portion sizes and then use Watt as my spokesperson moving forward. Genius marketing.
Plus the fact that Watt paid a fan’s bet just a few weeks ago after an NFL overturned a touchdown recovery he made? Watt is becoming a man of the people! A fan’s fan!
If Chipotle doesn’t work out for Watt, then maybe he should head to Costco or Sam’s Club. Both have refused to raise their hot dog and soda deals – $1.50 fat Costco and $1.38 at Sam’s Club.
You can get a hell of a lot of those for what Chipotle is charging these days.


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EE, the UK’s operator is all set to offer the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus when the devices launch. Huawei handsets purchased from EE’s direct retail channels will support WiFi Calling and 4G Calling, enabling customers to make calls and send texts in more places across the UK – as well as access the UK’s fastest 4G speeds.
The cutting-edge successors to the hugely successful Huawei P9, the all-new P10 and P10 Plus are state-of-the-art smartphones; perfect for EE’s multi-award winning 4G network. EE is the only mobile network operator in the UK able to offer truly superfast 4G speeds thanks to a layer of extra capacity in the EE 4G network, which means the P10 and P10 Plus will be faster on EE than on any other UK network.
A studio in your pocket
The cameras on the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus have been co-created with camera specialists, Leica. As a result, the latest devices come equipped with the combination of 20MP and 12MP dual cameras on the rear, and an 8MP camera on the front, enabling users to capture the most idyllic panoramic landscapes shots, crisp portraits and the perfect selfies, whatever the angle. With EE’s superfast 4G network, people can upload their favourite snaps to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in a flash.
EE has the UK’s biggest and fastest 4G network, meaning people can always share their latest adventures with family and friends instantly. Both the Huawei P10, with its 5.1” high-resolution screen, and the P10 Plus, with its 5.5” screen offer 1080p video resolution, perfect for watching the latest movies, TV shows or sporting moments when on the go.
EE to Offer LG G6
EE has also confirmed LG’s new flagship smartphone, the LG G6, will be available on EE – the UK’s biggest and fastest mobile network.
The all new LG G6 is packed full of the latest in mobile technology, including a striking 5.7” Full Vision display and is the first smartphone to feature Dolby Vision™, perfect for watching movies and TV shows. With this big screen still fitting easily in one hand, it couldn’t be easier to use the dual 13-megapixel wide angle camera, enhanced with an array of features to instantly make any photo social media ready. Meanwhile the 100-degree wide angle front-facing camera is perfect those group selfies.
Customers who purchase the LG G6 from EE’s direct retail channels will be able to make calls and send texts in more places across the UK with WiFi Calling. EE customers can also stay connected to superfast 4G, even when making calls, thanks to 4G Calling.
Download a full 1080p HD film in a flash, or track down the next adventure using Google Maps instantly, on EE’s superfast network. The LG G6 can take advantage of EE’s unique double-speed 4G network to get the UK’s fastest download speeds, providing the ultimate in 4G connectivity and performance.


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OPENING OF NEW BUTTER DAIRY FACILITY!
We are excited to reveal this week that production in our new butter dairy facility has begun. This facility will produce freshly churned premium Wyke Farms butter for the UK and international markets.
The modern production facility has received a substantial investment of £10 million, of which £480,000 was provided by a grant from the Rural Development Programme for England, which is jointly financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The grant money covered the cost of the new dairy’s machinery and apparatus.
The dairy expansion initiative is a component of our five-year growth strategy, which is supported by sustainably growing volume and strategically focusing on particular global regions. The facility helps us make freshly churned premium butter with longer shelf lives so that it can be shipped to high-end export markets and reduce waste both in the home and in the store.
Built to Ivy Clothier’s founding principles of producing the best-in-class quality, combined with an industry leading respect for the environment, The dairy is both energy and water efficient and the investment will build a sustainable long-term future and sufficient infrastructure for servicing increased sales of award-winning Butter in both the UK and export markets; crucial now, as Wyke Farms continues to benefit from substantial growth in total export sales both to the EU and the rest of the world; up almost 30% ye 2022.
According to Rich Clothier, managing director of Wyke Farms and Ivy Clothier’s grandson, the global butter market is currently valued close to $20 billion USD and is expected to increase by 50% by 2027. People all over the globe are becoming more interested in high-quality dairy products with a background and provenance, and butter is no exception. Our multi-award-winning Somerset single-churned artisan butters, which have a longer shelf life, will be available in areas all over the world thanks to this investment.
We will launch “Ivy’s Reserve Salted Farmhouse Butter” in Q2 2023 with an emphasis on classic farmhouse butter recipes. Ivy’s, the first carbon-neutral butter in the world made from whey cream and fine sea salt, will join Ivy’s Reserve Cheddar as a luxury product for the UK and export. The farm will also produce butters that are conventional and organic.


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Brand Licensing Europe 2014 expects to top last year’s record-breaking attendance with even more features and new brands on the floor.
As BLE gears up for the biggest event in its 16-year history, the show has unveiled a full roster of educational sessions, celebrity appearances and brand showcases.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is launching a licensing program for the video game "Lemmings," which originally launched in 1991.
The Jim Henson Company’s animated children’s series “Dinosaur Train” has signed a raft of new licensees in key European territories ahead of this year’s BLE.
Audio company BassBuds has launched a range of official Premier League team-branded in-ear headphones and Bluetooth portable speakers.
Brands with Influence has signed on to manage the brand licensing of BBC Worldwide's tween/teen show "The Next Step."
IMG and Topman have announced a new collaboration between youth brand American Freshman and Jamal Edwards, founder of SB.TV.
Sainsbury’s has inked an exclusive three-year partnership with Centum Books to develop a range of books aimed at children from birth to 7-years-old.
DC Thomson Consumer Products will be presenting its portfolio of iconic brands and a range of third-party properties at Brand Licensing Europe next week.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products U.K. has launched a promotional campaign at U.K. independent toy retailer The Entertainer for its series “Teen Titans Go!”
Epic Rights has signed a number of international licensing agents to represent its roster of clients in specific markets around the globe.
Zeamu Music, the newly launched music label specifically for children ages 4 to 11, is presenting its new brand this weekend at MIPJunior.
Sonic the Hedgehog will return to television in his first-ever CG-animated series, set to debut in fall 2014.
Oxford Limited has tapped Top PE to develop a range of back-to-school stationery and bags in the Ukraine.
Beanstalk is showcasing a range of new clients and its new digital division, Tinderbox, at Brand Licensing Europe this week.
Rocket Licensing is headlining its trip to Brand Licensing Europe with the 45th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
The National Hockey League has made new additions to its roster of international licensees and retailers in partnership with its agent Plus Licens.
Energizer Holdings has tapped Custom Accessories Europe for a new line of automobile power products.
DQ Entertainment has signed a slew of distribution deals for its kids’ shows including “The Jungle Book,” “Robin Hood” and “Peter Pan.”
To celebrate the release of Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World, LEGO has created a short film.
Disney Store U.K.’s annual Share in the Magic charity campaign launched Wednesday with an event at the London’s Oxford Street location.
©2014 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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Cramer-Krasselt launches Rain-X campaign that goes beyond your windshield.
Reel Chicago – May 19, 2022
Cramer-Krasselt, the nation’s second-largest independent marketing and communications agency, and Rain-X, extension of Illinois Tool Works Inc. an industry leader in automotive aftermarket glass, launched a new TV and digital campaign that positions the brand beyond the windshield and onto the rest of the vehicle.
The campaign highlights the dependable and innovative repellent technology the brand is known for, but aides in helping consumers see the product in action beyond the windshield and beyond the sole use as a rain repellent. The creative tracks a vehicle as it drives through the seasons and the elements, driving home the point that Rain-X Pro Cerami-X Glass Cleaner + Water Repellent makes the vehicle ready for anything.
Read more on Reel Chicago.


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Legolas Exchange has created a platform that will bridge the gap between the cryptocurrency and fiat worlds, and is hoping to change the methods that cryptocurrencies can be used. The current crypto market is controlled by an exclusive group of exchanges and continues to face substantial scrutiny from the highest financial leaders.
Cryptocurrencies, of course, have their positives and negatives. They are not constrained by the regulatory burdens that plague fiat currencies, but they can also be susceptible to hacks.
Legolas intends to create a secure and transparent system so that financial institutions can participate in the cryptocurrency boom. The financial trading system is built on a decentralized ledger to get the best of both systems–security and transparency.
What Exchanges Lack
The future looks amazing for cryptocurrencies. Though the price seems somewhat overreaching at the moment, the technology of crypto is starting to revolutionize the financial ecosystem. Blockchain systems are, though excellent, not without their disadvantages also.
Hackers seem to appreciate cryptocurrencies, and breaches are prevalent and can often be heavily damaging to investors. A remarkable nearly $50 million was stolen in July and August, and this number includes just substantial hacks.
The limited regulation within the crypto sphere has spawned substantial growth and speculation, all of which is positive for the freedom of the market. However, lack of regulation has also caused a proliferation of hacks to fleece the system. Exchanges refuse to accept responsibility for these breaches, much like fiat hack issues.
Fiat Currencies And What They Lack
Fiat currencies are just as vulnerable and reports frequently indicate a substantial number of of insider trading charges and false market reports. The legal institutions that govern fiat exchanges frequently deal with lawsuits whether petty manipulations or fraud – investors can’t help but remember the Madoff scandal, for example.
Government regulations have been unable to do the jobs that the people pay them to accomplish. The SEC makes it clear that exchanges are not culpable for the security of any instruments they hold. Therefore, ironically, when hacks do occur, exchanges cannot be held liable.
Additionally, the major governmental institutions who control fiat transactions are themselves subject to security hacks. Recent reports indicate that the SEC had its digital storage breached last year. What’s more, insider trades have occurred based upon the undisclosed material that was accessed. If even governmental bodies like the SEC can’t provide security and transparency within its own system, it should seem clear that such a system cannot possibly protect the or enforce crypto exchanges.
Legolas is the new hope
Legolas Exchange provides remarkably elegant solutions to the problems facing both exchange platforms. By uniting both centralized and decentralized benefits, Legolas has been capable of revealing and stopping fraudulent transactions.
Traditional decentralized cryptocurrency exchanges function without the otherwise mandatory reports or audits which governments provide. They also represent an unrealistic longterm solution, since their potential possible growth factor is just 25%.
Legolas Exchange has created a system that allows for auditable trade history and order books. This means users can access real time PoT, and, because it combines aspects of both centralization and decentralization, full market adaptation is feasible.
Legolas also ensures the security of their wallet. The wallet platform was conceived by a team of talented IT and finance professionals, making it unhackable. The platform is also designed to ensure the temporality of orders. Thus, manipulations like front-running are managed and controlled, resulting in an open and transparent fiscal environment.
The platform is supported by PayQix, owner of BankQix, the Luxembourg-based banking institution. Legolas users’ Bitcoin accounts will thus be effectively theft-proof. The net effect of this system is that Bitcoins are at least as secure as fiat currency, which traditional cryptocurrency exchanges simply cannot offer. Legolas provides a workable solution to the questions that burden existing crypto and fiat currency exchanges.
The exchange is powered by LGO tokens, which are able to be purchased through Legolas’ website. Bitcoin is the only accepted currency at this time, with LGO tokens being issued during the company’s ICO pre-sale.
The production platform is scheduled to release in the first trimester of 2018, assuming the beta rollout is approved. Legolas’ exchange is a welcome challenge that seeks to stabilize a new and relatively unstable marketplace.
This is a sponsored post.


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The recent hacking of Associated Press' Twitter account and the (luckily short-term) effect an explosive fake tweet had on the real-world has marked a turning point.
UK adults are risking their online security by using identical or easy to remember passwords on the websites they visit, new Ofcom research reveals.
In order to relieve the curiosity of the huge Reddit community, systems administrator Jason Harvey has shared some details about the DDoS attack that recently hit the popular social news site and caused it to go down for a period of 50 minutes.
Twitter is urging users once again to improve their passwords - both on Twitter and on other online services.
NetIQ announced SocialAccess, a virtual appliance that allows business and government entities to leverage social identity providers to share select identity information for authentication via OAuth and OpenID Connect.
By subscribing to our early morning news update, you will receive a daily digest of the latest security news published on Help Net Security.
With over 500 issues so far, reading our newsletter every Monday morning will keep you up-to-date with security risks out there.


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Microsoft released a fresh version of Windows last year, after an extended period, which is Windows 11; Microsoft is believed to release Windows 12 within a few years.
Windows 12 came into the spotlight after an unreliable source announced Microsoft’s latest release schedule; however, Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed all the information and did not officially announce anything about Windows.
Windows 12 Is Speculated To Come In 2024
The story began with Windows Central announcing that Microsoft’s new release cycle would enable Microsoft to release the most recent version of Windows every three years.
In simple words, Microsoft announced two annual updates into a single major update in 2000. We’ll see an updated Windows operating system within few years.
Windows 12 Release Timeline
Based on this assumption, we can expect that Windows 12 will likely arrive in 2024 since Windows 11 launched in 2021, and the last major update will be in 2023. It is likely to have a codename of Sun Valley 3.
In addition, Microsoft is developing Version 2H22 (Sun Valley 2) of Windows 11, which is scheduled to be launched in October this year. The month of October is also the one of Windows 12, so Windows 12 will be found sometime in October 2024.
Will it be Free or Paid
You may wonder if the update is free or costs you money. As of now, there are no details on this. However, we anticipate that it will be cost-effective since, thanks to this update, Microsoft can offer various new options.
Furthermore, the company does not require users to update the latest software version. It’s your decision, or if it was free, then there may be a higher chance that you will need to upgrade.
As Windows begins testing new features of the Insider Program, Windows 12 will receive some elements we have seen during Insider Previews, including the new Google features for searching icons and numerous others. In addition to the above, there will be many other innovative features.


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Coke to improve mango juice supplyThis article was originally published in Foodnews
COCA-Cola Co is working with business, government and civilian partners to improve Haiti's mango juice industry. The USD7.5 million, five-year Haiti Hope project will try to double the incomes of the country's 25 000 mango farmers and improve their living standards after the devastation wrought by January's earthquake. Coke will invest USD3.5 million in the project, with the Inter-American Development Bank contributing an undisclosed amount. The bank is the source of long-term financing for development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Proceeds from the sales of Haiti Hope Mango Lime-Aid made by Odwalla (a fruit juice company owned by Coke) will go toward the project. A similar drink will be launched in Canada in early summer.


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PUMA Officially Confirms Deal With Kylie Jenner
Sorry Kanye, but Kylie Jenner is signed to PUMA.
The sportswear brand has released an official statement, confirming Kylie's new deal.
"I am pleased and excited to be able to confirm that PUMA is indeed working with Kylie Jenner," Adam Petrick, Global Director of Brand and Marketing for PUMA said in a statement. "Kylie will be featured in the brand's Spring/Summer women’s training campaign launching in April 2016."
"Kylie represents a fresh and exciting new era for fashion and we couldn't think of a more fitting and influential female to headline this campaign for PUMA."
After the news first leaked about Kylie's deal with PUMA, an angry Kanye took to Internet, claiming that he had vetoed the deal... because his family is Team Adidas. But apparently, the deal was already done... or Kylie didn't listen to his brother-in-law.
According to TMZ, the deal allows Kylie to wear others brands, including Adidas, and is it only for six months.


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Speed, one of India’s leading surface mobility company has announced the launch
of luxurious caravan services in Ahmedabad – ‘Vahn’.
(a portmanteau of Sanskrit ‘vahan’ and Latin ‘van’) was born in the middle of a
pandemic by a family of travelers. The makers of Vahn sought to bring a
liberating road-travel experience to people which was independent of unhygienic
hotel stays and restaurant visits while travelling.
demands of a modern-day traveler have been taken into consideration while
designing these self- contained caravans. Now traveler enthusiasts across the
country can indulge in a safe, luxurious, and top- of-the-class travel
first van, ‘Roller’, is inspired and similarly visualized as the “Indian
roller” bird. It is thoughtfully built with king and queen sized beds, a fully
equipped kitchenette and a modern restroom with shower. For cooking fresh meals
on the road, the caravan has appliances like an induction pot, kettle and
fridge. The vans can sleep 4-5 and seat up to 8 people.
more? Vahn also takes up custom van conversion projects for personal use.
Moksha Gandhi, founder & lead designer at Vahn, says “Vahn is for everyone.
From solo travelers and artists seeking a fresh air of inspiration, to a
seasoned family looking for a break from the monotony of life, to a big troop
looking for their next big adventure.”
on the launch, Sanyam Gandhi, Director, Chartered Speed noted, “We are
extremely excited to launch the caravan services for travel lovers. The concept
of travel is transforming immensely post the advent of the pandemic; and one
kind of travel experience that’s gaining much momentum during these times is
that of road-trips. Understanding this need, we have associated with Moksha
Gandhi to create an infrastructure that will ensure a comfortable, safe and
luxurious travel experience on the go. We want to encourage travel lovers to
book these caravans and go all out with their families, friends and loved ones
while experiencing home-on-the-go”
King and queen sized beds to seat up to 8 and sleep up to 5
Fully equipped Kitchenette with refrigerator, deep sink, induction pot, kettle,
cookware, and cutlery
Restroom with Shower with water closet, shower, and clothes rail
Premium Entertainment with TV and bluetooth speaker system
Working Desk with 120V outlets and USB ports
Storage compartments and spacious boot
Portable cooking range and outdoor seating set
Safety appliances with first AID and fire extinguisher
Speed Limited (CSL) is one of India’s leading passenger mobility companies
[CRISIL, 2018] with a presence in 10 states, daily helping 300,000 people to
get to their destinations in more than 70 cities. They are the largest fleet
bus operators in India for intercity and intracity passenger in Central,
Western and North-Eastern states of India.
powered by Chartered Speed, is an up-and-coming caravan rental company
originating out of the city of Ahmedabad. They design and offer a range of
caravans to rent for short or long-term travels around the country.
Specialty chemicals company Lanxess has reached an important step towards more sustainability in its plasticizer portfolio: The Polymer Additives (PLA) business unit now offers a more sustainable solu...
Uno Minda, a leading Tier 1 supplier of proprietary automotive solutions to original equipment manufacturers, has launched its new premium range of alloy wheels in the Indian aftermarket in collaborat...
Greaves Retail, India's leading fuel-agnostic mobility solutions provider and a unit of Greaves Cotton Limited, has announced the launch of its complete range of e-rickshaw batteries under the brand '...


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Smartphones were once a niche product; however, in the past decade they have become ubiquitous, used by billions of people around the world. This makes them a prime target for cybercrime, so what does the future hold for mobile security in the age of multi-functional handsets?
The evidence of smartphones being a weak link in terms of security is mounting. Researchers have repeatedly shown that devices are vulnerable to a range of different attacks, whether via malicious apps or network-based breaches.
This state of affairs is especially problematic due to the sheer volume of sensitive data that users commit to their portable devices. If security is compromised, identity theft and fraud can soon follow with unsettling ease.
The need to offer enhance smartphone security is well known; however, there are a number of hurdles to overcome when implementing increased protection. In short, security can create issues of its own, making it harder for colleagues to collaborate and for businesses to work with one another.
With the availability of application whitelisting software from firms such as https://www.promisec.com/application-whitelisting-software/, it becomes simpler to embrace apps of all types and monitor their use to check for unwanted anomalies. This can give business decision makers peace of mind when it comes to smartphone security, although it is still sensible to avoid becoming complacent.
It is not just software security that is relevant in the world of smartphones, with their portability and compactness making the hardware itself vulnerable to theft and exploitation. To counteract this, a number of new solutions are being deployed and are likely to become far more common in the future.
The move away from passwords and codes to unlock devices has been welcomed by those in the security community, as using biometric scanners to assess the unique features of an individual user is a better protection against unwanted access. Fingerprint scanning has been an option for a few years on some high-end handsets; now, even more convenient technologies are being introduced, including iris scanning and even full facial recognition.
The future of smartphone security should be one that makes things less complex for users while increasing the levels of protection they enjoy. Thankfully, this is looking increasingly achievable as more and more progress is made.
Rashed Ahmed regularly contributes to free online magazines and living ideas to various blogs around the web. When he’s not busy working with the work, you will find him undertaking many of her own lifestyle-related topics and living ideas! He has a lot of dreams. He works hard to fulfill his dreams. He loves to share his ideas, tricks, tips, and information by blogging. He also works at unique business ideas, a business marketing company that committed to helping businesses with online marketing.


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Latest Respironics Stories
ReportsnReports.com offers "North American Sleep Apnea Devices Market" global research report in its store. DALLAS, Dec.
Online CPAP mask, machine, accessories and supplies retailer, CheapCPAPSupplies.com, has redone their site to help patients find the best CPAP equipment at the lowest possible price.
GIA announces the release of a comprehensive global report on Mechanical Ventilators market.
Latest Report Global Sleep Apnea Devices Market Analysis Size And Segment Forecasts To 2020 available at GrandViewResearch database.
LOS ANGELES, Sept.
ANDOVER, Mass. and MUNICH, Sept.
As awareness of the risks and early warning signs of sleep apnea increase, more patients are expected to seek medical treatment, leading to an increase of patients diagnosed and treated with obstructive
- To give a box on the ear to.


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BEIJING—A senior Chinese trade official warned that any further appreciation of the Chinese currency risked driving exporters out of business, underscoring the domestic political pressures on Beijing amid growing international calls for China to let the yuan rise.
Vice Commerce Minister Zhong Shan, in an exclusive interview Thursday ahead of a visit to the U.S., said that the profit margin on many Chinese export goods was less than 2%.
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News: the UK government's redesigned website has been named the Design of the Year in a ceremony at the Design Museum in London this evening (+ movie).
Gov.uk was designed by Government Digital Service, a team within the Cabinet Office led by designer Ben Terrett (see our movie above), to fold the government's thousands of existing websites into just one.
Deyan Sudjic, director of the award-giving Design Museum, said the new website "makes life better for millions of people".
"Gov.uk looks elegant, and subtly British thanks to a revised version of a classic typeface designed by Margaret Calvert back in the 1960s. It is the Paul Smith of websites," said Sudjic.
"The rest of the world is deeply impressed, and because it has rationalised multiple official websites, it saves the taxpayer millions – what's not to like?"
Prime minister David Cameron also said he was "delighted" about the win, adding: "For the first time, people can find out what's happening inside government, all in one place, and in a clear and consistent format."
The core idea behind Gov.uk is to make it as simple and intuitive as possible for the user, Terrett told Dezeen in a movie filmed at Design Indaba in Cape Town as part of our Dezeen and MINI World Tour.
"People only go onto government websites once or twice a year to find out a particular thing," he said. "So people shouldn't spend time relearning how to use it. The core of all our work is focusing on user need."
Terrett's team devised 10 principles of good design to guide their work and chose to make them public in the hope they would be useful to other designers, as he explained at the Global Design Forum in London last September. "We believe that if you share work it makes it better," explained Terrett.
The principles are:
1. Start with needs
2. Do less
3. Design with data
4. Do the hard work to make it simple
5. Iterate. Then iterate again
6. Build for inclusion
7. Understand context
8. Build digital services, not websites
9. Be consistent, not uniform
10. Make things open: it makes things better
Terrett also won the graphics category of the 2010 awards with his print-on-demand publishing service Newspaper Club.
The other category winners included the Morph folding wheel in the transport category, the Kit Yamoyo medicine kit in the product category and the brand identity of the Venice Architecture Biennale in the graphics category.
The architecture category was won by a refurbished 1960s tower block in Paris, fashion was won by a film about writer and editor Diana Vreeland and industrial designer Konstantin Grcic won the furniture category for his Medici Chair, after launching a complementary stool and table in Milan last week.
Gov.uk and the other shortlisted designs are on show at the Designs of the Year exhibition at the Design Museum until 7 July.


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The future for the Indian textile industry looks promising, buoyed by both strong domestic consumption as well as export demand as China is drifting away from textile manufacturing activities. With consumerism and disposable income on the rise, the retail sector has experienced a rapid growth in the past decade with the entry of several international players like Marks & Spencer, Guess and Next into the Indian market.
About 200 buyers from leading textile and garmenting companies over 35 countries will be in the city for three days from September 21 to crack…+ More
Operating with a wafer-thin margin, synthetic textile players to pass on the raw material price hike to the consumer Synthetic fabric and textiles are likely…+ More
ICICI Bank, one of India’s largest private sector banks, on Wednesday announced the launch of a new working capital facility that will enable MSMEs (micro,…+ More
Odisha has lot of potential of exporting various commodities like, mineral, engineering, handicraft, textile, handloom, marine products etc. The Odisha products has a separate identity…+ More
NEW DELHI: Amazon, Google, Apple and other foreign companies operating in the ecommerce space will have to register themselves for goods and services tax (GST)…+ More


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International CES opens today, on the other side of the pond in Las Vegas. Produced by the Consumer Electronics Association, the International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) has been growing in popularity amongst photography manufacturers over the past few years, as photography has taken a more mainstream stance in modern retail. Gone are the days when you would wander down the high street to the shop on the corner where Mr Bloggs, a photography enthusiast or even professional photographer from a family of photographers would impart gems of his extensive knowledge to you as you bought your Kodak film rolls and collected the last roll you’d had developed.
Times have changed and photography is now, for most people, a much more instant affair. The onset of Digital brought with it memory cards, USB cables and the ability to review and edit your photos in camera. As the technology infiltrated the mainstream, the level of customers using their local camera shop sadly dropped, as more and more people chose to shop more conveniently. Online retailers like Wex Photographic (that’s us!) are able to provide specialist help without you having to leave the comfort of your own home.
2009 estimates put the number of households that own digital cameras at around 75%, whilst a 2008 report from the Photo Marketing Association showed that only 25% of camera owners processed film that year, compared to 62% back in 2005. As digital cameras have hit the mass market there has been a flood of camera technology to retailers who aren’t exactly photography specialists – in fact you could say that they were simply specialists in retailing! Of course, they do a very good job of it, but to cut a long story short, this has ultimately resulted in camera manufacturers realising that they need to get involved in the likes of CES where they can tout their wares to a new breed of technology hungry consumers. These consumers want to know about the latest and greatest development in imaging technology and will then happily part with their cash to whoever can offer the best price.
So, that brings us to a CES which in 2010 is brimming over with stands and displays from the likes of Canon, Sony, Nikon, Kodak, Tiffen, Tokina, Lowepro, Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic, Casio, SanDisk, Joby… the list goes on, and on and on. The various brands clamour for your attention, hoping to entice you into their floor space where they can bewitch you with their latest creation. Will it be the continuation of the megapixel race, advanced GPS and information tagging, increasingly intelligent face, smile and frown detection or super-intuitive touch screen technology that will take your fancy? Or maybe they’ve got something even better up their sleeve.
There are interesting seminars, such as “Beyond Point and Shoot: A Glimpse into the Future of Digital Imaging” and the Digital Imaging Showcase itself will feature more than 37,000 square feet of exhibition space, (an increase of 12,000 from CES 2009), with more than 60 participating exhibitors. The DIS will highlight all aspects of imaging, including cameras and capture devices, storage, software, printers, kiosks, bags and accessories.
If you haven’t made it over to International CES yourself, then watch this space. We’ll be sure to keep you updated with the latest news and announcements – of which there are sure to be plenty!


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Organizing a concert road trip is about to get a little easier – and cheaper – for the younger crowd come January 1, 2012. Online ticket seller Live Nation and car rental company Hertz are partnering up, allowing Live Nation customers to rent a car as part of the ticket-buying process.
That’s convenient, but the big draw for those under 25 is that any rental made through Live Nation or Ticketmaster will waive the underage driver fee. Being that this fee is standard practice across the car rental market, the fee waiver figures to make Hertz a very attractive to solution to students feeling the pinch financially (and that’s a lot of students).
The partnership is part of Hertz’s “Movin’ With Music” program, an effort to attract a younger demographic to its services. Hertz will also be launching its own streaming radio station, called Hertz Live Radio. The station will be playing in all Hertz locations and on Hertz buses. Oddly enough, Hertz will also be unveiling its own digital music store that will be up and running by the second quarter of 2012. At face value, this seems like a peculiar choice, with music sales being a little outside Hertz’s regular business, but it will allow customers to use their rewards points to purchase songs, which could be quick, easy, and attractive – especially to the younger customers Hertz is trying to draw in. Hertz will also be launching their own concert promotions, being led off by one for Fitz and the Tantrums, which will let the winner go backstage and meet the band, conducting an interview that will be posted on major social media sties. That promotion will kick off early next year.
When renting a car through Live Nation’s website, customers will have access to a special Hertz Concert Collection. The variety still seems to be solid, with offerings ranging from economy to luxury to SUV (the latter of which will be great for the students who want to pack eight or nine people into the trip – and that’ll be a lot of students, too). Those cars will also come with NeverLost, Hertz’s own navigation system. Customers will be able to secure VIP parking at the concert’s venue.
The Hertz-Live Nation partnership will begin with the new year, while the music store and radio station will roll out sometime during the second quarter of 2012. Given how ubiquitous Live Nation is in the realm of online ticket sales (some would grumble monopoly), this could be a huge boon for Hertz, particularly with the waiving of the underage driver fee. If you’re under 25 and sans wheels, it might be something to look into when planning your next concert trip in 2012.


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By Richard E. Nicolazzo
Remember that old Toyota corporate advertising theme: “Oh, What a Feeling?” I’ve got a new theme for the company: “Oh, What a Fiasco!”
There must have been long faces in Toyota’s executive suites when a California man held a press conference to tell the world that his Prius accelerated out of control on a freeway. From the air, it looked like a bad “OJ” moment.
To make matters worse, the California “runaway” occurred only 12 miles from where a deadly crash last year sparked the initial scrutiny into Toyotas. That incident, which keeps finding its way into the national media along with the 911 call, resulted in the death of a former California highway patrol officer and three members of his family.
Just a day later, the crash of another Toyota Prius in New York caught the attention of federal regulators after the driver said the car accelerated on its own, lurched down a driveway, across a road and into a stone wall. Ouch.
When you add it all up, with more than 50 deaths apparently linked to deadly accidents, the Toyota situation has turned into the tsunami of all product recalls.
The numbers prove it: 745,000 Priuses built from 2004 to 2009 recalled; six million other Toyotas in the U.S. and some eight million worldwide recalled; 85,000 lost sales over the past two months.
On top of that, a report in the Wall Street Journal said that the financial impact on Toyota from the global recall could total more than $5 billion over the next year because of increased incentive campaigns, litigation costs and big marketing dollars.
One could certainly make the case that Toyota took its time addressing the issue. In the past decade, at least 3,306 Toyota and Lexus drivers nationwide have reported instances of sudden acceleration, according to the latest numbers from Safety Research & Strategies, Inc., a Rehoboth, Mass. company that monitors safety issues for attorneys and plaintiffs in civil complaints, government agencies, and other clients.
To put it bluntly: The smoking gun was there for a long time.
Catch 22 Situation
What makes the Toyota crisis particularly challenging is the never-ending onslaught of bad news.
When you look at the crisis playbook, what Toyota has done deserves general praise: The company stood up and took responsibility for the vehicle defects.
First, Toyota took the extraordinary step of suspending the manufacture and sale of eight of its most popular models because of the unresolved mechanical flaw in the gas pedal assembly. The lines were not restarted until all the defective parts were destroyed and more testing took place. Additionally, dealers could not sell these models on lots until repairs were made.
To Toyota’s credit, this was a big step in beginning to align itself with consumers rather than protecting its corporate image.
In rapid order, Toyota issued official recalls, brought its senior executives to testify before Congress, placed full-page ads in major metro newspapers, made its top U.S. executive available for interviews, communicated with its dealers, gave those dealers cash to repair vehicles as soon as possible, and even staged a press conference in California to refute an ABC story that showed a tachometer near its red-line when the car was in “Park.”
On the sales side, the company has been aggressive in supporting its dealer network. New Camrys are on sale for as little as $179 a month; the Lexus brand is promoting discounted lease offers; and zero-percent loans are commonplace.
The real Catch 22 is how Toyota moves on from what can only be described as a product and reputational nightmare.
With its long-term credibility and brand at stake, I believe the company needs to continually assess its “communications throttle.”
For example, on the same day the Prius went out of control in California, Toyota was running customer testimonial ads in major markets that talked about the “safety and reliability” of the brand.
In my view, this is pushing the throttle too hard at a time when it remains unclear if Toyota truly has the fix for defective vehicles. Here in the Boston market, I saw a video news clip of the runaway Prius on the California highway followed by a commercial about Toyota’s reliability. The juxtaposition does not work for Toyota.
For the time being, the company should provide customers with relevant information about how to deal with an unexpected event or acceleration of a vehicle they manufactured. They should also consider providing customers with hands-on training about how to deal with a problem when it surfaces. For example, they should consider conducting seminars and distributing instructional videos depicting how a consumer should manage these related problems when they surface.
If Toyota wants to address safety and reliability, it might be better off sending a letter directly to the homes of vehicle owners. This would avoid the clutter on TV, radio and the Internet that continues to sting the company.
Adding to its operational and communications woes, Toyota is now being victimized by people who crash their cars and blame it on unintended acceleration. Although expensive and time consuming, Toyota should inspect every vehicle involved in a crash and extract data from the “black box” installed in vehicles to record the condition of the engine, brakes, accelerator and other components at the time of an accident. Otherwise, it risks being blamed for hundreds of accidents that likely have nothing to do with gas pedal or floor mat problems.
Some Brands Come Back
What happens to a brand in a crisis is always hard to predict. Audi, the last major car company to deal with unintended acceleration, was moribund in the U.S. for nearly a decade, but has made a great comeback. Better engineering and slick marketing have rejuvenated the brand, and it’s now stronger than ever.
About a year ago, Domino’s Pizza was the target of a disgusting video prank that looked like it would seriously damage the brand. But the company recently announced solid 2009 results and an increase in same store sales for the 64th consecutive quarter.
In other cases, such as Arthur Anderson, Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, the enterprises collapsed.
Despite negative media coverage since late January, there may be some early signs that Toyota can weather the storm. In February, the company’s U.S. market share slipped to 12.7% from just above 14% the previous month. All-in-all, not that significant a drop. Despite the equally negative press about the Lexus brand, sales are up 5% so far in 2010.
Analysts have predicted Toyota will report a profit of more than $800 million when it announces year-end results at the end of March, reversing a loss for 2008.
What next year holds is anybody’s guess.
In the final analysis, the pressure to get this issue behind the company falls on Toyota’s engineers. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that, despite the floor mat and pedal recalls, there is likely something else wrong with the inner workings of Toyota vehicles.
If the problem is in the electronics, Toyota has backed itself into a corner by publicly announcing that either the floor mats or pedal assembly are defective. Admitting an electronics problem is probably unthinkable because it could mean replacing the entire car…a scenario that could create a major financial crisis for even a company this size.
Like most major recalls, the problem seems to emanate from poor product design, engineering flaws, sloppy manufacturing, problems in distribution, or a host of other factors unrelated to strategic communications.
At Toyota, the crisis management team is left to deal with the fallout, somehow rebuild brand integrity and loyalty, and continue to drive sales for its massive dealer network. This is a Herculean task.
Meanwhile, anybody driving one of these vehicles would be well served to take it slow, learn how to put the vehicle in neutral at highway speeds, and shut the engine off in sequence.
It could save their lives.
Joe Grillo, partner, contributed to this blog.


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Uber Claims That, It Can Also Deploy Cars Without A Driver By 2019
With many automakers setting 2019 as their deadline to launch the perfect driverless/autonomous car – Uber has also joined the fray by claiming that it could also be ready to deploy cars without a driver as early as 2019. Eric Meyhofer, head of Uber’s Advanced Technology Group, told the Associated Press in an interview that the company’s autonomous technology is developing at a pace similar to the rest of the industry.
Meyhofer also clarified to the fact that the company is not committing to a firm timeline just yet. But, whenever that happens, it’d be in a limited capacity—similar to Waymo’s ongoing pilot and GM’s plans for 2019.
Uber’s fleet of Volvo XC90s are currently being prepped to handle driverless tasks, although the testing is likely to be done only in warm-weather areas that don’t get snow. The Ride-Sharing giant is still working on getting their autonomous cars to a point where they can handle driving in snow covered lanes and other harsh terrains.


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Falling prices across the country might prompt the Reserve Bank of Australia to cut rates to its lowest since the mid-1950s in a bid to prevent an outbreak of deflation. Just a quarter percentage point cut in rates would slice $43 a month from repayments on a $300,000 mortgage.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, prices fell 0.2 per cent in the March quarter, taking annual inflation to 1.3 per cent. The biggest fall in prices was experienced in Perth, where prices declined 0.6 per cent over the quarter.
When it comes to housing, the cost of buying a new home in Perth also decreased by 2.2 per cent. Perth also experienced the biggest fall in rates at 4.4 per cent over the past year. This could be attributed to the end of the mining construction boom, which has yet to bottom.
The fall in prices was also driven by a 10 per cent decline in petrol prices and an 11 per cent decrease in fruit prices. However, there is also downward pressure on the economy.
Measures of underlying inflation fell to their lowest level on record, which is about 1.5 per cent. This is below the Reserve Bank's inflation target and opens up the possibility for a deflation outbreak, which could create a huge problem for the economy.
According to CommSec economist Savanth Sebastian, there would be concerns inside the reserve about the direction of inflation. "CommSec believes there is a strong chance the Reserve Bank will cut the cash rate to a historical low of 1.75 per cent in May," he said.
It can be confusing to know whether to get a variable rate or fixed rate mortgage, and what features are important. That's why it's important to not only check the right rates, but make sure that you're getting the right features in your home loan. Get help choosing the right home loan


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New Zealand has officially banned single-use plastic shopping bags. Under the new rules, thin plastic single-use shopping bags can no longer be supplied, but reusable carriers are allowed.
Companies that break the ban will face heavy penalties, including fines of up to 100,000 New Zealand dollars.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For EPFO/LIC ADO Mains:
- New Zealand Capital: Wellington, Currency: New Zealand dollar.
Source: The News on Air


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Syracuse, N.Y. — One New York State Fair-themed drive-thru food event series may not be enough to get Central New York through the coronavirus pandemic.
Now there are two.
Spurred by the huge success of the Villa Pizze Fritte pop-up food events held for the past three weekends, a second veteran State Fair vendor is launching a similar idea this weekend.
You’ll find deep-fried Oreo and Twinkies, corn dogs, candy apples, funnel cakes and more at the drive-thru Carnival Eats Syracuse event starting Friday.
The mobile stand will operate from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. this weekend (May 15, 16, 17) and again next weekend (May 22, 23, 24). If successful, it may continue on future weekends.
The location is a vacant lot at the corner of North Geddes and Spencer Streets, not far from Performance Harley-Davidson and a block or so from The Gem Diner.
All social distancing, masks and other coronavirus precautions will be taken, according to Allen LaVenture, a representative for Carnival Eats Syracuse and its operator, Main Event Amusements of Solvay. Syracuse Police have been notified and there will be a plan for traffic management, he said.
Main Event Amusements, owned by Kevin Jankiewicz, has been operating food stands, rides and games at the State Fair and other carnival-style events in the Northeast for 30 years.
The idea to introduce its version of a deep-fried drive-thru to help people get through the pandemic was inspired by the Zazarra family, which organized the Pizze Fritte drive-thru events the past three three weeks. After some traffic congestion during the first week at Erie Boulevard East and Bridge Street in DeWitt, those events moved to the Orange parking lot across from the State Fairgrounds.
Last week, that event added more vendors, bringing sausage sandwiches, gyros and wine slushies to the mix of Fair-themed offerings. That version will be held again this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Main Event Amusements consulted with Grazi Zazarra Jr., who coordinated the Pizze Fritte events, before deciding to launch its own version, LaVenture said. They agreed there was room for two, and Main Street Amusements agreed not to offer the same menu items.
“It’s double the Fair food fun,” LaVenture said.
The full menu for the Carnival Eats Syracuse sales include Deep Fried Oreos, Deep Fried Twinkies, Funnel Cakes, Corn Dogs, Fried Cheese on a Stick, Cotton Candy Fresh Squeezed Lemonade and Candy and Carmel Apples.
Employees, who will wear masks and gloves, will take and deliver orders to customers’ cars so there is no need for people to get out of their vehicles. Items can be paid for by cash, credit or debit card.
“Even though people can’t get out and head to an event this spring they still love their favorite reminders that summer is right around the corner” LaVenture said. "We are happy to be able provide many these carnival favorites until we are able get back to safely enjoying the events we love.”
MORE ON CORONAVIRUS


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Kartik mass is now inching towards its end and poultry industry is hopeful of picking up the consumption but so far Poultry farmers across the country are facing severe losses after sudden fall in chicken prices. Many farmers are selling chicken in the open market at a lower price to avoid huge losses. Karthika mass is considered very auspicious in our country. Hindus believe that one should practice non-violence during this month and stay away from eating non-vegetarian food.As a result, consumption of chicken, mutton, fish and other non-vegetarian food fell all of a sudden. Chicken which cost Rs 295 per kg on November 5 has plummeted to Rs 190 per kg.
“Chicken price remained stable for last three months. Consumption also increased after Covid-19 second wave as people preferred protein-rich food. Sale usually comes down in Karthika month by 30 per cent. But we are witnessing abnormal fall in prices this year but it is becoming tough for poultry farmers to bear the expenses of feeding them. It usually costs Rs 160 per kg for live birds at farm, but we are getting only Rs 110 per kg now,” Poultry farmers are looking at Government to intervene and announce subsidies for poultry farmers to help them recover from the losses.
Poultry markets in most of the cities are witnessing a deserted look even on Sunday due to the impact of Karthika maas.
Meanwhile, chicken shops and eateries selling non-veg dishes are offering huge discounts to attract the consumers result of which Chicken prices fell significantly but still there is no encouraging response from buyers. Poultry farmers hope that everything will be normal from the next month when the consumption will again pick up.
Post Date: 03 Dec 2021


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After much soul-searching (and realizing its a bad idea to erase 21 years of brand awareness), Blizzard reverses plan to scrap the Battle.net naming scheme.
Blizzard has announced that it won't go through with its plans to remove the instantly recognizable Battle.net moniker from its online service and games. The Battle.net network, which serves as the core to mighty Blizzard IPs like Overwatch, Hearthstone, and World of Warcraft, is still getting re-named, but the "Battle.net" brand name will still be attached.
In a recent news post, the billion-dollar games-maker says the service will be re-named to "Blizzard Battle.net". The company had originally planned to simply call the service "Blizzard" and remove the Battle.net name completely, but had a change of heart due to strong fan feedback.
"Battle.net is the central nervous system for Blizzard games and the connective tissue that has brought Blizzard players together since 1996," Blizzard Entertainment wrote in the new announcement post.
"The technology was never going away, but after giving the branding change further consideration and also hearing your feedback, we're in agreement that the name should stay as well. Take it from the developer formerly known as Silicon & Synapse, and Chaos Studios, names are important too."
"Moving forward, to help offset some of the original concerns we listed back in September, we will be connecting "Blizzard" to "Battle.net" in our logo for the service and in general when we refer to it in print: Blizzard Battle.net."
As a longtime PC gaming veteran who enjoyed countless games of Diablo II, I'm glad that the company isn't scrapping 21 years of brand recognition in an attempt to modernize the service. As Blizzard says, names are important, especially those that have stood the testament of time.