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Food firms allay tech-savvy Chinese consumers' fear of fakes
As China's middle class develops its taste for imported food and drink, fresh produce suppliers in New Zealand and Australia are topping up nature's bounty with anti-counterfeiting technology in a bid to protect their business from fakes.
Suppliers of goods from fruit to wine and lamb are teaming up with makers of tracking systems, codes and powders to combat fakes that cost the global food business billions of dollars. As tech tools become cheaper, services like China's popular WeChat smartphone app are also being deployed, offering consumers a free scanning ally to work out what's on Chinese store shelves.
Smaller players, such as meat company Silver Fern Farms and Synlait Milk have tapped local tech firms like Dunedin's Oritain, which measures food isotopes as a checkable 'fingerprint'. But Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is also in on the act with a pilot Blockchain-based tracing system, signing up Kiwi dairy giant Fonterra and Australian vitamin supplier Blackmores as partners.
"We see the Australian and New Zealand markets setting the tone for the rest of the world when it comes to integrity, safety and quality of food supply chains," said Maggie Zhou, Alibaba's Australia and New Zealand managing director, in comments published to mark its project launch at a ceremony in Canberra. "It was a natural decision to pilot a programme here."
Dislodging counterfeit food, now a well-established business of its own, presents no small challenge. Fraud costs the global food industry an estimated $40bn a year, Alibaba said, citing research conducted by Michigan State University.
In China, $1bn (€940m) in counterfeited goods was seized in 2014, according to the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition.
"Categories that are faked so regularly are the (fresh produce) ones where New Zealand and Australia are strong," said Mark Tanner, director of Shanghai-based China Skinny, a firm that advises Western businesses operating in China.
But firms in Australia and New Zealand are going to increasing lengths to protect sales they rely on for growth.
New Zealand's total exports to China have quadrupled to NZ$12bn (€8.12bn) since 2007, mostly food and drink. Australia agriculture exports to China were worth around A$10bn (€7.2bn) in 2016, double the amount five years earlier.
Widespread use of apps like WeChat, owned by Chinese internet giant Tencent make it easier and cheaper for smaller tech firms to develop anti-counterfeiting technologies.
That lower cost base has brought tracking systems previously solely in the realm of multinationals within reach of the small to mid-level firms that are the backbone of the food and drink business in New Zealand and Australia.
Auckland manuka honey firm Oceania Natural chief executive Walker Zhong said he used his knowledge of Chinese consumer habits in building Oceania's own scanning system at a cost of NZ$1m (€600,000).
Oceania Natural's tool revolves around WeChat - which Zhong knew Chinese consumers would already have on their smartphones.
Pitfalls remain. Packaging can be tampered with, or even faked, and that many exports like meat are still sent to China in bulk shipments without any packaging for consumers.
"The only real way of knowing is testing the actual product," said Sam Lind, operations director at Oritain. (Reuters)


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How To Build B2B PR Around Invented Holidays
ImPRessions - Crenshaw Communications
AUGUST 22, 2023
From Presidents’ Day furniture sales to tech deals on July 4th — and all the mattress sales in between — holiday marketing is a hallmark of consumer brand strategy in the U.S. And while B2C brands are quick to build events around holidays, for B2B brands, holiday marketing can feel forced. Yet, jumping on a newsworthy occasion can add timeliness for B2B tech and other high-growth categories.

domain: news


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The nationwide trucker and third-party logistics provider said it hopes to raise between $281 million and $359 million with the initial public offering, and provided details on how it plans to use the proceeds.
South Korean shipyards exited the business of making cranes a decade ago because of stiff compeitition from Chinese makers.
Trucking industry executives visited the White House Thursday afternoon to talk about issues that affect their businesses.
Registration takes less than 1 minute.
A European Union court on Tuesday struck down a 2013 decision by the European Commission to block the parcel giant’s planned takeover of Netherlands-based express carrier TNT Express, which was later acquired by UPS arch rival FedEx.
Shippers and logistics service providers continue to improve the nature of their strategic relationships, recognize the value of technology and innovation, and forecast growth outside their traditional businesses, according to an eyefortransport report.
A former sheriff in Arizona could still be in the running to be U.S. Customs and Border Protection's next commissioner, according to local reports.


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Scattered thunderstorms, some producing hail, and widespread rain rumbled through most of Minnesota Monday , but we'll see June-like weather rolling in with the potential for 80-degree temperatures in the Twin Cities on Tuesday.
Kraft Foods Group is voluntarily recalling more than a million cases of several brands of cottage cheese products because they have been stored improperly and might cause illness.
Hitting the road for the long holiday weekend? Lots of drivers are. An estimated 36.1 million Americans plan to travel farther than 50 miles from home this coming weekend. Meanwhile, gasoline prices are way below last year at this time.
The local Super Bowl bid committee will get 15 minutes Tuesday to convince NFL owners to award the Super Bowl to Minneapolis. But several longtime NFL observers say New Orleans is the more likely choice.
The racehorse California Chrome will be allowed to wear a nasal strip during the Belmont Stakes in June, which gives the horse a chance to become the first Triple Crown winner in over 30 years. The strips are designed by Flair, a company based in Delano, Minnesota.


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The direction of travel in digital media raises questions about the future viability of local network agencies. The client operations director at Kepler makes the case for regional control of digital spending.
The 17 year-old programmatic exchange has rearchitected its platform to solve for speed, cost and privacy.
With attention in short supply in digital, brands must rise above just offering standard advertising and embrace stop-you-in-your-tracks creativity, argues the operations director, APAC, Inskin Media.
Adtech platform Good-Loop has partnered with two Hakuhodo Holdings subsidiaries as it seeks local market expertise for its solutions.
AI is taking over...the repetitive and mundane tasks. That's why Quantcast's SEA sales director, for one, welcomes our new AI assistants (not overlords).
Proposition aims to avoid the drawbacks for advertisers or existing dynamic creative optimisation and creative management platform services.
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PROXIMO has announced plans to unveil a new duty-free exclusive for Bushmills® Irish Whiskey at TFWA World Exhibition and Conference in Cannes this October.
The new variant will be the third and latest edition of THE STEAMSHIP COLLECTION™ ̶ a rare and unique range of Bushmills Irish Whiskeys inspired by the extraordinary voyages of the SS Bushmills steamship and the first ever travel retail exclusive collection released by the brand.
PROXIMO Global Travel Retail Director David Phelan said: “Given that Irish whiskey is one of the fastest-growing spirits in the world and its revival as a true Irish success story, the TFWA trade show is a great opportunity to strengthen the presence of Bushmills Irish Whiskey across key airports globally.
“Following the successful launch of PORT CASK RESERVE in 2016 (see previous story) and SHERRY CASK RESERVE in 2015, THE STEAMSHIP COLLECTION has become a firm favourite among discerning travel retail consumers and we are excited to unveil the third expression at Cannes, as well as letting customers sample the collection.”
Visitors to this years TFWA Exhibition will also be able to try the UK’s first alcoholic pure black ice cream, “The Kraken I SCREAM,” at The Scene nightclub – a unique after-hours venue.
David Phelan added: “We’re delighted to bring The Kraken I SCREAM cart to TFWA this year. This rock-inspired cart twists and flips the traditional essence of the summertime ice cream van on its head, serving the deepest black ice cream which tastes of The Kraken® Black Spiced Rum with a distinctive, bold, rich and smooth finish. It’s the perfect devilish treat for those looking to experience something different at Cannes.”
Visitors to the PROXIMO stand (16 Bay Village) will have the opportunity to sample a range of innovative spirits from the wider PROXIMO portfolio.
The Kraken I SCREAM cart can be found at The Scene Nightclub Plage du Palais des Festivals.
Copyright The Duty Free Hunter 2020


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Quality Equipment Finance experienced dramatic growth of 33% in origination volume year over year in 2022. Closed transactions totaled more than $125 million and were 99% sourced through third-party originators.
“We maintained focus on technological advancements, product and process improvements and an enhanced customer experience—driving a year of strong results,“ G. Paul Fogle, CLFP, managing director of Quality Equipment Finance, said. “In 2022, Quality added industry veterans to an already outstanding team. In addition, the strategic investments Quality made this past year, including our rebranding, renewed marketing focus, expansion of product offerings and simplified processes provided a stable foundation for sustainable long-term growth while enhancing our current agility and relevance with originators and borrowers.”
“Our veteran sales team is focusing on the fundamentals in 2023,” Stephanie Hall, vice president of sales at Quality, said. “With a passionate commitment to clients and customers, our growth targets are bolder than ever and Quality is positioned to deliver another year of strong performance. We have a solid foundation, will continue to capitalize on new opportunities and remain focused on the goals, strategies and values that have made us so successful for the past 65 years.”
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This morning, Bloomberg Businessweek posted a very interesting article concerning Steve Jobs “Thermonuclear War” with Android and how the continuing war has spread from Google, to many tech giants in the industry. Apple hasn’t targeted Google directly but has gone after the Android OS, by simply attacking OEMs like Motorola (Google), Samsung and HTC. Yet, what makes the countless lawsuits even more intertwined, is the business relationship Apple has with Samsung for component parts – $8 Billion a year worth. Regardless of the complication, Steve Jobs still wanted Android dead:
“Google, you f–king ripped off the iPhone, wholesale ripped us off. Grand theft.” Jobs swore he would “spend my last dying breath” and “every penny” in Apple’s coffers “to right this wrong. I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go to thermonuclear war on this.”
But we’re in a post Steve jobs world and a post Steve jobs Apple – Does Tim Cook share Steve’s rage for Android? Is Tim Cook willing to spend $400 million a year on lawyer fees? If we are to believe the rumor-mill and the statements pointing to multiple meetings between Samsung and Apple, regarding their patent disputes – it would seem that a post Steve Jobs Apple wants to resolve its differences out of court. Paul M. Barrett’s article is an interesting read – head on over to Bloomberg and check it out.


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Nintendo has announced a new live stream focused on independent game news.
The latest Indie World Showcase will take place on Tuesday, December 15 at 9am PT/12pm ET/5pm UK/6pm CET and feature approximately 15 minutes of information on indie games coming to Nintendo Switch.
The stream will be viewable on Nintendo’s YouTube channel and via the video embed at the top of this page.
UPDATE 15/12/20: Nintendo has announced a host of new games coming to Switch including Among Us today, Super Meat Boy Forever on December 23, and Spelunky 1 & 2 in the summer of 2021.
Nintendo’s last Indie World Showcase aired in August. It included the announcement of some 20 titles coming to Switch, including Supergiant Games’ Hades and House House’s Untitled Goose Game.
Nintendo sold 1.35 million Switch consoles in the US in November, according to data from market research company the NPD Group.
The system outperformed the newly launched PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in terms of unit sales, making it the best-selling console in the US for a record-breaking 24th consecutive month.
A Nintendo Switch update released this month introduced the ability to transfer screenshots and videos wirelessly to smart devices, or via USB connection to a computer.


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KITCHENER - An innovative employment and entrepreneurship program run by YW Kitchener-Waterloo will expand thanks to nearly $812,000 in federal funding.
In Her Shoes is both a storefront and place to learn practical skills for people facing significant barriers to employment. The federal funding announced Wednesday will allow the YW to add two specialized streams for visible minority newcomer women, and youth.
"It's really applying practical solutions for people who are sometimes facing barriers not of their own making," said Kitchener Centre MP Raj Saini.
The money means the program will grow from 15 to 54 participants a year.
"It's something we're very, very excited about," said YW chief executive officer Elizabeth Clarke.
It's a good fit since Clarke said they've found mostly newcomer women are coming to the program, which includes practical work experience as well as developing digital and business skills.
YW Kitchener-Waterloo was among 22 organizations picked from across Canada to receive funding for programs aimed at visible minority newcomer women.
Saini said they face more challenges than any other group entering the workforce, but this isn't just about finding a job.
"It's also about providing a sense of dignity and belonging," he said.
The money breaks down to $333,618 from the Visible Minority Newcomer Women program and $477,898 from the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.
Saini said the youth program will be tailored to their unique needs to help them reach their full potential.
In Her Shoes started as a pilot in early 2018 with a small Trillium grant, but since then the agency has been covering costs.
Eventually it's hoped the program will become sustainable with money from sales in the retail shop, which sells new and used accessories and shoes online and in its storefront at 84 Frederick St.
Clarke said the funding will make a big difference for the program, which before was focused on specific skills. Now it will be able to offer additional mentorship and support through extra staffing.
"We now have the ability to do things we needed to do before," Clarke said.
Wednesday's announcement took place in the large room alongside the store, where training sessions are held in the day for women and in the evening for youth. The youth program started last week, and the new women's stream will begin in September.
"This space is where lifelong paths will be forged," said Jennifer Gordon, director of youth services and entrepreneurship.


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In recent news, a notable whale managed to sell 1,010 nonfungible tokens (NFTs) in a mere 48 hours, generating significant interest in the Blur NFT marketplace. Additionally, Sotheby’s is currently auctioning the original manuscript that first introduced the term “metaverse.” Moreover, readers can learn about the various motivations behind NFT purchases by users while staying up to date with the latest Nifty News, including a Twitch streamer earning a whopping 1,000 ETH after exchanging the Golden Key NFT.
Whale’s Selling Spree: 1,010 NFTs Sold In 48 Hours
Jeffrey Hwang, also known as Machi Big Brother, a prominent NFT collector, managed to sell 1,010 nonfungible tokens (NFTs) within a period of 48 hours. The transaction was valued at 11,680 Ether, equivalent to approximately $18.6 million at the time of the sale. The NFTs exchanged included pieces from prominent NFT collections such as Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC), and Otherdeed NFTs.
Andrew Thurman from the on-chain analytics firm Nansen stated in a Twitter thread that this could be the “largest NFT dump ever.” Following the dump, Hwang repurchased 991 NFTs, prompting Thurman to conclude that it was a “big wash trade” designed to earn profits from the Next airdrop.
Pacman On The NFT Marketplace Battle
During a recent episode of the Hashing it Out podcast, Pacman, the founder of Blur, discussed with Cointelegraph’s Elisha Owusu Akyaw how the NFT marketplace managed to gain the attention of the entire NFT community.
According to Pacman, Blur developed a market for professional dealers. This approach contrasts significantly with other platforms that emphasize offering a simpler user experience to attract newcomers to the area.
Snow Crash Manuscript Up For Auction: The Inception Of The ‘Metaverse’ Term
Snow Crash, the book credited with coining the phrase “metaverse,” will soon be auctioned by the art dealer Sotheby’s. Bidding began on February 27 and will conclude on March 6.
The auction is a part of the “Infocalypse” series, which contains six physical and six digital goods related to the book.
Majority Of NFT Buyers Purchase For Status Symbolism
Metaverse platform Metajuice studied more than 6,000 NFT buyers in order to discover their reasons. Over three-quarters of collectors purchase NFTs for their rarity and status, according to the findings.
John Burris, the president of Metajuice, stated that consumers desire possessions that “improve their perceived status” and how they appear in the metaverse. The CEO stated that NFTs are a “key part” of this effort.
Yuga Labs Joins Ordinals Craze: Dookey Dash Key Sells For 1,000 ETH
Kyle Jackson, a Twitch streamer who acquired the Golden Key NFT by scoring the highest points on the Dookey Dash game, recently sold the NFT for 1,000 ETH, equivalent to approximately $1.6 million at the time. Additionally, the creators of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), Yuga Labs, announced the launch of a new NFT collection known as TwelveFold on Bitcoin Ordinals.


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SXSW Interactive announces ‘SXstyle’ programming for 2015 fest
Two weeks after announcing its SouthBites food track for 2015’s South by Southwest Interactive, the festival has unveiled another track that will combine technology with another area: SXstyle.
Rebranded from last year’s “Style X,” the fashion track will run March 13-17 at what will be the new JW Marriott and will be open to all Interactive, Gold and Platinum badgeholders. On Wednesday, SXSW announced three featured speakers and 15 panels with more to come for SXstyle.
Genevieve Bell, cultural anthropologist at Intel Labs, who was previously announced as a featured speaker; Jennifer Hyman, CEO and co-founder of Rent the Runway and Deena Varshavskaya, founder and CEO of Wanelo are three of the featured speakers. Bell will do a session with author Tim Ferriss while Hyman will join Sephora’s Julie Bornstein and Katrina Lake of Stitch Fix in a session on redefining the retail experience.
Other sessions will feature Kenneth Cole, Eva Chen of Lucky Magazine with a strong emphasis on wearable tech, design, fashion customization and 3-D printing.
The festival is scheduled to announce a big round of about 500 additional panels on Monday.


text: However, lower VAT and tax equality will eventually lead to lower prices, more employment, busier high streets and more taxes for the Government. Credit: JD Wetherspoon Lavazza coffee and tea will be discounted to £1.29 (down 16p on average), and soft drinks will start at £1.69 for a Diet Pepsi and £1.79 for a standard Pepsi (down 11p). The company said it will fully pass on the tax cut to its customers from Wednesday, including real ale, coffee, soft drinks, breakfasts and other food. ... Wetherspoon pub … The chain's latest scheme will see prices on meals and drinks reduced from Monday to Wednesday until November 11 at around 700 Wetherspoon pubs in the UK, with a … VAT will be reduced from 20 per cent to five per cent for hospitality businesses on Wednesday, in a bid to boost firms which have struggled during the pandemic and encourage consumers to spend. Picture: JD Wetherspoon/PA Wire. Wetherspoon has cut the price of a pint in its pubs to just £1.29 in what it dubbed "Sunak’s specials" after the Chancellor’s VAT cuts. It re-opened all of its 750 pubs in England on July 4. Show-off biker jailed for Caerphilly horror crash, Cwmbran teen with Cerebral Palsy competes at surfing world championships, NEW ARRIVALS: A huge welcome to these Gwent babies, Newport: The Godfrey Morgan, Chepstow Road, Newport: The John Wallace Linton, Cambrian Centre, Newport: The Queen’s Hotel, Bridge Street, Abertillery: The Pontlottyn, Somerset Street, Blackwood: The Wyndham Arms, Dunraven Place, Caerphilly: The Malcolm Uphill, Cardiff Road, Chepstow: The Bell Hanger, St Mary Street, Ebbw Vale: The Picture House, Market Street, Monmouth: The King’s Head, Agincourt Square. The firm said that the price of a pint of Ruddles Bitter will be reduced by an average of 50p to just £1.29 at 764 of its pubs, starting on July 15 with all reductions implemented by July 20. The remainder are set to re-open in phases, starting with its Scottish pubs on Wednesday. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. He sold 510,725 shares at a price of £9.84 per share, it emerged last Friday. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has also announced a scheme to support restaurants which allows diners to claim 50 per cent off meals on Monday to Wednesday up to a maximum saving of £10. Prices at the company’s other 103 pubs, located in city centres, airports and stations, will be around £1 higher, but will still be reduced, Wetherspoons said. Wetherspoon, which has 867 pubs, has produced posters praising Chancellor Rishi Sunak as a 'legend' after the decision to reduce VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent, Breakfasts will be reduced to £3.49, down 41p; pizzas including a soft drink will start from £5.49, down 66p; and burgers and a drink will start from £4.99, down 66p. “A VAT reduction will help pubs and restaurants reverse this trend – creating more jobs, helping high streets and eventually generating more tax income for the government. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. But these pubs will have price reductions of at least 10p per drink and 20p per meal. “However, lower VAT and tax equality will eventually lead to lower prices, more employment, busier high streets and more taxes for the government.”. Striking French dockers stop ferries running between Dover and Calais as port bosses warn of 'very strong... Boris Johnson to tell UN leaders 'climate action cannot be another victim of coronavirus' today. Messages including Sunak's Specials and Dishi Rishi will be displayed alongside details of lower prices on some drinks and food in place from this Wednesday. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. JD Wetherspoon handout photo of a poster advertising new prices following the decision to cut VAT on food, coffee and soft drinks. Sunak's Specials: Wetherspoon to slash prices following VAT cut. Sweden shifts towards lockdown measures: Chief scientist says he is now considering short 'chain-breaking'... JANET STREET-PORTER: Boris has no plan, no credibility and yet he dares blame the VOTERS for the mess we're... A price we can't afford to pay: Billions for a new bailout, the Budget cancelled, a 'wipeout' over home... Boris Johnson is urged to take action on 'long Covid' and formally recognise debilitating side effects of... NHS Covid app 'may WRONGLY tell a THIRD of users to self-isolate' after incorrectly reading 2m... Major Covid outbreak at Glasgow University as 124 students catch virus while 600 are told to self-isolate -... More than a FIFTH of UK adults will refuse to have the coronavirus vaccine when one is made, study reveals.


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Legislators and public-health officials are celebrating a recent rise in Ohio's smoking age as a triumph in the battle against teenage smoking.
Anti-smoking advocates, on the other hand, worry that the new age limit will discourage cities and towns from adopting the strict regulatory approach that they argue is more effective in the fight against teen tobacco use.
This state's two-year budget, which Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law this month, makes buying tobacco products a misdemeanor for anyone younger than 21. Cashiers who sell tobacco to underage customers also can be charged with a misdemeanor. The provision was included with an eye toward e-cigarette use, which has spiked among young people in recent years.
Columbus raised its smoking age to 21 two years ago, and the city's Health Department also collects fees from tobacco sellers and uses the revenue to pay 19- and 20-year-old "secret shoppers" who are sent into stores to see whether retailers refuse to sell to underage customers.
Stores are fined $500 the first time they fail a compliance check, and $1,000 for each subsequent violation. Retailers are not allowed to renew their licenses if they have unpaid fines.
Secret shoppers have tried to buy tobacco products at 1,981 retailers in the past two years, and stores have sold to them 675 times, health department records show.
Advocates worry that police, with bigger problems to handle than smoking among youths, will leave age limits on tobacco purchases unenforced.
Jeff Stephens, government relations director in Ohio for the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network, approved of the state raising its tobacco age, but he said the risk of a retailer losing its license is the best way to keep stores from selling to young people.
There is research to support both approaches.
Yale University health policy professor Abigail Friedman conducted research that found underage smokers often acquire tobacco and vaping products from adult friends.
Friendman described a "social multiplier effect" of "tobacco 21" laws. "If a policy is passed, and it affects how you behave, the effect is bigger if it also changes the way your friends behave," she said.
Other studies came to similar conclusions, said Wayne State University School of Medicine professor Daniel Ouellette, who has reviewed research on teen smoking. That suggests that raising the age limit is a good way to deter smoking by minors, he said.
Although a 17-year-old is likely to know an 18-, 19- or 20-year-old, they are less likely to know anyone older, said Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Public Health. "We're disrupting those social networks. That's why (raising the smoking age) has been so successful."
State Sen. Stephanie Kunze, R-Hilliard, said the state budget creates consistency across Ohio.
"Lots of the suburbs have started to prohibit the sale of tobacco to anyone under 21," Kunze said. "This levels the playing field for all municipalities."
However, a 2018 University of Southern California study found that strictly regulating retailers is the most effective way to reduce tobacco use. The study involved 14 Southern California cities with various levels of enforcement, and it found that cities that didn't license retailers or had weak enforcement had the highest smoking rates.
Ohio's new budget includes about $12 million for compliance checks on tobacco sellers, which is on par with previous years, said John Fortney, a spokesman for Ohio Senate Republicans.
But Rob Crane, a professor of family medicine at Ohio State University and the president of Tobacco 21, said he thinks the budget fell short by making police responsible for enforcement. Tobacco 21 lobbies cities to make smoking a public-health issue rather than a criminal issue.
"Health departments are a logical, much less expensive, much more effective choice," Crane said.
Crane considers the state budget a giveaway to retailers and tobacco companies, who lobbied in favor of raising the smoking age. The change will discourage Ohio cities from adopting Columbus' approach, he said.
Dayton and Portsmouth are among the cities considering tobacco rules, but officials in both cities said that those efforts are on hold because of the state budget.
"I prefer the approach of holding the store accountable," Portsmouth City Council member Sean Dunne said. But he added that the city government also wants to see how the statewide approach plays out before considering a change in the city's tobacco laws.
Girard, just outside Youngstown, is one of the few Ohio cities still considering its own tobacco law. The City Council has reviewed regulations that closely mirror those of Columbus, and although it has not yet voted on a proposal, Mayor James Melfi said no council member has voiced a concern.


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LONDON – A new list of the world’s most valuable brands is out, and China has claimed two of the top spots for the first time.
Alibaba has joined the top 10, alongside Chinese tech group Tencent, as well as stalwarts such as Google and Apple.
[Tencent is a minority investor in Cary-based Epic Games.]
Ranked at No. 9., Jack Ma’s Alibaba has seen its brand value nearly double to $113 billion as the e-commerce company has expanded further into fields such as mobile payments and cloud computing.
Shenzhen-based Tencent broke into the annual BrandZ top 10 ranking in 2017 and has gone from strength to strength over the past year. It now holds fifth place — behind Google, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft but above Facebook — with a brand value of $179 billion, up 65% compared to last year.
Tencent specializes in online games, apps, instant messaging services and online payments. It boasts a market capitalization of $490 billion, making it worth more than America’s most valuable bank, JPMorgan Chase.
Here’s the list of the top 10:
Doreen Wang, the head of BrandZ, said the new ranking demonstrates that Tencent and Alibaba have overcome numerous China-specific hurdles to become global powerhouses.
“The challenges facing Chinese brands are by no means small,” she said. “Limited brand awareness in international markets, a lack of trust due to historic quality issues and a reluctance by Chinese brands to invest in impactful global advertising campaigns has put them at a disadvantage with their more established competitors.”
But the rise of China and savvy young consumers has created opportunities for smart entrepreneurs, she said.
“Attitudes are changing, particularly among younger consumers who are falling in love with Chinese brands,” she said. “While penetration into US markets may still be at a preliminary stage for both brands, other regions are embracing them.”
Alibaba is gaining ground in Brazil, Chile and other Latin American countries, where its online marketplace AliExpress “is rapidly becoming the leading e-commerce platform,” said Wang. It also has a strong presence in countries such as Israel, Spain and South Korea.
Tencent has been gaining greater recognition in south Asian markets such as Thailand and Singapore, she said.
The BrandZ ranking is published annually by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown. Google has been at the top of the ranking for eight of the past 12 years. Its brand is currently valued at $302 billion, up 23% from last year.


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In a growing atmosphere of the do-it-yourself mentality, some wonder if they should take on the homebuying process on their own. It’s certainly been done but, more often than not, homebuyers turn to the experts when it comes time to making what will often be their most expensive purchase. Here are just a few reasons why it’s a […]
Homes for Sale
Most top Realtors agree that taking your home off the market during the Christmas season is a mistake. There may be fewer buyers, but they are more serious, and because there is less competition, you may have a better chance of getting a good offer than during a busier season.
After three months of constantly accelerating price increases, the Toronto market has finally slowed down a bit. Prices fell in May as compared with April for the first time in many years, though May prices were still 15% higher than the same month last year. The supply of homes for sale has also increased significantly, […]
On April 20, the Ontario government announced a 16 point package of measures designed to “help more people find affordable homes, increase supply, protect buyers and renters and bring stability to the real estate market”. Interestingly, if predictably, none of these measures are designed to help or protect sellers or landlords. The key points are: […]
The Toronto market is typically very quiet, almost sleepy, in the month of January. Not so this year. 2016 was exceptionally strong, with sales over the full year up 12% over 2015 and prices up more than 17%. This January, however, prices were up by a jaw-dropping 22% over the same month last year, and […]
Last year ended on a very strong note, with prices 10% higher than last December, and with the inventory of unsold homes remaining at an ultra-low level, under 2 months’ supply. There were just under 5,000 sales in December, the second best year on record. For the year as a whole, prices were 10% higher […]


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The hotel search engine Room 77 has announced the appointment of Drew Patterson as its new chief executive officer.
The appointment comes on the heels of a $30 million financing round the company recently announced.
“Room 77 has experienced tremendous growth in the last year, and Drew has the perfect background in travel and search to help take the company to the next level,” said Brad Gerstner, founder and Chairman of Room 77.
“The Room 77 team has built an incredible hotel search engine, which customers are raving about because it’s faster, easier to use and it’s helping them find better deals.
Drew’s history as a product pioneer and brand builder will continue that momentum and help deliver our message to a much broader audience.
We could not be more excited for him to be joining at this key moment in the company’s growth cycle.”
Patterson, a graduate of Harvard College and Columbia Business School, is a seasoned travel executive.
He co-founded mobile hotel startup CheckMate.io after leaving Jetsetter.
CheckMate startup focused on enabling hotel guests to check-in from their mobile phones. The CheckMate technology promises to be a great complement to Room 77’s travel search model.
As part of the Patterson appointment, CheckMate is also being acquired by Room 77. The existing team will come along.
As more and more consumers go mobile, Room 77 is hedging its bets by taking a proactive approach.
To date Room 77 has raised $43.8 million from numerous companies, venture capitalists and high-profile angels, including Expedia and Bob Pittman, founder of MTV, among others.
Patterson will officially start at Room 77 April 22.
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News about a declining relationship between the VW Group and Ducati has been circulating for years now. The motorcycle firm was acquired by the VW Group in 2012, however the two brands have since struggled to find synergy.
In 2015, following the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal, VW was reportedly considering selling Ducati, only for then Audi CEO Rupert Stadler to declare “Ducati is not for sale,” a year later. More turmoil followed last year as the group struggled to figure out whether or not they should part ways with the Italian company.
Now, according to Autonews Europe, current VW Group CEO Herbert Diess is looking into either merging Ducati with one of its rivals, or perhaps enter some sort of an alliance. The reason continues to be a lack of synergy with the group’s other businesses, as reported by German daily Handelsblatt.
“I can imagine a combination or a partnership with other brands. Ducati as a motorbike icon business within the Volkswagen Group is not sufficient,” stated Diess, who became the group’s CEO back in April.
As of now, VW has yet to find a long-term solution amid its internal power struggles.
Last year, VW wanted to sell Ducati as part of an asset review, which could have raised the group’s cash reserves by as much as 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion). While the sale failed to go through, it seems as though VW isn’t giving up on shaking things up as far as Ducati is concerned.


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|By PR Newswire||
|March 21, 2014 08:32 AM EDT||
NEW YORK, March 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand strategy pioneer Megan Kent is blazing the branding trail once again by marrying the latest findings in neuro and behavioral science with marketing to create a new model of brand strategy that forms the strongest emotional connections possible between brands and their customers. According to Kent, it turns out there's a whole new way to think about brand strategy in the marketplace today – and it's by appealing to the FEELING, not the THINKING, brain.
Kent is launching her new company, Megan Kent Branding Group, to make actionable the exciting principles she has uncovered. Her company's own branding line is "Creating brands that appeal, instinctively."
By combining her real-world experience with a distillation of the most important findings in science, she has developed a revolutionary new branding model called PrimalCode Branding™. This approach is designed to help C-Level decision makers and senior brand managers give their brands a competitive edge by helping them speak directly to their customers' feeling vs. thinking brains.
"Today is an extremely exciting time to be in marketing; we know so much more about how the brain processes information than we did when I started in this business," says Kent. "Marketers haven't been using all the tools available to them by assuming that consumers make decisions rationally. While the rational, or 'thinking' part of the brain does play a role, it's most often there to simply validate, or put into words a decision that our subconscious mind has already made for us."
She goes on to explain, "In order to reach the neo-cortex, i.e. the 'thinking' brain, our marketing messages need to first pass muster with the older parts of our brain, the parts that are far more primal and emotionally oriented."
Kent adds, "Science now tells us that the data stored in our subconscious minds (our feelings, memories, emotions) are the primary drivers in 90% of the decisions that we make. So it turns out that 'going with our gut' isn't just a once-in-a while phenomenon. The truth is we actually 'go with our gut' almost all of the time. As Nobel Prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman puts it, 'we think much less than we think we think.'"
"Therefore," she says, "by aiming marketing and sales efforts at their customer's feeling brain (the 90%), brands can significantly improve their chance of success. Marketers that continue to target the thinking brain with traditional marketing strategies aren't making the best use of their precious time and resources."
Kent cites her work on America's first-ever international tourism campaign, Brand USA, as an example. "We knew that if we used a rational approach to selling the USA, we'd come up against foreigner cynicism, especially regarding current U.S. foreign policy and immigration restrictions. But by using a completely non-verbal, emotional approach, the campaign has surpassed target goals and reached a 47:01 ROI."
"Building brands in sync with the hard-wired tendencies our emotionally driven brains use to make decisions enables brands to attract customers more easily and retain them for a lifetime." Kent has identified seven PrimalCode behaviors that can be used to engage consumers at an instinctual, "feeling brain" level: tapping your authenticity, selling visually, ensuring consistency, engaging the senses, creating belonging rituals, showing novelty, and giving proof points.
She has developed an expertise in this area and has been invited to speak on this topic to next generation marketers at both New York University and the Darden Business School at the University of Virginia, as well as local and national marketing organizations.
Her 27-years in the advertising business includes leadership positions at some of the most esteemed and forward thinking agencies in the country, from Chiat/Day (where she broke ground as a brand strategist) to Foote, Cone & Belding; Hal Riney & Partners; Fallon McElligott; and JWT.
Kent has created and executed brand strategies for iconic brands such as BMW, Coca-Cola, Nikon, The New York Times, Microsoft, and was most recently the architect behind Brand USA, America's first-ever, highly successful international tourism campaign.
For more information on Megan Kent Branding Group or PrimalCode Branding™, visit megankentbrandinggroup.com.
Read more news from Megan Kent.
SOURCE Megan Kent
In his session at DevOps Summit, Tapabrata Pal, Director of Enterprise Architecture at Capital One, will tell a story about how Capital One has embraced Agile and DevOps Security practices across the Enterprise – driven by Enterprise Architecture; bringing in Development, Operations and Information Security organizations together. Capital Ones DevOpsSec practice is based upon three "pillars" – Shift-Left, Automate Everything, Dashboard Everything. Within about three years, from 100% waterfall, C...
May. 6, 2015 03:45 AM EDT Reads: 5,581
SYS-CON Events announced today that Plutora, Inc., the leading global provider of enterprise release management and test environment management SaaS solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON's DevOps Summit 2015 New York, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Plutora provides enterprise release management and test environment SaaS solutions to clients in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Leading companies ...
May. 6, 2015 03:45 AM EDT Reads: 2,383
SYS-CON Events announced today that Open Data Centers (ODC), a carrier-neutral colocation provider, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Open Data Centers is a carrier-neutral data center operator in New Jersey and New York City offering alternative connectivity options for carriers, service providers and enterprise customers.
May. 6, 2015 03:30 AM EDT Reads: 3,316
Skeuomorphism usually means retaining existing design cues in something new that doesn’t actually need them. However, the concept of skeuomorphism can be thought of as relating more broadly to applying existing patterns to new technologies that, in fact, cry out for new approaches. In his session at DevOps Summit, Gordon Haff, Senior Cloud Strategy Marketing and Evangelism Manager at Red Hat, will discuss why containers should be paired with new architectural practices such as microservices ra...
May. 6, 2015 03:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,176
Thanks to Docker, it becomes very easy to leverage containers to build, ship, and run any Linux application on any kind of infrastructure. Docker is particularly helpful for microservice architectures because their successful implementation relies on a fast, efficient deployment mechanism – which is precisely one of the features of Docker. Microservice architectures are therefore becoming more popular, and are increasingly seen as an interesting option even for smaller projects, instead of bein...
May. 6, 2015 03:15 AM EDT Reads: 3,181
SYS-CON Events announced today that Dyn, the worldwide leader in Internet Performance, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Dyn is a cloud-based Internet Performance company. Dyn helps companies monitor, control, and optimize online infrastructure for an exceptional end-user experience. Through a world-class network and unrivaled, objective intelligence into Internet conditions, Dyn ensures...
May. 6, 2015 03:15 AM EDT Reads: 3,026
SYS-CON Events announced today that Blue Box has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's DevOps Summit New York, which will take place June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Blue Box delivers Private Cloud as a Service (PCaaS) to a worldwide customer base. Built on a technology platform leveraging decades of operational expertise in cloud and distributed systems, Blue Box Cloud is a managed private cloud product available in both hosted and on-prem versions. Each Blue Box ...
May. 6, 2015 03:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,018
SYS-CON Events announced today that Vicom Computer Services, Inc., a provider of technology and service solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. They are located at booth #427. Vicom Computer Services, Inc. is a progressive leader in the technology industry for over 30 years. Headquartered in the NY Metropolitan area. Vicom provides products and services based on today’s requirements...
May. 6, 2015 03:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,546
This builds on Puppet Labs' first class Windows support, including native .MSI packages for x32 and x64 operating systems, modules to extend common Windows server management tools, including Powershell, and integrations with Microsoft Azure and Visual Studio. By automating common Windows administration tasks, Puppet Labs is enabling users to adopt DevOps practices, thereby reducing the time needed to deploy applications from weeks to hours.
May. 6, 2015 03:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,347
DevOps tends to focus on the relationship between Dev and Ops, putting an emphasis on the ops and application infrastructure. But that’s changing with microservices architectures. In her session at DevOps Summit, Lori MacVittie, Evangelist for F5 Networks, will focus on how microservices are changing the underlying architectures needed to scale, secure and deliver applications based on highly distributed (micro) services and why that means an expansion into “the network” for DevOps.
May. 6, 2015 03:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,830
BlueBox bridge the chasm between development and infrastructure. Hosting providers are taking standardization and automation too far. For many app developers it does nothing but spawn mayhem and more work. They have to figure out how their creations live on a pre-fab infrastructure solution full of constraints. Operations-as-a-Service is what BlueBox does. BlueBox utilizes development tools such as OpenStack, EMC Razor, Opscode’s Chef and BlueBox's proprietary tools give the power to do the unor...
May. 6, 2015 03:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,938
May. 6, 2015 02:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,947
What’s inside the cloud? Hard work. Cloud operators know the world inside the datacenter is gritty. Vendor marketing speak and cloudwashing quickly melt in the heat of SLAs, uptime guarantees, and users who want it now. In his session at DevOps Summit, Hernan Alvarez, Chief Product Officer at Blue Box Group, will deliver an unvarnished look inside the world of cloud operators, from the perspective of someone who lives it. Attendees get a front-row look into the toolkits and processes that enabl...
May. 6, 2015 02:45 AM EDT Reads: 2,188
May. 6, 2015 02:45 AM EDT Reads: 2,335
We are all here because we are sold on the transformative promise of The Cloud. But what good is all of this ephemeral, on-demand infrastructure if your usage doesn't actually improve the agility and speed of your business? How must Operations adapt in order to avoid stifling your Cloud initiative? In his session at DevOps Summit, Damon Edwards, co-founder and managing partner of the DTO Solutions, will highlight the successful organizational, process, and tooling patterns of high-performing c...
May. 6, 2015 02:30 AM EDT Reads: 4,493


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Human rights organizations have documented the open sale of Uyghur people as slaves on the Chinese internet and implicated hundreds of global brands in the purchase of goods tainted with slave labor from East Turkistan. As cotton is one of East Turkistan’s top exports, the fashion industry is particularly lucrative for China’s Uyghur slave industry.
Following its implementation, the Chinese government branded the UFLPA “evil” and claimed it had caused a chilling effect on regional trade.
Syam’s testimony on Chinese direct-to-consumer fashion companies echoed concerns raised in a report published by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a Congressional body that describes its mission as to “monitor, investigate, and submit to Congress an annual report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China.”
The report in question focused mostly on Shein, currently China’s most lucrative “fast fashion” enterprise in America.
Like Syam, author Nicholas Kaufman noted Bloomberg’s reporting unveiling the presence of Xinjiang cotton in Shein clothing as a sign that the company, “and perhaps other Chinese fast fashion firms appear to be sourcing goods in violation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.”
“The investigation by Bloomberg News tracing cotton fibers to Xinjiang highlights not only the platform’s likely violation of U.S. law but also that the U.S. government does not have tools to effectively screen most e-commerce shipments from China,” Kaufman wrote. “Packages that enter the United States, including the millions that enter below the de minimis threshold [worth less than $800], are frequently not inspected.”
“Those that are inspected are often subject to rudimentary visual checks without the technology or screening to trace fabric origin and other violations,” the report continued. “Without the proper staffing and technological tools, U.S. customs officials are poorly positioned to identify and cease low-cost shipments that violate U.S. laws and regulations.”
The commission report noted that the average Shein package falls far under the $800 de minimis limit, worth only about $11. Their low value not only appears to allow the packages to avoid UFLPA inspection, the report continued, but it also “means Shein is exempt from the standard 16.5 percent import duty and 7.5 percent tariff specific to China.”
According to CECC Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), CBP has seized over $961 million worth of goods since the UFLPA went into effect. The witnesses at Tuesday’s hearing agreed that the law was having significant effects on global trade despite several glaring shortcomings.
“It is critical to note that while we still have a long way to go before we intercept all products made in whole or in part in the Uyghur Region, the UFLPA is indeed working as it was intended,” Professor Laura Murphy of Sheffield Hallam University told the CECC. “In the short nine months that the UFLPA has been in effect, we have seen a swift and decisive enforcement response. Customs and Border Protection has indicated that it has refused at least 424 shipments entry into the United States after investigating their links to Uyghur forced labor.”
Murphy, like Syam, identified several challenges regarding the implementation, including companies operating in China moving around goods to obfuscate supply chains, changing subsidiary names to avoid reputational damage if caught trading in slave goods, and even the problem of companies actively trying to abide by the law refusing to say so “out of fear of retaliation in China.”


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Photo: With any-screen services like Sky Go, who needs a TV set? © BSkyB
It may sound far-fetched, but for Shawn DuBravac, senior director of research for CES organisers the Consumer Electronics Association, now that 31 percent of US households own tablets and many more planning to buy them at Christmas, “it would not surprise me if half of US households own tablets by the beginning of 2013,” quoted The Hollywood Reporter. Which means that very soon, “consumers might be starting with a tablet and going to TV. That could affect how content creators distribute their content and the type of stories that they tell,” said DuBravac.
The claim was echoed recently at internet conference LeWeb by France Télévisions’ Eric Scherer, who said “the second screen will become the first for a lot of people, for example young people” (full report on MIPBlog soon!)
More disruption came with the news that Twitter has teamed up with Nielsen to develop a tweet-based TV rating. “Our TV partners have consistently asked for one common benchmark from which to measure the engagement of their programming,” wrote Twitter’s head of media, Chloe Sladden. “This new metric is intended to answer that request.”
Meanwhile, The Verge offered an in-depth look into how it’s somewhat easier to cut the cord – i.e. go from cable/satellite subscriptions to web-only services – in the UK than in the US… but that the easiest way to do that is through Sky, the country’s biggest cable/satellite provider. Indeed, its “Sky Go” service (from €49/$78 a month) offers access to most of its content, on pretty much any screen you want.
Does this mean the ‘old’ system’s days are numbered? Not yet. In a post entitled “The TV Industry is Alive and Well,” KIT digital’s global lead analyst Alan Wolk argued “the pay-TV industry is not that easy to dismantle. That’s largely because the business dynamics make it a pretty tough beast to slay.” Added Wolk: “the TV industry is in the same place the cell phone industry was just before the introduction of the iPhone: All the pieces are there; it’s just no one’s bothered to put them together.” Watch this space, then…
None of which is stopping new platforms like Hulu rake in the cash: the major-funded joint VOD venture made $695 million in 2012, and the number of its paying “Hulu Plus” subscribers has risen 50% to over 3 million, reported GigaOM. Food for thought!
Of course, we couldn’t end the year without a few “best of 2012” lists and 2013 predictions: so for a look at where the brands space is going, check out the 15 best ads of 2012 according to Co.CREATE — the “One Man and his Dog”-style Guinness ad is a particular highlight — and then to AdWeek for the most-watched ads on YouTube this year. Nike, Pepsi and Old Spice are predictable stars here, but nonetheless highly creative!
Looking ahead, some highly probable predictions for 2013: video streaming’s monetisation will be more difficult than ever — “Monolithic subscription services such as NetFlix and Hulu, which generate $8 ARPU per month, will be challenged in a market where DirecTV and DISH generate on average $80 ARPU per month,” writes Crunchyroll’s Kun Gao on GigaOM; and Apple will “jump into the fray” of the TV business, writes Fast Company, adding that 46% of those surveyed by Morgan Stanley would be willing to pay over $1000 for an Apple TV.
So, TV business: ready for iPhone-style upheaval in 2013?
All of the above links come from our scoop.it online magazines, which gather TV industry news from the world over:
– TV Future focuses on cutting-edge phenomena such as 2screen TV and transmedia
– TV Trends caters to wider industry issues such as production, formats and branded entertainment.
Be sure to check them out year-round!


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Mastercard and CinemaPlus in Azerbaijan have announced a strategic partnership as CinemaPlus will be rebranded as CineMastercard, symbolizing a new era of cinematic experiences and payment innovations.
"The rebranding to CineMastercard and our partnership with CinemaPlus are pivotal moments for Mastercard,” said Emil Zeynalov country manager of Mastercard Azerbaijan. “We are enhancing the movie-going experience, making it more rewarding and accessible. Cinema is an important passion point for Mastercard and we aim to bring priceless experiences to consumers within the cinema ecosystem."
The rebranding to CineMastercard is more than a name change; it represents the fusion of two industries—entertainment and financial technology—aiming to enhance the consumer experience in unprecedented ways.
The companies say this partnership will unveil a host of innovative features. Expect seamless transactions, enabling faster and safer purchases of tickets and concessions, thanks to the sophisticated payment technology of Mastercard. Additionally, exclusive benefits await Mastercard cardholders, offering them access to Mastercard will maintain its offering of exclusive consumer promotions to its cardholders via
CineMastercard users will get exclusive benefits including special deals, priority screenings, and unique experiences at all ten CinemaPlus locations. CineMastercard venues. Cardholders can look forward to a 10 percent discount on all ticket, food, and beverage purchases throughout the year.
Furthermore, cardholders will benefit from unique campaigns tailored to cinema events like the Cannes, Berlinale, and Venice Film Festivals, sponsored by Mastercard on a global scale. These campaigns are designed to connect cardholders with exclusive offers all year round. Kicking off the first campaign of 2024 next month, a fortunate couple will win an opportunity to experience the Cannes Film Festival firsthand.


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At the end of March, you can expect something new from Apple. In fact, from the sound of things, you can expect more than one thing, with a service expected alongside a few other possibilities.
If you’re thinking of buying an iPad — the standard 9.7 inch model — you might just want to hold your horses.
Apple has announced that an event is taking place on March 25 California time, which means the morning of March 26 in Australia might have a few new Apple devices ready to make their way to store shelves.
The end of March announcement is fairly typical for Apple to announce its 9.7 inch iPad, and just like it did last year, we’re half expecting something new there, however, there’s a possibility for something else, too.
We’ve heard rumours of an updated iPad Mini, a model Apple has left in the product range despite not being updated for several years, as well as the possibility of a new generation of Apple’s wireless AirPods complete with wireless charging.
But these won’t likely be the only big announcement Apple has on that day in March.
In fact, the majority of the event is expected to be about a streaming service Apple has been working on. Much like how Disney will soon have its own to compete with the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Stan, Apple has reportedly been working on its own competitor with its own shows.
That means you can expect some exclusives, with talk of major actors and directors working on projects for Apple. Armed with some pretty major star power, Apple could have a winner here, similar to what it made in its Music service, which is putting up a pretty big fight to the likes of Spotify.
As to what the service will entail and how much it will cost, we suspect that’s something Apple will unveil at its event late March. Stay tuned.


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Google's Pixel 6 Tensor Processor Could Pack Two Arm Cortex-X1 Prime Cores For Performance Dominance
Now, thanks to leaker Digital Chat Station, we're learning that Tensor could be a performance powerhouse thanks to its core configuration compared to existing flagship SoCs like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. The Snapdragon 888 features a single Cortex-X1 prime core clocked at 2.84GHz, three additional Cortex-A78 performance cores clocked at up to 2.42GHz, and four Cortex-A55 efficiency cores that can run at up to 1.8GHz. However, according to this new leak, Tensor will have two Cortex-X1 prime cores clocked at 2.8GHz.
In addition to the two Cortex-X1 cores, Tensor will have two additional performance cores (we're assuming Cortex-A78) clocked at 2.25GHz, and four efficiency cores (probably the venerable Cortex-A55) clocked at the usual 1.8GHz. On the GPU front, Tensor features Arm's Mali G78, putting it on even footing with Samsung's existing Exynos 2100. Unfortunately, that also means that the RDNA 2-based GPU bound for the upcoming Exynos 2200 is out of the question.
While Tensor might potentially pull off an upset against the Snapdragon 888, we must remember that Qualcomm's flagship SoC has been on the market for roughly nine months. Moreover, it will soon be replaced by the Snapdragon 898 (or whatever Qualcomm ends up calling it), so Tensor might not hold the performance crown even if it has a strong showing during its debut.
With that said, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have a lot going for them besides Tensor. There's also a custom ISP onboard to handle image processing and all-new camera sensors with a 4x telephoto sensor for the Pixel 6 Pro. You'll also be able to get up to a 6.7-inch 120Hz QHD+ OLED display along with a refreshingly modern design with a two-tone finish.
The latest rumors suggest that Google will launch the new Pixel 6 family on Tuesday, October 19th.


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What you need to know
- Apple said 88% of all iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices are using iOS 12.
- That figure goes up to 90% if we only count devices released in the past four years.
- The figures were released on the eve of iOS 13's fall launch.
Apple has released updated figures related to iOS adoption, with Apple's latest release, iOS 12, far and away the most-used version currently available.
According to Apple's figures, as of August 6, 88% of all iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models were updated to iOS 12. Only 7% are still on iOS 11, while the remaining 5% are using an earlier version of iOS.
If we only look at iOS devices released over the past four years, adoption of iOS 12 is even healthier at 90%. Apple calculates its figures by measuring traffic to the App Store.
As 9to5Mac points out, adoption has increased with the release of iOS 12. Around the same time last year, iOS 11 adoption was at 85%.
For the sake of comparison, Apple's iOS adoption is much healthier compared to the latest version of Android. According to Google's data, as of May 7, Android Pie was only on 10.4% of devices. Android Oreo, which was released in 2017, has the largest distribution.
Apple's next major release, iOS 13, is currently in beta and is expected to launch at the end of September. You can read all about what to expect from iOS 13 below.
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Apple, Google and Facebook used market dominance to cripple competition
Sonos, Tile, Basecamp and PopSockets have all testified to a House antitrust committee, stating that big tech firms like Amazon, Apple and Google used their market dominance and bullying business tactics to crush competition.
Apple signs multi-year Apple TV+ deal with Seinfeld's Julia Louis-Dreyfous
Apple has signed a multi-year deal with Julia Louise-Dreyfus, formerly of Saturday Night Live and Seinfeld.
Asphalt 9: Legends arrives on the Mac thanks to Catalyst
Gameloft has brought Asphalt 9: Legends to the Mac as a Catalyst app, just as it said it would at WWDC last June.
The perfect fit for smaller spaces, the best 32-inch TVs
Big-screen TVs are the greatest, but a 55-inch probably doesn't make much sense in your bedroom, kitchen, or smaller living room. 32 inches is often the perfect size for these spaces, and these are the best 32-inch TVs you can buy.


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Middle East music platform Anghami offers $3m help to region’s small businesses
Leading Middle East music platform Anghami has revealed a $3m budget to help small businesses survive during the current coronavirus crisis.
Co-founder Elie Habib revealed that, since March 15, the company has been running $850,000 worth of free audio ads for small businesses – supporting 90 SMEs so far.
He said: “Ads will reach over 13 million people in the Middle East and hopefully will help businesses get through these critical times.”
Read it here | Arabian Business


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Dangote Cement Plc, owned by Africa’s wealthiest man Aliko Dangote, has revealed that it is considering closing its Ethiopian Cement factory if the government refuses to rescind an order that cedes control of certain aspects of its business to young indigenes.
The new law, made by authorities of Oromia state’s East Shewa Zone in which the Dangote plant is situated, orders the Nigerian cement manufacturer to source several materials including sand, pumice and clay mines from young Ethiopians.
Authorities say that failure to adhere to this order would mean the manufacturer bears all costs that may arise from problems noticed during the production value-chain.
This move is aimed at reducing employment within the region by forcing jobs into the hands of those who would be engaged to supply these materials.
But Dangote Group believes any disruption in the supply of these materials could ground operations at the plant, particularly when it is forced to patronize unproven suppliers.
It also notes that disruption could throw a significant number of those under its employ back into the streets, flawing the unemployment case made by backers of the policy. This was revealed by Dangote Executive Director Edwin Devakumar in an interview with Bloomberg in Lagos.
Dangote Cement Plc currently employs about 1,500 people for its Ethiopian factory. It says about 15,000 make a living as a result of its presence in Oromia.
Authorities, however, are standing firm on their pronunciation. Tekele Uma, the head of Oromia’s transport authority, told Bloomberg that it’s intention is not to send to the cement maker packing but remains adamant that it must adhere to the laws prescribed for business operators.


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Colorado Mayor Wants All Electric Car Chargers To Be Universal
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
A gas-powered car can refuel at any pump, but electric vehicles need special chargers. Tesla, for example, built fast chargers for its own drivers, and another luxury brand, Rivian, is planning its own exclusive network of chargers. But all this has created concerns that electric vehicle drivers are going to have to deal with a frustrating patchwork of charging stations. Sam Brasch of Colorado Public Radio reports on one small-town mayor who's decided to push back.
SAM BRASCH, BYLINE: I meet Mayor P.T. Wood at a distillery he owns in Salida, Colo., a mountain community famous for its bike trails and whitewater rapids. A few years ago, Wood landed on one more way to draw people into town for a cocktail. It's a small electric car charger mounted just inside the front door.
P T WOOD: It was the only EV charger in central Colorado that was free and public.
BRASCH: And Wood says it was probably his best marketing idea ever.
WOOD: People were literally buying, like, a case of spirits from us just to say thanks for the charging.
BRASCH: Wood expanded on the strategy after winning the mayor's office. The city installed another bank of chargers near a skate park downtown.
(SOUNDBITE OF STREET AMBIENCE)
BRASCH: And like his original charger, the plugs fit almost every electric car model, and drivers don't need to pay a penny.
WOOD: The economic return of people stopping in town, spending money here, has paid for the electricity multiple, multiple times.
BRASCH: Last year, Rivian, a luxury electric car company, approached Wood with an offer. It wanted to build Salida eight superfast car chargers at no cost to taxpayers.
WOOD: It was like, heck yeah, let's do this.
BRASCH: Then Wood heard the catch. Thanks to some special software, the hookups would only work with Rivian's ultra-pricey trucks and SUVs set for release this summer. That part he didn't love.
WOOD: If you can only charge at specific places, it divides that kind of world up in a really awkward way.
BRASCH: Rivian is installing thousands of universal chargers, but only slower ones that can take hours to recharge a car. Some agree with Mayor Wood that all fast chargers should work with all vehicles. Costa Samaras of Carnegie Mellon University says that would help drivers feel comfortable on long road trips, no matter what they're driving.
COSTA SAMARAS: If you want the same functionality as today's gas station network, we'll need something that's more standardized.
BRASCH: And Samaras says the U.S. can't wait to act. Transportation is the country's largest source of climate-warming gases. To help shrink it, President Biden has proposed half-a-million new chargers as a part of his infrastructure package. Most carmakers have agreed to one fast-charge standard, sort of a USB cord for cars. But Samaras says Rivian and Tesla could complicate the whole landscape.
SAMARAS: You might find yourself in a situation where you need to charge, but the only stations available are ones that don't fit your car.
BRASCH: Not all experts are worried. Chris Nelder with RMI, a clean energy think tank, says the U.S. needs lots of chargers fast.
CHRIS NELDER: The more that people see public, especially high-speed, chargers out there that they can access, the more comfortable they're going to be with buying an EV.
BRASCH: So if a luxury brand wants to build plugs just for its customers?
NELDER: This is private enterprise, baby.
BRASCH: As for Mayer Wood, he eventually worked out a compromise with Rivian. The company will make half of the new chargers in Salida slower public hookups, and in a decade, they'll consider opening up the fast chargers, too. Wood says it's a small way to make sure all drivers can enjoy his little piece of paradise.
For NPR News, I'm Sam Brasch in Denver. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Both retailers have a proven track record of being successful in almost all markets that they have entered, turning the competition on its head while gaining significant market share.
We interviewed the company's CEO and discussed the brand's future in Canada.
The joint venture foresees up to 40 retail locations - and perhaps more.
The popular fitness concept could open as many as 50 locations coast-to-coast, if all goes as planned.
A total of 17 stores in Quebec will have a new name as the part of Lowe’s Canada’s acquisition of RONA.


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Google Stadia Now free with a Gmail address
The company announced on Wednesday that the Stadia video game broadcast platform from Google is now free for anyone with a Gmail address. To improve the deal, Google also offers new users two months of Stadia Pro – including access to nine games – for free.
Google said that existing Stadia Pro subscribers will not be charged for the next two months of service.
Previously, access to Stadia required purchase of the Google Stadia Premiere Edition at $ 129, a package that includes Chromecast Ultra, a wireless Stadia controller, and three months of Stadia Pro, a service that offers free games and video streaming at 4K and 60fps With HDR lighting.
Google Stadia review: Cloud games take to the ground
As of April 8, access to the base version of Stadia – broadcast games at 1080p resolution – will be free by subscribing to the Stadia website. Users still have to purchase games to own them, but these games can be played on PC, Chrome OS tablet, Google Pixel phone and other supported Android devices. Stadia console (which can be purchased separately for $ 69) is not required; users can also play with a supported USB controller or mouse and keyboard.
The two free months of Stadia Pro allow users to access the following games, as of April:
- Destiny 2: The Group
- SteamWorld Dig 2
- SteamWorld Quest: Gilgamesh’s hand
- Sam’s dangerous group
- Stacks on chimneys (on chimneys)
- After the two-month trial period, Stadia Pro will cost $ 9.99 per month. Subscribers can cancel their subscriptions online, if they choose to do so.
Google is also making a change to Stadia Pro’s default broadcast resolution in an effort to manage bandwidth, similar to the efforts of Netflix, Disney and Sony Interactive Entertainment, according to Stadia Vice President and General Manager Phil Harrison.
Harrison said on Stadia’s blog: “With the demand increasing due to the increase in the number of people at home during this period, we are taking a responsible approach to internet traffic.” “For Stadia, we have always adjusted bandwidth usage based on a variety of internal and local internet factors. To further reduce internet load, we are working for a temporary feature that changes the default screen resolution from 4K to 1080 pixels. You won’t notice the vast majority of People on their desktop or laptop have a significant drop in play quality, but you can choose data usage options in the Stadia app. ”
Google Stadia was launched in November and is currently available in 14 countries. The platform includes 38 games available for purchase, and Google said it “tracks over 120 games coming to Stadia in 2020”, of which 10 are exclusive games for Stadia.
Stay tuned to TheGameRoof for the latest updates and content drop news for the games.


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The Pentagon canceled its $10 billion JEDI cloud-computing contract with Microsoft on Tuesday, following a legal battle initiated by Amazon, which has argued the deal involved undue influence from former President Donald Trump.
The Defense Department said it will seek bids from Microsoft and Amazon on a new contract, and reach out to other cloud providers in the next three months if they can meet the government's standards.
The massive cloud project is part of a broader digital modernization of the Pentagon aimed at making it more technologically agile, and Microsoft and Amazon have fought aggressively for the lucrative deal.
The contract was awarded to Microsoft in 2019, but Amazon quickly filed a lawsuit to object. Amazon, which was seen as a front-runner to win the project, has argued the contract process was influenced by Trump, who publicly derided then-Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and repeatedly criticized the company.
Microsoft shares fell slightly on the news while Amazon's stock rose nearly 5%, its biggest one-day percentage gain since November.


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Health and fitness company cure.fit, along with Endiya Partners and Tanglin Venture Partners have agreed to invest $10 million in Sugar.fit – a healthtech startup. The investment is expected to close this month, according to a press release.
The startup uses continuous glucose monitoring technology (CGM), which helps users see real-time impact of various food and lifestyle activities on their blood sugar level. Cure.fit will actively support the Sugar.fit team with their fitness and wellness content, and access to their millions of health-conscious consumer base in the country, it said in a press release.
Launched two months ago, Sugar.fit is currently operational in Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR. It plans to expand to 10 cities over the next few months.
Dr. Ramesh Byrapaneni, Partner, Endiya Partners said: “There is increasing evidence that with proper medical and lifestyle interventions, diabetes can be prevented, managed better and even reversed. However, current systems of care management are often generic and lack personalisation. Sugar.fit’s goal to sustainably manage and reverse diabetes for millions of Indians in the next few years is a worthy goal which we at Endiya are thrilled to partner in.”
Madan Somasundaram, Co-founder of Sugar.fit said: “We have an innovative tech-led solution that gives real-time tracking and hands-on personalised assistance to our customers.”
Sugar.fit’s founding team includes Madan Somasundaram and Shivtosh Kumar and the core founding team comes with vast experience in building and scaling products, it said.
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- The central bank of Argentina has announced that it will stop accepting cryptocurrency through payment apps.
- Since cryptocurrencies are unregulated in Argentina, the judgment applies to all coins and tokens.
In an effort to lessen the country’s payment system’s vulnerability to digital assets, Argentina’s central bank on May 4 prohibited payment providers from enabling cryptocurrency transactions.
According to a statement from the monetary authorities, payment service providers are not allowed to offer or facilitate crypto services through their applications. The adjustment subjects payment fintech companies and banking institutions to the same set of rules across the country. The authority declared:
“Payment service providers that offer payment accounts […] may not carry out or facilitate operations with digital assets, including crypto assets, that are not regulated by the competent national authority and authorized by the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic,”
Since there are no regulations governing cryptocurrencies in Argentina, the ruling is applicable to all coins and tokens. How the regulation might affect the local Bitcoin market is not yet apparent. According to local media, payment service companies apparently declined to comment on the decision.
Argentina’s fintech chamber encouraged the government to rethink the choice, arguing that it restricts access to a technology that provides society with numerous advantages and prospects.
Argentina is leading the world in the adoption of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin’s value in Argentine pesos (ARS) set a record high in April when the BTC exchange rate surpassed 6.59 million ARS, an increase of more than 100% year-to-date. The national statistics office said that the country’s inflation grew by 104.3% on an annual basis in March after increasing by 102.5% the previous month.
The widespread use of Bitcoin in the nation also corresponds with the Argentine peso’s continuous depreciation. The currency’s value as a percentage of the US dollar has dropped by nearly 50% during the past year.
Even some Argentinian cities consider cryptocurrency a safe haven amid the prolonged economic crisis. The San Luis province of Argentina authorized the production of its own stablecoin in December of last year, which was pegged to the US dollar and fully backed by liquid financial assets.
The adoption of Bitcoin as a savior for common Argentinians who cannot save or are being forced into poverty due to the collapse of the peso has been advocated by several cryptocurrency firms operating in the nation and even by one well-known presidential candidate.


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- Zillow added an iMessage functionality to the Zillow iOS app.
- The iMessage update allows consumers to share property photos and other information, such as a home's Zestimate, without leaving the iPhone messaging app.
In September, Apple released iOS 10 — one of the biggest iPhone operating system updates thus far. One of the crowning jewels of iOS 10 is the souped-up messaging app that allows users to fill the screen with balloons, play games within the app, and use plug-ins created by outside developers.
Today, Zillow joined in the fun by adding an iMessage functionality to its Zillow app to make co-shopping for homes easier.
Current iPhone iOS 10 users click the app store logo within Messages and turn on the Zillow iMessage app.
The new iMessage functionality will allow users to:
- Access and browse through “Recently Viewed” and “Saved Homes” tabs
- Share property photos of homes for sale and for rent, plus home facts, sales history and Zestimate details with friends and family
Zillow says the iMessage functionality was an answer to the more than 1.68 million Zillow users who shared homes via text in November alone.
The company says the update fulfills the needs of the 86 percent of buyers who co-shop with a spouse and the 13 percent who rely on the opinions of a friend or other family members for whittling down their homebuying options (according to the Zillow Group Report on Housing Trends).
“Millennials, the largest segment of home shoppers today, bring a deeply social approach to finding a new home unlike anything we’ve seen with the other generations,” Wacksman said in a statement.
“They bring all the available tools into the process, including their smartphones, social media and their personal network. This new iMessage feature brings Zillow’s visual search experience alive in a text, giving home shoppers a faster, more delightful way to share the homes they love with family and friends.”
The Zillow iMessage feature was created during the company’s November 2016 Hack and Innovation Week events.
For the time being, there is no iMessage functionality for the Zillow Premier Agent app.


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The UK’s first ‘members only’ social supermarket has been launched.
The Community Shop works on a card entry system and sells cheap products to people claiming some form of welfare support.
It goes direct to producers and takes other retailers’ excess or damaged stock in order to sell products at around a third of the price of mainstream supermarkets.
But not everybody can use the shop - potential customers will be checked to ensure they are eligible and a membership card for entry will be issued.
The windows will also be frosted in order to avoid any potential stigma in shopping at the discount store. Customers must be receiving benefits and live in a certain postcode area and is based on a model of similar welfare supermarkets in Europe.
Sarah Dunwell, director of social affairs at the organisation running the supermarket Company Shop, said: ‘All the products are wholesome or fit-for-purpose, but for some reason were not going to make it onto the shelves of a supermarket.
‘We think that people who are really struggling to stretch their household budget should be able to access this food.’
The Community Shop, in Goldthorpe, a former mining village near Barnsley, is the first of 20 stores planned across the UK.
Profits will be re-invested in the supermarket itself, and in ‘support services’ provided on the premises such as writing job applications, cookery classes, and debt advisory services.


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The National Conference Center on Friday hosted a drive-through market with food from three restaurant suppliers and Bear Chase Brewing Company.
The market gave customers the chance to purchase directly from three companies that normally supply restaurants, but amid the COVID-19 pandemic and restaurants scaling back business, have begun selling directly to consumers.
The market, from 10 a.m. to noon, featured seafood distributor Profish, Ltd., Metropolitan Meat, Seafood & Poultry Company, and produce and dairy distributor Coastal Sunbelt. Customers could order boxes of meat, fish and produce ahead of time, and stayed in their vehicles while workers took those orders directly off the delivery truck and loaded them in customers’ vehicles.
The market also featured Bear Chase Brewing, which has also partnered with restaurant supply giant Sysco to offer Bear Chase Helps, a free grocery store for people in the food service industry affected by the pandemic. According to Loudoun’s Economic Development Authority, more than 78 percent of all restaurant and retail workers have lost their jobs to the pandemic’s effects and stay-at-home orders.


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Comcast and Charter Join Forces to Compete in Wireless Industry
Various industry insiders have been speculating for months on the possibility of either mergers with or acquisitions by Comcast and Charter, the nation’s top two cable operators. Some suggested that Comcast would buy either Sprint or T-Mobile, others that Verizon might snap up Comcast or Charter.
The guessing game ended this week when the two cable giants announced a deal on Monday to cooperate in their Wireless businesses for one year. The partnership deal essentially means that neither will seek to acquire or be acquired by another company without checking with the other first. Telecom analyst Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson termed this a “no-adultery clause,” meaning neither could “cheat” on one another with a separate Wireless carrier.
This move allows both firms to hang on to their traditional markets without worrying about competition from the other. It also strengthens their position with respect to the clout of such Wireless giants as Verizon and AT&T, both of which also offer Wireless, as well as TV, Internet, and home phone services. Each also touts the agreement as a way to improve their products and services, and to speed their entry into the mobile arena as the cable marketplace continues to decline.
According to CNN Money, today the companies can each buy data allotments in bulk from Verizon and resell them as Wireless plans under their own brands. “Each company has an interest in stemming the tide of cord cutting. One way to do that: Get a foothold in the booming world of Wireless, which is how many customers are consuming the majority of video and Internet,” reported CNN.
“Both of our companies have regional Wireless businesses using the same 4G LTE network, and by working together, our goal is to create even better experiences for our customers,” Brian L. Roberts, the Comcast chairman and chief executive, said in a press release.
The Associated Press reported, “The CableTV companies said that while they’ll offer Wireless services separately to customers, they will work together on behind-the-scenes matters like customer billing and device-ordering systems,” adding that the two claim the agreement will save money and help them compete with the national providers.
Tom Rutledge, chairman and CEO of Charter, said: “By working with the team at Comcast, we can not only speed Charter’s entry into the marketplace, it will also enable us to provide more competition and drive costs down for consumers at a similar national scale as current Wireless operators.”
Both services plan to launch their own Wireless plans soon, still leasing Verizon’s network. Comcast will introduce Xfinity Mobile within weeks, and Charter has plans for its own Wireless service next year.
What does all of this mean for the average Billshark client? It’s difficult to predict at this point. Both firms confidently predict better service and lower bills for their respective customers, as they capitalize on economies of scale in such areas as customer billing and device-ordering systems.
History has shown, however, that too often monopolistic practices tend to lead to a decline in service and an increase in prices, especially as any savings are shunted toward executives and/or shareholders, rather than being passed on to the customer, as would be the case if competition was in play.
Billshark will continue to monitor this latest development to better assess its impact on you.


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DANBURY — Gun-control advocates, including parents of victims of mass shootings, delivered nearly 300,000 signatures to a Wal-Mart store a short drive from Sandy Hook Elementary School Tuesday morning, calling on the nation's largest firearms seller to pull military-style rifles off its shelves.
"We're here today to ask Wal-Mart to stop selling military-grade people killers in our communities," said Lori Haas, whose daughter, Emily, was grazed twice in the back of the head during the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. "They had promised to not sell these after the [federal] assault-weapons ban expired in 2004, and somehow their decision was reversed and they're now selling them in our communities across America, and we want that stopped."
The 291,141 signatures were gathered from online petitions set up by several organizations following the Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary that killed 20 children and six women. Organizers printed out the names on sheets of paper and stacked them in a cardboard box.
With a cold, raw wind blowing Tuesday morning, Anthony Mercurio of SumOfUs.org hefted the box and walked it toward the entrance of the Wal-Mart store in Danbury. About 70 supporters walked behind him, with more than a dozen news photographers scrambling to capture the scene.
"We want to keep our streets safe and we want to avoid any tragedies like the one that happened just 15 minutes from here last month," Mercurio said as he walked through the parking lot. He was met by store manager John Ruggieri.
"We are here today to deliver almost 300,000 signatures," Mercurio told him, "voices from all over the country that are here to ask Wal-Mart to stop selling assault rifles and assault weapons in their store."
During the brief encounter, Haas told Ruggieri she shops at Wal-Mart and wants the retailer to play an active role in curbing violence.
"Our communities deserve to be safe from gun violence, and we want Wal-Mart to partner with us," she said.
"You're a good community member. You serve the community. Your customers shop there. They like you. We like you," she said. "But you have to join us in this effort and you have to be a willing partner and participant to help stop the gun violence."
Ruggieri said little during the mostly friendly exchange, but agreed to forward the signatures to Wal-Mart's corporate offices in Bentonville, Ark.
"I can't comment or anything of the sort. But I will promise I will get this to the people that will be willing to understand your issues and go forward from there," he said. "We support this community. We support this country. And we'll take this and move it up to the right people."
He then carried the box inside the store, where an associate sealed it with a strip of tape and Ruggieri wheeled it toward his office in a shopping cart.
In a statement, Wal-Mart said it has spoken with government officials and others in recent weeks about the issue of access to firearms. The company also noted that in 2008 it adopted a code for firearms retailers that includes videotaping all gun sales, requiring background checks for all sales, and placing firearms in locked cases.
"We have been purposeful about striking the right balance between serving our customers that are hunters and sportsmen and ensuring that we sell firearms in the most responsible manner possible," the company said. "For example, we don't sell handguns in the continental U.S.; we don't sell high capacity magazines as an accessory; we currently limit sales of MSRs to less than one-third of our stores, primarily where there are large concentrations of hunters and sportsmen; and we don't sell firearms online."
MSR — modern-sporting rifle — is the term preferred by many gun manufacturers and retailers for semiautomatic civilian firearms modeled on the military M16 rifle.
The Danbury store has never sold firearms other than air rifles and paintball guns, but weapons have become a growing part of Wal-Mart's business, with guns available at an expanding number of stores.
Two years ago, Jared Lee Loughner stopped at a Wal-Mart store in Tucson, Ariz., and loaded up on ammunition before heading to a political gathering where he fatally shot six people and injured 13 more, including former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The youngest victim was Christina Taylor-Green.
"She was 9 years old; a beautiful, intelligent little girl. And she was robbed of her life by a madman who shot her in the chest through the heart," her mother, Roxanna Green, said outside the Wal-Mart store. "I'm very saddened that Wal-Mart, a family department store, is selling ammunition and military style weapons that I really believe should be banned. We want to save lives and we don't want any more murders and senseless acts of violence."
Green said her husband is a hunter and she has guns in her home.
"As a gun owner, I don't believe in taking the guns away," said Green, who wore a ribbon and a button with her daughter's initials. "I just don't think people should own military-style assault weapons. And I think they should be banned."
Green, Haas and Pam Simon, an aide to Giffords who was shot in the arm and chest, traveled to Newtown earlier in the week and met with parents of the children killed as well as survivors of the Dec. 14 shooting.
"I feel their pain," Green said. "There will be a hole in my heart for the rest of my life. So I totally relate to them and that's why we wanted to come out here and comfort them and support them as much as we could."
David Macbride of Hartford traveled to Wal-Mart Tuesday and said the Newtown shooting that killed his friend Jimmy Greene's daughter, Ana Grace Marquez-Greene, was a turning point for him. Jimmy Greene is a prominent jazz musician and McBride, a professor of composition, knows Greene through the Hartt School at the University of Hartford.
"This was a call to action to me for this specific cause," Macbride said of gun control. "If not me, who? And if not now, when?"
Herb Krate of Danbury was driving by the protest at Wal-Mart when he decided to join it.
"I have 10 grandchildren, and I can't imagine them not coming home from school," he said.
Krate said government must restrict the types of guns available, as well as high-capacity ammunition clips. He also believes strongly in background checks for anyone buying a gun, including changing health privacy laws to allow the FBI to find out if a gun buyer has a history of mental illness.
"Are we going to stop all the nuts? No." Krate said. "But it's a start."
Adam Bink, director of online programs for Courage Campaign, one of the groups behind the petition, said he was pleased with Tuesday's event, but added, "we won't think it's a success until Wal-Mart takes assault weapons out of our communities."
He said that if the company does not respond, organizers are prepared to target more stores and put additional pressure on Wal-Mart executives.
"We're going to make sure that Wal-Mart realizes that its own customers want this to happen nationwide," he said.
Demonstrators are also calling on Congress to pass federal gun control legislation, and several expressed confidence that reforms would be enacted as a result of the Sandy Hook shootings, even as past efforts have failed.
"This is a tipping point," said Simon, the staffer shot during the attack on Giffords. "The innocent loss of lives, the lives of these tiny children in a beautiful town. If this does not call us to action, I do not know what will."


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At the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show earlier this month, Mini unveiled its Mini Inspired by Goodwood, a model based on the Mini Cooper S with some nice Rolls-Royce luxury and exclusivity.
Sources say that the Goodwood name could soon become Mini’s flagship brand for high-end, customer specific luxury versions. Insiders said that the Goodwood badge will be used on other luxury Mini models in the same way that the John Cooper Works badge represents high-performance models.
Click here for our original post on the Mini Inspired by Goodwood.
The Mini Inspired by Goodwood Cooper model is limited to just 1,000 units worldwide with deliveries to start in spring 2012. Prices will be announced closer to launch but don’t expect them to be ‘affordable.’
Mini Inspired by Goodwood:
– By: Omar Rana


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Quora is a website where people go to get an answer to whatever random question is on their minds. Now, it appears that Quora users are going to be seeking some incredibly significant answers from the website. Quora has had a data breach that affected about 100 million users.
Quora acknowledged this data breach on The Quora Blog. The data breach was discovered on November 30, 2018. Quora says they discovered that some user data was compromised by a third party who gained unauthorized access to one of their systems. Overall, the turn around time between discovery of data breach – and telling users about it – was reasonably fast.
Quora says the investigation is still ongoing, and has apologized for any concern or inconvenience this may cause. For approximately 100 million Quora users, the following information may have been comprised:
- Account information, e.g. name, email address, encrypted (hashed) password, data imported from linked networks when authorized by users
- Public content and actions, e.g. questions, answers, comments, upvotes
- Non-public content and actions, e.g. answer requests, downvotes, direct messages (note that a low percentage of Quora users have sent or received such messages.)
Interestingly, Quora says that questions and answers that were written anonymously are not affected by this breach because they do not store the identities of people who post anonymous content.
How will you know if this data breach affected you? Quora is in the process of notifying users whose data has been compromised. If you were affected, Quora will update you with relevant details in an email.
In addition, Quora is logging out all Quora users who may have been affected by the data breach. Quora will invalidate the passwords of those who used a password as their identification. They recommend you change your passwords.
One thing to pay attention to is that this breach affected “data imported from linked networks when authorized by users”. You might want to change passwords on whatever networks you connected to Quora before the data breach.


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Honda and Sony have announced that they are setting up an EV joint venture.
The joint venture will develop battery electric vehicles jointly and sell them in conjunction with mobility services.
As per the announcement, the joint venture will start sales in 2025.
The new company will plan, design, develop and sell EVs separate from Honda.
However, the company will not own or operate an assembly plant. Instead, Honda will manufacture the vehicle while Sony will provide a mobility service platform.
The joint venture does not have a name yet and will be set up later this year following negotiations between the two companies.
For Sony, the company launched Sony Mobility in January to manage its vehicle division. Sony also released their second all-electric concept car, the Vision-S 02 SUV, at CES 2022.
It is unclear if this new joint venture will produce either the Vision-S 02, Vision-S 01 or a completely new vehicle.
For Honda, this is part of their shift to electrify by 2040. Honda identified that they needed to look outside the regular auto space for partners, and a partnership with Sony made sense.
Neither Sony nor Honda confirmed timelines for naming the company or when they would officially form the joint venture.