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City Council approved the development last November. Currently, the Sunport operations include just one cargo-transporting flight.
“We take great pride in officially welcoming the world’s largest retailer to the Sunport,” said Richard McCurley, Director of Aviation for the City of Albuquerque in a release. “Amazon’s transportation hub is a tremendous addition to our cargo operations and a sign of continued growth. We look forward to partnering with them for many years to come.”
Amazon Air was launched in 2016, and now employs over 100 aircraft. Sunport is now one of the almost 70 hubs and air gateways that Amazon Air utilizes.
Earlier this year, Amazon broke ground on a fulfillment center in Los Lunas, its second fulfillment center in the state. The first is on Albuquerque’s West Side.


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12.02.2018 (Platts) - January palm oil production in Malaysia missed market expectations, coming in at 1.586 million mt, down 13.5% month on month, with analysts predicting output of 1.8 million-1.83 million mt, data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board showed Monday.
Palm oil exports in January were higher than expectations of around 1.4 million mt, hitting 1.51 million mt, up 6% from December.
Export demand was driven by major importing countries like India, Bangladesh, Turkey, Japan, Egypt, Ghana and Pakistan, the MPOB data showed.
Dips in crude palm oil front-month futures on Bursa Malaysia in early December drove demand which had now materialized
Some analysts had been expecting a surprise fall in Chinese palm oil imports during January, down to 156,787 mt from December's 175,397 mt, to weigh on Malaysian exports.
The drop in Chinese demand occurred just before the country's New Year festival which is typically a big driver of palm oil demand.
Lower January production in Malaysia combined with higher exports led to a contraction in January CPO inventories to 2.55 million mt from 2.73 million mt in December.
January palm oil methyl ester exports beat forecasts, with exports at 33,087 mt, up from 14,220 mt in December.
Cargo surveyor data for January exports had shown a total export volume of only 15,800 mt from Pasir Gudang port in Malaysia. Malaysian exports of PME are expected to fall in the coming months since the European Union abolished anti-dumping duties on Indonesian PME.
Market watchers expect lower-priced Indonesian PME to displace Malaysian product.
However, no big sales of Indonesian PME have yet been recorded, mostly because the EU has not set a firm timetable for the suspension of anti-dumping duties and producers and traders are not willing to take a risk on delivery.
Malaysian PME exports are also experiencing a time lag, since most of these sales were done late last year, and some producers have contracts to deliver PME to European buyers until March or April.

domain: news


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Toyota Honors Test Driver Hiromu Naruse Who Died Testing the LFA [video]
If given the choice, a lot of people say they’d prefer dying doing what they love. That is exactly the fate that befell Toyota test drive Hiromu Naruse this past June, when he crashed testing the Lexus LFA supercar.
Toyota has just released a short video tribute to Naruse, who is credited for having inspired every Toyota and Lexus sports car over the past 40 years.
Hit the jump for the video:
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. Find Colum on Twitter.
More by Colum Wood


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While there is much that separates the twitch space combat, and NPC alien infested outer limits of Vendetta from the purely player driven machinations of Eve, one can serve as a sort of proof of concept for the other. [Kotaku]
Vendetta Online: Glimpse What Portable Eve Online Could Be
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Board Games are an expensive hobby and before Amazon came to our shores it was difficult to get your hands on some games. Now with a big name distributor like Amazon in our country board games are easier than ever to get on the cheap.


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Microsoft is readying new Cortana companion apps for iPhones and Android devices that the company will introduce later this year.
Showing results 1 to 20 of 3,128
Microsoft Research and Duke University are combining device graphics chips with those in the cloud to cut mobile broadband usage for streamed applications by up to 83 percent.
Microsoft is considering a bid for Salesforce — San Francisco's largest tech company
Company says that business is benefiting from company's focus on the high-speed delivery of applications.
Microsoft has purchased cross-platform, mobile business-intelligence vendor Datazen Software, a Toronto-based company, for an undisclosed amount.
Microsoft is working on a new set of Azure 'mobile first/cloud first' microservices for business users, an effort some at the company say could become another billion-dollar business.
Microsoft is in Germany this week showing off how its software works with industrial applications of the Internet of Things.
Microsoft officials confirm the company will deliver the second tech preview of Windows Server 2016 in May.
The figures are from the Microsoft Vulnerabilities Report by UK-based security firm Avecto, in which the company pulled data from every Patch Tuesday issued by Microsoft in 2014.
Microsoft has bought another productivity company. This time it's LiveLoop, a vendor of collaboration plug-ins and tools for Microsoft Office.
Microsoft's Windows 10 software development kit for writing universal apps is now available for download.
Microsoft has struck deals with 11 Android tablet makers, including Samsung and Dell, to preload a number of Microsoft's applications and services on Android hardware.
Microsoft warned of "attempts to spoof content, perform phishing attacks, or perform man-in-the-middle attacks," but reports quickly began to pin blame on the company.
Former LinkedIn and Microsoft executive Tony Ward has been picked to head up SurveyMonkey's Australian and New Zealand operations, as the company works to ramp up its enterprise growth.
A Reuters report today says Microsoft is working on a major update to its Cortana personal assistant technology. The report also cites unnamed sources predicting the company will release Cortana as a standalone app for other platforms. But you might have a long wait.
Microsoft's OneDrive and OneNote apps are preloaded on the just-announced Samsung Galaxy S6 Android phone. Could this be just the start of more OEM deals for Microsoft?
Expect Microsoft to open up even more of its Office 365 and other cloud service APIs to third-party developers in the coming months. Here's why.
Is Microsoft looking to Android vendors like Cyanogen and Samsung to give the Redmond company a leg up in the mobile space?
Microsoft is set to buy the company which supplied the technology for the Surface Pro 3, and has spearheaded the comeback of pen tech.
Microsoft has purchased Sunrise, the company behind the popular calendar application for iOS and Android, as previously rumored.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 ZDNet Cloud TV: Hurdles to overcome (highlights)
- 2 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 3 34 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 4 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)
- 5 So you have an app idea and want to make a bajillion bucks


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Intel Capital to invest Rs 1,894 cr in Jio Platforms
3 July, 2020 | newsx bureau
Reliance Industries Limited and Jio Platforms Limited reported on Friday that Intel Capital would invest Rs 1,894.50 crore in Jio Platforms at Rs 4.91 lakh crore equity and Rs 5.16 lakh crore corpo...
Reliance Industries Limited and Jio Platforms Limited on Friday announced that Intel Capital will invest Rs 1,894.50 crore in Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore.
Intel Capital’s investment will translate into a 0.39 per cent equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis. Intel Capital joins the list of marquee firms who have recently invested in Jio Platforms, taking the total investment amount to Rs 117,588.45 crore. This is an unprecedented twelfth investment in Jio Platforms within eleven weeks (since 22nd April 2020).
Intel is one of the pioneering companies in the technology space and is admired and respected for its innovation.
With this investment, Jio Platforms has raised Rs 117,588.45 crores from leading technology investors including Facebook, Silver Lake Partners (two investments), Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala, ADIA, TPG, L Catterton, PIF and Intel. At Rs 117,588.45 crore, it is the largest continuous funds raised by a company anywhere in the world. It is remarkable that this was done amidst a global lock-down, clearly signifying India’s digital potential and Jio’s business strategy.
Also Read: Mukesh Ambani becomes world’s 9th richest man, RIL’s market value touches $150 billion
Also Read: Reliance raises over Rs 168,818 crore in 58 days, becomes debt-free
Intel’s investment is at a similar valuation to the other recent investments in Jio – equity valuation of Rs 4.91 Lakh crore and enterprise valuation of Rs 5.16 Lakh crore
Intel Capital is the investment arm of Intel Corporation, a leader in the semiconductor industry, shaping the data-centric future with computing and communications technology that is the foundation of global innovations. Intel has operated in India for more than two decades and today employs thousands of employees there with state-of-the-art design facilities in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, said, “We are extremely delighted to deepen our ties with technology leaders that embody our vision of
transforming India into a leading digital society in the world. Intel is a true industry leader, working towards creating world-changing technology and innovations.”
“Intel Capital has an outstanding record of being a valuable partner for leading technology companies globally. We are therefore excited to work together with Intel to advance India’s capabilities in cutting-edge technologies that will empower all sectors of our economy and improve the quality of life of 1.3 billion Indians,” he added.
Wendell Brooks, Intel Capital President, said that Jio Platforms’ focus on applying its impressive engineering capabilities to bring the power of low-cost digital services to India aligns with Intel’s purpose of delivering breakthrough technology that enriches lives.
“We believe digital access and data can transform business and society for the better. Through this investment, we are excited to help fuel digital transformation in India, where Intel maintains an important presence,” Brooks added.


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The pandemic and its impact on the economy and world trade has impacted profitability and cash flow in most industries.
Ability to adapt is key
However, while hospitality, entertainment and travel are still struggling, other businesses are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.
At the same time, Brexit has impacted Danish companies exporting to Britain as well as British exports to Europe, but not as badly as many economists predicted.
Businesses continue to face other challenges, including climate change and political uncertainty in major markets, and are looking to leverage digitalisation, AI and other emerging technologies.
Throughout the last year, companies have demonstrated their ability to adapt to the constraints arising from the pandemic. Many employees have worked successfully from home, where Zoom and Teams have become the norm – in some cases taking us more internationally than we would have gone with unrestricted air travel!
As the restrictions have relaxed, some organisations are looking to get back to ‘normal’, while others have declared that they will not revert to their old ways of working.
Clearly, there are many things to take into consideration as we explore how we do business in the future.
These include company culture, quality control, the ability to negotiate with customers and suppliers, the differences between factory and office-based workers, diversity, and employee mental health.
A golden opportunity
Let’s not make the mistake of getting back to ‘normal’.
We all now have a golden opportunity to take advantage of the momentum generated by the change forced upon us – and to question the assumptions built into our business models.
This is not just about whether we work from home. We should be taking advantage of the experience gained over the last year as an opportunity to look at our products and services, our markets, our supply chains, our customer relationships, and our overall business models to grow our businesses and make our contribution to the economic recovery.


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The smartphone revolution has left behind the visually impaired, who are unable to use touchscreens. Designer Sumit Dagar, inventor of the Braille smartphone, wants to change that.
Touchscreens have transformed the humble phone into a powerful computing device, one enabling us to take and share pictures, email on the go – even watch films.
But the touchscreen revolution has left out one sector of society – the visually impaired. The lack of textured buttons means blind people are unable to use them.
Designer Sumit Dagar has invented a prototype Braille smartphone which may give the world’s 300 million visually impaired people the first phone developed with their needs in mind.


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- ICT, Postal and Courier Services minister Dr Jenfan Muswere has praised TelOne for innovating and venturing for the first time ever into smart agriculture an area preserved for agronomists and agricultural experts.
Minister Muswere in his own words described TelOne’s first as an “excellent innovation towards smart agriculture.”
The ICT Ministry boss also said
“‘I am positive that this is a viable initiative and we would like to be invited at some point to celebrate your results from your own farming venture and your impact on your clients who are the farmers. I am optimistic that with the thrust, you will affirm your relevance will contribute to our country’s agriculture through produce sales which have been promised to be all year round,”
The Minister further Stated,
“More importantly, however, is the opportunity to bring up to date skills to support smart agriculture. We look forward to this trajectory being aggressively pursued at that level and of course, we wish you the best with your own production.”
TCFL partnered with Easiseeds for the smart agriculture project.
The launch of the greenhouse by TelOne Centre for Learning (TCFL) was done concurrently with the 7th graduation where a total of 166 ICT diplomas were conferred and 34 from the maiden Telecoms degree class.


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Riding With the King Midas of Wall Street
A few weeks ago, I related the bizarre story of a microcap stock that was mistakenly believed to be endorsed by Tesla (NSDQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk. On Friday, January 8, Signal Advance (OTC: SIGL) opened at $4.25. Over the weekend, Musk tweeted to his 42 million followers the cryptic two-word message, “Buy Signal.”
On Monday, SIGL soared above $70 as the trading algorithms that follow Musk’s every word misinterpreted Musk’s tweet as an endorsement of the company. Turns out, Musk had a different business in mind. He was referring to a private messaging service by a similar name that is unrelated to the publicly traded stock.
Within a few days, SIGL retreated below $7. The algorithms that bought that stock took a bath. You might think they would learn their lesson from that experience, but apparently not.
On the same day that SIGL was soaring up the charts, another story surfaced regarding Tesla. This time, the company was rumored to be negotiating a joint venture with Tata Motors (NYSE: TTM) to build its electric vehicle (EV) product line for distribution in India where Tata is headquartered.
That day, TTM jumped 16%. The following week, it was up more than 50% from where it began the month. That works out to roughly $4 billion in additional market cap thanks to the gravitas of Musk’s name.
So far, neither company has confirmed the rumor. Tata issued a statement denying the rumor, but so far nobody is buying it.
That doesn’t matter to the trading algorithms that are programmed to act on any deal involving Musk. Over the past 12 months, Tesla stock has appreciated more than seven times in value. If Musk likes a company, then that is good enough for them.
The Man That Can Do No Wrong
That makes Musk the King Midas of Wall Street, where every company he touches turns to gold. He is the man that can do no wrong in a stock market that will only go up.
At least, he is for now. Not that long ago, that person was Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com (NSDQ: AMZN). Bezos is still extremely influential, but he is no longer considered infallible.
At one time, any company that stood in Amazon’s way was shunned by Wall Street as a near-certain loser. But over time, several big-box retailers such as Target (NYSE: TGT), Walmart (NYSE: WMT), and Best Buy proved that they could stand up to Amazon.
Musk has the opposite effect as Bezos. Any company he likes is considered a can’t-miss winner. Even some of his competitors have benefited from his aura, such as Chinese EV manufacturer NIO (NYSE: NIO). Over the past year, NIO has gained more than 1,000%.
For that reason, it is understandable why a rumor involving Tesla would spark interest in Tata. If true, Tata stands to make a lot of money making and distributing Tesla’s EVs in India.
I have owned Tata Motors in the Personal Finance Growth Portfolio for the past four years. Until recently, all it had ever done since then is lose value. So, I’d love for the Tesla rumor to be confirmed as true.
However, if the rumor turns out to be false then that could be bad news for Tata. While you might want Musk as your business partner, you definitely do not want him as your rival.
Driven to Extremes
For that reason, I do not recommend taking the algorithmic approach of buying every stock that may in some way be connected to Tesla. As we witnessed with Signal Advance, the cost of doing so can be quite steep.
Instead, I suggest buying the entire industry. You can do that by owning shares of the Global X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles ETF (DRIV). Its top five holdings include Tesla and NIO.
You may be surprised to learn that only 37% of the fund’s assets are devoted to automobile manufacturers. Another 31% is invested in information technology companies such as Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM), Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), and Alphabet (NSDQ: GOOGL). Businesses in the materials, industrials, and communication services sectors make up the remaining 32%.
That group of momentum stocks isn’t cheap. The portfolio’s weighted-average price-to-earnings ratio at the end of last year was 91 times trailing earnings. In large part that is due to the outsized influence of Tesla, which is currently valued at more than 1,500 times trailing earnings.
However, you don’t buy EV stocks because they are cheap. You buy them because you believe they will dominate the market in the years to come.
Three years ago, many analysts felt Amazon was overvalued when its share price crossed above $1,000. The company barely made a profit and reinvested most of its free cash flow back into future growth. AMZN is now trading near $3,300 as it continues to expand into new markets.
That appears to be the model that the EV industry is following. And as long as investors are willing to be taken for a ride, there is no reason to change direction.
Editor’s Note: As the above article makes clear, you need to be selective with your investments.
The economy is improving, stocks are rallying, and the roll-out of vaccines provides hope that we’ll get the coronavirus pandemic under control. But we’re not out of the woods…not by a long shot.
That’s why our investment team has put together a special report: “5 Red Hot Stocks to Own in 2021.” In this report, we provide the names and ticker symbols of the highest-quality stocks to own for the new year. Click here for your copy.


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NHTSA Revokes Importer Status Due to Safety Violations
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently issued a press release about revoking the registered importer status for two noncompliant companies. According to the NHTSA, they have notified two registered importers that they will no longer be able to legally import vehicles into the U.S. through the Registered Importer program due to violations of federal safety requirements that are being described as serious and systemic.
The companies involved are Bisbee Importing in Davison, Michigan and Metro Auto Importer in Clinton Township, Michigan. Apparently, these vehicle importers are not bringing in vehicles that meet all U.S. safety standards. These vehicles pose an unreasonable risk to consumers and other roadway users. Registered Importers have a trusted status with the public, and if they’re not importing safe vehicles, they’re going to lose their status.
Bisbee and Metro Auto Importer Knowingly Submitted False Certifications
Where Bisbee is concerned, investigations determined that they knowingly submitted false and misleading certifications of conformance for vehicles imported from Canada. Apparently, more than 29,000 vehicles were imported without the required conformity packages, and these issues happened over several years.
Metro Auto Importer was also found to have knowingly submitted false and misleading certifications of conformance for vehicles. There were at least 2,900 vehicles implicated from the investigation, and about 370 of those happened while the company was aware it was under investigation.
Consumers Trust the Registered Importer Program
Consumers should be able to shop for imported vehicles with confidence. This is why there is a Registered Importer program. If companies are abusing their status and selling vehicles that don’t meet safety standards, they’re putting consumers and roadway users at risk for injuries or worse. Hopefully, these companies losing their Registered Importer status will send a message to others that they have to comply with all federal safety regulations to do business.
If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a car accident caused by a dangerous or defective auto part in San Diego or anywhere in Southern California, contact the skilled and proven team at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. at 1.800.GO.HARRIS for a free case consultation today.
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Among those devices that miss the arrival of Android Wear 2.0, are the second generation Moto 360 and Huawei Watch
People residing in the US can start linking their PayPal account and use it with Android Pay in the coming ...
If we want to see in a single application all the cards of our different banks will have to use ...
Android Wear 2.0 is the most important update that receives this operating system focused on the watches
KFC has reported that it has begun tolerating portable installment frameworks like Android Pay and Samsung Pay.
Any phone that runs Android 4.4 KitKat and above and has NFC connectivity can harness the power of Android Pay.


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Shippable announced that it is releasing version 2.0 of its product, which is designed to make it easy for developers to quickly build and test software. Using Docker containers, each developer on a team using Shippable’s platform can have their own virtualized environment that spins up on demand to test their code changes before pushing them out to a group repository. It’s designed to accelerate teams’ development while also reducing a company’s cloud footprint.
Companies interested in trying the solution out for themselves can purchase a hosted service in which Shippable orchestrates the system and hosts the containers, or a dedicated host service that puts the containers on users’ local systems but relies on Shippable to handle the orchestration. The company said that an on-premise, self-hosted solution will be coming in the fourth quarter of this year.


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Asher Tan, the co-founder of Australian cryptocurrency exchange Coinjar is confident about the success of stablecoins, as he called them a game changer, as reported by Financial Review. This statement comes at a time where stablecoins are getting quite popular - and a number of major firms are coming out with their own stablecoins. Australia too, is expected to get it’s first AUD-backed stablecoin in 2019, which will be a collaborative effort between Bit Trade and Emparta.
The Coinjar co-founder is currently in London, as he has been attending various conferences across Europe. Tan commented on stablecoins, saying:
The interesting thing right now, what’s on everyone’s lips, is what you call a stablecoin. A stablecoin is a coin pegged to a currency, usually the US dollar. It’s a craze right now. It helps you transfer money around the crypto ecosystem at a stable rate. But there’s a whole lot of applications or use-cases that could come out of it.
Coinjar, which has over 400,000 users in Australia, is one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the land down under. The company was the first in the country to launch a cryptocurrency index fund: the CoinJar Digital Currency Fund, which was launched in August of this year. While Asher Tan is attending conferences in Europe, the day to day operations of the firm are being managed by co-founder Ryan Zhou.
What are Stablecoins?
Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies which are pegged to a fiat currency of the same value, usually the US Dollar. For every one stablecoin in circulation, the company that owns the stablecoin makes sure it has one dollar in its account - this ensures that the price of the currency remains stable.
Tether is the most popular cryptocurrency, known by its ticker symbol USDT. Tether is currently the tenth largest cryptocurrency in the markets and has a market cap of $1.68 Billion USD. For every one Tether in circulation, there is one US Dollar in the account of the firm that developed this stablecoin.
[Recommended Reading: Everything that you want to know about stablecoins]
Increasing Popularity of Stablecoins
Stablecoins are getting popular of late. This is primarily because of the conditions the cryptocurrency markets are in at the moment. Throughout this year, the markets have been going through a ‘bloodbath’, where the price of almost every currency has been on a constant fall. At such times in the markets, investors prefer to store their cryptocurrency holdings in the form of stablecoins, especially when they have a feeling that the price of their currency would fall even lower.
Of late, a number of major players in the markets have started to come out with their own stablecoins. This includes the likes of Circle coming out with the USDC (which has also been announced as the first stablecoin to be listed on Coinbase). Gemini, owned by the Winklevoss twins has launched its own stablecoin, the Gemini Dollar (GUSD). With these market heavyweights coming out with their own stablecoins, it shows why Coinjar’s Asher Tan is so confident about the future of these currencies!
Stay tuned with us at Cryptoground for the latest updates from the world of cryptocurrencies and the blockchain technology.


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As you know for Black Desert Mobile Pearl Abyss announced the arrival of a new boss, as discussed, he will become a world-class Muskan. Quite an interesting name. By the way, in addition to the boss, a new class abyssal relic will be introduced, which will help players fight monsters, such as Muskan, but also new enemies that are not in a hurry to reveal.
The development team explained exactly what we can expect from the new boss. This enemy will have powerful AoE abilities and if you don’t want to die, you will have to Dodge, and he also has two gloves.You want to beat the boss?You will have to purchase a new class of abyssal relic, which is not easy to find in the area of ancient ruins.
It also became known about the reward for the boss, it is a pair of shoes or a few tokens. Actually, this release comes on the heels of a very huge update last month, but if you miss this boss, then believe me there are even worse bosses, such as the Goblin chief.


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Co-founder of 3D Hubs, Bram de Zwart, will speak about the Future of Desktop 3D Printing at the Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo in New York on April 4, 10-11am.
3D Hubs, based in Amsterdam and founded in April 2013, is on a mission to make 3D printing accessible to everyone by unlocking the worlds idle 3D printers, facilitating transactions between 3D printer owners and people that want to make 3D prints. Having the world’s largest network of 3D printers with over 3,500 printing locations across 80 countries (and counting), 3D Hubs help people print 3D customized products locally every day.
Bram de Zwart started working in 3D printing five years ago with the mission to make manufacturing more local and sustainable. After a career at 3D Systems, he co-founded 3D Hubs, world’s largest platform connecting 3D printer owners with people who want to print. Bram holds a M.Sc. degree from Delft University, where he wrote his thesis on the design and supply chain implications of 3D printing.
Bram de Zwart (left) and Brian Garret (right) co-founded 3D Hubs in 2013.
Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo is the leading B2B tradeshow for the 3D printing industry. As an attendee, you’ll explore the business applications of 3D printing through our conference sessions, hear keynote presentations from industry influencers, add valuable contacts to your network, and watch the latest 3D printers and services in action. Discover how the 3D printing boom will affect your brand or business and join their upcoming events. The Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo will take place on April 2-4, 2014 in New York City.


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Fiat buys back Ferrari stake
Today Fiat has bought back 28.7% of Ferrari that it had sold to Italian banks in 2002. During a cash crise in 2002, Fiat sold the stake, but now ts financial position is healthier.
With the new Grande Punto selling very well, and a lot of new non-car assets, the Fiat is starting to go pretty well. It owns now 85% of Ferrari ( including the 5% owned by a Dubai operation).


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First Focus RS spotted on the road
What a sight to behold, at last there has been UK registered Focus RS cars spotted on the road! Now we don’t want you to get too carried away as these are more than likely Ford fleet vehicles that are pictured but customer cars will be due in a matter of weeks (surely!).
We have heard rumours that there is a small gathering of selected press and dealership personnel at Silverstone in April with a batch of fleet test cars so these might be the very cars pictured here. With no dealership listed on the number plates we can only pressume these are not customers cars.
Got to say the Shadow Black with black forged wheels does look great on the road.
Mk3 Focus RS Club will of-course do our very best to keep you up to date on any Focus RS delivery updates as we hear them from fellow members. Contact us if you have any news


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Today, Fusion-io announced it landed $47.5 million in venture capital from a group of investors led by venture capital firm Lightspeed Venture Partners. This is a big slug of capital for a relatively little-known hardware maker. The storage startup also announced that a new CEO, former Novell executive David Bradford, and that its initial investors, including New Enterprise Associates, Dell Ventures and Sumitomo Ventures, have returned for this second Series B round.
Fusion-io has developed what looks like a game-changing technology and approach to the way data is stored in companies.
In a prescient story, my colleague Arik Hesseldahl wrote about the company last week. In his story, he noted that the company is gaining serious momentum: “Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and IBM (IBM) both offer Fusion-io components in build-to-order servers. Steve Wozniak, who co-founded Apple (AAPL), joined as an adviser and now is chief scientist. And BusinessWeek readers, in an online poll, just voted Fusion-io the No. 1 innovation up-and-comer in the world.”


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|By Business Wire||
|February 5, 2013 06:03 AM EST||
MACH, the world leader in direct operator billing, and mobile payments leader payvia, today announced a partnership to integrate their carrier billing technologies providing customers with seamless worldwide mobile payment platforms. Building on the partnership, MACH will shortly launch its Direct Carrier Billing service in the US, leveraging payvia’s US footprint and relationships with the main mobile operators. This carrier billing service for app, in-app and online purchases, makes it easier than ever for end-users to complete transactions via their mobile phones.
payvia and MACH’s platforms monetize services for developers, app stores, online merchants and other content providers, opening a brand new revenue stream and letting them maximize revenues from online, in-app and app billing. By bringing their direct carrier billing technologies together in a seamless global platform, the partners will extend this frictionless payment option that is more secure, fast and convenient than both credit card and premium SMS billing. The ability to buy without a credit card also offers subscribers a more secure channel through which to pay for app and in-app goods, giving them peace of mind that they are not compromising sensitive information while making their purchases.
Michael De Jongh, Global Head of Sales, Mobile Billing and Payments, MACH, commented: ”MACH is committed to making the monetization of services easier for our customers. Through our Direct Billing Gateway, we offer a comprehensive billing service which provides the glue to unite application stores, content providers and merchants with carriers. payvia’s trusted brand and leadership in direct carrier billing in the US market makes them an ideal partner to bring our solution to the country. We are looking forward to redefining the mobile payment landscape together.”
payvia will leverage MACH’s European footprint and market strength to extend the benefits of its direct carrier billing platform to merchants who require a global roll-out with the same consistency, simplicity and speed payvia provides to customers in the US.
Darcy Wedd, President, payvia, commented: “MACH shares our view that carrier billing offers unique benefits over other mobile payment technologies and the company’s heritage in delivering frictionless payments for major application stores and merchants makes them an ideal partner for us. Direct operator billing offers a superior checkout on the mobile device and boosts the mobile ecosystem through new revenue streams which is why we strongly believe it to be the payment model of the future.”
Direct carrier billing for mobile applications, content and mobile internet services, allows providers to charge subscribers for services direct to their mobile phone bill or pre-paid balance. This creates a signficantly improved user-experience through the enhanced ‘One-Click’ purchase process and delivers greatly enhanced transaction completion rates. By removing the need for cumbersome Premium SMS or credit card payments, it increases the likelihood of customers continuing through to purchase.
payvia is a leading mobile and online payments company that allows consumers to make simple and secure payments via their mobile phone. By connecting directly to the carrier network, payvia enables consumers to pay for digital goods and services using their mobile phone, adding purchases directly to their carrier bill.
payvia is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Seattle and Boston and is part of the m-Qube, Inc. group, the leading carrier billing transaction network, with a heritage that has seen nearly $2 billion paid out to merchants and developers. payvia is backed by leading investors Silver Lake Sumeru, Montgomery & Co., and Trinity Ventures. Visit us at www.usepayvia.com.
MACH is the leading provider of cloud-based, managed communications services for monetizing mobile data, simplifying interoperability between networks, optimizing wholesale processes and protecting revenues. It is fast becoming the provider of choice for real-time, value added services that are essential for communications service providers around the globe to enhance customer experience, optimize wholesale processes and monetize their businesses in 3G and 4G mobile ecosystems. With its long heritage in data and financial clearing, settlement and hub based connectivity models, it provides its 650 operator customers with state-of-the-art tools needed to align business processes. Headquartered in Luxembourg, MACH has offices in 12 countries. Its customers include Orange, Telefonica, T-Mobile, Telus, Verizon Wireless and Microsoft, as well as enterprise messaging customers like KLM. For more information, visit www.mach.com, follow MACHconnects on Twitter or read The MACH Blog.
With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing Cloud strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @CloudExpo | @ThingsExpo, June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY and October 31 - November 2, 2017, Santa Clara Convention Center, CA. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is on the right path to Digital Transformation.
Feb. 19, 2017 11:15 AM EST Reads: 1,572
Have you ever noticed how some IT people seem to lead successful, rewarding, and satisfying lives and careers, while others struggle? IT author and speaker Don Crawley uncovered the five principles that successful IT people use to build satisfying lives and careers and he shares them in this fast-paced, thought-provoking webinar. You'll learn the importance of striking a balance with technical skills and people skills, challenge your pre-existing ideas about IT customer service, and gain new in...
Feb. 19, 2017 11:15 AM EST Reads: 1,632
SYS-CON Events announced today that CrowdReviews.com has been named “Media Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 6–8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. CrowdReviews.com is a transparent online platform for determining which products and services are the best based on the opinion of the crowd. The crowd consists of Internet users that have experienced products and services first-hand and have an interest in letting other potential buyers...
Feb. 19, 2017 11:00 AM EST Reads: 1,532
With 10 simultaneous tracks, keynotes, general sessions and targeted breakout classes, Cloud Expo and @ThingsExpo are two of the most important technology events of the year. Since its launch over eight years ago, Cloud Expo and @ThingsExpo have presented a rock star faculty as well as showcased hundreds of sponsors and exhibitors! In this blog post, I provide 7 tips on how, as part of our world-class faculty, you can deliver one of the most popular sessions at our events. But before reading the...
Feb. 19, 2017 10:45 AM EST Reads: 7,619
While not quite mainstream yet, WebRTC is starting to gain ground with Carriers, Enterprises and Independent Software Vendors (ISV’s) alike. WebRTC makes it easy for developers to add audio and video communications into their applications by using Web browsers as their platform. But like any market, every customer engagement has unique requirements, as well as constraints. And of course, one size does not fit all. In her session at WebRTC Summit, Dr. Natasha Tamaskar, Vice President, Head of C...
Feb. 19, 2017 10:30 AM EST Reads: 6,510
In the enterprise today, connected IoT devices are everywhere – both inside and outside corporate environments. The need to identify, manage, control and secure a quickly growing web of connections and outside devices is making the already challenging task of security even more important, and onerous. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Rich Boyer, CISO and Chief Architect for Security at NTT i3, will discuss new ways of thinking and the approaches needed to address the emerging challenges of securit...
Feb. 19, 2017 09:45 AM EST Reads: 1,141
TechTarget storage websites are the best online information resource for news, tips and expert advice for the storage, backup and disaster recovery markets. By creating abundant, high-quality editorial content across more than 140 highly targeted technology-specific websites, TechTarget attracts and nurtures communities of technology buyers researching their companies' information technology needs. By understanding these buyers' content consumption behaviors, TechTarget creates the purchase inte...
Feb. 19, 2017 09:45 AM EST Reads: 730
Almost two-thirds of companies either have or soon will have IoT as the backbone of their business. Though, IoT is far more complex than most firms expected with a majority of IoT projects having failed. How can you not get trapped in the pitfalls? In his session at @ThingsExpo, Tony Shan, Chief IoTologist at Wipro, will introduce a holistic method of IoTification, which is the process of IoTifying the existing technology portfolios and business models to adopt and leverage IoT. He will delve in...
Feb. 19, 2017 09:15 AM EST Reads: 1,015
As cloud adoption continues to transform business, today's global enterprises are challenged with managing a growing amount of information living outside of the data center. The rapid adoption of IoT and increasingly mobile workforce are exacerbating the problem. Ensuring secure data sharing and efficient backup poses capacity and bandwidth considerations as well as policy and regulatory compliance issues.
Feb. 19, 2017 09:15 AM EST Reads: 1,554
SYS-CON Events announced today that Conference Guru has been named “Media Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 6–8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. A valuable conference experience generates new contacts, sales leads, potential strategic partners and potential investors; helps gather competitive intelligence and even provides inspiration for new products and services. Conference Guru works with conference organizers to pass great dea...
Feb. 19, 2017 07:45 AM EST Reads: 1,660
SYS-CON Events announced today that LeaseWeb USA, a cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider, will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. LeaseWeb is one of the world's largest hosting brands. The company helps customers define, develop and deploy IT infrastructure tailored to their exact business needs, by combining various kinds cloud solutions.
Feb. 19, 2017 07:30 AM EST Reads: 1,398
Data is the fuel that drives the machine learning algorithmic engines and ultimately provides the business value. In his session at Cloud Expo, Ed Featherston, a director and senior enterprise architect at Collaborative Consulting, discussed the key considerations around quality, volume, timeliness, and pedigree that must be dealt with in order to properly fuel that engine.
Feb. 19, 2017 05:45 AM EST Reads: 4,718
WebRTC defines no default signaling protocol, causing fragmentation between WebRTC silos. SIP and XMPP provide possibilities, but come with considerable complexity and are not designed for use in a web environment. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Matthew Hodgson, technical co-founder of the Matrix.org, discussed how Matrix is a new non-profit Open Source Project that defines both a new HTTP-based standard for VoIP & IM signaling and provides reference implementations.
Feb. 19, 2017 05:00 AM EST Reads: 4,665
The Internet of Things is clearly many things: data collection and analytics, wearables, Smart Grids and Smart Cities, the Industrial Internet, and more. Cool platforms like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Intel's Galileo and Edison, and a diverse world of sensors are making the IoT a great toy box for developers in all these areas. In this Power Panel at @ThingsExpo, moderated by Conference Chair Roger Strukhoff, panelists discussed what things are the most important, which will have the most profound e...
Feb. 19, 2017 04:00 AM EST Reads: 10,973
We all know that data growth is exploding and storage budgets are shrinking. Instead of showing you charts on about how much data there is, in his General Session at 17th Cloud Expo, Scott Cleland, Senior Director of Product Marketing at HGST, showed how to capture all of your data in one place. After you have your data under control, you can then analyze it in one place, saving time and resources.
Feb. 19, 2017 03:00 AM EST Reads: 3,818
910Telecom exhibited at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which took place at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, in November 2016. Housed in the classic Denver Gas & Electric Building, 910 15th St., 910Telecom is a carrier-neutral telecom hotel located in the heart of Denver. Adjacent to CenturyLink, AT&T, and Denver Main, 910Telecom offers connectivity to all major carriers, Internet service providers, Internet backbones and exchanges.
Feb. 19, 2017 02:30 AM EST Reads: 1,273
SYS-CON Events announced today that Linux Academy, the foremost online Linux and cloud training platform and community, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Linux Academy was founded on the belief that providing high-quality, in-depth training should be available at an affordable price. Industry leaders in quality training, provided services, and student certification passes, its goal is to c...
Feb. 19, 2017 02:30 AM EST Reads: 759
Web Real-Time Communication APIs have quickly revolutionized what browsers are capable of. In addition to video and audio streams, we can now bi-directionally send arbitrary data over WebRTC's PeerConnection Data Channels. With the advent of Progressive Web Apps and new hardware APIs such as WebBluetooh and WebUSB, we can finally enable users to stitch together the Internet of Things directly from their browsers while communicating privately and securely in a decentralized way.
Feb. 19, 2017 01:15 AM EST Reads: 3,919
The IoT industry is now at a crossroads, between the fast-paced innovation of technologies and the pending mass adoption by global enterprises. The complexity of combining rapidly evolving technologies and the need to establish practices for market acceleration pose a strong challenge to global enterprises as well as IoT vendors. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Clark Smith, senior product manager for Numerex, discussed how Numerex, as an experienced, established IoT provider, has embraced a new m...
Feb. 19, 2017 12:45 AM EST Reads: 2,858
With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing IoT strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @ThingsExpo 2016 in New York. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is as "IoT-Ready" as it can be! Internet of @ThingsExpo, taking place June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York, is co-located with 20th Cloud Expo and will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry p...
Feb. 18, 2017 09:45 PM EST Reads: 653


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Toyota is adding some upgrades to the Scion FR-S for the 2015 model year, which will bump the base price up by $200 to $25,655.
To help improve handling, Scion is installing a more rigid front suspension and re-tuning the rear shock absorbers to reduce body roll and increase the responsiveness of the car. A shark fin antenna has been added to improve aerodynamics and the exhaust tips are now larger and are more flush with the rear bumper.
On the inside, a new dashboard panel with a carbon fiber look has been added along with a new key design and automatic headlights.
Despite complaints about lack of power, the engine is still a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine 200 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque.
Pricing for the FR-S starts at $25,655 including destination, which gets you a manual transmission model. Bumping up to the automatic brings the price to $26,755.
GALLERY: 2015 Scion FR-S
Discuss this story at our Scion FR-S Forum


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Back in early 2016 DC Comics announced it was dropping the price of most of its line to $2.99. This price drop coincided with the launch of the Rebirth branding with some titles moving to twice monthly publication.
Today via comicbook.com we have learned that DC Comics has quietly announced that all of its ongoing titles will be priced at $3.99 for both print and digital copies. The exception to the rule will be for kids titles for DC and their New Age of DC Heroes line which features some of their new characters and teams like The Terrifics, Sideways, Silencer, Damage and Curse of Brimstone.
Given the popularity of the Rebirth line and the number of a-list creatives who have moved to DC Comics this is no surprise. Sustainability has to be a priority in a world where print media continues to decline.
What remains to be seen is whether all the bi-monthly series will continue to publish at this level following the price rise.
Will this change how many titles you pick up each week?


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Best of KBIS Awards Finalists Announced
January 24, 2022
The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), owned by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) today announced the products named as finalists for the 2022 Best of KBIS Awards. Regarded as one of the industry’s most prestigious awards, Best of KBIS recognizes the most innovative new kitchen and bath products of the year.
The winners of this year’s competition will be announced on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at 4:00 pm on the KBIS NeXT Stage at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida. Awards will be given in the categories of kitchen, bath, outdoor living, smart home technology and best of show.
The awards program is sponsored by Luxe Interiors + Design and is being hosted by Pam Jaccarino, Editor in Chief. Joining her onstage to announce the winners are the 2020 Best of KBIS judges, Emily Cathcart, CMKBD, CID and principal, Emily Cathcart Designs; Melissa Sharp, NKBA and Allied ASID, designer, Kitchen and Bath Concepts, LLC; Lisa Zebra, owner and founder, Lisa Zebra LLC; ElizaBeth Marcocci, CMKBD, CAPS, designer, Mother Hubbard’s Custom Cabinetry.
The Best of KBIS finalists are:
Airmada Drying Solutions
Beko Home Appliances
Fittings Metal Collection
Gold Heat Customized
House of Rohl
John Michael Kitchens
Signature Kitchen Suite
World CopperSmith Farmhouse
All Best of KBIS Awards entries will be showcased on digital walls located in the West and South Halls.
February 1, 2024 | Sponsored
Improving Life at Home Through Appliance Innovation


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We have yet another set of E3 2012 booth babe pictures to show you, including a number of different "Megs" from Family Guy Online, more Star Trek officers in uniform and more.
...of Microsoft money, ARM's acquisition, and Windows 10 updates
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Lens Cover
Expanding mobile photography with Aukey's wide-angle lenses
JESBOD QY13 sports Bluetooth earphones
Time is running out to claim your free Windows 10 upgrade
windows 10 upgrade
Insider build 14393.3 for PC and Mobile released to Fast ring
We have yet another picture gallery showing more of the booth babes and models that have been on the Los Angeles Convention Center show floor during E3 2012 this week.
NeoGamr has the first day's worth of booth babe pictures from the show floor and also outside the Los Angeles Convention Center taken during the E3 2012 trade show.
As we have mentioned there is certainly no shortage of E3 2011 booth babes this year at the Los Angeles Convention Center. We have already posted up not one but two photo galleries of all...
Day 2 of E3 2011 is about to start up at the Los Angeles Convention Center and that means booth babes will be returning to put on their outfits and show off their talents for...


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Governor Martin O’Malley pointed to another sign of economic recovery today in announcing that the Port of Baltimore’s public marine terminals set a record by handling 632,482 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) containers from April 2010 through March 2011, the best 12-month period for TEU’s in the Port’s history. The previous record for most TEU’s was set between February 2006 and January 2007, before the national economic downturn, when 629,604 TEU’s were handled.
“This is another positive sign of an economy that is getting back on track,” said Governor O’Malley. “In the last few years, the Port of Baltimore has been successful in securing major international container shipping companies to long-term contracts. The Port has also initiated a new direct container service to the Far East. These are both key reasons for increased business, and more importantly they are key reasons for a stable labor environment for thousands of good-paying, family-supporting jobs at this Port.”
In the last three years, Governor O’Malley has signed multi-year, long term contract extensions with two international container shipping giants: Evergreen Marine and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). Both extensions guarantee the transport of containers through the Port for the next several years, thereby supporting the growth of maritime business and sustaining and increasing port jobs. MSC also began a new direct, weekly container service from the Port to the Far East called the Golden Gate service. That service has both increased MSC’s total vessel calls and their TEU’s through the Port.


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An interesting story on NPR indicates that the way that humans eat is linked to preserving the wildlife. Think about the food you typically eat and ask yourself when was the last time you tried something new? The World Wide Fund for Nature and Knorr foods launched a campaign and wrote a report called “Future 50 Foods: 50 Foods for Healthier People and a Healthier Plant”. Within this report, 75 percent of food consumed comes from 12 plant sources and 5 animal sources. About 60% of plant based calories within most diets is made up of just three crops (wheat, corn, and rice).
How does this impact the environment?
If you think about it, consuming the same types of agriculture creates a threat to unpopular crops. Food waste could occur, leading to global warming effect. The report also states that harvesting the same crop on the same land depletes nutrients in the soil. Therefore, farmers start to rely on “intensive use of pesticides and fertilizers that, if misused, could hurt wildlife and damage the environment”.
“While we have about 30,000 plants that we could eat, we roughly are eating about 150 of those,” said Maria Haga, the head of Crop Trust.
What is the point?
After reading this article, I began to ponder my own eating habits, and I, too, am guilty of eating the same foods each and every day. Of course, on a tight budget and pressed for time, its hard to take the time to try new foods. However, reading this story opened my eyes to expanding my diet, even if it means trying one new food a week. Little steps can make a huge difference.
Check out more of the NPR story and a list of some new foods to try at For A Healthier Planet, Eat These 50 Foods, Campaign Urges.


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Apple CEO Tim Cook may find it hard to wow tech fans at his long awaited event tomorrow (10:00 AM PT) considering how much they already know — or at least seem to know — about the expected unveiling of the iPhone 5. Our sister site, BGR, reports that the phone likely will be slightly thinner and taller than previous models. It will have a four-inch display (up from 3.5 inches), access to 4G LTE networks, 1 Gb of RAM, a more powerful processor, and a new proprietary mini dock connector. Others also expect to see Apple ditch Google Maps and load its own map feature with turn-by-turn navigation, and built-in apps for Facebook and Yelp. Apple likely will promote the entertainment capabilities of the device. The larger screen should continue to have 326 pixels per inch, bringing it to 1,136 by 640 from 960 by 640 pixels. That could “revive the market for on-demand mobile TV and video,” says Ian Fogg, who’s senior principal analyst for mobile at IHS.
Will the new iPhone be a hit? J.P. Morgan’s Michael Feroli stunned even Apple enthusiasts this week when he said that around 8 million iPhone 5s will be sold in the US in Q4. That might contribute $3.2B to the gross domestic product — or, put another way, it “could potentially add between 1/4 to 1/2%-point to fourth quarter annualized GDP growth.” But NPD Group Director of Industry Analysis Stephen Baker warns not to expect a repeat of last year’s sales book after the release of the iPhone 4s. That device appealed to “the remaining huge untapped base of potential subscribers at Verizon and Sprint who were not available to [Apple] previously” when AT&T had dibs on iPhone users. Although the iPhone 5 will be successful, he says that “the inevitability of easy market share gains in the U.S. is not quite so apparent this time around, as it has been in the past.” Apple shares are up 74% over the last 12 months, closing Tuesday at $660.59.
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AMD's beastily new mobile CPUs stun tech, and more
Your good tech news digest, by way of the DGiT Daily newsletter, for Tuesday, March 31.
1. AMD 👑
The battle for CPU supremacy in PCs has long been a two-horse race between Intel and AMD for decades.
As Apple’s MacBooks rose in popularity (until the keyboard fiasco, recently fixed), the more important discussions have been about size, form-factor, utility, battery life, more so than which CPU was on board, for most people. Not counting gamers, of course.
So what’s interesting? AMD’s new lead in mobile CPU computing, courtesy of the new 7nm Ryzen 9 4900H and 4900HK mobile CPUs.
Trust me, I haven’t seen tech sites this hype for a long time:
- PC World calls AMD’s Ryzen 9 chips “a crushing blow to Intel’s most powerful laptop CPUs,” and offers “game-changing performance for laptops”.
- The Verge says “AMD has rewritten the rules of what a gaming laptop can be,” and Digital Trends says “AMD drops the mic”.
- What’s important is that the AMD chips use 35W of power, down from the usual 45W, but that’s not a handicap to performance from 8 cores running at 3.0 GHz.
- Ryzen 9 laptops can be blisteringly fast, and with reduced cooling requirements, it means it can be used in small and light laptops with “record-breaking performance.”
The proof is in the brand new ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 laptop, a 14-inch beast priced at $1,449 RRP that seems to have surprised everyone.
- The new Zephyrus G14 is not the perfect laptop for everyone, by any means.
- But it’s showing what AMD-powered devices can do inside compact bodies, with the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS, with 8 cores and 16 threads on board.
- The new G14 is thin, small, and light, with great battery life at about 9-to-11 hours which is nuts.
- And it can handle demanding games at solid FPS, like Red Dead Redemption II, even with Ultra graphics turned on.
- It packs the NVIDIA RTX 2060 Max-Q, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 120Hz display into that body.
- Now, this laptop has flaws: no webcam and no Thunderbolt 3 support are weird and AMD-related omissions respectively, while the CPU still gets warm even at idle. LaptopMag gives it 5 stars, The Verge 8.5/10, CNET 8/10.
- It isn’t the fastest gaming laptop known to man, nor is it meant to be: the weight and size are where it wins.
- It’s like a Smart Car being just as capable as a Ferrari everywhere except racetracks with long straights. Which is for 0.01% of people, and accordingly, this G14 is for most people.
- More widely, it’s not even about this laptop, today.
- What it all means is that the likes of Razer, Dell Alienware, MSI, Acer Predator, and Lenovo will soon have their own AMD Ryzen 9 powered laptops.
- That’s when the market will have changed, and Intel will see immense pressure to catch-up to AMD and try to get ahead once more.
- Intel has 10th-gen chips coming out later this year
2. POCO exec confirms POCO F2 won’t be rebranded Redmi K30 Pro (Android Authority).
3. Google halts Pixel 3 sales, but here’s where you can still get them (Android Authority).
4. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus have some competition… from Samsung’s own AKG N400 ANC true wireless earbuds (Android Authority).
5. The Microsoft renaissance continues: Microsoft Office might be the best it’s ever been for consumers, not just workers. Hear me out, these updates look pretty interesting (Gizmodo).
6. By early March, Apple started letting some engineers take home prototypes of future devices to continue work during lockdown, as Apple finally comes around to antithetical ideas like working-from-home on secret projects (Bloomberg).
7. WeWork sells off Meetup.com to AlleyCorp and other investors (TechCrunch).
8. There’s been an interesting recent backlash against Zoom, the increasingly de-facto replacement for Skype video calls for business and friends on group calls. First data was being sent to Facebook before a rushed update (Vice), now this: Zoom meetings aren’t end-to-end encrypted, despite misleading marketing (The Intercept).
9. Ford will pump out 50,000 ventilators (which don’t require electricity), in the next 100 days (CNET).
10. Want to help science with all your free time? Spot penguins and or find new galaxies and tonnes of other interesting, useful projects (zooniverse.org)
DGiT Daily: Your tech resource
The DGiT Daily delivers a daily email that keeps you ahead of the curve for all tech news, opinions, and links to what’s going down in the planet’s most important field. You get all the context and insight you need, and all with a touch of fun. Plus! Rotating daily fun for each day of the week, like Wednesday Weirdness. Join in!


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Payday loans organizations to be examined by OFT
Payday loan businesses will come below new analysis adopting the Office of Fair trading (OFT) introduced a look at the new industry in the midst of issues specific lenders try capitalizing on members of see here now monetary difficulty.
Pay-day lenders give brief-identity loans so you can consumers, usually up to ?step one,100 at the same time. However, rates and you can fees is highest – APRs normally started to around 16,000% – and you will loan providers were implicated off concentrating on low-earnings consumers just who usually find yourself running over the credit and you can accruing large expenses.
It’s going to require research off customers. Loan providers that discovered to be breaking the regulations face dropping the credit licences.
Already, the OFT’s suggestions says loan providers should not be “wrongly guaranteeing individuals to improve, aggregate or rollover established debt to help you unsustainable membership”, however, produces zero advice on just how many moments they are able to rollover financial obligation. It generates some tips on what constitutes the “inappopriate” emphasizing out of consumers, but can revise that it regarding the white of one’s remark.
In 2010 the newest OFT cautioned you to definitely lender, Tooth Fairy Money, against levying disproportionate charges for commercial collection agency, that will be currently trying revoke the credit licences of another bank, MCO Money, hence works below labels together with Paycheck Borrowing from the bank, therefore the broker Yes Loans.
The latest OFT’s movie director out-of credit, David Fisher, told you he was worried certain pay day loan providers had been capitalizing on members of financial hardships.
“This will be inappropriate. We shall work on the new trading bodies to drive upwards requirements, but also perhaps not think twice to bring administration action plus revoking firms’ licences to perform in which needed,” the guy told you.
“The latest pay check field has expanded more while the OFT’s highest pricing borrowing comment this year. Which, in addition to the current difficult economic climates, helps it be the right going back to me to opinion the and you will raise safety having users.”
Perfect rates to your industry are hard to get, but it is clearly an increasing market. Loan providers such as for instance Wonga and Quick Quid encourage on conventional Television streams, and you will recently it was advised the fresh new field you will definitely 1 day eclipse the financing card community.
Individual Focus estimates your quantity of cash advance individuals flower off 0.step three mil for the 2006 to 1.dos billion last year, however, as family members profits was basically pressed you’ll be able of numerous even more keeps considered this form of high cost borrowing.
Stella Creasy, this new Labour MP getting Walthamstow having campaigned for new regulations towards the large pricing borrowing, told you towards the pressure into man’s earnings intensifying, this new review didn’t go far adequate.
“It will be the properties there several bad oranges you to definitely I have a problem with – it is the world general and how it really works that triggers consumer detriment. As soon as you close off you to organization, another often shoot up within its lay,” she said.
Sarah Brooks, movie director out of financial properties during the User Desire, told you brand new group’s lookup had revealed issues with inadequate value checks and consumers offered numerous the fresh new finance otherwise rollovers to your existing financing
“The fresh OFT remark is actually a welcome admission which they have not done enough to demand the guidelines which might be currently positioned … but the law is fairly weakened since it is. I’ve had issues which they [the latest OFT] haven’t even used a number of the vitality he’s got, such as for instance following through against businesses that don’t show APRs.”
Joanna Elson, chief executive of Currency Information Trust, said the development of your own world got lead to a sharp upsurge in what amount of calls to help you their obligations counselling solution.
“Just 24 months before Federal Debtline try choosing as much as 150 phone calls monthly of those with pay day loan – that contour has ballooned to 1,one hundred.”
The fresh new OFT told you it does go to 50 big pay check loan providers and you may questionnaire community and you will user organizations to choose if companies was in fact conforming to the Consumer credit Operate and its guidance on irresponsible lending
She said like financing “enjoys a practice of fabricating a detrimental state worse”, and you may added: “I likewise have concerns about the ease that pay-day lenders bring credit, often from the purely on line programs which might be processed in minutes, and regularly to people just who curently have multiple pay day loan outstanding.”
“The brand new OFT need to ensure businesses comply with the assistance. But we and accept that stricter legislation are needed toward pay check lending to safeguard customers regarding getting into debt barriers,” she said.
“I enjoy that the community states it will create a more difficult password out of perform, but the OFT must be happy to tighten the laws and regulations in the event the troubles are nevertheless.”
Chief executive John Lamidey told you: “This new CFA means some of the largest payday lenders and you may trust our Code away from Run symbolizes greatest routine and establishes the newest basic towards the business. However, our very own Code happens to be being improved to add many others individual protections and this refers to on account of getting released quickly.
“We acceptance the brand new OFT’s feedback and the CFA and its own participants desire toward functioning proactively with them to understand portion to compliment individual defense.”


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As with many areas of law and regulation in the UK, the current intellectual property regime is heavily regulated by European legislation. Brexit will have a significant impact on this area over the coming years and some changes will be significant. Businesses will need to take steps to ensure protection of their intellectual property rights, particularly in those areas most affected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
It will be important for business to be aware of these changes and to be able to identify the areas where steps will need to be taken to ensure ongoing protection of their IP.
Once the UK ceases to be part of the EU, the EU trade mark will continue to cover the remaining EU member states. UK individuals and businesses will still be able to submit applications to register EU trade marks.
Similarly, UK businesses will maintain their current access to the Madrid system for registration of trade marks which enables businesses to submit one application through a central filing office to register a trade mark in over 100 countries.
Trade marks registered only in the UK will also remain unaffected by Brexit.
However, careful consideration should be given to existing EU trademarks which have been registered by British businesses operating or trading in both the UK and the EU. On the face of it, post Brexit, protection for EU trade marks will be lost in the UK and business will need to decide how best to address this potential difficulty.
Various options are currently under consideration which would give current EU trade marks owners some control over how their trade marks will be treated. Negotiations are ongoing but it seems likely that British owners of EU trade marks will be given the option to “convert” their EU trade mark into a UK mark. Other options under consideration include the automatic recognition of an EU mark in the UK and the provision of an option to register a corresponding UK trade mark when registering an EU mark
The European Commission has published a position paper setting out, in principle, the EU’s position on how intellectual property rights should be dealt with on withdrawal of the UK. Trade mark owners should be able to take some comfort from the indication from the Commission that any agreement on the UK’s withdrawal should ensure that “the protection enjoyed in the United Kingdom on the basis of Union law… is not undermined by the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union”.
The position paper also states that the holder of any EU wide intellectual property right which has been granted before the withdrawal date should, after withdrawal, be recognised as the holder of an enforceable intellectual property right in relation to the United Kingdom, comparable to the right provided by EU law – if need be on the basis of specific domestic legislation to be introduced.
It is important to note that the current UK system for protecting designs (both registered and unregistered) will not be affected by Brexit.
However, when the UK leaves the EU, Registered Community Designs will cease to be valid in the UK and, like EU trade marks, will continue to cover the remaining EU states only.
UK individuals and businesses will still be able to register a Community Design but separate provision will need to be made for those who wish to ensure the protection of their designs in the UK.
Proposals are currently being considered for the UK to become a signatory to the Hague Agreement. Provisions under this agreement allow for the registration of up to 100 designs in over 66 territories. The Hague Agreement regulates the system for the international registration of designs among member territories and allows successful applicants to register their design in all of the territories of the parties to the Agreement with only one application.
Perhaps unusually and unlike like other intellectual property regimes, the European patent system is not a creature of EU law. While the European Patent System includes the EU member states, membership is on a nation by nation basis and is not dependent on EU membership. The UK is an existing member of the European Patent System and UK businesses will be able to continue to apply to the European Patent Office and existing European Patents will not be affected.
National and International Patents and the application procedures will not be affected by Brexit.
Prior to Brexit, significant steps were taken to establish the Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court and is designed to streamline patent applications and litigation in Europe with a single application process and a single court to deal with patent litigation. Some member states (including the UK ) have yet to ratify the UPC Agreement but is anticipated the UK will ratify the Agreement in the near future and before Brexit. Once the requisite number of member states have ratified the Agreement, and the UPC system comes into effect, the Unitary Patent will apply to the signatory member states.
However, the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court will only extend to EU members and on the UK leaving the EU, the UK would cease to be a member of the UPC system. That said, it is possible that the overarching demands of business will pave the way for the UK to remain affiliated in some capacity with the system. The terms of any such deal remain to be seen.
While there is no need to register copyright in order to obtain protection and as such there is no corresponding registered right, UK copyright law is heavily derived from and influenced by EU legislation and European case law.
Much EU legislation has already been incorporated into domestic legislation and will not be affected by Brexit. The rights and obligations conferred by purely domestic legislation will also be unaffected. All other EU legislation affecting copyright will, on the face of it, cease to have effect. However, it seems unlikely that the body of established precedent which has shaped UK domestic law over recent years will, at the date of withdrawal from the EU, simply be ignored by UK courts.
As with virtually every aspect of Brexit, much will depend on the arrangements that are ultimately negotiated between the UK and the EU but both parties to that negotiation will undoubtedly face real pressure to ensure a basis for continued trade and reciprocal protection of IP rights.


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An old-fashioned soda shop opened Friday near Livernois and Seven Mile in Detroit, just three weeks after its owners won first place in TechTown Detroit’s Blocks Retail Boot Camp. The pop-up location, which garnered free rent as part of the program’s grand prize, will be open through Dec. 29.
“This is snapshot of who we are and what we’re doing,” says Billy Shuman, who co-owns Voigt’s Soda House with his wife, Sarah Pavelko. “And for all of the people who have been following us (since winning fifth place in the 2013 Hatch Detroit contest), it gives them a chance to come and try our product.”
The soda shop — which includes spiced ginger beer and cranberry-cider Sinterklaas shrub on its menu — is the result of a three-year-long project between Shuman and Pavelko. Besides looking to secure a permanent location for the soda house, the couple hopes to build Voigt’s into a catering and special events company.
“It’s (can be) a fun event for an office party or anything like that,” says Pavelko, who creates most of Voigt’s homemade syrups, including lavender lemon and Russian Tea, a combination of orange juice, black tea, and cardamom. “We bring soda siphons and mix the sodas fresh for you. All of the syrups are homemade. It’s a fun presentation. People get a kick out of it.”
Based on the findings of their research, Shuman says the couple would like the business to be located downtown, specifically in Capitol Park. “But who knows, if it goes really well this month, maybe we’ll stay here,” he says.
For now, Shuman says he’s using the Livernois location to gather as much feedback as he can. “We’re throwing out all of these different sandwiches and soups, and they’re not your typical ham and cheese sandwich. We’re sprucing them up, making them more creative and foodie-like. So when I’m serving (the food and drinks), I’m asking ‘Was it good? Was it served at the right temperature?’ ”
Voigt’s isn’t the only business represented in the pop-up space. The couple asked April Cobb of Tender Moments, who sells specialty gifts for baby showers, bridal showers, and weddings and also participated in TechTown’s boot camp program, to join them. “(The site) is a big space, so there’s no way we could fill it ourselves. It’s been great to get a complementary business to help draw in traffic,” Pavelko says.
Located at 19410 Livernois Ave., Voigt’s Soda House is open Wednesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
TechTown Detroit’s Blocks Retail Boot Camp is an eight-week program that prepares entrepreneurs with strong retail concepts for the launch of their Detroit businesses within six months to one year of program completion. For more information, visit techtowndetroit.org.


text: The company Square Enix officially announced that it licensed the technology from Gamebryo Emergent Game Technologies. This engine became the basis for accepted hits Fallout 3 and Warhammer Online. In an official press release is not said to what the Japanese Square intends to use the software. However, the journalists have in this regard, some assumptions. It is clear that technology is not used in the creation of Final Fantasy XIII. Instead, the developers have made their own decision to Crystal Tools. The most likely candidate to use Gamebryo will be an original action, which is created in the new California studio imprint. One of the important features was the Gamebryo Floodgate, facilitating porting product. Square Enix representatives to refrain from any comment.


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People worldwide are always looking for new ways to stay healthy in today’s stressful world. And companies are willing to oblige by creating new products that they pray will become The Next Big Thing.
Japan is no different. From energy drinks to vitamin elixirs, Japanese stores and pharmacies are chock full of products designed to get you through your workweek.
But one long-running Japanese firm seems to have hit the jackpot with its latest offering. Users on social media speak of it like it’s a miracle drug. Unfortunately, it’s so popular that practically no one can get a hold of it.
The cult of Yakult
The company in question is Yakult (Japanese: ヤクルト). The origins of the company date back to 1930 and the work of medical doctor and researcher Shirota Minoru (代田稔). In 1930, Shirota discovered the anaerobic strain of lactobacillus casei that now bears his name (シロタ株; Shirota strain). Shirota’s aim was the discovery of new preventative medicines: “The important thing is not to treat disease, but to prevent contracting it.”
In 1935, Shirota developed a fermented milk drink containing the Shirota strain and named it Yakult. Three years later, he trademarked the name.
The rest, as they say, is history. The company boasts robust sales within Japan over the past 80 years. It’s also made progressively larger strides overseas. Today, international sales account for over 40% of its total business.
It’s over 1000!Research seemed to indicate that higher doses of Shirota strain could have a positive effect on both stress levels and quality of sleep. Click To Tweet
Over the years, Yakult has released new versions of its products to continue stimulating demand. Some products tout additional vitamins and minerals. Others, however, distinguish themselves by the amount of Shirota strain they contain. For example, Yakult 400, released in 1999, boasted 40 billion colony-forming units.
However, last April, Yakult decided to kick it up a notch and released Yakult 1000 for home delivery sales. Later in the year, the company released a similar product, Y1000, for in-store purchase.
A company spokesman says the product is the result of research the company conducted after the release of Yakult 400. Around that time, researchers became intrigued by the connection between gut health and mental health. Research seemed to indicate that higher doses of Shirota strain could have a positive effect on both stress levels and quality of sleep. The company released Yakult 1000 to raise consumer awareness of this relatively unknown effect..
As the name implies, the new drink packs a punch of 100 billion units. And users say they can feel it. Many users report a positive effect on their stress levels after regularly drinking Yakult 1000. A large number of Twitter users claim the elixir has a remarkably positive effect on the quality of their sleep.
Mind you, some also say it gave them wicked bad dreams. But even many of those users say they slept more deeply thanks to Yakult 1000.
A little too successful?
Economically, Yakult 1000 and Y1000 are smashing successes. Word of mouth about the product spread rapidly after comedian Matsuko Deluxe said they were a habitual drinker. Yakult posted a record profit in March 2022, spurred in large part by Yakult 1000.
Unfortunately, Yakult couldn’t predict just how much of a hit they’d have on their hands. The product has become so popular that many people can’t even find it in stores. Desperate users have been using social media to share tips on how to get their fix of the now-scarce miracle elixir. (Apparently, you can score Yakult 1000 more easily from vending machines in and near train stations.)
The rush has left Yakult scrambling. The company says they’re planning to amp up production of both Yakult 1000 and Y1000 in July. However, a PR spokesperson admits they don’t know whether even that will be enough to meet demand. (I bet Japan’s milk industry wishes it had the same problem.)
Is it really effective?
Of course, the key question is: does Yakult 1000 really work? Or is this just a mass placebo effect?
At least one expert, Akiyama Motohisa from the Fukushima Tenjin Internal Medicine Clinic, says yes, and explains the mechanism at work:
When lactic bacillic acid hits the intestines, it stimulates the excretion of the hormone seratonin. This hormone acts as the raw material for creating melatonin, which is useful in stress relief and increasing sleep quality. Since Yakult 1000 has a higher concentration of Shirota strain bacteria than previous products, it likely has a stimulating effect on the intestine. We’ve seen that Shirota strain is also effective in preventing colorectal cancer and polyps.
However, Dr. Akiyama warns that Yakult also packs a wallop of sugar. People with diabetes or high blood pressure, he says, should be careful not to overconsume it.
So if you live in Japan and are looking for a new sleep aid, keep an eye out for Yakult 1000/Y1000 in stores and vending machines near you. Because chances are it’ll be gone before you can blink.
What to read next
 ヤクルト. Wikipedia JP
 知れば知るほど「シロタ株」. Yakult
 「ビビるくらい目が覚める」「生活クオリティ上がった」 品薄続く「ヤクルト1000」なぜ、いつから人気に？ 「悪夢を見る」ウワサについても聞いてみた. Netorabo
 ヤクルト22年3月期、純利益最高 「ヤクルト1000」好調. Nikkei
 「ヤクルト1000」見つかる「穴場」情報 山手線のホームで買える説を検証.
 売り切れ続出のヤクルト「Y1000」、7月をめどに増産へ 安定供給なるか. ITMedia
 医師も絶賛する「ヤクルト1000」はなぜスゴい？ その科学的根拠. Gendai Business


text:
Corning gets U.S. approval to buy Becton assets, with conditions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Specialty glass maker Corning Inc (GLW.N) has won U.S. approval to buy a division of Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX.N) that makes specialized labware, but must help Sigma-Aldrich Co (SIAL.O) enter that market, the Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday.
The value of the deal was given as $730 million when it was announced in April.
Corning, which makes a variety of glass, plastics and ceramics, agreed to provide assets and assistance to Sigma-Aldrich Co so it can begin manufacturing containers such as dishes for culturing cells and other containers, the FTC said.
Corning will supply the products to Sigma-Aldrich until its manufacturing plant is up and running.
Corning and the Becton Dickinson division being purchased are the largest suppliers of specialized dishes used by researchers in some cell culture work. There are two smaller providers, and the arrival of Sigma-Aldrich into the market would restore competition, the FTC said.
Corning's management had said during an investor presentation in February that it planned to make acquisitions in its life sciences business to boost slowing demand for television glass.
In early afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Corning shares were down 0.2 percent at $11.80, and Becton Dickinson rose 0.1 percent to $75.43.
(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
(This story was refiled to fix the name of Becton in headline from Benton)
- Housing, jobs data weaken, but overall economic picture still upbeat
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- UPDATE 3-Saab wins Brazil jet deal after NSA spying sours Boeing bid
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- Special Report: Why Ukraine spurned the EU and embraced Russia


text:
They went home empty-handed and surprised at how high prices rose for a spot in the riverfront Atwater Place.
"It was whooosh," Christie Connard said, waving her hand past her head.
The auction marked a dramatic turning point in what had been a 15-year building boom for downtown condos.
The Atwater Place, a glass cube in Portland's South Waterfront district, offers Mount Hood views and top-of-the-line finishes. But the tower opened in 2007 just as the housing boom deflated.
Two years later, Portland's Gerding Edlen Development and Williams & Dame Development had sold just 60 of the building's 212 units. One of their lenders, Westport Capital Partners of California, took control and took Sunday's desperate step.
As hundreds of people crammed a conference room, auction company Accelerated Marketing Partners turned on the rock music, amped up the mics and sent their whistling staffers skipping through the aisles to unload 41 condos.
Their hustle appeared to pay off.
Some condos sold for more than 40 percent off the original price. With those discounts, a pre-auction marketing blast -- which included a national ad in the Wall Street Journal -- seemed to generate the demand they sought.
They attracted a diverse crowd of curiosity seekers, investors and homeowners.
At the start, the auction company was short dozens of chairs, sending staff scurrying. One broker wondered whether the auctioneers did it on purpose to suggest demand was more than anticipated.
"It's pretty Wild West," said Henry Ko, a 30-year-old bidder.
Unlike at a 2007 real estate auction in Portland, Accelerated Marketing Partners would not allow reporters to watch the bidding. But people who attended said all but one unit sold.
The price discounts were steep compared with the original prices set in 2007, a signal of how far the market has fallen.
But prices didn't come down as far as many bidders had hoped.
The Connards were enticed by starting bids as low as 63 percent off the original listed price. One-bedroom, one-bathroom condos had opening bids of $169,000. The Connards and their friend Mike Gemperle wanted to snag a place where they could sleep over after visiting the big city for a show and dinner.
They wanted a 45 percent discount. But in most cases, the winning bidders blew by them.
At the low end, a one-bedroom condo with a minimum bid of $169,000 sold for $254,000, a 31 percent discount from the original price. A condo with two bedrooms and a bonus room sold for $842,000, a 42 percent discount.
And when the 22nd-story penthouse came up, the auctioneer couldn't entice a single bidder.
The 2,300-square-foot condo that once listed at $1.3 million couldn't find a single bidder at $899,000.
Even after the auction, the Atwater Place will remain more than half vacant two years after sales began.


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Alibaba Cloud: The cloud computing arm of Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group, released two novel open-source AI models to compete with Meta Platform. Qwen-7B and Qwen-7B-Chat are cutting-edge large language models (LLM). They are strong with 7 billion factors each. This is the first time a major Chinese IT firm has open-sourced its LLM.
After Meta’s Llama 2 open-source strategy aroused industry interest, this significant news is guaranteed to create headlines. According to experts, open-sourced models might make it more challenging for AI companies like OpenAI, which produced ChatGPT, and tech behemoth Google, whose AI models have significant user fees, to control the industry.
Alibaba Cloud introduced Tongyi Qianwen in April. Tongyi Qianwen’s components vary in shape. Qwen-7B and Qwen-7B-Chat, the latest LLM products, are aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. AI-powered solutions become increasingly accessible.
The company’s open-source code, model weights, and documentation demonstrate its commitment to cooperation and AI advancement. This strategy lets researchers, students, and enterprises worldwide employ modern AI technologies.
Companies with over 100 million monthly active users must execute a licensing agreement with Alibaba to maximize the two models. Meta’s Llama 2 requires licenses for users over 700 million.
Tongyi Qianwen’s largest closed-source model has a secret number of parameters. Meta’s flagship Llama 2 has 70 billion elements and is a powerful AI.
China’s government has aggressively encouraged domestic IT businesses to compete with U.S. firms by creating controllable AI models. Tencent Holdings, Huawei, and Alibaba are developing ambitious AI models. AI competition is fierce.
Alibaba Cloud will change AI with these game-changing open-sourced AI models. This will foster cooperation and equip firms of all types to utilize AI’s transformational capabilities. The competition will increase as China works to improve AI, leading to exciting innovations and new methods to employ AI. The world watches with bated breath as IT companies battle for AI dominance.


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As Apple AirPods have become a millennial status symbol, more and more individuals are purchasing the trendy wireless earbuds. Unfortunately, these stylish earbuds are not just unsustainable, but an environmental disaster.
The Apple AirPod Batteries
Apple AirPods hold their charge for about 18 months. After these 18 months are up, the lithium-ion batteries will slowly become less effective, and eventually, stop working altogether. Since the AirPods themselves are glued together, these batteries are not replaceable, and therefore will become useless.
Due to the fact that the lithium-ion batteries will catch fire if thrown away, they are not disposable. That is, if consumers toss their AirPods, they are likely to catch on fire. Although Apple wants to encourage AirPod recycling with packaging that displays a “do not landfill” icon, they are nearly impossible to recycle. After all, Apple glues their AirPod batteries together. Additionally, the cost of recycling glued plastic products is higher than the profit of recycling these products, and removing any non-recyclable component is impossible without destroying the recyclable plastic. This may seem like a fluke, but electronic manufacturers have been setting up non-recyclable electronics like this for ages.
Apple AirPods Difficult To Recycle
John Shegerian, CEO of ERI, one of the biggest e-waste recycling companies in the United States, claims that “[electronics] aren’t designed to be easy to recycle. Gluing products together, hiding the batteries away-that all makes recycling more difficult, less profitable, and more dangerous. Three things you don’t want recycling to be.”
Although Apple has created a recycling robot, its use cases are few and far between. Even if the robot were in use, it is unlikely that this would solve the e-waste epidemic. That’s because AirPod owners are unlikely to engage with Apple to recycle and will likely prefer trashing AirPods individually. So it’s unsurprising that consumers only recycle 15-20 percent of all e-waste.
Conclusions About The Apple AirPods
With the 1.4 billion pairs of earbuds Apple has sold, it’s clear the company knows how to make easily recyclable products. However, with products like AirPods, they simply disregard the environmental impact that their product has. Until Apple creates an easily understood recycling procedure for AirPods, the earbuds will continue to be an environmental catastrophe. Apple should be mindful of how AirPods impact the environment considering its existing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.


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The company Samsung warns customers that their smart TVs recorded conversations that are close to their televisions smart TV, recorded data are shared with the company Samsung and other third parties.
These recordings are performed when the customer uses the system voice to control your TV, then the smart TV Samsung recorded all the sound around them.
Within the policies explained that the voice system Smart TVs from Samsung, record all audio to detect when given a command, but if his words contain personal or confidential information that data also could be captured and shared the company Samsung and other third company.
An attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), explains that the company Samsung must inform customers who or who these third parties to which were also transmit the information collected.
Text policies where Samsung warn the customer that their information could be gathered. Samsung Smart TVs Policy
Given all this company Samsung replied: If the consumer approves and uses voice recognition, voice data will be sent to a third party to search for what the consumer has requested, then the data to a server are sent a search of the request is made and returns to find the content requested by the consumer.
I also add that never retained or sold consumer data, and that customers will always know if the voice command is activated, since a microphone icon appears on the screen to alert the customer that the service is on or off.
Many have even compared this with the novel by George Orwell titled 1984.