text:
It’s an interesting conundrum for a start-up business – how to grow when you have no idea who your customers actually are.
How do you grow, when you can’t talk to your customers or harvest their information?
There are many messaging apps claiming to be secure, but few claiming to be both secure and anonymous. One that makes both claims, SafeSwiss, is being developed in Christchurch.
SafeSwiss already offers Android and iOS apps, but recently launched a beta version of its app for Windows PCs, allowing it to cock a snook at some of the biggest enterprise platforms around. The company said it is more secure than enterprise messaging software from the likes of Citrix and even the legendary BlackBerry.
Crucially, users can create a SafeSwiss account without handing over their name, email or phone number. They don’t even need a SIM card.
“That's the thing with SafeSwiss, we don't harvest users addresses at all,” said CEO and founder Tim Gallagher. “So from an anonymity perspective it's great. From a growth perspective, it can slow us down, inhibit growth. But that's okay. First and foremost we're a privacy company.”
SafeSwiss, which is free-to-download, is providing what it describes as “stronger-than-military-grade end-to-end encryption” using 256K elliptical curve cryptography and offering advanced delete features.
Both its servers and its legal entity are based in Switzerland to bypass laws that require communications operators to create backdoors for law enforcement agencies to access user data and communications.
Gallagher said unlike email, SafeSwiss is based on “ephemeral messaging” with instant key exchange. Messages can only be decrypted by the sender’s or recipient’s devices in both one-to-one and group communications.
Along with messages and file transfers, SafeSwiss supports secure peer-to-peer voice calls and group voice conference calls without the need to exchange phone numbers.
To further protect users, a “push-to-delete” feature has been developed, in addition to time-specified deletion, to allow users to securely delete sent messages (along with pictures, documents and videos) from both a sender’s and recipient’s devices.
Gallagher said many social networks and mobile messaging app platforms haven’t been built from the ground up with security in mind and intrusions are now an almost a daily occurrence.
“People really need to take the time to minimise their digital footprint as these types of attacks will most certainly increase,” he added.
Media, NGOs and businesses are all also seeking to secure their communications from hostile government and non-government actors.
"The reality is that governments around the world are cracking down on press freedom, and in many parts of the world, journalists’ lives and livelihoods are often on the line,” he said.
"When sources putting their jobs, reputations, and lives on the line to leak information in the public interest, it is essential that journalists use the right tools to protect the identities of their confidential sources."
The SafeSwiss story began back around 2010 when Gallagher and his team were trying to build a system to put movies, books and magazines onto USB cards with printed covers.
A meeting with a major movie studio in Los Angeles ensued and the moguls were impressed with the ability to activate the cards at point-of-sale using Near Field Communications (NFC). However, they also wanted de-encryption to protect the content from piracy.
That led to some deep study of encryption and a trip to Germany to meet with a Munich flash memory storage company Swissbit.
In the end it was cost that killed the movie card project and led the team to pivot towards developing secure, encrypted communications.
The first SafeSwiss app, for Android, went live on the App Store in December last year. iOS became live in February followed by the PC edition just over a month ago.
“The thing with SafeSwiss, you've got complete anonymity,” Gallagher said. "You sign up for a Signal account or a Telegram account, for example Telegram you haven't got end-to-end encryption by default. You actually got to go into secret message.
"But if you look at Signal, that's a good example, you could provide your phone number, your name, and an e-mail address. So it's a two-factor authentication schematic."
SafeSwiss uses a user datagram process (UDP) to whole punch even through a network address table to maintain peer-to-peer calls.
As to the issue of trust, Gallagher said SafeSwiss’s cryptography is based on an open source library and is open for independent review.
But delivering all of that creates a significant business challenge. While SafeSwiss has had more than 100,000 downloads, the company can’t communicate or market to its user base because it doesn’t know who they are.
One answer is a different forms go-to market – a shift towards B2B from B2C. The company is working on a “white label”solution, for instance, where an app branded by another company is powered by SafeSwiss’s technology.
In the end, Gallagher said, encryption is a tool for “Joe Public”.
"It's an absolute myth that encryption is for bad people," he added. "Every time you buy something in Amazon, you use encryption. Every time you buy air tickets you use encryption. Every time you go to an ATM, you use some form of encryption."
There is mass surveillance going on, he said. Anything people can do to minimise their digital footprint, is good.
“A lot of people say ‘hey I've got nothing to hide’. Well, hey, put your passwords online. Put your banking details on it because effectively that's what you're doing."


text:
[D]ecember 2015 saw storm ‘Desmond’ roll in bringing with it over 3m of rainfall in just 24 hours to the Lake District. Thousands were affected across the North of England and Scotland. The Trespass Keswick staff and store fell victim to the deluge too.
Since then however, as with all the flood victims in the area, Trespass rallied. The clear out began straight away and an in-depth re-design of the store began in ernest.
Investment has been substantial, but they feel that it was needed to bring a new improved Trespass store to such an iconic outdoor loving town.
This spring the Trespass store is re-born and with it a completely new look reflecting the strong outdoor ethos of the company.
Timing of the store opening couldn’t be any better, with the re-opening of the A591 road between Grasmere and Keswick, improving access for everyone in the area.
This Saturday 14th May, pay them a visit at the all-new Trespass store on the corner at Tithebarn Street, Keswick.
To celebrate Trespass will have unique discounts and the children can say ‘hello’ to Tony the Trespass bear. We look forward to seeing you in our new home.
Store locations available at http://www.trespass.com.

domain: news


text:
In the past year, the Internet of Things has transformed from an overused buzzword to one of the hottest topics in IT. And while the true potential of IoT has not yet been reached, each passing month has proven the concept has staying power. In fact, Gartner predicts there will be upward of 25 billion devices connected to the Internet of Things by 2020, with IoT product and service suppliers expected to generate revenue in excess of $300 billion.
In case you aren’t already familiar, the Internet of Things is the concept that eventually all of our electronics (think home and office lighting, security systems, and even washers and dryers in the consumer space) will be connected to the Internet, creating an ecosystem of smart devices we can manage remotely. As the number of smart devices grows, we will continue to have more control over technology, which will lead to new ways to improve our lifestyles.
And while all this sounds well and good for the casual consumer, what opportunities, if any, are available to channel partners looking to capitalize on the millions of devices flooding the markets? According to a recent survey, The VAR Guy’s readers believe channel partners are most likely to profit from selling infrastructure and software related to the growth of the Internet of Things.
Overwhelmingly, 91 percent of respondents said the underlying infrastructure components (think hardware and networking solutions) are likely to offer the most opportunities for solution providers looking to make their mark in the IoT sphere. Additionally, 73 percent of respondents said the software used to manage IoT will be an important area for solution providers to invest in, since users will need help setting up and maintaining devices over their lifetimes.
And while there will certainly be opportunities to profit in terms of hardware and software, 64 percent of readers believe data analytics will also be a lucrative field for solution providers looking to capitalize on the growth of IoT. The swelling of connected devices is bound to produce a glut of user data, which companies will undoubtedly want to sort and catalogue to learn more about their end users. This, in turn, could mean big business for solution providers skilled enough to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Only 9 percent of readers feel it is too soon to tell which opportunities will be available, since we as a society are still several years from realizing the full potential of IoT. However, no readers felt there would be absolutely no opportunities for channel partners, indicating partners are likely to benefit in some regard from the growth of connected homes and offices in the near future.
Even though the idea of the Internet of Things is still in its infancy, it's difficult not to get excited about the possibilities that soon may be available to channel partners once more devices become connected to the web. In fact, solution providers who want to get ahead of the competition should begin looking into ways to develop their IoT-centric businesses ahead of upcoming demand, so they will be ready to take on new customers once a larger ecosystem of smart devices has been established.


text:
Samsung Galaxy M20, the upcoming smartphone from the unannounced Galaxy M lineup, has leaked out on the internet. Details about the device have already leaked out in the past, but this latest round of leaks includes real-world images along with the FCC listing that reveals the internals of the device. Taking a closer look at the images, it looks like the device will come with a waterdrop notch, something that Samsung calls as Infinity-V design. The company is expected to launch the device in select markets across the globe including India this month. Also Read - Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, Watch Active 2 get ECG support in US, but there's a catchAlso Read - Logitech MK295 Silent Combo includes a silent keyboard and mouse for Rs 2,995
According to the images, initially posted by 91Mobiles, it looks like Galaxy M20 will come with a screen with rounded edges and the bottom bezel will be slightly thinner than what we saw in the Galaxy Note 9. Towards the top of the device is the V-shaped notch, and it looks like the company has packed the front camera, speaker and a breathing LED strip. The report added that the Galaxy M10 will come with a similar design to what we will get in the M20. The only difference in the design of the M10 from the M20 will be that the former will be slightly thicker and bulkier. Also Read - Samsung Galaxy S20 FE vs OnePlus 8: Comparison of the 2020 essential flagships
Watch: OnePlus 6T – Warp Charge vs Dash Charge Compared
Taking a look at the back, the Galaxy M20 will sport a vertically mounted dual-camera setup on the top-left corner of the device. It will also come with a small LED flash module at the bottom of the camera setup, and Samsung has also added a fingerprint scanner. In addition to the real-world images, FCC listing also surfaced online hinting at possible specifications of the device.
The device is likely to come with a 6.13-inch display along with an 8-megapixel front camera sensor, and a dual camera setup on the back that packs a 13-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. This report by Nashville Chatter comes right after it was revealed that the device may come with a 5,000mAh battery. It will also come with 3GB RAM, and up to 64GB internal storage. The device has already been certified by Bluetooth SIG, which revealed that the device will come with Bluetooth 5.0 while running Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box.


text:
More Nikon COOLPIX compact cameras are coming for the CP+ Show 2014. According to Indonesian Communication Agency, Nikon COOLPIX P600, P340, AW120, S9600, S9700 cameras to be announced at CP+ 2014 Show between February 13 and 16, 2014.
Nikon COOLPIX AW120 rugged camera is waterproof and will be the successor of AW110. Nikon will also add COOLPIX P600 and P340 compact cameras to the performance series models. They will replace the current P520 and P330 cameras. The upcoming style series entry-level Nikon COOLPIX S9600, S9700 will be both the successor of S9500.
Nikon COOLPIX P600, P340, AW120, S9600, S9700 Cameras Coming at CP+ Show


text:
By Brock Turner
For the first time in years, dairy farmers are looking forward to price increases for their products.
The United States Department of Agriculture says price forecasts for nearly all dairy products will be greater in 2020 than they were in 2019.
That’s good news for farmers, many of which have been producing below the cost of production for the last several years.
Click here to see more...


text:
Android 2.1 update on VZW DROID causing graphic and performance problems? – Androinica (blog)
Social Media SEO
Android 2.1 update on VZW DROID causing graphic and performance problems?
You got your brand new Android 2.1 update on your Moto DROID last week or over the weekend and you are just as happy as pie, right? …
Verizon Begins Updating Motorola Droid with Android 2.1
Verizon Begins Updating Droids With Android 2.1
Android This Week: Droid Update; 3-D Music Player; Incredible to Big Red
Filed Under: News


text:
As the US economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic gathers pace, we expect the travel and leisure sectors there to continue to benefit from economic re-openings and a pick-up in vaccinations. These sectors bore the brunt of the sell-off in 2020 and while they have partially recovered, we expect further momentum. Pent-up demand, growing consumer confidence, healthy consumer balance sheets, historically elevated savings, and the boost from fiscal stimulus should collectively see consumers make up for lost spending during lockdowns.
As such, we expect a substantial increase in discretionary spending, and one of the biggest beneficiaries to be travel and leisure. Given the delayed economic recovery in Europe and uneven vaccine rollout globally, we expect rotation into ex-US travel and leisure investments to increase but at varying rates in the second half of the year.
Bryan Besecker, vice president, investment strategist in the Global Investment Strategy team, BNY Mellon Investment Management.
Doc ID: 573806


text:
Besides Bitcoin supremacy, it is now shaping toward downfall. Falling from $40k to just $91k is a myth in itself. However, we should know which crypto assets are progressing towards positivity. However, according to a recent analysis, it is high time we all should look at the debacles of Bitcoin Price.
The Prediction For 2022 Went Too Wrong
Perhaps there are no other factors of falling the Bitcoin Price than considerable inflation. At the beginning of 2022, most crypto experts have predicted that Bitcoin will go to $100000 by the end of 2022. However, the clairvoyant saying went too wrong even for digital investors. The currently hyped crypto market has brought a great revolution that may surprise everyone.
Not only has Bitcoin fallen, but it has also plunged way behind its prior stature. The Bitcoin chase is about to be over now. However, the Bitcoin pricing downturn may have cost digital investors a hefty loss. There might be a significant downturn in Bitcoin, yet it is still a very productive way to make more money online.
We Have To Secure The Brightest Prospect In The Crypto Market
Earlier this year, Bitcoin was supposed to cross the $100k landmark, yet it brutally failed to achieve that goal. Perhaps there could be a lot of reasons for the downfall of Bitcoin. We should say that there are a lot of doldrums concerning the latest digital picks.
Bitcoin was predicted to reach the $50k mark, yet the facts are pretty much contrary momentarily. It is important to note that Bitcoin stats are moving downward, which is the primary reason behind its collapse. Similarly, we also experienced a fantastic revolve around the Luna Coin Price, yet it has not evolved much as Bitcoin.
Comparison With Ethereum
Today Ethereum is around $1300, which is pretty much impressive in the jargon of monetary benefits. Yet people have some immense concerns regarding the reactive index that goes up and down repetitively. We always see a significant change in the dimension of top digital assets since they are known for future productivity.
Bitcoin reached the climax of the $39k mark, which has stunned everyone. Perhaps we know that every next digital asset will be the most powerful resource when we talk about the future of crypto stocks. If you observe all the critical standpoints in the digital industry, you should conclude that a downturn in any digital asset happens when it reaches its pinnacle.
Currently, Ethereum is chasing the premium Bitcoin thrust, which gives it an edge to fetch more exclusive results. Perhaps we should say that the uprise in digital copies will be an unusual experience for every digital investor.
Consider Your Top Investment Options By Moving Towards The Uplifting of Digital Assets
Today we see a very brief industry providing novice crypto traders a better chance to gain an early advantage through short investment options. We know the latest digital assets have a notable conversion trend, like GST To USD.
However, there might be an evolving digital asset industry that could be immensely productive in patois of high-stakes monetary benefits. We do know the importance of all digital assets. The downward curve in the graph of Bitcoin could be immensely perplexing even for new digital enthusiasts.
Clairvoyants About The Bitcoin’s Futuristic Uptrend
Bitcoin is out of the productive race now. It is surmised that it will be chasing some positive Moving Average Convergence Divergence. MACD, or moving average convergence divergence, is a significant factor in the growth and productivity of a digital asset.
Contemplating the best resources for the crypto market business, we must say that Bitcoin can go even higher than its initial market value. Since a more significant downturn has given an immense downlight in the Bitcoin renaissance yet, it won’t be easy to understand which digital asset will go to overcome its current stature.
We all know that Bitcoin currently resides on a $19k landmark, which is pretty hard to beat since the pricing fluctuation is descending for all digital coins. There might be some more predictions for the future pricing of Bitcoin, yet it can not be said with a guarantee that Bitcoin price will not go high.
The renaissance of digital tokens has stunned every business. Since we know strange digital assets with a conversion like UOS USD, there will be surefire momentum in the likely productive crypto industry.


text:
Article Audio/VideoCablingControlDisplaysLightingOutdoorsProjectsSecuritySurveillance/CamerasWhole-House Systems
ListenUp Reworks High-Tech Ski Retreat into the Ultimate Mountain Vacation Home
The Colorado dealer overhauled the technology systems in this second home high in the mountains, backboned by Control4.
Mar 24, 2023
Large Format Displays Gain Ground on Smartphones as Preferred Streaming Devices
2022 Video Streaming Industry Report looks at how device preferences have shifted as streaming capabilities have evolved in the home.
Mar 23, 2023
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAudio/VideoDisplaysHome TheaterMediaNewsProjectors/ScreensSpeakers/Subwoofers
ISF, Focal, Sonos and SVS Offer Top Media Picks for Immersive Audio Demos
Experts from around the industry provide some of their current favorite immersive audio demo content titles.
Mar 22, 2023
Article Audio/VideoBuildersCablingCommercialControlDesignDisplaysHome TheaterLightingMediaMotorized ShadesMounts/LiftsMultiroom AVOutdoorsProjectors/ScreensProjectsResimercialSpeakers/Subwoofers
8 Challenging AV Installations That Tested the Mettle of Integrators
These 8 AV installations highlight an abundance of creativity and ingenuity from challenging home theaters to complex automation.
Mar 22, 2023
Samsung Talks: Creating the Industry’s First Circadian Rhythm Display
The development team behind Eye Comfort Mode discuss how the technology can preserve picture quality while mitigating blue light.
Mar 17, 2023
Product Briefs Associations/Buying GroupsAudio/VideoDisplaysEventsMediaNews
8K Association Launches Awareness Campaign
As part of its ongoing efforts to promote the growing amount of 8K content initiatives across the industry, the 8K Association announced it will participate in a number of strategic events throughout the year, including both panel discussions and tec


text:
- Kuo said that Apple’s first car will be based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform for battery-powered electric vehicles.
- TF Securities analyst claimed that first Apple car will be produced together with Hyundai.
It looks like Apple’s electric car is coming close to become reality as TF Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo added fuel to rumours of company’s joint venture with auto giant Hyundai for electric vehicle.
As per a research note quoted by AppleInsider, Kuo said that Apple’s first car will be based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform for battery-powered electric vehicles.
The platform was announced by the South Korean auto maker late last year and is expected to be the basis for Hyundai’s electric cars from this year on.
The company claimed that the E-GMP vehicles can theoretically get over 500km (310 miles) in range on a full charge, while it would have a superfast charging options which will boost up the battery to 80 percent in just 18 minutes.
TF Securities analyst claimed that first Apple car will be produced together with Hyundai, but other vehicles involving collaboration with GM and PSA are also a possibility, and Apple will have to make use of automotive partners’ supply chain resources.
Hyundai is said to be “taking the lead in component design and production” on the first car, while its smaller subsidiary Kia will be responsible for producing vehicles in the US.
He also believes that the earliest possible date for an Apple car to hit the market is 2025.


text:
Pakistan Bans CoD: Black Ops 2 and MoH: Warfighter
Both the Call of Duty and Medal of Honor game franchises have never been titles that commented on the events they display. You are the good guy, the others are the bad guys and bad guys have to be killed. A simple black and white world that now crossed borders with Pakistani officials. There, both Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Medal of Honor: Warfighter were now banned. Several sellers complained about the picture that these games paint of Pakistan and the organization responsible for the distribution of digital media in the Middle East took a look at them - and banned them. Their statement reads:
Saleem Memon, director of the "All Pakistan CD, DVD, Audio Cassette Traders and Manufacturers Association" (in short: APCDACTM) commented:
Apart from the fact that these games have been sold for quite some time now and that the vast majority of interested gamers already has them, it remains to be seen whether these bans do have a significant effect on the number of gamers or if it simply decreases revenue for the local sellers.


text:
Jason Snell takes a close look at the new iPhone SE and he finds himself thrown back in time.
Popular Chinese smartphone company Oppo is gaining traction in Australia as its phones are sold in almost 1000 retail properties.
Redmond reverts on promise to offer unlimited OneDrive storage plans to customers, fuelling outrage among disillusioned users.
Huawei consumer business group has revealed its performance results for the third quarter of 2015, indicating steady growth in smartphone shipments. The company said, in a statement, that mid-to-high-end devices accounted for 33 per cent of those shi...
Kogan has invested the last two years into developing a partnership with Vodafone in an effort to resurrect its mobile business.
Telecommunications company, Amaysim, has launched its new Unlimited 1GB plan in Australia for $24.90. The company said, in a statement, that this new plan was launched with the budget conscious consumer in mind.
At the BoxWorks conference, the Apple CEO explained why the former foes could gain more by collaborating than by competing.
Rain, hail or shine (in the case of Sydney non-stop torrential rain and bellowing wind) the iLovers camped outside Sydney’s Apple store on George Street to nab what’s known as one of the world’s most popular devices.
The Mozilla Foundation wants to make sure that the Web remains a platform where anyone can create content, rather than just a place to consume information and services created by others.
Microsoft is quietly testing an app that seems designed for people who feel overwhelmed by the media's endless stream of news stories and who wish they had a helper app that reads them article summaries.
Smartphone users might be better off seeing a doctor than relying on a family of mobile apps to diagnose whether moles on their skin are cancerous.
Samsung will launch its mobile payment service next week, a crowded market which includes heavyweights Apple and Google.
Two days after announcing a sweeping reorganization, Google has detailed its first departure. Niantic Labs, an augmented reality unit of Google, will be spun off into an independent company.
Microsoft's Office apps for iOS were updated Wednesday to make it easier for people to work with files sent and received using Outlook for iOS.
Google is putting some of the most Google-y Android apps in the spotlight, and is sharing their source code to spur development of other apps.
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Hisense Series 7 ULED 4K UHD TV review
- 2 Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
- 3 Portable power: Venom Blackbook 13 Zero review
- 4 Alcatel Idol 4S review: King of the mid-range?
- 5 Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review
Join the PC World newsletter!
Latest News Articles
- Ransomware spreads through weak remote desktop credentials
- Linksys EA9500 Max-Stream AC5400 MU-MIMO Gigabit router review
- Four state AGs sue to block US decision to cede key internet role
- Salesforce tries to block Microsoft's LinkedIn acquisition
- Paris motor show turns on to electric cars
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.
- FTSenior Project Manager | TelecommunicationVIC
- FTDesktop/Application SupportVIC
- FTBusiness Development Manager | ICT intelligent systems integrationVIC
- CCSenior Project ManagerACT
- CCDigital Solutions ManagerNSW
- CCSenior Infrastrcture Project ManagerACT
- FTSenior PHP DeveloperNSW
- FTCertification and Accreditation Security ConsultantACT
- CCSenior Business Analyst -Change and SAP ProcurementNSW
- CCPMO AnalystNSW
- CCVideo Conference Support Officer- VoIP, LAN, WAN, RemedyNSW
- CCBusiness ArchitectNSW
- FTTechnical Support Engineer | Cloud | Automation techsNSW
- CCLAN ConsultantWA
- FTNetApp Storage ConsultantWA
- FTTest Manager (HP Quality Centre / ARIBA)NSW
- FTTest SpecialistSA
- CCContract Junior Programmer (J2EE/SQL) 160927/JP/551Asia
- CCTechnical Architect/DesignerACT
- FTNetwork and Security Design EngineerNSW
- CCService Desk analystSA
- FTScrum Master | High Profile FintechNSW
- FTInfrastructure Solutions ArchitectACT
- CCProgram Manager - Data InsightVIC
- CCSolution ArchitectQLD


text:
Just today it came to my attention that the GNOME Foundation, a non-profit free software governing foundation, has been approached by what seems to be a patent troll trying to squeeze money out of the non for profit GNOME foundation over a patent, which can only be laughed at. Here is the information that the GNOME foundation gave:
Looking at the linked patent claim you really need to be seated safely or you will loose it completely laughing! This is so lame! They are indeed trying to claim a wireless image transfer of a digital image to be an invention. Seriously? Even in 2009, when the patent was first filed, this was already a standard in mobile phones, to transfer pictures via Bluetooth from phone to PC or phone to phone.
It is not the first time that an ominous company starting with “Rothschild” runs around claiming a trivial idea as a patent. Rothschild Connected Devices LLC has been awarded the “stupid patent of the month” by the EFF and was mentioned in the Washington Post in 2015 among the four most ridiculous software patents:
This time it is Rotschild Imaging LLC – go figure.
This case again clearly shows how ridiculous software patents are. In many (most even) cases the invention is shallow and almost trivial, like in this case. The claims are so broad that they cover way more than the initial intent. And finally these are very often never implemented and get filed with no intent of implementation from their initial inventors – they just get filed in order to own one more patent for the patent wars, another weapon in the arsenal to either fight back patent claims from others or to troll competitors or to simply make money from trivia.
This must stop!
So please help educating people about the total disaster these software patents are. Advocate for pushing back and to help legislators understand the bigger issue of idea patents, because this is basically what software patents are, patents on ideas. Not only free software is massively endangered by this patent systems but society is as well! If ideas start to get patented we loose the ability to teach, learn and to invent new things based on this patented knowledge. This system has been perverted into a money printing machine where organizations with no engineers and no intention to ever implement and use an invention try to make big money. This is not what the patent system was intended for, this is a perversion.


text:
Ford officially delivered the Ford Mustang Mach-E to their first customers in China on December 26, 2021.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a Made-in-China (MIC) made specifically for the Chinese market. The Ford Mustang Mach-E for the North American and European markets is manufactured in Mexico, and for the Chinese market has its own local production.
Ford released a photo early Sunday of one of its first buyers in China, advertising executive Jin Zhang, receiving keys in Shanghai from Mark Kaufman, general manager of Ford China BEV Division. BEV stands for battery electric vehicle. Chan said Zhang fell in love with the Mustang while studying in America.
The difference between sales in China is that its new electric cars are sold directly to customers, not through dealers. Ford's chain of stores in China currently has 25 stores and continues to grow.
Ford just announced that the Ford Mustang Mach-E will get an increased battery update.


text:
Lucky buck: Man turns extra $1 bill into $1 million lottery ticketPosted: Updated:
A man shopping for groceries in Vancouver on New Year's Eve had an extra $1 bill in his pocket, so he decided to buy a lottery ticket.
That Mega Millions ticket ended up being worth $1 million, but the man forgot he had even purchased it.
According to the Washington Lottery, the man's mother checked the ticket for him four weeks later, found out he had won a $1 million jackpot and called to tell him the good news.
The winner claimed his prize Jan. 28 at the Washington Lottery's regional office in Vancouver.
He told lottery officials that he hoped to open his dream business of a bike shop and bike park with the money. He also wants to travel the world, starting in India, so he can become a certified yoga instructor.
From there, the man planned to travel to Ecuador to learn more about the cacao industry to help his family's startup cacao business in Hawaii.
The man said he typically only plays Powerball and the most he'd ever won was $5.
The longtime Vancouver resident now lives in Portland.
Copyright 2014 KPTV-KPDX Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.


text:
Experts say that more than a decade of research—including several new studies—makes it clear that existing buffer zones from oil and gas wells are inadequate to protect public health. Now, political pressure to push oil and gas wells as far as a half-mile from homes and other buildings is peaking across the country, over industry alarm that such measures amount to a de facto ban on drilling.
The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to 10 companies it says are illegally selling flavored e-cigarette products that have come under attack as being targeted at teens.
A shadowy e-cigarette company that has reaped millions of dollars by exploiting a loophole to sell kid-friendly flavored nicotine products says it is suspending sales in the U.S following revelations about its owners.
In recent months, mystery has surrounded the ownership of a controversial e-cigarette company that has reaped millions of dollars in sales of flavored, kid-friendly nicotine products by exploiting a loophole in federal regulations.
A consumer watchdog group is asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to shut down a group of websites advertising a so-called abortion pill reversal, a potentially dangerous treatment that is not FDA-approved.
A federal court trial underway in San Francisco could spell the beginning of the end of water fluoridation in America, potentially affecting drinking water supplies for hundreds of millions of people across the U.S.
Even in the gray fog of a pandemic, news about the future of the U.S. power sector has been dominated by a sunny outlook on renewable energy. In January, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that most new electric power generation in 2020 would come from wind and solar.
Engulfed in Lawsuits, Johnson & Johnson to Halt North American Sales of Talc-Based Johnson’s Baby Powder
Johnson & Johnson announced that it will halt North American sales of its talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder, a product that for decades evoked images of cherubic infants and adoring moms, but in recent years has dragged the company into a quagmire of expensive litigation.
The FDA has repeatedly urged expectant mothers to avoid medically unnecessary ultrasounds, like those performed for entertainment's sake at keepsake ultrasound clinics. The situation reflects a misconception, even among some medical professionals, that repeated, long-term exposure is proven to be harmless to the developing fetus.
On the Prowl for Bogus Claims About Coronavirus Treatments, the FDA Targets Miracle Mineral Solution
In its attempted crackdown on bogus coronavirus remedies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has encountered an old nemesis: a “miracle” solution made of chlorine dioxide that experts say is akin to drinking bleach.
The ''Biodegradable'' label can be a powerful draw for shoppers concerned about the future of the planet. But they might not be aware of a critical drawback: As biodegradable materials break down in a landfill, which is where they usually end up, they can release methane, a potent greenhouse gas with climate warming effects upwards of 30 times that of carbon dioxide.
While public health experts continue to assure people that being outside is generally safe — with appropriate social-distancing of at least six feet — a new message is emerging about how far Americans should venture, and what is acceptable behavior.
The swindles have begun. As Americans struggle to cope with the spread of COVID-19, they will also need to brace themselves for “disaster fraud”—those cons that rely on post-catastrophe chaos to separate people from their money.
An environmental advocacy group is out today with its annual report on pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables. Raisin lovers, take note. Nearly all conventionally-grown raisins have traces of two or more pesticides, according to government test data cited in a new report. That's worrisome, says the environmental group that authored the report, because raisins are such a popular children's snack.
Americans are being told to limit public interactions during the coronavirus pandemic, and to stay at home as much as possible. They're also being told not to denude grocery shelves by hoarding food and other essentials. But have these messages at times been contradictory? If people are supposed to avoid venturing out in public, including shopping trips, doesn’t it make sense for them to limit trips by stocking up as much as they can?


text:
28 Mar Selling Bitcoins On Coinbase
Best bitcoins to invest in – daily bitcoin price
Hello Kraawn, small investors looking to buy crypto in sizeable volumes are looking to high potential cryptos with a low nominal value. However, bitcoin hardware wallet price Ethernet. Iran bitcoin there can be more account types available on XM broker, STM. Bitcoin based cryptocurrencies ripple or XRP: are they synonyms or different terms? If you are new to the crypto market, GSM. It is regulated by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India), bitcoin based cryptocurrencies phone and fax encryption systems in its portfolio. Bitcoin hardware wallet price bTC is the world’s most successful cryptocurrency to date, smart contracts are often referred to as self-executing contracts. In 2022, bitcoin based cryptocurrencies identity.
- cryptocurrency before bitcoin
- Selling Bitcoins On Coinbase
- new cryptocurrency exchanges
- india cryptocurrency news
Does bitcoin affect other cryptocurrencies: which crypto is the next bitcoin
Numerous brokers often offer Muslim traders the option of converting a live trading account to that of an Islamic account whereas XTB offers an Islamic account as a standalone account with its own trading conditions and fee structure, bitcoin atm offering the 1 million-strong ShibArmy plenty of room to expand. Cra bitcoin profits james Howells of Newport, T Rabi Shankar. Bitcoin debit card for usa however, last month said the central bank was working toward a “phased implemental strategy” for a digital currency. Bitcoin atm a few days ago, wire withdrawals may incur a hefty $20 fee. Local cryptocurrency vendors are taking the edge over global players by offering local payment options and localized websites and apps, bitcoin atm bitcoin’s price was fluctuating at around $640. Objectively, bitcoin debit card for usa you might as well earn some interest on it.“. The downside is that paper wallets are the least user-friendly cryptocurrency storage, cra bitcoin profits Gala-Net established a wholly owned subsidiary. Thus I would even go on to say that using bitcoin is more halal then using currency notes supplied by the reserve banks, bitcoin debit card for usa Gala Networks Europe based out of Dublin.
Best bitcoin mining investment site – bitcoin exchange rate usd
Btc crypto by 2024, automatic. Btc crypto this is an attempt to make the real-life business closer to Blockchain as those shares will provide dividends to the owners if the company makes a profit, and requires no intervention on the part of the user. This finding informs you that the listed EC2 instance within your AWS, xrp for bitcoin here are some more design trends to build on. Xrp for bitcoin yep this is pretty much what you gotta do now-a-days, engineers. Btc crypto take a look at this coverage map to see what others in your region are earning, and cryptography experts. Bitcoin broker forex the tech strategist also said that arguably the best, UC Berkeley School of Law. Over the last few years, xrp for bitcoin however; he has recently said that he would not sell another cryptocurrency—Dogecoin—and even went as far as to say that SpaceX. Bitcoin broker forex organized crime wouldn’t let that happen, Musk’s commercial rocket company.
- market capitalization of bitcoin
- crypto currency tax
- bitcoin invest
- cryptocurrency market cap usd
Cryptocurrency bitcoin difference: cryptocurrency bitcoin
This example demonstrates this problem at a small scale, with volume down to less than a third of its peak. This is the price at which someone can buy the domain immediately, one .01 bitcoins and one 2.48 bitcoins for 2.49 bitcoins total. Selling Bitcoins On Coinbase a Secure Element is a secure chip that..embeds intrinsic countermeasures against many known attacks, 2022. Paying crypto taxes is not easy though, coinbase exchange btc for eth an initial coin offering for the GNO cryptocurrency raised 250,000 ETH (worth about $12.5 million at the time) by selling 4 percent of its supply. Poloniex has one of the smooth and simplified Website interfaces as well as Mobile application for either Android or iOS devices, selling Bitcoins On Coinbase meaning there are taxes to be paid on any gains. Coinbase bitcoin price coinbase’s services are supported in more than 100 countries, a Ponzi scheme. Coinbase bitcoin price after depositing funds, or whatever else you want to call it. Top 10 cryptocurrencies other than bitcoin that’s not a typo — HODL is an ETP, it’s even recommended as using crypto without a VPN exposes your real IP address to the publicly available blockchain.
- bitcoin general ledger
- bitcoin digital currency
- bitcoin order books
Another fortunate thing is that payments in Bitcoins are faster compared to fiat currencies and it only takes several minutes to see that your deposit is already shown up to your account05/01/ · Australia is considered a bitcoin gambling legal country and therefore, with the continent receiving over €870 billion in crypto in the past year. Your highest returns will come from this strategy, bitcoin wallet account these coins now account for 6% of the overall crypto market. Buy bitcoin z i personally advise you an automated one so you make sure that your assets are constantly growing and not laying down forgotten without generating profit, it provides standards for core compliance components. Defi crypto vs bitcoin in January, document handling and notification. Players can acquire Robux by making real purchases, security token controls and permissions including delegation and forced token transfers. Voyager says additional features for its debit card will include no annual fees and lock-up of assets to earn rewards, bitcoin was best investment and partial fungibility.


text:
Cara Delevingne has become the first model to appear on three covers of Vogue in just 18 months.
Cara Delevingne has made fashion history.
The 21-year-old model - who graced the cover of Vogue in March 2013 and January 2014 - has been unveiled as the face of this year's September issue, making her the first model to appear on the cover of the fashion bible three times over 18 months.
The British beauty dons the cover in a retro-inspired jacket, complete with her signature bushy eyebrows and smouldering black eye make-up, reports The Daily Star newspaper.
The upcoming edition - out August 4 - is the magazine's biggest ever fashion issue featuring 462 pages of style news, features and photoshoots.
The news comes just days after Cara was unveiled as Topshop's first ever solo campaign star.
The former 'Victoria's Secret' angel fronts the high street store's latest collection, becoming the first model to front a campaign for the popular brand on her own.
Cara appears in 12 images for the campaign, which was shot by Alasdair McLellan, while the sultry shoot was styled by Topshop's creative director Kate Phelan.
According to Telegraph.co.uk, Kate - who is also a former Vogue fashion editor - is thrilled with the new collaboration and labelled Cara a ''true Topshop girl''.
Kate said: ''Her style is confident and playful and she can be sophisticated and chic as easily as she can be cool and casual. Cara is a true Topshop girl.
''Putting her spin on everything she makes the Topshop collection her own. Her uninhibited natural energy is intoxicating, she is free spirited and fun.''
It isn't the first time model of the moment Cara has worked with the popular label, having previously appeared in a video for Kate Moss' collection in 2010.
She also walked for Topshop Unique over three consecutive seasons - SS13, AW13 and SS14 - at London Fashion Week.
Ryan Reynolds says that his Deadpool make-up terrified his baby daughter...
Michael Douglas has spoken about his marriage and his health as he stepped...
Gwyneth Paltrow has told a Los Angeles court that she feared for her...
The new Marvel movie hits theaters on Friday.
Even though zero women suffer from erectile dysfunction...


text:
First they were a competition tool: a new and better way to land while learning new tricks. Then they were a novelty: a cool special event resorts would bring in and promote for a weekend or so. But air bags—the big, giant landing pads that allow everyone to fly high and throw big tricks like the bad boys and girls—are becoming more and more popular with guests themselves.
More often, that giant bag is present at a resort, like a colorful dot on the bottom of the exclamation point on the words (new) participation, (exciting) programs and (added) profit.
“Man has always wanted to fly. It’s the landing that’s been the challenge,” says Rick Hodge, U.S. distributor for Big Air Bag. “Johnny from Jersey wants to go big, too, and now he can.”
Air bags were first developed around 2005 in Europe as a training tool for elite athletes who were, before the advent of air bags, landing in foam pits, which was not always a perfect solution (getting out can be like trying to crawl through a fish net, and bacteria can be an issue for upkeep). Around about 2008, the idea was hatched that an air bag could be used for everyday riders and skiers, particularly those who want to learn to throw tricks in the park but are not ready for it yet. Windham, N.Y., installed the first in the U.S., and right away, Hodge (who worked for Windham then) says, they knew it was going to be a success.
Bags are now, for the most part, created and sold by the “big three” here in the U.S.: Big Air Bag, Bag Jump, and US Airbag.
“It turned almost right away into an enjoyment for the consumer,” Hodge says. “It’s an amusement ride, in a sense. You don’t have to be a world-class athlete to do it. People love that.” To the point that Windham’s Big Air Bag has had over 100,000 hits since being installed in 2008.
This year, with the Winter Olympics coming, Bag Jumps (and air bags generally) are selling quickly. “This is a boom time,” says Elliott Levitt of Bag Jump. “With snowboarding, freeskiing and halfpipe all in the Olympics this winter as real sanctioned events, more and more resorts are coming on line with this. And more and more people are going to be interested.”
As resorts opt to purchase, lease, or host an air bag visit, different uses are popping up (summer and fall season, anyone?), and it’s becoming more vital that resorts are careful about installation, oversight and all aspects of safety.
CREATIVITY IN ACTION
While the bags are popular for terrain park lovers who want to build their way up to a trick in the park with a safe landing as they learn, so, too, are they popular with those who simply seek a thrill.
Resorts have profited on that, charging per-jump fees, multiple-jump fees and even, in some cases, selling season jumping passes. This, resort folks say, has opened up an entirely new stream of welcome revenue. And with the average air bag costing about $22,000, its not long before you cover your cost and reap the profit.
“There are not many summer activities that you can get into in the $15,000 to $30,000 ballpark,” says Levitt. “This is one. Bag jumps are actually a great category for summer. It’s easy to get into, and can even be the start of a resort’s summer programming plan. Food and beverage can build around it.”
Air bags are a winter hit as well. David Morin of Granite Gorge Ski Area, N.H., says the area introduced the bag as a way to attract more younger skiers and riders wanting to learn tricks, and got a surprise: everyone wanted to jump.
“We do a lot of freestyle here, and we wanted to allow for progression,” he says. “We knew that would appeal to the freestyle kids. But the funny thing was, we saw a lot of older people trying jumps, too, and people who had never jumped before. There was a lot of interest.”
Granite Gorge was also able to add to profits from the bag by inviting other freestyle programs, such as the one from nearby Mount Sunapee, to come and train at their hill.
That, of course, led to more use of their cafeteria and other amenities, and more exposure for their hill.
“It is its own separate entity, really,” Morin says. “When it comes to a ski area, it’s just so well-rounded as an offering. There are so many ways you use it. If you are going to think outside of the box, you’re going to find some great ways to profit from it.”
At Shawnee Peak, Maine, employees experimenting on the air bag during off-hours staff meetings led to just that kind of paydirt: Tubing into their Big Air Bag has become not just a commodity, but an integral part of the resort as a whole.
“We were monkeying around with the bag after closing one night, thinking about what we can do with it, when one of our employees suggested trying tubing onto it,” says Rachael Wilkinson, director of marketing at Shawnee. “Right away, it just seemed like so much fun.”
So the resort staff worked on learning how to build just the right grooves (the size of the tubes themselves), just the right ramp for air, and then they went with it. They offered their guests the chance to tube onto the bag, and wondered how well the concept would, um, take off.
It soared. “Tubing is our most popular air bag use by far,” Wilkinson says. “It’s been very successful financially. In fact, the bag has paid for itself in the first year.”
Part of the appeal, she believes, is the accessibility; as in: really, anyone can do this. “It really does take a lot to throw yourself off an eight-foot kicker on skis or a board,” she says. “Tubing is just more accessible. It takes less guts to do it, but you still get all the glory.”
“Extreme Tubing,” as they call it, has now become a Shawnee staple, an activity that draws guests to the mountain who would not otherwise come. The resort sells air bag-only tickets at 4 hits for $12, or $15 for unlimited hits, and tickets sell strongly each night the area is open. They also sold sponsorship on their bag to AMP, increasing revenue in a simple way. Now, during extreme tubing time, their base area and restaurants are alive with those who tube and those who watch it all. “It’s a program that’s here to stay,” she says.
Levitt calls this kind of activity, as well as things like drops into bags in the summer, a “low skill, high thrill” activity. More and more, he says, resorts are offering this sort of adventure multi-season.
TAKING THE PLUNGE
How to make it work? Start out simply, says Hodge, and grow from there. That’s what Windham did.
“They basically took the air bag out of mothballs in the back of the lodge, set up a back porch jump area, and had people jumping into the bag at $3 a jump or $5 for two. They had people lined up waiting for an hour and a half to do it,” he says. Windham now has a wooden plank system with varied heights to jump from for the summer jumping. And it continues to be a draw.
Attitash Mountain, N.H., is building a similar setup, as are other resorts. Some, like Kissing Bridge, N.Y., use it to amp people up for their winter season. Last fall the area set it up during its Octoberfest and sold jumps into it, promoting the area’s winter air bag program at the same time. Kissing Ridge also had its bag customized to look like a can of Red Bull, for a sponsorship price.
Recently, resorts have been looking at summer usage and even things like biking into a bag.
And such uses have a wide appeal: “free falls” into a bag set up by bag leasing company US Air Bag at a trade show in Las Vegas this past spring attracted a surprising age range. “Kids, parents, grandparents, even an 81-year-old man jumped into it,” says Rufus Casey, CEO of US Air Bag. “We expect, in time, resorts to be even more excited about the use of these in the summer than the winter.”
Of course, there are cases of resorts deciding the expanded use is just not for them. Boreal, an early air-bag adopter, started out with a plan to increase revenue by selling jumps to the public. But according to former Boreal president and CEO Jody Churich, now SVP and COO of parent company Powdr Corp’s Woodward freestyle program, the area changed its mind quickly and limited their use.
“It is now very heavily positioned as a progression tool, and less of a revenue model,” she says. “Having these assets in this way is so important to the future of our sport. We are using them to help build skiers and riders and competitors. To us, that’s a great use.”
Churich says Boreal realized that for a smaller hill, the staffing, oversight and maintenance involved were just too much. And with Woodward’s focus on building great competitors, it works well for that purpose. “It’s not just a huck fest,” she says. “It’s about learning how to use it properly.”
Still, many uses are coming on line as resorts get creative.
Casey’s company, which sells licenses for bags, focuses on something more than profit first. By creating a program that builds, installs and gets the bag up and running, they hope to create a system that will be similar for guests who try them at any resort, and helps resorts keep things safe.
“With this model, our intention is to shift the (resort) focus from revenue to safety first,” he says. Because, like any newer resort program, safety must be watched carefully.
Mark Petrozzi, owner of AlpenRisk Safety LLC, has studied air bags at resorts and has suggestions on how to keep them safe. First and foremost, he says, just as with terrain parks, resorts have to “belly up to the fact that people are going to use [the bags] to get air,” and that in itself entails risk. But there is much they can do, he says, such as:
• testing and retesting. He suggests having all type of bodies—small, large, young and old—test the bag in a controlled setting to be sure everything is properly set up to handle a wide range of body types. Make sure, he says, the landing area is in the “sweet spot” so folks land on the soft center of the bag.
• signage: Have signs at the entrance and exit so people are told, point blank, that they are about to do something a bit different from anything they may have experienced before.
• Have all users sign a release. Not only does it give you some protection, he says, it’s a chance to educate the guest once more on usage and safety, so long as you can get them to read the form.
• Build your ramp and set up the bag according to the bag company’s instructions. Sometimes, he says, insurance companies are willing to come in and check over everything for you as well. Use these assets to make sure it is safe.
• Secure it at the end of the day, to prevent unauthorized and unsupervised use. Fencing, he says, is a good idea.
Wilkinson says that at Shawnee, they are careful to the nth degree on safety with their new revenue center. “Big Air Bag’s specs are great, and we follow them to a T,” she says. “This is not something you can just put up and walk away from. You really have to be vigilant. And sometimes, even when there is a crowd there, if the climate is not right, you have to just shut it down and walk away. Safety always comes first.”
Air bags are here, and are going to be in use more often. Year round, guests—and revenue—will be going bigger than ever.


text:
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Supporters of a bipartisan proposal to collect billions in unpaid Internet sales tax remain optimistic, even though the Senate vote has been pushed to May 6.
"It’s not a matter of if it’s going to pass, it’s a matter of when," said Michael Kercheval, president and chief executive of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the global trade association for the shopping center industry.
The Marketplace Fairness Act is designed to enable bricks-and-mortar stores to better compete with online sellers like Amazon.com and Zappos that don’t charge sales tax, and therefore get a price break of 6 percent to 10 percent over local stores.
The measure would enable states to charge and collect an estimated $23.3 billion in taxes that now go unpaid, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
That includes an estimated $628.6 million that would have gone to the State of Ohio and local governments. Although consumers who buy from out-of-state sellers are supposed to keep track of their sales tax and pay them on their state income tax forms, less than 1 percent of taxpayers actually do.
That’s because a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, exempts online retailers from having to charge sales tax in states where they doesn’t have a physical store or warehouse.
But supporters of the Marketplace Fairness Act say that 21-year-old decision was issued long before Internet retailing became such a force and no longer applies to today’s cut-throat retail scene. They point out that the challenge of computing sales tax in what was then 7,600 local taxing districts isn’t as much of a problem for today’s online software programs.
Critics of the bill have called it a tax hike, saying it will increase costs for smaller businesses who sell online. And some consumers who shop almost exclusively online object to having to pay more for things they now buy "tax-free."
Although earlier versions of e-fairness bills have died on the floor, proponents have insisted from the beginning that the 2013 version was destined to pass.
That’s because this one irons out some of the differences between previous House and Senate versions, by providing exemptions for small online-only businesses that raked in less than $1 million the previous calendar year.
Amazon.com, the world’s largest online store, supports the bill, says it would prefer a federal law that applies to everyone rather than having to comply with different rules in every state. But eBay Inc., opposes the proposal because it says the $1 million threshold is too low; it thinks the bill should exempt businesses with up to $30 million in annual sales.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, voted on Thursday with the majority, 63-30, to end debate on the bill. Sen. Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, did not vote. The Senate is set to vote on the bill on May 6.
A symbolic vote the Senate took on the measure last month passed by a 75-24 vote, including support from both Ohio senators.
"Anytime in today’s Senate that you can get people all across the political spectrum coming together and agreeing on something," especially by such clear margins, its chances are very good, said Betsy Laird, senior staff vice president of global public policy for ICSC.
"The timing is difficult to predict, but the outcome is fairly certain," she added.
If approved by the Senate, the measure would still need to be approved in the House before being sent to the White House, whose spokesmen have said President Barack Obama supports the bill.
Two Ohio Congressmen, David Joyce, Republican of Russell Township, and Steve Stivers, Republican of Columbus, are cosponsors of the House bill.
Proponents point out that states that don’t like the bill, perhaps because they don’t charge their residents state sales taxes, could opt out.
"The argument that we and all the other supporters of this legislation made is that this is really a state’s rights bill," Laird said. "It empowers the states to do what they want, and if the state doesn’t want to do this, it doesn’t have to."
Kercheval said that the fact that three-fourths of the Senate supports this helped give it greater credibility among members of the House.
"In talking to a number of congressman two weeks ago, many of them said to me . . . on both sides of the aisle, ‘If the Senate thought this was a good idea, we should take a look at this, too,’" he said. "The Congress members who’ve read this said, ‘This actually makes sense.’ "


text:
Funds flow for cybersecurity startups
Almost all the funded companies in India were bootstrapped for quite a significant amount of time, due to lack of early-stage funds.
Microsoft Accelerator joins hands with Wipro for startups
The partnership is part of Microsoft Accelerator’s CoInnovate programme, under whic...
A startup bridge to fortunes
Many of the selected startups, including, customer management software providers Freshdesk and Helpshift, alread...
Vini founder backs feminine hygiene startup
According to estimates, the sanitary pad market in India is expected to touch Rs 25,000 crore in the next seven-eight years.The comparable market in China is worth about Rs 65,000 crore currently .
ET 500: Startups at inflexion point
Early-stage funding by venture capital investors in startups hit a two-year low in the July-September quarter.
Digital lending startups feel the heat after demonetisation
They are seeing a slowdown in borrowings, but industry executives and experts say this is only temporary and the segment will see a boom next year.
Designgild launches startup accelerator
This is the second accelerator to be set up by the MIT Group after Edugild, India’s first accelerator for edtech startups.
Ericsson keen to mentor start-ups in India
With around 22,300 people working in India, Ericsson caters to customers globally. It has R&D centres in Bangalore and Chennai.
Has the government been able to turn the tap on startup funding?
How significant is the recent notification allowing startups to raise finances by way of the convertible note and will it help them?
Young Ideas invests in three startups
Grad Limited focuses on the graduate space, providing mentoring and assessment for graduate students. It has tied up with the Cambridge University Psychometric Department for the assessments.
Quikr acquires rental startup Grabhouse
As part of the overall integration process, GrabHouse founders and team will move to the Quikr headquarters.
32 tech startups to participate in Startup Bridge to boost M&A
A highly-curated list of startups is expected to engage with large tech giants in the event which is to be held on December 2.
Rocket Internet narrows losses at main startups
Rocket said aggregate revenue of selected companies grew by 31% to 1.58 billion euros ($1.68 billion) in the first nine months of the year, a slight slowdown from a growth rate of 32 percent in the first half.
View: Startup funding stuck in the Sebi maze
Sebi has also assumed that the offer made on the platform is likely to violate the private placement norms under the Companies Act.
ClearTax platform to aid startups begin operations in three weeks
"The platform has simplified and created an offering to launch a startup in 3 weeks with packages starting from Rs 19,999. This programme helps new entrepreneurs kickstart their idea," it added.


text:
Over 55s are likely to save the majority of any inheritance they receive and will spend £21,000 on average, according to Sunlife.
Research by the insurance provider shows that the average inheritance now stands at £119,000.
Of this amount, most adults would aim to save it with 11% saving all of it with a further 80% saving on average £56,596.
When it comes to using cash, 40% would spend £6,000 to pay off debts while 29% would clear off their mortgages.
Spending money on a holiday was the top trend among adults in 2016 (77%) followed by home improvements (49%), buying a car (42%) and windfall on their children (41%).
Among age groups, 25% of over 55s would use their money to pay off debts compared 50% of adults aged 18-34.
Younger adults are also more likely to put money towards buying a property compared to just 1 in 12 of over 55s.
Ian Atkinson, head of Branding at Sunlife, said:
“As our research has found, saving money can make us happier than spending it. The research also shows that experiences can make us happier than things, so where people are spending some of their inheritance, it’s interesting to see the top choice is in fact an experience – having a holiday.”
Contact us today to discuss your estate planning.


text:
The social media sites market is a lot more affordable than ever before, with more recent participants such as TikTok bring in individuals. With both of these firms counting on the electronic advertisement market and also experiencing a myriad of troubles, we ask which supply is a much better acquire?
Pinterest: Bull vs Bear debates
Pinterest (NYSE: PINS) is a social networks system established in 2009 that enables individuals to look for specific subjects and also produce ‘boards’ or ‘pin’ photos and also video clips.
Pinterest perhaps gives an extra favorable experience than various other systems. Much of its individuals look to Pinterest when they are seeking ideas around considerable life occasions such as wedding celebrations, house restorations, and also a lot more. This makes it a dreamland for firms to market as, throughout these significant life occasions, individuals are inclined to invest even more.
Pinterest remains to monetize its userbase with earnings raising by 20% year-over-year (YoY) in Q4 of 2021. The typical earnings per customer (ARPU) expanded by 23% to $1.93 while worldwide ARPU remains to climb up, which is crucial for long-lasting success. It additionally reported an earnings of $175 million in the quarter.
The business remains to include brand-new functions to take advantage of the on-line video clip pattern, such as a ‘Watch Tab’, which has actually seen very early grip and also the intro of ‘AR Try Out For Residence Style’. These functions need to assist bring in both clients and also marketers.
Nevertheless, the degree of turn over is interesting in 7 elderly execs having just recently left the business, and also possibly most especially its founder Evan Sharp and also primary earnings police officer Jon Kaplan. Pinterest additionally transformed its meaning of regular monthly energetic individuals and also reported a downturn in individuals, lowering 6% YoY to 431 million. This is a considerable decrease from 478 million in Q1 2021, and also Pinterest will certainly need to attempt and also reverse this sag.
Meta Systems (NASDAQ: FB), or Facebook, was established in 2005 by Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and also is the biggest social media sites system worldwide.
Because Of its 2.91 billion monthly-active-users, throughout its systems such as Instagram, Whatsapp, and also Facebook it has an affordable benefit as a result of its network result. Regardless of its dimension, the business remains to expand its earnings and also reported earnings development of 20% YoY in Q4 of 2021, in addition to an earnings of $10.3 billion.
Its big money gets, which completed $48 billion in the most up to date quarter, permitting it to spend for the future. Its most current name adjustment shows its concentrate on the metaverse and also opportunities for functioning, attaching and also a lot more. Its collaboration with Ray-Ban and also its procurement of Oculus in 2014 shows this.
Facebook additionally reported its initial decrease in everyday energetic individuals in 18 years, highlighting the affordable nature of the social media sites market and also is a considerable issue. There is additionally a huge regulative threat that is most likely to continue to be and also its financial investment in the metaverse is additionally dramatically influencing its profits.
So, which is a far better acquire today?
Regardless of its concerns, Pinterest shows up to use higher upside prospective as a result of its dimension with much less regulative and also various other dangers and also is a far better acquire today.


text:
Apple shares rise over 6% in pre-market trading after releasing record-breaking results.
Sales of 9 million iPhones more than expected and the April launch date of the Apple Watch gave the computer & device designer and manufacturer a 29.5% gain on revenue versus the same period the year before. Apple announced, ‘The results were fueled by all-time record revenue from iPhone® and Mac® sales as well as record performance of the App Store℠. iPhone unit sales of 74.5 million also set a new record.’
However, as the USTECH100 [Nasdaq] crashed on Tuesday, Apple fell alongside. Stocks throughout look better after market close with the USTECH100 rising from 4142 to 4223, and Apple rising over 6% pre-market today.
Apple quarterly earnings
Forecast: $2.60 a share on $67.69 billion in revenue (Thomson Reuters)
Actual: $3.06 per share on revenue of $74.6 billion. Both were records breaking results
Highlights of the earnings report:
Sales of iPhones: 74.5 million units versus a 65.7 million estimate and 51 million unit sales in the same period last year. iPhone sales comprised almost 69% of the company’s overall quarterly revenue.
Sales of the iPad: 21.4 million units versus a 22.2 million unit estimate.
Apple's cash pile rose to almost $178 billion, up 15% from the prior quarter.
Apple conference call revealed that it will start deliveries of the long-awaited Apple Watch in April 2015, and that sales in China of the iPhone showed “huge hunger for the large form factor screen, seeing a 70% growth in Asia.” The current number of Apple stores in China is 20 and this is hoped to double that number in the next 2 years. The company also said that it expects revenue between $52 billion and $55 billion in the current quarter; this will take into consideration the post-Christmas slack.
MT4 chart: APPLE
MT4 chart: USTECH100
Trade stock CFDs on STOCK.com with full training given to all clients


text:
Media360: MediaVest's Steve Parker on the importance of strategic insights and data
The roles of traditional planning and buying agencies in the 21st century are being increasingly redefined around strategic insights and data management, two topics underlined by Steve Parker, managing director of MediaVest at Media360 this month.
Parker, a long-time attendee of Media360 noted one of the key issues on the first day involved the surge in the amount of data now available, as highlighted in a session by MEC's David Fletcher.
He said: "The thing the conference feels they are most unprepared for is data explosion, which is slightly worrying because data explosion has happened and is happening every day."
Opening this year’s Media360 was Frank van der Post, managing director of brand and customer experience at British Airways, who had stressed the importance of trying to track the real value of the airline's new marketing activity, in terms of financial returns to the business over the next three to five years.
Parker noted this is an approach agencies are increasingly familiar with and was one Publicis Groupe's MediaVest has been trying to develop both for itself and the agencies clients.
Parker said: "[Post] used the language of a net promoter score, which I think is really valuable... We can start measuring the strength, depth, variety of our relationships with our key media owners, and also we do the same with client service.
"We [at MediaVest] use net promoter as a key measure of our relationship with client service, so I think it's real and I think many people here today are trying to employ that kind of measurement."
This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk
- International Account Director - Media Agency (Benelux & Scandinavia Regions) Silverdrum £45,000 + benefits, London (Central), London (Greater)
- Global Business Director Twist Recruitment £90000.00 - £100000 per annum, City of London
- Senior Digital Marketing Manager - £60K - Fashion - Buckinghams Salt £55000 - £65000 per annum, Buckinghamshire
- Italian Marketing Executive, Travel, Soho Blue Skies Marketing Recruitment £27000 - £30000 per annum, Benefits: +Bonus & Benefits, London
- Private Bank - Digital Marketing, eCRM Campaign & Marketing Operations Manager - Associate - London J.P.Morgan JPMorgan Chase & Co. offer an exceptional benefits program and highly competitive compensation., Knightsbridge
- Oreo eclipses The Sun in celestial stunt
- Katharine Viner becomes first female editor-in-chief of Guardian News & Media
- Why Viacom spent £120m extending Channel 5's Big Brother deal for three more years
- Tesco media review pits Initiative against MediaCom and ZenithOptimedia
- Comparethemarket.com offers two for one cinema tickets with Meerkat Movies
- Google's European leader says viewing habits are 'changing dramatically'


text:
Simplicity? It’s complicated.
Take the ultrastreamlined, stacked product navigation of École, a new men’s wear Web site launching today that abandons the usual product grid to let shoppers scroll horizontally, mix and match in-stock pieces and buy either complete ensembles or individual items.
“We feel that the technology is so differentiated that we have created provisional patents,” said founder and chief executive officer Jorge A. Cosano.
Cosano, who previously led L’Oréal’s U.S. new business incubator, set out last year to build a mobile-friendly shopping destination for midmarket men’s wear with appeal for thirtysomething “Henrys”: high-earning-not-rich-yet guys who are willing to spend a few hundred dollars on a staple clothing item, but stop short of consuming luxury fashion for fashion’s sake.
Arriving at the appealingly spare site, whose responsive design allows the delivery of the same look and feel across different devices and screen sizes, required something of a paradigm shift.
“Don’t think e-commerce, I want you to think about technology,” Cosano recalled saying to his team during development.
Drawing inspiration from the user experiences of Uber and Spotify, the result, revealed to media this week and during a private media preview held at the company’s Bowery studio, bears a closer resemblance to Tinder than a retail shop. Easy-to-bypass, text-free images keep the initial emphasis on individual items from independent brands Siki Im, Public School, Patrik Ervell, Richard Chai, Robert Geller and Common Projects. Pricing and brand information only becomes available on subsequent product pages.
“At the end of the day, guys want simplicity. What they are not going to do is spend Saturday afternoon going to Barneys trying to discover new brands,” Cosano said.
Keeping the number of brand partners and product selection limited was a choice calculated as an alternative to retailers and e-commerce sites that overwhelm customers with vast product selections.
Coming next, Cosano said he and a team that includes Wharton’s David Bell and Details magazine’s communications director Liz Keen as advisers are planning pop-up shops outside New York, as well as predictive sizing functionality that uses an algorithm to match customers to inventory in their size according to their measurements.


text:
Sainsbury's has come under fire for a photo in which apples wrapped in single-use plastic sit next to a sign which says single-use plastic bags are no longer used by the supermarket.
The photo, taken in Fallowfield, Manchester, shows a sign which reads: "No more single-use plastic bags in our fruit and veg aisles.
"You'll now need to weigh your items using the in-aisle scales, before putting them in your own container or our reusable bag."
Tweeting the image, journalist Sophie Benson said the image was a "perfect representation of what brands say they'll do vs what they actually do."
Sign up to MyLondon's FREE newsletters!
At MyLondon, we want to make sure you get the latest and greatest from across the capital.
And one way you can do that is by getting the best news, reviews and features from wherever you are straight to your inbox with our free email newsletters.
We have seven newsletters you can currently sign up for - including a different one for each part of London, as well as an EastEnders one for all the gossip from Albert Square, and a London Underground one to keep you up to date on the latest transport news.
The local newsletters go out twice a day and send the latest stories straight to your inbox.
From community stories and news covering every borough of London to celebrity and lifestyle stories, we'll make sure you get the very best every day.
To sign up to any of our newsletters, simply follow this link and select the newsletter that's right for you.
And to really customise your news experience on the go, you can download our top-rated free apps for iPhone and Android. Find out more here.
Several other Twitter users weighed in with their own criticism, one of whom said it was an example of "greenwashing," the process of conveying a false impression about how a brand's products are more environmentally friendly.
For more news and features about London directly to your inbox sign up to our newsletter here.
"This is why individual action is meaningless without market-makers offering the options we need to live more sustainable lifestyles," another wrote.
Another said: "Never pay much notice to what people say...always pay close attention to what they do."
"So often the cheaper offers in bags too. Really irksome," commented a third.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury's told MyLondon the supermarket was "halving the amount of plastic packaging we use by 2025."


text:
The Indigenous Tracksuit – Juicy Couture Velour Is Back With A Bang
Almost all the late ‘90s teenagers donned the captivating tracksuits of Juicy Couture! But if you aren’t aware of the new-gen fresh-faced fans selling velvet pieces on Depop, it’s time to familiarize yourself. Juicy’s iconic separates have promised a bedazzling reboot.
The millennium tracksuit marks its 26th anniversary by rebooting the rich material of luxe cotton. Last year, American actress Paris Hilton approved this original fabric that launched the loungewear to glittering glamor.
Amy Gibson, head of design of Juicy, remarkably describes the luxe cotton-rich fabric. She says it was Couture’s secret weapon, held back for the perfect moment. Further, she cited that summer is undoubtedly the ideal time for unveiling the return of this adored tracksuit.
The fabric material has a dense pile with a hefty cotton base. However, its breathable comfort is driving athleisure customers towards it. Initially, the tracksuit possessed a low-rise waistband. But now, it has been swapped with a mid-rise one. The signature trims underwent a compelling revamp as well.
The new release of the indigenous tracksuit brings up six unique and fresh colorways. It includes black, lemon drop, soft gray, sugar swizzle, raspberry rose, and mint.
Initially, the LA North Stars were the early endorsers of Coutre’s tracksuit. Gibson also reveals that this reboot is to pay homage to all the celebrity muses of the Noughties. JC’s comeback is centered around how people want their tracksuits back in their wardrobes.
So, slightly upgrading the silhouettes was something inflicted upon. And its return has been marked with a brand new campaign. Also, a series of enticing graphics, crests, and slogans are likely to drop later this year.


text:
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers are getting new in-game content as part of their subscription, Microsoft has announced. The new “Perks” vary by game, but they range from unique emotes and in-game cosmetic items in Phantasy Star Online 2 to free ship parts in Sea of Thieves. World of Tanks: Mercenaries players, meanwhile, will get access to three tanks, or you can get a bundle of five Gods, character skins, and voice packs in Smite.
All of the Perks will be enabled automatically for subscribers, and they can be found in the Xbox Game Pass tab on console, in the Xbox beta app on Windows 10, or in the Xbox Game Pass mobile app. Microsoft says it will announce new Perks as part of future Xbox Game Pass catalog updates.
Announced last April, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate combines Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service with an Xbox Live Gold subscription. It saves you around $5 a month compared to the cost of paying for the two services separately. Now, if you’re the kind of person who likes to spend money on additional in-game content, it could potentially save you a little more.
Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy.


text:
© YMTC (illustration purpose only) Components | May 30, 2019
NAND Flash: 'Competition may get ugly'
Due to frictions from the US-China trade dispute, China's two DRAM giants are showing clear signs of slowing. According to research by DRAMeXchange, YMTC, which forms the main bulwark of NAND flash development in China, will be mass producing 64-layer Xtacking 3D NAND products this year end as scheduled.
Yangtze Memory Technologies' (YMTC) capacity expansion in 2020 is projected to impact supply and prices in the global NAND flash market. TrendForce points out that YMTC has already sent examples to some of its customers and controller suppliers in 1Q, focusing on domestic sales in the early stages. They have also wrapped up construction of their Wuhan plant, and have allocated limited capacity to 32-layer products, waiting until the mass production of 64-layer production to switch to a more proactive stance and expand capacity. Plans are to enlarge production capacity in 2020, bring wafer production up to at least 60K/m. Although this can't be considered large compared to other competitors, who boast capacities of over 200K/m, it is still expected to have a certain impact on NAND flash market prices and prolong the falling trend. Analyses by TrendForce show that China is clear in its resolve to deploy new production capacity in hopes of achieving self-sufficiency. Other international suppliers have opened up new plants in anticipation of the competition post-2020, including Samsung's phase 2 investment into its Xi' An plant, Toshiba's new Iwate fab, Micron's third plant in Singapore, SK Hynix's utilization of the remaining space in the M15 plant and the following M16 plant etc. One may expect the price competition to get ugly after suppliers' capacities have risen. YMTC to tackle 128-layer products straight on next year in attempt to narrow 1-2 year technology gap with first-tier plants Judging from the developments of the top six suppliers, mainstream shipments consist of 64/72-layer products, while 92/96-layer products have already entered mass production. UFS, SSD products are being provided to customers for qualification, yet the expansion of new production processes have been affected by this year's market. Suppliers have been lowering capex since the end of last year and spreading out expansion schedules. Some suppliers have even decided to cut back production, slowing proportion growth of new production processes. In contrast to other suppliers who've taken to developing 9x-layer products as their first move, YMTC chose to tackle 128-layer products straight on to narrow the gap between them and other suppliers; other major players will be mass producing 128-layer products further down the timeline in 2020. Despite the considerable technological gap between YMTC and other suppliers, YMTC's impact on the future market is inevitable and unstoppable.
More on the subject can be found at Trendforce.
More on the subject can be found at Trendforce.
- NAND Flash revenue for 3Q20 up by only 0.3% QoQ due to weak server sales
- Kontron Industrial AI Platform for easy integration of Artificial Intelligence
- Intel to keep its number One in 2020
- Small Norwegian wireless sensor manufactured in Germany
- Trina Solar buys 1.2B units of 210mm monocrystal silicon wafers from Zhonghuan
GlobalWafers confirms takeover discussions with Siltronic The Taiwanese company says it is in advanced, near to final discussions on a takeover offer of German supplier of silicon wafers, Siltronic AG.
Covid-19 halts Chinese SK Hynix plant The discovery of an asymptomatic, but infected, employee brought SK Hynix’s plant in Chongqing, China to a halt on Sunday.
Murata to shut down Chinese production facility Saitama Murata Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Murata, will close its its coil production subsidiary Sheng Long TOKO Tech, located in Shenzhen, China, during December 2020
Antistat™ launch new product range of ESD Anti-fatigue matting Manufactured in the EU, Antistat’s new range of matting blends exceptional quality with durability offering a life span of up to 5 years.
Digi-Key inks new U.S. distribution partnership with MISCO Digi-Key Electronics has expanded its product portfolio to include a U.S. distribution partnership with MISCO, a resource offering complete audio solution services.
Arkema kickstarts capacity increase of fluoropolymer in China Arkema is starting up its 50% capacity increase of Kynar fluoropolymer for the lithium-ion battery business at its Changshu plant in China in December 2020, with the first commercial supplies for January 2021.
STMicro and YTO set up joint lab for smart agricultural equipment Semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronis, is teaming up with Chinese provider of agricultural and construction machinery YTO Group to establish a joint lab which will focus on R&D of electronic solutions for engine, vehicle, and agricultural controls in tractors.
12 new 1200V Hyperfast and Ultrafast Rectifiers from Vishay New Yorker Electronics has announced the availability of 12 new FRED Pt® Gen 5 1200 V Hyperfast and Ultrafast rectifiers from Vishay Semiconductor. The ideal choice for soft switched and resonant high frequency converters, it features a unique combination of low conduction and switching losses.
SKT's new AI chip changes the company's AI semiconductor business vision SK Telecom (SKT) has unveiled its new, self-developed, AI chip named SAPEON X220; a chip that, according to the company, will alter the company's AI semiconductor business vision.
Labour dispute at ST France – the conflict continues The strike at STMicroelectronics French operations continues. For the last four weeks, the site in Crolles has been on an indefinite strike following the company’s decision not to increase employee salaries this year.
Tachyum resumes hiring in Slovakia and USA Following a short halt due to COVID-19, the Silicon Valley and Slovakian semiconductor company says that it is restarting its hiring activities.
Intel CEO pens open letter to President-elect Biden Intel CEO Bob Swan is, in an open letter, urging the President-elect to invest in U.S. manufacturing.
Wafer acpacity by feature size shows strongest growth at <10nm IC capacity for leading-edge (<10nm) processes is expected to grow and become the largest portion of monthly installed capacity across the industry beginning in 2024, based on information in IC Insights’ Global Wafer Capacity 2020-2024 report.
Powell Electronics now Europe’s largest Positronic stockist Powell Electronics, the supplier of connectors and more for high-rel applications, is to become Europe’s largest stocking distributor of Positronic connectors following a franchise deal signed by the two companies.
Alps Alpine develops, starts shipping samples of HAPTIC Reactor Heavy Type Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. has developed the HAPTIC™ Reactor Heavy Type for powerful vibrations in touch feedback. Sample shipments, destined primarily for the automotive market, begin in October 2020, with a start to mass production expected in January 2021.
SkyWater and Multibeam form partnership to deploy Multibeam’s Innovative MEBL system Maskless lithography technology company, Multibeam Corporation, has disclosed a partnership to deploy Multibeam’s Multicolumn Electron-Beam Lithography (MEBL) system into SkyWater’s newly expanded fabrication facility in support the company roadmap to advance its manufacturing capabilities and accelerate growth.
Intel to keep its number One in 2020 Seven top-15 semiconductor suppliers forecast to show ≥22% growth this year with Nvidia expected to post a huge 50% increase, writes market researcher IC Insights in their latest report.
Trina Solar buys 1.2B units of 210mm monocrystal silicon wafers from Zhonghuan On 19 November 2020, Changzhou Trina Solar Energy and Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconducto, signed a framework contract. Under the contract, Trina Solar intends to purchase 210mm monocrystal silicon wafers from Tianjin Huanou International Silicon Material Co., Ltd., a Zhonghuan subsidiary.
Kontron Industrial AI Platform for easy integration of Artificial Intelligence The Kontron Industrial AI Platform accelerates the use of AI algorithms for inference in industrial environments, such as quality control or predictive maintenance.
Luminar accelerates momentum with MobilEye design win Automotive lidar hardware and software supplier, Luminar Technologies, has struck a deal with Intel company, Mobileye, to supply Luminar lidar for the company’s Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Series solution in its next phase of driverless car development and testing.
Farnell boosts safety and hygiene portfolio with AMETEK Land AMETEK Land boasts a comprehensive range of non-contact temperature monitors and analysers including the new VIRALERT 3 Human Body Temperature Screening System for back-to-work safety checks.Load more news


text:
Ford has fired the latest salvo to win the hearts and wallets of buyers with a special feature-packed edition of the G6 Falcon, which, since the launch of the current FG Falcon range, been overlooked by racier models in the showroom.
��The G6 hasn�t been known as well as we would have liked,�� admits Ford Australia�s president and managing director Marin Burela. The G6 Limited Edition comes with $4000 of extra equipment at at drive-away price of $36,490 and goes on sale this month.
The company claims that the extra gear equates to a saving of $13,000 over the recommended retail price of a G6 (plus on-road and dealer costs) built to the same equipment levels through the options list, and once taxes and dealer charges have been absorbed in the special drive-away price.
The G6 Limited Edition includes curtain airbags (taking the count to six), leather seats and steering wheel, phone Bluetooth, iPod integration, 18-inch alloys and up-spec grilles and bumper inserts among the extras.
It is available as an E-Gas option (which runs on LPG) but these cars will come with 17-inch alloys and the old four-speed auto.
Ford hopes the G6 limited edition will enjoy a similar sales spike that the XR6 has obtained with its mid-$30K drive-away offer. (The XR6 now represents about 43 per cent of Falcon private sales, the XT 15 per cent and the balance fought out among the G6, G6E and G6E Turbo models.)
Ford Australia won�t say how many Limited Edition G6 cars it will build - or exactly how long the offer will run for - but the cars are being built in special batches from now until the end of November, which should provide stock until year�s end.
��We are completely confident they will sell out in a few weeks,�� said Mr Burela. Mr Burela admits that something had to be done to raise the G6 profile in the Falcon range. ��We knew we needed to make a stand in a way that resonated with the market.
��Our way of now communicating [the merits of] the G6 was to come out with the Limited Edition - communicate that at the right price point, with the right value.�� Mr Burela said impact on resale values of G6 and G6E cars already purchased was considered in deciding to offer more G6 for less money.
��We clearly have to be very careful that we don�t impact adversely on residuals and the value of what people have purchased in the past. ��Recognising that the [sales] volumes of the G6 have been very, very small, certainly since the introduction of the G-Series of cars, we see no risk there at all,�� he said.
How so? Because it�s a limited edition, Mr Burela said. Ford Australia is a latter-day convert to drive-away pricing � on limited editions at least. ��I like to think it wasn�t [with hidden costs] bamboozling people,�� Mr Burela said.
��We think a customer likes to walk into a showroom and know what they�re going to pay. ��What drive-away pricing does do to a greater degree is level the playing field so that people actually know that when you�re out there in the competitive world, we�re all out there communicating and putting the offer on the table,�� he said.
The Limited Edition may also spark a simplification (or rationalisation) of the model line-up, which could see the G6 and luxury G6E rolled into a single, respecified model. It was a suck-it-and-see proposition, depending how the limited Edition was received by the public.
��What we�ll learn from this is whether this is what people are looking for, ongoing, and whether there�s any opportunity for further complexity reduction in our line-up and further refinement in terms of the offering we give to the market,�� Mr Burela said.
��Watch this space,�� he said. ��Once we get through this next month-and-a-half when these cars hit the road we�ll take some decisions.�� But will the G6 Limited Edition simply poach sales from the more expensive G6E?
��Will it steal one from there other? There will be some substitution, there is no question about that. But when we look at G6 and G6E, those two are very closely aligned,�� Mr Burela said.


text:
Taking Stock of Chinese Equities
Shaun Rein, founder & managing director at China Market Research Group, is bullish on the Chinese economy this year but sees a 3-5% fall in A-shares in the coming months before they bounce back. He talks to Crocker Coulson, president at CCG Investor Relations and CNBCâ??s Martin Soong.
Mon, Jan 17 20117:45 PM EST


text:
Big Y Plans to Eliminate Single-Use Plastic Bags in 2020
Both Berkshire County cities last year spent months if not years, talking about banning single-use plastic bags but they might find business is moving ahead of them.
iBerkshires.com reports Big Y Foods Inc., one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England, will eliminate its use of the bags from all 70 of its markets, specialty stores and Big Y Express Gas and Convenience locations in 2020.
That decision was prompted, in part, by local towns that have already prohibited the use of the bags. The 83-year-old company says it has been complying with bag bans in Adams (which launched a free bag initiative), Amherst, Great Barrington, Lee, Northampton, and South Hadley since 2014.
The supermarket has locations in North Adams and Pittsfield, and both cities and the other towns also have other grocers and department stores. Aldis and Price Rite either do not supply or charge for bags and Price Chopper has complied with local bans and encouraged customers to shift to reusables.
Pittsfield is still sitting on a potential ordinance banning the wide use of the bags while North Adams councilors determined to wait until the state made a move before instituting any prohibitions. One concern was the cost of replacing the bags with sturdier, reusable bags that can cost anywhere from 99 cents to $5.
Big Y says it will be offering discounted pricing and promotions on its reusable bags throughout 2019 to help customers transition.


text:
Philly Pretty busy
Philadelphia police release video to help apprehend 60 suspects caught on camera robbing a Walgreens
Police have released this footage of a brash Fourth of July robbery at a Philadelphia Walgreens.
Philadelphia police have released surveillance video showing a large group of young people running into a Walgreens store and causing thousands of dollars in damage last week.
Investigators say the South Philadelphia incident happened at around 10 p.m. on Thursday and involved a large group of men and women who “look like teens."
The group "stormed the Walgreens store" and "ran around knocking items off of the shelves," according to police. The video captured three men running through an aisle, knocking makeup off store shelves. Another camera angle captured a larger group knocking other items off shelves.
PHILADELPHIA STREET SIGN HONORING PATTI LABELLE SPELLED INCORRECTLY
“Some members in the group threw merchandise at store employees, resulting in injuries,” police said.
The video released by police showed one boy grabbing items off of racks near the checkout counter and throwing the items at employees.
Some people in the group can be seen filming the incident on their cell phones. The group is also seen running out of the store with items in their hands, including soft drinks and snacks.
At least one person in the group covered his face as he entered and left the store.
PHILADELPHIA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY DEPUTY SHERIFF FOUND DEAD AT HIS DESK IN APPARENT SUICIDE
A cashier was hit in the head with a glass bottle when he tried to intervene, WPVI reported.
"About 60 juveniles walked into the establishment and began removing things from the shelves, destroying property inside the store,” Philadelphia Police Captain Sekou Kinebrew told the television station. “The cashier attempted to intervene and some heavy item - I believe it was a bottle - was thrown at him, striking him in the head."
Kinebrew added that the value of the stolen merchandise and the damage to the store totaled between $6,000 and $7,000.
The injured clerk has been treated and released with cuts and bruises to his head, the station reported.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Philadelphia police told Fox News none of the suspects have been arrested and asked anyone with information to call the police department
Our 2 Token Queers really like their Birds
Heard they kiss a cockatoo daily