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The company declined to comment on why Betts had parted ways with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
Betts was one of few top managers at Chrysler to survive its 2009 bankruptcy. But his penchant for speaking his mind occasionally irked CEO Sergio Marchionne, said two company insiders.
For example, his comments this year about Chrysler’s negotiations with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over 2 million older Jeep Grand Cherokees and Libertys about an alleged fire hazard raised eyebrows at the company.
In 2013, Chrysler initially refused a request from NHTSA to recall the vehicles.
In June of this year, during industry records for recalls, Betts told Automotive News that recalls had become “a very politicized issue” that threatened to afflict consumers with a “boy who cried wolf syndrome.”
He said that if the NHTSA request had come in the current environment, “I think we would have rolled over and played dead in a second.” He said that in a politicized recall environment, “all sense goes out the window and you just try to stay out of the news.”
As it happened last year, the automaker reached a settlement with the agency by agreeing to install trailer hitch assemblies on 1993-98 Jeep Grand Cherokees and 2002-07 Jeep Libertys that didn’t already have them. Chrysler began installing the hitches in August.
Betts, who was hired away from Nissan by former Chrysler Group CEO Bob Nardelli, was singled out for praise in 2011 by Consumer Reports for his “single focus on bringing Chrysler back into the field” in terms of quality.
But Chrysler’s quality scores in surveys ebbed and flowed in subsequent years, especially on newly launched vehicles. Jeep finished second to last in the 2014 J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study, ahead of only the Fiat brand.
Betts warned earlier this year that the Jeep brand was likely to get hit hard on initial quality surveys because of initial problems tuning the nine-speed automatic transmission of the redesigned 2014 Jeep Cherokee.
Jake Fisher, head of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, said the automaker’s Fiat brand has been a problem for Chrysler.
“The Fiat models that we have data on — the 500 and the 500L — they’re really terrible when it comes to reliability. In fact, the Fiat 500L was the absolute worst vehicle in our survey of brand-new vehicles,” Fisher said.
The Fiat 500L is manufactured in Serbia.


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Econsultancy and Marketing Week surveyed US and UK marketers on the outbreak’s impact on the marketing industry.
The survey reveals the majority of marketers in the UK (91%) and North America (87%) have predicted an increased usage of online services amid the outbreak. Majority of marketers in both countries have also predicted an increase in ecommerce usage.
47% of respondents said they have either delayed or put their planned technology or infrastructure spending under review. More than half of marketers have further delayed their planned new hires or put them under review.
This article states that though “short-term survival” would be a priority for brands, they might need to revisit their digital transformation plans to thrive in the longer term. They might have to consider upscaling digital infrastructure and hiring new skill-sets to compete in the current “new normal”.
[4 minute read]

domain: news


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Officials of DAO and DDRC selecting usable goods from the damaged materials. Photo: Republica
NUWAKOT, Dec 28: Huge amount of relief materials meant for the earthquake victims remained stored in a warehouse in Bidur while the victims were left high and dry for over two years.
Thirty-two months after the devastating earthquake, the District Disaster and Relief Committee (DDRC) of Nuwakot finally reached the training center of Bidur where the relief materials were stored.
The DDRC agreed to distribute the relief materials which were long forgotten by the authorities after repeated requests from the victims. Unfortunately, more than half of the relief materials have been damaged. The relief materials were rotting in the warehouse as no one took a stock of it for two years.
According to Nanda Lal Sharma, administrative officer at the District Administration Office (DAO),Nuwakot, officials have been mobilized to get rid of the rotten and damaged rice, pulses, biscuits, salt and other essentials donated by national and international organizations. He further informed that the officials have been told to check whether some materials and goods such as tents, tarpaulins, bed sheets, utensils and clothes are still usable or not.
"Relief materials worth Rs 50 million were stored in the center which was provided by the countries like India, Germany, China, and Thailand among others," informed Sharma. The DDRC has directed the authorities to destroy the damaged materials. "We have been told to keep the usable goods for the victims," Sharma added.
While the relief materials meant for distribution to the quake victims have been piled up in the warehouse, victims are shivering out in the cold. Even after so many months of the disaster, a large number of victims still live in makeshift tents. With this, the victims will be spending their third winter in makeshift tents. In lack of coordination between political parties, DDRC and other stakeholders, the relief materials have become the food for rodents.
The local donors wanted to distribute the materials in their own localities while others dissented. This is the reason why the relief materials were not distributed on time, according to Indra Bahadur Pandit, chairperson of the Forum for Protection of Consumer's Right (FPCR), Nuwakot.


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Think every bad technology idea disappears, that the marketplace kills off the saddest social media sites conceivable? Think again. An intriguing story by ComputerWorld’s Mike Elgan recently featured a number of the absolute worst technology ideas that defy taste and common sense. But yet … they are still alive and kicking. Why? Maybe U.S. consumers aren’t as clever as we’d like to believe.
Social Media for Your Bathroom
How else, though, to explain the continuing life of iPoo? As the ComputerWorld story says, this is a social network that is exactly what you think it is. It’s intended for people who are going to the bathroom and still don’t want to detach from their virtual friends. People shouldn’t talk on their cell phones when they’re sitting on the toilet. They shouldn’t post messages to their online friends about what they just had for dinner, either.
Tacos Through the Air
We all like fast-food tacos. But going to get those tacos? That’s not as much fun. TacoCopter wants to solve this challenge by delivering tacos in California’s Silicon Valley with helicopter drones. Yes, drones won’t just be for eliminating terrorists if TacoCopter gets its way. This service, of course, isn’t yet ready to go. And the likelihood is good that it will never achieve this milestone. But the company does boast a live website.
A Stranger Is Only a Friend You Haven’t Met?
Are you searching for more friends on Facebook? If so, you can use a new service called Airtime. It mines your Facebook profile and collects strangers that share similar interests to you. Then you’re able to click “next” should you not like the stranger that they send you. This service may be a little creepy, though; such is the arena of online stranger.


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The growth in the digital twin market is expected to be driven by the increasing demand for asset health optimization, growing market penetration of Industrial IoT solutions, and the rising establishment of smart building infrastructure to ensure optimum energy consumption.
New York, Aug. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Digital Twin Market: Focus on Product Offering (Platform, Hardware, Support Services), Type (Asset, Process, System), Industry (Manufacturing, Automotive, Energy, Healthcare), Impact of COVID-19 - Analysis and Forecast, 2020-2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05954317/?utm_source=GNW
This technology has garnered the attention of various industries such as manufacturing, automotive, and healthcare to increase their productivity as well as efficiency. Catering to the manufacturing industry, the rising need to meet the on-demand production target with the existing ageing assets is driving the growth of digital twin technology.
With digital twin implementation across the automotive value chain, the automotive manufacturers can have the real-time on-road field insights and can predict the failure of any such vehicle equipment for better manufacturing performance before getting it delivered to the customers.
The growth of digital twin technology in the healthcare industry is attributed to the increase in the industry’s initiative toward maintaining a smart workflow within its premises to provide optimum treatment facilities for the patients. Moreover, digital twin helps the doctors and surgeons in predicting the emergency condition of patients by real-time monitoring of the patient’s health.
Impact of COVID-19 on Global Digital Twin Market
In 2020, the digital twin market is expected to experience downfall due to COVID-19 pandemic, as the testing and the simulation process for the implementation of the virtual model has been at a standstill.With the lockdown being imposed, there has been a scarcity of resources worldwide, which is expected to impact the global digital twin market for this particular year.
However, the growth of the digital twin technology market is expected to revive sparsely from Q3 2020 once the operational activities become normal post lockdown, as the technology would allow the industrialized world to understand the operational behavior of the physical asset from remote locations as well.
The competitive landscape for the digital twin market demonstrates an inclination toward the companies that are adopting strategies such as partnerships, collaborations, and joint ventures along with mergers and acquisitions for introducing new technologies and enhance their existing product portfolio. With the increasing growth of the global market, companies operating in this industry are compelled to come up with collaborative strategies in order to sustain in the intensely competitive market. For instance, in January 2020, Siemens entered into a partnership with Arm Holdings for the development of the digital twin platform to ensure driver assistance system across the automotive industry. In December 2019, Microsoft Corporation entered into a partnership with Ansys Inc. for the development of IoT enabled digital twin framework to ensure real-time data transfer and to improve the performance of industrial assets.
Regional Market Dynamics
The digital twin market holds a prominent share in various countries of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Japan, and the Middle East and Africa. North America is at the forefront of the global digital twin market, with high market penetration rate in the U.S., Canada, and others, which are expected to display robust market growth in the coming five years.
During the forecast period, the Asia-Pacific and Japan region is expected to flourish as one of the most lucrative markets for digital twin technology. Asia-Pacific and Japan is expected to exhibit significant growth opportunities for digital twin owing to the increasing urban population size, growing market penetration of advance technologies, and favorable government investments on the adaptation of Industry 4.0 standards and policies for enhanced manufacturing and production facilities across all industry verticals.
• North America
• Asia-Pacific and Japan
• South Korea
• Rest-of-Asia-Pacific and Japan
• Middle East and Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• South Africa
• Rest-of-Middle East and Africa
• South America
• Rest-of-South America
Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05954317/?utm_source=GNW
ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.
CONTACT: Clare: email@example.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001


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An app called I SEA made a splash last week when it purported to give anyone, anywhere the power to save Mediterranean migrants. With just a smartphone, a few spare minutes, and a sharp eye, users of I SEA could help spot migrant-laden vessels in distress and alert authorities. Numerous publications including Reuters, Wired, Fast Company, and Newsweek published positive coverage.
Going green can be a rather thankless effort. Nobody pats you on the back for your reusable water bottle, diligent recycling efforts, and insistence on buying local. But one Dutch entrepreneur wants to reward residents of Amsterdam for their efforts to bring down air pollution. And he's doing it with birdhouses.
Earlier today at the annual E3 videogame conference in Los Angeles, Nintendo pulled back the curtain on the latest installment in its iconic Zelda franchise. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be the first new Zelda game created for Nintendo's four-year-old Wii U system (instead of just updated versions of games for older systems). Based on the new trailer, it looks pretty incredible.


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PETACH TIKVAH, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cellebrite, the global market leader in retail mobile content transfer, backup and restore solutions, today announced that the company has made a $3,000,000 investment in CommuniTake Ltd., an Israeli technology company specializing in providing remote access to mobile devices. As part of the strategic investment, Cellebrite will hold two newly created seats on the CommuniTake Board of Directors.
The deal enables Cellebrite to offer multi-channel diagnostics for smartphones which will include CommuniTake’s unique remote control, diagnostics and support technology for use by call center agents. These innovative diagnostic capabilities allow wireless retailers to address smartphone problems immediately through the remote takeover of devices by an agent. The CommuniTake technology is an integral part of Cellebrite’s Multi-Channel Diagnostics solution.
With the explosive growth in global smartphones sales, Cellebrite’s Multi-Channel Diagnostics solution addresses the pressing need for the fast identification and resolution of common mobile device faults, without requiring the phone to be sent away for repairs.
In announcing the deal, Yossi Carmil, Co-CEO of Cellebrite, said: “Cellebrite has demonstrated a proven track record in delivering products that improve wireless operator revenue, margins, and customer satisfaction in the store. With the investment in CommuniTake, we are expanding the impact of our solutions portfolio beyond the store into the broader retail environment, addressing a multi-billion dollar business opportunity in the process.”
Ronen Sasson, CEO of CommuniTake added: “We welcome Cellebrite as a strategic investor and believe that having access to Cellebrite’s resources, mobile expertise, brand and global market presence will position CommuniTake for success in the years to come.”
Founded in 1999, Cellebrite is a global company known for its technological breakthroughs in the cellular industry.
Cellebrite’s advanced retail mobile solutions are unique in offering in-store phone-to-phone content transfer, backup and restore, phone diagnostics, and side-loading of applications and content. With over 100,000 units deployed in more than 200 mobile carriers and retailers globally – such as Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint/Nextel, T-Mobile, O2, RadioShack, Orange, Vodafone and others – and in excess of 250,000,000 transactions a year, Cellebrite has become a world leader in the mobile retail market with companies in Israel, Germany, the USA, South America and Asia Pacific,
Cellebrite is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Sun Corporation, a listed Japanese company (6736/JQ).
CommuniTake is recognized as a front-runner in remote access technology over mobile devices. It established an industry by first combining advanced enterprise mobility solutions with a full remote support stack.
CommuniTake introduces operators to new revenue generating programs, cost cutting support solutions, automated issue resolution processes and an innovative white label model. Its products have been implemented at some of the world’s leading service providers help desks centers and global corporations.


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The world’s most energy efficient solar integrated roofing system is proud to announce SunSpark Technology Inc. as their premiere module manufacturer for all introductory sales and installations.
For more, please follow this link.
SunSpark proudly manufactures its solar modules in our southern California plant, employing local hardworking Americans to assemble thousands of panels annually. We use only high-quality components in the manufacture of the solar modules.
Sunspark is committed to do what it can to help our country grow and prosper. One of the most important ways is to build our products in the USA employing Americans in the process.
We are excited to announce that SunSpark has received certifications with IEC 61215 and 61730 standards for its high efficiency solar modules. The certifications are approved by TUV Nord GmbH from Germany.
The Solar Panel Art Series aligns science and art, creating a platform where renewable energy meets artistic creativity.
The Solar Panel Art Series aims to raise awareness for renewable energy, now set to become the primary form of energy in the not-too-distant future. The project would like to highlight the potential where art, technology and nature can co-exist.


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AVON, Ohio - Secret Santas have been paying off bills for strangers across the country, and the generosity of the Good Samaritans continued to spread into northeast Ohio over the weekend.
Walmart workers in Avon called some layaway customers on Friday who told them they wouldn't be able to pay for their on-hold gifts, which meant also giving up a fee and down payment. Midnight Saturday was the last day for some to pay in full or forfeit the money already paid.
On Saturday, the Walmart said an anonymous do-gooder handed the layaway clerk his credit card to pay off items on the layaway bill.
The store manager told the Chronicle-Telegram the anonymous donor couldn't choose just one or two families, so he took care of the entire $8,800 bill.
The Avon Secret Santa told Walmart's manager he read an article recently that spoke to his heart and he felt moved to help make a difference this holiday season.
Walmart's manager told the newspaper the 23 families were in tears and shock when employees called to tell them their layaway gifts had been anonymously paid in full.


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Hong Kong’s CMCC Global, a venture capital firm with a focus on the crypto sector, has successfully raised $100 million to support blockchain startups in Asia.
This initiative, known as the Titan Fund, recently concluded its first round of funding on October 4th, with 30 investors participating.
Among the notable investors are blockchain firm Block.one, Hong Kong magnate Richard Li’s Pacific Century Group, Winklevoss Capital, Jebsen Capital, and Animoca Brands founder Yat Siu, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
The Titan Fund has identified specific areas for investment, including blockchain infrastructure, consumer applications such as gaming and nonfungible tokens (NFTs), and financial services encompassing exchanges, wallets, and lending and borrowing platforms.
This marks CMCC Global’s fourth venture fund that offers equity investments to early-stage blockchain startups, with a particular emphasis on Hong Kong.
The fund has already completed five investment rounds, with two directed towards startups based in Hong Kong.
Among the Hong Kong-based startups that have received support from the fund are Mocaverse, an NFT project launched by Animoca Brands in December 2022, which raised $20 million in September. The second recipient is Terminal 3, a Web3 data infrastructure startup.
The launch of this $100 million crypto venture fund comes at a time when crypto funding has been relatively scarce due to the bear market and the recent FTX collapse.
According to Pitchbook data, global venture capital investments in crypto firms saw a significant decline of 70.9% year-on-year, with the number of deals also dropping by 55%.
This contrasts sharply with the previous bull market, during which crypto-based startups attracted billions in funding, resulting in the emergence of new unicorns almost every month.


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Earlier this year, the Justice Department in the USA launched an investigation against Apple and the big six publishers. The authorities were looking into the entire Agency model, where the publishers collectively determined the price on the digital content. Most of the publishers settled out of court, while Apple, Macmillian, and Penguin continue to fight. The European Union also launched their own investigation a few months before the USA did. Today, the regulatory body has admitted they have received a proposed settlement offer from Apple and all six big publishers.
Apple and five of the big six publishers have offered to let retailers set their own prices or discounts for a period of two years. This will allow companies like Amazon to establish their own prices again on ebooks. Publishers intend on offering a “recommended price” and online retailers have as much flexibility as they like to sell the products at a discount. Penguin was the only big publisher that did not take part in the proposal.
“The Commission is likely to accept the offer and announce its decision next month,” the representative said on Tuesday.
Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times.


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E-offensive: Volkswagen has launched the world's largest e-offensive. The Volkswagen brand alone is investing nine billion euros.
Models: By 2028, Volkswagen will have launched almost 70 all-electric models across the Group.
ID. Family: The completely newly developed, all-electric model family starts in 2020.
Big goals: In 2025, Volkswagen intends to sell at least 1 million electric cars per year.
MEB: The modular electric drive system (MEB) is the technical and economic backbone of the E offensive.
E-production: The new e-cars will be built at eight MEB locations in Europe, China and the USA.


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Four exploded e-scooter batteries in only eight days in Brussels
The battery of an e-scooter that was charging exploded in a flat on the Leuvensesteenweg in Evere on Sunday morning. The e-scooter could be extinguished, but the resident of the flat suffered first-degree burns. According to the fire brigade, this is already the fourth incident with batteries in eight days.
“Last Sunday, there was a similar incident in Sint-Joost-ten-Node as a result of overheating of a battery that was being charged, and Wednesday there were two interventions at the same address, in a shed of a professional rental company of e-bikes,” said fire service spokesperson Walter Derieuw to the Belga news agency.
Vigilance and caution
The fire brigade, therefore, asks to handle such e-cooters with the necessary vigilance and caution. “Follow the manufacturer’s usage instructions,” says the fire service spokesperson. “Use only the original charger that comes with the device or only buy attributes from well-known manufacturers. Allow devices to cool down after long or intensive use, always store the battery near a smoke detector, in a fireproof room away from flammable materials.”
The fire brigade also advises not to place the battery in direct sunlight or on a heating system, but in a dry place with a stable temperature, and not to leave your e-bike in the burning sun for a long time.
Rubbish on the market
It is also best to supervise while charging and not to charge at night in a home. The fire service also recommends unplugging when the battery or accumulator is full. Finally, if you had a collision with the scooter or e-bike, or dropped the battery, check it for damage and always have it checked by a specialist.
Last year in October, Test-Aankoop also warned about unsafe and unreliable e-scooters. The consumer organization subjected eleven e-scooters to a quality test. Unfortunately, for a lot of models, the results were downright bad. “A lot of models are best described as rubbish” was the conclusion.


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Motorola One Action with 4GB RAM, Exynos 9609 SoC announced
Motorola One Action with 4GB RAM, Exynos 9609 SoC announced
Motorola One Action promo videos show off the ultra wide Action Camera - GSMArena.com news
18 August, 2019, 03:39
Motorola officially announced its new smartphone under Android One lineup named, One Action. It has essentially turned a GoPro into a smartphone.
Motorola One Action is a part of the company's One series, which comprises of Motorola One, Motorola One Power, and Motorola One Vision. That is for the United States, at least. When it hits the U.S. in October, it'll be more of a standard Motorola+Android experience and fully unlocked for use on most carriers. With a triple rear camera setup that has some fine cameras, this handset would let you take some real action shots. Well, they are coming.
On the software side of things, Motorola's making things unnecessarily complicated. That is at least longer than the Moto Z4 is getting. Meaning that Motorola is the second smartphone maker to jump to 21:9, following Sony earlier this year.
The device is powered by a Samsung Exynos 9609 chipset paired up with 4GB of RAM and there is 128GB storage onboard which can be expanded with a microSD slot. The device features a 3500mAh battery with 10W charging. So you can top off the One Action anytime. The gimmick with this phone is its built-in "actioncamera". It features EIS & the Quad Pixel technology as well that combines four individual pixels into one, resulting in a more detailed and sharper image, especially in low light. The 21:9 aspect ratio screen makes it taller than many current handsets, but that's all to do with optimising for premiere content (although there's more 16:9 out there, so it's perhaps a little bit ahead of itself).
Thomas shares lead at Medinah with 65 Medinah is the site of two of Woods' 15 major titles, the 1999 PGA Championship and the 2006 PGA Championship. He hit his tee shot at the par-5 fifth hole 321 yards, setting up one of his four birdies on the day.
There are three cameras on the back. It comes with 12 Megapixel of the main lens with LED Flashlight. It also has a f/1.8 aperture. The much-awaited phone comes with some hi-fi tech that will truly leave you impressed. The third sensor is a 5MP depth sensor.
Amazon's Alexa and other Amazon apps are also apparently preloaded on the One Zoom, so it may be an Amazon-only exclusive release. Also, if you like our efforts, consider sharing this story with your friends, this will encourage us to bring more exciting updates for you.
The sole variant of 4GB/128GB is priced at €259 (around Rs.20,500). For a smartphone that also doubles as an actioncamera, that's not a bad price at all.
In its 30-year terror campaign against the Turkish state, more than 40,000 people, including women and children, have been killed. However, the regime, with Moscow's backing, has violated the de-escalation zone with impunity.
Police had to escort a lone pro-democracy supporter from the Sydney event after he was set upon by a mob of angry demonstrators. At least 748 protesters have been arrested ever since the protests broke out in Hong Kong , according to the police on Friday.
Brent Crude futures, in turn, fared nearly as poorly, with the global benchmark falling 58.23 dollars a barrel (-2.10 percent). USA crude CLc1 was also 2% higher at $55.60 a barrel, having dropped 1.4% in the previous session and 3.3% on Wednesday.
The announcement is part of the changes the company is planning to roll out on the YouTube Premium membership . Users who feel that their content has been incorrectly claimed can contact YouTube for further assistance.
Tyson Foods has not received reports of injury or illness related to the product , the company said Thursday in a statement . The products subject to recall bear establishment number "P-13456" printed on the back of the resealable plastic bag.
Both sides had raised expectations of being close to finalizing an agreement prior to convening the latest round of talks. A White House official cautioned that the meeting might not immediately result in a decision or announcement.
A case has been registered against the Kuchlak blast which rocked a madrasa yesterday, killing at least five people. Worshippers surveying the damage caused by a remotely detonated bomb at a mosque in Balochistan , Pakistan , today.
Of course, we have got some Rs 15.5 to 16 cr on day 1 but it would have been Rs 2 cr more, had the prints reached out on time. I have produced about eight to 22 films by now, and I can proudly say that I have not lost money in any of my films".
Combining two of the normal challenges , this task wants you to search five chests in Tilted Town and Retail Row. The first of these is located south-west of the Sponde of the Sacking sphere, on an islet.
After a series of delays in 2018 and early 2019, Bakkt has finally announced the launching date of its product. This is the first virtual currency trust company application approved under Superintendent Lacewell.
A man sustained knife injuries and another was arrested near the British Home Office building on Thursday, London police said . Officers detained a 29-year-old man at Smith Square, about 190m from the Home Office building, shortly after the attack.
He had been listed as a missing person by his family after he left home on Wednesday last week following a domestic dispute. Ms Dunn was later found at the apartment with a laceration to her neck and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hickenlooper ends White House bid, mulls Senate run in 2020
Chuck Schumer, the minority leader, has spent months trying to recruit Hickenlooper to enter the contest to face Gardner. But if Hickenlooper did run against Gardner, he'd first have to get through another crowded Democratic primary field.
Microsoft admits contractors listen to Skype, Cortana chats
Microsoft has said previously that Cortana will record your voice when it thinks that you're accessing it or dictating speech. Microsoft confirms that human employees and contractors may listen to audio recordings from Skype calls and Cortana queries.
Microplastics found in snow from Alps to Arctic
The scientists melted the snow and poured it through a filter before examining the trapped residue with an infrared microscope. Similarly, dust from the Sahara can cover distances of 3,500km or more, reaching the north-east Atlantic.
Trump urged Israel to ban members of US Congress
This morning Israel is saying it has granted Tlaib her request to visit her grandmother in the West Bank . Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has come out in support of Israel's initial decision to bar Reps.
In Portland, another far-right vs. anti-fascist faceoff
The right-wing rally is, according to one of its organizers, specifically a protest against the "domestic terrorism" of Antifa. The main promoter, Joe Biggs, is a Proud Boy, a combat veteran and a sometime presenter on the Infowars conspiracy channel.
Hearn Calls Ruiz-Joshua 2 "Iconic Moment for Boxing"
Hearn saw no reason why he should not cash in as long as other sports events and concerts are being held in Saudi Arabia. He wants the fight to take place in the United States or Mexico, even though contractually he has no say on the matter.
Ecological disaster on Greek island as fire burns on
Gale-force winds and temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius (105 F) have fanned several wildfires in Greece since the weekend. The public have been repeatedly encouraged not to engage in outdoor activities that could cause fires by Greek authorities.
Antonio Brown Tweets New Message After Returning To Raiders
Brown did file a grievance on the matter with the NFL Player's Association, but an arbitrator ruled against him on Monday. According to one of the Raiders' trainers who was overheard on the show, Brown's feet seem to be recovering well.


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If you want to see in realtime what's going on Digg you can use their digg spy page. This popular Digg feature uses a dynamic Ajax UI to let you see diggs as they happen. And now it serves as a model for a growing number of mashups that use web APIs to give you a realtime window into activity on a variety of services.
Yahoo has just released a cool new embeddable media player, Yahoo WebPlayer, that supports MP3 and WMA files, as well as multiple services like YouTube and Yahoo Video. Yahoo has also launched a whole new site to attract publishers and developers and to encourage them to use the player when publishing audio and video across the Web.


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‘American Milk Will Make You Sick’
There’s a reason why so many Americans have become lactose intolerant and the proof may be in the milky pudding. According to research, the problem may have to do with the inability to digest A1 protein, a compound that is usually found in milk from Holstein cows. These cows produce a large chunk of U.S. milk and some of Europe’s too.
So how can you avoid feeling queasy without quitting dairy all together? One answer could be to guzzle milk with A2 protein, which is apparently more gut friendly.
The mainstream dairy industry in the United States may be more interested in the A1/A2 debate than it lets on. For example, US companies that sell cow semen for breeding purposes maintain information on the exact A1/A2 genetics of all of their offerings. And breeders have already developed A2 Holsteins to replace the A1 varieties typically used in confined agricultural feeding operations. “There is absolutely no problem in moving across to A2 and still having these high-production cows,” says [Keith] Woodford, the author of Devil in the Milk: Illness, Health, and the Politics of A1 and A2 Milk, who has in more recent years worked as a consultant for A2 Corp.
But the transition to A2 milk would take a bit of money and a lot of time—probably about a decade, Woodford believes. “The mainstream industry has always seen it as a threat,” he says, “whereas another way of looking at it is, hey, this can actually bring more people to drinking milk.”
For now, here in the United States, the best way to get milk with a higher-than-average A2 content is to buy it from a dairy that uses A2-dominant cow breeds such as the Jersey, the Guernsey, or the Normande. In Northern California, for example, Sonoma County’s Saint Benoit Creamery specifies on its milk labels that it uses “pastured Jersey cows.”
—Posted by Natasha Hakimi ZapataWait, before you go…
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THE management of indigenous diversified consumer goods company, FoodCo Nigeria, has announced plans to collaborate with more Nigerian enterpreneurs as a way of boosting local enterprises and the economy.
Disclosing this, at the unveiling of its newly-commissioned outlet in Ajah, over the weekend, making it the second of such outlet to be commissioned in Lagos, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ade Sun-Basorun stated that the company would be allocating some of its spaces, at highly discounted prices, for local enterpreneurs to display their wares and gain traction.
He described the move as part of the company’s plans to encourage local industries and enterpreneurs, especially the medium and small scale businesses in the country.
According to him, the company is already in partnership with some of Nigerian enterpreneurs, especially the local farmers, through the provisions of such spaces that would allow them display their farm produce.
“The intention is to get them noticed, without compromising quality. Besides, we believe this will put them in good stead to compete effectively with their foreign counterparts, and get the much-needed recognition,” he added.
Sun-Basorun also explained that the decision to open another outlet in Ajah, making it the 13th of such outlet in the South West was informed by the quest to bring the company’s quality products nearer to more Nigerians.
“In the last two years, we have more than doubled the number of stores, that is from 6 to 13. This is to enable us bring our quality and affordable products nearer to the people, and enhance their shopping experiences,” he added.
The FoodCo boss also disclosed that as a demonstration of its readiness to play in the emerging business world, induced by the COVID 19 pandemic, the company had opened its virtual stores to enable them reach more Nigerians, especially those, desirous of having their goods delivered at their doorsteps.
“While COVID 19 has negatively impacted the business, just like others, but we have continued to innovate. One of such innovations is our online stores, launched two months ago, to enable us deliver goods to the customers’ doorsteps. The virtual stores have also increased our footprints in the market,” he added.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
In the finest spirit of democracy and response to the people’s yearnings, the Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu has today, 11th October, 2020, dissolved the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) across the 36 State Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where they hitherto existed.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Governor Rotimi Akeredolu as the winner of the 2020 Ondo State Governorship Election.
A document titled “Withdrawal from Ondo 2020 gubernatorial race” making the rounds that Mr Agboola Ajayi, the deputy governor and candidate of the Zenith Labour Party(ZLP) in the ongoing Ondo gubernatorial election has stepped down is fake and should be disregarded.
Pandemonium erupted in Akure on Saturday morning, as gun-wielding men suspected to be political thugs invaded a polling unit located at unit 4, ward 4, Ijomu/Obanla, in Akure South Local Government Area of the state.


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Click For Photo: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/02/27/17/10368034-0-image-a-44_1551287655957.jpg
Oprah Winfrey lost $50million on paper when Weight Watchers' stock plummeted following the company's report that it hadn't signed up as many subscribers as it hoped this winter and expects its profits to suffer.
The media empire queen owns about eight per cent of Weight Watchers — which rebranded to WW in 2018 — after initially purchasing 10 per cent of the weight-loss and wellness company's stock in 2015, before offloading two per cent of her shares in March 2018.
Weight - Watchers - Tuesday - Start - Company
Weight Watchers revealed Tuesday that it was 'disappointed with our start to 2019,' resulting in the company's stock tumbling more than 30 per cent in after-hours trading that same night.
On Tuesday at 4pm, the Weight Watchers stock was valued at $29.57 per share, but had dropped to $19.42 per share by 9.30am Wednesday.
Decrease - Value - Translates - Loss - Winfrey
The sharp decrease in value translates to an on-paper loss of about $50million for Winfrey.
Weight Watchers' fourth-quarter 2018 net income was said to have fallen 30.5 per cent to $43.8million, even though its number of subscribers by the end of the same period came in at...
Wake Up To Breaking News!
Satan's greatest desire is to convince the world he doesn't exist, and he has quite nearly succeeded.


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U.S. Gov. Won't Block Cell Phone Use in Cars
Dec 22, 2011, 8:35 AM by Eric M. Zeman
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that the Department of Transportation will not endorse the National Transportation Safety Board's recommendation that all cell phone use by drivers of automobiles be banned. The NTSB believes that even hands-free use of cell phones in cars needs to be prohibited for safety reasons, and earlier this month asked U.S. states to create the appropriate laws. The Department of Transportation can set policy, but the NTSB cannot. LaHood said hands-free calling "is not the big problem in America. If other people want to work on hands-free, so be it." LaHood's stance is a win for the auto and cellular industries.
Mar 23, 2021
OnePlus today announced the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, its newest flagship phones. The 9 Pro is a true flagship-class phone with a QHD AMOLED display with variable refresh from 1 to 120 Hz, and IP68 water rating, starting at $969.
There have been a number of "smartwatches" for kids in recent years. They all have GPS and let you keep tabs on your kid's location, and offer some limited forms of communication.
Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.
Aug 10, 2022
Samsung has announced its newest generation of foldable phones: the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4. Both have similar designs and features compared to their predecessors, with a slew of small updates and refinements across the board.
Common Sense Made Here.
In speaking with many Police Officers, the main concern with cellphones, is texting. It is becoming more and more prevalent that accidents are being caused by this epidemic. Drunk driving is now close second in causes.
Now, Voice calling "without" a Bluetooth is a problem because vision is hampered by arms and hands being held up to the ear blocking the view. So, in response to LaHood's statement, Using a Bluetooth has proved to significantly lower the incident rate considerably. Both hands are on the wheel and vision isn't blocked.
No one likes rules and laws set in place, however, if innocent lives are removed from existence due to negligence from oth...
I remember a customer several years ago asking what the best phone for texting while driving was. When I said there was no such thing, and doing so was too dangerous, she got mad at me. That was a sale I did not mind losing.
Correct, problem is they lumped texting in with talking. Two different things, two different problems.
i'm suprise some got brain!!


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After thinking about some comments Steve Jobs made on ebooks, and because of the fact that iBooks hasn’t really entered Canada yet, I think the best decision is probably to wait on making a lot of purchases on ebooks for at least the next 6 months, or until a few things happens.
Best to Wait on Ebooks
It’s not out in Canada yet, but the real impact of iBooks on the publishing industry is going to be made in the States because of the size of that market. The main shifts in ebook publishing, and in pricing are going to come from iBooks’s success in the US. Canada isn’t going to be the source of any major change or innovation in this space.
I think we can start using ebooks and ereading software, but don’t pour too much money into any particular platforms yet until the “real” market develops and makes its way up north.
2. eBook Pricing
I think the key to this is what Jobs said at the D8 conference about pricing. He made the point that for all media, Apple’s strategy has been to price aggressively, and go for volume. When the interviewer pointed out that this was counter to Apple’s strategy on ebooks, pricing them at the higher price desired by publishers, Jobs said that it was all a matter of demand. In the long term, consumers aren’t going to pay the prices for ebooks that publishers think they should. Jobs knows this, and consumers know this. But from Job’s position, if pricing ebooks higher in the short term is what it will take to bring publishers on board with iBooks, then so be it.
We will see ebook prices drop, maybe even back down to that $9.99 price point Amazon originally offered.
But on iBooks of course.
My biggest problem with Kobo is that it doesn’t have a track record yet. I’m talking about the seven year track record that the iTunes store now how. Kobo has a good ecosystem, backing by Indigo, and they have a good online store with both good selection and pricing. But they don’t have a track record yet. It’s still possible that we could see consumers buying all these books through the Kobo service, only to see the company shut-down in 12 months with all the books bought from them locked into discontinued and unsupported software.
What do you think?


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SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN – Five local tech companies will be traveling to San Francisco next month as part the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority’s (SREDA) new entrepreneurship and business expansion program, The Tech Trip. Nine companies competed in the pitch competition where they were asked a series of questions related to their readiness for capital investment.
The winners will join representatives from SREDA and Co.Labs, Saskatchewan’s first technology accelerator, in San Francisco to meet with high-impact investors, mentors and technology experts who can help them take their startups to the next level and scale. In addition, the winners will be able to build their networks at an event hosted by the Canadian in Tech (C100).
“The Tech Trip will help Saskatoon-based entrepreneurs grow their technology companies and in turn further strengthen our growing technology sector. Our local tech entrepreneurs have world-class ideas, and we’re excited for them to represent Saskatoon’s talent in San Fran,” said Alex Fallon, President and CEO, SREDA.
“Speak with any Founder of a tech startup in Canada and they will tell you the same thing, ‘you don’t need to live in The Valley in order to succeed, but The Valley does need to live in you’. Over the last number of years we have seen cities across North America flourish in building their local tech ecosystems and Saskatoon is no different. That said, in order for our local tech startups to compete on the global level and win their market, they must be exposed to people (investors, entrepreneurs, partners) who have built and scaled billion-dollar tech companies. The Tech Trip will have a seismic impact on these startups and we are thrilled to be working with SREDA on this initiative,” said Jordan Dutchak, Executive Director, Co.Labs.
The five selected companies for The Tech Trip are:
Curbie: Brings transparency and quality to the Canadian pre-owned car market and uses technology to transform the experience of buying and selling used vehicles.
Offstreet: A tool for parking lot managers and operators to improve the parking experience and reduce enforcement costs for lot owners.
SalonScale: Software that uses Bluetooth scales to measure the exact cost of each hair colour bowl to allow for a more consistent bottom line at hair salons.
SkillShark.net: A platform that allows coaches to effectively evaluate athletes in various team sports and run reports to get full information, ratings, and rankings on players.
Skylitelabs: A platform that optimizes your life by unifying all of your smart home devices with the power of machine learning.


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Competition provides winning graduates an opportunity to be part of one of fastest growing events businesses in the MEA region
UAE, 09 December 2014 – Standard Chartered Global Research expects global growth to improve in 2015, rising to 3.4% from 2.9% in 2014, but says that confidence is crucial and will require more than just better economic indicators to drive it.
- DHL becomes official platinum partner and international logistics and eCommerce full-service partner
- FC Bayern Munich expands merchandising efforts in Asia
Birdi will receive USD 30,000 worth of prizes including prime exhibition space [UAE, September 3, 2014] – Birdi, a startup company from the United States, was declared the winner of the recently concluded ‘$30k startup competition’ of ‘Smart Living City (SLC) – Dubai 2014,’ besting 15 other finalists from the US, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
The partnership enables people to use Premium Truecaller features for 90 days; aligns the growth trajectory with Microsoft Devices’ expertise in emerging markets
The commitment to local philanthropy is a defining characteristic of this group
“Simple is the New Smart” Concept Actualized in Acclaimed Smartphone from LG
Beirut, July 14th, 2014 — Following its strong debut in South Korea, LG Electronics (LG) will continue the global rollout of its highly praised G3 smartphone on June 27. As of July 4th, the LG G3 is available to Lebanese customers. The company will also launch the G3 in the rest of Asia, Europe and the Middle East within the month, making the flagship device available to more demographics worldwide.
Report shows 82 per cent of Middle East business owners surveyed have already internationalised their businesses.
Standard Chartered Bank to assist in execution of Dubai Economic Council and US-EXIM Bank’s $5bn Memorandum of Understanding


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The Boston bombers stole a Mercedes Benz equipped with mbrace2 the m2m/telematics system allowing a user or law enforcement to track the vehicle. While typically the system is useful for users who want to remotely unlock or lock their car door, it can also be used for synchronizing PC mapping apps with the car, allowing you to send a location and directions to your car. This is useful for people who don’t want to enter an address into the GPS once in the vehicle.
The carjacking victim alerted police to the fact that the car had mbrace2 and at this point law enforcement tracked the car and was able to end the chase shortly thereafter. There is no telling what would have happened if a brand of car without such technology had been stolen.
Read more at Extreme Tech.


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The OS space will get hotter later this year with three of the computer giants gearing up for the release of their Operating Systems.
Microsoft, is all set to release its Windows-7 in Oct 2009. This world leader in personal computer software, has already released the Beta and Release Candidate (RC) of Windows 7. Windows-7 is expected to fix all the issues of Vista and is much more robust compared to the previous versions of the OS. Catch up with all the latest happenings on Window-7 front, Here
While MS is readying with Windows7, its rival down south, Apple is stirring the competition with its all new Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Apple Mac OS, the world’s most advanced operating system, is further refined by Apple; creating an even more powerful version - Snow Leopard. Mac OS X Snow Leopard will be the foundation for future Mac innovation. Here is a link to Apple's Snow Leopard info.
These Global giants in OS space will see a new competitor this year, as Google gears up to launch Chrome OS later this year as I wrote earlier on this blog. Read more about Google Chrome OS at its FAQ page
So, Which OS are you?


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The Harvard Business Review (HBR) just released its prestigious ranking of the 100 best-performing CEOs in the world. The top CEO in the S&P Global 1200 is Jensen Huang, CEO of the U.S. technology company NVIDIA. The top ten CEOs are from companies including Nvidia, Salesforce.com, Kering, Texas Instruments, Iberdrola, Adobe, Mastercard, KBC, Microsoft and LVMH. You can see the full list here.
Harvard Business Review (HBR) has published its annual global ranking of the 100 best-performing CEOs, with Pablo Isla of the Spanish fashion retail giant Inditex topping the list for the second year in a row. Following behind Isla in the #2 and #3 spots are Jensen Huang of NVIDIA and Bernard Arnault of LVMH. They’re joined by newcomers to the top 5 this year, François-Henri Pinault of Kering (#4) and Elmar Degenhart of the German automaker Continental (#5). Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has climbed to the #6 spot, up from #12 in 2017.
Harvard Business Review just released their much anticipated The Best-Performing CEOs in the World 2017 list. CSRHub is honored to have our ESG (environmental, social, and governance) metrics included again this year as part of the methodology for ranking the world’s top 100 CEOs.
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The Harvard Business Review released their ranking of the world’s 100 best performing CEOs, based on both financial and ESG (environment, social, governance) measures of the leaders’ entire time in office to highlight those executives that have established a lasting track record. CSRHub is proud to be one of the two research providers for this year’s list.
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Continuing with my news catch-up this week, one of the biggest stirs in the manga blogosphere recently is news that Fantagraphics is preparing to release books from a newly announced line of manga titles.
The company, who’s no stranger to publishing comics with gems such as Peanuts and Usagi Yojimbo under their belt, officially announced the line-up this past Wednesday. Their focus seems to be on less ‘manga-mainstream’ targeted titles, including the ever-apparently-risky classic shoujo.
“The first book, entitled A Drunken Dream, is a collection of literary short stories by Hagio falling into multiple genres, created between 1971-2007. This tome travels through several of Hagio’s most revolutionary and poignant tales that span over the years of her lush career.
In December 2010 comes one of the defining transgendered-centric manga, Wandering Son. Shimura Takako’s ongoing series follows two young friends, Shuichi and Yoshino. These 5th graders struggle not only with puberty, but also severe identity issues; Shuichi is a boy who wants to be a girl, and Yoshino is a girl who wants to be a boy. The two find solace in their mutual confusion and help each other cope with their gender frustration while embarking on the complicated journey of growing up.”
These books aren’t Fantagraphics first foray into manga, having already released a couple relevant books including Tori Miki’s Anywhere But Here. This is the first time they’ve announced an actual line-up and there’s already lots of anticipation for what chances this could give more obscure titles when it comes to seeing a release in North America.
Knowing the quality of the books Fantagraphics releases, and really eager to own an English edition of Wandering Son, I’d say this is pretty great news. No complaints about another publisher bringing us more manga (especially one already so well established) and their choices are both bold and intriguing. Best of luck to them!


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A jury in a product liability lawsuit has awarded $16 million to a man who was paralyzed in a car accident caused by a defective tire.
After a two-week trial, the Michigan jury found that Goodyear Tire & Rubber had manufactured a faulty tire, which blew and caused Harry Patel’s Nissan Pathfinder to flip over in a ditch in 2012. Patel, 59, who now lives in Ohio, is a quadriplegic as a result of the crash.
Jurors had heard from workers at Goodyear's Fayetteville, N.C., plant where the tire was made, and how they were forced to meet strict production quotas. One witness testified that the plant’s motto was "round and black and out the back.”
Ross Feller Casey, a Philadelphia personal injury law firm, has built a national reputation for winning record-setting product liability cases, including those involving defective automobile components.
If you of a loved one suffered serious injuries as a result of a defective product, you may be entitled to significant compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. But your time to act may be limited. You should contact one of our experienced defective product lawyers now for a free case evaluation.
- Learn more about Product Liability


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On the heels of a stop sale order and subsequent rush to reprint Monroney stickers with correct EPA fuel economy ratings, General Motors is working on a plan to compensate buyers of the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave.
Seeking to smooth any ruffled feathers, GM expects to announce a plan to dealers and customers within the next seven days, according to Automotive News.
That assurance isn’t enough to placate some owners of the full-size crossover, as GM was slapped with a prospective class-action lawsuit on Tuesday. (Read More…)
Two weeks ago, we told you of a potent four-cylinder engine under development by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Now there’s physical proof of the so-called “Hurricane” mill.
Spy photos obtained by TTAC show a cloaked Jeep Wrangler test mule with the hood up and a pile of evidence underneath. The positioning of the oil fill cap points to an inline engine, and air intake ducting routed over the cam cover points to a turbocharger — in this case, a high-mounted one.
Now, will the Hurricane make the nearly 300 horsepower as has been claimed? That’s a wait-and-see thing. (Read More…)
He’s been with the company since the Plymouth Sapporo/Dodge Challenger era, but Mitsubishi president Tetsuro Aikawa’s tenure comes to an abrupt end in June.
Aikawa stepped down today after less than two years at the helm, the victim of his company’s ongoing fuel economy scandal, according to an announcement from the automaker. Ryugo Nakao, the company’s executive vice-president in charge of quality, is also out the door. (Read More…)
The strange case of General Motors’ incorrect fuel economy numbers is getting stranger, if it wasn’t odd enough already.
GM announced late last week that it would reprint EPA labels for its 2016 full-size crossovers after the wrong mileage made its way onto window stickers, but Consumer Reports now says there’s something fishy about that. (Read More…)
General Motors is in damage control mode following the discovery of incorrect fuel economy ratings on the window stickers of its 2016 full-size crossovers.
A “stop sale” order was issued to GM dealers on Wednesday after EPA labels on GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave vehicles were shown to overstate mileage by one to two miles per gallon, Automotive News reports. (Read More…)
In the 1960s, automakers wanted to put a tiger in your tank, but now Ford Motor Company wants a howler monkey under your dash.
The automaker was concerned that drivers used to “shifting by ear” aren’t getting the gas mileage their efficient, small-displacement engines were designed for, so it patented an acoustic device that mimics a bigger powerplant, Autoblog reports. (Read More…)
It’s not the engine you’d want for rock crawling, but it’s just the ticket to please commuters and the Environmental Protection Agency.
A source tells Automotive News that a high-output 2.0-liter four-cylinder under development by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will first appear as an option on the next-generation Jeep Wrangler. (Read More…)
Hyundai sent its newly redesigned compact away for a lifestyle change, and it returned as the fuel-sipping Elantra Eco.
Sporting a new drivetrain and an EPA-estimated highway fuel economy rating of 40 miles per gallon, the 2017 Elantra Eco retails for $21,485 (after freight). City and combined ratings are 32 and 35 mpg, respectively.
The 2017 Elantra Limited we tested was no gas guzzler, often surpassing its 37 mpg highway rating, but the new Eco clearly has its competitors’ 40-plus mpg ratings in its sights. It’s also possible that Hyundai still has some lingering guilt over the not-yet-forgotten gas mileage scandal of four years ago. (Read More…)
On the heels of America’s auto industry growing by over 3% in April 2016, a report from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute says the average fuel economy of those vehicles dipped slightly from the month of March.
Given the rise in sales of SUV and trucks, this should surprise no one except amoebas living under a rock. (Read More…)
After admitting it fudged fuel economy data for the past 25 years in Japan, Mitsubishi Motors wants the Environmental Protection Agency to know that its U.S. vehicles are A-OK.
The automaker claims it conducted an internal audit on vehicles from model year 2013 to present and contrasted that data with figures it had previously submitted to the EPA. The conclusion? The information’s fine. (Read More…)


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The European Commission plans to enhance the traceability of medical devices and monitoring of notification bodies to prevent the placing on the market of defective devices, like the adulterated breast implants produced by the firm PIP. On the other hand, the future revision of Directive 93/42/EEC will not propose specific authorisation for the placing of such products on the market. This is the gist of what emerged during an airing of views by Commission representatives and members of the EP's Committee on Environment and Public Health (ENVI), on 24 January. The discussions resulted from an oral question (2012/01) by Linda McAvan (S&D, UK) on the specific case of PIP and the upcoming revision of the current legal framework.
NO SPECIFIC AUTHORISATION
Asked about the content of the future proposal, Paola Testori Coggi, director-general for health and consumers at the European Commission (DG Sanco), said that the main changes concern traceability and the control of medical devices. Traceability will be assured from the place of production up to the person using the device.
The Commission is considering setting up a unique identifier and a complete database for the entire production chain. It will also propose to tighten market surveillance and improve monitoring of notification bodies in charge of issuing conformity certificates to manufacturers.
Testori Coggi expressed support for the idea of making unannounced inspections the general rule to keep companies from preparing for inspectors' visits with the aim of deceiving them, as happened in the PIP case. She refused to comment on suggestions by MEPs in favour of a European body overseeing the 70 to 80 notification bodies that currently exist across Europe. She also explicitly refused to submit medical devices to authorisation for placing on the market, as is already the case for medicines, arguing that "national authorities must...


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We reported yesterday that Beyonce would be launching her own perfume, but that may not be an option because the name of the perfume is already being used by popular retail brand Abercrombie & Fitch.
After the Tuesday announcement of Beyonce’s perfume launch “Sasha Fierce” Abercrombie and Fitch filed a lawsuit against her for trademark infringement. Apparently, Abercrombie & Fitch already has a cologne out for men by the name of Fierce. Abercrombie & Fitch claims that the name similarity between their cologne and Beyonce’s perfume could cause confusion for consumers and cost them sales.
The Fierce cologne by Abercrombie has sold $190 million since 2002. There has been no word from Bey Bey Beyonce, but according to Abercrombie & Fitch attorneys, the Knowles have been sent a cease and desist letter. As of right now, the Knowles haven’t backed off on their name.


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Buy Christmas Gifts Early, Buy Toys During December
You can save yourself money by waiting till the last minute to buy your Toys for Christmas.
Keep watching the ads, follow the toys you want to buy online or get the newspaper and read all the sales.
in a 2013 article on dealnews.com, they state that some toys drop 20% to 40% off in price from Black Friday to mid-December. It's not just less popular toys that get discounted either. Dealnews says several toys that have appeared on the Toys "R" Us Fabulous 15 list of most popular toys of the season have also seen discounts. The statistics are still true in today's world, and maybe even more so.
Many other consumer magazines also agree with the strategy of waiting to buy toys every year. At rather-be-shopping.com, they also say you should wait for buying toys and other presents, that there is a time to buy for everything. They went on to say that December 13th is the absolute best time to buy toys, which falls on a Thursday this year.
Electronics is what brings people into the store, and consumers will buy more if they see the toys are discounted. Had they waited another couple of weeks that toy would be discounted even more.


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Meta is facing antitrust scrutiny over its acquisition of Within. Meta is buying a Dutch smart eyewear company called Luxexcel. The terms of the deal have not been made public.
3D printing is being used to make prescription eyeglasses. The company has focused its efforts on smart lens which can be printed with integrated technology.
The Meta team is excited that the Luxexcel team is joining them. It is believed that Meta and Luxexcel worked together on a project.
The Ray-Ban Stories, a pair of smart glasses that can take photos and videos, and make handsfree, voice-controlled calls, was unveiled by Meta in September. Meta will likely use the company's technology to make prescription augmented reality glasses, a product that has been anticipated to come out of Meta's billions of dollars of investment into its Reality Labs. According to a report this summer, Meta was scaling back its plans for consumer- grade augmented reality glasses. The rumors were not commented on by Meta.
Meta has a strategy of acquiring smaller companies that are building top technology in the field. The Quest is Meta's flagship headset. The FTC tried to block Meta's purchase of Within, so it's possible that the same thing will happen with the purchase of Luxexcel.
FTC puts Zuckerberg on the stand over Meta’s plan to acquire Within


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U.S. Newspaper Ad-Sales Decline at Slower Pace in Third Quarter, Down 5.4%
Advertising revenue at U.S. newspaper publishers declined at a slowing pace in the third quarter, the Newspaper Association of America said.
Ad revenue dropped 5.4 percent last quarter, compared with a 28 percent slump a year earlier, the association said on its website. Print ad revenue fell 7.1 percent and online ad sales rose 11 percent.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Ville Heiskanen at firstname.lastname@example.org
Bloomberg moderates all comments. Comments that are abusive or off-topic will not be posted to the site. Excessively long comments may be moderated as well. Bloomberg cannot facilitate requests to remove comments or explain individual moderation decisions.


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Product support manager Wally Cain demonstrates how C2G offers connectivity solutions in addition to cabling products.As anyone involved in the AV industry can tell you, times change. After 28 years under the same banner, Cables To Go has decided to change with them. Reflecting a product line that has stretched far beyond cables, and with a vision towards the future, the cabling and connectivity solutions provider will now be known as C2G. The announcement was made during a press conference at InfoComm on June 13.
The name change reflects more than a simple rebranding, explained Bill Diederich, CEO and president of Lastar, C2G’s parent company. “Our product portfolio has grown well beyond cabling to include connectivity solutions that utilize the latest technology to provide more options for our partners and their customers. The decision to rebrand was made with thoughtful consideration to the direction we wanted to take the company.”
Of course, this decision wasn’t made in a bubble. The company sought significant input from those who the rebranding will impact the most—its customers. “Through several ongoing feedback mechanisms and research,” Diederich continued, “our partners and customers shared that our name, Cables To Go, was not entirely reflective of what we offer. From this feedback, we initiated a carefully managed methodology engaging our partners and customers in the branding process.”


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Sometimes when it comes to technology and all that's happening with mobile tech and mHealth tools, one can get mired down in the muck of hype, hyperbole, snazzy phrases and clichés (don't get me started on my pet peeve with 'at the end of the day' still pitched out by vendors and 'visionaries').
But every now and then, someone--typically in the frenzy of actually advancing mHealth--says exactly the perfect phrase to define a mobile health strategy in the most concise and clear way.
This week, that honor goes to Edward Fisher, CTO at Yale-New Haven Hospital. The hospital is getting ready to kick off a smartphone-based app communications system that will completely change interaction between caregivers and the relationship between patients and doctors.
"We envision the smartphone platform to be the workstation of the future," Fisher told Yale Daily News, adding system deployment across YNHH facilities will happen in the next two years.
Yes, the smartphone will be the workstation in the healthcare environment. And while Fisher is just the most recent to state such a declaration, the evidence of smartphones becoming the de facto mobile app platform, tool and device has been consistently illustrated in headlines regarding mHealth news.
Consider how hospitals now are building their own smartphone app bars, providing staff, visitors and patients support for tapping smartphone apps as part of the patient care experience.
Smartphones are being handed out to boost communications between caregivers; distributed to patients for remote and telehealth programs for follow-up and medical monitoring needs; doled out to expectant mothers to stem pre-term births; issued to teens learning how to best manage diabetes; provided to those suffering from mental health issues; and now benefiting from real time texts of support and caregiver response.
All of this evidence leads to one conclusion: mHealth providers would do well, as would any Obamacare provider, to provide any and all plan subscribers a smartphone or at least a cost reduction incentive to those already with a smartphone and willing to sign on to use smartphone apps endorsed by medical professionals involved in their treatment.
It's akin to insurance providers giving a break to those participating in wellness programs or taking action to stem bad lifestyle habits such as smoking. For years and years, telecoms have been subsidizing smartphone use to drive plans and packages (that typically do factor in that subsidy cost in some regard) and gain bigger customer market share. Car insurers provide plan reductions for those who take safe driving classes.
It's a strategy that's worked well for several industries, and could work well for the healthcare industry, as well. It also obviously would benefit patients, smartphone manufacturers and all the app developers that build tools for the various OS platforms.
There's no reason for healthcare providers not to grab the strategy and run with it. It's an opportunity to shine in the competitive healthcare marketplace, given that smartphones can be 'branded' and apps can be customized and available at a hospital's app store.
Lets hope the next six months brings headlines that reflect such a strategy. It's very clear that smartphones are the mobile healthcare workhorses and on their way to being the Clydesdales in the industry. - Judy (@JudyMottl and @FierceHealthIT)


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Oolong tea, a sweet aromatic and mild colour Chinese tea, has been credited for stopping the growth of breast cancer cells and hamper the DNA of the cancer cells, inhibiting the growth and progression of tumours, according to a new research. Oolong tea is a semi-fermented tea with plenty of polyphenols. While green tea has also shown similar promise, black and dark tea had little effect on the cells, as per the study. The findings of the study from St. Louis University in Missouri suggests that, like green tea, oolong tea plays a role in inhibiting breast cancer cell growth, proliferation, induce DNA damage and cleavage and prevent tumorigenesis making it a great chemopreventive agent against breast cancer. The study published in the journal Anticancer Research showed that regions with high oolong tea consumption had generally lower rates of the disease. The death rate of high consumers of oolong tea was 68 per cent lower than the national average, findings further revealed.
But oolong tea has other incredible health benefits too.
Low caffeine: Oolong tea usually has low caffeine content as it is roasted. For those looking for low-caffeine options, oolong tea is the best bet.
Weight loss: It also has fat burning properties. It promotes faster metabolism.
Heart health: It can reduce the cholesterol level in the body.
Ovarian cancer: A research by Curtin University involving 1,000 women found that drinking tea lowered odds of ovarian cancer. The subjects drank a mixture of green, black and oolong tea.
Anti-ageing: Did you know that sipping a couple of cups of oolong tea a day can help delay the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines? This is because oolong tea contains compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that give anti-ageing benefits to your skin.
Diabetes: Oolong has been found to reduce fructosamine and plasma glucose and thus help diabetics.
Improve immunity: Oolong tea's high anti-oxidant levels can also help your body build up immunity. If had regularly, oolong tea can reduce the risk of a number of illnesses.
This is how you can brew oolong tea:
With inputs from IANS
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Couple stole over £10,000 of designer clothes and tools from Maserati parked in Whitburn
A couple who pinched over £10,000 of designer clothes and tools from an unlocked sports car have avoided being jailed.
Fiona Swinhoe, 31, and Michael Swinhoe, 38, swiped two bags from the boot and back seat of a Maserati motor parked outside a house in Front Street, Whitburn.
But their actions on Friday, May 24, were picked up on CCTV and the criminals, of Collingwood Avenue, Sulgrave, Washington, were arrested.
The goods included suits and other high-cost clothing and a £1,000 drill belonging to the car’s owner and his partner’s son.
The Swinhoes escaped a jail term when they appeared for sentencing after a judge heard they had committed no further offences.
Each was jailed for 26 weeks, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay compensation at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.
Prosecutor Jonathan Hanratty said: “There’s little or no planning. It’s high valued goods of between £10,000 and £11,000.
“They’ve walked past and have removed the clothing from the boot while it was open.
“They have taken a bag from inside the car and a bag from the boot.
“They have taken a drill and some essential plumbing equipment as well as items of clothing.
“Around £8,000 of the items are believed to have been suits and clothing. The drill is valued at £1,000.”
Joanne Gatens, defending, said: “The defendants are primarily concerned about a custodial sentence. There has been no further offending.”
The court heard Michael Swinhoe is due to start work at Wearside car maker Nissan before Christmas.
He told the court he expected to make around £1,000 a week with overtime.
The court also heard it was unclear if the victims had been compensated by insurers.
District Judge Kathryn Meek told the defendants: “It’s aggravated because it’s high value and by your previous convictions.”
As well as the suspended sentences, the defendants must also undertake 30 days of rehabilitation work with the Probation Service and 19 sessions of the Thinking Skills programme.
The defendants, who pleaded guilty to theft from a car, were each ordered to pay compensation of £200 to the car’s owner £400 to the owner of the clothing.


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Sir Robert Smith, Liberal Democrat MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine has tabled a motion in Parliament highlighting unfair delivery charges in Scotland.
Responding to a report from Citizen’s Advice Scotland which showed that consumers in Aberdeenshire, the Highlands and Islands and across Scotland were being charged over the odds for parcel deliveries he said:
“It is time these companies gave up this unfair and unjustifiable practice of charging consumers excessive delivery charges.
People living in the North-east and in the Highlands and Islands should not have to pay this postcode penalty.”
He went on to point out that Royal Mail will often offer a far cheaper delivery price to the high surcharges charged by some couriers.
He said:“When Royal Mail is there offering a Universal Service that delivers a package to anywhere in the UK for the same price, it seems absurd that online companies are not taking advantage of this. Where couriers are charging excessive amounts to deliver to remote and rural areas, online vendors should offer to deliver with Royal Mail instead.”
The report noted that a number of firms said they would not send goods to properties with the postcode AB, which covers 432,380 residents in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
CAS also reported that some firms were placing Aberdeenshire, Moray, Argyll and Bute and Perthshire in the Highlands and Islands for charging purposes.


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SuperiorRoads' Python 5000 and SR 6000 pothole patcher products lines have been purchased by Smart Air Chamber Inc., which has formed a new company that will take the SuperiorRoads name.
Kyungwon Yun, CEO of Smart Air Chamber and the new SuperiorRoads Solutions and Python Manufacturing, said the new company has taken on both the product line and many of the people from the existing company.
“Our company purchased several Python 5000s over the past couple of years, and recognized their great potential," Yun said.
Smart Air Chamber currently manufactures truck-mounted attenuators and air cushion barriers for roads, and provides road safety management and monitoring services.The existing SuperiorRoads Solutions and Rite Way Mfg. were jointly-owned by a group of investors headed by a management group along with Golden Opportunities Fund and Business Development Bank. Yun said business at Rite Way Mfg. won't change and the remaining employees not moving to the new company, along with the sweeper product line, will continue on with Rite Way Mfg.
Heather Forbes, president and CEO of the current SuperiorRoads Solutions and Rite Way Mfg., predicts growth for both the new and existing companies. “Rite Way is growing, and is expanding its market," Forbes said. "This will give us the opportunity to focus on the farm equipment industry and continue our growth pattern.”6-337-6237


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|Bid||7.76 x 1800|
|Ask||7.77 x 2200|
|Day's Range||7.73 - 7.92|
|52 Week Range||4.55 - 8.99|
|Beta (3Y Monthly)||2.27|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||N/A|
|Earnings Date||Jul 29, 2019 - Aug 2, 2019|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y Target Est||6.69|
If you want to know who really controls SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR), then you'll have to look at the makeup of...
SunPower in 2007, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in 2015, and Randgold in 2016 both triggered a signal on when to sell top stocks: a sharp reversal to the downside in unusually heavy volume.
Canadian Solar (CSIQ) unit Recurrent Energy will complete the sale of its equity stakes in 973-megawatts of solar projects with the closure of the remaining Mustang solar project equity ownership.
Work on SunPower modules will continue at the plant, but the move signals a permanent downsizing of the factory from its SolarWorld heyday.
SunPower's (SPWR) top line in first-quarter 2019 improves year over year mainly backed by construction revenues from solar services contracts.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) _ SunPower Corp. (SPWR) on Thursday reported a loss of $89.7 million in its first quarter. On a per-share basis, the San Jose, California-based company said it had a loss of 63 cents. The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for a loss of 40 cents per share.
Continued Financial Execution, Global Distributed Generation Strength SAN JOSE, Calif. , May 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ:SPWR) today announced financial results for its first quarter ...
Even if President Trump follows through on his latest threats against Chinese imports, his trade war punches may not have much impact on the industry.
"Market volatility has picked up again over the past few weeks. Headlines highlight risks regarding interest rates, the Fed, China, house prices, auto sales, trade wars, and more. Uncertainty abounds. But doesn’t it always? I have no view on whether the recent volatility will continue for a while, or whether the market will be back […]
Sunrun (RUN) expects the adoption rate of Brightbox batteries to increase in the first quarter, which should boost the top line.
First Solar's (FSLR) first-quarter 2019 sales drop year over year due to lower systems project revenues in the United States and Japan.


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Natural world-themed streaming platform WaterBear has expanded the presence of its digital platform and app into an additional 30 countries worldwide in its planned global rollout.
WaterBear launched in December 2020 in the USA, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark. The latest expansion sees it become available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Kenya, Mozambique, Bermuda, Cook Islands and Bonaire.
To celebrate the expansion, WaterBear is committing to plant one new tree for every new member for the next 30,000 members that sign up to the platform, creating the WaterBear Forest.
The forest will be planted at Alladale Wilderness Reserve in the Scottish Highlands, marking the platform’s commitment to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) taking place in Glasgow, Scotland.
Victor Eckard, managing director, WaterBear said; “Our goal is to bring WaterBear to as large an audience as we possibly can, so that we can share stories using award-winning filmmaking to help us drive global impact.
“As we establish our brand and reputation for beautifully curated and inspirational content it is a huge privilege to be able to reach so many more members worldwide. We look forward to engaging and connecting with people and organisations around the world so that collectively we can all work together to protect our fragile planet.”
Last year, WaterBear, which describes itself as “the first interactive streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet”, exclusively shared its launch plans with TBI, revealing that it would initially be targeting English-speaking countries and debuting with around 50 hours of original and acquired content across more than 120 titles. The streamer soon went on to receive the support of British royal Prince Harry.


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Bottom Line: Companies can maximize their investments in Web analytics if they focus tightly on priorities, layer human intelligence on top of smart technology, and enlist senior management to lead the charge.
Customers increasingly communicate with companies through digital channels, and marketers have hoped that tracking these interactions can provide valuable insights into consumer shopping habits and product performance. So it’s no surprise that more and more companies are utilizing Web analytics to gather data on Internet traffic — including emails, search engine activity, social media links, and engagement with display ads. Indeed, more than 60 percent of the 10 million most popular websites use Web analytics, according to a 2014 survey. (This high use rate is partly explained by the fact that some powerful tools such as Google Analytics are free.) Even so, the few studies that have looked into the impact of Web analytics have generally cast a downbeat tone, suggesting that most companies use the software in a random, nonstrategic manner.
In an ideal world, analytics would dovetail with firms’ digital marketing campaigns. The data could provide a snapshot of consumers’ response to Web-based advertising and let managers optimize online and offline outreach efforts. However, a 2013 study by Adobe found that although three out of four marketers thought measuring digital marketing efforts via Web analytics was vital for their business, only 29 percent believed their company was doing it successfully.
A new study seeks to shed some light on the benefits of Web analytics and provide companies with guidance on maximizing the value of the digital data they gather. To do so, the authors performed an in-depth case study of a manufacturing firm that has enjoyed notable benefits from its use of Web analytics. They also investigated two peer firms that have struggled in their attempts to implement a successful Web analytics program.
The authors deliberately selected the manufacturing sector because they wanted to test the power of Web analytics in a setting outside the technology sector in which companies have a relatively complex sales process and rely on face-to-face dialogue with customers who are deliberating, not making snap decisions based on Internet surfing. If companies in this industry can use Web analytics to improve their digital marketing, the authors reason, many other firms can, too.
All three firms, multinationals with annual revenues of between US$3 billion and $10 billion, employed essentially the same direct marketing tactics, including company websites, online campaigns, search engine marketing, display ads, email newsletters, and social media outreach. But the firms differed sharply in how they processed and utilized the glut of data they amassed.
For example, the two firms with disappointing returns from their investment in analytics mainly touted their ability to count how many consumers visited their website and track the traffic that resulted from specific marketing appeals. In contrast, managers at the company that reported multiple benefits from its use of analytics described a holistic effect on the efforts, evaluation, and outcomes associated with digital marketing.
“With the help of analytics, the management and sales teams have undoubtedly noticed that our digital services, website, and all our activities have a powerful impact, and the change has been radical in the last few years,” a director of digital marketing told the authors. “The budget is still bigger for offline marketing, but the digital marketing budget has multiplied. Last year, I think we more or less tripled our budget.”
A comparison of the firms’ approaches underscores several valuable lessons for using Web analytics. The most important element is focus. The successful company constructed its metrics system around a single priority: increasing sales. Although customer satisfaction and improving brand awareness were also concerns, they didn’t detract from the main purpose of using Web analytics to determine how a variety of direct marketing activities affected sales. This prioritization helped managers avoid information overload and saved them from wasting energy on ultimately distracting applications of the technology.
The successful company constructed its metrics system around a single priority: increasing sales.
But once you have the data, what do you do with it? Companies need to strike the right balance between automation and old-fashioned human endeavor. The study’s focal firm automatically collected data via Google Analytics and an online survey of consumers who visited its site. But managers decoded which digital marketing activities led to the highest number of sales leads. They also developed a Web analytics system that traced the stages along a customer’s path to purchase.
Although the company generated and stored sales leads in an online database, it also earmarked them for specific salespeople and teams, who could follow how direct marketing campaigns affected their ability to sell to targeted consumers. A customer data expert and a digital marketing campaign manager worked closely together to coordinate the analysis, looked for new ways to use analytics, and made weekly presentations to upper management about their results.
The final lesson: Senior leadership has to take an interest. When supervisors aren’t highly invested in digital marketing or Web analytics efforts, their subordinates lack the initiative or motivation to develop appropriate systems. Accordingly, managers should treat Web analytics seriously and make sure they give their teams the resources and ability to hire new talent. The Web analytics team requires an active leader who can coordinate tasks and create a culture that “fosters cooperation, information sharing, and data-based decision making,” the authors write.
Source: “The Use of Web Analytics for Digital Marketing Performance Measurement,” by Joel Järvinen and Heikki Karjaluoto (both of the University of Jyväskylä), Industrial Marketing Management, Oct. 2015, vol. 50


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The Bureau of Economic Analysis on Thursday revised away the contraction in gross domestic product in the first quarter, erasing an ugly patch in the ongoing economic recovery. It also marked down growth over the past few years, finding that average growth from the last quarter of 2011 to the first quarter of this year was just two percent, rather than the 2.2 percent previously estimated.
Here's why they did it:
The Bureau constantly revises its economic output statistics to try to better capture the complicated reality of the U.S. economy.
Each quarterly estimate is updated three times as new data is available. Every summer, the Bureau updates its previous estimates for the past several years to include new data sources and tweak its methodology for calculated gross domestic product. And every five years, it does a comprehensive overhaul of all of its GDP statistics going back to 1929.
This summer's revision updated the past three years' worth of GDP statistics to better account for federal refundable tax refunds.
It also changed its formula for adjusting statistics to remove predictable seasonal fluctuations.
Seasonal adjustments became a source of significant controversy this year, after the economy shrunk at a 0.2 percent annual rate in the first quarter.
Economists at the Federal Reserve and White House, as well as in the private sector, argued that the economy was not as weak as that number suggested. They blamed one-off factors such as labor strikes at West Coast ports and tough winter weather in the Northeast for the slowdown.
Some analysts, such as economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and Barclays, noted that the economy also contracted in the first quarter last year and has been slow at the beginnings of other recent years. They suggested that the Bureau of Economic Analysis was making a mistake in its seasonal adjustments that depressed measured growth in the first quarter.
The Bureau agreed that there was a problem. The revisions released Thursday updated the seasonal adjustments for consumer spending and business inventories. It also corrected the adjustments for government spending on defense-related services, which it had previously identified as a possible culprit.
Those changes, taken together, made the entire economic recovery that began in June 2009 appear weaker than it previously did. Growth over that time has averaged 2.1 percent, rather than the 2.2 percent previously estimated.
Those weren't the only changes to the quarterly GDP report announced Wednesday.
The Bureau will also start reporting a measure of economic growth that may be more accurate than the usual GDP statistic. It will be an average of GDP and Gross Domestic Income, which is effectively the reverse of GDP: Rather than total output, it tallies up total income received by all people and sectors.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia already publishes the averaged statistic, calling it "GDPplus." Now the statistic will be included right in the quarterly report.
Lastly, the Bureau will change the report to include a measure of growth meant to strip out factors that regularly swing from quarter to quarter without saying much about the underlying economy.
This measure, final sales to private domestic purchases, is the sum of consumer spending and private investment in physical assets like land or machines.
The White House favors focusing on this statistic for a more forward-looking growth metric.
"Real PDFP growth is generally a more stable and forward-looking indicator than real GDP, as it excludes volatile components like inventory investment, net exports, and government spending," Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Jason Furman wrote in April. "Indeed, PDFP is a more accurate predictor of next-quarter GDP than GDP itself."


text: UPS Improves Remedies Package in TNT Bid - Fox Business The European Commission plans to market test the so-called remedies put forward by UPS this week, one person said, referring to a standard EU process where third-parties and rivals get the opportunity to respond to the offer. Not all rivals had received details of the new package by Tuesday morning. UPS originally agreed to buy rival company TNT in a 5.16 billion euro ($6.68 billion) deal in March. It recently offered to sell off TNT's business across 12 European countries, mostly in Eastern Europe, and proposed other concessions in three additional countries. Included in that offer was a pledge to open up UPS's air network to rivals, as well as other divestures such as logistics and software, it is understood.


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Massive Inflation will hit Federal Reserve
Inflation has tempered the view of a long-time market bull.
Phil Orlando of Federated Hermes believes the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates six times over the next two years to contain enormous price increases across the board, from automobiles to housing to groceries.
“Our best prediction is that the Fed will hike rates by 2 quarter points in the second half of the year 2022.” And most possibly another 4-quarter-point rate raise in the calendar year ’23,” the firm’s top equity strategist told reporters.
Orlando, which manages $634 billion in assets, is concerned about the recent inflation figures. Personal consumption expenditures and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) are increasing at their fastest rates in three decades.
Prices for personal consumption expenditures, or Core PCE, jumped 4.1 percent in October from a year ago, according to the Commerce Department. The Fed’s preferred inflation index excludes food and energy from its calculations.
More predictions by Orlando
In October, the consumer price index, or CPI, also increased rapidly. Food and energy are included in the Labor Department’s index, which analyses what consumers pay for goods.
“Given the recent spike in inflation, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Fed hastened its tapering pace,” he said. “After the tapering is completed, we should see some rate increases.”
According to Orlando, this is what might catch Wall Street off guard.
“I believe the Fed, along with the Biden administration, has been playing a good game in terms of temporary or transitory inflation,” he remarked.
Orlando, on the other hand, feels the Fed is aware of the gravity of the problem. He points to the decision to start tapering this month as one example.
“Over the next two years or so, they’ll be removing accommodation at a reasonable pace.” “They want to get their hands on inflation and see if they can put the genie back in the bottle,” he explained.
Orlando favours equities in the energy, commodities, and industrials sectors in a rising rate environment. This is due to their capacity to recoup increased operating costs by raising pricing and increasing margins.
“What we’re trying to do is invest in firms who are negotiating this circumstance quite well,” Orlando explained.