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McDonald’s Corp.’s operator outlook is the worst it has been in more than a decade, and so is the franchisee relationship with the company, according to the latest survey from Janney Capital Markets analyst Mark Kalinowski.
The franchisee survey provides a grim picture of McDonald’s sales ahead of its quarterly earnings report next week, and suggests that early turnaround efforts have not yet taken hold.
“McDonald’s system is broken,” one operator said in the survey. “They talk menu reduction to help our people, simplify our menu for customers, but add products to help sales and it does not work. We continue to fall and fail.”
The survey includes 32 operators who own 215 restaurants, a small fraction of the 3,100 franchisees in McDonald’s U.S. system. In a statement, McDonald’s referenced the small sample size.
“Approximately 3,100 franchisees own and operate McDonald’s restaurants across the U.S. Less than 1 percent of them were surveyed for this report. We value the feedback from our franchisees and have a solid working relationship with them,” the company said in a statement.
Still, the operators in the survey indicate that March wasn’t a good month from a sales standpoint. Franchisees in the survey said same-store sales fell 3.7 percent, only a slight improvement from the 4-percent decline in February.
Franchisees did not seem confident in a quick turnaround, either. On a scale of one to five, with one being “poor” and five being “excellent,” operators’ six-month outlook averaged 1.81, the lowest score in the history of the survey. The figure was lower than the 1.88 score from three months ago, and well below the average of 2.8.
Additionally, operators’ relationship with the franchisor has turned sour. Only three characterized their relationship as “good,” and the vast majority, 16.5, called their relationship “poor,” the lowest score on the one-to-five scale. No surveyed operators called the relationship “very good” or “excellent.”
Their responses to that question averaged 1.48, well below the survey average of 2.1, below the 1.67 score from three months ago, and the lowest rate in the history of the survey.
“In general, we argue that corporations who have franchisees on board and are enthusiastic about senior management’s plans/strategy tend to fare better than those that don’t enjoy this type of a situation,” Kalinowski wrote.
The results suggest that operators aren’t yet buying into many of the company’s efforts to turn around sales and get the brand on stronger footing.
Surveyed franchisees were also negative on the company’s recent Turnaround Summit in Las Vegas. “The Turnaround Summit was a farce,” one operator wrote.
“The ideas presented — such as Create Your Taste — do not fit our business model. McDonald’s has jumped the shark. The problem is an unwieldy menu (too big) and trying to be all things to all people. The suits in Oak Brook still don’t get it. And we need operations people in charge. And a new, younger and geographically diverse board of directors, not the geriatrics we have.”
Operators suggested they would need to see sales improve soon if they were to go along with some of the company’s efforts. Several operators were upset about McDonald’s recent decision to increase pay by $1 an hour above minimum wage at company units.
“If sales don’t go up significantly and we don’t get some McDonald’s relief, operators will not want to do remodels, double drive-thrus, or go along with this new program,” one wrote. “Now that (McDonald’s company stores) screamed out to the world that they were going up a dollar now and will go to paying $10 an hour beginning in 2016, we will be expected to do the same. Watch for $5 Big Macs, etc. and Extra Value Meals in the $8 to $10 range. See most of the Dollar Menu go away. The dollar drink any size will have to go. McDonald’s will have to change from the low-cost leader to something else.”
Another called the pay increase “embarrassing.” “Even the (Fight) for $15 didn’t like it,” one operator wrote.
“The recent announcement regarding McDonald’s decision to pay their employees [more] sent a wave through the operator community,” another franchisee wrote. “It left the operators feeling betrayed and less of a partner. An already-strained relationship was fractured and I don’t know if they can recover.”
This story has been revised to reflect the following update:
Update: April 15, 2015 This story has been updated to include a response from McDonald’s Corp.


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PUBG Mobile is celebrating its third anniversary and over 1 billion downloads worldwide. And as a part of this celebration, PUBG Mobile has forged an interesting partnership with the Gozilla vs Kong movie. The latest edition in the Godzilla movie franchise is out in theatres in India and elsewhere and PUBG Mobile wants to capitalise on that. Tencent, the company that owns the publishing rights of PUBG Mobile, made an announcement that the game will soon feature the two main characters, Godzilla and King Kong, following the collaboration.
Adam Wingard, the director of the Godzilla vs Kong movie, shed some light on the partnership at the celebratory event of PUBG Mobile. He said that players will get to fight these two characters in the game. So, instead of engaging in a duel between each other, Godzilla and King Kong will fight the players. And while this sounds exciting -- and brings PUBG Mobile closer to Fortnite as far as special characters are concerned, there is not much known about this partnership right now. That will change when the movie goes in theatres in the US, even though it was released globally today.
PUBG Mobile confirmed that with a tweet. It said - “So you can take the battlefield - but what about Godzilla and Kong? Get ready for a gameplay mode where you will come face to face with both legends! Stay tuned for more details and catch the brand new movie Godzilla vs. Kong starting March 31st!” So, even though PUBG Mobile players around the world are maybe already watching Godzilla vs Kong in theatres, they will have to wait until a few more days for the in-game experience.
Since PUBG Mobile is banned in India, Indians have no luck.
PUBG Mobile recently rolled out the Hundred Rhythms 1.3.0 Update for all PUBG Mobile players. With this update, there are certain notable additions, such as the Karakin map, Season 18 Royale Pass, and new weapons. The Karakin map is based on a North African coast, which is why you get to have the Chicken Dinner in a desert.
According to the patch notes of PUBG Mobile Update 1.3.0, the Karakin map is dry, has an open environment, and is filled with boulders. The Karakin map stretches two square kilometres and supports only Classic Mode that can have a maximum of 64 players. There will be a Demolition Zone mechanic available on the map. And this Demolition Zone is what will define the Karakin map largely. It will spice up the gameplay by reducing the hideouts in the map, allowing players to turn buildings into ashes.

domain: news


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The apps that were removed are Beating Heart Live Wallpaper, Mens Club Live Wallpaper, Epic Smoke Live Wallpaper, Urban Pulse Live Wallpaper, and Anime Girls Live Wallpaper.Legislature passes bills to reform PACE energy-efficiency loan program.
Mobile Threat Monday: Bitcoin Mining Android Malware
Anyone can mine for bitcoins, even you - BetaNewsCopay is a Bitcoin wallet by Bitpay and available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Linux, Max OS X, and Windows.Five apps were recently removed from the Google Play store after they were.
5 Crazy Things You Can Hack Your Android to Do (Like Run
How I Mine Bitcoin On Android [pics] | Jackobian Forums
How To Mine Bitcoin in Your Android Phone || BitcoinSongs, an app probably used by a few million Indian Android users, was among the two apps recently caught covertly using smartphones for mining bitcoins and dogecoins.
Bitcoin mining for Android is very popular and thousands of gamers around the world would be glad to get it without any payments.
How to Earn Bitcoin by Turning Your Android Device into a Tor Node. You can earn Bitcoin by getting your Android device to act as a relay node for the TOR network.The apps were first identified by Lookout, a company that makes security apps for mobile devices.A new malware that hijacks Android mobile phones to mine bitcoins has been identified in 5 different Google Play.Here are five really cool apps you never knew you could use.
Best bitcoin wallet for android 2017 - TechnoAptIf you own an Android, your phone might be mining bitcoin without you even knowing it.Intel Core i7-7700k Review: A 7th Generation Mainstay And Coming Change.Lookout recommends that users who installed these apps before they were taken off of Google Play remove them from their Android devices.
Beginner's Guide to Mining Bitcoins
Download Bitcoin Miner for Android Latest version apk
Top 5 Bitcoin Apps for Android - Android Beat | Android
Games with earnings Bitcoin for Android - thebot.net
Anyone can mine for bitcoins, although attempting to find coins on your own is now very difficult because so many people have jumped onboard the digital gold rush in.And with this bitcoin mining is getting more and more popular these days.I know it is ridiculous, but, I want to mine some bits on my iPhone.Google removes malware Android apps used to secretly mine bitcoin.
Still kind of new to this, how do i configure this to run on my pool.


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Supercar designer's green city car
* McLaren F1 creator's new project * T25 is 'revolutionary city car', says designer * Emissions will be less than half of UK average...
Gordon Murray, the man who designed the McLaren F1 supercar, has revealed details of his plans to build a revolutionary low-emission city car.
The car, codenamed T25, is half way through its 24-month development cycle. Weight-saving is key to its design, and it will weigh 800-1000kg, 400kg less than the average car its size, while still aiming for at least a four-star Euro NCAP rating.
'It's not just a question of losing a few kilos here and there,' said Murray. 'This is the biggest revolution in the mass-production of cars for 100 years.'
Murray says carbon dioxide emissions will be less than half the UK average and it is expected to score a Euro NCAP rating of at least four stars. The car will also incorporate six different layouts.
Murray set up Gordon Murray Design Ltd a year ago. The company now has 29 staff and is closely affiliated with Caparo, maker of the track-bred T1 supercar.
Other partners involved in the T25 project include Prodrive, which is working on the powertrain and vehicle development, and GEO Technology, which is working on the engine.


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While the beginning of the year is normally not very fast paced when it comes to launches in the industry, there are quite a few slated for February and March this year. Here are some cars coming our way in this year.
Maruti Suzuki S-Cross
Maruti’s most expensive car in the market, S-Cross is all set to receive a facelift soon. Even though the new model was unveiled last year in the international market, Indian launch was scheduled to happen in 2017. Now, Maruti Suzuki has confirmed that the launch will take place during the Diwali.
Ford unveiled the facelifted version of the Ecosport last year, however the same is yet to make it to the Indian market. The company has started testing the car here extensively and our reader Maneet came across this vehicle and sent us these images. The car will get a cosmetic update as well as feature
Skoda has huge plans for 2017. They have a long list of models that they will be launching in the country this year. Among them is the all-new Octavia, which got its facelift late last year. The production is already underway at the Aurangabad factory and here are the images. What else do we know? First.
Mahindra is looking to widen their model range in the Indian market. While they do have a few vehicles in the similar segments, they are now looking to expand their portfolio with another vehicle, the TUV300 LWB. Our reader, Praveen sent us these images of the car testing in the outskirts of Chennai.
Honda has unveiled a facelift model of the Jazz for the Japanese market. The premium hatchback that is available in many international markets and is known as Fit gets minor updates. In India, the latest edition of Jazz was launched in 2015. The facelift version of the Jazz may not come this year we may
Tata’s all-new compact SUV, the Nexon will be launched in the Indian market later in the year. The vehicle was showcased at the 2017 Geneva Motorshow and has been spied a few times as well. The car was spied by a reader and he happened to send us these images.
VWs highly anticipated SUV, the Tiguan is all set to launch in the Indian market soon and details have been leaked ahead of the launch. Here is what we do know about the vehicle: Details The Tiguan will be only offered with a single diesel engine only, the 2.0 liter TDi unit
Isuzu is in the process of introducing an all-new flagship SUV, the MU-X. The vehicle will replace the MU-7 SUV, which is currently on sale in the country. A brochure of the vehicle leaked ahead of its launch and here is what we know about the SUV now.
Maruti announced that the company is starting to take bookings for the all-new DZire at a payment of Rs. 11,000. The compact sedan will launch on 16th May and most of the details about the car are out except the fuel efficiency. As per leaked information, the all-new Maruti DZire will return a phenomenal fuel
Land Rover launched an all-new SUV, the Velar at the Geneva Motorshow in March 2017. The Velar is a SUV-coupe, that will sit in the slot between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport, since there is a huge gap between the two. While the company will be launching the product later in the year


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Foxconn started with OEM, which can be called the iPhone shipment guarantee, but Foxconn has also been wearing the “OEM” hat in recent years, which is also equal to the “blood and tears factory”. Although it is a halo and opportunity to give Apple OEM, it is also a potential risk, because Apple has made most of its profits after all, and OEM manufacturers only earn meager profits.
But now Foxconn has a new plan, that is, it plans to lay off 80% of its employees within five years. After all, Foxconn now has tens of thousands of employees, and the huge labor cost is rising, forcing Foxconn to improve its production line. In this regard, Foxconn founder Gou Taiming said: Foxconn will lay off 80% of its employees within five years because these robots can work.
Why is Foxconn so urgent? Recently, due to pneumonia, many employees could not return to work normally, including iPhone and domestic mobile phone manufacturers, who were injured, and there was a shortage of supply.
Let robots replace manual operation, which is a new action of Foxconn. These simple tasks are replaced by robots. They can improve accuracy and labor efficiency, which will still be the trend in the future. In fact, since 2011, Foxconn has proposed to assemble 1 million robots in 5 to 10 years, but the “million robots” plan does not seem to go well. But now that Foxconn revisits this plan, it seems that it is time to change it.
In order to promote the robot plan, Gou gave three plans. In the first stage, robots are used to replace repetitive and dangerous work; The second stage is to improve the production line and improve efficiency; In the third stage, the whole factory will enter the automation stage, so as to minimize the manpower required, and the manpower is only responsible for inspection and other work. This also means that after the mobile phone is released, it can be mass produced quickly.
If the robot plan is implemented, Foxconn will have to lay off workers step by step. The biggest harm is the tens of thousands of workers in Foxconn. What do you think?


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Held every two years, this is the original list of the who’s who of the Australian bar industry. Nominations are open now and closes on Friday 7 June 2019 at midnight AEST.
We’re asking you, the Australian bar industry, to nominate the one person whom you think is the most influential in the industry. We are looking for people from all walks of the Australian bar industry, from owners to designers, bartenders to brand managers, writers to trainers — those who lead the way, who inspire, and who are shaping the future of our industry.
Once the nomination process has closed, the team at Australian Bartender will evaluate each nomination and decide upon the Most Influential Top 100, announced in August in the print edition of Australian Bartender and online at australianbartender.com.au. The Top 10 — including the number 1 Most Influential — will be announced at the exclusive Most Influential List Party during Sydney Bar Week on September 15.


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Wyze and Guardzilla Security Cameras Have Security Risks, Consumer Reports Finds
Here’s what you need to know from our latest data privacy and security tests of these and 12 other cameras
Test engineers at Consumer Reports recently discovered multiple security vulnerabilities in two home security cameras: the Wyze Cam V2 and Guardzilla GZ360. These lapses could give hackers access to information that may compromise a user’s account or home network.
CR determined that the risks of the cameras being hacked were relatively low, so if you own either one of them, there's no need for immediate concern, says Robert Richter, who leads security and privacy testing for Consumer Reports. “While these vulnerabilities could be exploited, they wouldn't be easy or practical to use en masse,” he says.
In the interest of getting the vulnerabilities fixed and reducing the threat to consumers, CR alerted Wyze and Guardzilla to our findings. Wyze has fixed the vulnerabilities through an update to its Android app. And while Guardzilla has fixed one issue, it is still working to fix another vulnerability we discovered.
How We Test Security Cameras
In addition to our rigorous testing for performance—including assessing a model’s video quality, the response time of motion alerts, and smart features—we assess more than 70 different indicators to rate models for privacy and security. Our test methodology is based on The Digital Standard, an open-source set of criteria for evaluating digital products and services.
For data privacy, our team conducts a document review, reading hundreds of pages of privacy policies, terms of service agreements, and company FAQs. We look for information on how manufacturers collect personal data, what they do with it, and whether or not you have the ability to delete it. For data security, we use network analysis and vulnerability analysis tools to see if cameras and their video feeds are protected by encryption and equipped to resist attacks.
In addition to the Wyze and Guardzilla cameras, we test models made by companies including Canary, Honeywell Home, Logitech, Ring, and TP-Link. You can see how all 14 models performed in our complete wireless security camera ratings.
Top 3 Security Cameras From CR's Tests
Highlights From Our Tests
While we did discover security vulnerabilities in the Wyze and Guardzilla cameras, both have a number of other features that help them earn decent, and even fairly high, security scores in our tests. The Guardzilla camera earns Good ratings for data privacy and security, and the Wyze camera rates Very Good for both.
The lowest-scoring camera for data privacy in our tests is from Logitech; it receives only a Fair rating (although it rates Very Good for data security). One camera from Arlo receives an Excellent rating for data security (and a Very Good rating for data privacy). The best cameras in our privacy and security tests are from Google Nest; they receive Excellent ratings for both data privacy and data security.
Wyze’s security issues. We found two problems in the Wyze Cam V2 camera related to weak encryption and leakage of sensitive data, including users’ email addresses, passwords, WiFi network names, and WiFi passwords. Both have been corrected.
“The issues reported to us by Consumer Reports were prioritized and addressed by our team with fixes released to our users,” says Scott Wilson, Wyze’s director of marketing. He adds that the company will continue to provide app and firmware updates as security improvements are made.
If you own the Wyze Cam V2, our experts encourage you to download the latest version of the Wyze Android app—to ensure that you are running the most secure version—and stay on top of software updates for the most protection.
The Wyze Cam V2 receives Very Good ratings for data privacy and security because Wyze actually does a lot of things well, such as offering the ability to store video locally on an SD card and using encryption. The company also discloses what information it collects.
“It’s not possible to ensure that your software and hardware are completely free of vulnerabilities,” Richter explains. “Of course, it’s best for companies to do everything they can to avoid vulnerabilities in the first place, but responding quickly when vulnerabilities inevitably arise is also the kind of best practice CR is looking for.”
In terms of performance, the Wyze Cam V2 offers superb video quality and fast response time. The $20 camera does so well in our tests that it earns a CR Best Buy recommendation.
Guardzilla’s security issues. The Guardzilla GZ360 also had two security issues in our tests. One of these could allow a hacker to add additional emails to an account for the camera in the Guardzilla Android app without notifying the primary user. Although the company denied this vulnerability existed when we first notified it, CR can confirm that the issue has since been fixed and that there is nothing you need to do in regard to this issue if you own a Guardzilla camera.
Guardzilla has acknowledged the second problem but has yet to resolve it. To avoid jeopardizing the security of current Guardzilla GZ360 owners, we are not disclosing the remaining security issue at this time. But Guardzilla has assured us that it’s working to fix it by the end of the year.
“With hardware safety issues, such as a broken blade on a blender, we would publish a description of the problem,” says Maria Rerecich, senior director of product testing for Consumer Reports. “But with connected products, we need to handle privacy and security vulnerabilities differently. Publishing details about the issue before it’s fixed could result in a hacker exploiting the vulnerability to put consumers at risk.”
CR will continue to monitor the situation. Meanwhile, Guardzilla CEO Greg Siwak says, “Our engineering team is focused on continuously enhancing the security and functionality of our products."
Overall, the Guardzilla GZ360 receives Good ratings for data privacy and data security. Among its shortcomings are the inability to remotely disable recordings and poor password protections. The Guardzilla camera didn’t do so great in our performance tests, either: It came in at the bottom of the pack. So you may want to choose another option from our security camera ratings.
Logitech is worst for data privacy. Our Digital Lab testers did not find any clear security issues with the Logitech Circle 2 security camera, and it receives a Very Good rating for data security.
Arlo stands out for data security. The Arlo Pro 2 earns an Excellent rating for data security and a Very Good rating for data privacy. In our latest tests, it beat out most of the competition in data security due to a number of security improvements from last year's tests. These include automatic software updates, requiring users to create secure passwords, and giving users two-factor authentication to securely log in to their accounts.
The Arlo Pro 2 security camera ranks high for performance as well. It offers superb video quality and an array of smart features, such as voice control and advanced alerts for packages, vehicles, and animals. (Those alerts require a monthly fee.)
Google Nest stands out for both data privacy and data security. The Google Nest Cam Indoor and Google Nest Cam IQ Indoor both receive strong scores in our performance tests for video quality and response time, as well as Excellent ratings for data privacy and data security. For privacy, Google Nest outlines the data it collects, claims to delete your outdated data, and allows you to delete your video clips and data. While the company will use your data for advertising, it does give you the ability to opt-out.
On the security front, Google Nest encrypts all data sent to and from their cameras, offers a multifactor authentication system for logging in to your account, and provides regular security updates. When we tested these two cameras last year, Nest was still treated as a separate brand from Google, but Google has since fully integrated Nest devices, resulting in improved data privacy and security ratings for these cameras. The corporate reshuffling gave the cameras updated, more detailed policies, which helped lift their scores.
Still, despite Google’s high ratings in CR’s privacy tests, there’s no denying that the company regularly collects a tremendous amount of data from its users.
“It’s important to remember that CR is just rating this one Google product, and this is not a comprehensive assessment of all of Google's privacy practices, many of which we want them to change,” says Brookman. “For this product, Google was willing to make more commitments about what happens to your data than some other companies, and that earned them a solid score.”
Google isn’t the only company making secure cameras. To see other high-performing cameras, check out our guide to the best wireless security cameras, or go to our complete wireless security camera ratings. If you want to learn more about CR’s ongoing efforts to protect consumers’ privacy, see our new Digital Lab.
Editor's Note: This article, originally published on October 30, 2019, has been changed to include an updated comment from D-Link and advice for owners of the product.
Passwords & Firmware 101
Online privacy and security are huge issues facing a lot of people today. On the "Consumer 101" TV show, Consumer Reports expert Maria Rerecich explains why it's not just phones and computers that people should be concerned about.


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VWR sales increased 3.7 percent in the first quarter.
Latest In Chemicals & Plastics Distribution
Profit was up 57.1 percent for the first quarter.
David Jukes previously served as executive vice president and president, USA & Latin America for Univar.
Profit decreased 21.8 percent to $14.8 million.
New facility will support states throughout southern and western U.S.
Company raising prices between 5 percent and 8 percent, effective April 3.
Fourth-quarter sales down 7.8 percent year-over-year.
Company names former GardaWorld executive Marc-Andr Aub to key leadership role.
Acquisition expands RelaDyne's footprint in Northeast Ohio.
Fourth quarter profit falls 74.9 percent year-over-year.
Purchase strategic part of larger restructuring plan.
Profit climbs 43.2 percent for the year compared to 2015.
Cadence will become part of the specialty intermediates division.
Fourth-quarter sales decreased 4 percent from 2015.
Acquisition strengthens company's West Coast presence.
Restructuring includes elimination or relocation of approximately 220 positions.
Acquisition expands company's reach in Alabama.
Year-to-date, sales were down 17 percent compared to the prior year.
Year-to-date sales down 10.8 percent year-over-year.


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Staff Correspondent/ Reporter, (Date :__/__/__):
A five-day-long grand trade fair was held at (Area name)………. from 5-10 October. The Deputy Commissioner of (District name)……, Mr./Mrs.________(Name) inaugurated the fair.
75 stalls of different products were set up in rows in the fairground. Companies from different parts of (City name)………. displayed their goods in an attractive manner to draw the attention of the customers. Works of arts, handicrafts, agriculture, industry, and many other things were displayed in the fair. There was a food court also. A unique feature of the fair was that all the products displayed in the fair were products of various beneficiary groups of different govt. and non-govt. organizations of the city. Several students of the local schools and College were found to serve as Customer Care Executive in different stalls.
A lot of people visited the fair every day. Law-enforcing agencies were deployed to ensure the security of the traders as well as the customers. So, there was nothing unwanted that happened at the fair.
RDO, BRDB, (District name)……., the co-ordinator of the fair, informed this correspondent- “We organized the fair with a view to encouraging the local entrepreneurs as well as inspiring the consumers to buy local goods. I think we have been successful.”


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The Commerce Commission's decision to allow Z Energy to buy Caltex will undermine the competition in the fuel industry, Labour's consumer affairs spokesperson David Shearer says.
Z Energy has been given the green light to purchase competitor Chevron, as long as it sells 19 of its service stations and one truck stop.
The Commerce Commission says the loss of Chevron, which operates the Caltex and Challenge brands, would "not substantially lessen competition".
"The Commerce Commission has allowed just two supermarket companies to dominate New Zealand's grocery industry, while just two major construction supply companies have cornered the market for building materials," says Mr Shearer.
He says while it's comforting Z Energy is New Zealand owned, it now owns around 50 percent of all petrol outlets.
"This decision undermines the Commerce Commission's own guidelines which highlight industry dominance of over 40 percent as a red flag."
The Commission was divided with its decisions, with one commissioner dissenting from the majority, Mr Shearer says.
"There has been concern in recent months that when oil prices have dropped, companies have been slow to pass those savings onto customers, and with the exception of Gull, have operated as a pack."


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Coffee shop offers opportunity for those with special needs
WESTBROOK, Conn. (WFSB) — A new coffee shop opened this week in Westbrook, and it isn’t your average ‘cup of Joe.’
Joe and Julie Campbell are brewing something special in Westbrook, opening a new coffee shop in a long-vacant storefront on Boston Post Road.
It’s fittingly called “Julie’s Cup of Joe,” and they’re on a mission to serve up more than just coffee.
For them, hiring people with special needs is a labor of love.
“I went home to him and said ‘so somebody stopped me and said we should do this and here’s all the information,’ and he said, ‘this could work’,” Julie said.
The couple said it will give people with special needs an opportunity they seldom get.
Joe and Julie are hoping to one day create a work-study program with local high schools, where students who have special needs can learn on-the-job skills.
“I believe there’s 40 percent of the population of special needs that have a job. Many of them are able to work but there aren’t a lot of jobs around and this is something that I think works well with many of their talents,” Joe said.
The business also supports local artists and small businesses.
Julie’s Cup of Joe is holding a grand opening Sept. 1.


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Harvey Building Products Corp. Celebrates 60-Year Anniversary
Harvey Building Products, a manufacturer of new construction and replacement windows, patio doors and entry doors, is celebrating the 60-year anniversary of its founding in 1961.
“Being able to celebrate this historic achievement is a reflection not only of the dedication and commitment of our past and present team members, but also of the confidence and support our esteemed customers and distribution partners have given us over the last six decades,” says Ali Isham, marketing and communications director, for Harvey Building Products. “While we honor the 60th year of the Harvey corporation, we also reflect on the innovative solutions, superior customer service and time-honored values that all of Harvey’s family of businesses have made that contribute to the success of our company that we enjoy today. We look forward to continuing those same practices for many more years to come.”
To commemorate the milestone and pay homage to its heritage, Harvey Building Products and all of its business units, including Harvey Windows + Doors, SoftLite Windows & Doors, Thermo-Tech Premium Windows and Doors and Northeast Building Products, participated in ‘Summer Celebrations’ throughout the season as a unified corporation. Each location honored and appreciated their dedicated network of valued employees with food, raffle prizes, giveaways and more. Harvey Building Products appreciates the hard work and dedication of their workforce and are especially proud of the many associates who have long tenure with their respective business unit and the corporation. Additionally, the corporation has published a video that commemorates the 60-year achievement and speaks to how the business has evolved over the years.


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The Hut Group secures $1bn for yet more beauty acquisitions
The owner of Espa, Glossybox and Lookfantastic has secured a new $1 billion banking facility as it continues to build its beauty and wellness portfolio to become the global digital leader in the sector.
The Hut Group said the facility, provided by Barclays, HSBC, Santander, Citibank and JP Morgan, will help it fund its international expansion, particularly in the US and Europe.
The British group had previously secured a £600m credit facility for what it described as “strategic initiatives”, provided by its wider banking syndicate including Bank of Ireland, Lloyds, JP Morgan and Silicon Valley Bank.
Coupled with the new £195m facility, the group has now £795m at its disposal for further acquisitions. The move gives The Hut Group “significant firepower” to build its portfolio, said CEO Matthew Moulding.
It builds on the group’s stellar performance last year, with sales growing by 47% to £736m driven by a string of acquisitions including Glossybox, ESPA and Illamasqua. The group also owns RY.com.au, Mio Skincare and Beauty Expert.
“We are delighted with the continued backing from our lenders whose participation in this new facility demonstrates their belief in our plans for future growth and strong acquisition strategy,” said Matthew Moulding, chief executive.
“The world of beauty and wellbeing is being transformed globally by a digital channel shift and the explosion in high growth, small to medium-sized independent brands.
“This $1 billion (USD) facility gives us significant firepower and makes us a serious player in building out our portfolio of Beauty and Wellbeing brands. We are uniquely well-placed to become the global digital leader across such an exciting sector.”
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FORT WAYNE – In past years, downtown Indianapolis has been Devoured, and the capitals north side has had its Nights.
In another week, it will be Fort Waynes turn to be Savored.
Beginning Jan. 15, 20 local restaurants will participate in a 12-day dining event being called Savor Fort Wayne.
Six of the Halls restaurants, the Oyster Bar, J.K. ODonnells and a dozen other establishments will offer specially designed three-course menus for $30, all with the intent of luring new patrons and offering discount rates.
Savor Fort Wayne is modeled after similar events in larger cities across the country, including Indianapolis, which hosts Devour Downtown, North Side Nights, Chow Down Midtown and Savor the South Side.
The first event in Indianapolis was 2005.
Visit Fort Wayne president and CEO Dan OConnell says it was time Fort Wayne joined the party.
We pulled together several of our interested partners, like the Halls and J.K. ODonnells and Eddie Merlots, and we briefed them on it, OConnell says. Would you guys like to start something like this? They were very much supportive of it; very much enthusiastically.
Participating restaurants are: Asakusa Japanese Restaurant & Sushi, Bandidos, Bourbon Street Hideaway, Champions at Courtyard Downtown, Chappells, Chops, Club Soda, Cutz at the Hilton, Eddie Merlots, El Azteca, Don Halls Old Gas House, Don Halls Guesthouse Grill, Halls Tavern at Coventry, J.K. ODonnells, Paulas on Main, Takaoka of Japan, Don Halls Factory, The Oyster Bar, Don Halls Triangle Park Bar & Grille and Toscani Pizzeria.
Fort Wayne has been dubbed a lot of things: Summit City, City of Churches, and its certainly been dubbed City of Restaurants, Oyster Bar owner Steve Gard says. I think what we would like to be able to do is give not only the people of Fort Wayne, but the people in the surrounding areas, to see really how great some of the restaurants are here in Fort Wayne.
I think Fort Wayne is very blessed to have the number of independents that they have, and the number of good independents that they have. Thats primarily what we hope to showcase in this.
Susan Decker, spokeswoman for the Indiana Restaurant Association, says Indianapolis has about 130 participating restaurants in its various events. She says she hopes Fort Waynes participants will increase by at least 50 percent to give the city 30 restaurants next year.
Its a great way, when all of the restaurants get together, to promote getting people to go out and try something new, or to go to their favorite restaurant at a discounted rate, Decker says. Its just a really good way to get people out into the community to go to a lot of different restaurants during a certain time period.
Adds OConnell: When we asked (restaurant owners), When would you like to have it? they all agreed to have it in January when everybodys got a little cabin fever.
Menu updates will be posted via Facebook on the Savor Fort Wayne page and on Twitter @SavorFortWayne.


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Walgreen Co. is willing to resume selling prescriptions to Express Scripts Inc. customers after the end of their contract Dec. 31 forced millions of consumers to switch pharmacies, Walgreen’s pharmacy-services chief said.
“We’ve always been willing to remain in the Express Scripts network, but it has to be at a rate which is fair for the value that we provide,” Kermit Crawford, president of Walgreen’s pharmacy, health and wellness services, said today in a telephone interview.
Walgreen, the largest U.S. drugstore chain, offered “significant cost concessions” in mid-December negotiations with Express Scripts from an earlier proposal to keep reimbursement rates flat for the next three years, Crawford said. He supervises Walgreen’s negotiating team and reports to Chief Executive Officer Greg Wasson.
Express Scripts “did not accept that offer and actually suggested pushing negotiations into the new year,” said Crawford, 52. “So I would say the ball is in their court. We are actually not waiting to hear from them. We’ve made the decision to move on.”
Express Scripts is open to an agreement with Walgreen, Brian Henry, an Express Scripts spokesman, said in an e-mail. Still, Walgreen wants to be paid more than other pharmacies, he said.
“We have remained open to having Walgreens in our network, but only at rates and terms that are right for our clients and are consistent with other pharmacies,” Henry said. “That hasn’t changed.”
Walgreen is trying to convince health plans, employers and pharmacy-benefit managers other than Express Scripts to maintain access to its pharmacies, Crawford said. More than 130 Express Scripts clients had taken such steps, Walgreen said in a statement Dec. 30.
Walgreen, based in Deerfield, Illinois, rose 1.1 percent to $33.08 at the close in New York. St. Louis-based Express Scripts gained 1.9 percent to $49.39.


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In December the Mercedes-Benz E-Class took home the Car of the Year 2016 trophy. It won the luxury category as well, but it was its many high-tech safety features that impressed AA Motoring Services General Manager Stella Stocks.
“While the judges make their selections on a variety of elements, for me, what is under the skin of the E-Class is excellent," Stella says.
“Mercedes-Benz is a world leader in safety technology and it hasn’t held back from ensuring this car is one of the safest on the market today, packed full of features to both avoid crashes and maximise occupant safety.”
The annual awards are decided collaboratively between the AA and the New Zealand Motoring Writers' Guild, in a process considered by many to be the most independent and objective in New Zealand.
Eligible vehicles need to have been launched within a specific time and to have been test-driven for a minimum of 72 hours by 75% of eligible guild members, who are all professional writers. Finalists and the ultimate winner are selected by vote of that committee.
“It’s a robust judging process,” Stella says. “The top ten are established by a panel made up of Guild members and a judge from the AA. It’s debated and it can involve quite heated discussion. For example, someone might say the Lamborghini is a good car, and it is, but it doesn’t appeal to a lot of people and you have to be able to confidently argue its value for money.
“Yes, there are top-end cars in that top ten list, but many of the winning cars are affordable and appeal to a wide market. We have set it up that way so that there is something for everyone and the everyday motorist can consider buying one of the winning cars. We keep it real.”
The Best in Class winners are also decided by the team, who rates all new cars available for sale at the time of voting, which means that in any category the winning car could be a previous year’s model.
Each year there is a People’s Choice award that goes to the car from the top ten list that receives the most votes from the general public through an online and social media campaign.
The 2016 campaign attracted more than 30,000 voters.
The Safety award is given to the car with the highest score from ANCAP, coupled with its pedestrian protection score: “We consider the winner of this category to be a car that is safest for vehicle occupants and for other road users,” Stella says.
The Car of the Year awards are very well received. “We know it has an impact on buying decisions, too. We get a lot of calls from people asking for advice on which cars to buy and we have all this detail to share from the awards' judging process. And while it's new cars being judged, new cars become used cars. Cars that won various categories in 2012 would be affordable now – and the safest cars from past years are still good options for buyers now.”
New Zealand Car of the Year 2016
Best Small Car
Best Compact Car
Best Medium/Large Car
Best Luxury Car
Best Small SUV
Best Medium SUV
Best Large SUV
Best Luxury SUV
Ford Mustang GT
Reported for our AA Directions Spring 2020 issue
aa.co.nz/cars or call 0800 500 333 for car reviews and motoring advice.


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MG Motor UK continues to be the fastest growing car manufacturer in the UK after achieving its most successful Q3 ever. Boosted by the launch of New MG3, the latest iteration of its successful B-segment hatchback, MG sold over 2,400 cars in Q3, beating last year’s volume by almost 82%. September’s sales results, taken from the latest Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) market report, show that MG topped 1,000 registrations in a single month for only the third time ever, reaching an impressive 1,010 sales in the plate-change month. This represents a 20% volume growth in a challenging market which fell by over 20% versus 2017.
Led by the release of the new MG3, MG Motor UK continues to go from strength-to-strength in 2018 by once again announcing record new car sales. The August sales results, taken from the latest SMMT market report, show that MG has achieved an impressive 5,685 new car registrations so far in 2018, over 1,000 units more than it achieved in the whole of 2017. This significant increase in new car registrations amounts to an increase of 129% compared with the same period in 2017.
MG Motor UK, the UK’s fastest growing car manufacturer, is delighted to introduce New MG3; the latest addition to the iconic British brand’s rapidly evolving product range. Replacing the brand’s current MG3, which sold over 10,000 units in its four years on sale, the stylish supermini is a natural evolution, bringing it into MG’s new design family, first seen with the MG ZS compact SUV. Demonstrating its faith in the build quality and reliability of its products, MG has extended its 7 year/80,000-miles warranty to New MG3. The new warranty really adds to New MG3’s value-for-money offering, making it one of the most attractive packages on the market. Fully-transferrable to future owners, the comprehensive warranty gives great reassurance to MG buyers.
The super-fun MG3 has taken on a new role; it is now the ‘Mollymobile’, transporter of Dr Molly and Stripes to tend to children’s broken toys! Today, E-Bop.tv, a new children’s digital channel, has launched. MG Motor is pleased to announce a collaboration with E-Bop.tv and be part of their Dr Molly series. Dr Molly specialises in fixing broken toys so, when a call comes through to Dr Molly HQ from a child in need, she calls upon her ‘Mollymobile’ MG3 to get her there as quickly as possible. Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG, said: “We are really pleased to be working with E-Bop.tv and to be involved in one of their new programmes. It’s fantastic to know that Dr Molly will be heading out to visit her patients in an MG3 as it reflects the […]
MG Motor UK has once again proven its place on the road after motorists ranked both the MG3 and MG6 within the top five in their respective vehicle segments in this year’s Auto Express Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. Drivers’ voting placed the super-fun MG3 fifth in the supermini segment, demonstrating that this fantastic car is deservedly up there with others in its class. The MG6 swept up a bronze award in the family car segment for a second year in a row. Retaining its reputation for road handling, the medium-sized fastback also moved up two places from last year to finish second amongst all models in the road handling judging category. In both 2014 and 2015, the MG3, MG6 and MG as a whole scooped awards for best handling, third best manufacturer, tenth best car to own and this […]
Whilst waiting to go into the Royal Academy of Arts, in London’s Piccadilly, Martyn Watchurst stumbled upon MG’s flagship showroom and it proved to be a great use of his spare time. Once Martyn walked into the showroom, he was immediately taken with the MG3. He said: “I hadn’t seen the new models, so when I spotted the MG3 I thought it looked great and the price was right.” Martyn was so impressed with the MG3, he dropped in at Roadworthy in Bristol to take a closer look. Richard Onslow-Carey, a new salesman to the dealership, offered Martyn a test drive. It wasn’t long before he had picked out his MG3, which happened to be the 5,000th registered MG3 and Richard’s first sale. Martyn said: “I’m so happy with the car; it’s designed really well and comes with a large […]
MG’s trendy MG3 has just got even better with the introduction of new technology; designed to give better economy and lower emissions. The MG3 2016 MY (model year), which will be available to buy next week, offers customers better fuel consumption, lower tax and an updated personalisation range; which includes the launch of new combinations and roof colours. The supermini, which now benefits from a more economical 124g/km of CO2 and a stop-start EU6 engine, also comes with a new chrome grille to complement the MG family face.
The new MG 3SW debuted today on the 2015 Chengdu Auto Show in China, winning the price for the fattest front overhang. The MG 3SW is a variant of the MG3, and the spiritual successor of the long gone MG3 Streetwise. The MG 3SW is powered by the same dull engine as the standard car: a 1.5 liter petrol four with 109hp and 135nm, mated to a five-speed manual or automatic.
Unfortunately we can’t get hold of one on this side of the pond, but elsewhere in the world the MG3 continues to rack up the good press. Let’s see – it is sporty, it is inexpensive, it has the MG bloodline, and it is hip. What more could you want? As this review from New Zealand states, “The chiseled wedge-profiled shape even has details along its rear panels that reflect the angles of the famous octagon badge, though the designers are to be congratulated for not slavishly putting that shape all over the car. “Sitting on standard 16 inch alloy rims, along with subtle dark grey sills, front splitter and vestigial hatch spoiler and covered in electric blue paint that seems wet it’s so glossy, the wee 3 looks a treat. “Up front its lazy-v shaped smile sucks on the […]
The MG6 was supposed to signal the brand’s return to the UK, but it’s fair to say that car hasn’t quite had the desired effect. So now we have the MG3: a Ford Fiesta rival the company hopes will kick-start its fortunes. The most striking thing about the new car is its low price. AutoXpress drove the top-of-the-range Style model, which comes in at less than £10,000. For that money, you get Bluetooth connectivity, air-conditioning, a DAB radio, 16-inch alloy wheels and cruise control all fitted as standard. A Fiesta or Skoda Fabia kitted out with that much equipment would cost nearly £13,000. But price isn’t everything: the MG3 has to deliver on the road. And in some key respects, it does. The car feels quite sporty, with an impressive amount of grip that allows you to tackle twisty back […]
MG has shown the new MG3 supermini to UK influencers for the first time – in preparation for a possible 2012 launch of the new British-designed Ford Fiesta rival. Key UK customers, designers, suppliers and industry analysts were invited to a secret design forum at Prodrive’s Warwickshire test facility, to help MG generate initial opinions on how the new five-door supermini will be received. While not yet confirmed for UK sale, MG Motors is very hopeful the supermini will soon get the green light (with assembly over here a strong hope, too). Because of this, the firm has started gathering data, from as broad a cross section as possible. Furthermore, although the basic design of the car is fixed, MG is also seeking comments from UK motorists on what they would like changed. The Chinese-spec left-hand drive show car is […]


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A Chinese shipping magnate has paid a world record-high $328,000 for a Dutch pigeon, according to an international pigeon auction house.
The auction total take of $2.5 million was also a record, PIPA said.
The buyer of the most-expensive pigeon on record, PIPA said, is Hu Zhen Yu, who runs a shipbuilding company in China.
Hu also is the owner of a South China pigeon-racing group and told PIPA he intends to increase his focus on the sport, which is popular in Britain, Belgium, Holland and Germany, the Telegraph of London said.
He intends to breed the female pigeon rather than race it, the Telegraph said.
Nikolaas Gyselbrecht, the owner of PIPA, noted in a 2010 interview a growing interest in pigeons by Chinese buyers. PIPA, which sent representatives to pigeon exhibitions in China last year, also boasts on its website that prices for pigeons are soaring.
That has some in the sport concerned, the Telegraph said.
"We must not forget pigeon racing is a simple sport to be enjoyed by all who wish to become involved for the right reasons," Ken Ambler, a British pigeon fancier told the Telegraph.
Ambler said the sport he took up 70 years ago was transformed with expensive birds now "housed in luxury" compared to "the basic orange box lofts of yesteryear," the Telegraph reported.
The previous top-selling pigeon was Euro Diamond, an 8-year-old retired Flemish pigeon famed for long flights. It sold for $225,000 in November 2010, according to media reports.


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Updated at 2:40 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 16
PETOSKEY — A report of the sound of an explosion outside an Emmet County resale shop today, Wednesday, caused a few tense moments for workers in the shop and emergency crews.
Police, firefighters and ambulance crews were called to the Challenge Mountain Resale Shop, located on U.S. 31 south of Conway in Bear Creek Township, at about noon to a report of a possible pipe bomb explosion in the parking lot outside the store.
Workers in the store said they heard what sounded like an explosion outside the store and then saw smoke in the parking lot.
No one was injured in the incident and no damage was reported to any property, workers said.
Emergency crews shut down U.S. 31 for about 20 minutes while police checked the scene for further devices.
Finding no other devices, all emergency crews had all left the scene by about 12:25 p.m. and the store reopened to normal business. Crews from the Resort-Bear Creek Fire Department, Allied EMS, and deputies from Emmet County Sheriff’s office also responded to the scene.


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While reverse mortgage endorsements were down 35% in 2010, Reverse Market Insight points not to volume declines, but consolidation as the biggest industry trend of 2010 in a report released Thursday.
During the year, the number of active lenders fell by 47.2% and the largest lenders reaped the benefits. According to RMI, the top 10 lenders saw their retail market share grow from 40.5% in January 2010 to 64.7% in December. “Clearly, the higher volume companies did not suffer 2010 in the same fashion as smaller brokers and lenders,” says RMI in its report.
Source: Reverse Market Insight
Bank of America’s decision to leave the industry earlier this month will likely move the top 10 market share back down without another massive brand and distribution network to replace it.
One question that remains unanswered is where the bank’s retail volume came from. If production came largely from the bank’s retail branches or current customers, it’s likely that volume won’t be coming back in 2011. However, if business was generated by individual retail loan officers, “they are likely to find homes elsewhere and the industry will retain that volume,” says John Lunde, President of RMI.
Since the regulatory environment clearly favors bigger lenders, “the trend of fewer, larger lenders is intact and looks set to continue for the foreseeable future,” says RMI.
View a copy of the report here.
Written by Elizabeth Ecker


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3G mobile was a big deal back in 2009 when China Telecom became one of the first companies to provide 3G services in China. Here, a China Telecom hostess shows a man how to use a 3G mobile phone at a China Telecom 3G launch event.
3G was once the gold standard for cellular internet, but it’s long been supplanted by 4G, and now 5G. In fact this year, 3G mobile data will be discontinued by American wireless carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T. Those who have relatively new devices probably won’t even notice a change, because they’ve already switched over to the newer services. However, there are plenty of older phones and smart devices out there that will begin to see loss of connectivity. It’s especially an issue for things like car electronics and home security systems that were built with a 3G connection in mind, as those products are both pricy, and meant to be kept around for several years.
3G is simply shorthand for the third generation of wireless broadband standards agreed upon by the cellular industry, with a minimum data speed of 144 kilobits per second. 3G installation and service began to roll out in the early 2000s and would become much more popular once the smartphone era started ramping up around 2008. In fact, Apple’s first major update to the iPhone was branded "the 3G," and touted its fast wireless internet capabilities.
At the same time 3G was receiving widespread use, its successor, 4G LTE, was being developed. 4G possessed vastly superior capabilities, with download speeds up to 100 megabits per second, lower latency and longer range. In the 2010s, LTE started to replace 3G coverage as the most popular standard. However, many devices released at this time were compatible with both signals.
In the 2020s, the cellular industry is laying the infrastructure for 5G, which uses higher frequency antennas for demanding tasks like high-definition video streaming. 5G offers lightning-fast download speeds of 20 gigabits per second but requires many more transmitters than previous standards.
Why and How Is 3G Service Ending?
In order to understand the discontinuation of 3G, we talked with Mark Richardson, a correspondent for The Big Phone Store over in the U.K. "One of the reasons why 3G is to be discontinued is due to infrastructure. When new technologies such as 5G are created, maintaining some or all older technologies can be a costly endeavor," says Richardson via email. "Another reason is that it frees up the spectrum, allowing more devices to be able to use 5G without worrying about clashes with older 3G technology."
Verizon claims that less than 1 percent of its customer base is still using 3G in 2022. AT&T says the same thing. Phones often get replaced every few years, after all. On the other hand, there are many devices apart from smartphones that could rely on 3G. A statement by the Federal Communications Commission mentions that "medical devices, tablets, smartwatches, vehicle SOS services, [and] home security systems" may be affected. Security and alarm systems are a particular concern because many older installations are still in use today.
Here are the shutdown plans of the three major networks:
- AT&T ceased 3G service Feb. 22, 2022.
- The company has published a document detailing which carrier phones will or will not be affected by the changeover.
- Sprint’s 3G network will shut down March 31, 2022.
- T-Mobile’s 3G will shut down July 1, 2022.
- Additionally, Sprint’s 4G LTE will be discontinued June 30, 2022, and affected devices will automatically be moved over to T-Mobile’s 4G service.
- Verizon is scheduled to end 3G service Dec. 31, 2022.
- It is currently not allowing new 3G devices to be activated.
- The company recommends contacting a local retailer for technical questions and upgrade plans.
How Will Phones be Affected?
Any phone that is not capable of either 4G LTE or 5G connection will see its cellular service suspended. This includes internet data, texting, voice calling, as well as 911 calls. However, many phones manufactured in the 2010s are compatible with both 3G and 4G services and will still be able to access 4G after the shutdown. Some 4G connected phones still rely on 3G signal for voice calls, so if your phone isn’t "HD Voice" (high-definition voice calling) compatible, it could lose the ability to make calls once 3G service is disconnected. Some models will allow HD Voice to be enabled via software update.
If the device features Wi-Fi connectivity, it will still be able to access the web and stream content through a wireless router even if it can’t send calls or texts via cellular connection. If you’re unsure whether your phone model will be affected, contact your carrier for more details. They may even offer discount deals for those who switch from old model devices.
How Will Other Devices be Affected?
"Any other devices, such as navigation systems, that are 3G only will lose certain functionality. They will still be able to turn on and any process that does not require a network will still be able to be performed, but things like updates will not be available. For example, a Sat-Nav will not be able to show live traffic reports," says Richardson. Devices which use a 3G SIM card for live information will lose some or all online functionality, although some may have firmware updates available to alleviate the problem.
According to Consumer Reports, many older vehicle models have emergency contact features which can use a 3G signal to automatically alert rescue and medical personnel in the event of a crash. The website mentions that cars from Chrysler, Dodge, Hyundai, Jeep, Lexus, Nissan, Ram and Toyota are affected, some as recently as the 2021 model year:
- Nissan, Infiniti, Toyota and Lexus vehicles before 2019 will lose crash alert features, with no current plan for an update.
- Some Honda models will require console hardware to be upgraded at cost.
- General Motors vehicles will retain functionality after a software update, which should happen automatically.
- Fiat-Chrysler models can be upgraded to 4G with a $10 per month data plan. However, automatic crash alerts will be discontinued.
- Some Hyundai, Genesis, and BMW vehicles will be eligible for a free update.
Home security and alarm installations are another major use case for 3G. A report from Axios says as many as 2 million fire and burglar alarms in the United States rely on 3G services to alert authorities. The industry is trying to keep up with the demand for updates, but chip supply issues and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic have slowed the process. If your home uses a wireless security system, contact the installation company for more information and possible update plans.
Now That’s Interesting
Mark Richardson recommends GSM Arena as an online resource for determining whether your device is compatible with 4G and 5G. The website features an extensive catalog of mobile phone specifications going back many years.


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(ATTN: RECASTS headline; UPDATES lead, 2nd para; ADDS more info from 7th para)
By Joo Kyung-don
SEOUL, April 7 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. on Tuesday delivered better-than-expected first-quarter earnings as robust demand for chips apparently offset a slump in smartphone sales and home appliances amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The South Korean tech giant put its first-quarter operating profit at 6.4 trillion won (US$5.2 billion) for the January-March period, up 2.73 percent from 6.23 trillion won a year ago.
It beat the market consensus of 6.19 trillion won in operating profit in the survey conducted by Yonhap Infomax, the financial arm of Yonhap News Agency, on 20 Korean brokerage houses.
In its earnings guidance, Samsung Electronics expected its first-quarter sales at 55 trillion won in the three-month period, up 4.98 percent from a year earlier. The figure was in line with the median estimate of 55.3 trillion won.
Samsung, the world's leading memory chip and smartphone vendor, did not break down performances of its respective business divisions, saying it will announce the detailed earnings later this month.
Analysts here said Samsung's semiconductor business may have helped the company stay afloat amid the novel coronavirus crisis on the back of increased demand for server chips for data centers and steady rise of memory chip prices.
"Increased non-face-to-face activities prompted by the COVID-19 outbreak has led to a surge in data traffic and server expansion," Kim Dong-won, an analyst at KB Securities, said. "It pushed up the average selling prices of memory chips."
According to industry tracker DRAMeXchange, the average contract price of 8-gigabit DDR4 DRAM, a benchmark price for the category, reached $2.94 in March, up 2.1 percent from a month earlier, extending its price hike to a third consecutive month.
The average contract price of 128-gigabit 16Gx8 MLC NAND flash was $4.68 last month, up 2.63 percent from a month ago, according to DRAMeXchange.
Analysts here expected Samsung's chip business to have logged around 4 trillion won in operating profit in the first quarter.
But smartphone and home appliance sales might have slumped in the face of weak demand amid the COVID-19 outbreak around the globe, they said.
Samsung had to temporarily shut down about one-fourth of its global manufacturing bases, including those in India, Brazil and Russia, amid the spread of COVID-19.
Last month, it even shifted some of its premium smartphone production from South Korea to Vietnam.
Samsung also had to close its home appliance outlets in North America and other countries and asked consumers to use online shops for purchases.
"Samsung is expected to have shipped only 60 million smartphones in the first quarter, down from 72 million units a year ago, as the global situation of COVID-19 worsened quickly in March," Lee Soon-hak, an analyst at Hanwha Investment & Securities, said. "The sales slump of Galaxy S20 smartphones is also one of the main reasons behind the poor performance."


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Tree of Savior’s Upcoming CBT Bans Video Broadcasting
More news from our partner TreeofSaviorGame.com:
The Closed Beta Testing (CBT) policy of Tree of Savior prohibits test participants to stream or broadcast the TOS testing gameplay online. This means that we should not expect any fan released video content or streams for the upcoming CBT.
Warnings and bans will be issued to players who violate the terms of service for CBT. Looks like we won’t be getting a glimpse of gameplay yet!
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LA Tech Updates: Snap Stocks Surge After U.S. Threatens to Ban TikTok
Tami Abdollah is dot.LA's senior technology reporter. She was previously a national security and cybersecurity reporter for The Associated Press in Washington, D.C. She's been a reporter for the AP in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times and for L.A.'s NPR affiliate KPCC. Abdollah spent nearly a year in Iraq as a U.S. government contractor. A native Angeleno, she's traveled the world on $5 a day, taught trad climbing safety classes and is an avid mountaineer. Follow her on Twitter.
Rachel Uranga covers the intersection of business, technology and culture. She is a former Mexico-based market correspondent at Reuters and has worked for several Southern California news outlets, including the Los Angeles Business Journal and the Los Angeles Daily News. She has covered everything from IPOs to immigration. Uranga is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism and California State University Northridge. A Los Angeles native, she lives with her husband, son and their felines.
- Snap Stock Closes 6% Up After Pompeo's TikTok Threat
- Could the U.S. Ban China-Based TikTok?
Snap Stock Closes 6% Up After Pompeo's TikTok Threatsilver iPhone 6 on top of yellow wooden surface Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
Snap stock closed nearly 6% up on Tuesday after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. government is "looking at" a ban on Chinese social media apps, including TikTok, because of security concerns.
Snap didn't respond to a request for comment. TikTok said in a statement that it's a company that's led by an American CEO, with hundreds of employees and "key leaders" in safety, security, product and public policy in the U.S.
"We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users," the statement said. "We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked."
Could the U.S. Ban Chinese-Owned TikTok?
The Trump Administration is "looking at" banning TikTok, the popular social media app owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance, over concerns that information is being shared with Beijing.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News Monday that the United States is considering whether to restrict TikTok and other social media apps after India banned its use.
"We are taking this very seriously and we are certainly looking at it," Pompeo said. "With respect to Chinese apps on people's cell phones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right too...I don't want to get out in front of the president, but it's something we're looking at."
Pompeo warned American users that downloading the app would leave their private information "in the hands of the Chinese communist party."
Culver City-based TikTok, has around 30 million active users in the U.S. and is owned by Beijing-based technology firm ByteDance Ltd. The social media app has received much scrutiny from the national security community. It's no longer allowed on Australian Defense Department devices following a similar ban by the Pentagon due to national security concerns surrounding China's potential access to data.
At the end of June, India joined the ranks of those banning TikTok, restricting it and other Chinese social media apps due to security concerns.
ByteDance has said that all U.S. user data is stored in the United States and Singapore, not on Chinese servers.
Meanwhile, the New York Times reported, TikTok is withdrawing its app from Hong Kong stores and making it inoperable there after the government began using broad new security laws aimed at blocking opposition to the communist party in the former British colony.
Facebook, Twitter and Google stopped processing Hong Kong's request for user data, according to the report, a move that could hurt their ad revenue.
TikTok isn't available in mainland China and the company has said that executives outside China run operations.
Do you have a story that needs to be told? My DMs are open on Twitter @latams. You can also email me at tami(at)dot.la, or ask for my Signal.
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Despite — or in many cases because of — the raging pandemic, 2020 was a great year for many tech startups. It turned out to be an ideal time to be in the video game business, developing a streaming ecommerce platform for Gen Z, or helping restaurants with their online ordering.
But which companies in Southern California had the best year? That is highly subjective of course. But in an attempt to highlight who's hot, we asked dozens of the region's top VCs to weigh in.
We wanted to know what companies they wish they would have invested in if they could go back and do it all over again.
Hottest
Boiling
Simmering
Warming Up
- Los Angeles' Tech and Startup Scene is Growing. - dot.LA ›
- The dot.LA/ Pitchbook Top 50 LA Startups for 2020 Q2 - dot.LA ›
- dot.LA/Pitchbook 50 Hottest Los Angeles Companies - dot.LA ›
Los Angeles is home to around 5,000 startups, the majority of which are in their young, formative years.
Which of those thousands are poised for a breakout in 2021? We asked dozens of L.A.'s top VCs to weigh in. We wanted to know which companies they would have invested in if they could go back and do it all over again.
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Vietnam throws its hat into the automotive manufacturing ring.
Vietnam has a homegrown car company known as VinFast and this upstart automaker is showcasing its new models at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. VinFast is not a household name and its vehicles aren’t likely to be sold in the U.S. anytime soon.
Nevertheless, the Vietnamese automaker has two models to show for it, with both going into production in 2019.
VinFast is the first Vietnamese automaker, but it isn’t the first company to produce new cars in this Southeastern Asia nation of nearly 100 million residents. Most passenger vehicles produced in Vietnam are from knock-down kits, cars partially assembled abroad then completed locally. Chevrolet, Hyundai, and Toyota are among the brands present.
As for VinFast, the company is making it clear that its Italian-inspired models are Vietnamese influenced.
The company tapped Pininfarina, the Italian design house with developing the new models based on consumer input. The result is two models, a sedan and a crossover utility vehicle, that the company believes reflect the country’s spirit.
VinFast calls its two models the LUX A2.0 and LUX SA2.0, names that hardly roll off of the tongue or are easy to commit to memory. Nevertheless, this naming strategy has been embraced by upstart automakers before (e.g., Ford Model T and A; every European manufacturer), but may eventually change especially as the company eyes foreign markets.
David Beckham Presents
Not wasting any time, VinFast tapped retired English professional footballer David Beckham to tout the brand. Beckham was introduced at the 2018 Paris Motor Show for the official unveiling of the two VinFast models.
“I’ve always been a car fanatic, and it’s a thrill to be here in Paris to celebrate the arrival of a new carmaker on the global stage. When I met you and your colleagues backstage earlier, the passion that you all have for the cars is infectious. It’s an inspirational story and I’m really excited to be part of this launch moment for VinFast,” noted Beckham to VinFast personnel.
New Model Highlights
Not all details about the new model have surfaced yet. The only photos supplied by the manufacturer are exterior shots. But those photos do reveal the artistic design flair incorporated. VinFast could have chosen a more utilitarian look and satisfied its home audience. But the automaker is looking to begin exports not too soon after Vietnam consumers become acquainted with the brand.
We do know that powering both models is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Apparently, there will be two performance variants. The first one will produce 173 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. The second one has an output of 231 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The sedan will offer both choices, while the utility vehicle will have the higher output version only.
Both models, by the way, offer standard rear-wheel drive. The SUV will also have an all-wheel-drive option. This is a common layout for premium European models.
Letting Loose and Looking Ahead
VinFast has already indicated it won’t stop with its two initial models. Indeed, the company has struck a deal with General Motors to market a city car under the VinFast name. VinFast and GM also have a partnership agreement in place, which resulted in the transfer of GM’s Hanoi automotive plant to VinFast.
Other models planned include an electric car and an electric bus. All three models are currently under development.
What are VinFast’s chances of success? It may be quite good as the company has extensive government backing and sought early on to bring consumers to the development process. It would be foolish for anyone to underestimate the company’s potential, given that manufacturers such as Hyundai and Tesla have successfully disrupted the market in their own time and expertise.
Photos copyright VinFast.


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Mash Media, publisher of EN and sister event industry magazines, has announced the launch of its newest product: The Festival & Outdoor Events Show.
Announced at the Event Production Show, co-located with International Confex, event director and Mash Media publishing director Duncan Siegle said: “We’re really commited to the outdoor events sector, with our great publications and the outstanding Event Production Show, all of which serve the market incredibly well.
“However, one of the gaps in our portfolio has been the chance to give our customers with outdoor products a chance to shine in the right environment. The Festival & Outdoor Events Show provides a perfect complement to the Event Production Show, as both events now bracket the outdoor season.”
The new exhibition will take place on 27-28 September 2017 at Sandown Park Racecourse. It aims to provide business opportunities, education and networking to the outdoor events industry.
Mash Media chose to partner with Sandown Park Racecourse for 2017 as the venue will give the new show a footprint in the southeast, accessible across the M3, M4 and M1 corridors.
“We’re delighted to be working with Sandown Park Racecourse,” added Siegle. “They are a natural home and an excellent location for our inaugural event.”
The Festival & Outdoor Events Show takes place 27-28 September 2017.


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Texas DPS Begins Four-Phase Reopening
Some of us have been in a holding pattern waiting for the Texas Department of Public Safety to reopen its doors across the state. We heard the news last week that that process will soon be underway in phases.
Today marks the beginning of a four-phase reopening of those offices so that Texans who do not have a valid Texas license, CDL, learner's permit or ID card can get in line for service according to KCENTV.com.
By the end of the week, most of us will be able to book appointments up to six months ahead of time using the site. The actual DPS offices in South Texas will accept appointments starting this afternoon. Since the actual timeline of the four-phase plan has not yet been announced, it's estimated that DL office transactions will return by mid-July.
Of note is that Governor Abbott said once the driver's license offices reopen that Texans will have up to 60 days to renew their licenses. If your license expired on or prior to March 13th, 2020 this waiver is for you.
If you are waiting to renew your vehicle's registration and to get a new sticker for your windshield you can actually do that now online. In fact, If you renew your registration online you'll actually see a discount! Renew your registration online with this link.


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December 12, 2004
These are the top three cars per segment in the 2004 J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study: COMPACT (1) Mini Cooper Mazda3 Toyota Prius ENTRY MIDSIZE Chevrolet Malibu Hyundai Sonata Kia Optima PREMIUM MIDSIZE Volvo S40 (2004.5) Nissan Maxima Kia Amanti FULL-SIZE Mercury Marauder Mercury Grand Marquis Ford Crown Victoria ENTRY LUXURY Chrysler 300 Series (2005)
February 27, 2007
A woman died Monday of injuries suffered this weekend when the luxury vehicle she was riding in went out of control and struck a building on Chicago's Northwest Side, police said. The crash occurred about 3:30 a.m. Saturday in the 3600 block of North California Avenue, Chicago Police Sgt. Eugene Mullins said. Homero Medina, 31, of the 3200 block of North Seminary Avenue, was driving a Cadillac CTS northbound on California when he lost control of the vehicle, swerved and struck a building, according to Mullins.
June 28, 2010
Maybe some factories have happier workers, or maybe their production lines are just particularly snappy. Whatever the case, certain vehicle assembly plants produce fewer defects per 100 cars than others, and J.D. Power and Associates has just released its annual list of the top manufacturing facilities. The Daimler plant in East London, South Africa, took the top honor with the Platinum award. It manufactures the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and recorded only 28 problems per 100 vehicles.
May 9, 2012
PARIS (Reuters) - General Motors put its gearbox plant in Strasbourg, France, up for sale for a second time in four years, pledging to seek bidders to keep the factory running. The Detroit-based automaker, which announced an alliance with France's PSA Peugeot Citroen in February, said on Wednesday it had hired Barclays to manage the sale of the facility in eastern France, where it employs 1,000 workers. "The company intends to pursue potential buyers that will continue operations with the existing workforce, supply base and customers," GM said in a statement.
September 14, 2008
To mark it's 100th anniversary Tuesday, General Motors chose these as its 10 best vehicles: 1910 Cadillac Model 30 - first enclosed car 1912 Cadillac - first electric starter 1927 Lasalle - designer Harley Earl's first creation 1930 Cadillac V-16 - world's first V-16 1936 Opel Olympia - first German unibody car 1952 Saab 9-2 - Saab's first production car 1955 Chevy Bel Air - it's all in the uncluttered design ...
November 30, 2008
Autos Nissan plans to let consumers lease the batteries for its electric auto to avoid high replacement costs or being left behind by new technology. The cars go on sale in late 2010 in Oregon with customers buying the car and lithium-ion batteries. Nationwide sales begin in 2012 with the purchase-and-lease arrangement. The car is expected to get 100 miles on a charge. Recall GM is recalling 12,662 2009 Cadillac CTS cars. A software problem may disable to front-passenger air bag when it should be enabled or vice versa.
February 7, 2008
With more than 1,000 vehicles spread across two halls at the Chicago Auto Show, visitors who wander might have their legs and feet give out before they see some of the main attractions. And though beauty is in the eye of the beholder, here are five vehicles and events not to miss. Just keep in mind that automakers have been known to change their minds, so some of these vehicles may make only a brief appearance at McCormick Place?if at all. Cadillac CTS coupe concept In the North Hall, look for the coupe concept, a stunning variation on the recently introduced CTS sedan.
April 21, 2008
Despite the tough U.S. economy, General Motors Corp. has started the year off right by holding its share of the retail market in the first three months with a stable of strong new products such as the Chevy Malibu, Buick Enclave and Cadillac CTS. GM captured 21.6 percent of retail sales in the U.S. market during the January-March period, according to the latest estimates provided exclusively to the Detroit Free Press by the Power Information Network,...
January 25, 2004
- Buick says it may add all-wheel-drive to a future sedan now that it will be offered in its 2005 Terraza crossover sport van. "It all depends on the execution. Whenever we develop new vehicles, we ask ourselves if the vehicle needs AWD or not. But you have to balance the cost versus the need," says Roger Adams, Buick general manager. Because every Buick sedan will be new within the next couple of years and all of its SUVs and CSVs will have it, it makes sense to offer it in a sedan as well.


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Electrical Compliance and Safety Ltd (ECS), a national electrical inspection, repair and installation provider, have become the latest company to sign up as a member of NAPIT.
ECS have over 20 years’ experience in the electrical installation and maintenance sectors and carried out Electrical Installation Condition Reports on almost 25,000 properties last year.
By joining NAPIT, ECS will be able to produce reports in line with the latest regulations, access expert technical support, and take advantage of offers on products and services ranging from test equipment to vehicle hire.
ECS managing director Peter McGowan said, “NAPIT are the perfect partners for our business. They share our commitment to customer satisfaction and ongoing improvement, and are well-recognised as a mark of quality in the industry.
“We look forward to growing our working relationship with NAPIT as they continue to push for improvements to be made to electrical safety.”
NAPIT group chief executive Mike Andrews added, “ECS are a great example of how electrical compliance can be assured on a large scale without any compromise in quality, so we are delighted that they have chosen to join NAPIT.
“Our membership options are ideal for organisations of all sizes, whether they are large companies or sole traders, giving them a crucial edge in a crowded marketplace by helping them to prove their commitment to high standards.”
For more information on the full range of NAPIT schemes and membership packages visit www.napit.org.uk.


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There is a 2 week window in which you can take action. Businesses can protect themselves against cyber risks by ensuring security software is installed, by running scans and by checking that operating systems and applications are up to date. If you run a business, you should test your incident response and business resilience protocols and work with your IT departments or suppliers to tell employees of the potential threat.
Firms running Windows operating systems are at risk from the GOZeuS and CryptoLocker threats. Small businesses could be particularly at risk as they may not have the necessary protective systems in place.
To help protect your computers from attacks, firms should follow National Crime Agency guidance or CERT UK. This includes practical advice plus tools from cyber security companies which can clean up infected computers.
You can get further advice for businesses from Cyber Street.
The government knows that cyber attacks are a threat to UK business. The growth of the internet has transformed our everyday lives and is an important part of our economy. The internet-related market in the UK is now estimated to be worth £82 billion a year while British businesses earn £1 in every £5 from the internet. This is why the government is investing £860 million through the National Cyber Security Programme to support the UK’s economic prosperity, protect national security and safeguard the public’s way of life.
As part of this, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is working to make the UK one of the safest places in the world to do business in cyber space. BIS has put together a package of support to help your business protect itself from cyber threats:
In addition, BIS will shortly be announcing further details on Cyber Essentials a new scheme which sets out how your business can protect itself and enable you to demonstrate your business is cyber secure.


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China’s Commerce Ministry said it has launched an anti-dumping investigation into methionine products imported from Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, according to reports. The investigation began April 10 and is expected to last a year.
Methionine, an essential amino acid, is used in animal feed, human medicine and the food sector. In animals, methionine needs to be ingested with the feed. As a feed additive, it contributes to efficient, healthy and more sustainable nutrition of farm animals, especially poultry and pigs.
According to Xinhua, the investigation was launched after the ministry received an application from Ningxia Unisplendour Tianhua Methionine Co. Ltd., which was registered and established in Zhongwei in northwestern China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region in June 2013.
The investigation will look into possible dumping during calendar year 2018, as well as whether the domestic industry suffered losses in calendar years 2016-2018 as a result of dumping.
Evonik, a manufacturer of a methionine feed additive product for animals, said in a press release that it “fully supports the investigations and will provide competent bodies with all the necessary information and data. The company will cooperate fully the ongoing investigation, while being confident with respect to its outcome.”
Evonik manufactures its methionine product, MetAMINO, in Belgium, the U.S., Singapore and Germany, and supplies customers in more than 120 countries.
Investigation into DDGS tariffs
China’s Ministry of Commerce also said this week that it will review its anti-dumping tariffs on import of dried distillers grains (DDGS) from the U.S.
The U.S. Grains Council asked the ministry to terminate its anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs on DDGS from the U.S.
According to Reuters, China bought 3 million tons of DDGS in 2016, worth $684 million. Most of the country’s DDGS imports were from the U.S.
China set anti-dumping tariffs of between 42.2 percent and 53.7 percent on U.S. DDGS in January 2017, up from 33.8 percent in preliminary duties implemented in September 2016, Reuters reported. Anti-subsidy tariffs range from 11.2 percent to 12 percent.


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New reports shows that the models M2012K11AC and M2012K11C belong to Redmi K40 and Redmi K40 Pro smartphones. The Pro model is expected to be…View More REDMI K40 WITH SNAPDRAGON 870 SPOTTED ON GEEKBENCH.
Samsung Electronics has become the top brand in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) tablet PCs in the fourth quarter of last year. As the…View More SAMSUNG TOPS TABLET MARKETS IN EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AND AFRICA IN Q4 OF 2020.
OPPO is one of many popular smartphone manufacturers in China. The company is best known for its high-end mid-range and high-end mobile phones, which are…View More OPPO CPH2219 COULD BE THE COMPANY’S FIRST PHONE WITH 33W FAST CHARGING.
World’s leading online retailer Amazon has announce the acquisition of Selz, Selz provides tools to help companies open their own online stores. With this, the…View More AMAZON AQCUIRES SHOPIFY COMPETITOR SELZ.
The latest Apple iPhone 13 leaks have surfaced online, which hints at interesting new features coming in the next generation series. The 2021 iPhone will…View More RUMOURS ABOUT APPLE’S IPHONE 13 SERIES DESIGN SURFACES ONLINE.
It was recently confirmed that Apple’s negotiations with Hyundai Motor and its subsidiary Kia Motors did not materialize, and the latter’s self-driving car partnership with…View More APPLE’S TALK WITH HYUNDAI OVER SELF DRIVING CARS REPORTEDLY CRASHES.
Recent reports indicate that South Korean company Samsung is about to launch the Galaxy F62 in India as its next F series smartphone. Flipkart started…View More SAMSUNG TO LAUNCH GALAXY F62 ON FEBRUARY 15.


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“Apple on Monday released iOS 4.3.5 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, addressing a security vulnerability related to certificate violation,” AppleInsider reports.
“The update comes less than two weeks after iOS 4.3.4 was released,” AppleInsider reports. “It is available for the GSM iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, iPad, and third- and fourth-generation iPod touch.”
AppleInsider reports, “Also released on Monday was iOS 4.2.10 for the CDMA iPhone, available on Verizon’s network.”
More info in the full article here.


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IT has always been a car he dreamed of getting, and last year, local resident, Gary Eckel made the decision to buy a Mercedes.
Growing up in the small township of Minyip, Gary noticed one Mercedes driving around, which drew his attention each time he saw it and now, his dreams have come true, after buying a 2015 Mercedes C200.
Gary said, “Seeing the Mercedes driving around town when I was growing up made me want one.
“It’s great to have now gotten one. It really is a fantastic car to drive. I’ve owned a lot of cars, but this is by far the best.
“It is fitted out with the latest technology including satellite navigation, parking assist, keyless start and sunroof. It steers well, is packed with safety features. It’s got everything.
“I notice the difference mostly when I go on long trips. It’s quite comfortable and relaxing to drive and you never get tired of it.”


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How badly is the coronavirus epidemic damaging the global economy? How much is the resulting COVID-19 illness hurting U.S. businesses and consumers?
Here’s a continuing MarketWatch update on what economic experts are saying:
Severe restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus are taking a big toll on the global economy and it is going to get worse before it gets better, economists say. Italy is already in lockdown, for example, and the U.S. has now banned flights from Europe.


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China has an ambitious plan to become a global leader in innovation along with technology, along with in which could potentially bode very well for German multinational company Merck KGaA.
The company is actually one of the leading names in science along with technology along with does business across three sectors: health care, life science along with performance materials.
The latter two business units help to make Chinese companies more competitive, Merck KGaA Chairman along with CEO Stefan Oschmann told CNBC on Thursday on the sidelines of the Fortune Global Forum in Guangzhou, China.
“For instance, we are working with Chinese start-ups or larger biotech companies inside manufacturing process along with the research process,” he said. “Or we’re producing materials for Chinese electronics manufacturers (along with) display manufacturers.”
As a result, Oschmann said, Merck KGaA is actually in a “very interesting place” inside rapidly developing Chinese market.
Earlier This kind of year, industry watchers agreed in which China was shedding its image as a country in which copies ideas via the West to become a tech along with innovation powerhouse. At least one expert said Chinese companies were increasingly innovating in more hardcore technological areas.
When asked if China was becoming stricter toward foreign companies operating within the mainland, Oschmann said he was seeing “a lot more assertiveness along with in which is actually only natural given the size of the market along with the importance of China inside entire world economy.”
He added in which the Chinese government, along with business partners, understand Merck’s value as a partner in helping to upgrade their industries in areas such as biotechnology along with electronics.
One common gripe many foreign companies have when the item comes to doing business in China is actually around intellectual property theft. although recently, Beijing has cracked down on intellectual property rights violations including corporate espionage along with counterfeiting of well-known brands.


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MuscleTech was the first brand that we've seen to incorporate virtual reality (VR) into their new products EuphorIQ™ and BurnIQ™. They are now incorporating VR into their trade show experience by partnering with Black Box VR® at the 2023 Arnold Sports Expo.
Black Back VR® was founded by Ryan Deluca. Deluca was the founder at Bodybuilding.com. This is not the first time Deluca has worked with Iovate/MuscleTech.
This year’s event marks the first time since 2018 that MuscleTech is both sponsoring and exhibiting at the event, with a booth (#645) that will feature two of the most innovative pre-workouts on the market in EuphoriQ™ and Burn iQ™, and the most exciting fitness innovation in decades via a unique collaboration with Black Box VR®.
From the press release:
This interactive experience combines the excitement of gaming with real, effective exercises to build muscle and burn fat. The Black Box VR® workout battle is designed to guide participants through a high-intensity combat workout tailored to your fitness goals. The ultimate goal of the game is to immerse users in a world in which leveling up in the game equates to leveling up your fitness in real life.
Physical challenges featured inside exhibitor booths at events such as the Arnold have typically been consistent ways for brands to stop traffic in the aisles and attract fans in to try new products. At the Arnold Sports Festival, those who strap on the VR goggles will also be able to sample the newest products from MuscleTech®, including its revolutionary Burn iQ™ and EuphoriQ™. Both EuphoriQ™ and Burn iQ™ feature enfinity® paraxanthine, a metabolite of caffeine that allows for greater focus and energy enhancement to give you the best workout of your life.
MuscleTech and Black Box VR® has found a way to make their booth fun, interactive and educational around two new SKUs that focus on the future of dietary supplements.
To me this is cool. I think VR is ahead of its time, but it is something that brands are thinking about hard. I won't be at this year's Arnold, but I am looking forward to seeing shots and video of this experience.


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Isaac Mizrahi has partnered with GM for an auto-inspired ‘Malibu Style’ line that will be sold exclusively on LivingSocial in October.
Sell unwanted coupons and find current deals in your area.
The tax men catch up to the daily deal sites with a new taxation mechanism.
Are online deal sites jacking up normal prices to make their offers more attractive?
Foursquare, Gilt Groupe, Airbnb are all startups that have made it big, but are they actually profitable?
Daily deals site, Living Social, has released a mobile application called Instant Deals to complement its existing email service.