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Amazon Kindle deserves some praise on its 10th birthday
The electronic book reader improved on its predecessors
The iPhone has received a good deal of hype this year as it celebrates its 10th anniversary, but another important device is just about to reach that same milestone.
The Kindle is set to turn 10 on November 19, and while not as revolutionary as Apple’s flagship product, Amazon’s e-book reader is responsible for its own share of change.
And, just like the iPhone, it has also been emblematic of Amazon’s approach to both innovation and customers. It’s a good example of why the two companies are currently positioned so differently in consumers’ minds.
Just as Apple didn’t invent the smartphone, the Kindle wasn’t the first electronic book reader. Amazon improved on predecessors such as the Sony Librie and the long forgotten Rocket eBook with a lightweight and portable device that used an innovative “electronic ink” display to take the pain out of reading books on a screen.
More importantly, it was affordable. Retailing for US$399, the Kindle quickly sold out and remained out of stock for months. Subsequent iterations got progressively cheaper, culminating with the ad-supported Kindle 5 in 2012, which sold for just US$70. Most of Amazon’s e-readers since have sold for between US$100 and US$200.
If the iPhone unleashed the app economy, then the Kindle sparked a self-publishing revolution that changed how the long-form printed word is created, distributed and sold.
Kindle Direct Publishing, which launched in conjunction with the e-reader in 2007, allowed writers to skip publishers and sell their works straight to consumers. E-books could be sold for as low as 99 cents, with Amazon keeping just a small cut rather than the lion’s share, as publishers generally do.
Many well-known writers did exactly that while many more – not having to go through a publisher gatekeeper – got themselves discovered. New authors including Amanda Hocking, Hugh Howey and E.L James, of 50 Shades of Gray fame, became overnight self-publishing sensations.
Authors also experimented with new storytelling formats and business models, including shorter works and serialized chapters released at regular intervals, with various payment options. At last, innovation came to the book business.
Affordable, with a great deal of supporting content, the Kindle became all the rage for a while – a sought-after holiday and birthday gift. E-books sold in huge numbers as consumers loaded up their devices in anticipation of binge-reading sessions on the beach.
Amazon has never disclosed how many e-readers it has sold, but estimates have pegged the number in the multi-millions. E-books, meanwhile, have gobbled up as much as a quarter of the overall book market in a number of countries.
The lustre has come off both the device and content in recent years as consumers have shown a renewed interest in print books. But the Kindle and its publishing platform, as well as those of the competitors that sprouted up, remain robust and viable options for both authors and readers.
The Kindle’s first decade wasn’t without its controversy, of course. Amazon infamously deleted purchased copies of George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four from users’ devices in 2009 after discovering that the publisher lacked the rights to sell the books.
Company founder Jeff Bezos was forced to apologize and ended up settling a potential class-action lawsuit, but the fears of Big Brother – and Amazon’s apparent control over users’ purchases – continue to linger.
Ironically, Amazon and Apple’s biggest clash was over e-books. Publishers, fearing Amazon’s growing power, conspired with Apple to counter that influence by fixing e-book prices. In 2014, Apple settled with U.S. anti-trust authorities, giving Amazon customers credits for the over-payments they were forced to endure.
Given that, it’s no coincidence the two tech companies are where they are today.
Both are juggernauts – Apple is the biggest U.S. firm by market capitalization, while Amazon is fifth – and both have their fingers in many businesses. But, according to a survey last week of more than 1,500 Americans by tech website The Verge, one company is beloved by its customers while the other is considerably less so.
Americans, it turns out, trust Amazon almost as much as their bank and would care very much if it suddenly disappeared. Apple, meanwhile, is disliked almost as much as Facebook and Twitter. More people actually prefer Microsoft to the iPhone maker.
Conspiring to inflate e-book prices might have something to do with that. Continually raising iPhone prices in the pursuit of even more astronomical profit, while simultaneously engaging in anti-consumer moves like removing the headphone jack, also probably played a part.
Apple is now replacing the fingerprint reader on the iPhone X with facial recognition, yet another move that is provoking skepticism if not contempt.
Amazon has also had its missteps – to be sure – but it is still seen as a benevolent entity for the most part, as the survey shows.
Offering consumers lower prices, giving product makers new opportunities and disrupting the establishment’s status quo will do that. And those are all things the Kindle has done.
Updated: October 30, 2017 07:17 PM


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Dec 6, 2017, 3:41 pm87 ptsIt took several months, but Lyft and nuTonomy have made good on their promise to test autonomous ridesharing cars in Boston. The two have launched a pilot program that gives "select" Seaport-area passengers a ride in one of nuTonomy's self-driving R...
Consumers lack trust in IoT devices BetaNews 175
Apple web design violates law, claims blind person The Register 102
Costco now supports Apple Pay across all of its US stores TechCrunch 100

domain: news


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A little over a week ago, Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus revealed the launch date for its much-awaited OnePlus 9 series. The launch event is scheduled to take place on March 23, four days from today. An upcoming smartwatch from the company was also slated to debut on that day but a Tweet from YouTube channel Unbox Therapy dampened those plans.
The YouTube channel focused on unboxing new tech products took to social media platform Twitter to unveil the complete design of the OnePlus Watch today.
The design reveal takes the life out of the official OnePlus Watch launch almost entirely thanks to spec leaks of the wearable in recent months.
Prior to today, leakers already reported almost all of the main features and highlights about the Watch. Apart from design leaks which have now been confirmed, reports also state that the device will have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, one-week battery life with a 20-minute charge thanks to Warp Charge support, push notifications for calls, music controls, remote controls for the OnePlus TV, and 4GB of storage.
Other alleged features include an in-house OS and not Wear OS, sleep tracking, heart rate and stress monitoring, SpO2 measurements, automatic workout detection, and a swimming mode. It is believed the smartwatch will come in a silver shade in addition to the now-confirmed black colour.


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As Advanced Micro Devices tries to cut costs and return to profitability, the 2006 acquisition of ATI continues to weigh on the company.
AMD on Friday announced that it will take a charge of US$880 million related to ATI's former business units in the second quarter of 2008. The charges relate to impaired assets in ATI's former handheld and digital TV business units, which were merged into AMD's consumer electronics group after the acquisition.
The company is announcing its second-quarter results on Thursday.
AMD's acquisition of ATI for US$5.4 billion was viewed as a potent weapon in its attempt to dent Intel's domination of the x86 processor market. However, the company has now reported six consecutive quarterly losses.
In the first quarter of 2008, AMD reported a net loss of US$358 million on revenue of $1.51 billion. The results included $50 million related to ATI's acquisition.
The company on Friday also announced it was taking charges of $32 million related to restructuring, which began in the second quarter in an effort to cut costs. The restructuring is expected to be completed by the end of the year, AMD said in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
The bulk of the charges relate to employee severance, the company said.
The company is also taking an impairment charge of US$36 million related to the company's short-term investments, including a $24 million charge for investments in Spansion, a flash memory company that was spun off from AMD in 2005.


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Monthly Archives: July 2016
Japanese appliance maker Balmuda has created one of the most expensive toasters on the market- a $230 home appliance that claims to toast bread perfectly, every time.
Whereas traditional toasters- which have changed little since they received their outer casings in the 1920’s- are generally thought to be the most disposable and affordable, low-tech kitchen appliances currently in wide circulation, Balmuda has transformed what was once old-school into a high-tech gadget determined to improve your quality of life.
The Balmuda toaster uses steam and carefully calibrated heat cycles to ensure perfectly toasted toast every time. It can transform store-bought bread into toast that feels, tastes and smells like it just came out of the oven of a professional baker. This propensity for creating luxury toast has led Balmuda to deem the gadget worthy of a price five times its more drab competitors. Apparently a fair amount of Japanese citizens agree, as pre-orders for the toasters have led to a three-month waiting list, all without Balmuda spending a penny on advertising.
So how did a company that generally creates flat screen TVs, walkmen and digital cameras wander into the territory of gourmet toast making? The story goes that a Balmuda company picnic was unfortunately thrown on a rainy day. Stubborn partiers warmed their bread on a grill despite the wet weather and found, to their surprise, that under those conditions they were able to make delicious, perfectly prepared toast.
Among the toasters was company founder Gen Terao and his group of product designers. They attempted to reproduce their delicious toast sometime later, but found that fair weather conditions wouldn’t allow it. Eventually someone made the connection that water was necessary for the yeasty delights of the company’s past picnics and, thousands of test slices later, the group figured out that steam is able to trap moisture inside a slice of bread while it’s being warmed at low temperatures. Cranking up the heat at the very end can couple this pleasant texture with the crust present in all toast we know and love.
“The best results are with croissants,” advised Mark Oda, who works on web and media content in Tokyo and was the first ever purchaser of Balmuda’s toaster. “I can never go back to 5,000-yen toasters.”
Terao’s ambition to reinvent the toaster may be explained by the flexible and creative mindset from which he views the world in general. Terao wasn’t always the head of a tech company; in his teen years he dropped out of high school, cashed a life-insurance payout after the death of his mother, and trekked across Spain, Morocco and the Mediterranean. He returned to Japan to front a rock band called the Beach Fighters, which scored a record deal but never became famous. Eventually he convinced a small local factory to allow him to use their milling machines and started making simple, useful products like laptop stands, desk lights, and electric fans. Finally, in 2014, he turned his intentions to food, because “eating is a moving experience.”
Now Balmuda can’t keep stores stocked with their famous toaster, but the company still plans to start expanding sales to South Korea.
We often think that our lives are hard in western culture and associate that pain with the shortcomings of our tech devices and accessories. This is obviously ridiculous, but for those who air those concerns life may be getting easier yet with the development and production of several new gadgets that are just over the horizon. The funny thing about tech shortcomings and the difficulty of our daily lives navigating them is the fact that these are very much self perpetuating problems. Where by, the scaling up and exemplifying of everything entails that there is simply more to do and keep track of and manage through our devices. Thus we are in an infinite regress loop where things aren’t getting necisarily better or worse, just different. That said here is a look at some of the tools of the future tomorrow, today.
Up first is the notion of everything going wireless has long meant that it means our remotes or receivers operate under this. But there really hasn’t been a big leap in going wireless in recent years, until today. Lets face it, charging cables are annoying, and a huge contributor to the global e-waste problem. They are restive to mobility and prone to failure. Some of the new smartphones are already coming with the ready to charge wireless system, like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, so really all you need to be doing if you have one of them is that you have to put it near the the wireless receiver then, boom wireless charging dawg.
Up next is a problem you didn’t know was a problem until now. The Winbot window cleaning robot is changing the way you wipe, and swipe your way to glory. You just slap the Winbot on your window, then hit the play button and watch it do its work and clean your windows with ease. Think rumba for your window. and the results are stunning; crystal clear windows without the haste of having to clean up after yourself or do something that requires your hands, no thank you.
Up next we have the Reset Plug which automatically resets Wi-Fi. Essentially teh ResetPlug has one single operation, which is that it is to reset your router when it starts losing its connection, that thing you do by plunging and unplugging something. You essentially plug your router through it and it monitors the Wi-Fi signals and will thus automatically turn the router of and as you imagine, back on in order to get your connection back. Very simple operation, but is actually probably going to be a huge success.
Up to the next operation we have the Amazon Echo, as smart-home tech becomes more and more common place, the controlling it all can become a little unwieldy. What is mean by that is that it is not only a smart assistant capable of directing you the weather and playing your favorite jams, what it can really do well is that it can connect with other Bluetooth which enables devices and services.


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New Delhi: GE Power
India today said it will close down operations at its Maneja (Vadodara
plant in Gujarat
The company said 95 per cent of workmen at the facility have opted for the a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), which was initiated on August 21 and closed on August 25.
"Around 95 per cent of workmen at the above factory have opted for the aforesaid scheme," GE Power
India said in a regulatory filing.
Considering the current market situation, wherein the company is experiencing more capacity than market volumes and that majority of workers have accepted the VRS, it is not viable for the management to operate the factory and shall cease operations at the Maneja plant with effect from August 27, it added.
The company said it would continue as a key contributor to the domestic hydro market and reaffirmed its commitment to the customers in the hydropower
"The company will leverage its robust supply chain capabilities from within GE Group and in collaboration with suppliers to serve its customers," GE Power India said.


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For the 24 hours to 23:00 GMT, the USD declined 0.5% against the JPY and closed at 112.73.
In the Asian session, at GMT0400, the pair is trading at 112.71, with the USD trading a tad lower against the JPY from yesterday’s close.
The pair is expected to find support at 112.38, and a fall through could take it to the next support level of 112.05. The pair is expected to find its first resistance at 113.19, and a rise through could take it to the next resistance level of 113.67.
Looking ahead, traders anxiously await Japan’s jobless rate, consumer price index, industrial production, consumer confidence index, final Nikkei manufacturing and services PMIs, all scheduled to release next week.
The currency pair is showing convergence with its 20 Hr moving average and trading below its 50 Hr moving average.


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Rail industry welcomes HS2 reaching 9,000 jobs milestone
23 May 2019
HS2 Ltd have announced today that the new high speed railway project is supporting 9,000 jobs across the UK.
Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “RIA welcomes this exciting milestone. It is clear that HS2 is being delivered as planned, creating thousands of jobs and billions of pounds of GVA around the country.
“For every pound currently spent on rail, over £2.20 of income is generated in the wider economy. So when HS2 Phase 1 from London to Birmingham is completed, not only will we radically improve connectivity across the UK, but the whole economy will benefit too.
“The next stage is to ensure HS2 Phase 2 from Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester secures Royal Assent, and connects to Northern Powerhouse Rail. This will ensure this truly world-class railway links the great cities of the midlands, north and south, benefiting UK plc, passengers, freight users and the economy, in the years ahead.”
Notes to Editors
- The announcement of HS2 reaching the milestone of 9,000 jobs can be found here.
- About RIA: The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the voice of the UK rail supply community. We help to grow a sustainable, high-performing, railway supply industry, and to export UK rail expertise and products. We promote and represent our members’ interests to policy makers, clients and other stakeholders in the UK and overseas. RIA has 280+ companies in membership in a sector that contributes £36 billion in economic growth and £11 billion in tax revenue each year, as well as employing 600,000 people—more than the workforce of Birmingham. It is also a growing industry with the number of rail journeys expected to double over the next 25 years and freight set to grow significantly too. RIA’s membership is active across the whole of railway supply, covering a diverse range of products and services and including both multi-national companies and SMEs (60% by number). RIA works to promote the importance of the rail system to UK plc, to help export UK expertise around the globe and to share best practice and innovation across the industry


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An exploration of the ways the U.S. uses international trade to influence other countries and promote stability, and how it balances domestic economic interests with our foreign policy interests.
Upon returning from his trip to Asia, President Trump says he will make a major announcement about trade on Wednesday.
During his trip, the president said, "we've made some very big steps with respect to trade, far bigger than anything you know." He also said U.S. trade deficits are going to be "cut very quickly and very substantially."
• More: Trump talks tough on trade at summit in Vietnam • Made in America: White House highlights products from each state
"You could make an argument that trade was the biggest issue that put Donald Trump in the oval office," said Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
States that Trump won the election in are the same states that lost the highest percentage of jobs to import competition over the past 15 years, Alden said.
It's true that the U.S. has a massive trade deficit with China, but that is in large part due to how U.S. consumers shop.
Simply put, we buy more than we sell. Products are made more cheaply in China, which allows us to get products at much lower prices.
This program — "Made in America: Trade Policy in the Trump Era" — comes from PRI's America Abroad series.
To listen to the program, click the audio player above.
MPR News presents offers speeches, documentaries and debates — airing weekdays from noon to 1 p.m.


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Posted: 2020-06-25 21:25:25
Barr DOJ Weaponized Antitrust To Launch Flimsy Inquiries Into Legal Weed Companies
The laws aren’t applied evenly - and certainly aren’t designed to help small businesses.
From Karl Bode at Techdirt.
Originally published 2020-06-25
In many instances, he notes, Barr's DOJ launched inquiries into marijuana companies and smaller mergers that in no way posed competitive or monopolistic threats. In many instances, the merging companies didn't even compete with one another.
Keep in mind, this is the same Barr DOJ many journalists and "experts" somehow believe will not only conduct a fair inquiry into giants like Google, but will deliver valid, good faith remedies for the very real problems Google helped create (as opposed to say problematic remedies focused on aiding aspiring Google ad competitors like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon).
GrubMarket raises $60M as food delivery stays center stage
Thursday October 08, 2020
More proof of the surge in grocery ecommerce
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Monday July 20, 2020
Central Fulfillment Centers for grocery delivery are far more efficient than shoppers picking from retail aisles
Moutain inspired apparel from Alps & Meters
Saturday January 09, 2021
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Friday January 08, 2021
Nocode and low-code development is on the rise. We recently got started on a new project using Bubble.io, after checking out an…
Social is trending private
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The events that unfolded yesterday at the Capitol building were the result of years of turmoil, provocation, and a change in culture…


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Ever worried that electronic talkie thing that may as well be hardwired into your palm is going out of fashion? If not, you certainly should be.
Blackberry users, beware. Your phone company is selling itself for 5 per cent of what it was worth in 2008 - that’s $80bn (£50bn) down to $4.7bn.
About to get your hands on a nice Galaxy Note 3? Don’t bother – the South Korean company have already announced plans to release a cooler device with a cool curved screen in the near future.
And if you’re losing sleep over not having the latest iPhone , spare a thought to how that cupboard of abandoned Apple products is feeling.


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A leak that was released several weeks ago has been confirmed by a reliable source.
The leak showcased the design of PlayStation 5 development kits, and it was reproduced by fans with the help of data collected from a patent filed by Sony. A developer confirmed the design featured in the render on a popular social media platform, sparking a series of debates and discussions.
To avoid publicity the developer decided to delete his account, but the rumors were already at full throttle. Eagle-eyed users spotted the, of a different developer, which shared images of both the Xbox Scarlett and PS5 developer kits. The account offered a wealth of information about the two upcoming consoles.
A reliable source contacted the second developer and obtained more information about the upcoming consoles. It seems that they will arrive at a later date because AMD has run into a few problems while trying to implement ray tracing support in the case of the custom AMD Navi graphics solutions used by the devices.
The PS5 dev kit is known under the name of Prospero and Sony has started offer units to game developers in the summer. It seems that the name has been inspired by a that of a character featured in ‘’The Tempest’’, one of the most popular plays written by William Shakespeare.
Some of the parts which will be used for the manufacturing console share similar codenames. The report mentions that the upcoming generation of consoles will bring a huge power boost, which should compete with high-end gaming PCs. A set of images that, but there were no watermarks that could offer more information about the source who shared them.
One of the best images offered by the source has been edited to remove essential details that could be used for identification. The looks of the device are quite impressive, and it will be interesting to see if Sony retains the design.


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Five Things to Know About ‘Dual Circulation’
“Dual circulation” has recently become a buzzword on Chinese media.
Since the concept was first mentioned at a Politburo meeting in May, Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly talked about dual circulation, which envisions a new economic development strategy relying less on global integration and more on expanding domestic commerce.
Meanwhile, scholars are increasingly debating whether this new model would represent a regression to the self-reliance planned-economy era from the more recent opening-up focus.
Here are five things to know about dual circulation:
What is dual circulation?
The idea first came up at a Politburo meeting May 14 presided over by Xi Jinping. At the meeting, the nation was urged to “fully bring out the advantage of China’s super-large market scale and the potential of domestic demand to establish a new development pattern featuring domestic and international dual circulations that complement each other.”
At another Politburo meeting in July, Xi said China should speed up its “dual circulation” growth model with a focus on expanding local output while drawing in foreign investment and stabilizing trade.
A meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform Sept. 1 with Xi presiding again emphasized that accelerating the establishment of a new development pattern featuring dual circulation is a systematic deep-level reform concerning the overall situation of the country.
The Covid-19 pandemic spread with alarming speed, infecting nearly 26 million around the world, dragging the global economy into the deepest recession since World War II. According to World Bank forecasts, the world’s economic output is expected to shrink by 5.2% this year. Economic activity among advanced economies is projected to shrink 7% in 2020 as domestic demand has been severely disrupted.
Even though China is still expected to manage economic expansion of 1.6% this year, the current tough external environment means that shrinking demand for Chinese goods will surely cut deeply into growth. Even before the pandemic hit, Beijing was trying to restructure the economy as many experts warned that the export-led growth strategy is not sustainable for China in the long run.
The swerve also comes amid increasing U.S. hostility toward Chinese tech companies, including tech giant Huawei and now the popular video app TikTok owned by ByteDance.
Is dual circulation actually internal circulation only?
Some interpret the emphasis on local demand as a switch to “internal circulation” and an end of China’s opening-up polices.
Meeting with a group of public and private business leaders and discussing dual circulation in July, Xi called for domestic entrepreneurs to have “a high sense of mission and a strong sense of responsibility for the country.” Meanwhile, Xi also emphasized opening the economy and treating foreign businesses equally.
“I have repeatedly stressed that China's open door will not be closed, but will only get wider and wider,” Xi told the entrepreneurs.
Though policy insiders and government advisers say it’s impossible for China to completely close its doors, many expect that a partial decoupling may be possible, especially with the U.S.
What does China need to do to make the switch?
Reorienting the world’s second-largest economy around domestic demand will require a deep economic, social and political transformation.
The consumption share of the Chinese economy remains extraordinarily low, accounting for 38.8% of GDP in 2019, compared with 66% in the U.S. For Chinese consumption to broadly align with that of other developing countries, ordinary households must cover at least 10–15 percentage points of GDP at the expense of businesses and the government, which will not be easy, said Michael Pettis, a finance professor at Peking University.
This will require the deepening of domestic restructuring to expand the market orientation of the economy, increase productivity, level the playing field for the private sector, and enhance the social safety net to bolster consumption, said Wang Tao, the head of Asia economics and chief China economist at UBS Investment Bank. Wang said he expects China’s total consumption to increase by $8 trillion to $9 trillion in the next decade, roughly doubling to $17 trillion in 2030.
As part of the transition to domestic consumption, the State Council, China’s cabinet, issued guidelines in June to help exporters sell goods into the domestic market. But it is not easy for exporters to shift gears quickly as they struggle to overcome a mountain of problems from supply-side issues such as product development, distribution and taxation, to demand-side hurdles that crimp consumption, navigating the complexities of e-commerce, and meeting rapidly changing shopping habits and consumer tastes.
When will China unveil details of the new strategy?
Though much has been said about dual circulation, no details have been given on the specific methods of execution.
Top officials in Beijing are drafting the 14th five-year plan, which will set out key economic and political goals for 2021–2025. The dual circulation strategy is widely expected to become a key priority in the five-year plan, which is expected to be discussed and endorsed by top leaders at a key Communist Party conclave in October.
But details on the dual circulation strategy won’t be available until the new five-year plan is released during the annual parliament session in early 2021.
Contact reporter Denise Jia (email@example.com) and editor Bob Simison (firstname.lastname@example.org)
Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go.
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This week, BMW India said that the luxury car maker will be aggressive about Indian market and will bring out coupe version of 6 series. The company has also planned to launch BMW 3 series convertible by the end of this year in India.
BMW has been doing pretty well in India and owns mor than 40% market share in premium car segment. The company president Andreas Schaaf is confident that they will be able to sell over 10k cars this year. The company has already sold 5364 cars till July. With the new model launch and better marketing efforts, the company can reach around 50% market share in India.
BMW X3 launch was delayed in India due to technical reasons. The car has been recenly launched with starting range of Rs 42 lakh.
To compete with market leader BMW, Audi has reduced the price of 2.0 litre TDI engine Q5 price to 35 lakh. Audi has been trying hard to increase its market share in India. As other markets in Eurozone and US still face lower sales, the premium car segment has been growing in India.
BMW has also raised its Chennai plant capacity to meet rising demand in Indian market. The company has capacity of making 11k SUVs and cars at present.
Another car maker betting high on the Indian market is Renault Nissan. The company informed that its Chennai facility has reached 100k petrol engine milestone. The plant started petrol engine manufacturing May 2010.
The Chennai facility manufactures Renault Fluence and Micra at present and plans to shortly start Renault Koleos and Nissan Sunny. Companies are expecting mid size car markets to have better growth in coming quarters.
Volkswagen was not able to impress the Indian consumer with its Jetta. However, the company is trying hard to bring back customer interest with an updated version launch. The Jetta comes with diesel engine and offers better performance.
Jetta Trendline is priced at Rs 13.8 lakh while Jetta Highline DSG comes with a price tag of Rs 17.47 lakhs. Time will tell if Indian consumers will buy the car which offers good performance but seems expensive at current price tag. There are many other options in this price range and some cars which offer better value for money.
Hindustan Motors-Mitsubishi has launched limited edition Mitsubishi Outlander Chrome with a price tag of Rs 20.5 lakh. The car comes with side skirts, upgraded interiors, LED floor illumination lamps and many other features which add class. There are many more options for SUV lovers in India now.


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Is this a sincere apology? When in December Mozilla and Google blocked Avasta browser extensions from their stores with add-ons Firefox and Chrome, on charges of sending user data to Avasta servers without their knowledge, Avasta CEO downplayed the case. It was enough though another loud affair with the manufacturer's applications in the lead rolethat … Read moreAvast apologizes and withdraws from selling user data. Is that enough?
And yet a mistake. The day before yesterday we made the issue public delete videos about cryptocurrencies on YouTube. I remind you that both the leading and smaller creators have discovered with astonishment that Google has decided to remove a significant part of their work. We then argued whether the problem is the operation of … Read moreYouTube apologizes for deleting cryptocurrency videos


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German company Messe Düsseldorf Asia and German Industry and Commerce Vietnam invited Vietnamese enterprises Wednesday to attend the Thai International Plastics and Rubber Exhibition for Indochina (TIPREX) September 14-17.
|Gernot Ringling briefs the exhibition. (Photo: Tuong Thuy)|
“This is the second largest plastics and rubber exhibition in Southeast Asia,” said Messe Düsseldorf Asia managing director Gernot Ringling at the event’s Vietnamese introduction ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City.
The event will take place at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center in Thailand with around 200 exhibitors from more than 20 countries in attendance, he said. Among them will be leading companies from Austria, Germany, Italy and Singapore, where some of the most high-tech companies in the industry reside.
The co-organizers of the exhibition are Messe Düsseldorf Asia, the Thai Plastic Industries Association, and the Federation of Thai Industries – Plastic Industry Club.
At the introduction, Vietnam Plastics Association vice president and general secretary Nguyen Dang Cuong asked Ringling to support Viet Nam’s plastics and rubber industry.
The managing director said his company plans to set up a joint venture in Viet Nam by 2008 to start working on a similar exhibition in the country. But Viet Nam must have at least one international exhibition center big enough for such international events, he added.
“In order to support Viet Nam most effectively, we must go step by step,” Ringling said.
According to Mr. Cuong, one of the biggest problems curbing the Vietnamese plastics industry is that it still has to import 90% of materials. Viet Nam paid US$1.5 billion for such imports last year and the figure is estimated at US$5 billion in 2010. Viet Nam does not currently have the technology necessary to produce the plastics it needs.
Mr. Cuong said that Viet Nam exported US$380 million worth of plastics last year, up 37% on 2004. The estimate for this year ranges from US$500-600 million, while the forecast for 2010 is US$1.2-1.5 billion.


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Newport City Council has distributed nearly £19m worth of grants so far as part of a package of support to Newport businesses in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The grants were introduced by Welsh Government as part of their response to coronavirus, and are being administered for local businesses by the council.
The total grants distributed to date make up a little over half of the estimated total that the council believes qualifying businesses in the city are able to claim, and our revenues team will continue to work through applications as quickly as possible to ensure all eligible businesses benefit.
The council has also adopted Welsh Government’s Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Rate Relief Scheme for 2020-21, meaning that qualifying businesses will not pay rates for the forthcoming year, and is also liaising with the Development Bank for Wales regarding the government’s Economic Resilience Fund announced last month, which is expected to become operational later this month.
Jane Mudd, Leader of Newport City Council, said “Distribution of these grants, along with the rate relief scheme, are vital to ensure the resilience of our city’s businesses and economy.
“I am very grateful to our revenues team for their efforts in ensuring these grants are reaching eligible businesses as quickly as possible, and we will continue to do everything we can to support our economy during this crisis.
The council encourages all businesses who are eligible to apply, so if you think you might qualify, please look at the application process on our website – http://www.newport.gov.uk/en/Business/.


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acing a crippling strike by bakers, Hostess Brands — the baker of Wonder Bread and snack aisle icons such as Twinkies and Ho Hos — announced Friday that it is asking a bankruptcy court for permission to shut down. The move would put the 5,000 members of the bakers' union, which is protesting a new contract, as well as more than 13,000 other employees out of work. Hostess wants to auction its assets to the highest bidder, however, which could keep its most popular products on grocery store shelves.
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Kinect creators PrimeSense Immersive Natural Interaction has revealed a new Kinect-like motion camera for the PC.
Called the WAVI Xtion, much like Kinect it will allow users to control an array of core functionality through gesture and voice, with the express intention of "extending PC usage to the living room".
Specifically mentioned are social networking, multimedia and gesture-based games.
Our agreement with ASUS for developing WAVI Xtion demonstrates that Natural Interaction technology is already mainstream,” PrimeSense CEO Inon Beracha said in a press release, which notably doesn’t once mention Kinect.
This user interface is a new paradigm that represents how all CE products will eventually be naturally controlled and operated.”
Asus general manager Kent Chien added: Asus combines its wireless cross-room solution with PrimeSense’s simple, intuitive, gesture-based control technology to allow users to enjoy and share PC content on TV with gestures. WAVI Xtion is the unprecedented living room experience that will revolutionise users’ recreational lives.
"Natural Interaction’s appeal to consumers means more monetization opportunities based on personalisation, various branding and advertising programs inside applications.”
The WAVI Xtion is scheduled to begin a phased launch in Q2 2011.


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We have been seeing several acquisitions and mergers between both small and large companies in the additive manufacturing sector, as of late. As any market begins to mature, consolidation takes place, usually creating stronger, more versatile companies.
Today, Forecast 3D, a company which has been providing 3D printing, and rapid prototyping services for over 20 years, announced that they have acquired key assets of GROWit. GROWit is a seven year old company which has worked exclusively with Stratasys’ high end 3D printers, providing 3D printing services to a variety of clients. The assets acquired in this deal include GROWit’s three Stratasys PolyJET 3D printers, as well as the expertise behind the company.
“We are very happy to have found a company whom we are confident can continue to support our customer base at the high level that we have come to be known for as well as be able to offer clients some new Additive Manufacturing processes and technologies,” stated the founder of GROWit, David Gurrola.
With the acquisition Forecast 3D now owns eight Stratasys high end 3D printers, including five FDM Fortus Machines, and three PolyJET machines. The acquisition will give Forecast 3D the assets needed in order to expand their 3D Printing/Prototyping business, as well as deliver parts faster to its clients.
“The addition of the PolyJET technology, together with the expertise of GROWit, furthers our vision of being able to provide our customers with the best Additive Manufacturing option for their particular project,” stated Donovan Weber, COO of Forecast 3D. “We believe this solidifies Forecast 3D as the premier independent choice for enterprise 3D Printing solutions.”
For more details as well as discussion around this merger, check out the 3DPB.com forum thread.
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IKEA?s powered furniture line gives mobile users a charge
IKEA is bringing out a line of furniture with built-in wireless chargers to increase convenience for connected consumers who weary of looking for a charger and the attendant charging-cable mess.
The Swedish furniture manufacturer is leveraging Wireless Power Consortium?s Qi standard for inductive electrical power transfer over distances in tables, desks, lamps and other accessories that are part of a Home Smart line, committed to products that make living at home easier. The products? launch on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, points to how mobile has moved from a novelty to a necessity as global smartphone penetration deepens.
?[IKEA] sees cable mess and the need to charge multiple mobile devices as a big problem in homes around the world,? said John Perzow, vice president of market development for the Wireless Power Consortium, Piscataway, NJ. ?This new line of products address those problems.
?Mobile devices have become the hub of our connected lives,? he said. ?They are becoming ever more central in how we stay in touch, get our news and connect with our environment.?
IKEA said the wireless charging home furnishings will be available in Europe and North America this April, followed by a global rollout.
Charging phones (right) is simple and easy.
Using the furniture to charge phones, tablets and other mobile devices is simple and easy. The user places his or her phone on the charging area, which is marked by a plus sign built into the furniture. The phone then charges on the spot.
?No mess, no plugging in wires or looking for an outlet, carrying a AC adaptor,? Mr. Perzow said.
The caveat is that the phone must be Qi-enabled. About 80 models of phones either have Qi built in or are Qi-enabled with an accessory from the manufacturer, such as a case or card that fits between the battery and back cover of the phone, Mr. Perzow said.
Samsung?s newly unveiled flagship Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge comes with Qi built in, joining the Motorola Droid and Droid Turbo.
Google and Nokia phones also have built-in Qi. ?Only about 12 percent of consumers know that this feature is available,? Mr. Perzow said.
The IKEA and Samsung announcements may boost awareness of the Qi charger in an increasingly connected world.
?For example, I use my phone as a TV remote control, to access my home thermostat, control my home lighting and unlock my door,? Mr. Perzow said.
?Combine that with the need for 100 percent reliable communications ? emergency communications, for example ? and it?s easy to see why it?s more important than ever to know that your phone is charged and ready for whatever you need it to do.?
Including wireless charging is a way for brands to offer conveniences that have become essential customer needs.
General Motors? Cadillac brand, for instance, added wireless charging of smartphones in dashboards of the 2015 ATS coupe and sedan, eliminating the need for on-board charge cords.
Cadillac added the feature via Powermat, a Duracell-backed technology, which lets the phone recharge through an electromagnetic field while it sits on a rubber pad behind the car?s center instrument panel faceplate.
Offering the feature allows Cadillac to target car shoppers seeking out high-tech convenience features who also typically charge their phones at least once a day.
Qi is available in 3,000 hotels, restaurants, airports and public locations worldwide. More than 80 Qi-enabled smartphones, 15 models of Qi-enabled cars and countless Qi mobile accessories now are in the market.
?Qi is the global standard for wireless charging and mainstream adoption is accelerating,? Mr. Perzow said.
?There are over 50 million units shipped, and over 200 companies such as HTC, IKEA, LG, Motorola, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Verizon support Qi with their membership in the Wirelesss Power Consortium.
?Hotels like Marriott, airports like JFK and Newark, restaurants like McDonalds are installing Qi wireless charging so their customers can easily charge their phone,? he said. ?Qi also is built into the Toyota?s Avalon and Camry cars and the Jeep Cherokee SUV.?
Michael Barris is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York


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Unrest, a gorgeous RPG taking place in Ancient India, generated 12 times its original funding goal, closing their campaign on June 31st, 2013 with $36,251 in hand with plans to make an expansive and unique traditional RPG. Tons of side quests lie in the gigantic city of Bhimra in addition to 6 main storyline quests, as well as a codex of information to discover and complete. Backers already know, but the demo of Unrest was released on the 16th, and anyone with Steam can give it a whirl. It’s just a demo, and a beta-like demo at that, but vocal backers and staff alike are working to hone the experience so that the final product can have as high a level of polish as possible.
Speaking of the final product, we have a release date for the full version of the game! It’s going to be about a month, but the full, final product will be released on July 23rd on PC, Mac, and Linux to be distributed via Steam. Like I said, the final product will be a highly expanded version of what we saw in the Kickstarter campaign because of how many stretch goals were reached. This includes a ton of extra areas, quest lines, and audio and visual enhancements, so definitely be looking forward to that full release. However, if you just can’t stand the wait, you can go play the free demo on Steam right now if you have a Windows PC, Mac, or Linux-based system.
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When the last shop closed in the Kent village of Cobham residents lost a store and a lot more besides. The loss of the 600-year-old shop knocked the heart out of the village.
But tonight it's back in business - doing a great trade but banking no profit.
Andrea Thomas reports and we meet the shop's director Kate Garner, managers Jaki and Rebecca Penfold, volunteer Delia Webster, designer Anna Gohmi, and customers John Reeves and Kalle Hogh.
More top news
Rhianna Clavering from Ferring is now 4 inches taller and showjumping again after the pioneering surgery.
Extra security was added to the area around the disabled viewing platform for Sunday's performances.
Philippa has the latest weather update for the east


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When President Jimmy Carter made home brewing legal in 1978 the newly legitimated hobby spawned fledgling brewmasters across the country. Some got stars in their eyes, and the American micro-brewing industry was born. Inspired by the new brewers, the first craft distillers opened shop a dozen years later. The Texas trend didn’t begin until 1997, when San Antonio native Tito Beveridge initiated production at the Mockingbird Distillery in Austin, the first legal distillery in the state. Tito’s Handmade Vodka now competes with Dripping Springs and San Antonio’s Enchanted Rock and Cinco vodkas; Texas rum is made in San Leon, Austin, and Pflugerville. While whiskey was late to the party, two San Antonio distillers released new brands just last month. Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling and Rebecca Creek Distillery share something in their names, but these hometown companies are radically different tributaries of the mighty whiskey river.
Unlike commercial distilleries obsessed with consistency above all else, the Ranger Creek “brewstillery” brings a craft brewer’s experimental nature to their distilling venture. In November, Ranger Creek .36 (named after the gun favored by the Texas Rangers) was released — the first offering in their Small Caliber Series. Taking advantage of the hot days and warm nights that mature Texas whiskey much faster than in Kentucky or Scotland, Ranger Creek speeds the process even more by using five- and seven-gallon barrels that have a greater percentage of surface area than the standard 53-gallon cask, putting more wood flavoring and coloring agents in contact with the still’s product, called white dog. Vatted from barrels aged only seven to 11 months, the result is remarkable — offering a complex profile favoring caramel and vanilla notes with hints of black cherry in the finish. The .36 is sour mashed and distilled twice. But while Ranger Creek’s large-barrel bourbon ages for a few years, they’re experimenting with triple-distillation, too, and with different char-levels in barrels they are trying out, sourced from three different cooperages. “Some people just pick a barrel and go with it, even though it imparts 70 to 80 percent of the flavor.” said Ranger Creek co-owner and distiller TJ Miller. “We use the barrel as an ingredient.”
Rebecca Creek is aging a single malt whiskey for a planned June 2012 release. In the meantime, they’re producing Enchanted Rock Vodka with a 700 gallon still, the largest that Christian Karl, the German manufacturer, has ever sent to North America. Last month the distillery added Rebecca Creek Fine Texas Spirit Whiskey to their line. They intend to need that high-capacity still (and their in-house bottling line); both products are targeted for popular consumption, and seem to be on their way. “Our vodka is the fastest-growing new liquor brand in Texas,” said Rebecca Creek co-owner Mike Cameron. He and Steve Ison, Rebecca Creek’s other owner, know what they want for their whiskey, too. “The number one selling whiskey in Texas is Crown Royal,” says Cameron. “Grabbing the bottle and going to the hunting-lease, or picking up some Crown for Christmas, is very typical.” The spirit whiskey is a proprietary blend that, claims Cameron, “has an eight-year old bourbon in it.” This ultra-smooth whiskey offers a new choice for the Canadian blend drinker.
Garrison Brothers opened the first legal Texas whiskey distillery in 2007 on a ranch near Hye, a tiny spot between Fredericksburg and Johnson City. They released their first batch of Garrison Brothers Straight Texas Bourbon Whiskey last year — a full-bodied, oaky, all-organic, all-Texas whiskey. Garrison grows their own soft red winter wheat on 65 acres of the Blanco County ranch, and they buy their corn from farms in Dalhart and Muleshoe up on the Panhandle. Part of what goes into the bottle comes from the sky — the distillery has a 65,000-gallon catchment system to collect rainwater. (“It got scary a month ago,” said proprietor Dan Garrison, “because we hadn’t had rain for 18 months.”)
Garrison released their fourth batch recently when the rains returned. Like the other distilleries, they do weekly tours, and the trip is worth the drive, Garrison says. “The entire ranch smells like cornbread cooking all the time, its quite the tactile experience.”
Waco’s Balcones Distillery has wowed the experts with four whiskies, and has been featured in Playboy, Saveur, and Smithsonian Magazine.
Their nutty Baby Blue Corn Whiskey, made from Hopi heritage cornmeal, took Double Gold awards at the 2010 San Francisco International World Spirits Competition. Their newest project, Balcones Single Malt Whiskey, entered stores in September and has already fared well with the critics. “We were trying to decide if it was ready to release,” Balcones co-owner Stephen Germer said. “Just in fun, we sent a bottle to the New York World Spirits Competition. A few months later they called back and said, ‘You’ve won a Double Gold and Best in Show for the whole competition.’ Well, I guess it’s ready.”
The Single Malt gets its balanced flavor profile from the different yeasts that introduce hints of banana, apricot, and pear while fermenting the mash, which is made from Scottish Golden Promise barley. Balcones whiskies also include True Blue, a cask-strength version of the corn whiskey, and Brimstone, a smoky whiskey made with scrub oak. Balcones also distills Rumble, reminiscent of Armagnac and grappa, the distinct spirit is made from Texas wildflower honey, mission figs, and Turbinado sugar from Sugar Land. All their spirits are made in Balcones’ handmade still, constructed by founder and head distiller Chip Tate (the former assistant dean at Baylor University has a background in space engineering). “We started on a shoestring,” Germer, Balcones’ business manager recalls. “When we sat down and designed everything on a napkin, I asked Chip, ‘What do you need?’ And he said, ‘a tig welder and a whole lot of copper.’ He grew up in a nuclear lab with his dad.”
Though Balcones’ and Ranger Creek’s free-form style contrasts with the firm, measured approach taken by Rebecca Creek and Garrison Brothers, the new Texas whiskey industry is by necessity an experiment — the legendary corn whiskey that defined the frontier is long gone. “We see our relationship with Balcones and Garrison as making Texas whiskey, though we are all doing something different,” said Ranger Creek co-owner Mark McDavid. “No one knows what Texas whiskey tastes like. We’re going to have this conversation with consumers and all figure it out together.” D
Texas whiskies are available at Spec’s, Twin Liquors, selected Gabriel’s and independent liquor stores, and can be tasted at fine drinking establishments including the Esquire Tavern, Bohanans, and the JW Marriott Hill Country.


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SHANGHAI—Standard & Poor's warned that government anti-inflation efforts are likely to squeeze profits at China's banks, highlighting growing concern about the impact of tighter monetary policy on lenders that have poured out credit in recent years to help drive growth in the world's No. 2 economy.
"Inflation and a possible economic slowdown stemming from tightening measures could lead to a spike in credit losses over the next two to three years," the ratings company said in a report issued Wednesday. "Chinese banks' profitability could slip in the remainder of 2011 and drop further in the next two years."
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Asia Mobiliti, Nippon Koei & ASAP Mobility selected by JETRO to demonstrate multimodal mobility proof of concept
Asia Mobiliti, Nippon Koei and its Malaysian subsidiary ASAP Mobility have been selected to demonstrate a mobility proof of concept
The latest e-commerce trends from research commissioned by FedEx Express shows that both SMEs and consumers in the AMEA region agree that there’s room for further growth in the already booming e-commerce sector.
Grab Malaysia has launched Grab Intercity, giving users the ability to conveniently purchase affordable bus and ferry tickets right on the Grab app.
The ongoing conflict between taxi companies and ride-sharing apps in Indonesia boiled over yesterday (March 22) as thousands of taxi drivers took to the streets in Jakarta to stage a protest that escalated into violence in some areas.
Blue Bird first launched a booking app in 2011, but only saw it as yet another platform – that has changed with the rising competition.
Doug Cutting weighs in on the present and future of Hadoop’s role in the world, from an obscure database to being the basis of big data analytics.
Singapore-based startup Ryde Technologies Pte Ltd, behind the ‘Ryde’ carpool app, said it has raised S$1.5 million (approximately US$1 million) in seed round funding from “strategic angel and private investors.”
Deploying Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in the capital city of Thailand could reduce travel times, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and road accidents, driving social and economic benefits of up to US$1 billion per year, according to the GSM Association (GSMA).
San Francisco-based startup Uber has praised the Philippines’ Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) for its new guidelines which would pave the way for the legal use of ride-sharing smartphone applications.
Spurred by complaints from taxi drivers and companies, Malaysian authorities are going to start cracking down on Uber drivers without permits. The Malaysian public is up in arms, saying that the Government is protecting at best an inefficient industry, at worst a dishonest one. A. Asohan believes the issue is greyer and murkier than that.


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The Irish supply chain management company PCH International has announced that it is setting up a new sustainable packaging design centre in the city of Shenzhen in China, as well as a product showroom in San Francisco in early 2013, with the aim of coming up with more environmentally friendly packaging solutions.
Founded in 1996 by the Irish entrepreneur Liam Casey, PCH designs, manufactures and distributes hardware and has its corporate headquarters in Cork. In 2000 it set up its operational headquarters in Shenzhen.
PCH focuses on global supply chain services to industries ranging from consumer tech, medical devices, telecoms and other emerging technology industries.
In June the company said it was opening a new energy-efficient facility in Shenzhen’s Futian Free Trade Zone to employ an extra 1,500 people – more than doubling its global headcount.
PCH also acquired the Silicon Valley development consultancy Lime Lab in June.
Apparently the new sustainable packaging design centre in Shenzhen will feature a material library and a structural design engineering and quality test lab.
According to Casey, the company will now be designing packaging solutions that are 100pc sustainable with a minimal carbon footprint and a full life-cycle assessment.
He said that PCH will be looking at the entire packaging life cycle – from material sourcing, to packaging design, manufacturing, transport, and final disposal – to make it more environmentally friendly.
And with the opening of its product showroom and material library in San Francisco in 2013 the company is also planning to take on 20 new hires within the next 12 months. These new roles will be for project managers, material expert supply base managers, lab operators, print supplier management specialists and green practice experts.
PCH has also been approved as a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a project of the non-profit GreenBlue that aims to help businesses develop more sustainable products.
As for Casey, earlier this year Enterprise Ireland named him as ‘International Start-up Ambassador’ in China.
Supply chain image via Shutterstock


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LADUE, Mo. (KMOV.com) – Three suspects have been charged in what police are calling a multi-state credit card theft scheme.
Kayla Burleson, Fana Kiros, and Haben Sebhatu face felony charges of trafficking in stolen identities and possession of a forgery instrument, police say.
KMOV.comThe three were arrested in the early morning on March 25 after a traffic stop for speeding on I-64 at McKnight Road.
The officer reported smelling marijuana in the car, which led to a search, revealing over 100 credit and debit cards, a laptop computer, and credit card reader/writer device.
According to police, those are telltale signs of what is now becoming a common crime.
“We also found a number of gift cards in there,” said Sergeant Ray Hahs of the Ladue Police Department. “It’s very common to use the stolen credit cards or re-encoded credit cards, and then they’ll buy gift cards and they’ll take the gift cards and buy whatever items they want, so that it’s very difficult to track.”
Police say the suspects came to the St. Louis area from Seattle and made several stops.
“We believe they flew into Chicago, rented a car in Chicago, and then they went through Indianapolis, then came down this way, and went into Arkansas,” said Hahs.
Police say it is unclear whose identities may be on those stolen cards, or how many victims are located in the St. Louis area.
Copyright 2016 KMOV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.


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200 titles headed to PSN over the next year
Sony's Jack Tretton has promised a great many improvements to the PS3's online services over the next 12 months.
The main thrust of this will be the release of over 200 games on PlayStation Network during the next year.
PlayStation Plus will also improve offering PS3 gamers access to what Sony calls an instant library of titles available to download and play as long as they have an active Plus subscription by boosting the volume of titles available via the service.
Tretton also revealed that the will soon be making PS One titles available to download on the PS Vita allowing players to access their titles via download rather than having to play them via Remote Play.
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- Shadow Of Mordor arrives on last-gen consoles
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Last year Nintendo skipped out on the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles by not giving them a formal press conference. When fans found, they were not amused. So they started counting down the days until the Expo comes back in 2014 so that they may see what it is that Nintendo has in store for their loyal customers. However it looks like fans will be disappointed this year as well since the gaming company announced that they will not be holding a press conference for this year’s E3 either. They will instead be making their updates via their new E3 digital stream.
E3 is a trade only event where all the biggest name is gaming entertainment and gaming technology gather at the Los Angeles Convention Center to display what projects they are working on. This year everyone in the big three, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, has at least one big project to display to potential investors, visitors from overseas, and members of the press. Microsoft plans to give updated announcements about the long awaited and much anticipated Halo 5. Sony, who is sitting on the top of the world right now after the release of the Playstation 4, is showing off the latest updates for The Order: 1886, Metal Gear Solid 5 and the next installment of the Uncharted franchise.
Instead of their traditional press conference experience, that they usually give first thing in the morning on the first day of the conference, the Nintendo corporation will be going down the virtual path. Last year Nintendo held a “meet up” at their booth that was less than organized, to say the very least. It featured short game play videos and very disappointing turn out. For this year’s E3 they will be hosting an invitational tournament for their upcoming fighting game Super Smash Bros.. The tournament will take place at the Nokia Theatre. Their digital event will be broadcasting in the same timeslot that they previously used for their original press conferences, Tuesday June 10 at nine o’clock in the morning. Hopefully Nintendo has learned from the mistake they made in the previous year.
The Nintendo digital event will be the time where they show what is to come from their side of the three-sided fight. Thus far it is known that Nintendo will reveal details on the new Super Smash Bros., Zelda Wii U. There will be a lot to talk about when it comes to new Smash Bros. video game. Up until this point fans have only been getting news updates of this game in small bits, but at E3 fans will finally know what secrets the game’s character roster will hold. Also fan will see the new stages and new items that will make an appearance. The second big game that will be shown on the virtual show at E3 is Zelda Wii U. People have been excited about this title since it was revealed at E3 2011 where the only thing that was shown of it was a tech trailer that was over three minutes long. Also Nintendo will give digital access to their booth through their new stream called Nintendo Treehouse: Live @ E3
While Nintendo may not be giving their fans everything that they were wishing for at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, they are doing their best to accommodate the people who have made them as good as they are. Look forward to more Nintendo and E3 updates as the conference draws closer to its slated dated on June 10 through 12.
By Mike White


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Publisher 2K Games has announced the system requirements for its upcoming 4X strategy game Civilization VI, giving series fans a heads up on the hardware required to run the latest entry in Sid Meier's long-running franchise.
MD and Nvidia released new drivers optimized for Forza Horizon 3 that are available now for those who purchased the Ultimate Edition. The drivers also add a new CrossFire and SLI mode, along with fixes for many known problems.
Hackers have posted a scan of Michelle Obama’s passport online as well as other staff information. The White House is laying the blame on a contractor but the incident raises concerns regarding the type of information contractors have in…
YouTube is enlisting the help of a special task force of volunteers who will "help make YouTube a better experience for everyone." It's called YouTube Heroes and it's an extension of the Trusted Flagger program from 2012.
Samsung is recalling its recently released Galaxy Note 7 due to concerns about the battery cell spontaneously combusting. Here's our full guide on to how to avoid the dangerous glitch and protect yourself.
Not only has Bumble put further empowered women who participate on its site, it's now tackling the issue of catfishing, too. Meet Bumble Photo Verification, which promises to "put a much needed end to fake users once and for all."


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App will lock kids' phones until they respond to parents
An Android app is hoping to provide relief for parents who text their kids "where are you" without response.
ReplyASAP boasts the ability to lock your kid's smartphone until they respond to your text.
Designer Nick Herbert said the app is built for parents to use with kids, but can also be used with older members of the family. He told Good Housekeeping he designed the app after being frustrated he wasn't able to reach his 13-year-old son Ben by phone since his son often left his phone on silent.
But when the phone is in silent mode, a sound will alert users that you texted.
The app is currently only available for Android devices and available for download here.


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Google has announced it is restricting ads for addiction treatment. “We found a number of misleading experiences among rehabilitation treatment centers that led to our decision,” a company spokeswoman said.
Some insurance companies are restricting patients’ access to pain medicines with a lower risk of dependence or addiction, while making it easier to get generic opioid drugs, The New York Times reports.
The Food and Drug Administration has permitted marketing of the first mobile app to help treat substance use disorders. The app is designed to be prescribed by a doctor and used along with counseling, CNBC reports.


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According to the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo is reportedly holding off on releasing its 64 GB game cards to developers due to technical issues. Nintendo was hoping to give developers these larger capacity cartridges sooner rather than later, but due to this delay it looks likes the cards will have to be postponed until 2019. The largest Nintendo Switch cartridge is currently only 32 GB, and there have already been some issues involving storage and Nintendo Switch games. Titles such as LA Noire and NBA 2k18 require additional micro SDcards to accommodate for the systems very limited storage.
The Blu-ray discs used by the console’s rivaling counterparts, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 can hold up to 50 GB. Also, there have been rumors that 32 GB cards are more expensive for developers to sell games on. This could mean that the new 64 GB could be even more expensive for both developers as well as players. However, all of these notions are purely speculation at the moment and won’t be confirmed or disproven until Nintendo opens up about them or until the new game cards are debugged in the future.
The Wall Street Journal also stated that some U.S. based developers aren’t liking these limitations of the console and will be waiting to bring some of their certain titles to the Switch because of the delay. It would’ve been interesting to know what companies are waiting to bring some of their games to the hybrid console, but unfortunately none of these developers were named, so at this point only time will tell.


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Warframe is set to escape its procedurally-generated levels later this year with a brand new expansion that’ll introduce open worlds into the third-person shooter.
These new open-worlds, called Landscapes, will be introduced in the game’s Plains of Eidolon later this year and will allow players the freedom to roam around these vast landscapes completing quests from NPCs found in a town called Cetus.
These Landscapes will also offer day/night cycles which will vary the gameplay experience for players. In the day time, the only threat will be waves of Grindeer clones, however at night a new enemy, called Eidolons, will make an appearance. These huge enemies require teamwork to defeat.
“The intent since day one was to take leaps, create and add to the game in an organic way where we listen to and surprise our players,” community manager, Rebecca Ford, told PC Gamer. “So in a way the game has evolved into a mash of genres that we didn’t necessarily plan specifically, but so far we’ve managed to make sense of.”
These open worlds introduced in the upcoming expansion will support up to 50 players, which is impressive. Unfortunately it looks like we may have to wait some time as the expansion is yet to receive a release date.


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UberEATS is an online meal ordering and delivery service powered by Uber. It partners with the best local restaurants in dozens of cities around the world to get people the food they want delivered faster.
The service operates in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria and Stellenbosch, where it has proved popular. UberEATS, which was launched in South Africa, earlier this year, has finally added Durban to it’s list. It was launched this week at the Botanical Gardens.
In Durban, the app works in the CBD, Durban North, uMhlanga, Morningside and the Ballito areas, and the restaurants include: RocoMama’s, Afro’s Chicken, Bombay Blu, Pop-Up Society, Spiga D’Oro, Silverani’s, McDonalds, Kauai and KFC.
“Durbanites love food so we are excited to expand to the city as we know they have been waiting in anticipation.
“We look forward to making life more tasty, accessible and more convenient,” said the general manager for UberEATS Middle East and Africa, Nic Robertson.
“The app gives diners access to whatever they like with benefits of customised orders. From sushi to doughnuts or burgers, we’ve got more than 69 cuisines customers can choose from across Durban, Gauteng and Cape Town.
“Restaurants can tap into the UberEATS delivery network to expand their businesses and reach a new network of customers.
“Delivery partners have access to even more flexible earning opportunities.”
But what about restaurants with existing delivery services? Speaking to managers of some of Durban’s restaurants and fast food outlets and asking if they will be joining UberEATS, a Debonairs manager said it would not be joining as it is fully covered and satisfied with the delivery system it is using.
Nando’s manager Jared Neil said it would also not be joining UberEATS as it saw no use of it because Nando’s already uses another popular food service, Mr Delivery.
UberEATS says it delivers across 1 422km2, has more than 35 000 different items to choose from, and takes an average delivery time of 33 minutes.
First time users around Durban can use the code “HELLODURBS” to enjoy free delivery for three orders, valid for two weeks.


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Apple will unveil a new iPad Air 2 with a anti-reflective laminated display, Touch ID, and a gold color option at its September 9th event, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It’s also said that the iPad mini with Retina Display could gain Touch ID Support, notes MacRumors.
In light of limited development resources and the fact that iPad Air contributes more to Apple’s sales and earnings than iPad mini, we think that only iPad Air 2 will see a major upgrade in specs this year, including anti-reflective coating for the cover lens, full lamination for the touch panel, a gold-colored metal casing, an A8 processor, Touch ID/ fingerprint recognition and an 8-megapixel rear camera. iPad mini may be upgraded with fingerprint recognition, if any.
A recent Digitimes report said that suppliers are ramping up production of components for a new iPad Air that will be thinner and feature an improved Touch ID fingerprint sensor. It’s possible that the change in thickness could be due to the laminated display.
Kuo says the anti-reflective display and full lamination could delay the iPad Air 2’s availability until October.


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Amidst institutional funding product buying and selling volumes falling to a two-year low, nicely virtually 60% of funding companies stated they have been engaged in digital property within the first half of the 12 months, in response to a analysis carried by Constancy Investments.
So in response to Bloomberg, a Constancy Investments survey revealed that 4 in 5 traders count on their funding portfolios also needs to embody cryptocurrencies, with institutional traders investing in digital property growing by 6% 12 months on 12 months.
Regardless of a way more than 50% lower in cryptocurrencies worth ranges this 12 months, the survey signifies that establishments are heating as much as digital property. Constancy Digital Belongings president Tom Jessop was quoted as saying that through the time when the markets are going through heavy financial slowdowns, particularly in current months.
Jessop added that fundamentals of crypto property may keep robust. He cited the occasion of cryptocurrencies going institutionalized throughout the market previously years which have enabled them to face the misery surroundings.
The Constancy examine polled over 1,000 institutional traders from america, Europe, and Asia. These investing in digital property found that $BTC and $ETH are their high picks, with Ethereum shareholding in america falling 4% 12 months on 12 months.
The group additionally found that over 65% of survey members in Asia and Europe owned digital property, whereas solely 42% did in america. Those that haven’t but invested in cryptocurrency cited dangers similar to volatility, safety issues, and the potential for market manipulation.
Prominently, institutional traders are persevering with to extend their investments in digital property at a time when the each day aggregated buying and selling quantity of institutional cryptocurrency funding autos has reached a two-year low.
As per CryptoCompare’s newest Digital Asset Administration Analysis report, digital asset merchandise’ property beneath administration (AUM) began to get better final month after a “robust September,” with AUM rising 1.76% in October to $22.9 billion as of October twenty fifth.
In response to the agency’s analysis, that is the primary development in AUM since July of this 12 months, and it stays considerably decrease than the determine seen throughout this 12 months’s market peak in March. The typical each day mixture product volumes throughout all crypto funding merchandise fell 34.1% to $62.3 million in October, persevering with a gentle decline in volumes that started in November 2021 and solely quickly paused for a 0.39% rise in Could.
MicroStrategy-like firms maintain the highest positions because the establishments with essentially the most crypto holdings. It has turn into extra bullish in direction of crypto beneath the management of bitcoin evangelist Michael Saylor. The corporate introduced to lift 500 million USD in September 2022 to allocate the funds in crypto shopping for. By September 2022, MicroStrategy was holding about 130,000 BTC.


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Strap: The bank will converge 200 services under ‘bob world’ and allowing customer to open account instantly and cover 95 percent of retail banking services.
Copy: Public lender, Bank of Baroda on September 8 launched its one stop digital platform ‘bob world’
The bank is aiming to provide an all-inclusive and seamless experience, encompassing all digital banking services which are under one-roof for the convenience of customers, the bank said in the release.
It adds, “’bob World’ will offer a wide gamut of banking products and services, to be rolled out in phases, under four key pillars — Save, Invest, Borrow and Shop.”
The bank said over 200 services will be converged into one single application covering nearly 95 percent of all retail banking services which can be accessed by customers domestically and globally, the bank said.
“With an ultra-modern look and feel, the app aims to provide an intuitive experience to the customers and is carefully crafted to balance the needs of the millennial users with that of the more experienced customers,” the bank said in a release.
The bank has integrated e-commerce to provide a wholesome and rewarding experience of banking and beyond, under one roof to customers.
“The new corporate sub-brand for digital is testimony to our commitment to serve the customers across the world…With ‘bob World’, we offer all our digital offerings under one umbrella so that the customer is provided with all digital services under one roof with a consistent experience,” Sanjiv Chadha, Managing Director & CEO, Bank of Baroda said in the statement.


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A new expansion for the Street Masters board game is soon hitting Kickstarter from Blacklist Games. Aftershock will include new elements like stage and enemy decks, along with missions. Four new fighters will be hitting the streets as well. Plus, everything comes in a deluxe box that fits all current Street Masters releases, but also extra space for what's to come afterward. The game'll be hitting Kickstarter on the 23rd of October.
Continue Reading »


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That news comes from The Luxury Institute based on its August survey of just over 1,000 affluent customers (with a median age of 43, a median income of $250,000 per year, and a net worth of $1.5 million). Based on the survey, marketers of luxury goods and services are generally better off not using celebrity endorsements in campaigns. In fact, such moves are more than twice as likely to backfire as they are to produce immediate sales results, and more than ten times as likely to produce no result at all, the Institute said.
Some 63 percent of survey respondents said a celebrity endorsement had no influence on their decision to purchase a product. But 18 percent felt so strongly about celebs that they won't buy any luxury product endorsed by a celebrity.
The majority--55 percent--said it's because they don't believe the celebrities actually use the products they endorse. Another 33 percent sniffed that such endorsements are for the masses.
What does work are ads that make the product the star. "Coach's 'Handbags and Shoes' print advertisement took top honors overall, and also finished first in 'likeability,'" the Institute reported. "Wealthy consumers repeatedly praised the ad for its 'emphasis on the product.'"
There were a few exceptions to the anti-celeb responses: Younger respondents were less opposed to celeb endorsers, and 30 percent said that celebs have the most impact in fashion advertising. And surprisingly, celebrities have their biggest influence in marketing philanthropic efforts, with 45 percent saying celebrity endorsements did influence their decisions to donate.


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Ethiopian Airlines becomes first African airline to partner with Envirotainer
Envirotainer, the secure cold chain solutions provider for the pharmaceutical supply chain, recently signed a global Master Lease Agreement (MLA) with Ethiopian Airlines. This is the first time Envirotainer partners with an airline that is based in Africa. The partnership will greatly enhance the connectivity for pharmaceutical companies and their
March 8, 2018 : Envirotainer, the secure cold chain solutions provider for the pharmaceutical supply chain, recently signed a global Master Lease Agreement (MLA) with Ethiopian Airlines. This is the first time Envirotainer partners with an airline that is based in Africa. The partnership will greatly enhance the connectivity for pharmaceutical companies and their customers in Africa.
Fitsum Abady, MD, Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services, said, "We are very pleased to be the first African airline partnering with Envirotainer. In this highly lucrative market the application of active temperature controlled containers play vital role for the protection and safety of time and temperature sensitive healthcare products both onboard and on the ground throughout the supply chain. This commercial partnership with Envirotainer significantly fuels our aim on providing superior protection and seamless connectivity through our sales networks stretched across the five continents."
Commenting on the deal, Bourji Mourad, head of Global Partner Management at Envirotainer, said, "This newly signed Global Master Lease Agreement with Ethiopian Airlines is very welcomed, particularly since it is our first with an African based airline that has invested so much in newly built facilities and services for the safe handling of pharmaceutical and life sciences products."
Jörg Krings, Global Partner Manager at Envirotainer further added, "The on ground training for how to handle our Envirotainer units went really well. It's a key element to guarantee the correct process implementation."
Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services, one of the seven business centers of Ethiopian Airlines, with the recently inaugurated state-of –the- Art cargo terminal II together with the existing Terminal will give us a total tonnage capacity of around 1 million ton per annum which is the largest in the continent of Africa. – The new terminal fitted with enhanced cold chain facility will boost the airlines' capacity for storage and handling of temperature sensitive and life science products.
Moreover, the completion of the second phase, which adds 600,000 tones annual uplift capacity, Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services will have one of the world's largest cargo terminals capability equivalent to cargo terminals in Amsterdam Schiphol, Singapore Changi, or Hong Kong. This investment and the resulting massive cargo facilities along with the 6 modern B-777F fleet, 2 B-757F on service and ordered 4 B777F and 2B737F will create adequate air cargo transporting capacity for the fast growing export and import demand of the continent.


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NEW YORK — A think tank is tapping high IQ individuals to develop new products for brands across a range of industries. ProdigyWorks offers access to a network of Mensa International members, helping companies like Mondelez International, The Coca-Cola Co., Dunkin’ and more accelerate their innovation efforts and stay ahead of the competition.
“Companies come to us with a range of developed problems or issues,” said Ted Curtin, chief marketing and innovation officer at ProdigyWorks. “It can be very specific, where they know exactly what they need help with. Others may come to us and say, ‘We’re losing market share,’ or ‘We see this trend happening and we want to get in front of it.’”
The think tank works with clients to pin down a goal, then looks to its network of nearly 2,000 Mensa members to form a small panel of “prodigies.” Potential panelists are vetted with an audition question to determine if they’re the right fit for a specific challenge.
The result is a diverse group of 15 to 20 high IQ individuals with any number of different backgrounds. A panel could span Nobel prize-winning physicists and NASA scientists to farmers, teachers, professional athletes, nurses and more.
“Companies can end up with a panel that doesn’t look anything like them,” Mr. Curtin said. “That’s intentional. If a panel looks just like you, couldn’t you do it yourself? We find cool combinations of individuals who think differently than most people. They connect the dots where most people can’t.”
After establishing a goal and assembling a team, ProdigyWorks brings the panelists into a secure online portal and presents them with the challenge. What follows is two weeks of around-the-clock collaborative ideation.
“This isn’t an afternoon brainstorm,” Mr. Curtin said. “They’ve got the portal on their mobile device and on their computer. Whether they’re walking their dog, cooking dinner or it’s the middle of the night, they’re able to input an idea that everyone else can see.”
The creative sparks fly from there. Clients help steer the panel during the two-week ideation period, ranking ideas and concepts to create a feedback loop with the prodigies. Panelists are provided a limited amount of data to help guide their thinking.
ProdigyWorks takes insights and research from the brand team and curates only a small segment of it for the prodigies.
“We don’t want to burden them with the same knowledge and biases the client has, but you need some boundaries and guardrails,” Mr. Curtin said. “We give them just enough to run free but in the right direction.”
ProdigyWorks in April was acquired by RTI research. Data from the market research company helps validate concepts sparked by the extended brainstorms.
The process stands in stark contrast to the rigid way most companies operate, but its playful and organic structure yields real results, Mr. Curtin said. Around 90% of challenges result in a new product being introduced to market.
“There’s a reason we’ve worked with all of these companies across different industries, and there’s a reason they keep coming back to refill their pipeline,” Mr. Curtin said. “The process works if you trust it.”
He pointed to a partnership with Mondelez International as an example. The company asked ProdigyWorks for help creating innovations that could keep the Oreo brand fresh and fun for its core consumers. The panel — comprised of a food blogger, professional chefs, a millennial cupcake entrepreneur, a former marketing executive, a candy maker, a culinary director and a molecular gastronomer — delivered more than 500 ideas in two weeks.
Those initial ideas were culled down to 220 concepts that were further refined to 30 viable options. Fourteen concepts advanced into testing, and several new varieties of the classic sandwich cookie ended up on grocery store shelves. Current in-market successes include Oreo cinnamon bun, Oreo blueberry pie and Oreo firework.
A panel featuring a party planner, a Lego designer, a comic book writer and more helped The Topps Company Inc. develop new concepts for the Juicy Drop and Push Pop brands. The ideation session led to Push Pop gummy roll, the brand’s first foray into the gummy category, and Juicy Drop re-mix, an interactive treat featuring sweet and sour candy in a portable container.
Other successes include a partnership with Chili's. The Brinker International-owned restaurant chain tasked ProdigyWorks with refreshing its menu to appeal to millennials without alienating baby boomers, its core customer base. Prodigies including food bloggers, marketers and more created nearly 500 new concepts.
After evaluation, testing and development, five of the panel’s Fresh Mex recommendations were added to the Chili’s menu. One-in-four guests now order an entree identified by ProdigyWorks.
The think tank’s record of success underscores the critical role innovation plays in a rapidly changing marketplace, Mr. Curtin said.
“Innovation is often a box-check or an afterthought,” he said. “Whether you’re tapping into ProdigyWorks, going to an agency or focusing internally, it’s important to have innovation at the forefront. It shouldn’t be this occasional thing that blips onto the radar.”


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IronCAD Extends License Agreement with Tech Soft 3D’s HOOPS® Technology
ATLANTA, GA. January 11, 2007 – IronCAD, the innovative design collaboration solutions company, and Tech Soft 3D, the leading provider of component graphics technology to the CAD; CAM; and CAE industries, today announced a license agreement to extend Tech Soft 3D's HOOPS® technology to IronCAD’s modeling environment.
IronCAD and Tech Soft 3D's partnership began in 2004, when IronCAD first licensed HOOPS® for their free IronCAD file viewer. IronCAD will now extend Tech Soft 3D's graphical components to IronCAD’s modeling environment, further enhancing its design interaction.
“Because of its impressive graphical performance, HOOPS technology has become a staple in applications for the CAD, CAM and CAE markets. Incorporating HOOPS technology into IronCAD's modeling environment lets users take advantage of real-time model interaction that improves design efficiency and allows for better communication outside the design team,” says Cary O’Connor, Marketing Director for IronCAD.
“We’re looking forward to the release of IronCAD with the HOOPS framework embedded as their core graphics subsystem”, said Ron Fritz, Managing Partner for Tech Soft 3D, “We’re confident that IronCAD users will benefit from the enhanced performance, interactivity and functionality that HOOPS provides.”
IronCAD plans to incorporate the HOOPS Technology in its next major release in 2007.
Based in Atlanta, GA, IronCAD is a leading provider of 3D Design Productivity Solutions that deliver the highest levels of customer satisfaction and productivity. Solutions that can be used either standalone or as complimentary collaboration solutions of a broader PLM initiative. Its flagship product IronCAD has won many industry awards for its innovative technology and leads the industry in its ease of use and design productivity. IronCAD products are being used successfully by thousands of customers worldwide. For more information on IronCAD, call 1-800-339-7304 or visit


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Published on Dec 10, 2007
IBM and its joint development partners -- AMD, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd., Freescale, Infineon, and Samsung -- today announced an innovative approach to speed the implementation of a breakthrough material known as "high-k/metal gate" in next generation 32 nanometer (32nm) computer chips.


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"Gray has always been seen as distinguished on men," Bumble and Bumble's Neil Moodie told the paper. "But on women it’s seen as aging, which isn’t necessarily true — the model Kristen McMenamy looks incredible [with it]. Normally, if you bleach hair, you can put in an ash tone to stop the brassiness, and it goes a slight grey-blue, so it also has that punk element," he explains. Thinking about going gray yourself? Don't attempt to turn yourself into a silver belle at home. Head to a salon for the professional treatment. Otherwise, you could be in silver hell.
Latest Makeup, Beauty, Hair & Skin


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She will auction off her 3.35 carat colored Sabbadini diamond ring and 6 carat diamond pendant necklace, rumored to be gifts from a famous ex-lover, on October 15 later this year.
Brazilian beauty Gisele Bundchen is planning to make a donation by selling her personal collection of sparkling jewels, which she got from her ex-boyfriend, at an auction. She will be selling a 3.35 carat colored Sabbadini diamond ring as well as a 6 carat diamond pendant necklace, rumored to be gifts from a famous ex-lover, as part of "Jewels: The New York Sale" auction at Christie's.
It has been claimed that the ring is expected to sold between $15,000 to $20,000, while the necklace worth between $120,000 to $150,000. The jewelries are scheduled to hit the auction block on October 15 later this year.
And while Gisele has yet commented on the report, talk has been mounting that she will donate a portion of proceeds from the auction to the Russell Simmons-co-founded charity Diamond Empowerment Fund, which provides educational funding to diamond-producing countries in Africa.
Gisele currently is dating football player Tom Brady. The couple have been together since last year. Prior to that she's been highly publicized for her relationship with movie hunk Leonardo DiCaprio. It remains unknown from who she got the jewels that are put on auction block.
Have a peek at Gisele's bling at Christie's.


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The AP made three visits to a dozen small shops in Los Angeles' jewelry district during a 19-month period ending in March. A reporter bought bracelets, necklaces and charm bracelets that salespeople said would make a good gift for a kindergartner.
Twenty of 64 items purchased were at least 5 percent cadmium, and often much higher, according to tests using an Olympus Innov-X X-ray fluorescence gun that estimates what metals are in jewelry. Subsequent lab testing showed that several pendants were hazardous based on CPSC guidelines. One was 85 percent cadmium.
Additional proof that cadmium jewelry was being sold comes from testing by two advocacy groups, the California-based Center for Environmental Health and Michigan-based Ecology Center. Lab results indicated that trinkets bought at Halloween costume stores last fall in the San Francisco Bay area and discounters in New York and Ohio over the winter were between 20 and 30 percent cadmium.
While the items would appeal to kids, they weren't recalled, apparently because the CPSC did not consider them children's products. If jewelry isn't "primarily intended" for kids 12 and under, it's an adult product — and adult products have no cadmium restrictions.
Results of the testing by AP and the advocacy groups reinforce ongoing reporting on the larger question — whether the CPSC has kept its word on taking the strongest steps possible to clean up store shelves and children's jewelry boxes.
In fact, the CPSC has been aware that cadmium jewelry was being sold in some discount shops since at least September 2010. That's when the agency's lab reported hazardous readings from a children's pendant bought at a small shop in New York City. As with jewelry AP bought in Los Angeles, there were no manufacturer markings on the packaging — and that made it difficult to track the pendant to its source.
The agency's investigator bought all the samples at the shop, but didn't look to see whether the pendant was sold elsewhere, CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson said.
"We've got to make some tough decisions with our investigators in terms of when they stay on the trail," Wolfson said. "There needs to be a rationale for it."
In January 2010, Tenenbaum mobilized her agency in reaction to AP's initial investigation. She told parents to toss cheap metal trinkets and promised to investigate all high-cadmium jewelry the agency learned about.
While five jewelry recalls followed, none began at the agency's initiative. The first three covered products AP highlighted; the last two came after companies approached the CPSC. All the recalls were voluntary.
Then the recalls stopped, though not because the CPSC thought cadmium was gone from the marketplace.
Instead of clearing contaminated products from store shelves, the agency focused on a policy of restricting future flow. At first, that meant warning Asian manufacturers to stop substituting cadmium for lead. Later, the agency started scattered cargo checks at U.S. ports and pressed a private-sector group led by the jewelry industry to adopt voluntary cadmium limits.
It took nearly two years for those standards to be enacted. And while several cadmium jewelry shipments were intercepted, with just 19 inspectors at 15 ports, the agency touches a minuscule fraction of the billions of consumer goods that enter the U.S. each year.
At a product safety conference in March, Tenenbaum claimed victory: "The proactive steps we have taken in China, at the ports, and in the standards environment have stopped cadmium from being the next lead."
But it wasn't until early 2011, a full year after AP's original report, that the agency had began seriously checking children's jewelry on store shelves. Even then, the scale of sampling was not great enough to draw broad conclusions.
Tenenbaum said in an interview that inspectors didn't check store shelves earlier because agency scientists had not decided what cadmium levels would qualify a piece of jewelry as hazardous. And they haven't checked more since 2011 due to other priorities, particularly items that children have died using, such as faulty cribs and ATVs.